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Posted by Michael Pinto on Apr 30, 2015 in Animation, Anime, Cinema, Comic Books, Design, Fandom, Hobbies and Collections, Horror, Podcasts, Pulp Fiction, Science, Star Trek, Star Wars, Tech, Television, Videogames 
I’m sorry to report that Fanboy.com is now on hiatus: We’re currently thinking of relaunching the site in the future, but for now no new stories will appear. We will still be posting links we love on a regular basis on our Facebook page so please keep in touch with us there.
I first registered this site on a lark in the 90s, but then started blogging almost 9 years ago in 2006 and found it to be a very rewarding experience. However after about 3,000 or so posts I got a bit burned out, however I was very lucky in that I found a few folks who were willing to put in the work to keep the site alive (namely Ben Huber, Bob Muir and Tim Sheehy) and to them I owe a great deal of thanks. I also would like to thank you the readers of this website for coming back to us over the past few years. In the meantime we’ll keep this site up for anyone who would like to see our old stories until further notice.
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 21, 2015 in Cinema, Comic Books, Fandom 
Despite knowing that I probably won’t like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice because of the overly dark direction they’re taking it, I was surprised that I enjoyed the teaser trailer as much as I did. It’s not what I want, but for what Zack Snyder is making, the trailer seems pretty cool. (Maybe it appeals to my inner teen, I dunno.) But what if that trailer was too dark for you? Did you want something lighter, more optimistic, even more campy? YouTube user Bobby Burns has recut the trailer with footage from Christopher Reeve’s Superman movies and Adam West’s live-action Batman TV series. No matter how gritty the dialogue gets, it’s undercut by, say, Batman running around with a cartoon bomb. I’m just going to assume this will happen for every future trailer as well. Read more…
Tags: Adam West, Batman v. Superman, Christopher Reeve
Posted by Bob Muir on Mar 25, 2015 in Animation, Fandom, Star Wars 
Look, Star Wars: Rebels is alright, but they could be doing something so much more stylized and interesting with the franchise, like Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars. They should be doing, say, a Star Wars cartoon that looks like a late-80s sci-fi anime, with detailed ships and dramatic shading. That’s what animator Paul Johnson has been working on for the last four years of weekends, and now he has finished his seven-minute short. Star Wars: Tie Fighter takes inspiration from the 1994 PC game of the same name and captures that dark, cool look of some classic anime like Gunbuster. Watch it and be amazed! Read more…
Tags: Star Wars, TIE Fighter
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 25, 2015 in Fandom, Television 
It seems like all our favorite childhood franchises are getting modern, gritty reboots these days. I think it speaks to our nostalgia for our past while avoiding any potential embarrassment for enjoying “childish” things. There’s a new Power Rangers movie which is likely to do its own thing (or do America’s first season of the show) instead of looking to the current series. But what if that movie got the Batman Begins treatment? You get this awesome fan film directed by Joseph Kahn and produced by Adi Shankar (The Grey, Dredd). POWER/RANGERS stars James Van Der Beek and Katie Sackhoff, and while this might be tedious as a feature-length film, it’s excellent as a short. Read more…
Tags: power rangers
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 20, 2015 in Fandom, Videogames 
Here’s a fun little video to start your Friday off right: Headcrabs are pretty rude. Not only do they hide behind easily-crowbar-ed boxes and attempt to couple with your head, eating your brains in the process, but according to this short Source video, they’ll steal your stuff, too. Nathan Hibberd created this short film and I think it’s probably the silliest thing on his YouTube channel currently. Also, I can use this post as an opportunity to talk about Half-Life, one of my favorite video game series ever. I love the world of Half-Life, and the amount of great videos like this one just go to show that a lot of other people do too! Read more…
Tags: Half-Life, Source Filmmaker
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 16, 2015 in Fandom, Videogames 
Over the last day or so you may have seen the supposed “leak” of DLC for Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS featuring Rayman. It was pretty real-looking, aside from the fact that people were wondering if Rayman could really be added to the game. Well, YouTube user Artsy Omni quickly revealed that he was the one behind the video, and yes, he made it all on his own. Sorry, Rayman fans, maybe next time! Still, Omni made a great video going into how he made the “leak” and made it seem authentic. It’s also just a great primer on the things you can do with After Effects! Don’t be too upset… check out the video below! Read more…
Tags: Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 21, 2015 in Cinema, Fandom 
Now that all three films are out, let’s just say what we all knew from the start: The Hobbit did not need to be stretched out over three movies. Not only is there so much filler and weaker subplots about ancillary characters, it all distracts from Bilbo’s charming tale of adventure. And just as was expected, fans are stepping in to fix the problems of the “trilogy.” The first new cut, The Hobbit: The Tolkien Edit, is from “tolkieneditor” and comes in at 4 hours (or 4.5 hours with the credits). His goal was to try to make the movie resemble J.R.R. Tolkien’s original book, so things like the investigation of Dol Guldor, the Tauriel-Legolas-Kili love triangle, a lot of filler moments or filler action scenes, and much of the Pale Orc (Azog) subplot and Laketown scenes are all gone. Read more…
Tags: The Hobbit
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 20, 2015 in Fandom, Videogames 
I’d say that Konami has gone off the deep end when it comes to most of their games. The company seems horribly mismanaged, and it shows in classic series like Silent Hill that seem to have no direction in mind. But while we haven’t seen much of the next entry Silent Hills, Silent Hill: Alchemilla, a fan-mod of Half-Life 2‘s Source engine, seems more true to Silent Hill than anything Konami has put out recently. It’s in first-person and doesn’t feature combat, instead basing itself on an adventure game template. But it absolutely nails the look and atmosphere of the haunted town. Alchemilla available now for free on PC, with Mac and Linux versions on the way, provided Konami doesn’t C&D the whole thing.
Read more…
Tags: Fan Art, Silent Hill
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 12, 2015 in Fandom, Hobbies and Collections 
When I saw these adorable Dinobot plush toys on Topless Robot I simply had to share them with you here. However, as I was writing this article, they sold out! So I suppose now I’m just dangling a tantalizing treat right in front of you. Don’t fret too much, though! In addition to these, Etsy seller MythFit Creations also has plenty of other cute Transformers along with several Deadpool, TMNT, How To Train your Dragon, and Catbug-themed plushes. Check out the rest of their work here, and I bet you’ll find something cuddly to add to your collection! Read more…
Tags: Dinobots, Etsy, plush toys, Transformers
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 4, 2015 in Fandom 
I think it’s safe to say there is a HUGE spoiler warning for this video for… well, uh, everything. The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones (I mean, come on, half the list is GoT characters), The Hobbit, True Blood, Gotham… wait. Listen, I don’t think Martha and Thomas Wayne count. If they did, they’d be on this list every year! I was most surprised not by the video itself though, but by the uploader: Hot Topic. When did they get into the silly internet video business? I thought they were too busy appropriating memes to print on shirts. This is a surprisingly clever video and well-timed — good job, whoever at Hot topic that came up with this! Read more…
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 28, 2014 in Fandom, Videogames 
Basketball trick shot videos and, well, trick shot videos in general have been incredibly popular — because hey — it’s fun to see people do crazy things dramatically. But suffice to say, they’ve kind of gotten a little long in the tooth, so what if someone gave it a twist? And by a “twist” I mean putting a Portal gun in it. Corridor Digital have created a silly video featuring two scientists dunking with the aid of a Portal gun, bro-ing it up with high-fives and screaming at the camera, just like you’d expect. Check out the video below, then imagine using a Portal gun for your own “sick dunks.” Read more…
Tags: Portal, Portal 2
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 30, 2014 in Fandom, Star Wars 
Yes, the internet works fast. In under 24 hours, YouTube user Snooperking has put together a fun little video re-making the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser in LEGO form. It’s not as stunning as some of the other LEGO videos out there, but Snooperking gets majors props for creativity and speed. The new lightsaber with a cross guard is in there too, of course, and the villain maybe reveals why he’s finally in the forest waving his sword at nothing… Check out the full video below, and then dig your old LEGOs out of storage and start making your own! Read more…
Tags: Episode VII, Lego, The Force Awakens
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 17, 2014 in Fandom, Videogames 
We don’t often shine a spotlight on popular YouTubers, because hey, they already get lots of eyes on them. But Matthewmatosis’ fantastic reviews of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine caught our eye. He breaks down exactly why Mario 64 was so revolutionary at the time, pointing out clever game design and tricks the developers used. He even mentions faults the game had, going into plenty of detail. His Mario Sunshine review is equally interesting, praising the strong elements of the game while also examining why so many people didn’t like it and the possible reasons behind that. Check out the videos below, and then check his channel for more! Read more…
Tags: Mario Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 1, 2014 in Fandom, Star Wars 
There sure are a lot of aliens in Star Wars, all created by a multitude of talented puppeteers, designers, actors, and costume creators. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to keep track of all of them, though, so a certified Star Wars races expert, Neil Cicierega (of Potter Puppet Pals and Brodyquest fame) is here to help you get them all straight in this humorous video that’s the perfect way to start your weekend. See if you can keep a straight face the whole way through! Then, if you’re ready for more, check out his earlier thorough and detailed video about the various races in Star Trek! Read more…
Tags: fan videos
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 28, 2014 in Fandom, Videogames 
This is the internet, you know, so I’m formally obligated to provide you with any and all high-quality cat videos for your perusal. YouTube channel Mr. TVCow has put together an adorable video featuring four kittens dress up as the main characters from Assassin’s Creed Unity, leaping across tables, rocks, and two hapless guards. Then they murder them. I kind of want an outfit like that for my cat! I know this isn’t an official ad for the game, but it’s basically the best commercial I’ve seen yet for Unity, as I’ve already been bored by their typical feature trailers. And time for a low blow: do you think any of the kittens are female? Check out the cuteness below. Read more…
Tags: Assassin's Creed, cats
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 27, 2014 in Fandom, Television 
You know, I’ve always enjoyed dubbed videos, ever since, well… Dayjob Orchestra‘s Star Trek dubs. I mean, you have to be good at choosing words and lip-syncing, but if you can do it well, it’s incredibly convincing and funny. Bad Lip Reading is clearly not that bad — they’re doing a pretty good job. Sometimes the nonsense coming out of characters’ mouths isn’t the cleverest, but those spots of genius are pretty hilarious. In fact, this Walking Dead video is one of their better videos, although I’m not really sold on Carl’s mad rhymes. The pizza delivery scene at the end got me, though. Check out the video below! Read more…
Tags: The Walking Dead
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 15, 2014 in Fandom, Hobbies and Collections 
I bet you weren’t expecting this mashup any time soon: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off car crash scene, remade in LEGO! This was done as part of Swebrick’s annual “AFOL vs AFOL” contest (AFOL stands for Adult Fan Of Lego). The theme this time around was to build a scene from an 80s film or TV series — only the catch is that it has to feature a car in it. Lots of excellent models were made (and you can see all of them here), but the one that came out on top was Etzel87’s Ferris Bueller model, featuring: “You killed the car.” Check out the entire contest here and more images below. Read more…
Tags: Lego
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 9, 2014 in Animation, Fandom 
14 years after the last episode, and people still like DuckTales. It’s a shame that Disney hasn’t felt like making the entire series available legally for streaming, considering how low any prospective sales are these days, but there are likely many fans who would gladly watch a few ads to revisit the series. Until then, fans continue showing their appreciation for the classic cartoon with various fanworks. But while not every video is gold, YouTube channel Oh My Disney has redone the opening with real, live ducks. Obviously, coordinating real ducks well enough to perform is difficult, so there’s not a lot of motion. But seeing a real duck with a top hat is still adorable! Read more…
Tags: Disney, DuckTales
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 19, 2014 in Animation, Cinema, Fandom 
Up is well known for tugging at your emotional heartstrings, especially in that bittersweet opening sequence that sort of overshadows the rest of the film. So what if Michael “Explosions” Bay, known for cinematic fast food like the Transformers franchise, directed Up instead of Pete Docter? The result would be something like this fan trailer by YouTube user MrStratman7, which makes Up seem much more epic and action-focused than it actually is. And naturally, there are explosions — tons and tons of endless explosions. In fact, keep watching after the title appears for one final explosion. Read more…
Tags: Michael Bay, Pixar, Up
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 10, 2014 in Fandom 
No really, it actually won something. This Matrix video features all sound effects replaced by video game sounds, from various generations and systems… so of course it’s labeled “8-bit!” Despite the mislabeling, it’s a wonderfully entertaining video, especially as you work to figure out where each effect is from. It won Best Sound Design at BECAFest 2013, and was posted online in May of 2013 too, but the internet didn’t catch onto it until now. Such is the way the winds of the web blow! Check out the video below. Read more…
Tags: The Matrix, Videogames
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 1, 2014 in Fandom 
Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy is out today, so take a moment and check out this fan-made trailer (commissioned by Marvel, though), which features many popular bits remade in LEGO form. It uses the official minifigures from the LEGO Guardians sets, so you can probably remake your own version with a little bit of time and dedication… on your kitchen table. Forrest Whaley and Sean Willets made this YouTube video, and the editing and smoothness of the whole affair is pretty impressive! I’ve embedded it below the jump. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 14, 2014 in Fandom 
James Rolfe, the Angry Video Game Nerd, is just about to realize his dream of making his own film. He (and his crew) have been working hard and they’ll be premiering the film at the Egyptian Theater in LA on July 21st (already sold out, sadly). However, along with a new trailer, they’ve announced a digital release date for the film: September 2nd. That’s not too far off! There are still some theater showings with available tickets, so if you want to see it on the big screen, check here. The movie seems pretty timely with the recent E.T. dig that happened! Read more…
Tags: Angry Video Game Nerd
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 12, 2014 in Fandom 
Three Wolf Moon is overdone, right? It’s a dead joke… isn’t it? Or are we at the point where it’s old enough to come back as a zombified corpse and still be kind of funny (but maybe in an ironic way)? I really don’t know. Suffice to say, here is a Three Wolf Moon shirt, but with Rocket Racoon instead of wolves. Yes, this is how far we have come. My designer side is coming out though, and says the moon should probably be a bit bigger. Racoons, guns, and moons. What else could you want? Nothing. This is it, this is the culmination of all nerd culture. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 6, 2014 in Fandom 
…And it’s better than any of Michael Bay’s films. Sure, I know that’s some low-hanging fruit, but this is pretty entertaining: Harris Loureiro on YouTube has put together an impressive short video featuring various Transformers battling it out, all in stop-motion. He filmed it all last year in September, and then began editing it in May, spending an entire month on the editing process. It oozes fan passion and nostalgia, along with a health dose of style. Harris admits the sound mixing isn’t the best and he lost some clips from it in a hard drive failure, but it feels so much more genuine. Check it out below! Read more…
Tags: Transformers
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