Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 10, 2011 in Pulp Fiction
If you’re reading this site, you’re probably comfortably familiar with the old trope of dragons hoarding treasure, given that it’s been present in almost every fantasy setting ever. But have you ever given much thought to how much some of those hoards would be worth in real dollars? Probably not. Forbes did, though! In fact, they’ve compiled a list of the 15 wealthiest fictional characters, and Smaug’s hoard, calculated with lots of easy-to-understand math formulae, puts him squarely in the 7th position on the list. For an explanation as to how the total value of his hoard ($8.6 billion) was estimated, check out Michael Noer’s very entertaining Forbes article. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Mar 12, 2011 in Pulp Fiction
We consider the genre a staple nowadays, but back in the 30s, science fiction was still a relatively new thing. It hadn’t even been coined “science fiction” yet — “science romance” was a popular term, along with “pseudo-scientific” and “scientifiction” (which sounds like some kind of chemical reaction). Time Magazine reported on the very first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, and now, thanks to the miracle of the internet, you can read the original article. It’s a doozy, an openly condescending take on the “shamo-scientifics” that were so popular in the pulp fiction world at the time. It directly refers to the venerable Hugo Gernsback as a “shrewd, fat old man.” Don’t miss it. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Mar 4, 2011 in Pulp Fiction
The next book in George R. R. Martin’s much-loved A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Dance with Dragons, has been due for quite a while. It’s had release dates from 2007 all the way through this year! But fans of the series can now rejoice — a hard release date of July 12th, 2011 has been set for Dance. Judging by Martin’s rate of producing work, it’ll be some time before you get the next book in the series, so you should enjoy this one while it lasts. And at 900+ pages, that should be quite a while. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jan 16, 2011 in Pulp Fiction
If you’re like me, while strolling through your local Ikea, you’ve thought to yourself “this black leather chair is nice, but if only it had an enormous octopus built into it…” Maximo Riera clearly feels the same way, as he’s designed this downright Cthulhuesque…Cthulhoid…Cthonic…Cthulhu-lookin’ chair. Perfect for not being dead, but lounging eternally. Alternatively, reading the writings of the mad Arab Abdul Al-Hazred and summoning horrors from beyond space and time. Really, the world is your oyster with this thing. Or at least the chair is your octopus. Read more…
It wasn’t that long ago that Christmas shopping for me included two essential stops: Virgin Megastore and Tower Records. Both retail chains which had been pillars of the industry vanished overnight. And I now find myself wondering if during Christmas 2011 if the same thing will happen to Barnes & Nobel and Borders? Just as Napster and later iTunes devastated chain record shops I’m already seeing the signs that the Kindle and the iPad are delivering body blows to huge book stores. Read more…
I’m always happy for a geeky excuse to talk about Glee. And last time, I demanded that the writers of the show plug in a Rocky Horror Picture Show number. But now that it’s actually happening, I find myself a little skeptical about how the show that is essentially High School Musical for a slightly older set will manage to pull it off. Read more…
Last week, famed comic-artist and illustrator Al Williamson passed away at the age of 79. I do find it difficult to sum up my feelings regarding his passing, but perhaps I can provide some perspective for those of you who may not already be familiar with the man. As both an artist and inker, Williamson’s work meant a great deal to both readers and fellow artists alike, and I feel it’s safe to say it has had a tremendous impact on comics as we know them today.
This is a sneak preview of the new series The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! which is coming to PBS Kids in September. The show isn’t based on the original Dr. Seuss books but an education series of books that feature the cat explaining life, the universe and everything to kids. What I like about this show is that the animation studio did a nice job of staying true to the designs of the cat in the books.
H.P. Lovecraft was great at spinning a good yarn and I think he would have been quite charmed by this little guy! This Holy Guacamole Cthulhu Baby is suitable as either a key chain or backback buddy. Designer UglyGerbil also makes a wide range of these guys available in almost every color of the Cthulhu rainbow. Read more…
Twitch recently posted this photo of a supposed Godzilla prototype from the upcoming American remake, and it’s been floating around the net for the last week. Unfortunately, popular horror site Bloody Disgusting managed to confirm that the model in question is not from the upcoming Legendary Pictures remake after all – a shame, considering how fantastic the model actually is. I’m not really sure what to expect from the upcoming remake, as the production staff behind the film are also responsible for the travesty that was Terminator: Salvation, but I do hope that they’ll give the franchise the treatment it deserves. After all, the last thing we need is another Emmerich-esque bomb. Read more…
