In this video clip Adam Savage the co-host of MythBusterstells the tail — err tale of the cannibalistic mice. It seems that they did an episode based upon the myth that bad breakfast cereal has less nutrients than the box. So to test this myth they fed one set of mice super sugary cereal and another set cardboard pellets. The result? The cardboard mice resorted to cannibalism and the making of a MythBusters episode that never aired. Read more…
Etsy artist Doc Martin was self trained in art from an early age but took his talent to the next level at a respectable SoCal art school. This colorful series of Star Wars inspired posters draws inspiration from the likes of Andy Warhol and LeRoy Neiman. Featured in this vivid set of prints are Boba Fett, Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper and a TIE fighter. Read more…
You don’t need us to tell you that Prince of Persia was a mildly entertaining action-adventure film. You either know that already or don’t care. But I CAN tell you a few things that you may or may not know about the loosely game-based Jake Gyllenhaal feature and the world behind it that might surprise you…unless Hollywood’s poor choices don’t surprise you anymore. Read more…
I’ve seen a great deal of geek shaped soap in my day, but the added touch of making this faux BlackBerry scented with blackberries is genius! Produced by the Two Eggplants Company this BlackBerry PDA Phone Soap shows some nice detail on the keyboard and even includes a screen full of mock icons: Read more…
Word came out this week that the Pee-Wee Herman Show, and its infamous star Paul Rubens, are moving on to Broadway, for a short time at least. This is one of those ideas that makes you go, “why didn’t anyone think of this YEARS ago?” because Pee-Wee and its mix of puppetry and live stars are perfect for the stage.
But it’s not the only show that I’d like to see get a Broadway adaptation. Here are just a few from my childhood* that deserve a shot.
* I watched some Nick at Nite, so this is all technically true. Read more…
Commissioned over 100 years ago in 1903 the paintings by C. M. Coolidge which are collectively now known as Dogs Playing Poker is a cornerstone of pure(bred) Americana. But as good as those doggies were, I belive that an America of the 21st Century needs a more modern for of kitsch — and thus I nominate this Ultimate Boston Terrier Star Wars Dog Art Set for the honor. Lavishly illustrated by Brian Rubenacker this set of prints captures the canine side of Darth, Boba, Princess, Obi-Wan and Yoda. Read more…
Netflix’s Watch Instantly feature has been a pretty handy tool since it launched. Users could slog through entire seasons of Law and Order, classic flicks like Harold and Maude and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and certain sets of niche genre films, all at the click of a button.
But recently Netflix added a batch of titles to its library that transformed Watch Instantly into THE place for kids who watched a lot of cartoons in the ’90s (not including anime, which makes up the vast majority of Netflix’s “Anime & Animation” section). Read more…
This kawaii set of Han and Leia Kokeshi Dolls are designed as cake toppers — although I think they’d stand out on their own as a collectable. They were crafted by PeanutbutterBandit who who hails from Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Read more…
Even though I’m vegetarian the Japanophile in me craved this wonderfully detailed Ultra Realistic Sushi Lover Deluxe Soaps Gift Set. Designed by the Two Eggplants Company this set includes soap shaped likes shrimp, salmon, fatty tuna, calamari, cucumber, spicy tuna, roe sushi and a cute little gyosa as a bonus. And best of all the soaps are wasabi scented! Read more…
Who hasn’t made a cup of Earl Grey, and imagined themselves ordering it from a replicator? It might not be as instantaneous, but ThinkGeek’s Timmy the Monkey now has his own tea sampler set that features, among others, Tea, Earl Grey, Hot. I’m not even kidding — that’s what they’re actually calling their Earl Grey. It’s even labeled with the iconic Star Trek: The Next Generation typeface. Other flavors include Timmy’s 1UP Jasmine Green, Zombie Blood Orange, and Pirate Chai, but honestly, I’m sold on the novelty of the Earl Grey alone. Each of the four containers hold enough loose-leaf tea to make 10 cups. It’s a bit steep for $17.99, but given the fact that it’s all loose-leaf and not the cheap stuff you find in modern teabags, at least you know you’re going to be getting some quality tea out of it. For more info, check out their site here. Read more…
I’m sure it’s not every day that you come across house music featuring robots — famous ones, at least. The video here features some of our favorites lending their robotic talents to Eclectic Method’s latest release entitled, you guessed it, “Robots.” Clever name, right? Yeah, I thought so too. I was really hoping they’d throw in some Mechagodzilla, but I suppose it was just wishful thinking. Still, it’s a pretty cool video and if you’d like a copy of the song or more info about the group, check their official website. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on May 26, 2010 in Japanese TV
These commercials for the Japanese credit firm, JCB, feature J-Pop vocalist Ninomiya Kazunari miraculously saving the struggling Japanese economy with a simple swipe of his JCB issued credit card. The commercials are pretty hilarious, but at the same time I’m a little confused. In fairness, they’re technically encouraging some form of economic stimulation, but that’s only assuming people are actually going to pay off the balance they borrow on those cards, which, in part, is the reason behind the current global financial crisis. A bit ironic, don’t you think? Read more…
Star Trek Magazine is finally available for digital download. Since 1995, Titan UK has been publishing this fantastic magazine overseas, and while we have a decent equivalent here in the States, Star Trek: The Magazine, I’ve always wondered what I’ve been missing. Now, thanks to the folks over at Zinio, we can find out without having to spend the extra cash to import it. Starting with June, each issue will cost $4.89 each. Alternatively, you can opt for a subscription, offering 8 issues for $40. Considering what they usually charge for the print, this is a real steal of a deal. Check out the Zinio website for more information. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 25, 2010 in Videogames
This wonderful fan video takes the soundtrack from Secret of Monkey Island and plays it on several PC audio systems that date from 1981 until 1994. It’s amazing to see how in less than 15 years you can see MIDI audio go from a series of beeps to something that sounds like a CD. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on May 25, 2010 in Videogames
Konami’s Love Plus, the ever-so-popular dating sim, has spawned even more merchandise for those of us lonely enough to want — this time, in the form of a cushion. I know what you’re probably thinking, “it’s a body pillow, isn’t it?” Well, at first glance, it sure looked that way, but after reading the description, stick cushion actually seems more apt. The cushion is about 5 ½ inches in width by 1.3 feet in length. That’s big enough for maybe your neck, or wrist at best, and while it may seem small, I’m sure that won’t stop certain people from getting creative. Perverse thoughts aside, the cushions are kind of cute. If you’re looking to pick one up, they retail for around $20. HLJ should have them in stock, though they’ll probably sell out fast. Read more…
Some of you may know Danny Choo, he’s a pretty popular guy among otakus and fanboys alike. As such, I tend to share many of the same passions, such as Japanese anime and figures. Recently he uploaded these amazing photos to his flickr account, showing off some fantastic anime papercraft. I especially loved the Asuka he posted, as it actually looks better than some of the low-end PVC statues I’ve seen floating around. Pretty crazy considering it’s just paper. Check out his flickr stream if you want to see some more. Read more…
I recently came a across a nice series of fan videos by GoldenJellyBean on YouTube which included a few well done tutorials on creating crochet anime and videogame characters. Here’s a nice one on creating a Totoro: Read more…
Posted by Christian Liendo on May 24, 2010 in Fandom
There’s nothing like cosplay to put a bit of spring into your Spring! This photo essay shows off the fashion in action at Sakura Matsuri 2010 which was held at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden at the beginning of May: Read more…
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…
The Law of Inverse Importance states thus: the more splashy Square Enix gets about a game announcement, the less exciting the actual game is.
Example: When a new Final Fantasy comes out, all its official site might have is a simple logo to start. But Square Enix’s latest game was announced via a teaser site with Yahoo!, promising a game that would “make history” in Japan and was left up for some time, encouraging visitors to Tweet about it and garnering attention. Viewers wondered: could it be a Dragon Quest MMO? A Dragon Quest/Final Fantasy crossover? What could this history-making game BE? Read more…
This young Padawan is too young to know the power of The Force, yet is not too tiny to amuse fanboy and fangurl parents with this Baby Yoda Hat! This charming baby cap was crafted by Demulcent Arts, who is a middle school art teacher that you wish you had a child. Read more…
When I first looked at this very silly low budget trailer for Alien vs. Ninja my first thought was “this isn’t a bad fan video, but they could have spent some more time on the alien!” Little did I realize that this is very much a real film directed by Seiji Chiba. My only major critique is that these are most damn lazy ninjas that I have seen in my entire life — they seem to have a bit too much spare time on their hands to be so caught off guard by a guy in a second rate giger rubber suit. Read more…
Posted by Gia Manry on May 22, 2010 in Comic Books
Recently comic creator Hope Larson, of the tween girl series Chiggers and the romantic Grey Horses, recently released the results of an informal study she conducted with 198 teenage girls and women, all comic readers. The results were interesting and, true to form, many pundits reporting on the finding missed the point entirely. Read more…
The sad fate of most red shirts is Star Trek is brutal, but poor Ensign Bernie here has it worse than most Enterprise away teams! Usually a security officer can count on getting killed in a clean manner like a motral but quick and painless phaser wound, but poor Bernie has been turned into a sad version of oysters on the half shell by some Etsy monster that I’m sure we’ll meet in the future. Credit for Ensign Bernie goes to Ory B. Read more…
