Optimash Prime

He’s a cute little small fry isn’t he? Seen above is Optimash Prime, a Mr. Potato Head action figure done up as your favorite Transformers robot leader Optimus Prime.

Found via Toy News International.

Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno

Patrick Macias is one of my favorite bloggers, and I guess the proof is that I’ve swiped dozens of interesting stories from his site. Well now Mr. Macias has a cool new bok coming out which is titled Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook and knowing Patrick’s love of Japanese subculture I can tell that the book is going to be killer! So do yourself a favor and go out and buy a copy today…

AstroBoy Likes Hybrid Cars

This Toyota ad celebrates ten years of hybrid car technology features AstroBoy and quite a few other Tezuka characters.

Found via JapanProbe.com.

Off The Wall

Seen above is a cute animated short from CalArts student (soon to be grad) Alex Hirsch that combines animation and live action.

Found via coldhardflash.com.

A Bit of Cheesecake from Japan

A slice of cheesecake heaven from Japan:

The commercial stars Yuko Takeuchi who got her big break in 1999 with NHK’s television series Asuka. She also starred in Heaven’s Bookstore a 2004 film about a struggling classical pianist who is sent to heaven to work in a bookstore. Here’s her official website:

stardust.co.jp/rooms/yuko/

Is Mars Ice Ice Baby?

Seen above: Illustration showing the Phoenix Mars Mission (click on the image to see it at full size – trust me it’s worth it).

This interesting but over looked BBC News story reports that there may be quite a bit more ice on Mars than we thought:

‘Up to half’ of Mars may have ice

“Scientists in the US say that initial data from a new way of scanning Mars has shown up to half of the Red Planet’s surface may contain ice. The new method of scanning for water offers vastly more accurate readings than before, they say. The data could prove vital for the Phoenix Mars Mission which launches this August and which will put a lander on the surface to dig for ice. The new data shows wide variation as to how deep below the surface ice exists.”

…I say that it’s high time we stop sending probes to Mars and send a bunch of people to polk around the red planet once and for all! I tired of only seeing manned space exploration in history books and science fiction tv shows…

Cinco de Mayo is Free Comic Book Day

So you’re fanboy curious, but the cost of all of those overpriced collectibles have scared you off? Well today is your lucky day to save a buck or two, it’s Free Comic Book Day!

Here’s some vital info on the event:

“As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world are giving away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their stores. Free Comic Book Day will take place on May 5, 2007. Are they really free? Yep!”

So go forth and spread the word to your non-fanboy (and non-fangurl) friends who want to take a test drive on the geek side…

I’m a Marvel and I’m a DC

Shown above is a cute low budget spoof of the Mac vs. PC ads.

Read more…

Disney Ride Simulators

Oh sure anyone can go to Space Mountain and take a ride, but what if you could run the ride? Well thanks to the Disney Ride Simulators you can have your dream come true. This fun website allows you take control one of four Disneyland rides: the Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and Phantom Manor. It’s like playing the Sims for Disneyland fanboys!

Kitsch Futuristic Kitchen Film

Seen above is a 1967 short film titled 1999 A.D. in which the inevitable advances of the future are demonstrated. This clip of ‘the kitchen of the future’ showcases a world of automation, maximized health, and a push-button culture; themes we see throughout the film.

Found via Paleo-Future.

A View of Earth from Saturn

The above shot shows Earth as seen from Saturn (click on the image to see it larger):

A View of Earth from Saturn

“This beautiful image of Saturn and its rings looks more like an artist’s creation than a real image, but in fact, the image is a composite (layered image) made from 165 images taken by the wide-angle camera on the Cassini spacecraft over nearly three hours on September 15, 2006.

On this day, Saturn interceded between the Sun and Cassini, shielding Cassini from the Sun’s glare. As the spacecraft lingered in Saturn’s shadow, it viewed the planet’s rings as never before, revealing previously unknown faint rings and even glimpsing its home world. Seen from more than a billion kilometers (almost a billion miles) away, through the ice and dust particles of Saturn’s rings, Earth appears as a tiny, bright dot to the left and slightly behind Saturn.”

Postbox Star Wars Cosplay

It makes you wonder who she’s sending that letter to…

Too Art for TV, Too

If any of you are in New York City you might want to head out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Friday night for this animation event (last year it was quite the party):

Too Art for TV, Too
Second Annual Exhibition for New York’s Animation Industry

Stay Gold Gallery
Friday, May 4th – May 25th 2007
Opening Reception: Friday, May 4th, 7pm-10pm

Special DJ guest: Mikael “DJ Ronny Monstrous” Jorgensen

“Stay Gold Gallery is pleased to present Too Art for TV, Too, the Second Annual Exhibition for New York’s Animation Industry. 35 artists, by way of toys, comics, prints, and paintings, liberate the skills otherwise “owned” by their television networks bosses.

In January of 2006, Too Art for TV opened as the first of this annual event. Drawing in an excited, elbow-to- elbow crowd of artists, illustrators, filmmakers, animators, and gallery goers, Too Art for TV unquestionably demonstrated the wide spread appeal of animation inspired art.

Animation artists are experts in monsters, robots, villains, and the changing genres of pop influence. They are the lusty consumers of graphic novels, toys, video games, art books, and the many incarnations of obsessive geek culture. Their careers make them excellent drafts-people, skilled at drawing and well adapted to the latest design technologies. Loaded with influences and abilities, their works when combined create an umbrella movement for pop surrealism, geek-core, graffiti, low-brow and the finer arts.

Read more…

An Amazing Paper-Craft Gundam

Seen above is a detailed RX-93-2 Hi-v Gundam made entirely out of paper. To check out the Japanese website that this is from go here. Found via japanator.com and dannychoo.com.

Kill Bill II: A Deleted Scene

The above scene was cut from Kill Bill 2, and while it’s not my favorite it does fetaure a fun fighting scene! Below are two cool posters I overlooked from Kill Bill 2, the Japanese posters always look so cool to me:

And yes I’m still in mourning the poor box office that Grindhouse suffered…

Sakusaku Panda Cookies

What impressed me most about this Kabaya package design (click on the image to see at full size) is the character design of the panda bear which is featured all over the box. I love the primitive joy that the featured character design conveys with a powerful childlike scribble. Sadly the box is a bit too crammed to show off this prized mascot, however the side panel (shown on the far right) is a bit more easy on the eyes. It also always strikes me as odd when we encourage kids (or snack lovers) to save endangered wildlife by eating their chocolate cookie representations.

Upon doing a google search for “Sakusaku Panda” I was also pleasantly surprised to discover I’m not the dweller in Williamsburg Brooklyn who has an interest in Japanese panda cookies:

Panda Face Cookies

The BBC Explores the World of Warcraft

In the above clip he BBC explores the underworld of World of Warcraft currency. They have a great interview with outsourced players in China who earn virtual points and sell them to Brits for real cash.

30 Minutes of the 90s

This fan made video features 30 minutes of opening titles from animated tv shows from the 1990s. It’s funny but looking at the animation from Animaniacs (or even TailSpin) I was quite impressed with the quality of the animation itself, it’s a real cut above what kids animation looked like on tv in the 70s and 80s.

Also it’s refreshing to see good old fashion squish and squash in the animation itself, these days with computer graphic rendered films like Shrek, there’s something very stiff about the animation. It may be a bit early to judge the 90s, but it’s good to recall that there was some good work going on. I also guess now that kids from the 90s will start hitting their young adult years that we’ll start to see more nostalgia from the Clinton era.

Makibishi Comic

Shown above are two shots from an interactive online manga game called Makibishi Comic, which is a promo for Makibishi Inc. (a studio that does some nice Flash work). The term makibishi refers to small spiky objects ninjas used to deter pursuit in ancient Japan. The spines were often hooked and coated in poison for maximum non-pursuitedness. There’s a great little interview with Shinnosuke Kumazawa (one of the creators) here:

In the Flash: Makibishi Comic

Star Wars Cellphone Spoof

This little gem of a promo was shown before a 30th anniversary screening of Star Wars: A New Hope with George Lucas and Crew. Found via GeekSugar.

Transformers Earphones

I guess Transformers is “more than meets the eye”, it’s the ears too:

“Japanese toymaker Tomy Company employee Chie Yamada poses wearing “Transformers Music Label Frenzy & Rumble playing earphone” in Tokyo, April 25, 2007. The earphone can be transformed from into a robot and will go on sale in Japan on July 19, 2007 for 3,950 yen.”

From the Mainichi News, found via Engadget.

Hawking Gets A Taste Of Zero G

Professor Stephen Hawking looks pretty darn happy in that photo. It must be a nice reward to experience a taste of outer space after thinking about it for so many years (something I think every fanboy can empathize with).

To see more photos go to:

gozerog.com

The Science Fiction New Wave of 1975

Shown above is an editorial spread (click to see at full size) from ‘The Science Fiction Book: An Illustrated History’ by Franz Rottensteiner, published in 1975. The book went into great detail on almost every major theme that could be found in science fiction, including the more far out authors of the era like J. G. Ballard and Michael Moorcock.

Seen on the left is a photographic illustration to Gretchen Haapennen’s ‘The Pieces of the Game’ in New Worlds #184. Shown on the right are illustrations by R. Glyn Jones (center) superimposed over an illustration for J. G. Ballard’s ‘The Killing Ground’.

Batman: Defenders of the Night

In this fan made epic Gotham city looks a tad like suburbia, but what this Batman “film”lacks in budget, script, and acting it makes up with good old fashion charm. And if nothing else you’ll enjoy seeing Batman and the Riddler dance scene at the end of the film…

Found via Metafilter.