Monthly Archives: May 2011

Meet the Characters of Cars 2

by Robin Parrish
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Meet the Characters of Cars 2

I know a lot of people aren’t looking forward to Cars 2 as much as they do other Pixar films. And for good reason: Cars is primarily a franchise aimed at little boys. That said, I think the movie looks like a blast, what with its globe-trotting spy angle and another trademark Pixar eccentric cast of characters. Disney has released pictures of every character featured in the film, and from the other cars racing against Lightning McQueen in the first-ever World Grand Prix to a huge assortment of spy characters, it’s always fun to see how Pixar uses character design to accentuate that character’s personality. And then there are the Read more »

Passion Reawakened

by Darren Burr
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Passion Reawakened

Regular readers of this column will be aware how much I appreciate the beginning of a new universe, yet how often is it that we are treated to such an event with a universe that already carries such a distinguished pedigree. When I first heard about the Kirby: Genesis project by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, I was initially unimpressed. By their working from the King Jack Kirby’s original notes, it seemed somewhat of a, well, travesty is too strong a word, but it felt like they were walking over sacred territory. Yet I am a sucker for the beautiful covers of Mr. Ross, and could not resist picking up Read more »

When Pirates and Star Wars Collide

by Noemi Twigg
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When Pirates and Star Wars Collide

Movie buffs have been raving about the latest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – is it really that good? I haven’t had the time to go to the movies (although Ze Big Fat Panda just might get me out of my lair this weekend), but here’s a good enough alternative – a mashup of pirates and aliens. More specifically, Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars. These guys at Draw2D2 have been conducting “contests” for a while now. What they do is pick two themes and challenge the participating artists to create their most creative mashups. I was really amused by their Dr. Seuss-Pokemon theme last month, but Read more »

Despite Its Name, Disney Universe Is Not an MMO

by Robin Parrish
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Despite Its Name, Disney Universe Is Not an MMO

Today Disney announced a new platformer called Disney Universe, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and Mac. The premise is that for the first time, a Disney game is mixing together elements — locations, characters, etc. — from all of their properties. That includes the works of Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the live-action Walt Disney Pictures. Cutesy avatars (is it just me, or do they look kind of… Sackboyish?) “suit up” as iconic characters from more than 40 Disney properties. Disney Universe is playable as up to 4-player co-op, so you could conceivably play “dressed” as such disparate characters as Buzz Lightyear, Sam Flynn (Tron: Legacy), Read more »

Zombie Hooker Nightmare

by Jayvee Fernandez
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Zombie Hooker Nightmare

You’re the last hooker on earth. All other hookers have been turned to zombies. As the last human of your profession your job is to lead human Joes to the safety of the camping trailer and have sex. That’s how you complete the level. You’re armed with your bare fists and legs with the ability to pick up weapons across every level. It’s really that simple — if only the actual hit detection went more to your favor. Once you’re surrounded with zombies — or even slightly touching them, you’re finished. No time to recover from getting hit. Play Now. Read more »

There’s More Than Meets the Eye to These Flowers

by Noemi Twigg
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There’s More Than Meets the Eye to These Flowers

Oftentimes, works of art are more than what they seem to be at first glance. Artist Tom Gallant’s work is something else, though. Do you have a stack of old pr0n magazines laying around in your basement? Or maybe they’re under the mattress. You can always keep them as collector’s items, or you can bring them to the nearest recycling center and do your part in contributing to helping Mother Earth. Here’s a better idea, courtesy of Tom Gallant – why not make intricate works of art by cutting up the pages of the magazines? The result is something that has hints of things NSFW, and yet not quite. Here’s Read more »

Who Says Games Aren’t Art?

by Robin Parrish
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Who Says Games Aren’t Art?

The debate over whether or not video games are art will probably last for years to come, but there can be no doubt that the conceptual art created for game design easily rivals that made for films. The annual “Into the Pixel” collection celebrates the finest work in video game concept design with an exhibition at E3 in June. This year’s 17 amazing artworks have been announced, and they show off the artsy side of games from the last year — and some yet to come. Personally, I find it interesting that with all the hype about mobile games and social games over the last year, there are no winners Read more »

Don’t Forget to Celebrate Geek Pride Day and Towel Day Today

by Noemi Twigg
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Don’t Forget to Celebrate Geek Pride Day and Towel Day Today

It almost slipped my mind, to be honest. I am pretty sure that most of you are more on the ball than I am, though, and that you knew even before today that May 25 is the designated day for geeks to show off their colors. This is a real holiday – we are not making it up. Check out last year’s post about Geek Pride Day to read the manifesto and your responsibilities as a geek – if you don’t already know. So what’s going on in geekdom to show the rest of the world just how proud geeks are to be geeks? For one, the guys at GeekTech Read more »