Every good Halloween costume party needs a customs agent. But this party takes a spooky turn when Cownicorn’s ghost stops by with his heavenly roommate.
Election Duel! Obama vs. McCain – Who Get’s Pwned?
Sandeep Parikh of The Guild, The Legend of Neil, and Effinfunny.com recently announced that he was seeking Registered Voters from Azeroth, the world in World of Warcraft, in order to conduct a 2008 Presidential Election Poll. After several days of grueling research, the results are in!
Election Duel! Obama Vs. McCain – Who Get’s Pwned?
Comedian Rich Kuras infiltrates the World of Warcraft to poll players on the 2008 Presidential Election. We broke down the results per race and Class. What we found may…and please excuse the pun…WOW you.
TIME 50 Best Inventions 2008: #15, Dr. Horrible
from TIME:
15. The Direct-to-Web Supervillain Musical
Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) is just your average lovelorn bad guy trying to make it big — he’s got some dubious weapons, a secret hideout, a square-jawed nemesis (Nathan Fillion) and a video blog. Oh, and he sings. Think The Diaries of Lex Luthor as told by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon conceived and produced the online video Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog during the writers’ strike. It’s hard to imagine a studio green-lighting an idea as weird and ostensibly uncommercial as a 43-min., three-part online supervillain musical. But in a medium that rewards the unconventional — the Web — Dr. Horrible was a hit. After its July debut, the series reached No. 1 on iTunes’ video chart, with 2.2 million downloads a week. Now there’s a sound track, Web comics and a dvd on the way. Cue the maniacal laughter.
The Unbeliever in All of Us: A Review of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever
I first read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson when I was a youth. I was so enraptured by the story that I drew the cover of The Wounded Land on my bedroom wall with colored pencils. When I read an announcement online that the book publisher of the Thomas Covenant series had signed a movie deal, I was dumbstruck. The Unbeliever in a film? I was very excited, imagining that now, with the success of films like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, not only are wider audiences ready for fantasy adventures, but the special effects may live up to the author’s visions. Now is the perfect time for films like Thomas Covenant and Xanth to be made into films. (Sadly, the movie options for Thomas Covenant expired and, as of yet, have not been renewed.) The more I thought about it, the more I realized that while the warm fuzzy feelings associated with the book remained, the details of his journey were no longer well defined in my memory. I thought the best way to fix that would be to read the series again. I am so glad that I have. From the moment I picked up the first book, Lord Foul’s Bane, I have been unable to quit reading them, sometimes for hours at a time. I’m getting so much more out of the books now, seeing it and feeling it differently as an adult than I did when I was young.
Thomas Covenant, author, husband and father, loses everything when he becomes a leper. What started as a bruise on his right hand soon becomes an infection that leads to the amputation of the two outer fingers on his hand. His idyllic life on Haven Farm Ranch comes abruptly to an end when his panic-stricken wife Joan runs away with their young son Roger and files for divorce. Ostracized by his community and losing his identity, he’s still trying and failing to come to terms with his new reality when, after a strange encounter with a homeless man, he finds himself pulled into another reality. This new place, called “The Land” by its inhabitants, sees his newly scarred deformity and the white gold wedding band he couldn’t bring himself to remove as a sign, a fulfillment of prophecy. They believe him to be the second coming of Berek Half-hand, a hero from long ago whose return was foretold. As he finds himself forced to push forward on a journey to deliver a message from the evil-incarnate Lord Foul to the peace loving High Lords of the Land, he struggles with his inadequacies, impotence, ineffectiveness and helplessness, while others repeatedly thrust the mantle of “savior” upon him.
To accept the Land as real goes against everything a leper is taught to survive. How can he, a leper, a helpless and hopeless creature, be anything special? They call him the White Gold Wielder. He calls himself Unbeliever. How can he believe? He’s someone to be pitied, someone to be feared. He’s horrible and wonderful. He’s a hero and he’s a villain. He is everything and nothing.
Stephen R. Donaldson has created such a rich and vivid world full of layered history and complex cultures. It’s beautiful and horrible. It’s as compelling as it is appalling, and the journey that Covenant goes on explores everyone’s feelings of ineffectiveness, of hopelessness, of feeling responsible for everything that is wrong in the world and yet feeling like a helpless victim of it at the same time. Filled with violence (and a rape in the first book), Donaldson doesn’t flinch as he drags his characters through Hell and back for a second go around. What amazes me more than the vivid world he’s created is the fact that he can make the reader feel empathy for someone as pitiful as Covenant. What many people may not see, and would criticize about the books because of it, is that every single one of us has within in us the capacity to do horrible things. Covenant does. We grovel in our helplessness, we blame others for our failures, we blame ourselves for things we could not possibly have controlled. We hate ourselves and deny ourselves and cause people to suffer because of our own lack of faith in anything. Covenant does all these things and more. He’s an antihero and a paradox.
Reading The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is not easy. You will be offended, angered and hurt, but you will find yourself conflicted and moved to tears for someone who is all too much like ourselves at our worst and at our best.
The Thomas Covenant series was first published in 1977, with The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant being published in 1983. In 2004, Covenant returned to the Land with The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, two volumes of which have not been published yet.
The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever
Book 1: Lord Foul’s Bane (1977)
Book 2: The Illearth War (1978)
Book 3: The Power That Preserves (1979)
The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
Book 1: The Wounded Land (1980)
Book 2: The One Tree (1982)
Book 3: White Gold Wielder (1983)
The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
Book 1: The Runes of the Earth (2004)
Book 2: Fatal Revenant (2007)
Book 3: Against All Things Ending (2010)
Book 4: The Last Dark (2013)
Robots & Donuts: The Art of Eric Joyner
Robots and donuts, two staples in the life of a geek, are celebrated in Robots & Donuts: The Art of Eric Joyner, an oversized art book which will soon also be available as a limited edition hardcover that includes a signed-and-numbered tip-in sheet featuring an exclusive image not in the regular edition softcover. The brightly coloured, surreal art of Robots & Donuts is primarily defined as pop culture art, appealing to the average genre fan with a taste for retro style and subject matter, but Eric Joyner’s paintings have increasingly found their way into the collections of serious art aficionados. No doubt, nostalgia unites the low- and high-brow art communities:
In the years following World War II the major export from Japan wasn’t electronic equipment, but toys, specifically tin toys. Crafted in the shapes of submarines, planes, trains, cars, and horses, one of the most popular motifs were toy robots. Constructed in virtually every shape imaginable from the 1940s throughout the 1960s, they ranged in appearance from horror to science fiction characters. Today, these toys are not only fondly remembered by collectors but are being re-created for a whole new generation!
Capturing this period in history became a passion of painter Eric Joyner’s and in Robots and Donuts he celebrates this forgotten era with images marrying the metal creations with images plucked from his imagination. And, almost always, with donuts. (Why? Well, who doesn’t love donuts?) This book also features a look into Joyner’s painting style as well as a glimpse at some of his other non-robot themed artwork.
A sneak peek of the art in Robots & Donuts is available through a Flip Book and Preview at Dark Horse Comics’ website.
If you don’t have serious donut cravings — [insert Homer Simpson drooling here] — and a desire to play with your old Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots by the end of this captivating, 176-page book, then you may have to turn in your geek member card.
Order now at Amazon.com:
Robots & Donuts: The Art of Eric Joyner
Pre-order at Amazon.com:
Robots & Donuts: The Art of Eric Joyner (limited edition hardcover)
Robots & Donuts: The Art of Eric Joyner and Robots & Donuts: The Art of Eric Joyner (limited edition hardcover) are distributed by Dark Horse Books, a division of Dark Horse Comics. For more information on the book and its author, visit Dark Horse Comics’ ArtBooks Zone and the website of Eric Joyner.
Project Fiver: One Hobbit’s Journey
Project Fiver: Cast Lord of the Rings fan Melissa “Fiver” Kern as a hobbit extra in the upcoming The Hobbit film(s)
To: New Line Cinema / Wingnut Films
The goal of Project Fiver is to deliver a petition to Peter Jackson, New Line, and whomever takes the Directorship, asking that Melissa “Fiver” Kern be cast as a costumed hobbit extra in the upcoming film(s) of The Hobbit.
Melissa has done an incredible amount to promote Tolkien Fellowship with her groups, as well as the DragonCon and Mythic Journeys conventions. She has been an active member on TheOneRing.net, co-founder of ArmsOfMiddleEarth.com and member of numerous LotR-Related Moots, and Meet-Up groups in the Atlanta area.
Melissa has just been diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Essentially, it causes all the motor neurons in the brain to shut down, gradually making the muscles unable to function. Life expectancy is 3-5 years from diagnosis. (She’s had the disease for about a year already.) The disease progressively takes away movement and coordination. In September, she marched with fellow LotR fans in the annual DragonCon parade. Six months later, she is barely walking, and needs my help to climb stairs or get dressed.
Many in these groups have been asking what they can do to help her out and lift her spirits, and Project Fiver is my best answer.
It would be a simple matter for New Line to honor her with an Extra role in the Hobbit film, but it would speak volumes about their commitment to the fans of Lord of the Rings.
Sincerely,
For more information, visit Project Fiver: One Hobbit’s Journey.
The Project Fiver: Cast Lord of the Rings fan Melissa “Fiver” Kern as a hobbit extra in the upcoming The Hobbit film(s) Petition to New Line Cinema / Wingnut Films was created by Members of the Lord of the Rings Fellowship and written by Chris Kern (ProjectFiver@gmail.com).
Sandeep Parikh Invites World of Warcraft Players to Participate in His Newest Project
from Effinfunny:
Hey all, I’m going to be directing a video for Machinima.com and for it we’re polling the one place with 11 million people that no else is polling, Azeroth, the world within the popular online role playing game The World of Warcraft. So if you play and are old enough to vote, please take two minutes to respond to the following questions (you may just hit reply if you get this through email, otherwise email effinfunny@gmail.com with the subject “Azeroth Poll”)
1) What is your race/class/level/professions in the World of Warcraft (NOT in Real Life!)
2) Who are you planning on voting for in the 2008 presidential elections (Obama, McCain, Undecided)
3) What is the number one most important issue to you when choosing a presidential candidate?
4) Would you be interested in a phone interview with Effinfunny/Machinima.com so you can sound off on your thoughts anonymously about this election? If yes, please leave us your name and number.
That’s it! Thanks! If you’re not a WoWer then go watch episode 5 of Neil (we’re so close to 100K views I can taste it!)
— Sandeep Parikh
Go Fish! British Columbia: Wildlife Edition
Kermode Kids, a family-run company based in Kamloops, BC, Canada, brings their slogan, “Exploring nature, Expanding horizons”, to life with their inaugural game, Go Fish! British Columbia: Wildlife Edition. This card game is a variant of the original Go Fish!, with 13 animals — Black Bear, Wolverine, American Badger, Mountain Caribou, Cougar, Grizzly Bear, Mountain Goat, Grey Wolf, Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Canada Lynx, Vancouver Island Marmot, and Elk — representative of the westernmost province of Canada taking the place of the usual fish. (One quibble this review’s playtesters had: where’s the national animal of Canada, the beaver?) The cards are illustrated by Chemainus, BC, artist Michael Hames and feature fun educational facts written by BC biologists about each of the game’s animals.
From the game:
“Wild British Columbia” — It is an image that visitors and residents alike embrace and hope to experience. Hiking through the fragrant, blossom-wrapped meadows of the high-country, kayaking alongside the mystical viewscapes of the Pacific Ocean, sitting in serenity among the majestic and primevel coastal forests: these are just a few of the wonderful and memorable vignettes that British Columbia has to offer.
From the wet and wild, west coast to the dry and dusty deserts, from the low-lying lakes and rivers to the high, rugged mountain peaks, this coastal province offers a wide range of homes to a wide range of animals. In fact, almost one third of all the black bears in Canada live in British Columbia! Often called the Serengeti of the North, northern British Columbia in particular is home to an amazing concentration of large mammals, like mountain sheep, bears, elk, wolves and caribou. In a country renowned for its wilderness, British Columbia is truly the jewel in Canada’s crown.
Go Fish! British Columbia: Wildlife Edition supports 2-6 players, ages 4 and up, and is a fast and easy game to learn and play, with thick, glossy cards that will stand up to constant use. A suggested gameplay alternative, to slow down the lightning pace of the game and take greater advantage of the scientific information it contains, is to have the players read aloud the fact write-ups on their cards when they complete animal sets; children too young to read can substitute by making animal sounds.
Upcoming from Kermode Kids:
Old Maid! British Columbia: Bird Edition (November 15, 2008)
Which bird uses swim goggles to see underwater? And who puts glue at their door to keep unwanted guests out? Find out by playing Old Maid! British Columbia, featuring 14 members of British Columbia’s bird community. With 14 vibrant illustrations by a BC artist and 27 memorable fun-facts written by BC biologists, this card game will be a hit with adults and children alike. Each deck includes a “How to Play” card.
Both of these environmentally-minded games would make perfect British Columbian souvenirs, or inexpensive stocking stuffers and gifts to mail this holiday season.
Order directly through the Kermode Kids website.
Go Fish! British Columbia: Wildlife Edition and Old Maid! British Columbia: Bird Edition are distributed by Kermode Kids, a division of KermodeKids Ventures Ltd.
Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show, Episode 17: Team Gorgeous Tiny
Go Team Gorgeous Tiny Go! When an evil monster steals the guest only one super team can save them! It’s Kiko and Friends to the rescue but will the team be able to come together to defeat the evil menace?
LucasArts and BioWare Reveal Star Wars: The Old Republic
from StarWars.com:
LucasArts and BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the development of Star Wars®: The Old Republic™, a story-driven massively multiplayer online PC game set in the timeframe of the Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ franchise. Star Wars: The Old Republic, being developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, represents an innovative approach to interactive entertainment, featuring immersive storytelling, dynamic combat and intelligent companion characters.
In Star Wars: The Old Republic, players will explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy. Players can choose to play as Jedi, Sith, or a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, defining their personal story and determining their path down the light or dark side of the Force. Along the way, players will befriend courageous companions who will fight at their side or possibly betray them, based on the players’ actions. Players can also choose to team up with friends to battle enemies and overcome incredible challenges using dynamic Star Wars combat.
“Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the most critically acclaimed Star Wars game in LucasArts history and a preeminent example of our company’s interactive storytelling heritage,” said Darrell Rodriguez, President of LucasArts. “For a long time, we’ve long wanted to return to the franchise in a grand way, and we felt that the best setting for it was an online world that would allow millions of people to participate in the experience together. We knew that the developer capable of working with us to deliver an engrossing story with a fully-realized online world was BioWare.”
“Traditionally, massively multiplayer online games have been about three basic gameplay pillars — combat, exploration and character progression,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder and General Manager/CEO of BioWare and General Manager/Vice President of Electronic Arts Inc., “In Star Wars: The Old Republic, we’re fusing BioWare’s heritage of critically-acclaimed storytelling with the amazing pedigree of Lucasfilm and LucasArts, and adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation — story. At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect in a AAA massively multiplayer online game. To top it all off, Star Wars: The Old Republic is set in a very exciting, dynamic period in the Star Wars universe.”
Added Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Co-Founder and Vice President Development Operations, BioWare and Vice President, Electronic Arts Inc., “Star Wars: The Old Republic is set roughly 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, a timeframe that is completely unexplored in the lore. BioWare has been able to add to the Star Wars history in developing the game’s story and has created an overarching narrative that players can enjoy, regardless of their play style. Our goal is to offer players an emotionally rewarding experience that combines the traditional elements of MMO gameplay with innovations in story and character development.”
Additional details on Star Wars: The Old Republic features, gameplay and release date will be announced at a later time. For more information about Star Wars: The Old Republic and to sign up for future product updates, please visit StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com.
Guyot Designs Squishy Bowls and Utensils
Guyot Designs, an outdoor products specialist, prides itself on being a holistic company, dedicated to creating functional yet beautiful designs that respect a strong commitment to environmental responsibility and corporate ethics. Their products are strictly eco-friendly, with the goal of being 100% recyclable and reclaimable, and are produced by fair and sustainable labour using the cleanest technologies possible; some of Guyot Designs’ products are even shipped without packaging to reduce waste and environmental impact, as part of their “carbon negative” initiative. They partner with independent inventors and designers to help them bring these unique and undiscovered products to the marketplace, then contribute partial sales proceeds to socially important causes like the Rocky Mountain Institute.
The company is probably best known for its innovative and award-winning Squishy Bowls. These space-saving bowls, made of flexible food-grade silicone that’s temperature resistant to 400°F, are designed to be collapsible, so they can be brought along anywhere without taking up much space, but always retain their shape. They’re available in four vibrant colours — Lime, Slate, Tahoe Blue, and Tomato — and are easy to clean, as they only require a quick hand wash with soap and water. (One review suggested turning the bowls inside out to lick them clean, but this proved to be a bit awkward and messy.)
Ideal companions for the Squishy Bowls are the Utensils, particularly the MicroBites size. These versatile 5-in-1 cooking, eating, and serving utilities consist of a spoon, fork, knife, spatula, and spreader, all in two pieces which ingeniously snap together. The Utensils are available in Celery, Mustard, and Tomato, and the MicroBites in Slate, Tangerine, and Tomato. They range from 6 to 9½ inches long and are made of a high-temperature nylon polymer that can withstand heat up to 450°F. They’re safe on Teflon and other coated cookware, can be easily boiled and wiped clean, and have specially long handles to keep your hands clean with deep pots or containers. As an added bonus, they have holes in the ends of the handles that enable them to be attached to packs with carabiners, which makes MicroBites convenient, lightweight tools to carry around at conventions such as Comic-Con.
The full line of Guyot Designs’ products includes the SplashGuard (Universal, Original, and Mini in multiple colours and image designs), Gription, Firefly, Bottles (surgical grade stainless steel that comes in four shapes and sizes: The Standard, Shorty, Commuter, and Backpacker — Insulated version coming soon), Lid, Squishy Bowls (Bowl & Cup Set, Medium Bowl, The Travel Shot), Utensils, MicroBites, and Spork. A stand-out is the Firefly, which turns your water bottle into a lantern, night-light, or reading lamp: “The Firefly’s design allows it to be used right side up, upside down, or hanging from the nearest handy branch. The unique replacement lid design contains integrated LED lights which spread a warm glow throughout the bottle. The variable light levels allow you to go from tent nightlight to nighttime trail lantern with the push of a button… the control is at your fingertip! The electronics are in a sealed compartment, so there’s no risk of water or juice gumming up the works! Compatible with all standard wide-mouth bottles sold through specialty Outdoor Retailers.” The Firefly uses 3 AAA size batteries; rechargables are recommended since they are more enviromentally friendly. (Hopefully a solar-powered Firefly 2.0 is currently in development to eliminate the need for batteries altogether.)
Guyot Designs offers long-life products with a Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Order now at Amazon.com:
Sports & Outdoors › Guyot Designs
Or order directly through the Guyot Designs website.
The items mentioned in this article are distributed by Guyot Designs and its associated Retailers and Distributors.
Star Wars: Luke Skywalker, Last Hope for the Galaxy: From Tatooine to Dark Empire
Dark Horse Comics has published the absolute compendium of comics featuring Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, the 832-page tome Star Wars: Luke Skywalker, Last Hope for the Galaxy: From Tatooine to Dark Empire. “Epic” is the word Dark Horse uses to describe the book, enthusing, “Luke Skywalker’s greatest adventures from over thirty years of comics are compiled in a single slipcased hardcover! A deluxe edition worthy of the hero who saved the galaxy, this massive volume follows Luke Skywalker on his journey from the moisture farms of Tatooine to the final days of the Dark Empire! Each story painstakingly selected from every Luke Skywalker comic ever published — from Marvel’s first issue to Dark Horse’s latest — this masterpiece collection is the ultimate portrait of one of the most widely known and widely loved heroes of modern mythology! All of the most exciting, most significant stories of Luke Skywalker are here in this breathtaking oversized hardcover. Never has there been a more magnificent assemblage of Star Wars comics, or a more perfect prize for any Star Wars fan!”
Includes:
“Luke Skywalker’s Walkabout” — Dark Horse Presents Annual 1999
“Falling Star” — Tales #15
“The Day After the Death Star” — Marvel UK Star Wars #97-99
“The Return of Ben Kenobi” — Classic Star Wars #10-11
“Crucible” — Marvel Star Wars #17
“General Skywalker” — Empire #26-27
“The Wrong Side of the War” — Empire #36-40
“My Brother, My Enemy” — Rebellion #1-5
“Riders in the Void” — Marvel Star Wars #38
“Splinter of the Mind’s Eye”
“Shira’s Story” — Marvel Star Wars #60-63
“Duel With a Dark Lady” — Marvel Star Wars #95-97
“Dark Empire”
“The Boy I Once Was” — Chewbacca #4
In honour of 2007’s 30th anniversary of Star Wars, Dark Horse Comics has also rereleased the highlights of their Star Wars comics line in the limited-edition hardcover Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection: “Since 1991, it has been Dark Horse Comics’ privilege to bring its readers monthly adventures set in that galaxy far, far away. It is to celebrate thirty years of Star Wars, and to thank our loyal readers that we present this twelve-volume collectors’ showcase of some of the finest graphic novel sagas ranging from one end of the Star Wars timeline to the other.” These commemorative books, with their matching black-matte-and-silver covers, inset with glossy, full-colour art panels, will be a focal point of any Star Wars library, so be sure to get them while you still can.
Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars titles are recommended for ages 12 and up.
Order now at Amazon.com:
Star Wars: Luke Skywalker, Last Hope for the Galaxy: From Tatooine to Dark Empire
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 1: The Freedon Nadd Uprising
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 2: Jedi vs. Sith
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 3: Darth Maul
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 4: Jango Fett & Zam Wesell
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 5: Light and Dark
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 6: Endgame
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 7: Darklighter
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 8: Splinter of the Mind’s Eye
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 9: Boba Fett: Death, Lies, and Treachery
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 10: Crimson Empire
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 11: Union
Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 12: Legacy
Star Wars: Luke Skywalker, Last Hope for the Galaxy: From Tatooine to Dark Empire and the Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection are distributed by Dark Horse Books, a division of Dark Horse Comics, in partnership with Lucas Books. For more Star Wars information, visit Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars Zone.