Category: Arts & Culture

News Update and a Fan Creation Contest for “Riese the Series”

from Riese:

Hope everyone’s February has been a good one. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing the world come together here in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games. It’s absolute craziness, but in a good way. I mean, really, how often can you say the Olympics are happening right outside your window. (Literally, in our case. The Olympic Village is right outside our office windows).

First off, the news. We’ve been making a lot of headway with finding some new homes for Riese, and it’s looking more and more likely that we’ll be able to put the episodes online again soon. It’s still too early to announce anything specific yet, but we wanted to let you know that big things are definitely in the works and we’ll keep you posted. Again, you guys have been so awesome, and the support you’ve shown has only helped people looking at the show to be more excited to take it on. We have some awesome fans.

To help keep us all busy during the hiatus, we’ve decided to do a contest! The lovely folks at Simon & Schuster were kind enough to provide a number of copies of Scott Westerfeld’s steampunk novel Leviathan. Here’s the synopsis for those of you unfamiliar with it:

Leviathan

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek’s and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way… taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

It’s a fun and epic piece, and a must if you’re a steampunk enthusiast. So, here’s the big question: how can you win it, and some other great prizes?

We’re inviting people to create fan pieces for Riese. Art, photo collage, wallpaper design, avatar collection, music, poems, invent a character in the Riese world, fanfiction — whatever inspires you. We thought it’d be a fun activity for you all to demonstrate how creative and artistic you are, and reward it! You have until March 5th, 2010 to get your submission in. Once we’ve received them, Kaleena and myself will select the winners. Additionally, we’ll be showcasing the winners here on our blog for all other Riese fans to see! So this could be an opportunity to get your work viewed by people all over the world.

So, to summarize the rules:

Entrants have until March 5th, 12:00AM PST to submit their entries at ryan(at)riesetheseries.com. Entries include any fan creation, including, but not limited to, drawings, paintings, music, fanfiction, wallpapers and avatars. We encourage entries to be creative and original, as we’re always drawn to unique ideas.

Winners’ works will be shown throughout the month of March on riesetheseries.com. Works will remain property of their respective artists.

Prizes Include:

Hardcover copy of Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan
Exclusive Riese & The Sect buttons
Riese Apparel

We’re excited to see what you come up with, and as I said, we’ll keep you posted on any developments as soon as we hear them! Now get creating! And if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us for more details. Cheers!

-Ryan

SUPERFROG Gallery and LeBasse Projects Present the Bold Pop Art of Yoshitaka Amano in “DEVA LOKA”, the Artist’s First New Los Angeles Exhibit

from VIZ Media:

SUPERFROG Gallery at NEW PEOPLE, which provides a unique venue for artists that draw inspiration from Japanese popular culture, teams with Los Angeles-based LeBasse Projects to present a special exhibit of Japanese pop art created by legendary artist Yoshitaka Amano.

Visual art is at the core of Japanese pop culture and the crisp lines, vibrant colors and imaginative designs and characters make the genre instantly recognizable. The new DEVA LOKA exhibit is Amano’s first major show in Southern California in nearly a decade and consists of 25 individual pieces rendered with bright auto paint and metallic glitter and offered as an ode to the artist’s love of American comics, culture and automobiles.

DEVA LOKA opens February 20th and runs through March 13th at LeBasse Projects, located in Los Angeles’ Culver City Arts District. A special opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, February 20th from 7:00-10:00pm.

LeBasse Projects is a premiere destination for both established and first time collectors with a commitment to spotlighting fresh, relevant and poignant new artworks. LeBasse Projects is located at 6023 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. More information is available at: lebasseprojects.com.

Yoshitaka Amano is widely acclaimed for his work in animation and video games. He is renowned for designing the characters for the hit video game, Final Fantasy, as well as for anime films including Vampire Hunter D, Guin Saga, Final Fantasy, and Front Mission. Amano first premiered his DEVA LOKA exhibit in the SUPERFROG Gallery for the grand opening of the NEW PEOPLE venue in San Francisco last August.

The artist says of the exhibit, “Between the late 60’s and the 70’s, and during my early years in the art world, I was greatly influenced by American comic books and pop culture. I’d like to show my gratitude for the inspiration America gave me with this exhibit. With the theme of DEVA LOKA, all of my concepts and influences are able to come together, centered in one place. I hope everyone enjoys my show.”

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass facade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: NewPeopleWorld.com.

Emily the Strange in “Stranger and Stranger”

Everything is getting Stranger in the original animated book trailer for Emily the Strange: Stranger and Stranger! The second novel in a series of four books. 272 pages of story and illustrations, hardbound and published by HarperCollins Publishers. emilystrange.com

A Cosmic Contest Bigger Than the Dipper

from Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls:

You want a contest? Well we have a contest!

The Girlaxy is teaming up with Just Jared Jr. in a contest that will give one lucky Space Cadet a chance to win ALL FIVE SERIES 1 GALAXY GIRLS!

Check out the link, leave a comment on the JJJr. page with a valid email address (which will not be published), and you could win the solar squad: Milky Way, Venus, Pluto, Mars, and Jupiter, as well as the MWGG book.

Contest ends Monday, February 22nd @ 4:59 pm EST. USA and Canada only.

So leave a comment, wish upon a star, and cross your Martian antennas because, with the cosmos on your side, you could be the winner.

Over and Out!

Mother Earth (Lauren Faust)

J!NX: Get Out Your 1887’s!

from J!NX:

New J!NX Classic Tee: Akimbo T-Shirt
In the heat of battle, you rarely ever encounter a “best-case scenario.” Sometimes you just have to grab the closest weapon (or weapons) to you and run like hell, firing at anything that moves. Now, if those weapons happen to be archaic, museum pieces… well, let’s just hope you run fast.

New in the World of Warcraft Collection: Kwee Q. Peddlefeet Women’s Tee
In the World of Warcraft, there is much talk of slaying, pwning, headshots and other sundry modes of violence — but what about the other, softer side of WoW? Even a tank with the heaviest armor can use a Smitten Buff now and again. So, when you’re walking the streets of Orgrimmar or Silvermoon City and you see Kwee Q. Peddlefeet fluttering around, don’t swat him away. Embrace those warm and fuzzy feelings.

J!NX in the Spotlight: SteelSeries Facebook Contest!
Hey Everyone! Do you like free lootz? Of course you do! J!NX has teamed up with SteelSeries to put on a special photo contest for all of you lonely hearts out there. Let’s see your best sadface!

A Young Mad Scientist’s First Alphabet Blocks

A Young Mad Scientist's First Alphabet Blocks

If you’re mad scientist parents seeking to give your offspring an edge over their mad scientist peers, then dispatch your henchmen to fetch A Young Mad Scientist’s First Alphabet Blocks, the preeminent toy choice for budding evil geniuses, before your rivals do. Xylocopa Design, a small studio in Arizona that produces handmade items from natural materials, such as steampunk jewelry with movable wooden gears, is responsible for unleashing this award-winning indoctrination aid, the likes of which the world has never seen before.

The 26 letters of the alphabet are featured on five 1 3/8 inch square blocks — meaning that four sides appear twice — and are paired with appropriately iconic mad scientist images that introduce youngsters to the fundamentals of their future careers:

A — Appendages
B — Bioengineering
C — Caffeine
D — Dirigible
E — Experiment
F — Freeze ray
G — Goggles
H — Henchmen
I — Invention
J — Jargon
K — Potassium
L — Laser
M — Maniacal
N — Nanotechnology
O — Organs
P — Peasants (with Pitchforks)
Q — Quantum physics
R — Robot
S — Self-experimentation
T — Tentacles
U — Underground Lair
V — Virus
W — Wrench
X — X-Ray
Y — You, the Mad Scientist of Tomorrow
Z — Zombies

The illustrations are reminiscent of the painstakingly detailed etchings commonly found in old textbooks, and are laser-engraved onto the blocks. Despite the intricacy of the carvings, there are no sharp or splintery edges, and the corners of the blocks are sanded smooth to prevent injury. (After all, potentially maiming or fatal playthings, like chemistry sets and rayguns, should be saved for school-age children, at the very least.) Unlike the mass-produced alphabet blocks found in most stores, the Mad Scientist blocks are also completely non-toxic, free of any dyes, paint, finishes, or even preservatives. The appearance of shading is created entirely by the laser burning process. Considering the chaos they are intended to inspire, the blocks are ironically safe and eco-friendly. These solid wood blocks are cut from untreated Sugar Maple, so if they’re a bit sticky when they arrive at your lair, that’s just uncured maple sap residue, which is easily removed by pressing the blocks in a piece of paper towel. As a sweet bonus, this aromatic sap makes the toy smell like spiced cookies, and, as everyone knows, cookies are the traditional reward for turning to the Dark Side, which is basically a prerequisite for all mad scientists. (Test-licking was not conducted, so no idea if the taste of the blocks is as appealing as their scent.) A Young Mad Scientist’s First Alphabet Blocks are so well made, they’re bound to become an heirloom piece passed from generation to generation.

An instruction sheet that comes with the blocks, The Young Mad Scientist’s Guide, outlines amusingly embellished care and safety tips in addition to providing more practical information, and reveals a secondary use for the blocks: ROT13-style encryption. It’s a fun way to trade secret messages with other block owners, decoding is as easy as flipping blocks over to find the deciphered letters, and young mads can get an early start on learning cipher techniques that will protect their diabolical plans from prying eyes.

A Young Mad Scientist’s First Alphabet Blocks lay an essential educational foundation for the scientific community, and your chip off the old block could be one of its conquering cornerstones. Let the next wave of global domination begin, and all hail our new overlords-in-training!

Order directly through the Xylocopa Design website, or from ThinkGeek.

A Young Mad Scientist’s First Alphabet Blocks are distributed by Xylocopa Design.

“Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls” First Official Press Release!

Lauren Faust, creator of "Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls"

from Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls:

Click on the link to read the press release on kidstodayonline.com.

Attention on the deck! Ground Control to Girlaxy — we have clearance from the tower, rocket boosters ready for ignition, all systems are go; we are officially cleared for launch.

Favorite Toys Make a Better You!

from Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls:

We all have a favorite toy. Whether still in our possession or one we remember fondly, a favorite toy will always have a special place in our hearts. We develop a very personal relationship with these toys and, according to MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle, these objects do have an impact on the kind of person we will eventually become.

Click on this link to find out how a plush My Little Pony doll helped little Christine Alvarado develop math skills that would help her later in life as a computer scientist.

Over and Out!

Mother Earth (Lauren Faust)

Tween property “Milky Way & the Galaxy Girls” debuts at FAO Schwarz

from Kids Today:

Art Impressions has launched a line of soft dolls based on Milky Way & the Galaxy Girls. This tween-targeted property from Lauren Faust is now available exclusively at the legendary toy retailer FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue and online at FAO.com.

Faust, a 12-year veteran of the animation industry, is an Emmy winner with five nominations to her credit for her work on popular series such as Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. After spearheading the creative effort to re-envision Hasbro’s venerable My Little Pony franchise, she is now acting as executive producer of the new animated series.

The Galaxy Girls are a group of intergalactic teens named for heavenly bodies in our solar system. This celestial sorority is as unique as the planets themselves — each character a shining example of her starry home, whether a sizzling personality like the Sun, a disciplined competitor like Mercury, or that orbital oddball, Mars. Galaxy Girls celebrates girls as multi-faceted individuals with characters that model self-affirming behaviors… most of the time. After all, Moon Girl can sure get moody sometimes… and you don’t want to make cosmic rocker Pluto mad by calling her a “dwarf planet.” The girls’ features and personalities mirror an astronomical, mythological or astrological aspect of her respective planet.

Based on each of the Galaxy Girls’ personalities, the five dolls in this new line feature symbols on their outfits to showcase their personalities (e.g., a heart for Venus). Their outfits to be mixed and matched. Also available in FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue and online at FAO.com is the hardcover book, Milky Way & the Galaxy Girls: What Planet Are You From?, which explores the personalities and interests of each of the Milky Way characters.

Faust’s vision for Milky Way & the Galaxy Girls reflects her desire to create an empowering, unique alternative to traditional girls’ brands with a property that encourages creative play and individuality, de-emphasizes physical conformity, and yet still retains the popular features and play patterns of fashion dolls. Her complex characters are true-to-life, reflecting a range of interests that goes beyond the usual trifecta of fashion, boys and music.

Victorious Secrets from Dr. Grordbort’s

from Weta:

I say!

Are you one of those unfortunate Darwinian mishaps who find it nigh on impossible to gain acceptance in polite (worst case even impolite?) society?

Do you regularly find yourself at social functions on level footing only with the flock wallpaper or velvet draperie in the quest for the attention of the opposite gender?

Well, then you must keep reading, for Dr. Grordbort’s has the answer to your pathetic prayers:

Introducing — Victorious Secrets!
Save US$89!

For the approximate monetary equivalent of a good pipe and a tin of decent tobacco, you can now own a satchelful of Grordbortian goodies, 14 items straight from the hands of the lazy-arse artisans in the antipodean colonies! Thus rapidly elevating your social status beyond what has traditionally been possible. Even the actual satchel is included!

  • 1 Victorious Mongoose — Miniature Version
  • 1 Dr. Grordbort’s Satchel
  • 1 Spiral Bound Notebook for your plans, scribbles and brilliant ideas
  • 8 Postcards
  • 1 Unnatural Selector Pin
  • 1 Goliathon 83 Pin
  • 1 F.M.O.M. Keyring

WAS US$238 — NOW US$149 — SAVE US$89! (Offer expires 22 February 2010)

Take our survey — tell us what you think of Blast-a-Buffon
Before St. Nicholas, the porky crimson scoundrel, made the season too silly for words, we launched an anima-lectric amusement station named Blast-a-Buffoon. This was the first time a similar endeavour had been attempted by Grordbort Industries and we would like to solicit your views on the matter. Electric web Survey can be found here.

You’ll know when you’ve been hit by a Blunderbuss!
In the approximately 18 months since Lord Cockswain’s Unnatural Selector Ray Blunderbuss was unleashed on an unsuspecting Venusian fauna, all but a handful of the 50 made have been acquired by an international clientel of impeccable taste and breeding. If you have yet to join the illustrious elite that can call themselves Blunderbuss Owners, we suggest you don’t delay any further. They won’t last much longer and when they are gone, they’re vanished! Cast an eye on the Unnatural Selector. And then buy one!

Dr. Grordbort’s reclaims Hong Kong in the name of Her Majesty
Dr. Grordbort’s Exceptional Exhibition — Hazzaah — is taking its next step into the world by going to the once gloriously Imperial Crown Colony of Hong Kong. Hosted and presented by the wizardly Hong Kong based technological upstart Cyberport. Richard Taylor Esq. and Greg Broadmore will attend the official opening Pomp and Circumstance on March 24th. Read the original dispatch here.

Compartmentalised photolectric essay from the Colonies!
The thoroughly (and amusingly) reprehensible villain Count Nicholas Mazmaniac has furnished us with a thoroughly amusing retelling of a recent adventure. One of the lackeys in the pictorialisation department at Grordbort Industries (G Broadmore) was so taken by his tale (and partial to a bit of tail) that he instantly Grordbotomised one of the photos! Read the story and see the rest of the rather racy pictures!

Have you insulted any of the lunatics on the Forum yet? It’s not too late…

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