Can somebody please enlighten us as to how it got to be September already? One minute we’re making April Fools jokes like Squeez Bacon and the Tauntaun Sleeping bag (which is no longer a joke, yay!) and the next it’s back to school time. Seriously, we need a timeturner or an anomaly in the space-time continuum up in here folks, because we’re not getting any younger and we have lots of of geektastic stuff to do before the year is up. And in case you’ve been wondering what we’ve been doing to lead us to this point, we’ve been trying to figure out how folks back in the 60’s used these things to get us to the moon!
Appreciate the technology you have today by experiencing the calculators of yesteryear. They may be analog computers, but with a little practice, you can ramp up your geek cred and count yourself amongst the great scientists, astronauts and smarty-pants of the analog era.
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the upcoming DVD release of Bleach the Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion on September 8th; it will carry an MSRP of $29.92 US / $49.99 CAN, and is rated “T” for Teens.
Adapted from the wildly popular animated series and best-selling Bleach manga series by acclaimed Japanese creator Tite Kubo (both distributed and published in North America by VIZ Media), the animated feature film Bleach the Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion continues the action-packed adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki. After the treasured Ouin is stolen, Toshiro Hitsugaya disappears and becomes suspected of treason. When the Soul Society calls for his capture and execution, Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki vows to prove Hitsugaya’s innocence. Will the secret of the Ouin and Captain Hitsugaya’s motives be revealed before his honor, his life, and the Soul Society are destroyed?
“Bleach the Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion is the next exciting feature film in the ongoing Bleach saga and the new DVD release also includes lots of great extras such as the original Japanese production extras and trailers, a production art gallery, a Japanese movie booklet and both English and Japanese audio,” says Brian Ige, VIZ Media Director of Sales, Home Entertainment. “We know many fans have eagerly awaited this release and the action and drama reach new heights as Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki risks his life to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Toshiro Hitsugaya. For fans of the popular Bleach manga and anime series, this is definitely an adventure not to be missed.”
Bleach is a tremendously successful multimedia property internationally. The manga series has been licensed to more than a dozen countries, and has sold over 52 million copies in Japan alone. In North America the manga has been a sales hit and the popular animated series is viewed weekly by millions in the United States and Canada. This success has further spawned an array of related video games, apparel, action figures and other merchandise. For more information on Bleach and Bleach the Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion, please visit the official Bleach website at bleach.viz.com or viz.com. Bleach episodes can also be viewed on the Sony PlayStation VIZ Media channel, Amazon Unbox, XBOX Live, iTunes, and online at hulu.com.
If the movies have taught us nothing else — and plainly, they haven’t — then they’ve at least shown us that astronauts and evil supercomputers are similarly cursed with a stunning lack of imagination. Just as Skynet can’t seem to come up with a better plan than to repeatedly send a Terminator back in time to eliminate John Connor before he gets fat, starts wearing a checkered shirt and marries Roseanne, so, with all the planets in an infinite Universe to choose from, NASA’s best and brightest only seem capable of crash-landing on the Planet of the Apes (which turns out to be Earth all along, by the way). Chuck Heston began this trend in 1968, demonstrating his right to bear arms as effectively as his right to bare chest.
So, if you’ve ever felt the need to rail against unnamed maniacs who blow “it” up, this is your big chance to do it alongside the guy who played Jason Colby. Also Moses.
Talk to the Dead with the Emily The Strange Talking Board — a classic magical, mystical parlor game! Comes with limited edition special comic book — The Odd.I.See — 48 full color pages of classic stories plus one all new exclusive tale. Also includes planchette (but no candles).
Geeks oftentimes lead a rather sedentary lifestyle, sitting in front of the computer all day, but, as the Wii Fit has proved, entertaining gadgetry and technology is all that’s needed to lure them into the world of physical activity. FINIS, “The Worldwide Leader in Technical Swimming Development”, goes a step further, enticing the computer generation away from the simulated activity that video games offer for some real life sport using swim gear that looks like it was designed in Atlantis.
Recreation Monofins
Monofins turn exercise into a cosplay or role-playing experience beneath the waves. Fusing traditional flippers into one large fin with joined foot pockets, the Monofin is designed to enhance the dolphin kick, a technique in competitive swimming that resembles the undulating tail motion of a mermaid. It allows users to “swim fast and fun like a dolphin”, while channeling their inner Ariel or Neptune. There are three recreation level Monofins, the Wave Monofin (shoe size 1-7; all FINIS products are universally sized using standard male sizing), Tempo Monofin (shoe sizes 4-7), and Rapid Monofin (shoe size 1-7). The flexibility of the fin blade decreases with each size, providing a more challenging workout to the muscles of your lower back, abdomen, buttocks and quadriceps. If you find yourself in water that’s a bit deeper than you are tall, the Monofin’s blade is rigid enough that you can use it to stand on tip-toe rather than expend energy treading water. The foot pockets are soft and comfortable, with release-clip straps to adjust them to your exact foot size, and a safety mechanism for quick foot release. For those used to regular flippers, the Monofin feels quite strange at first, since your legs are locked together, but adaptation is remarkably quick. It’s easy to imagine, once you’ve gotten the hang of skimming along in a Monofin, that your legs really have transformed into a tail, especially when you dive sharply downwards and the fin briefly clears the water in iconic mermaid fashion, coming down with a satisfying slap on the water’s surface.
Watch the FINIS Monofins instructional video to see the Monofin in action. It’ll reassure any guys afraid of looking silly that mertails aren’t just for girls!
Mermaid Tail Girls
The Mermaid & Shark Tail Swim Fins (male shoe size 1-7, female shoe size 1 – 8-1/2) are for little swimmers not yet ready to transition to the full-sized Wave Monofin. This play fin will “make fantasy a reality” while it “builds confidence in the water during playtime”. The fin blade is quite a bit smaller than the Wave Monofin’s, making it easier for children to maneuver. It’s made from soft plastic and TPR (Thermo Plastic Rubber), so the foot pocket, which has a simpler slip-on design than the more fitted style of the adult Monofins, is very comfortable, as is the padded band of fabric that holds the feet in place with an adjustable velcro strap. Intended for ages 6-12, with a year or more of swimming experience, the fin should only be used with adult supervision. Despite the kid-friendly foot strap, children will still need help in and out of the pool. Unless the child is lowered into the water, the fin needs to be put on after entering the water since it hampers walking movement, and if the pool doesn’t have a set of wide stairs in the shallow end to sit on while slipping out of the tail, then someone will need to haul fledgling mermaids and sharks onto the deck. The entire fin weighs less than two pounds and also floats, so if kids become separated from their fin in the lake or ocean, you won’t have to worry about it sinking straight down to Davy Jones’ locker, never to be seen again.
If you have sensitive feet, add a layer of protection by wearing Skin Socks with the Monofin to keep the plastic from rubbing directly on skin and causing chafing or blisters. Skin Socks, available in either royal blue or black, are made from a thin nylon/lycra material but are great protection when you’re at the beach and need to cross a scorching expanse of sand to reach the water. They’re also good for avoiding the germs inherent in public pool showers, decks, or while doing aqua aerobics. A pair of goggles is also a recommended accessory when speeding through the water with a Monofin. The Revolution goggles have anti-fog and UV protection built into each polycarbonate lens, and are streamlined and micro-adjustable, which means that you can change both the strap length and nose bridge width for a perfect fit. The iridescent lenses of the Clear/Multi-Mirror style give a striking, alien look to eyes, and will protect your eyes while still being extremely comfortable and fashionable. Alternatively, the larger Energy, FINIS’s “most comfortable soft-frame adult goggle”, is ideal for any face shape, has curved lenses that reduce the distortion of looking through water, and is so light and inobtrusive that you won’t even remember you’re wearing goggles.
SwiMP3
Video games aren’t complete without an epic soundtrack, and FINIS allows you to transfer this gaming element to the live-action arena with the SwiMP3, a unique waterproof MP3 player that uses bone conduction, a technology that is explained in the SwiMP3 instructional video. “Because the SwiMP3 uses bone conduction,” FINIS says, “the sound vibrations are able to be directly transferred from the cheek bone to the inner ear, giving the swimmer the ultimate sensory experience.” Just load up the SwiMP3 with music that’s evocative of underwater fantasy and clip it onto your goggles before diving into your next aquatic adventure. The player’s two halves, where the on/off, volume, next/previous track, pause, and shuffle buttons are located, rest against your cheekbones. It’s best to memorize the configuration of the buttons before going swimming, so you don’t have to fiddle around and learn them by trial and error. For the most impressive introduction to the SwiMP3, turn the player on while your head is still above water, then slowly submerge. The sound quality, quite good in the air when compared to a regular MP3 player with earbuds, suddenly becomes crystal clear the moment your ears dip below the water. It’s a thrilling shock to hear stereo-quality sound in an aquatic environment. Coldplay’s song “Clocks” is pure magic underwater, and Enya’s “Orinoco Flow” and the bubbly songs from The Little Mermaid would make great SwiMP3 tracks, as well. Listening to music underwater without the muffled playback of waterproof players that rely on air or water sound transmission is a truly amazing experience, and because earphones are unnecessary with bone conduction it’s possible to carry on normal conversations with fellow swimmers while listening to your tunes. If the volume is turned high enough, anyone within several feet of you will be able to share in the fun, as the sound carries quite a distance. The SwiMP3 is compatible with Windows and Mac, and at 256 MB you can drag-and-drop about 60 MP3 or WMA files into its playlist. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery charges directly from your computer’s USB port and provides up to eight hours of play. FINIS’s SwiMP3 will keep swimming enthusiasts in the water until they develop webbed fingers and gills.
Track your vitals with FINIS’s new Aqua Pulse, a bone-conduction heart rate monitor. It works in and out of the water, so in addition to listening to your heartbeats while swimming, you can wear the Aqua Pulse while doing step-ups on the Wii Balance Board, or to determine just how fast your heart races during a World of Warcraft raid. The Aqua Pulse will be available the first week of September.
Monofins, Mermaid Swim Fins, Shark Swim Fins, Skin Socks, Revolution Goggles, Energy Goggles, SwiMP3, and Aqua Pulse are distributed by FINIS and its associated Dealers.
We’re just back from both the San Diego Comic-Con and G.I. Joe-centric JoeCon. We loved getting out there to meet those of you who attended, especially hearing about which Shout! CDs and DVDs you have or wish we’d release. It was great fun for us, and we just want to thank you for stopping by.
If you don’t want to miss out on the things that happen at Shout! between newsletters, find us on Facebook and Twitter. We update both throughout the day… every day! Come on, we know you want more…
VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced the DVD release of Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara — NEW PEOPLE Artist Series, Volume 1 on September 15th. The DVD will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN and will be distributed in North America by VIZ Media.
Produced by VIZ Pictures, the NEW PEOPLE Artist Series is an intriguing collection of documentaries that each highlight a renowned modern Japanese pop artist who utilizes unique world views and inspirations to create captivating works of art. The series is an extension of the NEW PEOPLE entertainment destination, located in San Francisco, which brings the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North America through film, art, fashion, and a variety of specialty boutiques.
Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara was directed by Koji Sakabe and captures the journey that the artist, Yoshitomo Nara, took during the creation of his exhibit, AtoZ, in his hometown of Hirosaki, Japan. The film is notably narrated by Aoi Miyazaki, an up-and-coming Japanese actress who appeared in the acclaimed manga-inspired film Nana (VIZ Pictures). Yoshitomo Nara’s work has captured the attention of the international art world and his cartoon-like girl images with characteristic big heads, chubby-faces and slanted eyes have become icons of the artist’s style. His paintings and sculptures have been auctioned at Sotheby’s and his sculpture, Light My Fire (2001), sold for over $1.1 million.
“We are very pleased to launch the NEW PEOPLE Artist Series with Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures and the founder of NEW PEOPLE. “This film documents Nara’s creative process and how he tapped the talents of many fellow artists to help bring this exhibition to life. The people, the experience, and the works of art all come together in this film and culminate in the grand opening of the AtoZ exhibit. Art aficionados as well as fans of Japanese culture will delight in this intimate portrait of one of the most talented modern pop artists working today.”
Is there anything Andrew Looney can’t do? Former NASA engineers Andrew and Kristin Looney started their game company Looney Labs back in 1997 with the goal to create easy-to-learn, easy-to-play games. Since that time, they have continued to create inventive, educational, challenging and fun games, and have taken home many awards and kudos. On top of being fun, their games tend to be beautiful in design and ingeniously simple to play yet strategically complex. The Aquarius 10th Anniversary Edition (or A v2.0 as it’s referred to on the box) is yet another brilliant addition to that legacy.
Aquarius is a card game for 2 to 5 players. Game play is a little like dominoes with an UNO twist. There are 5 elemental goal cards: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Space. Once each player is dealt a goal card, they must attempt to be the first player to create a chain of seven connected elements by matching the elements cards. Each player begins with 3 elements cards and 1 goal card. At the beginning of each turn, the player draws an elements card and then plays a card by matching one or more elements on the played card to one of the cards already placed. The elements card may have 1, 2 or 4 different elements featured on it. To create a chain, the player must place an unbroken line of 7 touching matched elements cards. Sounds simple, right?
Next you add the Action Cards. This is where the dominoes playing style takes on an UNO twist. With cards like Trade Hands, Trade Goals, Move a Card, Rotate Goals, Zap a Card and Shuffle Hands, even the player with the best strategy and a winning hand can quickly turn into the loser. Because your opponent’s agenda is hidden, you have to speculate which element they have as their goal. You may be thinking, “Well, which one are they trying to match?” Because you have to lay a card down with each turn (or forfeit the turn) and you don’t necessarily want to give your goal away by aggressively pursuing it, you may choose to, or have to, lay down a chain of elements cards simply because you need to get them out of your hand in hopes of drawing more of your goal element in the next hand.
Also, if you can match 2 or more elements when laying down a card, or you play a Zap Card (which allows you to take any one card from the placed cards and add it to your hand for later use), you get additional cards in your hand. Having 4 or more cards in your hand at the beginning of each turn gives you an advantage over the other players. Making chains other than those in your goal can be a valuable tool. It helps throw your opponents off your trail. It can, however, be risky if you don’t know what the other players’ goals are. If you are playing with more than two people, odds are that you are helping your enemy out and may even be handing them a win. Still sound simple?
Now imagine you have it figured out; you know exactly who has what goals and you are one or two connections away from a win. Suddenly an opponent plays a Trade Goals card on you and they are now in control of your winning combination while you now have their less than desirable goal (or they wouldn’t have traded it, right?). What do you do now? Well, you can throw a Trade Goals or Rotate Goals card on them if you have one, or you can Zap a pivotal card in their chain. There are lots of twists and turns in gameplay and your goals and strategies are constantly shifting and having to be rethought.
While the regular gameplay can get highly complex, the basic concept of the game is matching items. Because of this, variants of the game can be taught to children as young as 3 or 4 years old by just using the elements cards for a matching game. As they get older and can learn more complex gameplay, you can introduce the goal cards into play and, later still, begin introducing one or more action cards into the mix. This aspect of the gameplay makes Aquarius a fabulous family game for all ages. My teenage son and I have been playing it obsessively for a couple of weeks now. We even came up with a solitaire version which is basically a two-player game with one person laying both hands (think Chess), but a coin toss after the game is over determines which hand was yours.
The artwork by Andrew Looney is beautiful and harkens back to the 60s and 70s with its colorful, simple designs featuring rainbows, fires, flowers, fish and stars. Printed on recycled paper right here in the USA, Aquarius is eco-friendly, too. The cards have handled some abuse well as we have been playing not only repeatedly, but in less then ideal places such as dirty school hallway floors and sticky tabletops. It fits so easily in a pocket that we took it along to the annual School Open House so my son could show it to, and play it with, his friends. We were surprised to learn that one of them grew up with the original release of Aquarius in her household, and she added that “It was fun!”
I love this game and can’t wait to introduce more of my friends to it. I’ve found myself blowing off other things I could or should be doing to play it. I’ve even been bringing it to work with me, and have it out so often that some of my co-workers comment if I don’t have a hand dealt at some point during the day. I just can’t help myself — it’s so much fun!
Aquarius 10th Anniversary Edition will be available in stores and online August 28th. You can order it from Looney Labs and Amazon.com, or check for a retailer near you with the Looney Labs Store Locator.
We first launched this range last month at the San Diego Comic-Con. At that time, we were only able to offer a Bronze option, as we had a few unresolved issues to sort out. Fortunately these issues have been resolved, so we are now able to offer these sculptures in both Bronze and Faux Bronze.
The edition size for the Faux Bronze is limited to only 300 worldwide. Customers will also receive a beautiful 22 page hard cover book written by John Howe, Richard Taylor and leading sculptor Daniel Cockersell. The book contains original sketches from John as well as a series of stunning photographs of the sculptures and the sculpting process. You can preview a few pages of the book here! Click on the corners to turn the pages.
For those customers who have already ordered the Bronze option, there is further good news; our pricing will reduce as we are now able to spread the initial sculpting costs over a much greater number of pieces. Check the pricing on the bronze version here.
We hope you’ll take this unique opportunity to enjoy and cherish the The Art of John Howe.
We wanted to remind you that “Weird Al” Yankovic’s digital-only EP Internet Leaks drops today!
It contains the T.I. parody “Whatever You Like,” the Doors pastiche “Craigslist” (featuring Ray Manzarek on keyboards), the Jungle Cruise homage “Skipper Dan,” the Charles Nelson Reilly tribute “CNR”… and the brand new song “Ringtone”!
You can download it RIGHT NOW at iTunes and everywhere else that digital music is sold!
And if you haven’t seen the “Ringtone” video yet… you can watch it right here!
And if you’d like the RINGTONE for “Ringtone”… you can get it here!
We’re super-excited to announce the Infectious X MIMOBOT Design Challenge! Mimoco has teamed up with the fine crew at Infectious, makers of adhesive art (i.e., skins) for laptops, iPhones, iPods, walls and cars to bring you the Infectious X MIMOBOT Design Challenge, the next contest in our community-designed series of MIMOBOT flash drives!
Each design submitted in the challenge will be voted on by the community at Infectious, and then judged by Mimoco, Infectious, and FriendsWithYou who will determine the winning designs. Deadline: October 6, 2009.
GRAND PRIZE
$1,000 and Winning design produced as a future run of MIMOBOT designer USB flash drives!
Watch as Hyrule breaks out into song in this brand new and very special Legend of Neil musical episode. See if you can tell which character’s singing voice is voiced by Maurissa Tancharoen of Dr. Horrible fame. And buy some t-shirts so I can pay rent.
And for those of you asking. We’re working on mp3s for download from the musical. Hang in there, but keep posting comments about it on atom.com so that they see it and know you want it! I know you want it… awww yeah!
