Reviews – Page 10 – ÜberSciFiGeek

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live at the Troubadour

The way Daryl Hall and John Oates tell it, they met at Temple University by chance while fleeing a riot at the Adelphi Ballroom Battle of the Bands in 1967. They both ran to a service elevator when shots started getting fired. It was two years before they became a duo, and another three years before they recorded their first album, but that fateful meeting led to the formation of one of the best-selling duos of all time: Hall & Oates.

Thirty-five years ago, after the release of their first album, they opened for Harry Chapin at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. They went on to a successful career that spans several decades, with such a unique flavor that they continue to inspire and influence today’s new music. In May of 2008, thirty-five years and 60 million albums later, Hall & Oates returned to the stage at the Troubadour for the first time since that long-ago premiere. For two nights they performed to sold-out crowds and, fortunately for us, it was all captured by ten remote-controlled HD cameras by Blaze TV. Featuring their greatest hits like “Out of Touch”, “Maneater,” “Private Eyes,” “Rich Girl,” and “Kiss on My List,” it is now being offered to us by Shout! Factory in 3 formats: DVD, Blu-ray and a 2-CD/1-DVD combo.

Growing up with them playing on the radio, they were one of my favorite bands. I’ve always been attracted to lyric-driven music and Hall & Oates never let me down. I loved the way that they integrated emerging technology into their multi-cultural and multi-genre influenced music, creating not just songs but events. While many bands were trying to do something different to stand out from their contemporaries, Hall & Oates had a unique sound and style that seemed to be less a marketing ploy and more like a couple of guys unapologetically loving what they were doing and having a lot of fun with it. While I was a fan, I didn’t have all of their albums, so when I began listening to Live at the Troubadour I was surprised by how many songs I knew well. Without the added sound effects and electronic noises I enjoyed in many of the originals, this largely “unplugged” performance surpassed my expectations. The lyrics don’t get lost in the studio polish. Even songs that relied on the electronic sounds like “Out of Touch” transition extremely well in this laid-back “jam” session.

Perhaps it was the intensity of coming “full circle”, as Daryl Hall put it, that his vocals started out a bit reedy, but he quickly warmed up with the music and within moments of the first song his voice flowed smooth and rich like silk slipping through your fingers. I can’t really explain why the term “organic” keeps coming to mind, other than noting, perhaps, how warm and genuine the performance feels. Listening to it is pure pleasure. (I’ve had the double CD playing on repeat for three days now and still haven’t gotten my fill.) The folksy storytelling with jazzy and bluesy flavors kept my toes tapping and head bobbing as I sang along. They still look great, sound great, and seem to be enjoying themselves even more than the crowd, if that’s possible. Daryl’s Cheshire grin never seemed to leave his face as he played his keyboard and the audience masterfully. We even got to hear John perform his “Had I Known You Better Then.” The band played wonderfully and the vocal harmonies blended so well that the audience (and you, via camera) can’t help but be lulled into a sense of intimacy. I especially loved the 9 minute and 38 second long rendition of “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”. It reminded me of some of the jamming in Sting’s Bring on the Night tour. If you liked Hall & Oates at all, you are going to love Live at the Troubadour.

Also, be sure to check out their newest music at the official Hall & Oates and John Oates websites, including Daryl’s monthly podcast, Live from Daryl’s House.

The 2-CD/1-DVD combo includes the following songs:

CD Disc One:
1. Everything Your Heart Desires (Daryl Hall)
2. When the Morning Comes (Daryl Hall)
3. Family Man (Tim Cross/Rick Fenn/Mike Frye/Mike Oldfield/Morris Pert/Maggie Reilly)
4. Say It Isn’t So (Daryl Hall)
5. It’s Uncanny (Daryl Hall)
6. Had I Known You Better Then (John Oates)
7. She’s Gone (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
8. Getaway Car (Gary Haase/Billy Mann)
9. Cab Driver (Louis Brown/Alan Gorrie/Daryl Hall)

CD Disc Two:
1. One on One (Daryl Hall)
2. Sara Smile (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
3. Maneater (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
4. Out of Touch (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
5. I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do) (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
6. Rich Girl (Daryl Hall)
7. Kiss on My List (Janna Allen/Daryl Hall)
8. You Make My Dreams (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
9. Abandoned Luncheonette (Daryl Hall)
10. Private Eyes (Sara Allen/Janna Allen/Daryl Hall/Warren Pash)

DVD Performances:
1. Everything Your Heart Desires
2. When the Morning Comes
3. Family Man
4. Say It Isn’t So
5. It’s Uncanny
6. Had I Known You Better Then
7. She’s Gone
8. Getaway Car
9. Cab Driver
10. One on One
11. Sara Smile
12. Maneater
13. Out of Touch
14. I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)
15. Rich Girl
16. Kiss on My List
17. You Make My Dreams
18. Abandoned Luncheonette
19. Private Eyes
All New Interviews with Daryl & John Oates

Order now at Amazon.com:
Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live at the Troubadour

Or order directly through the Shout! Factory website.

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live at the Troubadour is distributed by Shout! Factory.

Monty Python Fluxx

Serendipitously coinciding with the release of The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset, Looney Labs has added a Monty Python themed edition to their popular Fluxx card game series.

It’s Monty Python Fluxx — the card game where it’s fun to make your brain hurt.

Get a shrubbery for the knights who say NI! Build a giant wooden rabbit! And since it’s Fluxx, you can expect the rules to constantly change… but don’t expect the Spanish Inquisition!

Monty Python Fluxx is based mainly on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but squeezes in a number of fan-favourite references from Flying Circus and the other movies. There are 100 cards in the set, laden with colourful illustrations of such iconic Monty Python jokes as the Coconut-Laden Swallow, the Finger of God, the Ex-Parrot, the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, and the Legendary Black Beast of Aaarrghh. (Sadly, Spam and Fish Slapping cards are absent.) Most entertaining of all are the “What is Your Quote?” and “I Want to Sing!” cards, which turn a player’s trivial ability to quote lines and sing songs from Monty Python into a game-winning asset.

“The random and chaotic nature of the Fluxx engine makes it a perfect vehicle for the crazy world of Monty Python!” enthuses Looney Labs. “Fluxx is the perfect medium for the group that brought us Something Completely Different at every turn.” The company further says, “Yes, that crazy card game where the rules keep changing has joined forces with Monty Python to create the Looneyest card game ever! Help King Arthur and his Knights find the Holy Grail. Bring a Shrubbery to the Knights Who Say Ni! Lob the Holy Hand Grenade at the Killer Rabbit with Nasty Big Teeth! Just do it quick, before the Goal changes again!” This is clearly a game that no Monty Python fan should be without.

In addition to the game, Looney Labs offers a poster that’s “an awesome composite of the cover art and other elements from Monty Python Fluxx, including the catapult, the cow, and the Trojan Rabbit.” The 11×17 inch poster was included free with games pre-ordered directly from Looney Labs, but is now available for anyone to purchase through Looney Labs’ Web Store.

Monty Python Fluxx supports 2-6 players, ages 8 and up. Game length: 10–40 minutes.

Order now at Amazon.com:
Monty Python Fluxx

Or order directly through the Looney Labs website.

Monty Python Fluxx is distributed by Looney Labs, published under license with Toy Vault & Monty Python. For more information on Monty Python Fluxx, visit the official product page at Monty Python Fluxx.

Freaks and Geeks: Yearbook Edition

“Set in 1980 at the fictional McKinley High in Detroit, Freaks and Geeks focused on two groups of outsiders: the stoners, tough kids and bad girls, and the brains, nerds and squares. The program quickly became legendary as a smart, funny and authentic testimonial to the (few) highs and (many more) horrors of high school for the kids who don’t fit in.” And, in a move that real-life freaks and geeks everywhere could relate to, the show got shoved into a locker by its network after only one season.

Shout! Factory pays respect to the cult series created by Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad) and Paul Feig (The Office, Arrested Development) by releasing the Freaks and Geeks: Yearbook Edition, “The Ultimate Tribute to One of the Greatest TV Shows Ever.” The Yearbook Edition is presented as an authentic 80-page William McKinley High School yearbook, with front and back pages “signed” by the show’s characters. Packed with exclusive essays, trivia, memorabilia, rare photos, and episode synopses, it contains all the episodes and extras of The Complete Series 6-DVD set, plus 2 bonus DVDs filled with six hours of additional extras never before available in stores:

Museum of Television & Radio Panel Discussion
Complete Script for a Never-Shot Episode
Three Full-Episode Table Reads
Deleted Scenes
Original Cast Audition Footage
Raw Footage
Mr. Rosso Live in Concert
Sober Students Improv Players
Tales of the Secret Service
Photo Galleries
NBC Promos and EPK
Behind the Scenes
Seven Minutes in Heaven
Graduation
Thanks, Goodbye

“It’s one of the most insanely complete TV artifacts ever.” — Time Magazine
“An obsessive labor of love.” — New York Times

Series stars Linda Cardellini (ER), James Franco (Spider-Man, Pineapple Express), Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, Kung Fu Panda), and Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) graduated from Freaks and Geeks to go on to big Hollywood careers, so this box set serves as a career spotlight for them, as well as for the show’s many guest stars and cameo appearances, including Ben Stiller (There’s Something About Mary, Meet the Parents, Madagascar), Thomas F. Wilson (Back to the Future trilogy), Joel Hodgson (Mystery Science Theater 3000), Trace Beaulieu (Mystery Science Theater 3000), David Koechner (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Office), Kevin Corrigan (Pineapple Express), Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, I Heart Huckabees), Allen Covert (The Wedding Singer and many other Adam Sandler movies), Matt Czuchry (Gilmore Girls), Claudia Christian (Babylon 5), Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Samaire Armstrong (The O.C., Entourage), Ben Foster (X-Men: The Last Stand, 30 Days of Night), Alexander Gould (Finding Nemo, Weeds), Kevin Tighe (Lost), David Krumholtz (NUMB3RS, Serenity), Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Cloverfield), Rashida Jones (Boston Public, The Office), Sarah Hagan (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and punk rock band Diesel Boy.

McKinley High lives on in the impressive and lasting legacy it leaves behind. Go Norsemen!

Order now at Amazon.com:
Freaks and Geeks: Yearbook Edition

Or order directly through the Shout! Factory website.

Freaks and Geeks: Yearbook Edition is distributed by Shout! Factory. For more Freaks and Geeks information, please visit McKinley High: A Freaks and Geeks Fan Site.

Ask a Ninja Presents… The Ninja Handbook: This Book Looks Forward to Killing You Soon

Are you ready to take the first step on the one true path to becoming a ninja?

The deadly wisdom contained in Ask a Ninja Presents… The Ninja Handbook: This Book Looks Forward to Killing You Soon is quite likely to lead to your untimely demise if properly followed, and the manual’s numerous “killer” illustrations are not for the faint of heart and/or humourless, so, as the back cover advises, “carefully consider the joy of your soft-headed ignorance before you begin to run, flip, and jump along the Ninja Path.”

“After much debate and in a spirit of morbid amusement, the International Order of Ninjas has chosen to produce The Ninja Handbook, the first-ever secret ninja training guide specifically designed for the non-ninja,” as transcribed by Douglas Sarine and Kent Nichols, the award-winning creators of the online series Ask A Ninja. “Most non-ninjas who handle these delicate, deadly pages will die — probably in an elaborately horrific and painful manner,” a prediction that most likely applies to the audiobook as well, “but whether your journey lasts five seconds or five days or (rather inconceivably) five years, all those who bravely take up this text and follow the tenets and trials laid out within will die knowing they were as ninja as they possibly could’ve been.”

In the words of the Ask a Ninja ninja, “Remember: People do not take the Path, the Path takes people.”

You’ve been honorably warned.

(Fellow ninja fans and ninjas-in-training can be found lurking in the shadows at the Official Ninja Book Club.)

Order now at Amazon.com:
Ask a Ninja Presents… The Ninja Handbook: This Book Looks Forward to Killing You Soon

Ask a Ninja Presents… The Ninja Handbook: This Book Looks Forward to Killing You Soon is distributed by Three Rivers Press, a division of Random House. For more information, visit Ask a Ninja and the official book website at Ask a Ninja Book.

Pucca: Secret Samurai Santa

Following on the heels of the popular DVDs Pucca: Kung Fu Kisses, Pucca: Ninjas Love Noodles, and Pucca: Spooky Sooga Village comes the “Outrageous Action, Kung Fu Comedy, and Holiday Hijinks!” of Pucca: Secret Samurai Santa. The bite-sized Pucca cartoons, which premiered on the Internet then leaped to TV, are “an unexpected mix of martial arts, Chinese food and comedic quests in the pursuit of love”, and are fun for all ages:

Candy canes and Christmas cookies fly as Pucca, Garu, Santa and their friends take on winter, keeping one step ahead of polar bears, shifting glaciers and Santa imposters. Pucca has been supergood this year, but will that be enough to get her what she wants for Christmas — the ninja boy Garu? Grab a hot bowl of noodles and hop on the sleigh — these snow ninjas are just getting warmed up. Yule love it!

Geared toward kids ages 7-12, Pucca follows the adventures of Pucca, the daughter of a Chinese restaurant owner, and her comical and single-minded pursuit of her one true love, Garu. Unfortunately for Pucca, Garu is more interested in becoming a ninja than in Pucca. Her sole mission is to win the heart of her intended either by her knowledge and expertise of martial arts or by her girlish charms.

The recipient of two Leo Awards, celebrating excellence in British Columbian film and television (for Best Screenwriting in Animation Program or Series and for Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series), Pucca is based on the internationally renowned Pucca merchandise brand and Internet short, spawning over 3000 different products in over 150 countries.

Pucca: Secret Samurai Santa collects ten holiday- and winter-themed episodes from the South Korean series, with English and Spanish language options. The episodes, as listed on the DVD’s colourful insert sheet, are:

Tis the Season for Revenge
Candy canes and Christmas cookies fly when a mysterious stranger seeks Yuletide revenge on Santa.
Northern Lights Out
Garu must face the perils of polar bears, shifting glaciers and snowstorms in order to switch the Northern Lights back on.
Secret Santa
Santa isn’t so jolly when Tobe steals his suit.
On Thin Ice
Tobe has a new plan: to freeze Garu and keep him as a trophy forever!
Snow Ninjas
What happens when the switch controlling the seasons breaks? Snowstorms, tornadoes and hail, that’s what!
Woolen Warrior
Pucca’s extreme knitting helps Garu succeed in the ultimate ninja challenge.
No Year’s Eve
Muji can’t face getting older, so he puts a stop to the New Year’s party.
Lumberjacked
The maple syrup of Canada is in trouble! Cue tree climbing, log splitting and hungry bears!
Puccahontas
Garunimo must face eagles and white-water rapids to become a full-fledged warrior. Luckily, Puccahontas is on hand to help.
Swiss Kiss
Yodeling and cheese fondue are on the menu for Pucca and Garu when a helicopter ride ends at a surprise destination.

Tucked inside the DVD case is a bonus “ninja star” ornament for children to decorate with their artwork or photo. (A picture of Pucca kissing an indignant Garu underneath the mistletoe would look suitably adorable hanging from the Christmas tree!)

Order now at Amazon.com:
Pucca: Kung Fu Kisses
Pucca: Ninjas Love Noodles
Pucca: Spooky Sooga Village
Pucca: Secret Samurai Santa

Pucca: Kung Fu Kisses, Pucca: Ninjas Love Noodles, Pucca: Spooky Sooga Village, and Pucca: Secret Samurai Santa are distributed by Shout! Factory Kids, a division of Shout! Factory. For more Pucca information, please visit Vooz and Pucca Club.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition

Shout! Factory stylishly marks a major milestone in the history of a beloved cult comedy series with the deluxe DVD box set Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition.

For ten side-splitting seasons — including successful runs on Comedy Central and the SCI FI Channel — and one theatrically-released feature film, the crew of the Satellite of Love orbited Earth, faced with the arduous assignment of watching and lampooning the most problematic movies ever made. Now, 20 years after their initial launch into pop culture infamy, hosts Joel Hodgson and Mike Nelson — along with robot pals Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot and Gypsy, and their loyal fans, the MSTies — can finally celebrate with the DVD debut of Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition.

The four films assembled in this set are Season 2’s First Spaceship on Venus, Season 7’s Laserblast, Season 9’s Werewolf, and Season 10’s Future War. Bonus features are a 3-part look at the 20-year history of MST3K including brand-new interviews with the creators, cast and crew; the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con International reunion panel (featuring Joel Hodgson, Mike Nelson, Jim Mallon, Kevin Murphy, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, Bill Corbett, J. Elvis Weinstein, Paul Chaplin and Bridget Jones-Nelson, and moderated by Patton Oswald); original trailers; and “Variations on a Theme Song”, featuring all six versions of the show’s theme song. All of this cheesy goodness, slipcased in DVD slim cases, comes bundled in a limited-edition tin box with four exclusive MST3K lobby cards (recreations of the DVD cover art that are suitable for framing) by artist Steve Vance, and a limited-edition Crow T. Robot figurine.

MST3K‘s production company, Best Brains, transferred the show’s worldwide home entertainment and digital download license from Rhino to Shout! Factory in January 2008, so be sure to contact Shout! Factory to suggest which episodes — such as Season 3’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, Season 4’s Manos: The Hands of Fate, and Season 10’s Soultaker — to release next on their label. A reissue of the long out-of-print music CDs Clowns in the Sky (Seasons 1-7) and Clowns in the Sky II (Seasons 8-9), updated to include songs from Season 10, would also be an essential pick to accompany the Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition box set.

Order now at Amazon.com:
Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition

Or order directly through the Shout! Factory website.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition is distributed by Shout! Factory. For more Mystery Science Theater 3000 information, please visit The Official Mystery Science Theater 3000 Website and Satellite News: The Official Mystery Science Theater 3000 Fan Site. Post-Mystery Science Theater 3000 projects: RiffTrax (Michael J. Nelson), Cinematic Titanic (Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, J. Elvis Weinstein, Frank Conniff and Mary Jo Pehl), and Darkstar (Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Mary Jo Pehl, Josh Weinstein, Beez McKeever and Frank Conniff).

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.

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.

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.

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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.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Conversations with Dead People” Board

Dark Horse Deluxe has given the traditional Ouija, or spirit, board a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-style makeover, the end result being the stunning Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Conversations with Dead People” Board.

What is more conducive to speaking to the spirits than a game board based on the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? In the tradition of the Sunnydale Hellmouth, through which countless entities gained entry, let voices from the other side move the planchette along the board, choosing letters and numbers to answer your queries. Follow in the footsteps of Willow and hone your witchy skills, learning to communicate with the beyond!*

*Game board for entertainment purposes only.

Aside from its obvious gaming use, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Conversations with Dead People” Board makes the perfect accessory for Buffy cosplayers; add a few candles and crystals, and the scene is set to play Willow Rosenberg, resident witch of the Buffyverse’s Scooby Gang. Propped up on a shelf, the board would also make a gorgeous backdrop for a display of Buffy collectibles.

The effort Dark Horse put into making the Buffy Board an exceptional product is especially evident in the planchette, whose gold-and-black pressed board construction is far more solid and attractive than the flimsy plastic planchettes often packaged with spirit boards. Its smooth rubber feet glide well over the board’s surface, and have greater durability than the felt pads on cheaper models. Recognizable Buffy icons, such as Buffy’s Claddagh ring and Slayer’s Scythe, subtly adorn the board and its elegant box, and the instruction sheet included is — naturally, for Dark Horse Comics — designed as a page from a comic book, with all-new art and very amusing expository dialogue from characters Willow, Dawn, and Xander.

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Conversations with Dead People” Board

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Conversations with Dead People” Board is distributed by Dark Horse Deluxe, a division of Dark Horse Comics. For more Buffy the Vampire Slayer information, visit Dark Horse Comics’ Buffy Zone.

The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow

If you’re having a party with a spooky theme, and are looking for a game that a large group of people can play, The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow from Asmodee Editions makes for a howling good time. The premise of this murder mystery-style game is simple: townsfolk versus werewolves. As the box states, “The small town of Miller’s Hollow has become infested with werewolves. The townsfolk must take immediate action and eradicate this menace before they are all devoured… Who are you? Werewolf or townsperson? You will secretly receive a character card. Once you know your identity, you are all under the control of the game moderator. You’re a werewolf — Your goal: By night, devour villagers. By day, try your best to “pass” as an honest citizen. You’re a townsperson — Your goal: To discover the werewolves and to persuade the other players to eliminate them (while avoiding being suspected yourself). Your task is a difficult one! Fortunately, certain villagers have special abilities: the Fortune Teller, the Hunter, the Witch… They will help you to fight the werewolves.”

There’s an expansion pack, New Moon, available to make The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow more complex. 36 event cards add exciting, random twists to the game, and there are 5 new characters: the Defender, the Elder, the Scapegoat, the Piper, and the Village Idiot. Game variants introduced in the New Moon rulebook include Moonlight (play outdoors in a magical ambiance), Community of Hamlets (up to 200 players at the same time), Harvest Festival (with strange alterations to the abilities), Double “You” (the villagers have double personalities), The Writing’s on the Wall, The Black Death, and Lycanthropic Fascination.

The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow supports 8-18 players, ages 10 and up. Game length: 20-30 minutes.

As a less-scary alternative for younger party guests, Asmodee Editions offers Wooly Bully, a colourful tile game for the entire family, ages 7 and up, that pits sheep against wolves. 2-4 players take on the role of shepherd and try to safely fence in as many sheep as possible, hindering opponents by preventing their flocks from becoming fully enclosed and placing wolf tiles near their fields. Tiles with hunters on them are used to foil the hungry wolves. Each of the four shepherd groups are clearly marked by colour — black, blue, red, and yellow sheep, each with slightly different shades of grass — and the sheep also have patterns on their fleece to help those players who don’t see colours well. These visual clues add a great deal to the beauty of the game’s art, as well as making tile identification easy for young players. There are a number of rules, but they are fairly straightforward; after a round or two with adult help, smaller children will be able to happily play on their own. Average playing time: 30 minutes.

Order now at Amazon.com:
The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow
The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow: New Moon, Expansion #1
Wooly Bully

Or order directly through the Asmodee Editions website.

The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow, New Moon, and Wooly Bully are distributed by Asmodee Editions (US), a subsidiary of Asmodee Editions (France). For more information on Wooly Bully, visit the official game website at Wooly Bully.