To her friend...

To her friend...:

MASS EFFECT: Where Does Shepard Get Those Wonderful Toys?

MASS EFFECT: Where Does Shepard Get Those Wonderful Toys?:

I know I'm mixing movies a bit there, but it was such a good headline. Deviant Art user Syarawi (real name Azlan Syarawi) has put together this sweet render of a Mass Effect tumbler (of Dark Knight fame), and man do I wish this was actually in the game.
The Mako missions from the first Mass Effect were loved or hated (I fell into the latter group), not because the premise wasn't good but because the Mako itself handled terribly and they had you driving around for 20 minutes at a a time looking for small piles of minerals. Spread several of those out over a large area and that equals up to a not so fun time. While the sequels had several small vehicle sections, they are nothing compared to the prospect of driving this thing around. Props to Azlan for the great work he did on the painting and reflections on the tumbler itself. On top of that the background looks straight out of the Mass Effect universe. If you like what you see then catch his other stuff here, and make sure to let him know if you dig it.
Source: Deviant Art (http://syarawi.deviantart.com/art/Mass-Effect-2-Tumbler-156026093?q=favby%3Aknightofoa%2F11953502&qo=27)

CLOUD ATLAS Broken Down - Infographic

CLOUD ATLAS Broken Down - Infographic:
Here is a cool infographic for Cloud Atlas that maps out genre, location, date, story, themes, characters, actors, archetypes, conflicts, turning points, birthmarks, etc. in an effort to go beyond the actors' make-up.
Click here to see the full-sized version and download it or click on the Cloud Atlas infographic itself.

Follow Jim on Twitter and Tumblr

Combat Kitchenware: Frying Pans With Weapon Handles

Combat Kitchenware: Frying Pans With Weapon Handles:

Because everyone likes pretending they're a knight when they cook, James Brown (no not THAT James Brown, silly! The one with the green hair in the video after the jump) has created a Kickstarter for Combat Kitchenware, a line of cookware with weapon handles instead of plain ones. Currently, $27 will get you a handle kit to convert a pan yourself, and assembled pans start at $45 and go up from there. Unfortunately, they don't come in ninja sword grips. EXCEPT THE ONES I'M SELLING. "That's a shoelace wrapped around a banana." Shhhhhhhh! But yeah, that is what it is. I want one that looks like Excaliber's handle so I can threaten roommate with it oldschool style.

Stop there, heathen! I knoweth thou has stolen with my final pudding cup! Do explain thyself. "I didn't take it." Oh no-eth? "I really didn't." DAMMIT DERREK I KNOW YOU ATE IT, PREPARE TO DIE! *CLONK!* "I swear I..." *CLONK CLONK CLONK!* Haha, oh there it is -- it was hiding in the back.

Hit the jump for a shot of an egg frying and James' Kickstarter video where he proves green hair really does sell products.

An Illustrated Guide To Famous Pop Culture Weapons

An Illustrated Guide To Famous Pop Culture Weapons:

Artist Daniel Nyari (of famous robots fame) has just created this print of famous weapons from video games, comic characters, and movies. I'm not really sure how Tetris blocks (tetrominoes) count as weapons, but I suppose if you beat somebody in the head with one it would hurt, so I'll allow it. How many of the weapons can you name? I named SIX. "You're an embarrassment." My village shunned me and threw rocks until I left.

Hit the jump for closeups of each section, but head over to Daniel's Society6 shop for prints.

Seattle’s Ltd. gallery hosts comics-heavy ‘Pop! 2′ exhibit

Seattle’s Ltd. gallery hosts comics-heavy ‘Pop! 2′ exhibit:

Bruce Yan's "I Heart Gotham"

The Seattle art gallery Ltd. celebrated its first anniversary Thursday with the opening of “Pop! 2,” an exhibit in which assorted artists tackle characters from movies, games, television, music and comics.
The exhibition features the work of many illustrators paying tribute to classic comics icons, and work available there also includes a couple of comics artists drawing characters from the realm of computer games from the previous show “Press Start” and more comics-related work from March’s “Mint Condition.” Some striking stuff, and most pieces are available as prints from the gallery. More work below.

Dane Ault's "B.P.R.D. Bump Back"

Andrew Kolb's "XOXO, Gwen"

Andrew Kolb's "XOXO, MJ"

Mike Avon Oeming's "Zelda" from September's Press Start exhibition

Ryan Benjamin's "Gears Of War" from Press Start

Mikeatron's "Still Life with Deadpool and Unicorn" from March's Mint Condition exhibition

Andrew Wilson's "Avengers Unite" from Mint Condition

GRAND THEFT AUTO - Favorite Quotes From The Franchise!

GRAND THEFT AUTO - Favorite Quotes From The Franchise!:

Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto franchise has been incredibly fun to play over the years, and it's been awesome to see the game evolve. One of the things I love most about it is the open world gameplay. In fact I think GTA's open world was a game changer for video games. One of my favorite things to do in the game was to create so much chaos, get a horde of cops chasing after me and see how long I could outrun them and survive. For those of you who grew up with GTA I'm sure there's a lot of things you enjoyed doing in those open world cities.
With Grand Theft Auto V coming out next year, I thought it'd be cool to do a list of some of my favorite quotes from the game franchise. I started out with a Top 20, but then there were just so many good one's I couldn't keep them off the list. Things got out of control, and now there's a lot of great quotes from the games to read through! Every quote on this list I enjoyed in one way or another.
Read over the list of quotes below from the GTA franchise and let us know what your favorite quotes are, especially if I missed any! If there's any that I should add to the list please let me know! Also stay tuned for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto V trailer!
Here's the list of some of my favorite quotes:

Give me a doughnut! I'm hungry! - Pedestrian
M-E-N, Oh, it's a dirty word but there's only three letters. - Maria
Hey, it's my favorite clean-up guy! I'm proud of you. You kicked the shit out of those grease-balls. - Salvatore Leone

I say spanking kids is the only way to teach them right from wrong. - Caller
So you think that teaching kids from an early age that violence is the solution to problems will make them valuable members of our society. - Lazlow
Exactly! - Caller

Our ancestors didn't eat chicken wings, they lived at one with nature and their eco-system. Existing on a diet of nuts, berries and leafy vegetables. - Reed Tucker
Yeah, and they threw stones at their own shadow and died of old age and fear at twenty-four! - Lazlow

Have you read the manual for this thing? - Police helicopter co-pilot: [to pilot]
I gotta get my face plucked! - Old woman: [stuck in traffic]
Oh she's on fire! Luckily I've never have been... I've done a lot of crazy things, I can tell you that... but I've never been on fire... at least not to my knowledge. - Toni
When trouble looms, the fool turns his back, while the wise man faces it down. - Kenji Kasen
My mother's my sister! - Pedestrian

We're gonna KILL YOU! - Police helicopter co-pilot
You can't say that it's not in the book! - Police helicopter pilot: [to pilot]

Countries that don't have guns aint American! - Caller
You're right, countries that don't have guns aren't American... - Lazlow

So you're in, big guy? Or are we gonna have to kill ya? - Gordon Sargent
Well, since you put it that way... I'm in. - Niko Bellic

You've gotta trust me here, I-I've been fined a lot for talking about the size of my penis. I mean, it is closely shaped to a-a tennis ball container. I'm just gonna leave it at that. - Richard Bastion
I'm gonna kick your ass then I'm gonna french kiss ya! - Man: [when Niko hits a bum]
Get in quickly, you head-dick. - Mohammad
I see you are taking a break from romancing every animal in the zoo to abuse the generosity of your cousin. - Mohammad
You know, if there is one thing that I have learned, it is that we must obey the rules of the game. We can pick the game, Niko Bellic. But we cannot change the rules. - Dimitri Rascalov

You think I don't know that? You think I've been sitting around scratching my balls with my head up my ass? - United Liberty Paper
I'd be impressed if you had been. - Niko Bellic

I don't have any bananas! - Man: [after pushed by Niko]
Too many gorillas! - Man: [after pushed by Niko]
Sometimes you get stuck in a snowstorm! You gotta eat people! - Serrated Edge Commercial
All right man. If you want my advice, the only way you're going to get your balls back to normal is if you stop juicing or get implants. - Niko Bellic
And the trannies! Don't even get me started on the trannies. It's-it's science, run amok. It's very confusing, I'm looking at a woman, I'm talking to a woman, I see the woman's penis, NOW I'm confused. - Richard Bastion

Did they die of natural causes? - Doctor
I suppose... A bullet in the head is as close to natural causes as anything in this city. - Niko Bellic

War is when the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other. - Niko Bellic
Hey, hey, you gotta listen to me, you gotta hear me, are you listening? It's not real man! It's a lie, it's all lies. The government lies to us. They put robots in the drinking water, they put spies in the toilets - to watch us! You think it's a joke, the joke's on you, they're killing you! You are being harvested by a marketing machine! You're not free, you're slaves! Freedom is a lie! They use drugs to control you, they did it to me for a long time. You need love! I need you, you need me, I love you! Love me back! - Street Preacher
Y'all are sperm banks for aliens, a flock o' sheep! - Crazy homeless man
My God, for a sociopathic killer you're also a really miserable bastard! - Roman Bellic
Either you're schizophrenic or these cards aren't all yours. - Police officer
I have been to the other side. I have been there and it's incredible. They have flying elephants. They have men made out of chocolate. They have pizzas as big as the city. They have a prize for the a person with the biggest heart, not the biggest wallet. - Street Preacher
Grand Theft Auto Vice City - 2002
Sonny, you have my personal assurance that I'm gonna get you your money back, and the drugs, and I'm gonna mail you the dicks of those responsible. - Tommy Vercetti
I can finally put my dad in a home and tell him to SHUT UP. - Steve Scott
I'll tell you about morality. Morality is what I say is right, and immorality is what I say is wrong. - Pastor Richards
As I say in my book, many are called, but unless you have a good credit rating, go screw yourself, you'll burn in hell. - Pastor Richards
One day while sitting in class you'll look outside the window to see Russians dropping down to take us over. What are you gonna do then, huh? Run into the woods with your friends, put twigs in your hair, call yourselves the Wolverines and fight off the Russians? I think not. - Pastor Richards
So remember, to succeed in life, you must eliminate everything in your path, in a blind rage. - BJ Smith
Shut up, sit down. I'll tell you what we're gonna do. You're gonna find out who took our cocaine, and then, I'm gonna kill them. - Tommy Vercetti
All right, we're going to take a break and then hit the phones... really hard with our heads. - Lazlow
We got a fat woman stuck in an elevator and I'm checkin' it out! - Officer on Police Radio
If you look at nature, you'll see many species that eat their children to protect them. This is especially true of hamsters. - Jan Brown
I'm gona build a 45 foot tall highly fortified structure in the shape of the most powerful thing on earth, me. - Pastor Richards
My coach pumped me so full of hatred and steroids, that I couldn't feel pain. Hell, I had to break my own leg, just for fun. - BJ Smith
Get your self a body bag, strap your self in, start making friends the American way. Exploder: Evacuator Part II. Rated PG may include patriotic garbage. - Narrator
Do I look like I can intimidate a jury? I couldn't intimidate a child, and believe me, I've tried. - Ken Rosenberg
A deadly curse. A deranged killer. A small town in tears. "Knife After Dark". Rated "R", for "Retarded" - Voiceover
I wish someone would kill me; then I could hang out in a graveyard ALL the time, instead of just on weekends. - Konstantinos Smith
Of course my client looks guilty. Just because he looks guilty doesn't mean he is. You look like an idiot, but that doesn't mean you are. - Ken Rosenberg
Stay with me. Stay with Fernando. Por favor. Mi amor. Siolito. It's like Fernando said to his ex-wife: "I love you, please, don't leave me. It is not what you think; I was bitten by a snake, and the nice lady, she came to suck out the poison. The story, she no work very well. - Fernando Martinez
You see, the Alaskans are lunatics, plain and simple; they eat whales, and snow, and they sleep in the freezer. Who wants to eat snow everyday? Oh, I tried to help; I sent a helicopter with copies of my book, but they burned them in a pile for heat. If the people of Alaska choose to live there, let them, but don't come crying when you're tired of eating penguin and it snows 18 feet a day. - Pastor Richards
You wouldn't know the truth if you found it banging your wife; now shut up and release my client. And your wife's not that great. - Ken Rosenberg
You ain't a big shot. You ain't even a medium shot. You're an asshole. - Maurice Chavez
So, the giant shark comes in there and just bites their dicks off! Betcha never seen anything like that before! - Steve Scott
WOW! That gasoline sure can catch on fire. - Hotring Race Announcer
Come by Amnu-Nation to register to win an anti-aircraft gun, actually used when we whooped Australia's ass! - Ammu-Nation Announcer
As long as we have opposable thumbs, we will fight you! - Zero
Shoot? I'm a hippie. The only thing I've shot is acid. I heard of a dude snorted it once. Thought his nose was a kangaroo and the moon was a dog! WOOH! - The Truth
What the cock-a-doodle fuck? - Chicken Fast Food Customer
It's my constitutional right, bitch! - Carl Johnson: [while pointing a gun at someone]
I'm the voice of the people, like Moses, only keepin' it real! - Jeffrey 'OG Loc' Cross
Are you a professional moron or just a gifted amateur! - Carl Johnson: [after hitting a car while driving]
Get the hell out of my way before I eat that! - Prostitute: [after CJ points a gun at her]
Roger that, Big Monkey, I got a 13-6 fat vulture. Need to acquire a drowning baby. Over. - Mike Toreno: [on a radio]
This history is all wrong! It says that Hitler killed himself, and that we nuked Japan. Well... Whatever helps them sleep at night. - Mike Toreno
Don't forget, each weekend we meet in the park and watch German expressionist silent films projected onto a tree. Things that are foreign are so meaningful. - DJ Sage
You're like my asshole, always holding up shit. - Pedestrian
When I was swimming in the ocean once when I was young, I got a condom stuck to my face. - Carl Johnson: [explaining why he hates swimming]
When I watch a movie, with two chicks and a dude, the public will label it as ''pornographic''. But when I watch a flick with two guys and a chick, and it's in French, probably wins some awards! Calls it arthouse love cinema! But it's revolting! - Radio Caller
Bare foot and pregnant again! Just like my daddy. - Commercial Voice

NINJASAURAS REX - Art from the Pilot Episode and Synopsis

NINJASAURAS REX - Art from the Pilot Episode and Synopsis:
Last week, we brought you some fantastic character art for Ninjasauras Rex, an original animated series being developed by Emmy Award winning director Frank Paur (HBO's Spawn, X-Men: Evolution) and Steven Meyer (The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes). Today, we bring you some artwork for the pilot episode of the show!

The character descriptions that came with the concept art gave us a taste of the overall tone of the show. The pilot synopsis gives us even more insight into the relationship of the characters and their dynamics, the amount of action we can expect, as well as the mysterious world it takes place in. The dino-warrior series takes place in what seems like Feudal Japan, but in actuality, is a world where the country has become a mix of different races and languages. "This is what happened to Mad Max after everybody got their shit together." There's some pretty exciting possibilities with this concept -- the remnants of "old" technology going up against warrior steel and combat, the main character himself being the result of some left over Jurassic Park-type experiments.
Check out the new artwork from the series, and let us know if you'd watch this show!

The World of NINJASAURAS REX

It had been so long since the tyrants took over, most people had given up on ever being freed. Fractured kingdoms formed into even greater empires... Military powers so great that any opposition to them would be suicide. Caught in the middle are the people of the land, helpless to do anything. But a small group of the impoverished refuse to give in. What they lack in numbers they make up for in skill and rage toward the injustices of their land. They are the Ninja, the strongest and deadliest fighting force in history. However, the Empire’s numbers continue to grow and the battle is quickly being lost. The Ninja need a  new warrior, a born leader, somebody who can show them the path to victory... What they’ll get is a girl and her dinosaur.

Here's some art from the first Episode:

 

 

NINJASAURAS REX - Awesome Character Art for Dino-Warrior Series!

NINJASAURAS REX - Awesome Character Art for Dino-Warrior Series!:

If you grew up spending Saturday mornings with a bowl of cereal in your lap that would spill onto your pjs while you religiously watched shows like Batman: The Animated Series and Gargoyles, then we have a treat for you! Here's some great looking character art for an original new animated series, Ninjasauras Rex, which is being developed by Emmy Award winning director Frank Paur.

 

His credits include the aforementioned Batman: The Animated Series and Gargoyles, as well HBO's Spawn, X-Men: Evolution, Men In Black: The Series, Hulk Vs. Wolverine, and many more -- essentially, the man shaped and monopolized your childhood. Paur is developing Ninjasauras Rex with frequent collaborator Steven Meyer (The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes).

Here's a short synopsis:

NINJASAURAS REX is a 1/2 hour animated adventure/comedy series that follows the exploits of a Ninja Tyrannosaurus Rex and his teenage sidekick Asper in what at first looks to be Feudal Japan. Throughout the series the heroes and the viewers will explore and discover the complex world of mystery that is the background of NINJASAURAS REX. They will unravel secrets and lies, find new allies, and fight old enemies. They will bring to the world knowledge of their forgotten past and show them the way to a glorious future.

That barely scratches the surface of the unique world that this takes place in. It has all the comedy/action potential of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but with the added promise of exploring not just ancient Asian culture and folklore, but Jurassic Park-type sci-fi elements and human civilization in a post-post apocalyptic world.
Check out the character designs and descriptions and let us know what you think! We'll hopefully be unveiling more from this project in the near future, so stay tuned.

 

Rex 

A T-rex, Rex is retrieved from a forgotten temple as a young hatchling by Asper. More human than animal, Rex has become fiercely protective of Asper and insanely jealous whenever somebody else gets her attention. Trained in the way of the Ninja along with Asper, Rex takes to the teachings eagerly, but often bungles most of his attempts at stealth and martial arts. Luckily, he always has good old stompin’ and chompin’ to fall back on. 

Asper

The young girl who finds Rex. She trains side by side with him as a ninja; she is Rex’s mouthpiece. Even though most people only hear a series of grunts coming from the dinosaur, Asper has no trouble understanding what he’s saying, often carrying on complete conversations with Rex to the confusion of  others. As a teenaged girl she can tend to be very cold and calculating, although she has no problem letting her guard down around Rex (Who, compared to Asper, is a cry-baby).

The Emperor 

The Emperor is living two lives. To his men and the outside world, he comes off as cruel and scary, but also powerful and smart. But when he is behind closed doors he is a whole mess of neurological disorders and tics. The constant stress of keeping a barely held-together Empire is almost too much for him and over the course of the series he starts to crack more and more. While his men all appear to be ignorant of this, a few of them are suspicious.

Shadow Master

The cruelest and darkest character on the show. Very little humor is to be found in him (Although the fear of lizards thing is kind of funny... until it leads to one of his rages). This is a character who gave up the idea of having a soul very early in the war, and because of it he has gone up in the ranks of the military quickly. But he knows how weak the Emperor truly is, and plans on one day overthrowing him and ruling in his place. But first he has to find the giant lizard that took his arm and get his revenge. A truly terrifying character, undone by his one obsession, the ticking alligator to his Captain Hook.

Ninja Master

Anybody who has seen a Shaw Bros. Kung-fu movie knows this character. Old, cantankerous, yet more wise than anybody could imagine. He guides Asper (And eventually Rex as well) toward being a Ninja. He also has a proclivity towards playful behavior. Although it comes across as strange to the others, his reasons are more sound than they understand. 

Cecil (alt. name “Bucket”)

Shadow Master’s right-hand man (the irony of the position is not lost on him). A sniveling sycophant in every manner, he lives to serve and please his master. Has the largest collection of “action figures” (Dolls, really) in the land. Nobody knows that the dolls are really his way of working through a childhood trauma involving his father, a crazed donkey, and a well.

Character Dynamics:

While Rex and Asper share a strong bond, it doesn’t mean they aren’t at each others throats. Occasionally they’re more like siblings than a pet and its owner. Strong-willed Asper thinks she would make a natural leader, but Rex also thinks he would be a natural leader, especially in a world where leading means much stompin’ and chompin’. Thankfully the Ninja Master is there to put them in their place.
And although Rex is a big, scary Dino-warrior... he still has his playful side. If nobody’s watching, he isn’t above chasing a butterfly in a field or doing cannonballs into a lake.
The warring factions would obviously have a mix of dynamics. As mentioned above, sometimes necessity would cause them to form uneasy alliances. Most of the time they are at war. The humor comes from the way the military heads in charge handle the situation compared to the soldiers themselves. More thoughtful and reflective than their leaders, often times the soldiers pass the time by shouting philosophical debates across the battlefield on the finer points of war.

Scott C. The Great Showdowns

Scott C. The Great Showdowns:

Scott C. (or Scott Campbell) is well-known in the art world for an interesting pop culture "project" called The Great Showdowns. Ironically, that's the same name as his book from Gallery1988 and Titan Books. The 144 page hardcover book features page after color page of iconic (and some not so iconic) films and the conflict that makes them unforgettable.
The 6.75" square book was released this past week, and features an affordable - dare I say steal - price of $14.95. Being somewhat O.C.D. about films, television, and pop culture, I was immediately intrigued by The Great Showdowns when I saw Gallery1988 release a set of drink coasters in February 2011. When I saw that Scott's paintings would be compiled in book form, I just assumed it would be a must-have for any movie-buff...or even the occasional Netflix viewer.
I fired off some questions to Scott C., and below much shed some additional light on The Great Showdowns.
Brian: With the abundance of material out there, how do you go about choosing the films and characters for your Showdowns paintings?
Scott: I try to choose films that I dig or have had some sort of cultural impact, I suppose.  Moments and characters that are visually interesting and memorable.  And if there are memorable moments that are not exactly the main protagonist versus the antagonist that is all the better because I think that is more satisfying for people to figure out.  It's really sort of a game in a way.

Brian: Is there one movie that is your go-to favorite for Showdown moments?
Scott: I think Raiders Of The Lost Ark is my go to.  Or Jurassic Park. Spielberg films are the best films for showdowns because they are so tense all the way through!  Every single moment there is some tense thing we must deal with.  Indy versus the sword dude.  Indy versus the propeller guy. The monkey versus the date.  I haven't done that last one, but maybe I will.  Just thought of it.
Brian: When you run out of film Showdowns (if that's possible), will you think about expanding to a run of classic television series Showdowns?
Scott: I think that is totally a possibility.  I did a special series of Showdowns for the group exhibition at Gallery 1988 celebrating the show LOST.  That was pretty fun because I was a huge LOST fan.  I did a bunch of 8 bit video game Showdowns for a show as well.  So if the opportunity arises, I shall perhaps do more of this sort of thing.
Brian: I watch a lot of films, but some of the movies and characters chosen might not be known to non-"film buffs". Do you often get people asking you "What movie is this from?"
Scott: Yeah, all the time.  Some are pretty obscure, but there is always someone who gets it.  I like to have people ask each other and help people out though.  That is my favorite thing to see.  People exercising their knowledge with each other.

Brian: I purchased your first set of coasters released by Gallery1988, because I thought the entire concept and execution was well-done.
Scott: Oh, sweet.  Thanks.  I hope your drinks are enjoying them.
Brian: Actually, I think my kids have cracked most of them. Nothing is sacred in our house.
Brian: I like The Great Showdowns for two reasons:

1) It simply deconstructs a film's conflict into one small, square painting.

2) It's fun to try and figure out what movie the Showdown is from.

Why do you think the reaction to this concept and your work has been so positive?
Scott: I think you are totally right!  They are just simple little moments that people can identify with.  I think nostalgia plays a big part because some of these films people have not even thought about for many years.  And people love games and puzzles and trivia.  I know I do.  I mean i usually am terrible at trivia, but i am better at visual trivia.  And i can annihilate at Star Wars Trivial Pursuit.

laughingsquid:Portal 2 Companion Cube Ice Tray

laughingsquid:

Portal 2 Companion Cube Ice Tray:

laughingsquid:

Portal 2 Companion Cube Ice Tray