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For some reason videos made entirely of typography never lose their appeal to me. For some reason the part of me that gets laid wants to punch the part of me that just wrote that sentence in the face. The turmoil of mankind continues.
Also, I think Abbott and Costello were fucking amazing.
I can still remember standing in the arcade for hours playing Tekken. Most of the time it was me versus the computer but sometimes a chump would come in off the street play against me. I think I lost once or twice, but I always won the re-match. It was a small town and what the hell else was I going to do during the day? Street Fighter was never my game. As far as I know Jeremiah is the undisputed champ of Capcom’s original gem. I’ve never beaten him. Or maybe once with E. Honda or something. Jeremiah and the rest of you out there who lived and loved that game are in for a real treat today. It seems that Capcom have released the teaser for the upcoming release of Street Fighter IV, and I almost cried it looks so badass. I’ll say no more. The video can speak for itself.
video found via Kitsune Noir
I’ve posted before about Pixar’s most awesome film to date: Ratatouille. Now that I’ve seen it and can say that it is undeniably the best film they’ve ever made animation-wise, they’ve sweetened the pot even more. Pixar has made available a series of virtual tours of the various settings from the movie in all their lushly rendered glory. The level of detail is astonishing and the soft beauty with which the animation is crafted really captures the soft lights and warm glow associated with Paris. Well done, geeks, well done.]
The HBO Voyeur project is at the same time baffling and addictive. I’ve still yet to figure out if there is a purpose behind the whole thing or if HBO has finally joined ranks of the “weird sites just for the sake of art.” Regardless of their motives, HBO has outdone themselves with this one; not only providing excellent visual content but also interesting back story to add three-dimensionality to each vignette. Watching people’s lives unfold in quick (or sometimes not so quick) clips and a great interface make this site worth checking out. You probably never knew how strange the world was just behind the brick walls.
I’m guilty about it but I’ve had a crush on this song for a while and now I feel even guiltier because I like the video. Tha animated t-shirts are a nice touch. I’m gonna go shake my hips and hate myself for it.
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. I didn’t embed it because that shit gets annoying real fast when you keep coming back to a page. I only have the best intentions for you, my readers. Which is why you should give me $50 cash, no questions. Trust.
I came across the work of Arthur de Pins while browsing through the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival website. He had entered a short film called La Revolution des Crabes, which garnered acclaim. The rest of his work is equally as oddball and well done. Mark up another one for France.
If you’ve known me for long enough or if you’re just incredibly perceptive you have probably discovered that I am a big fan of kids movies and books. It has nothing to do with wanting to recapture a wasted childhood or anything like that. My childhood was great and is mostly still going on. The only difference is that now a part of me likes getting laid. Everything else is the same (I was a very complex child). And given that information it makes perfect sense that I watch cartoons more than anything else, I enjoy children’s books and movies, and that most of my life decisions are based on whether or not the time I get to spend looking at clouds will be affected. And that’s why I have two great movies to tell you about, one of which is already playing in theaters, and the other soon to come, both from Disney/Pixar. 
Meet the Robinsons is pretty much the best movie I have seen this year, and that includes Pan’s Labyrinth,300, and The Fountain. Most of you probably wouldn’t agree with my opinion on that, but you would at least let it into your top 10 if nothing else. I hold firm, however; best movie so far. If I had the money I would go see it again, and I will definitely buy it once it comes out and watch it enough times that The Girl will set it on fire as soon as I’ve left the house. It’s really that good. It has everything: chases, great future gadgets, physical humor, intellectual humor, and it wants you to feel good about life. That last one is the key to kids movies and the real reason that I love them so much. Go see this movie immediately. And eat candy while you’re there.
The second film hasn’t been released yet, but it already looks like its going to be the most well done CG animation film so far. I’m talking about Ratatouille, which combines the only other thing I love as much as kids movies: cooking. Also, I want to believe that there are cute, hyper-intelligent rats out there just waiting to help me get into all kinds of misadventures. Until I find such a rodent I’ll just have to content myself with this movie. I can live with that.
Some of you might know that the popular NPR series This American Life is now a television show on Showtime. If you know that then I hope that you watch it, because it’s brilliant and interesting and very much like hanging out with that cool scientist, the one that rides a motorcycle to the atom smashing facility. I just watched a great short that they had on their show animated by Chris Ware.
Collaborative art projects are almost always a good idea. The more artists you get together, it seems, the bigger and better the works they’ll make together. The beautiful part about the internet is how hundreds of artists can come together on one project without actually having to be together, which saves on drama. It should come as no surprise then that the Psst! Pass It On project turned out so well in its first incarnation. And now it’s back in a new 6 million dollar man body, ready to kick some serious ass. And wear track suits probably.
The trailer for Psst! Pass It On 2 is up right here. My mouth actually fell open when I saw it. Of course it could just be TMJ or something.
It’s always a pleasant surprise when I discover the portfolio of designers who’ve created the various odds and ends that I fall in love with everyday on the internets. The happenstance of it makes me have that feeling of “it’s a small internet afterall.” That and it boosts my ego because it makes me feel like I have excellent taste. Which I do.
So it gave me that pleasant scrotal tingle when I came across the website of California design trio Three Legged Legs. You might know them from a 60sec PSA they did called Humans that was all the rage in nerd circles a while back. I’m pretty sure I posted about so of course you all watched it. Because you all know that I have excellent taste. Also of note is a short they did inspired by the art of World’s Greatest Living Artist, and feature of my left shoulder tattoo, Jeff Soto. See that piece here.
Weird, crude, and scrappy, the team creates animation for the kid that likes to poke dead animals in all of us. And what more could you want? Nothing, that’s what. Except for maybe excellent taste like me.