kate

I should probably wait until tomorrow to tumbl this, but it’s too exciting and I can’t wait. Look at this Wind Waker drawing I did of Link & Medli, made into an adorable masterwork by colourist extraordinaire Jordie Bellaire! :D Oh my, it’s absolutely gorgeous. *_*

The Hero of Time has no respect for the authorities.



See more: Poe Man’s Story

The amount of nerves I had right before viewing the Veronica Mars film were akin to senior finals in high school. Thankfully, it turned out I had nothing to worry about. The film passed with flying colors. 

[Some spoilers to follow, though not the "WHODUNIT?"]

While I was late to the Veronica Mars party  (I had a weird aversion to it when it aired due to them pushing so hard post-Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the new lady character I should love), we became fast friends a few years ago. So it was with eager anticipation I consumed the film created thanks to Kickstarter support. Side note: I attempted to see the film in a theater with friends but all of the Manhattan showings I tried were sold out (woo!) so I wound up watching it by myself via Amazon Prime.

My curiosity as to how non-Veronica Mars viewers (like The Mary Sue’s Rebecca!) would take the film was quickly quenched by an opening sequence giving a primer to the entire series. After all, there wasn’t a whole lot to know, high school drama, girl wise beyond her years, awesome dad, etc. My fears about the film not being able to capture the magic, humor, that je ne sais quoi were also quickly dismissed as our lead, Veronica Mars, quickly tore down a sexist rival for a high-paying law job by pulling her middle finger out of her jacket pocket and miming lipstick application.

Ah, just where we left her.

Which may be my biggest problem with the film. We’re told nine years has passed since she left Neptune. Veronica has gone to law school, started a stable relationship with Piz, and seemingly hasn’t looked back. But while we’re told things have changed, and Veronica seems happy and healthy, all evidence leads to the contrary when she’s lured back home by past-lover Logan’s murder charge and stays there. That’s what was needed for the film obviously, but I couldn’t help but think back to where I was nine years ago and how much has changed in my life. While things have changed on the surface for many of our Neptune natives, it’s quickly back to status quo.

The main mystery of the Veronica Mars movie is the murder of Neptune high’s Carrie Bishop, aka pop-star Bonnie DeVille. Logan, having dated her for several years, is the prime suspect. He asks Veronica for help and she comes running, knowing he’s not guilty. And then he greets her at the airport in a Navy uniform.

I admit, they pretty much had me for the rest of the film, regardless of my critical eye. Damn you, Logan Echolls, DAMN YOU! Let me also include a few other points that killed me.

Logan standing by his car.

Veronica, “Let’s take the long way home.”

Veronica, “Don’t go.”

Logan, ”Our story is epic.”

Ok, ok, I’m done. I swear.

There’s just one other part of the film that must be mentioned. In the series, Veronica’s mother has an alcohol abuse problem. Veronica references this in several of her voiceovers in the film, comparing her personal addiction to danger, Neptune, and Logan to her mother’s serious issues. While we can judge the character for leaving a lucrative law firm and a wonderful boyfriend, there’s nothing inherently bad about her preference to work as a private investigator and live her life with Logan instead. I guess I felt the comparison made light of alcoholism unnecessarily. It didn’t take me out of the film but it did make me wonder.

We got sex tapes, pop-culture jokes, the popular crowd once again being tied up in a murder plot, a reference to Veronica’s alternate universe FBI profession, and karaoke. What else could we ask for? Sure, they name drop Kickstarter, Etsy, give TMZ their own starring role, and hawk Samsung products like it’s their job, but they also gave James Franco an oddly hilarious (and super nerdy) cameo, plus another from Kristen Bell’s real-life husband Dax Shepard. The film was able to fit in a great deal of the original actors as well but I was slightly surprised Duncan Kane wasn’t even mentioned considering what a large role he played in the series. We strayed into Buffy the Vampire Slayer-Willow territory with the talented Mac preferring to stay in Neptune rather than go off and make a disgusting amount of money anywhere else but I can live with it considering it meant she would start working with Veronica full time by the end.

We also had a significant body count I wasn’t expecting.

Overall, I was extremely satisfied with Veronica Mars, the film. I’d love for the series to be revived on television but barring that, I will accept one film a year. Rob Thomas, make it happen. If you continue to do work like this, your marshmallows will line up with cash in hand.

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Dear Abby, 15 March 2014:

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 40 years. Like all married couples, we have had our ups and downs, but we have a good marriage. We have two children and five grandchildren. I wouldn’t change anything, except I never had an engagement ring. My husband has bought jewelry for me over the years, but never what I really want — a diamond ring. I have hinted to him over the last few years, left jewelry store catalogs and enlisted my sister-in-law to TELL him. He can afford it. But he just won’t buy one for me. He has been financially helpful to our children and is generous to charity. But when it comes to this, it’s becoming clear that he thinks I am just not worth it. I feel unloved and deeply hurt. It seems my needs always come last, and this is just one more. Any comments? — DISENGAGED IN FLORIDA

Dear Disengaged in Florida,

You say you have a “good marriage,” but how can that be the case when your husband has neglected to purchase for you the only item through which he can possibly express his love and affection? Without a diamond ring, the sole vehicle by which romantic appreciation can be conveyed between two people, it cannot be said that you have a “good marriage,” or indeed, much of a marriage at all.

Why won’t your husband show you, in literally the only way possible, that he appreciates you by spending many thousands of dollars on a specific piece of jewelry about which you have sent him multiple mind-beam messages? The problem appears to be twofold: not only does your husband refuse to read your mind, as any true loving husband would, but he seems to wrongly believe that 40 years of partnership and child-rearing would render this purchase extraneous in terms of its signification of his dedication to your relationship, which means literally less than nothing without a solitaire-set diamond ring. Does he not know the long and sad history of pre-Zales relationships, wherein people without the means or ability to obtain diamond jewelry lived in abject loneliness, unable to feel or express true love?

The last thing you should be expected to do with a partner of 40 years is express, in clear and loving terms, your innermost wants and desires. Little wonder, then, that your needs—the greatest of these being a diamond ring—have gone unmet. 

Capcom's first Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers game is one of my favorites on the original Nintendo, and I'm sure that's the case for many nostalgic folks out there. And hey, it holds up! It's still fun, the music is amazing, and it looks great, but Simon Andersen, creator and developer of indie game Owlboy, made it look even better.

 

For those who haven't played it, Rescue Rangers and its sequel normally look like this:

 

Andersen tweeted, "Here it is: How I would do a sequel to the Rescue Rangers NES games," along with the following image:

 

 

Let's do this. Please?

 

Via Destructoid

 

-------

Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter at @Moldilox.

It is officially announced today that a 13-episode TV anime adaptation of Moyoco Anno's autobiographical essay manga Kantoku Fuyuki Todoki is set for April 3 premiere in TV Tokyo's anime support program AniMusu!. The manga was serialised in Shodensha's Feel Young from April 2002 to December 2004 and the one-volume tankobon was published in February 2005. It focuses on Moyoco Anno's married life with her husband Hideaki Anno, who is best known as the director of the Evangelion anime series and also a deep otaku. Kantoku Fuyuki Todoki is translated as "Insufficient Direction" in Japanese, but of course it has a double meaning with Anno Hideaki's profession, kantoku (film director).

 

 

The three-minute Flash anime short series is produced by DLE (Eagle Talon, Thermae Romae). The

two Evangelion-related veteran voice actor/actress join the anime; Kouichi Yamadera (Ryoji Kaji) plays

Kantoku-kun/Hideaki Anno with Megumi Hayashibara (Rei Ayanami) as Rompers/Moyoco Anno.

Unfortunately (?), Hideaki Anno, who already made his voice acting debut in Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind

Rises last year, didn't want to voice himself this time, and chose Yamadera instead. Six member idol group

AOP will cover Kantoku-kun and Rompers' recommended anime/tokusatsu songs for each week's ED section. 

 

 

Key visual

 

Rompers and Kantoku-kun

 

Kouichi Yamadera and Megumi Hayashibara

 

AOP

 

Source: press release

 

© "Kantoku Fuyuki Todoki" Production Committee

Currently doing very well on its limited theatrical roll-out and better yet on VOD, the Veronica Mars movie has proven to be nice return on the faith and trust of its Kickstarter backers. I certainly think I got my $200 worth.

Before the release, I got a call from Kristen Bell to discuss the movie. What follows is a complete transcript of anything Veronica-related we talked about, from Neptune, California as a microcosm of bigger scale corruption through to Bell’s involvement with the series of upcoming, tie-in novels.

Kristen Bell: Hello!

Brendon Connelly: Hello. Well done.

KB: Why, thanks.

BC: It’s historical as well, this. Let’s put aside that it’s a good film, just for the moment. You’ve made history too.

KB: You know, it’s overwhelming to think about the references of this going down in history. But it is extremely neat, and it just proves how radical, and wonderful and passionate our fan base has always been.

BC: But it was really you, for years, who wouldn’t shut up about it. Did you ever give up believing? Was there ever a moment where you thought it wasn’t going to happen?

KB: No. I’m a pretty positive person, an idealist or an optimist. I felt in my bones that there would be another incarnation of Veronica, somewhere, somehow, and I wanted to be a part of it. Another reality is that I do a lot of interviews as part of my job and for the past seven years, every interview has ended with the journalist saying, “And will there be a Veronica Mars movie?” And in my mind, it was the perfect barometer because your job as the journalist is to ask the questions that your readers want to know. I just thought, “Well, there’s got to be interest.”

BC: And weren’t you right. But… what now? I have to say that, as the end credits started to roll, I did find myself back where I was at the moment that the last episode finished.

KB: That’s because Rob Thomas is the best kind of temptress. He knows how to dangle a carrot like nobody else. He does that on purpose. And he is able in all of his projects to leave the audience wanting more.

BC: So, the real arc of the movie, up to that ending [SPOILER] is to get you back into the Mars Investigations office and back behind that desk [END SPOILER]. What we get feels a bit like a first act, in a sense. 

KB: I think that was intentional. Rob and I want to do this again so we want to set ourselves up for success.

BC: At the other end of things, you had to start off with Veronica in a completely different place. You had to reinvent her for where we find her. What were you doing at the top of the movie to distinguish her from the familiar Veronica, or from where she’s going to end up?

KB: Rob felt that the stakes would be highest if Veronica, much like in The Godfather, had left the business and didn’t want the drama any more, if she was running as far away from it as she could. She wanted stability, simplicity and to be normal. Within the first few minutes of the film it dawns on her that, A, maybe that’s boring and, B, that’s not her destiny. I had started Veronica in a place that was very content and very simple, basically happy but didn’t have the ability or reason to unleash her fighter like she had in the series.

BC: She is, at heart, a fighter. A fighter for ideals, and I think, ultimately, this film is about those ideals and her idealism.

KB: Veronica has always stuck up for the underdog. That’s what makes her such a great role model. She fights for what she believes in confidently even when no one else stands with her. There are individual cases and then, from the movie’s over-arcing perspective, it’s broader than that. There’s Neptune, California, which has two sides to its tracks, where the people who have lower incomes are really getting the short end of the stick and Veronica is not okay with that.

BC: Neptune is a microcosm for the world. 

KB: Yeah, yeah. Veronica fights for the rights of others and when she sees there’s dirty business in Neptune, she wants to put a stop to it. That’s a beautiful ideal to live by.

BC: When you first read the movie’s script, was there any point where you thought, “Oh. Perhaps Rob and I don’t see Veronica in quite the same way. We’ve both obviously spent a lot of time with her, in our own ways, but maybe she wouldn’t say this or do this”?

KB: I have rarely, if ever, disagreed with the way Rob has written Veronica. We have a unique relationship in which we’re almost already in each other’s brains. He has the first step of putting her down on paper and then he lets me roll with my interpretation of her actions, of the lines. It’s an extremely favourable relationship.

BC: But what happens now because there’s going to be a version of Veronica that you won’t have input into, there’s The Thousand Dollar Tanline which is all Rob and his co-writer Jennifer Graham. Have you read it?

 KB: I have. I actually read it on tape. I read the audio version.

BC: How was that? When I sit down and read that on my Kindle in a couple of weeks that’s going to be me and Veronica and you won’t be part of the picture.

KB: And that’s actually why I wanted to read the first book in the series on tape. Those take four or five days, a lot of time in the studio, and I wasn’t dying to read an audiobook but I thought it was my duty to allow the fans to hear a little bit of the Veronica they know. Of course I trust Rob to write her, he knows what he’s doing, I just felt like it was my responsibility to add a little bit of her flair to the first audiobook and say, “I care about this just as much as the rest of you guys do so I’m going to read it on tape.”

BC: Is it in the first person? Are you doing it as Veronica?

KB: No, it’s third person, which is a little different. A lot of people talk in audio books and you have to choose different voices for each person, so my impressions of each character will be in there.

BC: Wow. That’s a real prospect. So… how do we do this again? How do we get another Veronica movie? Speaking practically and pragmatically, how do we make sure?

KB: If this movie does… well, I won’t even say “great,” I’ll say “decent” numbers in the box office, then we’ll be able to make a second one. I know that there’s a number that’s been tossed around, and that I can’t reveal, but in my opinion, we can hit that number. And really this just has to do with the fact that the movie business is a business and if the studio sees that this movie does well – does alright – at the box office, then they will green light a second one.

BC: And what’s left to say? The end of this movie left me wanting more but it does make quite a definitive statement.

KB: I would never count Rob Thomas’ brain out of anything. He wrote 66 episodes of this girl that were all equally interesting. I think he could come up with a second movie in no time.

BC: I think you’re right.

Thanks again to Ms. Bell for taking the time to talk to me. Veronica Mars is in select cinemas now and also available via VOD. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line will be published on March 25th.

When Kristen Bell Called Up Bleeding Cool To Chat About Veronica Mars – The Character, The Movie, The Novels

Celebrates 10th anniversary of Ryohgo Narita's light novels

Happy Veronica Mars day, y’all! I’M SO EXCITED I CAN FINALLY SAY THAT. I’m also — because I am old and lame — not seeing the movie until tomorrow afternoon. So in the meantime: saddle up, marshmallows. We’re doing a soap report, LoVe style.

(Yes, I know that Veronica Mars is technically not a soap opera. It’s just a teenage detective noir mystery/drama that happens to contain a lot of soapy elements. Like family conflict! Paternity lies! Murder, betrayal, love triangles and sexual chemistry up the wazoo! Whatever, just go with it. VERONICA MARS DAY!)

A teenage detective? Really? So here’s the deal for the completely uninitiated: the show ran from 2004-2007 and takes place in Neptune, California, a town sharply divided by class. Veronica’s the daughter of the disgraced former sheriff (also known as Keith Mars, World’s Best Dad).

She and the cool kids used to be friends, but then her best friend was murdered, her father was ousted from office, and her mother disappeared. When the show begins, she’s a social outcast in high school, helping her dad with his private investigator business on the side. That’s all you really need to know.

 On a scale of one to AMAZING ROLE MODEL FOR LIFE, how awesome is Veronica? There is no scale large enough to encompass Veronica’s awesomeness. She’s clever and brave and possesses a strong sense of moral justice. She always has the perfect come back ready for every situation; she’s almost always the smartest person in the room. She’s everyone you’ve ever wanted to be.

Veronica could easily have been too perfect. But the show gives her just enough vulnerability and allows her to be wrong just often enough to humanize her. She’s flawed and vengeful and sometimes a little too cynical for her own good. She bends the rules when she shouldn’t; her laser focus on revenge often leads to unintended consequences for the people she loves. In short: she is a really compelling heroine.

(Also, she bakes amazing Snickerdoodles. See? ROLE MODEL.)

Okay, break it down for me: what’s this LoVe business? The other half of the most nauseatingly perfect smush name of all time is Logan Echolls, Veronica’s on again/off again resident bad boy with a tortured past and a surprisingly tender heart underneath all his, um… snobbery, racism, violent tendencies, and general psychotic jackassery. Look, real talk: I love Logan to death, but he can be a serious asshole and when you’re watching for the first time, you spend half of the first season wanting to murder him in the face. That’s just the way it is.

THE GOOD NEW IS, IT’S A PRETTY NICE FACE

Fortunately, the show gives him depth in a way that explains without excusing his behavior. Veronica has several romantic prospects on the show, and they’re almost all (unfortunate names aside, Piz) decent dudes who would probably be good for her. But what I love about her and Logan is the way they compliment each other. Logan is as smart and snarky and world-weary as Veronica. He’s as quick to judge and slow to forgive, and just as amazingly loyal once that loyalty’s been earned.

Logan’s clearly internalized the lesson that violence is the way you show love; he never feels more righteous than when he’s shoving his fist in someone’s face in Veronica’s honor. As much as Veronica wants to be horrified by his tendency toward violent, visceral revenge, in her heart of hearts, she’s attracted to that kind of passion and recklessness.

AND ALSO TO HIS SPIN KISSES

Both he and Veronica are the walking wounded when the series begins, and their mutual issues with intimacy repeatedly cause problems throughout their relationship. But they’re damaged in the same way, and that’s the source of the pull that keeps drawing them together.

But what can I say that Jason Dohring hasn’t?

“I will hold Chris Lowell away from this conversation and start by saying: One, (Logan is) honestly a good guy,” Dohring said. “He probably doesn’t even understand his emotions — like when he goes insane and freaks out, he can’t help himself, man. But afterward he can feel that he (messed) up … he is a good guy underneath it all.”

Most important, though: “Logan loves Veronica,” Dohring told TODAY. “He understands her. They’ve both been through tremendous family struggles. And I think they both even without speaking understand each other. I think that that (is what) the audience connects to, when they just look at each other, It’s just like, ‘I get you.’ That’s what’s so beautiful about that relationship.”

As for the flawed bad boy, “He’s the best psychotic jack— in the world,” he said. “He’s charming, he’s witty, he’s romantic, (but at the same time) he’s a good fighter. You want a guy in your corner who can really throw a punch, if needed — but will also deliver a kiss that will make you fall over with joy.”

(Did I mention that he and Kristin Bell have so much chemistry, they can basically burn up the screen with a single wordless, broody stare? Because that is also a thing that works for me.)

Tell me more of this mythical chemistry. GLADLY, MY FRIEND. There are almost too many to choose from, but here are my current top ten Veronica/Logan moments from the series:

10.  “You know, Veronica was my friend too.” (Season 1, “The Wrath of Con” / ”Clash of the Tritons”)

Because the show is mostly from Veronica’s perspective (complete with voice overs to tell us her actual thoughts) we have way more insight perspective her perspective than we do Logan’s. “The Wrath of Con” is the first time we really get to see their antagonistic relationship in a different light — both through flashbacks to when they used to be friends, and back in the present when they collaborate on Lilly’s memorial video and get the beautiful mutual smile at the end.

But in “Clash of the Tritons,” it’s still kind of shocking — for both the audience and Veronica — to finally learn the real source of Logan’s anger toward her (misplaced guilt at his own actions) and that he’s felt as hurt and betrayed by Veronica as she does by him all this time. This is why people should bug therapy sessions more often, I swear.

9. “I was hoping it would be you.” (Season 2, “Normal is the Watchword”)

The first of the Pietà scenes that bookend season two is still one of my favorite visuals ever on this show. Given the tenor of their last conversation, the fact that Logan comes to Veronica at all following the events at the bridge is both a sad commentary on how isolated he is at this point… and also a really touching reminder that she’s still his safe place in times of true distress, no matter how bad their relationship is at that moment.

(Also, seriously, look at the pretty.)

8.  “If I need anyone punched in the face, I’ll whistle for you.” (Season 2, “Ahoy, Mateys!”)

I’m not going to lie: the rescue here is SUPER GOOD FOR ME. But what I especially love is her reaction afterward, which makes it clear that for all the frostiness of their break up, there’s still a lot of mutual caring.

Veronica’s mad for the same reason she broke up with him in the first place: she’s terrified his recklessness is going to get him killed. And Logan, as usual, look completely gutted to see her in pain.

7. “I think we all learned a valuable lesson about faith. You give it to the people you love.” (Season 3, “Of Vice and Men”)

Veronica’s (well earned) issues with trust bite her on the ass more than once throughout the show. Which just makes moments like this — where she realizes that sometimes it’s okay to lean on the people who love you — all the more special.

Also, the look of devastation and terror on Logan’s face when he finds her in the parking garage really hits me where I live, you know?

6. “No one writes songs about the ones that come easy.” (Season 2, “Look Who’s Stalking”)

One of the things I love most about Veronica and Logan is the way they tend to reverse gender stereotypes about who’s more emotionally open. Veronica tends to keep her feelings locked down tight to avoid being vulnerable or hurt (I hear you, girlfriend!) but when Logan really cares, he wears it on his sleeve.

There’s a reason the “Epic” speech is kind of infamous. Not only is it eminently quotable, but it’s Logan putting himself out there in the face of heartbreak and rejection — which breaks Veronica out of her denial and forces her to admit how important he is to her, and that she doesn’t want to lose him from her life either.

5. “Your mom was always nice to me.” (Season 1, “Ruskie Business” “Kanes and Abel’s”)

The whole mini arc where Veronica helps Logan look for his mother is pretty much gold. The fact that it starts with him making it clear he’s coming to her as a client, not a friend — and ends with her tearing up his check? The look of open admiration he gets whenever watching her work her PI magic? Veronica getting her first peek into Logan’s terrible home life? The introduction of Alyson Hannigan’s fabulous Trina?

But of course, it’s the scene where he breaks down in her arms after losing the last hope about his mom that never fails to reduce me to a pile of goo.

4. “Someone’s always supposed to pay, right? Isn’t that the rule we live by?” (Season 3, “Spit & Eggs” / “Weevils Wobble But They Don’t Go Down” / “The Bitch Is Back”)

Season 3 had it’s issues — both plot wise and in Logan and Veronica’s relationship. But one thing that stayed consistent regardless of whether they were together or not was Logan’s willingness to beat people up on Veronica’s behalf. The scene where he takes a baseball bat to a parked police car just so he can get arrested and take vengeance on the Hearst rapist? That little grin on his face before he attacks the mob guy who just threatened her?

Even poor Piz… sure, he didn’t deserve it. But he would have if he’d actually been guilty of leaking that sex tape. (It’s the thought that counts, right?)

3. “You have a problem with Veronica, you leave.” (Season 1, “A Trip to the Dentist”)

For all his quips and sarcasm, when it comes to Veronica’s pain, Logan can be painfully tender and earnest. His reaction to her finally telling him everything about what happened the night of Shelly Pomroy’s party is pitch perfect — juggling concern and sorrow and a complete willingness to be there for her, whatever she needs.

Followed, of course, by a public affirmation of their relationship. This is the moment when Logan goes all in, in what is probably my all time favorite episode. Good stuff.

2. “You’re not a killer, Veronica.” (Season 2, “Not Pictured”)

This one always stands out to me not just because Logan comes to the rescue again, but because — in stopping her from shooting the bus crash killer — he saves more than just her life. After a season of messing up and running off the rails, he gets it right when it counts.

1. “Dream on, Jump Street. I’m not leaving you alone with her.” (Season 1, “Weapons of Class Destruction”)

What can I say? All of the make outs in season one are amazing. But you never forget your first. After almost a season long build up, this kiss was so explosive and satisfying and earned. After Veronica helped Logan with his mother’s case, there was a noticeable thaw in their cold war — and when he heard her in trouble, the resulting protectiveness and concern was like a gift from shipper heaven.

And then… I’ll just let the transcript speak for itself:

Veronica leans forward to kiss him. Whatever she intended, she actually kisses him on the corner of his mouth and Logan instinctively puckers his lips, surprised. He straightens, staring down at her intently. Veronica, equally surprised, stares back and then shakes her head in disbelief at what she has done.

Veronica turns to walk away. Logan reaches out and takes her arm and as she spins round, he lowers his head to kiss her. She meets him in a long, hard, passionate kiss, their arms pulling each other close, their hands uncertain, the full length of their bodies leaning into each other. The music swells.

(You should know that if you’re not singing “Momentary Thing” to yourself right now… I’m judging you.)

Wait, some of those were several episodes. That’s totally cheating! This is my blog. I’m allowed to cheat.

Fine. Anything else? Yes, obviously, there’s a lot more to the show than the romance. The mysteries are sharp and engaging, Veronica herself is an incredibly amount of fun to watch, just doing her thing. And her relationship with her father is one of the best and most interesting on tv. The first season remains one of the most solid and cohesively written 22 episodes of television I’ve ever seen.

Special shout outs to: The entire supporting cast. Wallace, who is literally the best BFF on television. Mac, who’s a close runner up. Weevil, the gang leader with a heart of gold. Dick, who’s at once loathsome and hilarious and (surprisingly) moving at points in the third season. Cliff, Kendall, Vinnie, Principal Clemmons, adorable Deputy Leo, indomitable Lilly Kane… this show is littered with amazing side characters — some so good that even being dead the entire time isn’t enough to keep them down.

(But seriously: Keith Mars. BEST. DAD. EVER.)

So should I watch this or what? Um, yes? Have I been talking to myself here? Go! Watch! Then come back for our movie break down some time next week.

Veronica Mars was a teen sleuth whose superpower was storytelling. She was adroit at making up clever lies and crafting fake identities, but it was always in the service of piecing together the truth — which was another story she constructed. Now she's starring in a big crowd-funded movie, which turns out to be about how we keep stories alive long after they seem gone and forgotten.

Read more...

Bundled with manga's 41st, 42nd, 43rd volumes starting in June

Oh, hey there! Almost didn't hear you come in. I was too busy thinking about how to get down with this bowl of spicy tantanmen prepared with whole grain noodles. That shine on the surface of the broth means that the dish is pure gold.

YunRinBoh is located across the Kanda River, so while it's not in Electric Town proper, it's still one of my favorite new pits stops in Akihabara. But like my boss says, "One who does not work does not deserve to eat," so let me earn my lunch by introducing the real reason I was out of the office on a weekday.

Truly great animation creates a magical experience that transports the viewer to another world through the power of storytelling, art and technique. Despite of--or perhaps thanks to--its short run time, last year's Little Witch Academia turned out to be one of the most mesmerizing entertainment experiences in recent memory. From February 22nd to the 27th, the open door art museum in Akihabara, 3331 Arts Chiyoda, lifted the lid off the cauldron to reveal how rogue studio Trigger cast its spell over the audience.

Seeing a character run through an environment while objects wizz by in the foreground gives the scene the illusion of depth, but in reality everything is perfectly flat. Static backgrounds are layered with characters and effect elements that are then combined on a computer by the composite artist. Like a sandwich, the final product is only as good as each individual slice.

The simplicity of a pencil key frame beguiles the effort that went into it. Before an animator can go about creating the dynamic poses and snappy transitions we see here, they need to plan the layout of their scene and figure out how to translate the action called for in the storyboard to the screen while also keeping the limitation of shot length in mind. A clean drawing is the easy part!

They say that a natural-looking walk or run can be one of the hardest things to animate--after all, it's something we do everyday so your brain will automatically prick up if it notices something odd. Trigger's crew is amazing when it comes to pushing poses without breaking them.

Art director Yuto Kaneko opted to use de-saturated blues and reds instead of a flat black to represent shadows, resulting in locations rich in cool earthen tones. If he needed neutral shadows, he'd mix red and blue to create a dark gray mush.

The graduating class of Little Witch Academia took a break from Kill La Kill--or have they already moved onto the next season of Inferno Cop?--to stop by and leave their mark.

Little Witch Academia was part of Anime Mirai, a government-funded program focused on raising new talent as opposed to creating a commercial work. But 30 minutes wasn't enough! The producers leveraged Kickstarter to gather funds for a sequel and hit their $150,000 goal in a record five hours before raising over $625,000 total. If it comes out this winter as promised it'll be the best Christmas present ever!

The entire exhibit felt like Trigger was sending a big "thank you" to the fans. You can feel the fun radiating from the promotional posters and official fan art. 

Take a moment to enjoy the lavish details in these design materials. It seems unbelievable that they'd put so much thought into a 30-minute short, but that's what separates the amateurs from the pros.

There was so much to see that our photos and text only represent a fraction of what was on display. If you frequent art galleries then you know that some things need to be seen in person for you to truly appreciate them. Hopefully Trigger holds another open house soon. We're holding our breath for a Kill la Kill exhibit of this caliber! 

BONUS: Anime Mirai 2014!

If you've been keeping up on grumblings within the industry, you know that rampant outsourcing to cut down production costs is hollowing out the talent pool by stealing formative grunt work from fledgling animators. Anime Mirai is a government sponsored program looking to undo this downward spiral by raising the promising staff of today into the directors of tomorrow. For the past three years the Japanese Animation Creators Association has been awarding studios 38 million yen--roughly two to three times the budget of a TV episode--to create experimental shorts and opportunities for on the job training.  

Little Witch Academia started here, and who knows--any of the following titles might produce the next star animator or media juggernaut.

Death Billiards from Madhouse with director Yuzuru Tachikawa (Sword Art Online, Attack on Titan)
[Note: Anime Mirai 2013 work]

A young man and an elderly gentlemen find themselves playing a game of pool where only the winner may walk away.

Harmonie from Ultra Super Pictures by director Yasuhiro Yoshiura (Eve no Jikan, Patema Inverted)

A boy tries to find what makes one of his female classmates tick and is surprised to find that you can literally enter someone's private space.

The Big First-Grader and the Small Second-Grader from A-1 Pictures by director Ayumu Watanabe (Space Brothers, Mysterious Girlfriend X)

This storybook romp shows us that being taller than your peers doesn't make you more grown-up and we can always learn from our lessers.

Paroru's Future Island from Shinei Animation with director Kazuaki Imai (Porfy no Nagai Tabi, Doraemon)

Fruit-loving furry creatures set sail from their undiscovered island to make contact with humans with unexpected results.

Chronus from Studio 4°C by Director Naoyuki Onda (Batman: Gotham Knight, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King)

A high school boy has the ability to see Death--but will he be able to stop him from taking the life of his childhood friend?  

Home Get Your Degree in Animation at the Little Witch Academia about a week agoNouCome Exhibit at Tokyo Anime Center about a week ago

---Based on our Japanese blog---

"I am a supporting actor, a shadow. But a shadow will become darker if the light is stronger. As the shadow of the main actor, I will make you, the light, number one in Japan. That is Kuroko’s Basketball."

We are finally seeing more male figures and today's is a literal slam dunk! This new sample of MegaHouse's Taiga Kagami figure is on fire! Oh yeah, I'm Shizu-Mecha by the way. Forgive me for forgetting to introduce myself--my processor's a little overloaded by Taiga's tiger-like intensity.

Taiga measures a towering 240mm which is huge for a 1/8 scale figure. Remember we are dealing with a character that is nearly 2 meters tall and this makes perfect sense.

(Base and stand shown are not final.)

Kuroko's Basketball Figure Series - Taiga Kagami 1/8 Complete Figure [MegaHouse]

360 Slam Jam!

Seirin's ace player has just as much prowess here as he does on the court.

Kosuke Arai, the same master of the male figure who did Lancer and Sasuke Uchiha for MegaHouse, has added another miracle to his playbook.

"It’s not WANT. It’s WILL!"

With passion burning this brightly it is no wonder that he is the light to Kuroko's shadow on the court. Outside of poseable figures with interchangeable parts there are very few screaming figures, but that didn't stop Mr. Arai from doing an amazing job on this unique and difficult expression. I can hear Taiga yell every time I look at him!

This full-throttle dunk pose is so dynamic he may as well have just jumped out of the manga and into my hands! It's as though his flaming red hair is being ignited by his white-hot will to win.

Taiga-kun's presence is so profound I nearly neglected his uniform. The wavy texture makes us feel his drive as he plows toward the basket. The sneakers, which are surprisingly tricky to get right, are an easy sculpting swish. Finally the print and decals are all sharp as can be and perfectly placed.

"I'll take all these guys down and become the number one in Japan!"

MegaHouse has scored another quintuple double with this figure! Taiga is too hot to handle but too cold to hold, so we suggest placing him on a shelf. For bonus points display him next to Tetsuya Kuroko and let them feed off each other’s strength!

Kuroko's Basketball Figure Series - Taiga Kagami 1/8 Complete Figure [MegaHouse]

(C) 藤巻忠俊／集英社・黒子のバスケ製作委員会

*Photos are of a prototype and the actual product may differ.

It is a scientific fact that John Cho makes everything better. I saw a Tumblr post about it, and Tumblr’s relationship with accuracy is iffy at best, but in this case it’s spot on. Selfie, congratulations. You’ve been Cho-sen.

Selfie, for those who don’t read and commit to memory every single thing we post (how dare you), is an upcoming ABC sitcom starring Doctor Who‘s Karen Gillan as Eliza Dooley, a social media-obsessed woman who gets Internet famous after a video of a humiliating breakup goes viral. As you might have deduced from the name “Eliza Dooley,” the show is a modern-day take on My Fair Lady. Cho, as the show’s male lead, will play “self-assured, successful marketing expert Henry, who is a different breed from today’s social media-addicted society. As a challenge, he decides to ‘remarket’ his coworker Eliza.” So he’s Professor Higgins, basically. Can there be sing talking? I want sing talking.

If the idea of Sulu teaching Amy Pond the correct way to Tweet doesn’t send you into raptures… well, me neither. “Social media sitcom” doesn’t really do it for me as a concept. But. That cast. For my animation fans, Allyn Rachel, aka the voice of Bee in Bee and Puppycat, will also be in the show, as will Tim Peper, Tony nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Homeland‘s David Harewood. The showrunner is Emily Kapnek, creator of Suburgatory and one-time Parks and Recreation producer.

Now we just have to sit quietly, cross our fingers, and hope the pilot gets picked up. I’m of two minds, because while the idea of Gillan and Cho starring in a show together fills me with an effervescent sort of glee, I’ll be sad if he has to leave Sleepy Hollow. Remember, Cho’s character finished up the first season undead and trapped in George Washington‘s secret tomb (shut up, it makes sense), so he could easily come back… if Selfie doesn’t get him.

Oh, screw it. Amy Pond, I’ll give Andy Brooks up for you, and for the possibility of a higher volume of John Cho on my TV screen.

(via: The Hollywood Reporter)

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If you are going to be in Raleigh, North Carolina for the second half of March, I would encourage you to stop be the city's LEGO store. Gregory Coquelz, also known as Yatkuu, will have his Disney Princess Parade, a magical LEGO diorama on display in the community window. In this piece, he featured three beloved Disney princesses in their natural locales, which then fit next to each other like pieces of a puzzle. Ariel's undersea world, Merida's forest, and Rapunzel's tower all have intricate details that reward those who give the piece a closer look. The grotto of Ariel's nemesis Ursula, along with the sea witch herself, was even included. 

This is the largest work of Gregory's LEGO career and one that he admits strays from his usual subject matter, which tends to be more zombie-related. You can sneak a peek at the display in high definition as well as check out the artist's other LEGO masterpieces over at his Flickr page.

[via The Brothers Brick]

Read more...

Meshimase Lodoss-tō Senki Sorette Oishii no? to premiere on April 6

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal to stream worldwide on Niconico this July

Last week Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart appeared together not merely in a number of adorable photographs, but in actual moving recorded film on Late Night with Seth Meyers. McKellen and Stewart confided that they’d always wanted to be a talk show host and band leader, and, well, watch the video.

Where’s their show, television? And where’s my fan art of the two doing Aang and Zukko’s dragon dance, internet?

(via Laughing Squid.)

Previously in Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart

• The Super Bowl
• New Years
• On Santa’s Lap

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1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5. ‘Yzmaralda’
6. 6.

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With her “Yzma is Best Princess” series, artist Charamath has reminded me that I really should rewatch The Emperor’s New Groove this weekend. There is no better way to spend 78 minutes of one’s life. Not sleeping, not lounging, not socializing. Certainly not doing anything productive. Why do we even have that lever?!

(via Tumblr, thanks to tipster Mea)

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1. 1.Sleeping Beauty By Billy Baumann
2. 2.Finding Nemo By Tom Whalen
3. 3.Ursula Jason Edmiston
4. 4.The Sword in the Stone By Rich Kelly
5. 5.Fantasia By Jeff Soto
6. 6.Evil Queen By Jason Edmiston
7. 7.Alice In Wonderland By Ken Taylor
8. 8.Beauty and the Beast By Martin Ansin

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For those of you lucky enough to be at SXSW, Mondo’s joined forces with Oh My Disney for “Nothing’s Impossible,” a gallery exhibition you can go see right now. For the rest of us, here’s a sampler platter. The full set’s this-a-way.

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As much as I dug Keanu, THAT looks like John Constantine. pic.twitter.com/aDF9SZ1yk2

— Brian Truitt (@briantruitt) March 13, 2014

Technically the first official image from NBC’s Constantine is below the jump, but this crop from a larger shot of cast and crew is much more impressive to me. Last year’s New York Comic Con offered many opportunities to play “Castiel cosplay, or John Constantine cosplay,” but this picture here. This looks like Constantine.

While it’s definitely a guilty pleasure, I’ve always felt that what Keanu Reeves‘ Constantine broke in the letter of the law, it kept in the spirit: John saves the day and beats the devil, but his friends die and he doesn’t get the girl. I’m definitely game to see how an adaptation that prides itself on being accurate to the comics plays out.

In case you were wondering, the We Love You Sarah on their clapboards refers to a film crew worker whose recent tragic death has spurred a movement towards better set safety in Hollywood.

Top pic via Brian Truitt, bottom via Geoff Johns.

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Most Veronica Mars movie Kickstarter supporters are still eagerly anticipating the release this weekend, though the ones able to shell out the big bucks have already seen it. But like most things in Hollywood, sequel talk starts early and Veronica Mars is no exception. Meanwhile, how would you like to make money off your (non-smutty) Veronica Mars fanfic? Amazon has just the thing… 

Actors and creators spoke with The Hollywood Reporter at the L.A. premiere of the film recently and got a few more details about The CW web series spinoff on the way. Originally, I thought the idea of Ryan Hansen being the star was a joke. It’s not. “It’s me trying to get a spinoff with Dick, and all the [cast] will be in it,” including Bell, he told THR.

And what about the possibility of a sequel to the new film?

“I was talking about the sequel before this one was even finished,” [Kristen] Bell told THR. “There is a number that, if we hit it, will be very, very, very easy for them to make a sequel, and I think it’s a very possible number.”

Added [Rob] Thomas: “If movie does well — it’s not the most expensive movie in world — I think Kristen would love to do it, I would love to do it. Fingers crossed the movie warrants one.”

Could the story of said sequel come from one very talented fan? Probably not, but they can still create their own version.

We’ve talked about Kindle Worlds before but according to their site, “Kindle Worlds is a publication submission platform where you choose a licensed World, read the Content Guidelines for that World, write your story, upload that story, create a cover using free images or your own image, and accept a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing.” There’s a bunch of small print of course but the idea is fanfic writers get a small share of the profits. Not everyone is thrilled with the idea.

Now Veronica Mars has been added to the library of content you’re allowed to pull from. Yes, depending on the outcome of the movie, you can keep the Veronica/Logan dream alive ALL BY YOURSELF. Or, if you’re like me, Veronica/Weevil. Or you could write the Veronica/Mac take on the world story you always knew was the only eventual outcome of the series.

Anyway, here’s the Veronica Mars Kindle Worlds landing page, which also includes specific guidelines for this version.

In other Amazon news, they’ve just decided to up the price of their Prime service to $99 a year. According to Deadline, “CFO Tom Szkutak told analysts that Amazon was considering the price hike because ‘during this nine year period shipping cost have gone up a lot, fuel cost have gone up a lot.’” Student members will pay $49.

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baaaaaaatgirl

so heres my entry for project rooftops batgirl challenge (deadline is today).

my original design didn’t have the cape-thing. I wanted a batgirl that felt really “rumble tumble”. One that spends a lot of time rolling and elbowing leaping off shit. But as is the case most of the time with me, the more i developed it the more”elegant” it got. I added the cape, which is split in the back to mimic wings, and i took out a belt by added the pouches onto the back of the jacket. Gave Babs some lenses for that tactical technology stuff.

"A Beauty, A Beauty!"


Ser Arthur Dayne & Lightbringer


The Red Keep


The Leech Lord


The North

kalidraws:

I’m selling all my ASOIAF pieces as prints at the Ltd Art Gallery “WINTER IS COMING” show! They are all available online as easily frameable 8x10 giclee prints on watercolor paper for $20 each, should you like to buy one. They’re each limited to only 25 prints, too!

In the past I haven’t offered all of these for sale as prints because the original files were kinda small, but I went back in and reformatted, tweaked colors, and cleaned everything up.

After the show is over I will likely offer these as 12x15 or 12x18 prints in my inprnt store, but if you want an 8x10 THEN NOW IS THE TIME!

I know you liked them when I reblogged them before

I know you want them

don’t lie to me

I did a variant cover for Ultimate Spider-man #1 and Comics Alliance did a cool little write-up about it: http://comicsalliance.com/fiona-staples-miles-morales-ultimate-spider-man-variant-cover-1/

It’s actually not my first Marvel work- I did a Spider-Woman short for Astonishing Tales and a Wolverine variant in like 2009. Life before Saga, haha.

The Society of Illustrators is proud to release the visual for the 2014 MoCCA Arts Festival by Guest of Honor Fiona Staples!:

moccafestnyc:

April 5th & 6th 11:00am - 6:00pm

The 69th Regiment Armory at 68 Lexington Ave, NYC

Admission: $5 per day

Fiona Staples is a comic book artist living in Calgary, Canada. She has illustrated numerous comics including Mystery Society, Done to Death, Secret History of the Authority:…

Plume !

Entry for @Sketch_Dailies - the Monkey King!

I almost drew Son Goku from Dragon Ball. Almost..

shishimoe:

Hello! I’m opening pre-orders on my 4 first FEA acrylic charms!

They’re 2.5” each, laser cut to precision, difficult to break, nearly impossible to scratch and 100% waterproof! They come with a phone strap, you can tell me what color you want in your order and i’ll do my best to get it!

GO GET THEM ON MY STORENVY

I need approximately 20 orders before i can ship them!
If you’re interested but want another character, drop me a message and i’ll do them as quick as possible!

Reblogging this would be a great help! Thanks in advance and have a good blogging!

Signal boosting this because :

A/ this girl is awesome and needs more recognition

B/ The charms are cute as fuck !