Jan 31, 2012

The Avengers Earn Some Extra Pocket Money

Pretty cool? (Via)
Not a big advocate of 3D, especially with the huge pile of 3D glasses building up on my desk after every '3D' cinema experience I've had. But this is such an interesting concept that I'm surprised this idea hasn't been used or milked to the ground already.

Come May 5th when you go see the Avengers you can spend an additional $5 and have a really cool pair of Avengers 3D glasses I wouldn't be ashamed of wearing every time I head down to the cinema to see a flick. (Editors note: I would be) Each pair is modeled after a member of the Avengers and definitely beat the standard plain black glasses. The 3D release of Star Wars: Episode 1 will also be getting a pair of 3D goggles, but the less I look like Anakin the better.

The Things Dogs Love

(Via)
I have to say, this seems like the PG-rated version of what really goes on in a dogs head when he's, um, "attached" to a human leg. This is very sweet and all, but my legs have been violated a time or two by some mutt to know that they're just crazy little bastards. We can all pretend, though... Don't forget to check out the rest of Jim Benton's comics on his site!

La Boum Fatale - AAA



This awesome deep house track from the brand new, Hamburg based La Boum Fatale delivers a mellow, atmospheric ride through one heck of a house party. Love it or leave it.

RoboGal's Weekly Cute Mixtape

I surrender, I surrender! (Via)
A very merry Tuesday, minions! What time is it? IT'S TIME FOR CUTE SH*T! Sit back, relax, envelope yourself in a soft blankey, and enjoy all the fluff and stuff. Put work or school on hold for a sec, and just chill. DO IT!

6 more after the jump!

Darren Quach's Scifi Goodness

(Via)
If you've ever played any of Insomniac's offerings from the last decade or so, you've probably encountered Darren Quach's designs in on form or the other. Darren's worked on Resistance, Ratchet & Clank and other Insomniac IP's for the last nine years or so, contributing his excellent industrial design skills to the studio. His understanding of how things are mechanically put together help give his designs a very grounded, functional feel whereas other concept artist usually just imply mechanical aspects. Check out eight more pieces after the break!

Jan 30, 2012

Free Comic Books Day! DC Releases New Info

Free; a word EVERYONE loves, especially us collectors! (Via)
Free Things? I hear you like them. As always Free Comic Book Day, a celebration and promotion of the comic book world, is happening in May and DC has revealed what they plan for that lovely wrapped present.

This 2012 DC comics will be offering preview material from the publisher's "Second Wave" of the 52. "The "Second Wave" of the New 52 was announced earlier this month, heralding both six new titles beginning in May and the cancellation of "Men of War," "Mister Terrific," "O.M.A.C.," "Hawk and Dove," "Blackhawks" and "Static Shock" at the end of April (with no real surprise from anyone).

This "Second Wave", and thusly the free comic book, will include "Batman Incorporated," "Dial H," "Earth 2," "G.I. Combat," "The Ravagers" and "Worlds' Finest". Personally I can't wait for Dial H, a comic that was once a back-up for others which involves a mysterious dial phone that enables an ordinary person to become a superhero for a short time by selecting the letters H-E-R-O in order. Batman Incorporated is a gamble, but after talking to RoboBrain....well, I'm sure he'll share his opinion of Grant Morrison sometime soon on a podcast.. DC have said they have a few more surprises on Batman's utility belt for the day so stay tuned for more information.

Look forward to Free Comic Book Day on the 5th of May. Check out the official site for locations and more information. Or, alternatively, just hound your local comic-book store. Looking forward to Free Comic-Book Day or the Second Wave of the DC "52" reboot? Let us know through the comments, twitter, or the forums!

Set Sail - The Boat Song



We've showcased Melbourne-based Oh Yeah Wow's animation work before, with Aww Jeez and Here Be Treasure. They recently came out with a new music video for the Sydney-based band Set Sail's single "The Boat Song". A group of claymation folks are out chilling on the open seas, when their radio is snatched by a very sassy green sea monster. Cue mermaids, booze, and a super fun, catchy tune. Man, both the song and the video make me long for summer. Only 6 more months, countdown!

The Art Of John Liberto

Flooded Chinatown (Via)
John Liberto is one of the current concept artists working at 343 Industries as part of Microsoft's new Halo initiative (Halo 4-6 basically). John has had a wide variety of clients during his career including Lucasfilm, Blur Studio, Epic Games and a slew of other companies. I absolutely loved the sense of scale and verticality in his Chinatown concept, and tracked it back to his portfolio. Check out 6 more awesome pieces after the break!

Signal To Noise



This awesome timelapse was taken at the massive satellite array in Socorro, New Mexico. Douglas Koke, the creator set to combine two of his favorite disciplines, time lapses and motion graphics into one slick video. Using seven cameras and some Aftereffects, Douglas created this beautiful showcase of human engineering and nature.

Joel Furtado's 'Zelda: The Lost Oracle'


The Wind Waker has always held an extremely special place in my list of favorite Zelda games; first place. The scope of the game was magnificent, and provided players with one of the most epic journeys ever seen in a Zelda entry. While the game was magnificent, it's the commercial that pumped me up more than anything (that commercial still gives me chills).  Joel Furtado has managed to recreate that feeling of Zelda epicness with a fake commercial for the fake game, Zelda: The Lost Oracle. I've never been more excited for a game that doesn't exist. The end Ganon scene is simply amazing! 

These Metroid Figures Are Amazing



Unlike RoboBrain and RoboGal, I don't generally have the spare money to throw at figures and toys. Yes, I secretly wish I had the money, but there comes a point where you need to throw money that you don't have. In this case, I plan to throw my imaginary money at these two amazing Metroid: Other M figures. Both of these beautifully painted figures are must for me(and probably you as well!), and the price sounds just right. For about $40 the Samus Aran can be yours, and for around $80 you can stare at Zero Suit Samus all day!

If you want to give both figures a pre-order, head over to AmiAmi!

Jan 29, 2012

Five Years Older : Should Have Known Better



What if you could fly through images? This awesome music video plays with this concept, using deconstructed images arranged in space that come together as a whole..Beautiful execution, and the track rocks too. Get it for free on Five Years Older's Soundcloud!

Aliens: Colonial Marines Gets Gameplay Free Trailer



Its been quite a few years since we've had a good videogame based off the Aliens franchise..The last one I remember playing that wasn't altogether terrible was Aliens Vs Predator 2 from way back in 2001, developed by Monolith (The makers of F.E.A.R.). The latest entry published by SEGA in 2010, simply titled 'Aliens Vs Predator' failed to impress and garnered lackluster reviews.

Gearbox, the folks behind Borderlands have been working on this entry since 2006, and the actual 'Aliens: Colonial Marines' videogame has been floating around since 2001. Prior to Gearbox getting their hands on the concept, a now defunct studio called Check Six was developing the same title for the PS2, but it never materialized. I recall Randy Pitchford (The president of Gearbox) mentioning a few years back that it was temporarily shelved because they couldn't figure out how to make a squad based Aliens shooter fun. Things must have changed since then, because the title is now slated for a fall release. Lets hope for some gameplay footage soon.

Movie Middle Fingers (NSFW Lyrics)



As shown in this movie scene compilation, sometimes there's really not much you can do about a situation but to flip the bird. Set fittingly to Cee Lo Green's "F*ck You" (yeah, yeah... it's been overplayed, we know...), these folks due just that. Reminds me of the time when I was a young girl, age 6, and I flipped off my father for the first time. Not for any good reason other than I was just a bratty child who wasn't getting her way. Outwardly, he was "angry", and sent me to my room. But I now know that he was actually quite proud, and laughed his ass off once I was in my room.

Jan 28, 2012

Smoking Kids by Frieke Janssens

(Via)
After seeing the video of the little Indonesian boy smoking, Belgian photographer Frieke Janssens was inspired to create a series of some old-time inspired photos showing young children lighting up. Having these kids behaving like adults (and in some cases, also dressing like them) in this way makes me think it's like European "Toddlers and Tiaras", with the glaring exception that the horrid TLC show is real. If you have strong opinions on smoking in general, these photos may upset you, but never fear: Those aren't real cigarettes, pipes, etc.

Check out 5 more photos after the jump, and the rest on Janssens's site!

LOCKOUT : Aka This Movie Should Have Had Kurt Russell



So in lieu of Kurt Russell being pretty much retired, somebody in Hollywood thought to himself:
"Hey, seeing that we can't come up with anything original, why don't we just copy the plot from the 'Escape From New York and LA' movies, and set it in space?'

This flick is going to star Guy Pearce as 'Snow,' (*cough Snake Plisken cough*) a wrongly convicted prisoner who gets offered his freedom if he can save the Presidents daughter from an outerspace prison overrun by criminals. I'm not sure what to think of this flick, with its generic premise, plastic CG and groan inducing one liners. We'll see what people think of it in April, but we're not expecting much.

Abraj: The Two Towers Of Dubai



No, we're not making Lord Of The Rings references here. 'Abraj' is the Arabic plural term for 'multiple towers,' and refers to two of the the most iconic buildings in Dubai: The Burj Al Arab (A 6 star hotel), and the Burj Khalifa, which is as of now the highest tower in the world with 211 floors. Philip Bloom created this video as an ode to the two buildings, which in the worlds eye defined the 'new' Dubai.

We actually stopped at the Dubai airport once for a layover (One of the most beautiful airports we've seen yet), and could see the Burj Khalifa from miles away reaching into the heavens. I hope to go back someday and give the place a proper visit.

Jan 27, 2012

Its Official: Capcom Hates Megaman



I'm not sure whether to call this tongue in cheek at this point, or whether Capcom has legitimately been waging war on MegaMan for the last year or two following Keiji Inafune's (The creator of Megaman) sudden departure. Fans were left scratching their heads when Megaman was nowhere to be seen in Marvel Vs Capcom 3 despite being a staple of the last 2 VS titles, annoyed when Megaman Legends 3 was scrapped despite fans clamoring for its completion, and plain out angry when he failed to materialize as a character in Ultimate MVC3.

Whats the newest nail in the coffin? Capcom announced that PS3 users are getting some exclusive characters, including uh...what?

Tattered suit, water pistol and banana colored jump suit? Oh come on.
That's right, Capcom is giving fans the chance to play as 'Horrible Western Boxart Megaman.' I'm not much of a MegaMan fan, but I've been amazed at how trollish Capcom has been about giving the fans what they want. Did Keiji pee inside the Capcom watercooler before leaving to warrant this?

Mondo's Awesome Planet Of THe Apes Posters

Damn dirty posters! (Via)
We've missed out yet again on an opportunity to score some ridiculously cool Mondo posters. Due to the fact that the sales are always announced on Mondo's Twitter at random times with little forewarning, you've got to stay glued to your screen for a chance to score their limited edition posters.

What did we miss out on this time around? A 6 poster set covering all five of the classic movies, and an Alamo Drafthouse exclusive. The posters were created by Martin Ansin, Ken Taylor, Rich Kelly, Phantom City Creative, Florian Betermeter and Jason Edminston. Check out the rest of them after the break!

Amazing Hula Hoop Cam



If you need a natural way to trip some major balls on this fine Friday, then have I got the video for you. Girl attaches a GoPro (surprise, surprise) to her hula hoop, so we the viewer get the perspective of the hoop. Watching this video makes it seem like the girl's the one who's dancing around the hoop, and not the other way around. Mixed with a cool tune, and you've got one trippy video.

Who Made Who : Inside World (NSFW)



Denmark's Who Made Who just released this very strange music video, which teeters dangerously towards NSFW territory (Especially towards the very end). Despite that, the visual direction was too excellent to not feature, and the alt/electro sound hit a chord with us. On a side note, I'd like to say there's nothing more satisfying than digging through a ton of awful bands with that tired, generic 'indie sound' and finding a gem like this. Thank you Who Made Who for going against the grain.

Joe Goes Gold & Other Awkwardness



Joe is an excellent, albino masterclass troll disguised as an interviewer who loves to attend random conventions and catch people completely off guard with ridiculous questions. Since we last featured him he's attended over a dozen more conventions that we had no idea even existed, and even introduced Europe to his self deprecating, insanely awkward interview style. There's a reason he goes by the monicker of 'Badge Of Shame.' Check out two more awkward bombs from Joe after the break!

Jan 26, 2012

Capcom Forgets Spellcheck

Someone's getting fired....(Via)
One must question HOW this got through any kind of spot-check. Resident Evil: Revelations is the Resident Evil game coming out for 3DS. When Dan Hsu (Co-founder and editor of Bitmob & former editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)/former editorial director of The 1UP Network) received his advanced review copy he noticed something that is making every single member of the Art Department in the Capcom studios nervous; the game's spine had the title spelt wrong. It's not the first time Capcom has screwed up with cover mishaps however.

In 2008, the Wii re-release of featured a IGN watermark on the box art picture and only some months ago the Xbox 360 version of Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition was incorrectly labelled with Xbox without the "360" part. Capcom should really start checking before going to print. It's unknown how many covers with the mistake spine have been sent out but I expect they'll be recalled/replaced soon enough with the eBay auctions soon following.

The Girl That Sees Movies Everywhere



Brazilian animator Rodrigo Leme put together quite the fun and adorable short animation piece. It was used as a promo for Brazil's Telecine movie channel. As avid movie goers, we can definitely appreciate the meaning behind the promo. Films, if done well, can take us to a whole other world, and make you forget about reality. It can spark the imagination in all of us, kids and adults. All of my sentimentality aside (what am I, some kind of girl?), it's an awesomely cute animation.

Chinese New Year Shuffle



To honor the recent Chinese New Year, folks put together traditional dances and performances. Once tradition has been honored, it's time to really get down. This is an awesomely coordinated shuffle, and a much better use of the LMFAO song than the Hamster-ridden Kia commercial, as far as I'm concerned.

ThreeA's Incredible Blind Cowboy & Ghost Horse Set



What do you get when you pay $270 for a high end Blind Cowboy set from ThreeA toys? Nothing short of an absolutely jawdropping, mind bogglingly detailed 'toy' that would be worthy of displaying in a museum. I decided to purchase the Blind Cowboy & Ghost Horse set because as some of you might know, we moved to Austin, Texas recently to pursue greener pastures..As a trophy of sorts for getting a dream job.

Even the box is beautiful.
I was blown away by how large Ghost Horse and the Blind Cowboy were, which ended up being about 50% bigger than I had expected. I also wasn't expecting it to be so incredibly detailed, with the horse taking the cake with its miniaturized stitched saddle and tiny, functioning buckles holding its various saddle bags and other supplies. I honestly wasn't sure at first if it was going to be worth the money I put into it, but I now understand why ThreeA has such a loyal following. These are not mere toys, but a labor of love created with a level of craftsmanship I've never seen attained before...It seriously blew my mind how beautiful this things was, even the packaging! Check out more images from the set after the break.

Leila : Welcome To Your Life



In honor of the pre-Friday delirium we're experiencing from all the craziness this week, check out this trippy tour de force from the Leila's "U&I" album, now out on Warp Records. If you're a fan of compression art and transitions, glitch videos and absolute balls out surreal music videos this track will be right up your alley.

Lego Back To The Future Needs To Happen

The DeLorean has never looked sexier

Lego creator, Masashi Togami proves that Legos can still be cool as hell while ignoring the the mechanized parts seen in current day sets. Even more awesome is Togami's creation is looking more and more likely to come to fruition via Lego's Idea Stage. Idea Stage basically allows Lego creators to display their work while the internet votes on their favorites, giving the sets a chance to be submitted for official Lego review. If the set reaches 10,000 or more votes, the Lego team will review Togami's work and consider a final design. 

By simply following this link (right here, the link is right here!) you can vote for this Lego homage to make it's way into stores! I don't think I've ever wanted a Lego kit more than I do right now (ignoring their Star Destroyer). For more shots of Togami's work, hit the jump!

Jan 25, 2012

Awesomerobo : Podcast #4



In this episode of the Awesome-Robo podcast we are joined by one of our longtime editors, Chris as we discuss SOPA, George Lucas, Paula Deen & Butter, Turkish oil wrestling, Snowpocalypse, rum, FDR: American Badass, Resident Evil 6, blog stuff and more! Watch Chris down a half bottle of Captain Morgan in his fit of cabin fever over the course of this episode.

If you'd like to be featured on next week's podcast, send us an email with your opinion about this weeks topic: "How do you feel about George Lucas' decision to possibly retire following him getting tired of being criticized?" 

Email us at Sirio@awesome-robo.com. Cheers!

Eternal Descent Goes The Television Route



Eternal Descent is a comic most people overlooked. It had pretty decent art and an interesting story that was let down by what little coverage and attention it got. The comic revolved around Lyra, a rockstar under the protection of Sirian, an ever vigilant, nomadic warrior who was cast from heaven and has risen from hell whilst setting out to save Lyra and the world from Loki's maniacal grasp. Eternal Descent chronicles Lyra's transformation into an immortal, her relationship with Sirian, and their mutual war against Loki.

The creators are trying to make the jump for television. You can read more about it after the break!

This Is How You Market Sushi



Sushi is one of those foods that's amazing if good, or horrible if it's bad. There's really not a lot of middle ground. So if you run a sushi joint, it's important that you market yourself very carefully. And nothing says delicious like space sushi. Right...? Well, the folks at Sticky Rice in DC decided that Earth-bound promotions just wouldn't cut it, so they decided to launch a plate of sushi into space. Sure it's been preserved, and nailed to a plate, thus rendering it inedible. But it does make for one helluva impression.

A Year of Backflips



While I don't think a $100 payoff is really worth a bet that takes a whole year to complete, if I had the gymnastic ability that this dude has, I'd still take it. His dad bet him he couldn't do a backflip every single day throughout the entire 2011 year. I especially dug the GoPro shots (gee, you think we like GoPro's here at Awesome-Robo?). The video is essentially the same thing over and over again, but it's somehow hypnotizing.

Ghost In The Shell GUI And FX



Vimeo user 'Huds&Guis' opened up a channel to pay tribute to some of the coolest examples of conceptual HUDS (Heads up displays) and GUI's (Graphical user interfaces) in movies over the last few years. Do you remember watching Terminator 2 and thinking how cool it was to see the world from a cyborg's perspective? How about that cool gestural interfacing scene from Minority Report a few years back?

This series of videos take a look at some of the excellent work done for Mamoru Oshii's Ghost In The Shell 2 (An excellent movie for those who haven't seen it) in the GUI/HUD department, with excerpts from various scenes that don't spoil anything. The visualized hacking scene below just takes the cake Check out a few more after the break!



The Cast Of Cheers : Family



The debut single for the awesomely named band from the UK, 'The Cast Of Cheers,' brings back a lot of memories of avant garde music videos from the eighties...Notably Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer,' and Wang Chung's 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' with their heavy use of stop motion.

This catchy track is just a sign of great things to come for the group, as the band plans to debut their first album sometime this year. If you enjoyed the track, get the free remix of this track on Soundcloud!

Jan 24, 2012

Reminder, Indie Game: The Movie Is Now Showing At Sundance


Back in June a Kickstarter began to help fund Indie: Game The Movie. The amount of donations that flooded in were simply incredible and proved the strength of the independent game community. Fast-forward to 2012, and it looks like all that work has finally paid off. While, I haven't gotten a chance to see the film myself, I'm hoping the Awesome-Robo community gets a chance (if you're in the Utah area that is). There's two more showings on the 25th and the 28th of this month, so get your butts over there!

If you're on the edge about seeing this incredible looking documentary, hit the jump and give the trailer a watch!

Doctor Who, Batwoman & Batgirl Get Red

3 Red Heads with the power of making my dreams come true... (Via)
I love Doctor Who. I love Batman and most of all I love Barbara Gordon, the most famous Batgirl and the amazing Kathy Kane, AKA Batwoman, in one of my favourte DC runs, Batwoman (which I couldn't recommend more and if you haven't read it already check out W. Haden Blackman's run on the series). One thing they share with Amy Pond, Doctor Who's newest assistant? They share a very similar hair colour. Which is why I love this mashup of franchises.

The Art Of Jaime Jones

(Instant classic via)
Jaime is a concept artist that has already proven his incredible talent in the game and entertainment industry for companies like Bungie, Blizzard and Warner Bros. On his webpage, you will recognize his work on some landmark franchises (especially on the video game side..He worked on an obscure game called Halo).

Jamie is incredibly painterly, creates astounding compositions, and has a knack for creating harmonious color palettes. These are just a few of the traits that makes his work absolutely incredible. Check out more of his amazing work after the break!

Roman Army Knife: Not Quite Victorinox

Maximus probably had one of these too. (Via)
In what would be a little expedition through the world wide web domains, I came across this amazing little artifact, the ancient cousin of what we know as a Swiss Army knife/multi tool. Many people also have this belief that the Victorinox emblazoned tool was developed by the actual Swiss, but it was actually the product of a German company first released in 1891. The silver and iron multitool pictured above dates back to the 3rd century Roman Empire featured a fork, spoon, knife, toothpick and a spike.

Its pretty amazing to think that this type of technology, which provided utility on the battlefield dates that far back. Check out more images after the break!

RoboGal's Weekly Cute Mixtape

I will protect you, bun-buns. (Via)

I'm drowsy as f*ck, and I really wish I had a warm pup or kitty to keep me warm as I doze off. But I am sans-pet, so these pics will have to do. I suppose my laptop does emit some warmth... I'm babbling now. Happy Tuesday, friends, and stay awake!

6 more after the jump!

Punks Jump Up : Get Down



As they put it themselves, Punks' sound is comprised of Prince, Yello and Trax Records all blended up in equal parts to create a playful mashup of flashy dance goodness. This upcoming EP will feature the original track and five remixes by Alex Gopher, Fare Soldi, JBAG, Zero Clash and Special Cccrash, the you just listened to. Get it while its hot.

Gender Bending League Of Legends Art By Loped

Tryndamere? (Via)
League of Legends recently celebrated surpassing World Of Warcraft's active users with a total of 11.5 million players. And why not? The game's ridiculously fun, free to play, and has a vast armada of champions to suit every play style imaginable. In the MOBA field, League Of Legends has become the next step in evolving the genre..So if you haven't played it yet, give it a shot! Its awesome, at times rage inducing, but ultimately rewarding.

I wanted to share this super cool art created by South Korean artist Sang Heun-Nam (Aka Loped), who asked the question, "What if these male LOL characters were female, and the female characters were male?" As a result, he created a series of paintings featuring this gender bending concept applied to some of the most popular characters to create some awesome tribute pieces. Check out more of these after the break, and some awesome fanart too.

Jan 23, 2012

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock



Tick tock goes the clock with the video-game with the Doctor.
For all three people who understood that joke let's talk about this recently announced Doctor Who game. Personally, a Doctor Who game as an adventure sidescroller is something I could live with. I'm a huge fan of the genre and one of only 5 people who purchased one of the best titles of 2011 (imo) Rayman Origins, yet I'm also fearful; will it be a good game? Check out my thoughts after the break.

Rundskop (aka Bullhead) Trailer



After staying in all day yesterday, a very lazy Sunday, we watched the trailer to the Belgian film "Rundskop", or it's English translation, "Bullhead". The trailer looks part psychological drama, but mostly a crime thriller. Sounds good enough, and worth a venture out of our self-imposed cave. Without giving too much away, let's just say it is most definitely more of the former. Holy s*it, were we in for a surprise. Though an excellent movie, and I highly recommend it, it is one of the most downer films I've ever seen. It's on par with "The Road", which nearly destroyed me (at least for the evening). If you're in the US, you may have a difficult time finding this in theaters, as it is in very limited release. But at the very least, try to find a copy once it's out on DVD.

Olivier Lescot Demo Reel



Olivier Lescot is an awesome animator I decided to track down after seeing a wonderfully animated French Domino's ad (Check after the break). His work is beautiful, fluid and colorful and he's also incredibly versatile. I received an email claiming that he's looking to work in feature films, so why not throw the word out about this fellow? He's definitely got the talent to work on feature length work. :) Check out a small sampling of the animation projects he's been involved in after the break!

WETA Digital: The Making Of Tintin



This raw behind the scenes footage showcases an intimate look at the mocap heavy making of Tintin and the current technology being used for directorial purposes. I found it pretty interesting to see how Steven Spielberg used his handheld system to direct the scenes, and the usage of crude props and sets to give the actors a better sense of immersion to deliver better performances. Following Zemeckis' underwhelming series of mocap movie disasters (Lets not forget Mars Needs Moms), Tintin was a great example of motion capture done correctly for those of you who haven't seen it.

Check out the official featurette featuring Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg talking about their choices for the movie after the break!

Wes Burt's Lord Of The Rings Online Art

Grimbold (Via)
Wes Burt just recently uploaded some excellent concept art that the worked on for Turbines Lord Of The Rings Online. The now free to play game has celebrated a moderate amount of success thanks to the series' strong fanbase and loyalty to keeping a virtualized version of Tolkien's world alive. Wes is one of the main character concept artists at the San Francisco based outsourcing house, Massive Black..And I think he did an amazing job at giving all the different houses a very distinct visual style. Check out more of Wes' work after the break!

Dr. Who and Marty McFly team up for 'Re-T.A.R.D.I.D'


So, I know it's the 23rd of January (just a tad a late for The Busted Pixel's first video of the year), but we're hoping you can forgive us after watching 2012's first Busted Pixel video, Re-T.A.R.D.I.D. What happens when Dr. Who and Marty McFl-uhh, Christopher team up to investigate America's history? Surely the space-time continuum won't be destroyed!

Check out more Busted Pixel here!

Jan 22, 2012

Kyrielle



This spellbinding video by Boris Labbe features a progressively escalating series of looping animations of strange watercolor people. The short reaches critical mass about halfway through, with a series of hundreds of animations creating a hypnotizing, kaleidoscopic effect before tapering off again into nothingness. Imagine a more high art Cyriak video and you'll have a good idea of what to expect.

Skyrim Gets Some 'Brony' Action


I'm still not quite sure how My Little Pony became as popular as it did (the 'brony' culture still creeps me the f*ck out. Not so much the people, but the art born from it). It's definitely a quality cartoon, but it never quite capture my attention like Regular Show and Adventure Time has. My Little Pony fan or not, this mod for Skyrim really shows you how awesome the Skyrim mod community is. If you thought Macho Man Randy Savage was a great addition to the land of Skyrim, then you haven't experienced the beauty of ponies raining destruction.

If you want the mod head over to Skyrim Nexus for the download!

Jan 21, 2012

Archetype By Aaron Sims



This excellent scifi short from the famous FX house known as the Aaron Sims company features a combat robot known as RL7 malfunctioning in an extermination mission and becoming aware of his human past as a 'Carter Myung.' In a way it shares some plot points with Robocop, a semi organic prototype that becomes aware after certain stimuli despite getting 'formatted.'

This excellent pilot was created on a budget of well, $0 and was created as a pitch for a movie..Would you see this in theaters? Its cool that the FX house is gauging interest in the project by letting the public take a sneak peek..Pitches are usually very internal. Check out the making of after the break.

The Whiskey Water Trick



Not sure I'd be willing to risk wasting alcohol in order to do this trick, so I'm sure glad this guy was able to.  Not that I couldn't pull it off anyway.  But damn, do I love a good science trick.  A bottle of whiskey, some old time smutty playing cards, and a badass trick.  Sounds like a good Saturday night to me.

Justice : On 'n On



Justice just released this music video for their excellent track from 'Audio, Video, Disco.' The concept of the song is about genesis, dreams for the future and the ever turning wheel of life..The idea is translated perfectly into this music video, featuring a perpetual crawl that never stops going forward. Give the album a listen if you haven't already on Spotify.

Star Wars Uncut: The Director's Cut



Sometimes the internet comes together in pretty awesome ways (see: SOPA/PIPA), which never ceases to amaze me. Star Wars Uncut is probably the coolest internet project I've seen in a while. By cutting up the Star Wars films into 15 second segments, contributors can claim a clip and re-film it anyway they see fit, once the clips have been gathered, they're assembled into a feature length film (it's right above this text, wow!) Seeing the diversity of the Star Wars community come together into one super project is pretty inspiring and I can't wait to see more!

Jan 20, 2012

Life Size Dalek Construction



What's better than building a Dalek out of Lego? Building a Dalek out of Lego using a Lego type product! The Lego type product is called 'Character Building' and the company bought the licence for Doctor Who in the UK. We have plenty of sets to collect and build, and whilst they are aimed at little children we adults love the cool little things have Nephews who demand to play with the blocks.

Seeing a Dalek built with such care is cool, and I always love projects like this, especially since I'm such a huge Lego fan. There's still have a few sets hanging about in the stores, so I'm half tempted to buy a few Character Building models and give my own Dalek build a go....

Hello



Wow, I don't even want to know how long this took to put together.  Several clips from a variety of film were edited together to form one of the most emotional songs of the last few decades: Lionel Richie's classic "Hello".  Why yes, it is you we're looking for...

1 VS 1000 BATTLE



This has been a while on Youtube..but nonetheless its pure awesomeness so it qualifies for a post.
Sit back and enjoy the carnage. Epic music certified.

The Chase : Crazy, Explosive, Spectacular



A billion thanks to Lise Paillet from SpacePatrol for the tip on their upcoming, and absolutely mindblowing looking short directed by Philippe Gamer simply dubbed "The Chase." This trailer showcases about 600 different gravity violations, but who cares? Its got absolutely incredible explosions, massive wipeouts, and some absolutely mind boggling chase sequences on road layouts that look like they're straight out of Trackmania. Check out some impressive stills from the short after the break!

Metal Gear Rex : Its Alive

Screw rent, this is an investment in fine art.
So how deep are your pockets? Are you ready to purchase the Rolls Royce of Metal Gear Solid toys? Are you ready to wait a few months in the dark while ThreeA's mysterious production schedules unfold? Well these images posted to the official Konami Facebook show a semi assembled, painted Metal Gear Rex production prototype in their office.

The figure is absolutely massive, and ThreeA commented that the preorder date has been pushed back (All the more time to save up!). Its been rumored that Rex will cost anywhere from $350 up to an exorbitant $500, but we're hoping that it stays on the lower end if we hope to get our hands on one. Its been mentioned that this is the most ambitious ThreeA project to date, with 30 seperate parts for the legs alone. We'll keep you updated on the release date for this monstrous conversation piece, in the meanwhile check out more images after the break!

Sine Mora : Shoot Em Ups Evolved



Sine Mora is Grasshopper Manufactures (One of my favorite Japanese dev's) foray into the world of shmups. For those of you unfamiliar, shmup is a simple term that was coined to describe arcade 'shootemups.' Its been quite a while since we've had a good console entry for the genre, the last side scrolling shmup I recalled enjoying immensely was the beautiful Gradius V for PS2. Aside from some really awesome art direction, the insane mode is something to look forward to for arcade veterans looking to be put to the test.

Pretty incredible how close they got it to the concept.
Sine Mora promises to have a solid storyline, 7 stages, 50 weapon combos with a time altering twist and excellent music by Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame. Check out some character concepts after the break!

The M Machine : Glow



The M Machine brings us a music video that would fit perfectly as a side story set in the Blade Runner universe courtesy of Mike Diva. Absolutely love the sound for their debut track, and the ending just takes the damn cake. You bullies had it coming.

Jan 19, 2012

Resident Evil 6 Goes Back To Its Roots



I was never a fan of Resident Evil 5. Not only did the poor AI let down a good action game, I felt the action side of things really let down the evolution of the series. What was once a survival horror (and then action horror with the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4) series became the opposite of what made the famous franchise otherwise great with cheap scares and no real atmosphere. I always bet that Resident Evil 6 would follow down the road that Resident Evil 5 had tread and I was right. But I couldn't have been more wrong when I said that they would forget the roots of the series.

It seems that you take control of 3-4 teams travelling around the world trying to stop the outbreak of some sort of virus. The trailer involves Zombies, Leon, Chris and an unnamed protagonist fighting to save the world. Resident Evil 6 is slated to be released November 20th, and is one of the only sequels (outside of Mass Effect 3) that I'm really looking forward to wait for. If the gameplay in this beautifully rendered trailer is anything to go by we know one thing for sure; s*** is going down and "It's Racoon City all over again".

Aww Jeez



If God goes out of town, who watches his son, Jesus?  Apparently, Satan does.  According to God, he's a better choice than Richard Dawkins.  A fun, slightly tongue-in-cheek claymation piece used as a graduate film.  Not to spoil the ending or anything, but to paraphrase: "LOL, religion."

Dear Esther



When simple shooter engines are elevated to the point of a medium for delivering a beautiful, thoughtful narrative, you get a game like Dear Esther. Aside from looking absolutely incredible for using such a dated engine, its already garnered 4 IGF nominations and an 8/10 review from EDGE magazine. One cool thing to note is that the developers made it so that no two playthroughs would be the same, with a randomization feature built in to make every experience unique. This indie gem will be available on Steam on February 14th.

Liquid Skies



This cool short was created by Annis Naeem as part of a project at Art Center in Pasadena, a school renown for its excellent concept/industrial art program. From what I can tell its an exercise in turning static images into moving vignettes, and its supposed to be part of a much bigger narrative that will be revealed at a future point. As Annis recommended, watch this on full screen with the volume set to max for the full experience.

AwesomeRobo : Podcast #3!



In the 3rd installment of the Podcast, Robogal and Robobrain talk about Logan's Run, the hopeful 80's, meeting Michael Beihn (Colonel Hicks from Aliens), ThreeA toys, Bronies, idiot cruise ship captains, blog stuff and more awesomeness with our enhanced podcast format.

MUCHA'S LADIES



If you've ever visited one of those cafés that aspire to have a bohemian/beatnik look, you've probably come across a poster design by Alphonse Mucha adorning the walls at some point.

Mucha was a designer/artist from Czech Republic tied very closely with the art nouveau movement in the early beginnings of the 20th century. He mainly produced posters and imagery for theatrical plays and simple ads, being the core of his works the depiction of  women, reinterpreting classical themes with a very particular style, one that stills seems timeless and contemporary.

For more detailed info here's the link to Mucha's foundation. As usual more incredible images after the break.

Jan 18, 2012

STOP SOPA/PIPA


In honor of Blackout day, AwesomeRobo will not be updated today as we stand against SOPA and PIPA. The reason that we're against it is that even websites like ours would be affected and probably disappear because of the ridiculous power that would be granted to the MPAA due to this act.

If we are to be held liable for simply hosting or even linking to content or websites that are deemed 'infringing,' we will cease to exist as we have no power, or the funds to defend ourselves. Read up if you're so inclined, and act to prevent this bill from ever seeing the light of day.

-The AwesomeRobo Team

Jan 17, 2012

A Year Of Sun With Mr. Persol



This excellent ad for sunglasses was created by Kevin Dart, the same artist behind the excellent short we featured in 2011, 'Looks That Can Kill.' This time however, he got the full commercial budget to execute a summery ad in his unique style, and it turned out nothing short of awesome.

FDR: American Badass!



I... uh... what? Am I drunk? Or is this for real? A quick search showed me that, yes, this film is indeed for real. A seemingly fun, most definitely film about polio-stricken president, FDR. This historically accurate (obviously) film takes place around the time of Roosevelt's presidency, involves werewolves, and the slaying of notorious figures such as Mussolini.  Who knew that Roosevelt took them down with his weaponized wheelchair?  The more you know! shooting star

RoboGal's Weekly Cute Mixtape



Happy Tuesday, everyone!  It's a beautiful day in my little part of the world, and I'm in the mood for something cute and fluffy (what's new, right?).  Time to share my weekly Cute Mixtape.  Enjoy!

6 more after the jump!

Anti Ninja Turtle Propaganda



Ahh...There's nothing like watching a bunch of 'family watch' folks talk about how the Ninja Turtles use 'white magic' to fight Shredder and his minions' 'black magic.' Who knew that the classic cartoon was all about occult magic? This video enlightened me to all kinds of things, like the dark powers of Ninja Turtles pepperoni sticks, Splinter as a dark rat wizard, and the corrupting force of Turtles themed slippers.

As a bonus, they also go into the dark forces of Michael Jackson chocolate bars and Vanilla Ice board games. Brace yourself for some mind boggling stupidity.

Jan 16, 2012

THE FICTIONIST

(via)
The Fictionist is a deviantart account with some seriously cool, moody digital paintings. A large chunk of the work displayed has a very personal mood; potraits and people seem to share the same space, a gloomy contrasty world that oozes personality and has a flavor all of its own.

More works from the Fictionist after the break!

Here Be Treasure



Though I generally prefer my pirates to be smooth, cunning, and ruthless, I found a little spot in my heart for this derpy buccaneer.  After initially almost missing his buried treasure, he digs it up only to find a surprise.  He's been tricked by an unforeseen enemy, one who hides in the shadows for each victim.  Also, claymation.

12 Awesome Concepts By Rael Lyra


I was pretty excited to find Rael's work on Deviantart. I've seen his work floating around on various Tumblr's without any credit to the original artist (as usual), but thanks to a tip I traced it back to his page. Rael is based out Brazil and spends his time working on concept art, comic book work and other freelance projects.

He's got a knack for interesting, yet harmonious color schemes and texture in his work, and I loved his reinterpretations of Monkey King and his semi organic take on Mechs. Check out 11 more kickass pieces after the break!

The Making Of Rango



These cool featurettes were released by ILM Visual on Youtube to showcase some of the unorthodox process for creating (In our opinion) one of the best animated features from last year directed by Gore Verbinski. Some interesting choices included not using any motion capture, filming the actors acting out each and every one of the scenes with dialogue, and their approach to taking characters from 2D to 3D with their virtual maquette process, and their usage of assymetry in design.

This movie really stood out with its incredibly strong visual identity and offbeat story revolving around Rango, an Iguana who finds himself stranded in a desert with even stranger inhabitants after falling out the back of a car during a move.

The Big Pink : Hit The Ground



Tim Brown's new video for this Big Pink track makes heavy usage of cute looking girls, blowing raspberries, extreme slow motion, split screen effects and more. This guys voice really reminds me of the Shins, but nonetheless a cool Monday track. The Big Pink's new album, 'Future This' just came out today..If you dig it, go get your hands on it on their website!

Jan 15, 2012

James Bond In: Only The Good Die Twice

The good, the bad and the Connery (Via)
I remember reading an idea for the new Bond film that was very similar to this idea. The idea was that the name "James Bond" is a code name passed down from generation to generation, and would explain different actors in a truly British, Doctor Who style way.

This artwork by deviantart user ninjaink describes the story which involves the original Cold War era James Bond (played by Sean Connery in a returning role), who has gone rogue and become the head of SPECTRE, with the current Bond being tasked by MI6 to stop him before he can initiate a global thermonuclear war. That's a movie I would watch, and this is one beautiful poster for a movie that we are likely never to see.

World Wonder



Though not always my favorite type of music, I'm kinda digging this tune.  Chill, yet something I could workout to.  But what I really dug was the music video.   These dudes have a great sense of coordination, and I loved the international locales and people.  Makes me want to pack a bag, and hit the road (and air).

10 Images Of The Surfing Trooper

Peaceful. (Via)
Even Empire forces need to take some time off every once in a while. This Stormtrooper helmet wielding traveler has been wandering the world, looking for some of the most surfable, pristine beaches and chronicling his journey on the Surfing Trooper tumblr. From Bali to New Zealand to Morrocco, he's been leaving his mark everywhere. This trooper is living the life. Check out 9 more images from his adventures after the break!

Anime LA 2012 Showcase



Another year, another Anime convention, another well put together video about high grade cosplay shot at the Anime LA Expo which happened last week. The music is Florence + The Machine = Cosmic Love.

Jan 14, 2012

Alan Moore Meets Occupy London



In this interesting feature by London's Channel 4 news, Alan Moore is followed as he first comes face to face with just a handful of the Occupy protesters that have spread all over the world. I can't even imagine how incredible it must be as the creator to see his characters become the face of a movement in reality. Its funny though how the media tries to spin the entire protest as pure contradiction, especially at 2:53 with the mention of anyone wearing a mask being a contradiction to the movement.

Look Back At: The Amazing Screw-On Head



Mike Mignola, the comic book artist most known for his work on the fantastic Hellboy series (Minus that second movie) at one point approached SciFi channel with a pilot for a series based off his one shot from 2002, "The Amazing Screw-On Head." The whole concept of the comic revolved around a character with the ability to use different bodies depending on the occasion thanks to his modular, plug in head. Under the service of no other than Abraham Lincoln himself, he would go around solving supernatural cases and protecting America from occult forces. What a shame, because the pilot looked pretty damn good, with the exception of some voice over work.

The decision to not turn it into a series in 2006 was just the beginning of the terrible decisions that the channel now known as 'Syfy' (Couldn't get more dumbed down, huh?) would make over the next few years, turning it into a channel best known for its laughably bad B-Movies.

The Evolution Of Music Online



This excellent 6 minute doc speaks about the revolution that online music distribution channels, like Youtube have caused. In a way it also talks like blogs like us, who shine the spotlight on artists and noteworthy new tracks and sounds being distributed on websites like Bandcamp, Myspace, HypeMachine and other channels. In this era its become possible to get your name and make a living out there without having to sign with a record label or rely on channels like radio and TV to get your work out there, and we're glad to be part of it.

Apocalypse LAter



When you're a surfer with VFX expertise, using that surfboard GoPro to create a post apocalyptic scene unfolding just seems perfect. Youtube user Keef70 used nothing but Mocha (Motion tracking software) and AfterEffects to create this incredible scene.

Moonrise Kingdom



This is somehow my second post in a row regarding Wes Anderson;  I coincidentally came across this trailer today.  Though the script was written by both Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, the feel of the trailer is most definitely Anderson.  From the dead-pan expressions, the semi-awkwardness, the retro feel (though warranted in this film, since it is set in the 60's)... It appears to have a set formula, but I'm still interested in seeing this when it opens with a limited US release in May.

Jan 13, 2012

Gotham By Gaslike: Arkwork Of A Secret & Cancelled Batman Game

A glimpse of a Dark Knight that never was. (Via)
When games that sound good get cancelled before they even reach the pitching process I shed a tear and die inside. When a good Batman game gets cancelled I put on my cowl and destroy every shipment of Modern Warfare 3 I can track down in revenge (I kid, folks, I kid!).
According to graphic artist Julie Farrell, a game was in the works: "Gotham By Gaslight". The game would have been a Batman steam-punk game; she worked on a few pieces for the pitch. Farrell’s designs show off a steampunk take on Batman’s world and gadgets. The game was cancelled before the pitch could be made.

Though I'm glad that this generation has had two amazing Batman titles I wonder if this game would have even been as good as Rocksteady's outings with the Dark Knight, especially one adapted from a rather obscure Elseworld novel (1989). See after the jump for a few shots, but visit  Julie Farrell's blog for the entire collection.

Star Trek / Wes Anderson Mashups

(Via)
We're pretty big fans of mashups here at Awesome-Robo, and these posters are no exception.  These two vastly different concepts somehow seem to work together, if only for just a poster (the whole series can be seen here).  From "Fantastic Mr. Fox" to "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", these posters get the Star Trek treatment.

5 more posters after the jump!

DOOMED



Have you guys ever seen Pocoyo? The charming cartoon features a duck called Pato, a pink elephant called Elly and a young kid (Pocoyo) dealing with bizarre situations in a white world. Kids absolutely love the sh** out of it, and it makes sense why. Appealing designs, poppy animation and extremely charming characters have made Pocoyo extremely popular in Europe.

This new pilot by the director, Guillermo Garcia Carsi takes a somewhat darker humor approach, featuring a bunch of strange creatures doomed by their hilarious design flaws.

Where Do We Land?



This fun minidoc by Converse follows a group of international skaters heading to the beautiful region of Mongolia to film an exotic skating video featuring local talent. The one thing they weren't expecting: Aggressive, rock throwing locals, chill skateboard loving cops, and the stunning beauty of the Gobi desert. The same group is currently working on a feature on the Thai skateboarding scene called "Chaiyo," coming out in February. Check out the trailer below.


"Chaiyo" (Trailer) Preduce Skateboards Thailand from Patrik Wallner on Vimeo.

Adam & Dog



This incredible trailer comes courtesy of Minkyu Lee, a Disney animator currently working on this personal project on his free time with a group of friends, including big names like Glen Keane, a powerhouse at Disney for the last few decades. The short film looks like its going to be about a man and his dog exploring the beauty of unspoiled nature. Can't wait to hear when this is coming out, the quality is nothing short of feature length grade.

Jan 12, 2012

The Knights Of The Mass Effect

Free items? I'm in. (Via)
EA hasn't been in the gaming community's best books lately. But despite the sh***y things they have done I thought this was a pretty cool idea and excellent marketing move. The gaming giant has announced a crossover between soon-to-be-released titles Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3. Playing the demo for Kingdoms of Amalur will unlock two Reckoning-inspired in-game items in Mass Effect 3, while playing the Mass Effect 3 demo will unlock armor and a weapon in Kingdoms of Amalur. Did I mention the suits were designed by Todd McFarlane?

Playing Mass Effect 3 will unlock N7 armor and omni-blades in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning whilst playing Amalur will lead to unlocking the Reckoner Knight Armor and a Chakram Launcher weapon in Mass Effect 3. Kingdoms of Amalur is 38 Studio's first release and it's certainly peaking interest in a game that I (and many others) would have otherwise not heard about. Lets see this type of promotion used more often?

The Kingdoms of Amalur demo will be released on January 17th, while the Mass Effect 3 demo is due later this month.

Fotoshop by Adobe



As a girl who's always on the lookout for the newest things in beauty, and will not stop at any cost to become perfect (cough yeah right cough), this just blew me away.  Now we can all look like perfect supermodels!  Got some belly fat?  Don't waste your time with silly crunches.  Just digitally slim it down!  Wow, 2012 is really shaping up to be a great year (heh).

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Opening


We talked quite a bit about Girl With The Dragon Tattoo during our first podcast (Its a fantastic film, for those who haven't seen it), but we forgot to mention the absolutely incredible, and disturbing opening credits created by Blur featuring the excellent music by Trent Reznor.

The sequence features abstracted oil figures of  Lisbeth Salander (played by Rooney Mara, the "Girl withe Dragon Tatto") and Mikael Blomvkist (played by Daniel Craig) portrayed in an abstract manner dealing with their demons in a nightmare like sequence. For example, at around 1:50  you see manly hands coming up to Lisbeth's face before tearing her face to bits, representative of the terrible things that men have done to her in the past. I won't spoil it further, just go watch it!

The Art Of Troy Galluzzi

(Via)
Troy Galluzzi is a versatile, mostly freelance artist with a knack for editorial illustration, and concept art. Troy doesn't share much about his background other than the fact that he's from California, went to Art Center, and is the cofounder of Gorilla Artfare. Nonetheless. I absolutely love his layouts, colors and comic book aesthetics in his pieces. Check out five more pieces from his portfolio after the break!

Left Boy: Videogames



Left Boy returns to AwesomeRobo with a strange music video comprised of pieces from his previous official track, 'Outro.' Nonetheless, this new track, featuring Mirakle kicks just as much ass and arrived with an interesting request: 1,000 favorites on Hype Machine before he dropped his next work. Needless to say, that condition was met in just a few hours. This guys growing on me, and even more so after seeing his Facebook page profile picture, pictured below.

OMOcat's Subtle Animation Is Hypnotizing


While animated flare is nothing new in today's Tumblr filled art world (Zac Gorman instantly comes to mind), OMOcat adds a creepy layer that I've yet to see. Fans of the manga, Uzumakimight see some similarities between OMOcat and Junji Ito's work, but what really sets it apart is the subtle movements and layers, which often give a 3D feel (I really need to test out my 3D glasses on a few of these).

On top of OMOcat's online portfolio, she also has some amazing prints for sale. Those Gurren Lagann and Cowboy Bebop prints are really catching my eye. After OMOcat tempts your wallet with her prints, take a look after the break for 8 more pieces.

Jan 11, 2012

Team Fortress 2: Puddle

Slippery when Ubered (Via)
We are all huge Team Fortress 2 fans on the site, and I'm a huge fan of people taking the characters and putting them in situations that aren't in the game. This comic by Deviantart user Fluro-Knife shows the true way of being a good teammate and most importantly, gentlemen. Lying the coat down over a puddle? That's soooo 20th century. Try carrying them instead! What could go wrong? Check the full comic out after the break!

Girlfriend vs. Ex!



Damn, these girls be C-R-A-Z-Y.  Funny little skit about a dude and his current girlfriend hanging out with his ex and her current jealousy bait boyfriend.  How far will these ladies go to prove to their love and devotion to their hunk of a man?  Find out.