Mega64: Todd & Aaron's Game Awards 2012!(!!!!!!!!)

2012 is nearly over, and I hope you're all getting safely intoxicated (except if you're underage, then you should be drinking sparkling cider). New Years always brings out the best "best-of" videos, but Mega64's Todd & Aaron are always the highlight of the year. Take a seat and experience their loving presence.

Man

While handled in a rather silly way, the animated short 'MAN' takes on the rather heavy topic of our effect on Earth. Seeing as we're not a political blog, nor do we try to be too serious around here, I normally wouldn't delve into such a topic. However, I particularly liked the fun yet tongue-in-cheek nature of this short, and felt it worthy of sharing. While I really don't think anyone can argue that humans have had an effect on this planet in some fashion or another, what that particular effect is is frequently debated.  You be the judge! 

I Have Your Heart

Now here's one I don't see very often: a paper stop motion short.  Done as a music video for Kim Boekbinder's track "I Have Your Heart", the short tells the story a woman whose lover has given their heart to her. Literally. While I'm not normally a big fan of the accordion, it somehow works in this video (Probably because of the nautical theme... Probably.) 

Giuse Modica's Skateboard Animals

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Dutch artist Giuse Modica created this awesome series to celebrate his love of skateboarding, featuring a variety of animals pulling ollies and catching air in general.

As Giuse put it: 'Skateboarding is such a big part of me and I know I should make more of these skateboarding animals.' Check out more of his creations after the break!

Mc Fitti - Whatsapper

Using Ini Kamoze's classic 90's track 'Here Comes The Hotstepper'  as a springboard, German MC Fitti created this retrolicious sidescrolling tribute to his more European version of the 90's.

Created by the very talented Golden Wolf collective, this explosively colorful romp proves that nostalgia is a universal language. Avidazen!

Final Cut 2012 - A Cinema Tribute

As a response to 2012 drawing to a close, everyone is putting together compilations of 'Best Of 2012' compilations, lists and whatnot. Nick Bosworth put together this megamix of all the cinematic highlights that this year had to offer, a year rife with hyped up disappointments and unexpected surprises as well. Django Unchained was a great way to top this year off, probably one of Tarantino's best movies yet.

The Art Of Kris Mukai

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Kris Mukai is a female illustrator from Brooklyn who caught my eye with her vibrant illustration style, filled with traces of Japanese and street art influences. Kris graduated with a degree in Communications Design (Illustration) from Pratt Institute and has worked for clients including Lucky Peach, The Deal Magazine, The New York Times, The New Yorker and more.

She also is involved with the Slow Youth collective, dedicated to exploring alternate methods of creating art. Check out more of her work after the break!

Bill Plympton's Cheatin' - A Kickstarter Worth Checking Out

Bill Plympton has had an illustrious career as an animator, having created multiple Oscar animated shorts, an opening for the Simpsons, MTV spots, music videos and various self published animated features. A notable aspect about Plympton is that he likes to hand draw every single animated frame himself, which brings us to his latest project, 'Cheatin'.'

Plympton is asking for assistance on Kickstarter to help finance the completion of his latest film, which utilizes a time consuming digital watercolor wash technique that must be applied frame by frame. If you're looking to help get an animated feature off the ground, check this one out.

The Amazing Spider-Man Concept Art by Fabian Lacey

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Today marks the release of Amazing Spider-Man 700, and whilst the comic marks the end of an era and the final moments of Peter Parker (for the next few months, at least) I thought I would celebrate it by showcasing some concept art of the film based on the world famous franchise. Fabian Lacey has done a number of pieces of stunning pieces for a variety of films, including Tron Legacy, Green Lantern & Star Trek. These paintings revolve around the Lizard & the battle on the bridge as Spider-Man attempts to reduce collateral damage in an ongoing battle.

Whilst the scene in the film wasn't this dramatic, the pieces showcase the type of production art required to flesh out scenes. Check out the rest of the pieces after the break!

Faenger

Faenger is the otherworldly-looking animated short about an old man wandering through a vast land.  Without giving too much away, let's just say he encounters something strange.  This 3D animation utilized some pretty stark, strong shapes while also incorporating a sort of softness into it.  While I can't really make much for the end plot, I really enjoyed it for it's supernatural value, and creepy audio.  Created by Fabian Koppenhöfer.

Catzilla

From the devious minds of Platige Image, the same guys who brought us the gritty dogfighting pseudo-anime Paths Of Hate comes this dubstep tinged vision of the apocalypse, featuring two very pissed off kitties. The short was actually created as an antithesis to the typical downloadable computer benchmark (Created to gauge how powerful your PC is under strain), which are typically more on the boring side and lacking any sort of narrative. If you're interested in seeing how much laser cats your computer can handle, you can get Catzilla over on the Allbenchmark website.

Udada & Elito - Hiphopunk

Even if you don't understand the lingual crossover goodness of the Franco/Japanese duo of Udada & Eito, you might appreciate the hundreds of winks to just about every pop culture franchise spanning the East & West in this loaded music video. Presented in an awesomely simple transition style, prepare yourself for a journey across a few hundred franchises, from Iron Man to Dragonball to Saint Seiya and beyond. If you can name every single franchise featured in this awesome video, consider yourself an internet god.

Alfred Skimmy Celebrates Christmas

The bizarre and uncomfortable Alfred Skimmy is back, and this time, he means Christmas.  His Christmas is full of "midgets" (aka elves) and "rohndeer".  You know, the usual.  It's less than 2 minutes full of Mr. Skimmy's unnerving, cringeworthy voice and personality, and while I just want to turn it off, I just can't.  There's just something some delightful about a non-sugary-sweet little weird man during the holidays.

New Play Arts Kai Nolan 'The Dark Knight' Figure Series

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I'm a huge Play Arts Kai fan. The figures they produce are well crafted, highly articulated and generally worth the money they ask for. When the company produced prototype displays for the Nolan Batman films at the Tokyo Games Show in September I was pretty excited, and today we get the first look at the pre-order versions of the 8" The Dark Knight Rises Catwoman and The Dark Knight Joker toys.

Both toys come with a number of suitable accessories, including weapons and swappable hands and remain scarily accurate to the likenesses of Ann Hathaway and the late Heath Ledger. You can currently pre-order these figures for $65 a pop, if you're looking to get yourself a late Christmas present. Check out more shots of Catwoman and the Joker after the break.

Shintaro Ohata's 3D Paintings

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Shintaro Ohata has taken a very unique approach to bringing his paintings to life, combining illustration and sculpture into a seamless blend. Ohata uses rich, warm palettes and an impressionist approach to his work, which emphasizes capturing a feeling or experience more than an accurate depiction of reality.



The addition of adding sculptures painted with the same sensibilities that his illustrations have add a level of dimensionality and dynamism to his 3D paintings that nearly fool the eye if observed straight, appearing as if they're part of the canvas. With a strong sense of atmosphere and incredible lighting schemes, Ohata's approach to his work is truly something else. Check out more of his incredible 3D paintings after the break!

Rone - Bye Bye Macadam

Absolutely loved this music video by French filmmaker Dimitri Stankowicz, which narrates the birth of the universe by the hand of a series of ancient beings locked in an ever more frenzied shamanic ritual of creation. The monochromatic video mainly centers around the journey of a star, from it's birth till it's disappearance inside a black hole.

The entire journey is nothing short of spellbinding, created thanks to a creatively unrestrained relationship between Rone and Dmitri, which allowed the music video to be imbued with an emotional intensity that we rarely see. Bye Bye Macadam is from Rone's recently released album, Tohu Bohu, which is definitely worth a listen.

The Art Of Pablo Uchida

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Pablo Uchida is a mixed heritage Japanese freelancer who had left his mark working as a cover illustrator on an international scale. From books to videogame covers Pablo has applied his distinct, painterly style which borders on realism while also maintaining a hint of both European and anime influences in his method of portraying his characters. Check out more of his work after the break!

A Cruel Angel's Thesis - Bike Horn Cover

There's something incredibly moving about this video, I'm not quite sure what, but it's definitely there. It must have to be something to do with a never ending loop featuring EVA Unit 01 riding a bike to an incredible cover of Cruel Angel's Thesis created with nothing but electronic bike horns. 

Simply breathtaking.

Fester's Christmas Fiasco

It's Christmas Eve, a common time for people to meet their significant other's family for the first time. Sometimes it goes great, sometimes not so much.  In the case of Fester the Fish, let's just say it doesn't go quite so swimmingly (yuk yuk yuk).  The Fish family isn't unlike many other families, except they are talking fish.  Who don't live underwater.  And mingle with chubby Poseidon.  Where was I going with this? Anyways, if you're in a similar position today, fear not and just enjoy the grub.

The Art Of Koren Shadmi

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Koren Shadmi is an international man of mystery, a Brooklyn based artist who has left his mark on an international scale. As a prolific illustrator and graphic novel creator, his works have been published and featured across the world, in places including France, Italy, Spain, Israel, China and the US.

If you'd like to get a taste of his comic prowess, his ongoing series called 'The Abbadon' is a great place to start, dealing with a protagonist called Ter and his attempts to unlock the mysterious reason as to why he's trapped in a strange house with an array of highly dysfunctional roommates. It's an exercise in existentialism, introspection and relationships that has had me intrigued since it's debut in 2011. Check out more of his work after the break.

Bravest Warriors - Lavarinth (Episode 6)

I feel rather silly, for some reason I thought I was kind enough to share Pendleton Ward's (the incredible cartoonist behind Adventure Time) web-series, Bravest Warriors. Looking back on previous posts it looks like it completely escaped the website, so instead of posting the first episode, I'm posting the most recent! To be honest, felt that the series was off to a bit of a slow start, but the more I've watched it, the more I've fallen in love with it. Pen Ward has an amazing knack for creating some of the most original and likeable cartoon characters in Western animation, and being given the ability add a little bit more of a mature flavor to his animations really livens things up.

 

If you haven't a gotten a chance to check out the series, I suggest you make your way over to the YouTube channel and start from episode 1.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - All Star Battle Gets A Shiny New Trailer

Another new trailer arrives for the upcoming Jojo's Bizarre Adventure : All Stars Battle, a title that will thankfully be heading to US shores. The folks at Namco/Bandai have been doing a fantastic job of showing off just how faithfully they can adopt manga series into videogame form, especially ever since they finally nailed the formula with the Naruto : Ultimate Ninja Storm series.

Based off of the ongoing series by Hirohiko Akari, who has been writing and illustrating the series for 25 years now, the game will feature characters from the eight chapters created since 1987, with an emphasis on staying loyal to the narrative. You guys should really check out the manga if you're looking for something truly outside the box, the man has a knack for coming up with some of the craziest concepts I've ever had the joy of reading. Just to give you a frame of reference in terms of how influential Akari has been as a mangaka, he was invited by the Musée du Louvre to contribute work for their comic exhibition, as well as collaborations with Gucci, Lawson and other companies.

The Miniature Worlds Of Lori Nix

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When most people think about photography as an art form, they typically picture artists geared up with a half dozen, multi-thousand dollar lenses traveling around the world to find that perfect shot. Lori Nix doesn't quite fit that mold, instead opting to create her own worlds and subject matter via a passion for miniature building and a love of American Impressionism (Hudson River Painters).

Her various photo sets have all shared a bit of a disaster theme, ranging from natural anomalies in her 'Accidentally Kansas' to a post apocalyptic city frozen in time in 'The City.' Despite the rather grim themes, the playful nature of the materials she works with temper the gravitas of the scenes she masterfully captures through her lens. If you're a sucker for attention to detail, check out more of her work after the break!

Do It Again

Jon Kristinsson's fascinating little silhouette based animation is short and sweet, focusing on the strange job of one shadowy figure. The abstract story definitely left me wanting more, playing out like those wonderfully frustrating seasons end cliffhangers.

The Art Of Little Thunder

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Having had a chance to live in a few third world  countries, Hong Kong included..I've come to know what Dettol is. Not exactly something you'd want to drink, which lead me to delve deeper into the strange world of Little Thunder, a Hong Kong based female illustrator with too many styles to count. Going through her portfolio I was left wondering if this was the work of a collective, like HonkFu or Massive Black, but after a little bit of research this wasn't the case.

Whereas her work is on the most part playful and colorful, you might notice some subtle indicators of some personal unrest in her work, or jabs at negative personal experiences. A smiling girl with a bruise on her face? That swirly drinking straw heading into a bottle of antiseptic? These little details all tell a story that are up to you to interpret. Check out more of her work after the break.

Tymote - Rough And Laugh

Created as a visual accompaniment to a remix of Japanese pop artist Clammbon, Tymotes' animated spectacle is a fun rollercoaster ride of fluidly animated simple shapes. I was kind of amazed to find out that this was entirely created with Cinema4D, which I wouldn't associate with this style of animation. Nonetheless, this explosion of color is nothing short of a visual treat. Enjoy.

'Man Of Steel' Superman Trailer Gets Sweded

Oh boy am I excited for Man Of Steel. I don't think I've seen a less revealing trailer, leaving us wanting more. Superman is one movie property that just hasn't worked out in a reboot sense and hopefully Zack Snyder will get it right this time in a directorial role (Suckerpunch showed us just how horrible of a writer he is). The entire Awesome-Robo crew is relatively excited for the film, and it was only a matter of time before the trailer got sweded.

In case you didn't know, the term Sweded originated in Michel Gondry's 2008 film 'Be Kind Rewind' which revolved around films in a VHS store being erased and recreated on a shoestring budget of under $5. See the man of Steel become the man of Copper! It's pretty clever and is an exact remake of the trailer, down to doll-flying animation and the acapella soundtrack, using only an iPhone. Check out the original trailer after the break!

Hund I Himlen (Dog In Heaven)

This incredible short was a co-production between Danish studios Nørlum and Basmati Films, and is an adaptation of Hanne Kvist's children's book of the same name. The tale follows the journey of Lora and her experiences in a strictly regulated monastery where her only friend, a dog is not allowed.

When things go horribly awry for Lora's friend, she is forced to confront all the rules and conformity that have been strictly enforced for generations in the convent. I really loved the angular style that they used to design all the protagonists, with Lora in particular really reminding me of Laika's Paranorman, and the short itself was truly cute and heartelt. It's a long short at around 25 minutes, but totally worth it in my opinion. Full screen it, kick back and enjoy.

Next Life

Well, it's almost evening time in our part of the world, and we're all still here.  It seems that whole end of the world thing was crap (cough, cough).  Color us surprised.  Anyways, why not add another Doomsday piece in to the mix?  And we have, with 'Next Life'.  It's the animated short full off sepia-tones, a melancholy yet fashionable couple, and some news for the future of mankind.  Sorta.  It's a contradiction of sorts, with a mellow Louis Armstrong song accompanied by some shaky animation.  "Should I feel chill, or uptight?!" 

The Art Of Kyle Fewell

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Take a little 80's and 90's tinged nostalgia, a half dozen cats, a little touch of Miyazaki and a dash of pulp contemporary art, and you get the art of Kyle Fewell. Reminiscent of Sachin Teng's work, the Brooklyn based illustrator's work showcases the outcome of the melting pot nature of the 80's/90's generations in terms of visual influences. If you think about it, the advent of anime, internet and the explosion of home consoles all occurred within the last 3 decades or so.

Kyle Fewell's work brings me back to getting that first Gameboy, watching Akira for the first time and discovering the internet's (And my own) strange obsession with cat pictures. And as a fun fact, it turns out that he was named Kyle because of his father's infatuation with Kyle Reese, John Connor's father from the first Terminator film. Awesome to say the least. Check out more of Kyle's work after the break!

Peaking Lights - Beautiful Dub

The Wisconsin based duo Peaking Lights just recently released their latest project: Lucifer in Dub, an album comprised of dubbed-out versions of tracks from their 2012 LP, Lucifer. 'Beautiful Dub' is a remixed version of the visually trippy track they created to mark the gift of having brought a son to the world.

Director Mike Seely resorted to repurposing some vintage surf footage for the remixed version, although it doesn't quite measure up to the originals visuals, which I've found myself revisiting time and time again for it's psychedelic style and relaxing sound.

Antichrist Numerology In Gangnam Style

From the same folks that brought you the last few dozen fake flag apocalypse dates, Mayan calendar conspiracies, Jesus on toast and more; A most insightful look into the batsh*t insane world of religious conspiracy and their take on Psy's played out Gangnam style track. On a related note, just wanted to let you know that Obama is an Illuminati affiliated shape shifting reptilian devil worshipper as well, in case you didn't know that already. If you guys really want to have a laugh, be sure to check out the absolutely baffling Youtube comments on this video.

This Is The End - Red Band Trailer

Despite all the annoying speculation, the world will not be ending tomorrow. That's a fact and if it does you can hold it against me. But in "honor" of the mass panic currently going on I thought I would show you the newly released Red-Band trailer for one of the funner movie projects coming out next year: This Is The End.

The film is the directorial debut of frequent collaborators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who co-wrote Superbad, Pineapple Express and more. The film takes a rather meta approach with its cast, with actors playing themselves going to a party at James Franco‘s house, only to find themselves at end of days. Not sold yet? The cast includes Seth Rogen, Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Aziz Ansari, Rihanna, Paul Rudd, Danny McBride, Emma Watson, Michael Cera, David Krumholtz, Martin Starr, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson and others. It would take a team of idiots to screw it up and the pair have proven themselves worthy before, so let's hope this turns out as good as it looks.

Maxxi Soundsystem & Thomas Gandey - I Don't Care

Thomas Gandley and Maxxi Soundsystem, mentor and producer respectively teamed up to deliver this sensual piece of house music, accented by distorted, robotic vocals and flowy, pulsating synths. A series of stylized monochromatic portraits present a variety of fringe characters unconcerned with the way society sees their interesting quirks, professions or orientations.

Animation Roundup - Una Furtiva Lagrima, Loosaure, Same

Sometimes a little too much animation goodness heads our way to post, so we'll be doing roundups from now on. Let's kick things off with Carlo Vogele's stop motion short about sad opera music and his curious interest regarding the tragic destiny of fish. Animated in his San Francisco apartment in 2011, the short has gone on to tour internationally, picking up a half dozen accolades at various animation festivals, including Annecy. Check out the poster here!



Loosaure is a fun, bite sized FX exercise created by a small team over at Les Gobelins, narrating a very sudden end to the Dinosaur age. And the catchy music? Created by the San Francisco cover band Pomplamoose, specifically their interpretations of a Lady Gaga track and the Angry Birds theme song.



And last but not least we have Zach Cohen's animated short called 'Same,' created over the course of a five day marathon with the theme of 'Beyond the mirror.' An office worker discovers that fitting in isn't quite as simple as he had envisioned.

RoboGal's Weekly Cute Mixtape

Why do they hide my noms?! (Via)

It's the supposed last day or so of the world (lololol-- No), so celebrate with the finer things in life. Too late to buy that [insert ridiculously expensive item that you can't even afford to dream about]? Well... At least we have out internet, eh? And what is more synonymous with the internet than kittehs and the like? Enjoy!

More after the break!

The Art Of Evan Palmer

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Evan Palmer won me over with the above image, masterfully combining the adorable with the face meltingly deadly. The Minneapolis based comic book artist got his start in Lafayette, Louisiana before transferring over to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he graduated in 2008. 

Evan worked on the Eisner-nominated series The Unwritten for 2 years before going solo, and I really love what he's been cranking out on his Tumblr recently. His playful style makes efficient use of clean ink work and watercolor, with some experimentation in digital mediums. Check out more of his art after the break!

Team Fortress 2 And Adult Swim Team Up For Virtual Goodies

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Following the incredibly successful collaboration between Valve and Adult Swim for the much anticipated Team Fortress 2 Meet The Pyro update, the next step in their partnership finally brings us some items based off of the channels most successful franchises. Drawing from the likes of Metalocalypse (Rockso the Pyro pictured above), Aqua Teen Hunger Force and The Venture Brothers, this crossover has been a long time coming.

Check out renders of the Scout as a Monarch minion, Rockso the Pyro, Heavy Carl and the Brock Sampson Heavy after the break!

Toro y Moi - So Many Details

I've been bumping this Toro y Moi single for the past week and I've yet to grow tired of it. The South Carolinian chillwave artist has been my go to for lazy days and late night binges, and I can honestly say this might be one of my favorite songs released by him. With a groovy synth and soft vocals of Chazwick Bundick, this song is perfect for anytime of day.

Epic Mickey 2 Concept Art By Kevin Chin

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Did anyone play Epic Mickey 2? It felt like the game was released under a blanket of major AAA titles and forgotten about. I loved the art style of the first game and though I would have loved the original, darker direction that the game was planned to have (because Steam Punk Mickey seemed so cool) the first adventure turned out pretty fun. The game had some amazing concept art and the second game is no exception, but it really did feel like the sequel flew under the radar, overshadowed by the debut of the WiiU.

Still, this concept art by Kevin Chin provides us with a look at the Disney world we grew to love, with many hidden, grotesque figures, buildings and carvings. Whilst I can't speak for the game I imagine it must be halfway decent, though I've been fooled many times before. It really seems like they put their all into the sequel and came up with many interesting and original ideas to flesh out the distorted world of Epic Mickey. Check out a ton more concept art after the break!

The Rift - Storm Legions Art Dump

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The fine folks over at Trion just recently did an impressively massive art dump of 3D art and concept work created for the recently released Rift : Storm Legion on their personal websites, so we've aggregated a ton of work from the talented art team.

Among the artist featured on this dump, we've got Levi Hopkins on environment art, Tyler James on boss concepts, Herman NG for creature and character concepts, and Hai Phan as a generalist/jack of all trades (Concept, modeling, texturing). A ton of work and long hours went into creating this expansion, so it was kind of disheartening to hear that Trion had laid off a good chunk of their staff just recently, including a portion of the art staff. Not exactly the type of thanks you look forward to after spending a few months crunching and putting all your passion into a project. Check out the fruits of their labor after the break!

Fur Voice - All That

Pablo Maestres, who gained fame for his award winning music video for Be Brave Benjamin's 'Devil Fool,' directed this incredible downward spiral of a music video, which hauntingly captures that moment in time in which everything we know will completely fall apart and cease to exist.

If you're on a post apocalyptic bender, I'd also recommend checking out M83's recent 'Wait' music video that we featured recently. It seems like there's been a slew of post apocalyptic music videos as of late, I guess a lot of creatives have had Mayan calendars on the mind.

The Glitch

Corridor Digital's latest endeavor explores the at times terrifying, at times unexpectedly hilarious world of  videogame glitching in real life. As the world corrupts itself into oblivion, sometimes you just have to pull the plug.

Season's Gweetings!

With the holidays thrust descended upon us, we're no doubt drowning in a horde of holiday-themed everything.  Sick of it yet?  Hold on first, and check out this adorable animated short by India-based director Aloke Shetty and animator Rajiv Eipe.  Portrayed is a house party, not unlike any other house party.  What makes this short awesome is the use of rather accurate and amusing stereotypes.  It's essentially all "that guy/girl" that we all know.

Shaping History, Shaping Tomorrow

It plays a bit like a tourism commercial, but you know what?  I'm sold.  I want to go to Japan.  From the food to the culture, this awesome short highlights just a few things the country has to offer.  Like one Vimeo commenter so astutely put it, it really captures both the modern and traditional side of Japan, and  the meshing of both Western and Eastern influences.

Ssion - Psy-Chic

Ssion's trippy music video for Psy-Chic is a non stop visual bender of rainbow vomit tinged visuals, cute animals and stream of conciousness imagery to accentuate the simplistic synth-pop hook of the track. The video features two polar versions of Ssion facing off in a video that would probably make Tim & Eric blush.

Coquino

Jeff Le Bars' Coquino is one of the coolest stop motion shorts I've seen to date, created using 3D generated sets and 2D animated frames placed on cards playing in succession. There's a very Fantasia-esque vibe to the short, considering the playful, anti-gravity powers of the maid in the short. Or was it all in her head? See for yourself.

Stuff & Things

Jack Cunningham and Joe Bichard directed this wonderfully pixelated short about nothing, a series of random scenes laced together by a common visual style. The experience of watching this was equatable to changing channels, if the world we existed in was 16bit.

Ornithophobia

This lovely animated short is about a cat with a bit of a bird phobia.  While traveling down a wooded path, he is forced to face his fear.  I absolutely loved the art style, especially the rich watercolors.  Rhode Island School of Design student Emily Smith did a seriously fantastic job creating a piece that was both simple and yet vibrant.

Walter Newton's Pixel Nintendo

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Glasgow based pixel fiend Walter Newton created an amazing series of pixel portraits covering the evolution of Nintendo's home console line, from 1985's NES all the way up to 2006's Wii. As well as capturing the systems in their fully pixelated glory, Walter took it a step further by also capturing furniture and decor in his pixel illustrations reminiscent of the era.

I'm guessing he might add a WiiU edition down the line when it's got some better software in it's lineup. Check out his SNES, N64, Gamecube and Wii pixel portraits after the break!

Kavinsky - Protovision

Kavinsky finally gets a little official music video love, courtesy of director Marcus Herring. In a non coincidental manner, the video features Kavinsky as his badass self driving around a dark city in a Ferrari Testarossa, a concept that most people have probably envisioned in their heads since the Teddy Boy, 1986 and Nightcall albums.

In case you weren't aware, the French electro artist created an elaborate backstory for his stage persona; That after crashing his Testarossa in 1986, he reappeared as a zombie in 2006 to make his own electronic music. Protovision is the latest track from his upcoming album, 'Outrun.'

24x360 Light Painting

Using 24 cameras installed in a 360 degree radius and a variety of light painting techniques, the Montreal based TimeCode labs set out to create an experimental array of vignettes showing off their expertise in long exposure photography as an art medium. Skip to around 00:19 to see the stills turn into some truly incredible moving turntables.

Happy Christmas! By Art & Graft

Creative collective Art&Graft just released their Christmas short, chronicling how quickly things can spiral out of control when the drink flows unchecked. The MIDI rendition of George Michael's 'classic' Last Christmas track took this to 11. Check out some of Art & Graft's internally produced intro videos after the break!

Suda 51 Presents Black Knight Sword

Suda51 has never failed to puzzle and enchant people with his signature off kilter, trippy, out of the box style approach to videogames. From the non-linear, bizarre narrative and visuals of Killer 7, the heavily stylized realm of No More Heroes and the humorous hack and slash nature of Lollipop Chainsaw, I've come to appreciate the fact that he's always taken risks to push the envelope creatively.

Without a doubt, Black Knight Sword might be one of the most out there endeavors I've seen yet, but it's arresting visual style and music definitely have me intrigued. With gameplay channeling the best of 8 and 16-bit sidescrollers, this one seems like it's worth checking out. The game just launched on PSN and Xbox Live.

East Meets East - The Art Of Vitaliy Shushko

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East meets East? It's not a typo, but a perfect description of what happens when Eastern European and Asian aesthetics collide head on to create a wonderful Russo-Japanese amalgam. The Russian illustrator dabbles in a little of everything, yet all his pieces retain a very bold, stylized feel to them ranging from his color to shape language.

I'd call it a more painterly comic book style, which is quite common with French Bande dessinée illustrators. Check out more of the talented Russian artists work after the break!

Crack That Chip! - A Devo Tribute

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The 8-Bit operators, an international collective of some of the biggest names in chip music have come together yet again to collaborate on a DEVO themed tribute project, and the result is nothing short of stellar. Using retooled Ataris, Game Boys, NES systems, circuit bent goodies, Commodore 64's and last but not least, Apple II computers, the artists tapped into over 30 years of new wave tracks and put their own crunchy spins on them. Check out a sample playlist below!

Achievements By Corridor Digital

xCorridor Digital's tongue in cheek take on augmented reality shows off how getting achievements and XP in everyday life would play out. The concept of getting some form of reward for hitting that unlucky streak would kind of soften the blow..A little.  If you've played a little too much Xbox as of late or hunted a few too many trophies on PS3, this should definitely hit a familiar chord.

RoboGal's Weekly Cute Mixtape

Salutations, and apologies for my tardiness.  The weekly Cute Mixtape has finally arrived!  With less than two weeks until Christmas, we're due for some freaking cheer.  Things have been hectic, so I'm gonna take a moment and enjoy the cuteness of this week's selection (which is coincidently happens to be all kitties).  I implore you to do the same.

More after the break!

Presets - Promises

The latest video for the Aussie dance duo was created by the New Zealand creative group Special Problems (Aka Joel Kefali and Campbell Hooper), consisting of quick fire vignettes to narrate the theme of broken promises and hearts. The track is from their latest album, Pacifica.

Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim Trailer - Giant Robots And Sea Monsters

Warner Brothers finally released the Pacific Rim debut trailer last night, a movie which will give all giant robot fans something to look forward to in 2013. In a nutshell, we've got a dimensional rift opening up deep in the sea and unleashing a horde of giant monsters a la Godzilla/Gamera, etc. and a secret earth defense force of clunky giant robots called out of their bunkers to fight back. It's got pieces of Evangelion, Big O, and even Portal with the straight out usage of the GLaDOS narrator from Valve's Portal franchise, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Check out the teaser poster after the break!

Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods

 

Despite Toriyama's name lacking anywhere in the films production, this newest trailer has washed away any fears I held. It's pretty damn apparent the amount of work that has been put into this movie and I full expect to enjoy the hell out of it come it's March 30th release. I'm really digging the direction the team has taken with the films villain, I'm getting a pretty strong Garlic. Jr vibe (Dead Zone being my favorite of the DBZ films). I just want to talk about Dragon Ball Z now, wow. Can we please just get more Dragon Ball?

Jai Paul - Jasmine

UK Singer/songwriter Jai Paul's latest track taps into the realm of dark dreams, with visuals of disembodied teeth, dark figures and occult symbolism highlighting the wonderfully distorted and understated, mellow sound. Considering that this is Jai Paul's second track since 2007's BTSU, I'm really left hoping that he'll be releasing new tracks a little more regularly.

The Prince And The 108 Demons

I was intrigued by the generically titled, yet fantastic looking 'Feature Film' video that French animator Nicolas Léger posted on his account recently, showing an incredible range of of warriors annihilating their foes. After a little bit of research, I found out that this proof of concept video was created for an upcoming 2014 feature animated film being directed by Pascal Morelli (Shuriken School) called The Prince And The 108 Demons, which rang a bell.

The story is based off the famous Chinese 14th century novel, 'Water Margin,' which is as renown for inspiring dozens of comics, animated series and video games with the '108 star' concept, a reference to the number of bandits that gathered at Mount Liang in the story. Suikoden, Outlaw Star, Fist Of The North Star, Seint Seiya and countless other series have used this story as a foundation, just like Journey To The West inspired series like Dragon Ball with the Sun Wukong (Monkey god) concept. If the final film has breathtaking, dynamic animation like this I think I'll start learning some French in anticipation.

Food by Emanuel Strixner

Emanuel Strixner created this incredible stop motion short about a piece of dough that proceeds to fluidly metamorphose into a variety of bizarre organisms while thawing on a counter.  He sculpted some pretty amazing look animals/creatures, coupling concepts of food and Darwinism into an awesome, cohesive mix. The project took a few months to complete, and I really admire his dedication to creating this concept in such a time consuming medium (hence why I post stop motions as much as I can).

The Fantasy Art Of Alex Aparin

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We've been on quite the scifi bender as of late in regards to art, so let's switch gears to a little more fantasy, starting with Alex Aparin's illustration prowess. The Moscow based artist struck me with his usage of bright, saturated colors, a visually exciting departure from the more desaturated, grittier realms of Warhammer, Magic The Gathering and other darker fantasy franchises. If there's one thing that Russian concept artists and illustrators all seem to share in common, it's an excellent eye for harmonizing color.

With clients including Hasbro, Paizo (Pathfinder), Fantasy Flight, Wizards Of The Coast and Blizzard, Alex has definitely been around the block a few times, from a freelance standpoint. Check out some more of his colorful illustrations after the break!

Superman Man of Steel Gets a Second Trailer

 

Other than Batman, all other DC IPs have me skeptical after the train-wreck that was Green Lantern. While the trailer for Green Lantern was pretty damn incredible, the movie ended up being almost complete garbage, leaving me feeling like I could never trust a trailer again. Here I am again at a crossroad for Zac Snyder's Man of Steel; yes, the trailer is damn amazing, but why should I believe the movie will be? I'm crossing my fingers on this one, because I really want this movie to be something special.

Holy Motors - Worth Checking Out

Holy Motors has perplexed, surprised and fascinated people since its Cannes debut and received widespread positive praise, applauding the movie for it's wonderfully bizarre, yet compelling premise. The movie stars Oscar, a shadowy protagonist who spends the movie slipping into parallel lives and roles while trying to find out his purpose, his driving force and where he came from. F

rom what we've heard, it's one of those movie experiences that will take you on a ride into a world of madness crafted by visionary director Leos Carax, memorable madness at that. Open your mind, and check out the Holy Motors website to see if a screening might be coming to a theater near you.

Red River Bay By Jeremy Pires

Originally created as an opening for 2010's Annecy awards, Jeremy Pires' Red River Bay is an underlooked gem, a morsel of delicious eye candy that leaves you wanting more. The angular style of his characters and colored pencil look of Red River truly drew me in.

We're no strangers to his work, having featured his insanely NSFW, yet amazing animated music videos for DYE - Fantasy, and Caravan Palace's Rock It For Me, as well as a slew of other animated shorts. Check out his demo reel after the break!

History Of Nintendo By Anthony Veloso

Set to the awesome tune of Kavinsky's Testarossa track, this slick presentation goes through 32 years of consoles, handhelds and every iteration in between (With the exception of the Virtual Boy). The editing by Anythony Veloso is absolutely stellar, although I'm kind of left wondering if this was perhaps a viral attempt to push some nostalgia buttons and raise some last minute hype for the WiiU. Either way, a truly well done tribute piece.

How to Put On Makeup Without a Mirror

Like, oh my god, I've been looking for these tips for like, ever. I finally can look SO hot, thank you Heather Cambell and the Midnight Show. Like, oh my god, so excited. Stick around for the whole video for some super sexy tips.

M4SONIC - Live as you go

M4SONIC's fingers glide effortlessly over his dual 64 button Novation music controllers in this live performance of an original piece called 'Virus.' By assigning samples and loops to each of the buttons on these mixers, the relatively inexpensive controllers enable the creation of some truly amazing pieces limited only by your own creativity. After witnessing what he managed to accomplish with a device that cost just over $100, I'm kind of tempted to add one of these to my Christmas list just to tinker with. Check out his Weapon composition after the break, created using only one Launchpad, which you can get here if you're so inclined.

More Remember Me Concept Art By Paul Chadeisson

We've been following French developer DontNod since they debuted a mysterious proof of concept title called 'Adrift' in 2011, which later got picked up by Capcom and became 'Remember Me,' a Bladerunner-esque next gen title slated to release in May 2013.

Concept artist Paul Chadeisson (Aka Pao) just recently uploaded a few more concepts from the upcoming title, which showcase some bigger picture shots of the dystopian world of Neo-France that the heroine, Nilin inhabits. Check out some more fresh concept art after the break!

Attack On Titan Gets The Anime Treatment

I'd been wondering lately what the folks at Production I.G. (Ghost In The Shell, Patlabor, End Of Evangelion) had been working on as of late, considering that the anime studio had been relatively quiet since 2009's thriller series, Eden Of The East. Yet to my surprise we received a tip this morning about the debut trailer for their exciting new project based off of Hajime Isayama's renown manga, 'Attack On Titan' (進撃の巨人 Shingeki no Kyojin).

The manga, which takes place in a world where humans are reduced to living in fortresses due to the sudden, mysterious appearance of Titans, humanoid entities seemingly devoid of motives that seek to devour humans. I coincidentally had a chance to read a few chapters just a few weeks back, and was engrossed by the quest of the protagonists to find the true meaning behind the appearance of these monstrous creatures. With some stellar looking animation and I.G.'s track record, this will definitely be an anime worth checking out in 2013.

Awesome Retro Style Custom Action Figures

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An incredible collection of custom made action figures by Ebay seller Popfartsberger has just come online within the last few hours, containing dozens of one of a kind figures from movies created in the style of retro Kenner toys from the 80's/early 90's. The 3 3/4 inch toys have been going incredibly fast, with most of the leading characters being snatched up just hours after being listed. I wish I'd been able to get my hands on the Kurt Russell/RJ McReady figure myself, as The Thing is one of my favorite horror flicks ever made.

Check out a ton more figures from the collection after the break, and be sure to head over to the auction to get one before they're gone forever!

Laika by Avgousta Zourelidi

On November 3, 1957, Sputnik 2 was launched into space along with space's first Earthling: Laika, the stray dog.  The technology to bring space craft back home had not yet been discovered, so it was known that this would be a one-way journey.  Though scientists feel quite certain that she most likely didn't experience her journey quite long, animator Avgousta Zourelidi came up with her own depiction of the Laika's experience: From training to her final mission, all told in a series of flashbacks. Cue sad music.

Her legacy lives on though, including the name of the Oregon based animation studio that created Paranorman and Coraline (Studio Laika). Photos of the real Laika after the break.

The Art Of Pascal Blanche

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Pascal Blanche is a French 3D artist that has spent a good chunk of his life and career over at Ubisoft, moving up from a character designer 2001 all the way to Senior Art Director, a role he just recently took up in July. Pascal has also worked prominently as a freelancer, with clients including Autodesk and Wizards Of The Coast.

His personal work has garnered a lot of acclaim, for the fact that he's utilized 3D art effectively as a tool for executing his stylized illustrations. which mix the best of 3D and 2D worlds. Drawing inspiration from Frank Frazetta, Moebius, Simon Bisley, Brom and a slew of other illustrators, his bright, graphic pieces showcase a successful amalgam of combined influences. Check out more Mr. Blanche's work after the break!

Oblivion

Universal's new trailer for the long teased post apocalyptic flick Oblivion is finally out, directed by John Kosinski, who directed Tron: Legacy.  The 2013 flick stars Tom Cruise as John Harper, a veteran soldier sent to a distant planet to destroy the remains of an alien civilization that once threatened to annihilate earth, before some revelations cause him to question everything about his mission.

The trailer looks pretty decent, with my only gripe being that this version of the future looks like it was designed by Apple with the white on white, sterile and streamlined look of everything. We already saw this visual language with the advanced races in the Wachowski's recently released Cloud Atlas. Personal preference here, but I wish they'd done something a little different. Other than that, a scifi flick to look forward to in 2013.

The Bane Outtakes

Considering that Bane's mouth was covered, it was only a matter of time before he got the dubbed treatment. Prepare for a lot of discussion about breakfast, fiber and the benefits of fresh strawberries.

Firefly

It's a pretty simple concept: a dude and his illuminated skateboard travel all around an urban landscape.  What caught my eye (and ear) was the effects and the music.  There's something hypnotizing about this that just makes me want to put it on loop.  I loved the cinematography and understated futuristic look of it all.  Check out the behind the scenes footage here!

You Ruined It

You see her running towards you, eyes fixed in a loving stare, yet over time you realize something is terribly amiss. This unsettling video by David Langan was commissioned by Adult Swim for their surreal 'Off The Air' program created by David Hughes, which you can check out here.

Yacht - Second Summer

The Animation Domination folks teamed up with the Portland based dance duo to mark ten years of indie electropop goodness. Yacht had an overly elaborate explanation for the colorful video: 'The video represents the ultimate manifestation of our spirit animal, the Smiangle, morphing from an impersonal signifier of mystical subtext into something completely alive, surreal, and psychotropic.' Trippy.

Origin by Jessica Poon

This adorable animated short was created by Calarts student Jessica Poon, and is an especially awesome Saturday morning cartoon.  Created with a childlike aesthetic, this is the story of a water droplet mother/son duo, and how the son decides to set out on his own.  His journey takes him takes him down a scary path, but perhaps all hope isn't lost.  I especially loved the look of the bright, colored pencil designs.

'The Phantom Pain' Announcement Trailer: Could This Be Metal Gear Solid 5?

Phantom Pain: Phantom pain sensations are described as perceptions that an individual experiences relating to a limb or an organ that is not physically part of the body.

Just like any other proper gamer out there, I share the sentiment of despising Spike's Video Games Awards. That being said, this breakout announcement from the show has lit the internet by storm, and has made the patronising award show worth watching. As much as I hate the VGA's? This trailer blew my f***ing mind.

Aside from the game studio, Moby Dick Studios, very little is known about this 'new' title, which seems to try to avoid any attachment with known franchises. People have pointed out very strange resemblances to characters from Metal Gear Solid, but with no confirmation other than a character that might be Solid Snake with an amputation this aspect remains to be seen. With Kojima at the Video Game Awards and the many subtle winks within the trailer hinting that this might be a multiplatform Metal Gear, I highly suggest you watch one of the most mind blowing and exciting trailers I've seen in years and come to your own conclusions. Guys, welcome to 'The Phantom Pain.'

Random Collisions

On a Friday, the end of week (for a lot of us, anyway), we just need to chill out.  I don't know about you, but I'm at work for a few more hours, and unfortunately have no access to beer.  So, our second best bet is a wonderful, chill, and gorgeous video compilation.  Our normal content doesn't really gear towards nature videos, but this... This was an exception.  Filmed in Australia, this compilation features a variety of landscapes, insects, and animals.  Perhaps I was inspired by our recent viewing of Ang Le's visually stunning Life Of Pi, and it's amazing cinematography.  Enjoy, and happy weekend!

Tron X Street Fighter - Two Worlds Collide

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We don't typically feature much along the lines of photo manipulation, but this series by Australian artist Kode was too awesome to pass up. Combining the best faces and art of Street Fighter with a healthy dose of Tron inspired glow treatment and some graphic design flair, Kode has brought the best of two worlds together in this successful mashup series. Check out his takes on Chun Li, Abel, Cammy, Juri, Ryu and C. Viper after the break!

R By Takuya Hosogane

While the entire vocaloid (A singing synthesizer) concept has never quite resonated with me personally, I can appreciate a well animated, colorful music video. I never thought I'd see an anime version of Tumblr, but I stand corrected after experiencing the quick fire barrage of non-sequitur, colorful vignettes that this collab project culminated in. Check out the making of video after the break.

The Park - Tahiti Boy And The Palmtree Family (Jaune! Remix)

Cyclical loops mesmerize in this Jaune! produced remix of Tahiti Boy and Palmtree's The Park, reminiscent in tone of tracks like Chemical Brothers' Star Guitar with the usage of perfectly synchronized repetition. And I hope you have multichannel speakers or headphones, because this track takes that cyclical concept to the aural level as well. Fantastic.

CROWN

Words escape me. I... I really don't know what I can say about this without giving too much away.    Essentially, some kids find an abandoned house and some weird happenings goes down. And I take that back, not weird. Downright f*cking bizarre. I'm not even really sure what it's supposed to mean, but I do know it's left quite open to interpretation.  It's a damn good short film, with it's ability to draw you in without dialogue.

Tijuana Cartel - Snappy Tom

Australian animation studio Rubber House, who also created the quirky, paranoia filled music video for Gotye's Seven Hours With A Backseat Driver return with more animated goodness for Tijunana Cartel. The relatively simple music video features the results of organisms getting infected with the beats virus, and the ensuing, synchronized downward spiral.

The Art Of Kudamono

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Kudamono is a Shanghai based artist who now lives in London with a focus on editorial illustration. While at times taking a more painterly route with her work (Like 'flight' above), she mostly relies on heavily detailed lineart and flat colors to achieve the most dramatic effect possible.

Using the tricky process of selective saturation levels, she manages to control where the flow of the viewers eyes through her sometimes complex. busy illustrations. Check out more of her abstract illustration work after the break!

Monkey and the Rabbit

Animator RodneyGK not only animated, but he wrote, scored, and sung the lyrics for his first animated short, 'Monkey and the Rabbit'.  This one-man show animation shows us a rather cheerful yet homicidal monkey do what he does best: Kill.  Even with it's several shades of brown (and no other color in sight, save for red blood), it comes across as silly and whimsical.  Well, considering the monkey's rather grotesque actions.  You know how monkeys are known to play with their poop?  Well, he takes it one step further.  NSFW-ish, depending on your job.  Enjoy!