Super Smash Wars: A Link To The Hope Is a Beautiful Star Wars Treat

Animator James Farr knows his way to my cross-over fueled heart. While Disney may have purchased Star Wars for their evil bidding it's still nice to remember the golden days of Star Wars games on the SNES and the N64. 

In a 9-minute long mash-up of Star Wars and Nintendo, James Farr showcases just how awesome a Star Wars x Nintendo cross-over world could actually be. You can't argue that the Master Sword / Lightsaber combo isn't the coolest thing you've seen all day, admit it. The cast chosen by James Farr is absolutely perfect for their Star Wars counterparts, especially Birdo (You'll know it when you see it).

James Farr has a short history of mixing Nintendo with unlikely pieces of pop-culture and they seem to keep getting better. With his focus on on 80's and 90's films, it's not long until we see the Super Mario x Breakfast Club combo you've always dreamed about.

The Colorful Art Of Gobi

(Via)

Gobi (Baptiste Gaubert) is an incredibly talented artist originally hailing from Nimes in France, where he was raised on a healthy diet of Japanese and American animated cartoons growing up. Having that inspiration mixed with his mother teaching him about sculpting and volume thanks to her ceramics background lead him down a creative path, coupled with videogames, 80's movies and other sources of creative empowerment.

Fast forward to now and Gobi is part of the Catfish Deluxe collective, comprised of a bunch of friends with similar tastes dedicating their time to developing original comics, television series and more under a collective roof. Gobi's work really reminds me of the good old days of Capcom with it's colorful, line art driven style and the distinctly stylized treatment he creates his characters and environments with. His work is bold, confident and lends itself very well to animation. Along with his friends he's developed series including Tequila, Tcho!, Apocalypse Joe and most recently Goligo. If anything I'm left wishing these series would make the jump overseas, because they're pretty damn beautiful..Either that or it's time to fast track those French classes. Check out more of his awesome work after the break!

Happy Meal Horror

Written and directed by Rocky Curby, Happy Meal Horror is a bizarre horror short that takes place in a robotic cow slaughterhouse. When a robo-cow's mother goes missing in the inner workings of the slaughterhouse, it heads out to search for her while one of the factories killer robots are in hot pursuit to contain it in this grungy animated short. Prepare for lots of chainsaws, UFO's and some not so subtle hints to McDonalds throughout this short.

Trick Or Treat!

Courtesy of We Think Things, here's an awesome animated collection of some of horror's most iconic antagonists coming right at you. Check out their awesome demo reel and adorable short titled Cumulus and Nimbus after the break as well!

Jurassic Groove

Created by Italian design house Fabrica (Meaning 'Factory'), Jurassic Groove is a delicious glitch fest created to accompany a custom electro score by Geremia Vinattieri. A chaotic entity of color bleeds his color into the dull world around him, and when an entity attempts to stop him, they engage in a glitched out stand off in the monochrome town square.

A vibrant illustration of the primordial battle between good and evil.
Splashes of color clash with glitches of monochrome on the background. Animated combining chroma-keying and rotoscoping techniques, Jurassic Groove is a visual transcription of archaic sounds, mixing primeval beats with surreal imagery.

The Lego Movie Gets A New Trailer

While the debut trailer blew our minds a few months ago, the second trailer to the Lego Movie gives us a  look into the interesting, yet increasingly bizarre plot of the film. Starring Emmett, an incredibly optimistic protagonist thrust into a position of great power, the movie's plot seems to draw in the entire Lego universe and all it's franchises into a battle against 'President Business' (Will Ferrell), who's goal is to glue the entire universe together. While it all sounds kind of meta and pretty silly as well, the movie is already looking like it's going to be incredibly entertaining and well put together, especially with the star studded cast (Liam Neeson joins the fray).

The movie definitely does have me wondering what type of insane Lego set tie ins they'll be able to come up with considering that the movie features over 30 years of Lego's in just the trailer alone (Those retro space Lego's are too distinct to miss). The movie is currently slated for an August 2014 release.

"Arm Of Kappa" And Other Works By Ryo Hirano

Ryo Hirano is a an up and coming independent Japanese director who captivated us with his distinct style, which mixes elements of stop motion, traditional animation and hand built sets to create his distinct aesthetic. His style channels the playful elements of children's drawings, which he draws individually on pieces of paper that are super imposed on hand layered, watercolor painted sets.

   

Storywise his shorts tend to gravitate more towards the surreal side of things, with dreamlike scenarios unfolding with little to no dialogue ever being present. He's currently hard at work on his next short film dubbed Paradise (Above), following the tale of a boy in the hunt of a lost tooth and a bear searching for his lost nose. Paradise is slated to be released sometime this year in Japan in collaboration with Foghorn studios.

A Trip To The Outer Limits of Fractal Geometry

Benoît Mandelbrot was a maverick pioneer of advanced mathematics who championed the idea of self-similarity, the theory that patterns of self-replicating occurence perpetuate throughout all forms of life on all scales of size, ad infinitum. This principle lies at the heart of geometric fractals, symmetrical shapes that when magnified on an infinitesimal scale resemble bizarrely intricate cathedrals, reminiscent of the masterfully macabre work of H.R. Giger as if filtered through the psychedelic uncanny valley lens of Reboot. I don't think I've had my mind warped this hard since the last time I did a rewatch of Peter Chung's Æon Flux. 

Above is an awesome compilation of some of the best the Internet has to offer, and below is one of my favorites with a music track that makes it sound like a special on the Discovery Channel.

M Is For Masticate

Created as part of this year's installment of the ABC's Of Death, a collective anthology effort to create a horror short film based off of each letter of the alphabet. Director Robert Boocheck landed with the letter M, which he used to create Masticate, featuring an enraged, psychotic bearded man overcome with a terrible hunger that leads him on a rampage through Los Angeles. That twist ending is pretty hilarious. The original ABC's Of Death (2012) was published by the Austin based Drafthouse films, so here's to hoping that this becomes a yearly tradition.

Our Son

Created by Korean animator Eric Ko at the Rhode Island School of Design, Our Son is an awesome little short created using a straight ahead animation style, ridiculously warped camera andgles and a graphic aesthetic devoid of much detail. What's it all about? I couldn't tell you, but it's definitely visually stimulating from start to finish, and even gets kind of mystical and introspective towards the end. If you like shorts executed in this style, don't forget to also check out the absolutely insane New Tokyo Ondo, which inspired the style of this short.

The Art Of Rory Phillips

(Via)

Since last running into Rory Phillips' work sometime last year, the Portland based illustrator has had some sort of explosion in skill over a matter of just a few months. His pulpy style seems to channel a lot of retro print material, movie posters and advertising trends/color schemes, and it's all a pleasant punch to the retinas to look at.

Ranging from various projects created for local illustrator events, gallery events and personal work channeling his inner affinities, Rory's work is pretty amazing. I found myself particularly drawn to his more Kaiju-poster themed pieces, which incorporate Japanese typography as both a graphic visual element and descriptor. Check out more of his awesome work after the break!

"Phonebloks" Modular Phone System Partners With Google To Become A Reality

Following the meteoric success of Dave Hakken's Phoneblok pitch video, which offered a revolutionary phone that could be customizable to the users needs via a modular 'feature block' system. Originally launched on Youtube on September 10, the video went viral and got the attention of the right people as Hakken intended.

Yesterday evening Google subsidiary Motorola announced that they'd be partnering with the Dutch designer to bring the concept to life, and potentially shake up the mobile industry with a concept intended to reduce the waste that traditional mobile phones generate. The company had originally been working on a similar idea over the past year, but found that Hakken's vision could further cement Motorola's initiative. The plan is to roll out an open source module development environment with dev kits in the next few months prior to the launch of the final product, dubbed 'Project Ara.' Stay tuned for more updates.

Ratio

Created as an abstract short film by Murat Sayginer, Ratio centers around a variety of spheres with a collective conciousness coming together to create something out of nothing. The musical score effectively adds a soothing sense of wonder to the entire experience, and the effective camera work keeps it interesting despite the entire short being centered around a single set.

Broken Bells "Angel and The Fool" Short Film

Broken Bells, the spacey two man alt-rock collaboration between Shins' front man James Mercer and multi-instrumental producer Brian Burton, has finally reemerged with their second album set to come out this upcoming January, titled 'After The Disco'. Following the announcement, the band have once again joined forces with the talents of Jacob Gentry to craft a short promotional  film, "Part One: Angel and The Fool", to mark the occasion. From the look and sound of it, 2014 is in for some kicking new jams. Can't wait to hear the whole album. Check out the outstanding seven minute teaser(!) above.

Directed by Jacob Gentry and produced by POPfilms in conjunction with The Creators Project, the video follows Oliver (Anton Yelchin) as he slips into a parallel universe where he meets the love of his life in the form of fallen astronaut, Helen (Kate Mara). Before they can fully embrace one another, a pink, glowing starship threatens their unity.

Scream Fortress 2013 Is Live!

I love Halloween more than any other Holiday, it's filled with spooky surprises and most importantly my favorite themed event, Scream Fortress. Following four years of fantastic Halloween events, Scream Fortress 2013 is the fifth annual Halloween special, promising bigger tricks and treats than ever before! It's been quite a while since I've installed the ol' Team Fortress 2, but you can be certain the download is already in my Steam queue. 

This year's Scream Fortress event takes place on Helltower (spooky as hell, right?), a Halloween inspired payload race with surprises around every corner. While the new map certainly sounds fun, the one thing that brings me back every year are the new items and costumes and this year is looking to be better than ever! 

With over 100 items featured in this years Scream Fortress, there's one thing that stands above the rest; Spellbooks! Each player can obtain and equip one Spellbook, allowing them to cast spells throughout the event. 

Each year I assume will be the last for my time with Team Fortress 2, but Valve continues to reel me back in with content like this. Time to go throw more money into keys!

A Visual Trip With NETWORKS' "Ake-Vono"

Sometimes a music video is the tipping point of my love for a song, it takes an already enjoyable listening experience and turns it up a notch. Ake-Vono by NETWORKS is already a fantastic song on it's own, providing a chill mood while still giving a sense of upbeat motivation. Mixing in the spectacular visual representations of artist Kohei Yoshino, Ake-Vono is an excellent break from reality and is certain to give you that tingly feeling your brain gets after spacing out with a music visualization effect.

Ake-Vono is the first single off of NETWORKS' upcoming album, which judging from this track is sounding to be quite a fun listening experience. You can download Ake-Vono for free from Soundcloud over here.

189 Spinning CDs Wered Used In The Stop-Motion Of SOUR's 'Life is Music'

Surprisingly Kickstarter doesn't just fund indie games, there are some pretty awesome projects such as SOUR's Life is Music music video. Using 189 unique CDs the animated music video mimics the effects of a phenakistoscope. SOUR's quirky mathcore-like style lends itself nicely with soothing vocals similar to that of The Pillows, creating a fun experience with the music video's stop-motion. 

 

If the music video really perks your interest you can actually pick up one of the 189 CDs from their website.

Musicotherapie

Created by Clement Picon, Manu Javelle and Amael Isnard, Musicotherapie follows four animals in a mental institution creating improvised music while performing everyday activities and chores, much to the dismay of a monkey doctor. In his futile attempt to find some peace and quiet he ultimately loses it as much as his own patients. This would make an awesome beat game of sorts, especially with the amazing stylized aesthetic they captured. Created at the Supinfocom animation school.

Jay Tholen's Dropsy is back on Kickstarter; You Better Fund It This Time

Back in early July, developer Jay Tholen released one of the best Kickstarter videos to come out of the crowd-funding service. Despite the ridiculousness of the video and originality of the game, it never caught on, leaving Tholen with an unfunded game that he would continue to work on in his spare time.

Thankfully the unsuccessful campaign hasn't halted future attempts, and Jay Tholen is back with a second (technically third) try at funding his game, although this time Jay is asking for significantly less. Things are looking pretty damn hopeful this time around and the day that I'll finally get my hands on this surreal point-and-click adventure game is drawing even closer.

While Telltale Games has done a phenomenal job at popularizing the once thought dead genre of adventure games, there hasn't been a huge selection of old-school point-and-click style games to wet my whistle. Dropsy takes the idea of that 90's style point-and-click game you're used to and drops a vial of LSD on top while you click your way through an absolutely insane world. Let's face it, the world needs Dropsy, so take a look at the campaign over here.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Upon first glance of the trailer to The Grand Budapest Hotel, it becomes evident right away that this is a Wes Anderson. His distinct style shines through, with his use of color, music, and pacing.  Personally, Anderson is hit or miss with me. His last endeavor with Moonrise Kingdom left me bored and uninspired. But this latest trailer, starring Ralph Fiennes, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, and of course Bill Murray, has piqued my interest and looks like it might be a fun one. Set to be released in March 2014, so we have a while to find out.

I Love You So Hard (NSFW)

Some people just have a lot of feelings. They love... A lot. And so hard. This extreme and grotesque animated short by Ross Butter and Joel Veitch shows us a man who with unrequited feelings for a lady he meets on a park bench. I mean, I thought I've heard of crazy before, what with cyber-stalking and showing up to places unannounced. But holy sh*t, does this dude take it to a whole new level. I suppose you can say he thinks outside the box, which is generally a good thing, so... Anyways, most definitely NSFW. Because, damn.

Trusts and Estates (NSFW)

Based on an overhead conversation a few years ago, Trusts and Estates is a pen and ink animated short by recent CalArts graduate Jeanette Bonds.  Four lawyers sit around boozing it up and shooting the sh*t after a long day of work.  What starts off as some casual banter turns into a full vulgarity fest.  A one-up contest of a rather graphic nature, this is a conversation I really would have loved to hear in real life. NSFW for language, the visuals are G-rated.

Dreamworks Debuts Mr. Peabody And Sherman Trailer

Dreamworks just recently unveiled their latest reboot project, tapping into a segment of the 1960's Rocky and Bullwinkle show and expanding it into a feature treatment. Originally called Peabody's Improbable History, the only departure notable in this adaptation is dumbing down the originally intelligent human sidekick Sherman into a more 'relatable' character for kids, while letting Peabody (Voiced by Ty Burrell) take care of that whole intelligence aspect.

Considering how ancient the source material is, I'm left wondering how successful this will be despite it's visually appealing aesthetic. Considering Dreamworks' inconsistent track record, come March of next year we'll know whether this is more of a Shrek or a How To Train Your Dragon. Here's to hoping it's the latter.

Efterklang - "Black Summer"

Taken from Efterklang's 4th album called 'Piramida,' Black Summer features a haunting video exploring themes of imprisonment. Snapshots of impoverished neighborhoods, people living on the fringes of society as a result of conditions not in their control are seen through the perspectives of various dogs, who somehow humanize their condition. It's all about what's implied through the filtered visuals that makes the video powerful. The Danish bands' chill style of indie rock offers a soothing overlay on the harsh visuals.

Late For Meeting

Following 2011's insanely odd, yet strangely cheerful Going to the store, director David Lewandowski returns with a followup chronicling an even more glitched out humanoid on his way to work. To up the ante, our favorite glitched out humanoid goes to the grocery store this time, drives his verrry special 'car,' and even picks up some balloons in the process. The score is just as catchy as the first installment, if not even more. In case you haven't watched it yet, check out the original after the break for a pleasant daily dose of WTF.

In A Forest

In A Forest is an animated thriller centered around the concept of a rabbit who finds himself in the crosshairs of a determined predator. Directed by Dutch filmmaker/artist Fons Schiedon and co-produced by Submarine pictures, In A Forest is a highly cinematic affair with a very strange twist lurking at the end. When it was mentioned to us that 'The behind the scenes is rather uninteresting because it's part of the film,' we were left scratching our heads till we watched it in it's entirety. Pretty cool concept.

Visual Bites - H-Man, Sting, Coven, Sunset

We run into plenty of awesome content that might be too short to warrant a full dedicate post, so we'll be using the 'Visual Bites' monicker to promote these bite sized visual treats from artists around the world. Animation loops, quick shorts and experimentation will be the main focus in this ongoing series.

H-Man is the opening for an upcoming live action series premiering on the artist centered channel 'Arte.' The series was created by Miyu Productions, channeling a vintage animation style that feels a little Monty Python in parts. More visual bites after the break.

Worth Checking Out - Night In The Woods

  Night In The Woods is a gorgeous new 2D adventure-platformer from the minds of game designer Alec Holowka and animator Scott Benson. The game takes place in the rural suburbia of Possum Springs where you play as Mae, a precocious yet introverted 20-something trying to find her place in the world of young adulthood. Night In The Woods promises a variety of laugh-worthy and poignant misadventures, with many extracurricular activities to enjoy, characters to befriend, and dark secrets to uncover. 

Run, jump and use astral projection to explore the many sides of the town of Possum Springs and the surrounding environs. Waste time around town with your crew of loser friends. Gain abilities that grant passage to new areas. Discover the secrets of a large cast of characters and the town itself. Experience a big crazy world and the remarkable events unfolding there. Play bass. Break stuff. 

The animation and art style resemble a marriage between the whimsical style and humor of Double Fine's Scott Campbell and Olive The Other Reindeer illustrator J. Otto Seibold. I love games that push into the previously unexplored facets of the human experience, away from the neon-tinged firefights of space warfare and the swashbuckling of high-fantasy. Though those are nice too, in moderation. I can't wait to play this game. Check out their Kickstarter page!

The Art Of Adam Tan

(Via)

Adam Tan is an Auckland, New Zealand based illustrator, and let me tell you - Ever since graduating in late December of 2012 he's been on fire. Unlike his more editorial counterparts, Adam mixes a highly painterly style with flat graphical flairs to execute some truly stunning pieces, incorporating his interests in eastern culture and the surreal into an awesome amalgam.

I'm expecting great things from this illustrator, who's already been getting loads of custom work in the fields of album covers, trading card game art, graphic novels and a few gallery shows here and there. Keep your eyes peeled for this talented artist, definitely an up and comer in the illustration field. Check out more of his exquisitely rendered original works, tributes and more after the break!

Studio Ghibli's "The Tale of Princess Kaguya"

After nearly 14-years, Studio Ghiblio co-founder Isao Takahata is returning with his first film since the release of My Neighbors the Yamadas. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a retelling of the Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (an ancient tale telling the story of a baby found in a bamboo forest) and features an art and animation style similar to that seen in the Heian period of Japan. The style of animation lends itself incredibly well to character movement, giving a wind-like quality to their actions and a painterly feel to the world's environment.

After Miyazaki's announced retirement, it's soothing to see that other members of Ghibli are taking on the task of continuing the studio's animation legacy. Takahata's work has always done a phenomenal job at balancing a fine line between harsh reality and fantasy, which The Tale of Princess Kaguya looks to be continuing with. The film releases November 23rd in Japan with no international release date set as of now.

The Art of Wouter Gort

(Via)

Plumes of fire-tinged smoke pepper out of the aftermath of a demonstration gone brutally wrong, Automated factories manufacture warp-drive engines suspended by anti-grav harnesses, soldiers patrol the installation of a placement of lightning cannons before a routine firing exercise.

The appeal of Wouter Gort's artwork is prompts the viewer's imagination to construct a context to give life to the scenes that he creates. Whether it's a jacket-clad rebel just minutes away from a hopeless firefight, or a crazed group of vigilantes making a house-call on behalf of room service, Wouter's eye for detail and perspective draws the viewer into a captivating world of their mutual invention.

Wouter is not only a talented painter, but also a formidable draftsman, with moleskin sketchbooks bursting with detail-laden, beautifully intricate felt-tip drawings that shed light on the studious concentration that goes into each of his paintings. His mecha designs remind me of Aaron Beck in the best possible way, and I sincerely hope that he does more Hotline Miami fan-art. That monkey's snaggletoothed grin is priceless.

The Art of Alex Konstad

(Via)

Alex Konstad is an aspiring concept artist whose digital paintings are populated by colorful host of menacing creatures and colorfully abstract pop-culture. A freelancer based out of California and student of the prestigious TAD Concept Art Program, Konstad’s keen eye for composition and flair of humor is apparent through all his work. That Blender patrol-mech is hilarious and I can't decide which one his many works are my personal favorite, the Abe's Awakening portrait with smoke-stacked chimneys or the cubist re-interpretation of EVA Unit-01. I'd keep my eye out for this guy.

The Amazing Art of Izzy Medrano

(Via)

Izzy Medrano is one of my all-time favorite artists and I think he's long overdue for some Awesome Robo love. Izzy is a freelance art-director/concept artist/cintiq ronin who roams the countryside of greater Los Angeles on a quest to bring profoundly profane and bizarrely beautiful ideas to life. He's most popularly known for his exceptional work on God of War 3 and Ascension as a lead character artist for Sony Santa Monica studios, but he's also previously worked for Neversoft on the Tony Hawk series and as a painting instructor at the Otis College of Art and Design.

You'd likely know him now for his collaborations with Wizards of the Coast, crafting impressively rendered Magic illustrations while kicking ass and taking names in no small amount. His unabashedly lewd sense of humor and the unmistakable mark of his artistry make for a hilariously offbeat and explosively provocative combination. He's also a Neal Stephenson fan, so it's only natural he's f***ing awesome.

Wind Waker meets Dark Souls in Cornerstone

I'd like to set the foundation of this post with this, why the f*ck isn't this funded yet? Take one part Windwaker, another part Dark Souls and mix them together and you'll get something along the lines of Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim (like I said, why isn't this funded?). The game may be very early in development (pre-alpha mind you), but the overall concept has more than perked my interest.

With an open and explorable world on the scale of Windwaker, mixing in the combat of Dark Souls is truly the icing on the cake. There have been very few games that have captured my attention like the Windwaker, and the thought of another studio tackling that level of exploration is all I need set sail on this Kickstarter ship.

If you're like me, you probably prefer a little bit more hands-on time with something you're spending money on and lucky for you the team at Ascension Games have provided a playable demo (which you can find on the Kickstarter page). While the demo is really only touching the surface of what this game is planned to be, it was more than enough to suck me in. As of now only two days remain for the Kickstarter with $10,000 still needing to be raised. Do you think we can do it? Head over to the Kickstarter page here to place your bets.

Ghost in the Shell ARISE Border: 2 Gets New Trailer

The second of four OVA's for the Ghost in the Shell prequel gets it's first trailer, offering us a glimpse at the new cryptic case that Mokoto and her crew will be dealing with. This 50 minute episode (Which will be released theatrically in Japan) will cover how the entire team comes to know each other while each investigating a mysterious criminal element know as 'the man with the eye that does not sleep,' with their own divisions.

Even though it's not subtitled, the trailer gives off a good impression in regards to the top notch, yet grounded animation style. Thematically I'm hoping that this storyline might draw parallels in regards to the Laughing Man saga (My fave). It's set to debut in November 20 in theaters, with no planned release date for US markets just yet. Stay tuned.

The Art Of Andy Helms - Minimalist Tribute

(Via)

Andy Helms is an Austin based illustrator and pixel tinkerer with a knack for minimalism, who's paid tribute to memorable series including the full Indiana Jones trilogy, The Walking Dead, Metal Gear and many others. His style encompasses the 'less is more' philosophy, using the least amount of visual detail possible to beckon memories of some of these series and movies most memorable moments.

You have to appreciate that kind of restraint when it comes to illustration, as it's definitely no easy feat to shackle yourself to such constraints. The resulting pieces are highly graphic and impactful, encapsulating each franchise in a particular moment executed by this skillful artist. Check out more of his work after the break!

The Walking Dead - A Decade Of The Dead

Created as a collab between Hyundai, Future US, Skybound and Initiative, this awesome documentary chronicles the rise of the zombie themed comic into prominence. It's amazing considering it's humble beginnings in 2003 from the mind of writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore as a 'bait and switch pitch' through Image comics, tapping into the zombie fad close to a decade before it started.

Fast forward to 2013 and it's a hit mainstream TV series on AMC with a continuing comic storyline powered by the art talentes of British artist Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn. It's one of those rare cases of everyone involved believing in an indie comic project and seeing it through until that lucky break hurtling it into the public spotlight. I also tend use it as my favorite example of how hyper violence is ok but tasteful nudity isn't on TV.

Kutiman - "Through Tokyo"

Musician/video mixer Kutiman spent a few weeks capturing the eclectic sights and sounds of Tokyo prior to remixing the entire range of footage and sounds into an incredible performance piece. Channeling a variety of sounds from traditional instruments like wind flutes (Fue), string instruments (Koto), a lute (Biwa) and other distinct instruments, Through Tokyo offers the distinct aural contrast of the modern and traditional aspects iof Japan melding together. Fantastic stuff..One of the coolest audio/visual mashups I've seen all year.

"Fake Banksy" Sells Out

In an amazing display of ballsy opportunism and the psychological power of hype, author David Cicirelli decided to play off of Banksy's October 13th New York stunt where he attempted to sell $60 canvases worth thousands of dollars each to the public from an unassuming stand. In seven hours only three were sold, much to many avid fans' chagrin.

Cicirelli set up a stand featuring Banksy reproductions and offered them for the same price, but told customers they were buying fake pieces. And he sold out of every piece (40) in just under an hour, playing a gullible public eager to invest after the value was exposed. I can't blame them honestly, as the modus operandi of Cicirelli played out in a cryptic style perfectly similar to Banksy's.

Control Bear "Wonder Garden" Short

This animated short was created for Control Bear, a new store opening in Japan specializing in designer apparel and plushes similar to other regional brands like Bathing Ape. This animated short is the latest extension of this multimedia project, titled Wonder Garden. The dialogueless animated short immediately reminded me of the more whimsical features that Ghibli has put out, Ponyo especially. After some research it turns out that former Ghibli animator Yojiro Arai (Up On Poppy Hill, Arrietty) contributed his directorial skills to the project.

Mac 'N Cheese - "Supermarket" Debuts

Following months of build up and trailers, the long awaited sequel to Mac 'N Cheese has finally debuted, following our titular heroes in their quest to get some measly income by taking on a job at the supermarket. While everything seems to go smoothly at first, their final task leads to yet another unintentional drug fueled bender through a warped supermarket wonderland. Note to self, never snort supermarket detergent.

The over the top short was created at Colorbleed Animation studios in Utrecht, Netherlands, which was founded by the creators of the original Mac 'N Cheese short following it's meteoric viral success with millions of views.

Sony Offers Us A Gaming Blast To The Past In "For ThePlayers Since 1995"

Sony's affectionate ode to 18 years and counting of Playstation might be a blast of nostalgia for some and an educational journey for others, chronicling the evolution and growth of the system alongside a player over the years. While it's all a build up for the Playstation 4 in it's own right, it's nice to see Sony returning to their 'for the players' motto following an entire generation of confused emphasis and mistakes with the PS3.

Presented as a seemingly seamless shot, the video takes us from the Playstation one days up till the Playstation 4, while also doing fun things like evolving the aspect ratio of the video (Notice how it's square during the 1995 phase?), and the styles of the players to reflect the times. Kudos for great marketing, kind of makes me remember why I fell in love with the system to begin with.

Mega64 Takes on Beyond: Two Souls

It feels like it's been ages since Mega64 did their last public skit, but with the magical experience of David Cage's Beyond: Two Souls recent release there's no better time for a skit like this. In typical Mega64 fashion you're in for 3-minutes for some awkward public encounters, although this is probably as awkward as it's going to get. With the popularity of Mega64, it's awesome to see the group find the ability to film a skit without instantly being recognized.

Leaving Home by Joost Lieuwma

On the two far ends of the independence spectrum, we have people who are chomping at the bit to move out of their parents' house, and then we have those who have to be forced out. The latter is humorously shown in Joost Lieuwma's animated short, aptly titled "Leaving Home." A true mama's boy, the main character is forced out of his family home by his fed up father, and attempts to navigate the real world. "Attempt" is the key word here. Through bizarre forces not of his own doing, he frequently finds himself back at home.

Tank by Nate Milton

Illustrator and animator Nate Milton created this subtle, serene animated short about a young nature enthusiast and how he happens upon a realization. The young man has a variety of animals in captivity, hence the title, and sets out to see what else he can discover.  A mishap brought on by curiosity brings him close to a peculiar creature, and from there small events unfold that leads him to his realization regarding the respect of nature. The nine minute short is dialogue free, and the combination of music and use of watercolors really lends itself to it's overall feel of simplicity and calm.

Markus Daum's Insane Cinematic Rigging Reel

3D Animation is very similar to puppeteering, using a pre-made rig to control the various aspects of the models while constructing their performance. Cinematic rigger Markus Daum shares with us some of his absolutely insane rigs created for various movies dating back all the way to 2006.



Having had a chance to study rigging briefly (And realizing it was totally not for me), I have incredible respect for the service they provide for animators, alleviating their job by providing them with great tools to animate with. The Hellboy II Golden Army rig takes the cake though!

Liquid Motion

Created as a study in recent trends in motion graphics, Liquid Motion chronicles the recent surge in popularity in straight ahead, ever transforming fluid animation. Such examples include Orgesticulanismus and Cartoon Network's recent summer ident collab, which used similar techniques. At times abstract, this ever evolving style of animation is plain fun to look at, and 2013 has been filled with animation using this style.

Bet She'An

Mixing the fantastical with real life locations, Bet She'An introduces us to an eerily quiet city plagued by an unknown curse slowly turning all it's residents into crows. A lone sculptor seeks out signs of life on a daily basis, only to be reminded of this strange affliction stripping everyone he once knew of their humanity. As a final gesture, he sets out to create a monument to what this city once stood for- Life.

From a visual standpoint this Supinfocom short was especially impressive from an environmental standpoint, employing shaders that emulated a pencil 'hatched' look. The attention to lighting and staging as well successfully created a truly mysterious atmosphere around this once great city, towering high above the lands below it. Bet She'An was created by Calvet David, Charbonel Jeremy, Letoile Bastien, Raynaut Guillaume, Soler Julien and Wang Gongjin.

The Surreal Art Of Hikari Shimoda - Lost Youth

(Via)

I think artists tend to create some of their strongest work when they tap into issues that resonate with them on a personal level. Those life changing moments leave a deep imprint that need to be exorcised in one way or the other, and for some it's through art. Hikari Shimoda has just recently been making waves with a series that came out after a few years of experimentation with titles including 'Remnants of Children,' 'Whereabouts of God,' and others tackling some rather dark subject matter centered around children.

From what I interpreted following some interviews with Shimoda, the series focuses on visualizing how a child feels following the loss of or abandonment from their parents, and how their fantasy world completely shatters in the wake of such a trauma. Reoccurring visual themes mark these scars, including horns, darkened, dull eyes representing a sparkly eyed child losing their youth and other visual clues. You're left wondering whether this is based off of Shimoda's own personal experience with similar events, and it's incredibly unsettling to think how it must feel just based off these illustrations. Her works are currently being exhibited internationally at various galleries. More of her surreal work after the break.

Sleep Walk

I have no doubt that I'd get pretty introspective if I found myself observing the world finally coming to an end. Sleep Walk focuses on an elated doomsday enthusiast looking back at his sad past while a swirling vortex brings everything around him to an end. For being a short under 3 minutes, I was surprised by how much story and emotion the creators were able to imbue into their story despite the crazy premise. The destruction is secondary to the protagonist, who finally finds peace in an unlikely fashion. Set in the late 50's, the short offers some pleasant musical contrast despite it's somber themes.

This is the first animated short film created by Mark Szumski and Gina Niespodziani aka Hey Beautiful Jerk. Produced by Rob Meyers and Danon Hinty. Character Design by Ronald Wimberly.Art Direction by Kuni-I Chang. Animation and Post Production services by Click 3x. Music produced by Pleaserock.

Mickey Mouse In "Dog Show"

Dog Show is probably the most twisted short in the spectrum of these rebooted Mickey Mouse shorts by Paul Rudish, tackling some aspects that I'd always wondered about growing up with Disney cartoons. Namely, is Goofy a dog? Why do Goofy and Pluto exist in the same universe? Following Pluto getting injured due to a screw up by Goofy prior to a dog show, Mickey has to improvise how to still participate. Prepare yourself for seeing these classic characters in ways you never imagined before, including Mickey losing it in a way I haven't seen since Runaway Brain.

Atoms for Peace - "Before Your Very Eyes"

Directed by acclaimed Bjork collaborators Andrew Thomas Huang and Laura Merians, Atom for Peace's newest music video sees lead singer Thom Yorke once again at the odd center of attention. A bird's-eye perspective pans over a mysterious desert of undulating currents as the shattered remnants of the Radiohead front-man peek out like a modern-day Ozymandias. Yorke's crooning falsetto conjures up a city of lost colors back from the dead before crumbling apart into the depths of the earth again. The group certainly know how to pick who they work with, because this video is incredible.

Worth Checking Out - Scale

We've seen some incredible games revolving around ideas of swapping, portals, cloning, but has anyone attempted to build an entire experience based off of scale? Steve Swink's Scale is an incredibly refreshing new Kickstarter project, offering a gameplay experience centered around the concept of allowing the player to manipulate the world around them using a very unique looking resizing mechanic. This unique device that you carry around with you allows you to change the scale of any item that you see - Vegetation, enemies, even levels to a size that you see fit on your quest to discover who abducted your cat, and why you have no memory of destroying part of a continent.

Inspired by the gameplay of Portal and the exploration aspects of Super Mario 64 and Zelda, I get the feeling that Scale has the definite potential to be an incredible immersive experience. The trailer also offers us a great idea of the type of abstract narrative we'll be in for. Why do I get the feeling that Valve might pick up this team and use this as a basis for Portal 3? Stay tuned, and support them on their awesome looking Kickstarter.

You play as young physics savant Penny Prince, inventor of a device which can suck the size out of one thing and shoot it into another. SCALE begins as Penny awakes in prison, convicted of 9,322,591 counts of Depraved Heart Murder for accidentally destroying the east coast. Someone has confiscated her cat. Against the express advice of the rehabilitative therapy coordinator now living inside her brain, she hastily reconstructs her device using materials from a nearby cellphone recycling bin and embarks upon escape in an attempt to regain her freedom and her cat.

The Pinup Art Of Gunt

(Via)

Gunt, also known as Guillaume Poux is a French comic book artist and illustrator currently employed at Bamboo Editions where he's contributed to a variety of publications. On his free time though, Guillaume enjoys focusing his creative energies towards pinups- and by that I mean his entire online portfolio.

Ranging from pinups channeling exploitation era cinema (Like his awesome take on Barbarella, after the break) to historical pinup work, his stylized take is colorful and fun to look at. Check out more of his work after the break.

The Shining - 8 Bit Style

The folks at Cinefix have continued to evolve their awesome 8-bit cinema segment, and the latest installment is one of their best yet, translating The Shining into a graphic adventure game similar to retro point and click games like Day of the Tentacle and Manic Mansion. Jack's downward spiral is captured perfectly in this wonderfully retro tribute to Kubrick's excellent horror movie.

Cupcake And Dinosaur

Currently in development by Pedro Eboli, Cupcake And Dinosaur is a silly proof of concept opening trailer featuring 'royalty-free video footage abuse,' Skrillex tracks and the rather silly adventures of Giancarlo Luppe (Cupckae) and Jebediah Chan-Wok (Dinosaur).

The Art of Ivan Alifan

(Via)

Ivan Alifan's ongoing series of paintings, It's Not Milk, are beautifully rendered meditations on the tenuous divide between sensuality and perception. Alifan describes his work as, Using ambiguity as a tool [that prompts] the viewer's exploration of their psyches and provokes self awareness; I can say confidently that, for me at least, he's accomplished his goal and then some.

His paintings conjure up a wellspring of reaction; the aloof halo of mysticism and sensuality that permeate off these figures in his portraits evokes a sensation like being doused in a torrent of frosted ice-cream. Cold, alarming, and oddly enough, pleasant.

The Value of Design

Despite being created by Golden Wolf for the British market, the message in this short is universal in regards to how much a good designer can contribute to helping a business grow and be successful. This especially applies to new businesses, as they are more in tune with what newer generations are drawn to. Inspiring for any struggling designer out there, as it paints a powerful picture as to the increased role that they will play in solving problems in the future.

Hell No - The Sensible Horror Film

Let's just face it, Hollywood doesn't even bother making horror movies anymore. It's a thing of the past to see movies that create a genuine sense of fear, compared to the 'startle' movies that are out there today, typically following the same formula of a bunch of developmentally stunted protagonists in their journey of making stupid decisions, accompanied by a heavy dose of cheap, unimaginative scares and cookie cutter scenarios. Hell No by Pixels Per Second takes a long hard look at the genre, and injects a healthy dose of rationale to the protagonists as they're dealing with various scenarios. The result? A series of humorous, and incredibly anti-climactic takes on horror. Don't touch that Horadric cube now.

Imagine a realm where the most horrifying terrors of the underworld emerge to wreak bloody vengeance upon any who... hmm? What's that? you wanna go literally anywhere else? yeah, good idea let's get out of here

The Art Of Asiulus - Visual Ordeal

(Via)

Asiulus is the alias for Joanna Krótka, a Polish illustrator based out of Krakow, the second largest city in Poland following Warsaw. A self proclaimed geek and 70's prog rock lover, his art style channels inspiration from unconventional sources, including psychedelia, his dreams and scifi. It's evident in her eclectic color schemes, but the actual subject matter points to much darker, surreal themes. For example, I got the feeling that the above illustration (Field of vision) tied into her own internal struggles with bad eyesight. Most of us with any form of anxiety have dealt with strange dreams regarding these issues, our subconcious at work parsing through our daily struggles.

Krótka is currently on a journey to publish her first comic, and her style and tastes really seems suited to heading down that direction with her own distinct, surreal twist. I'm looking forward to keeping track of what she comes up with. More of her twisted visions after the break!

It's Paper

Created as a  by Pingo Brinkloev, It's Paper is a playful, bite sized short with no specific goal other than being a test for achieving a papercraft look. Comprised of just under a dozen 4-5 second loops, Brinkloev offers us a look at a papery world in motion. While I was (Like many) initially fooled into thinking that this was a stop motion piece of sorts, it turns out that the entire piece was executed using a mixture of shaders and Cinema4D. Had me fooled!

Cartoon Hangover Launches Bee and PuppCat: The Series Kickstarter

It would appear that I've been completely out of the loop when it comes to the future of Bee And PuppyCat, as I was certain that we'd be seeing new episodes in the coming weeks. I was (somewhat) wrong. After part one and two of episode 1, the internet exploded with love for the quirky series, but it seems that Federator and Cartoon Hangover are in need of a little bit of a boost from the community. 

If you didn't already know, animation is expensive and providing shorts with the level of quality that Cartoon Hangover provides is no small feat. While I'm sure the studio gets a bit of funding from the likes of YouTube, I can't imagine it's enough to work comfortably. Luckily, the internet has a fancy little service called Kickstarter (maybe you've heard of it) to help offset the cost of production, this is where you come in!

Frederator/Cartoon Hangover is asking for $600,000 to help create 6 more episodes, pocket change in the eyes of the internet. After a day, they've already reached nearly $200k and with 29 days to go, here's hoping we can crush the inital goal. If you'd like to throw a little bit of dolla dolla bill ya'll head over to the Kickstarter page here and throw some money their way.

Hundred Waters - "Thistle"

Thistle is the fantastic music video directed by Martin Allais for the Florida based indie rock/folk group, part of Skrillex's OWSLA label. The track, taken straight from their titular debut album is pleasant and ethereal, accented by Nicolas Miglis' airy vocals. The music video itself follows the life cycle of a stop motion horse through various trials and tribulations, yet the atmosphere throughout remains relaxing while we witness his journey.

Down Into Nothing

Jake Fried of Inkwood returns yet again with his signature form of pure visual madness, powered by an unsettling mixture of ink, gouache, white out and coffee. His mantra is straight ahead animation, layering and evolving his canvases incessantly in a way that could be best seen as deeply unsettling. Mixed with the scratchy, droning sound treatment and the ever so subtle shaking present the entire time you're watching this, you'll feel yourself temporarily submerged into a dimension of chaos. Recommended dosage is full screen, on loop for about 8 hours.

Breathing's Amazing Stained Glass Style "Lord Of The Rings" Tribute Pieces

(Via)

Going under the monicker of 'Breathing2004' on Deviantart, Jian Guo is an incredibly talented Chinese illustrator who set his sights on bringing the various works of Tolkien to life via a series of truly amazing illustrations. Covering various moments from all three of J.R.R. Tolkien's works - The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, Jian Guo's pieces are all executed in a visually rich, colorful style reminiscent of stained glass murals.

To date he's created dozens upon dozens of these illustrations, which have only been sold in very limited edition quantities as replica prints. While we await the next installment of The Hobbit trilogy, I guess these awesome illustrations will tide us over in the meantime. More illustrations after the break!

Superman Turns 75 - A Tribute

Superman turns 75 this year, and what better way to celebrate that than to bring legendary hack director and Bruce Timm together to direct a tribute piece to one of DC's most iconic super heroes? Animated using a ton of different styles from throughout his various eras and memorable/laughable moments up to his recent New 52 resurrection. I'm really looking forward to the unintentional genocide everyone's favorite 'perfect' superhero will dish out in Snyder's upcoming Batman Vs Superman. How does this guy keep getting work? Has anyone even seen Suckerpunch? On an unrelated note, this post was sponsored by DC Comics.

The Art Of Jiefeng Jiao

(Via)

Jiefeng Jiao is a talented illustrator, concept artist, instructor and freelancer back in his stomping grounds of Shanghai, China. In between providing high quality illustrations for companies like Applibot, he also keeps himself heavily involved with institutions fostering young concept artists and illustrators in the region, including Creative Ark or the CGhub like HaoCG website. It's truly awesome when we get a chance to get a glimpse of various regions equivalents of Deviantart, like Japans PixIv, Korea's Naver community and China's Sina communities.

Jiefeng's art is very painterly, yet his approach to his characters is stylized in a very distinct way, nearly reminiscent of the type of proportions that games like Brink introduced to the art scene a few years back. A heavy foundation of traditional painting shows in his work, especially in regards to his color schemes and soft rendering style. Check out more of Jiefeng's work after the break, including his distinct interpretations of characters ranging from Hook to Guy Fawkes for Legend of the Cryptids!

Kubrick's "The Shining" Analysis - Fake Moon Landings And More

Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining is one of the most widely interpreted works of film in the last few decades, spawning countless theories,documentaries and articles attempting to decipher the countless implied themes present in that ominous Overlook hotel. Netflix just recently added Room 237, a feature length documentary with various analysis touching upon theories ranging from the implied Native American Genocide aspect, imperialism, and even supposed clues to the supposed faking of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The infamous Apollo 11 shirt - Fuel on the fire.

The insanely meticulous, detail oriented nature of Kubrick helped create that strange aura of mystique around his films (I still get chills thinking about the implied themes of Eyes Wide Shut), which were always packed to the brim with strange visual clues that never quite seemed incidental. This recently unearthed documentary offers one such angle, breaking down The Shining as a facade implying Kubrick's involvement with faking moon landings, rumored to have been filmed at the same time as the film. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I have to say they definitely make a very compelling case...Was it all just a coincidence? Be the judge, and don't forget to check out Room 237 on Netflix for more Kubrick-conspiracy goodness.

The Paper Kites - "Young"

From the same 'Oh Yeah Wow' collective that brought us some truly unique music videos for artists including Stereolove, Clubfeet and Gotye comes their latest effort, which pushes the creative envelope. Created for the Aussie indie folk band Paper Kites, Young took 7 days to shoot, stars 350 distinct faces and took ten days to assemble the 4000+ photos taken in this creative stop motion/lip synch music video.

El Macho

Carlos just can't catch a break. This graduation short by Daniel Negrin Ochoa offers a humorous tale about a man attempting to retain his dignity upon being introduced to a new member of the family - The four legged kind. Following quite a few ups and downs, the two ultimately bond amidst a decision to tone down the dog's 'macho levels,' which Carlos relates with considering his situation. Loved the idea of silk screening the backgrounds as well as the distinct visual style he captured.

Carlos yearns for order and calm amidst the chaos of his loud family of women. The arrival of Alfonso, an energetic poodle puppy, shatters any dreams he had of peace and quiet. Soon it's even too much for the women. Something has to be done..

Ai Pioppi

This slice of life mini-documentary offers us a look at the life of Bruno, a wise Italian man who tells the fascinating story of how his restaurant, Ai Pioppi (The poplars) came to be. While narrating the story of how he started building rides to give his rustic 'osteria' a unique calling card, he also shares some truly insightful thoughts on life, existence and death that are nothing short of though provoking. Lovely cinematography and a soothing score ease us into the relaxing world of Bruno's playground. It's inspiring to see a man with so much determination and passion yet, despite his age.

Hidden among the trees of an Italian forest, Bruno has been building swings, slides, seesaws, gyroscopes and roller-coasters for the last forty years. They are his passion and a way to attract clients to Ai Pioppi, the restaurant he runs with his family.