Recommended Television

I don't watch a lot of TV. Most of the shows I do watch are animated, and I usually just wait for a season to come out on DVD, and then watch the whole shooting match at once. But I really like the new version of Battlestar Galactica.

I loved the original series as a kid, but watching it now is pretty painful. It's great to see the Sci-Fi Channel update it in such a successful way. Sadly, the Cylon attack on the colonies is far more powerful now than it was in 1979, but 9/11's tapped for emotional impact, not exploited. The cast is great, with lots of strong performers who've (undeservedly) fallen through the cracks in film. The design and effects work are also terriific, evoking the original show without succumbing to its cheesiness. The 'lighthearted' episodes are a little wobbly, but when it's a military drama, it grabs me by the throat! Who would've thought twenty-six years ago that a new Galactica would've eclipsed the current Star Wars films so thoroughly for me?

Tivo the show, or rent the DVDs of the miniseries opener, season one, or now season two. It's worth a look!

PS - One of the more interesting aspects of the writing is that the heroic colonists are polytheistic, while the villainous Cylons are monotheistic. Not something I would've expected in our current political climate.

All That Glitters

There's been some strong reactions concerning picture quality in two of the latest releases of the Walt Disney Treasures series, Disney Rarities, and The Chronological Donald: Volume 2. You can read more about it, as well as see frame comparisons, at the Mice Age website.

I haven't watched these yet myself, but I'd be curious to hear from people - what did you think of these sets? How did they look to you?

Teenager Makes Trip To Iraq Alone

Farris Hassan, 16, wanted to experience the hardships in Iraq, and to help in the reconstruction. The Florida student wrote an essay about his time there, but his high school, angry about the trip, did not accept it. Read more about it here.

I know it was a foolhardy thing to do, but I'm still impressed. That takes serious guts.

Funny Stuff

Here's a strip about the joys of travelling Amtrak by one of my favorite cartoonists, Peter Bagge. I'm a fan of train travel, but I think this is pretty damn funny. His drawings can be an acquired taste, but I love his writing - enjoy!

PS - You can read a lot more Bagge strips for free here.

I'm Probably Going To Regret This

I really want to see V for Vendetta. I liked the graphic novel, and the film looks great, but...it's been bumped ahead to a March release (not a good sign), and there isn't a encouraging history of adapting Alan Moore to the screen. I have a feeling I'll probably get burned. Check out the newest trailer, and see what you think.

PS - I like the poster, too. I'm doomed!

Billy Wilder At Work

One of my favorite directors, in a photo by Bob Landry.

The Dead Puppet Show

Randy Caruso has mined two completely different pieces from his work - a student puppetry film in 1989, and more recently this photo essay, shot from the boxed-up leftovers. To me, it resembles the results of an archaeological dig.

Thanks again to Sean Johnson and the Puppetvision Blog!

More Toys From Jim Woodring

Critterbox has hit another home run with this Frank, Pupshaw & Pushpaw figure set. Get it for $55.00 + shipping! I bought my set locally at Comic Relief.

Sounds Like An Onion Article, But It's Not

There's a whole new way to be late for work! Nissan is revealing a concept car called the Urge at Detroit's auto show next month - it comes equipped with an Xbox 360. Happily, it'll only be usable if the car's parked.

Bryan Singer Gets The Call

No way! Check it out here - it's segment #7.

A Head-Scratcher

Right after I published what I thought would be an unviewable post, the display problem vanished. The blog appears properly when I open a new Safari window, too. Maybe the Blogger folks corrected the problem, but I hadn't really heard back from them yet.

Weird. Well, guess I'll go have some cereal.

Blog Problems

I've been having trouble viewing the blog since last night - all I can see at jeffpidgeon.com right now is a blank white screen. I've checked with my ISP, and there doesn't seem to be a problem with the account. I've written to Blogger, but they don't have a customer service number, so I'm wading through automated e-mails. Please stand by.

PS - Of course, I don't think you can see this, so this post is probably pointless.

Love Theme From King Kong

...by Jack Black. In the words of the man, "Listen up."

A New Children's Book

My buddy Nik Ranieri wrote and illustrated The Great Elephant, a religious allegory. It's a title by Winepress Publishing - you can buy it there, or get it from Amazon.

Congratulations, Nik!

Another Great Commercial

This one's for Gametap. A big thanks to Sean Johnson and the Puppetvision Blog!

Master Replica's 2006 Product Line

From azogscollection.com:

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Jack Sparrow Sword LE
Jack Sparrow Flintlock LE
Jack Sparrow Compass LE
Davy Jones Key Replica
Elizabeth Swann Necklace Replica
Jack Sparrow Ring Replica
Will Turner Letter Opener
Jack Sparrow Letter Opener

MUPPETS
Kermit the Frog "Photo" Puppet

DISNEY COLLECTION
Mickey Mouse Character Statuette
Donald Duck Character Statuette
Tinkerbell Character Statuette
Winnie the Pooh Character Statuette

MARVEL
Marvel Comic Heroes Poker Chip Set

STAR TREK
Assault Phaser LE
The Original Series Enterprise Studio Scale
The Original Series Enterprise Studio Scale--Pilot Version
(Master Replicas exclusive)

STAR WARS
Qui-Gon Jinn Ep I Lightsaber CE
Stormtrooper Ep IV Helmet CE
Boba Fett Ep VI Blaster CE
Darth Vader EpVI Lightsaber CE
Luke Skywalker EpIV Lightsaber LE (retail partner exclusive)
Qui-Gon Jinn Ep I Lightsaber LE
Stormtrooper Ep IV Helmet LE
Boba Fett Ep VI Blaster LE
Boba Fett EpV Helmet LE
Darth Vader EpVI Lightsaber LE
Luke Skywalker EpIV Lightsaber SE
Rebel Y-Wing Studio Scale
Original Trilogy Star Wars Collectible Poker Chip Set
Luke Skywalker Ep IV Lightsaber Scaled item
Obi-Wan Kenobi Weathered Ep IV Lightsaber Scaled item
Luke Skywalker Ep V Lightsaber Scaled item
Darth Vader Ep V Lightsaber Scaled item
Anakin Skywalker Ep II Lightsaber Scaled item
Stormtrooper Ep IV Blaster Scaled item
Han Solo Ep V Blaster Scaled item
Boba Fett Ep VI Blaster Scaled item
Darth Maul Ep I Lightsaber Force FX
Obi-Wan Kenobi Ep III Lightsaber Force FX
*CE = Collectors Edition
*LE = Limited Edition
*SE = Signature Edition

And There Was Much Rejoicing

Series Seven of Red Dwarf comes to DVD January 10th. One more set, and all of the episodes will be available. My wife is doing handsprings!

We're About To Get Taken To A Dream World Of Magic

The internet flavor of the week is pretty funny. I'm a little slow on the uptake, so I needed a few viewings for the humor to sink in.

Faster, More Intense

Here's a good caricature of George Lucas I found in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly - a strong likeness without being cruel. I'm assuming this is by Robert Risko, but I couldn't find a credit or signature. His style hasn't aged well for me (it looks very 80s now), but there's still good design going on there.

You Get What You Need

"Danny Deckchair", written and directed by Jeff Balsmeyer.

Apparently, in 1982 there really was a fellow who tied a bunch of weather balloons to a lawn chair and flew much higher and further than he expected. It's an outlandish enough story that it makes sense that sooner or later someone would see it as the germ of a film idea.

Writer Jeff Balsmeyer correctly makes this the centerpiece of the story, a transforming experience for cement man Danny Morgan (Rhys Ifans), an oddball ne'er-do-well who shares a home in Sydney with his attractive, ambitious girlfriend, realtor Trudy Dunphy (Justine Clarke). Their relationship is under a strain. Most people don't pay attention to Danny and his brainstorms. He makes do, though, with his blue-collar job, punctuated by camping vacations and the construction of the odd human slingshot. Trudy, on the other hand, longs for something more.

Along comes handsome newscaster Sandy Upman (Rhys Muldoon), and, tired of Danny's inertia, Trudy's head begins to turn. She lies to Danny, scuttling their outdoor trip to nurture her professional connection with Sandy. It isn't looking good for Danny, and in desperation he cooks up a stunt, buying helium and castoff advertising balloons. It all comes to a head at a big weekend cookout, and he accidentally becomes airborne.

Like many romantic comedies, this accident delivers Danny to a new place and new possibilities. He crash-lands miles away from home, in the back yard of Glenda Lake, whose solitude threatens to make her the town spinster. To avoid embarrassment, she and Danny fabricate a new identity for him. His impulsive style charms Glenda, and she's not the only one - people begin to listen to Danny. His workaday background endears him to them, and his spontaneity spreads through the town. The challenger in the upcoming mayoral election, "Big Jim" Craig, hires Danny as his campaign manager. Danny's life has never felt so focused.

While all this is going on, Trudy exploits Danny's disappearance to attract media attention, thereby drawing herself closer to Sandy. He's been gone long enough that the news story is taking on a tragic dimension. Unbeknownst to Trudy, Danny is so popular that he has begun to eclipse his employer as a possibility for mayor.

All of this comes to a head when a old flame of Glenda's discovers the truth about Danny, and, in an attempt to discredit him, leaks the story to the press. Danny and Trudy's reunion is a bigger story than ever, and Sydney warmly embraces their newest celebrities. It's up to Danny to decide which of his diverging lives is the true one, and which is the fiction.

This is a well-travelled path, and its charm lies almost entirely in its execution. Rhys Ifans is handsome enough to be a romantic leading man, but fun and believable with the impulsive quirks that land him in trouble. Justine Clarke walks the fine line, making her character compelling while doing very unsympathetic things. Miranda Otto also strikes an impressive balance - she makes a pretty leading lady while being convincing as the inadvertent town wallflower.

What makes this story so appealing is that it's one of a misfit finding his true home and purpose with a community who really cares about him. It's heartening to see a seemingly irresponsible guy clicking into acceptance without sacrificing his priciples or identity. Surprisingly, both city and small-town life are shown to be flawed - Trudy represents the impersonal ambition of the city, while Danny's small-town candidate spouts populist tripe and philanders with his constituents.

The plot's not without its own blemishes. Once Danny is caught in his lie, the townsfolk seem completely unconcerned that they've been misled for quite a while. Additionally, the mayoral race vanishes entirely, perhaps cut to restore the audience's patience. Still, "Danny Deckchair", while perhaps not a film for the ages, is a satisfying, charming tale.

Happy Chanukah!

I think today is also the first day of Chanukah, so Happy Holidays...again!

Merry Christmas!

Best holiday wishes from all of us! Here's hoping this finds you healthy, happy and surrounded by your loved ones.

Stop Me If You've Heard This One

I saw the Palisades Fairly Odd Parents figures in New York. They look great! The sculpts just nail the designs. Can't wait to snap 'em up!

Home And Blood

"Munich", written by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, based on the novel by George Jonas; directed by Steven Spielberg.

It's winter, and that means Oscar season, and that means Serious Films. The studios trot out their takes on weighty, uncommercial subject matter in search of Best Picture gold. Many Oscar-bound films tend to stiffen and dehydrate under the strain between their sombre content and accommodating their audience. "Munich" is not one of them.

On the surface, Spielberg has made an extremely accomplished and emotional thriller, but beneath its gleaming exterior is something more. "Munich" is not about supporting political actions or taking sides. It's about the motives and justifications that lead one down a path of vengeance - a path that ultimately has no end, along the way destroying many of the goals and values meant to be preserved.

It's the story of Avner, son of a military hero (and new father himself) who is offered the job of leading a covert team to assassinate the leaders of Black September. This group was behind the 1972 massacre of eleven Israeli atheletes during the Munich Olympics. Initially Avner rejects the offer, but reconsiders to get his family off to a better financial start.

The body of the film, then, involves Avner and his four-man team zeroing in on eleven targets within or involved with Black September. The missions begin simply - a man is shot dead in his apartment house lobby - but become increasingly messy and complicated as the story progresses. More and more people are killed with less and less connection to the team's purpose, and Avner himself becomes increasingly desensitized and haunted by his tasks. It also becomes clear that there is a network of political groups, all with conflicting goals of their own, each being motivated to ever-escalating violence as their paths collide. Naturally, it becomes increasingly difficult to know who to trust, or to justify what trust may exist.

In the end, Avner's trust disappears. His dreams of home and family are forever changed - he lives as a New York exile, brewing in constant fear of retribution by the groups he's attacked. His horrors of the original massacre continue undiminished, and the men he trusted are either dead or have withdrawn back into the shadows. The political targets that he eliminated have been replaced by ones all the more resolved by his violence. Little has changed. It's one of the best endings to a Spielberg film in recent memory. It's easily his best film since "Schindler's List".

The performances are strong across the board, particularly Bana and Geoffrey Rush as his superior, Ephraim. The storytelling (with Janusz Kaminski's cinematography leading the way) is extremely visual, quite an accomplishment considering the amount of exposition needed for this type of picture. John William's score is restrained and sensitively used, helping to support the emotional currents of the film. Tony Kushner and Eric Roth's screenplay is even-handed, eloquent, and even humorous at times. There are parallels (handled well) that can be made to our current situation - our post 9/11 actions are echoed within this story as a larger history, one with a troubling legacy.

For My High School Classmates

Here's Pieter Versweyveld (and Maria Gallo)'s kids, Trevor and Miranda! Trevor sure looks like Piete, huh?

New York Times Review Of MOMA Show

Some genuine compliments, but a lack of enthusiasm. Read it here.

Capital Punishment

About a week ago, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, 51, was put to death by lethal injection for four murders he committed in 1979. The co-founder of the Crips street gang maintained his innocence of the killings to the end. In recent years, Williams had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work denouncing gang violence.

I'll say right now that I don't support the death penalty. I don't consider ending the life of a criminal justice. Maybe if I'd lost a family member to a violent crime, I'd feel differently. I'd like to think I wouldn't.

Governor Schwarzenegger wrote, "Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings there can be no redemption." I understand that, intellectually. But part of me thinks: you're willing to allow a man to be killed - an act you consider to be virtually irredeemable - because he won't say he's sorry?

What do you have to do to redeem yourself of murder? How far would you have to go to ascend from death row to a life sentence in prison?

How much further could Mr. Williams have gone?

We Need More Really Bad Movies

Without the risk of catastrophic failure, argues A.O. Scott, we also get fewer truly great films. I think he's right.

Continuing on that tack, there was a re-release and a new documentary this year chronicling one of the highest profile failures of them all. The book is one of my favorite filmmaking tomes ever.

Still More On Fat Suit Comedy

Here's an MTV.com article about fat suits, and "Just Friends" specifically. Thanks again to wonderful woman for the tip!

MOMA Trip Pictures, Part IV (Anita's)

Here We Go Again

Alyson Hannigan fat-suits-up in the upcoming "Date Movie".

More Ancient History

My sister recently sent me some old cards that I'd made for my grandmother. Here's an excerpt from a get-well card, circa 1986 - note the pre-Photoshop marker work. The design is trying way too hard, but it's still kind of cute.

Be Afraid

If I'm reading this properly, another famous video game is coming to movie screens summer 2007. It's being co-written by the guy who wrote "Monster House".

You know, I may not like studios scrambling to copy a surprise hit, but at least it makes sense. But as far as I know, no film based on a video game has ever made much money, or been any good. Why do they keep happening?

This Is A Card To You

This is the front of my reading buddy's thank you card to me. Cool, huh?

Super Size It

"King Kong", written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson based on material by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace; directed by Peter Jackson.

Oscars are powerful things. For some, they are simply paths to better projects and pay. For others, Academy Awards are the brass ring on the carosel, allowing filmmakers a free ride on their next project. It's often manifested in a long-sidelined dream film - in Peter Jackson's case, that means a remake of his first inspiration, "King Kong".

These projects are usually sidelined for a reason, and in the cases of "Toys", "Joe Versus The Volcano", "One From The Heart", or "Heaven's Gate", the Oscar-won dream can (at best) leave audiences scratching their heads. The biggest compliment I can give this lush, overstuffed remake is that it does evoke (and sometimes enhance) the pathos of the story that has until now eluded me. At last, I was able to get a sense of what it would have been like to have seen the original as a child.

It's the story of Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), a down-on-her-luck actress who's forced to explore the burlesque circuit. She meets Carl Denham (Jack Black), on-the-run filmmaker, con artist, and showman. He invites her to be the lead in his next adventure epic, which just happens to be written by her favorite playwright, Jack Driscoll (Adrian Brody). It takes a little while, but eventually we're aboard a tramp steamer (with Ann and Jack locking eyes), heading not to the Singapore location, but the mysterious Skull Isand. Carl's hoping that between his map, Jack's script and the unknown jungle, he can conjure up an adventure film that'll get him out of dutch with his studio bosses.

He - and we - get a lot more than he bargained for. There's a fogbank and a shipwreck before Carl and his crew make their way ashore. At first, the isle seems deserted, but later we find that there are indeed islanders to contend with. A fierce battle ensues, Ann is kidnapped and presented as an offering to a mysterious creature thought to be legend. Kong.

It's love at first sight for the big guy - he spirits Ann away, and the middle third of the film is primarily expended in the others' efforts to rescue her. Unfortunately for the ship's crew, Skull Island is jam-packed with other giant beasties. Dinosaurs! Stampeding herbivores! Slithering, croc-like carnivores! Centipedes! Spider-scorpions! Bats! And worse. Our heroes fight them all in one set piece after another. The effects work begins to slip in quality under the load, but more importantly, none of this is necessary to the story.

Fortunately, we do get to see what is - Ann and Kong alone together in the jungle. Using today's new technologies to maximum advantage, watching them form a bond is funny, tense, and genuinely touching. Similar to the original, Kong defends his maiden from a Tyrannosaur, though a couple more are thrown in for good measure. There's a melancholy quality to Kong's territory, littered with the bones of his fellow apes. We're also shown a reason why Kong makes his canonical skyscraper climb in the first place.

By the time Jack comes to the rescue, Carl has abandoned his film ambitions, setting his sights on Kong himself. Using the ship's stores, and with Ann and Jack as bait, the crew manages to subdue and capture the ape, preparing him as a sideshow attraction on Broadway. It's a cruel, painful sequence, effective but perhaps overemphasized, considering what is to come.

The climax in New York, happily, is the film's shining hour, the most polished and emotional portion of the film, vividly illustrating (and building upon) the tragic power of the original. Interestingly, some of the most effective shots render Kong tiny, dwarfed and surrounded by the civilization that will ultimately destroy him. It's fantastic stuff, and well worth the wait.

The film loses some battles, though, on the way to its third-act victory. The opening's introduction of Ann is awkward, and could be trimmed or eliminated entirely. While the performances of the cast are strong across the board, many of the crew members are over-developed, adding to the film's considerable paunch. "Kong" is a big story, but it doesn't necessarily need the ensemble-epic-treatment that served Jackson so well in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. While nearly every monster battle would be exciting in isolation, they begin to provoke impatience when assembled in a train. The "Rings" films don't require as much of a sense of economy, but this pile-it-on mentailty threatens to capsize "Kong".

In this case, it might be prudent to revisit the film for the DVD release with a shorter cut, rather than the extended versions that Jackson prefers. Considering the reworking his films get for home video, a streamlined edit might get "Kong" much closer to the great film that it could be.

MOMA Trip Pictures, Part III (Anita's)

Here's some more snapshots from the trip - enjoy!

Another MOMA Picture

Here we are in our spiffy party togs, courtesy of Roger Gould (right). Thanks, Roger!

Toe In The Retail Water, Part II

I decided to try selling my silkscreened T-shirts (and a few of my framed prints) at a craft fair yesterday. I just wanted to get a feel for manning a table and talking with potential buyers. I didn't burn the house down, but sales were steady. I sold about ten T-shirts and two of the prints, encouraging enough to continue on the fair's second day (today). Wish me luck!

Coming May 2006

Series 5 of Mezco's Family Guy line! This series has two re-dressed characters, so I guess they're already running out of secondary ones. I'm glad they're making Tricia Takanawa and God, but Greased-Up Guy seems like a reach. I must've missed the Jim Kaplan episode...he doesn't look familiar.

I'm assuming they won't make the Boy-Horny Old Man, but who knows? They make all kinds of figures now.

I Love Patrick Oliphant

He's been doing political cartoons since before I was a naughty thought, and he still rocks the house. Man, that guy can DRAW.

Today's New York Times!

Here's the full set of pictures from the MOMA show that the Times had in its Sunday Style section. Enjoy!

A MOMA Holiday

As most of you already know, I have a couple of drawings in an exhibit at MOMA. Anita and I took a week-long break and flew to New York for the opening party!

We arrived on Monday at about 4PM and checked into our hotel, the Hudson. Like its sibling hotels, it's nicely designed and super-duper-hip. We got in late enough that, after a little socializing with friends, we decided to eat at the hotel's cafeteria and go to bed. Unfortunately, our room was pretty tiny, which made for a lot of sleepless nights for my wife. I snore pretty badly anyway, and I was just getting over a cold on top of that, so I was louder than ever. The only way to drown me out was a combination of the A/C fan (something you really don't want in 20-30 degree weather) and the television.

The room layout was also a little bizarre - the bathroom had a glass wall overlooking the bed. You could draw a couple of curtains for privacy, but it made me wonder a little about what a guest (or the designer) usually wants in a room! The service also left something to be desired - it usually took more than a couple of calls to get anything accomplished. When you take the room cost into consideration (not cheap by any means), we probably won't be going back there any time soon.

Tuesday was pretty cold - more how I had expected December in New York to be. We got to visit where "Sesame Street" is currently filmed! It's a cool old studio, where tons of movies - stretching back to the days of Buster Keaton - have been shot. Carroll Spinney (the man behind Oscar The Grouch and Big Bird) generously invited us to visit the set. It's easy to get a little blasé to all of the cool stuff I've been lucky enough to see in my career, but you'd have to be made of stone not to get a giddy rush upon seeing one of the most famous streets on earth! It was great to stand in that tiny world where so many have been able to make friends and learn. The atmosphere seemed fairly relaxed and fun. They shot a live-action clip as well as a puppet insert for a song, then broke for lunch. Anita took a few snapshots, then we headed out to eat. Mr. Spinney had work to do (as well as prepare for his holiday break), but he found time to meet us for lunch and chat in the studio cafeteria. He also showed us a few other sets in the studio from a defunct "Law and Order" spinoff! As always, I was impressed with his sweet and friendly nature.

It didn't get any warmer that evening, but it hardly mattered. It was the night of the reception at MOMA, and it was a lot of fun! It was a blast to share this moment with my new wife and so many old friends. It's hard to believe that I did these drawings ten years ago - I feel so fortunate that I'm able to have my work appreciated (in such a grand way) while I'm around to see it. A lot of the Disney gang were already gone by the time their hard work and creative achievements were seen as art.

Here's the wall where my artwork is hanging! My pieces are the vertical pair second from the left. Unfortunately, I couldn't shut my flash off, so after a few shots I was told not to take any more pictures. Anita took some on film, though, so we'll get those developed right away! Happily, we made the "Sunday Styles" section of the New York Times today!:


After the party, we went to Nino's with a couple of friends. Big social gatherings can take a lot out of me, so that initimate dinner was very welcome.

Wednesday was cold as well, but we wandered about on Fifth Avenue, home of many famous boutiques. Anita made her periodic visit to Tiffany's flagship store. It's gorgeous! We browsed through the glittering sprawl, and I took note of Anita's favorites. Not this Christmas, but maybe someday! We also found a wonderful chocolatier right near Rockefeller Center, which quickly became Anita's favorite!

After a late lunch at T.G.I. Friday's (home of the $14 burger!), we made our way to Times Square and bought tickets to "Avenue Q" - there's a kiosk there that sells theater tickets at a considerable discount. We got two orchestra seats for about $133, which still ruffled my (occasional) Vermont stinginess. I'm used to being able to see films that bankrupt whole studios for $11!


While we waited to see the play, we hung out at the local Virgin Megastore and the Times Square Toys R Us. I'd been having trouble finding the Cartman figure from Mezco's new line of "South Park" figures, but the Megastore had all the characters, and most of the variants, too! The lines at Toys R Us were too long to buy anything, so we took a ride on the indoor ferris wheel. The "Toy Story" car was taken, so we used the "Little Tikes" one instead. Close enough!



The "Avenue Q" tickets didn't betray their discount at showtime. We had a great view of the stage, but the seats were packed together tighter than your average airline. It was fun, but I was surprised at the act-two surrender to musical convention. I thought that the point of the show was to be unconventional/anti-sweet, but I guess audiences can only stand so much.

We had dinner that night at Thalia. I ordered the spaghetti, Anita got a pork chop. Neither of us were happy with our dishes, but we each liked what the other had ordered better, and wound up trading after a few bites! Funny how that can work.

On Thursday morning, Anita caught up on sleep, and I made my traditional visit to Toy Tokyo, one of my favorite toy shops in New York. The website isn't updated all that well, so it's far better to visit and shop in person, if possible. Since it's so close to Christmas, I didn't buy as much as usual. I did get the new "Tribes of Monsterism" toys from Pete Fowler, as well as snagging a Spastic Plastic figure I'd been missing. I found a nifty comic book shop neaby as well, where I bought a couple more "Preacher" trades for the trip back, a plush Cyborg, and a surprise Christmas gift for Anita! We tried to visit the Museum of Television and Radio, but they were having a holiday party, so we had dinner at Zarela instead. Delicious! By far our best meal in New York. Anita turned in early, and I took a peek at the mall in the Time Warner Center. Lots of clothes shopping to be had, but cool-nerd-stuff-wise...a desert.

Friday was culture day, as we perused the exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a few hours (ironically, we saw nothing else at MOMA). Their modern art collection is especially impressive, including several Picassos, Klees, Miros, and a couple of Mondrians. Anita prefers antiquities, so we also looked over their Egyptian and early Roman artifacts. She also picked up some scarves patterned after Tiffany glass art. After our eyeballs were full, we stopped by the local branch of Kid Robot. It's bigger than the San Francisco store, so that makes for a better display/browsing experience, but their selection is about the same. I picked up one of their newest creations, as well as a couple of the new Scarygirl mini-figures. We topped off the day by having dinner at the first pizzeria in the US - started in 1905! Yum.

By Saturday, we were ready to come home. On a whim, we tried Petrossian, a Russian restaurant for lunch. We were both curious about borscht, and happily discovered that we both loved it, in spite of Anita's dislike of beets. The rest of the meal was tasty, and we both liked the deco look of the surroundings as well.

We were running low on time, so we quickly ducked back in to the Museum of Television and Radio so we could see the Muppet photo exhibit there. I was a little disappointed that few of the stills on display seemed to be actual photo prints, and the exhibit was a little too small for my liking. There wasn't even an exhibit poster available for sale, much less prints of any of the photos. It was also a little disconcerting to see that most of the videos available in the gift shop were VHS tapes! Still, it was fun, and there was an interesting video hosted by the photographer expaining how some of the pieces were made. We didn't really have time to watch any episodes from the library, so soon we were off to pick up food for the long trip back. Jet Blue doesn't provide any meals, so you need to bring sustenance if you don't want to arrive with a pounding, foul-tempered headache. After another six hours of flying, it's good to be back!

PS - I watched five films on DVD over the week - "The Virgin Suicides", "Danny Deckchair", "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster", "The Narrow Margin", and "Streets of Fire". I hope to be able to post reviews of these films over the next month or two.

Back At Last!

Hi, everybody! We're back in Berkeley, safe and sound. More tales of New York soon!

A Short Note From New York

Anita and I are here at the Hudson Hotel in Manhattan! The MOMA party was great - it was lots of fun to see all my friends' work on A Museum Wall. Bizarre and thrilling. It's odd to have a work of yours go from a drawing that you did for a very practical purpose - one among many, many others - to A Precious Part Of The Collection that you're cautioned against snapping with a flash. Weird!

Also very cool was our visit to the studio in Queens where "Sesame Street" is filmed! We couldn't take a lot of pictures there either (while they were filming, or of the unoccupied puppets), but it was a big rush to peek into a tiny world that you've visited over the cathode rays for thirty-five years or more. Mr. Hooper's Store! Big Bird's nest! And of course, those iconic front steps leading to apartment #123.

It was interesting to go from that world to the bizarro-reflection that is "Avenue Q" the next evening. It's a funny show with lots of fine puppetry, though the story devolves a bit into Generic Musical Plot after the intermission. Still, it was great to see it performed on Broadway, and the visuals and characters add a lot to the songs.

Anita didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so I'm going to make my periodic trek to Toy Tokyo alone. I'll add more about my inevitable purchases and my other activities later!

Today I Am A Man

I got my first "Cease And Desist" order today! I unwittingly re-named the "Wizard O' The Grill" design something more succinct, but the new name turned out to be the same as a trademark based in Cupertino. Oops! Fortunately, that's an easy change at CafePress. Hopefully the current choice won't cause a similar ruckus.

Nobody Wins

"AVP: Alien Vs. Predator", written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.

If you're a nerd, or have ever been friends with one, you probably remember discussions concerning superhero or monster smackdowns. Superman vs. Mighty Mouse? Thor vs. The Hulk? King Kong vs. Jaws in ankle-deep water? Who would win? Well, one of those nerds - or several of them, from the look of the credits - wrote and directed a movie about just that.

In some ways, this is nothing new. Almost every monster ever created has been pitted against one of his famous counterparts: King Kong vs. Godzilla, Dracula vs. Frankenstein, Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys, Godzilla vs. the Netherlands, and (believe it or not) Emmanuelle vs. Dracula. This sort of fantasy cockfigting is never a strong sign for either character, and "AVP" is no exception.

The main difference is that, while these other films are theatrical or TV cheapies, "AVP" is an A-budget movie. The production design, photography and effects work are well worthy of its predecessors. The problem, as you might imagine, lies in the story.

"AVP" is primarily a clone of the first "Alien", which means for the first forty minutes, we're introduced to characters WE KNOW are going to get eaten or torn to bits. While the original film has a group of great actors to help buttress the script and make for a compelling opening, the cast and dialogue of "AVP" are rather generic, making the assembly of this team fairly perfunctory. "Alien" knew this gathering of characters was unneccessary (as it was called "Alien" and not "Space Miners") and introduced them together on the ship to save time.

Things progress like a page torn from "Mad Libs": A team of ragtag Proper Nouns, including a Empowering Adjective woman, is drawn to a mysterious derelict Noun by an unexplained Other Noun. The set-up is closer to a blend of "The Thing" and "Armageddon", and soon we're wandering around more dark corridors with glow sticks and laser sights, knowing FULL WELL this time what they're going to encounter. Even though this film's primary audience is fans of the previous movies, it's paced as if none of this has ever happened before. The environments of "The Thing" and "Alien" were appropriately brutal to set a mood. The Antarctica of "AVP", though, seems more like a snowglobe, with flakes gently drifting about.

The derelict Noun this time is a deeply buried Aztec/Mayan/Vietnamese temple. As the team works its way inside, it discovers a sacrificial chamber, hiding the alien eggs and the Predator's laser weapons. It's not long before the trap is sprung, and most of the team is either incubating beasties, or separated from their companions, or both. The temple (courtesy of "The Cube") begins to shift and reconfigure itself every ten minutes, creating a maze that seems nearly impossible to solve.

Taking a page from "Chariots of the Gods", we discover that the Predator race came to earth (long before any of the other movies) to use this temple to breed Aliens on earth (long before any of the other movies). Young Predators would then come to hunt the Aliens in the temple every hundred years as a rite of passage ceremony. Considering how difficult the Aliens have been to kill in the past, this shifting maze comes across as a wrinkle for the video game tie-in. As formidable as the Predators are, it seems unlikely (between their maturity rate and the rite itself) that they would have survived long enough to create their own franchise.

This premise seems to be contrived primarily for the pupose of enabling the team to discover the plot through translation of hieroglyphs, rather than visual discovery. Not only is it unconvincing, it also guts the impact of an "Alien" sequel where the creatures threaten to infest Earth for the first time (I know "Alien Resurrection" brushed on this, but it wasn't the exectution of it that I was hoping for).

The titular battles between the Aliens and the Predators are enjoyable. Considering that this is presumably the main attraction, it's surprising how brief and choppy they are. There isn't a lot of logic to them - the acidic Alien blood seems to burn through some things immediately, and others not at all - but there's a little fun to be had.

Not to do anything the easy way, the Predators have also captured an Alien queen in the temple, periodically defrosting her when more eggs are needed. Of course, her drones release her at the end of act two (which I'm assuming also happens every hundered years). Act three then consists of the Empowering Adjective woman running around Antarctica in her tank top battling the Alien queen.

The most interesting element of the film is that it tries to do "Terminator 2" one better and make the lone surviving Predator a sympathetic team member. It mainly serves to make you wonder what the film might have been like if this had happened earlier, or if the Predators had simply taken the place of the human characters as the center of our sympathies.

So why did I watch this? Didn't I have a good idea of what I was in for? Sure. "AVP" is a Twinkie of a movie. You know they're not good for you, and that you might feel a little sick afterwards. But sometimes you just want a Twinkie.

More Unpredictability From David Lynch

The director of "Mulholland Drive" has begun the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, hoping to finance seven "universities of peace," with endowments of $1 billion each. Read about it here, and here.

Comedy Loses A Legend

Richard Pryor, 65, died of a heart attack yesterday . Despite his inner turmoil, he blazed hilarious new trails with his unforgettable brand of stand-up. A generation of comics acknowlege their enormous debt to him.

Thanks for the laughs, Mr. Pryor. I hope you're at peace.

I'm Riding On The Freeway

One of my co-workers recommended using Freeway to help me build my website. I haven't really given my copy of Dreamweaver a fair shake, but this sounds a lot easier, and easier always wins. Especially when it means learning the simplest computer program for the job. I just downloaded a free trial version, which'll work for thirty days. I'm twenty pages into the seventy-page instruction document, so hopefully you should be seeing some big changes reasonably soon.

Viacom Buys DreamWorks SKG

The deal was closed for 1.6 billion. Read about it here.

The Silly And The Serious

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe", written by Ann Peacock, Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely from the novel by C. S. Lewis; Directed by Andrew Adamson.

Following the massive success of New Line's "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, Disney has followed suit with this ambitious adaptation of C. S. Lewis' epic fantasy series. A grass-roots marketing campaign (to encourage church group bookings) has begun in the hopes of potentially tapping the "Passion of the Christ" audience along with the hordes of Tolkien and Lewis fans. I didn't have a lot of interest in the books as a child, so I thought the odds were better that I'd like this version.

The film starts off well, hurling us into the London blitz that necessitates the removal of the four Pevensie children (Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy - William Moseley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell, and Georgie Henley, respectively) to the countryside. This not only motivates a crucial change in their lives, it delineates their conflicts with one another nicely.

Their new home is a glum manor owned by Professor Kirke (Jim Broadbent) and run by the dour Mrs. MacReady (Elizabeth Hawthorne). It's an empty, cold, resolutely adult world, and the Pevensies do their best to stick together and circumvent the many rules of the house. It's during a cautious game of hide-and-seek that tiny Lucy hides in a massive wardrobe and discovers a portal to another chilly, beautiful realm.

Narnia, a fantasyland populated by fauns, centaurs, dwarves, and griffins (among many other creatures) has been thrown into a state of "always winter, never Christmas" by the White Witch (a perfectly cast Tilda Swinton), an icily regal despot who seduces new followers and turns dissenters to stone. What her magic cannot accomplish, her roaming wolf packs will.

But change is in the air. The true ruler of Narnia, a mighty lion named Aslan, has returned and his supporters are gathering strength once more. It seems that the children are the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy that four humans will one day reclaim their thrones and restore Narnia to freedom. The White Witch will stop at nothing to keep her power over the land, and the clouds of war begin to cast their shadows. It's up to the children to lead Narnia to victory and freedom.

Until recently, the fantasy stamp was the seal of doom for a movie. The remainder bins at your local video store are stuffed with attempts to court this audience - "Dragonslayer", "The Sword and the Sorcerer", "Fire and Ice", "Dungeons and Dragons", and "Red Sonja", just to name a few. Previous to the "Rings" trilogy, the two moderate successes that come to mind might be "Conan The Barbarian" and "Willow" - neither of which inspire much affection.

This genre is fraught with pitfalls, and "Narnia" is very much a mixed bag. As in "The Lion King", it's a little frustrating to watch as an entire world waits passively for The Right One(s) to show up and save them all. The plot is a Christian allegory, so viewers come to the film expecting a central death and resurrection at its heart. Unfortunately, giving Lucy as well as Aslan the power to breathe life into the dead weakens the consequences of the overall conflict.

Not surpisingly for a Disney picture, the film feels uncomfortable with the responsibilities of life and death in war. Peter's first slaying of a wolf guard - his emergence as the leader of Aslan's followers - feels more accident than deliberate choice, letting him off the hook for the kill. While I'm not a fan of gratuitous gore, the battles in "The Lord of the Rings" were in the province of adults - they had the proper impact, a true sense of dread and loss. It's unsettling, then, in "Narnia" to see small children cheerfully become proficient with weapons. The bloodless battles creep uncomfortably close to a massive version of "Capture the Flag". We're supposed to cheer when soaring griffins dump boulders on the enemy, but it's precisely what we saw the Germans do to England in the opening. It's tough to sympathize strongly with one army or another, as mythical creatures and animals substantially populate both sides. Are cheetahs "good", and white tigers "evil"? With the hideous Orcs, it was much clearer to know where you stood.

It's tricky stuff to visually interpret this sort of material - there's a degree of built-in tackiness to surmount. You think 'fantasy art', what usually comes to mind are illustrations that grace heavy metal album covers and the sides of 70s vans. With a few exceptions, Peter Jackson's films escaped this almost entirely, creating a rich, evocative word tastefully. "Narnia", however, is not as fortunate. What may be acceptable on the printed page can feel contrived, illogical or downright ridiculous on the screen. We watch chubby beavers waddle about in full battle regalia, and the White Queen in her polar-bear-drawn battle coach looks like an 80s vodka ad by way of Frank Frazetta.

The effects work is uneven. Some characters, such as the griffins, are startlingly well-visualized, others feel rushed or cobbled together from warehouse leftovers. Aslan himself is well constructed but a bit overworked, his mane simulations flapping to distraction, his facial animation constantly pulsing. The design work is accomplished, but not distictive.

The film is overly long, and lacks in charm as well as heft. The beaver sidekicks come off as a last-minute "humor pass" to the script in an attempt to lighten a fairly joyless enterprise. Lucy weeps so often for her fallen friends that it begins to lose its effect. Most of the supporting characters are thinly developed, so there's few oppotunities for much empathy or lighter moments. While loyalty was a predominant theme in "The Lord of the Rings", this story requires a fair degree of squabbling, which doesn't help matters. Allegories aside, it's a poor choice for young moviegoers. For the rest of us, the pleasures are visible, but sporadic.

Bored With Your USB Drives?

These seem more interesting! They range in price from $70-$190. Unfortunately, my favorite design is sold out.

D&D ROCKS!

A truly bizarre music video -- I can't tell how much of this is parody. I hated it until I saw the dice-thowing shots. That made a big difference.

Gold Farming

From the article: "It's unimaginable how big this is," says Chen Yu, 27, who employs 20 full-time gamers here in Fuzhou. "They say that in some of these popular games, 40 or 50 percent of the players are actually Chinese farmers."

Scott Morse joked about this in his strip "PVP", and I knew about the practice, but I thought it was primarily individual gamers. I didn't know that so many overseas businesses were created just to do that.

Holy cow! What's next?! Paying someone to watch television for you? Granted, my grasp on the "journey is the reward" concept is loose, but isn't that what video games are all about? IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE *FUN* TO PLAY FOR HOURS ON END! Right?? Sigh.

PS - I figure that since 'readers' exist for busy executives - people who read the scripts submitted to studios - that someone who is paid to watch television for someone else isn't really that farfetched. I'm sure if it were medically possible to pay someone else to sleep for you, there'd be people hooked up to machines in storage lockers somewhere.

Swazzle At Work

Here's a couple of pictures of my wife working with Patrick on one of their performances of "Polly Polar Bear and the Prince of the Sea" this past Saturday in Larkspur. They've just wound up their northern California shows for the holiday season. Hope you got a chance to see it!

Back To The Old Wacom Tablet

I just got my black T-shirt tests today from CafePress. I wasn't too happy with the quality, frankly. There's some things I can do from my side to make the designs look better, but I'm not sure if I can get them to the place where I want them to be. Also, some of the artwork may need to be re-drawn to be as effective as I'd like. I may wind up focusing more on the non-fabric products, which generally turn out better. Sigh.

The Ultimate Man-Couch

Created, not surprisingly, by Domino's Pizza, this obesity generator features two flat panel screen televisions, a DVD player, a mini refrigerator, an Xbox with three controllers, an Electric Red MP3 player, XM Radio with one year of free service, a NEXTEL cellular phone with NASCAR headset, two Domino's Pizza Heat Wave hot bags, a Coca-Cola beverage cooler, a remote control caddy, and (last but not least) a bottle opener. It can all be yours for a mere $30,000 and some quick phone dialing.

This Just In, Part I

Howard Stern moves to restriction-free satellite radio, where he'll be 'filthier than ever'. Gasp!

Charlie Brown's Bumpy TV Debut

This article comes out every year at about this time, but it's interesting if you haven't read it yet. It's not exactly shocking to think CBS execs weren't happy with "A Charlie Brown Christmas", but it is neat to hear about groundbreakers, big or small.

Snikt!

I'm not a big fan of Brett Ratner, but this trailer looks pretty sweet!

Speaking Of Photographers

I highly recommend Lisa Lefkowitz, based right here in San Francisco, for any of your picture-taking needs. She took our engagement and wedding pictures, and they look like something out of Vanity Fair. She does beautiful work!

PS - She got a fantastic picture of Joe Ranft that encapsulated his personality perfectly. It's one of my favorite memories of him, and I treasure it.

A Muppet Exhibit In New York

"The Muppets Say Cheese" is a series of classic Muppet shots (promo stills, album covers, book and calendar illustrations, etc) taken by photographer John E. Barrett. The show just opened yesterday at the Spielberg Gallery, and will run until the end of April. Anita and I will definitely check this out while we're in town!

A Sick-Day Read, And More

"Preacher", by Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon and Glenn Fabry.
I'd heard about this book for some time, and finally decided to pick up the first trade paperback. I caught a cold yesterday, so I thought as long as I was home anyhow, I'd check it out. Despite its straining to be a Wicked Badass Adult Comic (and the piles of "sacrilage", profanity, and gore the creators think that entails), I liked the story enough to want to get the next volume.

"Pyongyang : A Journey in North Korea", by Guy Delisle.
I also finished this book recently. The art and writing are a little too dry (ironic considering the subject matter), but I still found his depiction of North Korea compelling. Not a keeper, but worth a look!

A Case Against Copy-Protection

Damian Kulash (the lead singer for OK Go ) submits a case: the harder anti-piracy software makes a CD to play, the more it hurts the struggling muscians it's intended to protect. Read about it here.

The Collecting Bug

I went to the Charles M. Schulz Museum on Saturday with Anita and Patrick. It was great, but after about five minutes of looking at the original strip art, I got this deep ache of avarice - I want an original strip. NOW. More than ever. To the point of impeding my enjoyment of the work. Why do I feel this need to own part of everything I enjoy? I guess that's what makes collectors different from other people.

60's Rudolph, Santa Puppets Found

Apparently, the stop-motion puppets were discovered in the hands of a former Rankin-Bass employee, who'd use them for Christmas decorations every year! Of course, a toy dealer snapped them up almost immediately (can't say as I blame them). Read about it here.

Every Girl's Crazy 'Bout A Sharp-Dressed Man

I went out with Anita yesterday to pick up my outfit for the New York trip/MOMA show. We found a nice new overcoat, a jacket, light sweater, and dress pants. I've got a fedora already, and I'm thinking about some new gloves and a scarf. It's not a look I've done before, but I think it looks great - can't wait to unveil myself at the reception!

A New Look For PidgeonStuff

I've been working for a few days on the store, eliminating some half-finished categories, and making new icons for each character. I still have to go through all the sections and delete duplicated or unsatisfactory products, but it's looking a lot better. Pictured above is a portion of the storefront so you can get an idea of the new design. I have a new title banner, too:

I'll set it up on the site as soon as I figure out the HTML needed to do that!

Of course, any font/design suggestions for the logo are welcome - I don't have a great font library, so I always seem to wind up using Impact.

The World Has Changed

Alas, "Goodnight, Moon" hasn't changed with it. Here's some suggestions.

Taste and Adaptation

"Pride and Prejudice", written by Deborah Moggach (adapted from the novel by Jane Austen); directed by Joe Wright.

The challenge of adapting any previous standing work is cited by screenwriters as notoriously difficult, perhaps the most so. It's especially encouraging, then, to see such a well-made, engaging translation to the big screen. It's no small feat, as for many Austenites (including my wife), the 1995 BBC-TV miniseries is the definitive one.

While that version has six hours to gently unfold the romance of the quick-witted, independent Elizabeth Bennett (Keira Knightley) and the imperious, remote Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen), this new film only has two. It's a fine telescoping and shuffling of locales and events, nicely paced without feeling rushed. Both performers warm to each other in increments well-suited for the story's shape. It's believable, tender and touching.

The casting choices are strong, but purists may find themselves longing for the BBC cast at times. Especially missed are Benjamin Whitrow's Mr. Bennett, and David Bamber's Mr. Collins. Mr. Whitrow's Bennett is a flinty delight, but Mr. Sutherland's final scene is so warm and emotional that it rescues his far softer interpretation. Tom Hollander's Mr. Collins suffers the most in comparison with his predecessor, whose hilarious take on the character bordered on the reptilian. Of course, Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy is in no danger of being eclipsed, but Mr. MacFadyen more than holds his own with a subtly rendered performance. Ms. Knightley defies the "pretty girl" casting with very strong acting as well, proving herself to be convincing in a period drama.

This is a great stand-alone version of the story, drawing viewers in and engaging their hearts and minds. While the miniseries is ultimately superior, this new film also preserves the story's charms through a new lens.

Two More Great DVD Box Sets

Season Five of "King of the Hill" - This is a great show, but sorely underrated. Funny stories, well-observed and vivid characters, plus terrific voice work. Great redneck comedy without meanspiritedness. If you've never seen it, check it out!




Season Three of "Home Movies" - Another funny, under-the-radar show! A great voice cast brings the strengths of deadpan improv together with more great writing and characters. The drawings and animation are an acquired taste, but be patient and you'll be rewarded. Take a look!

More Simpsons On The Way!

Season Seven of "The Simpsons" is coming to DVD on December 13th! Maybe it's my imagination, but the gap between seasons six and seven seems shorter than the one between seasons five and six. Hopefully that's true!

Regardless, there's more Simpson-y goodness for the holidays! Yay!

The Ultimate Japanese Video Game

See a description of it (complete with video excerpt) at the Inverted Castle blog. Best quote: "That's it. The Japanese are done. They can now return to planet Japania, leaving all the people of Earth horribly confused and scarred for life."

More Cool Disney Short Subjects on DVD!

There's two more tin-boxed "Walt Disney Treasures" compilations coming out next Tuesday!

There's "Disney Rarities - Celebrated Shorts, 1920s - 1960s", containing:

* Chicken Little * Alice's Wonderland * Ben And Me * Lambert The Sheepish Lion * Noah's Ark (!!) * Goliath II * A Symposium On Popular Songs * Melody * Toot, Whistle, Plunk And Boom (!!) * Paul Bunyan * Ferdinand The Bull * Pigs Is Pigs (!!) * The Truth About Mother Goose * In The Bag * A Cowboy Needs A Horse * The Saga of Windwagon Smith * Hooked Bear * The Brave Engineer * Alice's Wild West Show * The Little House (!!) * Alice's Egg Plant * The Story of Anyburg U.S.A. * Alice In The Jungle * Football Now and Then * Social Lion * Alice Gets In Dutch * Morris the Midget Moose * Jack And Old Mac * Alice's Mysterious Mystery * Alice the Whaler * The Pelican and the Snipe.

Quite a collection...

Plus! There's a second collection of Donald Duck shorts, with:

The Village Smithy (1942), Donald's Snow Fight (1942), Donald Gets Drafted (1942), Donald's Garden (1942), Donald's Gold Mine (1942), The Vanishing Private (1942), Sky Trooper (1942), Der Fuehrer's Face (1943), Donald's Tire Trouble (1943), The Flying Jalopy (1943), Fall Out, Fall In (1943), The Old Army Game (1943), Home Defense (1943), Trombone Trouble (1944), Donald Duck and the Gorilla (1944), Contrary Condor (1944), Commando Duck (1944), The Plastics Inventor (1944), Donald's Day Off (1944), The Clock Watcher (1945), The Eyes Have It (1945), Donald's Crime (1945), No Sail (1945), Cured Duck (1945), Old Sequoia (1945), Donald's Double Trouble (1946), Wet Paint (1946) Dumb Bell of the Yukon (1946), Lighthouse Keeping (1946) and Frank Duck Brings 'em Back Alive (1946).

Laugh as Donald struggles to control his rage!

SWEET!

Another Maverix Charity Auction

This one's on December 15th, to support the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and Doctors Without Borders. For more details, check out their blog.

Michelle Coulter's Least Favorite Game Ever

Shoot as many zombies as you can before they tear you limb from limb (I've made it to level ten)! The trick is to shoot them as they stand up. Much easier that way. Try it!

My best - Level 13, 153 zombies. Top that!

We're Going To Move To A Better Home

Not us, actually - a couple of friends of mine (Philippe and Anita) have bought a house in France! While it's being restored, the family'll move to the east coast. Congratulations to them!

Banned?

Or simple backpedalling? You be the judge after viewing this Xbox 360 spot.

Skyland

Here's an interesting new show, courtesy of Nicktoons. The use of CG is generally pretty nice looking, but the human animation (especially the facial work) is pretty stiff and cold. The dialogue sounds as if it was translated from the Japanese, and the story content seems to be heavily "inspired" by Miyazaki and Lucas, with a little "Tron" thrown in for good measure.

First "JFK", Now "Bobby"

Working on a bare-bones budget, Emilio Estevez is currently directing a film about the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Read more about the serendipities and obstacles of its production here.