Saturday, October 29, 2011

I'm Batman!

Clone Wars Recap S4 E07: Darkness on Umbara!

The Clone Wars animated series returns after a two week hiatus, and begins what I believe will be the first of a four-part storyline. After two humourous Artoo and Threepio themed episodes hardened fans have been openly weeping that Clone Wars isn't dark enough. Well put those fears to rest, because in Darkness on Umbara Uncle Lucas saves some power by turning off the lights and casting his heroes into the pitch black shadow world of Umbara.


Does this fan-pleasing, eco-friendly gambit pay off? Join me after the jump and I will shower you with all the SPOILER filled information that you need to know!

Rocktober Gallery Day #29

Bliss n Eso, Amplifier, 2008

Friday, October 28, 2011

ParaNorman


ParaNorman a stop motion film by Laika studio (Coraline). I'm pretty excited for this one.


"A misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead, takes on ghosts, zombies and moronic grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse."

Nyan Caxx



by REDMINUS


Boards and Beers - Knock Your Blocks Off

Like to flick dice, throw dice, or drop dice on or at other dice? Me too. I used to get into dice fights with my brother growing up where we would build the dice up in to massive towers and then start knocking them over with other dice. Eventually the dice would grow into tennis balls, then bowling balls, then straight up fist fights. Ah to be young, dumb, and full of dice. But that is then, this is now. Nowadays, this fun is organized and sold to you as a game that will teach you about patterns and matching too.


Review after the Jump

Friday Night Movie Review 9: Batman Week Edition!

Holy smokes, you guys! Not only do the Fruitless Pursuits team have three new mini movie reviews for you, but all of them are Batman films in honour of our impromptu Batcelebration Week! Why that's almost as shocking as Christopher Walken promising the Penguin "unlimited poontang!" in Batman Returns!



Which three Batfilms do our Batcritics bring to justice? Join us after the Batjump and we'll find out!

Thank Gif it's Friday!

Justice League Unlimited Papercraft Kids Meal Toys at Arby's. Awesome or Terrible Idea?

A few days ago, I received the following text message from my wife.
The most ridiculous, time consuming, frustrating kids meal toy ever!!!! Way to go Arby's!!!
She was talking about Arby's Justice League Unlimited head-bobbing papercraft toys (Series 2!). They actually look really cool, but if anyone has any experience with papercraft, you probably know the amount of time and work that goes into assembling the little fragile pieces of art. And if you have any experience with children, you probably know how impatient they can get when it comes to tearing open their kids meal toy so they can play with it before eating one bite of their food.

Lots of tape needed. He's also pretty huge (6-8").
It's an odd combination (even odder when they threw in head-bobbing). I think it's super cool, and so does my daughter... but at the time I'm sure it was a disaster.

Check out the whole series (and series 1) after the jump. Now I want them all.


Rocktober Gallery Day #28

Red Jezebel, Rosemount, 2007

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Recap: America's Next Top Model Season 17, Episode 7


Oh my lord, there is so much to talk about! Very little of it to do with modelling! Let's get this bath-party started!

Pythagasaurus and a few more toons



Director: Peter Peake
Cast: Bill Bailey, Martin Trenaman and Simon Greenall

Prepare for an Attack! Wanna Know From Where?

If you're a comic book fan, and on Twitter, then you should really be following Chris Ryall (@chris_ryall). He's the editor-in-chief of IDW Comics, who in the past few years have become a force to be reckoned with in the comics world. They're well known for bringing properties from other media in to comics: Transformers, GI Joe, Star Trek, Doctor Who, True Blood; ALL are licenses held by IDW and selling very well on the stands. They've just recently launched very excellent Ghostbusters and TMNT ongoings, and have announced a Voltron comic coming soon!

And on Twitter today, Ryall announced another property they're re-launching with a sole image. That image is after the jump...because I feel like it.

Week of the Bat!

When I first heard that it was Batman week at Fruitless Pursuits, I thought to myself "Wait, isn't EVERY week Batman week?"  and of course, the answer is YES!  However, we can always take a little time to celebrate *my* favourite super-hero, the icon who has done more to inspire my life than all the politicians and most of the non-fictional do-gooders that have ever existed, the Dark Knight himself!  So what's bat-happening this week in my neck of the woods?


Well, first off, Batman: Arkham City.  I've spent hours and hours playing this game and am still only about 25% done. It's joined the ranks of such games as Super Mario Brothers 3, Shadow of the Colossus, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, and yes, Batman: Arkham Asylum as one of the greatest games of all time.  At least in my opinion!  Great graphics and gameplay, riveting storyline and just the overall cool factor make it a must-have game!  Go buy it right now!  If you need to, get an Xbox JUST to play this game.  It's that good.

But that's not ALL the Batman had to offer me this week!  Find out what else is happening in Gotham after the Bat-jump!

Danger 5

Are you ready for Danger 5?



Find out more after the jump

Batman vs youtube

I was chillin' out on an island but now I'm back with some Batman videos for the last few days of Batman week.



This is probably my most favourite Batman youtube video. I love the bomb scene!

It doesn't end there

Rocktober Gallery Day #27

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Southbound, 2008

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Batman Week: Tell me how to get to Crime Alley.

One of the great things about Batman is how many contradictory interpretations of him there have been over the decades. Even in recent years we've had the Nolan films in the theatres while the Brave and the Bold cartoon is on TV. He can be the hard, grim vigilante or a fun, smiling good guy.
Check out this spot from Sesame Street teaching us all the importance of safely crossing the street:


It kind of touches on one of the themes in the Dark Knight a bit. First you're crossing roads away from the lights, next you're tapping into the phones of everyone in Gotham City.
Here's another one and see if you can figure out what the lesson is before the end of it.


Bring these back! Or better yet, how about have the cast of the new movies visit the Sesame Street set the way C3PO and R2D2 did back in the day.

Batman Week: Doods Make Awesome Arkham Asylum Batsuit!

It's one thing to scream, "I'M BATMAN!" hoarsely at your loved ones for a week, but it takes it to a whole new level when you actually lovingly craft your own awesome batsuit to strike fear in the hearts of evil men (and possibly aforementioned love ones). Well, a group, headed by user Batpiriss on The FX Lab forums did just that, creating an amazingly accurate batsuit based on the Arkham Asylum video game. It's astoundingly great work so be sure to go here to check out all of the images and read the story behind it. But to get you there here's a taste!:

Holy crap!

And to see a shot of someone rocking out in it, join me after the jump!

Project Runway Recaps: S09 E13


OMG you guys, Fashion Week is almost here and I have nothing to wear!!! Our old pals Anya, Viktor, Kimberley and Josh are working hard, though. They each have $9,000 and 5 weeks to create 10 looks. Let's check up on them, SHALL WE?

Rocktober Gallery Day #26

The Hot Lies, Amplifier, 2007

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Book Was Better: Sexy Halloween Special!



Yes, for our Halloween episode Luke and I read the novelisation of Species. And it was every bit as bad as you'd think. Listen to us bitch about it! We're hilarious!

You can also subscribe on iTunes and get episodes delivered piping hot and fresh to your hard drive every fortnight. Get to it!

What's Out? Week of the 26th of October



It's the most wonderful time of the week! The day new comics and sundries come out! But which ones exactly? Find out after the jump!

Rocktober Mix Tape: Taylors Bad Ass College Mix


So yeah, this is a more or less seemingly random assortment of music, but in a given day while in school I listened to a fair bit of this. I originally set out to make a prog rock mix, but in the process of revisiting years of music I hadn't listen to, it evolved into something that I currently wouldn't mind listening to (a lot fewer high falsetto voices in this mix). Still expect time changes, but theres a lot more metal/punk to this mix than the previous.

Follow the Jump to ROCK

Rocktober Gallery Day #25

Fall Out Boy, Challenge Stadium, 2008

Monday, October 24, 2011

A Couple of Pages of Glorious Bounty!

I guess we didn't post the last page we uploaded, so here's a two-fer!



And that last page is the 99th page of Glorious Bounty! So that means next week, it'll be 100!

We've been posting almost weekly for three years now, and have completed two books. It'd really be an excellent time to give us a link, or a review! Or even some fan art!

And if you are friends who follow us, and you always see the link and think to yourself, 'Oh that's cute that they make a little comic book. I should check that out some time.' Well, now is a great time!

We love you!

Check out the archive at the Glorious Bounty site.

Skyrim Live Action Trailer



Kinda puts Felica Days Dragon Age web series to shame, huh?

Count Spatula Wants You to Eat his Face

In America, we take eating very seriously. So seriously in fact, that we need wake up calls from fake made up people. Enter Count Spatula.


The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) will be giving away free pancakes this Friday the 28th in the shape of Count Spatula, and as a reminder of this great moment in pancake history, you can visit http://ihop.com/countspatula and leave your phone number. In turn, Count Spatula himself will call you to remind him that its time to come and eat his face.

Personally, I'm going to have my Count Spatula with strawberry syrup so it looks like he is messily drinking blood while I slice up his undead face.

Batman Map App for iPhone/iPad

Batman Arkham City is quickly becoming an obsession. The game is crazy awesome but also insanely full of things to do and solve, including an epic ton of Riddler puzzles to solve. In response to this, there is now an official Batman Arkham City map app available. For $2.99, you basically get the solutions and interactive maps that you'll need to not got Bat-shit insane trying to solve. This is exactly the direction that games and companies need to go in order to keep the players guide still relevant.

Because Joss Whedon Didn't Have Enough Geek Love Already...

In theaters now is a movie called Anonymous. Directed by Roland Emmerich, it's a movie that tries to lend credence to idea that the plays of William Shakespeare were actually written by Edward De Vere, the Earl of Oxford. Other people say Shakespeare's plays were written by Sir Francis Bacon (mmm...bacon...) But it seems that the real truth can now be told. It looks like the author of at least one of Shakespeare's plays is in fact: Joss Whedon?!

Let me explain. Last night on Twitter, I started seeing posts containing the following URL:

http://muchadothemovie.com/

I thought for sure it was a joke. I mean Whedon's in the middle of doing Avengers, and that cast! Amy Acker! Sean Maher! Clark Gregg! NATHAN FILLION! And it's one of my favorite Shakespeare plays to boot. Odds are that Acker and Alexis Denisof are Hero and Claudio, based on the way that URL has everyone billed, and the fact that Fillion almost has to be Benedick. Nothing has been said about the setting, but based on the image on the site, I would lay odds that it's been "modernized", but who knows for sure. Also no word on when this is coming out yet, but you can bet I'll be paying close attention.

Rocktober Mixtape: Suzanne's FIVE YEAR Mix!

So I bet you thought I'd forgotten! Well, you'd be right. But regardless, I present thusly my Five Year list!


Join me after the jump for the logic behind the Five Year List - what does that even MEAN?

My New Model Shoot! Burlesque Wonder Woman!

I've done a second photoshoot with wonderful burlesque performer Duchess Silk (who recently modelled for me as Doctor Who). This time it's a homage to Golden Age Wonder Woman comics where, despite being strong enough to lift a tank, she spent a suspicious amount of time tied-up by creepy mortal men. The Duchess bravely took on the role of Amazonian Princess Diana, and I played the creepy mortal. I even had to learn how to hog-tie on the Internet, and trust me, that's not a Google search you want to do.


See more at my photography site. (Be warned that the site is NSFW, but this particular set is not. Well... depending on your work I guess?). Oh, and this counts as part of Batman Week because Batman is Wonder Woman's friend. And he helped her when she turned into a pig. Seriously. Go watch that episode.

Comics Face: The Terrible Hunger of Hunger Face

Presenting Comics Face, a comic that I have been doing for years now and which has been weekly for all of 2011. Now available right here on Fruitless Pursuits!


Rocktober Gallery Day #24

Buried In Verona, Amplifier, 2011

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Rocktober Gallery Day #23

The Whip, The Bakery, 2008

Fruitless Pursuits Podcast: Episode Six.

A lot of our team are tied up today, so Taylor and Luke hold the fort with this quick and gritty recap of the week that was. It's intimate, it's romantic, and it's over quicker than usual. So we all win!


We get progressively nerdy as we talk about:

- Batman Week and Arkham City!
- New Warcraft expansion Mists of Pandaria!
- And Warhammer boxsets Dreadfleet and the Island of Blood!

DOWNLOAD EPISODE SIX HERE! (Click to stream, right-click to download).