Albert Art Lawn Flamingo Helper Biskup Summer Gargamel

SUMMER TIME! Albert Art custom Helper - "Lawn Flamingo"

Ah yes, the time is finally here, summertime that is. And though the weather here in Vancouver, has been less than summerly lately that doesn't mean you can't throw some pink plastic flamingos on the grass to mark the season.

I present to you all the Lawn Flamingo Albert Art custom GID Helper/Relphe from the Tim Biskup x Gargamel collaboration, originally purchased at SDCC 2009. I finished painting this toy several months ago, but I didn't feel like debuting it until the right time, now! Summer!

I originally wanted to photograph the toys beside actual pink lawn flamingos, but I swear I couldn't find any, and I searched all over town, from Home Depot, to Canadian Tire, and Zellers. No garden supply stop had these kitchy ornaments. Some people suggested I order them online, but I really didn't want to wait. On the plus side though, some older ladies working at Home Depot told me that putting lawn flamingos on the grass of someone who is turning 40 is a tradition... or was it 50? Can't remember.

Taking the glow in the dark toy, I painted it over with acrylics, and let it sit on my shelf for months. These toys make me smile, and I hope they make you laugh.

Please enjoy these photos taken of the toys outdoors in a park. Fan this toy!

San Diego Comic-Con 09

SDCC = The BEST fan convention, EVAR.

My second San Diego Comic-Con was a SUCCESS!!! Despite being sore after the ridiculously fun, but exhausting convention experience, I came away with some really cool shit, a healthy amount of free schwag, and inspiration from being in the same room as the incredibly talented artists/filmmakers/idols/icons in attendance in San Diego. My trip was a BLAST!

I had planned on arriving in San Diego on Thursday for the official opening of the show, but because of other plans, I had to delay until Friday. I was actually a bit worried, that my entire SDCC trip would have to be canceled at the time, but luckily, I was able to get out of LA.

We caught the morning train from downtown Friday morning and rode it all the way to San Diego. Estimated trip time: two and a half - 3 hours. The train cars were packed with con-goers, without enough seats for everyone, so we ended up sitting in the cafe train car, which was meant for 'business' travelers. Free snacks! Immediately I could see that we were surrounded by industry people, and artists. Some dude was storyboarding an episode of the animated Avengers series, and I couldn't help but observe his art skills. While a couple of collaborating writers, were busy typing away at their laptops, looking over and editing some sort of screenplay. Next to them were two marketing ladies, talking about their experiences with organizing conventions. It was a neat group of passengers. Eavesdropping was fun. We played some DS games on this scenic ride to pass the time.

Arriving in SD at around 12:30, it was already too late to lineup for certain 'HALL H' panels, but because there was so much more to do in the day, (and in the coming days), I didn't feel so bad for not seeing the Miyazaki panel. The fun was just beginning.

My first priority at SDCC was to visit the NCsoft booth in the exhibit hall, with the intention of securing a Beta code for AION. Because I wasn't able to get one from my pre-order with Gamestop in Vancouver, I felt like I had to go directly to the source, all the way in San Diego. In fact, I managed to get two beta keys. SUCK IT GAMESTOP!

I then went to the Capcom booth directly across, to play some Tatsunoko for the Wii, but they had run out of Capcom Towels. Lame.

After taking a quick look at the exhibit hall, it was time to head over to the lineup for Hall H, for the District 9 panel. (Any panel in Hall H, becomes the worst lineup of the entire SDCC). With no shade, fans wait in the hot burning sun, for hours just to get inside. They should call it HALL HELL, because you literally get cooked, waiting in line.

The lineup was so long that we missed practically the entire panel, and only caught the tail-end of it. Peter Jackson introduced his Apprentice Neil Blomkamp, the director behind District 9, and showed the audience a 7 minute preview, or was it 10 minutes? I forgot.

After District 9, we sat through a Star Wars Spectacular presentation, which was boring, but immediately after that was a panel with Peter Jackson, and James Cameron, two incredibly influential filmmakers, with different ways of working. Their talk way AMAZING.

The rest of the weekend at SDCC, involved more panels, more free stuff, and more spending $. Saw some actors, and artists doing signings, and some really great booth presentations.

I found myself using Twitpic a lot, so if you were following me on Twitter, you could see the amount of #SDCC related tweets I made.

I didn't buy as much stuff as I did in 2008, but I still came away with some excellent toys, which I'll post more about later.

It was a pretty tiring, but entertaining 3 days. can't wait till next year.

SDCC 09 - The Hit List, Panels

What to see, and what to do?

With everything awesome going on at the same time at Comic-Con, it's always a little tough deciding on what to see. Many of the panels run concurrently, and or overlap, which makes me wish I had a clone, to attend them all. Everyone's planned agenda varies on your interests, but here's a rough idea of what I wanna see, revolving around animation, movies, and videogames.

THURSDAY

1:00-2:00 Tetsuo for the 21st Century— The maverick filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo), will have a premiere talk on his secret plans for the movie tentatively called Tetsuo Project. Tsukamoto will reveal the details of this first English language installment of Tetsuo, the third legendary cyberpunk action thriller from Tokyo. Be among the first to witness the official title announcement as well as an exclusive sneak peek at the movie—only for the Comic-Con audience! Room 32AB

1:45-2:45 Assassin's Creed II: Video Games and Hollywood Converge— Yannis Mallat (CEO, Ubisoft Montreal), Pierre Raymond (president & head of operations, HYBRIDE Technologies, a VFX studio involved on 300, Sin City), and key team members discuss the convergence between Hollywood and video games, featuring the fastest-selling new franchise in video game history: Assassin's Creed. This session touches on the evolution of creating and distributing content while highlighting the bridge between two different spheres—gaming and entertainment—to create the Assassins Creed II universe. Plus, panelists reveal new information on the new Assassin's Creed II series coming out this fall. Room 6A

3:00-4:00 Bill Plympton: King of Indie Animation— Animator Bill Plympton (Idiots and Angels) presents Horn Dog, the fourth smash installment in his famed, Oscar-nominated "Dog" series. Bill will screen some of his new animated shorts, including Mexican Standoff and Santa: The Fascist Years and present some early scenes from his work-in-progress feature film Hanky Panky. Bill will also be available for Q&A after the screening, and all attendees will get a free Bill Plympton drawing. Room 5AB

3:00-4:00 Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes— Join legendary Disney Animation producer Don Hahn, famed Disney animator Glen Keane, creator of Aladdin's Genie Eric Goldberg, director/teacher/animator Tom Sito, and Masked Avenger Studios owner and sculptor Ruben Procopio for a discussion of the life and influence of Disney mentor, trainer, and artist Walt Stanchfield. Room 32AB

3:00-4:15 20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar— In this first public screening of footage in 3D from his much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy, James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and cast members take you to a spectacular new world beyond imagination. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, Avatar breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie-going experience. Hall H

3:15-4:15 Capcom 2009 Lineup— Capcom's premiere producers present sneak peeks at the most anticipated games of the year. Featuring Jun Takeuchi (Lost Planet 2), Morgan Gray (Dark Void), Daryl Allison (Spyborgs), Motohide Eshiro (Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth), and Masachika Kawata (Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles) and moderated by Capcom-Unity.com's Seth Killian. See exclusive gameplay footage and behind-the-scenes making-of features, followed by a Q&A session! Room 6BCF

9:30PM BRUTAL LEGEND GWAR CONCERT/PARTY

FRIDAY

12:45-2:15 Disney: Animation Panel— Walt Disney Pictures, Disney•Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios present a director panel with previously unseen footage from its upcoming animated slate, including Toy Story & Toy Story 2 – Double Feature, Beauty And The Beast, Toy Story 3, Prep & Landing, The Princess and the Frog and Ponyo. Special guests include Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements, John Musker, and Hayao Miyazaki. John Lasseter hosts the panel, with Patton Oswalt moderating. Hall H

2:30-3:30 Focus Features: 9— Focus Features and Comic-Con present an exclusive look inside director Shane Acker's animated fantasy epic 9, the feature-length expansion of his short film of the same name. Directors Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov are among the feature version's producers. The action-packed adventure—opening nationwide 9/9/09—takes place after our world fell to pieces, when a group of "stitchpunk" creations must summon individual strengths well beyond their own proportions. While showcasing a stunning steampunk-styled visual brilliance, 9 dynamically explores the will to live, the power of community, and how one soul can change the world. Join Shane Acker, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and actors Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly LIVE for this panel presentation! Hall H

3:45-5:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: Legion and District 9— Sony Pictures Entertainment and Screen Gems introduce two great new movie projects exclusively to Comic-Con attendees!

Legion—When the last angel falls, the fight for mankind begins. Having lost faith in the human race, a legion of angels descend to Earth to bring about the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner and the Archangel Michael himself (Paul Bettany). Appearing on stage: Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, The DaVinci Code), Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights, Supernatural), Tyrese Gibson (Transformers, Death Race), Doug Jones (Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Abe Sapien in Hellboy), and director Scott Stewart (helming his first feature film after working on VFX for Sin City, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, and Iron Man, among many others). From Screen Gems.

District 9—Peter Jackson makes his eagerly and long-awaited first visit to Comic-Con to introduce you to the world of District 9, which focuses on a world in which extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argued over what to do with them—as well as their powerful technology and advanced weaponry that can only be activated by Alien DNA. Please join Peter Jackson as he gives fans a first look at scenes from District 9 and takes your questions along with director Neill Blomkamp and star Sharlto Copley. From Sony Pictures Entertainment Hall H

5:45-7:15 DC Universe Animated Super Powers: Green Lantern: First Flight and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies— Get the inside scoop on the next two action-packed entries in the popular series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 films, Green Lantern: First Flight and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. Hal Jordan's first full-length adventure, Green Lantern: First Flight, brings together executive producer Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday), casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano (DC Universe films), director Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman), writer Alan Burnett (The Batman), and voice talent Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) and Juliet Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) to discuss and show film clips from the all-new film set for release on July 28. Then, Timm and Romano will be joined by supervising producer Michael Goguen (Justice League: The New Frontier), director Sam Liu (The Batman), and writer Stan Berkowitz (Justice League: The New Frontier), for the first-ever footage and public discussion of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. Kevin Conroy, the undisputed benchmark voice of Batman, joins the panel for his first Comic-Con appearance in six years! Based on the popular Jeff Loeb/Ed McGuinness comic series/graphic novel, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies finds U.S. President Lex Luthor using the oncoming trajectory of a kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his "partner in crime," Batman. Superheroes and supervillains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite—and recruit super help—to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the asteroid, and uncover Luthor's devious plot to take command of far more than North America. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies will be distributed by Warner Home Video in fall 2009. The movie reunites the lead voices from the landmark Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series—Conroy, Tim Daly (Private Practice) and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption) reprise their roles as Batman, Superman and Lex Luthor, respectively. Other members of the cast are expected to join the panel, as well. DC Comics senior VP of creative affairs Gregory Noveck moderates. Room 6BCF

6:30-7:30 SEGA/Platinum Games: The Making of Bayonetta— Famed director Hideki Kamiya and producer Yusuke Hashimoto provide an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Bayonetta, a visually unparalleled action game that combines unique visual aesthetics with supernatural combat. In this war between angels and a heat-packing, hair-manipulating witch, it introduces—literally and figuratively—a new breed of video game heroine. Developed by PlatinumGames for SEGA, this is their next big project on the heels of MadWorld, one of the most lauded games for its groundbreaking innovation. Audience members will be able to participate in a Q&A session with some other surprises in the works. Room 10

6:30-7:30 Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries— A discussion with iconic filmmakers James Cameron (Avatar) and Peter Jackson (District 9) on the Future of Film—EW moderates an in-depth conversation with these two cinematic giants about the art of film narrative and how technology and global culture will alter the art of on-screen storytelling in the next 20 years. Hall H

9:00-11:30 Angel of Death Premiere Screening and Q&A Session— Comic book superstar Ed Brubaker (Captain America), actress and stuntwoman Zoë Bell (Death Proof), actors Doug Jones (Quarantine), and Ted Raimi (Spider-Man 3), director Paul Etheredge (Buried Alive), and producer John Norris appear for a panel and Q&A session, followed by an exclusive screening of the thrilling uncut feature-length version of the film marking the DVD release of the groundbreaking digital online series! Room 6A

SATURDAY

2:45-3:45 Sony Pictures: Zombieland and 2012— Sony Pictures previews two exciting new movies at Comic-Con!

Zombieland —What if the Zombies won? Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn't have fears. If he did, he'd kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they're about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other. Also starring Emma Stone and Abigal Breslin as two sisters who seem to constantly cause even more trouble for our erstwhile heroes. Appearing on stage: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and director Ruben Fleischer.

2012—Director Roland Emmerich has tried to destroy civilization before, but nothing you've seen will prepare you for what he has in store for the world in 2012. Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. 2012 is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Roland will be onstage to reassure us it's all make-believe...we hope. Hall H

3:30-4:30 Entertainment Weekly: Totally Lost with Doc Jensen and Dan Snierson— EW's Jeff "Doc" Jensen and Dan "Dan" Snierson prep you for Lost's final season with their dubious insights, crazy theories, and oddball tomfoolery. Surprises? Maybe. Pig E.? Let's hope not. Free cookies? No. Room 5AB

4:00-5:00 Fringe Screening and Q&A— Fringe cast members Anna Torv (upcoming The Pacific), Josh Jackson (Shutter), and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) appear with consulting producers Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and executive producers Jeff Pinkner (Lost) and J. H. Wyman (Keen Eddie) for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Join the discussion of this critically acclaimed thriller, which explores the ever-blurring line between science fiction and reality, where hybrid monsters tear through sewers, thieves walk through walls and portals open to worlds unknown. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe airs Thursdays at 9:00 PM ET/PT this fall on FOX, premiering September 17. Fringe: The Complete First Season will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Hi Def September 8. Ballroom 20

4:00-5:00 Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment: Iron Man 2— Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel superhero Iron Man. Directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man 2 stars Robert Downey Jr. Joining Downey in the cast are Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, Mickey Rourke, and Samuel L. Jackson. Hall H

4:30-5:30 Mike Mignola: Hellboy— The creator of Hellboy talks about upcoming projects and what's next for the Beast of the Apocalypse. Mike Mignola and his long-suffering editor Scott Allie provide an overview of the coming year and an always frank Q&A session! Room 4

4:00pm - 8:00pm SOE's Fourth Annual Block Party!

Our annual Block Parties are nothing but fun and this year will be no different! Join us at SOE Headquarters for music, food, drinks, tours, previews of upcoming games, give-aways, raffles and special guests. There will be activities for kids as well. Meet game developers and staff, socialize with SOE employees and friends, and have a great time in the sunshine!

If you didn't get to see Kung Fu Hustle at Fan Faire this year, we'll be holding special demo session only at Block Party. You won't even see this at our Comic-Con booth!

This event is scheduled to be held during Comic-Con on Saturday, July 25th. Even if you are not attending Comic-Con, stop by the block party anyway! Everyone is welcome and admission is FREE! When:

Where: SOE Headquarters 8928 Terman Court San Diego, CA 92121

Shuttle buses are scheduled to travel round-trip from Comic-Con to SOE every 30 minutes from 4:00pm - 6:00pm. Look for the SOE signs in front of the Marriot Hotel, located north of the Convention Center (toward convention area A). Buses will be returning to the Convention Center every 30 minutes until 8:00 pm.

5:15-6:45 Kevin Smith— Direct from New York City, where he's directing the new Warner Bros. film A Couple of Dicks starring Bruce Willis, Seann William Scott, and Tracy Morgan, Kevin Smith returns to the Hall H stage for his annual report to the masses. And remember: he flew in just for YOU. Hall H

5:30-6:30 Gears of War: The Gearsiverse— Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski, Gears of War movie scriptwriter Chris Morgan, Gears of War comic book author and Gears of War 2 scriptwriter Joshua Ortega, and Gears of War movie director Len Wiseman present a preview of what's next in the 11 million–selling Gears of War franchise. Get in on all the action, including an exclusive sneak peek at the deleted scene from Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection as well as an insider's glimpse into the highly anticipated Gears of War motion picture. Whether you play the games, read the books, or have a Crimson Omen tattoo, this star-studded meeting of the minds is too exciting to miss! Indigo Ballroom / Hilton Bayfront

7:30-8:30 Atom.com: World Premiere of Legend of Neil, Season 2— Atom.com has teamed up with Sandeep Parikh (The Guild) for a second season of the popular web series. See the first public screening of episodes from the series and stay for a discussion with Sandeep, series star Tony Janning, and everyone's favorite fairy Felicia Day (The Guild)! Moderated by Chris Albrecht, co-editor of NewTeeVee.com. Room 7AB

8:00-9:00 Showtime: Weeds— If you are addicted to Weeds, this is the panel you don't want to miss! Find out everything you want to know with a Q&A and interview with the series creator and its stars! Featured panelists include Jenji Kohan (creator/executive producer), Hunter Parrish (Silas), Justin Kirk (Andy), and other cast members. Weeds airs on Mondays at 10:00 pm on Showtime. Indigo Ballroom / Hilton Bayfront

8:30-12:15 Watchmen: Director's Cut—Live with Zack Snyder! Plus Sneak Peek of Batman: Arkham Asylum with Mark Hamill & Kevin Conroy— Get the ultimate inside track on two landmark Warner Bros. releases with the world premiere screening of Watchmen: Director's Cut and a first-look panel for the breakout Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment game Batman: Arkham Asylum. The festivities will open with a Batman: Arkham Asylum panel led by the benchmark voices of Batman and the Joker, Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars), as well as award-winning writer Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series). Then Watchmen director Zack Snyder, legendary illustrator Dave Gibbons and actor Jackie Earle Haley discuss the nuances of the film's Director's Cut— which hit stores on July 21. And for the pièce de résistance, Snyder will host a BD Live Community event—providing a real-time, in-person director's commentary for Comic-Con attendees (and BD Live viewers at home) as the film rolls. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of Snyder via computer kiosks within the room, making for an entirely interactive viewing experience. Room 6BCF

SDCC 09 - Smells like Comic-Con

The pungent stench of Geeks, Nerds, and Dorks.

San Diego Comic-Con is upon us once again, and like every other sci-fi lovin, film/tv obsessed,vinyl toy collecting, videogame fan out there, this 4 day party of converging geekery and pop-culture, is the most wonderful time of the year.

With plenty to see and do for everyone in the family. Like getting autographs from D-list actors from old sci-fi shows, meeting your favorite artists, or sitting in on panels for the most hyped upcoming films (Jim Cameron's Avatar, I'm so there), or just chatting it up with fellow geeks while waiting in line.

This will be my second comic-con ever, so I'm a noob compared to frequent Con-goers, but I'd like to think I'm a little more psychologically prepared this time around, even though preparing yourself for Comic-Con is not really something you can do. The absurd lines ups, the crowds, the unpredictable craziness of grabbing free schwag from the booths like a ravenous pack of animals. It's chaos.

There are plenty of parties around the time of Comic-Con as well, one of which is the Sony Online Entertainment Summer Block Party at their campus 30 minutes away.

I went to this last year, and they had awesome food, drinks, music, and tours of their studio. The issue is, you just gotta catch the shuttle, from the convention center to their studio. If you're strapped from cash at the con, you can pig out compliments of Sony BBQ.

Details via the link.

I'll be tweeting my Con adventures on the days that I'll be there, Twitpics and all. Unfortunately I'm not gonna be there all 4 days, dividing my time up between SD and LA. Technology sure has made mini-blogging aka Tweeting, such an integral part of event coverage. There's no way security at Comic-Con will be able to stop the armies of iPhones. http://twitter.com/albertart

Totally excited.