Gravity Lens Weblog

Archive October 14 - November 16 2004

Tuesday, November 16

Things will be a bit frantic for El Jefe over the next few days. Posts may be light.

Haven't done a fictional map link-fest in a while, so here's cartographical charts for Oz, Wonderland, Narnia, Mordor, Shannara, Pern, Earthsea, Discworld, and old favorites Melnibone, Hyboria, and Pellucidar.

Monday, November 15

SciFi Webguide links to Eve of the War, a War of the Worlds site with great galleries of comics and movie posters, among other things.

Here's some samples of Paul Kirchner's fun comic strip The Bus, from the glory days of Heavy Metal.

Saturday, November 13

"On November 13th, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence."

Friday, November 12

Amelia Earhart is getting her own action figure, along with other historical women in the Girls Explore! line.

Paul at Geekpress links to this list of Top Ten Reasons why Sex at the Speed of Light is not an Advisable Form of Procreation. This ranks up there with Larry Niven's Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex for unnerving physics-based sexual imagery.

I've noticed a number of billboards sprouting up in my area for Senseo Coffee. The bill-boards sport this image of their coffeemaker. Maybe it's just me, but from a distance it looks like a profile of G'Kar from Babylon 5 as a member of Blue Man Group.

Thursday, November 11

Here's a series of ridiculous science fiction costumes. Enjoy.

Astrobiology has an astronomy story with the pulpish title The Planet that Shouldn't Be. In the meantime, with the Holidays approaching I direct your attention to Android World, which has a nice gallery of gorgeous (if a bit pricey) globes of the planets.

Ryan McLelland of Newsarama previews the return of Flaming Carrot.

Wednesday, November 19

After three years of excellent blogging and comic book reviews, the web site Art Bomb is ceasing operation. I've gotten used to sites going away, but AB has been a mainstay near the top of the Comics/SF section of my links page. It was also the first comic book site to link to my Comic Book Motivationals page.

Assorted Items: Boing Boing links to this nifty futurehouse.

JP Dorigo of Broken Frontier gives us Horoscopes for Comic Geeks.

Geekpress sends us to this Hierarchy of Blogging.

Tuesday, November 9

John Byrne takes The Incredibles to task for mocking the concept of superheroes over at UGO Comics. On the other hand authors Howard Waldrop and Lawrence Person loved it, and tell us why at Locus.

Star Trek.com showcases android talents at The Data Variety Show.

Art Blog informs us that BurlyMan Entertainment has posted a twelve page preview of the pulp homage comic Doc Frankenstein.

Monday, November 8

In the real world, wristbands tend to be rather silly. In comics, they can be tokens of power, such as Wonder Woman's bracelets, Captain Marvel's Nega Bands, or the Power Bands of Space Ghost and Young Samson. The gadgets in Black Widow's wristlets rival Batman's utility belt. For others, oversized wrist accessories are just a fashion statement, such as Warlord, Thor, Adam Warlock, Hercules, Drax, Namor, and Juggernaut.

Some go with the full-hand route, like the Witchblade, the Infinity Gaunlet, or the mystic gloves from Battle Chasers, but that's just gaudy...

If the prospect of ultrafast computers and Jetpod taxis trolling over London makes you shout "'bout friggin' time," you may want to try you hand at SciFi UK's How Geek Are You? test. (via, SFSignal, whom I clearly haven't been stealing enough links from lately.)

Friday, November 5

Ain't It Cool News and Cinescape report that WB has passed on the pilot for Warren Ellis' Global Frequency. In other Ellis news Comic Book Resources has a preview of the upcoming Apparat books.

Future Shock: Wired has a story about the Miss Digital World pageant, a beauty contest exclusively for computer generated women.

Thursday, November 4

To all my Northeast brothers and sisters: Next fall Wizard World is coming to Boston.

The mighty MootMan points us to this page on the John Byrne forum where the man gives us a list of common comic book syndromes.

Spacebox wants you to vote for the best space song.

Hmmm, space: you've got your Space Cowboy, Space Cabbie, Space Knight, Space Ghost, Space Angel, Space Academy, Space Patrol, Space Cases, Space Nuts, Space Rock, Space Runner, Space Car, Space Tank, Space Glider, Space Train, Space Demon, Space Truckin', the Space Needle, and Space Jobs.

Update: Mark writes in to remind me of Space Precinct and Space Madness!

There's also Man in Space, Geeks in Space, Pigs in Space, Dogs in Space, Fish in Space, Ants in Space, Spiders in Space, a City in Space, Terror in Space, Mutiny in Space, Science in Space, and, of course, Sex in Space.

Wednesday, November 3

Evolutionary researchers now have a basic understanding of how the eye developed, not to mention the nostril.

James Sallis of the Boston Globe looks at the career of Ray Bradbury.

Tuesday, November 2

Let's celebrate Election Day by revisiting the list of fictional American Presidents. It should be noted that this list is longer than both the list of fictional alcoholics and fictional characters missing an appendage combined.

James Hughes of Better Humans explains how the subject of human enhancement is now being debated. Meanwhile, Technology Review tells us that machines that can climb along our DNA now exist.

Monday, November 1

Eye of the Goof informs us that The Improv in Irvine, CA is showing a dramatic stage show of the Star Trek episode Spock's Brain.

It is November.

The God of the Month is Abnoba, Goddess of the Black Forest.

The Molecule of the Month is Morphine.

The Quantum Muse Artist of the Month is Christophe Vacher.

Carry on.

Sunday, October 31

Art Blogospherics: Boing Boing points to the piston-driven magnificence of Steam Wars.

Incoming Signals links to the gallery of Alexey S. Lipatov.

Reality Carnival points to the colorful work of Stevee Postman.

The Cartoonist sends us to mixed media page of Jean-Claude Claeys.

And if you want words instead of pictures, Metafilter links to the BBC's 20th anniverary edition of the Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy text adventure.

Thursday, October 28

Comic Book Stuff: UGO Comics interviews artist Colleen Doran.

J.P. Dorigo of Broken Frontier looks at what passes for continuity these days.

Steven Grant looks at the concept of the "post superhero" at Comic Book Resources.

Apparently there really were Hobbits...

More mirror image posedowns: Lt. Uhura vs. Terry Jones. Kate Bush vs. Anguiras. The Alien Space Jockey vs. the guy from the Maxell ads.

Wednesday, October 27

We've got us a Lunar eclipse tonight. Robert Roy Britt of Space.com gives us the top 10 Lunar eclipse facts.

Rosie the Riveter vs. Ian Anderson. Discuss.

Blogospherics: Eye of the Goof links to the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists.

Grow-A-Brain pints to Crime Boss: Crime Comics of the '40s and '50s.

Metafilter informs us of an essay contest that asks "What Would Bill Hicks Say?"

One central trope of comics is super strength, and nuthin' says "strong" like size! Since unleashing the Hulk and the Thing, Marvel has given us many big burly characters: gamma-irradiated folks like the Abomination and Doc Samson, fuzzy strongmen like Sasquatch and Wendigo, mutants like Colossus and Strong Guy, silly "muscular" robots like Warstar and Box, and the other guys Drax the Destroyer and the Rhino.

Other ridiculously large comic denizens include Pitt, Doomsday, Bane, Lobo, The Creech, Maul, Mr. Hyde, Teuton, and Hanover Fiste.

Tuesday, October 26

Assorted Items: In the future you'll be able to get a brain prosthesis.

Here's a site dedicated to four word film reviews.

McFarlane Toys has posted some cool pix of its upcoming Dragon action figures.

Anyone who watched the show M.A.N.T.I.S. will appreciate this robot that allows the paralyzed to walk.

And speaking of genre acronyms, here's S.H.A.D.O., W.A.S.P., S.H.I.E.L.D., A.I.M., A.P.E. and C.H.U.M.P., T.H.U.N.D.E.R., U.N.C.L.E., T.H.R.U.S.H., and C.A.P.E.R.

Monday, October 25

Reality Carnival points to these cool photos of the world's largest Klein Bottle.

Sunday, October 24

House Bad Day has made the great crossing! The computers are up and humming and I hope to be back to my usual postings soon. There's a new email address.

Friday, October 22

Star Trek.com has a feature on notable transporter mishaps.

Recommended Readin': SF Signal links to this Science News piece by Sid Perkins about the effect of bad science in movies.

Robert Silverberg makes the case for an Isaac Asimov postage stamp.

Mike Seely of River Front Times tells us that if you can't get laid at a SF convention...

Thursday, October 21

You have far fewer genes than you thought you had. I expect the creationists to beat this drum as long as they can.

Also, gravitational frame drag has been confirmed.

And in keeping with the rocket powered shopping cart, here's a cool-looking motorcycle that runs on 24 chainsaw engines.

Wednesday, October 20

Nick Bostrom dissects claims that Transhumanism is dangerous at Better Humans.

In the future: Babies will have three parents, tweezers will be made out of light, and your toilet seat will be a source of illumination.

Tuesday, October 19

So Bad Day will be officially moving into the new digs this week. Posting will be sparse as the computers are moved, email accounts shuffled around, etc. On top of this the station I work for is in the thick of post-season baseball, which has eaten up an undue amount of my time. I hope to have an illusion of normalcy firmly in place by early next week.

Neil Gaiman posts a list of ten things never to send to your favorite writer (scroll down).

Monday, October 18

The University of Kansas is organizing a three-day conference about Godzilla. In fandom we call these "conventions."

New at Modern Drunkard: Drinking at the South Pole, drinking with Vincent Van Gogh, and a gallery of vintage liquor ads.

Assorted Items: Mondolithic gives us a beautiful shot from the surface of Ringworld.

"Cavity Sam," the perpetual patient in the game Operation, has developed a new ailment.

Meanwhile, in China, a satellite has crashed into a house...

Saturday, October 16

As a fan of both Rush and modern robotics I applaud the creation of P.E.A.R.T.

Friday, October 15

If you, like myself, love women with tall hair, check out the website Beauty & The Bouffant.

Here ya go: Nietzsche's Will to Power Bars. (I lifted this from someone, but I forget who)

Thursday, October 14

Another cool fake movie trailer: The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society has posted a silent black & white "preview" for The Call of Cthulhu. Very Orson Wellesian.