Pool (no.6)

Pool (no.6):

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The Loneliest Unicorn

The Loneliest Unicorn:

Meet Robin Shelby, Slimer actress in Ghostbusters 2, current web series star

Meet Robin Shelby, Slimer actress in Ghostbusters 2, current web series star:


A while back, I came across some old footage from the set of Ghostbusters 2, a movie that is one of my favorite movies of all time. (And a movie that I will defend to the death.) The scene they were working on didn't feature any of the famous actors, it was all about Slimer, the focused, non-terminal repeating phantasm who also served as an unofficial tribute to the late John Belushi. Inside of Slimer was a young woman named Robin Shelby, who brought the Class 5 full roaming vapor to life. That footage has since been taken down, but I got to have a chat with Shelby about her work on Ghostbusters 2 as well as what she's up to now.


So, you puppeteered Slimer in Ghostbusters 2. How far into your career were you when you snagged that job? I had worked on the film Willow prior to getting cast in GB2. I was the troll that was at the top of a bridge with Willow and gets torn in two by a very nasty looking two-headed creature. I also was doing tons of theatre in the San Francisco Bay Area, and singing at Kings Great America when I shot Ghostbusters 2.

Did you have any contact with the first puppeteer, Mark Bryan Wilson? I just met Mark for the first time a few months ago. He’s such a great guy, and can’t believe it took so many years to get the two “Slimers” together.

What was the best day on that set like? The best days for me were the days I left feeling like I had accomplished everything they needed me to do, and seeing they were happy. Oh, and the day Bill Murray showed up on set at [Industrial Light & Magic]. I was a bit starstruck, but he was nothing short of amazing and fun. He basically had turned the soundstage into one big party and everyone enjoyed music, drinks, and some really bad dancing.

And, since there are always good days and bad days at work, what was the worst day on set like? There was a day we were in the middle of shooting something, and I knew I wanted to hang in there to get it done. So we went a bit longer than usual without taking some of the costume off and take a break. At one point, they were trying to talk to me inside the costume, and I wasn’t responding back to them. They got me out pretty quick before I had totally passed out.

What's been happening since Ghostbusters 2, and how often do you hear from members of the cast? The funny part about shooting in front of a blue screen is I didn’t have to actually meet any of the cast members. I shot everything alone in front of a blue screen, and my footage was added to the scenes already shot. I just got lucky, and got to meet Bill while I was shooting. I met Ernie for the first time last year at an art exhibit where some Ghostbusters art was being displayed. Then in November of last year Ernie, William Atherton [Walter Peck], Slavitza Jovan [Gozer] and I did the HorrorHound convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. We all exchanged information there and keep in touch. I am truly in awe of the talents of each one of them.



How often do you attend conventions? I just started doing conventions last year, and going to my third one in a couple of weeks. [Space City Con in Houston, Texas] It’s still kind of new to me, but the GB fans couldn’t be more gracious and wonderful to me. They are so supportive, and I appreciate them so much.

What are you up to now? Where can we see you do your thing? In addition to the web series, there are a few new projects I have shot recently. A film called Democracy At Work and a short film called Meet the Zillas. Both very funny, smart projects I am lucky to be a part of. You can always check out IMDB to keep up with any new projects.

What is the premise of your web series "Far From the Tree," and what inspired you to make it? The premise of our web series is about a dysfunctional Mom, her daughter and the world around them. It truly isn’t my family, but kind of SUPER exaggerated elements from different people and family members I know. What inspired me was simply keeping creative. I had the idea for the premise of the show, and my husband (who is a brilliant actor and writer) took the idea and started writing some individual scripts after I came up with a basic treatment for the series. It’s been a true team effort.

How long has it been running, and how long do you think you'll make it? We have 15 episodes. We will keep making them as long as we have ideas, and we feel it makes us laugh. When that stops, we’ll probably figure out an idea for a new project that we can work on that will hopefully also make us laugh.

And the obvious question on everyone's minds: Do you think Ghostbusters 3 will ever happen? I have stopped trying to speculate. BUT... I can say should it ever come together and everyone says “It’s a go!”... I hope in some way, I’m able to be involved. Whether it may be motion capture and I’m involved that way with the character of Slimer if he’s in the script, or a cameo in the film... it would be an honor to be a part of GB3 if it should happen to come together.

Thanks for your time, Robin! To watch her web series, "Far From the Tree," head over to YouTube for every episode, plus the three that are coming up soon. As our parting shot, I leave you with a shot of Robin Shelby in costume -- Slimer with rad pink high-tops:



Righteous.

Photo

Photo:

По умнее многих )

E.T. The Walrus Practices His Vocalizations: A 30-year-old 3,500 pound walrus named E.T. growls and whistles during a feeding at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, WA, USA.







YouTube link



(thanks Cora)

The Presurfer

Как же мне нравиться его Локи.

Arthur Rackham (update):


Arthur Rackham was one of the greatest illustrators of the turn of the 20th century Golden Age of Illustration, that is to say one of the greatest illustrators of all time.
Though many are familiar with his beautiful illustrations for Rip van Winkle (images above, top), which established his reputation, and Gulliver’s Travels, as well as a number English and Irish fairy tales, and even his superb illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (above, second down) which I think are the only set to hold their own against John Tenniel’s definitive drawings, fewer have see what is perhaps Rackham’s masterwork, the illustrations for J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (above, 5 & 6), or his stunning interpretations of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream (above, third down).
Fewer still are familiar with his dramatic and powerful illustrations for the three books of Wagner’s The Ring of the Niblung (above, bottom three).
Rackham’s pen and ink and watercolor illustrations could be alternately (and at times simultaneously) delicate and forceful, idyllic and frightening, refined and grungy, brilliantly light and eerily dark.
Since I first wrote about Rackham back in 2006, at which point I found very few resources for his work online, the internet has continued its Jack and the Banstalk-like growth, presenting us with new gifts on every leaf.
One of the best current resources for Rackham’s work, particularly his remarkable Ring illustrations, is the deceptively named Golden Age Comicbook Stories blog, in which our mysterious benefactor, “Mr. Door Tree”, has an amazing knack for finding and posting large high-quality images. Here is his post for The Ring of the Niblung, and here the set for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
If you click on his left column heading for Arthur Rackham, which does a search, keep going back through “Older posts” at page bottom for several pages of articles that include Rackham or are specifically about his work.
The other great resource on Rackham’s illustrations, and likely the most extensive one, is Art Passions. This is a landing page with links. Some of the links are to individual illustrations, others, however, are to entire sets from his major projects.
In print, you can find a number of reproductions of Rackham’s books and collections of his illustrations (Amazon link), with varying degrees of fidelity and quality.
The July, 2012 issue of ImagineFX magazine, which is currently on sale in the US (#84) has an article on Arthur Rackham.
I’ve listed some other resources below.
I’ll give this my Major Time Sink Warning.

Android Jones (update)

Android Jones (update):


Andrew “Android” Jones has worked as a concept artist with companies like ILM and Nintendo, as well as Massive Black, which he co-founded. He was also co-founder of the popular ConceptArt.org community portal.
Jones is also a creator of visionary art, using a variety of digital tools involving digital painting, vectors and CGI modeling. He lists his primary tools as Painter, Photoshop, ZBrush and Alchemy.
He brings his skills in these areas to bear in complex, fascinatingly detailed visionary images — rich with patterns, textures, and imagery within imagery. These sometimes are stand alone pieces and sometimes serve as posters or music CD covers.
I particularly enjoy his blending of vector graphics and digital painting techniques, and his use of layered, almost fractal, repetition of design elements within the composition. He also uses digital blending modes to great effect, allowing his patterns and textures to be expressed against his painted forms.
The home page of his website serves as a blog and gallery of his latest work. There is also a portfolio section, a dedicated section for his Phadroid performance art projects and a store, which contains additional images not found in the other sections.
You can also find his work in the D’artiste: Concept Art collection

Sink that looks like a gap-toothed jaw

Sink that looks like a gap-toothed jaw:


This unsourced mystery photo shows a heck of a home decor choice, between the sink that looks like a casting of a gap-toothed jaw, the mustardy tiles, and the ornate, gilt-framed mirror.

(via JWZ)

Leather skull purse

Leather skull purse:


Brian Griffin made this beautiful skull-shaped handbag, which sold on Etsy on July 1. It looks like he makes and lists them pretty regularly.

Hand formed leather skull clutch bag purse. The leather is formed and tempered to keep its shape. It also has fiberglass/resin enforcement where needed. Hand stitching finished off the borders where the 2 half’s meet. A magnetic clasp holds the skull together and it is lined with a dense felt...

I must point this out. This is first and foremost a work of art. It will hold small items but I do not advise packing it like a regular purse.

Leather Skull Purse Clutch in OxBlood

The Evolution Of Mario

The Evolution Of Mario:
There aren’t many video game characters that are in the consciousness of the general public, however Mario certainly has made great strides in this area. It’s rare to meet someone who has not heard of the Italian plumber named Mario, but those who don’t play video games often may be unaware of his humble beginnings.
Mario was not the main character in his first video game appearance. You may be surprised to know that he wasn’t a plumber, and his name wasn’t Mario either. He made his first appearance in the 1981 pioneering Nintendo arcade game Donkey Kong. Mario’s character was called ‘Jumpman’ and he was a carpenter rather than a plumber. ‘Jumpman’ had to jump over barrels that were being thrown by Donkey Kong in order to save a damsel in distress (which would later be called Princess).
Since those small beginnings, Mario has come a long way. Over the last 30 years Mario has appeared in more than 200 video games and has been referenced in hundreds more Nintendo and non-Nintendo titles. Today we’d like to show you the changes Mario has went through since his humble beginnings over 30 years ago.

The Evolution of Mario

1. Donkey Kong (Arcade) – 1981
Who would have thought that ‘Jumpman’ would go from being a minor character in this game, to being the most successful character in video game history? Even in Mario’s first appearance, most of his trademark looks were there. Including the red hat, tradesman jumpsuit and famous Italian moustache.

2. Donkey Kong (Game & Watch) – 1982
Before Nintendo ruled the world of portable gaming with the Nintendo Gameboy, they had a lot of success with their ‘Game & Watch’ range of handheld games. Mario’s second appearance was in the port of the popular arcade game that was released the year before.
Game & Watch games had a fixed background which allowed the user to take Mario from the bottom screen to the top. Mario is almost recognizable in the game though this has more to do with the limitations of the Game & Watch system.

Photo Credit
3. Donkey Kong Jr (Arcade) – 1982
Mario returned in the follow up to Donkey Kong in 1982. The Jumpman moniker was replaced with Mario for this game. Graphics were slightly improved this time around, and Mario was noticeably larger in comparison to Donkey Kong and the background. Apart from his size, the Mario sprite hadn’t really changed in any way.

4. Mario Bros. (Arcade) – 1983
The simple yet addictive Mario Bros was the first game of which Mario was the star. Of course, he had to share the limelight with his brother Luigi, a new character that used green clothing where Mario used red (though they were identical apart from that). Mario himself had changed slightly since his last venture, most notably his nose was a little less protruded.

5. Mario’s Cement Factory (Game & Watch) – 1983
Mario’s Cement Factory was the first Game & Watch game to have Mario as the star. Mario himself was unchanged since his last appearance in the handheld environment.

Photo Credit
6. Pinball (NES) – 1984
Mario was frequently used on the cover of NES games, even when he had very little to do with the actual game. In Pinball, Mario was used on the front cover of the game though his appearance in the game was limited to the bonus stage.

7. Super Mario Bros. (NES) – 1985
The game that defined Mario and created a video game mega star. Mario initially started the game small however by taking a mushroom he would grow to double the size. This essentially gave you an extra life as when you were hurt as large Mario you simply reverted back to small Mario. Players could also change into fire Mario by collecting the fire flower. In addition to making Mario bigger, this power up also allowed him to kill enemies using fireballs.

8. Golf (NES) – 1985
Golf was a simple golf game that was highly playable. It was pioneering in many ways as it introduced the power and accuracy bar that has been used in most golf games since.
In the game, Mario resembled a fat middle aged man with a big nose. The design of Mario was bizarre to say the least.

9. Wrecking Crew (NES) – 1985
In Wrecking Crew, Mario donned a safety helmet and a sledgehammer. His skin color was slightly different from other games, though the actual design of Mario wasn’t too different from Super Mario Bros.

10. Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch) – 1986
Super Mario Bros was brought to Game & Watch in 1986. This time the character looked more like Mario from its console namesake.

11. Mario Bros. II (Commodore 64) – 1987
The sequel to the original Mario Bros was only released on the Commodore 64 and bore little resemblance to the original game. Due to the Commodore 64 being less powerful than the NES, Mario & Luigi were not as defined as in their console games.

12. Punch-Out!! (NES) – 1987
Little Mac was the star of the popular game Punch Out though Mario was still able to play a part as the referee. Like Golf, Mario looked a little more human in the game. His stomach was fairly big again too!

13. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) – 1988
After Nintendo decided that the sequel to Super Mario Bros that was released in Japan was too difficult for American gamers, they adapted the Japanese game Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic and re-branded it as Super Mario Bros 2. Due to this, the game didn’t feel the same as other Mario games.
This was the first game in which Luigi was not the same as Mario except with different colors. Mario’s brother was noticeably taller, giving the ability to jump higher than Mario. Mario could run faster though.

14. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) – 1988
Regarded as one of the best video games of all time, Super Mario Bros. 3 saw Mario being given a lot of new powers. In addition to the super mushroom and fire flower power ups, it introduced the raccoon suit for flying, frog suit for swimming and hammer suit for throwing hammers. A similar suit to the raccoon suit was the tanooki suit. It also allowed Mario and Luigi to fly, however they could also turn themselves into stone to avoid being seen by enemies.

15. Super Mario Land (Gameboy) – 1989
Mario’s first adventure on the Gameboy was based on the original Super Mario Bros that was released 4 years before. Whilst it shares the same style and Mario uses the same power ups etc, all of the levels are completely different.

16. Super Mario World (Super Nes) – 1990
Super Mario World was the fourth title in the Super Mario Bros series. Mario had mainly appeared in NES games for the several years previous to this release and he looked much better in the new Super NES system. Colors were brighter, bolder and more defined.
The game featured a feather power up that allowed Mario to fly. It worked in a similar way to the raccoon suit in Super Mario Bros 3 however the cape allowed Mario to fly up and down and then make a crash landing. The game also introduced Mario’s friend Yoshi, a friendly dinosaur that could eat berries and shoot out flames.

17. Dr. Mario (NES) – 1990
Dr. Mario was a popular Tetris like puzzle game that featured Mario dropping medicine down to eliminate viruses. Despite the game being named after him, Mario was only represented at the side of the game as a Doctor.

18. NES Open Tournament Golf (NES) – 1991
Mario looked a lot better when he returned for his second golf game for the NES. Luigi could be chosen as a second character and Princess Peach and Princess Daisy were used as caddies. The game also featured a cameo appearance by Donkey Kong.

Photo Credit
19. Yoshi (NES) – 1991
Graphically similar to Dr. Mario, Yoshi was a puzzle game that featured lots of common Mario enemies. Mario was controlled by the player and could switch around to ensure the enemies fall into the correct places.

20. Super Mario Kart (Super NES) – 1992
Another Mario game that is regarded by many as one of the best console games of all time. Super Mario Kart featured lots of characters from the Mario world such as Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong Jr and Bowser. Each character had different strengths and weaknesses for driving and players that weren’t controlled by humans had their own special powers e.g. Donkey Kong Jr threw bananas.

21. Mario Paint (Super Nes) – 1992
Mario Paint was an interesting game that came packaged with the SNES mouse. The game allowed you to create drawings and music within the game and save it for later. Mario appeared throughout the game in a variety of ways. For example, in the music generator he would jump along on top of the beats.

Photo Credit
22. Mario is Missing! (Super NES) – 1992
As the game title suggests, Mario is missing, therefore his brother Luigi took centre stage in this educational game. The game bears a striking resemblance to the graphics used in Super Mario World.

23. Super Mario All-Stars (Super NES) – 1993
Also known as Super Mario Collection, Super Mario All-Stars contained Super Mario Bros 1, 2 and 3. The original Super Mario Bros 2 that was only released in Japan was included as well and was referred to as ‘Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels ‘. A later version of the game also included Super Mario World.
All of the games had been visually enhanced to take advantage of the 16 bit graphics the Super Nes offered. Other than that, the games were identical to the original NES equivalents.

24. Mario & Wario (Super NES) – 1993
The 1993 side scrolling game Mario & Wario was only released in Japan. Users had to take Mario through each level avoiding obstacles using the SNES mouse accessory.

Photo Credit
25. Hotel Mario (CD-i) – 1994
Another Mario themed puzzle game that has the unfortunate tag of one of the worst Mario games ever released. The cut scenes featuring Mario and Luigi used full motion video.

26. Donkey Kong (Gameboy) – 1994
The first game to be designed with the SNES Super Game Boy peripheral, it is perhaps surprising that one of Nintendo’s flagship games was not released until 5 years after the Gameboy was first launched. The player had to guide Mario through a whopping 101 levels in order to save Pauline from Donkey Kong. The game play is very similar to the original Donkey Kong games released in the arcades.

Photo Credit

More on Page 2

Mario’s evolution is far from complete! Check out the rest of his gaming career highlights over on page two