Here’s a good Trivia-pursuit question, what is the longest running film franchise? The James Bond series or the Godzilla monster movies? Nope. It’s Tarzan! Tarzan on Film by Tarzan fanatic author Scott Tracy Griffin explores the over 90-plus years of Tarzan films, from the Hollywood silent film era, the animated versions, the made-for-TV films and network television runs.
Tarzan on Film by Scott Tracy Griffin
August 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The High Ground by Melinda Snodgrass
August 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment
When you have Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin giving praise about this book, it got my attention. The High Ground – The Imperials Saga is the first book in an epic science-fiction trilogy by author Melinda Snodgrass. The heart of the story, a handsome lower-class boy Thracius Belmanor aka Tracy working his way up the class-system falls in love with Princess Mercedes Adalina Saturnina Inez de Arango. It’s mix of BBC drama and a Kdrama love triangle set in outer space worlds.
By year 2100s the Earth is mostly uninhabitable and humans have conquered other worlds in galaxies far away. In Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek when Warp engine technology was discovered it was about the search of new worlds and exploration, but here in this universe, when Fold technology is discovered, humans created a backward class-system hierarchy to control the galaxy and subjugated all the aliens they have conquered like the Haijin, Isanjo and Cara’ot races into “servants”. The Imperial Family, the father and king Fernan Marcus Serverino Beltran de Arango has a dilemma on his hands. His 5 wives only gave him daughters and no sons to inherit the throne. He wants his eldest daughter Mercedes to inherit the kingdom. The Princess has other plans like attending the military school – The High Ground. She will be the first woman admitted to school on a large city-port space station. On the other side, is Tracy whose father is tailor to the “rich” and while Tracy wants none of the class system BS, he is “forced” to go to the High Ground military school.
Escapology by Ren Warom
August 9, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The post-apocalyptic future Earth is unkind to the masses. It’s little like Kevin Costner’s ill-fated Waterworld and Mad Max: Fury Road, well kind of. The world is more of a mix between anime Garganita on the Verdurous Planet without the mechas and Brian Wood’s comic The Massive as an environmental disaster destroys most of the Earth. Land dwelling places to live are scarce the exception of mega-cities or large ship-cities that rule the seas. And the internet is run by one gatekeeper, this is the first novel by author Ren Warom – Escapology.
Vinyl Pulp #18: SDCC 2016 BAIT Oni Akuma
August 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Vinyl Pulp takes a look at all the 7″ Kidrobot Akuma’s. This is the SDCC 2016 exclusive BAIT Oni Akuma. The limited edition figure features a purple colorway and translucent arms.
SoHo Sins by Richard Vine
August 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Messed-up marriages, adultery, temptation, jealously and power all come to play in this pulp novel SoHo Sins. With a long career in the modern art scene, author Richard Vine pens his first novel using New York City art world as the backdrop.
In SoHo Sins the art scene golden couple is Philip and Amanda Oliver. Philip a techy millionaire is in a broken marriage with his current wife Amanda Wingate, the art collector heiress. The art world is rocked when Amanda is found murdered in her home. Art dealer and friend of the couple Jackson Wyeth and his P.I. buddy Hogan are on the job to investigate Amanda’s grisly death.
Vinyl Pulp #17: The Baby Fatts Gallery
August 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Vinyl Pulp goes to the Baby Fatts Gallery at Woot Bear! The custom resin toy art dragon Baby Fatts created by Big C Art aka Colin Hoffman gets the star treatment by many artists in this custom toy art show. We interview Big C Art and recap the event.
Vinyl Pulp #16: The Kidrobot Shin Akuma SDCC
July 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Vinyl Pulp takes a look at a neat Kidrobot exclusive from San Diego Comic-Con 2016. This is the Kidrobot Street Fighter Shin Akuma 7-inch figure. The Shin Akuma is limited to 500 pieces.
JackRabbit Clothing Late Summer 2016 Collection
July 18, 2016 by 1 Comment
Summer time is a time for travel and years ago I’ve backpacked through Europe – let just tell you it was great life experience. Two kids inspired by their 6 month traveling around Europe, friends Patrick Alick and Evan Solomon founded a small streetwear label JackRabbit Clothing.
The Art & Making of Independence Day: Resurgence
July 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment
I remember sitting at the Cornet Theater, an iconic large single-screen theater in San Francisco, before all the crazy IMAX 3D stuff and mega-mall multiplexes watching the summer blockbuster Independence Day. Twenty years have past with a new sequel ID4 Resurgence. The nasty aliens are back to drain Earth’s natural resources. Okay, I admit Resurgence may not measure up to the classic summer hit ID4, but if you want some popcorn action with no thinking – then you might want to see ID4 Resurgence. Along with the movie, Titan Books has released The Art & Making of Independence Day Resurgence.
Vinyl Pulp #15: Kidrobot SF V Akuma 7-Inch
July 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Our latest Vinyl Pulp episode takes a look at the Kidrobot Street Fighter V Akuma 7-Inch. Capcom Street Fighter fans who like these vinyl toys will definitely want to pick this up for their collection.
Vinyl Pulp #14: The Andy Warhol Dunny Collection
July 9, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The latest episode of our Vinyl Pulp is out! Episode 14 takes at quick look at Andy Warhol Dunny Series that was just released. The 3″ Dunnies get an artsy design twist from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
The Age of Treachery by Gavin Scott
June 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment
I recently watched Guy Ritchie’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)” on rental. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. And by coincidence my next book review takes place around this post-WWII/Cold War era, it’s “The Age of Treachery” by author Gavin Scott.
World War II has just ended and like many soldiers returning home to England, Duncan Forrester is trying to adjust into normal civilian life. The ex-Special Operations Executive agent, Duncan is back at Oxford College as a archaeology researcher. A fellow colleague David Lyall is murdered on campus and everything points to Duncan’s best friend Gordon Clark. Duncan Forrester begins his own investigation.
Warcraft: Durotan
June 10, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Before we start this review, let us take a moment to explain that I’m not a Warcraft fanatic or even a Starcraft hardcore gamer. In college, I was more of a Command & Conquer fan and played a lot of it, especially during final weeks from what I remember. With the release of the live-action Warcraft film this weekend, this paperback novel Warcraft: Durotan is the prequel storyline for the Warcraft movie.
This tale begins with the young Durotan learning how to be a leader of the Frostwolves orc clan from his dad Garad and mother Geyah. For generations, the Frostwolves have been living in Frostfire Ridge near the Greatfather Mountain, which provide food and shelter. A mysterious warlock Gul’dan appears and tells of a new evil coming to destroy their lands. Gul’dan asks Garad to join their united orc clans – the Horde. He promises a land to the South where there is much food, fresh water and better lands. Chieftain Garad dismisses Gul’dan as evil, but over the years the area of Frostfire Ridge becomes increasingly harder to hunt for food with harsher summers and winters.
New Pompeii by Daniel Godfrey
June 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
One of our favorite sci-fi genre’s is about time traveling. In pop culture entertainment, we have a fetish for the “past”, like what if we could travel to the 1950s era or Roman times and so on, and then have the ability to change the future? I remember having a dandy of a time reading Timeline (1999) by Michael Crichton. A footnote, please do not watch the lame movie adaptation of Timeline (2003), but do read the book instead. In the vein of Timeline and Jurassic Park, Daniel Godfrey’s New Pompeii is this and more.
The protagonist Dr. Nick Houghton has been stuck in limbo as a part-time college intern and researcher, due to his dad’s outspoken negative comments against one the world’s biggest energy company Novus Particles. NovusPart has created technology to grab matter from the past and bring it into the future. For instance, the company saved the ancient Roman town of Pompeii which was destroyed by volcanic eruption. NovusPart was able to build a replica town called New Pompeii and saved many of the townspeople. With this incredible technology, history buff and researcher Dr. Nick Houghton is offered a job to see New Pompeii. He’s excited to see what real Roman’s are like and to learn how they interact at pubs, bath houses and in the homes. But as he steps into New Pompeii, he notices some discrepancies in the town and among the people. He wonders what happened to his predecessor Dr. Samson? And why are many buildings empty, when many of the poor townspeople have nothing? Nick begins to wonder if there is deeper conspiracy by NovusPart. It’s up to Nick, Roman leader Barbatus and his daughter Calpurnia to stop NovusPart from changing history and the timeline.
I Like To Eat Episode #3: Sweet Mex
June 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The long awaited 3rd episode of I Like to Eat is finally here! On this episode of I Like to Eat, we visit Sweet Mex in Union City, California for some delicious desserts.
What desserts does Sweet Mex hold for our hungry travelers? And will The Eddie spoil his dinner? Tune in to find out on this episode of I Like to Eat.
Interview with Jrock band Back-On!
May 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment
This video was recorded at FanimeCon 2015, our Ramen and a Half host Eddie Ballar interviews the Jrock band Back-On! The band talks about how they got together and their favorite anime to watch.
Interview with Voice Actress Ai Nonaka
May 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment
With the biggest NorCal anime convention happening this Memorial Day weekend, we had some unreleased FanimeCon 2015 footage that’s out now! From our Retrenders vault, our interview with voice actress/singer Ai Nonaka. Recored at FainmeCon 2015.
Ramen and a Half: SVCC 2016 – Artist Ethan Castillo
May 17, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Ramen and a Half host Ramon Angel interviews young artist Ethan Castillo at Silicon Valley Comic-Con 2016 in San Jose, CA. Ethan drops a new art book: “I Still Really Hate Spiders!”
Vinyl Pulp #13: Scott Wilkowski
May 16, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Our latest episode of Vinyl Pulp features the art figurine stylings of artist Scott Wilkowski. We interview Scott on his custom dunnies and glow ‘n’ dark toy art figures.
SixOn Clothing Fashion Showcase
April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
SixOn Clothing recently held a fashion show for their new clothing line-up of hoodies at Desu Nation in Temple City, CA. Inspiration for these new hoodie designs came from the anime Macross and video games like Zelda and Final Fantasy. The hoodie line-up is available for pre-order right now @ SixOn Clothing. Prices range from $70.00-$75.00USD.
Firefly: The Gorramn Shiniest Dictionary and Phrasebook in the ‘Verse
April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
When you see a book with the words ‘Dicitionary Book.’ You might think to yourself, this is going to be a boring reference book or just a plain Merriam-Webster Dictionary. But this ain’t know ordinary dictionary, friends! It’s the Firefly: The Gorramn Shiniest Dictionary and Phrasebook in the ‘Verse.
Ghostbot on Emerging VR Technology
April 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Where will virtual reality take us? The landscape is limitless at this point and finding that one spectacular use for this technology that makes this the next leading trend might be just around the corner. We caught up with Bay Area animation studio Ghostbot after their VR technology discussion panel at Silicon Valley Comic Con and interviewed them to find out where VR is heading.
Silicon Valley Comic-Con 2016 Round-Up
April 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Check out our latest Ramen & a Half episode from Silicon Valley Comic-Con (SVCC)! The first SVCC by tech icon Steve Wozniak and comic book icon Stan Lee taking place at the San Jose Convention Center. Our Ramen team roams the showfloor as we talk to the San Francisco Giants baseball team about all the cool special events they will have this 2016 season. Go Gigantes! Next we hit up BuzzingBots with cute robot plush dolls. Ramon visits artist Jesse JFR on his avocado TMNT art and Boba Fett candles. Eddie interviews Kaz over at Plastic and Heroes on their vinyl toy art collectible shop in San Jose. And the Ramen guys close SVCC with special cosplay guest Abbey and Keiko.
Red Chapter Clothing Company with Marvel Comics
April 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Bryan Hopkins demonstrates his Ambigram tattoo
What is an Ambigram? I would have to say its the art of font design and creative wordplay, where one word passes off as two at the same time… or maybe superimposition, where one thing is placed over an existing thing to conceal something?
Okay enough, just watch the video we shot at Silicon Valley Comic Con with Bryan Hopkins, lead singer of Elvis Monroe, who is the co-founder of Red Chapter Clothing with world famous Ambigram artist Mark Palmer. He’ll tell you what an Ambigram is and how they have creatively designed them for the Marvel Comics world !
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – The Art of the Film
April 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Have you been hiding under a rock or hibernating underground? Go and watch Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Critics and haters be damned! It’s a solid movie by director Zach Synder, though I did have some issues as a comic book fanboy, but I digress. What I’m here to talk about is Titan Books latest behind-the-scenes movie book, this is the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – The Art of the Film book series by author Peter E. Aperlo.
Edward Ballar
GuestContributor
kellyannbrooke
Ramon Angel
Al Woo
Stephen Jang
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Retrenders 