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Dragon Ball Z narrator Kyle Hebert promotes Ramen and a Half at Retrenders as we get to see Thomas Depetrillo in his EVA 01 TEST literally put to the test as he performs on stage at Anime Expo’s 2013 Masquerade. This is probably the most wildly entertaining-rock out skit done in a 10 foot tall life size replica of an Evangelion!
As a kid I couldn’t wait for Sunday paper to be delivered in the morning. Besides the Sports section, my other favorite section was the Sunday comics – the whole section devoted to comics! I laughed and cried reading Calvin and Hobbes. I just loved Calvin’s interaction with his parents, pet tiger Hobbes and friend Susie Derkins. When the 11 books of collected adventures of the Calvin and Hobbes strips came out, my sister and me made sure we bought all of these at the bookstores. And we still have these collected books to this day!
Gearheads and fans of JDM cars will probably remember the brand Datsun and cars like the 510 and 240Z. Nissan discontinued the Datsun brand here in the U.S. (1984) and now is bringing it back as a budget car brand.
Archangels
Comic Con is hitting San Diego this week and MissyMToyz, a designer toy artist we met recently at KidRobot SF, is heading down there with her line of custom toys. She sent us some info and pics of what she’s featuring at her very first SDCC so let’s take a look. She’s making available Archangels that are hand beaded 3” custom munnys with angel wings on their back and they come in black, silver, and rose gold. Only four of each color will be available during the show and they go for $38 for one or $100 for all three. Plus, she will be taking custom color orders of these at the con.
Lil Buddha
Lil Buddha is a 6” poly resin piece with a limited run of 500 and each Buddha is hand-signed with its own hand-numbered box. She also mentioned that Lil Buddha’s hands represent “no fear”, the large ears represent wisdom, and the long earlobes represent longevity. Lil Buddha will have a special $138 SDCC price (the original price is $168).
Sock Monkey
Sock Monkey is a 3” dunny turned into a sock monkey which has had an ear bit off by a dog. Sock Monkey was originally made for a dog charity event, Dunny for Dogs, which will be held at KidRobot SF. Each piece is hand painted with real button eyes, yarn hair, and the bit-off-ear is made from stuffing a dog toy. Only six will be available at SDCC for purchase at a price of $50.
It could be the air, it could be ANIME EXPO, or it can simply be she’s Jessica Nigri. Yes, we’ve certainly established our ground and we definitely got Jessica Nigri’s word for an interview in so many words including her friend’s word. You can see for yourself as our host “The Eddie” approaches Jessica for our interview date in this episode!
This is also a split story package, because we also introduce you to Kelsie Lahti, a local of the greater Los Angeles area in her unique Spyro the Dragon costume. She’s one of the many on the grounds of Anime Expo enjoying the art of cosplay.
Cristina Vee promotes Ramen and a Half at Retrenders and we get to see a one of the few pieces that the Ramen Crew was able to catch at the Masquerade Show at Anime Expo 2013. We call this one “Ornament Tree Wings”.
It’s amazing at just how cosplayers risk their backs to put on a show and display their articulate and detailed costumes that in real-life, it’s shape and balance is just not gravity conformed.
This is one of our editor’s (Johnny Moreno) favorite, because the costume artist almost loses her balance holding up her tree trunk-bullhorn shaped wings. We didn’t get a chance to find out who the artists were, but if anyone knows, please send us their facebook so we can link and address them in this article.
“Turbulence” is one of the best-selling superhero sci/fi novels in India and was critically-acclaimed when published in the UK last year and now “Turbulence” reaches US shores. Delhi-based novelist Samit Basu poses the question in “Turbulence” – “What would you do if you have the power to change the world?” Samit’s superhero novel has it all – action, humor, fun and the right dose of reality. Our Retrenders team got a chance to interview author Samit Basu on his international break-through novel “Turbulence.”
RTNDR: I’ve just finished reading the book and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. For me, it reminded me of old school Marvel comics I’ve read from the 1980s. What was your influence in writing this superhero novel?
Samit: It started out as a book about a group of young people, in a part of the world that really needed change, not preservation, suddenly getting what they really want, the power to make that change. But along the way, when I realized that strange physical powers would make anyone in our times think of superheroes, it became a superhero book. So the plot is really its own thing, as are the themes within it, but some fantastic comics I’ve read were definitely inspirations in terms of seeing how superheroes might actually fit into the world and change it – books like Powers, The Authority, Watchmen, apart from the standard Marvel/DC classics.
RTNDR: In Turbulence the characters mention various pop culture references, like the X-men. Did you grow up with reading lots of comic books, movies, and sci-fi flicks?
Samit: No, not really. I grew up in India without those things being available. But I made up for lost time as an adult, after I became a writer, engorging myself on a steady diet of comics, films and TV shows, starting with when I lived in London as a student. Books, though, I always had. But this book is really a post-Internet book; it couldn’t have happened without it, and was deeply affected by it. Now, of course, we get our pop culture fixes in India too. That’s happened over the last decade. For me, it’s been more a process of diving into it and trying (and failing) to catch up rather than growing up with it.
It all started with my brother. I was just a kid in the 1980’s and most of my musical knowledge at that time sprouted from my older brother’s record collection. An album he absolutely cherished in late 1986 was The Queen is Dead by The Smiths, who I’ve heard of earlier when he purchased their previous album Meat is Murder. I didn’t pay any mind to Meat is Murder since I foolishly passed it off as another group in his British collection – like another Duran Duran or maybe similar to Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Boy was I dead wrong.
Our Ramen and a Half host “The Eddie” sings the popular song Hey Hey Alodia by Segatron from the Philippines which is dedicated to cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao.
I call this our one take wonder even though it wasn’t our first take, but because Alodia by coincidence came up from behind Eddie and does a surprise cameo. I just managed to keep the camera recording as Eddie kept playing. It was a wonderful moment… some may even say magical!
The people in the background are actually waiting in line for Alodia Gosiengfiao’s panel discussion at ANIME EXPO 2013
Here’s the original music video “Hey Hey Alodia” by Segatron. Click here to visit Segatron’s facebook page.
Okay, this first take is just a tease, but you really get to experience what it’s like to approach cosplayers of celebrity status at conventions.
Here we have Jessica Nigri who just so happens to be one of three cosplayers on our list to talk to at ANIME EXPO, including Alodia Gosiengfiao from the Philippines and Vampy from San Francisco’s Bay Area.
Again, I apologize if this video is a bit of a tease, but it’s interesting! You get to see “The Eddie” maneuver his way up to Jessica Nigiri’s booth like a fan and wait to be acknowledged in order to ask – “Jessica can we can possibly get an interview with you?”
Check back with us at http://www.retrenders.com because the next take, we actually have a conversation with her as she happens to be in her Lollipop Chainsaw outfit?
For us Americans we remember actor Peter Cushing from Star Wars as the villian Grand Moff Tarkin. If you’re a fan of horror classics from the 1950s-1960s, the studio Hammer Films released many fright films that Mr Cushing starred in. He was well known for playing Baron Frankenstein and Doctor Van Helsing.
Author David Miller delves into the life and times of the actor in Peter Cushing: A Life in Film. The 192-page book is not just a Wikipedia of his films, TV appearances, and stage work, but is truly a no holds-barred look into the journey of Peter Cushing’s up and down life in front of the camera and off. Life changed after his wife Violet Helene Beck passed away in 1971, as Peter contemplated suicide many times and mentions when someone who is very close to you dies it is never the same again. The book also includes many B&W and color photos from his iconic films, movie posters and chronology of his appearances on film, TV and plays.
Peter Cushing: A Life in Film is an in-depth comprehensive chronicling of Peter’s career as an actor and a look into his private life. And when you’re done reading the book, you young kids and film buffs should try to watch many of his classic Hammer Films.
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Hardback: Peter Cushing – A Life in Film
Author: David Miller
Publisher: Titan Books
MSRP: $24.95USD
Available: Now
What if you found yourself with amazing superhuman powers suddenly and the ability to change lives and the world around you? What you would do? These are the many questions asked by passengers of Flight BA142 from London to Delhi as each passenger mysteriously gains a superhuman ability.
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“We want to form a real-world Justice League – of India,” Aman says.
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A group of individuals from the flight intersect for a force of change when they realize they have amazing powers. Aman Sen finds himself with incredible communications skills and his brain is always connected to the internet. Indian Air Force pilot Vir Singh has the power of flight. British-Pakistani Uzma Abidi looking to be a Bollywood actress in Mumbai has the power of charisma, making people like her. A Bengali woman Tia can make multiple versions of herself. Sundar “The Scientist” Narayan is now an insane genius builder, whatever he dreams, he builds. And Balaji “Young Bob” Batodekar controls the weather.
The hot summer toys – the Happy Meal Despicable Me 2 toys. There are 8 action figures to collect in the series, featuring Phil Jelly Whistle, Tim Giggling, Dave Banana Babbler, Stuart Blaster, Jerry Whizzer Whistle, Tom Babbler, Purple Minion Giggling and Purple Minion Noisemaker.
The year 2006 seems like ages ago, before social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and video streaming were popular, and the giant video site YouTube was only starting out, and Felicia Day had an idea of bringing her MMORPG experiences onto video as a TV series. The World of Warcraft gamer created an internet sensation as the series spawned 6 seasons worth of episodes and over 250 million plus views.
This past weekend one of the biggest anime conventions here in the States – Anime Expo took place in SoCal, the LA Convention Center. Our team was ushered in and out of press conferences asking questions and taking pictures with Anime Expo’s special guests – world famous cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao, Jrock band Porno Graffitti and Jpop girl group CARAT.
We get to hear how it’s like to be a part of Big Wow ComicFest from one of their helpful staff members and then we get two personal views about Big Wow ComicFest from Valerie Perez, who’s the perfect looking cosplay Wonder Woman I’ve ever seen at comic events, and Diana Olivares, who won 2nd place at Big Wow’s costume contest as X-Men’s Storm. And this is the first time she dressed up to cosplay!
Images of characters in the video: Valerie Perez, Diana Olivares, Kelly Mark Delcambre (Kelly Bean), Anthony Misiano
It may be a great summer for many us out of school, but for those of you who have to take summer classes it might be insanely maddening. Well, if you’re sitting in a boring lecture class and find yourself not listening to your professor at all and can’t get a Wi-Fi signal on your smartphone, then may I suggest doodling?
I remember sitting in art class in middle school trying to figure out how to put my newspaper cut outs and magazine clippings into an work of art for the usual one-off collage art project. Well, critically-acclaimed artist Derek Gores takes collages to a new level.
[Pebble Watch]
My Pebble watch finally arrived! For those who don’t know, this watch is an e-ink display watch which communicates via bluetooth with a smart phone. It rose in popularity due to its interesting design blowing past it’s Kickstarter goal by BIZZZZZILIONS of dollars.
Not being a watch person for many years, I was intrigued by the project and succumbed to its siren’s calling. I backed the watch in May 2012 and waited. And waited. And waited until it arrived. It’s finally in my hands and here’s some quick thoughts!
Package:
The box was made out of cardboard and had an easy to remove pull-string. Inside was the watch and USB charge cable. That’s it – nice and simple. Reminded me of Apple’s minimalistic packaging.
[Packaging]
Watch:
If I had to describe the watch, I would categorize it as a sporty looking watch. The e-paper display looks good in the daylight and the night time. It has four buttons, up / down / select / back, and a section for the magnetic charge port.
[Menu System]
Daniel Parada’s comic, ZOTZ: Serpent and Shield, is about the mystical world of Maya. The comic is cultural influenced from Parada’s research of Mayan ancient history where he has plotted themes without the impacts of the Spanish yet?
The tale of Zotz: Serpent and Shield awaits anyone willing to open the mysteries of the comic and walk into a past before Maya was discovered and unravel an adventure with two heroic characters, Pakal and Kaan, who lead us into a world much more phenomenal than we think.
Other than an adventurous story drawn up from historical elements, the comic is full of fantastic art!
These are not just cute little colorful hands, but miniature soap bars. Now your kids can clean their hands with some fun.
Dance choregraphers Mike Song and Tony Tran really like Final Fantasy and here’s there dance tribute. Lock and pop!
To most in the U.S., Peter Cushing is not a household name. If presented a picture of Peter, one might recognize him as the main villain in the original Star Wars. Though to film buffs, Hammer Film fans, and to many in the U.K. and Europe, he is known as the brilliant and unforgettable English actor, with a career spanning 45 plus years, while playing a wide variety of characters from Dr. Van Helsing to Baron Frankenstein to Sherlock Holmes to Doctor Who. Author David Miller grew up in Britain as a fan of Cushing and, through his diligent and detailed research, we are presented with the authoritative guide to the actor’s career – Peter Cushing: A Life in Film. We are honored to get the chance to ask David Miller a number of questions on the amount of research it took for this biography, some of his favorite Cushing movies and characters, and to share with us a few memories on the devoted actor.
I really enjoyed watching the first Despicable Me animated film and now Despicable Me 2 is out. Thinkway Toys has produced some cute and cool talking Minion toys with each of the 3 Minions – Stuart, Dave and Tim (8″ – 10″ tall) featuring unique features like over 25-50 plus lines and SFX from the movie, arm articulation, and facial movements.
Taking public transportation for work in San Francisco sucks most of the time – don’t get me wrong, I’m all about “green,” but the N-Line makes me wanna scream. To alleviate stress can we get a subway slide? That should be fun dodging the “proof of purchase” officers. LoL.
Edward Ballar
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