COOL! C4 - Central Canada Comic Con...

I hope everyone enjoyed, and had a safe Halloween weekend! On Saturday, I visited C4 - the Central Canada Comic Con, held in Winnipeg at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.

It was my first time attending a comic con at the convention centre, and it was definitely the largest one that I've been to in Winnipeg. It was held for the first time at the convention centre last year (if I recall correctly), which I had to miss cause I was in Vegas... ;)




I enjoyed the time I spent wandering around photographing the costumed attendees (until my camera battery died)... ;P


...in addition to checking out all the toys and comics - which was actually a bit depressing when you see something you own selling for much less than what you paid for... ;(


Anyhow, the photos I took have been uploaded into a photoset on my Flickr, here - enjoy!

The Devil Made Me...

Walking into my office at Circle this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find this Halloween Treat on my desk (thanks Carol!)... ;)

In case you're from another planet, it's Halloween this weekend, which means you should be extra cautious, and on the lookout for the munchkins in costume darting about the city streets, prowling zombies/vampires, and costumed party-goers on pedestrian sidewalks.


If you haven't filled your weekend schedules yet, you may be interested in checking out the Winnipeg Comic-con, on this weekend at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. I'm planning to attend at least once.

Next week, on November 4th, GDC Manitoba will be hosting their resurrected, 'Tales from the Darkside' event - which is always a 'treat'. More information about the event from GDC Manitoba, here - don't forget to register (members must login to receive the discount)!

Have yourselves a safe and Happy Halloween - cheers!

Recommended Viewing | My ThreeA Toys Collection - Photosets on Flickr...

I've posted about my infatuation with Ashley Wood/3A toys previously on MUHSASHUM, here. Well, needless to say, my collection is continuing to expand. ;) I've finally taken some time to photograph some of the latest arrivals... above is the Adventure Kartel - Boiler Zombie... this guy is ridiculously photogenic. ;P


From Ashley Wood's Popbot Universe - Tomorrow King (TK) Hideo.


WWR Square - Rothchild Lunar Defense model...


...note the WARNING on the box! ;D


DIY Bambaboss (still have to commit to a design before I start hacking away at this DIY vinyl beauty)...


Black Bertie freight container. Contents - one black 3A T-shirt size medium. Rock on! Additional photos can be found on Flickr, check out my collections, here - enjoy!

For those of you who are interested in learning more about Ashley Wood/ThreeA toys, check out the following sites:
http://www.threeaonline.com/
http://threeaproduction.blogspot.com/
http://3atoys.hyperboards.com/
http://ashleybambaland.blogspot.com/
http://www.bambalandstore.com/ **

**Start your collection today (you won't regret it)! WWRp Bertie MK2 goes on sale today at http://www.bambalandstore.com/ - don't say I didn't tell you.

GDC Manitoba Presents - Bluesky 09...

This past weekend the GDC Manitoba Chapter held the Bluesky 09 - IN/OUT design conference (visit website). Featuring five presentations from industry leading professionals, a gala dinner and awards show held at the Manitoba Club, it was an enjoyable, action-packed, inspirational weekend for all those in full/partial attendance (IMO).

The photos I took have been uploaded to a photoset on my Flickr and added to the GDC Manitoba Flickr Group Pool, view the pics in the slideshow embedded above or on my Flickr, here - enjoy! Thanks to the all presenters, the volunteers, the Bluesky 09 Committee, the generous sponsors, and the GDC Manitoba Chapter for all their hard work - cheers!

COOL! www.eternalmoonwalk.com

A cool online tribute to MJ, www.eternalmoonwalk.com - enjoy!

Thanks to Oliver Oike for posting this to the GDC Listserve - cheers!

COOL! Type Quiz: Helvetica or Arial?

Ironic Sans presents a fun little quiz for the typographically inclined - So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica? Try it! Through 20 logos originally designed with Helvetica, redone in Arial... blasphemy? Perhaps... but, a fun challenge anyhow.


Feeling up to the challenge? Go and check it out for yourself at http://www.ironicsans.com/helvarialquiz/ - enjoy!

COOL! MCC 2009 Juried Show - Craft: Culture/Counterculture...

I had the opportunity to see the Manitoba Craft Council's 2009 Juried Show - Craft: Culture/Counterculture... while on display at the Outworks gallery in the Exchange District. The lovely, talented, Evelin Richter (What? Clay Art & Curios) was a participant in the show, with her Peer Pressure sculpture on display.

I've compiled my photos from the exhibit into a photo set, which you can view in the embedded slideshow below, or on my Flickr, here - enjoy!


For more information about Ev's piece, Peer Pressure, as well as her other creative works, visit her website at http://www.whatclayart.com/ - cheers!

COOL! Marian Bantjes - Empathy Penny...

Marian Bantjes' Empathy Penny. Obtained during my recent trip in Toronto and brought back as souvenirs for my design colleagues at Circle (much to their delight - see Rob's News+ post, here).

Read more about this cool project on Marian's website at http://www.bantjes.com/ - cheers!

A Trip to Toronto...

I recently returned from a 6-day whirlwind trip to Toronto to celebrate a friend's wedding... I've compiled a number of images from the trip into a Toronto Flickr set, here. Photo above - famous Toronto landmark, the CN Tower.



One of the first things I did was visit the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). I took a number of photos while there... which have been compiled into a ROM Flickr set, here.


As part of the wedding festivities, we spent the weekend in Niagara Falls... playing 'tourist'. Photos from my time spent in Niagara Falls have been compiled into a Niagara Falls Flickr set, here. ;)


Next thing you know, we were back in Toronto... pictured above is Dundas Street West (part of Chinatown) at night. Needless to say, I did a lot of walking during my trip. Which resulted in a number of visits to the local reflexology clinics for foot massages. 60 minutes of painful-bliss at very reasonable rates. ;D


While waiting for my friends' massage sessions to finish, I couldn't help but notice this pair of sandals in the reception area... things that make you go hmm...(?)


...all fun and games aside, it was a beautiful wedding, and a blur of a trip. Oh Toronto... 'till we meet again. Thanks to my friends for being such gracious hosts and congratulations once again - cheers!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Morales...

Congratulations my friends! All the best wishes as you embark on this next chapter of your lives together... cheers!

Recommended Viewing | The Longest Way 1.0...

This video found on Youtube - The Longest Way 1.0 follows the ambitious, year-long, on-foot journey of a traveler as he attempts to walk (and grow a beard) from China to Germany. It's an enjoyable video to watch... check it out on Youtube, here - enjoy!

Learn more about this traveler's ambitious journey at http://www.thelongestway.com/ - cheers!

COOL! MOSSTIKA Urban Greenery...

A very cool 'living portrait' hanging on a green space wall in Brooklyn, NY. Created by Edina Tokodi and József Vályi-Tóth.


Check the details on their website - http://www.mosstika.com/ - enjoy! Via Robert L. Peters' News+ (via Visual Culture) - cheers!

Burned-out?

A List Apart posted an interesting article a while back - Burnout (May 2009) written by Scott Boms. I can't help but feel as though he's talking about almost everyone I know... myself included. ;P

Scott's article brings up some interesting points for discussion... I wonder if this is a greater issue than it may appear. Stats in recent years have shown dramatic increases in the prescription of anti-depressant drugs, is society in general suffering from 'burnout'? Possibly related to visual/informational over-stimulation? Things that make you go hmm...(?)

I'd be curious to know what others think, after reading the article. Check it out over on A List Apart, here - cheers!

Recommended Viewing | Flickr: The Pretty Sketchy Pool...

I can't recall who passed this Flickr Group link along to me... perhaps it was Rob? Maybe James... anyhow, for anyone who enjoys sketching/drawing/art, Flickr is an immense online library of coolness.

The Flickr: The Pretty Sketchy Pool is only one example... surf around and you'll find all types of cool things (whatever your tastes may be). Check out the Pretty Sketchy Pool on Flickr, here - enjoy (and thanks to whoever sent me the link)! Cheers!

Recommended Viewing | Ten FREE Online Tools Every Designer Should Know via CreativePro

CreativePro.com has compiled a list of Ten Free Online Tools Every Designer Should Know. Perhaps there's something waiting there for you (if you're a designer that is...)? Check it out at http://www.creativepro.com/ - cheers!

Recommended Reading | Derek Powazek - What's Your Suggestion?

I've been criticized for being 'too critical' (not recently - but it's happened before)... I'm guilty as charged. As a designer, I find it's very easy to become this way - in certain ways it's what we're trained to do. ;P

An interesting article/viewpoint written by Derek Powazek is a worthwhile read for any designer... check it out at http://powazek.com/ - cheers!

The Good Life...

The Good Life... from the talented folks at Free Range Studios - creators of the equally cool video/animations, The Meatrix and The Story of Stuff. Enjoy!

COOL! ThreeA Toys...

Well, it's no secret that I'm a fan of Ashley Wood. I've blogged about his work and toys on MUHSASHUM previously, here. Anyhow, as I had hinted, I've joined the 3A Legion - a forum/hyperboard for fans of everything ThreeA. This would be the first forum that I've joined in recent memory... where the members are all equally crazy (crazy fans of ThreeA that is). The forum has interesting contests for art and photos, which gives me a legitimate reason to 'play' with my toys (they're not really toys IMO, but serious pieces of functional art and design). ;D


Here is an image of my Ashley Wood book collection... it's constantly expanding. I think the lot of it is here... some may still be hidden amongst the other books on my shelves. ;P If you don't know who Ashley Wood is... shame on you! Go visit his blog now!


Finally, here is the image that I've entered into the 3A Legion's July Photo Contest - 'Dirty Deeds = Dirty Shadows?' I originally entered the group photo at the top of this post, but decided to go with this more humorous pic...

No Photoshop was used in post production, just for the crop. A whole lot of time was spent trying to get DDB's hands just right though... hopefully, you can see the same end result as Nom.

I'm looking forward to posting more photos and artwork to the forum and interacting with the members. Did I mention that Ashley Wood (the man himself!) also posts/interacts with members on this forum? Now, HOW COOL IS THAT? ;D

Cheers!

COOL! Rorschach Inkblots...

A recent article over on the Globe and Mail, brought to my attention the existence of Rorschach's original inkblot images on Wikipedia. These inkblots of the Rorschach test were printed in Rorschach's Rorschach Test - Psychodiagnostic Plates (Hogrefe, 1927, ISBN: 3-456-82605-2). They've been in the public domain in Hermann Rorschach's native Switzerland, since at least 1992 (70 years after his death), according to Swiss copyright law. They're also in the public domain under United States copyright law (based on when they were first created and published - before 1923).


The images were scanned and posted to Wikipedia along with the most frequent responses for either the whole image or the most prominent detail (according to Samuel Beck). This, as the article in the Globe and Mail details, has prompted some interesting response (like numerous websites/blogs now hosting the images + common responses) and protest... read the article over at the Globe and Mail - here.


What do you think? Was the poster of the images 'in the wrong' or should the protesters just deal with it? ;)

In any case, I think the inkblots are cool, and recommend that you check them out if you've never seen them before, visit the posting on Wikipedia, or check them out on my Flickr (Rorschach Inkblots set) - enjoy!

Things That Make You Go Hmmm... (Part 3)

Another highlight from this past weekend, found on the bottom of baby August's, Buster Brown sandals... 'PLACE HELL HERE'.

...an oversight at QC? An honest, unintentional typo? Another example of 'Chinglish'? Hmmm... IMO, this definitely qualifies as one of those things that make you go hmmm... ;) What do you think?

Thoughts and comments (when relevant) are always appreciated... cheers!