Scrapyard Raygun: January 2009

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Epic Zombies

The guy who wrote the Zombie Handbook also wrote a novel about the zombie world war, and now they're making it into a movie. Check out the sweet concept art!

http://io9.com/5140561/world-war-z-concept-art-rocks-the-battle-of-yonkers

Oh Mike, did you want me to stop sending you this stuff and just post it to the Raygun?

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Because

I know you have a morbid sense of humor.

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1829620

Saturday, January 24, 2009

You Would Never

You would never get any sleep in a room like this. But it is awesome.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Animaniacs

Mike:
In all honesty, we had it very well in the nineties. While we were being entertained by very well written and witty cartoons, we were also being subliminally educated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i8unA3hBdU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ej4zNlhpU&feature=related

Phil:
I'm still rooting for the 80s, but I will concede that the 90s were good to us.

Serious Email

For once, I sent Mike a serious email. This is a video of one of my heroes, Mr. Scott McCloud. I own 4 books by him, 3 solely on the function, form and science of comic books. In this presentation, he sums up most of his key points from those books. I thought you'd enjoy it. Please watch it when you have the time.

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/432

If you're interested in more, you can visit his website at scottmccloud.com

The Death of Cartoon Network

The other day I was trying to decide when Cartoon Network ceased to be the spectacle of entertainment that I once enjoyed.

Phil:

Still trying to narrow in on a specific event. Now I'm not sure that
Toonami on Saturdays on April 17, 2004 was it. I still recall enjoying
Teen Titans, Clone Wars, Justice League, Megas XLR, Foster's, and Grim & Evil after that. I want to say that it was sometime during my senior year. Kinda want to nail it on Camp Lazlo or Gym Partner's a Monkey in 05, but Titans and League had their last seasons in 06.

I do know that alot of the trouble started in 2004:

On June 14, 2004, Cartoon Network relaunched itself with a new logo and slogan, "This is Cartoon Network." The first program ever aired on the relaunched Cartoon Network was Rescue Heroes. The bumps now featured 2D cartoon characters from their shows interacting in a CGI
city composed of sets from their shows. By now, nearly all of Cartoon Network's classic cartoon programming had been relocated to its sister network Boomerang to make way for new programming, with the exception of a select few, such as Tom and Jerry, a longtime staple of the
Turner networks. Within a few months, the network took off more shows from the 1990s (Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, etc.) and put them on a 30 minute block called The Cartoon Cartoon Show. Some shows like Time Squad, Mike, Lu & Og, I Am Weasel, Looney Tunes, and Sheep in the Big City were taken off the network completely.

The only things I've enjoyed recently are Ben Ten: Alien Force and rarely Chowder & Flapjack. Otherwise, Cartoon Network is dead to me.

Note that I consider Adult Swim to be a totally separate entity, which can be discussed on its own. I find it to be quite alive and doing fine.

Mike:

Wow. Just wow. You went into quite a bit of research there. Then you gave the exact possibly date, if not the death, the diagnosis for the terminal cancer of Cartoon Network. Please write an article about this and then send it to some magazine.

Phil:
Well, as I was writing all that up, I thought hey, what if I just made a public blog about all of the random stuff I bother you with.

Awesome

Awesome Defined.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tugen-wang/3155372526/sizes/o/

Out of Context

Phil: Why are your legs tanner than your arms?
Mike: I think I'm wearing pantyhose.

(We were playing StreetFighter and Mike was Chun-Li.)

NOOOOOO

NOOO. THOSE MANIACS. THEY FINALLY DID IT.

(warning, major spoilers)

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/01/batmanrip3.jpg

Is this what

Mike, is this what your english classes are like?

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1804409

Flags

If you remember old school Nickelodeon.

Watch.

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1726131/

America Too

We have our own Robocop silliness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhfAZ1VpkTE&eurl=http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39653

Escape From St. Louis

I was watching my copy of the film [Escape from New York] when I recalled that rumor about it being filmed in our fair city. I looked it up, and here's what I found:

http://www.fast-rewind.com/locations_esc-ny.htm

New Years

From CollegeHumor.com

Every January First, each of the last 50 years, as well as the next 10 years, gather to celebrate and give a proper send off to the year that was. The time is 11:40, and the party is in full swing. 1959 is on the balcony, warding off cancer and other minor diseases by enjoying a smooth Pall Mall. Just as he does every year, 1969 is rocking an Iggy Pop and The Stooges T-shirt while hitting on every chick he sees by reminding them about the moon landing, but eventually striking out because he looks like Charles Manson. The '70s are all blowing massive quantities of blow, except for 1973, who's late because he ran out of gas. He'll show up later with the Chinese years. 1984 is sitting by himself in a corner, staring at everyone and creeping them out. 2012 keeps pissing everyone off by handing out fliers predicting the end of the world and his movie's opening weekend box office numbers. 1999 is still in a bunker, hoping to survive lame Y2K jokes. The DJ hasn't played anything but Dylan. No one seems to mind. The party is great until things suddenly get awkward when 2009, drunk off his rocker, finally decides to confront 2008.

2009: Hey 2008, can I talk to you for a second?
2008: Sure, what's up.
2009: Dude, seriously, all I wanna say is, what the hell?
2008: What's wrong?
2009: What's wrong?! You're pretty much the biggest year ever, that's what's wrong! How can I possibly follow you?
2008: Oh come on, I wasn't that huge.
2009: Are you kidding?! You had everything! A huge economic crisis, a record shattering Olympics, the biggest election of our lifetime, The best Super Bowl ever, one of the biggest movies ever, you got Lil Wayne to release an actual album, and then, as if you didn't have enough going on, you get an Israeli-Palestinian conflict! Plus 2007's still upset about you upgrading his iPhone. Not cool. Not cool at all.
2008: So I was a big year, what can I say?
2009: Chinese Democracy for chrissake! Chinese Democracy! There was supposed to be legitimate democracy in China before Chinese Democracy, but you just had to have it.
2008: Relax 2009, you'll have tons of great stuff.
2009: Like what?
2008: The start of the Obama Administration, so you know there's going to be an international crisis, the Arrested Development movie, Watchmen will be huge! Don't worry, it'll be OK.
2009: Please, don't patronize me, Mitchel Hurwitz hasn't even started writing the Arrested Development movie, Watchmen's release date is in a legal battle now, and the only Obama news anyone will care about is the recession.
2008: Well I don't know what to tell you.
2009: Apologize for clock-blocking everyone.

At this point all of the years had gathered around 2008, in the hopes that they can intimidate him into an apology.

2008: OK, I'm sorry everyone.
1996: Do you have any idea how hard it was for me and the rest of the '90s to create a stable economy? I mean sure, the Internet pretty much did all the work, but someone still had to think of that pets.com mascot.
2008: I said I'm sorry, 1997.
1996: I'm not 1997.
2008: '98?
1997: Goddamnit I'm 1996. Remember? Macarena?
2002: I thought that was 1997's thing?
1997: No, I was Princess Diana and Cloning.
1998: Wait, then what was I?
1993: You were the Monica Lewinsky year.
1998: Oh yeah, that's right. Thanks.
1993: You're not welcome. God I'm so full of angst.
2009: Alright everyone just shut up for a second...2008, apologize to me for setting the bar too high and leaving no possible story that will come close.
2008: Fine, I'm sorry to you and everyone else for being such an amazing year. I truly am.
2009: Fine, I forgive you. After all, it's not your fault you were so awesome. I just wish I could have something memorable to look forward to.
2008: Hey, I know, you can be the year the economy turns around!
2015: No way, I called "dibs" on that like 2 months ago.

Crazy Asians + Robocop

Oh my.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pOoSe2K5DU&e

I saw a commercial for Space Buddies, and my eyes bled. In curiosity, I looked up how many sequels to Air Bud actually exist. Inclding the original, there's 9 of these silly things. Who continues to allow these monstrosities to be produced?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Bud#Sequels_and_spin-offs

Your Fetus Day Present

For Mike's Birthday:

Happy Fetus Day! Here's your present.

(you have to read at least the first twenty)

http://www.meatsandfishes.com/apology/index.php?date=2005-07-18

A Classic

The classic Daffy Duck cartoon, Duck Amok.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewVrlNl3MyA&e

Channel 101

Channel 101 is a strange website full of 5 minute tv shows.

The main list: http://channel101.com/shows/cancelled.php

RoboRap

Phil:
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1893607

You can cry now.

Mike:
Thank you. You don't know how good that makes me feel now. I can go on to destroy those two finals tomorrow because I know the spirit of Alex J. Murphy will be there to protect me.

Thanksgiving Marvels

Phil:

In honor of the holiday, I thought I'd share these with you. Includes a random appearance by Robocop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVdgmkc-xJA&eurl=http://occasionalsuperheroine.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EYyVB9F5-w&eurl=http://occasionalsuperheroine.blogspot.com/

Mike:

You know what? I think you're right. Maybe the 80's were great. here, I'll compromise, 1985-1995 were the golden years of Humanity. Or at least America. Hows that?

Phil:
ell, the problem is, the following classic films came out within 1980-1984...

Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Raiders of the Lost Ark
ET
Superman 2
Mad Max: Road Warrior
Blade Runner
The Shining
Conan the Barbarian
Evil Dead
Nightmare on Elm Street
Friday the 13th
The Karate Kid
The Terminator
Star Trek: Wrath of Khan

Also, the following cartoons premiered before 1985. I say premiered, because they did continue to run will after 1985.

Transformers
He-Man
Voltron
GI Joe: A Real American Hero

(We also fight over which was better, the 90s or the 80s)

Happy Thanksgivings.

http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~sf-papercraft/Deforme/robocop/robocop.html

That's your present. Now print it out, fold it, and enjoy.

More Separated at Birth

Phil:

And I have another candidate for the Sons of Ultraman file.

http://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/telefilm/vrtroopers.jpg

Mike:
Yeah. Robotic alien looking people who are actually humans fighting monsters...yes definately similar concept. Plus, the look of the suit between ultraman and the middle one is just uncanny.

A Wonderful Comic

Check this out.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/2810854978_00fa9b9328_o.jpg

Ultraman Intervention

http://www.slowwave.com/Img/s08/sMRRult.jpg

Mike also loves him some Ultraman. I apologize for the curse word.

A Robotic Affair

More fodder for the Robot argument.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4WXmf4gNfc

Fwd: Don't Mock Me.

Phil:

I told you. Most of the old school Tech TV guys had tech related names.

Leo LaPorte
Patrick Norton
Morgan Webb
Kate Botello[phone]
Sumi Das (Dos)
Jessica Corbin (Core Bin)
Yoshi DeHerra
Dan Haurd[drive]

Mike:
Phil, if this is what you do in your freetime, then I'm going to lay on my bed and cry.

Bruce

Mike, your cousin is awesome.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklAuUKVltR67y8KLck-hrtLUzfe8wFiL3ivJyEloMxRp0MjFDBOH98B_-xAD3-jneGaAW5-tipv5SYZY0yiRiyKHcboRWD2vRQ2v2RCe03yjXuvFHkys6K-iWDqnzKvpqV-KdKM-5gUQ/s1600-h/posterlee.jpg

That film was made after his death, using an impersonator.

Oh and

Phil:
Why isn't this a movie already?

http://aliensvsetc.ytmnd.com/

Mike:
Because people would bleed out of their eyes from how awesome that is.

The Mourning After

Some political fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLKzgpdVOKk

Classical Literature Update

From Mike:

Ok, we were talking about the Iliad and the Odyssey (at least, I believe it was you) and you said something about how you thought the Trojan horse event was in the Iliad. When I told you you were wrong, you were appalled and said, "Wait, WHAT?". Well, although the Trojan horse is never mentioned in the Iliad, the Aeneid, the book explaining the creation of Rome and how Rome basically stole Greek myth and changed some names, does in fact mention the Trojan Horse and the end of the of the Trojan war. So there.

Hell House

Phil:

Is it bad that I want to make and participate in one of these?

----

From http://hijinksensue.com/:

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of a HELL HOUSE, it is essentially a haunted house put on by a fundamentalist Christian church with the intent of giving children night terrors and guilt for things they haven't even thought of doing yet all for the glory of Christ. When you're 13 and someone says, "Hey, instead of boring old youth group, we're going to a haunted house/ hay ride out in the middle of nowhere!" you're typical response would be "meh." You're 13, so everything is pretty much, "meh." But internally you're all "sounds cooler than singing praise songs then talking about how we're better than everyone else for an hour."

When I said a Hell House is essentially a haunted house… well, it's not. It IS NOT a haunted house! In a haunted house you pay money to walk through a maze of dark corridors while "actors" dressed as ghouls and monsters jump out and scream at you. Sometimes there's a chainsaw. It's fun for every one. I should know, I worked at one in high school. It was pretty much awesome. A Hell House, on the other hand is a place where you pay money to walk through a barn that has been outfitted to look like a house and in each room "actors" act out short vignettes depicting different ways one might damn oneself to Hell. It is seriously a living instruction manual on "How to Win Friends and Get Into Hell."

Oh, also it's freaking terrifying when you're a kid. Also it's ONLY for kids.

I'll reconstruct the scenerio as best as my fragile mind can:

We entered the Hell House has a group and were greeted by our demon guide. Let me preface the rest by saying this particular church had purchased basically EVERY rubber demon mask from Spencer's gifts. The demon guide took us through various scenes, including: a motorcycle wreck caused by awesome teenage drunk driving, a Satanic sacrifice caused by awesome teenage Satan worship (this is happening in our neighborhoods RIGHT NOW! Why don't you care?!), an abortion caused by awesome teenage sex complete with a pan full of blood and fetus parts (no shit), a chick that OD'd due to awesome teenage drug use (need hanging out of her arm), and a teen suicide caused by listening to awesome rock and roll (it WAS "Welcom to the Jungle").

After all of these little one act plays were performed for us (many of the children were convulsing and in tears - PRAISE THE LORD!) we were lead into a room full of coffins and told to "get in." (still not making any of this up). I got into a coffin with a girl that I had a crush on. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make my move because she was too busy sobbing uncontrollably, and having a claustrophobia induced panic attack. A voice read our collective eulogy, then the back of the coffins sprang open and we were catapulted into Hell. I'm assuming dimensional gateways were involved. Demons were dancing around a pit of fire as the Prince of Lies himself stood atop an altar shooting lazer beams into our eyes (still still still not making this up - all true). Satan had a giant evil goat mask, red cloak, an ample supply of smog machines and (seriously) lazer pointers mounted to each finger with which he wrote his initials on our retinas.

Just beyond the eternal torment and dispair there was a doorway, beaming with light (and more smog). Turns out the portal to Heaven is just behind Hell… sort of in the back-left corner. Afterward we were further indoctrinated counseled by various members of the congregation and encouraged to come back and bring our "unsaved" friends. Because, honestly, if Hell House didn't scare the shit out of a little kid until he believed whatever the shit you told him to believe, what else could?

LATER THERE WAS A HAY RIDE!!!

In retrospect, I am deeply disturbed by the amount of fear and guilt that I was purposely saddled with as a "youth group teen." They seemed to be intentionally molding maladjusted young adults. I suppose a guilty, fearful and confused kid is easier to brainwash teach.

LATER THERE WAS A HAY RIDE!!!

Mike:

Oh man, the Methodists never did that? Oh you were with some good people. When I was going to the old youth group many many years ago (actually it was only a couple years ago) they had what was called a Judgement House. Less intense, but basically same concept. I actually acted in one, as a demon, tossing my friend into hell 3 years ago. Thank you for this. I had forgotten all about it and I was laughing pretty good at some of the stuff. Oh, and the church that had these is baptist. Maybe its some weird baptist thing.

P.S. - Probably bad that you want to do this to little teens.

How Milton Bradley Died

Phil:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1816855

If you get all of these references, you are indeed awesome.

Mike:
Oh my goodness that was awesome. The best part was the little guy jumping in the pool setting off the mouse trap.

Dark Knight vs. Superman

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1884973

Cat

Phil:

I imagined you reading this aloud. Enjoy.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjw77mahNVyIRLEm4ZhipRGTn8GDs2H5yRUWqHPcCwganUCImCevicDSE3_ZqgLrNSI5tcPCixzLGwdys5m-0Yh98bahyphenhyphenGPq7lQbNRizMOJjR0XVt4AQoDJcWssCuWy9XHz-k6OLMIu8ca/s400/awesomecat.jpg

Mike:
Hahahaha....ok yeah, that's something I would totally do...

Those Crazy Japanese

The best things about Asians in one epic video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2BBl7_-4JA

Law & Order Gotham

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7475/1200343179086vc1.jpg

Robocops and Unicorns

Mike loves him some Robocop. So when I saw this chunk of awesome, I had to share.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87258185@N00/sets/72157603724213121/

Fwd: Interesting Article

It's an intriguing article about the history, truth and importance of how the Bible was written. Is this guy accurate?

http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=6336

I DID IT!!

Phil:
For weeks, Mike had been ranting about a Youtube video in which a girl reenacted Yoshi's Island. He was so excited when he finally found the darn thing.

Mike:

I finally found it. Now for your viewing pleasure...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr3BzOkFdqs

And they only get better

Mike discovered Perry Bible Fellowship. He sent me this as evidence for his robot bashing.

http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF115-Hug_Bot.jpg

The Truth

An ongoing theme between Michael and I is the topic of robots. Are they good or evil? Can they love? Do they devour babies? I sent this link to Mike to explain my side. (Oh, for the record, he's the robotic pessimist and I the optimist).

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/a_softer_robot.jpg

Ballad of Barry Allen

Heard this amazing song about the Flash. Ignore the crappy video the kid made to go with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odU1bHaYNDQ

Asians 10,000. White People nil.

Mike:

http://video.yahoo.com/network/100063489?v=3465561

All the more proof us plain white people will never be better than any asian.

Phil:
I'm sorry that you were born out of the wrong womb, Mike.

Whoops

At the arcade for Mitch's b-day, we were playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Some of the guys were all who is Blackheart? So I said it was a form of Satan who gave Ghost Rider his powers.

Whoops. I got Black Heart confused with Mephisto. My bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephisto_(comics)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackheart

And I thought I was the only one.

From Mike:

http://flickr.com/photos/mellowdays/2849078791/

It always makes me rest easy to know other people understand things like this.

Separated at birth?

Me:
Were these guys separated at birth? Superhuman Samurai, Ultraman, Kikaider, and The Guyver

Mike:

Possibly. Course, I just believe that the Japanese (As well as Americans) were trying to just make money off of an idea that was really working for them: Men chosen by destiny to protect our planet from giant lizards with giant robotic suits. Simple as that.

And did you know that Guyver is Solid Snake? Oh yeah, there was a time. Go look that one up.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Friday, January 23, 2009

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