Saturday, May 31, 2014

ART CHALLENGE: DRAW BATMAN'S FACE!!


OK, The total nerd in me thought this would be kind of fun....I dare all Bat-Blog Readers to use some MS PAINT or some Adobe Photoshop-type Program to "Draw a Face on Batman", ha ha! Go ahead, I triple-dog dare you!! When you're done then please send them in...OH YEAH! If I get enough of them then they will be posted right here on the Bat-Blog & then you will be super-famous, ha ha!

BATMAN BATMOBILE VEHICLES - Vending Machine Ride in Australia!



Check this out! if you live near Australia then you might have seen one of these Batman Rides in your local Retail Store! It's a Vending Machine with Ride-On Toys of the Batmobile, Batcycle, & Bat-Jet Ski!! Plus, it just has incredible graphics all over it...I want it! This photo was sent in by a good friend named Belinda & I'm trying to get her to steal it for me. I hope she's able to get away with it. I'll keep you updated on that, ha!

Friday, May 30, 2014

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS Cast Interviews by THE QUARTER BIN

THE QUARTER BIN website was lucky enough to get to go to the Movie Premier of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS and interview many of the people involved in creating the film. The 1st interview is with Actor James Woods who does the voice for Owlman. The 2nd one is the writer of the movie, Dwayne McDuffie, & the last one is with the always great, always wonderful, Andrea Romano - Voice Director.





CLICK HERE For More Batman Video!


BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD - THE VIDEO GAME for Wii & Nintendo DS







I meant to talk about this the other day but with the current release of the JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS movie I was sort of busy. Well, it looks like Warner Bros is going to come out with a video game for the BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD property. The video game, for now, will be available for the Wii & Nintendo DS. Here's what the Official Press Release from Warner Brothers Games sort -of says:
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, on behalf of DC Comics, announces Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame, an action-adventure videogame based on the popular animated series, available this Autumn for Wii and Nintendo DS . In the game, fans play alongside Batman and many of his allies in the DC UNIVERSE to take on dozens of popular villains.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame fully immerses fans into the vivid animated world of the successful TV series where kids can play as Batman or together with family and friends in two-player co-op mode. Players can choose from iconic characters ROBIN, GREEN LANTERN, BLUE BEETLE, along with drop-in heroes such as AQUAMAN to help solve puzzles and fight foes.

The game provides maximum replay value to those who own both the Wii and Nintendo DS versions by allowing them to connect the two systems to unlock BAT-MITE as a playable character. Players can control him with the Nintendo DS to wreak havoc or fight alongside the main characters in all levels of the Wii videogame.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame further illustrates the diverse appeal of the Batman brand and the gameplay is a fun, vibrant extension of the animated series," said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President of Development and Production, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.The game's co-op play offers kids, families and Batman fans an interactive way of experiencing the cartoon's iconic characters."

In Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Video Game, players embark on an exciting journey through crime-filled alleys, alien planets, abandoned underground cities and mysterious laboratories. Further lending to the authentic cartoon feel of the game is the inclusion of Batman's iconic gadgets such as Batarangs and his Grapnel Gun.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Fisher Price Imaginext DC SUPER FRIENDS - ROBIN With BATCYCLE!


Just a quick posting here. This is a pic sent in by our good friend Batmobilly! He said he just saw this action figure at Wal-Mart & it's sort of a very hard one to find so he took a picture. It's the ROBIN WITH BATCYCLE from the Fisher Price Imaginext DC SUPER FRIENDS toy line. Later, I told Billy that one day I was at Toys-R-Us. They had a HUGE area for all this great DC SUPER FRIENDS Action Figure stuff ( Vehicles, Play Sets, Figures, everything! ). There was a TON of toys & it took-up almost 1/2 the row. Out of curiosity I started to add-up all the prices in my head. Just to buy all the stuff they had that one day it would have cost like $300 dollars! The thing to keep in mind is that this is not even all the toys they have made ( or will make ). Not even close. Plus some other stores have "Exclusives", etc... So, I guess if you're like me & can't afford to buy it all ( I tend to be a "Completest Collector" ) then at least just get the few pieces that you really like. Well, this ROBIN figure with Bat-Cycle would go on that list because it's really cool!

PHOTOS - Ultra-Rare VINTAGE 1996 BATMAN TOYS & MEMORABILIA!




OK, anybody who has been reading my Bat-blog for longer than 2 weeks has got to know that I am totally crazy for the cool Vintage Batman Toys! To be honest that's the total reason I created this blog. I know we try to cover all the Brand-New Products, Merchandise, & other Batman-Related News but it's the "Vintage Stuff" I'm really goo-goo for! Here's just a small example of some really great "Super-Rare" Memorabilia I have seen lately. The 1st item is a 1960's BATMAN Inflatable Pool Toy. I love both the Retro-Style Graphic & the shape of the thing. You know this would be really cool to hang on the wall for display! The next item is awesome too & beyond super-rare! It belongs to a Good Friend named Saul & he said he's been looking for this thing for many years. It's a Wooden Skateboard with Cool Batman Artwork. It was made by the Mettoy Company in England back in 1966. Yeah, this was only sold in the UK & is ultra-hard-to-find! I mean, it's practically a "Museum-Piece". He said it's one of his favorite pieces in his collection & that really means a lot because he has a TON of incredible bat-stuff from all over the world. The last pic is something that's not as rare but it's still pretty cool. It's an old 45 rpm Record with The Penguin telling a story with Burgess Meredith's actual voice. The graphics on the Record Sleeve are really great stock art drawn by Carmine Infantino & it also has an actual photo from the TV Show, all in one. Whew! I hope you guys liked some of these pics & if you have any ultra-rare pieces of Bat-Memorabilia you would like to share then please send us a photo today! Our e-mail button is always on the top right-hand side of this page.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

These Fairytale Princesses Are Looking At a Dystopian Life [Cosplay]


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When you're a kid, fairy-tale princesses are ever young, beautiful, adventurous and positive. You want to be them when you grow up and you pretend to be them.



Unless you're Dina Goldstein who started pondering what might happen to those same princesses if they grew up in our world. Then you get a series like Fallen Princesses.



Snow White's an overwhelmed stay at home mom, Cinderella's still waiting for her prince, Rapunzel..well, that'll break your heart. Ariel's fate made me want to cry.



Look, I'll be honest. They're beautiful pictures and it's a really intriguing idea. But it makes me think the kids have the right of it.



Check out the rest of the pictures after the break. Just nab a few tissues.





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(via Incredible Things)


This Horse Really Wants To Be a Dragon [Cosplay]





(via Cheezeburger)


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Fandomfest In Louisville Had The Cutest Doctor [Cosplay]


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There was some great cosplay on display at Fandomfest in Louisville, Kentucky last month, including this adorable little Doctor. The kid totally looks like a young Matt Smith! There was also a very muscled Thor along with Loki, and Deadpool foolishly trying to pick up Mjolnir.



See more pictures after the break..





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Thanks to Chad W. for the tip! Send your cosplay pics to tips@fashionablygeek.com.


Prepare Yourself For The Live Action Peter Griffin Chicken Fight [Video]


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The Peter Griffin/Chicken fight is the stuff of television legend. But I'll admit, I would have never thought to cosplay it.



This epic chick(en) fight started as a Indiegogo project by Jessie Graff and Tree O'Toole. Well, they've hit their goal, so we get the fight.



Check it out after the break along with the original version.













(via THD)


Monday, May 26, 2014

This TARDIS Costume Skirt Is Both Functional And Fun


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Sometimes you have to mute you love for geeky things when you're getting dressed in the morning. Maybe the company you work for has a dress code or you're heading to a more fomal event, or your other TARDIS skirt is a cosplay piece you can't wear for everyday use.



Whatever the reason, this custom made skirt by the NonstopFandomShop feels like a pretty cool way to bridge the gap.



It's a good match for TARDIS blue and, per the description, "The color shifts and changes in the light."



It's also machine washable and you can toss it in the dryer. How many TARDISes can you say that about?

;-)




Product Page ($58.99)


Fiber Optic Corset Dress Glows With The Music [Video]


Fiber Optic Corset Dress




Are you ready to dazzle everyone on the dance floor? You need only don this fiber optic corset dress by designer Rachael Reichert. She wanted to create a piece of wearable technology that illuminated with purpose. To that end, the fiber optics blink in time with the music and look completely dazzling. As io9 pointed out, it's just like something you'd expect to see in the Capitol of Panem in the Hunger Games series. It also reminds me of Blade Runner.



See the dress in action after the break.









(via io9)


Sunday, May 25, 2014

Jake The Dog Makes For a Beautiful Engagement Ring


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There is just no end to the cool geeky engagement rings people have been making lately. This one was designed by comic creator Josh Adams who was inspired by this R2-D2 design to come up with something special for his proposal to girlfriend Saori. Josh worked with the same artist behind the R2-D2 ring, Paul Bierker to turn Jake from Adventure Time into a symbol of true love.



The ring was even spotted by Adventure Time creator Pendelton Ward who commented on its coolness on his twitter feed:



@joshadams : 0 holy cow that's amazing



- Pendleton Ward (@buenothebear) August 19, 2013





What's more, Josh is having matching wedding bands made (with his ring being Jake's butt) and they plan to exchange vows in New York City during New York Comic-Con. I know, the level of geekery is nearly unbeatable.



See another picture after the break...





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(via The Mary Sue)


Archaeologists Discover Ancient Egyptians Made Beads From Meteorites


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Call the guy from Ancient Aliens! He's going to love this. Archaeologists recently confirmed that 5,000 year old Egyptian beads were made from pieces of meteorite. They are the oldest objects made in iron that we have discovered so far, and they were excavated in 1911. The beads currently reside in the Petrie Museum in London, and I imagine they'll be seeing an increase in traffic soon.



The finding was just announced in the Journal of Archaeological Science this week. Professor Thilo Rehren worked with a team to scan the beads with netro and gamma-ray beams that revealed the meteorite origin as well as how they were made. He states:



"The shape of the beads was obtained by smithing and rolling, most likely involving multiple cycles of hammering, and not by the traditional stone-working techniques such as carving or drilling which were used for the other beads found in the same tomb."



It's fascinating and humbling.



See more photos of the incredible artifacts after the break.





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(The Guardian via The Telegraph via io9)


Saturday, May 24, 2014

Retro Video Shows 90s Lucas and Spielberg Chatting About the Future of Movies


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This latest piece of awesome brings a bit of the past back to us in the form of some interviews with a few of the movie industry's greatest. Some people over at Cinephilia and Beyond managed to track down an old TV special, hosted by the still-living Siskel and Ebert and featuring the likes of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. It's about 48 minutes long, but totally worth the watch for any serious film fan. After nearly 25 years, these guys are still spot-on with many of things they have to say. Check it out below:







Thanks to blastr for the heads-up.


Sexuality vs Talent – Why Manufactured Drama on Syfy’s ‘Heroes of Cosplay’ is Ruining Cosplay


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Never being one that's cosplayed myself, just a person that enjoys the medium, I couldn't help but tune into SyFy's Heroes of Cosplay - a reality series that chronicles (somewhat) new and veteran costumers as they go from con to con in their latest garbs to be judged and take top position for fame and money. As with any reality series, some (very obviously edited) drama ensued. Some superficial BS, which has sent the cosplay community in a fritz. When I say fritz, I mean fans taking to Twitter and saying, "Well cosplay community, brace yourselves for the newsfeed attacks and people's opinions." Well, I guess, since I'm writing this, I'm guilty as charged. What I'd like to do, though, is discuss the abhorrent editing from SyFy and how its depiction of cosplayers and misrepresented opinions is actually hurting the community.



MORE AFTER THE JUMP.





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So, what's all the fuss about? Well, in last nights episode (the second of the season), the main judge and famous cosplayer herself Yaya Han (above) was talking about the direction of one of the contestants costume choice. The contestant, who's name I can't remember, went for a sexy burlesque version of Batman villain Poison Ivy (see below). Now, keep in mind, this contestant is a close personal friend of Yaya Han and has received much tutelage from the veteran; aka Robin to her Batman. Yaya has a personal view that craft and talent should take precedence over sexuality. The contestant apparently ignored Yaya in favor of modeling herself after another famed lady cosplayer by the name of Jessica Nigri; who is known for displaying her body proudly in revealing (that's an understatement) costumes. Which, I guess she did, because the girl trolloped on stage flaunting her goods and getting no praise for it.



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Le sexy Victorian style Poison Ivy



The real drama here, though, was a quote from Yaya referring to Jessica Nigri as whats wrong with cosplay, saying "The content that Jessica Nigri puts out, really displays cosplay in the wrong light". Basically, "sexuality vs talent". Catfight in the making, people! Queue up the Mortal Kombat "Fight" song.



Clearly, if you watched the show and read into what Yaya was trying to say rather that what was said (or rather what was conveniently edited) you'd know she was expressing her stance on appreciating work involved in costume making. She wasn't personally attacking Jessica Nigri or those like her for choosing to embrace the sexy side of cosplay. In fact, Yaya often has presented herself in promiscuous costumes and poses, so she's no prude. She's not a hypocrite either, just someone that tries to find the right balance. There's no beef here between two authorities on cosplay. No matter how much SyFy takes comments out of context and intercuts shots of an opposing cosplayer, things are not going escalate to some fight in high heels.



Beside churning up some crap catty-ness between two different minded cosplayers, the show went on to make Yaya sound like more of an elitist when a discussion amongst the contestants came up on whether or not unfit people should be wearing costumes that don't flatter their body type or the character they're portraying. Yaya (and others) said pro cosplaying is a serious thing and not everyone can be subject to scrutiny. Implying that heavy set people should fill costumes that match their body type; in other words a fat person shouldn't be Superman. Which, if you've ever read Yaya's view on cosplay (there's a great write up on her Facebook Page - HERE), couldn't be more far from the truth. She's been very vocal in her support for all cosplaying body types. In fact, here's a direct quote from her on the subject:



This is a hobby. An art form. A career for some. A social pastime for others. Cosplay is not a sport. There is no rule book, commandments, or memo on HOW you should cosplay. If you want to dress as a character that looks nothing like you, go for it! There is so much judgement on race, gender, weight, size, height and other things that CAN NOT BE CHANGED in cosplay - it has never made sense to me. Just like anyone should be able to collect an action figure of their favorite character, or wear a T-shirt of their favorite superhero, anyone should be able to show their love for a character by cosplaying them. People get so wrapped up in how THEIR ideal real life version of a character should look like that they forget that they are talking about REAL HUMAN BEINGS. With feelings.



I won't argue that ignorant comments were said, but not by Yaya. Editing made it seem she did, or at least agreed, with another cast member's dumb remark. How horribly misleading and damaging it is to present a legend that way. It just goes to show you how a genuine person with such a supportive mindset can be easily manipulated to capture eye-widening television.



Based on what I saw transpire on the show versus how I see cosplayers act in real life (and online), coupled with the negative reactions abound on Twitter, SyFy's edit team is sooooo obviously manufacturing drama... and it's total crap! It's a gross misrepresentation of what cosplay is all about. Which, if you're not clear on this, is about dedicated fanboys/girls who spend time and money to craft costumes of their pop culture idols. Yes, there is a pro level to cosplay in which fame and money are involved and puts certain participants on a pedestal (with some egotism). For the most part, though, it's the simple joy of expressing oneself through costume. There is true talent, creativity, hard-work and comradery amongst those who choose to partake in this venture. A dramatized show like Heroes of Cosplay tarnishes all of that in favor of digging for melodrama. It really takes all the fun out of it. Completely discouraging to those who currently cosplay or are thinking about doing it for the first time. I mean, honestly, who'd want to be associated with such egos and assholes, right? I'm all for nerdism hitting the mainstream and all, but not like this. It does more harm that it does good.



In the end, this is a TV show. I would expect nothing less than for there to be some level of amped up crisis, tension and people being douchecanoes (ignorant to think otherwise). I just wish it wasn't so goddamn blatant. Especially on the subject of cosplay, which is a self creative medium and something wildy appreciated in the nerd-verse - in other words, something of value. If there has to be a show about cosplay, put more of a focus on the magic of costume making, what goes into it and the personalities/story of the person behind it. Something SyFy's Face Off does very well. Watching passionate people make something from nothing and owning it... that's true entertainment.


Friday, May 23, 2014

Captain America’s Gal to Become ‘Cinderella’s’ Mom


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The list of talented thespians with accents continues to grow for Kenneth Branagh's new take on Cinderella as Hayley Atwell has joined the company. The artist formally (and futurely) known as Captain America's Peggy Carter, will join Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Stellan Skarsg rd, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Richard Madden (Game of Thrones), and Lily James.



So who will she play? Read the headline again!



But seriously, it was Atwell herself who broke the news of her new role in Harper's Bazaar. "I am about to start filming Kenneth Branagh's new movie, Cinderella, playing Cinderella's biological mother at the beginning of the story, the embodiment of goodness and maternal love," she wrote.



The new Cinderella will begin shooting this fall for a spring 2015 release date. James will play the title character with McShera and Grainger playing the wicked stepsisters, Blanchett playing the wicked stepmother, Madden as Prince Charming, and Carter as the Fairy Godmother.



As for Atwell, nerd fans will be able to see her next as Peggy Carter in the short film of the same name to be included with the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray, and in a cameo in the sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier.



Cinderella is scheduled for release on March 13, 2015.



Source: /Film


Edgar Wright Chats a Bit about ‘Ant-Man’


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Ant-man is one of those Marvel "phase 3" movies that many of us are eager to start hearing about, particularly with regards to story and cast. But, alas, we're all still waiting for "phase 2" to peter out, and until that's done we'll likely not hear much. Luckily, writer/director Edgar Wright had the good graces to at least talk a little about his upcoming Ant-Man. In a recent interview with Indiewire, he gave us some input on Ant-Man's place in the universe, the tone of the film and how it actually managed to survive the continual barrage of delays.



When asked about where the Ant-Man flick fits in to the rest of the official Disney-Marvel universe:



I think it's just doing its own thing in the accepted history but it's still part of the other movies and always was. In the time I've been working on it other things have happened in the other movies that could be affected in this. It is pretty standalone in the way we're linking it to the others. I like to make it standalone because I think the premise of it needs time. I want to put the crazy premise of it into a real world, which is why I think "Iron Man" really works because it's a relatively simple universe; it's relatable. I definitely want to go into finding a streamlined format where you use the origin format to introduce the main character and further adventures can bring other people into it. I'm a big believer in keeping it relatively simple and Marvel agrees on that front.



When asked about what the tone of the film is likely to be:



It's hard to say, my head's still in 'World's End.' I think it's funny...I wouldn't say it has any of the comedy that is in my previous but I think it'll be in a different vein. There'll be less swearing in it.



And finally, Wright addresses why he's still involved despite years of delays:



The reason it's always been there is because they really love the script and so I was very excited that they didn't say, "Let's give the script to someone else." I'm so glad that I made 'World's End' and it was the right time to do it and there were many reasons why we wanted to do it, had to do it and I'm very prod that I did it because if we didn't do it in the next couple years we'd have never done it.





Thanks to ComicBookMovie for the heads-up.


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Supposedly, Today’s ‘Transformers 4′ Filming Will Feature Dinobots


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This is by no means the first we've heard of the Dinobots playing a part in the fourth Bayformers, but it's the first we've heard in a while. Coming Soon has the scoop, which reports the filming of Transformers 4 today in McCormick Square will feature the Dinobots. Of course, as just about all of these robots in disguise are actually robots created by CGI, whether they film a scene today or not we won't actually be seeing said Dinobots.



We'll keep you updated if any Dinobot-related news develops, because if you're like me, seeing Grimlock in Transformers 4 could be worth the price of admission. Or at very least, the price of renting it from a Redbox months later.



In other, why-the-hell-is-Transformers-4-really-happening-news, on director Michael Bay's official site you can find this new promotional image which features (from left to right): Jack Reynor; Mark Wahlberg; 2nd Assistant B-Camera Casey "Walrus" Howard; 1st Assistant A-Camera John Kairis with back to camera; B-camera Operator Lukasz Bielan; Director Michael Bay; and Director of Photography Amir Mokr. So... there's that,




Transformers


(click to embiggen)

Transformers 4 stars Mark Wahlberg, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, Li Bingbing, T.J. Miller, Han Geng Titus Welliver, and is expected to release on June 27th, 2014.


Sexy Cosplay of the Week: Shermie Cosplay


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It's time for our weekly the Sexy Cosplay of the Week. This week we're heading (figuratively) south to Brazil with Shermie Cosplay.



Going from locally known to her now world recognized status as a cosplay, this Brazilian bombshell has been quite a busy over the last few years. Using her love of cosplay and video game, Shermie has created a multitude of costumes that have been featured all over the world including the most recent issue of Cosmode magazine. With her outstanding dedication to her craft this cosplayer even did a cosplayer for Game of Thrones, the books series!



You gotta respect that level of involvement. Check out more in the gallery below.


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To see more of Shermie and her cosplay head over to her Deviant Art or Facebook fanpage.