CGI before the "C"

Very cool documentary about the making of HBO's logo back in the 1980's. [via]

Whoa

Very strong optical illusions based on color - although, I wonder what they look like to someone who's colorblind?

Damien Hirst vs Optimus Prime

Well no, it's Damian Ortega's rather neat bit of sculpture.

Paper Robots

The b. in-law's new paper robot transformer Jetfire is up and it is tres chic. How cool is that? Cool enough not to bother with the obvious TF movie tie in one bit. That's how cool.

Transformers

I thoroughly enjoyed the big, dumb Michael Bay explodathon, but I am exactly the target demographic.

PaperRobot1999

Check out the b. i. law.'s new website, PaperRobot1999.

Influential Childhood moments

I've said it before and it's still true: As much as I revile the boomers for their narcisism, Gen X is worse. I guess you hate most intensly in others what you hate about yourself. Anyway, that king cobra reminded me of Ricki Tiki Tavi, which thought triggered a brief nostalgia trip in my head. Top whatever most influential cartoon movies from my childhood - in no particular order - I'm not such a freak that I have this stuff all Top-5-desert-island-break-up-list-sorted-autobiographically:

• The Hobbit and the incomplete first part of The Lord of the Rings.
• The aforementioned Riki Tiki Tavi, which was like Christopher Robin vs Cape Fear.
• Tron - which is totally a Cold-War allegory
  
• Transformers - The Movie. Quite possibly the most traumatizing first fifteen minutes of childhood film ever. Everyone dies. Makes Saving Private Ryan look like, ha ha, a day at the beach. Optimus Prime, who was essentially John Wayne ne Ronald Regan, gets shot down like Robocop. It makes Hamlet look like Playskool. Now, everyone talks about the beginning of this movie, but for me the kicker was later, in the second or third seasons of the TV show when the Decepticons stole Optimus's corpse and reanimated it with a pretend version of him to lead the Autobots into a trap. But just before the trap was sprung, some remaining spark of Optimus Prime returned and took control, and by sacrificing himself by flying his nearly destroyed body and ship into the sun, managed to save Earth and the autobots. It predated T2 by, like, a decade, and is simply the coolest good guy moment ever.
  
• Wait, going back to the let's make the Brothers Grimm look happy morbid streak that was going on there with children's cartoons, The Last Unicorn was darker. Also, the eponymous The Dark Crystal. And I vaguely recal The Black Cauldren. Ah, good times.
  
• Actually, The Disney Folk-sung Robin Hood was pretty chipper albeit with a gloomy second act. I think my supply-sider theory of taxes is rooted in Prince John's constant oppresion of the poor through taxes.
• The Littles, which really was more a show, but I'm pretty sure they had a movie at some point too.
  
• There were a bunch of others, including various robots, dolls, and bears and whatever. I don't remember them, though, so I guess they don't exist.
• Oh yeah - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Compare the Witch killing Azlan vs Apocalypse Now. I'm not sure which is more intense.

I realize that no modern child will ever like any of these. The animation generally looks horrible. You might as well put a wax cylinder on your phonograph, dance like a flapper, and tell them stories about how you shot injuns with your Red Rider. You can't go back - so much of the charm dissapears once jaundiced eyes review them. I still like Tron, though. There's that Journey song at the end with the speeded up city lights. That was cool.

Optimus Prime Keyboard

The keys are OLED displays, and can be programmed with whatever images you like. It's going to be stupid expensive, and yet...