The Boyfriend Pillow

"This fun and cosy snuggle pillow is excellent for people whose partner is away on military leave or work absence," says its US manufacturer, Deluxe Comfort. "Singles who desire to feel the touch of a man, without actually having to be with one, will love it too."

Peter Molyneux On Obscurity

Peter Molyneux talks to Edge magazine about the delay to Curiosity, the next highly anticipated release from one of the world's most famous game designers. It's an interesting read although I am not sure what I think about Obscurity myself as I tend to shy away from high concept games, puzzle games etc. Basically I never had the money as a kid to spend out on the more leftfield titles for the Amiga 500 that I had so would just stick to the shoot 'em ups!

Obscurity is released on Wednesday 7th November for iOS & Android.

Looper Viral

Looper starring Bruce Willis is released on the 28th and I am looking forward to this as I'm a big fan of time travel movies.

The Looper viral was pretty cool and has proven to be popular with visitors to the well designed  The Looper Network site being encouraged to complete simple missions in return for behind the scenes goodies.

The final Looper viral is now out and leads to a reveal of a Looper feature

Interactive Paper News

Just a note that my latest project is live: Interactive Paper News Blog will be a cool techie blog dedicated to covering all aspects of printing and publishing technology with an emphasis on the up and coming Interactive Papers that are currently in the early stages of development plus I'll be covering eBook technology, specialist inks and some fun stuff too.

Oh yes - the coolest Blogger templates blog hasn't been forgotten either.

And I really need to find some time to post about some pretty cool crap too.

The Coolest Blogger Templates

Hey visitors,

I've started work on a new project - it's a blog dedicated to the coolest blogger templates. I'll be showcasing the best free blogger templates so if you're looking for the coolest blogger themes then check it out. 

There's not much content at the moment as I'm super-busy with the day job (web design for a major U.K. company).

I'm still working on this blog too - I really need to fill this site up with the some of the very coolest crap ever.

If you have anything cool or crap you'd like me to cover do drop me a line - I'm keen to promote small companies, start ups, creatives, anyone doing anything cool really.



 

Don't Ever Quote Fight Club

You are not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world. - Tyler Durden, Fight Club.

Ok so Fight Club remains one of my all time fave films but here's an excellent piece by andmysidearm  I came across today while doing some research into 1990s advertising trends for my day job.

If you've ever felt the need to set up a Fight Club or set off your own Project Mayhem or maybe just love the bits in the film where Brad Pitt is super cool then do read this critique:

Fight Club quotes are so quippy and simple – they really elucidate nothing deeper. Durden’s one-liners (and they are abundant) are like easy-to-digest commandments that everyone clings to as profound. Funny thing about profound stuff – once it saturates the mainstream, it tends to lose its kick. We’re all grappling for ways to define ourselves outside the status quo. At the end of that day that’s what Fight Club is really about – considering the things we cling to. Nihilism and rebellion are still laced potently with self-definition and ideology. We put ourselves in box after box until the day we die – then it’s just one last box.

Coolest Indie Games Ever

I really want to cover the best of the indie computer games scene but I admit I'm probably a bit out of the loop as I've been snowed under with work over the past 9 months or so - not much time to keep up to date with or play the best independent games. If you know of any titles be they computer games or apps that are deserving of some wider publicity do drop me a line or leave a comment. In the meantime I'm going to start exploring the indie game scene again and getting up to speed so that I can start both playing and recommending some of the best indie games past and present and maybe if I get time start building up a useful guide to the coolest indie games of all time

The Coolest Train Set Ever

Holy crap! If you want to see the coolest model train set ever then watch this video - it's Miniatur Wunderland and it's totally amazing! Like literally frickin awesome! This is the world's largest model railway but describing it as a model railway really doesn't do it justice. Visit the Miniatur Wunderland website for lots of geeky information, stats and statistics about this incredibly cool minature train/world set.

Fake Bio Shock Trailer

Have fun guessing the movies used in this fake but cool Bio Shock theatrical trailer.

Oculus Rift - Cool or Crap?

Boasting a diagonal field of view of 110 degrees and a 3D panoramic view (tech summary: it's all around you) it's designer Palmer Luckey boasts it's the first truly immersive virtual reality headset for video games but is the Oculus Rift any good?

Well people can find out for themselves by pleding $300 or more to get their grasping  hands on a prototype version with a copy of Doom 3: BFG Edition

Computer and Video Games have full details and a cool article on the race for wearable computing including video of the Oculus Rift. Cool or crap? Based on the video I reckon it's looking pretty damn cool but exactly how realistic can we go with 3D shooters before we crap our pants when a heavily armed virtual bad guy or demon from another dimension pops up from behind a crate and blows our brains out?

Monopoly Alan Turing Edition

Here's another of my nomimations for coolest dude ever - Alan Turing. Now not only did Alan Turing save millions of lives and not only is he widely regarded as the father of computing (and thus, ultimately, the reason we get to play Halo 4 instead of working up chimneys or watching paint dry) but he also now also has Monopoly game to celebrate his life and works - how many other cool people do you know who can say that?

The BBC reports that "The life of computer pioneer Alan Turing has been commemorated in a special edition of Monopoly. The board's London landmarks, and its Community and Chance cards, have been swapped for places and events important in Turing's life."

Google have bought 1000 sets and donated them to Bletchley Park to help raise funds (for Bletchley Park, not for Google).

For more information about Alan Turing please check out this fascinating website by Andrew Hodges author of Alan Turing: the enigma.

Coolest People Ever

Who are the coolest people ever? That's a theme I'm going to be covering in this blog. Basically it's a list of the coolest people ever to have lived on this planet with a focus on  the underdogs or outsiders - no Hollywood A-Listers are going on to be included as they get quite enough publicity.

Who to start with? Well I'm going to plump for Nikola Tesla. According to a BBC News article about Tesla:

"He's less famous than Einstein. He's less famous than Leonardo. He's arguably less famous than Stephen Hawking.
Most gallingly for his fans, he's considerably less famous than his arch-rival Thomas Edison."

Let's see if we can fix that. Wikipedia describes Tesla as "a Serbian-American inventor, physicist, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, and futurist. He is best known for his contributions to the modern alternating current (AC) electrical supply system. Tesla's patents and theoretical work helped form the basis of wireless communication and radio. His many revolutionary developments in the field of electromagnetism were based on Michael Faraday's theories of electromagnetic technology."

So he's obviously a pretty cool guy and he's probably kicking himself for snuffing it before the internets was invented by the great Al Gore.

Do read up on this amazing fellow. Take a peek at the Tesla Museum and watch this fascinating Ted Talk Tesla Video.

Construct 2 Make Games With Ease

It's been several years since I last dabbled with creating my own games. Construct 2 might tempt me back into that game.

If you're looking for something to do during the winter months then maybe knocking out a Judge Dredd platform game (shoot the fatties and mutants while avoiding the Dark Judges - bonus points for hitting PJ Maybe up the butt with a richochet shot...)

According to Ashley Gullen of Scirra Software: "Developers want to publish their creations everywhere - from their websites to iOS and Android and the upcoming Windows 8 App Store - and preferably simultaneously. Construct 2 is the only tool which makes this painless with its HTML5-based engine, and the gorgeous new WebGL shader effects are the icing on the cake!"

Check out the video below for an introduction. Head on over to the Construct 2 website for more details.

Where To Get Best Judge Dredd Costumes?

It'll soon be Christmas (trust me - time flies) so then it'l be New Years Eve (trust me - I know about these things). New Years Eve means fancy dress parties and for me it'll be Judge Dredd (Judge Anderson when I'm hone alone but that's another story...).

Looking to get the most authentic Dredd costumes? I love the stuff Planet Replica make although it might be a little pricey for a night out on the lash.

They do the most amazing stuff (no, I am not affiliated with these guys - just a fan) with a complete Judge Dredd outfit setting you back 3000 million creds (or £1,995.00 in UK money) (plus you'll need to tip a delivery droid some extra creds).

An authentic Dredd Helmet (possibly makes the ultimate ashtray if turned upside down) comes in at less than 300 quid while a cool Law Giver (please do not attempt to rob your local post office with this) costs just £95.

Perhaps most exciting of all al the customised Judges name badges which are a snip at £60.00

 - now at last you too can bring justice to your hood and strike fear into out of control juveys and jay walkers everywhere - at least untill they start calling you Judge Twat.

Download Judge Dredd Wallpapers

C'mon - there's never been a better time to be a Dreddhead so don't just sit there with your PC or Mac looking un-zarjaz - go and download one of the official Judge Dredd Wallpapers.

I don't care if you are 45 years old - just do it, creep!
 

Simon Bisley Judge Dredd Cover

The Judge Dredd publicity machine has stepped up a gear over the past few weeks in the lead up to the much anticipated release of the new Dredd 3D film - surely global awareness of what has become one of Brit-Cit's most famous comic character's ever has never been greater?

Rebellion, the publisher's of 2000AD, are keen to give 2000AD plenty of exposure over the next few weeks to cash in on the interest in Dredd and part of that drive sees popular comic book artist Simon Bisley return to his roots with a Judge Dredd cover for 2000AD prog 1800.

(Comics Alliance have a full sized version of this cover here if you want to check out the details).

Bisley's Dredd is perhaps more grotesque than ever here while Mean Machine looks ever more cartoony.

Judge Anderson's butt is tighter than ever too!

For me this isn't one of Bisley's greatest pieces but what the hell, it's a new Bisley Dredd 2000AD cover at the end of the day - better than a poke in the eye with a toothbrush.

Comic Alliance  report that  "Publisher Rebellion describes Prog 1800 as a "massive" jumping on point for new 2000 AD readers, and is timed to release around the new Dredd live-action film starring Karl Urban..."

Judge Dredd Pinball Game

Whenever I hit the arcades on the south coast of England as a kid I always headed straight for the light gun shooters - however had I known there was a Judge Dredd Pinball machine I'd have no doubt pumped all my ten pence pieces into this bad boy!

I see these are going for over 2 grand on ebay! According to those in the know, Judge Dredd pinball game was manufactured by Bally in 1993 and 6990 units were produced. The game has a dot matrix screen, multiball, flippers (I should hope so), drop targets, 1 cannon and Kickback - sounds pretty awesome andthe reviews online are pretty positive.

Want this for Christmas but ain't going to get it! Want more information about the Judge Dredd pinball game? Check out this pinball website where there are loads of Dredd pinball screenshots, facts and comments.

The Coolest Comics - All Under One Roof!

One of the things I'm going to be writing about here at Coolest Crap is the coolest comics (maybe even one day I'll find some time to write about the crappiest comics!) - I'm not just talking about the mainstream comics from the big companies but the small press, the indie comics, specialist titles, one offs, oddities, clult classics, perversions and underground zines that deserve some exposure.

I also hope to be giving plenty of coverage to comic book conventions and fares (there just ain't enough hours in the day to cover everything I want to cover with this here blog!).

I'll get things started with a promotion for the Small Press Expo which is an event I'll sadly not be attending but can heartily recommend. Last years event was a huge success with over 3,000 attendees and exhibitors, plus printers, distributors, retailers, and other industry professionals.

The Small Press Expo has a fantastic line up of exhibitors this year (see the website for the full list of comic talent) so if you can, do check it out.

The Small Press Expo runs from Saturday Sept 15th and 16th. See the Small Press Expo website for full details.

Judge Dredd Role Playing Game

I'am so looking forward to the new Judge Dredd movie to such an extent I've been digging through my back progs to re-read som classic Dredd (Midnight Surfer/OZ this past week). I've also been up in the loft and had a good luck at my several boxes full of Judge Dredd merchandise and Judge Dredd goodies.

I came across this Judge Dredd Role Playing Game book which I've never actually got round to playing but it looks pretty cool so I've put it on my living room boocas and will no doubt read it while sat on the bog, sometime in the future.

This particular Judge Dredd RPG is from Mongoose Publishing and checking out their website it looks like they are just the sort of niche/geek British based company I hope to be giving coverage to on this blog over the next few years.

If you're in the market for board games, role playing games and/or minatures then do visit their website as they've got many interesting products and as well as this Dredd game there are also other Dredd titles and Strontium Dog titles too.

Juxtapoz Magazine September Issue

Juxtapoz Magazine September issue. As per usual this month's issue is packed with an excellent range of interviews and profiles of established artists and new talent.

Along with Daniel Clowes and David Shrigley there are features on political cartoonist and artist, Guy Cowell as well  as NYC-based stencil artist Logan Hicks on his newest exhibition in London. Amsterdam graffiti all stars The London Police, Mark Jenkins, Boneface and more.

There are  reviews of Cindy Sherman, Skate It or Hang It and also chat with Miss Van, and Morgan Spurlock plus  Neil Krug's photograph and more.

Check out the Juxtapoz website.

Jamie Hewlett Interview

Alongside 1990s 2000AD and Judge Dredd, Jamie Hewlett's incredible Tank Girl artwork for Deadline Magazine remains, for me, one of the high points of British comics culture and I'm posting this somewhat old video interview with Jamie for no other reason than I bloody loved this guy's artwork when I was a kid. 

Cognito Releases Operation Ajax on iPhone & iPod

"Secret deals, underground rumors of revolt, and dark plots of government overthrow are employed by American, British, and Persian agents. Iran’s oil would flow, by any means necessary. Every actor has a stake in the game. No one can be trusted. Nothing is as it seems." so reads the blurb for Operation Ajex, the multi-award winning digital graphic novel by Daniel Burwen, published by Cognito Comics.

Originally released in 2011, Operation Ajax is a crtically acclaimed adaption of Stephen Kinzer's Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, and has now been reformatted for the iPhone and iPod (currently priced at $ 2.99 for a limited time).

Artist Daniel Burwen recently told Publisher's Weekly that the work "translates well to the iPhone ... it’s all in there. We did bump up against some limitations but the reading experience doesn’t suffer.” Adding support for the phone, Burwen said, adds more storytelling features for the future, “if a character is using twitter or making a phone call, the reader has a phone in their hand and we can actually use the phone call in the story.”

Described as "One of the coolest media experiences I've seen on the iPad" by the New York Times, Burwen states that one of his biggest challenges so far has been raising awareness of the App. “People are ready for this [multimedia graphic novels] but there’s 870,000 titles in the app store. It’s a big problem; it’s a big bucket and Apple can’t seem to come up with something to fix it. The store doesn’t work for anything more than 99 cents and it’s a grab bag of stuff,” he said.

I really can't recommend Operation Ajax highly enough so if you'd like to try a full 210 pages of a "revolutionary new way to experience a graphic novel on the iPad. Combining subtle animation with a full film score, the story unfolds in a groundbreaking cinematic reading experience" then do visit Cognito Comics and grab a copy - at the current price it's a virtual steal.

Alan Moore Interview at LeftLion

LeftLion.co.uk is an online magazine and resource with a manifesto to bring together all of Nottingham's diverse cultural aspects and provides plenty of interesting content and commentary covering the arts and culture.

If you're a fan of Alan Moore then check out the interview by Jared Wilson in which Moores speak about the Watchmen prequels, V for Vendetta and the Occupy movement and his Dodgem Logic magzine amongst other things.

And if you've never seen Dodgem Logic do take a moment to check that out too. Wired magazine describes Dodgem Logic as "an engaging, educational and often hilarious read" but that doesn't really do it justice - with original content by Alan Moore, Josie Long, Graham Linehan, Kev O'Neill, Steve Aylett and others it's a must see for anyone even remotely interested in underground magazines.

Tim Burton's Frankenweenie To open London Film Festival

Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, the black-and-white, stop-motion animated tale of a boy who brings his beloved pet dog back to life with monstrous consequences, is to open this year's London film festival.

This is Burton's first animated film for studio Disney as a director and centres on the disastrous decision by little Victor Frankenstein to revive his dead dog Sparky using the power of science.

"Funny, dark and whimsical, this gloriously crafted stop-motion 3D animation from Tim Burton – the reigning prince of outsiders – playfully turns the Frankenstein story on its bolted-on head," said Clare Stewart, BFI head of exhibition. "Frankenweenie is a perfect choice of opener – it's a film that revels in the magic of movies from one of cinema's great visionaries. Tim Burton has chosen London as his home city and hundreds of talented British craftspeople have contributed to this production."

The voice cast of Frankenweenie includes Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer and Robert Capron.

The London film festival is also presenting an accompanying exhibition titled The Art of Frankenweenie from 17–21 October. The festival runs from 10 October – 21 October.

Pressure Priniting

One of the things we're hoping to do with the Coolest Crap blog is showcase and promote some of the coolest companies and specialist artisans and up and coming talent out there. If a company or individual is producing something we think is cool and amazing then we'll be blogging it out - there's no real set criteria, it's just whatever we happen to find impressive.

To get the ball rolling here's a company I've been tracking since their inception as I am a huge fan of all things printy, arty and letterpress related.

Pressure Printing manage to combine the old techniques and craftsmanship of pre-digital age printing with the contemporay world of outsider or lowbrow art and the results are pretty orgasmic and if you love art, love print, love paper and love inky fingers then you'll really want to check their incredible range of work out.

As well as plenty of beautiful artwork such as the Travis Louie print, above, there's a fascinating blog that details the process that goes into the making of the artwork and it's an absolue must read for anyone interested in print making and fine art techniques.

New Candy Killer Print

One of my fave British artists Candy Killer (AKA Brian Taylor) has a new print in the works based on his illustrations for the Escape from Hat book written by Adam Kline.

Check out the Candy Killer blog for latest news on this print but make sure you have a good look through the archives at some of Brian's previous prints and check out the rest of his website as his amazing paintings and illustrations are sure to hit your sweet spots.

Judge Dredd Viral

I've been a massive fan of Judge Dredd and the 2000AD comics since my parents first started buying my  Progs every Saturday  way back in the 1990s and while the first Judge Dredd movie is widely regarded as being a bit of a stinker I'm really looking forward to the September release of the Judge Dredd reboot.

If you're a fan of all things Dredd then you must check out the scrotnig* new viral site for Dredd 3D movie over at DreddReport.com. The site has tons of cool and funny stuff  that taps into Dredd's home world of Mega City One (born from the ashes of a post apocalyptic New York). There's a few hidden links to find, plus there's a cool viral video to watch.

Expect lots of posts from me in the future about old Joe Dredd plus other 2000AD characters past and present.

*if you've no idea what scrotnig means - Google it creep!

Grant Morrison At Edinburgh Book Festival

I was lucky to catch ace comic book writer Grant Morrison  at the  Edinburgh Book Festival on Friday where he talked about the comics industry and the game changing developments of the 21st century that it faces. Following up the arguments in his brilliant book Supergods, Morrison contends that superheroes are powerful icons for a multimedia age.  Never dull, always interesting, Morrison remains one of the leading lights of the comic book industry - check out Morrison's website for the latest lowdown on the great man himself

Hi everyone,

A warm welcome to Coolest Crap which is, quite simply, a blog about the coolest crap out there that we happen to stumble across.  Comic books, pop culture, video games, gadgets, clothes, science, crazy stuff, people, memes, zombies, art, trends  - if it's cool we're all over it.