Since I painted my version of the Mad Hatter I’ve been asked by many people about the card in his hat that reads “10/6″. Well, to be perfectly honest I never knew before the meaning behind this numerical set so I went on a little Google joyride. My findings were pretty exciting…
Apparently 10/6 (or October 6th) is Mad Hatter Day, a day reserved for silliness among the sane. It’s a wonder that we never celebrate such a day, which also happens to be almost exactly a half of a year from April Fool’s Day. To learn more, check out this site.
Okay, so that’s a pretty obvious title… but I’m not changing it. Saw Transformers last night and I must say it blew me away. At first I was quite apprehensive about the idea of bringing my favorite childhood cartoon and action figure line back to life after all of these years, but upon seeing the trailer last spring (2006), I knew we were in for quite a thrillride.
Now, I’m pretty old-fashioned about these sorts of things. I like to keep things the way they were, not make them evolve. I liked Optimus Prime and Megatron the way they were. That opinion was not gonna change… until I saw Optimus Prime’s chrome bumper and shining lights pull up to the big screen, motor rumbling and all-encompassing music blasting. This was it, the moment I had waited for.
Ever since seeing the original movie in theatres waaaaaay back in the 80s, I’ve always felt a chill up my spine when seeing Optimus in all his glory. What is it about this character, this robot, that moves me so? Perhaps it’s his towering presence, the command he projects by his stance, his everlasting fight for good.. or, perhaps it’s in his unmistakable voice that I find my solitude in this world.
Yes, that must be it. What better landmark to keep from the original series than the voice of the leader of the Autobots? Peter Cullen was the best thing that could have happened in this movie for us die-hard fans, proof that Michael Bay and Co. had their heads on straight. At first, I was also hoping that Starscream would have his original voice (acted originally by Chris Latta)… but then again it may not have worked to have these giant, 21st century robots battling out as hardcore as they were and having his whiny (albeit awesome) voice screaming across the battlefield.
Either way, to sum it up, Transformers 2007 was much more than I expected it to be. I’m already looking forward to a possible sequel (and perhaps… Grimlock?).
I’ve gotta hand it to Billy Corgan for reviving a legendary cult rock band all by himself… literally. One can’t help but notice the inside cover of the new album claiming “Jimmy Chamberlain: Drums / Billy Corgan: All the Rest”. But then again, what else is new?
Upon first listen (I hadn’t previously heard any new material) I am enthusiastic to find that Billy Corgan has FINALLY decided to trash the God forsaken drum loops that caused not only “Adore” but every album after that to crash and burn. There should be a parade in honor of this epiphany that Corgan has somehow come to realize. However, as soon as Corgan’s trademark voice begins to resonate across my speakers I am suddenly worried that the album may not come to grips with the hopes I had for it.
The first track on the album, “Doomsday Clock” must have been mastered in Apple’s GuitarBand because nothing can stop me from noticing every little layer of sound. I’ve listened to it three times now and I am certain it was not an initial reaction, but a fatal flaw. Apprehension grips me, yet I press on.
The second track sounds less like the first (in a positive way), and then I get to track 3, “Bleeding the Orchid” and eventually track 5, “Tarantula” to find that this album is definitely going in the direction I had hoped it would. The thick, grungy guitars are back, along with overly-distorted high pitch solos with plenty of string scraping (another helping, please?). This is where I realize I can probably give the first track another try, yet I still find myself in the same frame of mind. Perhaps I can come to like it eventually.
Overall, the new Pumpkins album is above and beyond what I had hoped for. No crappy drum loops, plenty of tearing guitars and drumwork (thanks Jimmy) and more emotion than a sixteen year old girl on her 2 week anniversary. Props to Corgan and Co. (Jimmy), I’ll be in line for my ticket when you come through Minneapolis.
After much turmoil and many, many designs Seventhfury Studios is proud to present Version 7.7.07. No coincidence that the new site was launched on a day completely represented by the number 7… Or is there?
The new site is fully driven by XML technology, making it much easier to update for this one-man army. Now that the site is up I’m going to put more time into prints and shirt designs, so be prepared for more and more upcoming work in the next few weeks.
Get Awesome Seventh.Ink Shirts at Furyshirts.com
Recent Comments