Jul 242012
 

The Wizard of Oz, by L.F. Baum - the bookFor every little kid who grew up, watching that grey & white tornado whisk an equally faded Dorothy & Toto into the brilliantly lit, & whimsically colorful world of Oz…..For those of us that discovered the Yellow Brick Road, before ever seeing the film, based on the wondrous book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum; follow this link to Audible, immediately, before they wise up & begin charging you to download the full, unabridged tale for FREE. Hathaway’s narration is clear, crisp & filled with a child-like wonder; in other words, perfect flying-monkeys-with-kid_green_GeeksAddiction-dot-comANNE HATHAWAY reads The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

 

Truthfully, I felt like I’d be hoarding the bricks (and the flying monkeys), if I didn’t share this with my fellow geeks. In the words of Chris Knight, (if you do not know who Chris Knight it, stop what you’re doing RIGHT NOW, & watch Real Genius….anyway…..) “Was it a dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?” Wait,. sorry, that’s the wrong quote….with the chance to obtain such a fine audible copy of His Shizzness, in the (right) words of Chris Knight, “it’s a moral imperative.”Anne Hathaway

Bonus fun find, that didn’t even require dropping a house on anyone….(darn it-they never let me do that, anymore) You can get a fun Oz Coloring Book, from Amazon, again, on the cheap side of the spending street.

The Wizard of Oz, the movie

 

flying-monkey-narrow-spread-wings_GeeksAddiction-dot-comWant another cool bit of tid? If we switch to the other emerald-tinted glasses, to Wicked (the book, not the musical, although, the musical is devine, but I digress…further…) Gregory Maguire, who wrote the novel that was the basis for the (much cheerier-trust me) musical, created the Wicked Witch’s name as a sort of homage to the original wizard, L. Frank Baum. If you run the letters together, it’s Elfabaum; drop the masculine ending, & you get Elphaba.

flying-monkey-open-spread-wings-green_GeedsAddiction-dot-com

Elphaba - as portrayed by Idina Menzel

Pin It
Jul 112012
 

LEGO Systems Celebrates a New Theme Each Day at San Diego Comic-Con

LEGO 

-Surprises abound for fans as construction toy maker unveils new playsets, life-sized models, mystery builds, contests and one-of-a-kind giveaways in support of popular licensed properties-

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON (July 11, 2012)  – LEGO Systems, Inc., the world’s leading construction toy manufacturer, unveils its largest ever San Diego Comic-Con presence with a “theme of the day” calendar of events that celebrates its top licensed properties including LEGO® THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ and LEGO THE HOBBIT™, LEGO Super Heroes, LEGO Star Wars™ and LEGO NINJAGO. LEGO Systems welcomes show attendees with displays of life-size models, first-ever “reveals” of LEGO building sets and limited edition giveaways. In addition, attendees are invited to help “build” a section of its booth each day that features 7.5 feet tall mosaics of Comic Con favorites at booth #2829 of the San Diego Convention Center, July 12-15.

 

“Each year we’re overwhelmed by the excitement Comic-Con fans show toward the LEGO brand and the new playsets we introduce based on their favorite characters and storylines,” said Michael McNally, brand relations director, LEGO Systems, Inc. “As we celebrate our 80th anniversary this year, we’re pulling out all the stops in San Diego to show fans how the classic LEGO brick continues to build popularity among children and adults of all ages with a rotation of themes and activities for fans of all interests.”

 

LEGO The Lord of the Rings and LEGO The Hobbit- Thursday, July 12

LEGO Lord of the Rings

Epic characters and scenes take LEGO form in the newly released LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGSTM collection, based on the popular THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Additionally, to coincide with the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in December, LEGO Systems will introduce a collection of LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY™ building sets in December 2012.

 

The imaginations of fans attending the show will journey to Middle-earth when they catch a sneak peek of the first LEGO The Hobbit set in the upcoming collection, and a preview of short videos for LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS that are scheduled to air on Cartoon Network. The excitement continues with a hands-on Hobbit-themed scavenger hunt to build Bilbo Baggins in LEGO minifigure form.  Attendees may pick up the first piece of Bilbo along with a special Middle-earth map at the LEGO booth, which will lead them on a show floor journey to collect the missing pieces to complete the Bilbo minifigure.  The reverse side of the map includes instructions for a LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS contest that challenges fans to build any scene from THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy for a chance to win a trip to LEGOLAND® California along with a Warner Bros. studio tour. For those not attending the show, instructions can be found at http://thelordoftherings.lego.com. LEGO Systems will also host a raffle to award one lucky winner a custom 5-inch model of Bilbo made completely out of LEGO bricks.

 

LEGO Super Heroes – Friday, July 13

 

LEGO Super Heroes: DC Universe TM

LEGO DC Superheroesadventures soar to new heights with the public debut of 2013 LEGO Super Heroes minifigures To spotlight the collection that recreates famous DC Comic Super Heroes and Super-Villains with a collection of sets and buildable characters, LEGO Systems will display a LEGO Super Heroes DC Universe 3-D mosaic featuring iconic images of Wonder Woman™, Batman™ and Superman™. One raffle winner will receive an exclusive 5-inch Batman model in LEGO form.

 

LEGO Super Heroes: MARVEL

LEGO Marvel Superheroessets and buildable action figures bring scenes of great Marvel characters such as the Avengers, Spider-Man and X-Men to life, in addition to new characters unveiled for the first time in their 2013 LEGO MARVEL Super Heroes minifigure form. A life-size model of the Incredible Hulk in LEGO form will dominate the show floor, 2012 construction sets will be displayed and an exclusive 5-inch Spider-Man in LEGO form will be given away to one lucky winner who enters Friday’s raffle.

 

LEGO Star Wars – Saturday, July 14

LEGO Star WarsMay the Force be with San Diego Comic-Con visitors as LEGO Systems unveils the new LEGO Star Wars Rancor Pit construction set, one of 20 new LEGO Star Wars sets launching in 2013 and a sneak preview of the latest LEGO Star Wars episode slated to air on Cartoon Network. To complete this day’s expedition, a one-of-a-kind 5-inch Luke Skywalker in LEGO form will be given away to one lucky winner who enters the raffle.

 

LEGO NINJAGO – Sunday, July 15

LEGO Ninjago - KaiOne of the most successful LEGO play themes ever, NINJAGO introduces a new chapter to a storyline that merges classic construction with social and virtual gaming experiences, anchored by 26 episodes of the NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu animated television series airing on Cartoon Network. Devoted ninjas should gather at the LEGO booth at 2 PM PST on Sunday for a special Ninjago announcement that will further the excitement of this original story. An exclusive panel discussing all things LEGO NINJAGO takes place Sunday morning at 10:30 AM in room #8. A one-of-a-kind 5-inch green LEGO Ninja will be awarded to winner of Sunday’s raffle.

 

# # #

LEGO Systems, Inc. is the North American division of The LEGO Group, a privately-held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of creatively educational play materials for children.  The company is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.”  Visit the virtual LEGO world at www.LEGO.com

 

LEGO, the LEGO logo, DUPLO, NINJAGO and TECHNIC are trademarks of the LEGO Group.  © 2012 The LEGO Group.

 

BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.

(s12)

 

TM and © 2012 Marvel and Subs.

 

© Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.  All rights reserved.  THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.                                                                                                                                    

 

© 2012 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved.  

simultaneously published by Geek’s Addiction & GeekSpeakBlog

 

Pin It
Jun 252012
 

Springtime Can Kill You CD cover art mock up, art copyright Jeff Janelle
One designer that inspires me, professionally & personally, is Jeff Janelle. He just launched his shiny new online portfolio website, & I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t give you the heads up. (And I don’t say this, just because he’s my best friend. I say it a little bit because he’s my best friend. But mostly, because he’s creative, his aesthetic style is multifaceted & he’s one hell of a fine artist. And geeks love good art.) The artwork he created for his mock up CD cover, for Springtime Can Kill You (album by Jolie Holland), is some of my favorite – scratch that – it is my favorite work he’s created. His winsome, slightly melancholy maynad perfectly speaks to the title & tone of the CD. This is art I’d gladly display, nay, show off, in my own home. I think that’s the mark of good design, however. When your art can meet all the needs of the project, the product, & still completely claim its space as “art” on its own merits. Jeff’s work does this, in spades. When you see one of his designs, you remember it, thus you remember the product, too. That’s designing brilliance, & that’s why he’s the designer that inspires me more than any other I’ve met and/or admired. So, you ought to check out his portfolio. Even if you don’t need some great design, you’ll simply enjoy a virtual stroll through his online gallery. If nothing else, check out his motion comic, based on Hawkman’s dramatic exit from the TV show, SmallvilleHawkman, by Jeff Janelle - artwork copyright Jeff Janelle

Pin It