T O S H I S T A T I O N http://www.toshistation.com Nerd Weblog en-us Copyright 1996-2007, Toshistation.com http://www.toshistation.com/images/88x31-toshi.gif T O S H I S T A T I O N http://www.toshistation.com http://backend.userland.com/rss Collecting Headquarters (www.collectinghq.com) DC Logo Review Lando, it's quite a departure from previous efforts. Here's the official press release. I was a fan of the 2005 effort, which really grew on me. The new logo is not Super:

The Good
  • Simple design.
  • The literal representation of an under-cover secret identity type thing is clever enough.
  • Looks terrific in the upper left corner of the funny books, resting directly against the spine.
The Bad
  • The letter "D" is almost invisible.
  • The curl effect, in this and any application, is a little played out.
  • The new deal completely lacks any sense of the heroic - a quality we've enjoyed since '76 (the star, the sense of motion, bold lettering, etc).
The Ugly
  • As seen below, the logo can appear in various colors, revealing fancy doo-dads and what all. The potential for dumb is high. Case in point: the Watchmen version. Absolutely painful.



]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/DC_Logo_Review_143483.asp Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:34:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/DC_Logo_Review_143483.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog 2011 Year End Movie Review
The overall score for the year was 69. While slightly above average, that's a disappointing number. Far from the goal of two-per-weekend. Must focus on less work, more relaxing in '12.






Top Five: The Fighter, Harry Potter Deathly Hallows 2, Winter's Bone, Drive, and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (which should probably be unseated by The King's Speech, but sheer amount of fun we had watching Tucker and Dale must be recognized). Runner-ups include the Swedish Girl with the Dragon/Fire/Hornets trilogy, Super 8, Hesher (a "boy movie", the ladies tell me), Monsters, and No Regrets for Our Youth (super early Korusawa).

Bottom Three: In Time, The Hangover Pt. II (despite appropriately low expectations), and House (incomprehensibly bizarre Japanese horror from 1977). That ugly trio held off The American, Source Code, Arthur, and Bellflower (the independent movie that isn't nearly as good as you may have heard).

There was a hope we'd be polishing off the rest of the Akira Kurosawa portfolio in 2011. Dreams killed that hope. Mustering the desire to watch that film is proving insurmountably difficult. Still, we're down to the final two of thirty-two. Gonna power through it, and knock out the final movie - The Quiet Duel, which features Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune and is the only Kurosawa film not available on Netflix.

The most anticipated for 2012: Hunger Games (still need to read the books), Moonrise Kingdom (despite the over-the-top Wes Anderson-ness of it all), Dark Knight Rises, World War Z, and, to cap off the year, The Hobbit: A Highly Anticipated Journey.

See Also:
2010 Year End Review
2009 Year End Review
2008 Year End Review
2007 Year End Review
2006 Year End Review
2005 Year End Review
2004 Year End Review]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/2011_Year_End_Movie_Review_143306.asp Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:57:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/2011_Year_End_Movie_Review_143306.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog I can see it in your eyes


Reminds me of a flyer I found on a bulletin board in the cafeteria at the Borders World Headquarters a week before they closed their doors for all eternity:

]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/I_can_see_it_in_your_eyes_143088.asp Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:03:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/I_can_see_it_in_your_eyes_143088.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Mario Kart IRL

"West Coast Customs is known for TV shows such as the classic Pimp My Ride on MTV and the current show Inside West Coast Customs on the Velocity Network. The company has re-created two vehicles from Mario Kart 7: the classic Mario Standard kart, complete with glider attachment for soaring through the air, and the Luigi Bumble V kart, which resembles a bumblebee and features a rear propeller for underwater navigation."

Additional photos and details.]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Mario_Kart_IRL_142342.asp Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:35:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Mario_Kart_IRL_142342.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Bat Skins Batman: Arkham City (Xbox/PS3 game all the cool comic nerds are playing these days) has released a $5 "skins" pack that allows players to don a variety of crime fighting bat-fashions.


Pretty stellar. That Dark Knight skin (despite the erroneous pupils) makes a man wish he both an Xbox and the time to partake in such activity.

]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Bat_Skins_142343.asp Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:42:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Bat_Skins_142343.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog The 3rd Annual Toshi Station Halloween Banner Retrospective Star Wars costume contest back on the 13th of October (natch).



Scope the complete costume contest banner retrospective:

2011
2010		Brains we are hungry for, yessss...
2009
The Big Ten
2008		Heavy Metal Vader
2007		Haunted scroll! OoooOOOooooh...
2006

2005
2004		That's a slowly animating Charles Bronson in the second floor window...
2003

2002		Huh? But droids don't eat candy! It's an enigma!
2001
2000

1999		  


]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/The_3rd_Annual_Toshi_Station_Halloween_Banner_Retrospective_141421.asp Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:23:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/The_3rd_Annual_Toshi_Station_Halloween_Banner_Retrospective_141421.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Nike Mags, at Last Back to the Future II - Marty McSuperfly pulls them on and they self-tie. While the 2011 versions do look the part, with the straps and loops and lights, the self-tying feature won't be available until 2015.

"Famed Nike designer Tinker Hatfield and footwear innovator Tiffany Beers have returned to recreate the footwear legend. Based on an original movie prop used in Back to the Future Part II, the 2011 Nike MAG shoes have been entirely rebuilt and perfected."

"They feature an electroluminescent outsole, space-age materials and a rechargeable internal battery good for 3,000 hours. And while they are not recommended for playing sports, these highly limited shoes will very likely command attention wherever they are worn." Indeed.


According to Popular Science, there are great minds out there working diligently on this whole self-tying issue.

Not really related but kind of related, Reebok made Alien Stompers (the kind Ripley wore in Aliens) some years back. Proceeds went to Reebok.
]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Nike_Mags_at_Last_140507.asp Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:42:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Nike_Mags_at_Last_140507.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Is Childs an Imitation? The Thing, part one and part two. Pretty terrific. (thanks, Jay)

"They" are working on a prequel, also (for reasons unknowable) called The Thing, that takes place three days before the original. Great concept. Difficult to execute. Set expectations to "low".]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Is_Childs_an_Imitation_140180.asp Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:14:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Is_Childs_an_Imitation_140180.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Lightcycling Check this street-legal Tron Legacy lightcycle. Only $55,000. No need to check with your wife - she'll understand.

"This is the illuminated, street-legal motorcycle inspired by the computer animated cycle from the 2010 film Tron: Legacy. Designed for casual cruising and slow ride-bys at shows, it is made from a steel frame covered by a fiberglass cowling that replicates the sleek look of its computer-generated imagery counterpart. Electroluminescent strips built into the tire cowlings, wheel rims, and body illuminate the cycle."

There's a video of the bike in action. Almost no point riding that thing during daylight hours - it looks chunky, uncomfortable, and fairly ridiculous. The Little Woman won't be laughing as you roll out of the garage at night, however, when the electric blue stripes and glossy sleekness are in full effect, the Daft Punk is thumping, and you can't roll ten feet without bumping into a leather-clad Olivia Wilde.

On a related note: Duct Tron!

]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Lightcycling_140177.asp Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:32:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Lightcycling_140177.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Darth Dryer Concept

Rear view over here.]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Darth_Dryer_Concept_139303.asp Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:00:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Darth_Dryer_Concept_139303.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Stay on Target...

Get the full details here. Thanks, Scott!]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Stay_on_Target_139219.asp Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:22:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Stay_on_Target_139219.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Sweet Christmas! I'm Awesome... Luke Cage. Actually, Mustafar Spice there is probably a better fit than the character deserves.


Not super familiar with Luke Cage, though he does have a small role in the recent Fraction/Brubaker series The Immortal Iron Fist, which was spectacular (the series that is - the cameo was just ok).

Get hip to the Iron Fist scene with the hefty 560 page Omnibus edition.]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Sweet_Christmas_Im_Awesome_138598.asp Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:10:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Sweet_Christmas_Im_Awesome_138598.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Not All Men are Created Prequel

Nice Old Boy homage in there. Saw it on boingboing]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Not_All_Men_are_Created_Prequel_138578.asp Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:57:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Not_All_Men_are_Created_Prequel_138578.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Brand Wars this amusing little collection of SW advertising mash-ups by a Mr. Barn Bocock (fantastic domain name, atrocious website interface).

]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Brand_Wars_138519.asp Sun, 29 May 2011 09:36:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Brand_Wars_138519.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog Aperture Investment Opportunity #3 ]]> http://www.toshistation.com/story/Aperture_Investment_Opportunity_3_137547.asp Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:40:00 CST http://www.toshistation.com/story/Aperture_Investment_Opportunity_3_137547.asp Toshi Station: Geek Weblog