The Gallery of Monster Toys
[Link]
« Pop Culture: September 2003 | Main | Pop Culture: December 2003 »
October 12, 2003
October 9, 2003
Dead Man's Party
Halloween is fast approaching, and following like a hellhound on its heels is El Dia de los Muertos, Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration. I don't know about you, but I think that the latter is much more interesting than boring old Holloweenie, especially the art. I love the dioramas, carvings, and especially those sugar skulls!
Click on any of the images below to learn more about this macabre, yet oddly life-affirming holiday, and the wonderful folk art associated with it.
October 8, 2003
Frogs Greifen Uns An!
Imagine if you will a future that looks like a cross between a Shag painting and Forbidden Planet, a future where the crew of a starship yells at each other a lot, disobeys orders, blow up planets real good, kills a bunch of oxygen-sucking aliens called The Frogs (is that a not-so-subtle swipe at the French?), then goes to have cocktails and frug in slow motion inside of an underwater nightclub surrounded by giant fish. That's the future envisioned by the 1965 German science-fiction TV show, Raumpatrouille Orion (Space Patrol Orion).
Although only 7 episodes were ever made, it's become a cult phenomenon in Germany, spawning multiple fansites, and even a movie spliced together from 4 of the original episodes.
I'd love to watch the series in its entirety, but for now I'll have to be content with these short, but very Swingadelic film trailers and sound files. (Topic inspired by The Cartoonist)
October 1, 2003
Propaganda Galore!
Rejoice, Goofish comrades! Here is a massively cool gallery of Russian, Chinese, Czech, Polish, and Cuban propaganda posters. I despised the politics behind the Iron Curtain, but I love the heroic themes, clean lines, and uncluttered design of Social Realism. Funny how this once horrifying aspect of the formerly Evil Empire has become kitsch with its simplistic portrayals of happy patriots laboring for the Motherland. (via The Cartoonist)