September 08, 2007
Maguire Climbing in Robotech Uniform

After slipping on a mask for Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire might be slipping into a giant robot for "Robotech."
After a lengthy negotiation, Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up the rights to bring anime classic "Robotech," which featured giant robots known as mechas, to the big screen. Maguire is producing through his Maguire Entertainment banner and is eyeing the lead role in what the studio plans on being a tentpole sci-fi franchise.
"We are very excited to bring 'Robotech' to the big screen," Maguire said. "There is a rich mythology that will be a great foundation for a sophisticated, smart and entertaining film."
Drew Crevello also is producing through his Supercool Hollywood BigTime Prods. Craig Zahler ("The Brigands of Rattleborge") has been tapped to write the screenplay.
"Robotech" was a cartoon series during the 1980s from Harmony Gold USA and Tatsunoko Prods. It was re-edited and re-dialogued to combine three Japanese anime series to give the producers enough episodes to air as a daily syndicated series.
A sprawling sci-fi epic, "Robotech" takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion concerns a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots.
Frank Agrama of rights-holder Harmony Gold will exec produce; Jason Netter will serve in a producer capacity.
Matthew Reilly brought the project to Warners and is overseeing. Daniel Shafer brought the project to Maguire and will shepherd for the company.
The success of DreamWorks/Paramount's $311 million-grossing "Transformers" has other studios looking to assemble a giant robot movie of their own. Last month, Regency picked up 1980s Japanese anime series "Voltron," with Mark Gordon attached to produce. Ironically, Warners had the first giant robot movie back in 1999: Brad Bird's animated feature "The Iron Giant", which is my favorite giant robot movie to date.
I was a big fan of Robotech as a kid. Many believe this series was the first ground-breakin g Anime to come from japan to be translated in North America and paved the way for hundreds of others to come.
Via The Hollywood Reporter.
September 07, 2007
Tom Selleck in HALIFAX!
Actually Tom has been filming made-for-TV movies here for many years, but here's the latest paparazzi pics by us!






September 06, 2007
Dude charged for extorting $20,000 from his mom by threatening to kidnap her cat
A man has been charged with extorting more than $20,000 from his elderly mother by repeatedly threatening to kidnap her beloved cat and demanding ransom, police said. Garry Lamar, 47, was arrested Friday and released on $200 bail. He has been ordered to stay away from his 78-year-old mother, Mary Lamar Grancher.
He started threatening to kidnap his the cat just over a year ago, after his mother kicked him out of her home, accusing him of abuse, Police Sgt. Daniel Ormond said.
"This isn't just a family cat," Ormond said. "She actually called this cat her companion since she lived alone." During the past year, Lamar allegedly kidnapped the cat once and made kidnapping threats on an almost weekly basis, Ormond said. Police don't believe the cat was harmed but are continuing to investigate.
Grancher made at least two dozen payments totaling more than $20,000 in cash and checks to her son. Authorities are still sorting through her financial records to determine the precise amount. » Article here
Via Across-The-Board
He started threatening to kidnap his the cat just over a year ago, after his mother kicked him out of her home, accusing him of abuse, Police Sgt. Daniel Ormond said.
"This isn't just a family cat," Ormond said. "She actually called this cat her companion since she lived alone." During the past year, Lamar allegedly kidnapped the cat once and made kidnapping threats on an almost weekly basis, Ormond said. Police don't believe the cat was harmed but are continuing to investigate.
Grancher made at least two dozen payments totaling more than $20,000 in cash and checks to her son. Authorities are still sorting through her financial records to determine the precise amount. » Article here
Via Across-The-Board
9-year-old math prodigy says university too easy
A nine-year-old mathematics prodigy has become Hong Kong's youngest undergraduate, waltzing through his first day at university saying classes were too easy.
March Boedihardjo, was accepted by Hong Kong's Baptist University to study for a master's degree after gaining straight As in entrance A-level exams usually taken at 17 or 18.
"It was too easy," Boedihardjo told reporters after attending a convocation ceremony in a pint-sized black-gown and his first day of classes Tuesday, adding that he'd already learnt the subject matter a year or two ago.
The university has designed a five-year program for the child, but it has stirred controversy among some education experts who say he might experience stunted personal and social development as a result. » Article here
Via Across-The-Board
March Boedihardjo, was accepted by Hong Kong's Baptist University to study for a master's degree after gaining straight As in entrance A-level exams usually taken at 17 or 18.
"It was too easy," Boedihardjo told reporters after attending a convocation ceremony in a pint-sized black-gown and his first day of classes Tuesday, adding that he'd already learnt the subject matter a year or two ago.
The university has designed a five-year program for the child, but it has stirred controversy among some education experts who say he might experience stunted personal and social development as a result. » Article here
Via Across-The-Board
September 05, 2007
September 04, 2007
Dark Lunar Eclipse
The Moon passed close to the center of Earth's shadow on August 28th. Seen best by skywatchers in western North America, and the Pacific region, the resulting total lunar eclipse was a dark one, lasting about 90 minutes. In this telescopic image taken near mid totality from Yass, NSW Australia, the 85 kilometer wide ray crater Tycho lies near the top right of the shadowed lunar surface. Of course, even during a total lunar eclipse,the Moon is not completely dark. Instead the Moon remains visible during totality, reflecting reddened light filtering into the Earth's shadow. The light comes from all the sunsets and sunrises, as seen from the lunar perspective, around the edges of a silhouetted Earth.
Lunation
Our Moon's appearance changes nightly. This time-lapse sequence shows what our Moon looks like during a lunation, a complete lunar cycle. As the Moon orbits the Earth, the half illuminated by the Sun first becomes increasingly visible, then decreasingly visible. The Moon always keeps the same face toward the Earth. The Moon's apparent size changes slightly, though, and a slight wobble called a libration is discernable as it progresses along its elliptical orbit. During the cycle, sunlight reflects from the Moon at different angles, and so illuminates different features differently. A full lunation takes about 29.5 days, just under a month (moon-th). Click on the picture to view the animated gif file.
Can Cartoonists Make Money With The Internet?
I received an e-mail wanting to discuss this topic, so here it is, let's open a discussion! : )
I've recently met a man by the name of Mark Oakely, self-publisher/writer/artist of the popular Thieves & Kings comic book series. Though he hasn't posted his works online he is very successful at producing his own stories his own way, all in print publishing... every creative artist/author's dream.
Is it possible to be successful in comics or cartoons these days?
Certainly. In recent years a few have become quite successful, thanks to the internet. The internet is opening brand new doors for comics creators to explore. Some doorways eventually lead to success, but many others are proving to be dead ends. With the internet still in its infancy and technology changing so rapidly, there is not yet a well-trodden path that cartoonists can follow to digital success.
Can you make money posting your cartoons online? Here's an interesting interview about comics and micropayments.
PVP creator Scott Kurtz discusses the current syndicate system and why it is harmful for artists.
Here's a blog totally devoted to helping artists make money with their webcomics. I don't know whether the advice is good or bad, but it seems worth a read.
Comics guru and author Scott McCloud is trying some fascinating new things at his website. He writes that information wants to be cheap and briefly discusses Reinventing Web Comics.
Anyone have any comments on the subject or other links/articles to recommend?
Sources and Samples:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/
http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/
http://topwebcomics.com/
http://webcomicsreview.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_webcomics
http://www.thecomicportal.com/
http://www.onlinecomics.net/pages/
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050301glaser/
http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=39;t=000104
I've recently met a man by the name of Mark Oakely, self-publisher/writer/artist of the popular Thieves & Kings comic book series. Though he hasn't posted his works online he is very successful at producing his own stories his own way, all in print publishing... every creative artist/author's dream.
Is it possible to be successful in comics or cartoons these days?
Certainly. In recent years a few have become quite successful, thanks to the internet. The internet is opening brand new doors for comics creators to explore. Some doorways eventually lead to success, but many others are proving to be dead ends. With the internet still in its infancy and technology changing so rapidly, there is not yet a well-trodden path that cartoonists can follow to digital success.
Can you make money posting your cartoons online? Here's an interesting interview about comics and micropayments.
PVP creator Scott Kurtz discusses the current syndicate system and why it is harmful for artists.
Here's a blog totally devoted to helping artists make money with their webcomics. I don't know whether the advice is good or bad, but it seems worth a read.
Comics guru and author Scott McCloud is trying some fascinating new things at his website. He writes that information wants to be cheap and briefly discusses Reinventing Web Comics.
Anyone have any comments on the subject or other links/articles to recommend?
Sources and Samples:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/
http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/
http://topwebcomics.com/
http://webcomicsreview.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_webcomics
http://www.thecomicportal.com/
http://www.onlinecomics.net/pages/
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050301glaser/
http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=39;t=000104
August 30, 2007
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