tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20532422234993405922024-02-20T01:06:16.149+08:00The Art of the ChinocratVisual commentary on various things. Most especially things I like, as well as things that intrigue me.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-5846411048719159422017-06-17T03:49:00.001+08:002017-06-17T03:49:34.719+08:00Shortcuts to Superhero Costumes<div align="left" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;">Just rehashing this from by Deviantart blog. I once pondered on why
superheroes are usually wearing spandex, that if you remove the
lines, they’ll appear naked. Then I realized, something I should
have realized long ago: it’s how the artists are trained to draw it anyway.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6ctXQ9i8ZtYGzz-vDf7FWSb8QXs9ztAVkkon-fbymct2Dn2Qjgp5fIbt4_bElV7TTc1D0SupgAiHaYr9Wz0sGQdbGKGlCO6Ieb0C4beI_Zry1hLt-YB_dJWlg-Q8OKSnOKhJ7TjNP3sr-7s/s1600/Draw-superhero-body.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="535" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6ctXQ9i8ZtYGzz-vDf7FWSb8QXs9ztAVkkon-fbymct2Dn2Qjgp5fIbt4_bElV7TTc1D0SupgAiHaYr9Wz0sGQdbGKGlCO6Ieb0C4beI_Zry1hLt-YB_dJWlg-Q8OKSnOKhJ7TjNP3sr-7s/s320/Draw-superhero-body.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, he's naked until you draw lines and color him</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">As we artists are familiar with, instruction books and even art
schools teach us to master the idealized human figure, with all its
muscles and skin. Clothing tends to be an advanced thing to draw; for
example, look at some artists who draw suits on men as if they were
wearing fitted t-shirts with a suit drawn on it. Terrible, isn’t
it?</span></div>
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But I’ve realized, that’s how superheroes are drawn. Draw the
naked human figure, then draw lines on it, color it, and voila, the
costume. They just cover the crotch, put shoes on the feet, and
sometimes a mask on the face. It's actually a shortcut, so it’s
tempting to say it's a lazy way of doing things; but on the other
hand, there are also deadlines and the amount of work in making a
comic. Not to mention limited printing technology in the old days, no
computers.
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But I believe artists should really move to the next level. This why
I like drawing armored heroes or heroes with much more detail on the
costume. You do start with the idealized body, but you actually draw
more clothes and details over it. You put a lot more thought and
effort, and so it doesn’t seem like a lazy job. The design of armor
or a buffed up costume takes a life of its own. This especially
applies to Japanese tokusatsu-style armor, the aesthetics of which I
really love (Not the sentai though, they just wear tights with
helmets). My favorites include Magna Ryugunou, Kamen Rider Kabuto,
Accel Trial, Agito Burning, Kiva Emperor, Janperson and Jiban. Oh,
and add the latest Amazons rider designs. These show a lot of
apparent effort put into them that paid off. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, not all lines and paint make a successful costume. hehe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The controversial Milo Manara rendition of Spider Woman, which cosplayers replicated with just body-paint</td></tr>
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Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-47549465512163686502016-12-05T01:02:00.003+08:002016-12-07T01:25:51.017+08:00Revisiting JanpersonRecently, I've been rewatching my favorite tokusatsu series, Tokusou Robo (Robot Detective) Janperson. It's the 1993 installment of the defunct metal hero metaseries (this series includes Gavan, Shaider, Spielban and Beetle Fighter/Beetleborgs). I remember watching it on channels 5 and 13 back in the mid- to late 1990s here in Quezon City, so it was a memorable habit during that part of my life. I'll leave details about the series that I don't mention here to other bloggers, such as <a href="http://akizukifantasycritic.blogspot.com/2010/06/japanese-robocop-janperson.html">Sean Akizuki's</a>, to fill in,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOmK-K6MMoVM9ILqbG9rxJD1iP2sfu-zY_9YmDYcYdmUi4zhzE5JsaFEjUAfjT-sYB40oUXO8wA_kFaWdTANC6jfQAQPygeUp0ZK2_sosR6DasL0JWXYGSmbTzQUYaNYjfI2jt7FjNbsnzaY/s1600/Janperson_big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOmK-K6MMoVM9ILqbG9rxJD1iP2sfu-zY_9YmDYcYdmUi4zhzE5JsaFEjUAfjT-sYB40oUXO8wA_kFaWdTANC6jfQAQPygeUp0ZK2_sosR6DasL0JWXYGSmbTzQUYaNYjfI2jt7FjNbsnzaY/s320/Janperson_big.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As for my own views, I like Janperson as one of the better character designs in tokusatsu. He looks more fully armored than other metal heroes, being a robot. He also sports a respectable arsenal, something I look for in character design. I sure hope to get a figure of him with that weapon set.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqQueAnU53Rl0wKr6MuPGbk8Y8jq1hNt7ejy6os2IsIuEJKRLdiUuKktPiO9Rvf9HNlt-s3t64e0VQLfnQQgUoUXd7epRGeefPF44KM0x0Yeo0_qm7DOcs9NtEQ-cWkQa2pLZ-tSmJXdvK6Q/s1600/janper_guns358.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqQueAnU53Rl0wKr6MuPGbk8Y8jq1hNt7ejy6os2IsIuEJKRLdiUuKktPiO9Rvf9HNlt-s3t64e0VQLfnQQgUoUXd7epRGeefPF44KM0x0Yeo0_qm7DOcs9NtEQ-cWkQa2pLZ-tSmJXdvK6Q/s320/janper_guns358.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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However, I'll comment on the story, too. Janperson is one of the more non-formulaic Japanese toku series. It doesn't have one single "evil empire" to fight, as there are actuallly three major crime organizations in the story. No henshin sequence, as Janperson is a robot and doesn't transform into a human. Enemies range from humans to robots to mutants, the whole gamut of things you can pull from comics. The stories are more science fiction than action, with some police procedural feel to it.<br />
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It's also a series that sort of reverses the Hollywood convention of making robots evil, such as in Terminator. This is likely based on the Luddite fear of robots taking over human jobs, something Stephen Hawking has commented on. Another probable basis of that fear is the idea that if robots become develop human-like AI, they will become more evil than humans. I disagree, and find it hypocritical. I've complained in a blog post about how robots are overly demonized in popular culture. Janperson nicely reversed it, because despite being the robot, he has good in him while the three main villains are very human.<br />
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In fact, one of the villains, Reiko Ayanokouji, is a good example of the "road to hell is paved by good intentions" saying. An environmentalist, she dreams of making the Earth beautiful again, but she wants to do this by killing humanity. This is a good example of what <a href="http://chinocracy.blogspot.com/2016/11/control-freaks-are-ones-who-ruin-world.html">I wrote in my other blog</a>, that people who want their version of good imposed upon the world actually become the real evil.<br />
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In that sense, Janperson inadvertently also touches on what it means to be human. This is also explored in one of the obvious inspirations of this show, Robocop (as Robocop 3 showed the same year). But Janperson carries the Asimovian approach, exploring how close a robot can get to being human (Robocop was a cyborg and not a robot). And probably being even more human than other humans.<br />
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There are likely other shows and stories with the robot-good/human-evil theme, and I ought to keep my eye out for them. But while I haven't found something, Janperson will be the first thing I'll remember if I'm to cite a story with that theme.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-29773700329295432502016-06-21T00:33:00.001+08:002016-06-21T00:33:38.543+08:00All A-fire over Warship BattleHaving a smartphone sure changed my routine. As I expected, the games I'd find would get me somewhat addicted and so engrossed. First that got me engrossed was this gem of a game, Gunship Battle.<br />
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Then the maker Joycity followed up with its naval version, Warship Battle.<br />
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Both are pretty exciting games. Controls are easy, graphics are great, and gameplay is really engrossing. But of the two, Warship Battle gets more attention because of the Daily Quests, or tasks, feature that was introduced in mid-2016.<br />
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I got pretty excited over the free ships that were given during a certain Attendance feature offered later into the game. From it, I have:<br />
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Hood Safeguard</div>
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Scharnhorst Mad</div>
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Bismarck Arrow</div>
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Yamato Supreme</div>
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There are lots of ships, spanning World War 2 to some Cold War ships, and more get added. It'll keep me really busy for a while. I'll have to do something though to get back to my scale modeling.<br />
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<br />Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-6136530864474554042016-03-13T02:25:00.002+08:002016-03-13T02:25:38.011+08:00Art-aaah and Soft PastelsBeen a while since I last posted. Right now, here's something that made me laugh even long after I saw it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXF2D3qRLS3mkis1kKsZTuQVOybY8k5xKDJdLn5YjEPDdT5HLpC4lyV1BBSJZIRmAQW433JCYqJhkFiyc8iBJfJzi6PMWDrSVm2_6tsEtVcesYsKISqZOLXDOozAjgKmPjtXVBqw9aFegM2k/s1600/Sparta_Bob_ross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXF2D3qRLS3mkis1kKsZTuQVOybY8k5xKDJdLn5YjEPDdT5HLpC4lyV1BBSJZIRmAQW433JCYqJhkFiyc8iBJfJzi6PMWDrSVm2_6tsEtVcesYsKISqZOLXDOozAjgKmPjtXVBqw9aFegM2k/s320/Sparta_Bob_ross.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Joy of... painting war scenes.<br />
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Well, on reality, I haven't done too much art. But I've finally started using color. Soft pastels, something I use for weathering in scale modeling. Now I use them for their original purpose. Mixed in with my colored pencils as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qfgt2VsjW-8wTj4Z3CpUfZOseSuacPTB_0HIFOlGLhxw2kkXJQH4kHppR_Ihaw3QxgknlMrq35gkK_TprGd-UIzhY2v5jf8yJJdymYdl6DQ_rV1WkyK5YFcsUf1LAhOyXvgWCWnljesuo0w/s1600/P_20160229_140934_art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qfgt2VsjW-8wTj4Z3CpUfZOseSuacPTB_0HIFOlGLhxw2kkXJQH4kHppR_Ihaw3QxgknlMrq35gkK_TprGd-UIzhY2v5jf8yJJdymYdl6DQ_rV1WkyK5YFcsUf1LAhOyXvgWCWnljesuo0w/s320/P_20160229_140934_art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hope to get them done soon.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-9922537000693413272015-11-15T00:15:00.003+08:002015-11-15T00:15:39.637+08:00Characters in earlier Lord of the Rings Adaptations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Recently, I saw pictures like these roaming around the Net. First is of Aragorn portrayed in the 1978 Ralph Bakshi animated adaptation of Lord of the Rings. The common caption: look, no pants (oh, and that's Boromir on the right). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPSO_5WTv-nO4gB6TQzhRopFw_UaLgFrnYreWHZ6QTEsrN6MIoQvIEkNhBIb415dgJuC6ICdg3FPvBI2pC2-YcWjV2i4tK5spmuLaIhAKNeD8rx7EhuLR9-gxy5mYRB1u9cWLvSztvnP7KSY/s1600/aragorn-lotr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPSO_5WTv-nO4gB6TQzhRopFw_UaLgFrnYreWHZ6QTEsrN6MIoQvIEkNhBIb415dgJuC6ICdg3FPvBI2pC2-YcWjV2i4tK5spmuLaIhAKNeD8rx7EhuLR9-gxy5mYRB1u9cWLvSztvnP7KSY/s320/aragorn-lotr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And Boromir from the same movie again, doing a kung fu kick, showing the expected.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBS3gSIJDg8qy8lh3v6trMoT7Xz94n7giAGfdO-3cV1dbeuxBl1wE1l2wg5WgtGHm6hNFYMMVTwL9ehcd5PC2oCSovyY9s5RS_3LkfzlpSWssyQ3ocqFaQcR5FzXRJWEwIulyuk_q2ds7QJuI/s1600/KungfuBoromir.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBS3gSIJDg8qy8lh3v6trMoT7Xz94n7giAGfdO-3cV1dbeuxBl1wE1l2wg5WgtGHm6hNFYMMVTwL9ehcd5PC2oCSovyY9s5RS_3LkfzlpSWssyQ3ocqFaQcR5FzXRJWEwIulyuk_q2ds7QJuI/s320/KungfuBoromir.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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People today wonder, what the hell were they thinking back then? Of course, people should remember that sensibilities and outlooks change over time. Perhaps these observations will explain those.<br />
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1. The Barbarian Aesthetic (if you could call it that) ruled in those days. The artwork of Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo showed men with oily bulging muscles clad in loincloths, alongside women in bikini-type costume. No-pants was the contemporary perception of the time about ancient costume. Look at Ben-Hur and other movies about ancient times. It's only in more recent times that American moviemakers gave more thought to more "modest" costume.<br />
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2. Animation-wise, it was easier to draw. Back then, animation was hand-drawn, so it was slow and painstaking work without the help of computers. Of course, to simplify things makes them easier to draw and thus quicker to finish, so both Boromir's and Aragorn's short tunics serve that purpose.<br />
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Of course, these are not the only reasons. Other will wonder if the above portrayals are even close to the source material. Ah, that's another thing - moviemakers are fond of <i>reinterpretation</i>. Like what they did with Street Fighter 2 and Transformers. Some work, some don't. Sometimes, the reinterpretation just ruins it, so it's better to stick to the source material. I just hope moviemakers these days have a bit more humility so they don't go through with disastrous <i>reinterpretations</i>.<br />
<br />Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-88414227071307045842015-07-29T08:49:00.001+08:002015-07-29T08:49:29.827+08:00On Big Bad Alien MoviesThe saying goes, a fight between good and evil in the movies is always better when the villain is really strong and believable. During the Cold War, it became popular to <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/all-alien-movies-or-list-of-alien-movies">portray aliens in the movies as enemies</a>. It ranged from Invasion of the Body Snatchers to the 90s hit Independence Day, and thus aliens as enemies became a fixture of cinema. If I were to choose a symbol for alien enemies, the aptly named Xenomorph from the Alien series would be it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlb_V8ypaeLFbdNicutIH7m4OkzJUx3cCeS4JhWFmU6ehTeNV7Jzm9qwoBwPrcqfCBe71QKTktUgD31igG26lAUNCiZdbrqyB_2XdvQ8k-YRI5P4c3IfXI-n7iyZrST7s5qQ6jx94fcKKCxE/s1600/alien_xenomorph_by_pajik123-d5tp844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlb_V8ypaeLFbdNicutIH7m4OkzJUx3cCeS4JhWFmU6ehTeNV7Jzm9qwoBwPrcqfCBe71QKTktUgD31igG26lAUNCiZdbrqyB_2XdvQ8k-YRI5P4c3IfXI-n7iyZrST7s5qQ6jx94fcKKCxE/s320/alien_xenomorph_by_pajik123-d5tp844.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit to artist at DeviantArt</td></tr>
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One could hardly imagine how a phallic symbol artwork by H.R. Giger spawned a design that would inspire fear in people.<br />
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However, it's hard to miss the apparent xenophobia that these movies. It applies not only to aliens but to robots. Ludditism/technophobia and xenophobia had become a significant part of American society, and it contributes to the anti-intellectualism that became the source of one of Isaac Asimov's more famous sayings. Perhaps Hollywood should cut down on alien invasion themes and perhaps have a story where the opposite happens - human invasion of an alien world. And it should show the aliens as good. It seems Hollywood has to get out of its fear-mongering spell and start showing the machines and aliens as good, and humans as inferior beings that need to learn.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-71114762641508579112015-07-24T22:41:00.001+08:002015-07-24T22:41:25.867+08:00About Ant-ManOne of Marvel's latest flicks this July 2015 is Ant-Man. I haven't seen it yet, and I don't know if I will, but here's something I like about it: Ant-Man's and Yellowjacket's costumes. They look like Kamen Riders.<br />
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Let me compare their costumes with some favorite Kamen Riders.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrMb9-IYk4Me7n-taJmUIHZV5UQvXh9oxWk2U47lqY56flc-zTq6GP7x4jr8SrlhUV2jBzzAGmm_laPgnogp9a_tK8-qw4YL2sFjGhb9_kKqIngXiOat4UM1DrPuD5zqT_3TWi3HINmIWCWQ/s1600/ant-man_MAA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrMb9-IYk4Me7n-taJmUIHZV5UQvXh9oxWk2U47lqY56flc-zTq6GP7x4jr8SrlhUV2jBzzAGmm_laPgnogp9a_tK8-qw4YL2sFjGhb9_kKqIngXiOat4UM1DrPuD5zqT_3TWi3HINmIWCWQ/s320/ant-man_MAA.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh42UQJTfdBMXu6Gl0PyyjA6ce9k2B7RaEOE5PFjwMBLu_DcjfkCmfInrfMgT7t0wLv7pMYNUCTPSuCpMKc3UP4I9M3fYrCjLkBZd9vYgXL8CWQMi9WHCJujEFs0Jt6tA-ieuUCE3D-VnoVBw/s1600/kabuto-4+%2528L%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh42UQJTfdBMXu6Gl0PyyjA6ce9k2B7RaEOE5PFjwMBLu_DcjfkCmfInrfMgT7t0wLv7pMYNUCTPSuCpMKc3UP4I9M3fYrCjLkBZd9vYgXL8CWQMi9WHCJujEFs0Jt6tA-ieuUCE3D-VnoVBw/s320/kabuto-4+%2528L%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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YellowJacket with Kamen Rider TheBee.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4l_VaVnZiHFja6bBQKGzTgQvJHFoMHvvQA8AJxe4WEiqrCxb0KqD0id1Gw_XtHvAd85Sn38Hno3pJblUf6hAwb4WaEj9FhpWD6hu3sjpLWwelzdLAN6OduVbyMio_guEoX5e9OSCYLiCE-s/s1600/Yellow-Jacket-Ant-Man-FilmFad.com_-1-e1428952428738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4l_VaVnZiHFja6bBQKGzTgQvJHFoMHvvQA8AJxe4WEiqrCxb0KqD0id1Gw_XtHvAd85Sn38Hno3pJblUf6hAwb4WaEj9FhpWD6hu3sjpLWwelzdLAN6OduVbyMio_guEoX5e9OSCYLiCE-s/s320/Yellow-Jacket-Ant-Man-FilmFad.com_-1-e1428952428738.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKKJPSMhiXiDwHS6mJD4ioTrXougU8l9aHISYqM9Ny6FfWKZ3BDB1MxKW8oF2o5WjwXqSgGXM8B7I3K7ba04rM2fbBZ-wubvYym0zTplVUQr3GGgx9mm1ixuAqnRcvO6neD9aPa9Bjzuzifc/s1600/kbt-76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKKJPSMhiXiDwHS6mJD4ioTrXougU8l9aHISYqM9Ny6FfWKZ3BDB1MxKW8oF2o5WjwXqSgGXM8B7I3K7ba04rM2fbBZ-wubvYym0zTplVUQr3GGgx9mm1ixuAqnRcvO6neD9aPa9Bjzuzifc/s320/kbt-76.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Frankly, I wonder if they took anything from the Kamen Rider series or anything like it. Hopefully more movies with costumes like these come out from Hollywood despite its tendency to be Luddite.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-19605958132536597712015-06-22T22:09:00.000+08:002015-06-22T23:03:50.515+08:00Mad Max Fury Road: The Center of FurySpeaking of Fury (from Kung Fury), there's the recent Mad Max movie that people have been raving about, saying that it's one of the best action flicks ever seen.<br />
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There recently was <a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay/watch-mad-max-fury-road-its-all-in-the-framing-20150601">this article</a> that explained why it may have been so. Center-framing was one aspect. It made the action easy to follow and less messy. It would become a more palatable digital feature than so many elements over the screen that draw your attention, while the center shows nothing in it. Maybe Michael Bay could take a hint.<br />
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Of course, it's a Mad Max film, and perhaps that kind of story is interesting by itself. Post-apocalyptic future where oil and gas have run out, civilization has collapsed, gangs make modified battle cars, and all. The <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/mad-max-fury-road-movie-quotes/movie-and-tv-quotes">quotes from Mad Max Fury Road</a> seem to be a bit philosophical compared to previous films. But hey, these days, even action flicks tend to shoehorn some philosophy in them.<br />
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<br />Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-27969679377144717492015-06-22T03:34:00.000+08:002015-06-22T03:34:25.264+08:00The Beauty of Kung Fury<br />
One recent phenomenon on the Internet that earned accolades from me was this short film from Sweden, Kung Fury.<br />
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A personal project of advertising and music director David Sandberg, Kung Fury was financed through Kickstarter and cost $630,000 to make and release. Sandberg says he's a big fan of the 1980s and made this movie as both a parody and a tribute to that era. Being a child of the 80s myself, I decided to make a brief analysis of the elements of the 80s referenced in this film.<br />
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Let me just enumerate the elements that make Kung Fury a smash:<br />
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Sandberg's look in the film - like Sylvester Stallone in Cobra, with red headband from Rambo<br />
Miami environment - Miami vice<br />
80s arcarde games - obvious here<br />
Video tape malfunctions like in Betamax<br />
General martial arts referencs, ninjas, Shaolin monks, Asian shrine in Kung Fury's home, popularized in the 80s<br />
Partner death cliche<br />
Police uniform look - T.J. Hooker<br />
"Chosen one" cliche<br />
Van Damme split after killing red ninja<br />
80s-style intro sequence, with sunset background<br />
Follow the rules reference to typical rule-breaking protagonist<br />
Doesn't want a partner - Dirty Harry (actually 70s cliche repeated by 80s loner heroes)<br />
Triceracop - Dinosaucers, Dino-Riders, all that<br />
Hitler appearing in alley with lightning - Terminator<br />
Hackerman - hacker is always someone special who can make computer matter affect reality, like Walter Nebicher in Automan, and even Tron<br />
Barbarian girls - look up Barbarian Women, Red Sonja, Hundra and other female barbarian movies and shows<br />
Hitler and henchmen - like GI Joe's nemesis Cobra and other typical villainous paramilitary organizations<br />
Hitler trying to sweet talk Kung Fury into joining him - typical villain saying you and I are alike, like Batman and Joker<br />
80s cartoon sequence - Car turns into helicopter like M.A.S.K., Cobra on flying sled is like Serpentor in GI Joe, Fury's power up like Dragonball Z (which is an 80s anime) and fighting cartoons, general 80s cartoon feel<br />
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Ending - Moral lesson in teamwork, sharing a laugh at the end, </div>
Poorly synced dubbing - typical of 80s martial arts films<br />
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No need for negative reviews, since it was a short comedy film, probably something like a demonstration film. As it is, it was good. Although the gore was not too 80s-y. hehe<br />
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Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-62376910231168545592015-05-21T01:38:00.000+08:002015-05-24T01:17:50.634+08:00Growing... MechanicalThis time, it's about something heard rather than seen, a piece of music. But it's as artful and anything visual. In fact, I'd consider this among the most artful music works of all time.<br />
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Although many have blogged about this, this thing is so good that it just has to go "viral" again.<br />
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This song Mechanical is one of the most interesting forgotten classics of its time. It was by the Quarks, a duo composed of Rod Bowkett and Martin Ansell, releasing only two songs under this name in 1981. They later went on to form President President, and again released few songs until they went their separate ways. I got introduced (or reintroduced, I can't remember this from way back) to this song in an 80s New Wave group in Facebook (and so Facebook proves useful for something after all, hehe).<br />
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Mechanical has obvious synthesizer sounds and the unmistakable one of a theremin, which really fits this style this song is evoking - the "technological 80s." It's in a beat I really enjoy, without much of the syncopation that mars today's music. Its electronic melody is good enough to challenge Kraftwerk's or any other electronic bands' anytime. Undoubtedly a great listen, undoubtedly beautiful, this song has become my current most favorite song of all time.<br />
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Lyrics found <a href="http://natecull.org/wordpress/2015/01/18/quarks-mechanical-england-1981/">here</a>.<br />
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Indeed, this song (and similar) is the reason the Internet exists.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-3785874249910171812015-03-31T02:01:00.000+08:002015-03-31T02:01:07.618+08:00Meteor Man the MovieWell, I'm not too keen on movies, but I admit, they are a good source of visual treats. I need to do something about black movies, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/all-black-movies-or-list-of-black-movies">which Ranker has a list of</a>, so I'll go on and comment about one black movie that seems visually interesting: Meteor Man.<br />
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It stars Robert Townsend as a mild-mannered schoolteacher who gets Superman-like powers from a meteorite. He uses his powers to fight crime in his neighborhood, which is dominated by gang dynamics.<br />
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Of course, this movie is obviously <i>blaxpoitation</i>, like Shaft, Undercover Brother and Blacula. Of course, there are some guest cameos by a few white people, including Heart's Nancy Wilson. But notable is his costume, which makes up look all buff and brawn, when he actually has a lanky frame. I guess that's the aesthetics of 1990s costumes: make artificial muscles on your costume. It could make good cushioning.<br />
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I haven't watched the movie, but I might do so soon.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-30649992413226109882015-03-20T01:44:00.001+08:002016-12-05T01:05:21.359+08:00The Visual Vastness of Visage's Steve StrangeAmong the news that stunned me recently was <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2991701/1980s-stars-Boy-George-Martin-Gary-Kemp-pay-respects-funeral-New-Romantic-icon-Steve-Strange.html">the death of musician and Visage frontman Steve Strange</a> (Stephen John Harrington in real life). He's an icon of the 1980s, when synthpop and androgynous looks ruled. He died of a heart attack on February 12, 2015 in Egypt.<br />
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Strange was an influential figure in 80s music as the look and feel of the New Romantic movement is partly attributed to him. While he was a singer, most of his work contributing to the new wave music scene was behind the scenes, as he was also a promoter. He managed a club, the Blitz, where bands like Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran and ABC played before becoming famous. Boy George (George O'Dowd in real life) was a cloakroom employee at the club before making it big.<br />
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Just look at this visual style based on pictures taken from the article and other sources. He was a fashion icon, though I wonder who was behind his visual style and designs.<br />
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His is among the best coffins I've ever seen, one which reflects the personality of the person inside.<br />
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In retrospect, here's the classic video of Fade to Grey, which demonstrated his visual style.<br />
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I've wondered what his costume was in this video. Was it a Freemason uniform?<br />
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It also strikes me how old other former 80s stars look - especially Martin Fry of ABC (just look at the article linked above to see).<br />
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Well, they'll all die soon. But at least there's a legacy left.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-27921271642366930652015-03-17T01:16:00.000+08:002015-03-17T01:16:03.581+08:00A Look at the Oldest UniversitiesSome studes (students, studs maybe) would like to boast on how old their university is. My university is older than yours, so it's more established, blah blah. Your grandfather has nothing on my grandfather. Yada yada. Anyway, what's more interesting is looking at the Universities themselves. So in line with my Ranker tie-up currently about colleges, here's something on <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/infoplease_s-oldest-us-universities/web-infoguy">the oldest Universities in the United States</a>.<br />
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First is Harvard University, considered the oldest of all, and very well known. It's so well-known, you'll find t-shirts with Harvard's logo as far as Japan and Vietnam - even if the wearer has nothing to do with the school.<br />
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Next is the College of William and Mary. I don't know yet who William and Mary are yet, but I'll find out after some research. But you can see the building here, it sure looks like a castle of the late Renaissance. These kind of buildings are pretty amazing when you get to see them. This specifically looks Georgian.<br />
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Third is St. John's College. Of call the things St. John-related, this is one of the school things. But the same with the others, one look at the building, and you thought you've gone into another time. Sometimes, you wonder if it's actually St. George college, with the moat and the dragon (wait, is there a real St. George's?).<br />
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So these are the first three in the list. Look at more in the list and peruse their pictures on the Internet when you get that chance. It's pretty interesting to look at some archaic architecture that lasted until today, and stands in contrast to today's modern minimalist tendencies.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-41046876370170201282015-03-14T22:06:00.000+08:002015-03-14T22:06:12.030+08:00Collecting Art BooksAs an artist (well, a wannabe one), I still like to have book about the craft to help me along my way with many tips and lessons. In due time, though, since I'm a voracious reader, I tend to have more books than I need. Then I recall, I'm actually a book collector as well a a toy and model collector. So I ended up getting a ton of how-to-draw books which I read especially when on the bathroom throne.<br />
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Here are among the latest books I bought, mostly from Book Sale in Cubao, at prices ranging from P320 to P620.<br />
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Here's another set bought from various places, the two Christoper Hart and the Iain Bank books at ful price. Bookay-Ukay in Maginhawa Street also yielded the How to Draw Manga Bishoujo book.<br />
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By now I'm alarmed at how much I spend for books. While I'm not in a hurry to buy a smartphone, I realize by now that maybe I should save a bit more for other things. I admit, it's hard to resist buying a good book when I see one. But for now, I'll enjoy what I have. And keep drawing.<br />
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<br />Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-21798561428342507332015-03-10T08:10:00.002+08:002015-03-14T22:06:57.709+08:00More on Universities: The BiggestTo continue the theme from the last blog post, I now have something for other American universities, namely <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/largest-universities-in-the-world/web-infoguy">the biggest universities in the world</a>. Yes, it's another Ranker.com special. But this one is still interesting nonetheless.<br />
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First we have Indira Gandhi National Open University in India.<br />
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Next, we have Alama Iqbal Open University in Pakistan.<br />
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Third example is Anadolu University in Turkey.<br />
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Some people would wonder, why should universities be so big? I would say it is because universities are communities in themselves. Bigger sizes might mean greater opportunities to learn certain things. For example, larger school grounds may have more gardens and even forests that preserve at least some the natural state of the ecosystem before humans dominated it. Larger ground gives more area to move around and learn fit many things in. More room to reflect, more room for being solitary. But it also means more ground protected against urban sprawl - provided that is the purpose of the land.<br />
<br />Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-19395263990176881782015-03-03T21:40:00.001+08:002015-03-14T22:13:33.213+08:00Beautiful Campus GroundsFor something a bit different (and since I haven't been posting here a while), I go on exploring a different kind of art. This one is landscape art as compiled by Ranker.com: <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/most-beautiful-college-campuses/web-infoguy">a collection of the most beautiful grounds of college campuses in the United States</a>.<br />
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As an appreciator of art, I also appreciate the grounds of places, since nature itself is art. Some places try to preserve the beauty of natural grounds, such as these schools.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8u-_ERAVkes0emo0pvTL5UCFC8dtUFkdETbL2RZYwv3KLO2T0Nn9oWAStfpK-9JqbZC4jRBrzsEIr1zEMP2-2XWgppIAW0IeT1nkyLCOu7L4ch0eHfTOXVPBWV_kSR5z6zWGDTR4ESK0q1fk/s1600/st-olaf-college-schools-colleges-photo-u1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8u-_ERAVkes0emo0pvTL5UCFC8dtUFkdETbL2RZYwv3KLO2T0Nn9oWAStfpK-9JqbZC4jRBrzsEIr1zEMP2-2XWgppIAW0IeT1nkyLCOu7L4ch0eHfTOXVPBWV_kSR5z6zWGDTR4ESK0q1fk/s1600/st-olaf-college-schools-colleges-photo-u1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3hy_Z3UVlbSwWUEQI7Dbrl38uNG9EiN8u4YHZXUf1LlpPzsShZpdMt6ZnU9HQ-cCy5rCk7-ozpNbep18NH0bSUbyVf5bmvgStd9tDo4wM2a3025gYekPt61OwPueDH8QeuiDa_LDYTlUgt8/s1600/sewanee-the-university-of-the-south-schools-colleges-photo-u2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3hy_Z3UVlbSwWUEQI7Dbrl38uNG9EiN8u4YHZXUf1LlpPzsShZpdMt6ZnU9HQ-cCy5rCk7-ozpNbep18NH0bSUbyVf5bmvgStd9tDo4wM2a3025gYekPt61OwPueDH8QeuiDa_LDYTlUgt8/s1600/sewanee-the-university-of-the-south-schools-colleges-photo-u2.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sewanee University in Tenessee</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzFVklClZJUrzq7ZeV8xyiTNzMpTj5OI-oy0V8JxUaAsqFnYREJ8K1rL7njTBjQwQSABqDsECoGiWy4s5JXBij3sIEBOPQP21sC67b_WSit0xQ5yB53g0TEhdU1z1MRHkRoEfBxW4NJSCKhU/s1600/kenyon-college-schools-colleges-photo-u1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzFVklClZJUrzq7ZeV8xyiTNzMpTj5OI-oy0V8JxUaAsqFnYREJ8K1rL7njTBjQwQSABqDsECoGiWy4s5JXBij3sIEBOPQP21sC67b_WSit0xQ5yB53g0TEhdU1z1MRHkRoEfBxW4NJSCKhU/s1600/kenyon-college-schools-colleges-photo-u1.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio</td></tr>
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This reminds me of the grounds of local schools as well. The closet to me are University of the Philippines Diliman and my alma mater, Ateneo de Manila University.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMta8U2mSOnD68KP7f1j1NmLq_zePu9etmMyfrWQSsVn87YcbHS5yB24RZ-zMD38hIPSGfozHLd0tTwtUBGO2WUltNnXCvXSE6bc1WRegvjrq0GQFYRKjW-nzjGjLpJDe4jOsS3r9CChXFLAA/s1600/updil-grounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMta8U2mSOnD68KP7f1j1NmLq_zePu9etmMyfrWQSsVn87YcbHS5yB24RZ-zMD38hIPSGfozHLd0tTwtUBGO2WUltNnXCvXSE6bc1WRegvjrq0GQFYRKjW-nzjGjLpJDe4jOsS3r9CChXFLAA/s1600/updil-grounds.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U.P. Diliman</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxsAU-Jo-z_5SFOx8HNw_KYGtKqyQBTV0OxIls0A2Gqa0esMrpuERVEf1Ymi0pf3OtCvIfRvtD1sTvvSBg3PysumoWVnjehpPKDRP5Zu4RmfWHIdCj90-30XOyrLFAtvgVG6Vt6bChg8tayI/s1600/ADMU-About+Us_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxsAU-Jo-z_5SFOx8HNw_KYGtKqyQBTV0OxIls0A2Gqa0esMrpuERVEf1Ymi0pf3OtCvIfRvtD1sTvvSBg3PysumoWVnjehpPKDRP5Zu4RmfWHIdCj90-30XOyrLFAtvgVG6Vt6bChg8tayI/s1600/ADMU-About+Us_7.jpg" height="165" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ateneo De Manila</td></tr>
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Among the two, I prefer U.P. Diliman's grounds. Still not aware of other campus grounds with possibly better vegetation (perhaps U.P. Los Banos). But I'm glad there are still some places that are similar to parks that try to preserve the natural ground and not turn it into cement. With urban sprawl creeping in a rapid pace in Metro Manila, it's really a relief to see places like these still existing.<br />
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<br />Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-87219480566018401862014-05-11T23:39:00.001+08:002014-05-11T23:39:20.242+08:00The Walker Gallia Mecha A recent subject of my fascination is an old robot that I previously had no interest in, but after learning more, it grew on me. It's the Walker Gallia (sometimes spelled as Galliar) from the 1982 series Blue Gale Xabungle. It's the second mecha that the protagonist Jiron Amos uses in the series.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgKLetJiBNJ0TnG9vuIT5iyIaRjvAGrurtzuIs31RHtw1hhrKBG44233cW-togYPjfBvqDTPmwOjwkc-qFiFyAaHjOKfkHB6KSkbMfxhskBjlz8MgllF8-YGhdc3mCi9rJz4mWS7TO6lJcjU/s1600/R3_Walker_Gallia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgKLetJiBNJ0TnG9vuIT5iyIaRjvAGrurtzuIs31RHtw1hhrKBG44233cW-togYPjfBvqDTPmwOjwkc-qFiFyAaHjOKfkHB6KSkbMfxhskBjlz8MgllF8-YGhdc3mCi9rJz4mWS7TO6lJcjU/s1600/R3_Walker_Gallia.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
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This robot may look ugly to some, but I like its brutish bulk. The head in reminiscent of the Zaku I from the Gundam series. Its looks are also more cartoonic than in other series, but I accept is as part of the series design. I hope to get the Real Robot Revolution version of this if I have money.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-18949600009403225772014-02-09T21:33:00.001+08:002014-02-09T21:44:40.070+08:00My Maximilian Armor InfluenceBack in my childhood, I was fascinated by suits of armor. It's one reason I like armor for superheroes that I invent. One of the most influential types of armor on my tastes was Maximilian armor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8To6sgRQCGvw4IxWeB6OsFp5Tv_MY9IhLwQ-Z6uEI5Fh4YwxaBc3OFp8TFJvozyuo6eZ3GrXTj8jhtvWmGkYY56GUQMXcbw6hoXJMFyiR4-Povs9q9Wnl9gesV1I_bf-B5YvJphqpDIo77Q/s1600/maximarmor_450px-Zbroja_1514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8To6sgRQCGvw4IxWeB6OsFp5Tv_MY9IhLwQ-Z6uEI5Fh4YwxaBc3OFp8TFJvozyuo6eZ3GrXTj8jhtvWmGkYY56GUQMXcbw6hoXJMFyiR4-Povs9q9Wnl9gesV1I_bf-B5YvJphqpDIo77Q/s1600/maximarmor_450px-Zbroja_1514.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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This suit of armor was thought to have been made for Maximilian I, one of the Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperors. There are actually several suits built in this style, and it reflects the design ethics of the era.<br />
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The armor style is called fluted armor, wherein flutings are ribbed or raised lines on the armor. They are thought to have provided strength while allowing the plates used to be thinner. But a more likely explanation is that they were for decorative purposes, probably to imitate pleats that were popular on clothing of the time. Whatever the reason, it makes for very attractive armor, and it struck me as a good decorative idea even on modern armor.<br />
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Thus, I made use of the concept on my original character, Biohawk, who I invented back in 1987. Here he is holding Rogue of the X-Men:<br />
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Later designs do not reflect the use of Maximilian style-fluting, since I find it tedious to draw nowadays. But it did make for an interesting idea back then.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-67828801298129896082013-12-09T17:49:00.001+08:002013-12-09T17:49:39.258+08:00David Finch ArtI seem to like the art of David Finch, especially when he draws women. I got this combined issue of the Dark Knight 6 and 7 (after the DC reboot) in a used bookshop. The artwork is quite appealing.<br />
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Just see for yourself:<br />
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Above are (1st pic) Poison Ivy, Batman's old enemy, and (2nd) Jaina Hudson with White Rabbit (a bit of a spoiler here).<br />
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Some say one way to rate the skill of an artist (well, a comic book artist) is how pretty they draw women. Perhaps it's pretty straightforward, and artists can draw beautiful women when they want to. And it depends on the audience too; I, for one, am male. But certainly there are some artists whose women do not look good. Perhaps it depends on what one expects in a style of art and how its women are to be drawn. But certainly, I like David Finch's style.<br />
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And don't get me wrong, he draws the men pretty nicely too.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-44951203082165335362013-11-19T00:23:00.002+08:002013-11-19T00:23:22.475+08:00Wonder Woman back in the dayI'm back after a long time of non-posts.<br />
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Now for a visual commentary on comics. After setting up my account on Comixology and discovering some free comics, I was able to find a classic issue of the aptly named Sensation Comics number 1, featuring the second story of Wonder Woman by William Moulton Marston. In this story, Wonder Woman makes her first visit to a big city.<br />
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We're so used to Wonder Woman going around dressed in little more than a swimsuit. But not when she first stepped foot in the U.S. of A:<br />
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A then-naive Diana of Themiscyra sauntering around male-dominated society and gets called a hussy. It's apparent that society back then was a lot more prudish. And note, Wonder Woman's first costume wasn't a swimsuit, it was more like a mini-dress. DC later made it into a swimsuit-type costume, replacing the mini-skirt bottom with a panty.<br />
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Well, guess that goes to show how things change.<br /><br />And I wonder if Wonder Woman did buy from that store afterwards.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-83607189844675725542013-08-20T17:49:00.000+08:002013-08-20T17:49:02.729+08:00Armor Ideas that Influenced MeAs an artist who grew up in the 1980s, I did pick influences on costume designs from the movies and TV series of the time. Being fond of armor, I will list some specific armored and alien looks which fascinated me at the time, and influenced my way of looking at costumes.<br />
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First is this guy from the 1986 movie the Wraith:<br />
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The wearer was actually Charlie Sheen's character who had come back from the dead to avenge himself on a car gang who killed him. The star of the show is actually the Dodge M4S car which was used to kill the gang (This led to a retitling of the movie as Black Moon Rising 2). However, the driver's suit struck me more. It was futuristic, for lack of a more appropriate term, and menacing as well. It had all the looks of a modern cyborg assassin.<br />
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The next one is from the TV series Super Force:<br />
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Yet another piece of powered armor, that actually didn't look like much, but it was still an interesting suit.<br />
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The next one is from the series Hard Time on Planet Earth, a series that starred Karate Kid antagonist Martin Kove.<br />
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I wished I could see more of this alien form of Jesse, but it barely appeared again. So I later on stopped watching the series. Yet this alien form lingered strongly on my mind, it echoed "badass" all the way.<br />
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Of course, we can't forget Shaider and the rest of the space sheriffs and metal heroes.<br />
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Another influence is Captain Future, whose lens-on-the-chest really formed my idea of how spaceman armor should look like. Not a full suit of armor, but it still looked pretty good to me.<br />
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Speaking of a Captain, and the Eighties, let's not forget Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future:<br />
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There are more I might have forgotten. I'll look for them another time. Meanwhile, let's review some of the more recent favorites I had discussed in this blog.<br />
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Kamen Rider Agito Burning<br />
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Kamen Rider Kabuto<br />
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Kamen Rider Accel<br />
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Magna Ryuguno<br />
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<br />Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-3444672153837437262013-06-12T00:37:00.000+08:002013-06-12T00:37:28.708+08:00The CliffjumpersA few months ago, when I still had funds for buying toys and models, I was able to get these three versions of an iconic, but lesser known Transformers character, Cliffjumper:<br />
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Back in the original cartoon, Cliffjumper was more like Bumblebee's "twin." They had the same basic design, although Cliffjumper was more of a sleeker compact car. And he had an impulsive personality to go with his name. For example, during a spying mission with Hound, he drew a bazooka out of nowhere and fired on Megatron in an attempt to take him down.<br />
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The three figures above are from the modern incarnation with his vehicle mode as a Dodge Charger from the 60s. On the left is the Robots in Disguise mode which I got as part of the Japanese Arms Micron version (with transformable "targetmaster" weapons), and the other two are First Edition versions, the middle one representing zombified Cliff (watch Transformers Prime to know why), and the Generations Cliffjumper to the right, with the Pharaoh-like helmet and little horns (I never understood why he and Bumblebee had horns, but that's for the Japanese designer of the original toy line to explain).<br />
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I like the new design. As said somewhere else, the Charger car mode fits him, and the way he looks is a lot leaner and meaner. I like the FE mold better, although after a while, a hinge for the hood for the zombie Cliff broke, meaning the plastic quality wasn't all that good. Well, at least that thing broken is for the back, so it won't be seen in robot mode. But it's actually the part of the hood with the horns are. Anyhow, the modern toy is a good design, and I like it.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-26389902215512634572013-02-01T20:14:00.003+08:002013-02-01T20:14:54.143+08:00AFV Club 1967 Centurion Sho'tFinally, here it is. I finished my AFV Club Centurion Shot 1967. Quite a difficult kit to build, but with some perseverance, it's done.<br />
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Color is half-half Tamiya Buff and Dark Yellow. Machine gun is German Gray with pencil dust brushed on. Tracks were done with a Hull-Red/Brown mix and some flat earth spray on as weathering.<br />
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I think putting the number 3 decal on the tool box was wrong. But anyway, that completes the tank. If things go on schedule, it'll go up to Baguio this February 3.<br />
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Tank represents a unit that went up in Golan Heights against the Syrians in the Six-Day War.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-4928636982889451342013-01-04T23:38:00.002+08:002013-01-04T23:38:43.494+08:00Kamen Rider Kabuto LooksAs I said before, I like the Japanese aesthetic for some costumes. They have mastered the mechanization of the human form. But they do it without making the human into a cyborg or robot. The human just wears the costume, but he already becomes a machine by doing so. Sort of like Iron Man, but without the antiquated face-plate design.<br />
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Let's look at another great looking hero: Kamen Rider Kabuto.<br />
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The TV series of this character aired in Japan in 2006. It was the first kamen rider series to be aired in high definition (which was cool to watch, especially with the Clock Up effect).<br />
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I'm looking at his Rider or Unmasked form, since he has other forms. In this form, he has a front horn like a rhinoceros beetle. What I really like is this chestplate. It has the breasts of well-formed muscle, but the abdomen plates are like the wings of a beetle. Plus, it has a metallic appearance. It really looks good.<br />
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Look at that. Plating in all the right places and even the fabric part is well-textured. Pics are of a Medicom RAH figure.<br />
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Kabuto is one of my favorites in Japanese costume design, though Ryugunou remains the king for me.<br />
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I used to have a vinyl figure of this, but damn, it's lost. Hope to get a new one.Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2053242223499340592.post-82078648730834798052013-01-02T23:00:00.002+08:002013-01-04T01:00:20.699+08:00Armored hero with car themeJust sharing a drawing of another original character. I plan to ink and color it later. This will go to Deviantart when it's done.<br />
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I tried to design his armor in a way that's like a car. Somewhat like a transformer. hehe<br />
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I have always liked the way the Japanese design their costumes in tokusatsu (live action science fiction shows). The design often combine particular motifs with aesthetic angles and shapes on the armor. The effect is, just as I said above - they look like transformers. Humanoid shapes with vehicle parts on them that <b>fit</b>. I am trying to capture that on my character designs.<br />
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<br />Chino Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095769852799542710noreply@blogger.com0