LARA CROFT COSTUME

And while we're on the subjects of homemade costumes, here's Kaye dressed as Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series displayed on Great White Snark's Facebook Fan Page. You can read her personal blog here.

IRON MAN COSTUME

Norweigan John Kristiansen says, "make mine Marvel" and puts his money where his mouth is. Kristiansen spent a lot of time and $20,000 to create his own Iron Man costume.

Two main materials constitute most of the Iron Man suit—fiberglass and ABS plastic. Both involve creating a mold of each part, but they are slightly different materials. Kristiansen said he used the fiberglass for areas where he wanted to get the best true-to-the-movie details and he needed the suit to support its own weight, like on the chest and upper legs. ABS, he said, can't be sculpted to such detail, but it is softer, so he used that for the hands and lower legs. For comic and sci-fi conventions, he has created a version of the suit that looks like it has sustained battle damage, which he achieved by using a torch and a Dremel tool to put bullet holes and scratch marks on his creation.

These materials make movement much more difficult, Kristiansen said. He can only tolerate being inside the suit for about two hours, but won't break character—he'll tell his partner that he's "down to 60 percent power" if the heat or fixed posture of the costume start to give him muscle spasms.

According to Kristiansen , the Iron Man moviemakers often use a rubber suit for better mobility and then touch it up afterward with CGI. "We cannot hide behind effects," he says. "When we meet a crowd, they have to get the feeling that this is not a man dressed up as Iron Man, this is Iron Man." So despite the discomfort, it was worth it for him to use strong materials to make the costume look perfect. Not only that, but Kristiansen in his costume is pretty intimidating—where Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man in the film, is around 5'9" or 5'10", Kristiansen is more than 6ft tall and 200 pounds.

Kristiansen's costume was so successful that Paramount Pictures hired him to promote the Iron Man DVD release in Europe. Kristiansen plans on using his $20,000 costume to raise money for charities and reach out to kids.

You can read the entire article here or track the entire process in the Replica Props Forum.

VOMIT I WROTE

Watch in horror as Angela Lansbury gets naked, touches her skin, talks about sex after menopause while her arm flab bounces. Then vomit and gouge your eyes out.

START THE YEAR RIGHT

How's your New Year's resolution going? If your goal was to lose weight this year, it takes daily exercise and eating healthier. As someone who's struggled with his weight over the years, this Subway commercial makes me laugh every time I see it. Now get off the computer and go get some exercise!

BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM TRAILER

A new trailer was released for the upcoming video game, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Once again, The Joker is up to his old tricks, this time trapping Batman in an insane asylum. The game is set to release the second quarter of 2009.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE TEASER POSTER

20th Century Fox released a new teaser poster for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which hits theaters on May 1st 2009.

COVER OF THE WEEK

Battlefields: Dear Billy, #1 of 3 (Cover B), Dynamite Entertainment

ANGIE PONTANI ON FILM

Whatever happened to The World Famous Pontani Sisters? First, they admitted Helen wasn't a biological sister, then Tara Pontani went on an extended maternity leave being replaced by Shemp Pontani or whoever, and now Angie Pontani is doing one-woman shows.

One of the greatest concerts I ever attended was Los Straitjackets' Christmas Pagent with The World Famous Pontani Sisters. It was a match made in heaven, the '50's style music of Los Straitjackets with The World Famous Pontani Sisters bumping it oldstyle on stage.

Angie Pontani is still dancing and was recently crowned "The Reigning Queen of Burlesque, Miss Exotic World" in Las Vegas.

Check out the following YouTube clips of Angie in action. Angie recently spoke about the art of burlesque to TIME Magazine. Next is Hendrick's Tub, featuring Angie in a bathtub of champagne. The final clip is a tribute to the stag film, with the tune Brawl by Eddie Angel.

And don't forget, you can learn more about Angie Pontani on her website and also on The World Famous Pontani Sisters website as well.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S REGRET

Bruce Springsteen told The New York Times he shouldn't have made a deal with Wal-Mart to exclusively sell his Greatest Hits CD.

Some fans were critical because Springsteen has been a longtime supporter of worker's rights, and Wal-Mart has faced criticism for its labor practices. Springsteen's team didn't vet the issue as closely as it should have, and that he "dropped the ball on it," he told the Times for a story to be published in Sunday editions and previewed on its Web site.

Springsteen went on to say: "It was a mistake. Our batting average is usually very good, but we missed that one. Fans will call you on that stuff, as it should be."

Springsteen's latest CD, Working on a Dream, was released this past Tuesday. Also, he'll be the half-time entertainment this Sunday during the Super Bowl.

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THEY'RE COMING TO GET YOU, BARBARA

Hackers got into the digital traffic signs in Austin, Texas, and replaced traffic warnings with warnings of zombies. Click here to see more photos.

Thanks, Stan!

LIGHT SABER UMBRELLAS

It's raining fanboys. If you ever find yourself in a Jedi fight in a downpour, along with the desire to ensure you never kiss a woman for the rest of your life, you need a Light Saber Umbrella. Battle Sith Lords, women and wetness at the same time. And trust me, if you pop this out, you will definitely be battling women and wetness.

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NAME THE ORIGINAL JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA

Mental Floss has a Lunchtime Quiz where you have to name all seven of the original Justice League of America in four minutes. If you're a nerd like me, it's pretty easy. Click here to see how nerdy you are.

WORLD WAR Z CONCEPT ART

IO9 has possible concept art for the upcoming film, World War Z. The novel on which the film is based is one of my favorite books, so my hopes are low for a movie version. Still, it might turn out to be a good movie as long as they use enough original material from the book.

The artwork is by Daniel LuVisi, supposedly as a tryout for the job.

What can't I tell of it? Let's start with the book, my girlfriend's sister was reading World War Z one day, and I asked what it was. She told me, sounded cool, but I never put too much interest into it. Few months passed, read it...and just instantly fell in love with it. Max Brook's take on Yonkers literally blew my mind. I'm a huge action fan and military nut (don't support the wars, but love technology and design) and I just creamed when I read those pages. Instantly, I saw the whole battle in my head. Then my manager told me he had a connection with Forster and we could potentially get some work in front of him.

Right there my eyes shot open and I knew I had to do it. So I sketched out my idea and started working. Two hours into it, I knew I was in deep waters and felt as if I couldnt finish it. Way too many characters (Sorry for the ones who expected me to draw every single marine!) and just so much chaos, it just intimidated me. Thankfully for two awesome friends, a very supporting girlfriend, a German manager and my cat's undying company I just worked my heart off. And hopefully it shows. As for whats going on with the movie and myself? I've heard back recently, but I can't disclose any information at this time as I feel it is not my place. Yet.

To read the entire interview with Daniel LuVisi and see more of his work, click here. And as always, click the image for higher resolution.

BIRTHDAY GIFT

Click the photo for higher resolution.

ANCIENT CHINESE SECRET, HUH?

PostSecret is a website created by Frank Warren as "an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously." Most of the post cards are homemade with no restrictions on the secret, other than it has to be completely truthful and never been spoken. Selected postcards, including some never featured on the website, have been published in several books.

PIN-UP OF THE WEEK

Nature is sure beautiful!

COCONUT-SIZED KIDNEY STONE

Sandor Sarkadi had an abdominal operation after doctors discovered the enormous kidney stone following an X-ray.

Mr Sarkadi was rushed into an operation in the Kenez Gyula Hospital after the X-ray showed a giant lump.

Kidney stones do not normally get much bigger than a golf ball, and even that is usually considered very large.

After a kidney stone forms, it will often pass through the urinary system, but it is fairly common for a stone to block part of the urinary system.

If this happens, you can experience severe pain in your abdomen or groin, while a blockage can also lead to an infection.

As someone who's had a kidney stone, I can vouch for that "severe pain" part of the story.

Click here for the full article along with more photos.

DOCTORS TO OPERATE ON CONJOINED TWIN

Faith Mwampe was born in April 2008, with feet from an unformed twin protruding from her buttocks.

Faith will undergo a five-hour operation to remove the extra feet at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka.

Her mother Mercy Lenganji, 18, faces an anxious wait as ten specialist doctors, led by Prof Lupando Munkonge, will try to remove the feet.

The baby has already spent the past 26 days undergoing tests ahead of the risky operation.

Mercy had known from scans that she was expecting twins, but during her caesarian section at the Malcolm Mine Hospital in the Zambian town of Mufilira, doctors discovered one of the babies had not developed.

"The doctors kept my child away from me for two days after she was born because they said the sight of her would have put me in shock," said Mercy.

"They put Faith in an incubator as is the procedure with all babies born with deformities in Zambia, and only then was I allowed to see my child. They told me that I would have to wait six months for any operation to help her."

Prof Mukonge said: "Once we operate on the child we expect her to make a complete recovery. This surgery is to improve the quality of Faith's life as she ages and of course, even though it carries risks, we expect full success.

"We anticipate that this will be the only major surgery that the child will ever need and even though the operation is long and complex, there will hopefully be no complications.

"As soon as Faith has recovered from the operation we will put her into a rehabilitation programme and that is where the real work will begin."

Click here to read the entire article.

IF MOVIE POSTERS WERE HONEST

I hated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls. Hated it, hated it, hated it. So, Holy Taco's version of the poster made me laugh hard. Tired of Hollywood's lies, they created tehir own movie posters that are much more accurate. Click the image for higher resolution and click here to see the entire list.

GOD'S MEMO TO THE ACADEMY

Holy Taco has a copy of God's letter to the Academy regarding The Dark Knight Oscar snub. Click the note for higher resolution.

WHAT, ME WORRY?

These are tough times financially, even enough to make Alfred E. Neuman worry.

MAD Magazine announced that starting with issue #500 this April, it will no longer be a monthly publication but instead quarterly. Spin-off MAD Kids will cease publication in February with MAD Classics final issue on sale in March.

Handling the news with style typical of MAD, Editor John Ficarra said, “The feedback we've gotten from readers is that only every third issue of MAD is funny, so we've decided to just publish those."

MAD Magazine launched in 1952, founded by legendary EC Comics Publisher William Gaines and Editor Harvey Kurtzman, and has satirized, parodied and just made fun of American life, culture and public figures ever since. Many comedians and writers - from Joyce Carol Oates to Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam and thousands in between - cite it as a seminal influence in their earlier years. While it was the home to legendary comedians and cartoonists such as Kurtzman, Mort Drucker, Don Martin, Jack Davis, Wally Wood, and John Sevrin in its early years, it has seen a new generation embrace its pages in recent years and has featured work from Peter Kuper, Hermann Mejia, Drew Friedman and Ted Rall.

The cover price of the quarterly issues will be $5.99. Issue #501 will go on sale in August, with #502 in November. Issues of the magazine will now be 56 pages, expanding from 48.

“Remember, MAD started out as eight times a year, before going to 12 and now four.” said Ficarra, “Just as Nostradamus had predicted.

I grew up reading MAD Magazine, laughing at the spoofs, falling in love with Sergio Aragones' cartoons and enjoying the fold-ins. To see the beginning of the end for MAD, this truly is mad news.

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THE DARK FUTURE OF MS. MARVEL

Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

I love Ms. Marvel. Unlike a lot of superheroes, she likes to fight. Actually, she loves to fight. You could always count on her monthly title to deliver action and lots of it. But with the new Dark Reign crossover going on and Norman Osbourne appointing a new Ms. Marvel to the Avengers, Carol Danvers is going to die.

Newsarama interviewed comic scribe Brian Reed about the impending future of Ms. Marvel.

Over the next few issues, we'll see all of Carol's past catching up to her present. We'll understand why I've been doing these flashback stories. It has a lot to do with what the present is all about. And some very bad things happen, and Carol dies.

There will still be a Ms. Marvel comic book and the numbering will continue forward. But Moonstone as Ms. Marvel, is the new lead character. In Issue #37, we see the baton passed.

It's not the first time someone else has been Ms. Marvel and I'm sure Carol Danvers will eventually be back, but with the cancellation of She-Hulk, this is a real punch in the gut.

To read the entire interview with Brian Reed, click here.

MAX FLEISCHER'S SUPERMAN: 1941-1942 DVD

Coming to DVD April 7, 2009, Max Fleischer's Superman: 1941-1942 two-disc set will soon be flying your way faster than a speeding bullet . By far, these are the greatest Superman cartoons ever created. Beautiful animation using rotoscoping, these are easily some of the best cartoons you'll ever see. And while these cartoons have been available on DVD before, the buzz is this will be new transfers from the original negatives from the Warner Bros. archives.

Here's a detailed list of what's included:

1. Superman (Mad Scientist) - Sept 26 1941
2. The Mechanical Monsters - Nov 28 1941
3. Billion Dollar Limited - January 9, 1942
4. Arctic Giant - February 27, 1942
5. The Bulleteers - March 27, 1942
6. The Magnetic Telescope - April 24, 1942
7. Electric Earthquake - May 15, 1942
8. Volcano - July 10, 1942
9. Terror on the Midway - August 28, 1942
10. The Japoteurs - Sept 18, 1942
11. Showdown - Oct 16, 1942
12. The Eleventh Hour - Nov 20, 1942
13. Destruction , Inc. - Dec 25, 1943
14. The Mummy Strikes - Feb 19, 1943
15. Jungle Drums - March 25, 1943
16. Underground World - June 18, 1943
17. Secret Agent - July 30, 1943

Bonus Features include The Man, The Myth, Superman featurette and First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series featurette.

Pre-order your copy by clicking here.

ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN DVD

Escape to Witch Mountain was the very first movie I ever saw in a theater. I still remember my dad taking me to the movies and how excited I felt as the lights dimmed as the projector began to roll. Later, I bought the comic book adaptation of the movie, and even took the comic book to school to show my friends what they missed in the theater. It's great to see Escape to Witch Mountain will be available on DVD March 10. Pre-order your copy by clicking here!

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA LEGOS

Ochre Jelly created a Cylon, Gaius Baltar, Six and Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica in Lego form. Click here to see more. So say we all!

COVER OF THE WEEK

Supergirl, #37, DC Comics

ALADDIN 10 YEARS LATER

I'm not a fan of Saturday Night Live but this is pretty funny. Plus, Rosario Dawson dressed as Disney's Jasmine is very nice.

Thanks, Andie!

PIN-UP OF THE WEEK

Playful Cutie Photo by Camera Clix

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE

Political Mavens has another tribute for the passing of former Mouseketeer, Cheryl Holdridge. This one is by Paul Petersen, a former child actor turned Conservative activist for seniors and youth.

The LA Times obituary incorrectly said that Cheryl Holdridge left no immediate survivors. That’s just not true. She left us…those who remember the impact of the smiling blonde who jumped out of the television set while performing on a Disney kid show. For those who felt a loss out of all proportion to the news of Cheryl’s passing let me pass along my condolences. I felt it, too.

A symbol of something precious has left us, a legacy of a time and a place in America that was for most an idyllic memory relegated to the attic of our minds whose sudden reemergence reminds us that there will be more Mouseketeer losses like this in the days ahead.

We are mortal, and so are the real people who live within our media memories. Cheryl made the world a better place. The American family will not be the same without her.

We millions who have survived her would do well to remember her beauty, bravery and grace. It’s okay to be fond of someone you’ve never met. Thank God there’s a little Mouseketeer in all of us and we’re not yet so jaded that the loss of one leaves the rest of us unmoved.

Click here to read the entire article. And another thanks to Stan for the heads-up about this.

PLANET OF THE APES FONT

Planet of the Apes font, absolutely free. Click here.

MUG SHOTS OF THE YEAR

The Smoking Gun has the 2008 Mug Shots of the Year along with some really funny stories of the perpetrators. Click here to see the entire list.

Thanks, Stan!

WHO FRAKIN' CARES

The second half of the final season of Battlestar Galactica premiers tonight on the Sci-Fi Channel. Is anyone still watching this show? It amazes me how such a smart series got so far off track.

NEW FRIDAY THE 13TH PHOTOS

First Showing has three new photos from the upcoming remake of Friday the 13th. I'm loving the third photo.

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL RECORD COVERS

LP Cover Lover celebrates "The World's Greatest LP Album Covers" by featuring some of the most bizarre and forgotten album covers of all time. Click here for more.

WOMAN PREGNANT WITH SIAMESE TWINS

A British woman is about to make medical history by giving birth to Siamese twins with two heads but just one body.

Lisa Chamberlain, 25, discovered that she was expecting rare dicephalus twins.

The babies have just a 20 per cent chance of survival, she and fiancé Mike refused to end her pregnancy, which followed years of trying for a child. Lisa, insisted: “I feel blessed.”

Instead, they are looking forward to the day when Lisa gives birth to her dicephalus twins, one of the rarest known types of Siamese twins.

Lisa said: “Some people might look at me and say, ‘You’re going to give birth to a freak’ — but I don't care because I feel blessed. To me, my twins are a gift from God and we’re determined to give them their chance of life.”

If the babies survive, they will make British medical history as the nation’s first ever living dicephalus twins.

The condition occurs in only four per cent of Siamese twin births worldwide.

To read more, click here.

THE END OF THE LASERDISC PLAYER

Pioneer announced they will stop the production of laserdisc players, although they will make another 3,000 before shutting production down. My first reaction was, "they're still making laserdisc players?" And if you're like most people, you don't even know what a laserdisc player is.

LaserDiscs followed the advent of the VCR and were the first product to have special features, such as commentaries and documentaries. The discs were expensive, generally costing $40.00 a disc, very large with the cheaper laserdisc players requiring you to manually flip the disc to complete a movie.

As a laserdisc owner, I haven't used my player in years. Studios quit producing laserdiscs in 2000 and I've replaced most of the titles on DVD over the years. Still, it does make me a little sad that laserdiscs are a thing of the past.

To read about the end of laserdisc players, click here.

PUSHING DAISIES THE MOVIE?

TV Guide interviewed Pushing Daisies star Kristin Chenoweth about the future of the cancelled show. The final episodes may never be aired and even then, the episodes don't wrap up all the plotlines.

Chenoweth claims creator, Bryan Fuller, has a movie plot worked out. “It would wrap up a lot of the unanswered questions that people will have once they finally air our final episodes." She went on to say, "I’m sure that Bryan Fuller wouldn’t do it without the six main characters. Paul Reubens was a big part of it - we have certain guest stars that are standouts that we’d want back. But he has such a great idea for it. We all want to.”

Meanwhile, Chenoweth has moved on to David E. Kelly's new legal pilot, Legally Mad.

"My character is Skippy Pylon — I love the name — she's the smartest lawyer in the firm, but she's insane. She's crazy. So it'll be very different from Olive. It's also going to be very fun for me to play that kind of part — someone who will just let a judge have it."

I'm hoping ABC will eventually air the remaining episodes of Pushing Daisies or at the very least, release them in a second DVD set. A movie is long shot, but the same thing was said about Firefly.

RICARDO MONTALBAN DIES AT 88

Ricardo Montalban died in his home Wednesday morning, January 14, 2009, in his home. Montalban, famous for his role as Mr. Roarke of tv's Fantasy Island and as Khan in the film, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Montalban also played the villainous Vincent Ludwig in the film, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!.

"What you saw on the screen and on television and on talk shows, this very courtly, modest, dignified individual, that's exactly who he was," said Montalban's longtime friend and publicist David Brokaw.

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