Giant Crab Alert!

Fri, 16 May 2008 02:41:18 GMT

Feature: Frank Frazetta - ICON

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:30:30 GMT

Check out this scary looking crab! So is this pic real or fake?

This monstrous thing is called a "robber crab" and it could possibly be the biggest crab on record!

Apparently Christmas Island, a small territory situated in the Indian Ocean off the north west coast of Western Australia is often inundated by swarms of red crabs during mating season.

The video below sheds some light on this bizarre but fascinating phenomenon...

Sources: Sunrise | Wikipedia


If you're a fan of fantasy illustration, then there's only one name that you absolutely must know: Frank Frazetta.
From barbarians to movie stars to softcore porn, Frazetta stands above all others in the field. Cathy and Arnie Fenner have given him the tribute he deserves, with a lushly illustrated tome featuring the best of his work, as well as insights into his life. Completely essential for fans, but worth a look for newcomers, too!
Official Website: http://www.frazettaartgallery.com

Feature: A Design For Life

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:07:18 GMT


The Semi-Permanent design conference was established in 2003 by Design Is Kinky's Murray Bell and Andrew Johnstone to provide a platform on which industry leaders, members, students and enthusiasts could come together to educate, inspire and network. From its beginnings in Sydney, Semi-Permanent has expanded across Australia and worldwide with events taking place in Melbourne, Perth, Auckland and New York.
This year Semi-Permanent will be held in Brisbane for the first time. The event will take place on Saturday April 12 at the Queensland College of Art. The day-long conference will feature six industry leaders from disciplines including graphic design, photography, animation and art. In collaboration with the event, on April 9 Valley fashion outlet The Outpost will be launching the latest edition of Curvy - a publication celebrating outstanding female artists - with an exhibition of artwork from across the globe. Semi-Intoxicated will cap off the event at Alhambra Lounge providing attendees a chance to relax with a cold one, check out artwork by names such as Nic Plowman, Lachie Goldsworthy and Benjamin Constantine, and listen to excellent local band I Heart Hiroshima. Among the conference's speakers is Ben Frost, a Brisbane ex-pat whose distinctive artwork explores the underlying evil of contemporary western society through use of juxtaposition of pop-culture motifs and visually confronting collages. Frost graduated from QCA in1996 with Bachelor of Visual Art in Fine Art, and remembers his time in Brisbane fondly. "My time in Brisbane was awesome," he says. "I used to live in a little shoe box apartment in Fortitude Valley. My house got raided by the cops once when I was in university and they took my computer and all my books because they thought I was subversive. It used to be pretty easy to get into trouble in Brisbane - the cops were total nutcases - it's probably still the same," he laughs. Frost has exhibited his work in galleries around the world, including Tokyo, London, San Francisco and New York. Recently, a piece of his hanging in Fortitude Valley store Ultra Suite created a ruckus in mainstream media - with even Sunrise debating the work, which commented on drug use and youth. Controversy comes as no surprise to Frost, who finds pushing the envelope somewhat liberating. "I've always tried to find gaps in any kind of project to dig my nails in - otherwise you may as well keep painting landscapes. My work is about the fine lines between attraction and repulsion. Some people take the repulsive elements to heart, and that's pretty hypocritical considering the acceptable repulsive things I see on the telly every time I turn it on," he says. Hearing Frost's tale of moving from BNE to the big time will be a treat for local attendees, with Frost identifying his achievements whilst in Brisbane as a foundation for his current work. Furthermore Frost will give insight into the current state of the Australian art scene and it's relativity to the international platform. Speaking of the current art scene Frost says he finds inspiration from fellow artists, and namechecks young locals such as James Jirat Patradoon, Renee Herd, Jeremy Piert and Trent Whitehead as artists he respects. When asked about the importance of the event, Frost states, "Semi-Permanent champions the crossover between art and design, which for so long has been considered an unholy partnership. At the end of the day street artists, pop artists and all those that fly away from the radar of academia are the new rock stars of the 21st century." Ben Frost is definitely a speaker not to be missed, and will present at 2pm. Also appearing at Semi-Permanent is album artwork graphic design duo Debaser. Debaser was formed by David Homer and Aaron Hayward, who met in 2000 while working for the Sony in-house art department. The pair discovered that they not only worked well together, but both shared a love of music and an increasing frustration with the corporate system. After talking often about breaking away from the corporate environment and starting their own creative studio, the pair decided to commit the idea fully in 2004 - albeit drunkenly at a Jebediah concert. Making good to their word however, Debaser was born soon after. "Money was the biggest hurdle," says Aaron of the initial difficulties. "We couldn't afford office space, so had to work out of my home for a while, which wasn't easy. Getting used to not having a regular pay packet in those first few months was daunting." By using existing contacts, and emailing, phoning and meeting like crazy, the pair established themselves in the field and have since become industry leaders, with their high reputation reinforced by their back-to-back win at the ARIAs for album covers in 2006 and 2007. Album artwork is an immensely powerful tool, providing a visual component which is often as potent as the music contained within. Speaking of the process involved with creating the perfect cover, Aaron describes the difficulties - "Finding the balance between getting something that keeps the muso, the record label and yourself as a designer happy is always a challenge. Sometimes it's a breeze, when everything clicks, but other times it can be a long process of back and forth until you've either convinced everyone your idea is right or they have convinced you their idea is right." Of the creative process Aaron states, "Dave and myself work differently which makes for a great relationship as we both bring something different to the table and aren't too precious about our ideas. I tend to research books and websites for inspiration and then begin to mock-up ideas. I do scribble away like every other designer but not as much as Dave who is a lot more hands-on," he says. For those who are eager to catch the pair's tale, Aaron gives some insight into what to expect. "The talk will involve the story of the studio and both our backgrounds in the design industry. As well as showing artwork highlights of the last five years we have decided to concentrate on five main projects. These include the creative for Powderfinger, Faker, End Of Fashion, Kisschasy and Jackson Jackson. These are all quite diverse in what was involved in bringing the art to life; each had unique challenges and rewards." Debaser will speak at 11pm, and for those who are wondering, yes it's a Pixies reference, and for the record the pair rate Beastie Boys - License To Ill, Rage Against The Machine (self titled) and Sonic Youth - Goo amongst the best album covers of all time.
Further Info: http://www.semipermanent.com/brisbane
Source: Interview by SUSAN MILANOVIC for RAVE magazine

Feature: M83

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:41:53 GMT

I discovered M83 for the first time the other day, a band whose music touches upon all genres, from ambient electronica to shoegaze and pop... M83's distinct sound emerged after just one album: both modern and melancholic. The group makes machines seem human by endowing them with a mysterious and innocent character, one that mirrors the personality of it's primary creator, Anthony Gonzalez. In 2000, at the tender age of twenty, Gonzalez and his friend, Nicolas Fromageau from Antibes, France, decided to lift their eyes from their guitars and turn their gaze towards the stars (the band's name is that of a distant galaxy), via ambitious inter-galactic compositions influenced by Tangerine Dream and Mogwai. Highly recommended to anyone who likes electronic/ambient music.
	Saturdays = Youth (2008) The fifth record by the French electronic group M83 was released in April, 2008. The album delivers the rich sonic textures for which M83 is well known, but with a more focused approach to song structure and form. The song "Couleurs" was released as the first single.
	Digital Shades Vol. 1 (2007) All of M83's work is mood music, but the mood is usually one of passion and intensity, which can occasionally be a bit enervating. For those who crave the M83 sound but feel too nervy for all the pageantry, this album is a perfect fit: grand and beautiful, but also retiring and relaxing.
	Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005) This third album features 15 cuts of dreamy electronica interspersed with buzzing guitars, acoustic drums and some vocals resulting in a glorious mechanized choir. The track "Teen Angst" featured in trailers to the 2006 film "A Scanner Darkly".
	Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (2003) The second album by the French electronica group M83 was released to positive reviews. "Unrecorded", was used in the theatrical trailer of Night Watch and "Be Wild" was used as a concert introduction by the band Deftones in 2007. The last track, "Beauties Can Die", contains an untitled hidden track, that starts at 11:17, after a period of silence.
	M83 (2000) The debut album by M83. It was recorded in 2000 and released in Europe and other areas in 2001 by Gooom. The album was reissued in North America by Mute Records in September 2005 and is thus sometimes referred to as 0905.
Official Site : I Love M83

News: Two-faced baby doing well

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:20:00 GMT

An Indian girl, born with four eyes, two noses and two mouths is watched by another child as she rests on a cot at the Saini Village of Noida, some 55 kms from New Delhi, on April 5. The parents of the girl say that the toddler is doing well and that they have no plans for a surgery.

NOIDA, India (AFP) - The parents of an Indian infant girl born with two faces say that she is eating and breathing normally despite having two pairs of eyes and lips and two noses.

The baby, who is yet to be named, was born to factory worker Vinod Kumar and his wife Sushma three weeks ago in northern India and has been drawing a stream of curious observers and others who consider her a deity in this deeply religious Hindu-majority country.

"I had never seen something like this in my life so naturally I was a little scared when I first saw her," her father said at the weekend at the family's mud-and-brick house in Noida town, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of New Delhi.

The girl has found easy acceptance in Kumar's large, extended family, who say they have no plans to consult doctors to check if the girl can receive treatment or corrective surgery.

"The doctor said everything is normal when she was born. So where's the need to get medical help?" said the child's father.

"She's fed through one mouth and sucks her thumb with the other. We use whichever mouth is free to feed her," the 24-year-old Kumar told AFP, adding she is eating and breathing normally.

Doctors said it was an extremely rare case, with the girl having two skulls joined together, and that separating them was out of the question.

"Since the heads are fused, separating them is not possible," paediatrician D.K Gupta of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences told the Hindustan Times newspaper on the weekend.

But doctors said the girl should be examined thoroughly to study the possibility of complications.

"Clearly the child is in no immediate danger but it has to be checked whether the oral and nasal cavity and other passages" are functioning properly, paediatrician Gupta said.

The case comes just months after Indian doctors performed a rare, marathon surgery to remove the extra limbs of a girl born with four arms and legs.

Two-year-old Lakshmi Tatma's case captivated the nation last year as domestic and international media focused on her complicated surgery performed in southern Bangalore city in November.

This year, Lakshmi started taking her first steps with the help of a baby walker, delighting her parents and doctors.

Lakshmi, named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth, was born fused to the pelvis of a twin that had stopped developing in her mother's womb -- a condition that occurs once in 50,000 conjoined twin births.

Kumar said he had heard about Lakshmi, but did not want to change anything about his daughter's features.

"Whatever God has given me is acceptable. What can we do about it?" he said, lifting the baby to take her away after allowing a brief glimpse of her as neighbours crowded around her cot.

"This child is very special to us," the baby's grandfather chimed in, gazing lovingly at the infant.

Source: Yahoo

Art: Rock Chic WIP #2

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 08:37:17 GMT

Art: Rock Chic WIP #1

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:21:33 GMT

News: Gnome Alone?

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:31:35 GMT

Cops in a town plagued by sightings of a creepy 'gnome' have launched a full-scale investigation - after records showed locals have reported seeing the creature for decades.

The knee-high person - who wears a pointy hat and has a distinctive sideways walk - was caught on video two weeks ago by a terrified group of youngsters.

Millions of stunned people viewed the chilling clip after The Sun reported the tale - with some sceptics claiming the footage just showed a dwarf causing mischief. But detectives in the Argentinean town of General Guemes have dubbed the gnome the new 'Bigfoot' after hundreds of locals reported actually seeing the creature at least once in their lifetime.

National newspaper El Tribuno has reported that fear is now so widespread that the town mayor Salta has been inundated with calls from terrified locals and has launched a full scale police enquiry into the affair.

He said: "I am a little sceptical because I have never personally seen these gnomes - but it's definitely possible that they exist. People here believe in them and we have to respect that. I do not think that it is completely impossible. Gnomes are part of our culture here."

And Police Commissionaire, José Luis Núñez - who has been charged with tracking down the creature's lair, said: "I personally believe in gnomes as I saw one when I was a child. But so far we have not been able to determine whether the figure on tape was real or not."

A local poll showed 90 per cent of General Guemes 30,000 residents believed gnomes stalked the streets at night. Teenager Jose Alvarez captured the creature on video while larking about with pals. He said: "We were chatting about our last fishing trip. It was one in the morning. I began to film a bit with my mobile phone while the others were chatting and joking. Suddenly we heard something - a weird noise as if someone was throwing stones. We looked to one side and saw that the grass was moving. To begin with we thought it was a dog but when we saw this gnome-like figure begin to emerge we were really afraid. This is no joke. We are still afraid to go out - just like everyone else in the neighbourhood now. One of my friends was so scared after seeing that thing that we had to take him to the hospital."

Source: The Sun

T-Shirt: ICARUS

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:26:49 GMT

T-Shirt: Speak Your Mind #1

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:33:14 GMT

Funky Karma