More Dangerous Real Life Superpowers

In the tradition of homemade Wolverine claws, here is an even more dangerous DIY superpower.

Don't try this at home, kids! Unless you really want to, in which case detailed instructions can be found here.

Please use these powers for good, or at least lawful neutral. What I want to know is who would win in a fight between this guy and the Wolverine claws guy. I think Wolvie is more likely to inflict harm without burning his own arm off in the process, but I'm willing to hear other theories.

Via Gizmodo

Geekanerd Spotter: The Storm Troopers Rock Poster

Saw this in my new home base of San Francisco. August 19th? What a tease. And this band doesn't appear to exist on the internet. WHAT THE HELL. I know Star Wars took place in the past, but this is ridiculous. Clones need to get their shit together and post some MP3s.

If you didn't read the small print at the top, you're missing some brilliant stupid puns.

Geekanerd Spotter: 8-Bit Mario in Paris

Geekanerd Spotter has seen plenty of 8-bit street art, but what makes this mini-mosaic featuring Mario any different? It's French! Fellow blogger and loyal reader Lena was recently in Paris, and snapped these pictures of Mario in his unnatural habit.

I've always said those Parisians had class. Can any old schoolers tell me the name of the white figure Mario is facing off against?

NYC'S First Ever Asian American ComiCon - Now With Gnerd Discount Code

Every time I go to a comic convention, I see tons of Asian American girls and guys in attendance, as well as on panels and behind the tables in artists alley. It's lame that this kind of representation doesn't usually transfer into the actual pages of mainstream American comics, where the highest profile Asian American superhero is...maybe Cass Cain? Is she the new Batman yet?

With this imbalance in mind, a band of creators within the Asian comic community have recently embarked on some awesome projects that give Asian Americans in comics the spotlight. April saw the release of Secret Identities: The first Asian American Comic Anthology, and this Saturday, Manhattan will host the first Asian American ComiCon.

More info after the jump, including details on Geekanerd's very own discount code!


The AACC will feature a bunch of top tier writers and artists who all share an Asian American background (including those folks in the picture above), and will feature such comic con staples as an artist's alley and a day's worth of panels. Topics range from the general, such as advice on storytelling, collaborating, and the business of comics, as well as more socio-anthropological topics such as nerd pride, the Asianization of pop culture, and one area of comics where Asian characters are becoming OVER represented (villains!).

I'm definitely going to be taking my non-Asian self there early on Saturday (maybe I'll finally get a Cliff Chiang sketch?!), and the folks behind the Con have been cool enough to give Geekanerd readers their own discount code: GEEKNY! It'll give you $5 off general admission and $10 off a VIP pass; hit the link for more info, and head over to the official site for time and place, a full schedule and the list of guests. They've also got a Facebook page; you know, for kids!

Wear A Bikini, You Zombie, You!

One of my favorite Homestar Runner memes is "Wear a Bikini!" I always thought it...it was so funny when they said that.

My point is bikinis are funny. What happens when you put something so funny on the most TERRIFYING CREATURE EVER THOUGHT OF? Scariness of hilarity? HILSCARITY?

I'm sleep deprived. Wednesday night saw the return of Drinking and Drawing to NYC. Drinking and Drawing is an event hosted by Frederator Studios that combines the grind of cell animation with the fun of getting drunk in a bar. The fine examples of zombie art above were part of the sketch wall. Some great pieces there, be sure to click for full detail (can you tell which one is mine? HINT: It's unprofessional!). This however was mere practice for the main event...


Animation party! Drinking and Drawing shorts are produced thusly: 10 lightboxes are set up in a bar (M1-5 Bar in this case), and participants are given a theme and invited to draw up to 8 frames within ten minutes, at the end of which someone else takes over the station, and picks up where the last frame left off. You can draw anything you want, as long as it's a zombie wearing a bikini!

It's even more stressful than it sounds! More after the jump...

I was part of the very first group to go up and sketch, and man did I blow it. I am GLAD I didn't take any pictures of my cells, because it wasn't pretty. I blame the fact that we were forced to use crayons. No one uses crayons except babies and serial killers. And I am neither, sir.

I'm now anxiously awaiting the fully animated result, which will be posted on DrinkingandDrawing.org. If my 8 frames create any semblance of movement, I will be happy and surprised. In the mean time you can check out some past product. You know what I notice about these past animations? THEY'RE NOT IN CRAYON. Goddammit.


This is supposed to be a semi-regular event, and despite the stress I was made to suffer, I would highly recommend it. It's free, and there are lots of cool looking nerds around. Keep an eye on the site for the next outing, or just watch our Weekanerd sidebar, because it's sure to show up there.

More photos (with sketch details) on the Gnerd Flickr!

MoCCA 2009 In One Image

I just don't have it in me to write a giant photo post like I did for the Saturday MoCCA experience. This is perhaps appropriate, because Sunday was pretty laid back. It was much less crowded than Saturday's packed house, so I had a much more chill experience of checking out the booths and chatting with artists. You can check out the photos I took throughout the weekend at Gnerd's Flickr.

The collage you see above is made up of all the free postcards and buttons I got over the Festival weekend (also a few business cards with neat graphics). You can set it as your desktop, and it will be liking going to MoCCA every time you look at your computer! Good luck ever finding your folders again!

Check back tomorrow for a very special Panel Discussion: MoCCA Edition, wherein I'll post scans from all the awesome small press stuff I got. You'll see what $10 a day at MoCCA gets you (spoiler alert: awesomeness).

Video: The Ballad Of Hollis Wadsworth Mason Junior at the Bushwick Bookclub

Every month, a bunch of Brooklyn hipsters/book nerds get together at a bar for a program of local artists performing songs inspired by a selected book. It's called the Bushwick Bookclub, though it's less a bookclub and more an open mic night meets school book reports meet Iron Chef. This month the musician's not so secret ingredient was Watchmen, so Geekanerd was on the scene.

The evening saw a full hour and a half of music, and while as with any open-mic night there will be varying degrees of quality, it was definitely a good time. There was also at least one truly great song that got right to the heart and soul of one of Watchmen's most endearing characters.

Here is that song, The Ballad of Hollis Wadsworth Mason Junior by Franz Nicolay, who you may recognize as the keyboardist for The Hold Steady (among other things). In his introduction to the song, Nicolay explained he was drawn to Hollis both because of his verbose name and because he considers him "the book's most sympathetic character."

This is of course but a low-fi excerpt from the full song, but hopefully the Bookclub will post a classier full version on their MySpace before long.

More video highlights and photos, after the jump...

Here's my second favorite song of the night, which was by the host of the evening, who made many salient observations about how all the lady characters in this book are, how shall I put this, literal or figurative whores? Preoccupied by sex to an extent that is not likely healthy, let's leave it at that. I'll transcribe the lyrics because they're just so spot on.

Laura I don't believe you when you say that you're upset
By those folks who died for take-out tandoori
One minute you're crying, the next you're undressed
Which could be kind of deep or kind of whore-y

Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh
You never liked the life
Uh huh, uh huh
What is that in your pipe?
Uh huh, uh huh
She was raised to fight
Uh huh, uh huh
What IS that in your pipe?

Some dude in the audience explained later that it's some sort of super tabacc that Doctor Manhattan invented, which actually makes a lot of sense...but still. Look at this crap. It's clearly a meatball:



These girls came in awesome pseudo-costume to sing their musicalization of John and Laurie's heavy metaphysical conversation on Mars. Their introduction also contained the best line of the night; "I'm John and this is Laurie. You can visit us on Facebook, under relationship it says 'It's Complicated'."

The crowd.

This all happened at a Bushwick bar called Goodbye Blue Monday, by the way.

Photos: Comic Artists in Their Larval Stage at the SVA Comic Con

Yesterday I checked out the Fresh Meet Comic Con, a showcase of student work by the Illustrating and Cartoon kids at the School of Visual Arts here in NYC. It's just like a real con where you browse tables, buy comics, and share awkward moments with the aritsts when you pass their work without taking anything.

This was my favorite comic that I picked up, and it was totally free. Slick, unique, appealing...seems like Alison Strejlau is just about ready for primetime. This is just the first half of the comic, check out the conclusion on her DeviantArt page.

More exceptional work from nextgen comic artists, after the jump...


Loved this cover. Well rendered people tearing their skin open will always get a thumbs up from me. The artist goes by *021, and her DeviantArt page has an exceptional drawing of some Umbrella Academy kids.

This print is by Heather Nunnelly, the character is the lead in her original series, Before I Sleep. I later realized I'd seen her work before on DeviantArt, this piece of Johnny The Homicidal Maniac fanart particularly stuck in my head.

This a print of a cover by Nicole Virella for a series called Eclipse by David Fernandez. This crap photograph doesn't do the art justice, which was really far and away one of the most technically impressive pieces I saw at the show. Check out her website for her two original comics, illustrated with fantastic watercolors like these:



Lots of kids were using the tried and true sales method of offering candy at their tables, but these guys took it all the way and baked Watchmen cookies. I'm not going to say I was swayed, but I did buy a comic at their table.

And here's a few panels from said comic, by Nicolas Micciola. Love that character design.


Finally, some shots of the tables. The whole experience was a lot like a small press fair, except all the vendors were like nineteen and either very on edge or aggressively nonchalant.

OMG THERZ A FREE TOY HIDDEN IN UNION SQUARE RIGHT NOW!

Hey New Yorkers! If you go to Union Square RIGHT NOW, you can find a free custom Dunny by a local artist! There's only one, and I'll tell you right now exactly where it is!


There! That's it! Okay, you need more info? Click the pic for the artists website (UPDATE: The Link is fixed. Hell, just go to http://doodlechimp.blogspot.com/2009/01/free-custom-painted-dunny.html). He's promised to make this a monthly thing if anyone takes notice, and I can promise you, if that toy isn't gone by 6pm EST, it's mine!

That said, if any Gnerd readers get it, send us a pic, you lucky bastard.

PS: If you're unfamiliar with what a Dunny is, check our photos from last year's Spooky Halloween Custome Toy Show. One of the organizers of that show is the same artist who customized and hid the toy in Union Square.

UPDATE 3:45pm: This just in via our Facebook Friend Feed: Chris M. of Brooklyn just found it! Here's a picture of Mister Speedy McSmugface with his prize.