Category Archives: Featured

DesignerCon 2012 – Toys, Comics, and Most of All Artwork

DesignerCon 2012

The con only cost $5 online and $7 at the door. Imagine, all of the coolest artists that you’ve seen at various comic conventions all gathered in one location. And that is basically what DesignerCon is.

It is a great convention with many many artists, who were selling their custom artwork. In fact, many artists were in the middle of creating artwork live – be it painting, or even just designing artwork on vinyl toys.

Think of the things you might like. If you liked custom vinyl toys, it was there. If you liked funny comic pop culture artwork, it was there. If you like funny off color comics, it was there, including some people we have talked to before, like Ken Tanaka and ToonHole. There was an area sectioned off that they called “Suck Con”. It has a stage, and featured a talk show type set up.

I’d recommend going to this convention next year. Just remember to bring some money, so you can buy the unique paintings, buttons, posters, toys, etc. We will keep you updated on next year’s DesignerCon date and time.

View some of the images below in the gallery.

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Long Beach Comic and Horror Con 2012 Happens in 15 days!

We were there last year. We witnessed the mass zombie walk. And we shall return here to witness all the happenings of Long Beach Comic and Horror Con 2012.

The convention will start November 3 (Saturday) and continue to November 4 (Sunday).
Tickets are already on sale http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/buy-tickets.php

This year they are projecting over 10,000 unique attendees (not including exhibitors, press or professionals). Some of the planned panels include SaveTheSupers.com cast & crew Q&A, Raw Entertainment, IDW, Aspen Comics, Web Comics, Focus on Young Adult Book Writers, Robotech, intensive training seminars hosted by industry veterans and icons, general how-to tutorials and more.

Exhibitors & sponsors include IDW, SGX Media, Mysterious Galaxy, Boom! Studios, CGC Comic Grading Service, Aspen Comics, Copic Marker, Hero Initiative, Raw Entertainment, ComiXology, ReadyComics.com, Prism, Dig Deep Entertainment, ComicsPro, Triptych Books, Comicraft, Big Wow Comic Fest and more.

Their confirmed guests include Howard Chaykin, Mike Mignola, David Finch, Steve Niles, Batton Lash, Amanda Conner, Olga Ulanova, Len Wein, Thomas Jane, Richard Starkings, Jimmy Palmiotti, Dustin Nguyen, Tim Bradstreet, William Stout, Bernard Chang and more.

For full information, you can find it at their main website: http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Talking with Cosplay Fans

Earlier this year, we gave you guys an intimate look at cosplay fans of the Los Angeles Anime Expo. Well, I hope you didn’t think we’d leave you hanging with the Long Beach Comic Convention, because we did it again!

Have a look and discover what cosplay fans are all about as we ask them questions like what makes the Long Beach Comic Convention different from others, why they love the characters they cosplay, how long their customes took to make, why DC Comics doesn’t release as many movies as Marvel, and what they do for a living. Notice how popular steampunk costumes have become?

00:00 The Joker explain who she is and why it’s fun to be crazy. It’s interesting that she references Batman as a creation by Christopher Nolan rather than Bob Kane. She always weighs in on Twilight versus the Avengers. Don’t try to find her online because she’s got tough security settings.
02:10 John Stewart (Justice League Unlimited) loves being one of DC’s first black characters
03:55 Ash Williams (Evil Dead II)
04:58 Bloodsucka Jones gives us the heads up on the convention being a place to pickup girls
05:42 An rebel X-wing pilot talks about George Lucas’ tweaks to the video releases
08:15 An attorney cosplays Superman and talks about the character being inspirational, leading by example, the DC Comics reboot, and why DC Comics hasn’t made as many movies as Marvel Comics
11:05 Wonder Woman
12:23 a storm trooper tries to take down Felix the Cat
12:49 a steampunk couple explains the allure of steampunk and the convenience of the Long Beach Comic Convention being close to home

00:00 Boba Fett, intergalactic booty hunter, talks about why he’s the 1%, all the girls he’s pulling, and gives advice to the president
01:07 An amazing Deadmau5 helmet that took 10 months to make by a film and visual effects student. Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/pwnch
01:58 A computer science student talks about his original character, Ordo Mando, and the challenges of using fiber glass and resin. He mentions deconstructing the helmet taking awhile due to many screws. Check out the forum that helped him make his costume: http://405th.com/
03:40 An insurance claims negotiator cosplays a dalek from Dr. Who and promotes her fiance’s comic book site: Old Dying Kitty Comics
05:22 Captain America gives advice for the president
06:28 An English major graduate student cosplays Henchman 21 from the Venture Brothers and talks about Long Beach Comic Convention being great for checking out panels
08:01 A human services major student cosplays Lina Inverse from Slayers and gives advice for the president and predicts the outcome of a Jersey Shore versus Twilight fight
10:25 Chun-li from the Anime Expo cosplays Jill Valentine from Resident Evil
11:45 Daft Punk
13:05 A geek squad agent (Best Buy) cosplays a more obscure character, Jared Nomak (Blade 2), and shares his thoughts on Steve Jobs’ legacy

00:00 Steampunk cosplay fan talks about her outfit ingredients: Nerf gun, cookie cutter
01:23 Sexy Colonel Sanders and a KFC chicken drumstick. This was my favorite for sure. There isn’t any explanation needed. I even asked the couple if the idea was ironic. I know fast food always gets a bad rap and I initially suspected the couple might have actually been vegetarian. It turns out they’re just fans of the Colonels wonderful recipe.
02:33 A very nervous John Egbert struggles to answer questions. I guess we caught him off guard.

Comikaze Aftermath with Photos

Comikaze was a triumph!  It’s hard to overstate our satisfaction with Comikaze Expo.  We were amazed by the dedication of the volunteers and the very huge turnout of fans.

There were so many things and people to see and here are some of the highlights (listed in no particular order):

  • Smaller venue – This one is a bit misleading, because the venue was just right for the occasion.  It wasn’t as massive of a scale as San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) but as a smaller venue it still maintains its fun.  There weren’t too many people to dodge (sort of) when walking around.  We watched 2 guys in full body suits go into an impromptu dance off and everybody was cheering at the end of it.  At the end of the convention, we saw a Jurassic Park hunter and raptor chasing each other on a Power Wheel Jeep throughout the floors of the convention.
  • Low cost – We believe this was the leading reason why the turnout was so great.  For $20, you get to go for both days.  At such a low cost, it doesn’t bleed out your wallet. Now you have money to buy any item at the convention like comic books, artwork, plushies, swords and so on.  Other low price promos, such as Groupon and Goldstar, helped in creating a good crowd as well.
  • Diversity of the booths – There was a lot of options available of varying interest, from a steampunk outfitter to your regular toy/plushie/comic book vendors. They even had a tattoo artist booth, that were available to give you a tattoo on the spot!
  • Celebrities – There was an incredible number of fans that came for headliners Stan Lee and Elvira!  Fans lined up and stretched for quite a while. Even when the locations would change a bit, the fans just shifted over and continued to wait in the long line just to meet their favorite celebrity.  The venue was intimate enough to meet and converse with other celebrities like Ernest Borgnine, Miracle Laurie and/or Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim of Star Trek Voyager). In fact, we learned that Sean Kanan, who was the villian in Karate Kid Part III, has a cookbook!
  • Artist signing/drawings – Being able to get custom art or purchasing some of the art (whether it was a poster or a shirt) from your favorite artist is always great.  Sure you may see their work in comics and web sites, but being able to talk to them in person is always a nice bonus on top of supporting them.  There was even an artist who was willing to draw you in zombie form.
  • Informative panels that was both funny and engaging – Morgan Fairchild knows a great deal of paleontology.  Garrett Wang watched the 2009 Star Trek Movie nine times.  Being able to debate who would in a fight is always fun, well besides facing Batman (he has an answer for everybody).
  • Costume Masquerade – A bit unorganized at first, and it was standing room area, but it was nice to see the turnout of cosplayers in quality and quantity.  Costumes were fantastic!  We saw so many well done costumes, there’s too many to list (thankfully we have photos below).  The three hosts (Dante, Chun Li and Jake from Blues Brothers) did an excellent job of maintaining order and keeping it fun.

Here are things we thought that could’ve been better (listed in no particular order):

  • No time schedule/program readily available – Though there was a schedule posted at each booths and makeshift rooms (more on that later), there was a sense of confusion when you didn’t quite know when some panels were going on.  This was slightly addressed on Sunday when there was a time schedule printed on a poster board near the front, but there were many that weren’t aware of where Room 306 AB was or that a panel even existed up there.
  • Makeshift rooms – There is an understanding this is the first convention so we’re hoping this one will get addressed.  The sound was atrocious as the people within the panels would become hard to listen, mostly because of the ambient noises from the convention itself.  Some people could break through the curtained off areas to sneak into the panel from the side (good or bad thing).

Despite the minor complaints, it was a great outing and we look forward to seeing this event next year!  Likewise Mark has been posting quite a few videos we took as well.  Enjoy the crazy amount of photos we took that weekend!  Photos were courtesy of Danny and myself and have been combined for your entertainment.

Comikaze Expo is the largest multimedia pop culture convention in Los Angeles. This unique event brings together the best in comics, gaming, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and all other cult programming. Comikaze took place November 5-6, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and offers a slate of innovative programming, panels, contests and other activities that provide fans access to their favorite artists and creators in this adventure-packed weekend.

Please go to the official Comikaze Expo page for additional information.

2011 Comikaze: Interview With STEFCON 1 From The Los Angeles Derby Dolls

The Los Angeles Derby Dolls were at Comikaze promoting their league. I was lucky enough to check out an intense game a few weeks ago (Tough Cookies versus Sirens), so I was excited to chat with them for a few minutes and find out more about the sport and players.

STEFCON 1 gave us the low down on the history of its founders, the fresh meat program, public classes, injuries (broken collar bones, ankles, tail bone injures, wrists), other roller derby associations, the league’s involvement in “Whip It”,  the growth of bank track leagues, hanging out with other teams after the game, and getting hit on by guys and girls.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, I definitely recommend checking out the Derby Dolls:
twitter: @laderbydolls 
tumblr: http://laderbydolls.tumblr.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laderbydolls

 

Sorry about the video glitches. My camera is on it’s way to Canon for repair 🙁

This is the 2011 Long Beach Zombie Walk

If zombies were real, they’d be our worst nightmare. The thought of people chasing us at a fast pace or at a slow crawl sends chills down the spine of even the toughest person you know. The image of even the most eloquent man slowly losing the ability to express coherent messages is also tragic. Just imagine your closest friend with ghoulishly pale/purple skin slowly diverging from rational behavior. And let’s face it, cannibalism is NOT socially acceptable. There is no corner or room safe enough to protect us from the relentless hunger of a zombie. No matter how far we run, zombies can smell us and hunt us down. What’s worst, zombies multiple.

Until they become a reality, let’s embrace them and have fun with the idea. Let’s line up in droves for zombie movies and buy zombie t-shirts. Let’s count down the days until Halloween so that we may shred a blazer, rip a blouse, apply facial paint, smear fake blood, use colored contacts, and even use makeup that makes it look like our skin is falling off our bodies.

Last weekend, people showed their love for zombies by transforming into the undead and joining the 2011 Long Beach Zombie Walk in an effort to break records. However, the participants didn’t just transform into the zombie version of their regular themselves. They used the event to express their creative sides and come up with interesting spins on the zombie. Instead of regular ol’ zombie Joe, they changed into zombie Bob’s Big Boy holding a severed Burger King King’s head.

The best part about a zombie walk is that there are no barriers to entry. We saw kids, teens, adults, elderly, couples, and entire families participating. Take a look at nearly 20 minutes of footage and see how many different zombies you spot. Here are some we’ve found:

00:00 zombie at the door
00:44 zombie Mario, zombie nurse
01:14 zombie Captain America
01:31 zombie cowboy
02:05 zombie bunny
02:25 zombie Kick-Ass
02:43 zombie fisherman
03:11 zombie doctor
03:20 zombie ward patient
03:31 zombie ship captain
03:41 waldo
03:59 zombie hippies
06:16 zombie eating head
06:42 zombie Michael Jackson
07:01 zombie Fred Flintstone
08:16 “KEEP Brains MEDICINAL”
08:24 “Zombies Occupy Long Beach. We are the 99%”
08:43 zombie in a straight jacket
08:56 zombie fireman
09:43 zombie nerd, zombie pilot
10:21 zombie Akuma

00:02 zombie Mr. T
00:07 “will work for brains”
00:27 zombie priest
00:41 Bill Lumberg (not zombie)
01:36 Tyrone Biggums
02:13 zombie cop
02:38 zombie bride
02:46 “EQUAL RIGHTS FOR THE DISEMBODIED DEAD”
03:40 zombie pirate
03:49 zombie Bob’s Big Boy
05:41 zombie Caltrans worker
06:07 zombie soldier
06:30 zombie prisoner
07:18 zombie patient with blood drip
07:47 zombie geisha
08:12 zombie Marilyn Monroe

The Force Is Strong with Comikaze Expo!

Just when you thought meeting Stan Lee and Elvira was awesome, word on the street is that Mark Hamill will also be attending Comikaze Expo this weekend!

Just let that sink in for few seconds.

Guess what, tickets are still $12 for one day or $20 for a two day pass!

In case you don’t know (I really hope you do know who he is), Mark Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord Ozai in Nickelodeon‘s Avatar: The Last Airbender, and various other animated series, films, and video games.

Check his IMDB page or Wikipedia page for a full list of credits.

He’ll be there at the Sushi Girl Panel Nov 5th at 5pm! Room 306AB!  I for one, can’t wait for this weekend!

Source

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, No More! Comikaze Expo is Her Final Convention Appearance

That’s right, after November 6th, Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, will no longer be making convention appearances. Comikaze Expo, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will mark the last convention appearance of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. As the official “spooksperson” of Comikaze Expo, Elvira (aka Cassandra Peterson) will sign autographs, pose for photos with fans and take part in various events throughout the Expo.

Elvira became a household name as the host of Elvira’s Movie Macabre, the first nationally syndicated horror movie show. The weekly series featured the sexy, outrageous movie hostess’ sharp wit and clever banter throughout her tongue-in-cheek commentary of B-movie classics. Her reign as ‘Queen of Halloween’ spans three decades and includes two feature films, her long-running series and two motion control rides. Her appearance at Comikaze Expo solidifies the event’s commitment to horror fans and promises to be a memorable experience for all.

Comikaze Expo is the largest multimedia pop culture convention in Los Angeles. This unique event brings together the best in comics, gaming, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and all other cult programming. Comikaze takes place November 5-6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and offers a slate of innovative programming, panels, contests and other activities that provide fans access to their favorite artists and creators in this adventure-packed weekend. The event will kick off with an appearance by the father of modern comics, Stan Lee, at the event’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

 

Tickets are already on sale for an awesome price of $12 and kids under 12 get in for free. Please go to the official Comikaze Expo page for additional information and a full list of scheduled guests and events.

 


Twelve bucks for a convention ticket isn’t gonna break the bank. Heck, parking usually costs that much. I’m quite excited to see what this convention will offer and how fun it will be. Come back for more information as the con draws near.

Lovable (Leisure Suit) Larry Laffer is Coming Back in HD Glory!


Replay Games has picked up the rights for the original Leisure Suit Larry franchise, and plans to re-release the original series. Additionally, they will begin working on an all new adventure beginning in 2012, to coincide with the series’ 25th anniversary.

The remakes will feature upgraded visuals, sound and control. However, the original sense of humor and puzzles will be kept. Thankfully, Replay Games CEO has been working closely with the Leisure Suit Larry’s creator Al Lowe.

Personally, I am really excited on this announcement. I loved the original series. After I played Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!, I was eagerly hoping and anticipating any other sequel. I even bought the Leisure Suit Larry’s Casino, hoping it would have some sort of short adventure with Larry Laffer. It didn’t have one, it was strictly casino games using characters from the game.

When the new crop of Leisure Suit Larry games started to come out (Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude in 2004, and Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust in 2009), I was initially super stoked; sadly, after playing them, it left me quite disappointed.

Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, and Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust did not feature a couple of key elements that made the original series entertaining and fun.

  1. Instead of Larry Laffer as the main character, they used his oddly more pathetic nephew Larry Lovage.
  2. The new games did not involve Al Lowe in any way.
  3. Instead of tongue-in-cheek humor, its focus was more on the T and A factor. Basically, trying to be an interactive Skin-a-max flick.

There is no release date mentioned yet for the HD re-mastered version of the original Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of Lounge Lizards. Replay will hopefully be releasing it on multiple platforms including, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, XBLA, PSN, On-Live, and Steam.

With a bit of luck, look for more updates in the near future.

Source: EGM Now

Are you Prepared for BlizzCon 2011?

Blizzard’s BlizzCon 2011 is coming around the corner, it’s on October 21-22, 2011, and we decided to help post a guide and photos for new visitors or veterans of the convention.  For those who want to skip to the gallery, make the jump.

Buying your ticket(s)

Easier said than done, since the event has been sold out since tickets were available this year.  Generally, in order to go to this event, it does require you to queue in a electronic line and purchase your tickets online.  However, for those who couldn’t purchase their tickets in time, there is always the Virtual Ticket (online streaming of the event).  If streaming doesn’t sound appealing, there are also other means such as Craigslist and Ebay, but always exercise caution with those two options.  If the price is at an unbelievable price, chances are it’s too good to be true.

Taking care of your body

This usually goes without saying, but sometimes we get a little excited for an event like this!  Get plenty of rest, it’s going to be a long two days and you’ll want to be on your best form when pwning faces in StarCraft II or striking up an interesting conversation about why the Alliance is better than the Horde with another person.   You may be on your feet for an extended amount of time either waiting in line to purchase merchandise, to try a game, and/or a booth offering free prizes.  Get some breakfast before heading on down to the Anaheim Convention Center, stay hydrated, and get some coffee if needed.   There are seats at panels for you to rest, if your legs get tired.  Remember about hygiene too, you don’t want to scare somebody with your bad BO!

Understand the audience

Usually people who attend this are already true fans of the series, but sometimes significant others or new people do visit.  Knowing what certain things, mean can help bridge the gap of confusion if this is new to you.

People who dress up may not always be professional models, but may be huge fans of series they represent.  Always ask to take their photos, most will be glad to pose for the shots unless they are in a hurry.  Don’t take it as a sleight against you if they refuse, as sometimes people have places to go or events to get ready for like the Costume Contest.   They are on their feet for the entire day practically, so make sure to them thank for their time and hard work!

From the WarCraft series, red colors would signify the Horde and blue colors represent the Alliance.  Allegiances run thick within this culture and many times you may hear shouts for each respected side (“For the Horde” and “For the Alliance”).  However, don’t be too quick to judge other people just on the basis of preference.  Respect each other for what they bring to the table and remember that without the other, the game would be completely boring (goes for all series and life).  Everybody is here for the love of the game and variety is the spice of life!

Diablo, in short, is an action role-playing game about stopping the Lord of Terror.  StarCraft is a real time strategy game involving three different factions with a rich storyline affecting each other set in space.  Check Wikipedia or other wiki sources for more information on Warcraft, Diablo, and the StarCraft series.

When in doubt and you don’t know what to say, yell “For the Horde!”

Planning your day

Plan ahead!  This can potentially save you time instead of wandering around aimlessly (though that isn’t a bad thing either).  Check the BlizzCon forums for costume meeting times (they usually meet by the fountains) or realm meet up times (Gorgonnash FTW).   Blizzard usually posts the schedules online (they are currently tentative at the moment) so plan around them accordingly.  Some events may fill up faster than others (especially the popular events or panels).  If you have any questions you want to ask a dev team or celebrity, write them advance.  There is usually a Q&A session following each panel.

Charge your electronics

Don’t forget to charge your batteries for your camera, phone and any other electronic devices.  Bring spare batteries if needed especially for your camera (and extra memory cards).  A handheld game like Nintendo DS or 3DS can be handy when you’re waiting in a long line or waiting for the next panel to begin.

Costumes

Not everybody needs to dress up in a costume.  But for those who do, I salute you!  For the veterans, there shouldn’t be any need to mention preparation.  For those who are thinking of dressing up, sometimes the simple things are the best things.  I remember two years ago, somebody came as a Level 1 Human Warrior and it was a major hit!  Find something you enjoy and run with it.  Like Mark mentioned in the Anime Expo article, “mashups = fun” and “mobility is inversely related to costume appeal.”  Keep in mind that you may be stopped a lot for photo opportunities.  A trend we notice last year was a lot of glowing light and stilt related costumes.  Whatever you choose to dress up as, be safe with your costume choices (those stilts are crazy)!

If you are dressing up in costume, try to get some rest, as those last minute fixes and/or touchups can be quite stressful.  Try to knock out your costume beforehand so you won’t be as stressed (easier said than done).  You have until October 10th to register for the Dance and Costume Contest, if that is something you’re interested in.

Purchase merchandise early

If you already have your ticket (including virtual ticket holders), you can purchase from the Blizzard Store online on the BlizzCon page.  The reason why is those lines for the Blizzard merchandise stores can be quite long!  If you do purchase the day of, try to go when there is a big event where a lot of people may go.  Lines usually thin out around the end of day and on the last day as well, but so does item stocks.  Signs should be posted when items sell out.

Save up and know what item you want to get beforehand.  Some vendors have exclusives for BlizzCon only so be on the lookout for that.

Food/Drinks

Despite that there are plenty of food and drink options that Anaheim Convention Center can provide, don’t forget to take a look at Google maps to see what’s outside the convention.  The convention itself, does provide an cash bar (over 21 and older of course).  If you drink, please be careful and have a designated driver!  For more food options, there is a shuttle nearby that takes you to Downtown Disney as well.

Have fun!

Regardless of what you may be doing, there are tons of things for you to do at the event.  In the past there was booth games to win prizes, treasure hunting, caricature drawings (be warned those lines can go long too), and more!  For those visiting Anaheim or the Los Angeles area there’s always other tourist-y things, like Disneyland, California Adventure and Universal Studio Hollywood.

Take a look down below for photos from last year BlizzCon 2010!  This may lean a bit heavier towards Lady Blaumeux in the beginning (a good friend of mine I bumped into last year).

BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo universes. The sixth BlizzCon will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, 2011.  For more information visit www.blizzcon.com

Improving International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Ahoy mateys!   September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, ye land lubber.  We figure instead of just talking like a pirate, we help find other ways to help celebrate!

Dress up like a pirate!

Instead of just talking like one, why not dress up like one!  There are plenty of ways to dress up like a pirate, some can even be found from Halloween stores.  Other ways is finding your own gear and making do with what you got.  Askmen.com has a handy guide to assist those who want to make your own costume!  For those near Southern California or Orlando, FL, you can always pick up a sword, eyepatch, and a captain’s hat (ala Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean series) from Disneyland or Downtown Disney (maybe even Disney stores outside of Disneyland).  Remember there are other cultural pirates out there, so you don’t have to limit your look to specifically one culture.  Who says Halloween is the only time to get dressed.

 

Teaching a parrot how to talk like a pirate

Okay, so, maybe this idea may actually take a while (depends on how willing your parrot can pick up words), but imagine walking around with a parrot perched on your shoulder talking like a pirate.

Build or convert a boat with a pirate theme

Okay this isn’t easy either, but perhaps you own a small boat or craft or even floatation device (not recommended, but maybe you can hijack your CEO yacht).  Add some sorta flag (or even a paper print out) and set sails on the water (or pool side) and claim your treasure!  If this is too much, perhaps an origami boat or Lego boat with a small pirate flag on a tooth pick or Lego piece respectively.

Geocaching for pirate booty

Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity where participants use a GPS receiver or mobile device to hide and seek containers or caches anywhere in the world.  What better way to seek hidden treasure then by searching for it!  You may want to be careful though, as sometimes you may appear suspicious to others (even more so with a mysterious container).   There are plenty of applications for phones, that can serve as a potential GPS receiver.  There are also many sites with lists of hidden booty and their GPS coordinates.

Learn pirate songs

I think of The Simpsons, when Troy McLure starred in the musical of Planet of the Apes.  When the apes find out he can talk, they all gasp “he can talk… he can talk…” and McLure responds, “I can sing!”  You too can learn to sing pirate songs!  It may be a little hard to find some songs off the top of your heads, but you can always learn the jingles from Pirates of the Caribbean or Google some songs and impress your fellow pirates!

Singing in pirate style

This one can get a little tricky as knowing the lyrics would help.  You can then readjust the current lyrics to the Pirate style and attempt to sing it in a karaoke bar or in front of your computer and upload it to YouTube!  Be sure to comment with your video if you do go forward with that!

Dubbing movies

This can take some time, but if you can gather up a couple friends (or go solo with variety of voices), this can turn into an entertaining night as you redub any movie with your own pirate lines.  Record it as well and share with others (may be a little tricky with copyrights but we’re still interested in seeing it).

Facebook (pirate mode)

At the bottom of your Facebook page, next to the copyright, you’ll find a language option, from there select English (US), or whichever your respected language is, and select English (Pirate).  With you can see a wide arrange of pirate language display for you to enjoy, like “Satarrrday, Septembarrr” and “Captain’s Log.”

Meebo (pirate mode)

For users of Meebo, a browser based IM client, you can turn on a pirate mode by typing in “pirateon” within an IM conversation.  Now your conversations should now look like an appropriate corsair would use.  This should help any fellow pirates if they can’t find the appropriate word.  To re-enable normal text, type “pirateoff” and you’ll be back to landlubber mode.

PirateKey X

Swiftkey has help provide a special edition Pirate-talking keyboard application.  It works just like their normal predictive text staple, but it suggests pirate lingo as well.  Information courtesy of Droid-Life

Words with Pirates

Last year, Zynga was a bit late on the drop with their version of Words with Friends in pirate style.  Unfortunately, this was only available for a limited time last year for iUsers but perhaps this year we will see a release to Android as well.

 

What are you some of your thoughts and suggestions on what else other people can do for International Talk Like a Pirate Day?

Activision Celeberates Modern Warfare 3 With Inaugural Call of Duty XP Event (UPDATED: Now with VIDEO)

Activision held it’s inaugural Call of Duty XP event, which was a 2 day event for gamers and fans of the series to connect through activities beyond gaming. Located within a large hangar in Playa Vista, California, fans were treated to various activities including:

  • Hands-on gaming booths for all recent games in the series: Modern Warfare 2, World at War, Black Ops, Call of Duty 4, and of course Modern Warfare 3. Since this event was sponsored by Xbox 360, there were no Playstation 3’s on site.
  • $1,000,000 tournament
  • 2012 Jeep Wrangler course
  • Two paintball gun maps: Pit (Modern Warfare 2) and Scrapyard (Modern Warfare 2). I only made it in time for one of the maps, Scrapyard, but had a blast! This was my absolute first experience with a paintball gun. Even though I played defensive and stayed close to the base (Domination mode), I was able to score some great hits against the other team. The best part is that the guns looked like real arms (I had an M4). They provided 140 rounds, a mask, vest, and a jumpsuit. You get the keep the jumpsuit, which is great if you’re able to keep it spotless or in one piece. I probably should have worn tennis shoes rather than boots. Luckily I didn’t leave with any welts which is something I can’t say for other players.
  • Burger Town: yup. Haven’t you always wanted to taste what this Burger King parody has to offer. Apparently if you asked for “Special Sauce” they’d give you a shirt! They ran out when we tried though 🙁
  • Face painting. Get your “Ghost” on or choose from a folder of possible face paint options.
  • A sumo fighting ring
  • Black Ops cover art picture booth. This one was very addictive! Pose with a rifle or 2 pistols, recreating the Black Ops cover art with whatever goofy gangster pose you can come up with.
  • Zip line. This was one of the activities I wish I had done and taken video of doing.
  • Tons of free experimental Mountain Dew samples. I don’t think anyone turned into a zombie yet, right?
  • A gift bag containing a poster, Doritos and oh yeah… a redeemable code for Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition! Considering entrance was $150, this was definitely a lovely treat. Since the redemption page required an address and NOT a gamer tag, I’m guessing Activision is sending hard copies of the game?
  • Live sets by Dropkick Murphy’s (September 2) and Kanye West (September 3). As one of the biggest names in music entertainment, I can only imagine how much of a pay day for Kanye West this was. Since I only went on Saturday, I can’t comment on the Dropkick Murphy’s set. For Kanye West, however, I was expecting a small set. As I waited with thousands of others, watching the stage slowly take shape, I quickly realized the large hangar was hardly enough to contain the level of theatrics that I would soon witness. Kudos to Kanye West and Activision for pulling this off. While hardly related to gaming, this show added tremendous value to the seemingly high entrance cost. If you were dedicated enough or wait early, you could definitely get a pit level equivalent view. Kanye West did nearly all of his hit singles and that’s lots (I wish he did “Heard ‘Em Say”). Kanye West had 3 acts filled with high energy, laser lighting, and many dancers (Think classy like Cirque Du Soleil/ballet). I wonder what the Dropkick Murphy’s show was like. Check out the pics below.

Source

UPDATE: Here’s some video of Kanye West’s performance