The Longest Journal
To the expo I went, yes, hum.
Last Sunday I finally had the chance to visit the local Star Wars Expo. After meeting Anthony Daniels, the man behind C3PO, human-cyborg relations back in March, I procrastinated going to the event. The location, Sao Paulo's famous Ibirapuera Park, is a pain in the tush to get to from where I live. Alas, the expo had its duration extended, and I took the cue to visit it.
While not nearly as big as the websites, TV programs and magazines made it out to be, it was a very interesting place to visit. Cut into two floors in the underground expo space at the park, the Star Wars Expo has its share of rare items. As you enter, you are greeted by Imperial stormtroopers and people wearing weird crosses between Jedi and Princess Leia's garments. The first area presents many concept drawings made mainly by Ralph McQuarrie for the original trilogy and some for the newer films, along with models for some of the more popular space ships and ground vehicles, like the X-Wing. On the walls, the Star Wars time line, with detailed info on the many planets presented in the films. Following this hall, the lights dim, and the main exhibition is presented. Encased in glass displays, characters, scale models and more concept art are there to be seen. Amongst the more interesting pieces is a scale model of the Millenium Falcon, so detailed that you can even see bullet (or is it laser?) marks on the fuselage. There's even one model in particular for the Imperial Star Destroyer, which also has a depth in detail that is impressive. Right across from the Destroyer, among the other mannekins, Chewbacca roars to the visitors, and is accompanied by another Wookie wearing even more belts. With these furry guys, I got the chance to learn something new about Star Wars: Wookies have normal fingers, even thumbs. Quite shocking.
The second section of the expo greets visitors with the robotic duo, C3PO and R2-D2, posing for photos (which I took, or course). Around the two bots, many, many concepts for them made by McQuarrie. Here I could see how closely Metropolis influenced the design for C3PO. To the back, a special shrine for Yoda, which, disappointingly enough, doesn't bring the toad himself, but a holographic image in the swamps of Dagobah. Right next to the master, the many dresses Natalie Portman used in the new trilogy, and drawings by Ian McCaig, one of the main illustrators for the new films. Along with the dresses, some miniatures for the planets in Episode Two and Three, and some of the creature costumes from the Episode Three Malastar council, with highlights to Tion Medon, played by Mad Max's Bruce Spence (a.k.a Jebediah the gyro pilot). At the other side of the robots, a table is set with the many weapons featured in the films - Count Dooku's curved blade, Darth Maul's double saber and Luke's second lightsaber are some of the arms featured in it. Sadly, due to lighting conditions, I was not able to capture these.
And last, but certainly not least, following the hall, comes the Darth Vader space. Encased in a dramatically lit glass case, the black mask menace glares out, with a monitor by him showing the 'birth of Vader' segment from Revenge of the Sith, and of course, the incessant breathing. Other items in this space are the chair in which Anakin is strapped for the Vader transformation, and more concepts and frame by frame plans for the Luke/Vader fight from Return of the Jedi.
I have to say I enjoyed the expo, but it lacked many things I'd have loved to see, like more creatures, the Death Star itself (which was mentioned many times in the description texts but never shown) and some more star ships. Either way, it was great to see something like this being brought overseas. As a big fan of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic, I was glad to have been able to visit something like this. I hope we get to see more exhibitions like this in the future.
If you would like to see the pictures I took, feel free to click this link that goes to the photo album.
Last Sunday I finally had the chance to visit the local Star Wars Expo. After meeting Anthony Daniels, the man behind C3PO, human-cyborg relations back in March, I procrastinated going to the event. The location, Sao Paulo's famous Ibirapuera Park, is a pain in the tush to get to from where I live. Alas, the expo had its duration extended, and I took the cue to visit it.
While not nearly as big as the websites, TV programs and magazines made it out to be, it was a very interesting place to visit. Cut into two floors in the underground expo space at the park, the Star Wars Expo has its share of rare items. As you enter, you are greeted by Imperial stormtroopers and people wearing weird crosses between Jedi and Princess Leia's garments. The first area presents many concept drawings made mainly by Ralph McQuarrie for the original trilogy and some for the newer films, along with models for some of the more popular space ships and ground vehicles, like the X-Wing. On the walls, the Star Wars time line, with detailed info on the many planets presented in the films. Following this hall, the lights dim, and the main exhibition is presented. Encased in glass displays, characters, scale models and more concept art are there to be seen. Amongst the more interesting pieces is a scale model of the Millenium Falcon, so detailed that you can even see bullet (or is it laser?) marks on the fuselage. There's even one model in particular for the Imperial Star Destroyer, which also has a depth in detail that is impressive. Right across from the Destroyer, among the other mannekins, Chewbacca roars to the visitors, and is accompanied by another Wookie wearing even more belts. With these furry guys, I got the chance to learn something new about Star Wars: Wookies have normal fingers, even thumbs. Quite shocking.
The second section of the expo greets visitors with the robotic duo, C3PO and R2-D2, posing for photos (which I took, or course). Around the two bots, many, many concepts for them made by McQuarrie. Here I could see how closely Metropolis influenced the design for C3PO. To the back, a special shrine for Yoda, which, disappointingly enough, doesn't bring the toad himself, but a holographic image in the swamps of Dagobah. Right next to the master, the many dresses Natalie Portman used in the new trilogy, and drawings by Ian McCaig, one of the main illustrators for the new films. Along with the dresses, some miniatures for the planets in Episode Two and Three, and some of the creature costumes from the Episode Three Malastar council, with highlights to Tion Medon, played by Mad Max's Bruce Spence (a.k.a Jebediah the gyro pilot). At the other side of the robots, a table is set with the many weapons featured in the films - Count Dooku's curved blade, Darth Maul's double saber and Luke's second lightsaber are some of the arms featured in it. Sadly, due to lighting conditions, I was not able to capture these.
And last, but certainly not least, following the hall, comes the Darth Vader space. Encased in a dramatically lit glass case, the black mask menace glares out, with a monitor by him showing the 'birth of Vader' segment from Revenge of the Sith, and of course, the incessant breathing. Other items in this space are the chair in which Anakin is strapped for the Vader transformation, and more concepts and frame by frame plans for the Luke/Vader fight from Return of the Jedi.
I have to say I enjoyed the expo, but it lacked many things I'd have loved to see, like more creatures, the Death Star itself (which was mentioned many times in the description texts but never shown) and some more star ships. Either way, it was great to see something like this being brought overseas. As a big fan of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic, I was glad to have been able to visit something like this. I hope we get to see more exhibitions like this in the future.
If you would like to see the pictures I took, feel free to click this link that goes to the photo album.
Category: Editorial
The professor is retired.
I must say - Professor Layton and the Curious Village surprised me. I went into it expecting a kiddy game with some simple puzzles, but in the end, after completing the main story mode, it turned around. The story itself follows the standard 'everything-is-not-as-it-seems' approach, and the ending is very rewarding. I loved the game's visuals and the cartoon scenes. The puzzles themselves are diabolical - amongst the normal math problems, you can find ones with trick instructions that lead you in circles if you don't pay attention...
Certainly not just a kid's game.
This will be an interesting one to review.
I must say - Professor Layton and the Curious Village surprised me. I went into it expecting a kiddy game with some simple puzzles, but in the end, after completing the main story mode, it turned around. The story itself follows the standard 'everything-is-not-as-it-seems' approach, and the ending is very rewarding. I loved the game's visuals and the cartoon scenes. The puzzles themselves are diabolical - amongst the normal math problems, you can find ones with trick instructions that lead you in circles if you don't pay attention...
Certainly not just a kid's game.
This will be an interesting one to review.
Booking my tickets to Hell
It was hypothesized yesterday in the form of a hack attack on Blizzard's site and their icy opening image mystery, as mentioned by James Milkie, so I took my own caution into believing it. This morning, during a break in my drawing, my friends and I bunched up next to a computer screen to visit their site. It was indeed confirmed. Diablo III is a reality. At that moment, I could hear thousands of lives going *BOOM*. Many thought they were rid of the horned menace, only to see themselves being dragged, claws showing, back to the underworld. From the preview videos and images, it looks like it has been in production for a while.
I already have my tickets booked. As a fan of both Diablo games, it's great to see a new one coming out so close to another big franchise, StarCraft. But Diablo has a special place in my mind - it was the first truly mature game I played to completion. It wasn't Wolfenstein 3D or Doom. I still remember the day my older brother walked through the door with Diablo's box under his arm. He played first, of course, being a jerk like all older borthers [normally] are. I got a chance to jump in afterwards, and at the time, I was still living in the U.S. When I got back home, with my own PC, I was able to truly enjoy the game and play it to its completion. When Diablo 2 came about, my PC wasn't up to par, so I had to wait half an year to tackle it. Being a much harder game, I had some trouble finishing it, but I did it in the end. At the time, I still played Diablo 1 with school friends on a regular basis on Battle.net, along with StarCraft. I'm tlooking forward to the third game, hoping my aging, six year old, third generation PC handles it.
Anyway, the heavens shall tremble, Mr. Beezlebub. Indeed.
Now let me go watch the videos... and install Diablo 2 with expansion pack in tow. That's right... I never played Lord of Destruction.
It was hypothesized yesterday in the form of a hack attack on Blizzard's site and their icy opening image mystery, as mentioned by James Milkie, so I took my own caution into believing it. This morning, during a break in my drawing, my friends and I bunched up next to a computer screen to visit their site. It was indeed confirmed. Diablo III is a reality. At that moment, I could hear thousands of lives going *BOOM*. Many thought they were rid of the horned menace, only to see themselves being dragged, claws showing, back to the underworld. From the preview videos and images, it looks like it has been in production for a while.
I already have my tickets booked. As a fan of both Diablo games, it's great to see a new one coming out so close to another big franchise, StarCraft. But Diablo has a special place in my mind - it was the first truly mature game I played to completion. It wasn't Wolfenstein 3D or Doom. I still remember the day my older brother walked through the door with Diablo's box under his arm. He played first, of course, being a jerk like all older borthers [normally] are. I got a chance to jump in afterwards, and at the time, I was still living in the U.S. When I got back home, with my own PC, I was able to truly enjoy the game and play it to its completion. When Diablo 2 came about, my PC wasn't up to par, so I had to wait half an year to tackle it. Being a much harder game, I had some trouble finishing it, but I did it in the end. At the time, I still played Diablo 1 with school friends on a regular basis on Battle.net, along with StarCraft. I'm tlooking forward to the third game, hoping my aging, six year old, third generation PC handles it.
Anyway, the heavens shall tremble, Mr. Beezlebub. Indeed.
Now let me go watch the videos... and install Diablo 2 with expansion pack in tow. That's right... I never played Lord of Destruction.
All at their own pace.
Taking a break from drawing.
And when you stop, you start thinking. It's like that with me. Thinking about jobs that I took, others that I dropped, and what hangs in front of me. Opportunities that make me push myself in order to improve, in order to earn them. I've been studying drawing the human form for the last four months, and while I'm still in a slow pace of evolution in the actual drawing department, the assets acquired when actually studying the forms and shapes become more and more concrete in my mind.
That concept is what my now friend, and ex teacher, Alex, probably meant when he pushed me towards drawing study. He saw in my models the lacking of a proper understanding of the shapes of anatomy, how they interact with one another. While I'm not completely in touch with everything relating to that yet, I notice that now I stop to see the more minute details in photos and even game graphics. That makes me feel great, even though my drawings slowly progress, in an oh-so slow pace, in my scale, anyway. Four months is nothing in life, we can see accomplished artists taking decades to reach the point they are in their talent, and some say that the maximum cannot be reached, making you run towards it, evolving as you do.
Maybe they're right, we can't just stand, looking at our current accomplishments, and be satisfied with them. Thriving and evolving is part of who we are, and I take that to heart. Even if it is at a turtle's pace, I'll get there.
Taking a break from drawing.
And when you stop, you start thinking. It's like that with me. Thinking about jobs that I took, others that I dropped, and what hangs in front of me. Opportunities that make me push myself in order to improve, in order to earn them. I've been studying drawing the human form for the last four months, and while I'm still in a slow pace of evolution in the actual drawing department, the assets acquired when actually studying the forms and shapes become more and more concrete in my mind.
That concept is what my now friend, and ex teacher, Alex, probably meant when he pushed me towards drawing study. He saw in my models the lacking of a proper understanding of the shapes of anatomy, how they interact with one another. While I'm not completely in touch with everything relating to that yet, I notice that now I stop to see the more minute details in photos and even game graphics. That makes me feel great, even though my drawings slowly progress, in an oh-so slow pace, in my scale, anyway. Four months is nothing in life, we can see accomplished artists taking decades to reach the point they are in their talent, and some say that the maximum cannot be reached, making you run towards it, evolving as you do.
Maybe they're right, we can't just stand, looking at our current accomplishments, and be satisfied with them. Thriving and evolving is part of who we are, and I take that to heart. Even if it is at a turtle's pace, I'll get there.
Case closed. Really.
Yup, Apollo Justice is in the bag. After playing the entire Phoenix Wright series, back to back, for the last three months, the fourth and latest game is finished.
I'll be writing up reviews for all of the installments, so expect them, in order, to come soon.
While you wait, why not check out my latest stuff? I've written tid bits on Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams and God of War 2!
Yup, Apollo Justice is in the bag. After playing the entire Phoenix Wright series, back to back, for the last three months, the fourth and latest game is finished.
I'll be writing up reviews for all of the installments, so expect them, in order, to come soon.
While you wait, why not check out my latest stuff? I've written tid bits on Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams and God of War 2!
Category: Games
My Recent Reviews
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Restless Dreams provides very little new content for fans of Silent Hill 2. Continue »
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A much needed breath of fresh air. Continue »
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You won't have to theorize - Sam Fisher can provide all the chaos you need. Continue »
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'BARF!' won't be enough to be beat this duo. Continue »
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