A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care

Caldwell Tanner created covers for four classic childrens books reimagined as sci-fi.  Artist Julia Yu took one of those covers and filled it with AWESOME!

Goodnight Dune ...

Her version of Dune is perhaps a better introduction to the story than the coloring and activity books that were published as tie-ins to David Lynch's 1984 movie version.

Duke Leto and Piter die.

 You CAN color THEM!

What better way to teach 4th and 5th graders about political intrigue, messianic breeding programs, assassination, revenge, walking without rhythm, and drugs!  Don't forget the drugs!

The no bake spice cookies must flow!  Paul eats delicious spice cookies. They allow him to shorten the way, be many places at once, and see all possible futures. You can make some cookies that will show you the Golden Path too ... if you survive.

Be sure to ask a grown-up to melt the butter for you.

The Dune activity books also have an important Green message. Water is life.  Conserve.  Recycle. Reuse.

Coilhouse has a spice blows worth of scans from the activity books.  Perfect for the whole gom jabbar family.

io9: Goodnight Dune, a children's book straight from Arrakis

Dune Coloring Books | The Mary Sue

Coilhouse Blog Archiveb | Franchised Goodies for the Children of Dune

It's a Stampede! Link Roundup - 1/17

During the real Lost experience, we all came home with matching beach frocks.  The tags promised "one size fits all", and shockingly, they actually did.  Thus did we fellowship of four come to own matching sisterhood of the traveling muu-muus.

I think Nicki summed it up perfectly when she said "they look equally 'attractive' on all of us".

Will I be wearing mine come February 2?  Oh, yes.  I will be.

via Natalie Dee with a tip o'the hat to T!

I remember very little about Space: 1999 other than the fact that I loved it, and Maya was my favorite character.  I hesitate to revisit the show now on DVD.  I think we all know that's not going to end well.

Instead, I'll just enjoy fan Eric Bernard's re-imagined and recut videos he's calling Space: 2099.

Fan Reboot "Space 2099" via io9

Bless the Maker (of this font), and all his water.

Orthodox Herbertarian is a new font painstakingly traced from scans of the typeface that was used on the American Ace Editions (Published by The Berkley Publishing Group) of Dune and many other Frank Herbert books for around a decade, from the early 70s through to the early 80s.

The Sex Pistols’ “Never Mind the Bollocks” (1977) is closer to the second world war than it is to the present. The Beatles’ release of “Love Me Do” (1962) is closer to the first world war than to us.

Now get off my lawn!  And pull up your pants.

Hey,  remember that New Years resolution to start going to the gym and eating right?  Yeah, eff that noise.  Gourmet presents 68 years worth of their favorite cookie recipes.

via Dinosaurs and Robots

SyFy is planning an American version of the British series Being Human.  The one where a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost walk into a flat and become roommates.

Normally I would roll my eyes at this news, or wonder why they don't just air the original, but I'm cautiously optimistic, given that Supernatural's Jeremy "Changing Channels / Supernatural Christmas" Carver is the co-writer.  So, yes to this!





Say what again.  SAY WHAT AGAIN.  via The Oatmeal



Adidas is pulling out all the stops to promote their new Star Wars inspired sneaks.  I know I shouldn't like this, what with the crass commercialism and all, but I'm not made of stone people!

Frankly, this is the shiz for reals.



via io9

Your Monday morning moment of DISASTER!

Huh. Well this changes everything. I may have to change my opinion on Avatar.  Oh Garrison Dean, you've done it again.



2010 IS ALREADY A DISASTER!!!! - Avatar - io9

It's British Friday! It's British Friday!

Ron grew up hot.

This kid's over 18, right?

A prayer for all girls

Words by Neil Gaiman, Illustrations by Charles Vess

This makes my heart glad.

Jezebel - Blueberries For All - Blueberry Girl

DON'T PANIC!!

via xkcd

Roadmap to my path to nerddom

Artwork by Dusty Abell, who has pretty much just illustrated my entire childhood.


NOW IN COLOR Sci-Fi Heroes by *dusty-abell on deviantART



Sat Morning Action Adv. TV by *dusty-abell on deviantART

via io9. So. Much. Awesome. Brain. Meeeelllttttinggggg .....

Archibaldo rules. That is all.

mental_floss Blog The Stories Behind 20 Muppet Favorites

Grover. Everyone’s favorite “cute, furry little monster” made his TV debut on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. At the time, he was known as “Gleep” and was a monster in Santa’s Workshop. He then appeared on the first season of Sesame Street, but sported green fur and a reddish-orange nose. He didn’t have a name then, but by the second season he transformed into the Grover we know today, more or less – electric blue fur and a pink nose. The original green Grover was reincarnated as Grover’s Mommy for a few episodes. In Latin America and Puerto Rico Grover is known as Archibaldo, in Spain he is Coco, in Portugal he is Gualter and in Norway he is Gunnar.

In my house, he is simply the awesome.





Presumably, this is from the same episode. That kid up on the fire escape is working. it. out.



via Jezebel

I hope you weren't expecting a card or anything

It's Been A Whole Year: Happy First Birthday, io9

Happy birthday to my very most favorite blog, invaluable source of news and updates from the homeworld.

When am I - Lost!

Only a month to go until Lost returns! SQUEEEE!

ABC has released another teaser promo. Can. Not. Wait.



Dark UFO has the reversed audio, and it's a man saying, "When am I?"

EEEEEEEEP!!!!!

If you need to get caught up, here's Seasons 1-3 in 8:15

In Season 4, they called the boat, bad things happened, Michael, Rousseau, Carl, and Alex died (damn you Steamy Keamey!), Claire and Jin maybe died, Locke has always been special, Penneh is Desmond's constant, Des is Manson Lamp's constant, Jack, Kate, Sun, Sayid, Hurley, and Aaron are the Oceanic 6, Ben moved the Island, very bad things are going to happen, and they all HAVE TO GO BAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!

Sorry, T.  Jin is totes dead.

If you aren't already you should be reading Therese's fantabulous Lost recaps at the Houston Chronicle.  She's funny and snarky and brings wonderful insight and analysis to the story and mytharc, and helps makes sense of all the symbols and references that Team Darlton throw at us.

There's also a delightful group of regular commenters (hey y'all!) who weigh in each week with their thoughts and opinions.  As it is here, it's a mostly spoiler free zone over there, so play nice and when in doubt, don't.

Oh, and did I mention that Therese also hosts a live online chat each Friday lunchtime to further dissect the previous evening's epi?  Not that I have ever taken time out of my busy workday to participate.  

UPDATE: She's also been cited on Wikipedia.  T has reached nerd nirvana as far as I'm concerned.

Don't forget to ask who Christian is.

Warning! You are entering a Dune zone! Warning!

I love cartoons and animation. In case you were wondering.  

Childhood Saturday mornings were spent worshipping at the altar of The Bugs Bunny / Road Runner Show.  Every day after school my brother and I would watch Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo ... and GI Joe, and Transformers, and Speed Racer, and Star Blazers, and Voltron, and Thundercats, and dear lord, even He-Man.

And then Pixar came along to show us what animation can really do.  That the "cartoon" format can be used to tell amazing, honest, real stories.

Monsters, Inc. is probably my favorite.  In part, I think, because it has a similar vibe to the best of the classic Warner Bros. and MGM/Tex Avery cartoons. 

And then there's Ratatouille, which can't really be ranked, because it's just a whole 'nother beast.  imho.

It happens at the 2:30 mark.  In 30 seconds of animation, the film's creators manage to convey the very essence of a sublime meal.  

The other thing I love about Pixar is that they choose voice talent based on who can best serve the character.  So instead of hearing Will Smith play a fish, or Bruce Willis play a raccoon, or Jack Black play a panda ... you just hear the character.

Brad Bird, who directed Ratatouille, cast Patton Oswalt to play Remy the Rat because he felt he could convey real passion about food and cooking.  Never heard of him?  Doesn't matter.  He was the right guy for the job, and that's what mattered.

How did Brad Bird know?  Two words - the Black Angus Steak bit

And then?  Then there's the failure pile.  In a sadness bowl.

If you've actually read this far, and I haven't completely driven you off the deck, check out this Fresh Air interview from 2007 with Brad Bird and Patton Oswalt.  

Putting the sci fi in dysfunction

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, io9 has posted a list of science fiction's most dysfunctional families.  Your Skywalkers, Cylons, and Petrellis are there, along with my personal fave, "just about everybody in Dune": 

The noble houses of Dune are dysfunctional precisely because they resemble so many of history’s noble families: propagated through inbreeding, filled with members of uncertain parentage, and driven by political marriages so that you can’t help but go to war with your cousin. That many of the series’ characters were conceived as part of the Bene Gesserit’s breeding program helps to further entangle the families. And the spice agony, which causes a person to take on the memories (and sometimes personalities) of all their ancestors, allows a person experience the full spectrum of familial dysfunction without ever leaving their own head.