Immortal, If Only in Pulp
Posted by Dead Robot in Celebs and Media, Distractions on March 11, 2010
I’m digging through my box of comics, downsizing, removing the non-valuable ones and I come across this – Issue #1 of Lethargic Lad:
It was created by a group of animators and one teacher within my class at Sheridan College. These were the “cool guys” that sat at the back of the studio who were tight and occasionally monopolized the facetime of the Layout teacher, Brian LaMay. Every so often they would produce a original ‘zines that were 5×7 in size and were filled with sight gags and artwork that would make our life drawing teacher faint, but you could tell the stories (sometimes broad, sometimes laser accurate parodies of current comic/movie/TV happenings) that they loved the medium. And that they didn’t have any girlfriends.
The day their full colour (cover) issue in proper comic book format came out, I was sitting at my desk in third year animation class. Greg Hyland entered the lofty classroom and slammed a pile of them down on his desk. Like something out of a Disney movie, the class crowded around and shucked out the $2 for a copy. As I got mine. Greg smiled and said “Check out page 5.”
That’s me, and my roommate at the time, Ray Larabie (who is now in Japan hawking fonts, lucky bastard). We’re being accosted by Greg’s creation: Guy With A Gun, a ripoff parody of The Punisher. I was happy I got two lines over Ray’s one. Suck it!
I see that Greg has kept Lethargic Lad going all these years and is working as a storyboard artist. Good to see!
Bye Bye Bonneville!
Posted by Dead Robot in Personal Bits on March 11, 2010
Post-holiday, we’re scouring over kitchen cupboards in hopes of finding something to eat, both of us still caught up in the dreamy world of vacation where food is magically brought to us. Something is wrong… it’s well after noon and still no food! The phone rings.
It’s Da and he asks if we want to go to Costco one last time.
Huh?
The Bonneville is on its last legs. He doesn’t think he will renew the plates. This will be our last bulk shopping tirp.
That Bonneville. That 18 year old monster of a car that seats 5 with real leather interior. Da’s most luxurious car purchase (most luxurious if you don’t count the Starsky and Hutch style two tone, two door silver Ford LTD back in the late 70s) has ever so slowly become a nuisance instead of a convenience.
The Bonnie is a massive car. It runs 199.5 inches (16.5 feet – the 70s station wagon version got up to 19ft!) from nose to spoiler, 75 inches wide, where the average car length today runs about 10-13 feet. You could fit a couple of bodies back there and still have room for skis (the centre divider armrest in the back seat opened into the trunk so you could do just that). Da’s car is a deep green with fog lamps (the switch for these located cockpit style, just over your head on the roof), dual seat controls in the hump (see video), steering wheel audio controls (cassette tape deck!) and a curious HUD with speedometer/compass.
Yes. A Heads Up Display right on the windscreen that constantly reminds you how much you’re speeding. The single most coolest car gimmick I have ever encountered since the talking door alarm.
Despite the ginormous size of the car and the oomph of the engine, I was never caught speeding in it. Lord knows I had it up around 140-150kph a few trips, but don’t tell Da.
When Da tells me that he’s setting the old girl out to pasture, I recall all the times I borrowed the car for so many trips/tours/hauls. Numerous house moves where I packed my meager stuff into the trunk/back seat – I estimate 9 apartment moves. Is that too much in 17 years? So many Ikea runs with flimsy pressboard furniture strung to the roof. So many campground set ups and tear downs in all sorts of weather. And subsequent car cleanings because of it. So many trips to Brockvegas and back.
I recall picking up SharkBoy with it in our budding relationship for a few dates, just after he gave up his monster Toyota SUV. I think the fact that we had access to a big car, post-SUV, helped him ease the pain of being without car. I also recall a few good night kisses.
In the last year the poor girl’s deterioration was fast and furious: the coolant levels sensor blew out just as SharkBoy and I started out on a trip to Montreal, even though we could see the jug under the hood was full. It stayed that way until Da had his mechanic tear out the sensor. The “area” on the steering column where the horn mysteriously hides suddenly died. My last trip in the old girl wasn’t anything eventful except noticing the exhaust is running a bit loud. The cost of repair and re-certification well exceeds the cost of convenience.
I would love to do a farewell video where shot for shot, we recreate the “out behind the barn” scene from Old Yeller.
Goodbye Bonneville. You’ve been a good friend.
Battlestar Gets Sabotaged!
Posted by Dead Robot in Celebs and Media on March 10, 2010
See it while you can before someone at Universal goes apeshit on the innernet.
UPDATED: Bret Stewart (via Facebook) found a side-by-each video comparison. It’s truly a work of loveart.
Gone Dry
Posted by Dead Robot in Distractions on March 8, 2010
Post vacation, I’m finding little to write about. I mean I always have ideas but sometimes they get stuck in my head like a ball of hair in a toothpaste glorped drain.
So it’s up to you, dear reader, to advise me on my next venture. Choose wisely!
What Do You Want Dead Robot To Write About Next?
- Something achingly personal (sexual) (33%, 7 Votes)
- Something bitter (29%, 6 Votes)
- Something from his memory (24%, 5 Votes)
- Something achingly personal (14%, 3 Votes)
- Video post! (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 21
Trailer Tuesday
Posted by Dead Robot in Celebs and Media on March 8, 2010
Tron Legacy! Ska-WEEEEEEEEEE!!
Not So Tweet
Posted by Dead Robot in Celebs and Media on March 8, 2010
How many of you actually watched the Oscars and how many of you Tweeted the Oscars? Raise your bloody stumps of hands with ex-fingers on the ends of them.
I thought so.
In all seriousness I found the Twitter comments much more engaging than the show, but I doubt I could have hit refresh, taken in the comments and watched the show at the same time.
Of the 60 some odd Twerps I follow (how can some of you follow 100? 300? A thousand?!) I would say that 90% of you were busy commenting on people’s outfits, eye rolling caught on camera’s cutaways or just basic tomfoolery (or lack there of). Best comment I read summed up the entire evening: From James Urbaniak: “Tyler Perry’s Tyler Perry!”
CB’s comment regarding the oddest dance sequence I’ve ever seen on an Oscar’s broadcast was spot on: “Where the fuck is Debbie Allen when you need her?”
But addinfulleffect summed up my feelings towards last night show: “These may be the worst oscars since the letterman uma oprah debaucle”
So underwhelmed. And was expecting so much more from Steve Martin/Alec Baldwin. Now, if you excuse me I’m going to light a candle for Bea Aurthur and Farrah Fawcett Majors.
Sunday Effluvia
Posted by Dead Robot in Personal Bits on March 7, 2010
SharkBoy is on his hands and knees cleaning out all the old VHS tapes from the floor of the office.
I’m doing two hockey bags of laundry across the street and at the same time, trying to set up my niece’s new blog/magazine database.
In 10 minutes I have to go back to the laudromat and pull the two bags from the dryer, come home and fold it.
in about 30 min I want to clean up the living room from the massive chip and movie feeding frenzy we had last night.
In 1.5 hours I need to go get ingredients for a 6 hour slow cooker chili recipe. In 2 hours I have to dump all these ingredients into the slow cooker.
When that’s in the crock pot, I need to set up my salads/lunches/veggie snacks for the week.
In 4 hours I want to play an hour of BioShock2.
In 5 hours we have to go over to Da’s to set up his new TV stand.
In 7 hours, Da is coming over for dinner.
“Sunday is the day of rest” my ass.
What Are You Doing This Weekend?
Posted by Dead Robot in Bloggers, Toronto on March 5, 2010
I think I’m going to push a shopping cart through someone’s colon.
Please hold all your Dufferin Mall jokes. I’m sure they’ve heard them all before.
Via Torontoist.




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