A Collection of Odds and Ends

Okay, let’s see what I’ve got lying around on these ol’ internets.

First off, a couple days ago the comic strip Blondie was showing that not only is it an almost 78 year old zombie strip, it’s also trying to make progress on the comics page. Yes, on Friday, Blondie introduced a Black character. Just look at that not at all stereotypical dialogue:

Meanwhile, I found a link to a collection of geek cakes. I think the Mario one might be my favorite.

Lastly, there’s some sad news to report. The actor Julius Carry died last Wednesday from pancreatic cancer. I first saw him on the awesome sci-fi-western-self-conciously campy The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. If you haven’t checked that show out, do so, it’s amazing. Carlton Cuse, who now is a show runner for Lost was one of the show’s co-creators. One of Carry’s most notable roles though was the part of Sho’Nuff the Shogun of Harlem in the Berry Gordy produced cult classic The Last Dragon. It’s a Kung-Fu film set in Harlem, plus it has Carry reciting this classic speech:

Lego Donkey Kong

Continuing our fine tradition of writing about Mario games being recreated in other mediums, today we bring you Donkey Kong in Lego. Dan Kressin has created a reproduction of the game’s first level in Lego, and has provided video of the work. Further infomation can be found here.

Weekend Linkage Round-Up

A woman in Georgia has started hand knitting a scarf of Super Mario Brothers’ World 1-1. She’s charting the progress in a blog.

Meanwhile, over at the always reliable cracked.com, they’ve trotted out a list of 11 Baseball Legends Who Were Legendary Assholes.

As for this blog, next week I’ll find some interesting material to write about.

What is Art?

I was at the the Broad Contempory Art Museum at LACMA yesterday and I discovered what have become two of my new favorite works of art. Both are by the artist John Baldessari. Most of Baldessari’s works are about art itself and what counts as art. One could look at his works as one big joke on art and style. Pictured here are “Tips For Artists Who Want to Sell” and “Wrong.”

Adventures In Mixology: The Picasso Martini

• Pablo Picasso was probably one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. So, what better way is there to pay tribute to him then to name a martini after him? Now, the martini should never be messed with, one should stick to gin and vermouth. OK, you could make a vodka martini if gin’s not your thing. So, how do you create a truly special martini in tribute to a great Cubist artist? It’s simple, just think cube.

Colin Peter Field invented this cocktail in 2000 when he was bartender at the Ritz in Paris. In this recipe, the vermouth is added to the gin via an ice cube made from distilled water and dry vermouth.

The Picasso Martini

• 2 and a half ounces chilled gin.
• 1 cube dry vermouth

Pour the gin into a cocktail glass. Lightly drop the vermoth ice cube into the glass.

Mario Hits A Wall

Titles like the fourth installments of the Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear Solid series have served as the latest evidence that games can be art. In the case of the latter art with a confusing plot line and some cut scenes that last longer than your average sitcom, but art none the less. But we are not here to talk about games as art, we’re hear to look at a game inspired art installation.

An artist going by the moniker of BPAK has created this quikrete infused mural based on the original Super Mario Brothers’s World 1-1. Apparently it took him around three weeks to create. Regretfully, I have no information on where one can see this mural.

Fun Fact: John Leguizamo played Luigi in the Mario movie. Despite this he has had a successful career.

http://kotaku.com/5024565/super-mario-mural-and–marios-already-missed-a-coin