The CCD Podcast: Episode #45 - "In Defense Of..." Vol. 2 or "Trust Us, Not Rotten Tomatoes.... This Movie Is A Classic!"

We are barreling towards our big Episode #50 EXTRAVAGANZA and we are very excited, so this week we decided to re-visit one of the more popular topics of an early episode and see if lightning can strike twice. In our previous "In Defense Of..." episode of the show Jedi Rob (Ghostbusters 2), Mike D (Michael Bay) and Joey Esq (Return of the Jedi) each laid out a perfectly crafted argument extolling the merits of their above clients.Ya see, a movie/director/actor-actress doesn't necessarily have to be BAD or A BOMB to be defended. Nope.... in this age of Internet trolling even classic films get a bum rap on certain aspects. Afterward compelling arguments were made, and lots of chatter occurred with people over the 'Net about our opinions. So we are going back to do it again... Jedi Rob (Super Mario Brothers: The Movie), Mike D (Hudson Hawk), and Tommy Lombardozzi (Last Action Hero) all go to bat for things that they love but others may loathe. It was another great episode! Check it out after the jump....


Stay tuned here for more information on our big Episode #50 celebration to come, as well as future live art shows from The CCD Art & Supply Co.

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Super Mario Propaganda Poster by Michael Tyler For Sketch Lottery

My buddy Sal over at the Sketch Lottery has a hell of a site going on... it is getting bigger and bigger every week with every new category they introduce. The amount of participants are staggering, and the varying types of artistic talent weigh in every week on the different characters that are selected. But this week we saw a very popular character being picked... one that almost everyone with a pulse would be able to recognize. This weeks topic was Super Mario, and Sal got 27 submission from a crazy talented group of artists. But one stood out in particular to me... not because it was the best (that is subjective, no?) or because it was the most original. No, it stood out because of the current state of affairs in Russia/Ukraine that made Michael Tyler's submission stand out to me. He chose to take a old Russian propaganda poster that featured Joseph Stalin holding up a flag bearing child and give it the Mario spin. He subbed in Mario for Stalin (the mustache makes that easy) and Toad for the baby, and the rest is history. But when Sal posted the pic on Sketch Lottery's Facebook page, Michael shared the original poster that he used as a guide and inspiration... and when I looked at them side by side I just knew that I had to make a post showing them both. Sal and the gang start a new subject every Friday, so make sure you check back frequently to see what they are up to. You can see the original propaganda poster and Michael's contribution after the jump...



The original poster:

Michael Tyler's:

Mario Seinfeld - A Parody About Nothing by Esquire Bob Animations

I am always down to watch a quick animation clip, especially one that involves my favorite plumber of all time. But throw in a tie in to the greatest sitcom ever, and you got my two minutes. Animator Esquire Bob has a very well stocked Youtube page loaded with cool ass shit, but his Mario Seinfeld clip has got to be the crown jewel in the crown. Its great.... specifically because the casting is spot on. George would definitely be Toad, and Kramer is a great Luigi. But the best casting choice of all: Newman as Bowser !!! Your princess is in another borough !!! Lol. This is really funny. I hope to see more of them in the future. Check out the full clip after the jump...

Photographer Jarod Kearney Brings The NES Family To Life...

We often preview a lot of really cool projects here at CCD, before they get going. Sometimes I preview a project long before it gets started and I tend to forget to actually check out the project once it gets off the ground. This is the case with Mario Warfare, a web series that kicked off last year. I previewed the series on CCD last January and never got around to checking it out once they started posting. I came across a cool ass Cosplay photographer, Jarod Kearney, thanks to a Reddit thread sent via Joe Fletch. I decided I was going to highlight some of his work. He apparently photographed the team of heroes that are the main characters in Mario Warfare... and it all comes full circle! Pretty creepy how things work out, huh? Well, one year later the gang over at Beat Down Boogie are 6 episodes into their Mario Warfare series and they are getting better and better. And Kearney is putting up more and more stills that he shoots from filming days. So check out Beat Down Boogie's Youtube channel to see all the dope stuff they are doing by clicking here, and check out the stills of a really cool NES themed fan film after the jump...

The Super Mario Brothers Music Done Via Violin ? An Excellent Tribute To The Classic Video Game....

I have a very cool group of Facebook friends that often share a ton of cool things that appeal to my eclectic nerd sensibilities. But every once and a while I get taken by surprise with a share from someone I don't expect it to come from. A friend of mine Cait shared a fellow friends video post in which a young Asian man armed with a violin stands in front of a TV and cues up Super Mario Brothers on Nintendo. The OG version... and then proceeds to use his extreme talents & the solo violin skills to replicate EVERY SINGLE sound in the games first three levels. It is insane how exact he is, down to the brick breaking noise and coin reception sounds. Wow, extremely well done. Thanks for the share Cait.... check out this insane video after the jump...



 

CCD Holiday Geek Gift Guide: Geeky Christmas Sweater T-Shirts

Even the most horrific classic Christmas gifts can be geek-asized so as to make them cooler. Case in point: Check out these radical t-shirts by RedBubble user Fanboy 30 that recreate the hideousness of  classic Christmas Sweaters with a bit of a geek edge to them. First up we have a Doctor Who inspired design featuring Daleks, Cybermen & a Tardis. Next we have a Nintendo themed shirt filled with Super Stars, Mushrooms, and Life Hearts from Zelda & Mario. Both of these are a great way for a geek that you know to be both traditionally dressed for Christmas while maintaining a geek edge to themselves. everybody wins!!! Check out the pics after the jump and click here to order these (or any of the other really cool shirts) from Fanboy 30's RedBubble page....

The Hills Have Eyes by Daniel Bressette

I love when people mash up two things that have absolutely nothing to do with each other and pull it off. Daniel Bressette does just that with his awesome 'The Hills Have Eyes' piece. He takes the title of an awesome horror film (even the remakes were good) and that mashes it up with the most unexpected yet appropriate Nintendo item you could think about. Click after the jump and laugh at the 8 bit masterpiece....

Game Of Mushroom Kingdoms by Titan 413

Game of Thrones is at the height of its popularity due to the hit HBO TV series, and people are discovering George R. R. Martin's popular book series even more now. So how could you make it even cooler? Well, if you are artist Titan 413 you can simply Mario-ize it!!!! Check out this awesome map of Westeros done in the style of a Super Mario Brothers 3 map. This is awesome even if you don't know all the little ins and outs of Martin's world, but if you do it is even cooler. I love the land beyond The Wall & The Twins the best. Check out the full size image after the jump...

Game On, World by Nike +

Video Games are no longer a fringe entertainment, they have gone extremely mainstream. Characters & game situations are recognized by many a person young and old... show a person who doesn't know who Mario is or doesn't know what a warp pipe does, and I will show you someone who has lived under a rock for the past 30 years. Nike recognized this, and decided to appeal to the gamers inside all of us to sell us on the new Nike + athletic program. They use recognizable situations from some of the greatest games of all time (Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, etc) to show what it is like to work out in the brave new world of Nike +. The gang at Nike always makes fantastic commercials, and this one is no exception. Well done... check out the full video after the jump.

Thanks to Briana for the tip!!!

Super Mario & The Human Centipede by TLTL

Mario is a very familiar character from the most popular video game franchise on the planet. Even non gamers can pick him out of a lineup. So naturally he and his Mushroom World brethren are popular targets for fan art & videos all over the Internet. The gang over at Too Lazy Too Live have decided to take Mario in a place that I never thought I would see him go... into the world of The Human Centipede!!! This video is absolutely batshit insane, and very well done. Plus, the video game animation is pretty stunning. I really like the way the Goomba's look. Check out the video after the jump...


Thanks to Joe Fletch for this tip:

Evgeny Yakovlev Mashes Up Your Favorite Geek Properties

Evgeny Yakovlev is a talented artist out of Kazkahstan who has a very unique talent of pairing up two awesome geek properties in his fan art to make for some dope pieces. Some of them are a given (like Wolverine & Edward Scissorhands), but some are just special (like Captain America & Night At The Museum). These are great. You can see more of his work right here, but my favorite four appear after the jump...

The Excavation Of Mushroom Island by Logan Zawacki

What if the world of Super Mario Brothers was real? What if those warp zone pipes didn't take our favorite plumbers from Brooklyn to another world, but rather to a deserted island somewhere in the South Pacific? There would have to be some sort of evidence of the existence of these fantastic times... and now there is!!!! Author Logan Zawacki has self published a very interesting book entitled 'The Excavation of Mushroom Island', which details an archaeological excavation that has turned up the skeletal remains of some well known Mario game characters. Bowser, Toad, Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and even the brothers themselves... these X-Ray photos make for a cool book. Right now it is available on Blurb for $50.00 (which seems like a lot but is not that much for a self published book with this many cool full color photos). Check out the official Flickr stream here, and click after the jump for my faves of the bunch....

Bo Knows The Mushroom Kingdom...

Bo Jackson is one of the greatest ATHLETES to ever suit up for any sport. Rarely is a guy this good in ONE sport, let alone TWO! Bo was a transcendent star that was forced to retire way to early due to injury. So what did he do after the retirement? Well, it seems like he has taken his talents to the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario & Luigi should take some notes... check out the video after the jump!!!

Mount Playmore by ???

I found this excellent design for a t-shirt over at Busted Tees and I am pissed because the site does not name the designer of the shirt. It is entitled Mount Playmore, and features the Nintendo  Holy Quadumvirate  of Mario, Donkey Kong, Samus Aran, and Link set in stone like they rightfully deserve. I hate not being able to being able to give credit to an artist, but this one was too good not to share. You can pick this one up for 20 bucks by clicking here and can see the detailed photo of the design after the jump...

Chuck Norris Takes On Your Favorite Video Games... And Kicks Their Ass!!!

Chuck Norris has long been the punchline for countless jokes and situational skits based on his invincibility.  But video artist Daneboy decided to pit the Big Red Machine against some of our favorite video game titles from the past 30 years. These 40 second clips depict an 8-bit Norris taking on the viscous green pigs of Angry Birds, level 1-1 of Super Mario Brothers, and the sneaky ghosts of Pacman. Enjoy all three clips after the jump and remember that nobody can defeat Chuck Norris.... NOBODY!!!

Mari-0: A Super Mario Brothers/Portal Mash-up For The Ages

The guys over at StabYourself.net have created an unreal mash-up of two classic video games, Portal & the original Super Mario Brothers. Can you imagine flying through portals as you zip around the 9 levels of the Mushroom Kingdom? This mod is going to be awesome. Thanks to Joe Fletch for sending me the link to this awesome game. You can download it by clicking here and following the page directions. Watch the trailer for the game after the jump.I really like the way they used the whole "Big Brother 1984" concept from the old Apple Computers commercial and the Fred Savage movie "The Wizard" as inspiration for the commercial. It just adds to the coolness of the game. Enjoy...

50 Pop Culture Valentines To Share With That Special Someone In Your Life...

So today is Valentines Day, or as some people like to describe it, The Hallmark Holiday. It's just a mad up day in order to sell loads of candy, flowers and greeting cards in order for people to conform and fit the mold they have been told to fit. Well here at CCD we say fuck the norm. Instead of going to your local card shoppe and spending 5 bucks on a card filled with bullshit words and typical heart drawings, we have found 50 great pop culture themed Valentines Day Cards from around the web to share with the person you love and put a smile on their face. Hope these do the trick. So instead of buying a store bought card, print one of these puppies out and you will score some major points with the Pop Culture junkie in your life...