The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log » music

Boba Fett busker

Joe — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:01:06 +0000

Now this guy has class – a busking accordion player in the New York subway, wearing a Boba Fett helmet. Bounty hunting Boba Fett busker? It’s mad but true – I love it when real life throws up something wonderfully weird like this in an everyday location, it makes life that little bit more magical. I’ve seen Stormtroopers wandering the streets during the Edinburgh Festival but they weren’t doing street performances. I wonder what other Star Wars character would perform if they busked? With that deep voice could you imagine Darth Vader doing improv poetry in the street? A group of Stormtroopers line dancing? (via BoingBoing)

Japanese ukulele animation

Joe — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:02:48 +0000

I love this short but really cute Japanese stop motion animated ukulele player piece! (via BoingBoing)

Music, comics and puppets

Joe — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:01:11 +0000

Writer and artist Kevin Colden tells us that there’s a party night at Bergen Street Comics on Bergen Street (unsurprisingly!) in Brooklyn at 8pm on February 12th to celebrate a new video fromCulture Pop Productions‘ Carlos Molina and Seth Kushner (who’s superb photos of comics creators grace NYC Graphic). Its a music video for band Heads Up Display and boasts creatures designed by Kevin and built by former Sesame Workshop member Josh Dillard. The team of Molina and Kushner also previously made the Act-I-Vate Experience video:

The ACT-I-VATE Experience from Carlos Molina on Vimeo.

Metaphrog have comics workshop in Glasgow this weekend

Joe — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:42:49 +0000

John and Sandra, the shiny duo behind Metaphrog comics, have a comics workshop this weekend in one of the my very favourite Glasgow institutions, the wonderful Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (as seen in Denise Mina’s run on Hellblazer, although now mostly demon free). From the description: “Learn how they make their own Louis graphic novels, create your own characters and develop your own story, from initial idea through to storyboard and finished comic.” The workshop runs from 1pm to 4pm on Sunday 31st of January and like the museum is absolutely free; check the museum’s site for more details on how to reserve a place.

(above, a lovely animation from the Louis -- Dreams Never Die graphic novel by and (c) Metaphrog, music by Múm and Hey)

Hype Machines Top 50 artists of 2009 – with pretty pictures….

Richard — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:01:15 +0000

Hype Machine is music website that links to a huge assortment of music blogs. They’ve recently posted up their top 50 artists of 2009, depending on how often they were listed on the site. But what makes it of interest here is the decision to commission 50 artists to accompany each entry. And there are some familiar names……

(#11: La Roux artwork by Jamie McKelvie)

(#12: Florence + The Machine artwork by Julia Scheele)

(#50: Iron & Wine artwork by Tom Humberstone)

Classic rock art

Joe — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:41:43 +0000

The Royal Mail has produced a set of stamps celebrating the classic artwork of rock and pop albums from the last four decades, with art from cover sleeves of works like pink Floyd’s Division Bell, Led Zepplin IV, the Rolling Stones’ Let it Bleed and Blur’s Park Life being among the cover designs chosen for the final ten, from a potential list of thousands. And naturally the Clash, London Calling, cover made the cut too, surely one of the simplest but best album covers of all time (and a bloody brilliant album too)? Rock on! (via the BBC)

Best of the Year: Ian Rankin’s selection

Joe — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:06:52 +0000

Today’s blog guest for the Best of the Year was also a recent guest in our Edinburgh store where he signed copies of his debut graphic novel, Dark Entries. Creator of the internationally bestselling Inspector Rebus novels and a regular on shows like Late Night Review and the Culture Show, as well as stout supporter of his local pub, please welcome Ian Rankin with his selection of favourites from 2009:

FPI: Can you pick any comics/webcomics/graphic novels which you especially enjoyed over the last twelve months and tell us why you singled them out?

Ian: My fave comic has probably been The Boys - visceral, beautifully drawn and scripted, very very nasty about ’supes’! I’ve also been catching up on Transmetropolitan.

FPI: Can you pick three TV shows and/or movies which you especially enjoyed over the last twelve months and tell us why you singled them out?

Ian: I liked the Watchmen movie (though my seventeen year old son was less enthusiastic). Made me read the comics all over again!

On TV it has been great to get a new (though too short!) series of The Thick Of It - I liked the movie In The Loop, too.

In 2010 I am really looking forward to Kick Ass - the trailer is terrific. And before then, I’ll be intrigued to see the filmic reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey Jr is one of my favourite actors (though sadly Jude Law is not…).

FPI: anything else in the cultural world take your fancy these last twelve months?

Ian: My fave album of 2009 was probably The Duckworth Lewis Method - a concept album about cricket. Wait! Come back…! It was catchy and different and quite wonderful. The second album from St Jude’s Infirmary was worth the wait (check out an interview by Ian with St Jude’s in the List here – Joe). Tip in music for 2010: The Gothenburg Address… and my mates St Jude’s Infirmary.

FPI: How did 2009 go for you as a creator? Are you happy with the way you got your work out this year?

Ian: On a personal note, I worked way too hard in 2009. I had two books come out in paperback (Doors Open and A Cool Head), one new hardback (The Complaints) and my first graphic novel (Dark Entries). I also worked on and off all year on my first film script. The batteries are drained, which is why I’m going to try and write nothing at all in 2010….

69 love songs

Joe — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:01:41 +0000

(My Only Friend by and (c) Sean Azzopardi for 69 Love Songs)

Here’s a nice union of two of our favourite things – music and comics. The How Fucking Romantic site has a great series of musically themed strips, with contributions from Huw Davies, Sean Azzopardi, Elizabeth Jordan, Tom Humberstone, Julia Scheele and more. I think its still ongoing, so bookmark it now so you can come back to it. (via the Panel Borders Twitter)

(nothing like dancing in your undies! art by and (c) Julia Scheele)

Punk rock is ruining my teeth

Joe — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:05:20 +0000

Liz Prince has started a new monthly strip for the punk and indie rock site If You Make It, with the first strip, Punk Rock is Ruining My Teeth up now, go check it out. And while you’re on there have a rummage around the main site – as well as news and info there are some cool free tracks from indie bands to check out too; comics and free new music, viva life! (via Leigh Walton’s Twitter)

(panels from Punk Rock is Ruining my Teeth by and (c) Liz Prince)

Björk singing for the Moomins

Joe — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:57 +0000

(Björk, image borrowed from her website gallery)

Icelandic singer and all round engima Björk is working with Sjón to create a song especially for a new film being made by the Finnish Filmkompaniet studio and due next year, “Moomins and the Comet Chase”. Hard to think on someone more suitable to sing for a Moomin Troll! I’ve been loving the really beautiful Tove Jansson Moomins collections that Drawn & Quarterly has been publishing over the last couple of years, how lovely to hear of a film too, although I wonder if we will get it in the English language cinema world? Fingers crossed.

(a scene from the first volume of the Complete Tove Jansson Moomin from D&Q)