Needless to say, I finally got around to getting Limbo, and first independent game from Playdead Studios from Copenhagen.  Release in 2011, this game is a well polished side-scrolling platform game that is more about situational puzzle-solving. But what Limbo does differently from all of the other is keep it simple. So simple that there is no tutorial.  There are no instructions.  You are just a small boy that awakens in the forest and you are trying to find your way out.  There is a story, but it slowly evolves.

But by keeping the mechanics simple, it allows the developers to amaze you with the sounds of the game, the visual aura and beautifully haunting surroundings.  The entire game has a monochromatic look to it with a fuzzy, murky feeling to it that just is astounding and makes you want to just keep continuing in the game.

Much of the puzzles are trial and error, but the game is very forgiving and you return just at the point of the next obstacle to try again. Mind you that the “deaths” of trial and error are not childish, but rather violent, but done in a way that isn’t necessarily for mature audiences…. but this is no Mario-Kart, that is for sure.

The game itself lasts about 5-6 continuous hours, which by most accounts would be considered a short game and would turn away many gamers.  However its list price of $9.99 – $14.99 makes a priced just right and I would rather play a short game of such tremendous value and production value, than play through a game that is much longer but just mediocre or the same as so many other games out there.

Whether you play the game on a Macintosh, PC, Xbox, or Playstation, go and download this game.  Now.  Without question.  There is a reason that this game won over 90 gaming awards last year.  It is that good.

View the Trailer

While Ron Paul has been in the political arena for years now and has run for the Presidential Office several times now, I have never really given him much thought. Until a friend asked me to simply view a video of his approach and thoughts on the affairs of the military, the role of government, and other pressing matters our nation faces.  What surprised me the most was that Dr. Paul simply “gets it”.  His thoughts and opinions are just common sense.  So many of the problems facing our nation in 2012 he warned up about as long ago as 1988. Much of the change we as a country would need to embrace in order to turn around out enormous national debt, foreign policy and domestic economy are ideas that he presents and would initiate if he was president.

However, the fact remains that he is not a polished politician.  He doesn’t have the grace and demeanor that the rest of the candidates in this election have.  I would call him the practical, common man’s political representative.  And that may be his downfall with regards to seeing enough people follow him and put him in the White House.

But that being said, after watching just a few of his videos, you may find yourself rooting for this underdog in the upcoming election. Who knows… maybe you will point others to view these videos.

Here are just some that highlights:

Unmatched Intellect

On January 30th, 2008, Ron Paul debated Mitt Romney, John McCain and Mike Huckabee at the Reagan Library. In the debate, he overwhelmingly demonstrated himself and his intellect as the right choice for the office of President of the United States. He was right then and he’s still right now.

30% of Those that View This Change their Vote

A fantastic look at the political views of this man and his uncanny views on government and the role it should really take…

Ron Paul’s Famous “What If” Speech

A very profound viewpoint…

Ron Paul’s Imagine Video

Not only another great speech by Ron Paul and very thought provoking, but this version is a beautifully executed kinetic typography video that really helps convey his message. Enjoy!….

Some church’s display such profound ways of communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ…. in a way that is creative, that is artistic, that is relevant to today’s culture.  Such is this video by The Village Church out of Texas.

Not only is the cinematography simply amazing and utterly beautiful, but the rap-style talking and the music is profound, catchy, and memorable.

Even if you are not a believer, if you have the slightest bit of creativity or artistic side to you, please watch this.  Amazing!…..

Advent: God With Us from The Village Church on Vimeo.

The most troubling thing is, I have tried but can’t track down the talent behind this awesome painting.  If anyone stumbles across this, contact me and I will give them credit where credit is most certainly due.

I love the thought of a shark lurking in the murky depths of the ocean.  But to take that concept and render it as a coalition of murky ink and fluid watercolor to depict this very disturbing image of the predator and the hunted was sheer brilliance.  My creative hats off to whomever you are out there. Keep up the great work!

I am talking about the new, up-and-coming illustrator out of Berlin, Germany: 21 year-old Niklas Coskan.  Also know as the Dee Dee Kid, this youngster is proving himself a force to be reckoned with.

From his fabulous use of thick-and-thin ink lines, great vintage low-saturated color palette, and interesting compositions that have their own innate movement and visual direction, Niklas’s style is anything but mundane and ordinary.  This illustrations have a natural look that lends itself well to letterpress printing, with its gritty grain and imperfections, and have a simple enough color palette that they could easily be reproduced in that manner or large on shirts.

His twisted, yet charming subjects have a bit of that “rat fink” style that was the signature of illustrator Ed Roth, yet Niklas has made it his own, rather than a deliberate copy.

Niklas shows that kind of raw talent at a young age where you know that given time to more completely hone his craft, he will be a dominating illustrating force in the design world in the coming decades.

Check out his full portfolio…

In Christopher’s own words:

I see monsters in my head and I put them on paper or canvas and let them play. When I started painting, I wasn’t sure if there was a place for my work in the world of ‘fine art’, but than I realized fine art to some people might be tattoos, graffiti and even comic books. This is my art; I paint and draw things that make me happy.

For those that love comics, enjoy!

Don’t get me wrong, the animated short film Big Buck Bunny has nothing to do with Pixar. It actually has to do with Blender, an open-source animation tool used mostly for creating grass, hair, leaves, etc.  Part of the Blender community, a small team (7) of the best 3D artists and developers in the Blender community have been invited to come together to work in Amsterdam from October 2007 until April 2008 on completing a short 3D animation movie.

What developed from their efforts, is an engaging, charming and hilarious short film.

What’s even better is that you can have a FREE copy of it for yourself.  Large, HD versions (in various file formats) or even an iPod Touch version for your mobile needs.  Go over to the Project’s website to grab a copy.

Yes, this movie is almost 4 years old, but I think you will find the animation was years ahead of itself for 2008 when it was made.

Enjoy!

1. He’s The Everyday Hero

Put aside the fact of Bruce Wayne’s wealth, under the costume, he is still just a city’s citizen that is tired of allowing corruption, crime, and evil run rampant. Yes, he is simply-put, a vigilante.  But he inspires us to not turn away from injustice, but to do something about it.

2. No Powers

He is one of the few heroes in the DC Comics or Marvel world that has absolutely no super powers.  No superhuman strength. No extra-planetary abilities. He is a mortal man. His strength he gets from conditioning. His combat abilities from training. Yes, he has gadgets, but could he still be Batman without them, yes.  Take away the robotic suit, and Tony Stark is no longer IronMan.

3. He is Complicated

The motivations behind the character are anything but simple.  They are complicated.  He has emotional baggage. He has issues that not only fuel him in his quest, but can haunt him in his sleep. Does he need counseling? Yes.  But that is why he is so relatable to us all.  He is not the Man of Emotional Steel. He is a real guy. With a past. Living each day with having to deal and cope.  Sound familiar?

4. He is Not Glorified

I love the movie line, “He can become what Gotham needs him to be.” Batman is not Gotham City’s glorified hero.  He doesn’t have the greatest press coverage.  Some view him as a hero.  Some view him as a crazed vigilante.  Some view him as just another villain who is wanted by the police.  Because he is a mystery to most, he can be all of those things and still fight for justice.

5. Fear

I love the very concept of his character.  He strives to strike fear into those that use fear itself to prey among the weak and innocent.  But he uses he own fears to personify that fear.  By becoming The Bat, he embodies that fear, that element of dark night and uses it to his advantage.

If you examine his giant collection of mythical creatures in his illustration collection, you will notice a very distinct style:  sharp, razor-like shapes that convey a very strong sense of visual direction and really lead the eye through the piece.  He is gifted with a fantastic imagination that really shines in his creature conception and is exceeded only by his masterful portrayal of light and shadow to really create masterpieces of art.

My favorite of his pieces happens to portray one of my top favorite fictional characters: Han Solo.  As you can see, while the razor like quality of his style has been toned down a bit for this piece, his talent for light source and portraying depth by shadows is wonderfully conveyed in this piece.

Enjoy.  Than go over and check out the rest of his stuff…

So, I got the best of both worlds when I came upon truly amazing talents by Brooklyn-based illustrator Peter de Seve.  Known mostly for his incredible cover illustrations for New Yorker magazine, you may also notice his quirky touch on the character design behind Ice Age‘s character “Scrat”.

But for me the highlight was a little piece that he did that features Yoda and Kermit the Frog.  I just love the contentment that he features on Yoda’s face.  The linework and detail is amazing.

So, just how did Peter arrive at this idea or inspiration for this piece?  In his own words,

Whenever I get an assignment, especially such a wide open one, I begin to free-associate and see what connections my frayed synapses can make.

Below is a short ride on my train of thought:
hmmm …
Yoda…
he would be good to draw… and he was actually a puppet, wasn’t he?
No, he was a muppet! And he was green, too.
I love muppets.
I wonder what I’ll have for lunch…
Wait a minute! Wasn’t Kermit the frog a muppet, too?
Wait! Wait! He was a GREEN muppet!
And they both lived in swamps!
What if they knew each other?
What if they actually hung out together??!!
Maybe I’ll have a tuna sandwich…”

So feast your eyes on this piece and then head over to his website to see the rest of this master’s work.  Keep it up Peter!