Recently in Design Category

A History of Robot Design in Film

"The Automation" from The Master Mystery, 1920. Perhaps the first robot on film even though it turns out to be a madman in a suit. Starred Harry Houdini.

The "Maria" Robot from Metropolis, 1927. Remains perhaps the best robot design still.

The Phantom Creeps, 1939. Like the two above, Phantom Creeps was a serial of twelve weekly chapters. Bela Lugosi controlled his robot by way of a remote strapped to his arm. Mad scientist liked heavy handed robots and audiences too so the robot from Undersea became a bigger smash when it reappeard in The Mysterious Dr Satan, 1940.

Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951. He could turn the earth into a burnt out cinder.

The Robot Monster from Robot Monster, 1953. Yes, it's a gorilla suit with a TV for a head.

Gog from Gog, 1954. Ivan Tors was trying to take robot design seriously.

In Devil Gril from Mars, 1954 and Target Earth, 1954, we were under threat from fridges. 

Tobor from Tobor the Great, 1954, had a way with kids.

But Robbie the Robot from Forbidden Planet, 1956, had a way with the ladies.

And Robbie remains the quintessential movie robot to this day. Say bye Robbie.

(End of Part One)

*Try saying that six times fast.

Ray Bradbury turns 90 in a career that spans over half a century.

Here's my pick for the books out July where I think idea and execution come together. Incidently, Go Mutants has a very cool site.

And Planet recent got itself a facebook page too. Although the clothing section has had its own page for a while, we thought we should have one to indulge our luv & wunderment of pop and off-centre culture. I'm already busy on it regularly posting pics and tubes that appeal to my sense of groovy, hip, cool and crap.

Our mascot, The Silver Turtle: Size of a Planet* says "check it out." 

*I lied, we don't have a mascot called The Silver Turtle: Size of a Planet. Wish we did.

Best Book Covers for May

Though I use layout design combined with the execution of the art, be it photography or illustration, as to judge the quality of the final product I still pretty much just go with what I like.

Eh, what ya gonna do? 

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Star Wars Sequel Anyone?

I almost forgot that on May 21st 1980, The Empire Strikes Back was released to an anxious audience. No need to tell everyone it remains the most liked of the Star Wars movies and often referred to as an example of a sequel that improves on the original (I prefer to think it builds on the first). It was a film that introduced the cinematic cliffhanger to a new generation and was the first downbeat ending that teenagers had encountered. That satisfied but still yerning feeling in the stomach when the credits went up was a new sensation for millions. And 30 years on it remains the best space adventure film. And the hand animated snowwalker battle on Hoth sequence is still superior to almost all since (yes, I'm thinking Avatar).

It remains a kick-arse adventure. Gotta be impressed.

Here's the trailer to remind you.

Oops, wrong trailer.

Eh, what ya gonna do?

Here's my choices of best book covers for April.

Well, actually, I cheated with the top three. Yes, Windup Girl is a paperback release for April, but the cover art is idenitical to last years hardcover release but I somehow missed it. Incidently, Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi is fast being considered one of the hottest novels around and already slated to take numerous awards. Looks nicely po-mo which is always a bonus for me. Same with Mind Over Ship, I skipped the hardcover and also this paperback edition is a couple of months old. And oops regarding Pinion. This is the third book in Jay Lake's Clockwork Earth series and somehow I missed ordering it till April instead of March.

You probably have already guessed I'm a sucker for futuristic cityscapes and a penchant for the fantastic, so many covers usually come from genre titles. There are five graphic novels here as well. There's usually one, maybe two, but I'm seeing a growing trend by comic publishers to have the art direction more explorative. For the last three months there has been a cover by the publication house Vertigo and for April there are two, Area 10 and Luna Park.

And I assure you that the three covers with skulls is coincidence and not an indication that I have a thing for brain cases.