Ghosts A GO-GO Toons

Moving to new blog

2009-12-31T12:54:00.000-08:00

I will be deleting this blog and moving everything over to the new ghosts a go go toons blog
vonmunster@ghostsagogotoons.com
reason behind this I'm putting together my website and no longer need this blog

New Blog and website

2009-12-25T18:26:00.000-08:00

I'll be moving my blog to http://www.ghostsagogotoons.blogspot.com
I'm also making a new website www.ghostsagogotoons.com
So if you are following my blog please go over to the new.. I'll be deleting this one in a few days.

2009-12-21T11:38:00.001-08:00

1913: The first crossword puzzle is printed in the New York World.

2009-12-18T12:28:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1956: Japan is admitted to the United Nations.

2009-12-17T12:23:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1777: France recognizes American independence.

2009-12-17T00:13:00.001-08:00

The first game of golf for which records survived was played at Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland, in A.D. 1456.

2009-12-16T11:48:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1944: The Battle of the Bulge during World War II begins in Belgium.

2009-12-14T12:01:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1981: Israel formally annexes the Golan Heights.

2009-12-13T17:32:00.001-08:00

In 1886, sales of "Coca-Cola" averaged only 9 drinks per day.

2009-12-11T11:32:00.001-08:00

In history 1994: Russian troupes invade Chechnya in an unsuccessful attempt to restore Moscows power in the region.

2009-12-11T10:11:00.001-08:00

Did you knpw Leonardo da Vinci was dyslexic, and he often wrote backwards.

2009-12-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

The first inter-racial kiss on TV was in an original "STAR TREK" episode entitled "Plato's Stepchildren".

2009-12-10T11:33:00.003-08:00

In history 1999: Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee is arrested and charged with stealing classified information.

2009-12-10T11:33:00.001-08:00

In history 1999: Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee is arrested and charged with stealing classified information.

2009-12-09T11:31:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1941: China declares war against Japan, Germany, and Italy.

2009-12-08T12:48:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1949: Communist attacks force the Chinese Nationalist government to flee to Taiwan.

2009-12-07T22:46:00.001-08:00

Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button. It was eliminated when he was sewn up after surgery.

2009-12-07T11:46:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1975: Indonesia invades East Timor, leading to a 25-year occupation.

2009-12-07T10:42:00.001-08:00

Spinach consumption in the U.S. rose 33% after the Popeye comic strip became a hit in 1931.

2009-12-07T03:35:00.001-08:00

Marie Curie, the Nobel prize winning scientist who discovered radium, died of radiation poisoning.

2009-12-07T03:33:00.001-08:00

According to legend, there's a Superman in every episode of Seinfeld.

2009-12-05T03:13:00.001-08:00

The Andy Griffth Show was the first spin-off in TV history. It was spun-off from the Danny Thomas Show.

2009-12-05T02:53:00.001-08:00

Robert Kennedy was killed in the Ambassador Hotel, the same hotel that housed Marilyn Monroe's first modeling agency.

2009-12-05T01:05:00.001-08:00

The Sega Genesis featured a version of the same Motorola processor that powered the original Apple Macintosh computer.

Last sale of the year!!

2009-12-04T12:45:00.001-08:00

Go to www.ghostsagogo.etsy.com and it's buy one get one free. Just send a email or comment on what picture you would like to ship with your order.

2009-12-04T12:28:00.001-08:00

Also did you know every hour one billion cells in the body must be replaced.

2009-12-04T12:20:00.001-08:00

Did you know a snail can sleep for three years.

2009-12-04T12:00:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1991: Associated Press correspondent Terry Anderson is released after seven years as a hostage in Lebanon.

2009-12-03T12:43:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1818: Illinois becomes the 21st state in the United States.

2009-12-02T21:43:00.001-08:00

Did you know if a surgeon in Ancient Egypt lost a patient while performing an operation, his hands were cut off.

2009-12-02T11:45:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1804: Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned emperor of France in Paris by Pope Pius VII.

2009-12-02T11:00:00.001-08:00

Dis you know arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, was an ophthalmologist by profession.

2009-12-01T22:13:00.001-08:00

Fun beer fact: The bubbles in Guiness Beer sink to the bottom rather than float to the top like all other beers. No one knows why.

2009-12-01T22:06:00.001-08:00

Did you know each year, there are more than 40,000 toilet related injuries in the United States.

2009-12-01T14:22:00.001-08:00

Did you know former US President Ulysses S. Grant had the boyhood nickname 'Useless'.

2009-12-01T11:41:00.001-08:00

Today in history: 1955: Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her front section bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama.

2009-12-01T10:52:00.001-08:00

Fun beer fact: By 3,000 B.C. there were at least six different types of beer in Egypt.

2009-12-01T10:49:00.001-08:00

Did you also know when Scott Paper Company first started manufacturing toilet paper they did not put their name on the product because of embarrassement.

2009-12-01T10:45:00.001-08:00

Did you know the first Ford cars had Dodge engines.

2009-12-01T03:03:00.001-08:00

Did you know there are more nutrients in the cornflake package itself than there are in the actual cornflakes.

2009-11-30T11:38:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1900: Irish author Oscar Wilde dies in Paris at the age of 46.

2009-11-27T11:31:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1973: Gerald R. Ford is confirmed by the Senate to become vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew.

2009-11-26T11:54:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1789: The first national Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. is proclaimed by President George Washington.

2009-11-25T11:31:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1998: Jiang Zemin becomes the first Chinese head of state to visit Japan since World War II.

2009-11-24T11:31:00.001-08:00

Today in hisorty 1963: Jack Ruby shoots Lee Harvey Oswald, JFKs accused assassin, in the garage of the Dallas police headquarters.

One to many updates...

2009-11-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

It was that time of year again, to sit down and update everything... If you didn't know I make a facebook for Ghosts A Go-Go and also a Twitter.
http://www. ghostsagogo.etsy.com

http://twitter.com/GhostsAGoGo

http://www.facebook.com/von.munster

http://ghostsago-gotoons.blogspot.com

www.myspace.com/TheLoneGunman

Also took the time and made yahoo, aim, windows live account.

AIM:
kingofthecarnies
Windows Live:
kingofthecarnies
Yahoo:
rummymunster

ALSO uploaded new cartoons to my etsy for sale. They have a lot of Ed Roth/Coop style in them.

2009-11-23T11:31:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1971: Peoples Republic of China is seated at the UN Security Council.

2009-11-20T13:32:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1910: Francisco Madero begins an armed revolt against the president of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz.

2009-11-19T13:49:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1985: Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time in Geneva.

2009-11-18T12:07:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1976: Spains parliament approves a bill to establish a democracy after 37 years of dictatorship.

2009-11-17T11:48:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1800: Congress meets in Washington, DC, for the first time.

2009-11-13T12:49:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1942: The minimum draft age is lowered from 21 to 18.

2009-11-12T11:39:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1942: The World War II battle of Guadalcanal begins on this day.

2009-11-10T11:42:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1982: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial opened in Washington, DC.

2009-11-09T22:06:00.001-08:00

Check out http://www.jinx.com/member/530997 For all you nerd needs!

2009-11-09T11:31:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1970: Former French president Charles De Gaulle dies at the age of 79.

2009-11-06T11:31:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1861: Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederate States of America.

2009-11-05T13:52:00.001-08:00

Today in history1872: Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 for attempting to vote in the presidential election.

2009-11-04T23:35:00.001-08:00

Damn Yankees!! The Red Sox will win next year!

2009-11-04T11:51:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1922: Howard Carter discovers the tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt.

It's around that time of year!!

2009-11-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

It's time to clean house and re-build Munster Radio!! I'll be posting new music and changing the lay out of the myspace profile. Also I'm working on making a website for Munster Radio and adding some new music tour line ups! I've been working on my art (Ghosts A Go-Go) for a long time now and sadly Munster Radio took a back set. BUT not anymore!! I'm looking for new bands that I can play on my show. Genres I'm looking for are Death Metal / Black Metal / Metal / Psychobilly / Punk / Alternative / Surf / Rockabilly / Rock / Indie / Bluegrass / Gothic ETC. !!NO RAP OR HIP HOP! OR THAT CRAPPY COUNTRY THOSE CRAZY KIDS PLAY NOW A DAYS!! If you have a press pack you can mail it to: Munster Radio 4151 Summercrest ST. SE Albany OR. 97322 OR If you have MP3s just send me a email on myspace or ghostsagogo@gmail.com ~Von Munster

TwitterPeek: A $99 handheld for Twitter, and only Twitter

2009-11-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

The makers of the Peek e-mail-only handheld are trying the same trick with the TwitterPeek, a device that lets you keep tabs on the Twitterverse while you're on the go ... and that's about it.

On sale now at Amazon, the 4 by 2.7 by 0.4-inch, $99 TwitterPeek is as basic as it gets. Armed with about 3-4 days of battery life (with "average" use, according to the developers), a decent-sized screen and a QWERTY keypad, the dedicated handheld lets you perform all the basic Twitter chores—checking your feed, posting tweets, tracking @mentions, and sending and/or replying to direct messages—while you're out and about.

Now, wait a minute ... can't you do all that from just about any cell phone? Well, yes, and indeed, the TwitterPeek is missing just about every other feature you'd expect in your average mobile, including a camera, a Web browser (so no, you can't click on tweeted URLs on the TwitterPeek, although you can view TwitPics), text messaging, and even a way to check your e-mail.

But perhaps that's the point, and indeed, the TwitterPeek might appeal to anyone who's ever said, "All I want is a cell phone that just makes calls." In that spirit, here's a handheld that just does Twitter. That's not my kind of device, frankly, but I'm sure there's someone (are you out there?) for whom the Spartan TwitterPeek is just the ticket.

And if simplicity doesn't appeal, how about this—no wireless contract. Instead, you pay just $8 month-to-month for nationwide coverage, including unlimited tweeting. Another option is to get the $199 version of TwitterPeek, which comes with lifetime service.

Again, I don't see the TwitterPeek making too many inroads with gadget hounds like me, but the developers in Peek Inc. seem pretty confident that there's a market for these kinds of dedicated devices, especially for those who'd rather not cough up $100 a month for cell service with a data plan.

So, what do you think of the TwitterPeek? Crazy? Inspired? Want one, or know someone who might?

2009-11-03T11:39:00.001-08:00

Today in history 1952: Clarence Birdseye markets the first frozen peas.

Toy line?

2009-08-17T21:11:00.001-07:00

I thinking about making some spooky cars and other toys for ghosts a go-go. What does everyone think?

List of Warcraft Expansion Content Leaves No Rumor Unturned

2009-08-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

A truckload of details and features, alleged to be included in the as-yet unnanounced World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, has made its way out to the interwebs. This gets both spoiler alert and rumor treatment in the strongest terms possible.
MMO Champion has put together this list, saying it comes from multiple sources. One of them is a thread on Something Awful, so caveat reader. And this sort of thing almost always precedes a Warcraft expansion.

But the list is much deeper than the earlier speculation on two new playable races. If you're interested and don't mind ruining the surprise, go check out MMO Champion. Highlights - spoiler alert - are said to include;

• Level cap raised to 85.

• No new classes, but some classes will be made available to races that weren't before.

• Two new races, Goblins and Worgen, as has been speculated.

• A remake of classic Azeroth

Steven Spielberg To Produce Halo Movie?

2009-08-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

According to sources speaking with film site IESB, talent agency CAA and "studio executives," Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg is in talks to oversee the production of a new Halo movie.
IESB say Spielberg has been "blown away" by Stuart Beattie's screenplay, which as we know deals with a kid called John. Oh, and some aliens as well, along with a little shooting.
IESB also point out that having lost Transformers, Dreamworks (having recently split from their distribution deal with Paramount) will be looking to gain a replacement "tentpole" action series, and Halo - which has been abandoned by Peter Jackson and Neil Blomkamp - fits the bill perfectly.
Apparently CAA, who list Spielberg as a client, have the director in "active negotiations" to produce the movie. So please, make note of this. He's rumoured to be in talks to produce the movie, not direct it.
Sounds crazy, but then, five years ago how many of you would have picked that Spielberg would produce a Transformers movie?

Turtle Power! TMNT 25th Anniversay Collection 4-DVD Set Reviewed

2009-08-13T04:12:00.000-07:00

I am officially declaring it the year of the turtle. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that is. In Celebration of their 25th anniversary, Warner Home Video has released the TMNT 25th anniversary collection, collecting all four feature films into one complete set. Can you say turtle power?

Originating in 1984 in the form of a comic book published by Mirage Studios, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quickly became a pop culture phenomenon with the release of the first of four films, three of which were live action. Adding in a toy line and an animated series, you cannot deny the entertainment power that these turtles in a half shell have delivered over the years.

The first film, debuting in 1990, aptly titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, presented the origin story of the turtles along with their sensai Splinter. We were introduced to April O’ Neal, Casey, the evil Shredder and his Foot Clan. The film, with it’s dark and gritty nature, did a good job of following pretty closely to the storyline presented in the Mirage comic.

The second film in the franchise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret of the Ooze, premiered a year after the release of the first film. TMNT II followed the adventures of the four turtles roughly where they left off in the first film. Shredder was the main antagonist, this time bringing in additional muscle in the form of Tokka and Rahzar.

The third film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, take the turtles on a time traveling adventure to ancient Japan. Here they must rescue April O’ Neal and get back to present day New York before they are trapped in the past forever. In case your wondering this was my favorite of all the films.

TMNT, premiering in 2007 in the form of a CGI animated film, was the fourth film in the popular franchise. This film shows our turtle brothers growing apart, no longer protecting the citizens of New York from the evils that haunt it. That is until an army of ancient creatures threaten to take over the world. The pizza loving turtles must unite and save the world from this menace.

The 25th Anniversary box set contains four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVDs, spanning the first three live action films from 1990 to 1993 and the recent animated film, which made its debut in 2007. The four DVDs are not delivered in the standard DVD packaging but instead you’ll receive these DVDs in a zippered pouch with metallic manhole covers on each side. Accompanying the DVDs are four TMNT masks, representing each turtle. You’ll also get some pretty cool looking temporary tattoos.

The bonus features on the first three films are pretty bare and consist of a few games and some trailers. The fourth DVD features commentary, interviews, storyboards and deleted scenes.

Nearly Twenty years after watching the first film I can honestly say that I experienced the same amount of joy from watching each of these films as I did way back then. If your a fan, or not, this 25th anniversary collection is well worth picking up.

TMNT 25th Anniversary Collection is a available on Blu-ray and DVD with a release date of August 11th, 2009.

Check out the official site.

Get the Inside Scoop on WB Movies & DVD Releases at WB REEL NEWS

Here’s a clip from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.

The Marvel Universe Begins Major Changes In Dark Reign: The List—Avengers!

2009-08-13T04:06:00.000-07:00

If you’re reading New Avengers or the red-hot Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia, then you can’t miss an issue of Dark Reign: The List, beginning with the Avengers! Clint Barton (Ronin) makes a decision that’ll change the Avengers as you know them! The List—Avengers, from the superstar dream team of Brian Michael Bendis and Marko Djurdjevic, begins the end of the Marvel Universe as you know it when Norman Osborn is targeted for death by Ronin! Meanwhile, Osborn himself reveals his end game—the elimination of every obstacle in his way! He’s battled the X-Men and now, with his sights set on every other major player in the Marvel Universe, all will feel the wrath of Osborn! This landmark issue also features a variant cover by superstar artist Frank Cho!

“In 2010, the Marvel Universe changes forever and it all begins in The List,” said David Gabriel, Marvel Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation. “If you’re a Marvel fan, you can’t miss any of these specials—no hero or villain walks away the same.”

The future of the Marvel Universe begins in THE LIST!

DARK REIGN: THE LIST PART ONE- AVENGERS (JUL090493)

DARK REIGN: THE LIST PART ONE- AVENGERS HERO VARIANT (JUN098441)

Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS

Pencils and Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC

Variant Cover by FRANK CHO

Rated A …$3.99

FOC—8/20/09, On-Sale—9/9/09

DARK REIGN: THE LIST PART TWO- DAREDEVIL (JUL090494)
DARK REIGN: THE LIST PART TWO- DAREDEVIL HERO VARIANT (JUN098442)
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Pencils & Cover by BILLY TAN
Variant Cover by FRANK CHO
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—8/20/09, On-Sale—9/9/09

DARK REIGN: THE LIST PART THREE- X-MEN (JUL090495)
DARK REIGN: THE LIST PART THREE- X-MEN HERO VARIANT (JUN098443)
Written by MATT FRACTION
Pencils & Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Variant Cover by FRANK CHO
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—8/27/09, On-Sale—9/16/09

Phil Hester Takes Over Art Chores for The Darkness #80 & #81

2009-08-13T03:57:00.001-07:00

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that Phil Hester, the current writer for The Darkness, will take over artistic duties on the series for “Bog,” a special two-part story which he has also written. “Bog” begins in The Darkness #80 which is solicited for a September 2009 release and will conclude the following month in The Darkness #81.

Phil Hester, whose previous art credits for Top Cow include the Daredevil/Magdalena one-shot, has been the sole writer for the third volume of The Darkness since its launch in 2007. The Darkness #80 marks the first time that his art will accompany his writing in the series.

The story follows current Darkness bearer Jackie Estacado and his recently formed crew of criminals as they head to the swamp on their quest to destroy every representation of The Sovereign in the world. But they soon find that the swamp they are in has a monstrous protector.

In a recent interview with Comic Book Resources, Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik said, “Phil has really revived and reinvigorated ‘The Darkness’ during his tenure as writer. He’s taking Jackie places he’s never been before and making him a much more fleshed out, three-dimensional character… Phil mentioned had a secret ‘swamp monster’ story he’d been itching to tell and draw since he wrapped up his run on ‘Swamp Thing’ years ago. Phil has a great affinity for classic archetypes and stories and this one just seemed like too much fun to pass up. We found a way to incorporate it into Jackie’s larger story and away we went!”

“Although I’m not a ‘typical’ Top Cow artist, the story line in Bog allows me to really play to my dark, angular, twisted strengths,” explained writer/artist Hester, “Plus, with Parks on inks, Darkness readers will get to see my vision for a truly menacing swamp monster in all its glory.”

Two cover variants will be offered for The Darkness #80, one by Hester and another by artist Michal Ivan (City of Dust). Issue #81 will feature a cover by regular series artist Michael Broussard, who returns to the The Darkness with issue #82.

Both The Darkness #80 and #81 will be priced at $2.99 as part of Top Cow Productions ongoing promotion to maintain the low cover price of $2.99 in 2009 for all of their regular comic books.

Toronto Star names top games of the decade: what do you think?

2009-08-13T03:50:00.000-07:00

As part of its "Century So Far" series, the Toronto Star asked three writers to name the 10 most important video games of the last decade. Their picks: The Sims, Counter-Strike, Brain Age, Everquest, Dwarf Fortress, Bejeweled, Grand Theft Auto III, Guitar Hero, Halo 2, Wii Sports.

What do you think? I'm betting you're already scratching your head over a couple of entries, and no doubt have your own suggestions. But on the whole, it's a creditable effort. The Sims, Guitar Hero, Brain Age, and Wii Sports engrossed countless millions who'd never been interested in a video game in their life. Bejeweled gave a generation a new way to fill boring hours at the desk. Counter-Strike and Halo 2 helped birth today's multiplayer shooters, while Grand Theft Auto III spawned a generation of open-world wonders like Crackdown and Infamous.

Dwarf Fortress is certainly the oddball of the list -- if you've never heard of it, it's a bizarre Sims-style management game that gives players control of the destiny of a Tolkien-style colony of burrowing dwarfs. Name-dropping it is an instant passport to hardcore gamer kudos, but the interface is a black and white, text-only affair that seems to regard ease of use with the same suspicion its dwarfs regard goblin invaders. It's brilliant, inspiring, and utterly engrossing, but even after pouring an easy hundred hours into its uniquely detailed and cripplingly addictive gameplay, I'm not sure it even qualifies as a game, let alone one of the top ten of the last decade.

And Everquest over World of Warcraft? That's a tough one. There'd be no World of Warcraft without 1999 release Everquest blazing its trail, but the meteoric rise of Warcraft to its nigh-unassailable position atop the not inconsiderable mound of online world games perhaps deserves more credit.

Dwarf Fortress

Is this really one of the best games of the decade?

More than that, though, five of the games are crammed into the 1999-2001 period, and only Wii Sports and Brain Age represent the 2006-2009 years. Have the last four years really been such a poor period for video games? Come back in 2015, and I think the games of the Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3 generation will start looking more attractive. Witness the creative storytelling in BioShock, Call of Duty 4, or Braid, or the fusion of social networking and gameplay in LittleBigPlanet, or the new wave of cottage-industry development houses turning out games like World of Goo or iPhone money-spinner Trism. You can only really judge historical impact once, you know, it's had a chance to happen.

But never mind all that. Where's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, anyway?

Used and abused: The battle over used video games

2009-08-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

When you pick up that used copy of "Halo 3," you probably don't think about much beyond the $5 or $10 you're saving by not buying a new copy of the game. But while you're being thrifty, the line of contention between the people who make and sell video games is growing wider.

Used video games are a hot button issue for developers and publishers. No one who makes games is happy about the practice. Some even call it a few steps short of theft, though their blame is targeted at retailers, not customers.

The problem, they argue, is that used game sales eat into new game sales – and that cuts into their bottom line. GameStop, the largest specialty video game company in the U.S., gets the majority of their ire. The company pockets roughly $2 billion in used game sales each year. Instead of sharing that revenue, like Blockbuster or Netflix do with DVD rentals, it keeps it – and that has game makers seeing red.

GameStop, though, says the practice helps the industry by actually driving sales of new games. Only four percent of used game sales at GameStop are for titles that have come out in the past two months, says the company. By letting people trade in games, it encourages them to try titles they otherwise may not. And the vast majority of shoppers, it says, use their trade-in credit to buy new games.

Publishers don't buy that, though they're reticent to express their rage on the record, since GameStop is a major retail partner. They do point out, though, that in months where the industry doesn't have a full calendar of major releases, they rely heavily on sales of older games for revenue – and new game prices will never be able to compete with those of used games.

They also note they have to pay to be in retail flyers, so their marketing budgets are being used to drive customers to the stores in the first place. When someone buys a used game, they see no return on that investment.

As GameStop profits more and more from used games, other major retailers have shown increased interest in the market. Amazon, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Toys R Us have all launched pilot programs (some at limited locations) allowing people to trade in games for a credit.

It's an issue that is unique to the gaming world. By the time video rental stores like Blockbuster sell their used movies, studios have seen substantial income from that disc. The music industry wasn't a big fan of used CD sales, but doesn't mind as much now since digital downloads are its chief source of income. And the auto industry is just happy to have people on the lots these days.

Despite their objections to used game sales, publishers have so far found their hands somewhat tied. Attaching games to the first console they're played on is possible, but would be a PR nightmare, doing more harm than good. (Just look at the fuss Electronic Arts had to endure when it tried to limit the number of installations on each copy of the PC game "Spore.")

The most intriguing (and latest) attempt at finding middle ground, ironically, comes from a company that's also testing the sale of used games.

While select Best Buy locations around the country are letting people trade and buy used games, one store in West Jordan, Utah is letting customers buy new copies of a game for the same price that GameStop and GameCrazy (another game specialty retailer) are charging for the used equivalent.

It's a fascinating program – and one that publishers and developers are likely to endorse wholeheartedly should it spread wider. Customers get lower prices. Best Buy gets bigger sales traffic. And game makers still get their cut of the sale.

But to industry analyst Michael Pachter, Best Buy's innovative model is difficult to sustain and may well become just another victim in the ongoing pricing wars.

Over 200,000 Wii battery recharging stations recalled

2009-08-13T03:42:00.001-07:00

Are you the proud owner of a Nintendo Wii 4-Dock Recharge Station made by Psyclone Essentials or React? Put your pride aside and back away slowly -- these puppies can burn.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall of about 220,000 of the $50 stations after receiving reports that the batteries can overheat and cause burns. So far, six cases of overheating have been reported along with two cases of actual hand burns.

Available at major retailers like Toys R Us, Amazon, Target and Best Buy, the products were made in China and distributed by Griffin International in the U.S. Psyclone has more information about the recall on their site.

Gaming's Toughest Challenges

2009-08-01T02:10:00.000-07:00

Video games are supposed to be fun. They're supposed to energize us, relax us, and make us smile. Whether you consider yourself a casual fan or a hardcore vet, chances are you play video games for a singular reason: to have a good time.

But you're not going to find any of that here.

The following assortment of insane video game challenges proves that occasionally, even fun-loving game designers have bad intentions, crafting tasks so diabolically difficult, they should be outlawed. Grab a stack of quarters, load up some cheat codes and stretch out those thumb muscles. You're gonna need 'em.

Outlast the Pandemonium Warden -- Final Fantasy XI
Pandemonium Warden

If video game nastiness has a name, it is Pandemonium Warden. Introduced in an update to online role-playing game Final Fantasy XI last year, the tough-as-diamond-coated-nails boss monster took a licking but kept on ticking -- even after a whopping 18 straight hours. Players actually got sick and passed out from exhaustion trying to tackle the beast, prompting developer Square/Enix to dial back the difficulty and issue a statement about the shenanigans.

Survive "Through the Fire and Flames" -- Guitar Hero III, Expert
Guitar Hero 3

The seminal work of English metal band Dragonforce is widely considered to be the hardest rhythm game track ever. Unlocked after beating Guitar Hero III, the group's blistering battle cry floods the screen in a stream of notes so dense, it makes most normal gamers weep and give up. To a hardcore player, however, it's the ultimate sign of Guitar Hero mastery. If you can beat it on Expert, you should probably start a real band. Or become a ninja.

Finish without cheating -- Contra
Contra

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start. It's the most famous cheat code of all time, and while it finds its roots in another classic Konami game (Gradius, for those keeping score), it gained notoriety thanks to the grueling, intense difficulty of the legendary side-scrolling nightmare, Contra. Requiring hand-eye coordination skills that would make Bruce Lee jealous, beating this bullet-ridden beast without cheating is a serious feather in the cap.

Knock out Mike Tyson - Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Mike Tyson's Punch Out

When his game was released for the NES in 1987, then heavyweight champ Mike Tyson sported an unblemished record and was correctly labeled the scariest man in the world. But even the real Iron Mike paled next to the virtual one. Throwing a combination of lightning-fast uppercuts and awkwardly timed jabs, "Kid Dynamite" was a game-ending test of reflexes few could handle.

Defeat Algalon the Observer -- World of Warcraft
Algalon

Picking the toughest boss fight in World of Warcraft is next to impossible, but so is trying to take down the elemental giant Algalon. It's bad enough that you have to beat a batch of hard mode quests just to unlock the guy, but thanks to a brutal programming decision, your raid group only gets a one hour window per week to defeat him. Any boss that makes us set our alarm clock is evil indeed.

Get the real ending -- Ghosts 'N Goblins
Ghosts 'n' Goblins

It draws you in with its cute, cartoony look. It mesmerizes you with its cool weapons and initial wave or two of slow, shambling zombies. And then, it ruins your life. It's Ghosts 'N Goblins, the first game in one of the most difficult franchises ever, and one that hides one of gaming's cruelest twists. If you somehow manage to beat it -- a truly Herculean task -- developer Capcom delivers the surprise of the century by revealing that, hahaha, it's not the real ending. To get that, you'll have to play it again, a challenge made all the more difficult without the game controller you just hurled out the window.

Florida teen finds rocks in Nintendo DS box

2009-07-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jodi Wykle knew her son would be thrilled when she gave him a new Nintendo DS for his birthday.

Instead, he was rocked.

According to WTSP-TV, the confused teen opened up his gift only to find bunch of stones and a rolled up Chinese newspaper in place of the popular handheld.

All I got was a rock.

Needless to say, mom was equally stunned.

"When he opened it, he was pulling the seal off, my sister-in-law carries a pocket knife and she opened it and that's when he pulled it out and it was Chinese newspaper and a bunch of rocks," she explained.

The troubling discovery prompted the Florida woman to contact the local Wal-Mart where she bought the curious box and complain, but reportedly workers there told her it wasn't their problem and that she should contact Nintendo instead. Of course, Nintendo told her roughly the same thing, leaving mother and son with a $138 box of rocks.

"They don't want to do nothing. They want me to keep the box of rocks. I'm not buying a box of rocks for $138," she said.

Amazingly enough, however, Wal-Mart soon caved after learning that the same box of rocks had been previously returned by another disgruntled customer. How exactly it made it back onto store shelves remains a mystery, but for her troubles, Wykle was given a full refund and a $20 gift card.

It's not the first time Wal-Mart has gotten into hot water for selling a questionable handheld. Earlier this month, a PSP system bought at a different Wal-Mart store in Florida was found to contain a memory stick filled with pornographic images.

DC gets it right with Green Lantern: First Flight

2009-07-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

I am by no means a huge Green Lantern fan. As a matter of fact I cannot remember the last time I read a Green Lantern comic book. So going into this film I had no expectations at all which meant that there could be no letdown on my part. With that said, it would not have mattered if I were an expert on all things Green Lantern as this animated film litterally blew me away from beginning to end, each and every time I watched it. Which I can happily say in all my geekiness has been at least a dozen times already.

With the briefest of Hal’s origin being revealed First Flight quickly becomes a space epic with Hal playing the role of rookie cop with Sinestro playing the role of mentor, taking Hal under his wing and showing him the ropes. Or is he? From here on out it’s an action packed ride and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

A few surprises were thrown in for good measure, such as how brutal some of the scenes were. There was blood, there was death. The language portrayed in a handful of scenes were quite strong for an animated tale, although limited, still strong and not expected.

The voice cast consisting of Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen, and John Larroquette did a wonderful job. I’ll say this for DC, they have the upper hand on the competitionwhen it comes to casting voice talent. Director Lauren Montgomery adds a superb touch, as usual. The animation is truly amazing here showing the great directing details that only add to the overall quality.

Green Lantern: First Flight came with several bonus features including a Digital Copy, which appears to be a growing trend among DVD releases. What is Digital Copy? It’s a product that includes an additional digital file of the film that can be played on your computer. Other special features included a sneak peak at DC Universe’s upcoming Superman/Batman Public Enemies. A behind the scenes look at Blackest Night, the epic DC Comics event in which the dead rise. Last but not least, an opportunity to explore 3 other DC Universe animated movies. Great features to go along with a great film!

Before I ever set my beedy little eyeballs on this animated film I gave no thought to Green Lantern in any way, shape or form. When I was done with the film I was looking for any Green Lantern back issue comic books that I could find. I also added Green Lantern to my monthly pull list. So if that doesn’t tell you that this is an excellent film worth multiple viewings then I don’t know what will.

I leave you with these final words:
‘In Brightest Day,
In Blackest Night,
This Film Shall Not Escape your Site.
Let Those Who Deny Its Entertainment Might
Beware the Power –
Green Lantern: First Flight.’

Green Lantern: First Flight will be available on DVD and Blu-ray July 28th.

Here’s a clip of Green Lantern: First Flight for your viewing pleasure.

Detective Comics Recognized by Guinness World Records

2009-07-29T22:52:00.000-07:00

DC Comics President and Publisher Paul Levitz accepted an award on behalf of DC from the Guinness World Records, recognizing DETECTIVE COMICS as the longest-running comic book periodical in the United States. Pretty cool, huh? The event took place during SDCC ‘09.

“I’m proud to accept this award on behalf of DC,” Paul noted. “As the earliest surviving editor of DETECTIVE, a title which I edited from 1978-1980, I’m doubly honored to accept this recognition.”

China bans games about gangs

2009-07-29T22:49:00.001-07:00

Tony Soprano definitely didn't see this one coming.

China's Ministry of Culture has officially banned any websites that offer online games featuring mafia-like gangs, reports The New York Times.
China Bans Gang Games

A post on the Ministry's website claims that such games "embody antisocial behavior like killing, beating, looting and raping" and "undermine morality and Chinese traditional culture." The ban covers any websites that publish, distribute or even link out to mafia-themed titles. Law-enforcement officials have been ordered to crack down on offenders, promising "severe punishment" for those who violate the ban.

Raking in over $2.5 billion in 2008 alone, online gaming is a major pastime in China. But as part of the country's efforts to control access to "vulgar" content, the government has grown increasingly wary of the games industry. Most recently, censors locked out mega-hit World of Warcraft after an operator switch prompted a re-screening of the game's content.

Therapists join World of Warcraft to treat 'addicted' players

2009-07-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

If Dr. Richard Graham has his way, massively popular online game World of Warcraft will soon get an unofficial new character class: the therapist.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the London psychiatrist is spearheading a movement that would let mental health workers join online game worlds as avatars in order to better treat players suffering from game addiction.

Dr. Graham believes the key is reaching at-risk players on their own turf.

"Those affected don't exhibit the same outward warning signs as most teenage anti-social behaviour issues do because they're in their bedrooms most of the time, seemingly out of trouble," he told the Telegraph. "Because of this we can't get through to them in the traditional educational environment or intrude on their actual bedrooms -- we need to turn to the Internet itself to tackle these problems."

The issue of game addiction itself is still quite thorny. The American Medical Association still doesn't consider game addiction to be a legitimate disorder, while other reports -- including a Swedish study claiming that Warcraft is "more addictive than crack cocaine" -- say otherwise.

Graham hopes to launch the project "by the end of the year," and has called on Warcraft maker Blizzard to possibly give therapists free access to the game. He also notes that since most therapists probably aren't Warcraft experts, the project could potentially recruit gamers to act as "peer mentors" and help identify troubled players.

2009-07-28T12:26:00.001-07:00

Ghosts A Go-Go now has a twitter and you can read the updates on facebook,myspace and blog. Also at etsy.ghostsagogo.com everything is 20% off!

EA blasted over questionable marketing stunt

2009-07-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Games maker EA has incited a wave of backlash over the latest marketing ploy for their upcoming action game, Dante's Inferno.

In an effort to promote the title at last week's San Diego Comic-Con event, EA decided to run a contest asking showgoers to "commit acts of lust" with any models working at the convention's myriad booths. They were then instructed to submit photos via social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook. The winner would receive "dinner and a sinful night with two hot girls, a limo service, paparazzi and a chest full of booty," while five runners-up would have to make do with a copy of the game, a $240 gift card and assorted game merchandise.

Of course, EA gave themselves an out, noting on the official rules page that "...judges reserve the right, in their sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify any Submissions that are inappropriate for any reason, including without limitation, for depicting or mentioning sex, violence, drugs, alcohol and/or inappropriate language." In other words, don't get crazy while you commit your "acts of lust."

Unfortunately for EA, the gaming community hasn’t responded well. Twitter posts about the marketing effort have been largely negative; tweets to #EAfail have spiked, with many accusing the company of being tasteless, immature and sexist. In turn, those responsible have issued a respectful if unapologetic tweet right back:

"'Commit acts of lust' is simply a tongue-in-cheek way to say take pictures with costumed reps," it reads. "Also, a ‘Night of Lust’ means only that the winner will receive a chaperoned VIP night on the town with the Dante's Inferno reps, all expenses paid, as well as other prizes."

It's just the latest EA marketing stunt to go awry. Back in April, the company got in hot water for sending journalists illegal brass knuckles to promote their game based on The Godfather II. And at the E3 trade show in early June, EA angered Christian groups after making waves with a viral marketing campaign for -- you guessed it -- Dante's Inferno, this time featuring fake protesters.

Dante himself never had this much trouble.

El gran amor del conde Drácula(Count Dracula's Great Love)

2009-07-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

*** This may contain spoilers ***

1870. A quintet of wayward travelers -- one jerky guy and four hottie
ladies -- wreck their stagecoach in the middle of nowhere and seek
refuge in the opulent castle of Dr. Marlow (glum, stocky, plain-looking
Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy, who's miscast, but not half bad in the
part), who turns out to be none other than Count Dracula. Dracula
develops a special interest in Karen (lovely, charming brunette Haydee
Politoff), a sweet and chaste virgin with pure blood Dracula needs to
resurrect his long dormant daughter.

Javier Aquirre's bluntly effective
direction may lack grace and subtlety, but it does the crudely pleasing
trick just the same: there's plenty of nicely creepy'n'misty
atmosphere, cruddy dubbing, gorgeously voluptuous actresses who happily
disrobe with satisfying frequency (Rossana Yanni, Mirta Miller and
Ingrid Garbo are all absolutely ravishing as deadly, yet enticing
bloodsucker babes who attack their victims with ferociously uninhibited
abandon), lurid, ratty photography, a suitably abundant amount of
sleazily graphic sex and violence, a few endearingly hokey cheap scares
(a black cat jumps out from behind a door), a spooky ooga-booga score,
and a hypnotically slow pace. Granted, this flick sure ain't no work of
exceptional sophisticated art, but it still hits the scuzzy spot as a
perfectly trashy serving of Eurojunk horror fun.

Directed by

Javier Aguirre

Writing credits

(in alphabetical order)

Javier Aguirre

writer

Alberto S. Insúa

writer

Paul Naschy

story and screenplay (as Jacinto Molina)

Cast (in credits order)

Original Music by

Carmelo A. Bernaola

Cinematography by

Raúl Pérez Cubero

(as Raul Perez Cubero)

Film Editing by

Petra de Nieva

Art Direction by

José Luis Galicia

(as Galicia)

Jaime Pérez Cubero

(as Cubero)

Makeup Department

....

....

Production Management

Miguel Ángel Bermejo

....

unit manager

Francisco Lara Polop

....

production manager (as Lara Polop)

Special Effects by

Pablo Pérez

....

special effects

Camera and Electrical Department

Manuel Agudo

....

second camera operator

Other crew

Blanca Astiasu

....

script secretary

Terror! Il castello delle donne maledette(Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks)

2009-07-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

Even die-hard fans of the 60's Italian Gothic horror films of Bava,
Fredda, et. al. would have to admit that those films aren't known their
careful, logical plotting. But in the 1970's when these films were
freed from the constraints of censorship (and good taste) and fell into
the hands of less talented directors, they REALLY went off the rails,
veering between downright silly and completely insane (sometimes both
at the same time). And nobody suffered more during this period than
Frankenstein's monster.

In this film "Count Frankenstein" (apparently he was demoted from
Baron) takes time off from his building his monster to woo his busty
adult daughter's even bustier friend. Meanwhile he has fired his
lecherous hunchback dwarf assistant after catching him feeling up
female corpses (did I mention this was originally rated PG?). The
disgruntled and vengeful dwarf then does what any disgruntled, vengeful
dwarf would do in a movie like this--he finds a group of Neanderthal
men living in a nearby cave and befriends a particularly large one
named "Oog". The pair plot their revenge (although not before taking
time off to watch the Count's daughter and her friend skinny-dipping).
As you might imagine the end is a ridiculous battle between caveman and
Frankenstein's monster.

This film is similar to "Lady Frankenstein" but not as good. Lead
Rossano "South Pacific" Brazzi is frankly not as good of actor as
Rosalba Neri/Sara Bay (he probably doesn't look as good naked either,
but fortunately we never find out). It also doesn't compare to "Flesh
for Frankenstein" lacking that film's self-consciously artistic NYC
irony, but all these Italian Frankenstein films are similar enough to
give lie to claims of "F. for F." co-director Paul Morrisey (the guy
who replaced the tripod in Andy Warhol's home movies) that his Italian
collaborators made no significant contribution to that film. On the
other hand, this movie is better than "Frankenstein '80" (although its
PG rating precludes the rape-by-Frankenstein's-monster angle of that
one). It's also better I than "Frankenstein All'Italia" (I'm not sure
though since that one's only available in Italian, and I only watched
it because of my strange crush on the late, obscure Italian actress
Jenny Tamburi). As Italian Gothic Frankenstein sex movies go than, this
one is fair to middling. You can take that as as a recommendation or
not.

Munater Radio UPDATES

2009-06-04T08:18:00.001-07:00

It's time to clean house and re-build Munster Radio!! I'll be posting new music and changing the lay out of the myspace profile. Also I'm working on making a website for Munster Radio and adding some new music tour line ups!
I've been working on my art (Ghosts A Go-Go) for a long time now and sadly Munster Radio took a back set. BUT not anymore!!

I'm looking for new bands that I can play on my show. Genres I'm looking for are Death Metal / Black Metal / Metal / Psychobilly / Punk / Alternative / Surf / Rockabilly / Rock / Indie / Bluegrass / Gothic ETC.

!!NO RAP OR HIP HOP! OR THAT CRAPPY COUNTRY THOSE CRAZY KIDS PLAY NOW A DAYS!!

If you have a press pack you can mail it to:
Munster Radio
4151 Summercrest ST. SE
Albany OR. 97322

OR

If you have MP3s just send me a email on myspace or ghostsagogo@gmail.com

~Von Munster

Here is another fun history lesson for you!

2009-05-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

On May 19, 1536 Anna Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII is beheaded.

The short life if The Ripping Friends

2009-05-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Ripping Friends was an American/Canadian animated television series, created by John Kricfalusi and Jim Smith. The show premiered September 8, 2001 on Fox's Fox Kids children's block, but was cancelled due to the end of the Fox Kids broadcast block in September 2002. Cartoon Network later picked up the show for its Adult Swim programming block. The series occasionally airs in Canada on Teletoon. The series also aired briefly in the UK on the CNX channel.
History

Kricfalusi and his long-time partner Smith created the Ripping Friends before they created the similar superhero Powdered Toast Man for The Ren and Stimpy Show. After Nickelodeon fired Kricfalusi from The Ren and Stimpy Show in September 1992, he had plans to make a feature film starring the world’s "manliest men." The feature film plan was scrapped, but the characters were used in The Ripping Friends. The Canadian Studios hired to do the layouts used the same poses over and over again, and made the artwork look less like the usual Spümcø style. The Canadian studios hands were tied as there were no style or design agenda. Artists were expected to recreate the atmosphere of an antiquated 1940's production process, while still trying to maintain a schedule. Hastily written scripts and storyboards were provided, further demonstrating the unpreparedness of the production. This generated much criticism, most notably from John Kricfalusi himself. The Ripping Friends lasted for thirteen episodes.

Description

The show centered on a group of four superhuman brothers who attempt to fight crime from their base, RIPCOT (the Really Impressive Prototype City Of (Next) Tuesday): Crag, Rip, Slab, and Chunk, Crag being the leader. Friends of the four include Jimmy The Idiot Boy, a mentally-challenged drooling child, and their foster mother He-Mom (the name speaks for itself). The villains range from the Indigestible Wad (a wad of gum who sucks moisture out of people), to Flathead (an invertebrate in search of a spine), to their own underpants.

Each episode was usually tagged with a short episode which Kricfalusi says was composed of “left overs.” These segments were called “Rip Along with the Ripping Friends” and usually portrayed the Ripping Friends solving the problems of fans. These included: addressing the fact that hot dogs come in packs of 8 and the buns in packs of 12; “ripping” the man who creates insane video game controllers and the man who writes the instructions for them; and finding out why toys no longer come in cereal boxes, among others. In each segment viewers (referred to as "kids") are asked to “rip along” with the action by ripping pieces of paper up in front of the television when coaxed to.

Episode listing

* The Indigestible Wad: A young girl’s wad of chewing gum, that she has been chewing since before she was born, is granted sentience/sapience from a dentist’s x-ray machine. The wad wanders the streets at night, sucking up people’s moisture to sustain himself, turning them into “flavourless” zombies.
* Flathead’s Revenge: When the boys go swimming in the local water hole Chunk finds that he has a flatworm attached to his armpit. After being removed, the flatworm decides to take one of the brothers’ back bones and then wreaks havoc on the town with some of his invertebrate brethren.
* Frictor: Frictor, the master of friction, is created when the brothers' calluses are exposed to radiation. The Ripping Friends eventually track him to the moon.
* Rip’s Shorts: Rip's shorts alter at the molecular level after being thrown into space. The shorts become evil and take control of Jimmy and then Pooperman, causing them to do “evil” things. The other three brothers mobilize to stop the shorts.
* Ovulator: The boys discover that there is a shortage of beef and they send Slab out to rectify the situation, as he is the only one not affected by the lack of beef in his system. He soon discovers that a mad chicken, calling himself the Ovulator, is holding cows hostage.
* Manman and Boyboy: A duo of supposed crime fighters called Manman and Boyboy are wandering around “solving crimes” with flesh coloured accessories. Their brand of crime fighting is soon revealed to be simply putting Boyboy in peril for no good reason. Crag sets out, because he has not had his own episode yet, to foil the duo and save Boyboy by dressing himself up as Man Friend and Jimmy as Boy Pal to save Boyboy.
* Stinky Butt: Citracett, a dictator from "Euroslavia" voiced by Kricfalusi, is banished to the nether regions of the Earth by the Ripping Friends after attempting to destroy it. There, due to some mystical energy, Citracett gains the ability to control his flatulence with destructive results.
* Muscle Magician: Chunk is being made fun of by the other, 36-year-old brothers for only being 35 and a half, and therefore a “kid,” so he runs away and attends a circus performance where he finds a magician who controls people’s muscles. The magician, realizing the potential that Chunk poses, possesses his muscles and has him commit robbery of the many national banks in town.
* Jimmy’s Kidnapped: Citracett and a gorilla (named "Gorilla Friend" in an organ grinder monkey outfit, later "Anaxamander - the Noble Primate" in a "Pericles helmet") kidnap Jimmy the Hapless Idiot Boy after Rip harasses him into running away. The Ripping Friends track him down to find that they are torturing Jimmy so Rip knocks out the gorilla, steals his fur, and infiltrates Citracett’s basement to rescue Jimmy.
* Dr. Jean Poole: The four boys get a lesson on “girls” from He-Mom and, as a final lesson, sets them up on a date with a Dr. Jean Poole. All five of them go out on the date together to the drive in.
* The Man from Next Thursday, Part One: Someone breaks into RIPCOT’s secret vault and steals the Ripping Friends' "perfect" DNA, which he turns into "Riptonite" in order to kill the Ripping brothers. The intruder is revealed to be a man with a thumb protruding from his chest, who claims to be from “next Thursday.”
* The Man from Next Thursday, Part Two: The man from next Thursday relates his plan to his intelligent cat, revealing that his attempts to kill the Ripping Friends is based on revenge; the Ripping Friends ripped off and then re-attached his chest-thumb's nail back on the wrong way, making him a freak in the world of next Thursday.
* Infernal Wedding: Citracett returns with his ministers of war, propaganda and slapping to take over the world. He decides to seduce He-Mom in an effort to get close to, and rid himself of, the Ripping Brothers, eventually asking He-Mom to marry him. The Ripping Brothers must now follow his orders "as if they were [He-Mom's] own".

Censored episodes

* In a segment where Rip is asked by a fan to find out why hot dogs come in packs of twelve and hot dog buns come in packs of eight, Rip beats up a male hot dog and a female bun and asks them to “hug.” The hot dog begins to slip inside the bun, and the segment immediately fades to black.

Spümcø

2009-05-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Spümcø International was a North American cartoon animation studio. It was founded in 1988 by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi and his partners Jim Smith, Bob Camp, and Lynne Naylor. The company’s Canadian studio closed down around early 2005. A significant portion of the company’s material was given to ASIFA-Hollywood’s animation archives; Kricfalusi owns the rights to the characters. As of 2007 he lives in Los Angeles.
Works produced by Spümcø International

Spümcø produced and designed animation and products for just about every medium during its existence, from television to internet to comic books. For a period, Spümcø even designed and released toys based on their characters and other classic characters such as the Three Stooges.

Movies

* Troop Beverly Hills (beginning credits)

Television

* The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil (1988, co-production with DiC Entertainment)
* Ren and Stimpy (1991–1996) (Games Animation was commissioned to take over after season two)
* The Ripping Friends (2001–2002)
* Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon (2003)

Internet

These two cartoons are credited with being the first syndicated internet-only program designed exclusively for the internet, ten years before online programming became mainstream with the advent of YouTube.

* The Goddamn George Liquor Program: Babysitting the Idiot (1996)
* Weekend Pussy Hunt for Icebox.Com (1999)

Cartoon Network shorts

* Boo Boo Runs Wild (1999)
* A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith (1999)
* Dexter's Laboratory: Chicken Scratch (2002, co-production with Cartoon Network Studios).

CartoonNetwork.com animated shorts

These new Jetsons shorts were eventually broadcast on Cartoon Network although they debuted on their website initially.

* The Jetsons: Father & Son Day (2000)
* The Jetsons: The Best Son (2001)
* Boo Boo and the Man (2000)

Music videos

* “I Miss You” by Björk (1997)
* “Fuck Her Gently” by Tenacious D (1999)
* “Classico” by Tenacious D (2006)
* “Close But No Cigar” by Weird Al Yankovic (2006)

Video games

* Go! Go! Hypergrind (2003) for Gamecube by Atlus (Artwork and Character Design)
* Yoake no Mariko by Sony for Playstation 2 (Artwork & Character Design)
* Pizza Packing Moron, a downloadable Flash game sold for $2

Animated spots and commercials

* Various animated IDs for NBC
* Aoki Pizza Commercial
* Nike Commercial
* Probono advertisement for UFC starring George Liquor
* Barqs Rootbeer Commercial starring George Liquor
* Quisp Cereal
* Old Navy Big Hood/Flares/Big Pocket Jeans/Girls Fleece Commercial
* Cadbury Commercial
* Village Pantry Commercial
* Wagwells Dog Treats Commercial

Comics

* Spümcø Comic Book Volume 1 Issues 1-3 (Dark Horse Comics)
* Spümcø Comic Book Volume 1 Issue 1 (Marvel Comics)

Future

On July 18, 2006, Kricfalusi stated in his blog that “Spümcø is no more. I’m trying a new experiment now.” He later added “My experiment is to do more freelancing with artists I already know are great and I can count on them to do good and unique work, rather than waste all my money on studio overhead and training unknowns. It’s what HB (Hanna-Barbera) did when they first started their TV studio in 1957 and it produced their best cartoons.”

Bob Camp a cartoonist hero of mine

2009-05-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

Bob Camp is a cartoonist, comic book artist, writer, story artist, designer, director and producer. Bob has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on The Ren and Stimpy Show.

Camp worked at Marvel Comics as an illustrator on many comic titles including G.I. Joe, Crazy Magazine, Bizarre Adventures, Savage Tales, Conan the Barbarian, and the 'Nam.

Camp started his animation career as a designer for animated series such as ThunderCats, Silverhawks, TigerSharks, and several other series produced by Rankin/Bass. He then worked as a designer on The Real Ghostbusters for DiC, and later as a storyboard artist on Tiny Toon Adventures for Warner Bros. Television.

Camp was a co-founder of and director for Spümcø, the animation studio that created The Ren and Stimpy Show. He played a major role in the studio's creative force until September 21, 1992, when he left to work for Games Productions (a.k.a. Games Animations), the animation studio Nickelodeon initially created to continue work on the Ren and Stimpy series after Spümcø had been fired. At Games, Camp was promoted to creative director of Ren and Stimpy and supervised work on the episodes made.

In the 2000s, Camp worked as a storyboard artist on animated feature films such as Looney Tunes: Back in Action and Ice Age: The Meltdown.
Filmography

Television
* ThunderCats, Silverhawks, TigerSharks, Mini Monsters, Karate Kat, Street Frogs (1985-1987) Rankin/Bass (Development artist, design lead)
* The Real Ghostbusters (1986) DiC (Character designer)
* The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil (1988) DiC (Character designer
* Tiny Toon Adventures (1990) Warner Bros. Television (Storyboard artist)
* The Ren and Stimpy Show (1991-1996) Nickelodeon (Co-creator, storyboard artist, writer, director, producer, supervising director)
* Space Goofs (1995-1996) Gaumont Multimedia/Fox (Writer, storyboard artist, co-story supervisor, voice director)
* Cow and Chicken (1997-1999) Cartoon Network (Storyboard artist)
* Lucky Lydia (2000) Cartoon Network (Writer, co-director, executive producer)
* Jackie Chan Adventures (2002) Columbia TriStar Television (Storyboard artist)
* Grim and Evil (2003) Cartoon Network (Storyboard artist)
Film
* How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000) Imagine Entertainment (Storyboard artist)
* Osmosis Jones (2001) Warner Bros. Pictures (Storyboard artist)
* Cats & Dogs (2001) Warner Bros. Pictures (Storyboard artist)
* Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001) Paramount Pictures (Storyboard artist)
* Scooby-Doo (film) (2002) Warner Bros. Pictures (Storyboard artist
* Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) Warner Bros. Pictures (Storyboard artist)
* Robots (2005) Blue Sky Studios/20th Century Fox (Storyboard artist)
* Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) Blue Sky Studios/20th Century Fox (Storyboard artist)

Today's History Lesson

2009-05-05T11:36:00.001-07:00

A little history for you all
Napoleon Bonaparte dies on the island of St. Helena on this day May 5th 1821

New Ghosts A GO-GO Shop and clothing!

2009-05-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.cafepress.com/ghostsagogotoon

I have all my art work and I also made some T shirts. In about a week or so I'll be adding more!!
ENJOY!
~Von Munster

I have new pieces for sale! Check them out

2009-03-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

So March as been are rather SLOW month for myself. I hope this will change soon. I have a few new pictures and other things for sale to start off the new month! So come on over and check them out!
~Von Munster

My first tattoo on a living person!!!

2009-03-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

I finally got to work on my first tattoo the other night!!! I'm rather happy on how it turned out... LOL God I was nerves about the whole thing. It's not like you can go back and erase your mistakes. But all work out in the end.

FROM ME TO YOU!!!

2009-02-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

**FROM ME TO YOU**

I know money is growing tight with every pasting month, and dropping something like $300.00 or more on a piece of art is shocking now a days. So that is why I marked everything down!!! Here at Ghosts A Go-Go the highest price you'll see is MAYBE $60.00.. MAYBE..

I believe good art doesn't need to cost an arm or a leg or even your first born. If you find yourself falling in love with one of my pieces of art, the price shouldn't break your heart or the bank. Every picture comes with a frame at no extra cost!!! (The frames are a nice solid black plastic out-line, real glass with a wood backing and 2 metal hangers.

Also with every order I include a mix bag of random little things!! Who knows what you might get?? A bat, eye ball, fiji mermaid, or even a little gremlin the list goes on.

I'm also including a free T-shirt from my old clothing line called "Anti-You". The shirts come in red with black font or black with red font and they say "Anti-You" on them. As for the size chart: Youth SM to Youth LG / Adult SM to Adult XXL...

Now the shirts are on limited supply SO PLEASE send me a message here on etsy or ghostsagogo@gmail.com and let me know what size and color you want!!

3 new pieces up!!!

2009-02-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

Robert McKimson

2009-02-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

McKimson was born in Denver, Colorado.

After ten years of art education, he went to work for the Romer Grey Studio located in Alta Dena California, a would-be animation shop started by the son of Western author Zane Grey, and financed by Zane Grey's wife. Several cartoons were animated at the Romer Grey Studio, but none were ever released. Most never made it to camera. From there he went to work for Walt Disney. He stayed with Disney's studio for two years before moving to that of Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising. At that time, he had an accident that gave him a concussion. As a result, he was able to visualise better, thus increasing his production and animation. In 1945, McKimson was promoted to director, replacing Frank Tashlin. In 1946 when Bob Clampett left McKimson (along with Warren Foster) Moved to Clampett's unit and Art Davis was given McKimson's old unit. He shared this position with Friz Freleng and Chuck Jones from 1949 until 1962, when several other animators had brief directorial stints just before the studio closed over a period from 1963-65. During this period, McKimson created the characters Foghorn Leghorn and Tasmanian Devil, and directed every Hippety Hopper/Sylvester pairing. He also created Speedy Gonzales for the 1953 short Cat-Tails For Two. From 1946 to 1950, Robert McKimson had his very own version of the modern design of Bugs Bunny. Art Davis borrowed it for the rabbit's cameo in The Goofy Gophers and his own Bugs' cartoon. Mckimson also had his own design of Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.

Critics, perhaps unfairly, routinely dismiss McKimson's work — that is, when the critics deem to discuss McKimson's work at all. Much of this critical neglect likely stems from two factors: McKimson's early death, and his extreme shyness. He died well before animation became a respected art form, and when he was alive, he gave few interviews. Also, there have been no theatrically-released anthology films showcasing McKimson's directorial work at Warners (Jones had one, and Freleng had two), which have arguably contributed to his cartoons being less familiar than those of Freleng and Jones.

McKimson is often cited as being a better animator than a director; his shorts are described as having a "squarer" style than his fellow directors, Freleng and Jones. Critics describe his style as somewhat prosaic, literal, and not as innovative, clever or impeccably crafted as the films of Jones or Freleng. In addition, McKimson favored an overstated, hammy style of "acting" for his characters, in contrast to the cool, studied, Method-like underplaying that Jones imbued in his versions of the same characters.

In many ways, his cartoons, extremely violent and irreverent, are a continuation of the style of Bob Clampett, who left the studio just after McKimson's promotion to director. His first directorial work, Daffy Doodles (at least his first released directorial work; he cut his directorial teeth on a Seaman Hook wartime cartoon for military audiences in 1944), wherein Daffy draws moustaches on all the pre-drawn (and even some natural) faces in his sight, was released in early April 1946. His cartoons became somewhat more tame after 1950 however, when his story artist, Warren Foster was taken by Freleng in a swap for Tedd Pierce.

But if McKimson's cartoons did not reach the intellectual heights of Jones or enjoy the musical freedom of Freleng, or even have the distinctive cinematic style of Arthur Davis, who took over Clampett's unit in the late 1940s, he is seen by animation scholars as being, individually, the most artistically talented of the Termite Terrace cartoon directors. He may not have had the highs or the lows of Freleng and Jones, but he performed consistently well in the middle. In 1942, McKimson drew a single portrait of Bugs Bunny, leaning against a tree and smiling as he was eating a carrot, that became known as the definitive portrait of the character; this picture has been imitated many times by later artists, including McKimson's peers. McKimson was, for many years, the studio's most prominent animator and character designer; he created the definitive Bugs Bunny model sheet in 1943. Also, in the aforementioned Daffy Doodles, McKimson helped to design a wiser, more society-savvy coal-coloured waterfowl, in marked contrast to the crazy duck of works by Tex Avery and Clampett. His peers acknowledged McKimson's ability to draw images and figures without any construction lines. Even when Warner Bros. acknowledged the influence of UPA and abandoned extreme "realism" in cartoons during the early 1950s, the characters in McKimson's cartoons continued to reflect his craftsmanship, including two of the studio's most popular, Foghorn Leghorn and the Tasmanian Devil.

Merrie Melodies - Pop 'im Pop! (1950)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

In 1953, however, the Warner Bros. cartoon studio laid off most of its staff for six months. After the studio reopened, Freleng and Jones were able to quickly re-assemble their respective units, but McKimson lost every member of his previous team, apart from Pierce and background painter Dick Thomas. Some of his post-lay-off cartoons he animated himself. Most of McKimson's weak cartoons were released from 1955 on. These later cartoons have slow timing since McKimson no longer had Rod Scribner or Charles McKimson, his younger brother. At the start of this period, McKimson animated several of his shorts himself. This later period had some merits, including the consistent work of layout artist Robert Gribbroek and occasional brilliance from story man Pierce. However, the McKimson-Pierce spoofs of various television programs, while interesting as period pieces, are badly dated; in general, they have not held up very well against contemporary work by other directors. This is primarily due to the fact that the objects of these parodies are for the most part forgotten, with the noteworthy exception of his three Honey-Mousers cartoons, a take-off on the still-famous Honeymooners creation of Jackie Gleason. Within the studio structure, however, the McKimson unit was valued as the one in which new animators honed their craft, and some of those who excelled (Art Leonardi and Tom Ray, for example) were recruited by Freleng or Jones. Due to McKimson's non-competitive spirit and affability, he simply accepted the arrangement that his unit was the training ground for animators who would then be grabbed up by the studio's two "important" units.

McKimson soldiered on at Warner's cartoon studio as it began to lose people, including Jones, in 1962. Over this time, he directed his share of shorts and worked on the feature The Incredible Mr. Limpet. After the studio closed, he joined DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, co-owned by his old associate Friz Freleng and David H. DePatie, who had been a producer at the Warners studio. At DePatie-Freleng, McKimson directed several The Inspector shorts and worked on some of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies contracted out to DePatie-Freleng by Warner Bros. In 1967, Warners opened its studio again; McKimson went back to Warners in 1968 and stayed until the studio finally shut down for absolute good in 1969. His last Warner Bros. cartoon was Injun Trouble with Cool Cat. Injun Trouble was also the last of the original Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies cartoon to be produced before the Warner Bros. cartoon studio was closed.

In 1972, he went back to DePatie-Freleng to direct The Pink Panther Show shorts, among their other series.

In his personal life, McKimson was a skilled horseman and polo player, a dedicated bowler, and a master Mason.

McKimson died suddenly in 1977. He suffered a massive heart attack while eating lunch with Friz Freleng and David H. DePatie.

He had two brothers — Charles McKimson and Tom McKimson — who also worked as animators.

Racketeer Rabbit

2009-02-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

Racketeer Rabbit is a 1946 animated short film in the Looney Tunes series produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. It stars Bugs Bunny, who duels with a pair of racketeers or gangsters, Rocky and Hugo forerunners who resemble Edward G. Robinson (Rocky, not to be confused with the aforementioned Rocky) and Peter Lorre (Hugo). Directed by Friz Freleng; written by Michael Maltese; animated by Manuel Perez, Virgil Ross, Gerry Chiniquy and Ken Champin; music by Carl Stalling, and voices by Mel Blanc.

In a typical example of the Warner cartoonists "getting away" with something, after an explosion that partly disintegrated his clothing, the "Rocky" character dives out the window, and for a fleeting second is seen to be "bare-bottomed". However, in the next scene, running down the street, the seat of his pants is intact.
On the now defunct WB! channel, all of the gun gags (specifically Rocky shooting his pistol at the police out the window of the house, Hugo needing a board to keep himself standing while firing his machine gun, and Bugs walking under a line of gunfire and saying, "Low bridge" while getting some water from the kitchen [unaware of what's transpiring]) were edited from the cartoon's beginning. Also cut was the scene where Rocky points a gun at Bugs to get him to confess and Bugs begins babbling auctioneer-style.

In the car chase, they pass a sign advertising Hotel Friz, a reference to director Friz Freleng.
Audio/visual unsynchronized: During Rocky's attempt to interrogate Bugs, there are several occasions where they each talk but their lips don't move.

MONTH END SALE FOR GHOSTS A GO-GO!!!

2009-01-27T23:37:00.000-08:00

Till the end of the month I'll be having a sale on everything in the shop So come on over and check it out!! Also next month I'll be doing tribute to Roger Rabbit!!! So far I have about 10 different pictures for Mister R.R. Just keep an eye for it!!!

New pictures are up on ETSY

2009-01-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well I started out making a series of pictures for a Bettie Page show in Feb. Sadly the show was a bust for me. SO got to thinking about them and posted them up on ETSY for a cheaper price.

On SALE!!!

2009-01-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Batty Baseball

2009-01-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

I was talking about Tex Avery's Batty Baseball a little bit in my last blog, about Baseball Bugs. So I found the real cartoon on the wonderful invention called the interweb and thought I would share it with everyone!! I also found out that this cartoon can be found on the Tex Avery's Screwball Classics 3(I can only find it on VHS, unless someone has made a bootleg DVD.)
Director: Tex Avery
Release Date: 22 April 1944
A series of visual gags about baseball. One running gag has an angry fan screaming "Kill the ump!" Be careful what you wish for.

MGM - Batty Baseball (1944)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Baseball Bugs

2009-01-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Baseball Bugs is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released on February 2, 1946 starring Bugs Bunny. It had a similar theme to MGM's 1944 Batty Baseball, which was directed by former WB cartoon director Tex Avery.
Baseball Bugs was directed by Friz Freleng and written by Michael Maltese. Hawley Pratt and Paul Julian did the layout and backgrounds, while Manuel Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross and Gerry Chiniquy headed the team of animators. Mel Blanc provided voice characterizations, with a cameo by Bea Benaderet as Lady Liberty and the screaming baseball, and Frank Graham uncredited as the stadium announcer and several of the Gas-House Gorillas. Carl W. Stalling was the music director.

The cartoon's title is a double play on words. "Bugs" was then a common nickname for someone who was considered to be crazy, erratic, or fanatical. In addition to its adjective form being the indirect inspiration for the Bunny's name, the noun form was sometimes applied to sports fans.

In keeping with the cartoon's wackiness, certain anomalies are evident to the close observer, starting with the fact that the title card looks more like a softball than a baseball.

Instead of Porky Pig and "That's all, folks!", the cartoon ends with one of Bugs' rare closing appearances, popping through a drum, munching a carrot, announcing, "And dat's de end!".
This version of the drum was also seen on the previous cartoon, Hare Tonic.

# Factual errors: The home team is shown batting at the top of the inning.

# Factual errors: Halfway through the cartoon, the scoreboard shows the Gas-House Gorillas after four innings with the following scores: 10 + 28 + 16 + 42 for a total of 96 points. Yet, in the bottom of the ninth, the emcee gives the score as "Gas-House Gorillas: 95 points. Bugs Bunny: 96."

What do the signs behind Bugs say as he boos the visiting team?
"Cough your heart's content" (a cigarette ad? cough drops?) | "Maltese: Ace Dick" (a reference to the writer of this cartoon, Michael Maltese) | "NOZ: 2 for 25" | "Filboid Studge"

What do the signs behind Bugs say when he first starts pitching?
"Manza Champagne" | "Lausbub's Bread." | "Finer Footwear: Ross Co."

I don't get the Statue of Liberty joke.
Bugs is forced to take an elevator to the top of the Umpire (!) State building to catch a fly ball. The umpire and the guy who hit the ball follow him. Bugs catches it, and the umpire calls the guy out.

"Out?" the player protests.

The Statue of Liberty intervenes and with rapid-fire delivery, says, "That's what the man said, you heard what he said, he said that!"

Bea Benaderet, as the voice of Lady Liberty, is imitating the typical woman fan of the day. Audiences would have immediately recognized the type from their own experience and would have been surprised, and delighted, to hear the familiar speech patterns coming from the mouth of Lady Liberty. It's also possible that this stereotype was already filtered through a familiar radio character. In that case, the gag would invoke both the real-life type and the radio character that crystallized the type in the public's mind.

"Does your tobacco taste different lately?"
When a Gas-house Gorilla hits the wall, there's a sign behind him that says, "Does your tobacco taste different lately?"

[T]here's a fascinating story about the sign and its impact on baseball players in the 1945-'46 season. Now, most people today don't know this, but the slogan 'Does Your Tobacco Taste Different Lately?' was the slogan of Sir Walter Raleigh pipe tobacco, manufactured by the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company. Even though tobacco products were in short supply during and shortly after the end of the Second World War, Brown & Williamson wanted to a) remind people that they were still in the tobacco business; and b) there seemed to be a lack of sales of Sir Walter Raleigh among professional ball players. So, in addition to their slogan being read in newspapers and magazines and heard on Raleigh's sponsored radio shows, B & W got the bright idea of mounting this slogan on the walls of 14 major ball parks (including the Polo Grounds) across the United States, and made sure that, whenever a ball player hit the wall with their slogan on it, the dazed player would look up at the words, 'Does Your Tobacco Taste Different Lately?', and slowly realize that it DID. Sales of Sir Walter Raleigh soared during the 1945-'46 season among professional baseball players...even those who DIDN'T smoke pipes!

Three-and-a-half years old
The following films have a character who says, "I'm only three-and-a-half years old!," a reference to the catchphrase of Lou Costello.

Falling Hare (1943). Bugs Bunny gets hit in the head with a wrench and babbles that he's only three-and-a-half years old.

Baseball Bugs (1946). Variation: A baseball player from the home team, the Tea Totallers, says, "I'm only ninety-three-and-a-half years old!"

Big House Bunny (1950). Variation: Sam is a prison guard who refers to Bugs by his number: 777174. Bugs claims he's only three-and-a-half.

Among the ads on the fence is one for "Mike Maltese, Ace Detective" featuring a picture of Michael Maltese (the writer of "Baseball Bugs") with a fedora and a pistol.