Nuketown

Theatre

Smaug the Magnificent ... in candy

The good folks at Miss(ed) Manners have done it again: they've recreated one of J.R.R. Tolkien's most epic scenes ... in candy. This time around, it's the conclusion to The Hobbit, featuring the Battle of the Five Armies and the assault on Lake Town by the dragon Smaug.

As with their previous creations -- The Battle of Helm’s Deep, The Battle of Pelennor Fields, The Mines of Moria, the diorama is truly a sight to behold. A red licorice Smaug rises from a frosted Lonely Mountain to ravage a gingerbread Lake Town. Gummi bear armies of goblins, orcs, humans, dwarves and elves battle for the treasure under the mountain, while overhead eagles and giant bats fight for ariel supremacy.

The Gingerbread Zombie Apocalypse is Upon Us

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sun, 12/27/2009 - 6:30am

 The Zombie Apocalypse

We all knew it was just a matter of time until the zombies rose up from their graves, the sickly-sweet smell of confectioners sugar still clinging to their rotting forms, and attacked the neighborhood gingerbread church. Or at least, we should have.

This gingerbread diorama features a gingerbread church surrounded by the newly risen undead, and a handful of survivors. It cheats a bit -- the zombies and survivors aren't made from candy (unlike, say, the spectacle of Helm's Deep) but I'll forgive them that indiscretion given that they included a classic Jeep CJ-5. It looks like they used confectioners sugar and icing for the snowscape, and I have no idea what the trees are made of. All in all, it looks great ... and makes me think I really need to ramp up my own gingerbread efforts next year... 

Carol of the Great Old Ones

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 10:01pm

It's the Winter Solstice, and what better way to celebrate than with a rousing chorus of (and a music video for) "The Carol of the Old Ones"? While the stars may not be right this year we all know it's just a matter of time.

This song's taken from A Very Scary Solstice, the most excellent Cthulhu-inspired holiday music album by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society.

Gingerbread TARDIS

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 9:29pm
Photo: TARDIS Gingerbread House

Clearly I've only just begun to explore the frontiers of gingerbread construction, especially geeky gingerbread construction.

This gingerbread TARDIS (pictured at left) is just too darn cool; I love the attention to detail, especially the window panes AND K-9 the robodog. I'm also impressed that it stayed together long enough to take the picture (especially after last years less-than-successful icing glue experiment). Hats off to Anna Marie for a most excellent project.

Geek Holiday Shopping List for 2009

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 10:29am

Looking for ideas for the geek on your Christmas List? Are you a geek looking for ideas about what to ask for? Nuketown has you covered (albiet, a bit late in the shopping cycle but hey, there's still nearly two weeks until Christmas).

Two quick notes: 1) all of the items on this list link to Amazon.com; Nuketown gets a small (very small) affiliate credit if you buy something. 2) Some of these recommendations are based on review copies of games I've received. These are noted with a [RC] designation.

The Rings of Earth

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sun, 11/22/2009 - 6:30am

"What Earth Would Look Like with Saturn's Rings" is a YouTube video that gives Earth its own ring system. It provides views of the planet and rings from space ... but then takes it a step further and shows what the rings would look like from the planet's surface (a thin edge rising through the sky on the equator, a wide band near the poles). Very, very cool.

SciFiWire.com: Heroes ratings plummet. Do you even care anymore?

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Thu, 09/24/2009 - 6:27pm

I offered a plan to save Heroes. It looks like SciFi Wire's ready to grab their shovels. This review of the series to date, and the first episode of the "Redemption" arc, echos my own sentiments (and those who've commented here).  The general sense I get from the comment thread is either "I'm done with it" or "I've come this far ... I must watch it until the end." No one seems particularly pleased with the series opener, which isn't surprising; it's less of shot to the series' heart, than it is a gentle kick to a recently deceased corpse.

6 Things Heroes Must Do to Save Itself

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Wed, 09/23/2009 - 3:23pm

Forget the cheerleader; Heroes needs to save itself. Defying all logic, the television series about everyday people with superpowers has succeeded in getting second chance after second chance, winning back audiences with each new season only to lose them again by season's end. Here's what Heroes needs to do to save itself.

Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles Now On Hulu

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Thu, 07/16/2009 - 8:31pm

Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is now available on Hulu. The follow-up to the popular 1980s anime series can be viewed in its entirety. What can't be watched, unfortunately, is the original series. One can only hope that this is the first crack in the wall; I'd love to be able to re-watch the Macross Saga on my lunch break.

The Clone Wars, Season 2 Trailer

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 5:30am

I have mixed feelings about The Clone Wars animated series. On the one hand, I've found it to be a great source of ideas and inspiration for my Star Wars RPG campaign, but on the other, I hate that Anakin is being made into a bigger hero than Luke. I'm hoping this starts to change in Season 2; we should really start to see the influence of the Dark Side on him (as well as his relationship with Palpatine). If they can use the series to help setup his eventual fall, then it will be far more appealing to me.