Author: Jenifer Rosenberg

Eating Your Favorite Film in Brooklyn

Eating Your Favorite Film in Brooklyn

  • News
  • September 13, 2009

If you’ve ever craved cupcakes while watching your favorite movie or set out a themed feast for an afternoon with friends, or just happen to be in Brooklyn for today’s Brooklyn Book Festival, you should meet Daniellan Louie. She got her start baking confections for her friends and family and, in 2006, she opened Ivy Bakery. Now she has a menu with over 300 items, which she makes from scratch herself, specializes in custom orders, and has a list of many impressive clients including Marvel Comics, Columbia Pictures, and the Tribeca Film Festival.

I first ran across mention of Ivy Bakery on Twitter when some friends were tweeting about Princess Bride-themed cupcakes. Since then, I have been following the bakery on Twitter for daily updates on what she is baking ( today’s offerings include: “Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream shaped like Kingdom of Hearts Key” ). I know that many people in fandom have dietary restrictions, and may be lamenting the lack of cupcakes in their lives, but Ivy Bakery also has many gluten-free, dairy free, vegan, and sugar free items as well as the traditional ones. I recently had a chance to ask Daniellan Louie a few questions about Ivy Bakery, and especially about her awesome movie-themed cupcakes – which she decorates by hand!

What movie-themed cupcakes have you made in the past?
I
just started making the movie-themed cupcakes this summer, but have
made many cakes related to movie/tv characters. The movie cupcake
collection currently consists of The Breakfast Club, Twilight, and The
Princess Bride, the next set coming in the fall will be The Little
Mermaid. I put a pause on the work because it’s been a very slow and
rough summer. I’ve also done characters like Yoda from Star Wars and
would definitely like to do several sets on popular Sci-Fi movies like
Back To The Future, Ghostbusters, Harry Potter.

If you were to make movie themed cupcakes just for yourself, what movie would you choose?
Hmmm,
one of them would be The Princess Bride, but I already made that. For
myself I’d actually be more interested in doing Mario Brothers theme or
classic video games from the past.

If you haven’t yet, would you ever do a Lord of the Rings trilogy triple batch of themed cupcakes?
Definitely,
I haven’t made them yet, but it’s on the to do list, along with Star
Wars, Twilight Series & the Harry Potter Series

Of all the themed items you have made, what was your favorite?
It
would probably be the first Twilight movie. I think the cupcakes came
out very well, I did a double batch with 24 cupcakes since there were
so many characters.

I saw on your site that you had a Pac-Man themed cake. Do you get a lot of 80’s pop-culture nostalgia orders?
I
do, the Pac-Man cake was one of my favorites to make. I’ve also done
Mario Brothers, Sesame Street and a few others that I can’t quite
remember off the top of my head.

 Anime and Manga are very big right now. Have you ever made a cake based on one?
I
haven’t yet, but it’s only a matter of time. I have a friend who
actually draws a lot of Anime and I’m always saying how we should get
together and do cupcakes or cake designs. It would be fun to do a
Sailor Moon cupcake set, I’m not sure if that’s cool or in, but I
remember watching that when I was younger.

Your client list
is impressive! I’m sure our readers are most interested in the fact
that you have baked for Marvel. Can you tell us what you made for them?
Ahh,
Marvel, I’ve never done any custom designs for them, it was all just
corporate orders, cupcakes, cookies, brownies for the office. But if I
was ever approached to do something I would love to. My friend who used
to work at Marvel suggested I do a set of Marvel/DC Logos for the
different heros and villians.

Have you ever catered for a Science Fiction convention?
No, I haven’t, but I would love to, it would be a lot of fun I bet.

I love following your Twitter feed of what you are baking throughout
the day! Most bakeries don’t seem to be online.  Has your internet
presence made a difference for your business?

Definitely, I like
to keep up to date with what’s going on with pop culture in terms of
technology and the net. If everyone is on Facebook, Ivy Bakery has to
be on Facebook, same with Twitter and all the other networking sites.
Twitter has gotten me a number of new customers and exposure throughout
the country. I have so many people asking about my sweets from other
states and wishing that I was closer to them that I would love to go on
a baking tour and bake for anyone who wanted me to. All I need now is a
sponsor.

Review: ‘I Sell the Dead’

Review: ‘I Sell the Dead’

Are you looking to round out your Summer with a campy “horror” movie? Look no further than [[[I Sell the Dead]]]. This amusing film, written and directed by Glenn McQuaid, follows the recollections of a young grave robber named Arthur Blake (Dominic Monaghan) on the eve of his execution.

Set in 18th century England (some of our group thought Ireland), the general campy tone of the movie is hinted to early on when Father Duffy (Ron Perlman) is on his way to hear Blake’s confessions and passes what appears to be the skeletal remains of a chihuahua in the dungeon. In recounting how he became a grave robber, we are treated to humorous flashbacks of how Blake became a grave robber and, later, a “ghoul” – one who acquired and sells the undead. We soon discover that Blake and his grave robbing partner, Willie Grimes (Larry Fessenden) are up against a rival gang of brutal ghouls who are happy to use any means necessary to get their hands on the undead.

The film is chock-full of vibrant (and often drunk) characters. It is also well-stocked with monsters and over-abundant artificial fog somewhat reminiscent of classic campy horror films. I Sell the Dead does not fail to deliver the laughs they seem to be aiming for. The film also uses a very stylized method for changing scenes, wherein the end of a scene goes still and is then inked over to have the look of a scene from an old pulp comic. If you are looking for a modern, action-packed horror movie with a lot of shock and gore, this is not the film for you. Fans of Dominic Monaghan will enjoy getting to see him on screen again, and his comic timing is excellent as always. Those who prefer classic horror films or who want a break from the ordinary will find I Sell the Dead clever and amusing. If you are planning to see a fun and different flick with a group of friends, check this one out!

#SDCC: Twilight Saga: New Moon panel with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner

#SDCC: Twilight Saga: New Moon panel with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner

  • News
  • July 23, 2009

As reported here earlier today, Twilight fans practically took over San Diego Comic-Con in a desperate attempt to get to be seated for the Twilight Saga: New Moon panel. Thousands of fans, many of them screaming with excitement, camped out in the hopes of being in the front row when the stars of the film, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner took the stage. Place-holding in line has become a huge controversy, and there were reports of minor scuffles over such disagreements  as anxious fans worried about where their place in the panel might be. The convention allowed the campers to come in a freshen-up in the morning, and many had high hopes of being spotted in the crowd by their favorite heartthrob. There are even reports of moms offering cash to people seated toward the front in exchange for switching seats with their daughters. By all accounts, the hours leading up to the panel could only be described as Frenzy, and New Moon has been a top trending topic off and on all day on Twitter. Right before the panel, many heartbroken fans were tweeting their sadness at not being able to get into the panel.

Earlier in the day, there was a press conference where the actors were asked questions about the upcoming film. As press pictures were released, flamewars began as some fans became catty about the seating order and appearance of the stars (check out some of the comments at this site).All of the stars seemed to be slightly bewildered by the the full media onslaught of the press conference. Pattinson described the convention as “terrifying” but was reportedly more talkative than at last year’s con. When asked about their new-found fame, Lautner replied “None of us saw it coming, and this past year has been a ride for us.”

In the hour prior to the panel, a rumor began to circulate that Robert Pattinson would not be in attendance at the panel. The Twitterverse did a collective sigh of relief when he was apparently spotted with some guards about 15 minutes before start time. Once the panel began, sites seemed to be crashing from overload left and right. The second someone posted a link to an alleged live feed, that site was overloaded with fans hoping to get a peek at what was going on. All accounts were likening the screaming crowds to the cacophony of fans at early Beatles concerts.

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Will Your Local Police Warn You When Zombies Attack?

Will Your Local Police Warn You When Zombies Attack?

These days, it seems like there are zombies no matter where you turn.

Whether you’re driving near Austin, browsing your local bookstore or approaching celebrities in airports, they’re shambling towards you. Groups like Zombie Squad have helped to bring the impending zombie crisis… I mean, the public fascination with zombies… into focus for a good cause, by holding “zombie walks” for charity and blood drives.  So it is not very hard to believe that people might be concerned about marauding zombie hordes.

The question then becomes: If marauding zombie hordes descend on major US cities, what will we do? Zombie evacuation planning has become a recent favorite party activity around the world. Friends will get together and decide where to go and how to get there, who to take and who to leave behind.  Some companies are cashing in on these preparations by offering missile silos converted into homes, and there are several sites like zombietools.net that have a more hands-on approach to the Zombie Apocalypse.

Still, if zombies are shambling soon to a neighborhood near you, how do you know? Well, if you live in Boston, check the Boston PD’s Twitter feed. Recently, the department made internet history when they tweeted that they would inform the public if there were a zombie attack. This got me thinking: would anyone else?

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Interview: Matt Forbeck

Interview: Matt Forbeck

  • News
  • March 31, 2009

Matt Forbeck is a creative powerhouse. Over the past twenty years, he has created games of all sorts (including board games, roleplaying games, and computer games), has written novels and comics, and has won several awards – and has just been nominated for two Scribe Awards. But despite his decorated success, Matt is a very personable guy who is very devoted to his family. I recently had a chance to ask Matt some questions about his impressive career.

What first piqued your interest in gaming and comics?
I learned how to read with comics, especially the old Spidey series Marvel published with the Electric Company. They hooked me young and for life. Given that, I suppose it’s not surprising I became a voracious reader and got into fantastic fiction of all kinds. That set me up to fall hard for D&D. I first ran into the game when a friend’s mother bought it for him for Christmas on a Blue Light Special at K-Mart. Our mothers got us together to play, and we didn’t stop for months.

You are a very busy man. Do you still find time to game?
Not as often as I would like. I play lots of games with my kids now that they’re old enough to appreciate them. Like me, they’ll play just about anything, from Jenga or Blokus to Super Mario Smash Bros or Rock Band. Between my kids and wife and my work, though, I don’t have a whole lot of time for anything else.

When you do game, do you play your own games primarily, or do you check out things written by your industry colleagues?
I play other people’s games. I only play my own games when I’m working on them. Once they’re in print, I’m usually on to something else. I play them for game demos or when I’m thinking about an expansion for the game, but that’s about it.

I normally only play a game once or twice, and I’m rarely interested in who’s winning or losing. I’m there to pick it apart and see how it works, to learn what I can from it and figure out what the designer put into it. There are so many great games out there, it’s hard to dedicate myself to just a few.

Many people, including fans, look very closely at media tie-in work. Is there a lot of head-butting or other challenges that are not present with designing your own world?
Yes, although it’s not as bad as some might think. The toughest part is usually the outline stage. That’s when you’re trying to read the minds of your editor and your licensor’s approval stamper and figure out what they want. There’s often some miscommunication because the writer rarely has access to everything in the original creator’s head, so it’s like charging into a room blind. But if you can work it out in the outline stage, you save yourself lots of time and headaches down the road and make sure that everyone winds up happy.

 

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Review: The Incredibles #1

Review: The Incredibles #1

My daughter and I recently sat down together to read BOOM! Kids’ new [[[Incredibles]]] comic. The concept behind these books, as we reported here back in July, was to present new stories set in the world of the film. My daughter was immediately excited to see characters she recognized on the cover (the first four collectible covers were done by Michael Avon Oeming with colors by Nick Filardi, and the fifth, limited edition cover was done by Mike Mignola). I figured that she would love the story no matter what happened since she already loves the film. It’s interesting what children notice that adults may not pick up on.

Since my daughter is a beginning reader, I read her everything, including the credits.  The credits page has a little introduction to each of the characters. My daughter and I both picked up on the fact that the ten-year-old boy, Dash, is listed in the credits above his older sister Violet. I considered this and figured that ten-year-old boys must be the target demographic for this comic. My little girl was highly displeased that a little brother would receive a higher billing than his big sister, and we had to delay reading the story for a few minutes while she vented about how little brothers are always stealing the limelight.

Then we began to read the story.  We begin with an evil robot villain from the 24th century named Futurion. I found it clever and artistic that all of Futurion’s speech bubbles looked like little computer readouts, with ones and zeroes replacing “i” and “o”. My daughter, however, found this to be highly confusing. Granted, she has only recently learned to read, but she was quite frustrated by the fact that letters had been replaced with numbers and felt that someone had made a mistake. I told her that it was kind of like a joke since zeroes and ones look similar to the letters. She said “This isn’t a very funny joke”.

Once I convinced my daughter that we didn’t need to send the writers to see her teacher about the difference between a zero and an “o”, we continued with the story. A large portion of this story, which was written by BOOM! EIC Mark Waid, takes place at the home of the Parr family (the secret identities of the Incredibles). Most specifically, there is a serious discussion between the parents while the children are in another room, and then some neighbors come over for a visit.

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Convention Cookies

Convention Cookies

  • News
  • March 20, 2009

Conventions are an excellent place to catch a glimpse of your favorite celebrities, hear the latest gossip on your favorite shows, and buy as much awesome stuff as you possibly can. Conventions are not, however, renowned for their food. While finding an affordable and delicious balanced meal can be difficult when you are away at a con, you can certainly bring along something more exciting than a bag of chips and some stale licorice for snacking. So if you’re going to the The New England Webcomics Weekend 2009 or Lunacon this weekend, here are two of my time tested favorite cookie recipes and an easy no-bake snack.

Amazingly Easy Convention Crunchies

3 cups healthy unsweetened or lightly sweetened crunchy cereal (Kashi, All-Bran, Cheerios, etc.)
1 12oz bag of baking morsels (chocolate, butterscotch, etc.)

In microwave safe container, melt morsels on medium. Stop every 20 seconds to stir. When all chips melt and stir easily, it is ready (microwaves vary).

Put cereal in a large mixing bowl.

Pour melted morsels over cereal and coat as evenly as possible.

Spread mixture on wax paper to cool (about 2 hours)

Break up into cookie-sized pieces and store in airtight container. Refrigerate if desired.

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Make-at-home recipes for fans on a budget

Make-at-home recipes for fans on a budget

  • News
  • March 7, 2009

With warmer weather on the horizon and the promise of many interesting theatrical releases in the coming year, people are beginning to make plans to gather with friends for dinner and a movie. If you have been making these plans, you have probably noticed that many of your friends are bowing out for the dinner portion.

One of the most important social rituals for people is the shared meal, yet in these financially difficult times, it is becoming more and more difficult to afford the luxury of dining out or even ordering in.

But don’t write off feasting with your friends just yet. Instead, consider making a meal at home.

Whether you are gathering at a friend’s house to have an anime marathon, getting together at a pal’s apartment before that preview screening of a hot new movie, or meeting up with friends at a convention to which you have a free pass, there are things you can make yourself for a fraction of the cost of restaurant, movie theatre or convention food.

Some of the easiest things you can do when having guests for dinner is to have a taco night, where everyone either chips in toward the total cost of food or brings one of the components for making tacos (shells, meat, beans, cheese, salsa, peppers, lettuce, tomato, etc.). Even if you are making food for a game group that consumes vast quantities of food, when all is said and done, you will have spent less and eaten better than if you had ordered out or picked up fast food. And even if you are not concerned about eating healthier snacks, you can certainly see the value in spending the same amount on a huge batch of homemade cookies as you would have spent on one standard sized store bought package.

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Do PDF games show how comics can beat the recession?

Do PDF games show how comics can beat the recession?

  • News
  • February 27, 2009

Anyone who has shopped online for a tabletop role-playing game in the past few years is probably aware that many games are now available in a PDF format.  In fact, there are some games and supplements which are entirely PDF. This switch in focus has had its share of controversy, with some people preferring a more traditional bound version of games. However, in tough economic times, PDF is a very affordable way to get the newest game supplements without burning a hole in your wallet.

So, what are the pros and cons of PDF games? How are sales holding up in a struggling economy? What does this mean for the future of gaming and, ultimately, for the future of other forms of printed entertainment? I talked with industry experts Gareth-Michael Skarka (Owner and Director of Adamant Entertainment and  Director of Development and New Media for Cubicle 7), and Sean Patrick Fannon (Marketing, Publisher Relations and Communications Manager for the RPG division of OneBookShelf, Inc. –  which includes DriveThruRPG and RPGNow – and Senior Writer/Designer for Talisman Studios). They have over 30 years of professional game industry experience between them.

When asked about the pros and cons of PDF games, both Skarka and Fannon agreed that the major draw for this format is the instant gratification of having the material you are looking to purchase immediately. They also offered further insight as to why PDF has become such a popular format. Fannon mentioned that “PDFs facilitate information searches so perfectly, both through bookmarking and a straight-up search engine built into the readers. You can selectively print out the pages you actually need, rather than having to have the whole book to lug around. You can fit literally hundreds (even thousands) of books on one laptop or in a data storage device).” Additionally, Skarka pointed out that “PDFs can also move further afield from merely being an electronic version of a physical book, by including sound, video, etc. — this isn’t something which has been explored too much in the market just yet.  People are currently more comfortable with the "e-Book" concept, but once they become more widespread, the lines between the various things that can be distributed digitally (music, video, programs, etc.) will become more and more blurred.”

The lack of a more traditional book format seems to be the main downside to PDF games, says Fannon. “PDFs do not fulfill that primarily psychological desire to hold a book in your hands. People do enjoy the tangible experience of flipping pages, and being able to pull a book out at a coffee shop or other ‘comfort places’ to read through is not something easily done with a PDF. Even if you print one out and put it into a binder, that doesn’t represent the same visceral experience of holding and reading and referencing a printed book.”

In today’s difficult economy, may people are seeking inexpensive forms of entertainment and social gatherings. Gaming, appeals to both of these wants, and can provide hours of socially active entertainment at a relatively low cost. Games in PDF offer even more bang for the buck. Something many people might not realize, is that PDF games are also more financially viable for publishers. Noted Mr. Fannon: “PDF products run much less expensive than print products. Fans can get a great many more games and supplements for their hard-earned dollars, and to be completely honest, game companies make so much more from a PDF sale than they can hope to earn on a printed product, which means more money in the pockets of the creators – thus ensuring guys like me can really afford to make even more stuff for the fans.”

 

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