Tagged: YouTube

On This Day: YouTube is Born

On This Day: YouTube is Born

  • News
  • February 15, 2008

 

Today in 2005, three disgruntled PayPal employees created and launched a website where users could view, upload and share video clips, naming the site, "YouTube."

The site became so popular that a little less than a year later, Google acquired the website for a mere $1.65 billion in Google stock. Hot-Damn!

Thanks to YouTube, we’re now able to watch videos of crying Britney Spears fans, mock lightsaber battles and people dancing in front of their webcams whenever we get the urge — which, if rumors about YouTube’s traffic are true, is pretty freakin’ often.

It is a lesson learned and relearned, a modern day fairytale that gives us all hope: it pays to be a nerd.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: I resemble that last remark, Shira. Don’t forget you can also watch your favorite commercials from days gone by… Long live "Rom: Spaceknight!" – RM]

 

 

Free Online Alan Moore Documentary, Issue

Free Online Alan Moore Documentary, Issue

  • News
  • January 31, 2008

A few interesting bits of Alan Moore history have found their way online recently, and you won’t have to pay a dime for them.

AlterTube has posted "The Mindscape of Alan Moore," a 78-minute documentary about the creator of Watchmen and V For Vendetta that explores his growth as a storyteller and modern-day, magical… Well, you should probably just read the plot synopsis:

The film leads the audience through Moore’s world with the writer himself as guide, beginning with his childhood background, following the evolution of his career as he transformed the comics medium, through to his immersion in a magical worldview where science, spirituality and society are part of the same universe.

If you like what you see and want to purchase a copy, check out ShadowSnake Films.

DC/Vertigo has also made a full issue of Swamp Thing #21, the start of Moore’s critically-praised reinvention of the character, available online. It’s creepy as heck, but a great example of why Moore is one of comics’ living legends.

 UPDATE: The video no longer seems to be available on AlterTube, but it’s now available on YouTube. Go figure. So here you go: Free Alan Moore Documentary on YouTube.

On this day in history: Sting gets animated

On this day in history: Sting gets animated

  • News
  • January 9, 2008

Sixteen years ago, a musical icon made his cartoon-self debut on "The Simpsons" when sexy yogi and former "police"man Sting appeared on an episode called "Radio Bart."

In it, Bart’s practical joke turns ugly when all believe a little boy is trapped in a well. Sting helps fund raise for the cause by releasing a song called, "We’re Sending Our Love Down the Well."

Aw, Sting, waddaguy.

Here’s the song. We couldn’t actually get the clip from The Simpsons, because Fox has been exceptionally snarky with YouTube of late– so you’ll have to make do with this version, recast with Inayashu characters.

 

Ghost Chimp MD on CBS?

Ghost Chimp MD on CBS?

For some reason, Craig Ferguson, a very funny person in his own right, has allegedly appropriated the work of Kyle Baker, the funniest man in the world.  You can see the evidence at http://myspace.com/ghostchimpmd and at YouTube.

Kyle developed the idea when he was working at Warner Bros. in the early 1990s.

Bob Morales, a frequent Baker collaborator said, "Why do they always steal from the African-Americans? First, blues, then jazz, now Ghost Chimp M.D."

More when we hear about it — and the lawyers weigh in.

Doonesbury animations hit the Web

Doonesbury animations hit the Web

  • News
  • March 15, 2007

Remember when Doonesbury’s Duke ran for president back in 2000? For some of us, that no longer seems like such a weird choice.

Evidently, Garry Trudeau and the folks at Universal Press Syndicate feel the same way, as they have started to make available free of charge their short animations from the "Duke 2000 — Whatever it Takes" campaign. According to Editor & Publisher magazine, six videos will be uploaded twice a month through 2008 to Doonesbury.com and YouTube.com.

In the March 4 Doonesbury, Duke (based upon the late author Hunter S. Thompson) disclosed his campaign videos would appear on the Web. "This is incredible — one click to immortality! What a great tool!," he said. Duke’s son replied "Dad, you can’t put that up! Are you crazy? How many people have seen this?" Duke stated "Only a couple million — I just posted it."


Viacom sues YouTube for $1 bil

Viacom sues YouTube for $1 bil

  • News
  • March 13, 2007

Looking for that video of Stephen Colbert accepting the mantle of Captain America last night (apparently Marvel has just discovered the shield missing), or decrying the death of Steve Rogers in his Word segment from last Thursday?  Don’t bother going to YouTube for ’em.  Comedy Central’s parent company Viacom announced today that it has sued YouTube and its parent company Google, seeking more than $1 billion in copyright infringement damages.

The lawsuit was not exactly unexpected — last month Viacom demanded that YouTube remove more than 100,000 unauthorized clips after several months of talks between the companies broke down.

Considering the fight is about who can make more money "out of exploiting the devotion of fans to others’ creative works," so far it looks like, whoever wins, the fans might still be the losers.

The reading generation

The reading generation

  • News
  • March 12, 2007

According to this article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, teenagers are reading more now than they have in decades.  Not only that, but they’re "buying books in quantities we’ve never seen before," says Booklist magazine’s Michael Cart, who also notes that "publishers are courting young adults in ways we haven’t seen since the 1940s."

The reasons for the surge, besides a high teen population at present (over 30 million), include more quality young adult literature in just about every genre, with fantasy and graphic novels being particularly in vogue.  But it’s not just buying – teens are also visiting libraries in greater numbers, and many librarians are seeing a greater circulation of teen fiction than adult fiction. 

Oddly, the article doesn’t really credit online activity for this upswing; it actually notes, "The staying power of books is especially remarkable given the lure of YouTube, MySpace and other techie diversions."  But as any teen or adult can tell you, you need to be able to read, and read well and fast, in order to fully partake of online "techie diversions," and once you’re reading stuff you like, you’re bound to read more.

Fandom Canada-style, eh?

Fandom Canada-style, eh?

  • News
  • March 10, 2007

Andy Mangels, curator of the online Wonder Woman Museum, writes to apologize for the belated heads-up about a Canadian TV programme called FANatical, which airs weekly on the TVtropolis channel. 

Seems this past week’s episode featured musings on Andy’s favorite character, featuring interviews with him and Anina Bennett (pictured at right at last year’s Wonder Woman Day charity event), as well as appearances by Terry Dodson, Anne Timmons, Matt Clark, Paul Guinan, Michael Eury and others.  As this episode aired last Tuesday with a rerun this morning at 9:30 AM Eastern. Does anyone have a YouTube excerpt they’d care to share?

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks