Besides what I’ve mentioned previously, there’s another reason why I switched webhosts recently. I was really getting sick and tired of people using the images here on their own sites/blogs/message boards/whatever, effectively stealing my bandwidth without giving me anything in return. On the old server, there was no way to stop it, and every time I’d bring the issue up with the tech staff, they would act all dumbfounded, like they didn’t know what I was talking about.

That’s all over with now. I have just set it up so that anyone who is looking at an image that is hosted on SykoGrafix.com but being viewed on another site will be getting a face-full of this:

No more hotlinking from SykoGrafix! Beautiful, isn’t it?

And to anyone who thinks this is unfair, or that I shouldn’t get upset over the issue, to you I say: GET REAL. The issue here is bandwidth theft. The key word in that phrase is “theft“. Theft means stealing, and as you should know from watching Sesame Street, stealing is wrong. Not only is it stealing the bandwidth that I pay for, but it’s also stealing the content that I worked hard to put together to make my website a unique and entertaining web experience. I didn’t put in that work just so some loser could add a decoration to a myspace page or something like that. I put in the work because I want people to come to my site, to read what I have to say, to look at the images in the context that I put them in, and to (hopefully) enjoy it. There’s no reason for any of it to be used for any other purpose, so I’ve put a stop to it, and rightly so. End of story.

Sayonara.

So, it’s now confirmed.

Sonic the Hedgehog is going to be a playable character on the upcoming Super Smash Bros Brawl for Nintendo Wii.

I guess, with the events of the past few years, including Sega withdrawing from the console market and publishing software on Nintendo platforms, this really shouldn’t come as a huge shock. In fact, since Sega is developing an Olympic themed game with Sonic and Mario together, and Nintendo has opened up the possibility of 3rd party characters appearing in Smash Bros by way of Solid Snake, it seems like having Sonic in the next Super Smash Bros is a forgone conclusion. And yet, despite how inevitable this is, it’s still a huge deal.

Back in the 16bit era, it was all about Nintendo vs Sega. Super NES vs Genesis. Mario vs Sonic. I was, and still am, a Nintendo supporter, and so back then it meant that I HATED Sonic. He was the enemy. I never liked the little bit of the Sonic games that I had played, and I resented the way he was marketed as a “hedgehog with attitude“. I was very anti-Sonic, to say the least. I would even draw pictures of Mario shooting Sonic or beating him up! My stance on the character has, of course, softened over the years, but I’ve never really been able to warm up to the Sonic franchise.

It seems now that the quality of Sonic’s games over the past few years has been diluted to such a point that I really don’t understand why there is such a loyal fanbase to this character. But clearly it does exist and it must be pretty exciting for them to see Sonic appear in this game. As for me, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I don’t care about this character at all, and his appearance was not going to be a deal breaker, considering that this game is pretty much a guaranteed purchase from me with or without him. I would probably rather not have Sonic in my Smash Bros. if I had the choice. On the other hand, something about this is really interesting. I lived through an era where a game starring both Mario and Sonic together would be preposterous! If someone had told me about this 15 years ago, I would have thought that the world was going to crack in half first! But here it is, and it’s real. I guess it just goes to show how times can change and how what was once unfathomable can eventually become true. Though I doubt that other members from the cast of the infamous pirate game “World Heroes 2” will be appearing!

So, in the spirit of competition, I welcome Sonic and his fans to the realm of Smash. I’m willing to give him a chance and let bygones be bygones. But… I have a feeling that at some point, my early-teenaged Nintendo fanboy self will resurface and take a measure of joy in having Mario beat the bloody blue hell out of that overly caffinated weasel. Oops… did I just say that?

Anyway, I still don’t have a Wii yet. That sucks.

Sayonara.

So, I’ve seen Superman Doomsday. I suppose it doesn’t really matter if I tell you what happens, considering that it’s based on the Death of Superman comic books, but here’s my mostly non-spoilery review.

This movie is BRUTAL.

The fighting in this movie is probably the most intense I’ve ever seen in animation. It definitely pulls no punches! There’s a little bit of blood, and no real visible gore, but there would be no way for any of this to ever be on a regular TV show like Justice League. There are 2 major fight scenes in the movie and they are both intense! There’s lots of bone crushing and civilian deaths too, so keep the younger ones away. It’s pretty dark and violent.

That all said, the story here really isn’t about Superman or Doomsday. It’s more a story about Lois Lane than anything else, and I thought it was really well done. Everything unfolds from her perspective, and it’s interesting to see a Superman story being told like that. Lex Luthor also has a part to play in all this, and he’s a really evil sick bastard here.

It has nothing to do with any of the other Superman animations, so all of the character designs and voice actors are different. Some of these differences may take some getting used to. Superman’s face looks kinda wrinkly, and I think that was done just for the sake of making it different from the previous animated design. It’s also a bit jarring to hear different voices coming out of these characters, but the voices fit the roles for this particular film, and I eventually warmed up to them.

Oh, and there’s a little in-joke for fans of “An Evening with Kevin Smith” that got a big laugh out of me!

All in all it’s a decent movie, and a good start for this new line of DC Comics Animated films. I’ve read some negative reviews for it, and I just don’t get that. It’s not a perfect film, but I think anyone who hates this movie clearly fails at life. I don’t have the DVD yet, but I’ll get it eventually. I hear there’s some great extras on it.

Superman Doomsday is recommended for fans of Superman, fans of animation that’s not for kids, and fans of… um, punching, I guess.

Sayonara.

Today is “Talk like a Pirate Day“. Of course, as is well known, I am a Ninja. And since Ninjas and Pirates are mortal enemies, I do not celebrate.

However, as an anime fan, there is one pirate that I must deem worthy of praise. The greatest, coolest pirate in the history of all piracy.

And that is, of course, this guy.

Arcadia, HASSHIN!!!

Captain Harlock FTW. I want to say that the world needs more heroes like this. But there’s no point because none of them could ever be this awesome.

Sayonara.

Go to the website Career Cruising. Put in Username: nycareers and Password: landmark. The take their “Career Matchmaker” questions, and it’ll give you a list of potential careers that you might enjoy or be good at. Here are my top 20 results.

• 1. Desktop Publisher

• 2. Animator

• 3. Fashion Designer

• 4. Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator

• 5. Artist

• 6. Graphic Designer

• 7. Computer Animator

• 8. Medical Illustrator

• 9. Industrial Designer

• 10. Website Designer

• 11. Craftsperson

• 12. Potter

• 13. Interior Designer

• 14. Exhibit Designer

• 15. Historian

• 16. Dental Lab Tech.

• 17. Computer Trainer

• 18. Writer

• 19. Upholsterer

• 20. Manufacturing Machine Operator

As expected, the top entries are all art and design related fields. Though I’m a bit surprised that Comic Illustrator is even a possibility. I guess that means I gotta do what I gotta do!

But then we get down to #16, Dental Lab Tech. Umm.. what? That’s probably a very, very bad idea. I don’t think anybody wants me to be poking their teeth and gums with sharp metal instruments.

But then we have #17, Computer Trainer. This is someone who, I assume, trains computers. To do what, exactly? I’m not sure, but if it were up to me, I would train computers to take over the world. Bwahaha.

Sayonara.