#project round-up

[myrastuff]

May Project Round-Up

Small Comic Project: Shuffling through a few ideas to pick one as a practice comic project, something short that I can finish relatively quickly before I delve into the vampires thing. Currently I'm leaning towards something unapologetically fluffy that may involve dragons.

Spoonflower Fabric Designs: Maybe 60% done enough for my first print run. Hoping to print two lolita-y skirt designs in 3 sizes each (human, 1/3-1/4 scale doll, 1/6 scale doll,) some steampunk damask fabric in multiple scales, and probably some cool girly dragon fabric. Semi-on-hold until after AN so I can focus my art efforts on that.

Masked (superhero romance novel): Slow but steady progress on editing. Not exactly on the front burner ATM.

Maiden: A Magical Girl RPG: On hold while the tabletop RPG efforts of my crack writing team go towards helping winterwombat finish and publish his awesome space horror game. But I've got an outline outlined and it is now stewing away on the back burner, gathering glitter.

[kickstarter]

New Projects Across America

Did you all have a good April Fools day? We hope so, because now it's time to get back to business -- and new projects are no joke! Check out our favorites, below, and make sure to stop by our Discover Projects page. There's loads of good stuff in there these days. Malls Across America -- by Rumur When I was a kid my mom made a point of letting us know that we were never going to be kids that hung out at "the Mall." At the time I didn't understand, but as I watch the video for Malls of America, a photography piece shot around the country in 1989, I get a good sense why my mother didn't want me kicking between the Orange Julius and the Arcade. The young lady with the "Youth Gone Wild" t-shirt, pretty much sums it up. It's a pleasure, after all these years, to finally reveal in the fluorescent glow of the American Mall via this fascinating photo project, which, in turn, allows me to rebel against my mother. Take that, Mom! -- Mike M. Seedfolks Seed Library -- by Kerstin Keifer Is there anything more thrilling than putting a seed in the dirt and then waking up one morning, a few days later, to a plant? Well, maybe. But it's still cool. I love these "seedfolks" for so many reasons. One, because they call themselves "seedfolks." Two, because the idea of a seed library combines my two greatest loves: seeds and libraries. Three, because they are fighting The Man, or as they put it, "empowering the community to manage their own seed procurement and to break the dependence upon multinational companies." They're educating us, sending us seeds, giving us a space to hang out with our seeds, and teaching us how to grow stuff ourselves instead of going to the fancy bodega for basil every 3 days. Speak seeds to power! -- Meaghan O. Tweet Land, the first set of games that play with reality! -- by Villalobos, Espinoza, Vasquez, Cartin(s) Though I derive little pleasure in launching an Angry Bird and tire easily of ninja slicing fruit, I do enjoy me some pixelated play. Also enjoy me a big group of young and award-winning Costa Rican developers. That may have just come out horribly wrong, but the point is this: Tweet Land is kEwL. Every time someone tweets something, the tweets affect the gameplay of Tweet Land by triggering certain keywords like "meteor," "tsunami," "beach," "zombie," "hate," or "love" to name a few. Featuring lo-fi graphics and retro game tunes, Tweet Land takes social media 2.0 and runs it right through beta. Available for the iPhone or on the web, I am so glad this whole internetz thing really is world-wide. -- Elisabeth H. Moviesandbox -- by Friedrich Kirschner Filmmaker and software developer Friederich Kirschner is no stranger to 3D animation. His previous work includes re-purposing computer games using real-time animation technology to create machinima films, and interactive performances. That real-time animation technology will soon be available for all with Moviesandbox, Friederich's open software project. It's compatible with outside applications like MIDI-Controllers, Kinect sensors, Milkscanners, and Arduino, allowing users to easily scan real objects and begin animating them in 3D. Friederich demos some of the software's capabilities in the video above, including dropping an Astronaut figurine into a bowl of Coca-Cola (as part of the animation process, of course). Along with the software, he'll be creating a short animated movie to show what Moviesandbox is fully capable of. Hopefully the Astronaut will have a starring role. Cindy A. Ivy and the Wicker Suitcase -- by Brian Beattie Kick off your video with tan velvet diorama curtains and you might just suck people in; call your project an epic surreal musical audio drama, and heads be a-turnin'. Valerie Fowler illustrated a beautiful little book that husband Brian Beattie's adding tunes, dialogue, and sound effects to, in order to create a record/book double-whammy. Bill Callahan (!) and Daniel Johnston (!) are on board to join in, and 11-year-old Grace London plays the heroine Ivy Wire. -- Daniella J.

[kickstarter]

New Projects are Hip-Hop

As they say: "Mo' Monday, Mo' Projects." Okay, they don't really say that... but now WE do. And after checking out this week's round-up of our favorite, newly launched projects, maybe you will, too! While you're at it, make sure to check out our Discover Page -- and let us know which projects are your favorites in the comments, below. We can't wait to hear! XVI Bars: I Am Hip-Hop -- by Miguel Lara This project is all about story for me. Miguel seems like a good guy, really dedicated to his music and working hard at it. A lot of people raise money on Kickstarter for their albums, but done well, each one can feel so different. I'm not even a big hip-hop listener, but I like hearing about how Miguel got his start, from being invited to freestyle and winning to putting out a demo tape while still in high school. Let's hear it for Nashville hip-hop! -- Daniella J. Throw Dough To Moe Chapeau Show -- by Emily Moe Like any young gay man trapped in a woman's body, I grew up on Absolutely Fabulous, Molly Ringwald, and Culture Club, and desperately wished my Jew family would consider Baptism for the sake of those Sunday church hats donned by women of a certain age (and/or the cast of Paris is Burning). All this is to say, I am intimately familiar with the unparalleled virtues of headware. However, my appreciation for Emily Moe's Kickstarter project extends far beyond my belief in the holy trinity (and by that I mean hats-bags-shoes). The montage of her childhood hat obsession would have been enough, but additionally, her goal to move on from apprentice to master is both noble and long overdue. Already an established Etsy and craft show seller, Moe is raising funds to buy her own set of hat blocks to make her collection for the One Of A Kind juried arts show in Chicago. With fun rewards at every tier -- you go, Moe. -- Elisabeth H. Verhulst + Fredericks: a pop-up restaurant -- by SSF With the success of What Happens When, it's exciting to see another pop-up restaurant enter the fray. The latest comes from the Sustainable Style Foundation and chef Jesse Carpenter who have developed a plan for a 3-week only Dutch farmhouse-style restaurant in the Bowery. The menu is inspired by traditional Dutch fare like "oysters served with mignonette" and "seared herring with asparagus." I'm personally drawn to their $15 reward -- a Dutch baby pancake -- possibly one of the greatest innovations in pancake technology, ever. Can the pop-up restaurant become a full-fledged movement? My stomach hopes so! -- Cindy A. The Loneliest Mixtapes 2-8 -- by Mike Ambs Always nice to find a nice surprise on Kickstarter at 2am before going to sleep. In this case, it was the Loneliest Mix Tape Pt. 2-8. 'But how?!', I asked myself. If you recall, the Loneliest Mix Tape was a project that launched recently with a single $5 reward, limited to one person. (Daniella was lucky enough to be that person.) A bit jealous when she received her cassette in the mail, I knew I had to act fast in order to get one of the follow up tapes. Clearly, I chose the Enya redux. -- Mike M. Sweetie Pie Press Summer Craft Tour -- by Becky Johnson Okay, okay, I admit it. I don't know anything about crafting, and I thought I might actually just sorta hate it. But then I hit play on the project video for Becky Johnson's Sweetie Pie Press project and it's accompanying skill demonstrations, featuring the very appealing "Unflattering Portraits" series. I like Becky's project because she's so straight up. There's no gimmicks, no gadgetry -- her one-woman show is truly just that. Sometimes, that can be kinda refreshing. Plus, you get cool things like 'zines and buttons for rewards, and I'm a little bit of a nerd for those. -- Cassie M. Coffee Joulies: your coffee just right -- by Dave & Dave This project addresses two things I am offended by: coffee that's too hot and coffee that's too cold. East Coast Dave & West Coast Dave (who looks so perfectly East Coast and West Coast respectively that you can't help but smile) are simply passionate about perfect coffee, and on this Monday morning I can't think of anything more important. They wanted to widen that window of perfect coffee temperature so they made these crazy magic stainless steel beans filled with Science (Proprietary Phase Change Material) that absorbs heat when your coffee is too hot and then releases it when it's too cold. Kind of like anti-ice. It's good to be drinking coffee in 2011, friends. -- Meaghan O.

[kickstarter]

New Projects Are Passing Strange

Whether you're slogging to work in below-freezing drizzle (thanks, New York) or basking in the first, warm days of sunny Spring -- there's one thing we all still have in common. Loving new projects! Are you with me?! Check out a few of our favorites from this week, below, and seek out even more on our always-surprising Discover Projects page. Midwest Premiere of Passing Strange -- by Baliwick Chicago Here is the thing: I've been wonderfully fortunate to have seen a ton -- nay, a butt-ton! -- of theater, and I can honestly say without hesitation that Passing Strange is The Greatest Musical of Our Time. (Ed's Note: You don't even have to like musicals to enjoy it. You can even go so far as to hate musicals, and you'll still enjoy it. Let's bet $5. Let's bet $5 right now.) Passing Strange is a powerhouse revelation. It is a highly nuanced, hilarious, sincere, empowering, brilliant, and beautiful exploration of what it means to be a young person on the verge of adulthood. In this show, that young person happens to be an artist who happens to be black in a place that happens to be 1970s South Central. Journeying from L.A. to Amsterdam, Berlin, and back in search of "the real," Passing Strange is a show about the explosive intersections and epic synergies of race, class, individuality, sex, drugs, rock and the place we can't help but call home. This Spring, Chicago's Bailiwick Society intends to bring the Midwest an experience that Spike Lee knew he had to commit to film. Heads up to the Heartland: Run.Don't.Walk. -- Elisabeth H. PDXYAR and the Quest for a Pirate Ship -- by Jaime Kirk The historical fictioneers of PDXYAR (pronounced "Pee-Dee-Ex Yaaaarrrrr") excel at piracy, and not the internet kind. These swashbucklers hail from a much older piratical tradition, embracing skills like swordplay, cannon firing, tomahawk throwing, and whip work. The one thing they're missing? A pirate ship! They're creating a 48-foot scale model of the HMY Mary that they can then use as a backdrop and stage for their traveling show. But don't worry, the ship won't be hitting the high seas any time soon. It's a modular design meant to stay safely on land, and quite frankly, these pirates are less about plundering and more about performing. Anyways, if you've started watching their video (featuring knife-throwing, fire AND explosions) then you probably won't make it to this sentence...so I'm just gonna go now. -- Cindy A. Dreamscape Memory Cave - by rainb0wLightning I'd never heard of Cavescapes before, but as someone who spent the majority of his youth draping blankets over bunkbeds and putting tents in the middle of my room, Akron, Ohio's rainb0wLightning's Dreamscape Memory Cave tapped into a memory I seemingly tucked into some odd nook in a crevice in the back of my mind. Nostalgia kicks galore at the duo's upcoming installation, which will be as much an art opening as a slumber party. Rad. -- Mike M. Hella Bitter Citrus Cocktail Bitters -- by Benjamin Ahr Harrison I like this guy because he knows what he wants out of life: to wear a pocket square, and "to make the world a more bitter place." He said that in his video, that's not just my interpretation. The label apparently has a picture of his face on it, which I also support. If you are going to manufacture your own cocktail bitters in what I can only assume is the basement of your Williamsburg apartment, you might as well put your face on the label your print off in your friend's graphic design studio down the block. He wants to make a batch of 50, and while he could use some help in the Creative Rewards Department (right down the hall from the Pitch Video That Connects Your Project to An Audience on a Personal Level), I have to love a creator that just wants to make their cocktail bitters and share them with the world! I am not even totally sure what cocktail bitters are! But I think having them in your cabinet is a crucial step in adulthood. -- Meaghan O. Gigantic Sequins, a literary arts journal, issue 2.2. -- by Kimberly Ann Southwick This project just goes to show that Mom had it right: "Just be yourself." The ambitious and, frankly, adorable crew behind literary arts journal Gigantic Sequins are not "hi-fi," but they're articulate, thoughtful, and clever. Yes, that is a fake mustache. Yes, that is a well-placed poster on her bedroom wall which features the mags logo (cuuuute!). Yes, I want a copy of this uniquely designed, bi-annual, black-and-white, literarily-inclined work of art. Yes, I do. Side note: did I just make up a word? -- Cassie M.

AxleArt Haiku Roadsign Project -- by Axle Contemporary

Not only do these mobile-gallery-ites ooze with southwestern good cheer, they also have a new bright idea to letter a roadside sign with haiku. Earlier in its life, the sign they'll soon thrift advertised the coldest beer in town and then the hottest chile in the Española valley. But as they say, "not everything that is cool is in the fridge and not all things hot are edible." Thus, this sign's future as a rotating poetry gallery. The plan is to feature two different haiku (one on each side of the sign) each week for four months during summer '11 as it makes its way around Santa Fe for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians to enjoy. ¡Que Viva La Poesia! (and I quote, believe it or not!). -- Daniella J.

[kickstarter]

New Projects are Perennial

It's March, and you know what that means: spring! In the spirit of new seasons and new starts, here is a round-up of our favorite, newly launched projects. Check them out, below, and don't forget to head on over to our Discover Projects page, where even more await! The Perennial Plate: Sustainable food series films across US -- by Daniel Klein Daniel Klein kinda looks like a thinking man's Dane Cook. This turns out to be highly appropriate as he is a thinking man who cooks. (Hooray!) An artist, filmmaker, activist, and chef, Klein raised $10k on Kickstarter last spring to create a weekly web series traversing the gardens, farms, and wild backwoods of Minnesota to see where his food comes from. With elegant cinematography, dynamic food producers, and an adventurous flare, the alternatives featured on Perennial Plate are a feast for the eyes (let alone the belly). 52 episodes and 10,000 weekly viewers deep, Perennial Plate is now hitting the road to feature real, sustainable, and wild food and all across America. This isn't Man vs. Wild or Man v. Food; more like Man + Wild + Food = Friends. Less aggro-, more agrarian. Good math! -- Elisabeth H. Sprout Seattle -- by Sprout Seattle I generally support anything involving food: the making of food, the eating of food, the looking at of food. This project has all of those things, plus it thrives on generating a sense of community and it supports local artists. That is a win-win-win situation, and I wish a little bit that it weren't taking place across the country from me. Luckily, there are still a smattering of cool, handmade rewards for those that can't attend. -- Cassie M. Children of Liberty: Historical Stealth Platformer -- by Lantana Games Indie game studio Lantana has been hard at work on their new historical stealth platformer that takes place the night before the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The Lantana team has spared no detail, from the 100+ hand drawn animations, characters, and backgrounds to the historically accurate sound recordings, including the "sound of footsteps on the floorboards of the Longfellow House." The game is technically for kids, but so are a lot of things in life that are way too much fun to give up. And hypothetically, if an adult (who shall not be named) were to play this game, said grown-up would definitely choose to play as "Sarah, the adorable but deadly Colonial Ninja." -- Cindy A. Portable Fortitude: 54 Talismans; Reprint of unique deck -- by Corina Dross A few years ago, Corina Dross and her friends were having a rough go of things and had run out of practical solutions. Being the kind of lady she is, Corina started making sketches to give to her friends -- portable fortitudes, to keep them safe. Some examples: Protection of Bicycle Mishap, Protection from Narcissism, Lynda Barry. They're beautiful and I want them all: Protection from Feeling Left Out, Protection from Heartbreak, Protection from Divine Indifference, Walt Whitman. Eventually, there were 54, and she turned them into a deck of playing cards. There's even one about bedbugs. Suffice it to say, I'm a backer. -- Meaghan O. Time-lag records vinyl reissue series -- By Nemo Bidstrup Continuing to tap into the treasure chests of private-press obscurities, Maine's Time-Lag records is working on keeping a few of gems alive in the modern world. The label's latest mission is to preserve a group of four records, which Time-lag's Nemo Bidstrup describes as, "from the ultra obscure, to the already legendary, this batch of four albums spans eight years & a wide spectrum of all the sonic joys that can be found in america's rich history of privately released lps." Now, I'm going to have to beg them to re-issue Satwa's self-titled record on wax for my own personal enjoyment. -- Mike M.

[kickstarter]

New Projects are Sailing Robots

It's raining in New York. We're kind of bummed about it. Things we're not bummed out about, though, include all of this week's awesome, recently launched projects. Check 'em out, below, and let a little metaphorical sunshine into your life. And don't forget to find even more via our Discover Projects page. Blimpus, An Inflatable Character Canvas by Blimpus Ohhhhh myyyy god these are two-foot-tall-inflatable-alien-things made out of vinyl that you can customize to your hearts desire with pencils, paints, silkscreens, stickers, and really, honestly, anything else you feel like. And they are called "Blimpus" -- amazing! Even better than being able to DIY it, though, is the fact that creators Mike and Tony are offering awesome, Kickstarter-exlusive editions of these feisty little guys. Their charming variations include Yeti, Cyclops, and Ninja, and even ones that come with with sticker packs, so you can mix 'n' match noses, eyes, and funny mustaches (it's like a semi-grown up Mr. Potato Head). Seriously ... I kind of just wanna squeeze one. Is that weird? -- Cassie M.

The Moby-Dick Variations: Theatre of Multiplicity by John Zibell Watching this project video makes me think this guy is either crazy or just crazy enough. John Zibell is a theater and film veteran with an apparent affection for Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. He is making an experimental production inspired by the text, investigating the disappearance of the human animal from the natural landscape. Okay. He promises us larger-than-life light projections of whales and non-linear, poly-everything, non-sensical wonderment the whole way through. I support anyone that is inspired by a missing whale. -- Meaghan O. Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang by Wills Glasspiegel The King of Bubu music, Janka Nabay, has been bringing the heat stateside since his arrival in New York sometime last year. As a fan, it's been a pleasure to watch him grow from playing feet-happy shows by himself to wrangling up a massive Bubu gang. I had the pleasure of seeing Janka & the Bubu Gang this past summer on a rooftop in Brooklyn, and it's safe to say, if you've yet to experience the joyous rapture of live bubo, you're doing yourself a disservice. Check out this project. -- Mike M. Music World Greece by Oresti Tsonopoulos Videographer and documentarian Oresti Tsonopoulos creates an addictive web travel series called "Music World" that introduces viewers to an eclectic variety of music from around the globe. He's already received accolades for season one, which took audiences into the heart of the current tango renaissance in Buenos Aires -- from street fairs to loft apartments -- all captured in Oresti's intimate, minimalist style. For his second season, he's heading to Greece to capture the underground Rebetiko scene, and he's offering music compilations, photo books, his grandma's secret recipe, and even a bouzouki! (Not sure what that is? Peep the project.) Give his website a look to get a feel for his style, and support the project here. -- Daniella J. Protei, Open Hardware Oil Spill Cleaning Sailing Robot by Cesar Harada Last year's BP oil spill may have faded from the headlines, but the need for more effective, efficient, and inexpensive oil cleanup technology remains. A global team of researchers have been working long and hard on coming up with a creative solution, and after five iterations, they're getting close to deploying Protei, a low cost open-source oil collecting robot that can sail autonomously and upwind. It's unique, water snake-like design allows it to self-right even in the most inhospitable of weather conditions. Best of all, if you're a tinkerer, you can collaborate by hacking on one yourself and contributing to the ongoing improvements on design and materials. -- Cindy A. In the Hearts of Men: A Theatrical and Film Documentary by Cory Braudt In November 2010, a Catholic high school newspaper in Minnesota published an article entitled "My Life as a Gay Teenager." Around the same time, the Minnesota Archbishop of the Archdiocese mailed out 400,000 anti-gay marriage DVDs. The school paper's editorial staff responded with “Staff Finds DVD Unsubstantiated," and both articles were pulled offline within 36 hours for provoking debate deemed too unsafe for the school's environment, and too confusing to reconcile with scripture. Inspired by these microcosmic events, CalArts theater students Cody Braudt, Connor Farr, and Zan Headley are traveling cross-country, interviewing Americans about how religion, homosexuality, and same-sex marriage actually affect the lives they lead. The trio will adapt their documentary into a stage play called "The Hearts of Men." It's tough to tell if the historic radio broadcast in their video is real or scripted for the play, but it's sending chills down my spine either way, which is, perhaps, the whole point. -- Elisabeth H.

[kickstarter]

New Projects Are Bollywood

It's been a long weekend, and we've missed you. And what we do when we miss you is make long lists of recently launched projects we're excited for you to hear about. Check 'em out below! Then use our Discover Projects page to find some more favorites of your own to share. See how that works? Isn't that great? Happy Tuesday, y'all! Bollywood Karaoke by Michael Reynolds Filmmaker Michael Reynolds introduces Bollywood like so:

What happens when a kid in glasses falls for a young but totally inaccessible beauty? If you’re in Bollywood, that kid grabs a karaoke machine, finds his 80 year old Sikh buddy, steals a rickshaw, and blows up that woman’s spot big time.

Um, sweet. He's making a short Bollywood-style film of his own (double sweet), with the standard fabulous boy-chases-cute-girl plot, complete with rickshaw mayhem and other adventures along the way (sweeeeeet). I'm now craving Mumbai and roti and this movie. -- Daniella J. The Corn Crib by Ansen Seale I've never heard somebody refer to corn as having "seductive powers" before, but after watching the video for photographer Ansen Seale's very, very cool "Corn Crib" project -- consider me fairly convinced. Using a special camera that captures only a single column of pixels at a time, Ansen is creatively "unwrapping" the kernels of an ear of corn. The resulting images are both beautifully abstract and instantly recognizable; something destined way more for your wall than for your mouth, ya know what I mean? When the series was complete, Ansen scouted an off-the-grid cabin to display them in, even going so far as to build an LED light system to illuminate them with. It's unexpectedly breathtaking, and (won't lie) mildly dadcore in a good way. -- Cassie M. The Trash Project for two final performances by Allison Orr In 2009, award-winning Austin choreographer Allison Orr created one of the cultural events of the year when she directed 24 city sanitation employees and 16 garbage trucks to dream up a free outdoor trash truck ballet. The event was flooded with spectators, but with seating for 700 and capacity at 2,000, Allison's brother-in-law had to turn folks away at the gate. Her Kickstarter campaign for two final performances intends to bring the free ballet alive once more, this time for 4,000 people. The Trash Project transforms and celebrates the every(wo)man and their work. Orr's video has exactly the kind of hopeful, something-exciting-and-illuminating-and-inspiring-is-happening-in-this-town feel that makes a girl want to fly down south to watch some waste get put to some very spectacular use. (Certainly beats the you-know-what out of the rat-infested bags piling up outside said girl's boyfriend's Flatbush apartment.) You can learn more about The Trash project and Orr's dance company here. -- Elisabeth H. Minecraft: The Story of Mojang by 2 Player Productions When Markus "Notch" Persson first launched Minecraft in May 2009 after working on it for about a week, he had no idea that by 2011, the pioneering sandbox-style game would have over 4 million players. 2 Player Productions set out to document the story of Notch and Minecraft as a twenty minute short documentary, but not surprisingly, the story evolved into a feature-length film about Notch's phenomenal rise not just in the indie game world, but the game development world at large. If you play Minecraft, this is one film you won't want to miss. If you don't play Minecraft, you should probably start playing Minecraft. -- Cindy A. LetterMpress: A Virtual Letterpress on Your iPad by John Bonadies If some people dream of having a letterpress in their basement the way others dream of fronting a rock band, then this is Guitar Hero for the marginally subdued. This iPad app gives you a virtual letter press environment that takes all of the unattainability out of printing cutesy tour posters and fake WANTED signs -- you choose the type, move it around with your very own touchscreen fingers, and set it just like you would a real letterpress. Help these guys raise money to acquire all kinds of new typefaces to scan them into the app for us to play with and then post to our blogs. -- Meaghan O.

[kickstarter]

The Write Stuff

Our recent excitement over Frank Chimero's self-published manifesto The Shape of Design has seemingly ignited some kind of design-based, word-crazy fire! Over the last few weeks, our Recently Launched page has been loaded with beautifully crafted books on all matter of fascinating subjects, from current events to the internet to -- of course -- robots. Check out a few of the highlights, below, and browse more great writing projects on our Discover page. Made Handsome: Art & Fiction Journal by Nate Utesch Dedicated to gathering work from a globally based community of active artists, Indiana-based collective Ferocious Quarterly are all about ... well ... everybody! Their democratic ethos -- "If it can fit on our pages, it's welcome" -- and method of approaching highly relevant subject matter with an eye toward whimsy combine to create a thoughtfully packaged, and distinctly good looking, magazine. Their next issue, "Made Handsome," which will compile illustrations and short fictions based on real-life newspaper headlines, will be available as a limited edition, hardcover book through Kickstarter. Excellent!

The Manual by Andy McMillan The Manual presents a seemingly counterintuitive concept that, in my opinion, is still pretty cool: a limited run print magazine focused on web design. Each issue features six in-depth, high-minded feature articles and a bonanza of design-nerd goodies, providing a nuanced discourse on the place where contemporary design and internet culture collide. Creator Andy McMillian sums it up best:

More and more of us hear the call to carve out a definition — a visual and written language — of professional web design that is powerfully, distinctly, and intelligently its own...Through it all, it’s a magazine for people whose love of design runs through their veins and who bring that searing, addictive, euphoric, brain-aching love to their work and to their lives.

Even if you're not up to snuff on the latest HTML5 controversy or CSS stylesheet, The Manual's good looks/super smart approach promise to entertain and engage. Teller: A Magazine of Stories by Teller Magazine I love stories, and Teller is a whole magazine of them! The publication specializes in finding ways to leverage photography, fiction, art, and poetry as instruments of creative story-telling, and their second issue promises such idiosyncratic delights as "the mysterious death of Paul the Octopus in the context of a history of animal spies" and "how police might utilize the waggle dance of bees in the fight against horticultural crime." It's silly, but smart; goofy without sacrificing its sharp wit. In conclusion, I totally dig it.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Diani&Devine With more than a little of their tongues-in-cheek, comedians/generally creative people Gabriel and Etta are teaming up to replace every use of the "N-word" in Mark Twain's classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with the word "Robot." Why? Because robots are "cool," the duo claim, but they're really fighting satire with satire; creating a razor sharp commentary on the unwillingness of America's educational system to engage in difficult and nuanced subject matter with its students. Quoting their hilarious, deadpan project video: "We still get all of Twain's themes about slavery, freedom, and all that stuff -- without having to confront the uncomfortable, and, frankly, inconvenient facts, about our nation's past." Whether or not you agree with their principles, it's definitely some interesting food for thought.