This project divides the original 1977 blockbuster into 473 fifteen-second clips, each claimed by a different volunteer who then re-creates and re-imagines their clip. As of this writing, one-hundred and sixteen clips remain unclaimed, so you still have a chance to take part in this project. Contributions so far range from slopply to earnest to satirical to artful, and everything in between. Via Swiss Miss.

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A conversation between the leading graphic design historian and the famed author and illustrator of the immortal childrens’ book “Where the Wild Things Are.” This interview is part of the lead up to the soon-to-be-released Spike Jonze film adaptation (which looks amazing) as well as Wild Things Week in New York City, 12-16 Oct.

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Worth repeating here:

“Criticism is a study by which men grow important and formidable at a very small expense. The power of invention has been conferred by nature upon few, and the labor of learning those sciences, which may by mere labor be obtained, is too great to be willingly endured; but every man can exert such judgment as he has upon the works of others; and he whom nature has made weak, and idleness keeps ignorant, may yet support his vanity by the name of a critic.

“I hope it will give comfort to great numbers who are passing through the world in obscurity, when I inform them how easily distinction may be obtained. All the other powers of literature are coy and haughty, they must be long courted, and at last are not always gained; but Criticism is a goddess easy of access and forward of advance, who will meet the slow, and encourage the timorous; the want of meaning she supplies with words, and the want of spirit she recompenses with malignity.”

Ouch.

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Lists like these are no-win propositions, as just about everyone is bound to find at least a few albums with which to disagree. Case in point: I wouldn’t mind one bit if I never hear the albums that rank at numbers 2, 4, 7, 16, 18 or 20 again. Ever. On the other hand, I could listen to the number 1 album on loop. Forever.

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New project from illustrator Jessica Hische. “Each day, a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap will be posted for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere.” Here’s my favorite so far.

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The creator of “Ren & Stimpy” and an unsparing critic of substandard animation takes on last weekend’s box office champion. Even if you have no interest in this minor children’s movie, this review is notable as a fascinating look inside an animator’s brain. Kricfalusi views “Meatballs” through a real craftsman’s lens, revealing much about what makes for ambitious animation. And he casts a cold eye on how the prevalence of mediocre cartoons has lowered our standards.

“I would give this an even zero — which is leagues ahead of any other animated feature today. Most cartoon features are thousands of points in the negative.

“It’s not like the old days, where cartoons were expected to be entertaining. In the 1940s you might rate cartoons between 50% and 100%, because they had higher entertainment standards to begin with. Even a Terrytoons has some entertainment value — because it’s not purposely trying not to, unlike modern animation.”

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A sad loss. Fuchs was one of the defining voices in mid-20th century illustration, synthesizing abstraction, realism and commercialism in a manner uniquely suited to the character of American life. Obituary at The Washington Post, and see some examples of his work in this Flickr set.

Update: As is to be expected, Steve Heller offers the definitive obituary in The New York Times.

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An eye-opening look at how our insatiable demand for gadgets, and our inattention to their power consumption, have dramatically increased demand for electricity. “The proliferation of personal computers, iPods, cellphones, game consoles and all the rest amounts to the fastest-growing source of power demand in the world. Americans now have about 25 consumer electronic products in every household, compared with just three in 1980… [the nation’s gaming consoles] now use about the same amount of electricity each year as San Diego, the ninth-largest city in country.” Ouch.

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“I think it’s indicative of a VC-induced cancer that’s infecting our industry and killing off the next generation. I don’t know the full backstory, but I’d bet this sale was encouraged by a Mint investor… But here’s what happened: Intuit, last decade’s leader in personal finance, just became the next decade’s leader in personal finance. Mint had their number, but they sold it for US$170 million.”

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