Author Archives: AFDStudios

30 Characters Challenge #30: CeeCee Anderman, Pareidolist

CeeCee Anderman is a Pareidolist -- she can cause anything that seems to have a face to her to come alive briefly, conversing with her about whatever it has seen or heard. Or about wattage and ohms -- outlets are always going on about that rubbish.

30 Characters Challenge #29: Animatrix


Animatrix has the power to bring children's toys and action figures to life.

30 Characters Challenge #28: Badaesstus the Demon Smith

Badaesstus the Demon Smith loves heavy metal (the music AND the forging varieties), his ectomorph Pooter, and Care Bears in that order.

Superman Cartoons

You can now watch on YouTube some of the greatest super-hero cartoons ever produced -- the 1940s era Max Fleisher Superman cartoons!

In 1941, just a few years after Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel sold the rights to Superman to Detective Comics, Inc., for $130, Paramount Pictures bought the film rights to the superhero. Paramount then asked Fleischer Studios to produce a cartoon series, and provided them with an unusually large budget to do so. The result, according to one survey of distinguished animators, was the 33rd greatest cartoon of all-time. The first, 10-minute Superman cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short. (It lost to Disney's Lend a Paw, starring Pluto.)

I just watched the initial installment and it's really great. The score is fabulous, and while the story is simple be today's standards it's still a lot of fun. Some of the elements of the mythos we take for granted today are missing (Superman was raised in an orphanage, not by the Kents) and some are different (Krypton was a planet that glowed like a star), but it's still unmistakably Superman. And unmistakably fun. Enjoy!

(via Slate.)

30 Characters Challenge #27: Earl Gray Hulk, Hot.

Earl Gray Hulk, Hot. (Double nerd reference.)

30 Characters Challenge #26: Aphid


"My aphid senses are tingling! Even at the size of an insect I can handle whatever it might be, bring it -- " SQUISH!!

Five Year Blogiversary and Changes

On this date in 2007 -- that's five years ago! -- I made the first post on this blog. 4,541 posts and 83,969 comments later, I can honestly say it's been a very fun ride. I've had the chance to interact with some amazingly fun and creative people, I've seen some incredible artwork produced, the HeroMachine application has gotten some fantastic new features due to your direct feedback, and I've had some great belly laughs. You're a pretty amazing group of folks. I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who comes here and contributes their with and creativity. Thank you for being part of my life.

After taking the last week off from both writing and my regular job, however, I have decided that the mission of the blog has to change. I don't have the energy any more with my full-time responsibilities to commit to the full weekly schedule of contests and posts. The time I spend doing all of that each day would be better spent converting over more HeroMachine items, or adding new features.

So starting today I'm instituting the following changes:

  • No more weekly scheduled posts.
  • No more weekly contests.
  • The blog will continue to exist but not as the front page of the site; it will be used for program updates, new feature announcements, feedback solicitation, and random illustration stuff. But it will be on a catch as catch can, unscheduled basis.
  • The front page will change to feature links to the various HM apps, which honestly is what the vast majority of people come here for anyway.

Of course the forums will remain open and active for anyone who wants to participate. I highly encourage you to continue the weekly contests there if you have a hankering to.

Thank you again for five great years of fun and intelligent conversation!

30 Characters Challenge #25: Phenokinetic Siyad al Ayad

Phenokinetic Siyad al Ayad can use the power of his mind to change the phenotype of any living organism at will.

Vacation Open Thread 7

This is your daily open thread, talk about whatever you like, of course keeping it clean and friendly.

30 Characters Challenge #24: Gears

Gears fixes stuff. Men are not stuff, so if you're a broken man and you're looking for a woman to fix you -- keep looking. But leave the keys to your car.