Link roundup

1.  The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were actually in Assyria, Babylon's great rival as the superpower of ancient Mesopotamia.  Via.

2.  Necropolis by Jake Wyatt.

3. Valleywag:

Want to know all the code names for America's massive intelligence gathering programs? Just browse through the "intelligence analysts" who post their resumes on the public career networking site LinkedIn. ANCHORY, NUCLEON, TRAFFICTHIEF, ARCMAP, SIGNAV, COASTLINE, DISHFIRE, FASTSCOPE, OCTAVE/CONTRAOCTAVE, PINWALE, UTT, WEBCANDID, FASCIA, OCTSKYWARD, INTELINK, METRICS, BANYAN, MARINA ... these all sound absolutely terrifying. 

Of course, some of them are just mundane commercial software and systems. Finding the newly revealed NSA surveillance programs amidst the "risk management suites" is part of the fun.

4. "Alas, the sound these insects make is too quiet for most of us to hear, and you would need a specialized microphone to pick up their replies. But still, I think it is pretty amazing that there is a tiny creature hiding somewhere in the bushes, listening to me and repeating my words, hoping that maybe I will get close enough that he can have a shot at catching me for dinner."

*Buy I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed By Me: Emblems from the Pentagon's Black World at Amazon.

Art roundup

Gif by Sam Ballardini.




Killjoys #4 cover by Becky Cloonan.



The Stranger by Goni Montes.




Joel, Ellie, Lara, and Gordon by Olly Moss. (Relatedly, nightmare fuel.)

*Buy Olly Moss posters at ebay.

Link roundup

1.  Video of a vampire bat running.

2.  A list of haunted houses open this summer in Japan.

3.  Good comic strip.  This, too.

4.  The Kathie Olivas/Brandt Peters vinyl figures I posted awhile back are now available for preorder.

Art roundup

Sucklord's MUSCLE-inspired figures kickstarter.  ($20 for ten is the minimum contribution.)



Lego Clark Kent by Joel Baker.



The Wii Fit trainer is a playable character in the new Smash Bros.

*Buy MUSCLE figures at eBay.

Art roundup

Rex Colt (Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon) custom action figure by Danny Hughes.



80's heroes by Guillaume Singelin.  Via.



Starfox and friends by Olly Moss.



Astronomical tee by Wayne Struwig and Andrew G. Hobbs on sale for $10 at Threadless.

*Buy The Thing toys at ebay.

Strip Search roundup

A few gems from Katie Rice's final Strip Search submission.



And character designs by Abby Howard.

But Maki's strips were far and away the best, especially this one:

Link roundup

1.  Nigella Lawson's husband was photographed in what looks like he was choking her in public.

2.  Artist offering cheap commissions.

3.  "Horrible, never coming here again."

4.  People drink dramatically less orange juice than they used to.  Via.

5.  Michael Chabon's terrific The Yiddish Policeman's Union is $2 today at Amazon.  And speaking of books, The Drowning Girl won the best novel award at the Bram Stoker Awards.

Art roundup

Game of Thrones PSAs.




Photo gallery of the upcoming Masters of the Universe Octavia figure (with poseable tentacles), which you can preorder here.




Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles commission by Michael Dialynas.




Homemade twist-tie action figures.




Hand-painted Raiders of the Lost Ark poster from Ghana.  Via.

*Buy Ghanavision: Hand-Painted Film Posters from Ghana at Amazon.

Lost Planet Mercenary by threeA

threeA:

Next up is our first offering from our Lost Planet Series, the 1/6th Mercenary from Lost planet 2. $160 bucks onsale June 22nd from Bambaland!

Art roundup

Harry Potter, Voldermort and more Munnys by Jared Cain.



Frank Miller Robocop Last Stand #2 cover by Declan Shalvey. Via.



Cyborgs by Adrian Dadich. Via.




New Wizard of Oz-inspired tee available at Last Exit to Nowhere.