Here we are, friends, in an age where video games have finally become a mainstream form of entertainment. Surely, you’ve caught eye of Tim Schafer‘s appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon where he talked up his next project, Brütal Legend (thank you copy+paste for the umlaut), but for those who haven’t check it out above. Those in the know may want to revel in it just one more time for good measure.

It’s been a long time coming (27+ years to be exact), but finally the games industry has semi-officially come to the forefront of mainstream entertainment. One could argue video games have been mainstream for years, but to have one of the industry’s famed designers appear on a late night talk show as if he were an actor talking up his next film appearance is quite a milestone.

Surely, some of you agree or perhaps you feel differently. Is this an exciting time for you as a gamer or do you feel as if one of your favorite indie bands hit the big time? Well, if the latter is the case for you, at least you can say you liked video games before they were cool. With game designers now getting the movie star treatment, what do you think this could mean for the industry (hint: more cash flow)?

Hey Lord of the Rings  fans (and fans of good music in general). Don’t forget, this Wednesday, Billy Boyd (Pippin!) is going to be in town, performing with his band Beecake, at the Tin Angel in Old City.

I had the a chance to interview Billy about his band and his trip to Philadelphia last week, and had a great time doing so. Looking forward to the show, and awkwardly videotaping it on my Flip.

Anyone else out there planning to go? Let me know. We’ll hang out, and ask Billy to sign our extended edition Lord of the Rings DVD boxsets together. Hey, don’t judge me. You know you’re doing the same.

Billy Boyd @ the Tin Angel
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

Chogrin… with Dan Akroyd?!

Philadelphia is a city full of geeks. Me and my pals here on Geekadelphia love to show that fact off, and (sometimes) once a week, we highlight individual geeks here on the blog with Geek of the Week. Just another way for us to show off our awesome community, and hopefully, introduce you to some great people doing awesome things. Think you should be featured? Have a friend you’d like to see on here? Email us.

This week’s Geek of the Week is Joseph Game, also known by his artist name ‘Chogrin‘. You might know him from his music and animation, but we here at Geekadelphia know (and love, swoon!) him for his illustration work and collaborations with the Autumn Society.

So tell us a bit about yourself and your work.

Well, my artist name is Chogrin, but my real name is Joseph Game. I was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and I moved to the states when I was thirteen. I’ve always been drawing, its the primary way of expressing myself. Throughout my life I’ve always held onto characters from cartoons, video games, movies, comics, as inspiration vessels to do what I do. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I do a lot of cartoony / character design type illustrations. Early Japanese comics and early animation (1930s) are my two big influences, which really compliment one another. Cartoons like Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, and Popeye influenced the fathers of manga. Specifically Osamu Tezuka, whose work to me is pure enlightenment.

The great works of Ub Iwerks, The Fleischer Bros, and the whole rubberhose animation movement have had such an influential impact in the way I draw and create my vocabulary nowadays. Its a style that I feel needs to be rediscovered and given more attention and experimentation to.

These influences have always been with me growing up, I just never knew how to harness them. It wasn’t until 2006 when I had an internship at Cartoon Network studios that my eyes really opened up and the way I drew changed forever. Wizard and legendary animators, Ken Boyer and Bob McKnight taught me and helped me filter the key things that I’ve loved about art and animation since I was little.

You can view a short documentary of my experience at Cartoon Network Studios here.

My most recent work revolves around paying tribute to some of my favorite characters growing up. Characters like Popeye, Ghostbusters, Ninja Turtles, Mario, Link, Astro Boy etc. I feel its important as a geek/artist to showcase these characters through my work and remind other people that they’re still here.

I’m also working on my first comic, which will be released later this winter season. It’s on a Mexican folktale of tragedy and horror, called “La Llorona” (The weeping woman). It will be released through Powerpop Comics.

Read more about Chogrin & his work after the jump!

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Fall is once again upon us: time for Halloween parties, trick or treating and the Exhumed 24 hour horror-thon at the International House!  Now in its third year, this is a full 24 hours of horror films, shorts and trailers all shown in glorious 35mm. The show starts Saturday October 24 at noon and will run till noon on Sunday the 25th!  As per tradition with this event, all the films that will be shown are being kept under wraps so the only way to find out what’s going to be playing is to show up and see if you can make it through the night. There will also be an art show as well: ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK: A Collection of prints inspired by the dark corners of 42nd street. Prints from 24 artist will be displayed in the lobby of a makeshift grindhouse for one full day during Exhumed Film’s Horror-thon. I am super excited for this event, tickets are only $25 and can be picked up here. I have to warn you this event always sells out and people are known to come in from near and far for this one of a kind horror show.  See ya there! Check after the jump for the previous year’s playlist of films.

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I haven’t dusted off my city of brass or leviathans in a while, but this fall has given me reason to seriously reconsider.  Philadelphia, a city where you typically find cards heavily laminated in wheel spokes or in suburban tabletop hideaways, has a mob of CCG events shacking up in the Philly Convention center over the coming month, and a lot of them offer you prizes based less on encyclopedic collections than on a clever turn of a rule or a little-outside the booster pack thinking.

Abbreviations explained below!

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I love video games, I love music, so there are few events here in Philadelphia that get me more excited than chiptune concerts and West Philly’s 8static. I don’t what it is, but there’s just something about game soundtracks that takes me back. To simpler days of hanging around after school with good friends, some soda pop (Shasta!), and my Nintendo.

So you better believe I’ll be at the Kimmel Center on Sunday, October 11th, when Video Games Live hits Verizon Hall. An orchestra and chorus performing songs from the Mario, Zelda, Halo, and Final Fantasy series? Yeah, I’m all over this. The show goes on twice on Sunday, once at 3PM, and again at 7:30PM, with ticket prices ranging from $35 to $65.

The pre-show includes video game competitions, costume contests, special guests, demos of upcoming releases, and giveaways. Want to get owned in Halo 3 by Geekadelphia? Let us know.

You can read more about it at the official Video Games Live website.

Video Games Live @ the Kimmel
Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 3pm and 7:30pm

Tom Whalen’s Darth Vader Sugar Skull

Oh, the Autumn Society. You crazy kids are always up to something. And this time around, they’re taking a break from their usual exhibits at Brave New Worlds in Old City, and displaying their always-gorgeous illustrations and paintings at the Proximity Gallery in Fishtown. The exhibit, entitled “Dia de Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) is “typically a Mexican celebrated holiday, in which families bring offerings (such as food, and mementos) to remember and celebrate their loved ones that have passed away. The holiday is celebrated between October 31st through November 2nd.”

The Dia de Los Muertos themed show “will consist of 40+ pieces of art from the Autumn Society’s finest artists, each interpreting “Dia de los Muertos” in their own unique way.”

You can preview a lot of the art in the gallery on their official blog, thanks to a hand Day of the Dead tag. Check it out. Tom Whalen’s Darth Vader Sugar Skull, which I featured above, is a particular favorite of mine. The exhibit launches First Friday, so go have a look!

Dia de Los Muertos @ Proximity Gallery
Opening: First Friday, October 2nd, 2009

It’s always interesting when someone comes up with a new or different way to tell a story visually. Whether it be, with the advent of color or the invention of 3D, we are always looking for innovative and inventive ways to tell stories. Well HBOImagine is touring what they are calling the HBOImagine’s ‘cube’ experience, and it will be making its Philadelphia stop tonight at S. 2nd Street & Black Horse Alley in Old City. The installation will be in the city and running from 8pm October 1st, to 2am October 3rd.

The  cube which is part art installation, and part movie screen works like this: a movie is being projected on all four sides of the cube.  But each side is showing a different angle of the same scene of the movie. So for example you could be watching a couple having a conversation in the living room on one side – while a man hides in the couple’s bedroom listening to said conversation on another side. So the only way to get the whole picture of the scene is to circle the cube and see all the scene has to offer. You can see examples of this on their website here, they have a neat demo where you can manipulate the cube to see the scene as it plays out in real-time. I think it is a very interesting premise, and for free honestly you can’t beat it. See ya there!