Philly Tech Week is a month away. People are busy planning lectures, happy hours, showcases… you name it. And right now, Andrew Cameron Zahn is getting his design and art show together, and needs your help.

HACK: A Technology-Based Design and Art Exhibition, is “an open call for technology-based projects, inviting participation from designers and artists working for/ with hacker spaces / maker spaces.” Andrew and his team are seeking “a range of works: From 2D to 3D works, applications, wearables, installation, objects, and performances. Works from groups or individuals not associated with hacker / maker spaces will be considered for submission as well.”

For those of you artsy types interesting in sending something in, Andrew is seeking submissions now through April 6th. For more information on how to submit, visit HACK’s official website.

However, to make all of this even happen, Andrew needs your help. He has a Kickstarter up, with a modest goal of only $500. We’ve already donated, and so should you!

Good luck Andrew! For more details regarding HACK, check out the website.

HACK
April 27 – 28th, 2012, 5-8 pm
www.hackphilly.com / http://kck.st/yEGT3l

Everyone remembers DesignPhiladelphia, right? They’re the group that tries to show Philadelphians why design is so important and how it plays such a large part in our lives? You do? Good. Glad to hear it.

Well, they are working with the Corzo Center at the University of the Arts to present a series of lectures about design and this city we all call home. Each presents a different take on design by a person noted in the field, including topics ranging from pop culture to how cities should look and feel. I mean, just look at this line-up:

February 21st: Thaddeus Squire, President, CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia
March 20th: Dan Marcolina, Mad App Alchemist and author of “iPhone Obsessed”
April 3rd: Cynthia E. Smith, National Design Museum Curator

So if design and what it represents matter to you in any way, shape or form, make a point to check at least one of these out. You will learn a lot and maybe have a better understanding of the City of Brotherly Love in the process.

DesignPhiladelphia Lecture Series
www.designphiladelphia.org/?p=3716

Corzo Center at the University of the Arts
corzocenter.uarts.edu

Today we talk to Cory Anotado, a good friend of mine and a graduate of La Salle University’s Digital Art and Multimedia Design program. Sadly, since we did this interview, he’s moved down to Baltimore to be an Interactive Production Developer at GKV Communications. However, we’re being nice and posting it anyway.

Of all the geeks I know, Cory is hands-down the biggest game geek, and I’m not talking video games.

How did you get into loving game shows so much?

I blame my grandmother for keeping the TV on while she watched me when I was a kid. Family Feud was at 10, and then the Price is Right was at 11. Various cable game shows, like Press Your Luck, Debt and some USA originals were in the afternoon. Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune came on at 7. I suppose saturation breeds obsession.

Tell me about your favorite game show and why.

Narrowing my favorite game show down to one is an oft-requested, futile task. If it’s based on current consumption, then it would be the British game show QI: Quite Interesting. It’s a panel show flanked at the help by Stephen Fry. They ask seemingly simple questions like, “Who was the first President of the United States? And give the seemingly complex (and quite interesting) answer of “Peyton Randolph.” Other shows I enjoy are Pointless (a British game show best described as ‘Backwards Family Feud’), Jeopardy!, Press Your Luck and Family Feud.

What’s something obscure about game shows that most people don’t know about?

I think the most obscure face about game shows is the amount of minutiae that people commit to memory. Although the fan base of game shows online is small, it’s fervent and as nerdy as any other fandom online. You can read more about it in Ken Jennings’ book Brainiac.

How many game shows have you been a guest on?

I appeared on Jep!, the children’s version of Jeopardy! airing on GSN, in 1998. I was a contestant on the grown-up version of Wheel of Fortune in 2004, when they taped a Teen Best Friends Week here in Philly. While in the Philippines in 2006, I snuck into a taping of a Filipino game show called “Wowowee” at ABS-CBN studios in Quezon City. I won the P10,000 (equivalent to $200 USD), not bad at all!

What kind of games do you enjoy designing?

I enjoy making intellectual online games that don’t rely on twitch mechanics to succeed. I also enjoy making physical board games based on topics you wouldn’t normally see as a board game. I’ve already crafted a game based on baseball (PDSN Diceman Baseball) and pitching television shows (Pitch Machine). Down the pipeline, I’ve got a name based on running a restaurant. All of my board games can be purchased at The Game Crafter.

Today we talk to Tyler R. Westnedge, Film major turned Web/Interactive guy. He’s currently the Director of At Media, a full-service branding agency in Old City.

Tyler, you seem to be a pretty well-rounded creative guy. What advice do you have for anyone looking to make the move from something like theater or film to web design and development?

I went to Temple University for Film and Media Arts, and one of the most important parts of Film to me was composition. Composition plays a major role in design, layout and usability. The transition is not easy, since the web industry is rapidly changing with new trends and technologies. It takes constant attention and research to stay on top of web design and development.

A majority of my training came from lynda.com (a site with video tutorials on just about any program, software or programming language). I still use it on a monthly basis to expand my skill-set, but now I’m taking on more leadership and entrepreneurial responsibilities (project management, employee management, business development, etc.). My advice would be to do your research, take online classes and training to expand your abilities and put your knowledge to work with real projects.

So what kind of geek are you?

I’m a tech and gadget geek, and have always been. I have a deep appreciation for Apple products and pretty much anything digital. My admiration for Apple products stems from the fact that I appreciate the use of quality design in coordination with technology. Hence the At Media name standing for Art & Technology among other things.

Photography has been a passion of mine for a long time as well. Lately, I’ve been really intrigued by mobile photography, and feel it will continue to gain more and more substance. There’s something about mobile photography, the happenstance of the photos and the moment of realness that fascinate me. For fun, I rehab furniture, so you may find me out on trash night looking for free finds.

As a fellow web designer, I’m 100% on your side regarding “Flash is Dead.” I’ve been saying that for years. (We need to high-five over some beers the day it finally dies.) Do you have any remarks about Adobe’s announcement that they’re throwing in the towel on Flash for mobile?

It’s kind of funny, because subconsciously I think I knew that Flash was dead for a long time. Well before the Adobe/Apple fall out, I refused to put any significant amount of time into learning Flash development. It was inevitable that the death of it would finally happen and I’m happy to say the least. Now if Internet Explorer could do the same, my life would be much easier.

Are you working on any cool projects (in or out of At Media) right now that you can talk about?
We are working on a few websites with really clean & timeless designs – Philadelphia Dietetic Association, Disability Law Advocates, and Chabaa Thai Bistro. We are also teaching a few Skillshare classes on brand presence. We have other projects in the works, that I’m not able to talk about yet, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted on Twitter: @twestnedge.

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Be sure to check out Tyler’s personal website: TWestnedge.com and keep up with the cool folks over at At Media: AtMediaDesign.com

The last couple of months have been busy for our friends at Titan Books as they continue to produce some amazing works focusing on artists who should be household names for fans of film and art, as well as branching out with new novels featuring classic characters of literature.

This time around they have re-released an updated collection of the personal artwork of Drew Struzan, as well as a collection of works of popular science fiction artist Chris Foss. Finally, they have also released a new Sherlock Holmes novel, The Breath Of God.

While Drew Struzan’s Ouevre may seem like a sequel of sorts to Titan Books’ other book on the work of Drew Struzan, it is actually the first book of collected work of the famed artist best known for his movie posters for films like Back to the Future, and the Indiana Jones series. This re-release of Ouevre isn’t a page for page reproduction, far from it. It contains newer pieces of artwork such as Drew’s poster for The Walking Dead, and an introduction written by his wife Dylan.

Included are finished pieces from films he’s worked on as well as some of his earlier album cover illustrations which, of course, are nothing short of amazing. The book is split into five chapters, each focusing on works that many may know from music and film, publishing and commercial works, and finally a peak into Drew’s personal illustrations that show a different style than most people would expect from him. With just about 300 pages of stunning art, Ouevre is certainly a purchase for fans of Drew Struzan or just good art in general.

Hardware: the Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss is another collection of artwork but unlike Drew Struzan I had no idea who Chris Foss was. After going through the book multiple times I’m still kicking myself for not knowing of him sooner.

This retrospective of Foss’ science fiction  career features artwork that’s been featured on the covers to Sci Fi stories written by Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick, as well as a section devoted to his time working on Alejandro Jodorowsky’s version of the scifi epic Dune. Jodorowsky writes a forward praising Foss’ undeniable impact on science fiction art.

When you look through the book for yourself, you’ll have to agree.

Finally we have Sherlock Holmes The Breath Of God written by Guy Adams. It’s a new adventure featuring the famed duo of Holmes and Watson that I absolutely loved. The synopsis  is as follows:

The nineteenth century is about to draw to a close. In its place will come the twentieth, a century of change, a century of science, a century that will see the superstitions of the past swept away. There are some who are determined to see that never happens.

A body is found crushed to death in the London snow. There are no footprints anywhere near it. It is almost as if the man was killed by the air itself. This is the first in a series of attacks that sees a handful of London’s most prominent occultists murdered. While pursuing the case, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find themselves traveling to Scotland to meet with the one person they have been told can help: Aleister Crowley.

As dark powers encircle them, Holmes’ rationalist beliefs begin to be questioned. The unbelievable and unholy are on their trail as they gather a group of the most accomplished occult minds in the country: Doctor John Silence, the so-called “Psychic Doctor”; supernatural investigator Thomas Carnacki; runic expert and demonologist, Julian Karswell…But will they be enough? As the century draws to a close it seems London is ready to fall and the infernal abyss is growing wide enough to swallow us all.

The Breath of God is a brand-new original novel, detailing a thrilling new case for the acclaimed detective Sherlock Holmes.

There you have it! Three Titan Books releases all available right now. I can’t recommend these books enough and with the holidays lurking around the corner, they may be great gifts for friends and family.

Our friend Conrad of StreetsDept is throwing his first art show on Saturday, October 22nd over at PhilaMOCA. He’ll be featuring the work of some of his favorite artists: Joe Boruchow, Kristin Smith, Nom Now, Jessie Hemmons (Ishknits), Get Up, Amber Lynn (Project Gastric) and a new mural from Yis Goodwin (NoseGo).

Conrad has been photographing the work of these artists for some time now. He tells us if you like the kind of street art he’s been sharing with us on StreetsDept, then you’ll love this show.

Find the event on Facebook, and invite all of your friends to come on out. Yes, all of them.

StreetsDept Presents at PhilaMOCA
7-11pm, Saturday, October 22nd
531 N. 12th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123

DesignPhiladelphia, the annual festival that offers a unique insight to the area’s creative industries, has so many awesome events this year. But one that seemed particularly interesting is their hour with Roughdraft Books designer and founder on October 15th at Anthropologie’s 18th and Walnut location.

Roughdraft Books is a one-woman studio in Philadelphia that creates journals and notebooks that are hand-made, hand-sewn works of art. Attendees will get a chance to make their own custom book under e bond’s tutelage.

DesignPhiladelphia: Custom Book Workshop
October 15th, 10am-11am

Anthropologie
1801 Walnut Street
RSVP anthroevents@anthropologie.com

DesignPhiladelphia is in its 7th year of putting together amazing programs and events that highlight the creative industries in Philadelphia. This year, there’s an event at the amazing Chemical Heritage Foundation exploring the 1960s intersection of chemistry and design that is not to be missed.

Join design historian Regina Lee Blaszczyk on October 17th at 6pm, when she will discuss how the new materials created by Philadelphia’s chemical industry inspired the designers of the 1960s. Blaszczyk is a researcher and writer who focuses on corporations, marketing, innovation, design, fashion, history, visual and material culture studies, anthropology, and the sociology of culture.

Be sure to check out CHF’s newest exhibit, Elemental Matters: Artists Imagine Chemistry, on display one hour before the lecture. Plus, CHF’s permanent exhibit, Making Modernity, will also be open for viewing. Mad Men attire is optional, but this is definitely a place where it would be appreciated.

Mad Men Chic: Molecules on Madison Avenue
October 17, 6pm-7pm

Chemical Heritage Foundation
315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
www.chemheritage.org

You’ve probably already seen this site making the rounds, what with its major local appeal. It was all started internally at Neiman Group. They’ve got something called Neiman Labs.

The entire goal of the group is to explore the new developments that have come about with the adoption of tech and social media, Philly SteakOut is a product of that exploration. I had a chance to chat briefly with Chris Reif (a Tony Luke’s guy but admitted Steak ‘Em Up is his dark horse) and George Ward (cut from the same cheesesteak wrap as I, being a fan of the steaks from John’s Roast Pork) from Neiman to learn a bit more.

With the recent win of new business with the National Constitution Center, they were still deeply interested in tourism. They created Philly SteakOut which takes something close to the interests of locals and natives alike. Basically, it harnesses all the user-generated location data (foursquare checkins/photos, Yelp rating) in a useful way. The tourist vs. local twist was an insight that developer, Dan DeLauro came up with by comparing the user’s hometown to the location where they checked in.

All in all, I personally find it to be an excellent creative use of freely available social media/tech data, clean web design (there’s a mobile interface too) and most delicious food. We’re always arguing cheesesteaks around here aren’t we? At least we’ve got one thing where we can gauge and rank the various places (at least if by traffic among the social media/tech-inclined geeky crowd).

Ultimately, they’d love to expand this site’s features and functions so that it becomes the one-stop shop for helping people decide to grab a steak. At the very least, they’re hoping it will encourage patrons to checkin more frequently, thereby effectively casting a vote for their restaurant of choice on their leader board. For the time being, they’re not accepting any requests for additions, as this is a very 1.0 release.

“Neiman Labs is always cooking something up. This past October it was Social Sweets. Then it was Neiman Globe, transforming one of our glass offices into a interactive, human-sized snow globe for the holidays. We love tinkering with the use of technology and the physical world. Certainly look for more to come.” – Chris Reif

I’m looking forward to updates, or at the very least seeing Dalessandro’s or John’s Roast Pork climb the charts. In the meantime, I’ll be visiting www.PhillySteakOut.com anxiously waiting.

Welcome to this week’s Geek of the Week, where we highlight the fun and creative people of our city. This week we share a few words with Jenn Hall, local artist. By day, she’s a pastry artist at Geekadelphia favorite, Whipped Bakeshop. Though, her work spans multiple mediums.

So, Jenn, we happened upon you on account of your awesome R2D2 helmet (which we’ll touch upon later) but what can you tell me about yourself in general?

I think I’m really just like any other nerd out there; holed up at home waiting patiently for the zombie apocalypse, day dreaming about how bad ass it’s going to look when I kill like 27 zombies in less than a minute. You know, pretty typical stuff.

Presently, I’m a 25 year-old artist who calls Philadelphia home. I majored in printmaking at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and then went on to study art and geology at the University of Pennsylvania. If there’s an educational path that primes one better for a nerd-tacular artistic career, I don’t know of it.

I work at Whipped as a pastry artist, which has been a great avenue for all my creative energy. I love coming to work and being pleasantly surprised with a chance to make such things as a Buzz Lightyear fondant cake topper, for example.

Tell me a little bit more about that sweet R2D2 helmet you’ve got. How did you make it? Did you start off with some sort of simple one and paint it?

Initially, it was the ugly duckling of helmets. It looked pretty jacked up before I did my fairy godmother thing to it. It was an odd, dark maroon color and it had been used as a rental helmet, so it had sustained damage over time. Long story short, I did a lot of spray painting and clear coating.

Did those mad pastry-decorating skills assist you in creating this awesomeness?

While I owe a lot of my pastry decorating skillz to stuff I’ve learned at Whipped Bakeshop, I think for this project I used my own mad artist skillz, which is really the force that binds everything I do. That said, it actually is comparable in size to a lot of the cakes I work on at the bakery. While I was measuring the different components, I thought to myself, “I feel like I’m measuring pieces of fondant for a cake right now.” I guess if I ever make an R2D2 cake (Would someone please please please order an R2D2 cake, PLEASE?!) I might think to myself, “I feel like I’m making a helmet right now.”

Seems like you’ve got some pretty awesome creative talent across the board, what else do you do?

While not at the bakery, I’m extremely devoted to my own amorphous art career. I definitely have artistic ADD, some days I’ll be drawing/illustrating, some other days spray painting an R2D2 helmet or custom shoes and others I may be working on a sewing project.

Swoon away, nerd guys (and gals).