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Matt Groening's animated Netflix series debuts August 17th
Matt Groening's next animated series for grownups, Disenchantment, has been in the works for a while. Now we've got a premiere date for the Netflix comedy fantasy show, with a debut set for August 17th, according to a tweet from the show's official Twitter account.
How the internet embraced a 'Simpsons'-'Akira' mashup
In the spring of 2013, Ryan Humphrey was lying on his bedroom floor, searching for inspiration. He had been looking for a way to contribute to the Simpsons Drawing Club, a blog on Tumblr dedicated to unofficial fan art. Run by a tight-knit group of illustrators, it featured colorful, funny and occasionally terrifying depictions of Bart, Homer and the rest of the Springfield populace. Humphrey wanted to be a part of it. He had, at one point, considered an original story about Ralph Wiggum and a dead body that could somehow talk back to him. But he didn't see himself as a comic book artist and slowly cooled on the idea. Suddenly, he spotted a copy of Akira, "Volume 1" in his room. Inspiration struck like a thunderbolt. He would redraw parts of Akira, the iconic Japanese manga series written and inked by Katsuhiro Otomo, but with characters from The Simpsons. By blending the two worlds, he would create something not only truly bizarre and unexpected but also stylish and instantly recognizable. "I just thought, 'This will be funny. This will be such a laugh,'" he recalls.
ICYMI: Some robots independently sing, others help babies
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new neural network robot in Japan can independently sing and move whenever it wants to. Researchers developed a robotic onesie for babies who may have cerebral palsy that helps make motor skills connections in the brain, giving them a boost in learning to crawl and walk. And Disney and ETH Zurich teamed up to engineer a new way to create 3D prints by thermoforming them one at a time. Finally make sure you watch the video of a gold-plated record playing all the way up to space and back down to earth, on a space-proof turntable. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Don't watch 500 simultaneous episodes of 'The Simpsons' in VR
Too much of anything is (usually) bad. It's certainly true when trying to watch the opening ten minutes of five hundred Simpsons episodes all at the same time. While a two-dimensional version already exists, John Hatfield's VR headset-ready version means there's no escaping it. Let the madness consume you below, although we advise not doing so.
Homer Simpson will broadcast live, with some motion-capture help
The Simpsons, live! Well, at least partially. In a new episode set to broadcast on Sunday May 15, Homer Simpson will speak live to viewers, commenting on the day's news as well as answering fans' questions. (You can can tweet your queries to him starting in early May, using the #homerlive hashtag.) How is that even possible? According to The Wrap, it apparently involves a "first for animation", tying together motion capture, real-time animation and some all-important improvisation.
'Simpsons' creator Matt Groening is in talks with Netflix
Netflix will spend a ton of money on original series to double its output this year, and some of that could be heading Matt Groening's way. Variety and Deadline are reporting that the creator of Simpsons and Futurama is in talks with the streaming network to create a new animated series. There's no word on what it might actually be, but the rumors say Netflix is considering signing up for two ten episode seasons -- and considering Groening's track record, we can see why. [Image credit: Gary Doak / Alamy]
'Lego Dimensions' reunites the original 'Back to the Future' cast
We already knew that the upcoming Lego Dimensions video game would be a universe-bending mashup of characters from franchises including Back to the Future, Jurassic World, Ghostbusters, Lord of the Rings and, of course, The Lego Movie. Today, we found out a lot more about the voice actors behind the game, and it's a veritable treasure trove of big-name actors and some of the best video game voice talent you can find. Perhaps most notably, both Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd will reprise their roles as Marty McFly and Doc Brown. It's no surprise Lloyd is involved -- he voiced Doc in Telltale Games' Back to the Future series a few years ago and was featured in advertisements for Lego Dimensions. But Fox hasn't performed as McFly in any official capacity in years.
'Lego Dimensions' will include 'Portal', Doctor Who and Homer Simpson
If the combined might of Batman and Gandalf wasn't enough to intrigue you, how about throwing in a Timelord (with a Scottish accent)? More details of the Skylanders-baiting Lego Dimensions game have been gleaned from a building instruction sheet for its Back To The Future set, with a catalog of level packs (read: figures and accessories) we're going to see alongside the game itself. As well as Doctor Who, expect to see a Portal 2 pack, as well as Jurassic World, The Simpsons and Scooby-Doo. You can also expect multiple figures from Lego's own brick-based franchises like Ninjago as well more characters from Lord of the Rings -- these will be part of "fun packs", likely to cost less than the aforementioned full-blown level add-ons. And if it sounds like a lot, remember: we haven't even seen the DC comics sets yet.
'The Simpsons' seasons won't be available on disc from now on
If you've been diligently building a collection of Simpsons episodes on disc, you're in for a rude surprise. Show runner Al Jean has revealed that Fox is discontinuing disc releases of the long-running cartoon. As sources confirmed to us and The Hollywood Reporter, the studio doesn't believe there's a point to hard copies at this stage -- now that you can watch The Simpsons online, it "made more sense" to focus on internet services. With the show constantly airing around the world and in heavy rotation on FXX, it's a bit more accessible than other series even though DVD and Blu-ray are still big business.
At last, 'The Simpsons' is streaming in its original aspect ratio
When FXX started streaming The Simpsons, it committed a cardinal sin in the eyes of fans: it showed older episodes in widescreen, guaranteeing that you'd miss visual gags meant for 4:3 TV. Thankfully, the network has learned the error of its ways. Show runner Al Jean has revealed that Simpsons World is now streaming the series' first seven seasons in their original aspect ratio, making sure that you won't miss a single bit of the monorail musical or Bart's big spring break. The remaining 4:3 seasons are coming "soon," Jean says. The ratio switch isn't going to make you forget the less-than-stellar quality of more recent episodes, but it will at least let you properly relive The Simpsons' glory days.
'The Simpsons' are heading to 'Minecraft' on Xbox, too
Pairing a popular game with a popular television show seems like a sure winner. Doctor Who arrived on Minecraft for Xbox 360 back in August, and next month, another well-liked TV franchise will make a cameo in the game. The Simpsons pack will arrive in late February for both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of the title (perhaps the "Simcraft" intro should've been a clue). Skins of the Simpson family, along with 19 other characters from Springfield Elementary, will be available as a downloadable add-on for $1.99. Of course, the Simpson's fictional home and grade school have already been constructed in the game, so tossing in official characters will be a welcome addition. No word on an exact arrival date, but at least you can get a head start on a block version of Krustyland.
What's on your HDTV: 'Gotham', 'Scorpion', 'Sleepy Hollow' and 'The Blacklist'
Welcome to the fall premiere season. We're welcoming back familiar shows like Key & Peele, Person of Interest, The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory, as well as some of last year's holdovers like Sleepy Hollow, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Brooklyn Nine-nine and The Blacklist. So what about this year's newcomers? First up tonight is Gotham, an interesting Batman prequel, along with CBS' first attempt at a hacker drama/action show called Scorpion (CSI: Cyber starring Luke Perry and Bow-Wow aka Shad Moss will debut in midseason). ABC will tie the new comedy Black-ish to its long-running hit show Modern Family, and on Amazon we'll get the next block of episodes for its new show Transparent. The How I Met Your Mother complete series boxed set arrives on Blu-ray, along with a 25th anniversary edition of Ghost in the Shell, and FIFA 15 on almost all videogame consoles. Oh - and on Saturday Night Live you can expect Star-Lord himself Chris Pratt. Hit the gallery or just look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
How do you say 'Ay caramba' in Mandarin? The Simpsons go to China
There many, many things blocked and banned in China, including Google and Twitter, but apparently, The Simpsons isn't one of 'em. According to Variety, Fox and Chinese online video platform Sohu have agreed to stream The Simpsons (yes, that same series that's been poking fun at American culture and its all-American family for decades) in China. Their deal includes the latest season which will air later this September, but it's unclear how many episodes will be available in the country -- and if episodes that reference China will even be shown at all. Instead of dubbing over the characters' iconic voices, they opted to air the show in English with Mandarin subtitles. One can't help but wonder how they'll translate all the pop culture references, so don't be surprised if you see a Simpsons bad translation blog out of the mainland in the future.
'Simpsons World' puts the full series online, but you'll need cable to watch everything
First, the good news: At its Television Critics Awards, Fox just announced the details of its plan to put every episode of The Simpsons online for streaming (also, Louie and Fargo have been renewed). Simpsons World will launch in October and let fans browse episodes, create their own playlists, search for/share clips and more. Before that, the FXX cable channel will run "the longest TV marathon in history" by airing the full 25-season / 552 episode run (just for reference, the first HD episode is S20E10, from 2009) in one shot, 24 hours a day, plus The Simpsons Movie, from August 21st until September 1st. The bad news? To access more than just clips, you'll need a subscription with a participating cable provider. Simpsons World will live both on the web, and through the FXNow app on iOS, Android, Xbox and other smart TV platforms. From those in attendance, like Max Follmer of Brief, the app sounds very well put together, and will let fans do things like follow along with the script as it was originally written and immediately share quotes.
The Simpsons pokes fun at Siri
Oh, Siri. We love you, but you sure are easy to make fun of. Your words can be twisted and tweaked to mean things you didn't intend, and your monotone delivery has an instant comedic quality. And that's probably why The Simpsons decided to have a bit of fun at your expense. The clip -- which we've embedded below -- features a totally not-copyright-infringing iPhone clone and a virtual assistant named Siri. Siri misunderstands a command, an unfortunate deletion of contacts occurs and hilarity ensues. Series creator Matt Groening isn't exactly a stranger to lampooning Apple -- an entire episode of the recently concluded Futurama was dedicated to the "eyePhone." Called Attack Of The Killer App, the episode featured not only a futuristic communications device, but also a legion of helpless fans devoted to purchasing anything and everything the company offered. Sound familiar? [via CNET]
Matt Groening's pre-Simpsons art for Apple
Matt Groening of The Simpsons fame worked on some offbeat illustrations for Apple in the late '80s. According to Linus Edwards of VintageZen, Groening has never publicly spoken about the ads, but images of the works are still floating around the internet. Edwards has compiled some of these unique ads and discusses their background. We've already seen Groening's college brochure several years ago, but the other one-page ads inspired by Groening's Life in Hell series are a bit more rare. Head over to VintageZen to check them out. [Via The Loop]
Wearable lab coat TV packs thousands of LEDs, heads for Burning Man (video)
Sure, we've seen iPad hats and augmented reality tattoos, but a 60-inch display suitable for hours of wear under the hot Nevada desert sun? Well that's just crazy talk. Believe it or not, a one Dave Forbes built exactly that: a 12V battery powered, 160 x 120-pixel monitor capable of displaying standard NTSC analog video from an in-pocket iPod. The result is nothing short of incredible, but when you're building a wearable lab coat-based TV with thousands of LEDs and a pair of circuit boards, features like breathability and water-wicking tend to get overlooked. Forbes spent six months creating this ultimate gadget, which is likely to make quite the colorful splash when he shows it off next month at Burning Man. But with a multi-month time commitment and $20,000 price tag, we can't help but wonder what this 'brainiac' could have come up with were he to redirect those resources towards a super-slick tech project for the masses, instead.
TomTom's Homer Simpson voice skin is just like the real thing, without the Duff's
Well, let's be frank. The Knight Rider GPS, while brilliant, is a bit of a stretch. Isn't it a little sad to be living out your boyhood fantasies of excitement and danger vicariously, behind the wheel of your '92 Buick Roadmaster station wagon? On the other hand, perhaps you're ready to put away your childhood dreams and hit the road in a manner more befitting your average schlub. The official Homer Simpson voice skin for the TomTom GPS features the voice of the iconic cartoon dad, including such gems as "Take the third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm...ice cream." Psyched? We bet you are. Priced at $12.95 -- check out an audio sample after the break, and then hit the read link to pick it up it for yourself. [Via Pocket-lint]
The Simpsons goes HD tonight, new title sequence revealed
Switching to high definition isn't the only change for The Simpsons tonight, with the first permanent new intro since its debut in 1989 making its appearance. Fox uploaded the new opener on YouTube in widescreen, but not HD (embedded after the break.) Lined up with the Daytona 500 and newly refreshed King of the Hill we're liking all the Sunday HD on Fox all of a sudden.
The Simpsons finally making high-def debut
The Simpsons began its twentieth season last September, and now -- at long, long last -- we're going to see Bart, Homer, Lisa and the whole gang in high-definition. Starting on Sunday, February 15th, the American sitcom that has entertained both young and old for decades will make its high-def debut on FOX. Just let this simmer on your mind for a minute, then feel free to explode in comments with extreme jubilation.[Thanks, Michael]
