Link roundup

1. Gizmodo wants to hire a graffiti artist (and is actually inviting submissions by any type of artist). (It's a pay gig.)

2. Yet another great post by Jim Shooter about Marvel history, this time starring Bill Sienkiewicz. Click through to read about how he got his start at Marvel. Here's a taste:

Bill wasn’t invited to San Diego that year, but wanted to go. Bill was athletic—probably still is, I haven’t seen him for a while—and just the right size for the Spider-Man costume Marvel used for its character public appearance program (things like the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn).

I told Bill that if he’d wear the costume for a few events, Marvel would pay for the trip, all expenses. Save him significant dough. He agreed.

3. Nike estimates that LeBron James winning the NBA title could lead to a $4 billion bump in business in China. $4 billion approximates the entire NBA's revenues. Via.

Link roundup

1. From an extended discussion of Brink at RPS:

I was looking at the screenshots I’ve taken vs the screenshots we were sent for previews and things. And it’s just heartbreaking. A mess of text and cramped spaces, not these fantastic looking, exaggerated muscleguys in apple-crisp locales.

2. From Bill Simmons's portrait of Phil Jackson:

When I think of Phil Jackson, two guys come to mind: Young Phil and Old Phil. Young Phil was skinny with dark hair and a goofy mustache; he looked like he came from another era, like someone Larry Dallas would bring over to the Regal Beagle to meet Jack Tripper. Old Phil didn't look anything like Young Phil: white hair, a clean-shaven face, a heavier frame, and a body that was scattered in nine different directions. Still, Young Phil and Old Phil had one thing in common: They kept their cool at all times.

3. Vic Armstrong's World's Greatest Stuntman sounds great. i09 has an extended excerpt about the filming of Total Recall. For example:

Sharon Stone was funny. We all thought that Rachel Ticotin was going to be the big star, she was a fabulous actress, looked gorgeous and yet she went nowhere. Sharon Stone you couldn't drag into the gym, she just didn't want to train, didn't want to do anything, yet she became a superstar in Basic Instinct. Wendy was doubling Rachel and Donna Evans doubled Sharon and did all the kicks and everything else really, we mainly shot Sharon for close-ups. Though I must say she looked dynamite in those close-ups!

Gizmodo has an excerpt about Temple of Doom. The book is 34% off at Amazon.

Illustration roundup

NBA player Andrei Kirilenko's tattoo. Via.




Samus by Tom Waterhouse. Via.





Cumulus by Jason Bennion and Christian Nauck for this contest.




The Enchantress and Frog Thor.



Lady Gaga fashion concept by Mike Keefe - - one of several posted here. Via.

*Buy Frog Thor toys at eBay.

Kobe and the Infinity Gauntlet

The NBA playoffs meet the Marvel Universe. Via.

Link roundup

1. ESPN's main NBA blogger bet before the season that Darko Milicic would contribute more than Shaquille O'Neal. Darko had twice as many points and more than three times as many blocks, and dominated in all the other box score stats. So he must have contributed more, right?

2. Video shows off the Sith Warrior class in The Old Republic.

3. You can read 26 comics for free with Dark Horse's new digital app. (Which would be more exciting to me if I had a tablet. The companies are kidding themselves if they think $1+ an issue is a reasonable price.)

Link roundup

1. From an article about Donald Trump's unusual manner of commenting on blog posts:

One of my favourite passages in Nicole LaPorte’s DreamWorks biopic, The Men Who Would Be King, describes how Jeffrey Katzenberg had an intern carry out Internet searches on his behalf, videotaping the results so he could watch them later.

2. Trash talk in the NBA:

The Lakers aren't as good at it, but the defending champs have an edge over most other teams because Kobe can talk with the best of them while he lights you up and Ron Artest is just weird. One reason he's a great defender is he'll get way too close and whisper in your ear.

3. Interesting observation from a long article about the government's action against poker sites:

Another concern is that poker coverage on television could significantly decrease, since it relies heavily on advertisements placed by companies like PokerStars — in some cases being tantamount to infomercials. ESPN, which has been responsible for much of the coverage but tends to be very cautious about how it applies its brand, has pulled PokerStars advertisements from its Web site, and is reviewing whether to continue poker programming at all, although there are indications that they will continue to broadcast the World Series of Poker. Some smaller tournaments have already been cancelled.

Link roundup

1. Really nice series of diagrams and video showing why zone defense doesn't work against the Mavericks.

2. Retired NFL players are going to announce second round daft picks. Can't wait to see who kept in shape.

3. Minimalist posters illustrating mental disorders. Some people might find these somewhat disrespectful, so, look at your own discretion.

Link roundup

1. Jim Shooter explains what makes Rocky such a good movie.

2. The NY Observer:

On March 6, dozens of zebra finches were found dead outside the National Arts Club, at 15 Gramercy Park South. They belonged to the club president, O. Aldon James. The ASPCA is investigating the situation, though it's been suggested that Mr. James was likely responsible for their demise.

...

Bizarre stories about the club seem lately to emerge on a monthly basis.

3. Nicki Minaj invited Stave Nash on stage at her concert and gave him a lap dance.