The Anatomy of Cartoon Characters

Art is subjective - meaning what may be considered brilliant by some may be considered trash by others. However, I think that "coolness" transcends all subjectivity. When something is "cool," pretty much anyone likes it, right? At least on some level?

Case in point: Hyungkoo Lee is a Korean artist who dabbles in some strange art. Most of his stuff is pretty far out there, but one of his exhibits, Animatus, takes advantage of the cool factor. Created in 2005, this art set takes some of our favorite animated characters and shows us what they're made of. . .literally. Using resin, paint, wire and glue, he has created the skeletal structures found below.

Let's see if you can guess who they are!

We'll start off fairly easy:

Looks familiar, doesn't it? Let's zoom in closer.

Now picture this skeleton with a hat and some long, dangly ears.

That's right! It's Goofy!

Shall we move on? We shall!

Take a look at the odd bone structure on this one:

Obviously, it's a bird, but let's zoom out to help those who are still stumped.


You are correct!
It's Tweety Bird!

This next one may be harder for some of you faithful readers out there:

Do you have any idea? Here's a hint: He looks pretty frightened - maybe he's being chased.

Yup, he's being chased. But let's get a closer look at what is behind him.

That little dude is being chased by something with claws and a tail.

Give up? That's ok, I didn't think many people would get this one.

It's Tom and Jerry!

Onto the next one - we'll start this one off in the box:

You're drawing a blank, aren't you? That's fine, we'll put him together.

Huh. Whatever he is, he's got big teeth. . .

And he seems pretty agile.

Have you figured it out yet?

It's that wascally wabbit, Bugs Bunny!

Let's get a little more vicious, now:

Whoever this guy is, he seems hungry.

And who wouldn't be hungry after chasing this thing all day every day?

And I think all of us wanted him to actually catch what he was chasing at some point in our lives.

It's Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner!

Seriously, I just wanted the coyote to win one time!

Since we're already dealing in multiple skeletons, let's move on to the next piece:

Does it help to know there's three of them?

They look like little troublemakers to me.

You got it! That's Huey (in red, like the red hues of the morning sun), Dewey (in blue, like the dew drops) and Louie (in green like. . .uh. . .Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk)!

But those three aren't quite complete by themselves:

What's that up in the sky?

Whatever it is, it looks angry!

Maybe it's because of something his nephews have done. . .

It's Donald Duck!

So there you go. I hope this was educational, entertaining and objectively cool.

That's all. Have a nice day!

Pass Before My Eyes with Curiosity

Every now and then a video comes across my desk that entertains me, but also makes me think.

The following video, sent in by, faithful reader, Kim, did just that:



Clever, no?

At first I just thought that this was a bizarre comedy bit showing someone who felt like they were misunderstood, even though they really weren't. Then, at the end, I was blindsided by the twist. It was like The Sixth Sense all over again.

This Epuron commercial was made by a German company named Nordpol+ Hamburg in 2007, and it actually won the Golden Lion award at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes. . . . Yeah, I don't know what that means, either, but it SOUNDS impressive.

All I know is, I was entertained by this clever and creative ad - and I hope you were, too.

Thank you for your submission, Kim. I was blown away by it! ZING!

An Elegant Weapon for a More Civilized Age

Forget bright copper kettles and warm, woolen mittens! The following are a few of my favorite things: movies, zombies, Twilight bashing, food, Halloween, my wife, comedy, hoverboards, my kids, video games, sleep, television and, of course, lightsabers!

(Editor's Note: The above list is in no particular order - love ya, Honey!)

I've mentioned lightsabers a couple times on Slice of Fried Gold before, but they've never been featured as the main event. . .UNTIL NOW!

I present to you the Spyder III Pro Arctic Series laser!

Dude.

"But, The Former 786," you faithful readers are saying, "as everyone knows, a lightsaber consists of a blade of pure plasma which is emitted from the hilt where high levels of energy are generated by a high-output Diatium power cell and unleashed through a series of focusing crystals and energizers and is then suspended in a force containment field. It's not a laser!"

You're right. And well said, faithful readers!

But the Spyder III Pro Arctic laser is the closest thing we have right now to an actual lightsaber. Also, for the record, the first lightsabers actually came into being when Jedi combined advanced offworld technology with a forging ritual, learning how to "freeze" a laser beam. Boo-yah.

And how was such wondrous technology achieved? That's easy, the creators over at Wicked Lasers simply took apart a video projector. No, I'm not making this up. They dismantled a Casio projector, pulled out 445nm direct blue diodes, encased them in 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum and finished it with a powdercoating of awesomeness!

Now, while the Spyder III Pro arctic laser may look like a lot of fun, they stress that THIS IS NOT A TOY! It seems that, much like the lightsaber, this tool should only be wielded by someone who knows what they are doing. This thing can SERIOUSLY injure someone. In fact, Wicked Lasers website claims that this is "the most dangerous laser ever created." It can cause permanent blindness in an instant, it can set your skin on fire and, since we're naming off the things this baby can do, it can also make holes in trash bags, ignite matches, cut electrical tape, light a cigarette, melt rubber and plastics, pop balloons and light fireworks.

Which begs the question, if the Spyder III Pro Arctic laser is NOT a toy, why did they make it look just like a lightsaber and let us know it can set things on fire?? Oh, Wicked Laser, you vile, vile temptress!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go visit my brother and his family. I'm pretty sure they own a projector. . .

Grizz Lee Bear Attack

Hello, faithful readers.

I know that we all, at some point in our lives, have asked ourselves the question "Could I beat up a bear?"

This video may change your answer to that question:



This clip was sent to me by, alert reader, Dustin. As far as he and I can tell, this video is completely legit. Claude (that's his name) is a black bear that lives in the Asa Zoo in Hiroshima, Japan. He's been there since 2002 and his interests include eating, swimming and twirling around sticks. You can see more of his stick hijinks by clicking here.

Now, if you think that first video was cool, watch it again with this song playing in the background

• Kung Fu Background Music

Or, if 70s disco music isn't your thing, give this one a shot

• Another Relevant Kung Fu Background Song

Or if you're one of those people who don't believe the bear is doing actual Kung Fu. . .

• General Martial Arts Background Music

And if none of those songs strikes your fancy, you can always click here for a song that is perfect for any occasion.

In conclusion, Grashopper, always keep in mind this ancient Chinese proverb: If the wind comes from an empty cave, it's not without a reason.

*Gong Sound Effect*