We've just got news from our factory they they are in the final stages of production on our Molly figure based on the Oban Star Racers Animated Series. The timing couldn't be better since Oban Star Racers is finally available on DVD in the States. It's a great series... and (I may be a little biased) our Molly figure more than does it justice.

We made Molly in scale with our premiere Lucha Libre figures. So if you want a little inter-galactic/universe crossover action to see whether Molly or Red Demon would win in a mano-a-mano brawl, you can. But please do not use our figures to act out some tormented romantic fantasy... you can leave that stuff with your older sister's Barbie dolls.

Here's the first official glimpse at Molly Black Bean!

If this doesn't make you a Wii Fit convert, NOTHING will. It's like one of the better episodes of "So You Think You Can Dance"... only nobody's pretending it's Art. God bless YouTube.

Click through to see the video in question. Genius marketing or fan boy posturing? Either way, it's brilliant!

My college buddy Greg was visiting from Shanghai. At his request we ended up watching the latest Indiana Jones film. I'm surprised to say that I really dug it!

This is the first "Summer" film I've seen this year (nope, haven't seen "Iron Man"). I knew little to nothing about that film which was probably the best thing I did. I'm notorious for spoiling films by reading too much about them prior to their release. Lately, I'm spending less and less time following films and it's indirectly resulted in fully enjoying the films I choose to watch.

The film isn't perfect (what film is?) but its positives far outweigh the negatives. Some of the more CGI-focused visuals were unnecessarily over-the-top but it was all counter balanced with some good old-fashioned physical stunts.

I forgot how much of Indiana Jones is driven by action. At times it felt like a silent film whose story was completely told by the action and reactions of the characters. The fact that all aspects of the action on screen were conveyed clearly and dynamically attests to Spielberg's superior sense of Direction.

I also came to realize the importance of Indiana Jones on our pop-culture psyche. The English have James Bond. We have Indiana Jones. On so many levels Indy embodies the American Spirit. He's got the cowboy hat. He's constantly exploring new ideas (which fittingly come from naive interpretations of foreign cultures). He acts before he thinks and miraculously escapes the most dangerous of situations. I love the purity and timelessness of it all. And when you carry through the symbol of Indy, his discovery in this film is a very fitting one (even if they reveal far more than I would have hoped).

Here's "The Great Escape", a beautiful stop-motion animated short done by Drixmok (from France). Tequila never looked more animated!

I am surrounded by Mad Scientists!

Obviously, Jerry's a mad scientist. So happens to be my near-future Father-In-Law.

By day, Mr. Capron earns his keep as an Engineer. By night he's tinkering away on his many "mad" ideas like Conversant Car technology, Plankton-based energy creation, or his legendary recumbent bicycle.

He recently submitted his Conversant Car idea to the California Summer of Change '08 initiative. CHECK IT OUT HERE. If interested, vote for his video (it's video 159). I've also included the videos below for your viewing pleasure.

Mad respect for his brilliant usage of Hot Wheels cars. That alone is worthy of the view!

While everybody else is lining up to spend 80 bucks on Wii Fit so that they can be told how fat they are by a video game, I'm happily chillin' at home with the wonderful Lost Winds on my Nintendo Wii. Don't bother looking for the game at your local Gamestop. This game is downloadable via Wii Ware only. For $10 purchase on your credit card via wireless internet to your Wii you get a nice short and sweet game filled with whimsy that should keep you busy for about 2-3 hours.

The games a decent mix of Metroid, Okami, and Ico. It's world is a fairly open 2D action game (like Metroid) which uses Wii controller operated wind mechanics (sort like Okami) to control a boy with a funny hat around a serene environment with the occasional puzzle or enemy. As you get more powers and solve puzzles more areas open for you to explore.

I've played about an and hour and a half so far. So far, so good. It all feels familiar... but it's fun and has a nice sense of art direction.