Traveling Valentine

Project EAR is up!

2009-06-16T11:27:00.001-07:00

In response to my question that no one answered, "What do an American, an Asian, and an Australian have in common?"

The answer: An American online magazine and winner of two consecutive Webby Awards called "The Escapist."

As an Asian who enjoys being an arrogant prick with specific tastes in anime to the general public, I can now be an arrogant prick with specific tastes in anime and get a gaming magazine to publish my moments of prickdom. So for brief summaries and occasional rants on various anime series assigned to me, read me on "The Escapist." My debut review happens to be that modern day pirate anime "Black Lagoon," a delightful anime for people who like guns, hot anime girls, and hot anime girls firing guns at an endless supply of cannon fodder enemies filled with strawberry jam.

And while you're on "The Escapist," check out an Australian's weekly rant on video games.

Escapist
Anime
Reviewer

I wanted to call it Escapist Anime Critic, but EAC felt like a crappy acronym.

Reviews galore

2009-05-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Remember that whole "Star Trek" movie?

New Trailer for Optimus Prime reviewed.

Hugh Laurie's novel "The Gun Seller."

And something just plain embarrassing for "American Idol."

Free ice cream!

2009-05-12T18:20:00.001-07:00

About two hours left tonight for free ice cream

Haagen Dazs serves free scoops of "bee-built" ice cream.

This is to promote awareness of the dwindling bee population. No bees = no pollination or honey = no flavors for the ice cream.

PEERS May Event

2009-05-05T20:24:00.001-07:00

A little visit to the way-back machine to review xxxplizit, Wendell, and fallen magician's birthday followed with a Doll Tea Meet Up, frozen yogurt review, and PEERS May event.

Saturday is booked

2009-05-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget I still have this bloody thing thanks to Twitter and Facebook.

Cherry Blossom Festival 2009 report is up (actually, has been up for a bit), so please take a look.

This Saturday is full of dolls, comics, yogurt, and dancing.

Doll Meet at Lisa's Tea Treasures in Santana Row.

Then a free comic at the local comic book store.

Free Yogurt at Red Mango.

And ending the night with a PEERS dance event.

Remember when weekends meant relaxing and doing nothing? I sure as hell don't any more.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2009-04-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

The one day that San Francisco doesn't have its cool breezes is the one day Cherry Blossom Festival organizers hold a parade.

Lots of mingling, photos, and sunburns to deal with. Stay tuned.

PEERS April 2009 Girl Genius Victorian Mad Science Ball

2009-04-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

What's Asian, has two heads, and three left feet?

The PEERS April 2009 Report

PEERS April 2009 Girl Genius Mad Victorian Ball

2009-04-05T10:52:00.001-07:00

Girl Genius + Dancing + Polkas from hell = I'm so glad I took enough painkillers to stone an elephant.

Sadly, I'm feeling the aftermath now. OWWWWWWW!!!!!!

Report to follow pending video editing and trying to remember who was who and what was what.

Okage-Sama De~ 3rd Cosplay Tea: The videos

2009-03-30T19:26:00.001-07:00

Okage-Sama De~ 3rd Cosplay Tea Report:

http://scarlet-rhapsody.com/traveling/okage2009/index.htm

Just in time to watch another gimmick-laden episode of House tonight.

Okage-Sama De~ 3rd Cosplay Tea

2009-03-29T01:52:00.000-07:00

A great little event full of cosplayers, fun, and tea.

-Report in progress.

Two American Idol Reviews

2009-03-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Using a Motown theme for "American Idol," the finalists sing classic songs of that genre hoping to win votes. I review Kris Allen and Megan Joy.

Kris Allen: Good singing, bad presence.

Megan Joy: Learns the unlucky number of 4.

Traveling Valentine's Review Section

2009-03-24T00:12:00.001-07:00

Vic managed to set up a section for my reviews. Take a look here.

For my first new review, I got an evaluation copy of Telltale Game's newest episodic game series starring British cartoon icons Wallace and Gromit titled "Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures."

The first episode reviewed is "Fright of the Bumblebees" and allows the player to shoot down giant bumblebees with a porridge gun. A game with such a feature cannot be criticized.

Condensed audio version is available here.

Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures Premieres 3/24/09

2009-03-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

My personal review of the first episode "Fright of the Bumblebees" will be up shortly.

-Tom

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, A New Comedy Game Series from Aardman Animations and Telltale, Premieres Today

First of four monthly, digitally-distributed episodes now available from www.telltalegames.com

SAN RAFAEL, CA, March 24, 2009 - Make a nice cuppa and settle into your favorite chair for Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, a new game series debuting today at http://www.telltalegames.com. "Fright of the Bumblebees," the first of four digitally-distributed games starring the popular Plasticine duo, is available now. Subsequent installments will be delivered in May, June, and July.

Wallace and Gromit, the well-meaning but accident-prone inventor and his capable and highly-intelligent canine companion, have been delighting audiences with their animated adventures for twenty years. Their most recent outing, Wallace & Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death, aired with record-setting viewership this past Christmas. Telltale's Wallace & Gromit games are designed for the same all-ages crowd as the films, and will be appreciated by gamers and non-gamers alike.

Alternating between the roles of both Wallace and Gromit throughout the game, players will banter with a charismatic cast of characters, tinker with Wallace's creative contraptions, and enjoy four all-new stories set in the colorful Wallace & Gromit universe. Given the franchise's global appeal, Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures includes subtitles in German, French, Italian, and Spanish. In today's debut episode, "Fright of the Bumblebees," Wallace attempts to save his bumbling honey business through the growth of supersized flowers. When these giant flowers lead to an unintended consequence, giant bees, Gromit must step in to save the town from the angry swarm.

Sean Clarke, Head of Aardman Rights said: "The partnership with Telltale was a natural one. Their talent for crafting engaging adventures with humour and charm fits well with the Wallace & Gromit style, and the four games of Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures make excellent new additions to the series."

To celebrate the series premiere, Telltale is offering the full series on PC for the limited-time special price of $29.95 (approx. GBP21), a 15% savings on the regular price of $34.95 (approx. GBP24). During the launch week, customers who purchase Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures will also get an amazing 50% discount on all other items in Telltale's store, including the acclaimed Sam & Max games, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, and related merchandise. These special offers expire March 29.

To buy Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures or download the free demo, visit http://www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit.

About Telltale, Inc.

Telltale is the first and only studio to release interactive episodic content on a monthly schedule. The studio's landmark Sam & Max series, based on the independent comics by Steve Purcell, paved the way for episodic gaming with two award-winning seasons available on PC and Wii, and coming soon to Xbox LIVEÂ® Arcade. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, based on the Homestarrunner.com web cartoons, soon followed as the first episodic series for WiiWare™. Telltale's latest series, Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, is now releasing monthly on PC and will debut this spring on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Telltale's other games include two installments in Ubisoft's CSI series, based on the most popular television franchise in the United States, and two games based on the best-selling Bone comics by Jeff Smith. Telltale's games have won numerous awards, including Adventure Game of the Year accolades from publications such as IGN, PC Gamer, GameSpy, and Adventure Gamers, and have been recognized by mainstream outlets ranging from The New York Times to Variety to Playboy. USA Today ranked Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures among five downloadable games to watch for in 2009.

Telltale currently develops and publishes episodic series on PC, Wii, and Xbox 360, with plans to expand to additional platforms and channels in the coming year. For more information, visit http://www.telltalegames.com.

About Aardman

Aardman, based in Bristol (UK), co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. The studio has won over 400 international awards including 4 OscarsÂ®.

Aardman's multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio's work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercial productions. www.aardman.com

Contact:
Emily Morganti
Telltale, Inc.
415-258-1638 x501
pr@telltalegames.com

Michael and the Multi-Ethnic Friends Premiere Performance

2009-03-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

So my brother is in a band, dispelling the curse of the Tonthats having no musical talent.

Michael and the Multi-Ehtnic band is the garage band he formed with his friends and they made their first performance at their high school:

Walking a mile in her shoes

2009-03-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

As the philanthropic member of Traveling Valentine, I like to participate in promotions raising awareness to charities such as Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. Here I walk an obstacle course in heels.

Cinequest Film Festival 19 Wraps To Records

2009-03-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Cinequest's Press Release. I had a lot of fun volunteering there this year and look forward to doing some more volunteer work at Cinequest 20. I shall post photos later.

Cinequest Film Festival 19 delivered on its commitment to transform lives and serve more during a challenging economy. Record audiences, 81,000 strong, filled spectacular venues and connected with 605 artists and innovators from 44 countries. Record submissions and media coverage attracted premium Maverick cinema and technologies. 72 World and U.S. Premieres combined with Cinequest trademark Film & Innovation Forums to transform lives and careers. Additionally, 1,500 elementary to college students participated in Cinequest mentoring and education programs.

Cinequest has a tradition of doing more for the people we serve when they most need it-we like to meet challenges and grow stronger in all environments
The Adobe Youth Voices/Cinequest Filmmaking Camp gives young people in our program the opportunity to develop and hone their creative skills in a real world environment and share their point of view through film
Our collaboration with Cinequest brings youth voice to the festival and empowers them with skills in filmmaking and a showcase for their work.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) March 10, 2009 -- Cinequest Film Festival 19 delivered on its commitment to transform lives and serve more during a challenging economy. Record audiences, 81,000 strong, filled spectacular venues and connected with 605 artists and innovators from 44 countries. Record submissions and media coverage attracted premium Maverick cinema and technologies. 72 World and U.S. Premieres combined with Cinequest trademark Film & Innovation Forums to transform lives and careers. Additionally, 1,500 elementary to college students participated in Cinequest mentoring and education programs.

What's next? Transform by Distribution

Cinequest Distribution (launched November 2006) remains successful as it provides the distribution needed to keep top films thriving beyond their festival run. This makes it possible for film lovers worldwide gain access to their favorite festival film at their fingertips year round. Currently Cinequest Distribution has been delivering over 60 award-winning features to audiences via DVD, Internet, and Internet TV. Upcoming releases include RUBY BLUE starring Bob Hoskins. Distribution partnerships include Blockbuster (Nasdaq: BBI), Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX), Hollywood Video (Nasdaq: HLYW), iTunes (Nasdaq: AAPL), Vuze (Nasdaq: DIVX), Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO), and many more.

"Cinequest has a tradition of doing more for the people we serve when they most need it-we like to meet challenges and grow stronger in all environments," said Halfdan Hussey, co-founder and director at Cinequest. "Leveraging our unique position in the world of technology, business and art, Cinequest Distribution has fostered a model that works for our times, times that have seen many fine distribution companies close their doors. And the Cinequest Film Festival remains a growing bastion of film and artist discovery as well as a showcase of groundbreaking technologies that impact film making, exhibition and distribution."

Cinequest Film Festival 19 Award Winners:

Narrative Features

Maverick Spirit Award (Cinequest's top prize)
Firaaq
Director: Nandita Das

Best First Feature
The Fried (Der Freund)
Director: Micha Lewinsky

Special Jury Award for Narrative Feature
The Tour (Turneja)
Director: Goran Markovic

Directors Awards

Global Visions Award
Historias Extraordinarias
Director: Mariano Llinas

New Visions Award
Why Am I Doing This?
Directors: Tom Huang

Documentary Features

Best Documentary Feature
Heart of Stone
Director Beth Toni Kruvant

Special Jury Award for Documentary Feature
Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders
Director: Mark Hopkins

Shorts

Best Student Short Film
Thanksgiving
Director: Anja Marquardt

Best Documentary Short Film
Life for a Child
Director: Edward Lachman

Best Animated Short Film
Slaves
Director: Hanna Heilborn, David Aronowitsch

Best Narrative Short Film
Glory at Sea
Director: Benh Zeitlin

Audience Awards

Audience Award for Best Feature (Co-Winners/Tie)
All About Dad
Director: Mark Tran
&
For My Father
Director: Dror Zahavi

Audience Award for Best Documentary
Witch Hunt
Directors: Dana Nachman & Don Hardy
Executive Producer: Sean Penn

Kaiser Thrive Award:
Heart of Stone
Director: Beth Toni Kruvant

Maverick Spirit Award Recipients
The following individuals received Maverick Spirit Awards at Cinequest 19 for their Maverick careers in the film industry: Louis Gossett Jr., Kevin Pollak, and Diablo Cody.

Screenplay Competition Winners

First Place
Ora by Frederica Bailey

Second Place
Feed the Monster by Rob Rex

Third Place
The Juno Incident by Cody Yarbrough

Finalists: The Circle Cast (Montana Moss); Dog Land (Writer: Jay Nuzum); I Got You Babe (Will Hicks); The Re-Education of David Singer (Todd Friedman); Squirt (Talmage Cooley); Survival High (Aaron Mento); and The Wonder (Gregory Abbey)

Transform - Adobe Youth Voices

This year's festival also included the Adobe Youth Voices/Cinequest Filmmaking Camp, a one-month filmmaking program sponsored by Adobe Youth Voices (AYV), the Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) Foundation's global signature philanthropy program. Now in its third year, the camp provides 25 youth from underserved communities the opportunity to produce short films, as well as guidance from AYV mentors and professional filmmakers.

"The Adobe Youth Voices/Cinequest Filmmaking Camp gives young people in our program the opportunity to develop and hone their creative skills in a real world environment and share their point of view through film," said Michelle Mann, director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Adobe Systems Incorporated and executive director of the Adobe Foundation. "Our collaboration with Cinequest brings youth voice to the festival and empowers them with skills in filmmaking and a showcase for their work."

Sponsors
The following sponsors enable Cinequest's services: Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) , Panasonic (NYSE: PC), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE), Cisco (NYSE: CSCO), Applied Materials (NYSE: AMAT), Hilton San Jose (NYSE: HLT), American Express (NYSE: AXP), JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU), and Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), Peet's Coffee & Tea (PEET), Kaiser Permanente, San Jose Redevelopment Works, Metro Newspapers, Camera Cinemas, Fry's Electronics, Omneon, Travelocity, Executive Transportation Club, NBC, Telemundo, Redevelopment Works, San Jose Mercury News and Clear Channel.

Empowering the Maverick
Cinequest, a premier film institute, serves Maverick artists, innovators, film lovers and students via:

Cinequest Film Festival: a discovery festival of Maverick films and innovations that was recently named the Top 10 festival in the world by the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide.

Cinequest Distribution empowers Maverick films and fans via leading Internet, Internet TV and DVD distribution.

Mentoring and Education: groundbreaking empowerment for elementary through college students.

Cinequest Film Festival 20 occurs February 24- March 7, 2010

Cinequest Distribution releases films monthly

www.cinequest.org

Tel: (408) 995-5033

New Wallace & Gromit Game Demo Now Available, Series Premiere Coming March 24

2009-03-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

Limited-time preorder offer begins today: save 25% and get two free games

SAN RAFAEL, CA, March 16, 2009 – Interactive entertainment pioneer Telltale, Inc. and Aardman Animations are announcing that Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, the new comedy game series based on the colorful claymation duo, will premiere for PC on March 24. The digitally-distributed four episode series of Wallace & Gromit adventures will be delivered monthly from http://www.telltalegames.com. The series' Xbox LIVE® Arcade debut will follow soon.

In Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, the world of West Wallaby Street comes alive in four brand new stories you can play. Like the films, each Wallace & Gromit episode finds the earnest inventor and his faithful canine companion embarking on ambitious new ventures laced with unexpected (and always amusing) complications. Players will experience all of their favorite elements from the acclaimed Wallace & Gromit films: imaginative storylines; warm, character-based humor; creative contraptions; physical comedy; and a distinct visual style. A demo that showcases both Wallace and Gromit as playable characters can be downloaded exclusively from Yahoo (http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/wallace-and-gromit/) and FilePlanet.com today. Starting tomorrow, the demo will be available from Telltale's website and mirror sites around the web.

For PC, Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures is available as a downloadable, four episode bundle from Telltale's website (http://www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit). In the March 24 premiere episode, "Fright of the Bumblebees," Wallace & Gromit are struggling to find success with a honey business plagued by giant problems. Subsequent episodes, scheduled for May, June, and July, will take the duo from an underground beach resort to a sprawling carnival to a country club hiding an age-old mystery.

In a special preorder offer, which starts today and will run through March 23, customers can get the full, four episode series on PC for just $26—a 25% discount off the regular $34.95 price. Customers who preorder will also receive two free bonus episodes, one from Telltale's acclaimed second season of Sam & Max (named Adventure Game of the Year by PC Gamer, IGN, and Adventure Gamers) and one from Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (runner-up for IGN's Adventure Game of the Year award).

To take advantage of this limited-time offer or to view the latest game trailer, visit the official Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures website at www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit.

About Wallace & Gromit

Wallace
An endearing and affable inventor. Ever enthusiastic, Wallace's hair-brained, over-ambitious, yet well intentioned ideas consistently get him and his faithful hound into trouble. A definite penchant for cheese and crackers, not to mention fashionable knitwear!

Gromit
Wallace's long-suffering loyal pooch. Gromit cares greatly for Wallace even though he's often railroaded into his master’s mad-cap plans. Though cultured and sensitive, preferring order and the quiet life, Gromit displays amazing courage and heroism when it comes to getting his master out of self-made scrapes. Always showing astonishing initiative, Gromit is definitely the intelligent one of the pair.

About Telltale, Inc.

Telltale is a pioneer of new forms of interactive entertainment that build upon strong foundations in traditional and new media. Founded in 2004 by video game industry veterans with decades of experience, Telltale has quickly become the leading online episodic gaming publisher and developer, delivering award-winning interactive experiences that showcase engaging stories, compelling characters, and rich worlds. Telltale has created a regular, ongoing schedule of established online episodic series across all major gaming and entertainment platforms and channels.

Telltale's games include the award-winning Sam & Max episodic series; Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, the first episodic series for WiiWare based on the Homestarrunner.com Flash cartoons; and Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, coming soon to Xbox Live Arcade and PC. Telltale also has created games based on television's popular CSI series in partnership with Ubisoft, and on Jeff Smith's epic Bone graphic novels. Telltale has built a robust digital distribution channel at www.telltalegames.com, and also publishes its games with select partners.

About Aardman

Aardman, based in Bristol (UK), co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. The studio has won over 400 international awards including 4 Oscars®.

Aardman's multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio's work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercial productions. www.aardman.com

Contact:
Emily Morganti
Telltale, Inc.
415-258-1638 x501
pr@telltalegames.com

Hakone Gardens Norcal Spring Gathering Report: Seven Samurai

2009-03-16T00:30:00.001-07:00

Norcal Spring Gathering: Seven Samurai

No samurai and more than seven. But lots of fun and near psychotic rambling.

WonderCon 2009: Stop Making Sense

2009-03-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

WonderCon 2009: Stop Making Sense is finished.

No giant suit, but enough Psycho Killers and love songs dedicated to a lamp present.

Dancing with the Stars Seaason 8 Premiere Review

2009-03-10T11:08:00.001-07:00

"Dancing with the Stars" Premiere Episode Review from March 9, 2009
After seven seasons of C-list celebrities dancing for America's votes, ABC follows it up with the eighth season. Here is a review of the first episode.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1550217/dancing_with_the_stars_premiere_episode.html

WonderCon 2009: Princess and the Frog

2009-03-09T22:41:00.001-07:00

WonderCon 2009: Disney's Return to 2D Animation
Disney shows off its 2D animation project "The Princess and the Frog" during WonderCon 2009.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1549195/wondercon_2009_disneys_return_to_2d.html

Traveling Valentine

2009-03-09T22:40:00.001-07:00

Simple Recipes for a Mother's Day Brunch
A few suggested recipes young adults and fathers of children can prepare for Mother's Day.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1533591/simple_recipes_for_a_mothers_day_brunch.html

Cinequest: The Writer's Mindset Videos

2009-03-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of questions answered during The Writer's Mindset panel at Cinequest.

To the ladies of the Bay Area Red Hat Society

2009-03-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Your photos that I shot of you on Sunday are here.

traveling valentine

2009-03-02T19:06:00.001-08:00

WonderCon 2009: Terminator Salvation- Apologizing for Terminator 3
"Terminator Salvation" director McG and most of the principal cast provide exclusive sneak peeks and insight on their upcoming film for WonderCon 2009 attendees.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1526301/wondercon_2009_terminator_salvation.html

Traveling Valentine

2009-03-02T16:59:00.001-08:00

WonderCon 2009: What is "Up" with Pixar?
Pixar treats WonderCon 2009 attendees to a few scenes of its new work in progress "Up."
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1525481/wondercon_2009_what_is_up_with_pixar.html

Traveling Valentine

2009-03-02T16:58:00.001-08:00

WonderCon 2009: Who's Watching the Watchmen? I Am
The costumed heroes of the "Watchmen" movie take on their greatest challenge: Answering questions about the upcoming movie from fans during San Francisco's WonderCon 2009.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1525025/wondercon_2009_whos_watching_the_watchmen.html

WonderCon Finished

2009-03-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

I had a great three days at WonderCon and will begin the report. I also have three other projects to tackle and hopefully will have most complete by Cinequest this weekend. Please be patient.

One last Caramelldansen

2009-02-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

Featuring Cosette, Yo-Joe, and Eponine.

Traveling Valentine

2009-02-23T09:41:00.001-08:00

2009 Oscar Winners List (Highlights of Academy Awards Included)
One man's report of the 81st Oscars Show and the Academy's decisions of the films of 2008.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1502447/2009_oscar_winners_list_highlights.html

Animation on Display Report Up!

2009-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

Animation on Display 2009: Nothing But the Best.

Read about one man's report about the convention while he's half past stoned or a quarter to drunk.
See Para Para return!
See every Masquerade act!
Learn the significance of "WASH MY ASS!"
Read who showered with a guy for the first time.
And will K Valentine break his promise and post Richard Epcar's outtakes videos on the Internet?

Time for some Caramelldansen!

2009-02-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

Cosette dances to the sugary sweet dance music:

And Yo-Joe has his opinion of the song:

Cosette and Eponine: Another Birthday

2009-02-17T22:54:00.000-08:00

Cosette and Eponine celebrate their February birthdays. Sherry/Scarlett comes bearing gifts. Will there be cake this year?

Animation on Display Masquerade

2009-02-16T21:37:00.001-08:00

The 21 acts of Animation on Display.

I'll just say it was a fun show.

AOD in progress

2009-02-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks for a wonderful time at Animation on Display. Lots of pics and vids to wade through.

For anyone seeking me on Facebook, make sure to friend Tom Tonthat. The other Tonthat doesn't have a sense of humor.

Toys R Us to distribute Regigigas for Pokemon D/P Mar 8-21

2009-02-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

To psych people up for Pokemon Platinum, one more freebie event for D/P players. This time it's Regigigas.

Transformers Universe Brawn Review

2009-02-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

The mean, green G1 toy gets a make over after 25 years.

Further Confusion 2009 Report

2009-02-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

Lions, tigers, and bears... oh my! Am I talking about "The Wizard of Oz" or even "Wicked?" Good God, no. It' the Further Confusion 2009 report, written as a casual observer who ended up doing more volunteer work than observing. Nevertheless, check out the report and see you at the next con.

I'll leave you now with this:

2009 Super Bowl XLIII Advertisement Review

2009-02-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

Congrats to the Steelers on their 27-23 victory. Kudos to Harrison for the 100 yard interception cum touchdown and Holmes for the game winning touchdown.

In the meantime, here is my review of the advertisements during the game. If nothing else, know this:

-Bud Light makes great Super Bowl ads.
-Car ads during the Super Bowl bore me to tears.
-Hopefully with Obama, the economy can recover as well as the creativity since this year's ads were pretty bland.

Transformers Animated Toy Review: Wreck-Gar

2009-01-29T22:27:00.001-08:00

Brought back to the cartoon screen after nearly 25 years, Wreck-Gar is back and has a new toy molded after his character. How does he hold up?

Cosette and Eponine: Cosette's Final Fantasy

2009-01-27T20:57:00.000-08:00

In lieu of a movie review, Cosette takes over the camera and sings her opinions about the Final Fantasy series.

Toys R Us to distribute Shaymin for Pokemon D/P Feb 8-14.

2009-01-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

Your chance to get a free Shaymin and $5 coupon for Pokemon games courtesy of Toys R Us.

Anime Los Angeles 2009 Report Up

2009-01-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

Cosplay Chess, Masquerade, and other observations of the first CA convention of 2009:

Friday: Cosplay Chess and playing Dr. House for real
Friday Photos
Friday Maid Gathering

Saturday: Jersey Host Club Masquerade
Saturday Photos I
Saturday Photos II

Sunday: Farewells
Sunday Photos
Sunday Phoenix Wright Gathering

Gran Torino Movie Review

2009-01-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

I start off the 2009 movie reviews with Clint Eastwood, who overtakes Michael Bay as most awesome director, and his latest magnum opus "Gran Torino."

Movies like these give me faith that the rest of the year will have awesome movies. "GI Joe" and Transformers: ROTFL" may be great now and won't collapse under the hype.

Anime Los Angeles 2009 Videos Uploaded

2009-01-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

After dealing with YouTube red tape, I can finally begin uploading ALA videos. I'll start with Tadao Tomomatsu's Japanese Swords lecture.

Part I:

Part II:

Hello, 2009!

2009-01-05T18:11:00.000-08:00

Back from LA after a roller coaster ride to end 2008. Details to follow but for now, a quick vid of Traveling Valentine ringing the new year with Claudine Disney style:

An Attempted Christmas Movie Review

2008-12-23T22:06:00.001-08:00

I wanted to review a Christmas movie, but the only Christmas movie I have on DVD is "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians." And this is not the MST3K version, so no comic relief to get through this mess.

If you want to see this movie, I recommend buying the Cinema Insomnia version. It's close to the original, but has breaks in the film for skits, classic commercials, and commentary.

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Shelter

2008-12-21T01:07:00.000-08:00

Yo-Joe becomes a proud owner of his own apartment.

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Supplier

2008-12-18T22:14:00.000-08:00

A Christmas story told through Yo-Joe's bizarre logic.

Movie Review: Mamma Mia!

2008-12-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

Audio review of Mamma Mia!

Sugary sweet, but not necessarily a bad thing.

And the review with visuals:

"The Dark Knight" reviewed.

2008-12-16T23:08:00.000-08:00

The Dark Knight (Audio)

And video of both for those who want pretty visuals to go with the audio.

Featured on Associated Content!

2008-12-15T18:27:00.001-08:00

So one of my audio works has been featured for a website.

Associated Content Audio Section

Visit the site and click on the picture of the silhouetted person with the megaphone.

I'd like to thank the person who dared me to do the review.

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Face-Up

2008-12-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

Yo-Joe receives a new face-up whether he wants one or not.

Twilight Reviewed

2008-12-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

I was dared to review it, so I ended up reviewing the vampire flick. But I didn't feel like standing in front of a camera reviewing it.

Winter Gaming Bash 2008

2008-12-07T04:29:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Facebook, I learned of and attended Richie's Winter Gaming Bash at Play & Trade in San Mateo to celebrate the birthdays of Vince, Chris, and Richie himself. It was great to mingle with familiar faces, reacquaint myself with faces I knew earlier but now can confirm knowing them, and meeting new faces. I haven't done a gaming party in such a long time.

Video coverage is found at the designated Youtube play list. Hopefully the videos will finish uploading by the time I wake up later today. For now, one Rock Band clip.

I think it may be time to recruit a Bay Area second shooter to get behind the camera when I want to be in front of the camera.

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Farewell

2008-12-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

After Mattel's successful injunction against MGA and the Bratz doll line, Yo-Joe bids farewell to the fashionable girls and guys.

Highlights of Thanksgiving

2008-12-06T01:04:00.001-08:00

In preparation for the USC vs UCLA game, last week's USC vs Notre Dame game highlights can be seen on this playlist.

Best routine I've seen:

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Birthday

2008-11-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

I thought I was uploading it a day early, but realized that Yo-Joe's birthday was November 25th, making me a day late. Oh well.

Cosette attempts to celebrate Yo-Joe's birthday by taking him to this year's Dolpa.

BART Boy Party (11/22/08) & SF Doll Gathering (11/23/08)

2008-11-25T23:12:00.000-08:00

The most recent weekend was full of socializing. Great to see all you Goodfellas.

PMX 2008 Report Online

2008-11-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

Obama won and PMX occurred. Things were a little (emphasis on little) glamorous during PMX. Lots of karaoke and not so much anime or Asian pop culture. And bishie karaoke is inadvertently created with alcohol having nothing to do with THIS conception.

PMX: About Last Night. In two words, "Boom, baby!"

Video clips of PMX including "K Valentine talks to people" and bishie karaoke.

Photo slide shows:

Friday House calls.

Saturday Baccano!

Saturday Dolls.

Sunday Fruits Basket.

The Shortest James Bond Film Ever

2008-11-15T00:23:00.000-08:00

"Quantum of Solace" was an interesting movie. While it showed of Daniel Craig's Bond character well, the mission itself was quite dull.

More PMX Karaoke Goodness

2008-11-12T20:03:00.001-08:00

I guess for now, "The Full Monty" will be my Broadway musical of choice. I shall have to post my reasons on AC later. But for now, more of my karaoke of this great musical for guys who don't like musicals.

"Man:" Dedicated not to the girlie bishounen man, but the bona fide genuine man that exist in the real world. The beer drinkers, the truck drivers, the men who like to blow stuff up. Who has time to look dreamy when there's work to be done? Pity the lights weren't working 100%.

"Let It Go:" I may not be fit. I may not be good looking. I may not even be in the right mind. But for one night only, I go for the semi monty. The funniest trivia in this performance was that I was sober the entire time. That may have prevented this from being a Full Monty.

K Valentine talks to people

2008-11-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

Victoria convinced me to do this during PMX. I had my doubts but liked improvising on the fly with the various people, situations, and answers. Based off that SML sketch with Mark Wahlberg.

Back from PMX

2008-11-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

It's been an interesting weekend. Now it's back to selling beer, living without TV, and Red Alert 3.

For now, a few vids to recap:

I hate Backstreet Boys...

In honor of Obama's victory, I sing the benefits of a "Big Black Man," one of the many "Full Monty" songs I would sing.

Cosette and Eponine: American Girls

2008-10-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

Cosette and Eponine show off their new American Girl products. With a bit of singing from Tom Petty's "American Girl."

SiliCon 2008 Report

2008-10-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

One day of convention experience and two nights of bar hopping.

Halloween Costume Guide: Dr. House

2008-10-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

A simple guide to getting a Dr. Gregory House costume from the hit Fox series "House."

Photo courtesy of Mike from Calanimephotos

Yaoi-Con Report

2008-10-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

Yaoi-Con 2008: The Full Monty is online.

Key highlights:

-Six men stripping until fully naked.
-Hip to be Square becomes the new Caramel Dansen.
-Dr. House diagnoses several attendees.
-Who is Mi-DORI?

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Politics

2008-10-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

Yo-Joe voices his support in the 2008 Presidential election. Just remember to respect one's fictional political opinions.

Cosette and Eponine: Political Opinions

2008-09-29T20:05:00.001-07:00

Cosette and Eponine discuss their supported candidates for the 2008 election.

Yaoi Con 2008: The new Caramel Dansen

2008-09-28T22:07:00.001-07:00

I'm tired of Caramel Dansen. Time for something more American Psycho.

Gay Weekend Update

2008-09-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

And now, a vlog of no informative value.

This weekend consisted of:

-Seeing 6 naked men live onstage.
-Yaoi Con
-A face up
-Fanime Kick Off

Hell freezes over: I attempt Vlogging

2008-09-28T10:22:00.001-07:00

I've avoided vlogging due to equipment issues and getting so used to being BEHIND the camera. Now I give it a shot due to equipment issues with Livejournal as I do a karaoke meme.

Songs requested by Friends List-
Oingo Boingo: Just Another Day
Avril Levine: Girlfriend
Disney: Duck Tales theme

A Rather Gay Day Today

2008-09-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

Six fully naked guys and a five minute visit to Yaoi Con. I'm not sure what happened but I'll let the photos speak for themselves later.

MikomiCon 2008 Coverage

2008-09-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

Plenty of coverage for MikomiCon 2008 (9/19-9/21, CSU Northridge)!

Field Report of MikomiCon 2008 for Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday Photos of MikomiCon 2008 including Traveling Valentine's Pokemon group.

Sunday Photos of MikomiCon 2008 including Traveling Valentine's Evangelion group and the special Dr. House costume.

Video footage of MikomiCon 2008. Karaoke footage from Victoria. Miscellaneous footage from Tom.

MikomiCon had plenty of highlights, but the big one for Traveling Valentine being this:

Our Best Of Show Masquerade Entry:

We're looking forward to next year's MikomiCon. Thank you for a wonderful time.

Some political ramblings

2008-09-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

With the election coming up, I figure I could lighten things up with some completely off the wall political commentary.

Is Barack Obama the Devil? Combining politics and religion is hardly ever a good thing.

Political haiku supporting my candidate. Actually, I only chose him because fewer people entered in his category.

New Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure Episode

2008-09-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

A new episode of Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure is up. It began as an experiment in finding alternative ways of recording sound after getting tired of doing retakes due to the microphone picking up unwanted sounds. But after completion, I felt, "Eh, why not?"

Introducing: Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Box.

Dialogue primarily borrowed from Konami's "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater."

Dolpa 2008

2008-09-03T19:08:00.001-07:00

The Good News: It looks like I can hit this year's Dolpa, the convention celebrating Volks dolls like Yo-Joe and Cosette. It takes place November 1st and I'll be conveniently in the area.

The Bad News: It looks like everyone can hit this year's Dolpa. Judging from initial intelligence, gone is the physical convention site where we can see the dolls with our own eyes and talk to fellow doll owners with our own mouths. It looks like they're doing a webcast of the dolls online.

http://site.volksusa.com/blog/2008/09/03/volks-usa-website-redesign-and-new-dolls-party-in-volks-usa-website/

Tom has a Facebook now.

2008-08-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Look for Tom Tonthat at Facebook.

Tropic Thunder Review

2008-08-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Movie Review: Tropic Thunder
A review of Ben Stiller's new film "Tropic Thunder."
View more »

Damn, I lost

2008-08-13T21:42:00.001-07:00

Ok, I didn't win the sticker placement contest this month. There's always next month.

Here was my entry, taken during Dollectable 2008.

2008-08-10T20:45:00.001-07:00

Attempt at redubbing the Bambi woodland critters into the South Park woodland critters. Recorded and aired in front of children, parents, and park staff.

Some opinions about Broadway

2008-08-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

Two pieces on two popular Broadway shows.

I was liking Avenue Q until I actually saw it.

Some Wicked thoughts.

The SHN in San Francisco is offering some good shows in its 2008/2009 season starting with Wicked. I'm really looking forward to Grease and especially Spamalot. One question: What does SHN stand for?

Looking forward to Simon Pegg's next film.

2008-08-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know if actor Simon Pegg is as much of a dork in real life as he acts in his movies, but I like his work nevertheless. At first glimpse of his upcoming movie How To Lose Friends and Alienate People, I thought he was playing an arrogant British jerk and going the way of Simon Cowell, Hugh Laurie, and Ricky Gervais. But after looking at the trailers, he's still the same lovable dork. You can see more about the movie here from the movie's blog.

I am also reminded of one of his more recent films: Hot Fuzz and Run Fat Boy Run. Hopefully Simon Pegg will turn out to be a successful comic gem for Hollywood and not just for fellow lovable dorks.

Cosette and Eponine: The Marshmallow

2008-08-04T18:29:00.001-07:00

Cosette's loyal cat Marshmallow gets an upgrade as we review the Cosette and Eponine family tree. A teaser of a new character appears.

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Guitar Hero

2008-08-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Yo-Joe learns that guns aren't always the best tools in getting things done... like wooing girls. So the boy must learn to use more pleasant devices. This was done in regular photo slide show with captions since I was unable to quickly get all the voices recorded.

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The Guitar Hero

Yo-Joe's Bizarre Adventure: The One Thing I Fear

2008-08-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone has at least one fear. Yo-Joe just met his fear.

Dollectable 2008 Photos

2008-08-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Dollectable 2008 (7/18-7/20) is a convention celebrating the Ball-Jointed Doll such as Cosette, Eponine, Sherry/Scarlett, and Yo-Joe. Here are photos of dolls and their owners from the event.

Dollectable Costume Contest Entries: The theme was Steampunk
Display Room Dolls: Raffle Prizes and Elfdoll Previews
The people of Dollectable
The Dolls of Traveling Valentine
Shots of the Dealer Room
Dolls
More Dolls
The Valley of the Dolls
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
The Last of the Dolls

In addition to photos, here is Traveling Valentine's entry for the first ever Doll Video Contest. It's the tale of Cosette, Eponine, Sherry, and Scarlett.

Remembering the First Summer Blockbuster of 2008

2008-08-01T19:09:00.001-07:00

As the superhero movie The Dark Knight continues to kick ass as a summer blockbuster, we must remember the superhero movie that started the summer blockbuster season of 2008.

I give you Iron Man.

In response to the trailer of the sixth Harry Potter movie

2008-07-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

With buzz generating about the upcoming Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, here's a little something to remind people about Harry Potter and his previous movie.

A Cliff Notes script of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Transformers Animated Lugnut Review

2008-07-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

A review of Voyager Class Lugnut toy from the Transformers Animated toy line.

Does size really matter?

Anime Expo 2008 Photos

2008-07-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

Some photos from Anime Expo 2008. Please enjoy. Anime Expo is the largest anime convention of the West Coast. Attendees flock to catch up on anime releases, meet new friends, and maybe run into a beloved Guest of Honor.

Thursday (7/3/08)
Friday (7/4/08)
Saturday (7/5/08)

Sunday (7/6/08)

And a few video clips from AX 2008:

Avatar Cosplayers singing "Secret Tunnel."

The "Ouran High School Host Club" English dub cast is announced.

From Comic-Con: Upcoming Transformers Toys

2008-07-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Comic-Con 2008: Saturday

The Saturday of Comic Con 2008 treated its attendees with Hasbro's announcement of its upcoming Transformers toys. As a recent avid collector of the transforming toys, Tom was able to summarize what toys were coming and when they were coming. Click here to read more.

I'm really looking forward to the 25 Anniversary line.

Welcome to Traveling Valentine

2008-07-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to the first entry of the Traveling Valentine blog. Allow us to introduce ourselves.

Traveling Valentine started as a two-person team of Tom Tonthat and Victoria Erica whose focus was to cover the various anime and sci-fi conventions from an "on the field attendee" point of view. Press releases and photos make for good highlights and we include them in our press coverage, but we like to view the convention from the attendees' points of view as well. Were they in costume? Were there any logistic problems at the convention? And the biggest question of all, did the attendees have fun?

Over the five years together, we have doubled our staff to include SVU (Second Video Unit) with Stan and Deb. They provide an extra set of eyes and an extra set of opinions. Traveling Valentine has also expanded into producing short episodes involving the new hobby of Asian Ball-Jointed Doll collecting. We currently have two separate series: "Cosette and Eponine" and "Yo-Joe's Bizzare Adventure." Transformers and its respective toy line is also a new interest of ours.

Please enjoy your time here as we post our various items of interest.