I love this Robin redesign. It has the graphical, streamlined look of Bruce Timm’s classic designs, but feels more modern, maybe even futuristic. I especially like that the bottom edge of the red shirtfront make it look like a tuxedo vest. Like, he’s dressed for action, but he still has style.

(via P:R Redesign: Cary Polkovitz’ Robin! | Project : Rooftop)

When was the last time Google made something that actually worked? I mean, not working prototypes, but an actual working product?

Google Drive is nice, but it’s just a Dropbox clone, all it brings to the table is cheaper storage. Android is doing very well, but let’s be honest it wasn’t Google that made it a success (I’d give that to Samsung and more recently Amazon). Google+? OK, but does anyone actually use it? Google Docs was a definite hit, but that was five years ago. Chrome was four years ago, and Google Earth was seven.

Remember Google Wave? Google Video? Buzz? Knol? Lively? Dodgeball? Answers? Jaiku? Catalog? Google TV? Orkut? Shared Stuff? Fast Flip? Google Desktop? Google Notebook? Even the Nexus One (one of the very few actual, physical products they’ve ever made) was a huge disappointment.

Just making the point that despite how many breathless claims I keep hearing, day after day, about some great tech demo, Google’s hit to miss ratio is pretty pathetic. They’re rapidly taking Microsoft’s place as the premier source for awesome concepts, wonderful tech demoes, and more R&D spending than most militaries with mostly failed and mediocre actual products to show for it.

I also don’t think you can really be an artists and be immersed in Fandom at the same time, because (for me) in order to make art you have to view the world critically. You have to constantly be questioning, deconstructing, and asking why other creators did AB&C instead of XY&Z. It’s a way of improving your own craft as well as gaining a better understanding of art in general.

via swegener

As I approach graduation (in December if everything goes right next quarter, next March if it doesn’t), I’m starting to look seriously at what I’m going to do post-graduation. The two obvious options are “get a job” and “get more schooling”. In either case, I’m also looking to relocate, most likely to the west coast. That’s a bit of a shame, I’ve made some good friends here and I don’t want to leave them behind, but I guess that’s just life. At least keeping in touch is easier than ever these days.

If at all possible, I’m actually leaning towards the option of going for a Masters degree. It would be a good thing to have for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that it would open up certain career opportunities (like teaching, something I’ve always been interested in). The problems with this are finding a program I like, and of course paying for it. Finding a program isn’t actually that hard, most universities that have an art college (or department, depending) are offering some program or other that appeals to me. Many have interactive art, or new media, or some combination of digital and traditional medium programs, so that’s all well and good. After that it’s just about the money.

This, too, might be surmountable, but I’m having some trouble getting concrete information. Most state funded universities offer not only scholarships and other financial aid, but also assistantships. The more generous of these cover most or all of your tuition (minus all those miscellaneous fees) as well as a reasonable stipend to help with living expenses. In exchange you work part time for the school, usually as a TA or lab monitor. I could totally do that. The problem is that these programs are limited, and not guaranteed. In fact, you have to be accepted and (in some cases) fully enrolled before you’re even eligible to be considered.

What I really need is a little guidance. I’ve requested information from a few schools, but most of what they send is vague at best (being marketing material mostly, not in depth information).

Does anyone out there have any advice that could help me out, or even just a push in the right direction? If it helps, I’m a straight A student, I’m 32 and married, and I’ve already had one professional career. In short, I’m not some kid right out of high school, I have a lot of skin in the game and I’ve proven myself. That has to count for something, right?

Whatever I need to do to make this happen, I’ll do, I just don’t know where to start.