A feature film of the long-running anime series Astro Boy will be released in 2009. Imagi Animation Studio released a poster for the film, which you can view here! Thankfully this action film will be done entirely in CG animation and not with a Culkin brother.

Astro Boy tells the story of a powerful robot boy created by a brilliant scientist in the image of the son he has lost. Our hero journeys to find acceptance in the human world, and ultimately discovers true friendship as he uses his incredible powers to help others and save Metro City from destruction.

I imagine this will be the best movie of 2009, animated or otherwise, and I’m looking forward to it as I imagine Gabe is too.

Having a hard time falling asleep, while still being really stylish? Have you tried counting sheep or more specifically this guy? Seamour Sheep (Illuminative Edition) USB-Lamp (Available by this Christmas.) It uses low temperature and long service life LEDs and is for little kids and adult kids. So if you’ve been using a night light or something similar and are looking for something a little more hip, this designer toy might be your answer. He’d be a whimsical wannahave gadget for your bedside.

If you can’t wait until the holidays, then you can buy the original Seamour Sheep vinyl figure. He too looks really cool. While you’re at it, enjoy their webcomic too!

You gotta see Jeremy Dower’s weird and wild art. Check out his portfolio and see all his geometrically pleasing characters. Here’s an interview with him (showing more of his art) and how his first job was creating pixel art for Nintendo Game Boy games.

Do you enjoy dressing up and running around as your favorite Marvel character? Take a snapshot of yourself in costume and submit it to Marvel, so you can win some prizes in their first annual costume contest! The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 22, so hurry up and find your Hulk Underoos and maybe you’ll win.

Adam Koford (aka Ape Lad) draws the Marvel Universe is a great collection of some super heroes and villains. This is some fun artwork and these characters have style. He’s drawn the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Beast, Abomination and he’s just started doing these, so expect more to follow. He’s even got some characters in their old outfits!

(Ape Lad is the same guy that entertains us with his Laugh-Out-Loud Cats comics.)

Enjoy some wonderfully silly tales of a classic cartoon character, from the silent-film era, in the world of fairy tales and nursery rhymes when he visits Mother Goose and the gang. This is what the Sunday funnies were all about back in the 1930’s. Thanks again to the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archives for these classic humor strips!

I needed a new bag for my travels and it needed to carry my laptop. The old backpack I’ve been using, which I’ve had for the last decade, just wasn’t fitting the bill. I researched online at least a dozen different sites and forums trying to find the right one for me. I wasn’t about to purchase one online that I couldn’t first try out in person. I visited many different stores around the area and thankfully found the brown Jansport Firewire backpack. Yes, I’m immensely happy that I could finally get a brown backpack! (It actually has two different brown tones with a black padded back and black straps.) It looks very simple, but it is pretty stylish.

With its padded laptop sleeve, comfy shoulder straps and ample storage this is a great backpack. It has a place for everything and it easily fits my stuff. Let me show you what I mean with the “what’s in your bag?” thing. My 13″ Apple MacBook (on top of a 13″ black neoprene sleeve from Incase), an AC adapter, RJ-45 cable, some Hefty zipper bags (for just in case), hand sanitizer, ear plugs (I like a quiet sleep), Carmex lip balm with SPF 15, a free sewing kit from hotel, Pilot G-2 05 extra fine pens, my Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K camera (not pictured for obvious reasons) with a Tamrac 4391 compact camera case, Steno notepad, a 30g iPod, my Nintendo DS Lite Onyx Black (with a couple of games in it, guess which ones) and my Old Man Musings business cards. With all this packed up in the backpack it weighs about 12 pounds and there’s tons of room to spare.

This is a great backpack and it securely cradles my laptop with plenty of padding. It’s comfortable to wear around even on a long trek. The soft tricot-lined top pocket is a nice touch and it keeps a few items from getting scratched. It’d be great if the whole backpack was lined with it! I think that backpacks with mesh on the side look cheap, but I know they’re great for your water bottles, so I’m glad this only has one mesh part discretely on the side. I found my Jansport Firewire backpack for $80 USD at a local Sports Chalet store. It works great for me and I just love its color!

Does this sound like the backpack for you?

It’s another great Grow game - GROW Island. As with previous Grow games there’s more than one way to win and it’s all about the sequencing. You’ll complete the game when all panels’ level are maxed out and let me say that it looks a bit psychedelic. The graphics are really cute and the sounds are sweet. Go Play!

Geez, all I do is take a little vacation and all heck breaks loose on the site. Sorry for the scare with the site being down for the last day or so, but there was an issue with my web host. I was able to solve the problem with an hour long wait on the phone with tech support. Hooray for me!

My vacation to Seattle was great, even with their roads being weird. It only rained one day and with all the cloudy weather I didn’t get sun burned when I went outside, which is always pleasant. While I get reorganized, please enjoy some of my Seattle vacation pictures (mostly of Nintendo HQ).

Now without further delay, it’s back to our regularly scheduled program, already in progress …

This old man, he played two, he played…

Happy Birthday OldManMusings.com! It’s our second birthday - who else is feeling old? So much has changed in these two little years. It’s been two years of action packed excitement here on the site and I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself. Thanks to everyone for all your support and interest in Old Man Musings! Let’s all keep it spinning wildly and loose. It is all fun and games.

Be good to each other!

Wondering where I am? I’m up in Washington state on vacation and had a moment to stop by a place you might have heard of - Nintendo of America Headquarters! I’ll fill you in on the details later, but just to let you know it’s a great place to visit. Thanks to all the helpful and happy folks at Nintendo that made my visit that much nicer. Now all I need is a job at Nintendo… It’s all fun and games!

It’s the Testone Radium Energizer and Suspensory and it contains 20 micrograms of refined and measured Radium. Nothing put a spring in your step like radiating your groin. Besides it’s guaranteed, what could go wrong?

For that sagging, dragging weight that pulls you down and saps your energy - and for storing up and husbanding strength in that seat of male activity - that ??? - this marvelous appliance has no equal.

So if you’ve gone commando one too many times or time has been unkind to you, consider this miracle of modern technologies. I can just imagine “it” gigantic, irradiated and glowing green or having it shoot a fire ray while destroying Tokyo. Take that Mothra!

(Sorry this is the best copy I’ve got and I don’t have the original.)

Each brightly colored vinyl character with their slanted stature, stands in the Cameron Tiede style. I saw these art toys on display at the San Diego Comic-Con this year and they are sweet. You can buy them now and even get Cameron’s signature too. These colorful collectibles are limited, so get them soon. Each character comes cylindrically boxed and has quite a personality - Edgar, Oswald, Agatha and Rooofus. I like the dog figure (pictured) Rooofus the most and need one to decorate my desk.

It seems that The Simpsons Series 2 from McFarlane Toys are arriving in stores this December. These collectible painted sculptures are about 6 inches tall and have a strong visual appeal. I can’t believe I missed seeing the first series of these, that came out this past March. Isn’t the look on Homer’s face(s) just priceless?

There’s also a Simpsons Movie Series that have sound chips with dialogue taken directly from the film’s soundtrack! That was one great movie. You should go see it.

ItsJerryTime! If you’ve ever rented an apartment and had roommates you’ll know just how crazy it can be sometimes. It’s Jerry in his tie-die and shaggy hair in this entertaining episode is called ‘Roommate Hell‘. Oh those crazy college days. How many of you have had crazy roommates? They are just one of the many reasons for individuals to live as hermits or buy a house for themselves.