The “Secret” Pac-Man Drawings That Started It All

On June 2, 2010 just before visiting the Festival of Games, Pac Man’s creator Toru Iwatani was photographed showing the original sketches for the arcade icon he created. This photograph was later published by Dutch developer magazine Control on June 22, 2010, making it the first public appearance of these designs.

Iwatani originally designed what we know as Pac-Man, but was actually called Puck Man in Japan, in 1978 while working for computer software company Namco. Midway, who bought the United States rights for the game and released it in the U.S. changed the name to “Pac-Man” for fear that kids might deface a “Puck-Man” cabinet by changing the ‘P’ to an ‘F’. Legend has it the inspiration for “Pac-Man” came from the resulting shape of a pizza after Iwatani grabbed a slice.

In a VH-1 Game Break interview Iwatani said he did not personally profit from the creation of Pac-Man, saying “The truth of the matter is, there were no rewards per se for the success of Pac-Man. I was just an employee. There was no change in my salary, no bonus, no official citation of any kind.” Too bad, because as of June 3, 2010 there were still 293,822 Pac-Man machines installed around the world, making it by far the most successful coin-operated arcade game of all time.

See more photos here

posted by: Harold Johns III

Art Roundup: June 25, 2010 to July 1, 2010

Weekly roundup of the best art shows and art related events in and around the Lawrence/Kansas City area.

FRIDAY JUNE 25

• Hott Sheets
Wonder Fair: Art Gallery, Shoppe & Studio
(803 1/2 Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, KS)
Friday, June 25, 7-10pm
From the organizers: Hott Sheets does not claim any real scientific rigor but a healthy dose of curiosity and absurdity. It is a tongue-in-cheek critique, partially directed toward ourselves and our inability to understand the complexities of the Art Market, and partially directed at the Art Market for being so confounding. Hott Sheets believes in the invaluable importance original artwork plays in our lives while simultaneously having fun with the difficult but necessary task of setting a value.
See the full Rathaus article for this show

• John Stamos Personal/Professional Works Closing Reception
The Invisible Hand Gallery (801 1/2 Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, KS)
Friday, June 25, 7-9pm
Your last chance to check out this show. Stamos shows off his stunning, funny, wacky and engrossing work from his professional illustration portfolio along with his personal work at the recently new Invisible Hand Gallery.

SATURDAY JUNE 26
• Astrokitty Comics & More 5th Anniversary Party
The Jackpot Saloon & Music Hall (943 Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, KS)
Saturday, June 26, 8pm-2am
From the organizers: It’s our fifth anniversary come June! Celebrate with us at the Jackpot! We’ll have video-games (ala Super Nerd Night) set about the bar for anyone to play, we’ll have a Drink & Draw contest (supplies provided by Astrokitty), plus all sorts of card/board games going on throughout the night as accompanied by Astrokitty’s favorite movies and some of Astrokitty’s favorite background tunes! What’s that? Not enough? Hm. How about baiowolf? Weird Wounds? Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk? Now THAT’S a party! Doors open at 8pm and music begins at 10ish! What’s more, we’ll have Astrokitty stickers, t-shirts, dice, and buttons on sale at this event! This will be your chance to proudly wear your love for Astrokitty on your person or during your gaming! DO. NOT. MISSSSSS! Plus, of course, Joel/Joe/Erin will all be on hand celebrating alongside ya’ll!
Astrokitty Comics & More
See the full Rathaus article for the show

SUNDAY JUNE 27

• Fourth Annual Art of the Car Concours
Kansas City Art Institute (4415 Warwick Boulevard in Kansas City, MO)
Sunday, June 27, 10am-4pm
From the organizers: This year’s event will feature President Woodrow Wilson’s 1919 Pierce-Arrow Limousine. The car, which has been restored to full working order, is owned by the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in Staunton, VA. The Art of the Car Concours, a benefit for student scholarships at the Kansas City Art Institute, is the largest vintage car show in Kansas City and features a wide variety of vintage, classic and special interest vehicles belonging to Kansas City area and national collectors. Vintage motorcycles, bicycles, race cars and fire trucks also will be included in the show.
Art of the Car Concours

posted by: Scott Stewart

Re-Gif: Sonic Punch!

This animated gif, which depicts rapper Charles Hamilton getting punched in the face during a impromptu battle, was taken from an equally funny video. Watch it here

posted by: Harold Johns III

Go See: Hott Sheets

Exhibition Info:

The concept of this show was born out  of the heat of the summer and inspired by current events in the  international art market. Local temperatures soared from 60′s to 90′s, a painting by Picasso became the  most expensive work of art ever sold at auction, fetching 106.2 million and, five paintings were stolen out of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris – the total value of the heist falling somewhere between 126 – 500 million. These staggering numbers made us stop and wonder, with our heat fevered minds, how is the value of original artwork created?

For this exhibition Wonder Fair established a method for pricing new artworks objectively. Local, regional, and nationally exhibiting artists were invited to submit new works on official WF  stamped paper. The monetary value of each piece will be determined by a  complex flowchart of Wonder Fair’s own creation. All submitted works  will be stringently processed through the chart’s categories which  include medium, color palette, and subject matter. Specifics include ironic animal imagery, crystalline formations, energy fields, and floating heads.

The opening reception for Hott Sheets is this Friday June 25, 2010 from 7-10pm at Wonder Fair (803 1/2 Massachusetts in Lawrence, KS). Hot Sheets will stay on display through July 24, 2010.

posted by: Brent Carter

Astrokitty Comics to Hold 5th Anniversary Party in Lawrence, KS

top photo by Mia Iverson, other photos provided by Astrokitty Comics
Joel Pfannenstiel (bottom left), Joe Noh (bottom right)

Joel Pfannenstiel started his first college job at the now defunct Mass Street Comics while studying Graphic Design at the University of Kansas. As a life-long comic fan he couldn’t have asked for more, but the owners soon decided to make a change and when the shop closed up, Joel decided to take a risk. With his years of experience and last paycheck Joel opened Astrokitty Comics & More in 2005.

With support from the Mass Street Comics regulars and public interest in a new shop, Astrokitty took off and has continued to grow and improve. By keeping the focus on the customer, Joel created a local favorite in Astrokitty. The storefront at 15 E 7th Street in Lawrence, KS is stocked with a large variety of comics, graphic novels, toys, zines, shirts, and games. As comics have now expanded into a grown-up art form, Astrokitty carries advanced styles with complex story lines not available at the grocery store newsstand, while also continuing to stock the bubble gum fun and super hero styles comic fans grew up on.

Competing against chain stores can be tough, but Joel keeps the shop going with his passion and the relationships he has established with other Lawrence downtown originals like Liberty Hall Video and the Jackpot Saloon. Joel enjoys exposing new people to the comic and gaming culture and on a semi-regular basis holds events at the Jackpot Saloon. Drink & Draw Nights allow comic fans, local artists, or any passersby to participate in drawing competitions while enjoying a beer. And during Super Nerd Nights video games are setup for play throughout the bar while a choice fantasy film screens in the backdrop.

Both Drink and Draw and Super Nerd Nights will be combined for Astrokitty’s 5th Anniversary Party at the Jackpot Saloon this Saturday, June 26. The night will include video games, drawing contests, card and board games, movies, plus musical performances by BaioWolf, Weird Wounds, and Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk. Plenty of cool stuff for sale including buttons, stickers, custom 6-sided dice, and brand spankin’ new t-shirts. Doors open at 8pm with a $5 cover.

by: Scott Stewart