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

Designer Style: MANIAMANIA

Can’t stop posting about Australian designers…my new obsession, MANIAMANIA, jewelry line of stylist Tamila Purvis and art director Melanie Kamsler. Not only do I love the label’s vintage inspired bold statement pieces, but the overall look of the brand identity is mystically beautiful.

From the designers:

MANIAMANIA is the jewellry label by stylist Tamila Purvis and art director Melanie Kamsler. The duo met creating the pages of Russh Magazine for over three years, where they developed their collaborative chemistry and mutually spirited visual language. Their combined experience in styling and design for publications Vogue, Oyster, Russh and Grazia along with their love of art and vintage jewellry led to the creation of the label MANIAMANIA.

Drawing inspiration over a range of eras, muses, music and landscapes, MANIAMANIA’s aesthetic will continually evolve. As a label it cohesively unites niche influences into a modern collection, which respects the notion of adornment as personal, intimate and as a form of expression.

Their first collection, “Real Life Awaits Us” consists of luxe handmade treasure – brass and silver molten metals meet with raw crystal stones such as Calcite, Harlequin and Tibetan Quartz, across a range of rings, cuffs, amulets, neck pieces and earrings.

Initially inspired by the film The Holy Mountain (1973) the collection is a rich synthesis of Mesoamerican iconography, geology, 1970’s handcrafts, shamanism and magic, creating a range of new-worldly forms packaged in soft, bone coloured leather pouches.

posted by: Tricia Rock

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

Lookbook Style: Friend of Mine

The latest lookbook from Friend of Mine almost makes me want to rip my grungiest jean shorts up to the panty line and wrap myself in an American flag…almost. And trust me, this is not a style you would usually catch me rockin. The images and clothes are just that good and fall right in front of the line that separates plain cool from plain trash.

From the label:

Say hello to a Friend of Mine – an Australian label designed by Teale Talbot and managed by Letitia McLean. Confident, sexy and just a little bit tough; Friend of Mine blends feminine edge with a relaxed look that a girl can make her own.

Friend of Mine’s designs have embraced unexpected subtleties and contradiction since debuting in 2009. The label rapidly established itself across Australia with a clean beach-meets-grunge attitude, and was quickly featured in some of the best Australian and International press.

A rockabilly aesthetic is referenced throughout and is seen in the label’s namesake, which is drawn from a cult Bob Dylan track. The look is one that is undeniably fashionable, yet in a simplistic thrown together style that is far from contrived. Friend of Mine’s effortlessly cool nature results in versatile pieces, basics-with-a-twist as well as standout shoes and accessories. Whilst Friend of Mine has already carved out it’s own signature aesthetic, each new collection brings a new palette of inspiration ranging from pop culture to music to childhood memories.

posted by: Tricia Rock