chrisbaker1337

The Father of all Pop Culture Zombies This travel writer introduced the undead to America. He also ATE HUMAN FLESH.

My Sunday reading: “This travel writer introduced the undead to America. He also ATE HUMAN FLESH.” www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-father...

1933 photo of William Seabrook by Carl Van Vechten. Black and White portrait of William Seabrook with his hand on some sort of death visage, presumably an African or Caribbean artifact. The image is annotated with the text: “Writer. Adventurer. Cannibal. ‘The aroma was wholly pleasant. It had no weird, startling, or unholy special flavor—it was mild, good meat.’—William Seabrook, the man who introduced zombies to America (and ate human flesh)”

The travel writer who first introduced zombies to pop culture was also a cannibal who wrote about the smell, taste, and texture of human flesh with the relish of a restaurant critic. Read about his twisted life and legacy at the link below or in bio. www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-father...

I have a piece in the Deadland Press Kozy Krampus cosmic Christmas horror anthology, which is out now. Pick it up and check out my story “‘The I Night I Defeated the Demon of Winter’ from Chapter XLVIII of the autobiography of Sir Gottfried von Berlichingen”

www.underlandpress.com/kozy-krampus/

Thanks! Yes I think I'll post it in some form, and I believe it was recorded

The opening illustration of the article “How Nuclear Radiation Can Change Our Race” that appeared in the December 1953 issue of Mechanix Illustrated. We see the jagged ruins of a human building in front of futuristic high-rises off in the distance. A group of feral, disheveled humans in ragged tattered clothing are being attacked by two superior mutant men. The mutant men are elongated, with giant swollen hairless heads. They wear futuristic garb that exposes their arms and legs, and one of them wields a laser rifle. He is in the process of blasting one hapless human man in the chest with a powerful burst of laser blasts. The headline for the article is written atop the image, and we see the dek and the byline: “An atomic war could produce an entirely new species of man. Would he be friend—or foe? By O. O. Binder”

My latest article pinpoints the original inspiration of all superheroes who got their powers from radiation, from the Hulk to the Fantastic 4: a bizarre thought experiment that ran in a 1953 mag. Read the unbelievable history at the link below or in bio.
www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-origin...

That would explain why the Minion in the background is reacting so violently…

A parade of strange creatures, along with the 3LBE icon and cover artwork.

72% of our funding goal with only 45 hours left. We need your support now to publish another year of stories that are strange terrifying numinous inspiring queer heartening subversive unexpected intrepid. kck.st/4mIkEm1

U.S. Postal Service Headquarters Showcases New Next Generation Delivery Vehicle WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is proud to highlight its new zero-emission electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) in front of the organization’s headquarters at L’Enfant Plaza.

But what's your take on the new USPS mail roll model about.usps.com/newsroom/nat...

Photo: Coin-operated E.T. that you ride, like the little coin-op horsies and rockets that you used to see outside of grocery stores. There is a yellow bollard behind it that’s kitted out to look like a Minion.

I saw this coin-op E.T. at the annual Bell Plastics open house event in Hayward, CA. (They collect all kinds of weird and wonderful artifacts.) I was immensely bummed that it wasn’t plugged in and functional, as I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how a kid would “ride” this. Does anyone know?

How newspaper comics created pop culture A Q&A with Peter Maresca about the chaos and brilliance of 130 year-old Sunday funnies

130 years ago, comics were violent & crude, celebrating unassimilated immigrants & disrespecting every form of authority. They created pop culture as we know it, according to historian Peter Maresca. Read more & see some of the works he's unearthed here:
www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/how-newspa...

This game dev came up with the perfect solution to the philosophical dilemma: Gotta Squish 'Em All. bsky.app/profile/byda...

Eddie Eksergian’s 1901 comic in the St. Louis Star envisions a future where zeppelins clog our skies. We see over a dozen people traveling with aerial balloons, including a cop, a dog, a massive Astorbuilt Private Airline for the wealthy, and a floating bar called Milky-Way tavern.

1901 comic imagines a future where zeppelins clog the skies. Click the link to see more amazing old illustrations and read about Society Is Nix: Gleeful Anarchy at the Dawn of the American Comic Strip 1895-1915, available from @fantagraphics.bsky.social. www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/how-newspa...

Panel from “Old Opie Dildock’s Stories” newspaper comic from April 17, 1910. The inventor Opie Dildock has reached a subterranean realm in his earth boring machine the Germanicholad. He peers out the window of his machine, puffing on a cigar, and ogles the strange stretchy race of colorful elastic people he sees there.

Panel from “Old Opie Dildock’s Stories” newspaper comic from April 17, 1910. A cutaway reveals inventor Opie Dildock inside of his earth boring machine the Germanicholad, sitting at a writing desk, while the gyroscope in the compartment beneath him spins furiously. The caption reads: “The germanicholad was working beautifully. The gyroscope underneath the pivotal deck preserved the machine's balance absolutely, and I devoted much time to writing as we neared the center of the earth.”

Panel from “Old Opie Dildock’s Stories” newspaper comic from April 17, 1910. Opie Dildock has befriended an elastic person. The caption reads: “Elongated Chico I called him, for he was long of body and limb. Talking with him, I forgot to calculate distance, and suddenly we shot through the outer crust of the earth at the south pole. Chico, assisted by the laws of gravitation, came to my rescue by hooking his feet in the earth. holding the machine in his hands and stretching about four miles before he could check our flight. He then dragged us back to earth and helped me climb a sheer wall of ice.”

In these panels from “Old Opie Dildock’s Stories” newspaper comic from April 17, 1910. The inventor befriends one of the elastic men and gives him a cigar, which makes the creature melt. Caption reads, “Then I sat down on the pole, playfully called Chico the most flexible person I ever had met and gave him one of my favorite cigars. His puffing was ludicrous as well as fatal, for as he smoked, the fumes of the tobacco melted him and he flowed over the ice and was no more. Faithful servitor! Because of him I never have told the world the story of my discovery. On the spot where he had smoked I planted a huge cigar. Then sadly I wended my way homeward.”

An inventor tunnels to the realm of the elastic men. This 1910 comic is one of many amazing works unearthed in Society Is Nix: Gleeful Anarchy at the Dawn of the American Comic Strip 1895-1915, available from @fantagraphics.bsky.social. See more here: www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/how-newspa...

Han never shot "first".

He shot solo. ;)

Illustration of Star Wars cantina scene rendered in pictogram form. We see dots representing Han Solo and Greed in an Infographic-style overhead view. Text emerges from each dot in a series of images. GREEDO: [produces DT-12 Heavy Blaster Pistol] HAN: !?! GREEDO: Going somewhere, Solo? HAN: Yes, Greedo. As a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss. Tell Jabba that I've got his money.

Illustration of Star Wars cantina scene rendered in pictogram form. We see dots representing Han Solo and Greed in an Infographic-style overhead view. Text emerges from each dot in a series of images. Unbeknownst to Greedo, a DL-44 Blaster is strapped under the table. GREEDO: It's too late. You should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba's put a price on your head, so large that every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I'm lucky I found you first. HAN: Yeah, but this time I got the money. GREEDO: If you give it to me, I might forget I found you. Unbeknownst to Greedo, Han unhooks the clasp of the blaster holder under the table. HAN: I don't have it with me. Tell Jabba... GREEDO: Jabba's through with you. He has no time for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser. HAN: Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice? GREEDO: You can tell that to Jabba. He may only take your ship.

Illustration of Star Wars cantina scene rendered in pictogram form. We see dots representing Han Solo and Greed in an Infographic-style overhead view. Text emerges from each dot in a series of images. Unbeknownst to Greedo, Han is unholstering a DL-44 Blaster strapped under the table. HAN: Over my dead body. GREEDO: That's the idea. I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time.

Illustration of Star Wars cantina scene rendered in pictogram form. We see dots representing Han Solo and Greed in an Infographic-style overhead view. Text emerges from each dot in a series of images. Unbeknownst to Greedo, HAN Yes, I'll bet you have. Suddenly Han produces his blaster and fires a glowing red blast of energy at the alien’s dot, which disappears in a blinding flash of light. Steam and smoke rise from the shredded green half-circle representing Greedo.

We debate whether #Han or #Greedo shot first. Swiss artist Martin Panchaud diagrams the crime scene, leaving no doubt. It's part of his complete infographic remake of #StarWars: ANH. I write about Panchaud's unique aesthetic & his new book in this article chrisbaker1337.substack.com/p/from-above...

We need a prequel trilogy that overexplains the chthonic midichlorians that power this franchise…

From Above: An (Info)Graphic Novel Dyslexic illustrator crafts the most minimalist comicbook ever made

Martin Panchaud’s award-winning “From Above: An (Info)Graphic Novel,” the most minimalist comic ever made, was just released in the US. I wrote an article about this utterly unique work, as well as Panchaud’s abstract adaptation of Star Wars: A New Hope.
chrisbaker1337.substack.com/p/from-above...

Working on a newsletter piece about that prog-rock Spiderman album with the Stan Lee narration...why did people act like the Julie Taymor Broadway production was the first spiderman musical when that stone masterpiece exists?

The Avengers’ Age of Analog: The Power Records Story In the 1970s, heroes came alive through vinyl adventures that would later be sampled by hip-hop greats

One could also write a scholarly treatise on Marvel Power Records, the series that let you play a radio drama style vinyl record while you read the accompanying comic book, and its profound impact on hip hop medium.com/cuepoint/the...

YouTube video by ICULOOKNATMEQT Electric Company - Spiderman meets the Spoiler

I was too young to read and would frantically try to drag my mom over to the TV to tell me what Spidey's thought balloons said. youtu.be/tM22mzqWUec?...

YouTube video by BJ the Simpson Collector Simpsons - Conjecture and Hearsay (from "The Day The Violence Died")

youtu.be/qgc9mjFlTAk

box art for the 1979 video game Atari Video Chess features a painting of a dude and several chess pieces and some computer-y mosaics. I'm not doing it justice, but it's an absolute banger

I'm going to make my own version of Troy Hurtubise's bear-proof suit, but it will be covered in Merlins and Simons and Speak & Spells

ALSO—if Midjourney ever tried to create box art as good as the original 1979 Atari Video Chess, it would lose as well.

Packaging for a bulky 1970s vacuum cleaner features a woman washing floors and mopping. Easy Cleaning the ELECTROLUX way ELECTROLUX® JUBILEE DELUXE VACUUM CLEANER For powerful, quieter Super Cleaning with Automatic Efficiency ELECTROLUX® DELUXE 3-BRUSH FLOOR POLISHER & CARPET BEAUTIFIER Shampoos rugs, scrubs, waxes, polishes floors easier, faster, better

Oh no? This Electrolux Jubilee Deluxe says different.

Forget the Winter Soldier—check out this IRL 16th-century cyborg Wave hello to Götz of the Iron Hand. Over 500 years ago, this fierce knight sported a fearsome articulated prosthetic

The OG cyborg: “Götz of the Iron Hand.” www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/forget-the...

IMAGE 1 DESCRIPTION: Frame from a Marvel film shows Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes with his gleaming metal prosthetic arm made of vibranium. ONSCREEN CAPTION 1 READS: Marvel’s Bucky Barnes is the latest in a line of fictional warriors who rebuild their bodies with machinery— Robocop, the Six Million Dollar Man, etc. But a real-life cyborg action hero did it first: German mercenary Götz von Berlichingen. IMAGE 2 DESCRIPTION: Vintage illustrations of Götz’s iron hand, showing the fingers balled into a fist. In addition to the articulated fingers, the metal prosthetic has a cylindrical forearm segment and some straps to hold the limb in place. ONSCREEN CAPTION 2 READS: And he did it over 500 years ago...

IMAGE 1 DESCRIPTION: Two black and white photos of Götz’s iron hand, one showing the fingers splayed and the others showing them balled into a fist. In addition to the articulated fingers, the metal prosthetic has a cylindrical forearm segment and straps to hold the limb in place. IMAGE 2 DESCRIPTION: A series of illustrations give an exploded view of how the fingers on Götz’s iron hand extend and retract. ONSCREEN CAPTION READS: In 1504, a cannonball ripped off Götz’s right hand. So he had an armorer fashion an iron limb with articulated fingers that were able to grip anything from a sword to a quill pen to playing cards. The he got back to pillaging...

IMAGE 1 DESCRIPTION: A brass effigy of Götz wearing his armor. He has a receding hairline with long blond locks and a full beard. He holds his iron hand over his chest so the mailed fist is visible. The accompanying text reads “ER ABER SABS IHM ER KANN MICH AM ARSCH LECKEN.” TRANSLATION: And as for him, he can lick my ass. ONSCREEN CAPTION 1 READS: Götz became a German folk hero. This brass effigy celebrates his defiant battle cry, “leck mich im arsch.” (Translation: “lick me in the ass.”) IMAGE 2 DESCRIPTION: Poster for the 1979 German film Goetz von Berlichingen of the Iron Hand. A photo montage of Götz shaking his fist at the camera and a battle scene. The film logo features an illustration of the iron hand balled into a fist. ONSCREEN CAPTION 2 READS: Goethe wrote a play about this 16th-century cyborg’s life. Götz also inspired films & TV series.

ONSCREEN CAPTION 1 READS: Mozart composed several canons about Götz—imagine a chorus harmonizing as they chant the knight’s profane catchphrase. He also inspired a track by the Insane Clown Posse. [?!] IMAGE 2 DESCRIPTION: Artwork for the Insane Clown Posse’s single “LECK MICH IM ARSCH.” A photo of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope spray painting the letters ICP. ONSCREEN CAPTION 2 READS: ONSCREEN CAPTION READS: Listen to those and read more at: popculturalprecursors.com

THUNDERBOLTS FANS: Forget the Winter Soldier—check out this IRL 16th-century cyborg. 🇩🇪🦾⚔️🛡️Wave hello to Götz of the Iron Hand. 500 years ago, this fierce knight sported a fearsome articulated prosthetic.
www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/forget-the...
#thunderbolts #wintersoldier #cyborg #Marvel #MCU

ONSCREEN CAPTION TEXT: When the Mattel Power Glove launched in 1989, the motion-sensing wearable promised to transform how we interact with technology. The ads claimed that when you plugged it into your NES console, “You don’t just guide the action—you ARE the action!” There was just one little problem: The Power Glove did not work.It was dis- continued in less than a year. Unsold units clogged the discount bins at Toys R Us. IMAGE: Full page magazine ad for the Power Glove. It shows a young kid wearing a black turtleneck and RayBan sunglasses grinning triumphantly as he displays a Power Glove strapped to his arm. Crackling bolts of glowing blue energy emerge from the glove, and they are reflected in the supercool kid’s sunglasses. AD COPY: “EVERYTHING ELSE IS CHILD'S PLAY. The Power Glove!" You plug it in like any joystick. But the similarity stops there. Because now you don't just guide the action. You are the action. 3-D sensors track the position of your hand, giving you free-flowing, instant response. Its a complete connection. Intense. And powerful. Plus, the Power Glove has a unique programmable keypad that gives you amazing new ways to play almost every Nintendo game. All your joystick games become different. More exciting. And with games specifically designed for the Power Glove, you'll be blown into another dimension. So look for the Power Glove when it hits stores this Fall. Once you put it on, everything else becomes child's play.” The Power Glove itself is a gray plastic gaming controller worn like a glove on the forearm and hand. It features a bulky gray forearm unit with 17 controller buttons and a cross pad. The glove itself has a metallic-looking mesh fabric with exposed finger tips and prominent sensors across the knuckles.

IMAGE A: Frame from a circa-1990 promotional video for the The Dataglove developed by VPL Research. We see a person looking at a bulky old computer monitor while they manipulate onscreen objects using the wearable. It looks like a black glove with several protruding cables that assumedly connect to a nearby PC. ONSCREEN CAPTION TEXT A: Mattel was tapping into the virtual reality craze, and the fascination with the idea of manipulating onscreen objects with your hands. The toy company even licensed the tech in The Dataglove (created by the pioneering VR outfit VPL Research). IMAGE B: In a still from the 2002 film Minority Report, Tom Cruise manipulates objects on a huge touchscreen by means of a pair of black gloves with glowing blue lights on the fingertips. ONSCREEN CAPTION TEXT B: The Dataglove was the real-life inspiration for the gloves Tom Cruise uses in the 2002 film Minority.Report.

IMAGE: A couple of comics-style panels from the instruction manual for the Power Glove. A cool grown-up guy in sunglasses and a Members Only jacket explains to a young kid in a striped shirt and a ballcap how to utilize the peripheral. The kid is wearing a Power Glove that is tethered to a nearby CRT TV by cables. DIALOGUE: KID: “What do all these buttons do?” COOL DUDE “Lots of things. Take a look at Panel 3.” KID: “Wow! It’s like having a NES controller right on my arm.” ONSCREEN CAPTION TEXT: But something vital was lost in the process of scaling down The Dataglove’s tech to be cheaper to manufacture (and to work with the 8-bit NES console.) The Power Glove had a very slow response time to the movements of your arm. The instruction manual explained how to configure the glove for different control schemes, but it was just too slow on the uptake for most games.

IMAGE: Frame from the film Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare with the titular character brandishing his signature murder weapon: a weathered leather work glove with a metal apparatus attached to the back. The device consists of four long, curved steel blades extending from the fingertips, resembling sharp knives or razor claws. The blades are tarnished and stained, attached to individual metal finger plates which are connected by rivets and small metal joints. The leather portion appears worn, dirty and slightly burned, with frayed edges and dark stains. The twist is that this has been outfitted with the control panel of the Mattel Power Glove. ​​Freddy Krueger wears a slouchy, wide-brimmed brown fedora hat with a weathered, distressed appearance. His face is severely burned and scarred, with mottled reddish-pink skin that appears melted and textured with deep ridges, craters, and blisters. His ears are partially missing, and his lips are often pulled back in a permanent grimace. He wears a distinctive red and green horizontally striped sweater with frayed edges and signs of wear, which has become an instantly recognizable element of the character's appearance in the 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' horror franchise. ONSCREEN CAPTION TEXT: Despite its commercial failure, the cyberpunk promise of the Power Glove (and its cool retrofuturist design) made it a pop cultural touchstone. An active fan community still mods the device and makes games for it. Read more about why people refuse to let go of the glove in my newsletter. popculturalprecursors.com

BEFORE THE HUMANE AI PIN, THERE WAS THE POWER GLOVE. The 1989 controller & the 2024 virtual assistant both failed within a year. What can they teach us? Why does the glove still have fans? Read my story.
www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/before-the...
#uxdesign #wearables #retrogames #nes #mattel

We need less cozy sf and more polycom sf

In Red Mars, when negotiations between the planets were collapsing, there was a point where Chalmers was taking part in several meetings simultaneously

Como Andor Se Inspirou Em Um RPG de Mesa - Movimento RPG A segunda temporada de Andor está próxima. Mas no aguardo de seu lançamento, vi o texto How Andor Got Its Backstory from a Tabletop RPG...

My piece about Andor getting its backstory from tabletop RPGs was translated by the Brazilian site Movimento RPG!

Que a Força esteja com vocês, gamers de língua portuguesa!

movimentorpg.com.br/drama-espaci...

#StarWars #Andor #DisneyPlus #EscritaParaTV #RPGdemesa thx @estrelagustavo.bsky.social !