The Fortress Of Chaos

2012-02-07T00:05:00.003-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2x8YFKtogI&feature=related

2011-12-29T00:25:00.005-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N513aFL3OIE&feature=channel_video_title

Kiss Asylum

2011-12-22T23:19:00.003-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/KisstorySciTheatre

New Kisstory Science Theatre episode

2011-12-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2wKWK5ffVk&feature=channel_video_title

2011-12-08T00:03:00.001-07:00

Photobucket updated...

2011-11-20T13:25:00.002-07:00

http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f68/desshaw/

Sub albums in the bar on the lower right.

2011-11-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

Steve & Me

2011-11-16T00:42:00.025-07:00

1993

2001

Ghosts of Howlers past

2011-11-01T00:04:00.012-06:00

2002

2005

2006

2007

2010

2011

Halloween Howler '11, Undertaker vs. Mankind

2011-10-29T11:11:00.006-06:00

Rue Morgue interview 2007

2011-07-05T22:37:00.002-06:00

Click for full size

Mister Monsterman,1994

2011-06-29T00:30:00.009-06:00

R.I.P. Kenneth Barr 1973-2011

2011-06-10T15:10:00.007-06:00

My head is still spinning,tying to process this information.
Ken Barr,my close friend from the past,former school mate,co-star,director,roommate,co-worker and all around partner in crime has passed away.
He was only 37 years old.
His body was discovered by his current roommate at around 10pm last night in their Vancouver apartment. I've learned Ken had been suffering from health issues recently and so far is appears that he died of natural causes.
Ken and I met through a mutual friend in High School in the fall of 1990.Our friendship grew over the years,built on common interests and artistic projects.We lived together for a short time while working on his first feature length film project in 1994.We worked together at the Uptown Video Station in '95-'96 and after Ken parted ways with the company we eventually lost contact.
We re-connected through Facebook in the summer of 2008 and met for dinner in an attempt to savage something of our friendship. Our conversation was upbeat,instantly familiar and comfortable for both of us. We shared stories from the years we had been apart and reminisced about our common history.
We had our differences. We had issues with ourselves and each other.But that doesn't mean I won't miss him. It doesn't make this hurt any less.
We shared so much and were so close. He was my best friend at a time in my life when it wasn't easy to know me. He always genuinely cared for my well-being and helped me up more than once.
I can't believe he's gone.

2010-08-30T23:41:00.001-06:00

BILL AUCOIN 1943-2010

2010-07-01T10:55:00.001-06:00

LEGENDARY KISS MANAGER

William Aucoin, beloved record industry executive, manager, entrepreneur, and creative visionary, passed away this morning, Monday, June 28 at 9:11 am. EST at the Aventura Hospital and Medical Center in Aventura, Florida.

Born December 29, 1943, Bill was battling prostate cancer, and passed away from surgical complications.

The man known for masterminding the career of the world-renowned group KISS, Bill Aucoin also managed STARZ, TOBY BEAU, BILLY SQUIER, BILLY IDOL, and numerous other artists. His most recent venture is Aucoin Globe Entertainment, which he founded in 2007. In its three years, Bill and his company developed bands in the U.S. and around the world.

He leaves behind his longtime partner of fifteen years, Roman Fernandez, and two sisters Betty Britton and Janet Bankowski.

New Acquisition: 1976 A New Hope Stormtrooper Helmet Prop Replica

2010-05-16T14:22:00.005-06:00

I'm working on Getting the actual history of this model,Who made it and its lineage.

But this is what I know so far:

The helmet was formed from .60 ga. styrene. It primed and painted. The paint was then rubbed out and polished to a high gloss. Welder's safety shield material was used for the lenses, the mouth was screened and correct hovi-mix mic tips were used. The inside of the helmet is lined with a fabric-impregnated coating to give the thin styrene strength and density.It was finished off with a combination of hand painted details on the "ears", teeth, and vocoder along with the new Dave M TK-4510 decals. UK imported brow trim and correct "s" trim for the underside were also used.
Summary: It's stupidly accurate and is actually superior to my Shepperton Studios #12 Helmet that cost five times as much.
Insane.

I got a Metal Monkey!!

2010-05-15T15:16:00.006-06:00

I Finally got my hands on the infamous Mecha Kong!
Mecha Kong,King Kong and Gorgosaurus!
My King Kong Escapes Triad is Complete!
-MAXIMUM DORKNESS-

After four fucking years,Vader is finally complete...

2010-05-09T21:34:00.007-06:00

Took some time this weekend to finally finish off my ANH Darth Vader prop replica.
He just needed new chest armor that was appropriately brush painted and weathered.
I may get a platform for him to stand on but other than that I think he's pretty much done.
Parts from five countries.

Oddly enough,the belt was the hardest thing to get together. Six parts from prop makers,internet friends and an electrical company.

While it is a screen accurate prop replica (From the opening scene on the Tantive Four,the LAST scene actually shot with Vader) it is wearable. I tried it on once and about fifteen minutes was all I could stand. It is unbelievably hot and quite heavy.

More Lea

2010-04-26T23:00:00.001-06:00

Lea Shaw

2010-04-24T11:25:00.004-06:00

Born April 23,2010,7 Lbs-6 Oz.
And all the cliche things parents say they feel about their kids are true.

Peter Steele

2010-04-18T19:40:00.002-06:00

Thanks for fucking up my spring,Pete. You will be missed.

R.I.P. Petrus T. Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010)

Meanwhile,aboard The Nemesis...

2010-04-01T15:01:00.001-06:00

SHOGUN WARRIORS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO THE BIG SCREEN

2010-03-29T22:38:00.002-06:00

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/44426

Des Shaw : 70's Chick Magnet

2010-03-15T22:06:00.002-06:00

Halloween 2008. Refusing to relnquish my Dorkness. Richard Hatch never looked this good at 34. Though he did have tighter pants.

The Edmonton CollectibleToy & Comic Show

2010-03-09T22:49:00.002-07:00

Sunday March 28th at THE SHAW,Hall A,10am to 5pm,$10 Admission.

Left:American Right:Mexican

2010-03-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

2010-03-07T21:02:00.001-07:00

New Acquisition:ESB Stormtrooper Helmet 1979 Prop Replica

2010-02-28T15:08:00.003-07:00

Fucked up,flawed and beat up. In a word:Perfect. For Empire,the surviving Stormtrooper suits from A New Hope were simply touched up and re-used. The Blackened frown is the most notable alteration. This would be the last time the original suits were used as the ones in Jedi were new constructs. This particular helmet comes to me from France and is of "Cap" decent (A more affordable yet extremely screen accurate maker). The Empire alterations also involved cutting the eye holes slightly wider. As a result,the tell-tale "ANH Right Eye Bump" is less noticeable.

1984 Megatron

2010-02-27T10:04:00.004-07:00

Generation 1 Megatron (1984)

The original Megatron toy was based on the MC-12 Gun Robo, a toy robot released in Japan as part of Takara's Microman line of the late 1970s. The toy was designed to transform from a robot into a model of a Walther P38 handgun. In particular, Megatron was specifically based on a special edition of the MC-12, called the "MC-13 Gun Robo — P38 U.N.C.L.E". Megatron came with attachments to make the "U.N.C.L.E carbine" (scope, barrel extension / silencer and stock) as seen on the 1960s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. These attachments can be reconfigured in Megatron's robot mode to form either a Particle Beam Cannon or a Telescopic Laser Cannon. The MC-13 Gun Robo included additional accessories that did not come with the MC-12 model. The toy could be made to fire small plastic pellets, a feature that was removed from the international version of Megatron, when he was incorporated into the Transformers line. In U.S. Airports this toy is on a list of banned items on planes, and a special license is required to own this toy in Australia.

Megatron was reissued several times in Japan, often with different accessories and paint schemes.

Megatron History:
http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Megatron_(G1)

Vader

2010-02-25T19:41:00.003-07:00

I've been working on my ANH Vader lately. I changed the cape a little and added some details to the belt in an effort to make it more screen accurate. I think he's going to be getting some new armor in the next few months. I have to get ride of that pesky cape hook.

Medicom Jessica Rabbit

2010-02-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

Got this alittle while ago. Very nice figure. And as usual,all the best stuff is from Japan. It's about eight years old and comes from Medicom.I have a Stormtrooper from them,it's excellent as well. There were only 1000 of these made.

Theres a full Review:
http://omochadx.com/reviews/figures/jessica.htm

Click Jessica

2010-02-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

The Most Awesome Toy release in Recent History:

2010-02-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

Being a child of the 70's this Blows my Fucking mind.

"Super7 announces full product details and a new website for the company’s first collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd.: the highly anticipated Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun.

Children growing up in the 70s and 80s had their lives touched by two pop culture phenomena: the Star Wars saga and Jumbo Machinder toys (marketed in the US as Shogun Warriors). Acclaimed toy design firm Super7 has combined Star Wars characters with the towering Japanese Super Robot aesthetic to create a collectible that could only have been imagined in the past. This marks the first authentic Super Shogun produced in over twenty-five years.

The Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun stands a whopping 24 inches tall, and includes all of the features that you expect from an authentic Jumbo: free rotating wheels on the bottom of his feet, and a spring-loaded Rocket Punch firing fist. Utilizing the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy manufacturers in the 1970s, the Super Shogun is constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet. The figure is articulated at the neck and shoulders, and includes a removable, highly-detailed BlasTech E-11 laser blaster, which even features a poseable stock that unfolds from below the barrel. Collectors of both Japanese and Star Wars memorabilia are sure to be impressed with the care taken to fuse the disparate concepts into one unique entity.

Packaged in a dynamically illustrated gift box, each Stormtrooper is individually serial numbered as part of this one-time limited edition production run. As a special bonus, metallic foil stickers are included to allow fans the option to customize the torso with the character name in English or in Japanese.

Star Wars collector and Lucasfilm’s Head of Fan Relations Steve Sansweet says he can’t wait to get his hands on one. “I collected both Shogun Warriors and Star Wars toys, and to me this is the perfect mash-up. I’ve been following this piece since I saw the first internal prototype, and its awesome size and cool features (a firing fist!) along with its limited availability put this high up on the must-have list.”

Tom Franck, renowned Japanese toy expert and possessor of one of the largest collections of Jumbo Machinders in the world, remarked “Toys like this just aren’t made anymore and it would be easy to produce a modern-era product that is similar to the original Jumbo Machinder line in name only. Throughout the prototyping and manufacturing process, Super7 has stayed true to the distinct aesthetics of the Jumbo Machinders. It is so exciting to see the return of a classic, and I cannot wait to add it to my collection.”

In celebration of the impending release, a dedicated mini-website has launched at STARWARS.SUPER7STORE.COM containing additional product specifications, photos, and more. The home page features a countdown clock highlighting the date that the first preorders will begin being accepted online. The site will be updated regularly and will serve as the headquarters for all future Super7-Lucasfilm collaborations."

http://starwars.super7store.com/media/

Bret talks about the upcoming Hart Family DVD

2010-02-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

“It’s been especially rewarding watching the rough cut of the new Hart Family DVD coming out by the WWE in April with candid interviews by several of my sisters and brothers, who offer interesting perspectives on things that even I didn’t know. This video will impress any fans that knew and loved my family. The research of footage is as impressive as any DVD project undertaken by WWE Home Video. Clips of the old Stampede days both in black and white and in color, along with rare family photos and personal interviews with varying brothers and sisters, bring back memories of imagery from Hart House family dinners, the dungeon, the Victoria Pavilion, and even Clearwater Beach. This April, I’ll proudly put this DVD next to my favorites in my collection. -Bret”

What does the Iron Sheik REALLY think of Hulk Hogan?

2010-01-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Twelve years after a bitter split, Bret Hart returns to WWE

2010-01-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

Even in a game as weird and tumultuous as the pro wrestling business, most fans likely never expected to see Bret (The Hitman) Hart perform in a World Wrestling Entertainment ring again.

For that matter, The Hitman — one of Canada’s most famous pro-wrestlers — says he himself never thought he’d consider it.

There was just too much bad blood between him and the company from which he departed amid fisticuffs, betrayal and acrimony in 1997.

Furthermore, the seven-time world heavyweight champion was physically incapable of wrestling, due to a career-ending concussion in 2000, followed by a serious stroke in 2002.

But last Monday on World Wrestling Entertainment’s flagship TV program, WWE Raw, Calgary’s world-famous son appeared on the show for the first time in more than 12 years.

"It was a bizarre night. It was surreal," said the 52-year-old Hart when contacted by the Calgary Herald. "I kept asking myself if I was really there."

Serving as guest host, Hart was met with a tidal wave of cheers from fans at Dayton, Ohio’s Nutter Center as he settled old scores with old rivals The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels and WWE chairman Vince McMahon, central figures in his bitter split.

In a surprise twist, Hart and Michaels agreed to bury the hatchet, even embracing in the middle of the ring.

Later in the show, Hart and McMahon also came to a gentlemanly truce. That is, until McMahon — in the time-honoured tradition of pro wrestling heels — delivered the cheap shot, a boot to the groin that left Hart on his knees.

In the ongoing soap opera that drives the wrestling world, this was the spilling of first blood, setting a new storyline in motion. It’s a feud that will tentatively come to a head at this year’s WrestleMania at the end of March, if all goes according to plan.

"I hate to tell you what’s going to happen," says Hart. "I don’t want to ruin it for anybody."

Nor would the Hitman comment when asked whether he is physically capable of wrestling in the ring, given his medical history — although he did interject: "I don’t mind throwing a few punches (at McMahon)."

In reality, Hart and his former boss mended fences back in 2006, when Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. But Hart repeatedly stated over the years that he’d never forgive his long-standing rival Michaels.

That resentment goes back to the infamous "Montreal Screwjob," a November 1997 pay-per-view match between Hart and Michaels in which Bret was promised victory. In the most notorious doublecross in pro wrestling history, McMahon switched the predetermined ending of the match without telling Hart, giving Michaels the victory and the heavyweight title, while a confused Hart sat in the ring trying to figure out what had just happened.

Following the debacle, Bret knocked McMahon unconscious in the dressing room before making his way to the WWE’s main rival at the time, WCW.

Tensions grew to what seemed insurmountable proportions two years later, after Hart’s brother, Owen Hart, died in a WWE ring when a dangerous stunt went awry.

Bret supported his family members in a lawsuit against the WWE, for which the Harts later received a settlement.

It’s no wonder many wrestling commentators were skeptical when Hart and Michaels made nice on Monday night’s Raw. But Hart insists the moment was "pretty real."

"We had a rough idea of what we were going to do ... but we didn’t really speak to each other (before)," Bret says. "My impression was that (he) was actually pretty sincere. He apologized for a lot of what happened. . . . I think it was like a million pounds off of his back. . . . There was a couple of times when it looked like he was going to start crying.

"There was a lot of real emotion in that little segment. . . . I think it was a surprise to him as much as to me."

Of course, the million-dollar question fans have for the Hitman is "Why now?" If Hart was going to return to the WWE, why didn’t he do so three years ago, when his war with McMahon was first laid to rest?

There’s much speculation the WWE brought in the Hitman to boost ratings as it goes head to head with Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling, a competitor that recently recruited former WWE icon Hulk Hogan. Hogan made his debut on TNA Impact Monday night, the same time as Hart was returning to the WWE fold.

But Hart claims Hogan’s arrival at TNA has nothing to do with his return.

"(TNA is) playing it up like that," he says. "Like WWE was scared of whatever Hulk Hogan was going to do, so they went and got Bret Hart to compete."

That’s not the case, says Hart, who adds that plans were underway for his comeback long before Hogan’s was announced.

Hart also insists that his decision to come back to the ring wasn’t financially motivated.

"Like a lot of people, I got a little worried about my finances last year when the stock market crashed. But it’s kind of rebounded and I was in a position where I could either walk away from this deal or I could do it. . . . I’m not opposed to making a little money ... but I still don’t need to do it."

Instead, in returning to the company that made him famous, Hart says he’s looking for "a little closure." He’s also interested in preserving the Hart family legacy.

It’s no coincidence that Bret’s late father Stu Hart, promoter of the famous Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. As well, a DVD is in the works that will celebrate Stampede Wrestling and the Hart family.

In addition, Hart hopes that his work with the company will help create opportunities for his niece, Natalya Neidhart, and his nephew, Harry Smith (now dubbed David Hart Smith), young WWE grapplers who many feel haven’t been given the push that their talents warrant.

Hart says he hopes to "clear the path for a better attitude" which might help Smith and Neidhart "get a little higher up the ladder."

The final reason the Hitman gives for his return to the squared circle is plain old boredom.

He’s got a lot of time on his hands these days with a new girlfriend in the picture, a 27-year-old from San Francisco who’s busy studying criminal justice at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

"I’d just be sitting at home for the next two years waiting for her to finish her program," he says.

"What else am I going to do? Garden?"

Besides, life just isn’t as thrilling outside of the spotlight.

"I felt more like myself Monday than I have in the last few years," says the Hitman.

-Calgary Herald

Would the Real Jetfire please Transform?

2009-11-29T18:44:00.001-07:00

Jetfire (1985)
A redeco of the Takatoku Toys Macross VF-1S Super Valkyrie, Jetfire features three modes: robot, jet, and an "alternate transformation" (Called "Gerwalk" form in Macross) that deploys his arms and legs in jet mode. Additionally, Jetfire comes with several red pieces of armor and rocket booster backpack that can snap onto his arms, legs, and back in any mode. He has noticeably more articulation than the other Transformers in the line at the time.

The shoulder assembly where the jet mode folds in half for robot mode is one of the more commonly broken parts in the early Transformers toy line. The more rigid plastic used on the armor pieces also means that it's not uncommon for their attachment clips to have snapped off. And finally, the small black clip-piece that attaches Jetfire's rifle to his jet mode is possibly one of the most commonly missing accessories on secondhand Jetfires, if not secondhand Transformers all around. The fact that the instructions don't tell you what to do with it doesn't help. The piece is used to hold Jetfire's rifle via the clip attached to the arm, as well as under the jetmode as a belly gun.

Jetfire was not released in Japan, since the toy (or, at least, a dozen variations of it) was released by one of Takara's rival toy companies.

Finished my new Armor

2009-11-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my screen accurate ANH Stormtrooper armor. Hunting down the right colors for the Ab plate buttons was a bitch. It's just a display piece,there's no way you could wear it without doing some type of damage. It's made out of the same type of material the screen used suits were so it's very light & very flimsy. It would crack with little pressure. If you look at high-res screen grabs from Episode IV you can see just how fucked up the Stormtroopers really are. There are broken pieces,cracks & bits held together with white tape all over the place. Anyway,my set has yet to get blasted so it looks great. You can click on the pic for the larger version.

Ten years of The Halloween Howler

2009-11-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

1999 to 2009: A Decade of Liver Reduction. For Ten years I've haunted the great hall of the Shaw Conference Center at The Bear's Halloween Howler (Honestly,I missed 2003 to go to Pasadena to work on the HalloweeN Documentary.Whatever).For an Adult,It simply is THE place to be on,or around,Halloween. 4000 strong wearing some of the best costumes in the city soaked in beer. Awesome. And the bands are alright too.This year was "Puddle of Mud",a band I'm still not that familiar with.
Having been to so may of these events makes the taste a little bitter-sweet. I've has so many good times with friends and perfect strangers but every year the dreaded generation gap widens.And this year it was truly highlighted. See that "Kid" in the middle of the picture between Adam and I? He was born in 1991. Adam and I have known eachother longer than that kids been alive and hes getting loaded with us at the Howler. He reapeatedly refered to us as "Cool old Guys". It's a hightened example but the fact remains that the average age of a Howler atendee is now Ten to Fifteen years younger than me.
Perhaps that's why I don't know about this "Puddle of Mud" business.

-Des

Kicking it Old School:The Inferno Internet Teaser

2009-11-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

I was going through a plethora of discs getting ready to start this Blog and came across this little piece of HalloweeN history. I always loved this little promo. The audio is a little scratchy at the beginning,I'm pretty sure the levels were jacked for some reason.

-Des