“The Batman” looks set to be a DC Comics movie like no other, and if the early buzz is to be believed, it stands a chance of being the Caped Crusader’s best big screen adventure to date. Shifting the spotlight to what makes Bruce Wayne the World’s Greatest Detective is an exciting approach to the character and with Catwoman, The Riddler, and The Penguin set to appear, director Matt Reeves is clearly embracing the source material. Now, DC Comics has returned the favour with an awesome series of variant covers inspired by the movie illustrated by some of their best artists.
Dreamed up by Carlos D’Anda, Lee Bermejo, Jonboy Meyers, Rafael Albuquerque, Jenny Frison, Puppeteer Lee, Ben Oliver, Ricardo Federici, and Simone Bianchi, each of these covers offer a unique take on the movie’s heroes and villains. Some are clearly based very directly on the imagery we’ve seen from The Batman, while others are a little more stylised and unique.
A series of paperback book covers for Penguin’s science fiction imprint, ‘Penguin Worlds’ was published in the UK, in September of 2016.The series aims to republish classic sci-fi titles with new covers designed by La Boca that have one foot in the past, and one foot in the future. Check the method.
Each book is accompanied by an animated pack-shot for online use.
As promised, here is volume 2. of the Marvel Hip Hop Variant cover series. If you (somehow) missed the first collection, just click here for the full story. And to save on space, we found a new way of demonstrating the cover art. If you want to get a close look at these covers, and many more Marvel will give away a 32-page comic book that features 14 of the variant covers. Check the method.
2 Chainz’s Trap-A-Velli Tre standout “Watch Out” now has an official music video, and it just might be in the running for best of the year. The hilarious clip features the head of the Atlanta rapper being plastered on various bodies, everything from a dancing boy to a couple guys playing basketball and more. As if the song wasn’t already popular enough, this undeniably entertaining visual should ensure that it stays in rotation for weeks and months to come.
Grammy Award winning pianist, Chilly Gonzales is a literal (and self proclaimed) musical genius, who has taken a favorable ear to modern trends in music and deconstructs them. Chilly pulls out exactly what make a specific song unique, and gives analyzes the seemingly unquantifiable attributes that make our favorite songs our favorite songs. Take a look at his break down of Drake’s “We’re Going Home”.
In the 1980s, Mr. T was the toughest dude on television. Homie even got then-First Lady Nancy Reagan to sit on his lap and discuss ways to battle the crack epidemic. And in 1984, he dropped Mr. T’s Commandments, a kid-friendly record that encouraged children to stay in school and away from drugs. But T’s reputation as America’s baddest bearded black man has since faded and a new breed of badass has emerged — the dudes of Maybach Music Group, and particularly its captain, Rick Ross. However, Mr. T’s influence is very much alive as evidenced by Mr. Ross’s newly unveiled God Forgives, I Don’t cover art.
A rare 1932 cover illustration of “Tintin in America” by Herge, the artist who dreamed up the boy reporter, on Saturday fetched a record $1.6 million at an auction in Paris. “The work has been sold at 1,338,509.20 euros, costs included, by a person who wishes to remain anonymous,” a spokesman for the auctioneers, Artcurial, told AFP. The previous owner, another Tintin collector, had bought it for 764,218 euros in 2008, which had until today stood as the record price in this domain. Belgian comic book artist Herge painted the Indian ink and gouache colour cover for the first edition of the book, which first appeared in 1934. One of only five such works of cover art remaining by Herge, it shows the young adventurer dressed as a cowboy sitting on a rock, his dog Snowy at his side, as three Indians, two wielding axes, creep up behind him.
Last year, film director Steven Spielberg released a 3D film, “Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn” and is already planning a sequel.
Fab Ciraolo was born in October 8th of 1980 in Santiago, Chile. He studied Graphic Design and Illustration and is currently a Freelance Illustrator and painter in his free time, In a constant search for new techniques, he is working in hand made illustrations with digital coloring, texture, and patterns works. The process of creating one of his magnificent portraits consists of processing photos and adding different patterns, collage images and textures… and a little bit of vintage good taste.
Comic books have been a staple in pop-culture for generations. Some of the more iconic super heroes have even become idolized by celebrities and fans alike. Shaq has an obsession with Superman, (and eve I’ve been consumed by the character of Tony Stark as well) but no matter who makes a fuss about their favorite heroes, the artwork that brought those heroes to life is what solidifies them in our minds. Check out 30 examples of the greatest comic book to be published.
In the past five years that XXL has been picking Freshman classes, never once has making the list been easy. This year included. Similar to 2011, the hype around the Freshmen Class has continued to grow by leaps and bounds, surprising even XXL with its popularity. For this class the buzz began earlier than ever, four months before the cover was even shot. And it seemed like everyone had a list. From subdued music fans to diehard rap junkies, from Twitter stalkers to industry heavies and featherweights, folks wanted their list to be the XXL list. Here’s who made the official roster.
The Metro Detroit pop star Mike Posner and his California comrade Blackbear decided recently to add their own flare to the only notable diss song in the past few years, Rick Ross and Drake’s “Stay Schemin.” Considering this combination from these two crooning Caucasians seems somewhat odd on paper, presumably a few of you will hesitate and opt for French’s original, flat chorus. But, you’d be hard-pressed to hear such rich lyrical content being replicated so flawlessly, as these makers of “Marauder Music” completely knock this out the park and give the irrevocable gangster love some depth beyond just the Kobe call and ginger ale tales.
German design firm Paperlux created a deformable paper magazine cover for the November issue of Novum, a German design magazine. Paperlux has posted a fascinating making-of video showing the incredibly elaborate production process for the magazine cover.
While drawing out the logistics on a new music project I’m taking on this holiday season, I was searching the web for some nice live covers of popular Hip Hop songs, and I came across “YoungPianoTV”. A young kid name Lucas who seems to be able to restructure any beat (and even lyrical notes) on his piano. Exhibiting a great ear for the composition of a song, all his covers are spot on recreations of the tracks he’s emulating. I definitely recommend taking a look at his expansive library of Top 40’s covers, and don’t forget to hit his facebook page. Props to you Lucas.
Empire Magazine recently release two never before seen images of the Dark Knight himself, and his final nemesis Bane for the cover of their January 2012 issue. Check them out in all their glory.
Check out a small excerpt from the Vibe magazine article with Eminem and his newest artist Yelawolf.
Eminem, what advice do you offer, if any, on being scrutinized for being a white rapper. Do you guys ever talk about race in that way?
Eminem: We make jokes about it, but I don’t think we talk about it in depth. As I was listening to his music, I am not even thinking about any of that shit. It’s just the music. That’s one of the things that’s great about it. I’m not even thinking about it when I hear the music. Yelawolf: We do poke fun of it because it’s funny. Like, he calls me White Dog.
Oh, you called him that on the BET Awards Cypher. I didn’t realize it was an ongoing joke? EM: Yeah, or Beige Sheep. [Laughs] YW: Cracker Nuts. Whatever, I think it’s kinda unspoken. EM: We deal with it enough as it is. So now, let’s make music. YW: Let’s make great records. At the end of the day, that’s all there is to do.
Common is gearing up for the December release of his ninth studio album, titled The Dreamer, The Believer, and releases its newest visual for the latest single, “Sweet.” The song itself just makes me ask the question “Common, why are you so upset?”. But apparently, the Chicago rap star experienced a life-changing moment during a recent trip to Haiti to shoot the clip. Over the course of four days, Common and director Phil the God captured the everyday life of the people following 2010’s earthquake. Proceeds from the premiere were donated to the J/P Haitian Relief Organization to assist with relief efforts. The Dreamer, The Believer is due out December 20th.
Spitting isn’t the only way Yelawolf can engage folks when he has a mic in his hands. He recently stepped up to the stage at his listening party, and talked about his debut album Radioactive, Eminem, and his collab with ‘Gangsta Boo’. Check the method below.
Many people, country bumpkins and city folk alike have been on the lookout for the down south phenomenon Yelawolf’s first studio LP under the Shady Records banner. The album art was released earlier today, along with a statement from Yelawolf about the recent delay of his album’s release. “I needed to add some important finishing touches to the album which resulted in the new release” said Yelawolf. “I have some surprises in store for the fans that have to be seen before the album comes out. It’s definitely worth the wait.”
I know quite a few people that think of cover bands as groups who can’t produce their own material, and are forced to take the already successful material of others. But in most cases, this is very far from the truth. Even further away from the truth is the belief that hip hop songs can’t be properly re-conceived by anyone other than a hip hop artist. I’ve got 5 videos that prove otherwise.
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5. Anya Marina – Whatever You Like
Thanks to exposure from Gossip Girl (yeah son) this song flew into all of our hearts with Anya Marina’s exotic voice singing to pre-jail T.I. Sung from a female perspective, Marina seem completely in charge. it’s more pop than rock, but it’s still an amazing rendition.
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4. The Fray – Heartless
Say what you will about Isaac Slade’s sing-song voice, but it does wonders to Kanye’s heavily auto-tuned break-up jam. The band’s cover is haunting and you can really feel the pain behind the lyrics the way they perform it.
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3. Jenny Owen Youngs – Hot In Herre
Hearing a soft-spoken Jenny Owen Youngs sing “I was like, good gracious ass is bodacious / flirtaticious, tryin’ to show faces / lookin’ for the right time to shoot my steam” is the best way to open the most awesome rap cover ever. Throughout the song she sings with such seriousness about “poppin’ the bottles” that I had to listen to it twice to hear through my own laughter.
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2. Framing Hanley – Lollipop
I know many readers may not know that a mashup of Lil Wayne’s track Lollipop that basically took me from an amateur with a buzz, to a up-and-coming professional. That being said, I have a special appreciate for this song, and personal distaste for anyone who messes it up. But when my good friend Adam Patton shot the Framing Hanley version my way, I was far more than impressed. When you watch the video however, keep in mind that this version is like a little mini movie, with a plot and the whole nine yards, but the actual songs starts at about 2:20 into the video.
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1. Ben Folds – B*tches Aint Shit
This song was the inspiration for this list. It’s everything a rap cover needs to be: make it original without changing lyrics. By far one the best and funniest covers I’ve ever heard… Hands down.
Normally when my staff and I find a model intriguing enough to put on the site, we have a slew of information already provided to write the post. (If we don’t have the info, the post never tends to make it onto the blog.) With Yesenia Bustillo however, we all just decided she was too hot NOT to put up, and being located around the Bay Area gave her an added advantage. So unlike the normal posts, I can’t provide fans and followers with a country of origin, a full resume, and a bit of personal history. But what I can say about this lovely Latin model is that her poise, natural luminescent beauty, and amazing figure are sure to take her modeling career to whatever heights she desires. I’m sure her spread in SHOW is just the beginning of many great things to come, and I can’t wait to see more from her. And check out my interview with her right here.
The ever so lovely Eva Kurkova, (a.k.a. Temptation), was born on April 4th, 1988 in Isla de Juventud, Cuba. This diverse and ‘well rounded’ model seems to be able to inhabit any frame she’s put in, with any type of shoot she’s been a part of. Eva was raised alongside 4 brothers in a fishing town called Nueva Gerona. Her parents are Czechoslovakian (father) and Spanish/Cuban (mother). She spent her life in Cuba until the age of 9 (in 1997), where she moved to Spain, and started to develop a background in theatrical production. In 2004, after having her name associated with a few beauty pagents, Kurkova realized her passion was the limelight. Since 2005 been living in the United States and following her dreams of modeling.
Some designers, no matter what their focus may be, you’ve got your simplistic designers, your methodical, your emotional, and your detail oriented designers, and those different mindsets always tend to translate into their work. But it’s a bit difficult for me to think about what spark of genius goes through the mind of Tarik Mikou. Mikou’s designs just wow me, even as I’m writing this I keep stopping to look at the pictures again. The compositions vary from simple to complex, the colors range from bland to vibrant, and the only thing that stays constant is how impressive they all are. Check the method.
Rolling Stone Magazine has always been one of those publication that has such a reputation that if you’re on the cover, you’ve made it. Unfortunately Snookie from ‘Jersey Shore’ graced the cover a not too long ago, (I’m not sure why they did that, but I don’t run the publication), and all though I feel like they messed up with Snooki, Wiz Khalifa donning the new Rolling Stone cover makes up for it. Behind the scenes shots of Wiz rolling weed, with his new blond streak were all filmed during the cover shoot. Check the exclusive look at the photoshoot from Rolling Stone below.
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