Fresh Take: Krusty the Dancing Clown

"Krusty the Dancing Clown" by Ryan C. Brock (RCBrock)

Prints available for purchase from TeePublic. US$20

Krusty the Clown as Pennywise from Stephen King's It.

Fresh Take: Simpsons Tarot Cards

"Simpsons Tarot Cards" by Singapore-based Dustbean11

Deviant Art user dustbean11 created this excellent set of tarot cards featuring the cast of Simpsons.  So far there are only a dozen cards, so I hope there are more on the way.  The one's he's finished are pitch perfect, though, featuring Grandpa Simpson as the Hermit, Ned Flanders as The Devil, and Homer as the fool.

Sweets: Stormtrooper Homer Cake

"Stormtrooper Homer" by Kylie Mangles of the Letterpress Bakery

Baker Kylie Mangles spent 70-80 hours by her estimate, crafting multiple layers of “Tasty Tatooine Tangerine Cake” and a lot of fondant into an edible sculpture of Homer Simpson as an Imperial Stormtrooper. She based the design on a graffiti artist’s painting, and then had to take on the difficult task of translating the 2D image into a 3D cake.

"Mat and I went to high school together, and after moving to Vancouver earlier this year we reconnected and decided we should do a fun project together.  Mat and his company Capture the Moment Media create really moving and beautiful wedding videos, but their passion is videos that showcase the talent of others and what drives them.  Needless to say, I was pretty excited that they wanted to do a video with me!

Then we had to decide what design to do, and Star Wars was in the air, but we couldn’t just do a simple Star Wars cake. We were on the hunt for some good inspiration when we found some street art by Ephin Cozmo and knew this was the one.  What could be more perfect then a Simpsons themed Star Wars cake?!"

Interior Design: Real Life Simpson's Kitchen

Source: CBC via Nerdist

The kitchen is a staple of TV sitcoms.  Practically every major comedy series from I Love Lucy to Seinfeld has been set, at least in part, in a kitchen.  But there's no kitchen more recognizable than that of 742 Evergreen Terrace, the home of the Simpsons.  Its blue countertops, neon green stove, and corn cob-covered curtains are all instantly recognizable.

Joe Hamilton and Marcia Andreychuk have now re-created the iconic animated kitchen inside their Calgary home as part of a remodel of the fifties era kitchen, and they’re doing an amazing job.

Andreychuk found the perfect fabric for Marge’s corn cob curtains on Spoonflower, which she used to sew the curtains herself.

Joe and Marcia are currently saving up to buy new “’retro-inspired’ granny-apple green appliances​,“ but in the meantime they’ve used contact paper to make their countertops, cabinets, washer/dryer, fridge, and stove match the Simpsons’ versions.  (Though how you cook on a stovetop covered in contact paper is a mystery to me.)

Andreychuk told the CBC in an interview that they’re thinking about renovating their basement to look like Moe’s Tavern as their next project!

Fresh Take: Simpsonized Avengers

Avengers Age of Ultron Simpsonized by Brussels-based Adrien Noterdaem

Earth's mightiest heroes get the Simpson treatment!

Mash-Up: BARTKIRA

"BARTKIRA" by Matias Bergara

"I became an inconditional fan of the “BARTKIRA” project. My tribute for the people behind it."

Posters: Simpsons Movie Parodies

The Simpsons Movie Parodies by Claudia Riviera

Sweets: Ralph Wiggum Cake

"Cutout Ralph Cake" by Kylie Mangles of Freshly Squeez’d

Based on the "Cutout Ralph" Threadless t-shirt design by Mexico City-based Erick Flores, this cake was created by Mangles to grow out her already considerable skills.  Head over to Threadcakes for additional photos and to learn more about Mangles’ process.

Mash-Up: Simpsons / NHL Teams

Simpsons meets NHL Teams Mash-ups by Ak47_Studios

Video: Willie On Scottish Independence

"Willie's Views On Scottish Independence" by Animation Domination

The Scottish character says he's on the fence when it comes to Scottish independence, but it doesn't take a genius to work out his stance.

"Groundskeeper Willie has a few things to say prior to the Sept 18 Scottish elections."

Lego Creation: Spingfield, USA

Spingfield, USA (from The Simpsons) by Woodridge, Illinois-based Matt De Lanoy

The internet loves Legos and The Simpsons, so this Lego recreation of Springfield ought to send the web into a frenzy.  Personally, I think one of the Legolands needs to install a fully detailed version of the city.

In the mean time, Lanoy hasn't done half bad, especially considering the price of Legos.  The Simpsons’ house, Ned Flanders’ house, Moe’s Tavern, Springfield Elementary School, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Krusty Burger, the Kwik-e-Mart, The Android’s Dungeon, Springfield Town Square, and even the Stonecutter Lodge, and the Springfield Tire Fire... It's all there with the proper minifigs and some awesome little details. 

Ironically, the project comes not long after the special episode "Brick Like Me" captured America's most famous yellow family and their worldly surroundings in LEGO-form, causing us to once more geek out over the collision of two of our favourite things.

Lego Creation: The Simpsons

Lego released the first photos of 16 additional Simpsons minifigures on Wednesday, including Apu, Ralph Wiggum, and Krusty the Clown.  The Simpsons and Ned Flanders minifigures come included in the Lego Simpsons house set, which went on sale in early February. The 16-figure minifigure series will launch May 1 and will coincide with a Lego-themed episode of The Simpsons airing May 4. The minifigures will retail for $3.99 each.

Fresh Take: GoT Simpsonized

"Game Of Thrones Simpsonized" by Adrien Noterdaem  (ADN) of Draw the Simpsons

Prints and merchandise available for purchase from Society6. US$20

Illustrator ADN draws a "Simpsonized" version of a different pop culture icon every day and posts it to his Tumblr.  He's finally gotten around to the cast of HBO’s Game of Thrones, and the results are excellent.  Personally, Samwell Tarly and George himself  are my favorites. Of course, the rest are great, too, and ADN promises that there’s more on the way.  Luckily, he’ll probably never run out of Game of Throne characters at this rate.

Video: Treehouse of Horror XXIV

"Treehouse of Horror XXIV Couch Gag by Guillermo del Toro" by Animation Domination

Guillermo Del Toro directed the opening sequence of this year's installment of The Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror.  He filled the extended-length opening with pop-culture references from some of geekdon's favorite films, including Del Toro’s own filmography.  How many of the movie references can you spot? Watch the opening leave your best guesses in the comments below.

Edit: Below the cut, I've posted a newly released video revealing all of the references in this into video. Sort of takes the fun out of it, though.

Video: Movie Reference in The Simpsons

"Every Movie Reference In 'The Simpsons': Seasons 1-5" Edited by Bryan Menegus

These videos purpost to be every movie reference in the first ten seasons of The Simpson. But, while they're an astonishing forty minutes long, I seriously doubt they even scratch the surface in terms of the sheer number of allusion made by the series. That doesn't make these videos any less entertaining, and hey, there are probably more than a few references mentioned here that you missed, especially, if, like me, you haven't seen many of these episodes since you were a kid.  For instance, I always knew the scene referencing The Gay Divorcee was an allusion.  It was too peculiar not to be.  I just never saw the source material.  Clearly, someone on The Simpsons writing team is a serious film buff.

Posters: Simpsons Parodies

The Simpsons Movie Parodies by Claudia-R

Link Round-Up: February 1, 2013

Micro-Fig Millennium Falcon by Flynn2000

Built for Palpatine's Shrink-O-Matic Ray Contest on FBTB.

These 55 Amazing Lego Riddles Will Push Your Brain to the Limit

This awesome King of the Hill animator's guide of "Do's and Dont's" demonstrates just how much thought goes into the composition of an animated television show.  Other users pointed the way to similar guides such as Brad Bird on How to Compose Shots and Storyboarding The Simpsons Way. Via: Reddit

Gizmodo celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the LEGO brick by remembering the Best LEGO Sets in History

S.H. Figuarts Iron Man Mark VI and War Machine pack a lot of firepower appeal, even if Iron Man 3 toys are already arriving in stores.

Mash-Up: Breaking Bad / The Simpsons

"Breaking Ned" by AKADoom

Quick Pic: The Simpsons at Chernobyl

The Simpsons painted at Chernobyl by Combo

French Street artist Combo recently ventured to Chernobyl, a place where not many people have visited in the past decade, to put up this mural of America's beloved animated family. The Simpsons seem to be having a great time in the mural, picnicking on a grassy mound, even as the nuclear power plant is seen menacingly in the background.

Mash-Up: Simpsons / LOTR

Artist Mary Johan Juver has created quite the imaginative collection of mash-ups portraying everyone's favorite cartoon family as the charactersof  J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of The Rings series. The set is hilarious, and I'm surprised that using Homer Simpson to portray Aragorn hasn't been done before.