Spock's Pickled Brain

A key part a prequels and Old Republic Jedi utility belt are the food capsules. They are never really discussed in the films, but the small metallic cylinders clipped to the belt are meant to hold food and energy capsules. These are pretty easy to replicate using pens, but I tried slightly different method using the stylus pens. They have the advantage of already being aluminum tubes, and in some cases you don't need to apply much paint. Materials -Stylus pens -Metallic spray paints (gold, silver, copper, bronze) -Enamel clear coat spray paint Tools -Dremel with cutting wheel -Sandpaper 1. Gather the materials The materials for this project are pretty easy to come by. I found these stylus pens at Five Below, $5 for a pack of ten. Although I've done this project with normal pen caps, I think these stylus pens are closer to the shape seen on-screen, and the clips are less likely to slip off the belt. I already had these paints and the Dremel. 2. Cut down stylu...

1. Darth Maul: Apprentice - A Star Wars Fan-Film (T7Pro) There are a fair number of Star Wars fan films. Now I know what you're thinking, what the heck would a bunch of random fans be able to do to even put a video in the same altitude as a blockbuster film made by hundreds of talented professionals? And the answer is, in many cases, that talented fans can knock it out into a neighboring asteroid belt. This one in particular struck me, it has a very simple premise that would absolutely fit in the canon of Star Wars films. In this short story, Darth Maul ambushes a group of Jedi on a distant outpost, and what follows is a series of lightsaber battles to satiate the geek craving. And you wouldn't think it, but it even generates some pathos and depth in what you'd expect to be purely a martial arts and special effects exercise. Add that with great locations, costumes, choreography, effects, and apparently way more time and effort than you'd expect for a free-to-watch vid...

Although I'm inordinately proud of the first Jedi costume pieces I've made, there's always room for improvement. I recently made myself a second outer tunic from osnaburg, so I decided I needed to make another inner tunic to match. Compared to making the outer tunic, this project is pretty easy. All you need is a tank top and some osnaburg material. Materials -Tan tank top -Osnaburg material -Interfacing (optional) Tools -Scissors -Needle/thread -Pins -Sewing machine (optional) -Collar pattern from Simplicity 5840 tunic (optional) 1. Gather the materials I found a tan tank top at the thrift store for about $3 and got some osnaburg material from the utility fabrics section at the fabric store. The tank top should be fairly close-fitting, so that it does not interrupt the lines of the outer tunic. The one I picked has some rhinestones on it, but it doesn't make any difference. The only part of the inner tunic that is visible when worn under the outer tun...

Going down the sarlacc pit of Star Wars extended universe lore, you can find a fair number of curious storylines that live along the edges of the canon films, sustained by books, comics, and video games. I've probably mentioned this before, but one of the storylines I would love to see turned into film would be those portrayed in the Knights of the Old Republic video games (also known as KOTOR). I am one of those weirdos who likes video games more for their plots than for their gameplay. For some context as to why the heck I'd make a playlist for this, see below. Spoilers, obviously. KOTOR follows a Republic soldier with amnesia, who crash lands on an Empire-controlled world and begins discovering that he has Force abilities. With the help of the Jedi Bastila Shan and their comrades, he begins to unravel a dark plot set into motion by the Sith Lords Revan and Malak. Revan and Malak are particularly dangerous in that they were formerly Jedi. They had led many young Jedi to...

Post-apocalyptic characters come in all flavors, it's part of it's charm as an aesthetic. From the Loonatic we saw the darker, cooler side of genre. However, that leaves the wackier, more colorful side out in the cold. In order to rectify this, I've put together a Tank Girl/Solarbabies outfit for the apocalypse survivor who still knows how to have fun. Tell me what you know or face the wrath of my water pistol! I think it would have looked more authentic if I'd rolled around in the dirt but...no Elements: 1. Dress This whole stupid outfit started because I picked up a couple of pink accessories that fit a more apocalyptic aesthetic. So, of course, that meant it was time to break out my pride and joy, my beautiful pink unicorn dress (I may have bought in the children's section of Target, so sue me). 2. Goggles As far as I can tell, these are probably field hockey mask/goggles. I admit that I don't really care, but I do think they ar...

Alright, here we have a distinguished collection of cocktails to drink when one is facing the end of existence as we know it, or trying to survive the aftermath of that end. In light of that introduction, be advised that I didn't try any fancy serving instructions here. Instead, these are all pretty simple cocktails that you can just pour together, ice, and serve. Feelin' Fine It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine... While you're waiting for the inevitable doom by bomb, meteorite, or similar calamity it seems the time is ripe for a comforting concoction from whatever happens to be in the liquor cabinet. Combining the port and rum has the effect of a lovely warmth, and paired with the mild sweet of pineapple juice and the edge of lime you make believe you are sitting on a beach somewhere without a care in the world.   Ingredients  2oz tawny port 3oz gold rum 2oz pineapple juice 1oz lime juice The Bitter End You walk into a bar ...

The world Before has withered away and the few people who remain endure out of resourcefulness, wit, strength, and luck. In the shadows cast by weathering monoliths, a lone survivor treads carefully. Surveying the land for resources and allies on behalf of her hidden community, will she succeed and advance the people she represents or perish of dangers in this bleak wilderness... All right maybe we don't need the dramatic voiceover, but here's my stab at a post-apocalyptic costume build. To make it truly authentic I'd have to roll around in the dirt and then crawl twenty miles through a swamp or desert or something, but outside of that here are some elements I put together to echo the look of many post-apocalyptic characters. Here's the front and back views: I based this build on an amalgam of lone wanderer in the wastes types, people who are roaming about looking for something and end up encountering all sorts of trouble. Some preeminent examples and costume ...