Hasta La Gadget!

Etsy shop Chinook Crafts is a treasure trove of geeky trinkets. I was going to feature its Pokémon Kanto gym badges by way of GoNintendo when I spotted an unusual category in the shop’s list: tombstones.

But if we think about it it’s actually kind of surprising that we don’t see more of these. Video games are ripe with death after all, from the ones we don’t even think about…

…to the ones whose deaths are given and thus inconsequential.

There are also deaths that jump start a game…

…including ones that turned out to be the start of an alternate reality and an entire series of games.

And as in real life, there are deaths in games that we’ll never forget, the ones that will leave you reeling in shock and despair. Like, The Transformers animated movie level of shock and despair.

The tombstones cost $10 (USD) each plus a variable amount of sadness. Check out Chinook Crafts for more designs. You creep.

3D printing shop Mixee Labs – makers of awesome geeky jewelry – will soon launch a custom bobblehead printing service called Mixee Bobblers. As with the jewelry, Mixee Bobblers will let you design your own bobblehead right from your browser.

Mixee Labs opted for cartoonish parts and features, making its bobbleheads look like a lot like Nintendo Miis.

Each Mixee Bobbler is 2.5″ tall and is 3D printed – spring included – from sandstone and nylon plastic.

You can make and order your own Mixee Bobbler starting January 21 for just $25 (USD) each.

One of my favorite TV shows is The Walking Dead. I’d be hard-pressed to choose my favorite character from the series, but Daryl Dixon is right up there. The dude uses a crossbow and is generally a bad-ass. I think the crossbow would be a great weapon in a zombie invasion; you can reuse the bolts if you can find them, and it’s virtually silent.

That means no gun shots for the other zombies to home in on. If you are a fan of Daryl Dixon, you might want to add this slick 10-inch action figure to your collection. The action figure is based on a 3D scan of actor Norman Reedus, who plays Dixon in the series.

The action figure has the trusty crossbow, three tiny bolts, and a removable poncho. It even includes a hunting knife. It’s officially licensed by AMC and is available for $39.99 (USD) from ThinkGeek. The only thing missing is Daryl’s hog.

These days street art has become more popular, and has many more fans than it used to. You can thank Banksy and some other artists for that. And now that it is more accepted, it seems like the installations just keep getting bigger and bigger. Take this gas station for instance.

This incredibly colorful piece of art is in Limerick City, Ireland. Street artist Maser took an abandoned gas station and turned it into a loud and very eye catching public art installation. Even the cars are candy striped.This piece is entitled “No.27- A Nod To Ed Ruscha”. Edward Joseph Ruscha is an American artist associated with the Pop art movement, who is well known for his book Twentysix Gas Stations, so the gas station locale makes sense.

I’ll let the artist explain more about his motivations.:

I converted a derelict petrol station in Limerick city into an interactive installation, as part of a transformative urban art project. My work often boldly juxtaposes old and new, past and present in the architectural elements, the visual grammar and choice of pallet. I hope to create work that surprises people and questions their relationship with the familiar and the norm and also how dissociated we are from the space around us.

I bet this piece is already quite the tourist attraction.

[via Street Art News via Neatorama]

We love books like The Hobbit because they really come alive in our hands. In this case, the book really comes alive with a fearsome paper Smaug leaping out from the pages.

Thankfully he can’t burn you, but he is dangerous. Just think about all of the papercuts this guy could give you. This fantastic work of art was created by DeviantArtist FarTooManyIdeas. The sculpture itself is amazing, but the fact that it is springing forth from The Hobbit book, just puts the icing on the cake.

If you look closely you will also see a tiny Bilbo peeking around the corner. Great work within a great book.

[via Nerd Approved]