UPDATE: You can purchase a more screen-accurate version here.
A replica of the poster seen in the Karate Kid, hanging in the Kobra Kai dojo. It’s a good thing it was on the wall, otherwise the plot would have been completely different.
Continue reading ➞ Karate Kid Tournament Poster
1. Built-in speakers. You can take off your earbuds and switch these speakers on. Handy for times when you want tunes, but cannot wear earbuds (like talking with your buds).
2. A built-in jack. This way you can plug your MP3 player directly into an AUX port, without having to switch to another cord entirely. This would flip out of one of the earbuds like a switchblade.
3. Visualizer. Okay this one is entirely cosmetic, but I always liked the idea of a visualizer on the earbuds or the MP3 player itself. Sure it’s a bit Lady Gaga, but it looks cool.
4. A spare jack port for sharing the audio feed. Sure it seldom ever happens, but this would be nice feature that would allow a friend to listen in. Handy for when you want to a share a film on a long flight. You could buy one of those splitters, but they are never around when you need one.
To me the appearance of a game console is something of an art - well, a lost art. Console design has been languishing these past several years, as every console maker opts to release piano black or ivory white slabs that exclaim ‘adult contemporary’. Gone are the colorful palettes and unique designs that game consoles were once known for.
Continue reading ➞ Nintendo Wii U Makeover
I recently used a Comic Book rack for Blu-Ray movies earlier in the IKEA series, so where does that leave actual comic books? A bookshelf based on a popular superhero building will do the trick. There are several popular locales, like the Baxter Building (Fantastic Four), Wayne Enterprises, LexCorp, the Stark Building/Avengers Tower in New York, and so on. For this design I’ll be enlisting in the Daily Planet from Superman.
Continue reading ➞ If IKEA Made Geeky Furniture Part 15: Comic Book Display Case
With news that South Park’s Cheezy Poofs will actually become a product available for Walmart shoppers next year, I thought I’d offer up some ideas for other fictitious food products.
In no particular order:
Duff Beer. This Simpsons’ staple is actually available in a few countries (Mexico, Germany), but Matt Groening refuses to license out the brand, in fear that it will incite kids to drink. How about Duff Root Beer? I think the Jones Soda Company would be all over that. The same could be done for Pawtucket Pat’s beer featured in Family Guy. Alamo Beer from King of the Hill too. Fox loves to shill beer, it seems.
Slurm. Futurama had a knife out for soda manufacturers with this spoof product featured in a classic episode, and the Slurm soda brand continues to be a recurring sight gag on the show. I’d like to think Mountain Dew could do a limited run of their soda adorned with Slurm branding.
Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs. The cereal of choice for Calvin and Hobbes, well, Calvin anyway. The ridiculousness of actual children’s cereal brands was an easy target for the comic strip. In fact you could say Calvin’s hyper behavior could be attributed to this very cereal. While I would not recommend the manufacture of this actual cereal as described (there is also a variant with marshmallows even), some sort of souvenir box would be great. This item will never happen - Bill Watterson’s stance against products based on Calvin and Hobbes is the stuff of legend. I still want a plush Hobbes tiger…for my niece. Heh-heh.
Powdered Toast. Alright this one would be impossible to do (powder that forms slices of toasted bread), but a gift canister featuring Powdered Toast Man (and maybe Ren and Stimpy too) would be a funny item to display.
Soylent Green. I think this should be offered in milkshake form - like those Shamrock shakes McDonald’s use to sell for St. Patrick’s day a long time ago. Mmmm Shamrock shakes. This could even double as that green milk from Star Wars. UPDATE: You can now buy Soylent Green crackers.
Battlestar Galactica Ambrosia. BSG has taught me many things, like the essential need for alcohol to help cope with difficult times. Certainly helped me get through Season 4 of the show, Ha. This liqueur of Admiral Adama and Saul Tigh would look great in your study.
Sweetums Snack Bars. This food company is a regular staple in Parks and Recreation. A bit obscure to be on this list, but I want these. Speaking of Parks, maybe some TV dinners based on Ron Swanson? Gotta be manly dinners.
A few real ones:
Stay Puft Marshmallows. I bought these from Thinkgeek. The caffeinated ‘mallows aren’t bad. The box they came in is a nice keepsake.
Popeye Spinach. That’s actually a thing (or it was). And a smart product tie-in, but for the love of me, who wants to buy canned spinach?
Of all the items I’ve designed for the Geeky IKEA series, the one that has stumped me the most was trying to create an Entertainment Unit / Home Theater display. This is because my first instinct would be to do a Star Trek view screen display, but I think that works fine as a stand-alone TV. There were a few other ideas, but nothing I really wanted in my living room.
You’ve probably seen those audio video specialists who will set up a fancy “movie theater” system like this in your home for a pretty penny. These designer theaters feature lots of bells and whistles (popcorn machine, theater bucket seats, poster displays, lighting systems) on top of all the state-of-the-art electronic toys. Because of the scope and price of this installation, it’s a luxury few can afford.
But what I want is the stage home theater for the everyman, the average Joe or… Josephine. A basic entertainment unit with a curtain and some mood lights. Maybe a few options like remote-controlled curtains and built-in speakers, but that’s all you need really.
This centerpiece is aimed at film aficionados, gamers, and anyone who likes atmospheric furniture. Having this in the living room will definitely get you thinking about watching films, and will amplify your film-viewing experience.
However if you have a cat that likes to climb curtains, you might want to pass. Also you’ll have that one friend who’ll joke about you operating a puppet show, but you can smack him upside the head.
For those who own a comparable entertainment unit currently, I can’t imagine it being too difficult to affix curtains and lights. A nice little pet project for a rainy day.
Note: All hockey jersey offers are now at www.davesgeekyhockey.com.
Lately I’ve been held hostage by all things Game of Thrones. I took a moment to step back and realize all these different Kingdoms could be represented by sports teams. They each fly a banner bearing a sigil, usually depicting a fierce animal - much like a typical sports franchise would.
The above example shown is the Direwolf, which is emblematic of the House Stark. The Starks reign in the north, and their (foreboding) motto is “Winter is Coming”. To me it all screams hockey.
You could probably design several hockey leagues based on the huge number of banners in the Game of Thrones books, though only a few are prominent. The aforementioned Starks are the main protagonists. The evil Lannisters (I may be editorializing a bit) have the sigil of the Lion. The Targareyans fly the banner of the Dragon. Like Milwaukee, the Baratheons are represented by the Buck.
Sale mockup.
I know I frequently design hockey jerseys here, and you might think it’s because I’m Canadian and thus have a one-track mind. The real truth is hockey jerseys are a brilliant canvas on which to showcase a team’s identity. That logo on the chest is like a Superhero insignia. No other sport has a jersey or uniform where the team logo can be so prominent. EDIT: A friend tells me these would look better on a “football kit”. Well I say good day to you sir. GOOD DAY.
EDIT: Got an email from Mark, who says the Stark sigil is a full-bodied silver Direwolf on a white background (white = ice/snow), and that the Baratheon sigil is the Stag, not a Buck. My bad. I won’t make a full-bodied Direwolf, but I’ll fix up the logo a bit:
Bonus art! Using the Tampa Bay Lightning royal blue alternate jersey:
I will design jerseys for the other Game of Thrones Houses eventually, stay tuned!
