Link roundup

1. I love when artists sketch their roleplaying characters.

2. Serious Eats gave McDonald's new oatmeal a terrible review.

3. Collection of old Mickey Mouse versus the Nazis comic strips.

*Buy Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel at Amazon.

Link roundup

1. Create a free book by purchasing or renewing a Flickr Pro account.

2. New eco-friendly McDonald's in Southern California, complete with green arches. Via.

3. Mitt Romney got his new book atop the bestseller list "by asking institutions to buy thousands of copies in exchange for his speeches, according to a document obtained by POLITICO." Via.

4. Relatedly, the writer of The Oatmeal was apparently a SEO spammer. This discussion at Reddit about infographics and how they're used by spammers to game Digg, Google, and Reddit is pretty fascinating. (I mentioned this once before, but you should question sites that post a lot of infographics - - I've repeatedly turned down offers of payment in exchange for posting infographics with specific embedded links.) Via.

Link roundup

1. "This is why it's notable that some little blue-green bacteria hitching a ride on the exterior of the International Space Station came out of it alive -- after a record-setting 553 days. That's a year and a half in a near-vacuum."

2. "Mao's Great Leap Forward killed 45 million in four years." The details are horrific.

3. McDonald's sponsors sports not to advertise to customers, but to excite store owners about being part of the McDonald's family. Via.

*Buy The Andromeda Strain at Amazon.

If Star Wars was remade by McDonald's (in Lego)

Angus MacLane turned the Millennium Falcon into a Corellian Cheeseburger operated by McDonald-esque characters for the FBTB MOC Madness 2010 Building Tournament.

*Buy Star Wars Lego minifigs at Amazon.

Batman Brave and the Bold Happy Meal toys

Next up at McDonald's, Batman Brave and the Bold Happy Meal toys.

*Buy Happy Meal toys at eBay.

McGuilty

Ronald McDonald by JSalvador.

*Buy kid's meal toys at eBay.

King Kong goes to McDonald's (advertising roundup)

King Kong and Darth Vader go to McDonald's in these ads by BETC Euro RSCG.




Luggage carts with people in wheelchairs by Age to promote ADD (Sporting Association for the Disabled).




The pixels' Last Supper by JWT for Suraj Electronics.




Rims/daily calendar by Saatchi to promote Keskin rims.




Face door hangers by Saatchi to promote designer doors.

*Previously: Curious George/King Kong mashup.

*Buy King Kong toys at eBay.

Happy Meal Toys in Japan

Ironically, while McDonald's in America is selling Astro Boy toys, McDonald's in Japan is selling kawaii creatures. (McDonald's India is selling cars.) Via.

*Previously: Kawaii matchbooks from Japan.

*Buy Fast Food toys at eBay.

Astro Boy Happy Meal toys

Starting this week (I think), McDonald's has Astro Boy Happy Meal toys.

*Previously: Ad for an Astro Boy food tie-in and toy.

*Buy Astro Boy toys at eBay.

Two-lane split (link roundup)

Nice trick bowling shot.

And a few more links:

1. Darth Nihilus sketch.

2. There's now a McDonald's at the Louvre. Increasingly, there's less and less of a reason to go anywhere on vacation.

3. Sunday October 4 was Washington's annual Red Mass, "which celebrates the legal profession," is scheduled just before the start of the Supreme Court's term, and is typically attended by many justices and other VIPs. (I tellya, no one does branding better than the Catholic church. Who could not be interested in something called The Red Mass?") Via.

*Previously: Catholic Coloring Books.

*Buy Darth Nihilus toys at eBay.

Ambient Ad Roundup

Paddle, rubber ball, and face by Grey Ecuador for painkiller Agudol. Via.





Snot/soap dispenser by Trampolim Comunicação for Kleenex. Via.





Revolving door planetarium by Euro RSCG for the Prague Planetarium. Via.





Roads were placed in urinals in Romania as part of an anti drinking and driving campaign by Mercury 360. Via.





McDonald's coffee/telephone pole by Cossette Atlantic. Via.

*Previously: Grump coffee mug.

*Buy coffee mugs at Amazon.

McDonald's serves lobster? (link roundup)

Apparently, McDonald's in some cities sell a lobster roll called the McLobster.

And a few more links:

1. Papercraft dragon.

2. Early discussion of Metroid Prime 3 contemplated a sandbox game.

3. Every video game should have this - - Bayonetta apparently comes with an automatic mode that allows you to pull off fancy combos with a single button press.

*Previously: Plush lobster boy.

*Buy Fast Food toys at eBay.

Prison, Ronald McDonald-style (link roundup)

There's no escape from Officer Big Mac.

And a few more links:

1. The reason Mario is in the original Punch-Out is because the designer just inserted him without asking permission. Via these sites.

2. Safari-themed cake.

3. Plush anteater.

*Previously: Bad children get eaten by Grimace.

*Find Happy Meal and cereal toys at eBay.

Hell's Playground features Grimace

At Ronald's McDonald's playground, bad children get eaten by Grimace. High-res here.

*Previously: How McDonald's became popular in France.

*Find Happy Meal and cereal toys at eBay.

Ghost poster (link roundup)

Poster by Scott Hansen commemorating record label Ghostly International's 10th anniversary concert series. Go here to preorder a print.

And a few more links:

1. Read the first chapter of Cory Doctor's new book Makers.

2. The July 4th Project, "an art blog featuring variations by many cartoonists on the notion of the patriotic, all-American superhero." Via these sites.

3. Where's Waldo: For Dummies.

4. Some interesting information about McDonald's aggressive efforts to became popular in France:

Within the organization, it was widely agreed that Hennequin had exhibited audacious leadership in France, notably in his handling of the Bové crisis. Rather than doing the prudent, corporate-minded thing and seeking some form of conciliation with Bové, Hennequin had decided to meet provocation with provocation.

Read on. Via.

*Previously: Cover art for Cory Doctorow's Makers.

*Buy Ghostbusters toys at eBay.

Papercraft Boba Fett and Big Mac

Boba Fett and Big Mac, two of the bobble head paper toys that can be downloaded here.

*Previously: Lil' Boba Fett.

*Buy Boba Fett toys at eBay.

Bowser ate my homework and other excuses (link roundup)

Cracked offers 22 excellent excuses for being late to work. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Mini-riot at yesterday's Bar/Bri lecture after students conclude that the Con Law lecturer didn't know what she was talking about.

2. What do you do for a living? Well, I'm leaving for "Ghana to work as an apprentice to Eric Adjetey Anang who makes Fantasy Coffins."

3. Martial artist Ronald McDonald animated gif.

4. Fin Fang Foom drawing.

*Previously: Doctor Doom plus Fin Fan Foom equals Din Dang Doom.

*Buy Fin Fang Foom toys at eBay.

Sackboy as the Burger King (link roundup)

Little Big Planet's Sackboy as the Burger King by Alex Barbeau for a contest at GameArtisans (reg reqd).

And a few more links:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics will publish a new official policy statement, recommending that schools work vigorously to prevent bullying. Via.

2. What do you do for a living? Oh, I write "lesbo historical romps." Via.

3. Creepy version of Ronald McDonald.

4. Wolverine goes to the beauty salon.

*Previously: "Lois Lenz, Lesbian Secretary."

*Buy sackboy toys at eBay.

The people who live under your car seat

"No fry left behind ad" for McDonald's by DDB and Biscuit Filmworks will make you feel a tiny bit guilty about cleaning up your car.

*Previously: Footage of the monster under your bed.

*Find Happy Meal and cereal toys at eBay.

McDonald's Klingon ad from 1979

A Klingon stars in this circa 1979 ad for a Star Trek-themed McDonald's Happy Meal. They used to come with cookies?

*Previously: Klingons as the Burger King and Queen.

*Find Happy Meal and cereal toys at eBay.