Trevor sends us, "An imgur gallery of how I constructed my leather Rockabilly Batman headgear, based on the artworks of Denis Medri, in 7 easy steps (some easier than others), as part of the Gotham City Rockers group forming for the upcoming Portsmouth Halloween Parade in NH.."

Batman Cowl Process - Imgur (Thanks, Trevor!)

Salvador Bachiller's €95 R2D2 rolling baggage looks great. I know nothing about its materials, handling or build-quality (for all I know, it corners like a 30-year-old supermarket trolley, crumples the first time you fly with it, and scratches if you look at it crosseyed), but it sure is cool-looking.

AZ-2028 ROBOT TROLLEY 60 (via Cnet Crave)

Here's a DARPA video showing a robotic pack-mule prototype. I think you're supposed to imagine this thing being on your side, but when I see videos like this, I always find myself imagining what it would be like to be crouching in the underbrush with a couple of terrified children, trying to keep them silent while this thing motors through the uncanny valley around us.

This video depicts field testing of the DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3). The goal of the LS3 program is to demonstrate that a legged robot can unburden dismounted squad members by carrying their gear, autonomously following them through rugged terrain, and interpreting verbal and visual commands.

DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3) Demonstrates New Capabilities (via JWZ)

Actualchad has designed a Haunted Mansion/Small World mashup tee. He writes, "Just in time for Halloween, the Haunted Mansion has taken on the small world in the battle of which ride is really the scariest. In the style of Mary Scary Blair..."

Is This Small World Actually Stretching? by actualchad (Thanks, Actualchad)

Jeff sez, "Some gamers need a Railgun, others choose an M1A1, most seem to desire an Energy Sword...but what we need is a pickaxe! That's right, our current favorite diversion from lab work is Minecraft. We didn't want the fun to stop on the screen, so we created giant, 3-D, papercraft Minecraft terrains on our walls and show you how to build your own."

Build 3-D Papercraft Minecraft Terrains (Thanks, Jeff)

Its crazy. I love it. You can help kickstart the project and buy one at the same time.

(via PetaPixel)

Our household is spawning blogs like bunnies. Since I need all the help I could get, I thought it would be good to up my photo game. We’ve been using a bay window to take some of our pictures. So I started researching a mini photo studio solution. The goal was to combine a light tent and an infinity wall all in a desktop model. I started by mocking it up in Sketch-up. The hardest part was figuring out the curve. Sketch-up was a huge help and with little math I figured out the length while leaving a gap to wiggle it in. I used hardboard as it had the most flex and kept me from having to keft plywood.

[Video Link] I just finished producing a short video for A Is For featuring Martha Plimpton. It's essentially a quick overview of A Is For and a public invitation to be part of our new awareness-raising campaign. We're asking people to submit a video telling what their A means to them. It will be an ongoing video campaign featuring people's video submissions intercut with some prominent A Is For supporters (so far we have Jane Lynch, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, and Tom Morello). The goal is to provide a unifying symbol for the movement and a loud platform for their voices.

On eBay, a toymodder called Foiled1 is selling a beautiful, highly detailed Playmobil haunted house: "So what you get is the house, fence, wallpaper and all items seen in photo's (some interior item's may vary)! Watch out for the ghost that comes through the wall! Includes all people and all items seen in photo's (some interior item's may vary). Includes wallpaper, interior items and more! This house was made using some parts with chips, dents, digs and glue, somewhat like a real home. And is made to be used in your Playmobil Victorian mansion."

Lots of exclamation marks and grocer's apo'strophe's!

Playmobil Haunted Halloween Victorian Mansion 5300 custom dollhouse

JOHN WILCOCK, NEW YORK YEARS: 1954-1971
Chapter Three: Party Time with Bud Waldo

Featuring "Editing Norman Mailer" (a true account of Mailer's brief stint as a columnist for the Village Voice), "Woody Allen Before He was Woody Allen", "An Interview with Jean Shepherd" and bonus early appearances by Paul Krassner and Lyle Stuart. This chapter covers the years 1956 and 1957 in the history of the underground press.

[Video Link] Swift Player & Downloader is a useful $0.99 iOS app can speed up or slow down audio and video.

Here's artist Mitch O'Connel's second installment of silly, unintentionally sexual (and other weird) comic book art from the days of yore. (Previous installment)

Sex in Comics Part 2! The top 100 strangest, suggestive and steamy vintage comic book covers of all time!

Here's Phil Hartman's 11-minute SNL audition from 1985 or 1986, with a guest appearance by Jon Lovitz. It's very funny, very raw, and pure Hartman -- fascinating and sad to see how Hartman's genius shone through from the earliest days.

Phil Hartman SNL audition (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

Eat Your Heart Out has announced that they'll soon be taking reservations for these anatomically correct, full-sized chocolate skulls at £50 each. They're made by the cats at Two Little Cats bakery.

EXCITING NEWS! WE HAVE CHOCOLATE SKULLS…