Cultrface – a blog dedicated to culture and how it enriches our lives.

Buy This Radical TMNT Pizza Cutter and Spatula Set

TMNT Pizza Cutter and Spatula Set

I grew up on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series (known as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in the UK because they thought ninjas were too dangerous for kids). Their pizza love inspired mine and here we are in 2019. That’s why this immediately caught my eye.

ThinkGeek are selling a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Cutter and Spatula Set as a “GameStop/ThinkGeek Exclusive”. According to TG, it “adds some flair to boring kitchen items (and sheathes)”. I particularly like the faux-wooden handles like the Turtles’ weaponry in the original series.

Product Specifications

  • Officially licensed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles merchandise
  • A GameStop / ThinkGeek Exclusive
  • Pizza is life, so now you can make it more often
  • Materials: Stainless steel base Dimensions: 9 1/2″ tall x 4″ wide x 3″ deep
  • Care Instructions: Dishwasher safe
  • Ages 14+

At $29.99, it’s not that cheap but it’s officially licenced merchandise and it looks so cool. Grab the pizza cutter and spatula set today.

Update: Since ThinkGeek is no more, your best place to find the set is on eBay.

An interview with Dan Clarke

arkotype

I’ve been a huge fan of Dan Clarke’s work for years so it’s been a pleasure to have him join Cultrface for this interview.

What is your favourite city in the world?

Tokyo – I went in my early 20’s and I’ll definitely be going back with my wife at some point. It feels like a different World in every way and I can’t wait to see it again.

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

I tend to have a Nintendo DS Lite in my bag most of the time – Probably not that unusual in the grand scheme of things.

Why do you do what you do?

I’ve never known anything different — I try my best to make the things that I would want or like had someone else made them.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

I tell my wife and dog on most days.

Where do you go to relax?

A dog walk or a run is usually where I find that I do most of my thinking – I think it’s really important to dedicating time in a week to having some personal time.

69, 280, or 420?

280 — I like the symmetry of it.

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

In a bit.

(images courtesy of Arkotype)

What if Game of Thrones was aired in the 80s?

Game of Thrones - VHS Intro (UPDATED music)

Yes, I’m 5 years late and the series just finished but everyone was unhappy with the last season so let’s remember the good times. And mix them up with late 80s nostalgia.

YouTuber Mikolaj.Birek put together two Game of Thrones videos to make a fantastic 80s VHS intro. The font used for the titles was also used on Diagnosis Murder amongst other things so this is a late 80s/early 90s kinda mix but that synth soundtrack is pure 80s.

GoT related: Original VHS GoT intro by Hunter L Sanders, 80’s style GoT theme remix by Steve Duzz, and Cleganebowl as a lightsaber fight

From fishin' to fashion: how fish skin is used for leather

Salmon skin

There are certain ethical issues with leather but perhaps this is a better solution.

Steinunn Gunnsteinsdóttir is the sales manager of Atlantic Leather (now Nordic Fish Leather I think?), an Icelandic company that owns the only fish tannery in Europe. They’ve been making leather from the skins of salmon and cod (amongst other types) since 1994 and produce nearly a tonne of leather every month.

If that sounds like a lot, consider the fact this is all done by only 19 employees and the whole process takes nearly four weeks. There are advantages to using fish skin rather than the cow or lamb hide, as Gunnsteinsdóttir explains:

Fish leather’s actually nine times stronger than lamb or cow leather of similar thickness. This is because the fibres in fish skin criss-cross rather than (go) just up and down… it makes it much more durable leather for products that have to be really strong like shoes, belts and bags.

Snake and alligator skin are used for leather before but fish is a new one on me and it helps reduce use of the endangered species. But not for fashion houses Jimmy Choo and Dior who Atlantic Leather supply.

They aren’t the only fish leather makers in the world. Kenya is home to Victorian Foods where perch skin is the main material, fished from the largest desert lake in the world. Of course, it’s important that this practice doesn’t contribute to overfishing which has a dangerous effect on the marine wildlife and food for the populations that need it. But right now, it looks like a great alternative.

Fish Leather Development process at KIRDI Western Region Campus (KWRC), Kenya

(image credit: Ella Gordon)

The UN reports a million species are close to extinction

Elephants could be close to extinction in a matter of years

In a new report from the IPBES, one million species are threatened with extinction. The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is said to be the most comprehensive ever and also says the current global response is “insufficient”.

Some other takes:

  • Greenhouse gas emissions have doubled since 1980, “raising average global temperatures by at least 0.7°C (33.26°F)
  • Over a third of the world’s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production.
  • Plastic pollution has increased 10x since 1980

The report is lengthy but, in a nutshell, human beings are gonna fuck the planet up before the Sun, a giant asteroid, or an alien invasion will. My concern is governments will blame the general public and demand they do things differently via taxes and legislation without looking at the rich and how they are so wasteful and pollute the planet.

Major corporations contribute significantly to the problem but are often overlooked for reproach. Instead, countries with large populations of people of colour (Brazil, India, and many African nations) are blamed as well as overpopulation which is a smokescreen ideology perpetuated by the West. Yes, we can all make changes to keep the planet from dying but that energy has to be balanced and right now it hampers the working class and favours the rich (especially when tax breaks are offered for minimal effort in the cause).

You can read the full report and the media release (which abridges everything) on the IPBES website.

James Corden did a Reddit AMA and it turned into a roast

james corden

Most Reddit AMAs are insights into the lives and works of influential people. Unfortunately, some people never get that far and they probably wish they hadn’t taken part.

James Corden might be one of those people. Along with five of his Carpool Karaoke team members, he opened the Reddit floor for questions and didn’t receive the discourse he was after.

It’s important to point out (or reiterate) that Corden is not a liked man for numerous reasons. I am one of them. I can’t speak for anyone else but I find him odious, unfunny, and a beg friend. That’s my unprofessional opinion but if you have a different view, let me know in the comments. That being said, Redditors shared my sentiment and let him have it. Here are some of my favourites:

TL;DR version is that James Corden allegedly showed up to a WGA union meeting for late night writers with an executive producer and none of the writing staff. Before hearing out any of the actual late night writers, James was the first to speak when the meeting opened up to the floor. At which point, he advocated less pay for new writers – with the supposed justification being that it was so he could afford to hire writing assistants.

James and the producer seem to acknowledge that they showed up and advocated for lesser pay for writing assistants – but insist that they would never pay a writer less than they deserve. But when all is said and done, James advocated for lesser pay for new writers – despite their semantic argument.

Yikes is all I could muster when I read that one. It certainly reinforced my stance on him.

James, did you realize you posted on r/IAmA instead of r/RoastMe?

Roasted good and proper.

Massive c*nt in person, I saw a league of their own filming live, threw multiple tantrums over minor things at the production staff, with him being incredibly rude to them, which made the other regulars seem very awkward like it was usual, between each take the other celebs would be chatting amongst themselves – bantering about, James was glued to his phone. At the end of the filming people got up to go get pictures with James and he massively kicked off shouting at people to go away and to go back to their seats and the few he did let have pictures with he was moody as. Afterwards we went into a “VIP” tent as such for a beer (we were guests of people – anonymity for obviously reasons) and the celebs were going to be joing us, the other celebs came in and spoke with people, James came in for a brief moment, someone asked politely asked for a quick picture, he abruptly said “later” and the fucked off to I’m guessing his changing room for the rest of the night as they didn’t get their picture before kick out time.

Seeing him like that made me realise everything you see of his on TV is a complete persona. And really his natural personality is just, a complete self entitled c*nt.

Also, Rampart.

Oh dear, the stories just keep on coming.

I don’t know how to phrase this as a question, so I’ll start with:

Did you know, that if you actually acknowledge the claims you’re not a nice person and tackle them head on, and talk on it from your point of view, it’s way better for your PR than just ignoring them?

Damn. There was zero let off for him. And, given the stories, he deserved it. The classic “no response is the best response” tactic wasn’t great but it would have confirmed all the stories: that he’s a dick. Reddit isn’t a paragon of virtue itself but I live for these kinds of moments. I mean… it’s the internet. What did he expect?

You can read the full AMA/roast here.

30+ Minutes of Vic Berger's Daytime TV & Advertising

Vic Berger Presents Daytime TV, Advertising & Kids Shows

(Trigger warning: this video contains clowns and some really creepy puppets)

Entertainment company Super Deluxe may no longer be with us but Vic Berger very much is. We featured one of his creations for SD – the will.i.am one (which had been taken down but we’ve uploaded ourselves) – and now here’s another one.

This is a compilation of videos that were on Super Deluxe but were also taken down and they show Vic Berger’s take on daytime TV and advertising as he explains:

If you don’t watch daytime television, Ellen DeGeneres, Harry Connick Jr, Logan Paul, Steve Harvey and MORE show you what you’re missing. This compilation also features creepy children’s programming and commercials for products that may or may not actually help you.

It starts with Kanye’s appearance on Ellen, made even more surreal than the real thing, followed by a commercial for jawzrsize, Paula Deen on QVC, and… well, you’ll just have to watch for yourself to see the rest.

Yasuke - An African Samurai in Japan

Yasuke - An African Samurai in Japan

I watched The Last Samurai a few years ago and enjoyed it. While the movie was inspired by real life Westerners fighting in Asia and played up to the white saviour trope, it was enjoyable if not cliché. But this story is much more interesting.

Authors Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard recently published a book entitled African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan retelling the story of a retainer in feudal Japan who served under a warlord. The legend goes that Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 16th century, having travelled the world after being kidnapped as a child. Being a black man in Japan caused a stir – many had never seen a man of his complexion. Being a polyglot made him even more mysterious. But his dark skin drew comparisons to Buddha. His presence was courted by Lord Nobunaga, a powerful warlord and Yasuke became one of his samurai. His ability to learn quickly helped him become a powerful figure in Japanese society.

Yasuke’s mythology has transcended centuries and Lockley and Girard’s book isn’t the first of its kind to tell his tale (there’s a book list below you can check out). In African Samurai, Lockley and Girard give an untold story of Yasuke’s life and travels, as well as a new chapter in Japan’s history. Now, yes, this is another story about people of colour written by white guys but it’s still beneficial that the story is being reviewed ecounted.

The good news is there is an upcoming anime about Yasuke and Lakeith Stanfield is set to voice the black samurai (excellent choice). It will be written by Boondocks’ co-director, LeSean Thomas and scored by Flying Lotus.

Update: Here’s are the visuals for the anime’s theme song, composed by Flying Lotus.

Yasuke | Official Teaser | Netflix

Reading list

(Please note the following affiliate links are from Amazon)

Facts and figures about the London Underground

More Secrets of the DLR

Back in the day, there was a train journey that had no barriers at either station. My home station eventually changed that but I always wondered what journeys you could make with the potential to just walk right on through without a ticket (I do not endorse this btw).

Who is Geoff Marshall?

Geoff Marshall is a TfL enthusiast and created a page on his website dedicated to London Underground facts and figures. It’s particularly helpful for disabled people as not all stations have escalators or lifts. Also interesting to see how many stations are so close together in terms of journey time. Leicester Square to Covent Garden, for example, takes less than 40 seconds on average.

Check out Geoff’s YouTube channel for more content about TfL.

Haarkon's Japan Travel Tips For First-Timers

10 Must Know JAPAN Travel Tips No One Talks about ...like POLICE

It’s a (pipe)dream of mine to visit Japan before I die. But money’s too tight to mention and it’s not cheap to go. If it happens, I’d probably need some advice to respect the culture and not come off as too much of a Western ingrate. For those who want to visit Japan in style, you may fly there on a private jet that you can book through Jettly.

Haarkon is the photography project of India Hobson and Magnus Edmondson and they wrote an article giving travel advice for people looking to visit the country. In it, you’ll find stuff on transport, accommodation, language, and general advice. I did find this passage interesting:

There is this huge preconception that Japan is mega expensive and we went bracing ourselves for that. In actual fact we found that it was comparatively cheaper than a lot of places we’d been to; Copenhagen, USA just for a couple. We’d say that it was probably similar to London. 

Similar to London? That’s expensive to me but I guess I don’t earn a great deal and if I did, I wouldn’t have trouble saving up for Japan. That said, a visit can be suitable for any budget so I’ll bear that in mind.

Read the full article on the Haarkon website.

And if that doesn’t suit, here are 10 tips from someone who lives there.

The amazing photography of Roger "Sharpy" Sharp

I used to watch Home & Away religiously when I was a kid. Those were the days. About the time I started was when Roger Sharp, known affectionately as Sharpy, started his surfing photography career.

“Growing up, I wasn’t into photography at all. It came to me towards the end of school, when I started playing around with a little waterproof Minolta compact. Then towards the end of university I bought my first SLR for £35 – a Russian battleship of a camera that I found in a junk shop.”

But the catalyst for his wonderful career wasn’t the most pleasant.

Around the same time, in 1994, I took off with some mates to France for a month, but on the second day I broke my collarbone in the surf. I was kinda forced to pick up my camera, instead of sitting on the beach sulking all day.

Sharpy discussed more about his past and some of his finest photographs from the last quarter-century on Mpora. You should definitely give it a read. And in the meantime, check out some of his fantastic photos below.

(All rights reserved by Roger Sharp; images taken from his Instagram account.)

An interview with Corbet Rutzer

Corbet Rutzer

I have been a big fan of Corbet Rutzer’s content for a number of years. I mean, look at this for a description:

I am a fearless communication ninja, social media maestro, brand expert and curation specialist with a chronic food and music habit.

Taken from crutzer.me

That speaks to me on so many levels. His work has featured for brands such as Thrillist and FRANK151 and he had a brief stint teaching Online Presence and Social Media at Vancouver Film School and Vancouver Community College. Corbet is for the kids.

Today, the content polymath took some time out of his day to answer our specially *patented questions.

(*They’re not patented.)

What is your favourite city in the world?

NYC

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

A worry stone.

Why do you do what you do?

For the love!

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

This morning.

Where do you go to relax?

Outside.

69, 280, or 420?

420!

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

Later!

Chris Morris pranked a McDonald's employee during a pilot for The Day Today

The Day Today - Second Pilot

The Day Today and Brass Eye were controversial in their time. But a lot of the depicted surrealism doesn’t seem so strange in 2019. In this pilot, you see Chris Morris without the slicked-back hair he chose for the final version and a middle section involving a round table political discussion. It’s very rough around the edges and some of it doesn’t hit as hard to the comedy bone but there is one funny segment.

A “submarine” was found “at the bottom of the Pacific” and The Day Today had successfully contacted one of the men on the vessel. Of course none of this was true and Morris had actually pranked an American McDonald’s employee who was oblivious. This was standard for Morris who regularly pranked people on the radio and infamously used the technique on Brass Eye. His acts involved celebrities and even a member of parliament who was duped into advocating a crackdown on “cake”, a fake drug created for the show.

Nicky Chulo creates Off-Black brand in response to Off-White's lack of diversity

Off-Black

Off-White is a brand that bridges minimalism and maximalism. Its creator Virgil Abloh, known for collaborations with the likes of Kanye West and Takashi Murakami, was appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection in 2018 and while this was seen as a breakthrough for modern black art and culture, there have been criticisms.

Off-White or off colour?

One has come from a fellow black designer, Nicky Chulo. The graphic designer questioned Abloh’s lack of diversity in the Off-White brand. Particularly “in the room”. In an interview with Black Enterprise, he discussed his reasons for the stance:

Even if he’s just the “face” of the brand I believe he has a responsibility to speak up on behalf of diversity. I’m not discrediting the talent at Off-White, but knowing how hard I worked, especially as a designer of color, to get to where I am, it hurt a bit […] We need more people of color inside the room.

Off-Black
Off-Black tee

And his response? A brand of his own.

What is Off-Black?

Chulo created Off-Black as a way to balance the tables and show black inclusion. He said he was “hesitant at first” when launching but felt compelled to go all in, particularly after Abloh had started blocking people on Instagram who sent him messages under the #diversity hashtag.

But Chulo isn’t looking to make a profit from the brand. 100% of proceeds are going to Leaders Amongst Leaders, “a creative program that teaches kids the sky is the limit”.

Currently, there’s only the Off-Black tee available on the site but I’m considering getting one.

You can too by heading to Nicky Chulo’s Teespring site.

Khalik Allah's "Black Mother" is a spiritual trip through Jamaica

Theatrical poster for Khalik Allah's Black Mother. Designed by Midnight Marauder

I love my Jamaican heritage and love any from of art that exhibits its richness. Black Mother does exactly that. The film, directed by Khalik Allah, takes you on a journey through the Caribbean island but not the kind you’d find on a Sandals commercial. Black Mother shows the true Jamaica with all its highs and lows, beauty, scars, and all. Critics have called it “thrilling and hallucinatory”, “spiritual and philosophical” and “dazzling cinematic poetry”.

Thoroughly immersed between the sacred and profane, Black Mother channels rebellion and reverence into a deeply personal ode informed by Jamaica’s turbulent history but existing in the urgent present.

via Grasshopper Film

Black Mother features sex workers, Rastafarians, and Revivalists who weave their life experiences into the greater Jamaican tapestry. This is a must watch.

Stream the trailer below and purchase the movie poster on the Grasshopper Film website. If you happen to be in or around Beverly Hills on 10th May, screening will take place at the Laemmle Music Hall.