Tom Moldvay

Thomas Steven Moldvay (Nov. 5, 1948 – March 9, 2007) was an American game designer and author, best known for his work on early materials for the fantasy role-playing game "Dungeons & Dragons" (D&D).
Career.
During the 1970s while a student at Kent State University in Ohio, Moldvay was a writer for the science fiction fanzine "Infinite Dreams".
Lawrence Schick, head of design and development of TSR, brought Moldvay on board during a time of substantial growth at TSR; at the time Moldvay was a new sort of employee at TSR, as he was a player who had enjoyed "Dungeons & Dragons" before he came to the company. With "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" now complete, Moldvay wrote a second edition of the "Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set" (1980). As an employee of TSR, Moldvay authored or co-authored landmark D&D adventure modules such as "Castle Amber", "Isle of Dread", the rewrite of "Palace of the Silver Princess", and "Secret of the Slavers Stockade", all published in 1981. Of these, X1 – "Isle of Dread" was one of the most widely played modules of the time because it was distributed inside the D&D "Expert Set" rules.
Other Moldvay adventure modules for D&D include "The Lost City" (1982) and "Twilight Calling" (1986). In the years between 1980 and 1988, he also penned several articles in "Dragon" magazine. The fictional city of Yavdlom in the "D&D" Mystara setting – which in the following years included many locations featured in old D&D material – is an homage to him (Yavdlom being the backward reading of Moldvay). Moldvay also co-developed TSR's "Gangbusters" role-playing game and wrote adventures for TSR's "Star Frontiers" game
Moldvay developed "Lords of Creation", a role-playing game published by Avalon Hill. In 1985 he created the one-shot game "The Future King" based on Arthurian legend. In 1986 he created "The Challenges Game System", essentially a streamlining of the AD&D players handbook down to 8 pages, and the single adventure published for the system, "Seren Ironhand."
Tom Moldvay died at the age of 58 on March 9, 2007. After Moldvay's death in 2007, Steve Winter called "Isle of Dread" "Tom's work that had the widest impact", as its inclusion in the "Expert Set" "made it one of the most widely known and played adventures for years".


Sanzo Wada

 was a Japanese painter and costume designer who won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for his work on the jidaigeki film "Gate of Hell" (1953).


Alice Normington

Alice Normington is a British production designer known for her work on films and television series such as Nowhere Boy, The Secret World of Michael Fry, and Suffragette. She won a BAFTA Award in 1998 for her work on the BBC television series The Woman in White. Normington is a graduate of the Wimbledon School of Art and teaches at The London Film School.


Com Truise

Seth Haley, known by his stage name Com Truise is an American electronic musician. His stage name is a spoonerism of the name of American actor Tom Cruise.
Biography.
Pre-2010, Com Truise had released music under the pseudonyms Sarin Sunday, SYSTM, and Airliner.
In 2010, the first Com Truise recording, the "Cyanide Sisters" EP, was released. Initially, the EP was a free download from the AMDISCS record label. Ghostly International digitally reissued it in January 2011. He resigned from his job as art director prior to this release. Com Truise remixed Daft Punk's song "ENCOM, Part II" for the "" album soon after. In June 2011, he released his debut album, "Galactic Melt". "In Decay" was the immediate full-length followup in 2012. Com Truise's songs are represented by Downtown Music Publishing.
He is from Oneida, New York and now resides in Orlando, Florida.
Style.
Truise's sound is synthesizer-heavy synthwave, influenced by 1980s musical styles, as first offered on the "Cyanide Sisters" EP.
The "Com Truise"-saga.
All of the Com Truise albums, starting with "Cyanide Sisters" and ending with "Iteration" tell the story of a space traveller named Com Truise; Haley described the character as a "synthetic astronaut", and the story as a tale about escaping an oppressed society.
Equipment.
Since 2017, Truise has incorporated Dave Smith Instruments Ob-6 analogue keyboard on some tracks and for live performances.


Daniel Haller

Daniel Haller (born September 14, 1926) is an American film and television director, production designer, and art director.
Biography.
Haller was born in Glendale, California and studied at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. In 1953, Haller started as an art director in television and then later made low budget feature films. Haller designed sets for Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe film series, including "House of Usher" (1960) and "The Pit and the Pendulum" (1961). Haller directed his first film, "Die, Monster, Die!", in 1965 for American International Pictures, based on H. P. Lovecraft's short story "The Colour Out of Space". After directing two motorcycle pictures, "Devil's Angels" (1967) and "The Wild Racers" (1968), Haller filmed another Lovecraft adaptation, "The Dunwich Horror" (1970).
From 1972, all of Haller's subsequent work has been in television, including directing episodes of "Night Gallery", "Kojak", "Sara", "Battlestar Galactica", "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" and "Knight Rider".


Veerasamar

Veerasamar is an Indian art director and film actor who has appeared in Tamil language films. Veerasamar started his career as assistant to art director Sabu Cyril and made his breakthrough as an actor with a leading role in "Veerasekaran" (2010) and has often appeared in films with several lead.
Career.
Veerasamar began his career as an art director by apprenticing art director Sabu Cyril in director S. Shankar "Boys" (2003), before moving on to work in highly successful films including "Kaadhal" (2004), "Veyil" (2006) and "Poo" (2008).
Veerasamar made his acting debut through "Veerasekaran" (2010), which had a low profile release. The film later garnered attention for being the first film of actress Amala Paul, who became popular after her performance in Prabhu Solomon's "Mynaa" (2010). However, he has reminded us of his art directorial skills through a couple of songs. Two other films K. T. Kunjumon's "Kadhalukku Maranamillai" and Samy's "Sarithiram" were completed but failed to be released. He later moved back to playing supporting roles and prioritising his career as an art director, notably working on "Kaadhal", "Veyil", "Dishyum", "Komban" (2015) , "Marudhu" (2016), "Kadaikutty Singam" (2018), "Jackpot"(2019), "Namma Veetu Pillai" (2019), "Yaathum ooraey yaavarum kelir" (Upcomin with VJS)


Amba Sanyal

Amba Sanyal (born 1945) is an Indian theater artist and costume designer. She is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2008 for Costume design.
Early life and education.
She was born in Delhi as the daughter of B. C. Sanyal, noted painter, sculptor and Art teacher and Snehalata Sanyal, danseuse and actress. She studied at the Delhi College of Art (University of Delhi), Shantiniketan (Visva-Bharati University), Ecole des Beaux Arts at Paris.
Career.
She has acted in dramas by Habib Tanvir, Ebrahim Alkazi, Amal Allana and Sheila Bhatia. She has designed costumes for many National School of Drama productions including "Romeo and Juliet in Technicolour" directed by Roysten Abel. In 2013, she appeared in National Film Award-winning "Ship of Theseus" directed by Anand Gandhi. In 2016, she appeared in "" directed by Sujoy Ghosh.
Personal life.
Her husband K.T. Ravindran, is a noted architect and dean of School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi.


The City of Lost Children (video game)

The City of Lost Children is an adventure game developed and published by Psygnosis in 1997. It based on the film of the same title and was released in the United States and in parts of Europe for the PlayStation console first and then the PC. The PC version is a straight port of the PlayStation version. Players take on the role of the film character Miette.
Reception.
On GameRankings the PC version holds a score of 60% based on three reviews, while the PlayStation version holds a score of 54.50% based on four reviews.
The game received mediocre reviews. Reviewers generally remarked that the graphics are stunningly beautiful and atmospheric, but criticized the excessive difficulty of finding objects and the slow pace. A "Next Generation" critic explained, "To pick up an item, you must stand directly on top of it, a problem when most of the important objects aren't out in plain sight. You'll find yourself looking in every nook and cranny just to make sure you didn't miss something. Even then, the vast majority of items are found almost by accident ..." Josh Smith of "GameSpot" further remarked, "The game's puzzles are arbitrary and not particularly intuitive. Trade the marbles for a sleeping potion? Go figure. Put a bone in a cash register to short out the security system on a safe? Come on. The lack of deduction required by the game encourages the kind of random gameplay that can only be described as frustrating. Solutions to puzzles rarely yield a sense of accomplishment since more often than not they are solved through happenstance, not reasoning."
Shawn Smith and Sushi-X of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" had a somewhat more positive reaction; though they noted the same key flaws as other critics, they focused more on how well the game recreated the world of the film, with Smith commenting, "The cinemas are done well, and the rendered city gives the impression of really being in [a] dirty, semi-futuristic alternate reality." However, their co-reviewers Dan Hsu and Crispin Boyer called it "A unique game that masochists should check out" and "heavy on atmosphere but lean on fun", respectively. "GamePro"s The Rookie concluded, "If you're determined to play, take an evening to rent both the movie and the game to see which goes first, your eyesight or your sanity."


Air Assault Task Force

Air Assault Task Force is a computer wargame developed by ProSIM Company and published by Shrapnel Games. The lead developer was ProSIM Company founder, Pat Proctor. Other developers included Gary Bezant (The Falklands War: 1982) and Curt Pangracs (The Star and the Crescent).
Air Assault Task Force is a combat simulator and includes four campaigns, set at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, LA, at LZ X-Ray during the Vietnam War, in the ill-fated Ranger raid in Mogadishu, Somalia (the famous "Black Hawk Down" incident), and Operation Anaconda during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The game built on the pausable real-time gameplay of ProSIM's BCT Commander and the AI and hierarchy system of Armored Task Force. In addition to a major upgrade to these earlier game systems, it also includes a graphical and GUI overhaul that makes the game's graphics better.
In 2007, defense contractor Boeing commissioned ProSIM to create a custom version of the game for use as a ground combat simulator, to be paired with an intelligent tutor and after-action review agent application developed by Boeing.


Solver

A solver is a piece of mathematical software, possibly in the form of a stand-alone computer program or as a software library, that 'solves' a mathematical problem. A solver takes problem descriptions in some sort of generic form and calculates their solution. In a solver, the emphasis is on creating a program or library that can easily be applied to other problems of similar type.
Solver types.
Types of problems with existing dedicated solvers include:
The General Problem Solver ("GPS") is a particular computer program created in 1957 by Herbert Simon, J. C. Shaw, and Allen Newell intended to work as a universal problem solver, that theoretically can be used to solve every possible problem that can be formalized in a symbolic system, given the right input configuration. It was the first computer program that separated its knowledge of problems (in the form of domain rules) from its strategy of how to solve problems (as a general search engine).
General solvers typically use an architecture similar to the GPS to decouple a problem's definition from the strategy used to solve it. The advantage in this decoupling is that the solver does not depend on the details of any particular problem instance. The strategy utilized by general solvers was based on a general algorithm (generally based on backtracking) with the only goal of completeness. This induces an exponential computational time that dramatically limits their usability. Modern solvers use a more specialized approach that takes advantage of the structure of the problems so that the solver spends as little time as possible backtracking.
For problems of a particular class (e.g., systems of non-linear equations) multiple algorithms are usually available. Some solvers implement multiple algorithms.


Twin Sector

Twin Sector is a first-person action-adventure game developed by DNS Development and published by Got Game Entertainment and Headup Games for the PC Windows in 2009. It uses havok for realtime physics.
Gameplay.
Summary: The story of Twin Sector takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where the remains of mankind have been put to artificial sleep in cryogenic chambers deep under the contaminated surface of earth - until the planet becomes habitable again. You as the player must take the role of Ashley Simms, the protagonist of Twin Sector. Suddenly awakened by the station's security A.I. system O.S.C.A.R., you face the imminent extinction of all other still sleeping survivors due to an unknown failure in the life support system. According to O.S.C.A.R., you are the only person who was able to be woken and therefore the only individual capable of saving mankind. Within the next ten hours you will need to repair the broken main generator of the subterranean bunker system in order to reestablish the station's functionality. But there are yet unknown forces trying to prevent you from succeeding at all costs. Twin Sector is a thrilling physics-based action-adventure which allows players free interaction with their environment. Using the advantages of the powerful HAVOK-Engine, innumerable puzzles, challenges and enemies await the players in a hostile and threatening futuristic environment. Featuring more than 15 missions alongside a thrilling story line unfolding over the course of action.
Reception.
"Twin Sector" received generally unfavourable reviews, resulting in an averaged Metacritic score of 49/100, albeit "PC Gamer UK" gave it a positive 77/100. Steve Butts from IGN gave this "doubly disappointing" game a score of 4/10 ("Bad"), opining it is "stealing some of the best ideas from other physics-based puzzle games" but "the end result is an exercise in wasted potential" that "fails on nearly every level." Similarly, Cole Smith from Cheat Code Central, who gave it a score of 2.7/5 ("Average"), came to a conclusion that "the developers erringly assume that these elements define the genre, but that's just a lazy excuse for not creating and implementing original ideas."


Mudder (MUD)


Viktor, a Steampunk Adventure

Viktor, a Steampunk Adventure is a point n' click adventure game developed by Zagreb-based Studio Spektar. It boasts a cartoony steampunk setting placed in an imagined version of Agram, Austria-Hungary where characters are replaced by animals. The adventure follows Viktor, a boar disillusioned with his role as a janitor, and sets on a journey to become the next Emperor of Austria-Hungary. It was first released on Steam in March, 2017.
Gameplay.
The game's core follows the classic point n' click adventure formula, but with some innovations on its own. For instance, the game is notable for its use of gibberish in recorded dialogue, which is supplemented with subtitles in English. It also uses records as collectibles, which could be used to change the game's musical backdrop. The entire game is littered with minigames often utilizing arcade instances and reflexes.
Development.
The game went through an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, but was developed despite this due to the investment and passion of the developers in the project. One of the developers explained the process for choosing the setting as "When we decided to fragment the game in multiple episodes, it was logical that Viktor starts in Zagreb, or Agram in Austria-Hungary, which is in Sven’s world an industrial zone in the style of early twentieth century, only with more robots and mobile phones, rather than cockroaches".


Bandai LCD Solarpower

The LCD Solarpower series are handheld electronic games powered by solar energy made by Bandai in 1982. The games in the Double Panel series feature two LCD panels stacked on top of each other. This allows these games to progress in 2 stages for more variation in game play.
Games.
It comprises the following games:
First series:
Second series (Double Panel):


Shadowgate

Shadowgate is a black-and-white 1987 point-and-click adventure video game originally for the Apple Macintosh in the MacVenture series. The game is named for its setting, Castle Shadowgate, residence of the evil Warlock Lord. The player, as the "last of a great line of hero-kings" is charged with the task of saving the world by defeating the Warlock Lord, who is attempting to summon up the demon Behemoth out of Hell. Later that year, a color version of the game was released for the Amiga and Atari ST, and in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Gameplay.
The player must solve a series of puzzles throughout the castle to proceed to the Warlock Lord's chamber. Due to the castle's perilous nature, at least one lit torch must be in the player's possession at all times. If the torch is extinguished, the player soon stumbles, breaking his neck, and must then continue from a saved game (or the area in which they died, in game console versions). Only a finite number of torches are to be found throughout the game, which effectively acts as a time limit to proceedings. Various items that can be acquired include a sword, a sling and other ancient weapons; though these weapons can not actually be used as striking weapons, they can be clicked on at the appropriate time to deliver a fatal blow to specific enemies.
The game is notorious for its many opportunities for death, including being burned by a dragon's breath, attacked by a cyclops, sucked into outer space through a broken mirror, dissolved by acidic slime, mauled by a wolf-woman, eaten by sharks, and suicide. Virtually any action taken by the player which is not the correct solution to a puzzle will result in a fatality. These deaths were often graphically described in the game's text (along with often sardonic and humorous comments), even in the NES version (in spite of Nintendo's policy of censorship at the time). Many of the game's puzzles rely on a system of trial and error, the problem of which is overcome by the ability to save the game state (as in most adventure games). Subtle hints can be found in books and the descriptive game texts. In the NES version, these are replaced by an outright hint feature which gives vague clues about what is noteworthy in any given room in the castle. The further the player progresses, however, the more useless this feature becomes, deteriorating into nothing but encouraging messages by the game's end. The NES version of "Shadowgate" also carries the distinction of being one of the few NES games to be available in a Swedish language version.
Plot and setting.
At the very beginning of "Shadowgate", the only information the game provides to the player is:
"The last thing that you remember is standing before the wizard Lakmir as he gestured wildly and chanted in an archaic tongue. Now you find yourself staring at an entryway which lies at the edge of a forest. The Druid's words still ring in your ears: Within the walls of the Castle Shadowgate lies your quest. If the prophecies hold true, the dreaded Warlock Lord will use his dark magic to raise the Behemoth, the deadliest of the Titans, from the depths of the earth. You are the seed of prophecy, the last of the line of kings, and only you can stop the Warlock Lord from darkening our world FOREVER. Fare thee well".
It is then up to the player to gather more information about the world through examining objects and reading any scrolls or books they come across. While reading some of the in-game books and scrolls are necessary to finish the game, others only provide exposition about the world "Shadowgate" takes place in. Reading the book "Before Shadowgate", the comic book "Shadowgate Saga: Raven", and playing the sequels "Beyond Shadowgate" and "" reveals more details.
The world of "Shadowgate".
"Shadowgate" takes place in the fictional world of "Tyragon" where creatures from fantasy and myth live. In the land of "Kal Zathyn", on top of "Gatekeeper Mountain", is the living castle of "Shadowgate" where a group of powerful wizards known as the "Circle of Twelve" once met. One of the Circle of Twelve, "Talimar", became corrupt and was removed from the Circle. After that, he began to call himself "The Warlock Lord" and caused chaos across the lands by inciting conflict between humans, elves, dwarves, and the races on Tyragon. After those wars ended and the land began to rebuild, the Warlock Lord amassed an army of followers, including trolls, orcs, goblins, and other creatures. He waged war against the Kings of the Lands, and was defeated when the rest of the Circle of Twelve intervened. They sealed the Warlock Lord inside the caverns underneath Shadowgate, and then disbanded. The only wizard who remained was "Lakmir", who took on the role of Tyragon's guardian to ensure that the Warlock Lord's evil would not threaten the Lands again.
Years later, the Warlock Lord escaped from his confinement, and planned to raise the mightiest of titans, the Behemoth, from the depths of darkness to serve him. With the Behemoth, the Warlock Lord would escape Castle Shadowgate, and terrorize the planet once more. To keep this from happening, Lakhmir sought out the last of the "Line of Kings", also known as "The Seed of Prophecy", who was foretold to stop the Warlock Lord and the Behemoth. Doing so would require the "Staff of Ages", a powerful artifact with enough power to slay the Behemoth that was hidden within Shadowgate. After finding this hero, Lakhmir sends him to the entrance of Shadowgate to begin his quest.
It is up to the player to take on the role of "The Seed of Prophecy", enter Castle Shadowgate, solve its puzzles, survive its many traps, and stop the Warlock Lord once and for all. If they survive to the end, they will come across the Warlock Lord immediately after he succeeds in opening the gates of Hell and summoning the Behemoth. If the player was successful in finding the holy artifact called the Staff of Ages by this point, then they would be able to mortally wound the demon with it. As it dies, the Behemoth then drags the Warlock Lord with him into Hell. The player returns victorious, where he is betrothed to the King's daughter and entitled High Lord of the Westland.
Reception.
"Computer Gaming World" gave the game a very positive review, noting the game uses the same superior interface as prior MacVenture games. The difficulty was noted as a step up from "" and "Uninvited", but "Shadowgate" was also said to be more flexible, allowing more than one solution to some puzzles.
The game was reviewed in 1987 in "Dragon" #128 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers stated that ""Shadowgate" is a great adventure game in that you must continually be aware of what’s already been accomplished to complete subsequent puzzles". The reviewers gave the game 5/5 stars.
"Macworld" reviewed the Macintosh version of "Shadowgate", praising its extensive gameplay, stating that "so much is jammed into these two disks that nearly everyone should find this game appealing ... "ShadowGate" plays easily and instinctively". "Macworld" also praises "Shadowgate's" graphics and sound, calling the graphics "expertly crafted", but express that they "[tend] to lack originality", and call the sound effects "far better than those of most adventure games". "Macworld" calls "Shadowgate" "technically, visually, and aurally superior to most of its competition" but criticizes the game's mood, stating that it doesn't "take itself seriously enough to create a mood of mystery", and also lacks the 'tongue-in-cheek' humor of other adventure games, creating a feeling of something "lacking".
The Swedish language version was noted because the "Go" and "Hit" abilities were mistranslated into "Gä" and "Slä", instead of "Gå" and "Slå" which is the correct translation. Bergsala included a letter with an apology.
Legacy.
The game proved popular enough to be ported to various other personal computers including a color version of the game for the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga later in 1987. In 1988 it was released for the DOS operating system and finally in 1989 for the Apple IIGS. It made its first console appearance later that year on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
The success of "Shadowgate" on the NES prompted ICOM Simulations to have Kemco/Seika port the other MacVenture titles to the console including Déjà Vu and Uninvited.
In 1991, a novel published by Scholastic Corporation under the pen name 'F.X. Nine' called "Before Shadowgate", was published by Scholastic Corporation as part of the "Worlds of Power" series of video game novelizations of third party Nintendo Entertainment System games. Contributing to the book were "Shadowgate" creators Dave Marsh and Karl Roelofs, who provided important details and information to the book's author.
In 1992, an enhanced version of the game was released for the IBM PC (Windows 3.1).
In 1996 Infinite Ventures acquired from Viacom, the rights to Shadowgate and other games originally developed by ICOM Simulations. ICOM Simulations had been acquired by Viacom in 1994 but had published no updates to the original products. After the acquisition, Infinite Ventures ported the game to other operating systems (Windows '95/'98/2000/Me) and portable systems (Windows CE P/PC, Palm OS, and Pocket PC) under the name of "Shadowgate Classic". The Pocket PC version featured new rooms and artwork.
In 1999, Infinite Ventures licensed the NES version of "Shadowgate" to KEMCO and it was ported to the Game Boy Color with enhanced sprites and animations also under the name of "Shadowgate Classic".
A mobile phone version of the game was released in 2005 by Vindigo Entertainment. Once again using the name of "Shadowgate Classic", this version featured brand new graphics, puzzles, challenges, and areas.
In 2006 Infinite Ventures licensed the rights to the ICOM simulations portfolio to Zojoi, a company formed by Shadowgates original game designers, Dave Marsh and Karl Roelofs.
Zojoi, LLC launched a Kickstarter campaign to secure funding for a remake of "Shadowgate" in October 2012. Original game creators Dave Marsh and Karl Roelofs appeared in the pitch video and showed pre-production footage of the game in development. They set a crowd-funding goal of $120,000. In the 2nd update of the Kickstarter campaign, the Black Axe, an item and quest that had been cut from the original game due to size constraints, was announced to be reintroduced in the new version of "Shadowgate". Those who pledged $2,500 or more received a replica Staff of Ages. The campaign finished successfully, earning $137,232 in pledges by November 25 and reaching its first stretch goal. The remake was completed and released for the PCs in 2014. In 2019, it was ported to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
There have been two sequels to the game. The first, "Beyond Shadowgate", was released for the TurboGrafx 16 in 1993 and the second called ' was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. Another N64 sequel, ', was planned and well into development, but the project was scrapped when Nintendo announced the creation of the game console which would go on to become the GameCube, and it now only exists in the form of a handful of development screenshots and a comic now hosted on Zojoi's website entitled "Shadowgate Saga: Raven".


Missile (Ghost Trick)

 is a fictional character from the 2010 video game "". He was based on designer Shu Takumi's real dog.
Concept and appearances.
Missile was designed by Shu Takumi, the designer of ', which is also the only appearance he has made so far, other than a brief cameo in '. In a remake of "Ghost Trick" for the iPad, he stars in a mini-game called "Missile Omikuji", where he tells fortunes to players in his "enthusiastic" style. Missile is a Pomeranian with thick fur of two colours: brown and white. He is very excitable, reacting to loud noises and strangers by barking at them; in the case of people, he barks at them as a way of greeting them. However, he is also very loyal, doing anything in his power to protect his owners and .
He first appears having been shot by an assassin who was waiting for Lynne to come home along with Kamila tied up. However, intervention from Sissel, who turns time back by four minutes to protect Kamila and Missile from this assassin results in him both surviving but being able to communicate with Sissel and other dead people. After Kamila is asked by Lynne to bring her something, Sissel also departs, suggesting that Missile go and try to protect her. While Missile is chasing after Kamila, a kidnapper kills him by accidentally running into him on a motor scooter. While Missile had no special ghost powers the first time he died, he gains access to a power that allows him to swap objects of the same shape, using this to save Kamila, but inadvertently kills another person, who the two of them save. It is later revealed that he gained these powers from dying near a meteor that had crashed in that area years ago, which gives special powers to those that die near it.
Instead of allowing Sissel to undo his death, Missile chooses to stay as a ghost, enjoying the increased ability to protect Kamila and Lynne. After he and Sissel saves the person he inadvertently killed, he is whisked away by the wind while possessing a leaf. He later resurfaces, still in the form of a leaf, and is saved by Sissel, and teams up with Sissel yet again in a mutual agreement for their own benefit. After using his powers to protect his loved ones, he eventually goes with Sissel and a man named Yomiel to 10 years in the past, where the events of "Ghost Trick" were first brought to fruition. Missile aides in changing the fate of Yomiel, who instead of dying and becoming effectively immortal from the meteor that fell, is possessed by the future Yomiel's spirit, and saves Lynne from death, a girl who he was using as a hostage moments earlier. After Sissel learns his true identity as a cat, Sissel returns to his place of death, meeting with a ghost named Ray who possessed a lamp and helped him out. He reveals himself to be a much older Missile, who had traveled 10 years into the past after failing to protect Lynne and Kamila from the assassin and Yomiel. He eventually came across Sissel who had just recently died, and attempted to form an agreement; however, because Sissel was only looking out for himself, he was forced to try again and trick him into believing that he only had until dawn of the next day before his spirit disappeared, and that he would help him recover his memories. In the end, the events of "Ghost Trick" are undone, creating an alternate timeline.
Reception.
Since appearing in "", Missile has received overwhelmingly positive reception. Series creator Shu Takumi noted that, even more so than protagonist Sissel, Missile is the one who gained the most positive response in Japan. "The Telegraph"s Tom Hoggins called Missile "one of gaming’s sweetest and most endearing characters against all odds." GamesRadar's Carolyn Gudmundson called Missile "possibly the cutest, most loveable dog we've ever seen in a game". GamesRadar's staff further placed him at number 23 in a list of the 50 best game characters of the generation, commenting that "Missile is quite possibly the best dog in gaming". Video Gamer's Martin Gaston called him charming, citing him as a particular highlight of the cast. Game Revolution's KevinS noted that without Missile, the animation would not be enough to carry the game.
1UP.com's Justin Haywald called Missile "one of the most absolutely adorable characters in any game, ever, anywhere", commenting that "Ghost Trick" changed him from wanting a Welsh Corgi or a Pug to a Pomeranian. Siliconera editor Spencer presented a contrast between Missile and game protagonist Sissel – where Sissel takes the situation of Missile's death seriously, Missile accepts that he is dead by rationalizing that he, as a dog, doesn't know a lot of things. Adventure Gamers' Dante Kleinberg described him as "cute and cuddly", while also using his death as an example of the darker elements found in "Ghost Trick". Games TM, while finding some fault in the game's structure, noted the interaction between Sissel and Missile as "amusing a concept as it is bizarre".


Michael Todd (video game developer)

Michael Todd (born 1989) is a Canadian independent video game programmer and designer. He is an active member of the Toronto video game developer community, and an advocate for mental health awareness within the profession.
Early life and education.
Todd was born in 1987 in Toronto, and was home schooled as his family followed his father, a Reverend with the Anglican church. He is the brother to four siblings, three of whom are adopted from various countries, including Ethiopia and China. Todd moved with his family to the Northwest Territories, through Europe, and then to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
At age 10, Todd's interest in computer games began to develop even though his father would not allow Todd to have a computer or video games. Todd was suggested by a friend, Zachary, to turn his drawings into video games. Todd's first attempt at creating a video game was a failure, but it sparked a curiosity in him that led him to want to learn more. He began to explore videogames in secret and built his first computer at the age of 13 after some persuasion as well as paid for his own internet. Game designing was trial and error for Todd during his early years.
At age 12, Michael Todd travelled with the Bluenose Jugglers, a Nova Scotian busker troop. At age 13, he learned to unicycle.
He eventually moved back in Toronto following a soul-searching trip to Africa. As a video game developer, Todd is primarily self-taught, and has been creating games with various levels of success since he was 13 years old, and has been developing games as his professional, full-time occupation since age 17. His first financially successful commercial title is "Engine of War" in 2009.
Career.
Throughout his career, Todd has headed a number of small game development studios, varyingly composed of himself only, or himself along with a small team of employees. These include:
Todd is a prolific speaker and has lectured at worldwide events, including GDC, PAX, GamerCamp, NoMoreSweden, IGDA Toronto, IGDA Phoenix and the Hand Eye Society. Todd takes an active interest in speaking to those learning about game development. His topics include: game design, lifestyle and professional development in the video games industry, the benefits of going indie vs. AAA, formal and vocational education, skill set development, and employment standards. He has engaged his audiences in Q&A sessions, seminars, round-table discussions, and welcomes students' questions and participation in the industry. He has helped develop Toronto Skillswap's events, a collective that runs workshops related to various game development topics.
Mental Health Awareness.
In 2011, Michael Todd gave a lecture during the Independent Game Summit of the Game Developers Conference titled "Turning Depression into Inspiration". In the talk, Todd discussed his own decade-long battle with depression, and the coping mechanisms he had devised to funnel his emotions into his creative work. In 2013, as Todd was putting the final touches on Electronic Super Joy, he gave an interview to Polygon about his process of developing games through depression.


Miguel Ortiz Berrocal

Miguel Ortiz Berrocal (Villanueva de Algaidas, Málaga, 28 September 1933 – Antequera, Málaga, 31 May 2006) was an award-winning Spanish figurative and abstract sculptor. He is best known for his puzzle sculptures, which can be disassembled into many abstract pieces. These works are also known for the miniature artworks and jewelry incorporated into or concealed within them, and the fact that some of the sculptures can be reassembled or reconfigured into different arrangements. Berrocal's sculptures span a wide range of physical sizes from monumental outdoor public works, to intricate puzzle sculptures small enough to be worn as pendants, bracelets, or other body ornamentation.
From 1967 to 2004, Berrocal worked in Verona, Italy, and in nearby Negrar, where he worked closely with sculptural foundries to produce his art. His work was exhibited widely throughout Europe and also in North and South America and Japan. In 2004 he returned to his birthplace in Spain, remaining artistically active until his sudden death in 2006. The Fundación Escultor Berrocal (Berrocal Sculpture Foundation) continues to preserve and promote his artwork and legacy, from its headquarters in his hometown of Villanueva de Algaigas in Spain.
Biography.
Education.
From a very early age, Berrocal demonstrated a talent for art and research. He produced his own toys with recycled material, drawing and painting with colors of his own design. He completed his education in Madrid. An important experience was his first visit to the Prado art meseum, which he revisited often. He attended the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, the Escuela de Artes Graficas, and evening classes at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios, where he befriended his tutor the sculptor . He enrolled at the Faculty of Exact Sciences to prepare for the entrance examination for Architecture studies. He was fascinated by analytic geometry, and this later manifested itself in the style of his works.
Artistic beginnings.
In 1952, Berrocal's first exhibition took place in Madrid at the Galería Xagra. He showed drawings of people and landscapes of Algaidas and Madrid. These were signed with his paternal surname, "Ortiz". He was awarded a grant to study in Italy. Berrocal was only familiar with Rome through his classical studies. After visiting the sites of Roman civilization, he lived in Rome for several months. There, for the first time, he came upon an exhibit of the work of Picasso in a major exhibition at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna. Exhibits of Picasso's work were prohibited in Spain at the time.
In 1954 he returned to Spain to undergo military service. He returned to the Faculty of Exact Sciences and to his drawing and sculpture classes. He found his friend Ferrant, who encouraged him in his work. He was invited to take part in the XXVII Biennale di Venezia, where he exhibited his drawings in the Spanish Pavilion, still signed "Ortiz".
The award of a grant, by the Institut Français in Madrid, enabled Berrocal to travel to Paris in 1955. Plunging into the stimulating atmosphere that the city offered him, he continued his work as a painter. He frequently saw the sculptors Cárdenas and Giacometti and many others. He returned to Rome, where he met Afro, Burri, Guerrini and other artists. He worked for various established architects, and with a group of young companions, he prepared an entry for a project for the construction of the Chamber of Commerce in Carrara. For the ornamentation of the facade, the 22-year-old Berrocal invented a solution for the balustrades. His work was based on eight modules with which he obtained a number of permutations and combinations that far exceeded the requirement to make each of the building's balustrades different from the others.
In 1957, he exhibited his first sculptures, in wrought iron, at the Galleria La Medusa, in Rome. The works that he produced during the summer, in the studio he rented in Mougins on the Côte d’Azur, concluded his cycle of activity as a painter. At this time he succeeded in being received by Picasso at La Californie. He returned to Rome and from then on concentrated on sculpture. Works made in this period included "La Boîte découpée", "Sarcophage" and "Grand Torse". These works mark the transition from the analysis of the problem of filled and empty space, and the multiplicity of positions of a single sculpture, to the problem of the combinatorial possibility of different volumes.
After making the decision to devote himself exclusively to sculpture, Berrocal had a house/studio, designed by Le Corbusier built in Crespières, near Paris. He had an important first sculptural exhibition at the Galleria Apollinaire in Milan, for which he signed his work definitively as "Berrocal". Bruno Lorenzelli, a well-known director of an art gallery in Bergamo, became his first dealer. Works produced in this period included "Torso Benamejí" and "Torso Her", first made in plaster and wood, and then cast in bronze and aluminum respectively.
1962 was a year full of events and important decisions. His exhibitions included shows with Ipoustéguy and Müller in New York at the Albert Loeb Gallery. Loeb henceforth acted as his dealer in the United States. His important first solo exhibition in Paris was at the Galerie Kriegel. Kriegel became a very close friend and acted as his dealer in France for many years. Throughout his life, Berrocal was known for his deliberate attempts to portray variety in his sculptures, often submitting individual pieces to different exhibitions.
Search for a foundry.
On his way to the Biennale di Venezia, he stopped at Verona because of his search for foundries. Here he found a small foundry willing to cast his sculptures. Together, they made Verona and its foundries one of the most important centres for contemporary art in Europe. In addition to his own work, Berrocal brought the best-known sculptors of the time to Verona, including: Miró, Dalí, Magritte, De Chirico, Lalanne, Lam, Matta, Duchamp-Villon, Ipoustéguy, César, Étienne Martin, Peñalba and many others.
His sculptural exploration led him to experiment with new techniques and materials. Thanks to his scientific training, he applied technologies used only in the most advanced sectors of industry to his art. He began experimenting this year, making 200 copies of the sculpture "María de la O".
In 1964 Berrocal exhibited as a sculptor in the Spanish Pavilion at the XXXII Biennale di Venezia, where the Belgian collector Baron Lambert acquired "Mercedes" for his collection. Jules Engel made the film "Torch and Torso", the first in an extensive range of films about Berrocal and his work, which was presented at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and received numerous prizes. Other films and videos have been produced in European, American and Japanese editions. During his stay in New York, in Lipchitz’s studio, he learned about the Shaw process, a lost wax system for casting in porcelain. Despite considerable difficulties, after some years, he succeeded in importing this technique to Italy and applying it. It revolutionized the world of artistic casting because it permitted lost wax casting in bronze, significantly reducing costs and casting times, and guaranteeing high quality and fidelity to the original. He taught Technique of Materials at the Hochschule für bildende Künste in Hamburg. He selected Thomas as his dealer in Germany and had his first exhibition in Munich.
The need to find better foundries obliged him to shuttle every week between Paris and Verona; he decided to settle definitively in the latter city in 1967. After remaining there for a while, he moved to Negrar, where he would live until 2004. His sculpture became increasingly complex. The search for a "fourth dimension" became evident in "Adamo Secundus" and "David", small works with complex possibilities of disassembly. The sculptures of this period were so successful that in the United States they acquired the status of "conversation pieces".
In 1968 Berrocal was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, André Malraux. German television made a documentary about Negrar. He exhibited at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, where he met artist Henry Moore, and Baron Lambert, the first of the considerable number of his devoted Belgian collectors and friends. Colonel Marcel Stal became his dealer. He presented an exhibition at the Badischer Kunstverein in Karlsruhe.
The successful series of exhibitions in private galleries begun in 1968 continued in: Frankfurt, Geneva, Paris, New York, Milan and Hanover, among others. This year he finally produced "Romeo e Giulietta", using the technique of injection casting, which for the first time enabled him to make 2000 copies of a sculpture. He used similar techniques to make "Goliath" which consisted of 80 pieces and "Richelieu" which had 61. He worked on the book/object "Petite Rapsodie de la main", with text by Loys Masson. Important works produced during this period are "Sainte Agathe II", "Cleopatra" and "Alfa e Romeo", a work specifically studied as an illustration for "Petite Rapsodie de la main". "Mini David" began the series of five mini-sculptures produced in quantities of 10,000 copies, using the automatic injection technique, a procedure hitherto used exclusively in industrial manufacturing. The Galería Iolas-Velasco in Madrid presented his sculptures in Spain for the first time. Various well-known dealers created Multicetera, a company for the distribution of his mini-sculptures. He received the Gold Medal from the Presidency of the Italian Republic for "Metal as a pure expression of art" at the V Biennale del Metallo in Gubbio.
1970s.
In 1971 Berrocal met Maria Cristina Blais of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Braganza, the daughter of a famous Portuguese throne pretender Maria Pia of Braganza. They married a few years later and had two sons, both born in Verona, Carlos Miguel Berrocal of Saxe-Coburg in 1976 and Beltrán José Berrocal of Saxe-Coburg born in 1978.
In 1972, the city of Málaga gave him a commission for a large monument as a tribute to Picasso. In 1976 "Monumento a Picasso" was exhibited at the Rond-Point of the Champs Élysées in Paris before its final placement in Málaga.
In 1973, Berrocal represented Spain at the XXII Bienal de São Paulo, and was awarded the Grand Prize of Honour. He visited Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela and exhibited in Caracas. On the basis of the experience of the "Monumento a Picasso", he undertook a new series of monumental works, including "Richelieu Big", "Almudena", "Dalirium tremens" and "Torso C". Also produced in this period were the editions of "Il Cofanetto", a tribute to Romeo and Juliet and the city of Verona, and "Paloma Box", a tribute to Paloma Picasso. Paloma Picasso lived for a few months in the Villa Rizzardi, Berrocal's home, and she worked on her own jewelry in Berrocal's workshop.
He went back to painting and did a series of gouaches and numerous painting variations on recurrent themes in his sculptures: torsos, female figures, reclining nudes, heads, and still lifes. During a journey in the Belgian Ardennes he found a group of old anvils, which he bought which, in 1982, gave rise to the series "Desperta Ferro", "Almogávares", and the not completed "Las Mujeres pasadas por la piedra". With the Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, he studied a project for a sculptural work one kilometre long, on the border between France and Spain, and also a design for the "trou des Halles" (a nickname for Les Halles in Paris). Neither of these ambitious architectural projects were carried out. He gave a talk at the École d’Art de Luminy in Marseilles.
Works produced in this period included "La Maja", "Manolete", and "Metamorehorses". His work "Torero" was included in the didactic exhibition "Les mains regarding", organised at the Centre Georges Pompidou and intended for the blind. It was touched by thousands of people. Berrocal visited the United States. Espace Berrocal was inaugurated at the Centre Artcurial in Paris.
In 1979 the circuit of museums, galleries and collectors functioned actively, and the use of casting for the production of sculptures now became very important. Berrocal declined an increasing number of invitations in order to concentrate on his work, which became more varied. Works produced in this period included "Caballo Casinaide" and "Omaggio ad Arcimboldo".
1980s.
In 1980 there were further exhibitions in Caracas and at the Palazzo delle Prigioni Vecchie in Venice. Berrocal was the only artist invited to the "I Symposium sur la Sculpture Éditée" in Brussels, where he participated in a seminar on multiplied sculpture with students from the University of Louvain. He completed "Astronauta", a tribute to Jules Verne, composed of 21 different pieces of jewellery.
In 1981, Berrocal returned to colour: he painted a series of gouaches and silkscreen prints and made two large patchwork hangings for "Vogue International". He held an exhibition of his work in New York, which he visited. His portrait by Andy Warhol dates from this trip. For the centenary of Picasso’s birth, he made a medal and a plaque for the artist’s birthplace, which had now become a museum. He made "Hoplita", which contained the famous Rubik’s cube, in tribute to the Hungarian mathematician. He held various exhibitions in Europe.
His first exhibition in Kuwait took place in 1982. He produced the series "Desperta Ferro", ten pieces on a theme that anticipated the "Almogávares", and completed "Neon" - a sculpture with computer-controlled neon circuits, which gave life to countless combinatorial possibilities of equestrian figures. He undertook his first collaboration with the architect Núñez Yanowski, for the design for the Place Picasso in Marne-la-Vallée, Paris. This led to the creation of "Sarabande pour Picasso". He visited New York, where he met the mayor of the city, Ed Koch, who showed great interest in the possibilities of Berrocal’s sculpture in an urban context.
In 1984 the Spanish Ministry of Culture hosted a major exhibition to him at the Palacio de Velázquez in Madrid. An exhaustive historical and critical catalogue was published to accompany the exhibition, with critical texts by Julián Gállego, and Franco Passoni. After Madrid, the exhibition was presented at the Palau Meca in Barcelona, and at Le Botanique in Brussels during Europalia. In 1984, the citizens of Algaidas established the Asociación Amigos de Berrocal, to create a documentation centre and a museum devoted to him; and, after an absence of 25 years, Berrocal returned to the city of his birth.
1986 was a period characterised by the installation of various urban monuments: "Sarabande pour Picasso" in Paris, "Fuente del Limonar", a project for a garden with a fountain in Málaga and, "Torso Es" for the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seoul. A substantial monograph was published in French by Éditions de la Différence in Paris, with a critical essay by Jean-Louis Ferrier. He gave his first exhibition at the museum in Villanueva de Algaidas, in conjunction with the award of the status of Favourite Son in his native town. He designed the sets and costumes for Bizet’s "Carmen" at the Arena in Verona.
1990s.
In 1991 Berrocal received a commission to produce three monumental works for the Spanish celebrations of 1992. The 1992 celebrations were the Exposición Universal in Seville, the Olympics in Barcelona, and the nomination of Madrid as Cultural Capital of Europe. As a result, he produced "Doña Elvira", a sculpture intended for the Auditorium on the Isla de la Cartuja in Seville; "Manolona", a sculpture erected in the Parque Juan Carlos I in Madrid; and "Citius, Altius, Fortius", a torso 4 metres high, presented at the Exposición Universal in Seville, before being moved to its final site at the entrance to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne in 1993. He was nominated as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO. In response to technical difficulties encountered when making his monumental sculptures, Berrocal carried out research into new materials and techniques, not hesitating to turn to the most highly specialised industrial sectors in order to learn avant-garde technologies. For example, the three monumental works produced in this period were made using Kevlar and carbon fibre. The application of technologies never before used for artistic purposes like sculpture, is significant in terms of the profound symbiosis between art, science and technology that had always accompanied Berrocal’s sculptural research.
In July 1994, the artist introduced the monument "Torso de Luces" in Seville. This was made for the company Sevillana de Electricidad to celebrate its centenary. In the autumn, there was a retrospective of multiples at the Cankarjev Dom cultural centre in Ljubljana.
In 1995 Berrocal introduced the "Fuente de la Paz" in Ibiza. The exhibition "Berrocal: Sculture e Disegni" was held at the Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Palazzo Forti, in Verona.
From June to September 1996, Berrocal exhibited at the Barchessa Rambaldi, Bardolino. He installed three large monumental sculptures, "Pepita" in Bordeaux, "Alcudia" on the campus of the Polytechnic University in Valencia, and "Marcelisa" in the Marselisborg sculpture park in Denmark.
Between 1997 and 1998 Berrocal took part in the following exhibitions: "VI Biennale di Scultura" in Monte Carlo Venice, "Piccole sculpture, grandi scultori" at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, and Berrocal, "Forme et Mouvement", catalogued by Pierre Restany and Robert C. Morgan.
In 1999 he appeared at the "ARCO" art fair in Madrid. At the same time, there was a large solo exhibition presented at the Centro Cultural Conde Duque in Madrid, which then traveled to Oviedo, where it was seen at the Teatro Campoamor from 15 October to 8 December, and then to Málaga, where it was shown at the exhibition rooms of Unicaja. Berrocal illustrated Emilio Prado’s book "The Mystery of Water" for the City Council of Madrid. In September he took part in the international exhibition of sculpture and installations "OPEN’999" at the Lido in Venice, with "El Diestro", a work 3 metres high. In October he presented a solo exhibition at the Galerie Artcurial in Paris. In December he had a large solo exhibition at the Galleria Ghelfi in Verona.
2000s.
In 2000 Berrocal took part in the "Miami Art Fair", the "ARCO" Art Fair in Madrid, the laying of the foundation stone for the Museo Berrocal in Villanueva de Algaidas, a solo exhibition in Málaga, and another exhibition at the Fondation Veranneman in Belgium. He gave talks in Spain at the University of the Basque Country, Faculty of Fine Arts, Bilbao and the Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics, Thales, in San Fernando.
He participated in group exhibitions in Hamburg and Como and in several collective and international exhibits such as: "International Fair of Contemporary Art" ("ARCO") in collaboration with the Málaga Provincial Council; the exhibit "Golden Imagination: Artists, Silver and Goldsmiths in the Second Half of Italy’s 20th Century", in Ancona; the monographic exhibit, "Return to Classicism: The Fusion of Art and Science" at the Gallery of the City Hall in the village of his birth, Villanueva de Algaidas; the "36th Abitare el Tempo a Verona"; and lastly, an extensive personal retrospective at the Spazio Creativo Cardin in Venice.
In 2002 he took part in the group exhibition, "Scultori a Verona 1900–2000", at the Palazzo Forti in Verona, and at the "Mostra Internazionale di Arte Contemporanea" in Vicenza. In the spring, he was involved in an itinerant exhibition with the name "Ecume: Autour de la monnaie unique", which took the design of the Euro as its motif and was organized by the French Government. The Swinger Art Gallery presented the exhibition "Berrocal Scultorea". That summer he prepared another extensive exhibit at the Institute Valencià d ́Art Modern (IVAM) that included drawings and sculpture. During that retrospective an important monograph was published. The book was illustrated with photographs of Roberto Bigano and included texts of high intellectual soundness.
In 2003, the retrospective in Valencia continued into the spring, in this case in Málaga at the "Episcopal Palace". It was organized by the Unicaja Benefit Society. Several large sculptures were presented, such as the wooden "Richelieu Big", which is two meters in height and can be taken down to 61 pieces. Several monographic and collective exhibits showed the presence of Berrocal in Europe. These included his participation in Milan on the occasion of the Furniture Fair, as well as in Belgium, Venice, Frankfurt and Rome. A collection of jewellery was presented at the Château de Seneffe in Belgium with the title "Être ou ne pas être: Peintres ou Sculpteurs? Les bijoux des plus grands". It received a positive response from critics and the public.
During 2004 he showed various works at the "International Fair of Contemporary Art" ("ARCO") in Madrid. He was also in the exhibition "Forme Animali–Warning Colours" that unified art and science. It was organized by the University of Aquila at the Abbey of Saint Maria di Collemaggio. He also participated at the Milan MIART. In June he took part in the collective exhibit "Objects of Desire, Objects of the Artist" at the Elvira Conzales Gallery of Madrid. In June and August, an open-air exhibit of monumental sculptures, held in the magnificent Mediterranean landscape of Cap Roig in Costa Brava, was attended by more than 150.000 people. In that show the work "Melilla" was presented for the first time. The piece was to be permanently placed at the Plaza de las Cuatro Culturas in the city of Melilla.
Return to Spain.
At the end of 2004, Berrocal decided to move to Andalusia permanently. He established a home in his birthplace, Villanueva de Algaidas, in the province of Málaga. There he managed the building of his new studio, an immense warehouse among olive trees, to hold the works his insatiable appetite for knowledge, fantasy, and versatile curiosity had led him to accumulate during more than 50 years of making art.
During 2005, he wrote and edited his memoirs, and prepared two other publications: a general catalogue of his sculptures, and a separate catalogue of his painting, drawing and graphic works.
Along with ten other sculptors of different nationalities, he participated in the symposium "Creator Vesevo" organised by the city of Herculaneum, close to Naples. That fall, a powerful and monumental torso made out of volcanic stone was placed on the side of Mount Vesuvius. Berrocal started to move his material possessions from Villa Rizzardi de Negrar in the Valpolicella (Italy), where he had lived and worked for forty years, to his new residence in Spain.
In February 2006 he finished "Large Leaning Nude", made of white Kevlar, which now projects as a white cloud over the landscape of Lake Como. That year, he finished writing his memoirs, but continued to work enthusiastically on drawings and sketches for several new works to be built at his studio.
Miguel Berrocal died on 31 May in Antequera.
Principles of Berrocal’s art.
The young Berrocal, inspired by the great creative forces of the first half of the 20th century, sought his own artistic path and asked himself: "How to awake people to sculpture?". This question fostered a personal artistic philosophy and esthetic language that can be better understood through seven main points:
Fundación Escultor Berrocal.
In order to protect and enhance the vast creative legacy of Berrocal, the Fundación Escultor Berrocal (Berrocal Sculpture Foundation) was established on 22 November 2007 in Madrid by the heirs of Miguel Berrocal, fulfilling his expressed will and culminating the projects which the artist started during his life. The aims of the institution are the preservation, research, and dissemination of the work of Miguel Berrocal, as well as contributions to the advancement of sculpture in all its forms, and to the development and progress of culture and the arts. The foundation is headquartered in the Estudio-Taller Berrocal, the artist's last studio and workshop, in his hometown of Villanueva de Algaidas in the province of Málaga, Spain.
The following seven permanent programs were created:
Berrocal Creative Universe.
The Berrocal Creative Universe is a 3 place exhibition venue around the work of the sculptor. Opened in 2013, the Museum exhibits paintings and graphical works. The Studio-Workshop allows visitors "to discover the incredibly complex creative endeavors as well as technical process needed to prototype and produce [Berrocal's] disassemblable works." The House-Museum provides visitors with a sense of Berrocal's personality and exhibits works by his many artist friends.
Museum.
The building of the Berrocal Museum, still in development, hosts in its first wing open to public the Center of Interpretation of Water and Contemporary Art. Through an exhibition dedicated to the artist’s monumental fountains. it proposes a different approach to the works of Berrocal, looking to understand how the mind of an artist uses the poetry and complexity of the liquid element in different ways. Another feature of this exhibition is the lesser known graphical works of the sculptor, a small representative selection that shows the strong relationship of the artist with his homeland, with the landscapes of Villanueva de Algaidas: the young artist started out as a painter, wandering in the fields, honing his passion and work, researching his inspiration among the hills of olive trees, in the faces of people, in the light of this ancient territory.
Studio-Workshop.
Visitors can see a selection of Berrocal's sculptures, especially of the first period; his mechanical workshop, where the prototypes were created and the sculptures were finished; as well as his personal studio, revealing the process of research, study, calculations and drawing that kept the artist busy while conceiving the sculptures. The Studio also contains Berrrocal's personal library, with more than 5000 books and a collection of his limited editions.


Katie Perry

Katie Jane Perry (born 30 December 1980) is an English-born Australian fashion designer. Her label began in the Paddington Markets, and continued with a shop in Sydney.
Life and career.
Perry was born in Camden, London, England. In early years, after the separation of her parents, she traveled with her mother and her mother's partner, and lived on four continents (Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia). She now lives in Sydney.
Her mother worked closely with the Benetton brothers before launching her own label in the 1970s, dressing those such as Diana, Princess of Wales and Paul McCartney.
Perry studied at FBI Fashion College in Glebe, Sydney. She launched her label in late 2006. She chose to have the collection made in Australia, using Australian jersey fabric.
In September 2008, Perry submitted a trademark application for her label, which was formally approved as trademark number 1264761 in the Australian Official Journal of Trademarks, on 29 January 2009. In June 2009, she launched the "Katie Perry Studio" in Mosman, New South Wales.
Name conflict.
In June 2009, a Brisbane firm of intellectual property lawyers, Fisher Adams Kelly, acting for the American pop singer Katy Perry, applied to IP Australia to oppose the new trademark, on the basis of a similarity of names. A hearing with IP Australia was called for 10 July 2009, at which they were to seek an extension of the normal three-month time limit within which they may oppose a new trademark.
Some media reports have described this application as a "lawsuit". However, the application to IP Australia is not a lawsuit, and Katy Perry has denied the reports of lawsuits on her blog.
On 29 June 2009, Katie Perry posted a personal message to Katy Perry the singer as a video on YouTube, seeking to get past the lawyers and interact directly between the two Perrys, asking that they can both pursue their dreams and wishing the singer well for her upcoming Australian tour.
At a hearing with IP Australia on 10 July 2009, the singer's legal team withdrew their opposition to the Katie Perry trademark.
In October 2019, Perry initiated legal proceedings against the singer for trade mark infringement in Australia. Perry claims that the singer has ignored her rights in respect of her registered Australian trade mark, and despite being fully aware of those rights, the singer has been using "KATY PERRY" as a trade mark in Australia to sell clothes and other goods of the same description. Perry alleges that the singer's mark "KATY PERRY" is substantially identical or deceptively similar to her mark "KATIE PERRY" which is registered in class 25 for clothes, and thus, that the singer has infringed her registered trade mark.


Pixel Chix

Pixel Chix are interactive electronic games that are surrounded by young female characters and are played in a world simulator theme. Other games released featured the "Roomies" which brought multiple characters together, a babysitting simulator and "The Secret Life of Pets: Hamster". They are very similar to Tamagotchi in that they have a LCD screen and controlling buttons, although they are larger. They were first released in 2005 by Mattel, forming an important part of their earnings that year.
Based in a miniature house, in the house, there is a lounge, kitchen and dining area, with steps leading upstairs. Houses can be three different colors; pink, yellow, or blue. There are also three different pixel girls in each house. Fitted at the bottom sides of every house are USB-like plug-ins to allow the houses to connect to each other to simulating the girls "visiting" each other's houses.
In 2009, Mattel discontinued the brand.
The Pixel Chix are all voiced by Tara Strong, except Miss Sporty who is voiced by Katherine Von Till.
Premise.
In the game, two or more houses can be connected, allowing the characters (the Pixel Chix) to visit one another. These characters can be controlled in ways similar to other hand-held games, such as Tamagotchi. They can be told to go for a walk, watch television, eat a variety of foods, such as popcorn and hamburgers, and go to sleep.
The more they are played with, the more options appear to the player; higher levels introduce different types of food, more outfits and more games to play. However; if they are ignored, they will decrease in skill level. Eventually, if ignored for too long, the game will "end" by causing the characters to "leave", although they can come back by resetting the game using a mini screwdriver into a reset hole.
The story is based and shown on the Internet of women living in an all-female college and fashionable poses, beginning with a house, then mate's connection and following with cars and babysitting.
Variations and accessories.
A number of Pixel Chix accessories have been created including the "Road Trippin' Cars" where one can go to the mall, go to the beach, or do many other things. The cars come in multiple colors. There are also metallic Road Trippin' Cars and a glitter house that were only released in Europe.
Also available is the Pixel Chix Love 2 Shop mall, where the Pixel Chix can work, shop, play games, and take breaks. There are two different malls, a boutique/food court, and a pet shop/salon. Each mall has an LCD flip screen, allowing the Pixel Chix girl to change stores. They are able to connect to the houses, the cars, and other malls.
Another available accessory is the Pixel Chix two-story house. It is almost the exact replica of the original Pixel Chix except that it has an upstairs bedroom. There, the Pixel Chix can put on makeup at the vanity, go to the bathroom, and much more. They come in dark and light pink and are connectable to the cars, the malls, and other houses. Here, no matter how long she is neglected, the Pixel Chix girl remains happy in the player's house with the player's level skills kept the same.
There is also Pixel Pets (Secret Life of Pets) in which pets can start becoming disco stars, the animal equivalent of Pixel Chix. Dogs and hamsters are available.
Also available is a babysitter house where the Pixel Chix looks after a baby girl. The red light flashes if something is wrong or needs attention.
There is the "Roomies" House with three floors (six rooms in all) with five different roommates - Diva Queen, DJ Hip Hop, Punk Rocker, Super Smarty and Miss Sporty - who are all sold separately, except for Miss Sporty, who comes with the Roomies house.
There is a Pixel Chix TV, which comes with a remote control to switch channels and also unlock channels.
The last Pixel Chix product to be released was the "Fab Life City" where the Pixel Chix girl can go to the bank, mall and the amusement park. There is also a piggy bank which can hold coins.
McDonald's Happy Meal toys based on the line were released in 2008 in several countries, including Portugal, France, Australia and New Zealand.
Specification.
The toys have an LCD screen display of various sizes, and are powered by four AAA alkaline batteries, while the cars use only 3 AAA batteries.
Since they were distributed in several countries, the voices of the characters were translated depending on where they were sold, being printed on the motherboard what language is programmed onto the ROM of the machine.
Website.
There was an official website of Pixel Chix on Everythinggirl.com. There were games, such as "Monster Baby" and four mini games which could be unlocked, videos of TV commercials, T-shirt graphics, a downloadable desktop buddy, as well as secret codes and a movie maker similar to that of Zimmer Twins. The website closed in 2014 along with the My Scene website.


Don Greenwood (game designer)

Don Greenwood is a board game designer and was a pioneer editor among commercial board-wargaming magazines. He began his own fanzine, "Panzerfaust Magazine", which he oversaw from 1967 until 1972. He then joined The Avalon Hill Game Company in 1972, and took over editorship of that company's "house organ", "The General Magazine", which office he held until 1982. He left Avalon Hill and continued to work in the wargame industry, notably for GMT Games. He is the founder of the Origins, Avaloncon, and WBC gaming conventions and remains the WBC convention manager. Greenwood was also president of the Boardgame Players Association. He was inducted into the Origins Award hall of fame in 1991 and the Charles Roberts Awards Hall of Fame in 1994. He was honored as a "famous game designer" by being featured as the king of spades in Flying Buffalo's 2011 Famous Game Designers Playing Card Deck.
Games.
Greenwood was a prolific game designer, with a unique rules-writing style. Among the titles for which he was responsible:


Frank Proffitt

Frank Noah Proffitt (June 1, 1913 – November 24, 1965) was an Appalachian old time banjoist who preserved the song "Tom Dooley" in the form we know it today and was a key figure in inspiring musicians of the 1960s and 1970s to play the traditional five-string banjo.
He was born in Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee and was raised in the Reese area of Watauga County, North Carolina where he worked in a variety of jobs and lived on a farm with his wife and six children. He grew tobacco, worked as a carpenter, and in a spark plug factory. He was known for his skills as a carpenter and luthier; Proffitt's fretless banjos and dulcimers were homemade.
In 1937, Frank Proffitt met folksong collectors Anne and Frank Warner. Frank Warner was searching for a dulcimer builder and thus began a 30-year friendship and song swapping. Warner collected his songs and shared them with Alan Lomax, who included many, including the ballad "Tom Dooley" that Warner had learned from Proffitt, in his book, "Folksong U.S.A.". Proffitt had learned the song from his aunt Nancy Prather, who had in turn learnt it from her mother Edy Adeline (Pardue) Proffitt, who had known both Dula (locally pronounced "Dooley") and Laura Foster. The Kingston Trio learned "Tom Dooley" from a recording by Warner, and were eventually required by court judgement to acknowledge their debt to Proffitt and pay him royalties for the use of the song.
Proffitt recorded "Tom Dooley" and other ballad songs in 1961, on the album "Frank Proffitt Sings Folk Songs", edited by Warner and issued by Folkways Records. A second set of Proffitt's recordings, "Frank Proffitt of Reece NC: Traditional Songs and Ballads of Appalachia", was released in 1962, and Proffitt performed at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival. He also performed at the 1964 New York World's Fair, and recorded several more tracks released on the compilation album "High Atmosphere: Ballads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina".
Proffitt died in 1965, aged 52. The "Frank Proffitt Memorial Album" was released by Folk Legacy Records in 1969, followed by a tribute album, "Nothing Seems Better To Me: The Music of Frank Proffitt and North Carolina", was issued in 2000.


Lomboz

Lomboz is an open-source Eclipse plug-in for the Java EE development environment. It has means to develop, test, profile and deploy Web, Web services, Java, Java EE and EJB applications. Lomboz supports the most Java EE standard application server runtimes, and supports most popular open source runtimes such as JOnAS. Like JOnAS, Lomboz is hosted and developed by the OW2 Consortium (the development group calls themselves "eteration"). It is distributed under GNU Lesser General Public License.
In July 2006's this system was sufficiently convenient for the developer, familiar with all main concepts, features and methods of the Java EE platform. It is, however, not oriented to the student who would want to start developing Java EE applications without reading documentation. Lomboz is packaged, integrated and dependent on many other open source Eclipse packages for Java EE development.
Lomboz provides:


Armin Ganz

Armin Ganz (March 26, 1948 – October 9, 1995) was an American production designer. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film "".


E-Tribe

E-Tribe (Hangul: ) is a South Korean record artist and music duo consisting of Ahn Myung-won and Kim Young-deuk. They are most known for producing "Gee" by Girls' Generation, "U-Go-Girl" by Lee Hyo-ri, "Yayaya" by T-ara, "It's You" by Super Junior, and "I Know" by Se7en. Due to the consistent success of these singles, the duo has become well accepted and known in the South Korean music scene.
In January 2011, Happy Face Entertainment debuted their own girl group, Dal Shabet. Their debut song, "Supa Dupa Diva", produced by E-Tribe was released on January 3, 2011. The duo has also produced a number of their comeback tracks, including "Pink Rocket", "Bling Bling", "Hit U" and "Mr. Bang Bang".
Since late 2011 only Ahn Myung-won uses the name E-tribe. In 2012 he founded Elephant Entertainment. An entertainment company with various artists and is the CEO of that company.
Credits.
Below is a list of works produced and composed by E-Tribe in chronological order. Listed by year and date [MM/DD].


Baan ERP


Jack Radey

Jack Radey (born 1947, Chicago, Illinois) is an American military historian and wargame designer. He set up People's War Games. He was a draft resister, and activist in the Vietnam anti-war movement.
He became interested in wargames when his school friend, David D. Friedman taught him how to play Tactics II. Radey related how Friedman and himself wrote to Charles S. Roberts claiming that they had found a first turn winning strategy foreach of the two sides. Roberts replied that their interpretation of the rules was valid. He later moved to Merced, California where he graduated in 1964.
Jack also developed an early interest in politics: his mother's family were refugees from the Nazi regime in Germany. He was influenced by both the Civil Rights Movement and the Cuban Revolution, and went to work for the Communist Party of the United States of America both as a chauffeur/body guard for Gus Hall as well as for their education department. In 1964 he went to the University of California in Berkeley where he was involved with the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, getting arrested during the Sproul Hall sit-in.
Radey's political sympathies influenced his decision to publish his first game "Korsun Pocket", which dealt with the Soviet Union's Red Army's victory at the Battle of the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket. When interviewed by Fire & Movement he denied that his sympathies made his game biased, but rather condemned writers such as Paul Carell and Simulations Publications, Inc. for bias. He argued that the role of a wargame designer was to "teach something real about history" and said he hoped that the wargaming hobby would "promote peace not war and treat history with the respect it deserves". Radey also said that he supported the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan which had started at the end of 1979.
Games.
The following games by Radey were published by People's War Games:


Lera Loeb

Lera Loeb née Valeriya Sorokina () is a Ukrainian-born writer, producer and film maker.
Originally from Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Loeb married American music producer Steve Loeb. She is now based in New York City. Loeb's writings have been reviewed by "Elle" magazine.
She revealed in 2009 that she was what is commonly known as a mail-order bride. Loeb's public case as such brought analysis of pre-conceived notions and social attitudes in the United States of the circumstances of mail-order brides.


Paper doll (video games)

In role-playing video games, a paper doll is a way of representing a player character's inventory and currently used equipment. In games that use a paper doll inventory management system, the sprites or 3D models of equipment, such as clothing or armour, can be placed on top of an image of the player character. This is similar to how the paper cut-outs of real-world paper dolls are used.
The innovative and very successful "Dungeon Master" popularized the paper doll interface. Using a paper doll inventory system is either done by dragging equipment in place, or by selecting them from a list. In games with multiple main characters, the different player characters are usually shown posing the same way. In some cases, there are multiple poses for the characters. For example, there may one unique pose when a one-handed weapon is equipped, and another when a two-handed weapon is equipped.
Typically, the paper dolls are a separate part of the inventory management. Sometimes, however, the in-game character sprite or model itself acts as a paper doll on which equipment can be put; an example of this would be "Ultima IX: Ascension".
Use.
The paper doll-approach of inventory management is useful when a game makes a distinction between different parts of a character's body in combat. It has also been cited to feel more realistic to place armour manually on one's character. On the other hand, a paper doll inventory requires a large interface, as it has to show the entire character.


Fatale Collective

Fatale Collective is a group of female horror directors that premiered their film anthology "Fatale Collective: Bleed" in 2019. The collective was founded by Lola Blanc, Megan Rosati, Francesca Maldonado, and Danin Jacquay. Natasha Halevi and Linda Chen are also founding directors.
In 2019, "Fatale Collective: Bleed" premiered at FilmQuest where it won the “Director’s Award for Cinematic Achievement” and it also screened at Fantastic Fest and Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
On May 8th, 2020, Fatale Collective: Bleed made an online premiere with the prestigious horror publication, Fangoria.
"Fatale Collective: Bleed" received distribution with Screambox in 2021.


Uppaal Model Checker

UPPAAL is an integrated tool environment for modeling, validation and verification of real-time systems modeled as networks of timed automata, extended with data types (bounded integers, arrays etc.).
It has been used in at least 17 case studies since its release in 1995, including on Lego Mindstorms, for the Philips audio protocol, and in gearbox controllers for Mecel.
The tool has been developed in collaboration between the Design and Analysis of Real-Time Systems group at Uppsala University, Sweden and Basic Research in Computer Science at Aalborg University, Denmark.
There are the following extensions available:


Andrew Martin (computer scientist)

Professor Andrew Martin is a British computer scientist at the University of Oxford, England, where he is Professor of Systems Security, Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security (2013-) and Deputy Director and lecturer in Software Engineering Programme.
He is a member of the Oxford University Department of Computer Science.
Education.
He obtained BA in Mathematics and Computation (1986–1989) and DPhil in Machine-Assisted Theorem Proving for Software Engineering (1991–1994) from the University of Oxford.
Career.
After his first degree, he joined Praxis High Integrity Systems, Bath as Industrial Software Engineer. After his DPhil, he became Research Fellow at the Software Verification Research Centre in the University of Queensland in Australia. Before taking up his current post in 1999, he was briefly a lecturer in the University of Southampton.
Publications.
Martin's publications cover software engineering, security, trusted computing in general and formal methods in particular


Pointelle

Pointelle is a knit fabric pattern with tiny holes typically in the shape of chevrons; the structure is geometric in shape and with repeated design similar to lace. It is a fine knit pattern with small open spaces, subtle stripe, and floral effects. The fabric is lightweight, airy, and of a very delicate nature. Pointelle is possible on warp knitting and weaving also.
Etymology and origin.
Origin, 1950s probably from point in the sense ‘lace made entirely with a needle’ + the French diminutive suffix -elle.
Fabric construction.
Pointelle fabric is an intricate pattern as compare to simple knitting structures like jersey fabric. In pointelle knitting, the yarn does not form a complete loop and create a hole. The pointelle knitting requires jacquard controlled knitting machines. The jacquard machines equipped with computers, wheels, punching cards etc., allow the knitter more adjustments of yarn feeding, knitting, and tucking positions. These settings help in producing required motifs and complex design and pattern making. The size of the pointelle holes is adjustable to an extent with needle selection on the machine. The resultant fabric is a lightweight delicate fabric, it is stretchable and comfortable to wear structure. In knitting, the transfer knit is used to create the design. It is possible with jersey and rib structures.
Uses.
It is used predominantly for clothing manufacturing, due to its appearance and fabric characteristics, it is suitable for Men's, kids wear and feminine dresses. The fabric is also used for cardigan,Tops, T-shirts, pajamas, night suits, and lingerie.


Hum Award for Best Host

Hum Award for Best Host is one of the Hum Awards of Merit presented annually by the Hum Television Network and Entertainment Channel (HTNEC) to host working in the television industry. Since its inception, however, the award has commonly been referred to as the hum for Best Host. While hosts are nominated for this award by Hum members who are actors and actresses themselves, winners are selected by the Hum membership as a whole.
History.
Hum Television Network and Entertainment Channel presented this award to shows Host of Pakistani TV industry, as of first ceremony Only one nomination pursue and currently Fahad Mustafa was honored at 1st Hum Awards ceremony 2012 for his Morning Show "Jago Pakistan Jago".
Winners and nominees.
In the list below, winners are listed first in the colored row, as of first ceremony only one host was selected for trophy. Following the hum's practice, the Morning Shows below are listed by year of their Pakistan qualifying run, which is usually (but not always) the Morning Show year of release.
For the first ceremony, the eligibility period spanned full calendar years. For example, the 1st Hum Awards presented on April 28, 2013, to declared the best Host of the years that Hosted a morning show released between January, 2012, and December, 2012, the period of eligibility is the full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31.
Date and the award ceremony shows that the 2010 is the period from 2010-2020 (10 years-decade), while the year above winners and nominees shows that the Morning Shows year in which they were telecast, and the figure in bracket shows the ceremony number, for example; an award ceremony is held for the dramas of its previous year.


Valentina Kova

Valentina Kova is an American fashion designer. She is the owner and head designer of "Valentina Kova", a luxury womenswear and fine jewelry brand. In 2016, Valentina Kova was named “Russian Woman of the Year” by the U.S. Russian Embassy. Kova currently works and resides in New York. Her designs have been worn by a number of celebrities, including Jane Fonda, Julianne Moore, Lorde, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Coco Rocha, and Mischa Barton.
Kova is Russian-born and graduated with a degree in art and economics. She worked for Goldman Sachs prior to applying and being accepted to Parson's Graduate Program. She worked for designers in New York and Paris before designing her own clothing and jewelry.


Joseph Miranda (game designer)

Joseph Miranda is an American game designer who has worked primarily on board games.
Career.
Joseph Miranda is the editor of "Strategy & Tactics" magazine and has designed over 100 published wargames. Miranda has also worked for various computer game design firms including HPS Simulations and Hexagon Interactive. He is a former U.S. Army officer who has taught unconventional warfare topics at the JFK Special Warfare Center, and more recently has developed courses in terrorism and Middle Eastern conflict for Chapman University. He has been a featured speaker at the USAF Connections simulations conference, the Military Operations Research Society, and the Origins national wargaming convention.


H. Sridhar

H. Sridhar (Sridhar Hariharan/H.Padmanabh) was a sound engineer from India and known for his work with the Indian Musician A R Rahman.
Sridhar was the Chief Audio Engineer at Media Artists Chennai. A mathematics graduate, with keen interest in electronics and formal music training, he started a professional sound engineering career in 1988. He had engineered over 200 films and worked closely with directors like Mani Ratnam, K Balachandar, Bharathiraaja, Shankar, Kamal Hassan, P C Sreeram, Priyadarsan, Sibi Malayil and Ramgopal Varma.
Among Sridhar's many professional credits was the fact that he engineered all songs and background scores for the renowned music director A R Rahman. Some ground-breaking films to his credit are Roja, Gentleman, Kadhalan, Thiruda Thiruda, Bombay, Duet, Mahanadi, Rangeela, Kuruthippunnal, Muthu, Indian, Minsaara Kanavu and Iruvar. He also engineered the background music score and songs for the national award-winning film Kalapani for music director Ilaiyaraaja and Minasaara Kanavu for music director A R Rahman.
Having pioneered the use of Digital Sound for Indian films in the DTS format, Sridhar successfully completed six-track surround sound mixing for more than 200 films including Karuppu Roja, Siraichaalai, Indian, Bharatheeyudu, Hindustani, Paeyi, Iruvar, Minsaara Kanavu, Sapnay, Ziddi, Judwaa, My Dear Kuttichathan 3D, V I P, Aflatoon, Devathai, Chhota Chetan, Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, Satya, Jeans, Dil Se.., Kadhalar Dinam, Padayappa, Mudhalvan, Pukaar, Alaipaayuthey, Kandukondain Kandukondai, Kushi, among others.
Sridhar also engineered and mixed albums for international artists like George Harrison of The Beatles, John Neptune Kaizan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, L.Shankar and John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra & Shakti fame).
He died in the morning of 1 December 2008 due to cardiac problems.
Awards.
Grammy Awards
National Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Mirchi Music Awards
V. Shantaram Awards


Maheen Khan

Maheen Khan () is a Pakistani fashion and costume designer, also an award winner fashion designer for fashion labels like "The Embroidery House", "Maheen" and "Gulabo". She has done many national and international fashion events and shows. She undertook embroidery for the film Snow White and the Huntsman and television series The Jewel in the Crown. For the e-commerce, her brand is officially onboard on Studio by TCS.
Career.
Khan started her career in the fashion industry as a designer in 1972. She has designed costumes and embroidery for the films , The Phantom of the Opera, Elizabeth, and . She also done many costumes for theatres and opera.
Khan has created fashion shows in Pakistan and overseas. She is also the CEO of Fashion Pakistan Week. She has also designed for the international fashion events.
Khan also showcased her collection at the Milan Fashion Week where she got the title of "Coco Chanel of the East". She also designed dresses for Benazir Bhutto, Jemima Khan, Ghinwa Bhutto, Princess Sarvath al-Hassan and Princess Salimah Aga Khan.


Nicolas Putvinski

Nicolas Putvinski is a Russian fashion designer. He was a contestant on the US reality television series "Project Runway" (season 6), in which he finished in 7th place.
Nicolas was born in Moscow, Russia. Nicolas realized his designer potential at age 15 when he made a pleather tube top dress for his 12-year-old sister. An immigrant from Russia, Nicolas spent most of his childhood in San Diego, CA, and had only three weeks to learn English before starting school in America. Nicolas went on to study design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and received further training at Izquierdo Studio in New York.
Nicolas has had a number of works commissioned by W Magazine and Vogue, and some of his greatest fashion achievements include designing a dress for Marchesa and serving as the lead assistant to the costumer who makes the famous angel wings for Victoria’s Secret. Hence, he is the first designer to appear on the show who had designed something for the host, supermodel Heidi Klum wore in her professional life. In February 2009, Nicolas had also created a gown for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscars Design Challenge.
Nicolas' favorite designer is Olivier Theyskens
"Project Runway".
Nicolas won one challenge: Episode 6 - "Lights, Camera, Sew!" Thus, he had received immunity for the next round, in Episode 7. Nicolas also had three lows during the season: Episode 3 - "Rumble on the Runway", Episode 5 - "Fashion Headliners", and Episode 7 - "The Sky is the Limit", where Heidi Klum had cited that he was 'very lucky', as if he did not have immunity from the previous round, he would have had a chance to be out. Nicolas had one "high" for the season: Episode 9 - "Sequins, Feathers and Fur, Oh My!"
His eliminating challenge was Episode 10 - "Around the World in Two Days". The designers were allowed to pick a location, according to their scores in the previous round. Nicolas was the second to pick. He said (during an interview) that he did not want to pick New York, the place he is currently living in, but had chosen Greece instead, stating that it would be a challenge.


Birkenstock

Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH & Co. KG is a German shoe manufacturer known for its production of Birkenstocks, a German brand of sandals, and other shoes notable for their contoured cork footbeds (soles) made with layers of suede and jute, which conform somewhat to the shape of their wearers' feet.
Founded in 1774 by Johann Adam Birkenstock and headquartered in Neustadt (Wied), Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The company's original purpose was to create shoes that support and contour the foot, compared to the flat soles of many shoes during that time. In 1896 the Fussbett (footbed) was created and by 1925 Birkenstocks were sold all over Europe.
In 1966, Margot Fraser first brought Birkenstocks to America. In the US, they were sold in health stores, thus becoming associated with hippies in the 1970s.
In 2015, the EVA a rubber sandal made out of ethylene-vinyl acetate, was made as a cheaper alternative to the original cork Birkenstock.
Birkenstocks have appeared in the world of High Fashion many times, with designers giving their own spin on Birkenstocks. Phoebe Philo created one of the more well known designs for Céline. Composed of Birkenstock's Arizona and a mink covered footbed, the sandal is commonly called the "Furkenstock".
In February 2021 L Catterton, the private equity firm backed by Bernard Arnault's LVMH, has agreed to buy the German footwear group Birkenstock in a deal that values the company at about €4bn.
History.
Early Years.
The Birkenstock brand traces its roots to Johann Adam Birkenstock, registered in 1774 as a "vassal and shoemaker" in local church archives in the small Hessian village of Langen-Bergheim. In 1896, Johann's great-great-grandson Konrad Birkenstock developed the first contoured insole for use by shoemakers in the production of custom footwear. Also in the year 1896 Konrad created the Fussbett (footbed) and opened two shoe stores in Frankfurt, Germany where he continued to make and sell his insoles. The Birkenstock company created many educational courses to help spread awareness of the benefits of its shoes, in 1947 Konrad's son, Carl Birkenstock wrote the book "Podiatry-The Carl Birkenstock System", one of many books released by Birkenstock.1902 saw the development of the first flexible arch-support for insertion into factory-made shoes; and in 1964, Karl Birkenstock developed these inserts into a shoe — thus producing the original prototype of the Birkenstock sandal. In 1925 Konrad Birkenstock expanded the company by buying a large factory in Friedberg, Hesse. After World War II (1939–1945) the Birkenstock sandal was popular among returning soldiers because of the orthopedic support. Starting in 1963 and continuing into 1964 Karl Birkenstock released his first athletic sandal with a flexible footbed called Madrid. The shoe was constructed so that the wearer would have to grip their toes in order keep the sandals on, this resulted in toning the calf muscle, which became quite useful to athletes, especially among gymnasts.
Margot Fraser and introduction to U.S..
In 1966, Margot Fraser a German dressmaker who resided in California, decided to travel back to Germany to visit a spa in Bavaria, where she was recommended Madrids to help with a foot ailment caused by tight shoes. Due to Margot Fraser's gained relief from a foot condition and her enthusiasm for the sandals, Birkenstocks were introduced in the United States, facing many hurdles along the way. The sandals were rejected by many shoe stores due to their appearance, which led Margot Fraser to health stores, specifically near the granola section. The 1970s brought a spike in sales, In the United States, Birkenstock were first popular among young men and later on among flower children, a group traditionally associated with American liberalism. The shoe became popular with hippies and others who had a "back to nature" philosophy and appreciated the natural foot shape and foot-friendly comfort of Birkenstocks. In 1973, Birkenstock's most popular sandal, the Arizona, was introduced.
Expansion and Present Day.
Margot Fraser founded a trading company called Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc., in Novato, California, Renamed Birkenstock Distribution USA, Inc., in 2005, the company remained until 2007 the exclusive importer and distributor of Birkenstock name-brand products in the United States. In 2007 the owners of Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH & Co. KG purchased their long-standing distribution partner Birkenstock Distribution USA, Inc. (BDUSA).
In 1986 Nordstrom became the first department store to sell Birkenstock sandals. In the early 1990s "Birks" enjoyed another spike in sales among high-school and college-aged Generation Xers, this was in part do to the introduction of Birkenstocks into High Fashion, most notably, Kate Moss. Birkenstocks continued to spread to Britain in the early 2000s due to headlines of Gwyneth Paltrow, who was spotted wearing the sandal. Birkenstocks saw another comeback among teens and young adults in the early 2010s, as well as in the late 2010s due in part to the VSCO girl trend. During the 2004 U.S. presidential primary, some conservatives derided Howard Dean's supporters as "Birkenstock liberals".
In 2018, the company was given PETA's Libby Award for being the "Most Animal-Friendly Shoe Company."
In 2020, with more people staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, comfort became an important part of fashion. Birkenstocks became a staple due to their convenience and comfort, this included the original cork sandal as well as the newer addition to the family, the EVA.
High Fashion.
Birkenstocks introduction into high fashion started in the early 1990s when Kate Moss wore the sandals for a magazine shoot. Birkenstocks continued to spread to Britain in the early 2000s due to headlines of Gwyneth Paltrow, who was spotted wearing the sandal.
In 2012 Birkenstocks were spotted on a Céline runway in Paris. Called "Furkenstocks" this recreation of the Arizona sandal incorporated a mink covered footbed. Many other designers have also created their own version of the sandal including, Giambattista Valli and Givenchy.
In 2019 Valentino collaborated with Birkenstock to create their own version of the sandal featured at Men's Paris Fashion Week.
Production.
The original footbed of the Birkenstock shoe was created in the 1930s and possesses four different layers that complete the shoes. The first layer of the shoe is the shock absorbent sole, followed by a layer of jute fibers, a firm cork footbed and another layer of jute. The last layer is the footbed line which is a soft suede.
In addition to the original footbed, Birkenstock also gives the option of a soft footbed. The shoe is made of the same materials as the original footbed, with the addition of a foam insert placed under the suede lining.
Birkenstock has also introduced an environmentally friendly shoe called the Birkenstock EVA, made of a material called Ethylene-Vinyl-Acetate or EVA.


Carol Hannah Whitfield

Carol Hannah Whitfield is an American fashion designer. In August 2009, she participated in the reality show Project Runway and received the third place prize. She is now focusing her work on bridesmaid gowns and wedding gown collections, and founded her eponymous label.