Quibble Babble #02

My Comics Collection

Click here to see entire list!

American Print Single Issues (42) and Indian RePrint Single Issues (74):

Action Comics:

#584 - Squatter(1987)

#587 - Cityscape (1987)

#596 - Hell is where Heart Is (1988) - American Print

#686 - Who's Buried in Superman's Tomb? (1993) - American Print

#759 - Who is Strange Visitor? (1999)

#815 – Superman vs. Gog – End Times (2004)

#816 – Superman vs. Gog – Behold, I’m Against Thee (2004)

All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder:

#04 – (2005)

Aquaman:

#21 - First Strike (1996) - American Print

Batman:

#441 - A Lonely Place of Dying (1989) - American Print

#508 - Mortal Remains (1994) - American Print

#533 - Prelude: Legacy (1996) - American Print

#534 - Legacy: Part 5 (1996) - American Print

#586 – Penguin Dreams (2001)

#604 – Reasons (2002)

#612 – Hush: Part Five (2003)

#619 – Hush: Part Twelve (2003)

#620 – Broken City: Part One (2003)

#621 – Broken City: Part Two (2004)

#622 – Broken City: Part Three (2004)

#623 – Broken City: Part Four (2004)

# 655 – Batman and Son: Part One (2006)

Batman Adventures:

#01 – No Asylum (2003)

Batman and Robin Adventures:

#04 - Birdcage (1996)

#10 - Blood of the Demon (1996)

#11 - Windows to the Soul (1996)

#12 - To Live and Die Gotham City (1996)

#13 - Knightmare (1996)

#16 - It takes a Cat (1997)

#23 - Crocodile Tears (1998)

Batman and The Outsiders:

#xx - Anuual (1984) - American Print

#07 - Cold Hands, Cold Heart (1983) - American Print

Batman Beyond

#07 – McGinnis’ Secret (2000)

#10 – Toy Wonder (2000)

#11 – The Perfect You (2000)

#12 – Terminal Velocity (2000)

#15 – Lightning and Rain (2001)

Batman – Gotham Adventures:

#05 - Polar Opposites

#08 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame

#18 - Like a Bat Outta Gotham

#26 - In Arms

#29 - Six Hours to Kill

#35 – Stepping Forward

#51 – Early Thaw

Batman – Gotham Knights:

#043 – Knights Passed: Part One (2003)

#044 – Knights Passed: Part Two (2003)

#045 – Knights Passed: Part Three (2003)

Batman – The Dark Knight Returns:

Book Three (1986)

Catwoman – When in Rome:

#02 – (2004)

Azrael:

#16 - Contagion - Part 10 (1996)

Detective Comics:

#660 - Crocodile Tears (1993) - American Print

#661 - City on Fire (1993) - American Print

#698 – The Tomb (1996)

#699 – The Chain (1996)

#704 - Rocket Scientist (1997)

#717 - Savage Metal (1998)

#718 - Point of Contact (1998)

#822 – E. Nigma, Consulting Detective (2008)

#823 – Stalked (2008)

Green Lantern:

#125 – Tomb Raider (2000)

Green Lantern Rebirth:

#01 – Blackest Night (2004)

#02 – Enemies Within (2005)

Hawkman:

#26 – Rest (2004)

Identity Crisis:

#01 – Coffin (2004)

#02 – House of Lies (2004)

#04 – Who Benefits (2004)

JLA:

#22 - Conqueror (1998)

#23 - It (1998)

#42 - Half a Mind to Save a World (2000)

#50 – Dream Team (2001)

JLA/Avengers:

#02 – A Contest of Champions (2003)

#03 – Strange Adventures (2003)

JLA - Another Nail:(2004)

JLA – Kingdom Come:

#01 – (2006)

#02 – (2006)

#03 – (2006)

Justice League Adventures:

#04 – War of the Sexes (2002)

#07 – Flash Fax (2002)

#08 – New Moon! (2002)

#09 – Stepping Out (2002)

#25 – Strange Days (2004)

Justice League Unlimited:

#10 – Madness… Madness… They Call it Madness… (2005)

Legends of the Dark Knight:

#69 - Criminals - Part One (1995)

#70 - Criminals - Part Two (1995)

Martian Manhunter:

#20 – Revelations: Part One – Strange Visitors (2000)

Superman:

#009 - To Laugh and Die in Metropolis (1987)

#206 – For Tomorrow: Part Three (2004)

#215 – For Tomorrow: Part Twelve (2005)

Superman Adventures:

#03 - Distant Thunder (1997)

#12 - The War Within - Part 2 (1997)

#25 - Almost the World's Finest (1998)

Superman/Batman:

#02 – The World’s Finest - Part Two - Early Warning(2003)

#03 – The World’s Finest - Part Three - Running Wild(2003)

#05 – The World’s Finest - Part Five - State of Siege (2003)

#06 – The World’s Finest - Part Six - Final Countdown (2004)

#07 – Protege (2004)

#12 – Supergirl – Part Five - Traitor (2004)

#13 – Supergirl – Part Six - Hero (2004)

Superman – Birthright:

#01 – (2003)

#02 – (2003)

#03 – (2003)

#04 – (2003)

#05 – (2004)

#06 – (2004)

Teen Titans:

#04 – Breaking the Rules (2003)

#11 – Raven Rising – Part 2 (2004)

#13 – Beast Boys and Girls – Part 1 (2004)

The Adventures of Superman:

#572 - Who is Strange Visitor (1999)

The Batman Chronicles:

#01 - The Prison (1997)

The Batman Strikes!

# 01 – Penguin Rising (2004)

# 04 – Without a Chance (2004)

# 05 – Deadly Partner (2005)

# 06 – The Cat’s Prize (2005)

The Flash:

#171 – Blood Will Run – Part 2 (2001)

#172 – Blood Will Run – Part 3 (2001)

#174 – Moving Right Along (2001)

Wonder Woman:

#108 – Lifeline – Part Four (1996)

#109 – Level 1 (1996)

#110 – Level 2 (1996)

Indian RePrint Compilation Issues (06):

1998- Batman: Bane of the Demon

2000 – Superman Y2K

2000 – JLA: Secret Society of Superheroes

2002 – JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice

2004 – Secret Origins of DC Superheroes (India Only)

American Print Compilation Graphic Novels (19):

2004 - Batman in the Eighties (Compilation of stories from the '80s)

1986 - History of the DC Universe

1986 - Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

1987 - Batman: Year One

1988 - Batman: A Death in the Family and Batman: A Lonely Place For Dying

1993 - Batman: Knightfall Volume One: Broken Bat

1993 - Batman: Knightfall Volume Two: Who Rules the Night

1996 - Batman: The Long Halloween

1997 - Justice League: New World Order

2001 - Batman: Turning Points

2002 - Bruce Wayne: Fugitive Volume Two

2002 - Batman: Hush

2005 - Batman: Under the Hood Volume One

2005 - All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder

2005 - Batman: War Crimes

2007 - Batman: The Resurrection of R'as Al Ghul

2008 - Batman: R.I.P.

2008 - Batman: The Black Glove

1988 - Batman: The Killing Joke

Quibble Babble #01

(Based on a frequent dream I have)

The Generic Product Design Process

Manufacturing Process Study: Injection Moulding + Sheet Metal

IDS: Study Travel

Techno-Aesthetic Detailing Document

The Sword of Hephaestus

In a confused world where Steampunk technology and Mystical Arts have evolved beyond humans' comprehension, Ariana and Clyde look for that one weapon that can render them rulers of the world: The Sword of Hephaestus. A series of short stories written by me! :)
Please read and follow:
The Sword of Hephaestus

What Techno-Aesthetics Is.

Big fancy name. Sounds all intimidating to the juniors, when they ask you, 'What course are you doing?', and you open your gob to say 'Techno-Aesthetic Detailing' with a smirk on the face that says, 'Oh I'm so cool, and I am in the third year, and I'm in the senior, and I'm learning all this cool stuff.'
When we asked this to our seniors, we've always gotten different replies. They say, 'It's the study of form at the functional level', or 'Using the functional elements in such a way that their form is appealing too'. These definitions were not entirely wrong too. For example, consider a hinge in a product. Generally, a hinge joint will always be hidden in a product, as it is a functional element and will reduce the external appearance of the product. Techno-Aesthetics is a school of thought, according to which this hinge joint has to be shown and made visible in such a way that it looks stellar to the eye, and becomes the most aesthetic element.
 The HOD of Product Design, Prof. Sanjay Jain, gave a different twist to the project this year. What we are going to do, is consider a certain product and enhance to give a certain sensorial experience to the user. May it be any of the 5 physical or the 5 vestibular senses (which is extremely hard to nail). We are actually delving deeper into the 'experience' designed around a product, instead of just the visual enhancement. But who has ever said that aesthetics are only visual? The following's the definition of aesthetic according to the Oxford Dictionary.

Definition of aesthetic

adjective

• concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty:the pictures give great aesthetic pleasure
• giving or designed to give pleasure through beauty:the law applies to both functional and aesthetic objects

noun

[in singular]

• a set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement:the Cubist aesthetic

Now, this can be for any of the senses. Well, this is what I interpret through 2 days of lecture. I'm sure there's a lot to learn, and I have to dive deeper to get into the roots of good design and good techno aesthetic design. :)

Where are we all moving?

In one of the meetings with Dhimant Sir, Director, MIT-Institute of Design, he mentioned that there were 17 graduates in design the year he passed out (Early 80's). Today, after 30 years, the foundation batch is of 180 students. I can't help but wonder why it isn't the same today. Yes, of course, we have CAD and RPT and CNC machines; but is that it? Dhimant sir also mentioned that in his product design learning, he was exposed to subjects like Film Appreciation, conducted by none other than P.K. Nair -  founder, NFAI (National Film Archive of India); whereas today's product design discipline has nothing to do with study of films, and students are hellbent on not being like communication designers.

The Coventry Experience

26^th July 2012
                MIT-ID has always been making efforts to collaborate with world class design institutes and to send it’s students for exchange and twinning programmes there. In July, Head of Department, Industrial Design and the Dean, Coventry, UK, visited our campus and interacted with students. Accompanied by our very own Prof. Sanjay Jain and Prof. Gaurang Shah and a few more faculty members, they went through the work done by students in different courses.
                In a very excited and busy morning, we, the Semester 5 students of Product Design set up our studio with sketches, printouts and models of various projects. We had spent the previous two days preparing presentations for the projects we wished to show them. Anticipation rose as the time for them to arrive approached. When they entered, the MIT-ID faculty and the students escorted them through a brief trip of the MIT-ID product design discipline.
                A very appreciative critic, Prof. Michael Goatman explained to us an interesting insight, which divides all products into ‘My Products’ or ‘The Products’. Products are designed to suit a certain class of audiences and buyers. For example, a cell phone is always ‘My phone’. One expects a touch of himself, a sense of belonging in his cell phone. Hence, it is designed such that one can customise or personalise it. A washing machine is always ‘The Washing Machine’. It has been designed for many people to use it. One expects functionality more than personalisation in ‘The Products’. He briefed that products, by nature, can be functional, aesthetic or both.  He also added that designers should know their audiences and whether the product they are designing are ‘My Products’ or ‘The Products’, and design accordingly.
                He stressed very much on the importance of simplicity in design, and also asked us what kind of work we would want to do as designers. He said that designers are influenced and constricted by more than one external factor, and need to come up with the best designs within the constraints of costs, materials, customer and technology, amongst many other things. He also explained that designers don’t only need to design well but also sell themselves well and have that unique selling point which will convince the consumers.
                Their trip to the class was surely helpful for all the students present. We ended up knowing more than what is taught in the curriculum
.

Design Links

Links to various websites related to Industrial design I stumbled upon in a long time.

Product by Process:
Detailed manufacturing processes of various products along with videos. An amazing collection of videos from youtube, sorted in very convenient headings!
http://bencollette.com/productbyprocess

A Watchmaker's Diary:
For all those who're interested in mechanical clocks and clockwork, here's an amazing blog!
http://awatchmakersdiary.blogspot.in/

Philips Design:
Detailed reports of live-projects. Need I say anything else? :)
http://www.design.philips.com/

Design for India:
An active blog of NID's M.P. Ranjan.
http://design-for-india.blogspot.in/

Design Observer:
A huge archive of books, and write-ups on design issues, along with jobs.
http://designobserver.com/

DimensionsInfo:
The title says it, information about standards and information for a wide range of products
http://www.dimensionsinfo.com

Engineer Vs. Designer:
A weekly online audio/video show that discusses design projects and issues, one designer a week.
http://engineervsdesigner.com/

Protomold:
Submit your designs for rapid injection moulding, and get it delivered back. Very helpful about injection moulding.
http://www.protomold.com/

Spicy Nodes:
These guys provide infographics and digital graphic design solutions in their own tree-like style.
http://www.spicynodes.org

Engineer's Edge:
Products, mechanisms, manufacturing processes explained with photographs and schematics.
http://www.engineersedge.com/

A Bunch of Ergonomics Websites:
http://www.ergonomics.ucla.edu/
http://kareproducts.com
http://www.ergonomics.com.au
http://iitg.vlab.co.in/
http://www.ise.org.in/
http://www.iea.cc
http://www.designingforhumans.com

Antimicrobialcopper:
A deep research about copper and it's properties.
http://www.antimicrobialcopper.com

Cutting Tool Engineering Magazine:
A lot of information on a lot of materials, manufacturing processes, machines, machine tools, etc.
http://www.ctemag.com/

Wood-Smith tips:
The name describes the site! Information about woodworking.
http://www.woodsmithtips.com

Kiosk Design Guide:
http://www.kiosk.com


Basic Physics for Designers:
http://www.physics.brown.edu


CAD History:
http://mbinfo.mbdesign.net


Patent Pending Blog:
A list of designs with photographs and schematics.
http://patentpending.blogs.com

CNC Cookbook:
Software and Info for CNC
http://www.cnccookbook.com

Mekanizmalar:
Detailed Flash animations and videos of mechanisms
http://www.mekanizmalar.com/

Rob Ives:
Again, detailed mechanisms.
http://www.robives.com/

Mechanisms Index:
This website is aimed at introducing pupils to mechanisms and how they work. CAM profiles are discussed in detail as well as the design of a CAM toy. Linkages are also considered. 
http://www.technologystudent.com/cams/camdex.htm

GWP AG:
Metal and Plastic manufacturing solutions. http://www.gwp-ag.com/en/at-a-glance/index.html

Design/Engineering Terminologies Dictionary:
http://www.motorera.com/dictionary/index.htm

Complete Sheet Metal Guide:
http://www.sheetmetalguy.com/

Look for existing patents here:
http://www.strutpatent.com/
http://patents.google.com

So how grown up are we?

Just today, I came home from my last day at my first ever internship. My work was appreciated, and I felt good, as though I had achieved something. Thinking that I had grown up, I kick-started the bike and went home. Internship, appreciation for work, formal tucked in shirt and all that jazz. Look who's grown up.
What did I do next?
Went out and bought myself a Batman action figure that had just come to the market. :D

Industrial Visit Report: Injection Moulding

As children, we've all heard bewitching stories that encompass real life things like the grass, and the moon. As we grow up, it skips our mind, that the moon is what is common between Viraj taking his routine walk from the mess to the hostel; and a wary traveller, who's travelling under it's light in a chilly desert, for his conquest. Food for thought, is it not? :)

Display and Control Design: Dials and Mechanical Displays

Display and Control Design: Dials and Mechanical Displays

Of Dreams you Control

It was just yesterday, that my body healed out of the 2-day fever that hit me due to heat. I bet my body wasn't at it's physical maximum. At 1 pm today, I lied down on my bed, without the motive of sleeping. I fell asleep in a jiffy, and the dream started tout de suite.

I forget the exact identity of the first place I was in the dream, though it still seems familiar as I recall it. It was the home of someone close by, if not mine, and I was lying in the same position as I was in my hostel bed. I was sure at that instant that this was a dream. And I wished that instant that I did not want that place. I wanted to go somewhere else, probably a larger place, where I could go for a stroll.

It was as if the place packed itself up. I don't remember the exact details of the place, but I remember all wall-hangings, floor-tiles, ceiling fixtures, all liberated from their places, and soaring like drapery in tempest, they gathered at a single point and vanished, to reveal another more familiar environment. Well - this of course did not happen to the utmost detail of dust trails and clinging sounds like movies, but the dreamy, hazy experiences.

This time, it was my grandmother's old place, 16-Sri Krupa, in old Nasik that opened up. Here too, I landed up lying on the living room bed. My brain suggested again, that I wanted to walk, not rest, and hence this scene too, wrapped itself in the same manner! I've quickly sketched an illustration of how this place wrapped up. Hope it helps visualise!

Finally, my longing for a place to walk culminated in an all new place coming into being. A 3-floored glass building with promenades, and all that jazz. I think my image will describe this place more than my words. Tried to make it as close to my dream as possible. Though that seemed much more believable. :D

That was the the last shred of visual I could 'control' in my dreams. Of course, it wasn't exactly controlling; whatever my mind sub-consciously wanted, my brain threw at me. I am always triggered by what my dreams show me!

'New Olds' : Reliving Classics

Max Mueller Bhavan, Pune in collaboration with MIT-Institute of Design Pune has set up a 28-day long product design exhibition called 'New Olds' on the 3rd floor of our academic block. I bet all of us had a look!

This exhibition travelled all the way from Germany and was inaugurated on the afternoon of 4th April, and displays products from all over Europe. As the name suggests, New Olds is all about products that bridge the gaps of time, and bring to us a novel melange of traditions, classics with newfound aesthetics and technology.

Those lucky few students who were at the inauguration ceremony were toured through the exhibition and were told the concept and thought process behind every product by Prof. Volker Albus - Designer, Curator, Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design/Product Design.
The exhibit featured modern takes of contemporary designers on paradigmatic products like the Eames chair, or the classic wooden furniture like wardrobes and chairs. This involved an interesting intervention of modern materials into these trend-setting products. Their sense of tradition was as strong as the avant-garde use of materials. Along with the old products, there were also a number of modern products like the stackable plastic chairs made in wood. The exhibition had an otherworldly timeless feel to it. I’m sure the products – so close to us, yet so nicely tweaked – have stamped their identity and inspired minds.

The exhibition took us through a caravan of classic products from all around Europe. It surely taught us about the emotional potential of products and the ideas and feelings inanimate products can induce in humans. Professor Albus left the crowd stimulated with his concluding statement – What about India? For a country that has such affluent historical and cultural heritage, shouldn’t we – the young designers of India - inculcate those values through our designs? Something to think about, I’m sure!

Batman's Animated Evolution!

Experimental 3D Photography

The files are kinda heavy, give them a little time to load....

Semester 4: Material Studies - Metals

Semester 3: Basic Typography

Semester 2: Inter Design Studies: Urban Milieu- Laundrywalla

Semester 2 : Design Process

We see all this creativity around us, and as designers, we are creative people before anything else. Want to practice sketching? Why only sketch? Create a sketch wall! A sketch notebook! Something that'd compile into something bigger! :) No whiling away from now. We are going to draw inspiration from the smallest things and come up with creative things to make life for us and others happier, after all that is our motto as professionals and as good people. :)

Back with a Bang

I've recently started working on something I call, 'The Life Journal'.
'The Life Journal' includes some memories which were so far in oblivion. Through the life journal, I plan to write, illustrate, collect photographs and evidences of objects and happenings from my past. So, the making of 'The Life Journal' will never be complete. Things will always be added to it as and when I remember them.
This is one of my entries from 'The Life Journal', and one that my childhood friends can relate to.

Just Enough

I'd like to say what I feel is always is the case with life. Whatever has to happen, happens. It's like what has been said by the band Advaita, in their song 'Just Enough': Nothing in the world is big, small, less or more. It's just enough, for it's consequence. Everything adds up. It's a bigass jigsaw puzzle. The hard work and sincerity one puts in work, just shows itself later. Steve Jobs said that he was glad he left college and took typography lessons, as after years, these lessons culminated to the vivid displays in Apple computers (which Steve says Microsoft copied from Apple).
Everything happens in it's own time, at it's own pace and when it's meant to be. Of course, it is a result of what and how much you've worked. If the jigsaw pieces are faulty and incomplete, one shouldn't expect the puzzle to look good. :)

Advaita - Pre-album release hype!

Very few bollywood songs touch me these days. The pop-culture today demands the kind of songs which are pop-rock, on the spur of the moment, not too deep, 'I am yours and you are mine and let's get together' and all that.
There are a very few songs that strike chord, and you wish to listen to, only for the true essence of charming music and the profound lyrics. Advaita is a band that goes to the very roots, and explores depths and heights of western, soft rock and Hindustani Classical music, as one entity. Their lyrics are well thought and metaphorical, their sounds are novel, yet one thinks they are a part of oneself. The luminous sound of the Sarangi casts it's spell as the English lyrics and resonant Hindustani vocals are woven around the composition. Having released their 2nd album just yesterday, their hype is in the air all around. Very few Indian bands today have such a serious attitude towards music, and are ready to dive deep to experiment and create music that would last for a long time.
When I was exposed to Advaita sometime last year, the Sarangi riffs in their tracks 'Drops of Earth' and 'Miliha' attracted me primarily. Spellbound, I instantly became a hardcore Advaita fan.
Also, the graphic work for the second album, 'The Silent Sea' adds to the overall aesthetic impact of the Band. Though I've heard just two tracks from the album (on MTV Unplugged), and 2 more at NH7 (Pune) the album sounds very promising, and the visuals of the cover inlays do an amazing job of adding to the feelings of the songs.
I still haven't gotten my hands on the album CD, but soon enough!

Listen to the unplugged version of the title track of the new album
here

and unplugged version of 'Gorakh'
here

Do check the album-art out here

Industrial Visit Report: Injection Moulding and Deep Drawing

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