clerks

Filmmaker Kevin Smith blasts MPAA ratings in online-porn era

For certain types of people, finding out that fantasy writer Neil Gaiman likes their work could be considered the cherry on top of a career. So for filmmaker Kevin Smith, seeing that Gaiman once tweeted "I suspect @ThatKevinSmith is what all gods and demons aspire to be" had to make for one terrific day.

@ThatKevinSmith, of course, is the man who made such cult hits as "Clerks," "Mallrats," and "Chasing Amy." More recently, he's moved on from wry humor to darker stuff like "Red State." And he's even … Read more

The 404 203: Where we're not even supposed to be here today

The 404 is back together again and this time around we welcome DIY comic book artist Samuel Vera to the show. Artist, publisher, and do-it-all for Crazee Comics, Sam sits in for a chat about the state of the comic book industry, how to get your start in publishing, the war between online and print comics, and the recent surge of comic book movie adaptations.

Don't forget to come and say hi to us tonight at our second 404 meetup at Gstaad Bar on 26th and 6th Avenue in New York! We'll be there at 6:30 tonight, kicking back and celebrating our 200th episode anniversary, and you're welcome to join us! We want to meet as many of our New York listeners as we can, so if you're in the New York area, come check it out--if nothing else, Natali Del Conte, Mark the Intern, and Dan the Mantern will all be there as well.

Big thanks to our buddy Samuel Vera for coming on the show today. Listen in for seriously helpful tips on how to publish your own comic and even hear Sam's opinions on existing comics and his humble beginning in the thriving comic book industry (no matter what Wilson thinks). He also weighs in on a few current events including the closing of two corporate pillars of American excellence: Circuit City and Mother's Cookies. All right, all right, nobody is going to miss Circuit City but Mother's Cookies gave us the famous ANIMAL CRACKER! You're never going to believe this, but neither Jeff, Wilson, nor Sam knows what those are. Whaaaattt? Is this a West Coast thing or what? I don't get it, but nevertheless I'm still really bummed out because I practically survived off those things for the first half of my life. Hmm, that explains a few things...RIP Mothers Cookies, we'll almost remember you and your deliciously sprinkled confections.

EPISODE 203 Download today's podcast … Read more

The 404 108: Where Caroline McCarthy loves to Tumble

Veteran 404 guest Caroline McCarthy of News.com makes a guest appearance on today's borderline indecent show. We touch on Hello Kitty fetishism, Pork and Beans, Reggie Love, the perils of softcore Youtube porn, and our secret pickup tactics. This episode is rated R, recommended for adults and pubescent adolescents alike. EPISODE 108 Download today's podcast

Just don't ask them for a physical

The way things are going in Japan, receptionists might eventually become entirely obsolete. The human ones, anyway.

About 124 miles north of Tokyo, Aizu Central Hospital is employing the country's first front-desk robots. A mechanical receptionist mans the desk and answers questions while two porter-bots handle luggage and escort patients to the proper areas at a speed of up to 1 mph, according to Gear Live.

While we've had our share of problems with the service industry, we're not sure this is the best idea. It's one thing to replace surly hotel clerks with bots or … Read more

Bar codes can be your friends

When bar codes became commonplace, we thought it would only be a matter of time before we'd all be using them to organize everything. That day may finally be near, only 30 years later.

The Flic Scanner Media Organizer builds personal media libraries by scanning and cataloging music, movies and books. Microvision, which manufactures the technology, makes it sound almost too easy to be true: "Scan your items, return to your computer, plug in the scanner and watch the Collectorz.com software work for you." You can retrieve such information as cover art and track information, which … Read more