1 The Gunslinger Born
Graphic virtuoso Jae Lee's latest work is more than an epic homage to Stephen King's original Dark Tower opus. It's the origin story of gritty post-apocalyptic protagonist Roland Deschain, chronicling his teenage years just before he embarks on his Tower quest. Adapted by King expert Robin Furth and approved by the macabre maestro himself, the first seven-issue comic series will wrap up in August, with Lee currently inking the second set of installments — news for which King fans say thankee-sai.
__2 Pac-Man Championship Edition__Crack a glowstick and pump up the bass — this '80s classic scores a hi-def update replete with pulsing trance music, swirling colors, and triptastic new levels. Available for download from Xbox Live, it's the logical next step for a game that's about munching power pellets in the dark and chasing blinking ghosts through a neon maze.
3 In the Shadow of the Moon
What's it like to take a leak on the moon? Does space beget religion? A trip to the heavens gets personal in director David Sington's documentary featuring 10 of the surviving Apollo astronauts. Candid recollections of the first lunar landings are deftly set against a backdrop of cold war era newsreels and stellar digitally remastered footage of Earth from space. Makes you pine for NASA's golden years.
4 Manga: A Complete Guide
Former Viz editor Jason Thompson painstakingly reviews more than 900 Japanese comic books. The exhaustive guide — organized by genre, series, publisher, and author, with a four-star rating system — provides everything the obsessive fan needs to become a walking manga encyclopedia. The descriptions alone are worth skipping Adult Swim reruns for. After all, who could resist reading — or at least reading about — a youthful adventure called *Dragon Ball Z *or an X-rated indulgence named Wingding Orgy? Certainly not us.
5 Tomahawk: Anonymous
This trio of alt-metal all-stars, fronted by chronic polybandist Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom, Fantômas), uses early-20th-century Native American chants as inspiration for its signature psychedelia. Kinda weird. Totally worth it.
6 Readymech
That Smorkin' Labbit on your desk is starting to get awfully lonely. Better click on over to Readymech.com. Taking its cue from the vinyl toy craze, graphic design firm Fwis has introduced a line of paper flatpack creatures in 20-plus designs, including a boxy sea monster and a drooling headhunter (both at left), and a Japanese doll. Download the pattern, print it out, and build it yourself. All you need is some double-sided tape, scissors, and 15 minutes. Bonus: It's free!
__7 WhiskyCast __
Mark Gillespie's weekly podcast is straight-up news you can booze — about any drink, as long as it's whiskey. His smooth baritone hits the spot whether he's talking about Japanese single malt, Kentucky bourbon, or India's controversial hootch. (It's made from molasses, not grain!)
8 Um...: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean
Inspired by George W.'s whoppers, this lighthearted study explores the many ways we unintentionally screw up the spoken word. Wired contributor Michael Erard details the history of the Freudian slip and the meaning behind our every "er" and "uh." You'll never, like, stutter the same way again.
9 HTC Touch
This $600 smartphone, complete with camera and music player, runs on Windows Mobile 6 yet spares you its brain-dead interface. Instead of making you slog through the annoyance incarnate that is Microsoft's OS, HTC added its own intuitive system, letting you find what you need by simply swiping the pad of your thumb along the touchscreen.
10 Invasion of the Body Snatchers Collector's Edition DVD
Remakes typically disappoint. Philip Kaufman's 1978 update of the classic 1956 alien invasion thriller is a rare exception. Almost 30 years later, the flick still packs chilling performances by the spooky, sleep-deprived Donald Sutherland and costars Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy. Skip The Invasion — the latest do-over in theaters this August — and hatch this double-disc set instead.
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