Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: MameMaster! on July 18, 2003, 03:59:18 pm

Title: Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: MameMaster! on July 18, 2003, 03:59:18 pm
 8)

Hello Fellow Mamers-

I came across this neat product in XBox Nation (hold the boos and hisses....some of you own an xbox other than me!).

Any way, it's cool Space Invaders wall decorations. They're soon coming out with Galaga and another that I can't remember.

Here's their site:

http://www.whatisblik.com/invader.html

I'm thinking about getting a set. It's $45 (a bit high I think); but cool none the less.

I just picked up a good neon "Game Room" sign on Ebay for $50. (I'm sure my wife will be thrilled when she sees it.....note, the scarcasm)....for my "Mame Room".

Any way....enjoy!

The Mame Master
 ;D
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: Frostillicus on July 18, 2003, 04:47:42 pm
what are they made of that you can't just print out, cut and tape on your wall? The starter set only comes with 2 of each alien, which is kind of a small setup compared to their example.  

Cool ideas nonetheless.
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: IIOIOOIOO on July 18, 2003, 11:33:25 pm
You ever seen those vinyl wall stickers? I saw some show where they were applying them and I think you'd have a hard time reproducing the clean look on paper. To create their example, you would need buy two more alien packs at $12.50 apiece, bringing the tag up (with shipping) to around $80.

Not many nice wall decorations can be had for $80, certainly not ones that will clean up that much white space. My problem would just be lining them up straight! Regardless, they're sending me 20 free, so look forward to my completely impartial review.

Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: Frostillicus on July 18, 2003, 11:41:09 pm
Not many nice wall decorations can be had for $80, certainly not ones that will clean up that much white space. My problem would just be lining them up straight! Regardless, they're sending me 20 free, so look forward to my completely impartial review.

Hmm...how'd you swing that ? (though me thinks ye may be joking ;) )

They do look cool - i'm gonna mess around with it at work, we have a good printer that can take some heavy stock.  
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: IIOIOOIOO on July 19, 2003, 12:11:01 am
Yeah. The trick is that they're die-cut so the open spaces are open. I can suppose you can do that by hand as well. But (assuming you're a professional type as well) there's only so many hours you can spend on something like that before your time investment grossly outweighs the money you saved. Esp for something like this, where I'd kind of like to have it on my wall, but would gain no special joy of craftmanship from my hours of labor :)
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: Zeitgeist on July 19, 2003, 12:56:33 pm
How about cutting a sponge to the space invaders (or pacman etc)shapes that you want & then dip them in paint & apply to the wall.
Don't you guys watch While You Were Out? JK
These are neat.
My wife would kill me.
I'd like to see pics of that new neon sign if you've got 'em handy.
This is something I've been thinking about.
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: MameMaster! on July 21, 2003, 10:00:11 am
Zeitgeist-

I picked up the sign on ebay from a "wholesale" vendor. To be honest, I've seen the same sign more than once on the web selling anywhere from 80-$190! (for the exact same sign).

Here's a link to the person that I just bought from:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3234032270
(it now lists the bidding over on the sellers website...but I'm sure they can get more or have more). ;)

I only ordered it last Friday....so I'll have to get back to you on how it looks and if the shipping went OK. But for $50. bucks (+ shipping) I  figured it would add that authentic neon sign buzzz to the background that I felt was missing from my arcade experience!
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: F|end on July 21, 2003, 10:18:46 am
Ugly stuff man!

Paint the room your own! Make some personalized neons! What a steal...  ;D
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: JLR2000 on July 21, 2003, 02:39:32 pm
I have to say that the idea is cool, but you could do so much better and cheaper doing it yourself, I mean, Space Invader graphics have to be the simplest to copy/trace!  I bought this projector at a craft store (Michaels here in the Chicago Burbs) that project an image on the wall, like an overhead projector, for like $40-$50 bucks.  Seems like a lot, but I can use it over, and over, etc..  I scanned some Dr. Seuss images from some books and then projected them on the wall for one of my daughters bedroom.  We just traced with black paint pens and then colored them in with the proper color paint.  It was very simple and the results were professional looking.  Spend the money on something like this and then you could project any number of images on the walls to paint.  I am even considering doing this for the sides of my cab, but it's black and I'm not sure how well it would show up for tracing....

Anyway, good idea.....
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: ErikRuud on July 21, 2003, 03:49:38 pm
JLR2000,

My wife actually works at a Micheal's in the Chicago Burbs so I should be anble to get that projector at a discount.  What brand was it?

Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: JLR2000 on July 21, 2003, 04:45:50 pm
JLR2000,

My wife actually works at a Micheal's in the Chicago Burbs so I should be anble to get that projector at a discount.  What brand was it?



Let me check tonite and post a response....we just moved to a new house and everything is still boxed (the Dr. Seuss room was in our old house, this house we are gonna do a "Scooby Doo" themed room).  Hopefully I can find it or my wife remembers the name. We still have the box, it's just a matter of finding it...I'll post one way or the other later tonight.

UPDATE:  

Okay, here it is:
(http://store4.yimg.com/I/artcity-com_1750_2075103)

It's called the "Artograph Tracer".  Here's a website selling them:
http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=2815 (http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=2815)

Like I said, I got mine at Michaels, they periodically have this 40% percent off everything sale, so I think I paid less than $50....

Enjoy!
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: TheTick on July 21, 2003, 04:58:16 pm
If you are renting a house or an apartment you're not allowed to paint without permission.  In this case their wall art becomes a viable option, if it is easily removed.

That looked kind of stupid at first, but is growing on me. If you play an arcade game long enough you probably see it while you sleep, you may as well put a screen shot on your bedroom ceiling. That'll freak your girlfriend out. My ex had a glow in the dark stars on her ceiling.
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: AlanS17 on July 21, 2003, 05:46:26 pm
My ex had those stars, too. It's something you might expect from a junior high girl, but a 23-yr old? That should have tipped me off right there...  :)
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: IIOIOOIOO on July 21, 2003, 06:09:32 pm
My GF in college had her room painted with this paint which appeared white/translucent when the lights were on, but flouresced in a bunch of different colors when the lights were off. It definitely tipped me off :) We've been married almost 4 years now!
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: Zeitgeist on July 21, 2003, 10:56:03 pm
thanks for the info.
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: Frostillicus on July 25, 2003, 10:25:10 am
If anyone is interested I traced all those images and uploaded them to the vector library (http://www.mametrixreloaded.com/graphics.html).  Very pop art-ish.
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: MameMaster! on July 25, 2003, 11:13:19 am
very cool Frosty!
 ;D
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: ErikRuud on July 25, 2003, 01:04:41 pm
How come I cannot download the files as .ai or .eps?

No matter which file or type I choose, My save as window wants to save as a .ps (Paint Shop Pro) file.
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: TheTick on July 25, 2003, 01:24:09 pm
Maybe PaintShow Pro is associated with them. Just save them as whatever, and then rename them when its done D/Ling
Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: Frostillicus on July 25, 2003, 04:22:01 pm
How come I cannot download the files as .ai or .eps?

No matter which file or type I choose, My save as window wants to save as a .ps (Paint Shop Pro) file.
It's not Paint Shop Pro - it's PostScript.  You should be able so either just rename them with a AI (or EPS) extension, or just drag them into Illustrator.

Blame IE for screwing the file name up.

Title: Re:Blik- Room Decoration (not as gay as it sounds)
Post by: ErikRuud on July 30, 2003, 01:51:30 pm
Ok, I got Illustrator installed and now I can edit the stuff from the Vector Library.

It must be IE that is to blame, I have tried four different PC's with the same .ps result.  Only one of those PC's had PaintShop Pro on it.

I am working on a Cab for a family member, it will have a Galaga feel to it, so I may be contributing some art to the library myself.