Robot Thrills

Robot, originally uploaded by Torley.

I’m not the gushy kind. Never had posters of famous actors on my wall. When I see a celeb at the club I look the other way. Wouldn't pursue an autograph if my life depended on it. You’ll never catch me pushing on the barricades trying to get a closer look.

I’m just too cool, really.

But…….

http://torley.com/

……I’m gyrating inside.

A Very Long Gestation

My friends have politely refrained from pointing out that despite being a self-proclaimed robot maker, it has actually been quite awhile since I built a new robot.

Distractions, you know.

But after a very long gestation, the Atomic Falcon has finally reared his newborn head. The result of an unlikely and extremely short-lived union between Wonderwoman and Ultraman (they blamed it on cultural issues), the Atomic Falcon was renounced at birth in favour of his respective parents' careers. It's a typical story of neglect, made worse by Atomic's conflicting identity crises. Part-human, part-alien and part machine, Atomic is the anti-thesis of hybrid vigour. Whereas his contemporaries are saving humans from nuclear wars, evil midgets and pesticides - it's all Atomic can do to motivate himself to fly around the atmosphere, keeping a jealous eye on his peers' achievements.

Oh, but how well he flies.

Will he ever achieve his full potential?

Stay tuned for updates.

Ahm Taaahrd!

Someone said that moving house is the 4th most stressful thing you can do after stuff like losing someone you love. I used to think that was utter rubbish because what about things like losing a limb? Or winning the lottery then having the ticket blow out of your hands into the fire? Or getting a REALLY bad perm?

I take it all back.

Even thought I'm not finished, and the store's still a mess, and I haven't set the Tiny stuff up, and...and....

AHM TAHRD!

I'm taking a break tomorrow. If anyone sees me come online, pull out your security orb and boot me back into my first life willya? Momma needs a bubble bath and something easy to make like.....instant noodles!

But if you want to visit our new home please do :)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alphanumeric%20Shores/53/79/22

*takes a large slurp of wine straight from the bottle*

Bubbah!

I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat

Muji & Me - guess who's who!

I am very easily distracted.

I was in the middle of making the Watermelon GBB and I take one of my infamous 'breaks' and end up purchasing a new double prim 5120. But I HAD to!!!! The sim was called..... ALPHANUMERIC!!! How can this not be the only home for my robots? Obviously someone visited my gallery, was dazzled with inspiration and immediately went to rename their sim Alphanumeric in honour of Robot! Can you blame me for thinking the world revolves around my robots?

So I am now busy moving the gallery/shop/wotsit over to the new sim and it'll be really different. Alot more fun I think. A proper playground like what I'd always planned for the old tincans. The gallery was just too big - it would never feel finished. Juliet told me this from the beginning actually. So she's rich AND she's right. Damnit.

Huge shoutout to Zayn Till and Tasia Tonic from Metaverse Estates. They are the BEST landlords ever. Totally supportive, open-minded, encouraging and reasonable. You know they won't run out on you. Never too busy to pop round to admire a new product and they looked upon all of their tenant's ventures like proud parents. I will miss you guys *kiss*. WHAT AM I DOING?? WHY AM I LEAVING????!

And oh, did I mention that I was paying for a 11,040sm the same amount Dreamland charges for a 10,048sm tier? <---- there's something grammatically wrong with that sentence but I can't figure it out.

Another exciting bit of news - I have met a FABBO filmmaker who wants to shoot a short film about....DUN DUN DUN.......ROBOTS! How wonderful and fatabulous to meet likeminded people in this crazy metaverse! I'm chuffed beyond chuffed. Check Mujibus' photography (http://mujibus.chez-alice.fr/cariboost1/) and you'll see why I'm thrilled. Hmmm what will the plot be...let's see...oldskool sci-fi fan filmaker meets robotmaker with delusions of taking over the world...I wonder....

So Torley! I have not forgotten about you and the WGBB. THANK YOU for the hookups for animators. Nervous tics sound great....haha....perhaps I should make a Compulsive Ass Scratching robot (arm jerks back, head swivels round, up/down shoulder spasms. Repeat.) With an HUD for males to switch the animation to compulsive scrotum checking. YES, it's still there.

I'm like a cat. I start playing with a ball of string then out of the corner of my eye I see a butterfly and go chasing after that. Then a mouse pokes his head out of a hole and off I go again. Before I know it, I'm in the next meadow.

And that is exactly how it all happened.

Product Testing

As a responsible manufacturer, it is my duty to test all Robot products to ensure safety and durability. Unfortunately our small little enterprise doesn't have access to the same quality control materials that IKEA have (those springs and pounders that emulate 3000 vigourous shags and whatnot).

So Jee and I just ate a whole truckload of cakes (each) and then sat on the sky butlers to see if they would hold up.

I'm proud to say they passed with flying colours.

I had hoped to get a product shot in somehow but if you squint and look to the side, you can get a glimpse of Mr Digit. Barely.

Robot Art

It has been sooooooo long since my last post! All work and no play, really. In SL anyway. The GREAT news is that I've finally gotten the commercial end of Robot going, with listings on SLX and a retail outlet in Geeks Unique. Yay!! I'm so thrilled with anyone who makes a purchase that I am compelled to check out their profile. I mean, you love my robots.....i love you....y'know?

Seriously though - this process has been a great learning curve. I havent built a new robot in awhile, but have learnt to make avatars, hack scripts, work photoshop, gained insights on visual merchandising.....AND most of all, realised that building a business in SL is rooted in the same fundamentals as RL. And, seeing as I'm starting an RL business, the lessons have been invaluable.

I have to say that I am full of admiration for my friend Juliet. She set Bitter Thorns up around the same time as Robot and her sales has grown in leaps & bounds. She has a focus and a drive that I lack. Did I say admire? I really meant jealous as f*ck! I'm going to work on getting her ass over to my part of the world for my RL concept. If you can't beat 'em, USE 'em! *evil grin*

I'm posting all the artwork I've done for my robots. My friend GP was supposed to have done them, but he got shafted by his sim owner* and left SL in disgust. SO I had to do it all by my own fair hand - a blessing in disguise cos it was so much FUN!

Here is the 1st series. These are the flyers with text displayed with the robots in the gallery. The posters are up on the wall without the background text.

Love, Luxe


* Ugh, re island scamming PLEASE be warned. There are some a*holes out there! Check this http://www.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2007/02/island_land_sca.html