Fractalforums.com’s owner, Christian Kleinhuis (aka Trifox) is attempting to put out another fractal art calendar this year.  I reviewed last year’s and called it, “The Best Fractal Calendar Ever!“.

I hope that review scored me enough points over there with the Fractalforums.com folks to cover this year’s review.

Here’s a brief summary of the discussions surrounding this year’s (proposed) calendar:

Screenshot from Fractalforums.com 2013 Calendar order page. Click to go there and read the rest.

How much is that in $US for one copy (shipping included)?

• For German Orders:  $46
• European Orders: $50
• Worldwide: $58

Here’s how Jeremie Brunet (aka bib, bib993) explains it on his Deviant Art page:

Pre-order fractalforums 2013 calendar now!

• by *bib993, Oct 7, 2012, 1:31:19 AM

Dear Watcher,

You might not know that without fractalforums.com, the recent history of 3D fractals, i.e. the discovery of the 3D Mandelbulb and Mandelbox would not have been the same, and we wouln’t have been able to make these extraterrestrial landscapes, strange and fantastic objects like we see flourishing on DeviantArt fractal galleries for about 2 years now.

So now it’s time to say THANK YOU fractalforums for having been the boiling pot which made this new form of 3D fractal art a reality. And especially THANK YOU to Christian Kleinhuis, our beloved administrator, a.k.a. the “priest of chaos” as he likes to call himself for fun on his great new Youtube video series.

So, please support fractal art and the fractal community and go buy the calendar! Moreover, there are several DeviantArt members who took part in this year’s edition of the fractalforums.com calendar (last year, 2012, was the 1st edition), so check out this page at fractalforums.com to view the chosen images and pre-order you calendar by Paypal.

That’s right.  Mr Kleinhuis has been footing the entire bill for Fractalforums.com.  I don’t know what the costs are but I’m sure it’s dedicated hosting (not cheap, shared hosting) and probably runs about $60 to $80 a month.  He’s got some advertising revenue but the majority of the costs probably come right out of his own pocket.

Is $58 too much to ask?  “Brother?”

Taurus66 had this to say in a thread on Fractalforums.com (FFs):

Sorry for the directness guys, but someone needs to say that. The reason, why this calendar doesn’t work, is the same reason, why the cups and the calendar 2012 didn’t work:
It is FAR TOO EXPENSIVE and in addition this time the need of prefinancing via Paypal (incl. non existent shipping costs) looks shady to everyone outside FF.

The day before Taurus66 posted that, a new thread was started by Christian Kleinhuis:

Screenshot from Fractalforums.com. Click image to read the rest…

Further down the thread bib writes:

Have you asked Tim and Terry at OT to do a review?

And then Christian Kleinhuis says this a little later:

…i have written a mail to the info email at orbittrap  but will ask tim directly again this evening

And so, without further introduction or delay…

A Review…

…of the (proposed, but not yet printed)

– Fractalforums.com 2013 Calendar! –

A public “Decap-tionating”

>>><<<

~Click on images to view full-size on the Fractalforums.com Calendar order page~

Vivid, sensory, perfectly rendered image …of a golden golf ball in a manure pile

“When fractal art dies in a calendar, does it make a sound?

Fungus-forums.com

I know this guy’s work. He’s got a hundred better than this one. Nice composition, thought. Sorry.  What’s next?

The Hair Balls of War!

The Guano-bulb. I’m sensing a theme this year…

Now this is a good one. Seriously. Put this on the front cover, seal it, and let customers assume all the rest inside are just as good. This one is so detailed and realistic I zoomed into it and look what I found…

© Plamen Agov • studiolemontree.com

Don’t kid yourself, it doesn’t matter how careful you are; weeds can get into your fractals and ruin everything.

Oops! Another good one. Really, though; you can never go wrong with this guy’s work.  What’s his secret?

1. It’s not cutting edge fractal art 2. Neither is it a new variation on an old theme 3. I don’t care who made it —three strikes, you’re out!

Adamantium Heart? How about, “Daddy, I dropped my ball in the sewer”

In the cave of burning dogfood

Man, there ain’t nothing funny about this one.

2012… Those were the days. When you couldn’t visit Fractalforums.com without seeing something innovative, creative and awesome. History in the making! Forget the calendar thing, man; it’s not worth the hassle.