The Asian Art Museum's monthly throwdown, Matcha, kicks off around 6pm with DJs, tours, workshops and cocktails. The Live Action Cartoonists, a performance troupe that combines comics and theatre, will perform highlights from Science (Fiction) an experimental production that re-interprets Tezuka Osamu’s Astro Boy. 200 Larkin St., SF. Dance away your Independence Day hangover at the Rickshaw Stop! Fleeting Joys(shimmery, Cocteau Twins-esque tunes out of SacTown) Christopher Willits (think Postal Service, but better) and......

It was just a few months ago that we were celebrating the announcement of the opening of Orpahange Animation Studios, a new SF-based animation house that had roped Genndy Tartakovsky (of Samurai Jack and Clone Wars) into making some features. Since then, OAS has attached Genndy to direct an Astro Boy movie, as well as the OMG-It's-Gonna-Be-Awesome sequel to The Dark Crystal. We can only assume that they've just been SO hard at work......