A Few Things

I’ve been watching SyFy’s (I F-ing hate the name change btw) new hit show Warehouse 13. Essentially it’s a show about that “secret government warehouse” you’ve been hearing about all these years. All kinds of supernatural relics or advanced artifacts are acquired and stored here so the general public is kept safe. Every episode usually revolves around the lead characters tracking down an object after some weird/supernatural occurrence happens. It’s not a perfect show as the investigations are laughable but it has a Buffy-esque charm that plays well. W13 could easily devolve into an artifact of the week akin to a monster of the week show but thankfully it’s mostly a character driven program with moments of humor. Probably the best things about the show (besides the excellent casting of Saul Rubinek) is that W13 is one of the best possible ways to do a “fantasy show” with a limited budget. It’s had a few hiccups but I feel it’s on good footing for a first season. It’s interesting to note that 50% of the audience for W13 is female which is a huge jump for the SyFy channel. The first season hasn’t even finished its run yet and a second season has already been green lit. On a comic book geek note CCH Pounder who plays the government agent Amanda Waller in Justice League Unlimited plays a similar role here as Warehouse 13’s Shadowy boss.

I’ve also been enjoying the BBC’s Being Human about a Vampire, Werewolf, and Ghost sharing a flat together. It sounds really corny and it kinda is but like Warehouse 13 I like that fact that there is almost no budget for the show consequently so much relies on the dialog and the personality of the characters. It rips off tons from the World of Darkness games (among other things) but BH has a certain charm. The first episode was confusing though because I felt that I had missed an episode and indeed I had. There was a pilot that had two of the three major characters cast with different actors and of course that pilot was not shown in the states. Check it out if you like “Thrift Store Horror.”

I tried to think of something fun to give my niece last month and for some reason Galaxy High School popped into my head. Why I thought a 23 year old Saturday morning cartoon would entertain a modern high schooler, I’ll never know. But my intuition was on the money as apparently she’s been watching the DVD set over and over like crazy. It’s too bad it only had one season.

I saw program about exoplanets over the weekend on the science channel. What the was really cool is that the show nicknamed planets that orbit pulsars as Zombie Planets because they are dead worlds created from the debris after the destruction of a whole system. Hmmm…


-Swinebread

What's been going on in blurbs.

I’ve sworn off Marvel Comics… well, at least the pamphlet kind. I refuse to pay 4 bucks for a single comic book. Considering their new pricing model now, it seems like the best thing to do. I’ve found myself really tempted by Marvel’s 70th Anniversary titles and the Marvel Pets but I held firm and it feels good. On the other hand, I’m more open to picking up Marvel trades and Hardcovers. My comic shop had a big sale a while ago with either 50% off or a straight price of 10 bucks on hardcovers.

Because of this I picked up
Annihilation: Countdown Volumes One & Two. Great, well written cosmic adventures
Annihilation Classic. I just adore all these cosmic characters especially Rocket Raccoon
Marvel Monsters. A collection of old and new Kaiju-ish stories featuring creatures from Marvel’s age of monsters. The Devil Dinosaur and Fin Fang Four stories rocked.
Marvel Westerns. A collection of old and new stories featuring characters from Marvel’s Western line. The Hurricane story is probably the best Superhero,Weird Western I’ve ever read.
Marvel Visionaries: John Buscema. His early stuff, plus a random smattering of latter stories.


Speaking of cosmic characters, I really enjoyed the Annihilation stuff so much that I went out and bought Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy trades. I got most of them used at Powell’s. (My new goal is to buy mostly used and/or "on sale" comic trades as much as possible) Reading this new Nova series has been great. I’m fan of the original Nova series from way back in the 1970s, but I have been really disappointed with how he’s been depicted since. This current series finally achieves the cosmic potential that the Nova character has always had but was always ignored.


No More My New Comics?
I kinda figured what was the point since I’ve cut down to 0-2 titles a week. I guess I could do a monthly My New Comics but I’ve since fallen out of practice of doing it… It’s just not as much fun with the same few title every month.


The wife and I just watched Dororo. It’s a live-action Japanese adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s manga of the same name. It’s pretty good with all kinds of traditional Japanese monsters and sengoku period swordplay. If you’re interested in fantasy samural stories check it out.


I did see Star Trek but never did a review. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I loved how the film brought back some of the humor of TOS. There were a few story problems especially a bunch of coinkydink stuff that I noticed after I left the theater, but all and all, a very fun film. The only thing I straight up just hated were the engine rooms… that stuff looked just like something out of MST3K. My fears for this film and the Star Trek Universe were unfounded. I’m glad I was wrong. Now Paramount, DO NOT PUT KHAN IN THE NEXT FILM. Try something new please.


Several months ago, YouTube pulled my Devo, Beautiful World, video. It lasted a little over a year.


I’ve been watching Showtime’s new show Nurse Jackie…. It’s very entertaining and Edie Falco’s character here is much more interesting than Carmella Soprano ever was. Some nurses have problems with the show but what’s getting me down is the tiredness I have for ER/hospital shows… couldn’t we have a program about park rangers or Travel agents or science fiction writers… basically the networks and cable stations are Lazy because it’s easy to find the drama in cop, law, and hospital shows.


I happened to see Vol 1 and 2 of the 1990s animated X-men show last month, so I snapped these DVDs right up. Despite the fact that we've got Gambit and Jubilee, instead of Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde) on the regular team, this is as close as we are ever gonna get to good adaptions of the comics. No extra features but that's OK because all the room on the disks went to ensuring the episodes are top quality.


But most of all I've been spending my time taking care of Swinebread Jr. Wow! It's been almost a year since he was born.


-Swinebread

No Hurm, No Foul

Watchmen's visionary* director Zack Snyder went into some detail about the DVD release of his pending film based on the classic graphic novel. The running time of the DVD will be a whopping 3 hours and 25 minutes. Mostly because it will include the Tales of the Black Freighter which will not be in the theatrical release.

Of course Black Freighter will be released on it's own DVD to coincide with the release of the film but I can't imagine how fans of the book would want to see it any other way than included in the overall story since it parallels and complements the larger Watchmen narrative.

Here's the trailer for that DVD if you haven't seen it-



(*Warner Brothers requires under pain of broken fingers that you refer to Zack Snyder as "visionary" whenever you mention him in writing.)

Galaxy High School

I picked up the Galaxy High School DVD set. It’s a fun little cartoon from 1986 that only lasted one season. Basically, it’s your not-so-standard high school drama with two earth kids that interact with all kinds of weird alien creatures, and corny sci-fi at an intergalactic school. The show was imaginative for it’s time and has a pretty good soundtrack. Of course, you have to throw logic and reason out the door and just enjoy the crazy antics of the characters. GHS has obviously been released to ride the success of Andy Mangles’ cartoon boxed sets like Dungeon and Dragons and the Filmation programs that have come out the last few years. He clearly didn’t produce the Galaxy High School DVD as it has absolutely no extra features and is not digitally re-mastered, but then at ten bucks, it’s a great deal. Oh those Saturdays… they had lots good-natured gems, and GHS is one of them.





-Swinebread

Generation Freakazoid!

I finished up Generation Kill this week. The reviews have been very positive and I have to agree. This HBO mini-series based on the book by Even Wright is, in some sense, the most elaborate docudrama ever made because it simply lays out what happened. Nothing is glorified, and the Marines’ boredom is as palpable as the combat. It’s easy to make up your own mind about the folks involved and their actions but Generation Kill never asks you to and I appreciate that. And of course Sergeant Majors are crazy… …they’re always crazy. The tagline for this production might be “War is”

Here’s one of the Trailers. Note that the show itself doesn’t have a “soundtrack” like this trailer.


____________________________________________________

I picked up the first season of Freakazoid!. It’s got a cult following so I wanted to see if it lived up to it’s rep. Well, I have to say it’s a fun show with lots of wild antics and an Animaniacs style of humor. I like crazy superheroes a lot and this one doesn’t disappoint. Freakaziod is clearly a forerunner to the content of Adult Swim on Cartoon Network.

Another reason I was interested in this show is because of the controversy with Madman creator Mike Allred. Madman is considered to be one of the main “unaccredited” influences on Freakazoid but I really don’t see it all that much. Ambush bug and the Mask seem to be ripped off much more directly.





-Swinebread

Never Ever

I was in a store yesterday wandering though the DVD section when a couple passed by me in a hurry to checkout the boxed sets of 24. I guess they were looking for a deal on the latest set. When they noticed that the one they wanted wasn't there they began to walk away dejected and the male of the couple said: "24 is the greatest network show ever... ever"

LOL...

A show that legitimizes torture isn't for me (See here) but most folks are cool with it... sadly.


-Swinebread

Justice League: The New Frontier

Using the “Justice League” title with “The New Frontier” is somewhat of a misnomer as Darwyn Cooke’s original comic dealt with the transition from the Golden Age of superheroes to the Silver and the period just before the creation of the Justice League of America. But the Justice League is a recognizable brand and tying this project to that brand makes sense from a marketing standpoint.

But is it any good? Yes, it is good. I was a little worried because the online chatter had been mixed, however, I realized after watching JLTNF that most folks who were disappointed wanted something else and not Darwyn Cook’s amazing work. What they wanted was some sort of tie-in to the Justice League cartoons, this is simply crazy as the New Frontier story could never connect to those shows because it’s set in the 1950s and it's different in theme to those shows.

The story is very faithful to the original comic, but it does drop most of the mini-plots to focus in the main thrust of the story, that thrust being the rise of a new era of heroes and a threat to human existence on the planet. The story was so faithful in fact that there weren’t any surprises for those of us that have read the New Frontier comic book. So, the film’s enjoyment comes from seeing a great story animated, with excellent voice acting. It would be interesting to hear reactions from folks that haven’t read the original.

There are a few things to keep in mind. Much of JLTNF focuses on lesser-known characters in the DC Universe. The big three, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, have supporting roles. The main storyline focuses around Hal Jordan and the Martian Manhunter. The New Frontier is infused with events and the ethos of the 1950s and very early 1960s. Not knowing anything about the time period could reduce someone’s enjoyment (I’m thinking about you Dana Perino). This movie is certainly for the older crowd as suicide, murder, and horror figure into the plot of the film.

It’s a good film and despite some of it’s darker elements. The New Frontier gives a fresh take on the concept of heroism and what it really means. Many of the topics from the show resonate and that’s part of the appeal beyond the amazing artistic style. The idea that some shadowy crap is going on but at the same time there is still great hope for a new future truly resonates. That’s part of the brilliance of Justice League: the New Frontier.


Here is what I liked in no particular order (spoilers):



Darwyn Cooke’s original drawing style and designs are intact and look wonderful when animated.

I like the way Cook draws women and, by extension, how they appear in this film. They’re my kinda’ sexy.

The Martian Manhunter is great character. I never knew much about him before but both the comic and the movie have peeked my interest. He’s a great combination of sci-fi and noir.

Now we have a good reason for the new look Batman.

I like the Lovecraftian elements. It’s almost like the age of the Superhero finally overcomes its pulp origins with The New Frontier.

They kept the nod to John Henry in and I appreciated that.

I enjoyed the voice acting

The 1950s look of the story really helps convey how exciting the dawning of the silver age was.

I bought the cheap, single DVD version and was surprised by some good extra features like a Justice League doc, and commentary tracks.

Wonder Woman’s invisible plane bit is pure genius.

The “not so good” side of the 1950s is touched upon.

Events seem more connected in the film than in the comic.


Here is what I disliked in no particular order (spoilers):

Something is a little off with the Hal Jordan/Green Lantern storyline but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Why didn’t The Martian Manhunter just impersonate one of the astronauts instead of showing up at the last minute and trying to ride the rocket from the outside?

I don’t think this film works well cross culturally.

I would have liked animated sequences rather than static images for the end speech.

Sometimes the horror aspects and Cooke’s style don’t quite work together. (Although, I think they work better here in the film than the comic)

Trailer:


WB's site for the film here


-Swinebread

Random Comic info

The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdu is getting some good buzz. It deals with the censorship of comic books in the McCarthy era and the creation of the Comics Code Authority that ruined many a good story, many a good genre and many a good creator. Despite the vileness of the topic, I find this period in the history of comics incredibly fascinating and I intend to pick up this book at some point.



I bought the Justice League: the New Frontier video, but grabbed the single disk version. So, I don’t have any of the bonus material. As it turns out that’s the real treat of this release as reviews have been mixed. I haven’t broken the seal yet so I may take it back for a 2-disk set. Apparently there is a pretty good doc on the history of the Justice League.



Some interesting responses to my Men are from Marvel, Women are from DC and DC’s Super Feminine Mystique posts:

Leftarrow here

Brainfreeze here

Brainfreeze here part 2


New Pic from Watchmen.

After production wrapped a while back on the Watchmen movie a frame was released.


One more hint that this could be a really great film.

-Swinebread

Snowblood Surprise

I came home from work the yesterday and my SO struck up a conversation about a friend wanting to borrow some DVDs. Well, I started to look through our collection when I noticed one was facing backward. My SO said, “What’s that?” I grabbed it and turned it around. To my surprise it was Lady Snowblood. She had found it on sale and grabbed me a copy. It’s one of those films I’ve always wanted to own but just never got around to buying. The film is based on the excellent comic (currently published in English by dark horse) written by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf and Cub fame. Most folks have gotten to know Lady Snowblood because of Quentin Tarantino's affection for the film. It’s a classic with plenty of drama and martial arts action that only a deadly lady assassin could deliver. What a nice surprise indeed.


Last month, My SO also got me a copy of Looney Tunes Golden Collection #4. I’m a big fan of these wonderful characters and cartoons, so I’m really happy. It’s interesting to watch my SO’s reaction to these animated shorts. Ya’ see, she’s originally from another culture so she’s watchn’ these ‘toons with fresh eyes, while I other hand grew up them. She finds them very creative and likes the fact that they’re only a few minutes long. Her favorite characters are: Speedy Gonzales, Road Runner and Coyote, and Marc Antony and Pussyfoot.


All and all, I say I made out like a fat rat.

-Swinebread

I’m getting a little too excited at this point for Indy 4, but my enthusiasm helped me realize why comics have been so discouraging of late. There’s no sense of adventure in them, at least not for me. Back when I first read comics the stories seemed much more grounded in fantastic larger than life yarns. Whether they were good or bad, there was still a sense of wonder. That’s not to say I never wanted relatable heroes. I was a big fan of the X-men back in the day and Spidey’s suffering is part of what makes him a great character but now… it just seems too overloaded with heartbreak and catastrophe. What’s the next “tragic event” to hype so the big 2 can get their comics talked about in the fan press. Time and time again these things have been a letdown unless there was some sense of wonder and adventure. That’s why I signed up for The Phantom Comics by Moonstone. I should have done this a long time ago. It’s back to basics with the good guys fighting the bad guys. Adventure is really at the core of what I want despite any genre I may choose. It’s why I’m reading Conan and Red Sonja and it’s why I dropped most of my Marvel and DC stuff. There are a few other adventure comics coming down pike that I’m also looking forward to like Jungle Girl, Superpowers, Kull, Solomon Kane (possibly), and Airboy.

Oh and Dark Horse, now is a good time to collect all those Marvel Indiana Jones comics into trades just like you did with the old Star Wars stuff.

On a completely different topic, I purchased The Tick VS. Season Two and Popeye The Sailor 1933-1938 DVDs. When it comes to the Tick I forgot how awesome this show is. The scripting is brilliant. The stories work on two levels for both kids and adults. It’s often “laugh out loud” funny and the parodies of superhero-ness are spot on. The price is steep for only 12 of shows though (I got it with a reduced price promotion), and like the first season set it’s missing an episode, which is frustrating. The Popeye DVD collection is mind-blowingly good with 60 Fleischer cartoon shorts on 4 disks. In a similar manner to the Looney Tunes Gold Collections there’s lot of special features on each disk. Documentaries, commentaries, and early Fleischer shorts fill up each disk along with the amazingly well crafted Popeye cartoons. This set is for the serious collector, as it doesn’t censor the less savory elements like racism and violence and in fact each DVD has a disclaimer at the beginning. Despite that, the quality of these cartoons shines and they remind me why I always liked the black and white Popeye cartoons the best.

Jericho Update

Haven’t made an update about Jericho in awhile, so I thought I’d post a few odds and ends. As you know, Jericho was saved after it was cancelled because fans sent in huge amounts of nuts to CBS.

First up is the “thank you” vid that was presented at Comic Con. There's great behind the scenes shots along with some footage from season 2 and the extremely happy cast and crew members. From wikipedia:

On August 2, 2007, a video was released on YouTube showing clips from the first day back at work for the Jericho cast and crew. It shows clips of the first season, explaining the cancellation, followed by brief clips from the second season premiere and a "thank you" from the cast and crew to the fans for their efforts to revive the show

The official Jericho website has all kinds of new content and this time the producers have free reign to post what they want. Check out their production blog here.



If you want to find out why the Jericho fans were so crazy about the show then drop 50 bucks and get Season One, which comes out on DVD October 2.

Now if they could just get a Jericho comic book going…

-Swinebread

Random Stuff From Previews

I just thought I'd list a few things from September’s Previews that ticked me for some reason or another. Items to arrive in November.


Nurse Ogawa! Now your Star Trek: The Next Generation action figure set will be complete. Oh, and I guess they’re releasing an action figure for some character called Ensign Ro too. Page 444.

The Complete Terry and the Pirates Volume 2. This is one book series I really wish I could pick up but at 50 bucks a pop... I always wanted to read this classic strip due to the great art by Milton Caniff. Lots of strong Female characters, including the Dragon Lady. Page 314.


The Smurfs are coming to DVD! Season one is only $44.98. That’s 26 Smurftasitc episodes for chump change. Page 537.


Doctor Who’s Tardis, how cool is that? Pretty cool. If you’ve got the action figures you have to get the Tardis right? Page 488.


The Cthulhu Rainy-Day Activity Book. Mazes, drawing, coloring and Mad Libs (to name a few items) that will occupy your time and drive you totally crazy. Page 518.

It’s also worth noting that Chaosium is releasing their D100 RPG rulebook. Finally, a generic set of rules for any type of play using the Basic Roleplaying System. I’m looking foreword to this one. Page 518.

-Swinebread

20 Million Miles to Earth

I had the distinct pleasure of watching Ray Harryhausen’s 20 Million Miles to Earth. This wonderful monster movie was recently re-released on DVD for it’s 50th anniversary in color. This was one of Harry’s films that I hadn’t seen yet and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a delectable 1950s, atomic horror treat.

A secret mission to Venus by the American Military spells trouble for Europe when a returning US Spaceship crashes off the coast Sicily. A reptilian alien, brought back by the crew, hatches from a gelatinous egg and grows unnaturally huge in earth’s atmosphere. Because of bungling and mistreatment the enraged creature rampages through Rome in a climatic battle causing death and destruction.

20 Million Miles to Earth has everything a classic science fiction fan could want; stiff acting, repressed sexual tension, “funny” foreigners, cold war allegories and amazing effects. Setting the film in Italy is pure genius; in fact it’s downright sexy! There’s just something so right about a cosmic beast battling troops in the remains of the forum and the coliseum. It’s a well-paced movie for a ‘50s film, and still exciting with tons of B-movie clichés twisted just enough to keep it interesting. It’s well done and a nice break from the overproduced sci-fi stuff we see today.

The DVD comes in a two-disk set with lots of goodies including, a retrospective documentary, a colorization process short and an interview with Harryhausen. The colorization of the film is quite good, although it's not as great as Ray Harryhausen raves it is. The monster and the coliseum are some of the best-colored parts of the film but there are some weak spots. For the purists, the DVD also includes the original black and white version.

20 Million Miles to Earth proves that without Ray Harryhausen, fantasy films would have been a whole lot less fun. This film was an international blockbuster in its day, and it’s easy to see why.

Note: Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, It Came from Beneath the Sea, and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms are all set to get the same colorization treatment.

Here is the theatrical trailer:


-Swinebread

Call of Cthulhu the Silent Movie

Two years ago at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival there was a lot of buzz in the air about a new independent film titled The Call of Cthulhu based on the original 1926 Lovecraft story. This weird horror tale has often been called unfilmable. Usually, the alien god’s name, Cthulhu, gets sprinkled into crappy to mediocre films for flavor but any serious depiction of him or the story he exists in was notably absent. Fans of Lovecraft’s style of horror have lamented the lack of good adaptations of his work and have had settle for merely Lovecraft inspired shows. Well, with the release of The Call of Cthulhu Film in 2005 a tipping point was reached and a threshold passed. The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS), a media company dedicated adapting his works, presented their two-year effort. I found the project both entertaining and faithful.


What made the unfilmable story filmable was the HPLHS’s conceit of making a silent picture. Here the cast and crew would recreate The Call of Cthulhu as if it had been produced when the original story came out in the 1920s. This was a masterstroke of inspiration in my opinion. The black and white film approach solved many technical problems while evoking the time and space of the short story. Also, Lovecraft’s words didn’t become underwhelming with the delivery by actors but are enhanced with the use of text on the screen. Many places and effects needed in The Call of Cthulhu are created using models and film trickery of the silent era which makes the viewing much more authentic. A few folks have expressed disappointment with the monster Cthulhu in the film but I rather liked his depiction. To me, he looked like a representation of what makes him so awful, plus some bloated CG effect wouldn’t have worked either. In this case representational is better than realistic… how could somebody make Cthulhu, look realistic anyway.

At that film fest in October 2005, I vowed to pick up a copy of the film someday. Well, at the Emerald City Comic Con I did. I watched it again with much joy (and fright). If you are a Lovecraft fan this is the real deal. The Call of Chtulhu finally achieves the desire for a good movie adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft’s work.

Here’s the Trailer:


-Swinebread

Great J-Horror for the Whole Family

What’s entertaining, terrifying and hilarious all in one? That would be a wonderful Japanese TV show I just finished called, The Great Horror Family (TGHF). It’s a horror-sitcom about a “typical” Japanese family that moves into a strange house, which is the center of all kinds of supernatural and paranormal activity. For a western reference point in terms of tone you might think The Addams Family crossed with Tales of the Crypt. Here’s blurb from the back of the DVD:

Kiyoshi Imawano and his family move into a haunted house. The entire family, except the occult-obsessed father, gains the power to see ghosts and spirits. An undead monk, secret government agents, even UFOs start showing up. It’s up to Kiyoshi to find out why the house is troubled by all these strange occurrences and save his family and possibly the world, from inter-dimensional terror.

And it’s really funny! They forgot that part.

TGHF mixes traditional Japanese ghost stories with monsters and modern pop culture parody. The show plays with J-horror conventions with humorous takes on familiar movies like Ju-on (the Grudge) and Ringu (The Ring) but also contains nods to American films like Men in Black. TGHF is rooted in conventional Japanese storytelling but what makes the show novel, is the mixing of different horror genres with a comedy spin. Something that hasn’t been done much in Japan. Most of the humor comes from the understated reactions by the Imawano family to the bizarre events surrounding them and their strange (albeit still very Japanese) way dealing with the supernatural problems. The mother dressing up as a Gothic Lolita comes to mind. The casting is brilliant with several experienced comedic actors taking on the lead roles. Also of note is that the famed Japanese horror director Takashi Shimizu was involved in the project and directed several episodes


The Great Horror Family is a really fun way to jump into J-horror without too much fright but plenty of laughs.

-Swinebread

Ark II… the Safe Apocalypse

I’ve often wondered where my fascination with the post apocalyptic genre began. For a longest time I just figured that it must have been Planet of the Apes with a little bit of Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards thrown in. But I’d always had this vague recollection of the Saturday morning 70’s show Ark II. I was pretty young when I saw it, so I didn’t really remember much beyond the helpful characters driving around in a big RV and that civilization had been destroyed some how. Despite my love of the genre, I just couldn’t bring myself to buy the Ark II DVD collection when it was released in November 2006 based solely on foggy memories. You see, a lot of the 1970s kiddy stuff is really cheesy and not cheesy fun but cheesy bad. However after meeting Andy Mangles at the Portland Comic Book Convention, I decided to pick it up as Andy had expressed that the Ark II DVD project was a particular joy for him to work on.


Well, after delving into the DVDs, I’m glad to report that Ark II is cheesy good. This Filmation show is based on the premise that by 25th century pollution has destroyed the fertility of the earth and humans have been reduced to a Dark Ages level of subsistence. To bring hope to this shattered world, the few scientists left have pooled their knowledge into making a mobile laboratory, the RV-like Ark II. Yeah, it’s named after Noah’s Ark. Keeping with the biblical theme, the crew of the Ark II includes: Jonah, the white, bearded commander; Ruth the good-looking Asian; Samuel, the Latino boy-genius; and Adam, the talking chimp (a swipe at creationism no doubt). The multi-ethnic (multi-species) crew travels around on various missions to help primitive communities help themselves or overcome oppression. Additionally, the series also utilized a smaller vehicle called the ark rover and a Jet pack to assist the heroes on their missions. As Ark II is a kid’s show, the crew never uses lethal force and guns don’t appear.

Ark II is an interesting cross between a program crammed with tons of great sci-fi ideas and a kiddy show in which the creative folk are really pressed because of time and money. The visual look of the program is quite good from the spacey suits and vehicles of the Ark II crew to the dirty appearance of the survivors they encounter. The fact that the show was shot in the same place as Planet of the Apes instills the show with some visual apocalyptic validity. But often the dialog is stilted and the plotting is weak. It is a kind of time capsule of 1970s TV filmmaking, so many of the underwhelming aspects of the show are understandable if one looks at Ark II with that perspective. Strangely enough the “message” aspects of the show actually aren’t too heavy-handed. The overarching theme of the show is obviously environmentalism, but there are also lessons of friendship, non-violence, and co-operation. So if you’ve been looking for an apocalypse that is safe for the whole family Ark II is it. Also, its important to note that Andy Mangles’ group has done a superb job with the DVD content, as the documentary, menus and bonus features really multiply the value of the whole package.

Of course I can never be sure if Ark II alone got me interested in the post apocalyptic genre, that’s lost in the mists of the nuclear winter (yuk yuk) but it certainly is a piece of my childhood that I had nearly forgot. For a live action, 1970s kid’s show, Ark II is about the best it gets. It’s not a perfect show, but it really has a great concept that I believe kids would still enjoy especially the talking chimp and that jet pack. Plus, the diversity is a nice bonus, proving somebody was paying attention at Filmation. The mission of the crew of Ark II was to provide hope, something that was much needed in the 1970s and now for that matter, see the parallels? So, if you’re into sci-fi, want a stroll down memory lane or need a show for the kids, check out the DVD set of Ark II.

-Swinebread

Portland Comic Book Show

Always underwhelming but worthwhile if you’re looking for bargains; the Portland Comic Book Show made a brief appearance today as it usually does about twice a year. I don’t often go to these things much anymore except to meet the occasional guest. See the thing is this comic show is always held in the aging Memorial Coliseum where the Trail Blazers used to play eons ago. The place looks like a dingy, dirty dungeon with an off-white asylum paint job. It’s really not a pleasant place to be. Plus there aren’t any events. It’s just kinda’ a flea market stuck in hole. Now I’m sorry for ragging on Second Genesis, I know they work really hard to bring guests and dealers to town, but there is the brand new Oregon Convention Center one bus stop away. Why isn’t this show being held there? It’s nice, clean, has windows, and has proper facilities, like elevators for folks in wheelchairs or with baby carriages. Now it is probably supposed to be an issue of saving money but a nice atmosphere really makes a difference. I always wonder how many guests decided never to come back because the space is so uninviting. The Stumptown Comics Fest has only been around for three years and they managed to move into the convention center last year, so I don’t see why the Portland Comic Book Show can’t either. I think it would attract a lot more people including street traffic.
“Phew” sorry for griping it is just something that has been bugging for a while. But the big reason I went was to meet Andy Mangels. He’s a great, talkative guy who wears many hats. Mostly known for being a writer of Star Trek books, Andy also directs and writes material for DVD projects. Many Saturday morning favorites of yesteryear have been coming out with fantastic bonus material thanks to Andy. I’ve got a few of ‘em like Flash Gordon, Blackstar, the Animated Star Trek, and Dungeons and Dragons.
I asked Andy a few questions and he was really great about providing answers. He had a hard time choosing his favorite DVD project but mentioned Ark II as a real treat to work on, as it had always been a favorite show of his. Additionally Andy said he feels that the Prince Valiant boxed sets are the most underrated because despite being a children’s show they had many adult themes, included faithful elements from the comic strips and interesting twists on the King Arthur mythology. Mr. Mangels felt Dungeons and Dragons had the most bonus features and he was pretty excited about the Lone Ranger, Zorro, Jason of Star Command and Isis sets due this year as well.
When I asked about when Tarzan (one of my favorite cartoons) might come out, he informed me that it looks good but his group has to jump through a few more hoops to get the rights straightened out. But the best news of all: There is a good chance he’ll be doing Thundarr, (my favorite cartoon ever) although it might take some time. Andy said: “I know there is a lot of demand out there!” Boy, is that an understatement. I sure hope he gets to do the Thundarr DVD since his bonus features have been really stellar.

Michael Eury was another guy I was eager to meet. A long time comic writer Eury currently edits Back Issue a comics magazine. It’s quite a wonderful periodical published by Twomorrows which explores different aspects of comic book history using a well thought out departmental approach. I told Mr. Eury that I found Back Issue a rare pleasure because most other comics’ publications are rather boring to read, while his magazine is informative and fun. He really took that to heart and said he and his staff work really hard to find a good balance between history and entertainment.

Here’s a shot of Colleen Cover and Paul Tobin creators of Banana Sunday. I could be wrong but they look like the have a very fulfilling love life.

Here’s David Hahn who was gracious enough to appear in my documentary Portland Comics a few years ago. He had many wonderful pages of art for sale, which I could not afford to buy.


Darren Davis represents Blue Water Productions. They’ll be publishing comics based on undeveloped Ray Harryhausen stories including a sequel to Clash of the Titans titled Wrath of the Titans. Mr. Davis was nice enough to let me look at scanned images of the art. Looks good!


They had some Star Wars reenactors (can’t remember the group’s name). The cool thing was that they only portrayed original trilogy characters and none of those crappy prequel losers. The bad thing was I was using a borrowed camera so I screwed up most of the shots. Got a few of the Stormtroopers though.



It was funny because I ran into a drooling She-Hulk’s Bitch ‘cause he scored a huge stash of She-Hulk comics. I'll have to borrow them some time if the pages aren’t stuck together. (ha ha)

After the show I went with family for Dim Sum to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year!

Star Trek: The Animated Series... more Kirk, Spock and mini-skirts!

Around about the time I was 5 years old, I saw an episode of the animated Star Trek titled The Practical Joker. The only thing I remembered was the crew being trapped in a holographic “rec-room” with a raging snowstorm. Later, I managed to catch three more episodes: one where Kirk and Spock get turned into amphibians, another where Spock gets a giant clone, and finally an episode where the Enterprise ends up in a reversed universe. If you think webbed and giant crewmembers seem weird, the reversed universe episode was the most bizarre, with black stars, a white void and people who age backwards; i.e. you’re born elderly and then grow into an infant. Weird huh. My memories are so vague, I'm still not sure if I saw the cartoon or the original series first.


So, I liked the animated Star Trek well enough as a child but basically forgot about it, particularly after the movies and Next Generation showed up. Over the years, though, I found myself getting bored with the various incarnations of Star Trek. Sure the FX improved greatly, but the space anomalies, the techobabble, and the Rick Berman style became too much to take. Naturally, I became drawn to the original Star Trek series again for its simplicity, straightforward sci-fi, and cheesy fun. A few years ago, I picked up a used VHS tape of the animated Trek to satisfy the urge for more TOS episodes and to see if the old cartoon held up. It has Shatner, Nimoy, and most of the regular cast so it must be worth a look right? Well I have to say I was intrigued, especially because the video featured Harry Mudd, but I didn’t buy anymore and waited for the DVDs. Sure enough, after driving Star Trek into the ground with Enterprise, Paramount finally decided to release the animated series on DVD for Trek’s 40th anniversary as it had nothing else sell. So, with the help of an Xmas gift card I picked it up.

To be honest, I found the series quite fun to watch despite the clunky animation. The best part is hearing the voices of the original actors. But beyond the reunion, there’s all manner of weird new aliens, strange vistas, new technology, and odd adventures that would have been impossible in the original Star Trek. I particularly enjoyed the new crewmembers, the feline M’Ress and the six limbed Arex.
There’s a nice sense of continuity with the first Star Trek as it has several episodes that are sequels to original shows: Cyrano Jones and the tribbles return in More Tribbles, More Troubles; Harry Mudd’s back with a love drug in Mudd’s Passion; and the vacation planet from Shore Leave (remember the white rabbit) returns in Once Upon a Planet. The first two are notable as the actors who played Jones and Mudd reprise their roles for the cartoon versions. A prominent aspect of the animated Star Trek is that it opens things up visually. Star Trek TOS can get a little claustrophobic with the small sets, and forced perspective backgrounds. So the strange cartoon vistas on the animated show are a welcome respite from the usual cramped design. It’s about outer space so the feeling of wide-open space is an advantage the Animated Star trek has over the original.


Star Trek the Animated Series holds the distinction of being quasi canon, meaning that it has been mined for ideas for the later live action series but is not completely part of the ‘real’ history of the Star Trek Universe. The episode Yesteryear is often cited for its importance in developing many details of Vulcan society while fleshing out Spock’s family history and childhood. Other tidbits from TAS include: the appearance of Robert April the first captain of the Enterprise, first use of a ‘holodeck,’ the fist time Tiberius is mentioned as Kirk’s middle name, and the only “Beam us up Scotty” ever uttered. The series is also interesting for having the first Native American crewmember, Uhura taking command of the Enterprise and the appearance of the aquashuttle.


The Animated Star Trek may not be for everybody. There are goofy elements like the inflatable Enterprise decoy for example. Basically, you have to like Star Trek, and not hate 1970’s slow animation to get the most fun out of it. But TAS does extend the life of the original by capturing the iconic nature of Star Trek that we’re familiar with. The simple features of the animated crew do strangely look like the original cast and the sci-fi technology is consistent with the sleek designs of the live action Trek. Plus there is some really fun sci-fi concepts on the show. This is due mostly to the use of the original series ‘bible’ and from the participation of Star Trek writer D.C. Fontana.


Star Trek the Animated Series might be an acquired taste even for a trekkie, but if you long for more adventures with the original cast and crew, it’s just what the doctor ordered. Doctor McCoy that is. Plus, who wouldn’t want a six-limbed crewman on the bridge, right?

-Swinebread