Yesterday, someone commented on my webcomic. This guy, a fellow Smack-Jeeves comic artist, wrote, "Heh heh."
Those words meant a lot to me.
When you're publishing funny comics, you're testing the waters carefully. After all, I don't find golf humor that funny, and you may not find medical jokes as hilarious as my older brother does. But the comic strip artist has to go with what works best, whether it's timing, a ridiculous image, or even the right words for a punchline.
Most of the comics that I read on SmackJeeves get comments. Few don't. But so far, I have received exactly three comments on certain strips. That, as well as email from one great fan, a negative review on the forums, and an anonymous 1-star rating comprised of the reaction I got.
The answerd may be that I'm only a beginner, that there are only a few thousand comics on Smack Jeeves, and that maybe my comic simply can't live up to what Internet viewers want. I hand-paint watercolors; everyone else uses Photoshop. I scan wherever I can find the appropriate machine; most people even have scanner-printers.
So, if one person laughed at Friday's comic, then I am thankful. Thankful that someone has taken the time to not only read my humble strip, but also to tell me what they thought. In this day and age where comic book companies exploit talent and millions take to the Internet, at least I know that I'm doing something right.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Moore Should Watch the Watchmen
Continuing from the previous blog post, I believe that Alan Moore should see Watchmen. As a comic book adaptation and a comic book adaptation, it succeeds on two fronts:
1) It is faithfully adapted, all the way to the grim ending.
2) It is a good movie.
Number 2 is an obvious requirement for all film adaptations, but even Number 1 is crucial in the case of Alan Moore, because his stories are unusual, even for standard unusual fiction. Let's take a look at his bibliography:
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen- at heart, this is an adventure series with no ongoing plot. To turn this comic into a movie would require a trilogy or even a miniseries, since only three books have been released so far. And there are NO cars in 19th century literature, no matter what the adaptation claimed.
Lost Girls- an experiment with the erotic adventures of Alice, Wendy, and Dorothy in their respective books. You could only make this in Japan, to be honest, because of the subject matter involved.
V for Vendetta- a political adventure about anarchy vs fascism. The only problem with the movie was that they made complicated villains simple and created a conspiracy theory. Other than that, this was the first good Alan Moore movie, which is a plus in my book.
Swamp Thing- again, an ongoing series, this time horror with a history of bad movies. Leave it alone, or turn it into something fantastic.
To be honest, filmmakers should leave graphic novels alone (unless they plan to animate them) and work with short stories so that they can implement as much creativity as possible.
1) It is faithfully adapted, all the way to the grim ending.
2) It is a good movie.
Number 2 is an obvious requirement for all film adaptations, but even Number 1 is crucial in the case of Alan Moore, because his stories are unusual, even for standard unusual fiction. Let's take a look at his bibliography:
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen- at heart, this is an adventure series with no ongoing plot. To turn this comic into a movie would require a trilogy or even a miniseries, since only three books have been released so far. And there are NO cars in 19th century literature, no matter what the adaptation claimed.
Lost Girls- an experiment with the erotic adventures of Alice, Wendy, and Dorothy in their respective books. You could only make this in Japan, to be honest, because of the subject matter involved.
V for Vendetta- a political adventure about anarchy vs fascism. The only problem with the movie was that they made complicated villains simple and created a conspiracy theory. Other than that, this was the first good Alan Moore movie, which is a plus in my book.
Swamp Thing- again, an ongoing series, this time horror with a history of bad movies. Leave it alone, or turn it into something fantastic.
To be honest, filmmakers should leave graphic novels alone (unless they plan to animate them) and work with short stories so that they can implement as much creativity as possible.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Alan Moore: A Retrospective
If you ever get the chance to read Alan Moore's interviews over the years on this webpage, then you will see the evolution of an artistic intellectual into a bitter cynic about American comics and Hollywood.
Much has happened since Alan Moore first published Watchmen, a graphic novel that shows the decline of realistic vigilantes and heroes. As you can see above, it has a rather unexpected climax and one of the most unsettling resolutions in comic book history. (The only other resolution that comes close belongs to The Dark Knight.) Moore went on to recreate Jack the Ripper in From Hell, a lake monster in Swamp Thing, and 18th century lit in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (and woman).
What do all of these works have in common?
Two words: film adaptations.
Except for Watchmen, all of these movies have also been financial and intellectual flops, according to Moore and the critics. (To be fair, though, the Swamp Thing film came out before Moore was signed on to do the comic.) League especially suffers when it has Tom Sawyer driving and Mina Murray turning into a flock of bats.
Moore also does not own any of these works; they belong to DC Comics. This is, sadly, the way it goes. One thing that Moore also comments on is that Watchmen had a negative effect on American comics instead of the positive one he anticipated; instead of young artists churning out brilliant works, all the superheroes suddenly became serious, as did the already dark Vertigo comics.
I agree with Moore that a comics revolution should've happened years ago, as comics have remained the same since the 1980s. But we have a whole generation of artists that have only begun to test their potential. I'm ready to make something new, to try to be different, and to try to tell a good story.
Are you?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Source Material- Teen Titans and its Adaptations
I'm a big Teen Titans fan, although I became a bigger one when I made two trips to the library and picked up two different comics. One was a collection of several Teen Titan issues from the 1980s, called New Teen Titans. Another was a Teen Titans Go collection that was released about three years ago.
The television show is awesome in that it can have ridiculous nerd villains like Control Freak and Armageddon terrors like Trigon (who turned the world to stone and the skies red), as well as equally ridiculous and suspenseful episodes. Instead of being a direct adaptation like Watchmen, it takes the source material (NTT) and sculpts it into something different.
Take the episode "Deep Six," where the Titans team up with Aqualad to defeat Trident, who has stolen toxic waste. Now compare it to an issue of NTT where the Titans have found Trident's body and want to find out who killed him. Here are two pages from that issue:
The differences are obvious. For example, the classic Titans have secret identities, Kid Flash and Donna Troy, and multiple subplots. But we still have teenage bantering, good-natured humor, and action.
Then we have TTG, which shows the animated Titans world in comic form. I've only read three issues, but the comic is entertaining, consistent, and fun to read. Since "Deep Six" features Aqualad, why not show pages from an issue with him?
One reviewer has pointed out that these plots are mainly derived from the show, but these are only the early issues. The comic continued for two years after the show ended; TTG got the boot last year, I believe.
The sad thing is that only hardcore fans will remember this show while the critics ignore it, especially as we move into the age of computer animation. Remember the Titans, people. Watch their show!
The television show is awesome in that it can have ridiculous nerd villains like Control Freak and Armageddon terrors like Trigon (who turned the world to stone and the skies red), as well as equally ridiculous and suspenseful episodes. Instead of being a direct adaptation like Watchmen, it takes the source material (NTT) and sculpts it into something different.
Take the episode "Deep Six," where the Titans team up with Aqualad to defeat Trident, who has stolen toxic waste. Now compare it to an issue of NTT where the Titans have found Trident's body and want to find out who killed him. Here are two pages from that issue:
The differences are obvious. For example, the classic Titans have secret identities, Kid Flash and Donna Troy, and multiple subplots. But we still have teenage bantering, good-natured humor, and action.
Then we have TTG, which shows the animated Titans world in comic form. I've only read three issues, but the comic is entertaining, consistent, and fun to read. Since "Deep Six" features Aqualad, why not show pages from an issue with him?
One reviewer has pointed out that these plots are mainly derived from the show, but these are only the early issues. The comic continued for two years after the show ended; TTG got the boot last year, I believe.
The sad thing is that only hardcore fans will remember this show while the critics ignore it, especially as we move into the age of computer animation. Remember the Titans, people. Watch their show!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Tails Side- Know the Right Audience
Last post was about how comics (and TV shows, and stories in general) shouldn't be scared of frightening children.
This brings up the question, though, of where you draw the line. After all, you don't want to traumatize your kids for life or make them lack empathy.
Parents should decide what their kids can read based on their children's personalities and not just on certain moral values. This worked and still works with me.
But there are some general guidelines, such as:
1) Excessive, pointless, glorified violence
2)Pointless swearing
3) Anything pointless that occurs just to give a story shock value.
We can universally agree on that as intellectuals, right?
Speaking of being age appropriate, comics have the better deal than television and movies when it comes to determining ratings because:
1) Most comics are created by individuals or two people collaborating. There are no high financial stakes, such as a million dollar budget or withdrawal of company sponsors. In other words, no CEO decides that a comic HAS to be rated PG
2) Comics are distributed to individuals, not masses. That is, a movie theater HAS to bar minors from R-rated movies. In bookstores, any kid could pick up a Mature manga and not be questioned.
3) Most comic ratings are relatively fair because comic book companies rate themselves while in the US we have the MPAA. This organization gave Ma Vie en Rose, a French movie about an eight-year old transgender boy, got an R rating even though it has no nudity, violence, sex or swearing. In comics, we have the following system:
A- All Ages
Y- Youth (7-10+)
T- Teen (13+)
OT- Older Teen (16 +)
M- Mature (18+)
The MPAA system is slightly more flexible than comics nowadays given that comic ratings are self-imposed. (We used to have the Comic Code of Authority, but it has the fangs of a flobberworm.) And with luck, maybe movies will start to rate themselves and see how people like them.
This brings up the question, though, of where you draw the line. After all, you don't want to traumatize your kids for life or make them lack empathy.
Parents should decide what their kids can read based on their children's personalities and not just on certain moral values. This worked and still works with me.
But there are some general guidelines, such as:
1) Excessive, pointless, glorified violence
2)Pointless swearing
3) Anything pointless that occurs just to give a story shock value.
We can universally agree on that as intellectuals, right?
Speaking of being age appropriate, comics have the better deal than television and movies when it comes to determining ratings because:
1) Most comics are created by individuals or two people collaborating. There are no high financial stakes, such as a million dollar budget or withdrawal of company sponsors. In other words, no CEO decides that a comic HAS to be rated PG
2) Comics are distributed to individuals, not masses. That is, a movie theater HAS to bar minors from R-rated movies. In bookstores, any kid could pick up a Mature manga and not be questioned.
3) Most comic ratings are relatively fair because comic book companies rate themselves while in the US we have the MPAA. This organization gave Ma Vie en Rose, a French movie about an eight-year old transgender boy, got an R rating even though it has no nudity, violence, sex or swearing. In comics, we have the following system:
A- All Ages
Y- Youth (7-10+)
T- Teen (13+)
OT- Older Teen (16 +)
M- Mature (18+)
The MPAA system is slightly more flexible than comics nowadays given that comic ratings are self-imposed. (We used to have the Comic Code of Authority, but it has the fangs of a flobberworm.) And with luck, maybe movies will start to rate themselves and see how people like them.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Kids like to Be Scared!
I'm not joking with the title: we need to remind parents that every good story involves some sort of danger for the protagonist(s); and when kids see action, you need to put the protagonists in danger of getting killed or hurt. (This is called suspense.)
Why is this necessary? You ask. Well, in our world, brutality occurs on a daily or monthly basis. The CIA starts civil wars in Guatemala. The FBI considers Martin Luther King a communist. When we face reality, we need a fiction in which the good guys win. But if the good guys win too easily, the
Case in point: Magic School Bus Episode 16. While on a field trip to the past, a T-Rex is attacking the bus, but Ms. Frizzle easily adds humor to the situation, as do the bright colors and the blatant Jurassic Park parody. We cannot deny, however, that the kids are in danger. When Ms. Frizzle casually suggests that getting eaten is a learning experience, her students do freak out. Yet they all get out alive and unharmed, and they learn more about dinosaurs and to keep an open mind.
Second case in point: Pluto's Judgment Day. This is a twisted, sick, cartoon, but it does put us in suspense and enthrall us as the cats put Pluto in trial for his crimes. While at the same time commenting on our biases when we have to prosecute a loathed criminal, it provides an interesting dilemma that Pluto can't get out of (and doesn't escape, to be honest).
Another correlation: you need a competent, scary, and interesting villain if the story demands one. We love Ursula, dislike Syndrome, fear Jafar, and pity Frollo, but they all pose threats against the heroes.
That's why Teen Titans also functioned well against Slade, their main nemesis, because he keeps them guessing at his intentions, resembles Robin at his worst, knows how to defeat them, and can outsmart them in order to get what he wants. (Episode Apprentice: WATCH IT.) Yet they defeated them not once, but thrice, and not without a lot of effort. And the viewer watches because they want to know how five teenage heroes can defeat an adult mercenary without a conscience.
So don't worry about making your villains too scary for children. Children want suspense, they want danger- so give it to them!
. . . But only give them the best.
Why is this necessary? You ask. Well, in our world, brutality occurs on a daily or monthly basis. The CIA starts civil wars in Guatemala. The FBI considers Martin Luther King a communist. When we face reality, we need a fiction in which the good guys win. But if the good guys win too easily, the
Case in point: Magic School Bus Episode 16. While on a field trip to the past, a T-Rex is attacking the bus, but Ms. Frizzle easily adds humor to the situation, as do the bright colors and the blatant Jurassic Park parody. We cannot deny, however, that the kids are in danger. When Ms. Frizzle casually suggests that getting eaten is a learning experience, her students do freak out. Yet they all get out alive and unharmed, and they learn more about dinosaurs and to keep an open mind.
Second case in point: Pluto's Judgment Day. This is a twisted, sick, cartoon, but it does put us in suspense and enthrall us as the cats put Pluto in trial for his crimes. While at the same time commenting on our biases when we have to prosecute a loathed criminal, it provides an interesting dilemma that Pluto can't get out of (and doesn't escape, to be honest).
Another correlation: you need a competent, scary, and interesting villain if the story demands one. We love Ursula, dislike Syndrome, fear Jafar, and pity Frollo, but they all pose threats against the heroes.
That's why Teen Titans also functioned well against Slade, their main nemesis, because he keeps them guessing at his intentions, resembles Robin at his worst, knows how to defeat them, and can outsmart them in order to get what he wants. (Episode Apprentice: WATCH IT.) Yet they defeated them not once, but thrice, and not without a lot of effort. And the viewer watches because they want to know how five teenage heroes can defeat an adult mercenary without a conscience.
So don't worry about making your villains too scary for children. Children want suspense, they want danger- so give it to them!
. . . But only give them the best.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
More thoughts on The Batman
Since we've done two posts in a row about Batman, I decided to write one more, this time concerning the canceled TV show.
The Batman was a queer duck to come out of Time Warner after Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Static Shock. It had a Joker with long hair, a black policeman becoming Clayface, and a Batgirl who preceded Robin.
This could've been a great masterpiece, but the TV writers didn't know how to structure a solid season. The new Barbara Gordon, now a teenager to avoid romantic tension, didn't have an important role as "freelancer". The third season finale didn't even involve her, but rather Dr. Hugo Strange and his evil computer.
During the fourth season, Robin and Harley Quinn got their premiere episodes. However, these episodes seemed to be remakes of the classic Batman series rather than the new version's creativity.
I'm not sure how Batman: Brave and The Bold will be, but I do hope that they add both creativity and awesome storytelling.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
When to Call it Quits
There was once a fairytale about a boy who beat gold coins out of a donkey. His evil step-brothers bought it from him. When they took out the rug-beater, though, the donkey fell down dead, having had all its coins removed. Batman as a story shouldn't be a donkey, but the whole franchise has spun into many medias since its creation in the 1930s, going from live-action slapstick to Golden Globe drama. Has the story reached its apogee, however? With The Dark Knight as a wonderful, thrilling, and depressing crime drama, future screenwriters will have a lot to live up to. Should we just finish this current Batman storyline and leave it untouched, just as we have left Gone With The Wind, How to Steal a Million, and other franchises alone?
I'm speaking from an artistic, not financial, perspective; Batman will sell once if bad, twice if okay, thrice if good, and a million times if breathtaking. But all I want is breathtaking Batman; I want the Dark Knight to surprise me, to sweep my off my feet.
Maybe we should leave that job up to Heath Ledger's image and his ghost. Let him have the last laugh on the movie screen.
As for the show, I agree with Kevin; I loved watching The Batman, but it was not Batman: The Animated Series. Kevin Michael Richardson is not Mark Hamill (both voiced the Joker on each respective show). And yet The Batman used their Joker frequently, to the point that he irked fans.
Maybe we should learn a lesson from that. And so should the film producers.
I'm speaking from an artistic, not financial, perspective; Batman will sell once if bad, twice if okay, thrice if good, and a million times if breathtaking. But all I want is breathtaking Batman; I want the Dark Knight to surprise me, to sweep my off my feet.
Maybe we should leave that job up to Heath Ledger's image and his ghost. Let him have the last laugh on the movie screen.
As for the show, I agree with Kevin; I loved watching The Batman, but it was not Batman: The Animated Series. Kevin Michael Richardson is not Mark Hamill (both voiced the Joker on each respective show). And yet The Batman used their Joker frequently, to the point that he irked fans.
Maybe we should learn a lesson from that. And so should the film producers.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Few Thoughts On "Batman: The Brave and the Bold"
Now, contrary to what the title may suggest, this is NOT a full blown review of the current Batman series on Cartoon Network! I will say this about the show though: I don't find it NEARLY as offensive as many Batman fans do! Yes, I know it's frustrating to finally have the characters reputation as far away from the Adam West show as possible, only to have this show come along that was meant to not only look like that awful show, but to actually remind you of that show. In fact, short of not getting Adam West back to voice the caped crusader I would say this is a fairly logical continuation of the 60's show. At the same time I acknowledge why the creators took this road, and why it was ultimately the best choice. Let's face facts folks and admit that "The Batman" was not that great of a show. Granted, some of it's ideas were good (especially the re-inventing of The Penguin and Riddler), and there were even some cool action sequences.
But deep down the show never really caught our attention, and maybe the reason was because it felt like the writers were trying to recapture the magic of the Bruce Timm/Paul Dini Batman series. Well folks, let's face it: We're NEVER going to have a Batman show that good again! If we do we should consider ourselves very lucky, but I doubt anyone will capture lightening in a bottle twice. Magic like that is a rare thing, so we should appriciate what we got out of it instead of complaining about the other shows that don't have it. So the producers of this show realized that there was no way they were going to create that magic again, and decided to go in a different direction. And you know what? It works. Yeah, it's bright, color, and childish. It's got more humor in the scripts. Staple characters like Alfred, Robin, and pretty much all the standard Batman rouges are nowhere to be found. We don't even see Batman as Bruce Wayne.
They did this on purpose. They did it because they wanted to do something different. And frankly, despite the fact that CN rates this series TV-Y7 (incorrectly in my eyes) this is easily the most kid friendly Batman we've seen in years. This is the kind of Batman show I can share with my kids when I have them (at least until their old enough for the mature stuff). By holding off on all the staples of the show the creators were able to make this Batman show something different, which is interesting at the very least. Still, even though I'm a defender of this show it's not like I'm a fan of it. I can't watch it all the time because it IS silly, and because I DO prefer the more mature Batman! Well, the writers of "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" decided that they wanted to end the first season with a bang, and boy did they ever.
If you missed the two part finale don't worry: CN will, in all likelyhood, be reairing several times before the end of the month is up. The storyline involves Batman going to an alternate reality and discovering that he is the villain there, and that his arch-nemesis Joker is actually the good guy (though his identity here is Red Hood and we never see his face). So not only does the first episode open with an ambitious first part, but the second part is an ambitious finale when Batman returns home to find his evil dopplganger Owlman has destroyed his hero image. Plus his friends are now hunting him down. Oh yeah, and to top it all off, out favorite Batman villain Joker finally appears. And Batman now has to team up with his greatest enemy to save his reputation. And as you can see from this picture...
...Joker looks pretty much exactly as he did in the 60's showm, yet he still has some menace to him. I would have to say it would have been nice to have Cesar Romero voice the Joker once more here for an even better classic feel...it's a shame he's dead and all that. The reason behind this post is to not only explain to Batman fans WHY I don't think the shows lighter tone is nessicarly a bad thing, but also to excourage them to hunt down the two-parter and give the show a second chance! I doubt the rest of the show will have a scope this ambitious, but I think it would be very fan appropriate to have some of the classic villains in two-parter finales like this. It really does show that while these writers may be going for something different they are, in the end, Batman fans just like you and me. And we should be applauding their efforts rather then tearing them down.
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Ones that Got Away
A few posts ago I talked about the good animated shows out there.
Now I have to come to the not-so-ones. Fortunately I have only seen a few, but my God, they had so much potential!
Here are the list of half-dead zeppelins:
1) American Dragon Jake Long- Disney at times can still produce the best and the worst ideas. We have a half-Chinese high-schooler asked to watch over America's magic-folk. The show had some interesting plot points, such as Jake's crush Rose, who has to slay him as her alter ego Huntsgirl and Mr. Long's ignorance about his son's double life, but the writers decided to rely mostly on laughs and put in plot elements that you could foresee a mile away.
Lesson learned: In a superhero show, one cannot rely entirely on laughs; and a good story matters the most. Kim Possible also suffered from this, but I digress.
2) WordGirl- This PBS heroine is Supergirl with a mental dictionary. That's why she's called WordGirl. The problem with this show is that the writers want the viewers to assume that everyone else in the show is an idiot, as they can't figure out that Becky Botsford, whose Freudian slips rival Superman's, is the same hero flying around. Also, the writers rely too much on laughs and do not care for putting our dear protagonist in real danger most of the time.
Come on. When we ask for a superhero story, we expect genuine action. If The Magic School Bus could show a dinosaur going after eight-year olds, then WordGirl should at least fight a villain who is actually dangerous.
Lesson learned: Viewers are not stupid, give us real conflicts that are resolved in a plausible way, and please do not blatantly make fun of the superheroes.
Now I have to come to the not-so-ones. Fortunately I have only seen a few, but my God, they had so much potential!
Here are the list of half-dead zeppelins:
1) American Dragon Jake Long- Disney at times can still produce the best and the worst ideas. We have a half-Chinese high-schooler asked to watch over America's magic-folk. The show had some interesting plot points, such as Jake's crush Rose, who has to slay him as her alter ego Huntsgirl and Mr. Long's ignorance about his son's double life, but the writers decided to rely mostly on laughs and put in plot elements that you could foresee a mile away.
Lesson learned: In a superhero show, one cannot rely entirely on laughs; and a good story matters the most. Kim Possible also suffered from this, but I digress.
2) WordGirl- This PBS heroine is Supergirl with a mental dictionary. That's why she's called WordGirl. The problem with this show is that the writers want the viewers to assume that everyone else in the show is an idiot, as they can't figure out that Becky Botsford, whose Freudian slips rival Superman's, is the same hero flying around. Also, the writers rely too much on laughs and do not care for putting our dear protagonist in real danger most of the time.
Come on. When we ask for a superhero story, we expect genuine action. If The Magic School Bus could show a dinosaur going after eight-year olds, then WordGirl should at least fight a villain who is actually dangerous.
Lesson learned: Viewers are not stupid, give us real conflicts that are resolved in a plausible way, and please do not blatantly make fun of the superheroes.
Who Watches the Ombudsmen?
Kevin has pretty much summed up what I was about to say, but here's the thing about the Watchmen parody: it's not that funny unless you have read this graphic novel. And when you're an uneducated comic fan, the strip comes out melancholy, not funny.
Which is okay in this case. Normally I dislike Kurtz when he goes on a soap opera, but this parody works. And the strip that I posted above is probably the most humorous of the bunch so far.
A slightly related story: today at my school library they found Watchmen for another student, but only today, the movie's premiere. Kinda creepy, don't you think?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Kurtz To Syndicates: Grow Up
Okay, so he didn't EXACTLY say that! In fact, despite what my headline might suggest, there has been no mention of the newspaper syndicates that Scott Kurtz ("PVP") so obviously hates, but his commentary has been all over this weeks absolutely brilliant spoof of "Watchmen." Here is a storyline that takes every syndicated comic strip in the newspaper, making them look a little like the Watchmen characters, and using them to rally against the hands that feed them. Dagwood Bumsted is contemplating his lousy life of spending 70 years eating sandwhiches and taking naps. He even remembers the time when he first married Blondie, and how his wealthy family disowned him for marrying below his class. Yes folks: "Blondie" was once ABOUT something! Nowadays it's just what Dagwood says: Naps and food. Heck, the comic hasn't really been about the title characters for years (she plays second fiddle to her husband now).
Charlie Brown points out that they are protecting the editors from what they fear most: Letters. This is an important part of the argument because newspapers are traditionally read by old folks. People who are, not out of touch per se, but they certainly don't like change. To take away a favorite character they are used to reading would be like amputating an arm, and most of these older folks won't put up with it. This is a brave storyline. Funny only in the sense that it's all so tradgicly true. I hope Scott gets to finish this storyline. Chances are people will be talking about this one loud and clear, and the sundicates lawyers might not like what they see. Here's hoping you make it to the end Scott. Here's hoping...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Trick Is Not Minding
So I was writing a couple of reviews for The Comic Book Guy.com when I came upon a stumbling block: I had written one of these reviews before. The problem with reviewing anything is that when you get down to it there's an awful lot of it that's just the same crap recycled. How many high school shoujo romances can you review before the task becomes tedious? How many epic fantasies can you read where the action is not epic? And (dear God) how many webcomics can you review before the creators are complaining your ruining your career? Well, I'm sorry if it's going to work out that way, but the sad truth is when your work goes public it's going to come under scrutany, and not everyone will like it...but I'm getting off topic here. Back to reviews: How does one do this for a long time and not get bored?
Well, I'm going to take a famous quote from the Oscar-winning film "Lawrence of Arabia," where the protagonist impresses people by putting out matches with his two fingers. One of his friends tries to do this and gets burnt. When he asks what the trick is Lawrence replies "the trick is not minding." The moral is, I believe, that some things are inevitable, and the trick is to just not get aroused by such inevitability. Writing reviews for certain series WILL be boring! They always are. The trick is not minding though. Once you don't mind you'd be amazed at how easy it is to continue with your daily routine.
Well, I'm going to take a famous quote from the Oscar-winning film "Lawrence of Arabia," where the protagonist impresses people by putting out matches with his two fingers. One of his friends tries to do this and gets burnt. When he asks what the trick is Lawrence replies "the trick is not minding." The moral is, I believe, that some things are inevitable, and the trick is to just not get aroused by such inevitability. Writing reviews for certain series WILL be boring! They always are. The trick is not minding though. Once you don't mind you'd be amazed at how easy it is to continue with your daily routine.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The animated cartoon
Jaya here!
Hi, everyone! I should be posting more, and I will blame no one but myself for my lack of communication with the comic book world.
First, how has the animated cartoon evolved, both in television and in the movie realm? Let's take a look at several top-notch animated films:
1) [i]Persepolis[/i]- Based on Marjane Satrapi's wonderful graphic novel, Marjane shows us her life as an Iranian teenager, first trying to outsmart conservative Iranian police and then finding her identity in Vienna. It doesn't offer any new material from the graphic novel, but the animation, combined with the story, make for a powerful, funny and bittersweet film. Every teenager should watch it.
2)[i]Wall-E[/i]- If Pixar had decided to go with a grim ending, this film would have been perfect. Despite the overly optimistic ending, this dark science fiction film with the endearing title robot and his love interest EVE.
3) [i]Kung Fu Panda [/i]- It's not going to win any awards for deep material, but [i]KFP[/i] gets kudos for giving the viewer what it promised: an action comedy film, complete with a dangerous villain, plausibility (as to how a fat panda can defeat an agile leopard), and kung fu fighting. What's there not to love?
And a possible topnotch: [i]Coraline[/i]- I haven't seen it, but I've read the book and as a Neil Gaiman fan, I can't wait to see how Edward Selick handles this plucky heroine, who discovers a much more exciting lifestyle than her own, but then has to save her parents and herself from it.
What do these films have in common? Well, people put genuine effort into the projects. Second, the directors and screenwriters knew what direction they were going in. Thirdly, these films were not made to sell toys, comics, or merchandise related to the movie. They were made to tell a story.
Now here are the good and recent animated television shows:
1) Total Drama Island- sick of reality shows, and their predictability? Well, this show makes fun of reality TV, gets away with crude humor (that for the most part is not for shock value), and also has three-dimensional characters that suffer elimination, one by one. No mercy, and no fairness. Only fun for the viewer.
2) Secret Saturdays- Much like [i]Kung Fu Panda[/i] is the perfect action comedy film, [i]Secret Saturdays[/i] is for those who miss the old animated action hero shows. Evil villain with mysterious plan? Check. Likable but imperfect protagonist? Check. Awesome fighting scenes? Check.
3) Ben 10: Alien Force- after going away from Teen Titans with Ben 10, about two cousins who bicker while fighting aliens with their grandpa, the producers decided to let Ben and Gwen grow up, unite with an old enemy, and fight more aliens. But with cool fighting sequences (you cannot go wrong with these), great storytelling and animation to make artists squeal with glee, and inspiration for aspiring sci-fi writers.
In short, here's what this happy viewer likes:
1)Good storytelling and stories.
2)No stupid humor, or at least keep it to a minimum.
3)Action sequences.
4)Three-dimensional characters.
So producers, keep this viewer happy (as she will not have time to spare for another month or so) and keep producing what she asks for.
Hi, everyone! I should be posting more, and I will blame no one but myself for my lack of communication with the comic book world.
First, how has the animated cartoon evolved, both in television and in the movie realm? Let's take a look at several top-notch animated films:
1) [i]Persepolis[/i]- Based on Marjane Satrapi's wonderful graphic novel, Marjane shows us her life as an Iranian teenager, first trying to outsmart conservative Iranian police and then finding her identity in Vienna. It doesn't offer any new material from the graphic novel, but the animation, combined with the story, make for a powerful, funny and bittersweet film. Every teenager should watch it.
2)[i]Wall-E[/i]- If Pixar had decided to go with a grim ending, this film would have been perfect. Despite the overly optimistic ending, this dark science fiction film with the endearing title robot and his love interest EVE.
3) [i]Kung Fu Panda [/i]- It's not going to win any awards for deep material, but [i]KFP[/i] gets kudos for giving the viewer what it promised: an action comedy film, complete with a dangerous villain, plausibility (as to how a fat panda can defeat an agile leopard), and kung fu fighting. What's there not to love?
And a possible topnotch: [i]Coraline[/i]- I haven't seen it, but I've read the book and as a Neil Gaiman fan, I can't wait to see how Edward Selick handles this plucky heroine, who discovers a much more exciting lifestyle than her own, but then has to save her parents and herself from it.
What do these films have in common? Well, people put genuine effort into the projects. Second, the directors and screenwriters knew what direction they were going in. Thirdly, these films were not made to sell toys, comics, or merchandise related to the movie. They were made to tell a story.
Now here are the good and recent animated television shows:
1) Total Drama Island- sick of reality shows, and their predictability? Well, this show makes fun of reality TV, gets away with crude humor (that for the most part is not for shock value), and also has three-dimensional characters that suffer elimination, one by one. No mercy, and no fairness. Only fun for the viewer.
2) Secret Saturdays- Much like [i]Kung Fu Panda[/i] is the perfect action comedy film, [i]Secret Saturdays[/i] is for those who miss the old animated action hero shows. Evil villain with mysterious plan? Check. Likable but imperfect protagonist? Check. Awesome fighting scenes? Check.
3) Ben 10: Alien Force- after going away from Teen Titans with Ben 10, about two cousins who bicker while fighting aliens with their grandpa, the producers decided to let Ben and Gwen grow up, unite with an old enemy, and fight more aliens. But with cool fighting sequences (you cannot go wrong with these), great storytelling and animation to make artists squeal with glee, and inspiration for aspiring sci-fi writers.
In short, here's what this happy viewer likes:
1)Good storytelling and stories.
2)No stupid humor, or at least keep it to a minimum.
3)Action sequences.
4)Three-dimensional characters.
So producers, keep this viewer happy (as she will not have time to spare for another month or so) and keep producing what she asks for.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Squidi Is On Hiatus...Again
I'm not exactly sure how many times we have to go through with this, but once again Sean Howard (otherwise known as Squidi) has put his comic "A Modest Destiny" on hiatus once again. It appears he's bored with the comic...again. Now he wants to program iPhone apps. All I have to say is...this is getting boring. Really. Either finish the damn comic or stop doing it. Enjoy the following comic because it's the last you'll see for awhile. Chances are by the time we see more we'll have stopped caring about the ending (which doesn't matter, seeing as how this old comic revels who lives and dies anyway):
Some Things Should Never Have Been Attempted
Though I am generally a big fan of The Simpsons I admit that I have been bogged down by the mediocrity of the show in recent years. The movie seemed to rejuvenate the writers of the show, but there was a time when the show was losing viewers...and FAST! In an attempt to gain new (possibly younger) viewers on the show, Matt Groenings company Bongo Comics made a deal with the syndicates to publish Simpsons comics in major newspapers. The result? Eh...
...not so great. This was one of the more major screw ups for the newspapers because there were several problems with the comics. First of all they were huge. We're talking close to "Calvin & Hobbes" size huge (except without the detailed artwork...these comics looked plain in comparison). So you normally had to cancel one of the comics to make room for this one (at least on Sundays, there were no weekday comics of this). Depending on which comic you decided to drop would determine how the paper was redesigned on that page. So you had to go through the painful process of selecting which comic would be missed least and then you had to pay someone to redesign a couple of pages that had been established long ago. But replacing the comic didn't faze most newspapers because they were picking up the freaking Simpsons! Surely that would cover their butts right?
Wrong!
The final problem with the comic was that it wasn't funny. And when I mean it wasn't funny I mean it was NOT freacking funny in the slightest bit! These were huge comics with lots of panels and words to read, and the strip rarely emitting any laughs. It barely evoked chuckles. I remember finding a comic of "Cathy" more humorous then "The Simpsons." My newspaper stopped carrying the comic after a few months, and in less then two years the comic was canceled and chalked up as one of those "How the heck did you screw that up?!" Strangely enough, even after this huge failure someone had the idea of trying to pitch "Futurama" as a weekly comic, but the syndicates (wisely) turned that idea down. Ironically, a weekly "Futurama" might have worked.
After all, by the time this hit the papers "Futurama" was canceled, and so fans would have flocked to read the new adventures despite their quality. One of the big hurdles with "The Simpsons" is that the show was still on TV, so there was less reason to go out of your way to read them in the Sunday paper (the same day the show airs on TV). It was an idea that should have been sucessful but failed on every imaginable level.
...not so great. This was one of the more major screw ups for the newspapers because there were several problems with the comics. First of all they were huge. We're talking close to "Calvin & Hobbes" size huge (except without the detailed artwork...these comics looked plain in comparison). So you normally had to cancel one of the comics to make room for this one (at least on Sundays, there were no weekday comics of this). Depending on which comic you decided to drop would determine how the paper was redesigned on that page. So you had to go through the painful process of selecting which comic would be missed least and then you had to pay someone to redesign a couple of pages that had been established long ago. But replacing the comic didn't faze most newspapers because they were picking up the freaking Simpsons! Surely that would cover their butts right?Wrong!
The final problem with the comic was that it wasn't funny. And when I mean it wasn't funny I mean it was NOT freacking funny in the slightest bit! These were huge comics with lots of panels and words to read, and the strip rarely emitting any laughs. It barely evoked chuckles. I remember finding a comic of "Cathy" more humorous then "The Simpsons." My newspaper stopped carrying the comic after a few months, and in less then two years the comic was canceled and chalked up as one of those "How the heck did you screw that up?!" Strangely enough, even after this huge failure someone had the idea of trying to pitch "Futurama" as a weekly comic, but the syndicates (wisely) turned that idea down. Ironically, a weekly "Futurama" might have worked.
After all, by the time this hit the papers "Futurama" was canceled, and so fans would have flocked to read the new adventures despite their quality. One of the big hurdles with "The Simpsons" is that the show was still on TV, so there was less reason to go out of your way to read them in the Sunday paper (the same day the show airs on TV). It was an idea that should have been sucessful but failed on every imaginable level.
Is Garfield Funnier Without...Well, Garfield?
This is what I've been questioning for the last year or so now. I know you all must be tired of reading the Garfield posts. Trust me; I never intended to write anything about the comic. It was interchangeable for the longest time, and I honestly felt like I would never have to say anything about it really. Maybe if it was canceled, but when was that honestly going to happen? If the strip continues without Jim Davis drawing it now chances are it will NEVER be canceled! Beattle Bailey is still around and military people can't even relate to the strip anymore. It comes from a different era and is read out of obligation and routine then for pure enjoyment. But I'm getting off topic, lets get back to Garfield. Last week was Valentines Day, and as a treat the Garfield comic strip did two things it didn't normally do.
First of all it had a week long about Jon and Liz going out on a date and being served by a waiter that normally has to serve Jon when he's with his trouble making cat. This is a good premise because it can be mined for plenty of laughs. They may not be deep laughs, but at least the laughs would be genuine. The second thing - and this is the important part - is that Garfield was strangely absent from the strip for the whole week. No explanation or anything, he was just gone. Not only that, but the strip was actually a heck of a lot more funny without him. If he had been shoved into the storyline it would have been unfunny. The writers would have to find some way to revolve the jokes around him, or let him have the last sarcastic comment, regardless how unnecessary it would have been.
This week the writers did the write thing and left the cat out of the comic...and it worked! This has got to be troubling someone up in management. On one hand your strip is bringing people in to read it for genuine pleasure once more. On the other hand, your main selling gimmick isn't the reason for this at the moment. Right now I'm not sure how this realization will effect the rest of the comic, but for now I welcome the change. Maybe a little less Garfield is just what this strip needs.
I'm Back In Black
It feels good to be writing comic reviews again. More importantly, I'm having fun reading all the comics I bought but never read (helps keep you from going crazy while your unemployed). Right I now I'm debating what to review next: Arina Tanamura's latest or "Ultimate Spider-Man." Don't laugh, American comics have just as much of a right to be reviewed as the Japanese stuff. Heck, maybe I'll review a French comic I've been meaning to review for a long time.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The Comic Book Guy.com 1.0
Just to let you know my new site is up. It's not complete, but it will be in three weeks. New material will pop up every week now though. Click on the image to visit:
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Working My Way Back To You
I've started uploading the redesign of The Comic Book Guy.com. It's going to be a slow process, but I intend to get through at least one letter a week.
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