The ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Seven – Video Games
The ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Seven – Video Games by Jerry Whitworth
(see Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six here if you haven’t already)
The earliest video games arose in the 1950s for the computer before expanding into the arcade market in the early ’70s and the at-home consoles that came soon after (making the newfound medium accessible for most people). While Magnavox and Coleco were early developers of consoles, undoubtedly the bigger success story was Atari. Founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, the company found early success with the game Pong before manufacturing the Video Computer System (VCS) console to the mass market. Launched in 1977, the VCS would be the best selling Christmas gift of 1979 (with the newly released game Adventure for that console that year selling a million copies becoming one of its top sellers of all time). The success of the VCS and growing popularity of video games inspired Mattel to develop the Intellivision as a direct competitor to Atari’s console which proved to be another hit (in a real way establishing the idea of one household having more than one gaming system). Atari, undeterred, had a move of its own in 1980 by porting the popular arcade game Space Invaders from Taito to the VCS (Williams Electronics would spawn the game Defender, which used Space Invaders and Asteroids! as inspiration, for the arcade in 1980 which was ported to the VCS two years later). Further, Atari continued producing arcade games as well, releasing the popular game Missile Command for the market that year (a port made for the home market that same year). However, a game would premier in the arcade market in 1980 that changed everything.
Read MoreFrom Page to Screen: The Defenders
From Page to Screen: The Defenders by Jerry Whitworth
Recently it was announced Marvel has inked a deal with Netflix to produce four series (thirteen episodes to a series) on four street level super hero characters. Series in the deal will be based on Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones culminating into a crossover mini-series called The Defenders. In the comics, the Defenders was known as the “non-team” generally featuring the most powerful heroic characters at Marvel (founded by Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Namor the Sub-Mariner with Silver Surfer soon after) who found it challenging to work with others that were joined by characters that generally were not at that time in the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, or Champions (like Nighthawk, Hellcat, Valkyrie, Son of Satan, Luke Cage, and Daredevil). What seems to be suggested, however, with the upcoming Defenders is something more akin to the Marvel Knights, an imprint at Marvel that generally focused on street level characters and has been used by fans to describe such heroes (like Spider-Man, Daredevil, Wolverine, Punisher, Luke Cage, and Moon Knight). Lets take a look at the four characters from the upcoming Defenders and what we may expect in their series.
Read MoreThor: The Dark World Review
Thor: The Dark World
Where the Villain Takes a Backseat to Family Conflict
By Jerry W. Vandal
Thor: The Dark World introduces Malekith the Accursed to the cinema world—a dark elf bent on bringing Asgard and the other eight realms into the dark. Malekith played by Christopher Eccleston (G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra) is not a poor soul whose trying to get back at the world for some awful event in his life. He’s not a character trying to make the world better through his own image. He’s just not a very nice dark elf. While I don’t think Eccleston is captivating in the way that recent portrayals of Joker, Loki, Dr. Octopus or Magneto (both Fassbender and Mckellen)have been, I do think he served his role and it was a different to see a villain who was motivated simply by a need for destruction for the sake of destruction. Malekith is evil—there is no redemptive quality in him the way there is Loki. He’s a little two dimensional, but I think for Thor 2, that’s allowed to fly because Malekith isn’t the real story in this movie. His search for the Aether (a mystical energy that has substantial power) helps move the story along and gives Thor a direction in which to throw his hammer. That’s it though. He’s another conquest for Thor. And it’s an entertaining conquest—though not a thought provoking one. The bigger conflict in Thor: The Dark World is the familial relationship at the head of Asgard.
Read MoreThe ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Six – Cartoons
The ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Six – Cartoons by Jerry Whitworth
(see Parts One, Two, Three, Four, and Five here if you haven’t already)
A number of advents in animation largely emerged in the 80s. Of note, we already discussed the relationship between toy companies and cartoons (which we’ll revisit briefly later). But, another prevalent phenomenon was the relationship between American and Japanese animators. Anime, the Japanese word for animation (used in America to describe animation from Japan made for Japanese audiences), was not new to the United States. Series like Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom), 8th Man, Gigantor (Tetsujin 28-go), and Speed Racer (Mach Go Go Go) had been edited and dubbed in the ’60s for American children. There would be a lull in this movement broken in the late ’70s with Battle of the Planets. Adapted from Tatsunoko’s hit series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (which inspired Super Sentai, which Power Rangers is derived from), Battle of the Planets told the story of five youths who operated together as the group G-Force to combat an alien invasion from the planet Spectra led by its malevolent agent Zoltar. The series would also prove successful in the United States running until 1985 where G-Force: Guardians of Space would begin the following year as a more faithful adaptation of Gatchaman. Sadly, the show was mysteriously pulled off the air after only running for a week where it then ran in syndication internationally. Battle of the Planets would be the opening salvo for anime in America (a trend that largely remained constant to today where some have referred to the ’80s as the Golden Age of Anime in America).
Read MoreCreator Profile: Studio GHIBLI
Creator Profile: Studio GHIBLI by Jerry Whitworth
When you talk about animation studios in Japan, there’s likely no other with the international recognition of Studio GHIBLI. Founded by creators Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Ghibli was an attempt on the part of the longtime friends and collaborators to create an entirely new and distinct animation studio in an area of film largely dying in Japan. At the time of Ghibli’s founding, Japanese animation studios largely adapted preexisting works (generally for television) with a guaranteed audience of people who already knew the work. Ghibli, on the other hand, wanted to create original work which was considered a significant gamble at the time (as such a concept led to the death or evolution of other more established and well-known studios in the country). The creation of Ghibli also relied heavily on the support of Yasuyoshi Tokuma, whose publishing company Tokuma Shoten was the parent company to Ghibli. But before we get into the origins of Ghibli, we need to look at that of its founders. We begin with Isao Takahata.
Read MoreThe ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Five
The ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Five by Jerry Whitworth
(see Parts One, Two, Three, and Four if you haven’t already)
When you talk about Horror in the 1980s, you largely talk about Stephen King. Despite having his work published at the age of twelve in the 1950s, it wouldn’t be until the 1970s that the author began publishing the novels he is so greatly admired and acknowledged for today. His first published novel Carrie (1974) tells of a bullied high school girl who develops telekinetic abilities and uses it to exact revenge on those that scorned her. This work would be adapted to film to much acclaim in 1976 by director Brian De Palma and feature Sissy Spacek (as the eponymous character) and John Travolta (the novel was adapted for film a third time which will premier in theaters shortly). However, the work that arguably saw King’s star shine and made him a household name was his third published novel The Shining. Premiering in 1977, the book tells the story of a writer who agrees to watch a vast hotel in the middle of the wilderness during its off season in the winter with his wife and five year old son (where the boy has various psychic abilities like seeing the future and able to communicate with others like him). A malevolent force in the hotel awakes a darkness in the man, driving him mad and pushing him to murder his family. The book would reach significantly greater heights in 1980 when director Stanley Kubrick adapted the story into a feature film. Starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, the movie is regarded today as one of the greatest Horror films ever made (and one of the greatest films ever made period). King would hardly rest on his laurels.
Read MoreMake it So: Ghostbusters III
Make it So: Ghostbusters III by Jerry Whitworth
While in development hell for several decades, in this age of reboots and mining for gold in 1980s film franchises, a third Ghostbusters film is virtually begging to be made. And considering the popularity of paranormal investigation television series like Ghost Hunters (and various other similar Syfy series), Ghost Adventures, and Paranormal State (more or less resurrected in the independent film American Ghost Hunter), it is something the public is craving. Dan Aykroyd, undoubtedly the biggest advocate of a third film and who has composed several versions of a script for the movie since the 1990s, has already let slip some elements planned for the project including the original members retired to make way for a new, younger team and that research into particle physics at Columbia University leads to the new troubles arising in the paranormal. Considering the toyline, different animated series, video games, different comic book series, and various other forms of media to spin out of the film franchise, Ghostbusters III all around would be good for those involved (save possible some of the actors from the original who admittedly have little interest or excitement for a continuation). Lets examine some elements that could arise in the third film.
Read MoreMiracleman Returns To Comics
Marvel Hype worth sharing:
MIRACLEMAN RETURNS! MARVEL TO PUBLISH GROUND-BREAKING ORIGINAL SERIES AND NEW STORIES BY NEIL GAIMAN!
“[Miracleman’s] heights are highs Watchmen cannot touch. It’s that good. It’s that important.” –Sequart.org
It was the series that changed comics forever. With the utterance of one word, Michael Moran transformed from the ordinary into the extraordinary – and Miracleman was born!
Long out of print, Marvel Comics is pleased to announce that the earth-shattering stories that injected new levels of sophistication into the super hero genre will finally see the light of day once again! Starting this January, Marvel will begin publishing the legendary run of Miracleman by the original creators that began in Warrior Magazine and continued under now defunct publisher Eclipse Comics!
Read MoreThe ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Four
The ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Four by Jerry Whitworth
(see Parts One, Two, and Three here if you haven’t already)
The 1980s was a time of many advents in pop culture still seen today (occasionally rebooted in an effort to reinvigorate slumbering franchises). One such recent re-invigoration came in the Muppets franchise. In 1954, high school student Jim Henson would get a job making puppets for a Saturday morning children’s program, a profession that would bring the young man international acclaim in the years to come. The children’s program Sesame Street would come to discover and admire Henson’s work, hiring the puppeteer to design, create, and operate puppets for their television series in 1969 (bringing Henson national coverage). Henson, who came to refer to his unique creations as Muppets, thought the appeal of his work could be much wider and brought to fruition a Saturday Night Live-like sketch comedy series called The Muppet Show in 1976. By 1979, the popularity of the Muppets would evolve into a feature film called simply The Muppet Movie telling of how such a diverse group of misfits came together to form an entertainment group that appealed to children and adults alike. The success of the film lead to The Great Muppet Caper in 1981 and The Muppets Take Manhattan in 1984 (not to mention Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird in 1985). The same year Henson first brought his Muppets to the big screen, he formed Jim Henson’s Creature Shop offering his talents to film and television outside his popular original creations. Two notable films to employ Henson, released in the 1980s, was The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. The latter featured actress Jennifer Connelly portraying a teenager trying to save her half-brother Toby from the malevolent Goblin King, Jareth (played by singer David Bowie) while solving the riddle of his mystical Labyrinth. It was a commercial failure at box office. However, the film would earn back its cost several times over in the home video market, becoming a cult classic and favorite among children even today (Tokyopop would produce a manga series using the property in 2006′s Return to Labyrinth). For television, Henson would bring to life the Fraggles in the series Fraggle Rock (with separate live action and animated series) and saw his Muppets animated through Marvel Productions in Muppet Babies. In the late 1980s, Henson negotiated to have his company bought by the Walt Disney Company only to tragically die in 1990 before bringing this desire into reality. Eventually, Disney would acquire the Muppets and bring them back to the big screen in 2011′s hit film The Muppets.
Read MoreHow To Draw Hands
How To Draw Hands Videos by Dheeraj Verma
Dheeraj Verma’s has been published many times on various continents. His credits include Transformers, Escape Of The Living Dead, many titles with the writer Joe R. Landsdale, Yuggoth Creatures and more.
Here are three “How To Draw Hands” videos he uploaded for his fans to see.
See Dheeraj’s ART FOR SALE site here.
Read MoreHow To Draw Videos by Dheeraj Verma
How To Draw Videos by Dheeraj Verma
Dheeraj Verma’s has been published many times on various continents. His credits include Transformers, Escape Of The Living Dead, many titles with the writer Joe R. Landsdale, Yuggoth Creatures and more.
Here is his first four “How To Draw” videos he uploaded for his fans to see. It’s about 25 minutes of drawing with Dheeraj making comments how he’s creating the drawing included.
See Dheeraj’s ART FOR SALE site here.
Read MorePigGoatBananaCricket Picked Up by Nick
PigGoatBananaCricket Picked Up by Nickelodeon
According to drunk postings on Dave Cooper’s site and this one at Cartoon Brew, Nickelodeon picked up Dave Cooper’s new animated venture. Can’t wait! Check it out:
But they changed the Mantis to a Cricket – http://davegraphicsyeah.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/pgbc-poster-sept2013-copy.png
Gotham: Origins Of The Bat
Gotham: Origins of the Bat by Jerry Whitworth
Recently it was announced on the eve of the premier of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that Fox has ordered a television series based on the adventures of a young James Gordon in the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) in a show called Gotham. While Batman and his cast will be notably absent, it’s likely the series will adapt elements from the comic book Gotham Central (which focused on the GCPD, only in the modern day) and will be more in line with a series like Arrow or the Dark Knight film trilogy than the last live action TV foray into Gotham in Birds of Prey. Some may question what ground could be covered in a series focused on Gotham before the arrival of the Caped Crusader so lets examine some elements that could come into play in the series.
Read MoreThe ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Three
The ’80s – Geek Edition: Part Three by Jerry Whitworth
(see Parts One and Two if you haven’t already)
One of the biggest booms in the 1980s for geeks was the collectible toy market. Toy manufacturers over the years developed a large array of products including board games, imitation weapons and costumes for role-playing, and baby dolls. In 1959, Mattel would shake up the industry with the introduction of the Barbie doll leading to a new market for poseable figures with costumes. Such toys as Hasbro’s G.I. Joe line, Gilbert’s James Bond line, Mego’s various licensed products like those from DC and Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Wizard of Oz, and the Planet of the Apes, AHI’s Official World Famous Super Monsters (based on the Universal Studios monsters), and Kenner’s Six Million Dollar Man line were just some of the figures to emulate Barbie’s appeal. Mego would later begin experimenting with smaller figures, like its Pocket Super Heroes and Micronauts (the latter actually Japanese toy company Takara’s Microman line licensed for America). However, Kenner would strike gold in 1978 with Star Wars. Virtually no one predicted the impact Star Wars would have not only on the future of Hollywood, but also what it would do for merchandising. Mego certainly didn’t when they turned down the license for the film. Kenner also certainly didn’t know the hunger for anything Star Wars-related that would arise and under produced a toyline based on the film. This miscalculation on Kenner’s part largely created the concept of collectible toys as the limited run of first wave action figures and the now almost legendary “Early Bird Certificate Package” are wildly sought after then and today. Further, the line helped popularize the concept of retailer exclusive products (notably the J.C. Penney Sonic Controlled Land Speeder and Sears Cantina Adventure Set). Star Wars and its accompanying Kenner toyline opened the floodgates for the possibilities in toy licensing and toys as collectibles.
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