What’s Old is New Again: Battle Beasts
What’s Old is New Again: Battle Beasts by Jerry Whitworth
Battle Beasts 1 by Dan Brereton
The 1980s of the United States was a huge time for television animation, giving birth to franchises with toy and comic book tie-ins and whose effect is seen even today with properties like G.I. Joe (with an upcoming live action adaptation G.I. Joe: Retaliation), Thundercats (an updated television series currently on Cartoon Network), Masters of the Universe (a new comic book series recently announced for DC Comics), My Little Pony (a wildly popular new animated series on the Hub network), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (upcoming live action film and a CGI animated series for Nickelodeon). One such series is Transformers, currently airing an updated CGI animated version on the Hub in Transformers: Prime and three blockbuster live action films with a fourth announced in the future.
Tony DeZuniga in critical condition and needs your help.
Hey All
I hate to report this, but Tony DeZuniga is in extremely critical condition in the hospital in the Philippines.
I’ve been in contact with his wife Tina, and she provided me the following update Friday night:
It’s really tough since Tony doesn’t have insurance here. The medication is very expensive and hospital bill is paid cash 90% Our daily bill is around $1,500 even if we have some money it’s drained out already. I have a house here but the process of getting a loan would take time and I can’t be gone long away from the hospital.
As for Tony’s condition, I will give you a brief history and update – he had a stroke in the morning of Tuesday last week (we’re 16 hours ahead) The stroke damaged the brain. it has bleeding inside and they need to open up the brain but with so much medication they were able to stop the bleeding but the brain was swollen so they need to take the pressure out so they need to insert a tube to release the pressure but since I don’t want them to open up it created an hernia. His condition is so unstable. He got infection that they need to treat, his pneumonia, need to be watched because he’s having problem breathing and blood pressure on top of the heart. With too much medications his stomach bleeds. One on top of the other. Anyway. Any little help will be greatly appreciated.
Top 10: Rogues Galleries
Villains
Top 10: Rogues Galleries by Jerry Whitworth
For the American comic book, superheroes reign supreme. It doesn’t matter if it’s DC, Marvel, Image, or any of the indies. Throw a cape or mask on someone and you got a much better shot than virtually anything else. But, superheroes are useless without another key component: supervillains. Alien invasions and gangsters are great padding, but we read comics to see colorful characters knocking down buildings or placing loved ones in perilous death traps. Imagine a comic book without a Dr. Doom, Joker, or Lex Luthor or a superhero without some Rogues Gallery, Sinister Six, or Monster Society of Evil to battle him or her. It’s a rather depressing notion because what’s the point of dashing off of rooftops or barreling out of a exploding building if there’s no one to legitimately challenge our hero when they survive? Lets see what villains stand atop all others. Though, before we begin, a little disclaimer: I’m purposely sticking to superheroes. With villains for heroes like James Bond, Doctor Who, and Dick Tracy, the list would be too challenging for me to cut to ten.
Ninja Turtles: Attack of the Clones
Ninja Turtles: Attack of the Clones by Jerry Whitworth
When Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on television, it began a phenomenon that has helped keep it in the American consciousness for almost three decades. Several series would follow shortly after that carried similar themes, be it purposefully or by coincidence, that nonetheless are forever observed as clones.
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ZEN THE INTERGALACTIC NINJA
Created by Steve Stern and Dan Cote in 1987, Zen the Intergalactic Ninja was self-published under Zen Comics before being licensed to Archie Comics in 1992 for two three-issue mini-series. Archie would license Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of Mirage Studios from 1988 to 1995. The two franchises had similar origins, both fusing science fiction and martial arts (specifically ninjutsu) while published independently, leaving the rights to each property to its creators. As both ended up licensed at Archie, they also shared the legacy of accompanying toylines and video games. What is likely the most glaring difference is that a Zen cartoon was never produced (that and, of course, Zen never took off like TMNT). Zen started out as a genetic experiment on the planet Baltoon deemed to be destroyed but was instead raised by the Masters of Om in the ways of the martial arts.
Young Justice: Who is the Traitor?
Young Justice: Who is the Traitor?
by Jerry Whitworth
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One of the major plot points of the first season of Young Justice has been who on the Team is the traitor. It’s brought to the attention of the audience every few episodes and lengths have been taken to cast doubt on several members of the group. But, who is it? Well, time will reveal the truth, but lets see if we can’t sort through the facts. It should be noted, the addition of members like Zatanna, Sphere/Super-Cycle, Wolf, and Red Arrow largely identify they can’t be the traitors because they came on the Team after the reveal of a traitor.
ARTEMIS: Daughter of super-villains Sportsmaster and Huntress, her father and sister Cheshire are both part of the League of Shadows, assassins working for Ra’s al Ghul of the season’s primary antagonists the Light. Considering her lineage, it’s a given she’s the spy. And yet, for this reason, she can’t be; too obvious. In the episode “Insecurity” it’s all but confirmed she’s not the traitor as her father tries to convince her to work with him. ODDS: 100-1.
The Avengers: Who are Those Aliens?
The Avengers: Who are Those Aliens?
by Jerry Whitworth
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The upcoming Avengers film is with little doubt going to be the blockbuster of the Summer 2012 film season. Sewing up Marvel’s previous films together to make a mega-film, Avengers follows the events of Thor (2011) where Thor’s shape-shifting, Frost Giant foster brother Loki fails to destroy his adopted home of Asgard and retreats to Earth, where he manipulates Thor’s ally and brilliant scientist Dr. Erik Selvig as he’s brought into S.H.I.E.L.D. to examine the Tesseract/Cosmic Cube. While Loki is the main antagonist of the film (shadowing a similar scenario that played out in the source material when the Avengers formed and the alternate comic series Ultimates 2), the trailer for the movie also depicts some foreign species battling the heroes. Much debate has been had as to who this species is and if they even have origins in the source comics. Some even question if the aliens in the trailer won’t have a different appearance in the actual film, a means to surprise viewers in the theaters. Lets take a look at some species that could represent the threat the Avengers will face.
America, Japan, and Korea: A Cycle of Animation
America, Japan, and Korea: A Cycle of Animation
by Jerry Whitworth
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The United States of America was one of the world’s leading developers into creating hand drawn animation, with Walt Disney an early visionary. Characters like Mickey Mouse, Felix the Cat, Betty Boop, and Popeye just a few examples of a new form of media brought to the big screen and later, when it was invented and made available to the public, for television. Some of the action provided viewers would partly be captured in the emerging American comic book market around this same time (developing into its own phenomenon with the release of Action Comics #1 in 1938), using deliberate sequences of juxtaposed images (phrasing coined by author Scott McCloud). Studios caught on and comic books became another medium to sell their cartoon characters to youths. Comics and cartoons would have a longstanding relationship present today and for the foreseeable future.
Ninja Turtles: A Space Odyssey
Ninja Turtles: A Space Odyssey
by Jerry Whitworth
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With the upcoming Ninja Turtles film mired in controversy after producer Michael Bay (director/producer for the Transformers film series) was quoted as saying the stars of the popular franchise were going to be aliens and may not even be teenagers, dropping both terms from the film title of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles title, we will examine some of the origins of the franchise and its Science Fiction ties.
Young Justice: Shedding Some Light on the Light
Young Justice: Shedding Some Light on the Light
by Jerry Whitworth
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In the Young Justice television series, the main antagonist of the first season is a shadowy group of villains called the Light (instigating almost every conflict in the series). What makes this organization unique is that it doesn’t exist in the comic books. As in much of the series it is featured in, the Light is instead an amalgamation of several concepts. Likely the most impressionable, and at least an admitted inspiration by series co-creator Greg Weisman, is the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Originally conceived as a group of operatives for Darkseid called the Brotherhood of Crime, they would perform criminal acts to further his control of Earth, unwittingly bringing about the enslavement of humanity with themselves included. They would realize their folly, break free of his command and go out on their own as the Secret Society of Super-Villains. The concept was reworked due to input from then publisher Carmine Infantino into a massive revolving cast of super-villains in a Mission: Impossible or Suicide Squad type manner originally secretly controlled by Darkseid only to break that tie and evolve into what was also a revolving cast of leaders taking over the group or forming separate splinter cells. The group would later evolve into the Society, where a council of six villains controlled a union of super-villains, drafting every villain on Earth (save the Joker, who was deemed too unstable) under threat of execution for defying membership.
Young Justice: Preparing for an Invasion
Young Justice: Preparing for an Invasion
by Jerry Whitworth
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Young Justice: From Page to Screen
Young Justice: From Page to Screen
by Jerry Whitworth
The world of the Young Justice television series is an amalgamation of various elements of the DC Comics mythos, combining the best of the New Teen Titans, Peter David’s Young Justice, and Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans from the mind behind Disney’s Gargoyles and the Spectacular Spider-Man television series in Greg Weisman. As in his past work, the series is a complex web of smaller stories built upon for a modern day mythology borrowing heavily from the source material while making it fresh, new, and custom built for animation. To this end, chronologies of DC characters are shifted to maximize potential for youthful candidates for the series as well as the most iconic samples. Lets examine some of the massive cast of Young Justice:
What is the Red Lantern Corps?
What is the Red Lantern Corps?
By Jerry Whitworth
In Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Kilowog must face an army of Red Lanterns out to kill every member of the Green Lantern Corps. But, what are Red Lanterns? In the comic books, the Red Lanterns are closely tied to the Green Lantern Corps and Sinestro Corps.
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The planet Maltus is one of the earliest worlds to develop intelligent life in the universe. Over the millennia, this race grew and eventually split. One group went on to form the Controllers, a race dedicated to the advancement of science (regardless of the cost). The female of the species formed the Zamarons, representing the passion and love of their people as the remaining males became stoic and sought the very mysteries of the cosmos. This male component moved to Oa, the planet at the center of the universe, and became the Guardians of the Universe. The Guardians saw the universe consumed by chaos because of the actions of Krona, one of their own, and would bring about order.
Justice League: Origins of Doom
Justice League: Origins of Doom
by Jerry Whitworth
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The DC Universe animated film Justice League: Doom bears a rather significant distinction: it is the final work in the field of animation for writer Dwayne McDuffie. A visionary that was instrumental in the creation of Milestone Media and story editor for Justice League Unlimited (among many other accolades), McDuffie was a no-nonsense visionary, a brilliant mind in the fields of character development, plot, and script, and a kind and forthright human being. McDuffie died February 2011 due to complications from heart surgery. The film was his third such piece in the series of original animated features from DC Comics having previously written the adaptation of All-Star Superman and Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.
Young Justice: We Want You!
Young Justice: We Want You!
by Jerry Whitworth
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While the Young Justice television series has perhaps the largest cast in a comic book adapted series, at least giving Justice League Unlimited a run for its money, it doesn’t mean it can’t get bigger. With the team sporting around nine members with more on the way and the Justice League as a supporting cast, it has to be a challenge to work with so many pieces on the board. However, with the upcoming second season Invasion where the Earth is attacked by an alien threat (signs putting to a certain stone-faced despot with a penchant for shooting zig-zagging eyebeams), the first season seems more like a set-up for bigger things to come. So, what new recruits could make the roster for Invasion? Lets look at some of DC’s young heroes yet to appear in the series.
French Comics Artist Moebius Dies
Jean Giraud, widely known as Moebius and one of France’s leading comics artists, dies in Paris at the age of 73.
See his comic art gallery here at Comic Art Community
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