Off The Cuff #9
Off the Cuff – Edition 9
By Eric Barrett
Comics, Cartoons, and all things related*I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinners. Well, those that celebrate Thanksgiving in this country anyway. I know that I ate more than my share of Turkey, Pumpkin Pie, and Mashed Potatoes. And of course, what’s the greatest leftover of all time? Homemade turkey noodle soup.
*On January 24, 2005 stores will be carrying copies of Spider-Man - The New Animated Series. This was the ‘cartoon’ that MTV created. It was really just a CGI show. But I thought it was actually a pretty good show, and I looked forward to seeing it. Unfortunately they took it off the air much too soon. It’s probably not worth the $14.95 price for the hour-long DVD though.
*Apparently Wesley Snipes is interested in doing a Black Panther movie. I’m not sure that there is a groundswell for Black Panther, but I’d give Snipes a shot at the roll. I’ve really enjoyed the first two Blade movies.
*Speaking of Blade movies, the third and final installment is to be in theaters on December 8th. With any luck I’ll be in the theaters that weekend, enjoying some good old-fashioned vampire slaying.
*One thing that has been sorely missing has finally been fixed: Godzilla gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
*Okay, confession time. I’ve been pretty hard on Cartoon Network’s Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. I thought JL never lived up to its expectations. But I have to say, I think they’ve really turned the corner with Justice League Unlimited. I thought they had a problem because they had so many different characters. But as it turns out, that’s what I like about the show. Of course I don’t know who half the characters are. Hey, I’m a marvel guy.
*On my way to run some errands last weekend I noticed two signs. The first was for a conference center, welcoming the current conference. It read, “Victory of Light: Psychic Conference”. Right….
The second sign was for a Roadhouse Grill. It simply read, “No”.
*There was a time in cartoons where physical violence was very common. Just flip to a channel like Boomerang and you’ll see more cartoon violence than on any other currently airing show. Why is this? Simple, it’s because they show re-runs of cartoons like Tom and Jerry.
Old cartoons, including favorites like Bugs Bunny, include tremendous amounts of violence. After all, where does the inspiration for Itchy & Scratchy (of Simpsons fame) come from? You guessed it, Tom and Jerry. Sure the violence wasn’t grotesque or bloody, but it was certainly violent. Last time I checked dropping an anvil on someone would kill them.
Naturally there was a response to this violence, and for a time cartoon violence diminished. And unless you are watching something like “Adult Swim” on Cartoon Network or buying uncut DVD’s, cartoon violence is at a very low point. In fact, if you watch a show like Shaman King they don’t even show any of the physical contact. The attacks are ‘assumed’ to hit.
So what’s the point of all this? Well, I think it’s important to show how shows have changed. Because I think there is a new trend about to emerge in cartoons. Non-violence violence.
If you look at shows like The Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles you will notice they have something in common, and it’s not their snappy dressing. Both of these shows have actually managed to animated martial arts fights. This is to be commended on not only a creative level, but also an artistic one. Watching their fights you see technique, not just punching and kicking. A punch is blocked with a counter move, and followed up with a new attack. It’s a lot of fun to watch.
I think this is the beginning of a trend to show ‘violence’ without showing any blood and guts, and without any one taking any kind of serious punishment (such as falling 1,000 feet off a cliff). This violence is no more violent than that shown in movies like The Karate Kid. And in some cases it’s substantially less. It’s not mindless violence, and it’s not grotesque violence. It’s some kind of in-between violence.
*You know who needs some superhero insurance? Anyone who lives in the Dragonball Universe.*So what is it with women and bows? I see that both Elektra and Abigail Whistler (Blade III) will both be toting around compound bows in their upcoming movies. I guess it’s cool, but aren’t there more efficient weapons out there?
*Well that’s it for this week. Hope you liked the new format.
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November 17, 2004
Off The Cuff - Edition 8
Off the Cuff - Edition 8By Eric Barrett
Comics, Cartoons, and all things related
*Another Off the Cuff so soon? Well, I’m planning on moving this column to something a little more than bi-weekly. So expect to see the *bonus* column more regularly. It’s like buying a special edition DVD only, it’s not a DVD or special…
*Well I have to say that I’m really digging Strange. It’s the new Marvel Knights title, which obviously covers the life of one Dr. Stephen Strange. I’ve always been a Strange fan…a fan of Dr. Strange that is! And I know full well what’s going to happen in this story. After all, it is just a remake of the ‘origins’ of his character. But I can’t help but be excited. In fact for some strange (no pun intended) reason I look forward to this title more than any other book I get.
*I’m a huge fan of stylistic cartoons and comic books. The style can be outrageous or even mundane - it just has to be consistent within the show. And that’s one of the reasons I like the newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. In many ways it’s like watching a comic book.
For instance, the way they use ‘panels’ on TV between scenes to increase the tension and drama is very similar to reading a comic book. It’s the only show on TV that I can think of that does something like that.
*One thing I’m not a fan of is the new ‘large’ G.I. Joe figures. I prefer my toys to be smaller. I don’t like them to be the size of Barbie Dolls.
*Yu Yu Hakusho has overcome the ‘Exponential Growth’ problem by changing the style of the villain. In the first story line, the villain relied upon brute strength. He was simply more powerful than Urameshi, and Yusuke had to get stronger to win. In the second major storyline the villain is still more powerful, but this time Yusuke has to outsmart him as well as beat him physically.
This adds a new dimension to the story and prevents the viewer from having that ‘here we go again’ feeling.
*While I’m talking about Yu Yu Hakusho, I do have one complaint: the artwork seems to fluctuate between episodes and even during them. I’m not sure if they had different artists drawing it, or if they were experimenting. But I find it extremely distracting. The worst was at the end of the Dark Tournament. It was like they forgot how to draw all of the characters. Or possibly they just removed the bones form each of the characters so they were some kind of super-powered Gumby.
*Rurouni Kenshin is back on Cartoon Network. Well color me excited since this is probably my all-time favorite anime.
*Identity Crisis, what a book! But it’s interesting because Identity Crisis is not a book I really look forward to month to month. Even as I type this I’m not all that thrilled about the next installment. But once I crack the cover all of that changes. I can hardly read the darn thing because I want to skip through to the end and find out what happens. I find myself skipping multiple panels just so I can turn to the next page.
Because of this, I’ve instituted a policy that forces me to slow down. Before I read it, I make an agreement with myself that I’ll slowly read each speech bubble and meticulously comb over the art work looking for clues to the mastermind’s plan.
*Does it work? No.
*One more thing about Identity Crisis? It’s the only book I read that gets me emotionally anxious. I get a huge rush of nervous energy every time I read the book. Usually I only feel this way during suspenseful movies or Steelers games, not when I’m reading a comic book. That’s a sign of some good storytelling right there.
*Current Top 3 Favorite Books:
1. Identity Crisis
2. Strange
3. N/A
*There’s books out there that I like, but nothing that’s grabbing me. So that’s why I really only have 2 favorite books this time.
*I just finished issue 4 of the Majestic mini-series. I was a little disappointed with the ending. It seemed a little too abrupt, yet at the same time it was a little too open. But that said I’m sad to see the book come to an end. Luckily it will be spun-off into it’s own book starting in January.
*One of the cool features we have here at SotS is a collection of original web comics. (Note to Editor: Do I get paid more for mentioning SotS exclusive content?) One of the comics is called “Work In Progress” . It basically follows two characters one writer and one agent.
And what I finally noticed in this week’s strip is that the characters have changed clothes! One of my big pet peeves is that characters wear the same clothes every single episode, sometimes for years. I understand why it’s done (to cut down on costs, time, and because it’s easier, etc…). But it’s still annoying. So congratulations to WIP for having a wardrobe. (Old Clothes - New Clothes)
*Last week I talked about superheroes having ‘issues’ prior to becoming a superhero. For some characters this makes sense. Batman clearly still suffers from losing his parents. This makes sense, because let’s face it, no one who is well-adjusted would willingly do the things he does. Spider-Man feels an over abundance of guilt which makes him behave ‘responsibly’. For him that means using his powers to protect. So it makes sense that some superheroes have ‘issues’ which make them choose the life of a superhero.
My complaint is that so many new heroes have major problems. And I think this is at least in part a response to the cheesy characters of the 50’s, 60’s, and into the 70’s. Almost all of these characters were ‘goody-two-shoes’. The characters were often so perfect that it was not only unrealistic but also obnoxious. So as a response creators started making their characters more ‘real’. This ‘realism’ has created a generic superhero template as generic and clichéd as using radiation to cause super powers. As I said last week, let’s see some normal kid get powers that isn’t a drug addict, beaten by his/her parents, and isn’t gay. Let’s show some originality.
So what do you think? Am I off my rocker? Or am I onto something? Let me know in the reader feedback section. I’ll even post the best response in the next column.
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November 10, 2004
Off The Cuff #7
Off the Cuff - Edition 7
By Eric Barrett
Comics, Cartoons, and all things related
*What’s this? An Off the Cuff on an off week? I had a bit of extra stuff left over from the last few weeks and I thought I’d clear out my notebook a bit before next week’s Edition 8 comes out. So relax and enjoy.
*A new pet peeve of mine involves multi-issue stories. And it’s not the fact that the story runs over multiple issues that bothers me. What bothers me is that they don’t always put the story ‘part number’ in easily accessible places. Why can’t they put the story part number on either the cover or on the first couple of pages? Would it be that difficult?
There are a lot of books out there that I only buy when an interesting story comes along. Case in point - Green Lantern. I’m not really a huge fan of the GL’s. So I don’t pay much attention to the stories. However, since there is a major arc coming with the return of Hal, well, I’d like to read those issues.
So I go to my local comic book store to pick up my normal run. And as I’m looking through the shelves I see the new issue of Green Lantern and I wonder if it’s the start of the Hal story. I know it’s supposed to start soon, but I don’t know exactly when. I pick up the issue, nothing on the cover, nothing on the first few pages. So I skim the first few pages and it in essence talks about ‘losing the ring’. And I think, “Ah, this is it!” Well I get home read through the book, get to the last page and it says ‘Part 6′. D’oh! I just wasted $2.25 on a title I didn’t really want.
So you’re probably saying “you can look up the issue number online”. And I’ll respond by saying that I shouldn’t have to. If DC wants me to pick up books for their major storylines, well they should make it easier on the consumer. Look, I work a full-time job, write two comic book columns, I’m working on research for various academic projects, I have a life, and we’re in the middle of football season. If I spend all of my time looking up issues online how am I going to get around to curing cancer and turning lead into gold?
Just put the part number on the cover and I’ll be a happy camper. She-Hulk can do that, Thanos did that, why can’t Green Lantern?
*Boy how’s that for a leadoff point into an Off the Cuff? Start you guys out with a nice little rant, and hope you stick around for the rest!
*Confession time: As I’ve said, I’m not a Green Lantern fan, but I did enjoy the ‘extra’ issue I bought. Good book, nice art, and an interesting story (or at least the last part of the story). So I guess I didn’t waste my $2.25 after all.
*I spoke about ‘Exponential Growth Problems’ in my last column. Well this seems to be more of an issue with Anime and Manga than American comics. I can’t think of any American-style books or shows that follow this same pattern. American-style seems to introduce villains that must be beaten using ingenuity, intelligence, and puzzle solving instead of relying predominantly on getting stronger.
*And since I’m ranting this week, I have to admit I’m a little tired of the ‘teenager with problems becomes superhero’ routine. I know this is a hallmark of comic books, but come on; can’t we get rid of the troubled teenagers for a while? I really like Monolith, but why is it a delinquent drug addict has to discover the power of the Monolith? And Firestorm, why does a kid whose father beats him have to become one of the coolest characters DC has to offer?
I know that it adds a new ‘dimension’ to the character. And that it introduces conflict into the story. But what’s wrong with the kid who does his homework and wins the spelling bee gaining some superpowers? Sure they may not have the personal drama pre-built into their lives, but they can still be interesting characters, look at Superman for instance.
*Some thoughts on Firestorm #6:
1. I was planning on dropping the series a few issues ago, but I decided to stick it out to see what happened to Ronnie Raymond. I’m glad I did because I think there are some interesting things that are going to happen with this character.
2. I like how the JLA is portrayed. Each member seems to be drawn a little ‘bigger’ than in some other books. I’d like to think this was done on purpose to show that Jason Rusch is in awe of these legends. But who knows.
3. They’ve introduced the idea of Jason becoming addicted to transforming into Firestorm. That has some interesting potential.
4. I miss Chriscross’s artwork. Not that there is anything wrong with the new artist, I just really liked his artwork.
5. The bottom line is that I still can’t make up my mind. I want to like this book, but I just can’t get into it. I think a lot of it has to do with Jason Rusch. He’s just not a likeable character in my opinion.
*Milton Bradley (the game company not the baseball player) has a very clever marketing plan in Firestorm #6. They are using a comic book story to sell a ‘board’ game. This is brilliant. My biggest problem with advertising in comic books is that it’s a distraction. The advertisements simply get in the way of what I’m trying to do (which is read the book). The ads also are trying to sell things that I don’t care about, and more importantly aren’t relevant to comic books. So I simply ignore them. Most don’t even catch my eye. In fact, other than Heroscape I couldn’t tell you what was advertised in Firestorm.
Now take a magazine like PC Gamer. 99.99% of the advertisements in that magazine are for computer games, computers, or computer parts. So what happens? I spend almost as much time looking at the advertisements as I do reading the article. The key is that the ads are relevant and interesting because the ads match the purpose of the magazine.
Let’s hope that more advertising like this shows up in comic books!
*As I was browsing the Comixtreme forums I ran across an article written by Ronée Garcia. Ironically it was about advertising in comics. Now I had already written my spiel about advertising before I saw it. But what’s ironic is that this isn’t the first time she and I have been talking about the same topic. In fact, my debut column for CX was along the lines of a column she had written after me, but published before my debut went online.
I guess it’s true what they say about great minds!
*Well believe it or not, I still have stuff left over. I was hoping to clear out the closet so to speak. But I guess that didn’t happen. So stay tuned for next weeks issue and we’ll get into Identity Crisis a little bit, and probably some War Games stuff. Until then, here we go Steelers! Here we go!
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November 3, 2004
Off The Cuff #6
Off the Cuff - Edition 6
By Eric Barrett
Comics, Cartoons, and all things related
* Rave Master. I talked about this show a few weeks ago. Well I’m still watching it and still enjoying it for the most part. The plot so far isn’t all that thrilling and it’s certainly not that original. In fact it reminds me of the last 10 Final Fantasy games I’ve played. You know the story, boy goes on quest to retrieve item X and save the world. However, what is unique is the writing. It’s not brilliant but it’s very clever. Lots of amusing puns thrown in with some clever word play. Plus it doesn’t take itself, or the genre, too seriously. And to me that’s a reason to keep watching! * Have you noticed the number of toy commercials on TV? Must be close to Christmas.
*I’ve been thinking about cussing recently. Don’t worry, not at you guys or anyone in particular. It’s just one of those strange convergences of the universe, like reality television. Two things have happened recently that have made me start thinking about this. The first is Tuesday Morning Quarterback (a great football column), which has been running a contest to suggest “Golden Age Terms for Cussing”. Suggestions were “gummit”, “shoot a pig”, or “Holy Frijoles”. The second is in the old comic book Wildstar. In this book they ‘cleverly’ use the word ’ship’ instead of another 4-letter word. I’ll let you guys guess which one it substituted for.
Personally I’m not a fan of swearing in writing. It has its place. But a lot of time I think it’s just over the top and used to sensationalize someone’s writing. I’m willing to accept some swearing, simply because it can be a natural reaction or even make a joke funny.
Getting back to Wildstar. Using something so obviously juvenile and un-funny as ’ship’ really detracted from the book. Every time they said it, I would cringe. Now why didn’t they come up with their own non-offensive cuss? As TMQ points out, other comics have gone this route. I think we are all familiar with “great Caesar’s ghost”, “Oh my stars and garters”, “Heavens to Murgatroyd”, and even “d’oh”. If Wildstar had come up with something more clever, like, well, anything else, it would have worked a lot better. Let this be a lesson to all you writers out there, you don’t have to be crude simply to cuss.
* Blade: Trinity will be opening in theaters sometime in December, the 9th I believe. This is one movie that I am very much looking forward to. I really enjoyed the first two movies, and have high hopes for the third. Let’s hope I’m not disappointed.
* I read that in an upcoming episode of Smallville, Mxyztplk will make an appearance. This could be a pretty interesting episode. I’ve always been a fan of Mxyztplk episodes because it shows that Superman is more than just strength and speed, he’s smart too.
* Say what you want about the Teen Titans, but you have to respect the creativity of the show. In the episode “Revolution” Mad Mod takes over the city by reverting it back as if the American Revolution never occurred. Because of this the whole show took on a ‘British’ flavor. But the best part was the subtle nods to the Beatles and Monty Python. These are the types of things I like in books, movies, and comics. The subtle references to subjects that you can only notice if you are knowledgeable about the subject and paying attention. It’s a sign of good writing and good direction.
* On the other hand, in the same episode, they went from being unable to fight 2 robots (dressed as British regulars) and destroy them to being able to take out half a dozen robots with a manhole cover. I hate that kind of inconsistency. If it’s so easy at the end, why wasn’t it easy at the beginning?
* Just saw on the news: a man said that drinking alcohol then watching The Day After Tomorrow caused him to burn down his mobile home. Just thought you might want to know.
* I love complicated stories. In fact, the more complicated the better. I think this is one of the main reasons I’ve gotten into anime. They tend to offer multiple episode stories that aren’t your “standard” 30-minute resolutions.
However, I’ve noticed a downside to this phenomenon, namely sometimes I don’t feel like watching the story. Or reading the next comic book. Sometimes following the story feels more like work than entertainment.
A good example of this is Batman: Wargames. I’ve been more into this storyline than any Batman story I can think of. But the thought of reading Act 3 leaves me lacking in the enthusiasm department. It just seems like something I have to do, not something I want to do. Ironically, once I start I’ll love it. But for now, I just don’t feel like it.
* And if you want an example from Anime, Wolf’s Rain. Good show, interesting story, but some weeks felt like it was a chore to watch the show.
* Burger King has announced a toy line themed for the upcoming Fantastic 4 movie. Perhaps they will also theme their food:
1. The Thing Shake: Lumpy and strange colored.
2. Reed Richards Fries: They’re limp and stretchy.
3. Invisible Woman Cola (aka: Sprite): Cause it’s clear and she’s invisible and ah, never mind.
4. The Johnny Burger: Burned to a carbon crisp!
* Still reading Venom & Carnage, and I just can’t decide if I like it or not. I enjoyed the first two issues, but the third one seemed a little ‘flat’. I suppose I’ll stick with it since there are only a few more issues. But still, my enthusiasm is quickly waning.
* And is it me, or does the art in this book look like someone sneezed on each panel?
* I’ve really enjoyed Identity Crisis. I can’t appreciate all of the minor characters and some of the background stuff, since I simply don’t know my DC history as well as I should. But I love the mystery aspect, and the fact that I have no idea what’s going to happen. But what’s my favorite thing so far out of this series? The fact that in issue 4 the bad guys were playing Risk! Talk about cool.
* Time to run. It’s a big weekend coming up (or passed as you read this): Halloween, Steelers vs. Patriots, and then the election. Enjoy it all while you can.
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