Off the Cuff: Batman The Animated Series
I spent a lot of my formative years watching Batman the Animated Series. And I loved it. That show defined not only Batman but all superheroes with its atmosphere, stories, and characters. Every single cartoon or movie is chasing the standard that Batman: TAS set.
Even the artwork was brilliant. It was the first show that I actually noticed the animation style. And I still think it used shadows better than any incarnation of Batman I’m familiar with.
That’s a high bar.
And in recent years I’ve feared that maybe my memories were tinted by rose colored glasses. Maybe Batman: TAS wasn’t half as good as my mind recalled. After all, I thought Voltron was the best show ever – it was devastating to learn that it’s not.
Talk about crushed childhood dreams.
Well let me relieve the fear – Batman: TAS is still the standard to beat. Watching it on TV these last few weeks has reminded me just how brilliant it was. What’s surprising is the show’s probably better than I remember!
As a kid I enjoyed it because of the action, the art, and the “coolness” of Batman. But I instinctively knew there was something more there – I just didn’t now what. Now I can now fully appreciate the subtlety of the characters and artwork. I can enjoy it for the depth of the story telling and character development.
Batman: TAS is still the greatest superhero cartoon ever created. And may possibly be the best cartoon ever created.
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April 29, 2008
Off the Cuff: the completist
I’m a completist. And as the name implies, I like to complete things. Those “things” don’t really matter. It can be completing video games, reading the whole run of a comic book, or watching all the episodes of a TV show.
The only thing I don’t like to complete is eating all my vegetables.
But this can be a problem. For example, what happens when something is horrible? That’s when the completist is in trouble. Suddenly he or she finds an internal struggle brewing. Do I finish the <insert name of current obsession>? Or do I cut my losses and run? It’s a tough position for a completist to be in.
Collecting comic books, despite an awful story, is probably the most commonly discussed example. However I have one that’s much worse - I have an almost compulsive need to finish watching the entire run of a TV show. This is especially true of anime.
I tell myself, “I can stop anytime I want.” But I can’t. I’m stuck between wanting to turn off the TV and being committed to the end.
For instance, I wasn’t a fan of Full Metal Alchemist, One Piece, Death Note, or Blood +, and yet, I kept watching. In some cases I’m still watching.
Part of the issue is that by the time I realize I don’t like a show, I’ve already invested 20 or 30 hours into it. That’s a lot of time to simply say, “yeah I don’t care about what happens.” But I know I’m lying to myself. I want to know how it ends. What’s the good of starting a story if you’re not going to finish it?
The other part is a total lack of options. If I want to watch anime on TV I can either watch Cartoon Network…or buy my own. So at the moment I am subject to the Cartoon Network programming overlords. Which means watching anime that under my own powers, I wouldn’t be watching.
I suppose this is just the completist dilemma.
So how about you? What do you have trouble giving up even though you know you should?
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April 22, 2008
Off the Cuff: The most annoying song ever?
I realize this post has nothing to do with any of my usual subject matter. But this is a column called Off the Cuff, so what do you really expect?
In the 90’s three men (Vitaly Komar, Alex Melamid and David Soldier) decided to create the most annoying song ever. Why? Because men are practical.
Or at least that’s what Dave Barry would say.
So what goes into the world’s most annoying song?
1. Rapping opera singer? ….check
2. Wal-Mart? ….check
3. Kid’s singing? ….check
4. Harmonica? ….check
5. Holiday music? ….check
6. Banjo? ….check
The only thing I didn’t hear was dog’s barking a Christmas carol.
So did they get close to their goal? No. Not even close.
The song is so bad that it becomes hilarious. In fact it’s almost a perfect parody of American culture. That alone makes it worth the price of admission. Which, by the way, is free. There are certainly moments when the song gets close to being totally annoying. Especially with the stupid kid’s choir. Seriously if your music ever contains children singing, just hang up your ukulele.
Or you can always do all your shopping at Wal-Mart!
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April 18, 2008
Off the Cuff: Which Superhero are you?
Okay, I admit it, I’m a sucker for these quizes. They obviously have no scientific value. But what they lack in accuracy they more than make up for in fun!
Interestingly it came down to a tie breaker question between my love of technology and my laid back personality. I went with the technology. But I think Iron Fist might have been a bit more accurate. After all, who would think of me as a super nerd?
On second thought, don’t answer that.
So how about you? What superhero are you? Take your test and post your results here.
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You scored as Mister Fantastic/Reed RichardsYou are the super nerdy, intelligent and adventurous Mr. Fantastic.
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April 10, 2008
Off the Cuff: Being Serious
Some nights I lose sleep.
I fear that perhaps I’m not really doing enough to solve the problems that face this country (and the world). I wake up wondering, “did I do enough for the SotS community?” And “if not, will Craig ever let me use the company restroom?”
I decided that I just can’t live with this kind of fear anymore. So I’ve taken some new measures these last few weeks. And I can now say, with certainty that SotS is “new” and “improved”.
The first step was to make this blog at least one safe place in the world. There’s no question the biggest problem facing the world today is brain-sucking zombies. It’s so obvious that it really goes without saying. But here at SotS, we take these things seriously. So I’m proud to announce several new policies that should improve this situation:
Of course there are other considerations as well. Namely a total lack of Reece’s Peanut Butter cups in the SotS offices. But I can only address one crisis at a time.
So without Craig’s knowledge I’ve taken the liberty of moving the blog to a super secret location, one that should remain secure (and environmentally friendly). And certainly a place where I can’t foresee any kind of problems developing:
So next time someone tells you that SotS doesn’t take their job seriously, just remember that we’re certifiable.
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