I'll be using Domesticated Words more for commentary as months go by as I've decided to use this Blog as more than an archive. Expect comments as well as reviews, articles and interviews, though expect some of the above in abundance as well.
An artist interview is soon to be added, a couple of unusual reviews and also a host of plugs for a couple of my books out this year - would be simply wonderful if you could purchase these books in abundance for Christmas. Buy two for each of your family, and if they don't like them, and you require an alternative present, why not buy them one of my two books, available for Christmas? Etc.
More on those soon! 2 weeks. Tops. Promise.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
REVIEW: Mongolian Chop Suey: "Beck" on Form
[ARTICLE written for Toon Zone News: 06.08.07]
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad is an odd beast: an anime ambiguity, a musical misfit, a punk peculiarity. It does come with a free plectrum, though.
However, if you are looking for a gently paced character drama about some Japanese kids aspiring to form a popular rock beat combo (or for a free plectrum), then eyes back in, my friend, as you've picked up the right box.
This is the first volume of the animation adaptation of Harold Sakuishi graphic adventures, first published in Monthly Shōnen Magazine. It contains five episodes of the 26-episode series, and the aforementioned free plectrum.
The story revolves around a 14-year-old Japanese lad called Yukio (Koyuki to his friends), who through a series of mishaps and good fortune, finds himself unexpectedly heading into that crazy, rebellious world of rock and roll, though not quite in the way you might expect. The first five episodes unfold at a very gentle pace. Music doesn't really become a driving force until part three, and even then the story is not hostage to its musical background. Character interaction takes center stage in these opening episodes, and to some extent that helps this story avoid some of the clichés you so often seen when rock is portrayed in television and film. Bands are as much internally political as they are musical—finding the balance of skills and egos is difficult in real life—and this is an aspect that the show seems committed to exploring.
Yes, it does have some formulaic archetypes, some of which will be familiar to anyone who has watched more than a couple of Japanese animations. Koyuki is the typical "ordinary" Japanese kid who is more reactive than proactive and trapped by the whims and behavior of the other characters. We also have the two love interests: the hot headed, exciting rock chick, and the cute childhood friend Koyuki has long crushed on. We have the rough-edged friend playing the "cool loner" character type, and the standard comic relief guy. And one can't help feeling that, as with so many Shōnen, the protagonist is a cipher onto which certain audience members are meant to project their own insecurities, all of which can then be given a positive resolution in a fantasy environment. Those viewers without such insecurities, on the other hand, might find Koyuki's cautious character irritating and the romantic interest shown by his beautiful lady friends utterly, utterly bewildering.
But I'll admit to enjoying the show's attention to musical detail. Having spent a fair amount time in music myself, I was pleased to see it take many technical elements more seriously than most Western films and television do. It gets the educational aspects right: the use of bar chords (which are visualized accurately); the blisters you get on your fingers when you are starting to learn; and the fact that moving the student to a live performance does very often increase learning potential. The scenes depicting rock gigs are also very true to form, with the atmosphere, technical elements and acoustics all spot on. On occasion it does indulge in some unrealistic conceits (Koyuki's untrained
voice sounds like a trained singer in the American version, and his ability to play the guitar and sing comes a little too easy), but the balance between realism and the tricks needed to make the story more interesting are pretty well balanced. The animation and backdrops also work particularly well and, again, show a remarkable attention to detail. You can, for instance, feel the weight of the guitars the characters are holding, which is not something I've often noticed animation getting right.
Despite these strengths, FUNimation's westernized adaptation of Beck is a mixed beast, just like the cartoon canine character the band is named after, with some important aspects getting lost in translation. Some of this is discussed in the DVD's key special feature, the FUNimation director's commentary, which focuses on the fascinating difficulties the American adaptors had in finding a balance between the tale's original cultural roots and the need to place the story in a more Westernized context. They have done a very good job of this: too good of a job, in fact, as it has been too Westernized in places. The American English spoken by the native Japanese teens, for instance, actually sounds more American that that spoken by two characters who have spent a great deal of time in New York. For me, there was a slight imbalance between cultural identities which blurred some of the story elements.
The DVD comes with an adequate array of extras: the aforementioned commentary (which is an interesting listen), a music video (which did not tickle my aural taste buds) and clean versions of the opening and closing credits. Pity we have the mandatory trailer tacked on the front, making me yearn for the days of VHS once more.
Overall, this is a very well realized piece of Shōnen that uses a musical backdrop for a character drama about respect and understanding. The pace might be a little slow for some, and the FUNimation edit may seem a little crass in places, but generally this is a story that could be an enjoyable little piece of light drama.
And in case you forgot, it also comes with a free Beck plectrum. With any luck, future volumes will have the same gift, as you're almost guaranteed to have lost that little piece of plastic in between the floorboards by the next release.
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad is an odd beast: an anime ambiguity, a musical misfit, a punk peculiarity. It does come with a free plectrum, though.
If you pick up this DVD while looking for the standard anime manga attributes—over-the-top fights; large breasts; big explosions; big, big guns—you are clearly so far from the beaten track you might as well pull out your eyes and slip in a pair of rocks in their place. If you are looking for a piece of Japanese anime that feels culturally alien to your Western environment, indulging in Eastern anthropology and archetypes, again, let me pass you them rocks.
However, if you are looking for a gently paced character drama about some Japanese kids aspiring to form a popular rock beat combo (or for a free plectrum), then eyes back in, my friend, as you've picked up the right box.
This is the first volume of the animation adaptation of Harold Sakuishi graphic adventures, first published in Monthly Shōnen Magazine. It contains five episodes of the 26-episode series, and the aforementioned free plectrum.
The story revolves around a 14-year-old Japanese lad called Yukio (Koyuki to his friends), who through a series of mishaps and good fortune, finds himself unexpectedly heading into that crazy, rebellious world of rock and roll, though not quite in the way you might expect. The first five episodes unfold at a very gentle pace. Music doesn't really become a driving force until part three, and even then the story is not hostage to its musical background. Character interaction takes center stage in these opening episodes, and to some extent that helps this story avoid some of the clichés you so often seen when rock is portrayed in television and film. Bands are as much internally political as they are musical—finding the balance of skills and egos is difficult in real life—and this is an aspect that the show seems committed to exploring.
Yes, it does have some formulaic archetypes, some of which will be familiar to anyone who has watched more than a couple of Japanese animations. Koyuki is the typical "ordinary" Japanese kid who is more reactive than proactive and trapped by the whims and behavior of the other characters. We also have the two love interests: the hot headed, exciting rock chick, and the cute childhood friend Koyuki has long crushed on. We have the rough-edged friend playing the "cool loner" character type, and the standard comic relief guy. And one can't help feeling that, as with so many Shōnen, the protagonist is a cipher onto which certain audience members are meant to project their own insecurities, all of which can then be given a positive resolution in a fantasy environment. Those viewers without such insecurities, on the other hand, might find Koyuki's cautious character irritating and the romantic interest shown by his beautiful lady friends utterly, utterly bewildering.
But I'll admit to enjoying the show's attention to musical detail. Having spent a fair amount time in music myself, I was pleased to see it take many technical elements more seriously than most Western films and television do. It gets the educational aspects right: the use of bar chords (which are visualized accurately); the blisters you get on your fingers when you are starting to learn; and the fact that moving the student to a live performance does very often increase learning potential. The scenes depicting rock gigs are also very true to form, with the atmosphere, technical elements and acoustics all spot on. On occasion it does indulge in some unrealistic conceits (Koyuki's untrained
voice sounds like a trained singer in the American version, and his ability to play the guitar and sing comes a little too easy), but the balance between realism and the tricks needed to make the story more interesting are pretty well balanced. The animation and backdrops also work particularly well and, again, show a remarkable attention to detail. You can, for instance, feel the weight of the guitars the characters are holding, which is not something I've often noticed animation getting right.Despite these strengths, FUNimation's westernized adaptation of Beck is a mixed beast, just like the cartoon canine character the band is named after, with some important aspects getting lost in translation. Some of this is discussed in the DVD's key special feature, the FUNimation director's commentary, which focuses on the fascinating difficulties the American adaptors had in finding a balance between the tale's original cultural roots and the need to place the story in a more Westernized context. They have done a very good job of this: too good of a job, in fact, as it has been too Westernized in places. The American English spoken by the native Japanese teens, for instance, actually sounds more American that that spoken by two characters who have spent a great deal of time in New York. For me, there was a slight imbalance between cultural identities which blurred some of the story elements.
The DVD comes with an adequate array of extras: the aforementioned commentary (which is an interesting listen), a music video (which did not tickle my aural taste buds) and clean versions of the opening and closing credits. Pity we have the mandatory trailer tacked on the front, making me yearn for the days of VHS once more.
Overall, this is a very well realized piece of Shōnen that uses a musical backdrop for a character drama about respect and understanding. The pace might be a little slow for some, and the FUNimation edit may seem a little crass in places, but generally this is a story that could be an enjoyable little piece of light drama.
And in case you forgot, it also comes with a free Beck plectrum. With any luck, future volumes will have the same gift, as you're almost guaranteed to have lost that little piece of plastic in between the floorboards by the next release.
Monday, August 06, 2007
REVIEW: Rah Rah Rah for She-Ra's Second Boxset!
[Article written for Toon Zone News: 28.06.07]
Please cast your collective little memories back through the years of fictitious kick-ass girls that litter television history. Go back past Buffy the Vampire Slayer; ignore the hot lady from Dark Angel; don't linger around Xena: Warrior Princess too long—
Oh, now you've gone back too far, so stop dreaming about leggy Linda Carter in her Wonder Woman tights and move forward.
Concentrate on 1985; on action cartoons; on action cartoon spin-offs from successful syndicated fantasy toy tie-ins. With my little British fingers crossed, I am hoping you land on the fantastic She-Ra: Princess of Power. Yes, you should be conjuring up images of that blond action female heroine, the twin sister of Skeletor's muscle-brain foe, He-Man. I reviewed Volume One for Toon Zone last year, but for those with fingers too exhausted to click on the link, I'll summarize it here as a fantastic box set of the very good Filmation fantasy cartoon series. But for the bloody honor of Greyskull, is the second volume any good?
I discussed the show itself in that earlier review—I will yet get you to click on that link—and because the new box set follows the same parameters to the first volume (minus, thank God, the Barbie-pink spine), I'll run through the obligatory features first before moving on to the story content.
By Brightmoon, We Have Some Special Features!
The special features are Ink&Paint's usual wonderful affair. We have two image galleries, 50 detailed biographies, episode scripts, model sheets, collectible cards, an episodic storyboard comparison for "Huntara", and a documentary called "The Stories of She-Ra, Part 2". The documentary delves into selected episodes from the writer's perspective, and is well worth a watch.
As with most Ink&Paint box sets, there is also a commentary on one of the episode disks. As with volume 1, the speaker is He-Man/She-Ra writer J. M. Straczynski (also known for Babylon 5, a long run on Spider-Man, and the odd Murder, She Wrote).
He tackles the earlier episode, "Into the Dark Dimension," which proves a fascinating character study to chat about, particularly as the episode brings arch enemies She-Ra and Hordak together to hunt for a mutual goal. The commentary offers some insights into the ramifications of this character dynamic and a little background to the in-house writing protocol of Filmation itself.
The box packaging, as with volume one, is top notch: beautifully rendered picture disks enclosed in a great set of backdrops. DVD interactive features are well presented, with trivia facts for each episode.
A Whole Horde of Episodes!
So what about the episodes?
"A Talent for Trouble," which kicks off the second volume, is a fine example of some of the key attributes found in this side of season one's mid field. She-Ra: Princess of Power has a lot of humor, and this really works in its favor. The show itself was targeted at the young female audience, and as such, there are fewer fists and kicks than in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and more comedy and character scenes. "A Talent for Trouble" opens on the Sorceress and Orko (yes, this episode is one of She-Ra's many crossover stories), giving Castle Greyskull a damn good spring cleaning.
Now, before anyone groans or cries "jump the Land Shark!" let's be honest: it's the unusual scenes in generic 80's cartoons that make them fun to watch. After all, we're no longer children hungering to be sold new tie-in merchandise, and we certainly should be old enough to know the general moral outcome of a kid's cartoon two acts before we get to the epilogue. So it's the quirky scenes, the humorous payoffs, and the odd delve into established continuity that keep us watching past the initial flash of nostalgia. She-Ra has an abundance of these qualities, more than I'd say even its muscle-bound counterpart does.
But please, don't let me come across as anti-He-Man. His appearances in She-Ra never weaken the show, although be prepared to find his presence severely dumbed down in making him co-star rather than lead; there are few times where he gets to hog the spotlight or play the brains of the operation.
Back to Disk one, and we find another couple of great gems. First off is "Troll's Dream", an episode that offers one of the most blunt confrontations with the subject of racial hatred that I've seen in a kid's cartoon. In this scenario we have a whole group of often inoffensive heroic lead characters displaying an irrational—and violent—hatred of Trolls. It's quite a shocking little tale for the fluffy He-Man universe, and the on-disk trivia informs us that the script was even more violently explicit. This episode is a fantastic shift from the light opener of "A Talent for Trouble", and is referenced by writer Larry DiTillo as one of his favorites in the DVD bonus feature.
Disk two suffers from another of volume one's dull as dishwater characters—yes, it's the return of Sea Hawk. This episode ends up being marginally more interesting than previous encounters. An unfortunate toy tie-in encounter with "The Rock People" really does rank disk two as the weakest disk of the set. The only really above average affair on this disk is "Huntara", which has some nice little sparring sequences, some fresh VA work and a well realized enemy.
Disk three has some great scenes. "For Want of a Horse" has some classic Horde moments, with Hordak in desperate need of a birthday present for megalomaniac galaxy leader, Horde Prime—the ending for this story is most certainly, priceless.
"My Friend, My Enemy" is a brilliant little story with the return of the great—and very evil—Skeletor. This episode, alongside the previously mentioned "Into the Dark Dimension," provide vital development for the character of She-Ra. As we know in real life, one person's rebellion is another person's terrorist. This becomes a contentious issue when one tries to validate either side of the coin, and clearly a problem for She-Ra's "Great Rebellion": how do you establish that She-Ra's fight is righteous when they are performing acts associated as much with terrorists as freedom fighters?
The show manages to strike the difference by making She-Ra's actions as pure as her ideals. In "Into the Dark Dimension", She-Ra would rather risk being trapped in a dark dimension than leave her enemy Hordak there enslaved. In "My Friend, My Enemy", She-Ra is genuinely sad that no one is willing to cure Hordak of Skeletor's poison, and she has no qualms about saving and protecting her enemy as she would her dearest friend. As much as the Horde are made to be nasty, lying cowards, She-Ra is virtuous to the extreme, not just in action, but in soul. While Adora never really manages to escape She-Ra's shadow quite as significantly as Prince Adam does of He-Man's, She-Ra remains a very powerful lead character and female role model.
Disk four has a couple more little diamonds. The best episode of the disk (and for me, the season) is "Horde Prime takes a Holiday", another Straczynski classic in which Hordak is left in charge of Horde Prime's very best warship with strict instructions not to use it in any respect. Hordak, of course, ignores this order and as he battles He-Man and She-Ra for Etheria using th
e vessel, he finds himself at odds with his old student Skeletor. You can guess how the episode resolves, and it's all done with a great amount of wit and humor. There is no doubt that Hordak is as perfect a comic foil for She-Ra as Skeletor is for He-Man.
Another great scene from the episode is He-Man's dramatic "rescue" of the falling She-Ra. The tone and pacing of the scene leads the audience to believe that He-Man will save the day, only to pull the rug out by having She-Ra rescue herself. It's great to see the writers never forget this is She-Ra's show, and that this is one lady that never becomes the damsel in distress.
Other classic episodes include another He-Man crossover in "Of Shadows and Skulls" that offers even more Hordak/Skeletor rivalry, and the surprisingly enjoyable "Loo-Kee Lends a Hand", in which the show's external moralizer finds himself pitted in a tale of time alongside He-Man and She-Ra.
Disk 5 inherits an ongoing ailment from disk 4: a Sea Hawk two-parter. However, this dull affair can be excused thanks to a great little Stracynzski tale based in Eternia history called "Darksmoke and Fire". There is a misfired pilot story called "Magicats" that serves as a nice little spotlight for Catra, and the bizarre "Flowers for Hordak" in which Hordak's hostage plan backfires, leaving the Fright Zone flower infested. The disk finishes with a dull slice of Orko and his world, Trolla - a tale with a bulldozered message about love which left me head over toilet bowl.
So: A Crystal Castle or a Fright Zone?
Overall, yes, this is a girl's world; the punch outs are kept to a minimum and the male heroes are very effeminate; even tough sea dog Sea Hawk is readily castrated by the presence of She-Ra, but this is all part of the show's charm. Sure, Bow's exclamation of "Oh my aching bowstring!" will hardly get him into the Hell's Angels, but it will raise a smile from the audience.
The Straczynski episodes are the best, for he tends to explore the show's mythology and toy with the characters a little more than some of the other writers, but the majority of the tales on this box set are a lot of fun. Sure, they may not all be show stoppers, but there's such a range of characters and rich settings to explore, that with such a strong story premise you can't help but find something to enjoy.
Like its predecessor, volume two maintains a high standard of stories and features. She-Ra's first season is a consistent piece of proto-Girl Power that is full of humor, touching characters, cool crossovers and occasionally well structured moral messages.
In my experience of 80s box sets, you need a little "something" to hold the audience's attention once nostalgia wears off, and She-Ra: Princess of Power Season One Volume Two's great mix of intelligent writing and 80's charm keeps one entertained and both the honor and the power of Greyskull well intact.
Please cast your collective little memories back through the years of fictitious kick-ass girls that litter television history. Go back past Buffy the Vampire Slayer; ignore the hot lady from Dark Angel; don't linger around Xena: Warrior Princess too long—
Oh, now you've gone back too far, so stop dreaming about leggy Linda Carter in her Wonder Woman tights and move forward.
Concentrate on 1985; on action cartoons; on action cartoon spin-offs from successful syndicated fantasy toy tie-ins. With my little British fingers crossed, I am hoping you land on the fantastic She-Ra: Princess of Power. Yes, you should be conjuring up images of that blond action female heroine, the twin sister of Skeletor's muscle-brain foe, He-Man. I reviewed Volume One for Toon Zone last year, but for those with fingers too exhausted to click on the link, I'll summarize it here as a fantastic box set of the very good Filmation fantasy cartoon series. But for the bloody honor of Greyskull, is the second volume any good?
I discussed the show itself in that earlier review—I will yet get you to click on that link—and because the new box set follows the same parameters to the first volume (minus, thank God, the Barbie-pink spine), I'll run through the obligatory features first before moving on to the story content.
By Brightmoon, We Have Some Special Features!
The special features are Ink&Paint's usual wonderful affair. We have two image galleries, 50 detailed biographies, episode scripts, model sheets, collectible cards, an episodic storyboard comparison for "Huntara", and a documentary called "The Stories of She-Ra, Part 2". The documentary delves into selected episodes from the writer's perspective, and is well worth a watch.
As with most Ink&Paint box sets, there is also a commentary on one of the episode disks. As with volume 1, the speaker is He-Man/She-Ra writer J. M. Straczynski (also known for Babylon 5, a long run on Spider-Man, and the odd Murder, She Wrote).
He tackles the earlier episode, "Into the Dark Dimension," which proves a fascinating character study to chat about, particularly as the episode brings arch enemies She-Ra and Hordak together to hunt for a mutual goal. The commentary offers some insights into the ramifications of this character dynamic and a little background to the in-house writing protocol of Filmation itself.
The box packaging, as with volume one, is top notch: beautifully rendered picture disks enclosed in a great set of backdrops. DVD interactive features are well presented, with trivia facts for each episode.
A Whole Horde of Episodes!
So what about the episodes?
"A Talent for Trouble," which kicks off the second volume, is a fine example of some of the key attributes found in this side of season one's mid field. She-Ra: Princess of Power has a lot of humor, and this really works in its favor. The show itself was targeted at the young female audience, and as such, there are fewer fists and kicks than in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and more comedy and character scenes. "A Talent for Trouble" opens on the Sorceress and Orko (yes, this episode is one of She-Ra's many crossover stories), giving Castle Greyskull a damn good spring cleaning.
Now, before anyone groans or cries "jump the Land Shark!" let's be honest: it's the unusual scenes in generic 80's cartoons that make them fun to watch. After all, we're no longer children hungering to be sold new tie-in merchandise, and we certainly should be old enough to know the general moral outcome of a kid's cartoon two acts before we get to the epilogue. So it's the quirky scenes, the humorous payoffs, and the odd delve into established continuity that keep us watching past the initial flash of nostalgia. She-Ra has an abundance of these qualities, more than I'd say even its muscle-bound counterpart does.
But please, don't let me come across as anti-He-Man. His appearances in She-Ra never weaken the show, although be prepared to find his presence severely dumbed down in making him co-star rather than lead; there are few times where he gets to hog the spotlight or play the brains of the operation.
Back to Disk one, and we find another couple of great gems. First off is "Troll's Dream", an episode that offers one of the most blunt confrontations with the subject of racial hatred that I've seen in a kid's cartoon. In this scenario we have a whole group of often inoffensive heroic lead characters displaying an irrational—and violent—hatred of Trolls. It's quite a shocking little tale for the fluffy He-Man universe, and the on-disk trivia informs us that the script was even more violently explicit. This episode is a fantastic shift from the light opener of "A Talent for Trouble", and is referenced by writer Larry DiTillo as one of his favorites in the DVD bonus feature.
Disk two suffers from another of volume one's dull as dishwater characters—yes, it's the return of Sea Hawk. This episode ends up being marginally more interesting than previous encounters. An unfortunate toy tie-in encounter with "The Rock People" really does rank disk two as the weakest disk of the set. The only really above average affair on this disk is "Huntara", which has some nice little sparring sequences, some fresh VA work and a well realized enemy.
Disk three has some great scenes. "For Want of a Horse" has some classic Horde moments, with Hordak in desperate need of a birthday present for megalomaniac galaxy leader, Horde Prime—the ending for this story is most certainly, priceless.
"My Friend, My Enemy" is a brilliant little story with the return of the great—and very evil—Skeletor. This episode, alongside the previously mentioned "Into the Dark Dimension," provide vital development for the character of She-Ra. As we know in real life, one person's rebellion is another person's terrorist. This becomes a contentious issue when one tries to validate either side of the coin, and clearly a problem for She-Ra's "Great Rebellion": how do you establish that She-Ra's fight is righteous when they are performing acts associated as much with terrorists as freedom fighters?
The show manages to strike the difference by making She-Ra's actions as pure as her ideals. In "Into the Dark Dimension", She-Ra would rather risk being trapped in a dark dimension than leave her enemy Hordak there enslaved. In "My Friend, My Enemy", She-Ra is genuinely sad that no one is willing to cure Hordak of Skeletor's poison, and she has no qualms about saving and protecting her enemy as she would her dearest friend. As much as the Horde are made to be nasty, lying cowards, She-Ra is virtuous to the extreme, not just in action, but in soul. While Adora never really manages to escape She-Ra's shadow quite as significantly as Prince Adam does of He-Man's, She-Ra remains a very powerful lead character and female role model.
Disk four has a couple more little diamonds. The best episode of the disk (and for me, the season) is "Horde Prime takes a Holiday", another Straczynski classic in which Hordak is left in charge of Horde Prime's very best warship with strict instructions not to use it in any respect. Hordak, of course, ignores this order and as he battles He-Man and She-Ra for Etheria using th
e vessel, he finds himself at odds with his old student Skeletor. You can guess how the episode resolves, and it's all done with a great amount of wit and humor. There is no doubt that Hordak is as perfect a comic foil for She-Ra as Skeletor is for He-Man.Another great scene from the episode is He-Man's dramatic "rescue" of the falling She-Ra. The tone and pacing of the scene leads the audience to believe that He-Man will save the day, only to pull the rug out by having She-Ra rescue herself. It's great to see the writers never forget this is She-Ra's show, and that this is one lady that never becomes the damsel in distress.
Other classic episodes include another He-Man crossover in "Of Shadows and Skulls" that offers even more Hordak/Skeletor rivalry, and the surprisingly enjoyable "Loo-Kee Lends a Hand", in which the show's external moralizer finds himself pitted in a tale of time alongside He-Man and She-Ra.
Disk 5 inherits an ongoing ailment from disk 4: a Sea Hawk two-parter. However, this dull affair can be excused thanks to a great little Stracynzski tale based in Eternia history called "Darksmoke and Fire". There is a misfired pilot story called "Magicats" that serves as a nice little spotlight for Catra, and the bizarre "Flowers for Hordak" in which Hordak's hostage plan backfires, leaving the Fright Zone flower infested. The disk finishes with a dull slice of Orko and his world, Trolla - a tale with a bulldozered message about love which left me head over toilet bowl.
So: A Crystal Castle or a Fright Zone?
Overall, yes, this is a girl's world; the punch outs are kept to a minimum and the male heroes are very effeminate; even tough sea dog Sea Hawk is readily castrated by the presence of She-Ra, but this is all part of the show's charm. Sure, Bow's exclamation of "Oh my aching bowstring!" will hardly get him into the Hell's Angels, but it will raise a smile from the audience.
The Straczynski episodes are the best, for he tends to explore the show's mythology and toy with the characters a little more than some of the other writers, but the majority of the tales on this box set are a lot of fun. Sure, they may not all be show stoppers, but there's such a range of characters and rich settings to explore, that with such a strong story premise you can't help but find something to enjoy.
Like its predecessor, volume two maintains a high standard of stories and features. She-Ra's first season is a consistent piece of proto-Girl Power that is full of humor, touching characters, cool crossovers and occasionally well structured moral messages.
In my experience of 80s box sets, you need a little "something" to hold the audience's attention once nostalgia wears off, and She-Ra: Princess of Power Season One Volume Two's great mix of intelligent writing and 80's charm keeps one entertained and both the honor and the power of Greyskull well intact.
Monday, July 02, 2007
REVIEW: "Sword of Storms": Heaven-Sent Hellboy
[article written for Toon Zone News - 06-11-2007]
Before we delve into our little tête à tête, dear reader, let me make one thing clear: I am a huge fan of the Big Red Devil excellence that wasn't Hellboy.
In recent years, I've been a divided boy when it comes to Hellboy. I have always been a great fan of the concept and found the comic Hellboy a wonderful slice of
mythological horror fused with contemporary humor and rich comic-genre indulgences. This Hellboy was unique: visually, narratively and characteristically. But I thought the movie—despite the handiwork of creator Mignola and the film master Del Toro—both ugly and disappointing: it was a substandard conspiracy-driven mishmash of Hellboy characters, all of which had been thrust through the Hollywood blender. Despite fine work by Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and Selma Blair, it managed to focus on every attribute from the book that would have best been avoided in a movie. It not only failed as a film but failed to capture what I found so wonderful and unique in Mignola's original comic work.
In fact, it did a lot to sour me on the very concept.
So with Hellboy: Sword of Storms, we have a full-length animated feature that could go either way with this dainty reviewer. Would it bring Hellboy back to its roots, or would it continue the drudgy film? Given that it has creative elements from both visions, I could see it going either way. Fortunately, it manages to combine the best features of both.
From the film it borrows an excellent set of voice artists. Special doff of the ol' hat to Doug Jones, who does a wonderful voice for Abe Sapien, one that doesn't attempt to copy David Hyde Pierce. Mignola was also intimately involved with the production and the story, and if what he says on the DVD is true, he was given much freer reign.
So it is no surprise that the story of Sword of Storms is very much more the kind of affair you'd expect from the comic: Hellboy has to protect a Japanese sword that has been fused with two ancient Japanese spirits representing thunder and lightening, and if the tragedy of past love is allowed to play out once more and the sword is shattered, the world will be threatened by these meteorological horrors. This story is much less generic, compacted and predictable than the story in the live-action film. It also has a gentle pace (though punctuated by action and violence) and a confident flow, so that it doesn't feel like it's packing too much in. The ending isn't quite as strong as the rest of the tale, but it shouldn't leave the audience feeling unsatisfied. Occasionally, the dialog has a little too much energy to it; nothing excessive for the cartoon action genre, but a little out of place for Hellboy. This is just another minor niggle, though.
Taking Japanese folk lore as the central theme was a good move, and the film uses the imagery found in Japanese legend without causing any indignities to the culture. Japanese mythology is perfect for Hellboy: it's a little off kilter and has a waspish, fairy-tale quality to its texture that makes it a perfect foil to Hellboy's "no messing" attitude. The Japanese folklore is wonderfully well-presented throughout the film, from the delicate rendering of the Japanese scrolls to the demonic procession of a folklore professor.
Visually, the film looks quite good, with animation that is slick, consistent, and well-directed, and CG work that is rarely obvious (always nice in an age of awkward CG inserts). The design work on Hellboy himself and Abe is very good, and I was pleasantly surprised to see some spiders vividly realized during one of the film's middle sequences—spiders nearly always lose out in animation. But I can't say I'm a big fan of its look. The producers admit on one of the special features that the film was supposed to diverge from Mignola's usual dark, flat visuals, and as a result too many of the supporting cast looked trapped in the cartoon niche. Liz Sherman would fit into X-Men: Evolution, and Professor Sakai would fit into a whole host of lightweight toy tie-in action cartoons.
The DVD comes with a great commentary, with Mignola, supervising producer/director Tad Stones and director Phil Weinstein offering honest, informative insights into the film, the problems they encountered (the schedule for this film sounded incredibly harsh) and objective criticism. In a culture of backslapping commentary, this team offers up a straightforward appraisal that gives credit where it's due and criticism where it's deserved. A lovely interactive sequence called "Follow the Fox" opens up behind-the-scenes sequences, and there is a whole host of relevant documentaries focusing on the creation of Hellboy. A Q&A panel discussion of the Hellboy concept is worth a watch, if only for a fairly honest breakdown of just what sort of person Mignola himself is. Look out for some of those obligatory storyboards/script on the neatly presented DVD-ROM feature, and watch the novel little
kill-count feature for Hellboy/Liz/Abe tick upward as the storyboard-to-movie comparison plays!
The DVD comes with a free comic book that is simple and fun, though maybe a little too whimsical for my tastes: There is a fine line in the concept where dark humor hits slapstick, and I couldn't help feeling the story in this comic slipped just over it. It plays more like a kid's comic than an adult one, which is a pity, but the artwork is palatable and it's an enjoyable freebie supplement.
This is a great DVD, beautifully packaged and full of features. It's wonderful to see that Hellboy can work beyond the comic. Given the involvement of so many from the original film (Perlman, Mignola, Blair and even Del Toro), I have new hope for the live-action sequel.
Here's to looking forward to more Hellboy, be it the next animated adventure, Blood and Iron, or the next feature movie, Hellboy: The Golden Army. In the meantime, this is a Hellboy film that all Hellboy fans can enjoy sinking their teeth into!
Before we delve into our little tête à tête, dear reader, let me make one thing clear: I am a huge fan of the Big Red Devil excellence that wasn't Hellboy.
In recent years, I've been a divided boy when it comes to Hellboy. I have always been a great fan of the concept and found the comic Hellboy a wonderful slice of
mythological horror fused with contemporary humor and rich comic-genre indulgences. This Hellboy was unique: visually, narratively and characteristically. But I thought the movie—despite the handiwork of creator Mignola and the film master Del Toro—both ugly and disappointing: it was a substandard conspiracy-driven mishmash of Hellboy characters, all of which had been thrust through the Hollywood blender. Despite fine work by Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and Selma Blair, it managed to focus on every attribute from the book that would have best been avoided in a movie. It not only failed as a film but failed to capture what I found so wonderful and unique in Mignola's original comic work.In fact, it did a lot to sour me on the very concept.
So with Hellboy: Sword of Storms, we have a full-length animated feature that could go either way with this dainty reviewer. Would it bring Hellboy back to its roots, or would it continue the drudgy film? Given that it has creative elements from both visions, I could see it going either way. Fortunately, it manages to combine the best features of both.
From the film it borrows an excellent set of voice artists. Special doff of the ol' hat to Doug Jones, who does a wonderful voice for Abe Sapien, one that doesn't attempt to copy David Hyde Pierce. Mignola was also intimately involved with the production and the story, and if what he says on the DVD is true, he was given much freer reign.
So it is no surprise that the story of Sword of Storms is very much more the kind of affair you'd expect from the comic: Hellboy has to protect a Japanese sword that has been fused with two ancient Japanese spirits representing thunder and lightening, and if the tragedy of past love is allowed to play out once more and the sword is shattered, the world will be threatened by these meteorological horrors. This story is much less generic, compacted and predictable than the story in the live-action film. It also has a gentle pace (though punctuated by action and violence) and a confident flow, so that it doesn't feel like it's packing too much in. The ending isn't quite as strong as the rest of the tale, but it shouldn't leave the audience feeling unsatisfied. Occasionally, the dialog has a little too much energy to it; nothing excessive for the cartoon action genre, but a little out of place for Hellboy. This is just another minor niggle, though.
Taking Japanese folk lore as the central theme was a good move, and the film uses the imagery found in Japanese legend without causing any indignities to the culture. Japanese mythology is perfect for Hellboy: it's a little off kilter and has a waspish, fairy-tale quality to its texture that makes it a perfect foil to Hellboy's "no messing" attitude. The Japanese folklore is wonderfully well-presented throughout the film, from the delicate rendering of the Japanese scrolls to the demonic procession of a folklore professor.
Visually, the film looks quite good, with animation that is slick, consistent, and well-directed, and CG work that is rarely obvious (always nice in an age of awkward CG inserts). The design work on Hellboy himself and Abe is very good, and I was pleasantly surprised to see some spiders vividly realized during one of the film's middle sequences—spiders nearly always lose out in animation. But I can't say I'm a big fan of its look. The producers admit on one of the special features that the film was supposed to diverge from Mignola's usual dark, flat visuals, and as a result too many of the supporting cast looked trapped in the cartoon niche. Liz Sherman would fit into X-Men: Evolution, and Professor Sakai would fit into a whole host of lightweight toy tie-in action cartoons.
The DVD comes with a great commentary, with Mignola, supervising producer/director Tad Stones and director Phil Weinstein offering honest, informative insights into the film, the problems they encountered (the schedule for this film sounded incredibly harsh) and objective criticism. In a culture of backslapping commentary, this team offers up a straightforward appraisal that gives credit where it's due and criticism where it's deserved. A lovely interactive sequence called "Follow the Fox" opens up behind-the-scenes sequences, and there is a whole host of relevant documentaries focusing on the creation of Hellboy. A Q&A panel discussion of the Hellboy concept is worth a watch, if only for a fairly honest breakdown of just what sort of person Mignola himself is. Look out for some of those obligatory storyboards/script on the neatly presented DVD-ROM feature, and watch the novel little
kill-count feature for Hellboy/Liz/Abe tick upward as the storyboard-to-movie comparison plays!The DVD comes with a free comic book that is simple and fun, though maybe a little too whimsical for my tastes: There is a fine line in the concept where dark humor hits slapstick, and I couldn't help feeling the story in this comic slipped just over it. It plays more like a kid's comic than an adult one, which is a pity, but the artwork is palatable and it's an enjoyable freebie supplement.
This is a great DVD, beautifully packaged and full of features. It's wonderful to see that Hellboy can work beyond the comic. Given the involvement of so many from the original film (Perlman, Mignola, Blair and even Del Toro), I have new hope for the live-action sequel.
Here's to looking forward to more Hellboy, be it the next animated adventure, Blood and Iron, or the next feature movie, Hellboy: The Golden Army. In the meantime, this is a Hellboy film that all Hellboy fans can enjoy sinking their teeth into!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Collaborate!
[Blog written for Cartoons, Dammit! 4.18.07]
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. - Henry Beecher
Creativity and the human soul are heavily intertwined: poetry, art, drama and music all wax lyrical about the connection between our creativity and our inner spirit.
Yet, the soul itself remains an elusive, lonely beast, only able visibly surface through the art it can create. Doctors can slice and dice a human body until they can take the contents home in a doggy bag, and they'll still have nothing quantifiable as the human spirit.
Through creativity, we have a better chance of glimpsing the essence of man than through any flesh cutting tool.
Nothing but creativity can bring us closer to understanding what drives and motivate us. Even sex is a poor second to the arts when it comes to self-expression. Yes, creativity has more 'soul' than the bonding of two bodies could ever accomplish. No matter what Hollywood tells us differently, gyrating bodies do not create some voyeuristic glimpse into what makes us who we are - it just offers insight into what makes us animal, not human.
But like a sexual union, creativity doesn't have to be singularly exclusive; it can be shared. Self-expression doesn't have to end up being about one person, it can be part of a greater whole, and there lies the beauty of artistic collaboration: the chance for creativity to become more than an expression of what makes us individuals; collaboration can become the outlet for what makes our souls different and yet at the same time, compatible.
My concern is that we don't see much collaboration for fun; collaborative amateur projects are fairly rare. This is a real pity, for when it comes to professional creativity, you'd be hard pushed to find a project which relies on one singular soul for it's production.
You'll find a hundred amateur artists trying to sell their own creative work for $150 a pop down the local flea-market, but how many of these works are shared outlets of talents? How many people actually go out to work collaboratively when money is NOT involved? Very few - especially in the visual arts.
Why is that? Well partially because of ego: the soul actually likes being the sole voice and doesn't relish being part of a choir. Secondly, souls are unique by definition and as such do not simply slot into the same vision as other creative souls that easily.
However, if we can bring ourselves to work with one another, the rewards are two-fold: Firstly, we learn from each other's talents and experiences; together there is a chance we can build past our personal shortcomings and become something greater. Secondly, we may find something more unique that what we can on our own: the voice of one soul is, by definition, a single layer, the voice of two souls - or three souls - creates a multi-layered outcome. Isn't that great?
Yes, there is adversity to collaboration - there is risk of a dilution of ideas, conflict of vision and ultimately, failure to live up to the conceptual task - but this is the beauty of collaboration: it's not just the end result, it's the battle to succeed; the battle between different, unique souls trying to come together as one direct conduit of creative power.
In collaboration, the trip is as vital as the destination.
In this sense, creativity no longer becomes about self-expression or ego, it becomes something far less selfish. If art is self-expression to or for a community, is it not a purer form of artistic expression to allow the art itself to become communal in turn?
Should not the community selflessly give to the community?
We live in a world that basks in the "artist"; singular visionaries which exist to feed the ego of their souls. Surely the next step for our societies is to recognize that the dynamics, difficulties and successes of a collaboration of artists is really a far more impressive feat? Could it be that the next step in art is taking art away from the selfish ego; to allow the art to reflect the altruism in the human soul rather than the need to validate the individual?
Should not art be seen as more credible when it becomes about giving more than taking?
So come on. Collaborative art is frequently the province of the professionals, and even then it's normally through necessity than preference. With a little thought, a little co-operation and a little motivation, the soul - for once - doesn't have to be the lonely voice.
Make friends, work together, experience the highs and lows in a battle of vision! Lets have more art that is a genuine struggle of souls to succeed rather than the singular expression of the one ego. Come on, let our souls sing in unison! Collaborate!
And where better to do start? Try the Cartoons Dammit! Drawing Board! and see if there are some collaboration projects being held by the board! If not, try the Artists Wanted! forum and see if there are any other artists or writers looking to collaborate!
Well, what are you waiting for?!
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. - Henry Beecher
Creativity and the human soul are heavily intertwined: poetry, art, drama and music all wax lyrical about the connection between our creativity and our inner spirit.
Yet, the soul itself remains an elusive, lonely beast, only able visibly surface through the art it can create. Doctors can slice and dice a human body until they can take the contents home in a doggy bag, and they'll still have nothing quantifiable as the human spirit.
Through creativity, we have a better chance of glimpsing the essence of man than through any flesh cutting tool.
Nothing but creativity can bring us closer to understanding what drives and motivate us. Even sex is a poor second to the arts when it comes to self-expression. Yes, creativity has more 'soul' than the bonding of two bodies could ever accomplish. No matter what Hollywood tells us differently, gyrating bodies do not create some voyeuristic glimpse into what makes us who we are - it just offers insight into what makes us animal, not human.
But like a sexual union, creativity doesn't have to be singularly exclusive; it can be shared. Self-expression doesn't have to end up being about one person, it can be part of a greater whole, and there lies the beauty of artistic collaboration: the chance for creativity to become more than an expression of what makes us individuals; collaboration can become the outlet for what makes our souls different and yet at the same time, compatible.
My concern is that we don't see much collaboration for fun; collaborative amateur projects are fairly rare. This is a real pity, for when it comes to professional creativity, you'd be hard pushed to find a project which relies on one singular soul for it's production.
You'll find a hundred amateur artists trying to sell their own creative work for $150 a pop down the local flea-market, but how many of these works are shared outlets of talents? How many people actually go out to work collaboratively when money is NOT involved? Very few - especially in the visual arts.
Why is that? Well partially because of ego: the soul actually likes being the sole voice and doesn't relish being part of a choir. Secondly, souls are unique by definition and as such do not simply slot into the same vision as other creative souls that easily.
However, if we can bring ourselves to work with one another, the rewards are two-fold: Firstly, we learn from each other's talents and experiences; together there is a chance we can build past our personal shortcomings and become something greater. Secondly, we may find something more unique that what we can on our own: the voice of one soul is, by definition, a single layer, the voice of two souls - or three souls - creates a multi-layered outcome. Isn't that great?
Yes, there is adversity to collaboration - there is risk of a dilution of ideas, conflict of vision and ultimately, failure to live up to the conceptual task - but this is the beauty of collaboration: it's not just the end result, it's the battle to succeed; the battle between different, unique souls trying to come together as one direct conduit of creative power.
In collaboration, the trip is as vital as the destination.
In this sense, creativity no longer becomes about self-expression or ego, it becomes something far less selfish. If art is self-expression to or for a community, is it not a purer form of artistic expression to allow the art itself to become communal in turn?
Should not the community selflessly give to the community?
We live in a world that basks in the "artist"; singular visionaries which exist to feed the ego of their souls. Surely the next step for our societies is to recognize that the dynamics, difficulties and successes of a collaboration of artists is really a far more impressive feat? Could it be that the next step in art is taking art away from the selfish ego; to allow the art to reflect the altruism in the human soul rather than the need to validate the individual?
Should not art be seen as more credible when it becomes about giving more than taking?
So come on. Collaborative art is frequently the province of the professionals, and even then it's normally through necessity than preference. With a little thought, a little co-operation and a little motivation, the soul - for once - doesn't have to be the lonely voice.
Make friends, work together, experience the highs and lows in a battle of vision! Lets have more art that is a genuine struggle of souls to succeed rather than the singular expression of the one ego. Come on, let our souls sing in unison! Collaborate!
And where better to do start? Try the Cartoons Dammit! Drawing Board! and see if there are some collaboration projects being held by the board! If not, try the Artists Wanted! forum and see if there are any other artists or writers looking to collaborate!
Well, what are you waiting for?!
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