Collecting Comics - Geek Truth Tips!

 How to Collect Comics?  This thought occured to me when I was putting together my collection of Wonder Woman comics.  Comic books need a constant stream of new readers.  This means people who are not interested in comics and especially young people!  Comic books were strange when I started collecting, stores started popping up everywhere, nearly every city, now you have to search for a comic book store.  This is really about what to collect rather than how to find that key, missing issue.  Let’s start with comic books.  Note that it started with funny books, reprints of newspaper strips, and was never taken seriously.  It is in Asia.  Japan puts manga on the level of literature.  We’re kinda there with Sandman and works like Maus.  Comic book films were really trapped in the Batman Effect from the tv show.  You would mention a new comic book movie and a friend or a stranger would say, “Oh you mean BAM! POW!”  They didn’t say that with Superman the Movie (1978) and of course not now with the MCU films.  Still, those millions of fans don’t read comic books so the best thing you can do as a comics fan is bring in new readers! 

Covers used to entice readers, “Not an Imaginary Story!”, but now it’s the graphics.  Artists are now the superstars.  At first, comic creators were anonymous, for the most part.  No creator credits for some time.  I think what solidified credits was Stan Lee turning creators of comics into superstars.  Now I’m always checking covers (or looking up credits on my phone) when I’m looking to buy a back issue.  The barrier to comics reading is that it is difficult to access what direction to look (that was the case for manga in the original Japanese for me) and the sequence of panels (some comic pages are still difficult to work out for me).  Also, again the subject matter might be thought too juvenile for older readers.  The best book for reading comics is Understanding Comics (1993) by Scott McCloud.  Teachers, parents, and family members who would like to develop children into readers, comics are the best way to get young people to read.  I know this from personal experience, in the classroom, and also from linguist, Stephen D. Krashen.  I saw an article that points this out: https://www.psd1.org/cms/lib4/WA01001055/centricity/domain/34/admin/comicbook.pdf.  If you can find a good comics retailer, at a store, online (you have to be careful with ebay, but I still order from there), or at a convention, it’s time to look at what comics to collect. 

The easiest to buy or collect what you know, most likely it will be the latest comic book film, a tv show like Game of Thrones, or a video game, like Halo.  I found that the most social, young groups are found with manga.  It was comic books.  Now manga readers go to the bookstores or Amazon, not the comic book store.  Manga covers every possible genre.  American comic books attempted to enter sports, romance, and some Westerns with mixed results.  I think comic book companies should get back into publishing manga comic books.  It was Marvel/Epic Comics that had Akira.  Dark Horse published What’s Michael?, Appleseed, and Lone Wolf and Cub.  Of course, they are mostly printed in book form which is how the original manga was presented.  Need a primer on manga?  Check out Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (1983) by Frederik L. Schodt.  There are some artists who have the manga style, recently there was GuriHuru drawing the Superman Smashes the Klan graphic novels with Gene Luen Yang (read his American Born Chinese!), and also the art on the upcoming Thor & Loki: Double Trouble!  There needs to be something special if manga comes in comic book form, special pin-ups by American comic artists, maybe a how to draw page, creator interviews or articles, and possibly novel or anime, animated film, or live action adaptation reviews.

So let’s look into superhero comic book collecting.  The first step may be a Character or a Team.  In this case, of course Wonder Woman.  Where to start?  Of course, there is the latest issues like Future State: Wonder Woman.  You can also go back and spend a few dollars to get back issues.  The idea of the de-powered Wonder Woman is controversial, but interesting, and over time, I bought this run, Wonder Woman #178 (1968) to 203 (1972).  Denny O’Neil and Mike Sekowsky (who took over scripting duties with #182) introduced I-Ching, brought in King Arthur, Roland, and the Valkryie, Brunnhilde, sword and sorcery heroes from novelist Fritz Leiber, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser appear with script by sci fi novelist, Samuel R. Delany!, and then he finished the run with #203.  Still, what about the first issue and origin?  There were Famous First Editions, F-6 (1975) was a reprint of Wonder Woman #1 (1942).  Also with that size there is All-New Collector’s Edition C-54 (1978), Superman vs. Wonder Woman, with José Luis García-López art!  In comic book form, there is Secret Origins #3 (1973).  

The next part is other Stories, the one that interested me was from an article in comic book mazine, The Twelve Trials of Wonder Woman, that had her prove her worth and trust to the Justice League of America.  It was in Wonder Woman #212 (1974) to 222 (1976).     The run was by Len Wein plus many other talents including Elliot S! Maggin, Martin Pasko, and art by Curt Swan!  This fascinated me because it was a mythic pattern like Hercules and showed that Wonder Woman was the most impressive member of the JLA.  Then, there are Keys; first issues, first appearances, origins, centennial issues, marriages, deaths, and last issues.  First appearances can be Nubia in Wonder Woman #204 (1973) by Robert Kanigher and Don Heck, Orana, the Amazon with red hair who took over as Wonder Woman in Wonder Woman #250 (1978), and Antiope, the general played by Robin Wright in the movie, first appearing in Wonder Woman #312 (1984).  If there is any real key it would be Wonder Woman #1 (1987) by Greg Potter and George Pérez.  There is a host of Amazons introduced in that issue; Menalippe, Philippus, and Aella.  

George Pérez also brings in the next level of collecting, Creators, writers and artists.  The run by George Pérez is from Wonder Woman #1 to 24 (1988), he wrote the stories from #25 (1989) to #62 (1992) with Chris Marrinan, Tom Grummett, and Jill Thompson as some of the incredible artists.  He wrapped up his run with the War of the Gods series with Circe bringing in the gods to take on the superheroes of Earth!  The run was collected in trade paperbacks, Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals (2004) - issues #1-7, Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Gods (2004) - issues #8-14, Wonder Woman: Beauty and the Beasts (2011) - issues #15-19 plus Action Comics #600, Wonder Woman: Destiny Calling (2006), - issues #20-24 plus Annual #1.  Twenty four issues of George Pérez’s work was collected in the Wonder Woman by George Pérez Omnibus (2015).   Another favorite is Gail Simone’s work from Wonder Woman #14 (2008) to 600 (2010).  One of the best Wonder Woman stories was in the first arc collected in Wonder Woman: The Circle (2008).  Wonder Woman #26-33 was gathered for Wonder Woman: Rise of the Olympian (2009).    

Speaking of Keys, Wonder Woman #329 (1986) was the last issue for the title when Crisis on Infinite Earths finished the character in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (1986).  It was by Gerry Conway and Don Heck.  Another good Story was The Contest in Wonder Woman #90 (1994) by William Messner-Loebs and Mike Deodato, Jr. (1994).  It introduced Artemis from the Bana-Mighdall Amazons who was competing to take the title of Wonder Woman.  This went into a #0 issue to issue #92 (1994).  This ramped up to issue #98 (1995) to #100 (1995), “Fall of an Amazon”, that determined who would be Wonder Woman!  Rebirth brought another Wonder Woman #1 (2016), “The Lies”, by Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp.  The next issue alternated another storyline, “Year One”, with art by Nicola Scott.  This moved Wonder Woman forward dealing with Cheetah and also looked back into her first meeting with Steve Trevor.  Rucka started with the graphic novel, Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia (2002) with art by J.G. Jones.  Best cover with Wonder Woman’s smashing on the head of Batman.  The graphic novel that I would put on the top of the list is Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story (1988). It is a powerful story by Trina Robbins and Colleen Doran.  Comic book collecting has many facets, hopefully, this touched on some of them and you see how to build a collection that you are proud to build issue by issue!   

#CollectingComics, #GeekTruth, #WonderWoman, #GeorgePerez, #GailSimone 

Happy Birthday John Williams!

Happy Birthday John Williams!  He has provided some iconic scores!  Williams first film composition was for Daddy-O (1958) about a hapless driver caught up in crime and music. Williams started in television with the Western, Wagon Train (1958-1964).  Next, Lost in Space (1965-1968), then Time Tunnel (1966-1967), and Land of the Giants (1968-1970), created by Irwin Allen.  He received his first Academy Award nomination for the Valley of the Dolls based on the Jacqueline Susann novel.  Williams won his first Academy Award for the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1971).  He began his collaboration with Steven Spielberg with The Sugarland Express (1974) and then an iconic, relentless score with the blockbuster Jaws (1975) winning him the Academy Award.  Williams of course is known as the composer of Star Wars starting with the first film in 1977 and yet another Academy Award.  Then, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) with Spielberg.  One of the best superhero scores was with director Richard Donner with Superman (1978).  He worked on the next Star Wars film with The Empire Strikes Back (1980).  Then, brought the pulp adventure to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).  

John Williams composed the score for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) which gave him another Academy Award and then the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi (1983).  He followed up with the second Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).  Before wrapping up the trilogy with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).  One of his most impressive years was 1993 with the iconic score for Jurassic Park and then the heartbreaking drama of Schindler’s List.  He won the Academy Award for the later film. Williams brought an epic scope to the battlefields of Saving Private Ryan (1998) before returning with the prequel, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).  Another battlefield was the Revolutionary War of The Patriot (2000).  Then, Williams wrote another iconic score with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).  He scored the second prequel, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), and then returned to Hogwarts with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).  Williams finished the prequels with Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).  He scored the theme song for the Disney park expansion, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  Happy Birthday John Williams!   

#JohnWilliams, #Jaws, #StarWars, #Superman, #JurassicPark, #SchindlersList

Future State: Wonder Woman #2 Review!

The adventures of Yara Flor, Future State’s Wonder Woman (at least the Justice League WW) continue with issue #2!  The cover by Joëlle Jones features Yara Flor on her pegasus, Jerry, holding the hair of a vicious Cerebrus, while her companion, Caipora, sits bored on her boar.  There is a stone head behind them kinda reminds me of the stone head people in the fantasy film Neverending Story (1984).  “Hell To Pay Part Two” is by Joëlle Jones.  Yara has created such a disturbance at the boatman’s dock that it brought Cerebrus!  She takes on the three-headed, massive dog with burning eyes with a smile.  Caipora warns her that the boat is departing!  Yara sees this and leaps forward and then in closeup, nice, reaches for her golden boleadoras, the lasso with bolos.  

Yara leaps up whirling her boleadoras, she wraps it around Charon’s skeletal arm that has the staff that propels the boat.  She tears off the bony arm with a Yoink!, funny sound effect, and catches it.  Wonder Woman takes the bony forearm and throws Cerebrus the bone to send him running off.  Caipora stays behind as Yara gets on the boat and warns her about leaving behind her anger to reach the “soldier” in the Underworld.  Yara sometimes acts impusively, but needs to hold back to reach her objective.  I think the warning by Caipora reminds me of the Chris Nielsen’s guide pleading to him as he enters hell in What Dreams May Come (1998).  Wonder Woman reaches the shore of the Underworld and walks through a field of flowers, beautiful visual, nice work Jordie Bellaire!  She encounters a Grim Reaper figure and asks for help.  

The Reaper’s chest glows purple, don’t fear the Reaper Yara!, it strikes the ground with its scythe.  This opens up a fissure and Yara falls down the rabbit hole.  Wonder Woman collects herself and sees the gruesome form of a Underworld lord with a bull’s skull for a head and red robes.  His demon minions want to torture her, but Yara tries to impress them with the Missing Thumb Trick.  The lightness of Yara’s humor with the darkness of the Underworld inhabitants makes me think of Sandman’s hell.  Then, there is a giant, dark form with blazing red eyes interrupting them.  Wonder Woman recognizes that this is Hades.  He mentions that there is nothing for Esquecida, Spanish for the “Forgotten.”   Yara says she is looking for Potira, but this is defiance to Hades.  Then, we see the beautiful form of Persephone, who stays in the Underworld in the winter, and brings new growth to plants in the spring.  Her design reminds me of Yoshitaka Amano, manga artist for Vampire Hunter D.  She has a long red dress that is split with flowers.  

Hades notes that Persephone has appealed to him so he gives Wonder Woman a chance if she can find Potira with the falling of an hourglass.  Wonder Woman accepts the offer with the eternal punishment if she fails.  Then, we have Yara standing before a sea of grey hands.  They start to pull her down, again an image from What Dreams May Come for me, love it.  As Wonder Woman struggles, we get Caipora speaking to her outside of the panel, and red images of what Yara is focused on.  This is a fun and brilliant use of panels.  One image is of Potira’s face and then her fall.  We have the red lines of Themyscira flash backs, Potira is holding onto the edge of a cliff with Yara helping her as she carries a spear in her other hand.  We see the Underworld scenes matched with the flashbacks as Wonder Woman takes hold of the grey faced Potira with a red streak across her nose.  The colors are so important here.  

Themyscira, Potira sees that a soldier is about to bring down a spear down on Yara.  She throws her spear to save her and falls.  Yara screams out reaching for Potira as she falls in flashback.  Then, Wonder Woman pulls her from the sea of hands.  Yara takes Potira’s hand and the color returns to her face and smile.  Hades rages at the success.  He sends out swarms of strange, insect creatures.  Wonder Woman tells Potira to run through a cavern and then draws her sword.  She slices through the spider-like creatures and then kicks to bring down the cavern roof.  They start to run, but Yara finds that the collapse has trapped Potira!  Light breaks through into the cavern.  The Amazons pull Yara up so Hades won’t claim her.  The gate to the Underworld, it is Doom’s Doorway protected by the Amazons in Wonder Woman #1 (1987), closes.  We see the Amazons in golden armor pieces with grey leggings or skirts and red decorations like Yara Flor’s uniform.  This story is not about a hero fulfilling a quest.  It shows the flaws that interests Caipora.  Not a perfect hero, but one that keeps fighting.  A very impressive, mythological Wonder Woman issue.  Yara Flor will return as Wonder Girl in May!    

Five Boleadoras out of Five! 

#FutureStateWonderWoman, #JordieBellaire, #Potira, #Hades 

Star Wars: High Republic #2 Review!

 Star Wars: High Republic continues with some sci fi tension and a mystery!  The first issue introduced us to the Jedi Padawan, Keeve Trennis, undergoing her Jedi Trials.  It also showed us the Starlight Beacon, a communication hub to the galaxy, we haven’t seen it in the rest of Star Wars so it’s fate might be sealed!  Issue #2 features a cover by Phil Noto which has the Trandoshan Jedi Master Sskeer holding his blue lightsaber to attack a guard with a large blade!  “There is No Fear Chapter II: Tomb in Space” is by Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito.  There is a ship racing through the Galactic Frontier.  On board, Keeve is distracted by two aliens, Ceret and Terec (nice dual names with reversals) dueling and complimenting each other.   Keeve notes that they are Kotabi, “identical bond-twins” who share the same mind.  Sskeer asks “Jedi Trennis”, she takes notice of his formality, about the arrival time.  She counts down the reverting to normal space and this shocks everyone in close-ups!  

Keeve explains that they were sent on a distress signal by Starlight Beacon in the Kazlin system.  What they find there is kinda shocking for Star Wars.  It is smashed ship with bodies floaiting in space.  Keeve and one of the twins detect survivors through the Force.  Master Sskeer notes that the main hull is pressurized and has Keeve dock there.  She confuses one of the twins, kinda funny, it makes me think of aliens in Star Trek.  Ceret uses a docking tube to enter the station and once they enter they find gas filling up the corridor.  Master Sskeer orders rebreathers, we saw Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan use rebreathers in Phantom Menace (1999).  This is basically a breath mask more than tiny, portable tubes in TPM.  If they activate the life support systems, they could probably vent the gas, but it is great atmosphere for the danger and mystery of this incident.  As they activate their lightsabers, one of the twins brings up the threat that Keeve has heard about, the Nihil.  They were introduced in the novel, The High Republic: Light of the Jedi.  Keeve knows that Master Sskeer fought against the Nihil in the Battle of Kur which also was in the novel.  It was when he lost his arm!  

Sskeer is all business and sends Seret and Keeve to the flight deck while he checks out the other parts with Ceret.  It is horrible to see the bodies scattered around the corridor.  Master Sskeer explores the ship and suddenly flashes back to the injury to his arm!  Seret notes to Keeve that Ceret has sensed his trauma.  The injury is strong in Sskeer’s memory.  He reminds Keeve to use the Force to clear the heavy gas.  She’s awfully sarcastic in her thoughts about his suggestion.  Not appropriate when someone is going through pain.  Keeve is stunned at what she sees.  Good use of tension with the art.  Then, we get a two page spread at what they see, a dead Hutt, shot several times, and bodies of his guards around the room.  This lit by the lightsabers of the two Jedi.  Seret detects Nagnol poison that is lethal to Hutts.  Master Sskeer steps on some grain and on the other side, Seret notes that it could have been transported because of the Great Disaster.  Light of the Jedi detailed the Great Hyperspace Disaster.  Ceret is struck by several spike projectiles from a weapon, Master Sskeer swipes with his lightsaber.  Terec feels the pain, but Ceret says they will survive.  

Sskeer takes off his rebreather to pick up the attacker’s scent.  He moves through the gas with his lightsaber.  Sskeer is hunting the attacker in the old Trandoshan way like his ancestors with Frist Wolves.  If you like Trandoshans or would like to see one in action, this is the issue for you.  He sees a blaster on the floor with blood droplets.  Above him is an alien with a large blade weapon.  Master Sskeer is unaware since the Nihil can’t be sensed in the Force!  In a splash page, Sskeer takes care of the Nihil with his lightsaber!  The savagery of the Nihil reminds me of the Reavers in Firefly.  He continues slicing the Nihil’s body, taking out his anger?, until Keeve checks on him.  At Starlight Beacon, Marshall Kriss, who was promoted last issue, gets the report by Master Sskeer.  He explains that the Nihil was abandoned by the others and that there were no other survivors.  Also at the station, Maru has analyzed the grain which he says is a component of bacta.  This is of course the common medical chemical that is used to heal patients by the time of Empire Strikes Back (1980).  Keeve is binding Terec’s wounds hoping for some bacta.  

Ceret has worked on the sabotaged navidroid, I like that it is not the navicomputer that is in the Original Trilogy, this shows along with early bacta, the time of High Republic.  The ship was traced to the Sedri system.  Marshall Kriss sends Sskeer and Ceret to Sedri.  Keeve wants to go along, but Sskeer wants her to stay behind, reasonable since it is his order and also she was not included by Marshall Kriss.  They land on the agricultural world of Sedri Minor, some younglings are excited to see Jedi, still an adult, Kalo Sulman walks up.  He says they don’t want the Republic there, Sedri Minor is independent, also interesting since we saw the Confedrecy of Independent Systems with the Prequels.  Ceret’s attention is drawn by a Rodian, Greedo’s people, in the long Vratixian Barley stalks.  He wanders into the stalks.  At the ship, Marshall Kriss investigates the ambush.  Keeve brings up the Nihil injury and Kriss admits that she should not have sent Master Sskeer and listen to the Song of the Force.  Good tension throughout the comic, a mystery of the Bacta, and the threat of the Nihil!  

Four Lightsabers out of Five!  

#StarWarsHighRepublic, #TombinSpace, #Nihil, #Sedri    

WandaVision, “On a Very Special Episode”, Review

The last episode of WandaVision we had the perspective of “Geraldine”, really Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Maria Rambeau from Captain Marvel (2019)!  She is assigned by S.W.O.R.D. to investigate Westview, New Jersey and instead is sucked into the sitcom world created by Wanda Maximoff!  On the other side, Dr. Darcy Lewis and Jimmy Woo try to determine the nature of the Westview bubble.  We also found that when “Geraldine” mentioned Ultron, Wanda used her Scarlet Witch hex to toss her through walls and out of the sitcom bubble.  She also seemed to snap into awareness seeing Vision return home in the ashen grey face with his Mind Stone ripped out by Thanos!  Wanda quickly returns him into sitcom father and we were back with their new twins. 80’s sitcom Wanda is walking in with a crying baby Tommy.  Vision walks down the stairs with a crying Billy.  They set the babies down in their cribs and Wanda tries to use her powers to get them to sleep, but the twins keep crying.

They interrupted by aerobics outfit wearing Agnes, she has stopped by to help with the babies.  It’s quiet while Agnes asks if she should hold the twins, Wanda looks confused, no laugh track.  So Vision and Wanda give nervous laughs until Agnes laughs and the laughter and baby crying returns!  Agnes tries to jazzercise the twins to sleep, but Vision is disturbed by the change.  There is another cut of the laugh track and they find the twins are gone!  It returns with the appearance of young boys, Billy (Baylen Bielitz) and Tommy (Gavin Borders) now!  The sudden aging up of recast characters is classic sitcom!  Agnes laughs it off.  A new sitcom opening mirroring Family Ties with the family portrait drawing slowly colored by a paint brush.  There is a new theme song, “We Got Love” and we see the family growing up in Westview.  Then, we get S.W.O.R.D. Director Heyward questions Monica Rambeau about what happened in Westview.  She recalls feeling the pain of Wanda before the medical examination is finished.  Jimmy Woo and Dr. Darcy Lewis check in on her.  The exam has come up with no results, it looks like for the moment, Monica does not exist.  I like the dual narrative which brings up the sitcom world and the MCU one.  

There is a briefing with all personnel by Heyward in what he calls the Westview Anamoly.  Jimmy gives the overview of Wanda’s life, including her parents, Irina and Oleg Maximoff who were killed in an air raid in Sokovia.  Heyward bends the presentation to the danger Wanda presented in Captain America: Civil War (2016).  Even though Monica’s experience in the bubble was a “violation”, she doesn’t suspect that Wanda is a terrorist while her Brady Bunch character is shown on  the WandaVision tv show.  Heyward shows video from nine days ago of Wanda breaking into S.W.O.R.D. headquarters to take the remains of Vision.  Jimmy wonders how Wanda could break him back without the Mind Stone.  We return to the show, where Billy and Tommy are next to a kitchen sink filled with bubbles, Wanda enters and suspicious of her kids hijinks.  Then, she finds a puppy in the sink, Vision also walks into the kitchen already human faced.  We find that Agnes has also stopped by with a doghouse.  Agnes mentions a name for the dog, it yips at a spark from an outlet, so she suggests Sparky.  Wanda zaps up a Sparky collar which stuns Vision.  He starts to question what is happening like Monica two episodes back.  

Wanda and Vision want the kids to have a dog when they are ten, and they shift to that age!, Billy and Tommy now played by Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne, Agnes doesn’t seem to notice.  We know for certain that Agnes understands the bubble and is trying to keep the facade going.  Back at the S.W.O.R.D. base, Jimmy is bringing in the coffee for his team, Monica has a plan for a mobile, fallout shelter so she can return to Westview.  She wants to bring in Darcy who calls the anamoly a hex because of its hexagon shape.  Jimmy notes that what Wanda may be doing is “unlimited power” like the Infinity Stone of Captain Marvel.  Monica has a hunch based on what Darcy was saying about wardrobe.  She walks over to the lab where there is her 70’s clothes, Monica takes out a gun to shoot the clothes, it deflects the bullets!  Monica says that her Kevlar vest was transformed into the clothes.  She wants to send in something maybe period appropriate.  At Vision’s workplace, Computational Services Inc., he sets up a computer that amazes Norm.  Vision dials up the computer, the classic, horrible dial up screech!, and gets an e-mail from Darcy Lewis in a S.W.O.R.D. communique that Norm reads and then all of the co-workers in a strange chant! This of course disturbs Vision, he is key to this madness. 

Vision touches the computer and it shorts out, he hears Norm say, “None of this is real”, and touches his temples which restores the actual New Jersey resident!  He suddenly wants to get back to his real life and says that Wanda is always in his head!  This has shades of the Twilight Zone episode, "It's A Good Life" (1961).  Vision restores “Norm” back to sitcom reality.  Back at the home, Billy is teaching Sparky some tricks, the kids are confused that their father is gone on a Saturday.  Wanda covers saying that Vision went to work on an emergency.  Tommy and Billy are suspicious and also bring up if their mother has a brother.  Wanda says, “he’s far away.” Sparky runs to bark at the door.  Wanda heads outside to hear a helicopter.  At S.W.O.R.D. base, Monica is piloting the 80’s era drone, and Darcy realizes that Wanda is editing out what she doesn’t want on the show.  Her eyes glare red when Monica tries to speak through the drone.  She is losing control of it when Director Hayward orders a “shot” fired on Wanda!  The base is scrambled and agents lock laser sights on the breach of the Westview bubble!  There is another shocking appearance at the end of the episode! It appears that Agnes may be keeping up the sitcom facade for Wanda, maybe she influenced Wanda in creating it, does she have an Infinity Stone or two?, but we will have to find out the truth of Agnes in a later episode! 

Four Mind Stones out of Five!  

#WandaVision, #OnaVerySpecialEpisode, #BaylenBielitz, #GavinBorders, #JulianHilliard, #JettKlyne    

Exclusive! - Wolfwalkers Press Conference!

The press conference for Wolfwalkers was conducted on Tuesday, February 2nd, and featured three sessions with the artists and crew.  I found myself as the first person to pose a question and asked if there was a style that connects Cartoon Saloon’s Irish Folklore Trilogy; The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), and Wolfwalkers.  Maria Pareja is the Production Designer and Co-Art Director of the film.  She said, “I think the style of this movie was very inspired by the line cut style.”  Svend Rothmann Bonde is the Rough Animation Supervisor, he added, “I think there is something about the hand drawn [animation style], that it is more free, I feel like you can play more with the style and push the style more even though we see more 3D animation films looking more different.  I think there is something unique, organic, about the hand drawn style.”  

WOLFWALKERS - - (voiced by HONOR KNEAFSEY, voiced by EVA WHITTAKER) - - photo: Cartoon Saloon. 

The Wolfvision scenes put the viewer in teh eyes of a wolf following colorful scents in an incredible wolrd.  Animation and Wolfvision Supervisor, Eimhim McNamara, spoke about the movie, “We did the Wolfvision sequences for this [film] which involved 3D so there really is a blurrying of lines between what is 3D versus what is 2D.”  Character Designer, Federico Pirovano, discussed the different styles seen in Wolfwalkers with the town of Kilkenny and the forest of the Wolfwalkers, “The idea from the very beginning from Tomm [Moore] and Ross [Stewart] discussing at the beginning of the script, that’s very doable in 2D animation, to make very symbolic, contrasting styles, for what was the town and what was the forest because that is helping visually what is the central conflict, so what is considered ordered and civilization and what is considered the wilderness.”  

The second session featured personnel who dealt with the sound of the movie.  Sebastien Marquilly discussed the beginning of sound editing work on films, “At the start of the project, you have discussions with Tomm and Ross, just what you see what they have to request, then you see the movie and make a list to make the sound of the film.”  Sound Editor Phillipe Fontaine continued, “The most important part is that we had refence which took everything that I did and all the other editors did, we had the recording mixer who mixed everything together that sounded like one score, so all of the sounds don’t fight with each other.”  Brian Seznec, Sound Supervisor, spoke about the differences watching Wolfwalkers in the theaters in comparison to television and other devices, “The thing about Dolby Atmos is that we created it in this format from the beginning.  Whatever the platform that you’re seeing it on, you will get the sensation of it because we process the technical part where we mix even for the stereo, the smallest way of watching the movie."

                          WOLFWALKERS - - (voiced by HONOR KNEAFSEY, voiced by EVA WHITTAKER) - - photo: Cartoon Saloon. 

The third session had composer, Bruno Coulais, and editors, Darren Holmes, Richie Cody, and Darragh Byrne.  I posed the second question about the common threads of the Irish Folklore Trilogy.  Bruno Coulais replied, “I think the link is Kíla, an Irish band that I love, it’s the best moment that I record with Kíla.  I worked with three films of Tomm Moore and it was really interesting to me.”  Editor Darren Holmes also said, “In regards to the editorial connection between the films, I think it comes from the graphic nature of the art that Cartoon Saloon brings.”  Darragh Bryne discussed the innovations in the movie, “If you notice in some scenes there is tryptches, three things going on at the same time, that’s kind of new, some of the transitions are amazing in the film.”  Ritchie Cody spoke about the recording sessions representing the people of Kilkenny, Ireland, “We actually ended up recording a lot of local people around Kilkenny, the studio is from Kilkenny, the film is set in Kilkenny, so we wanted to get a lot of local voices in there as possible.”  Wolfwalkers is a movie that calls on the talents of many artists to craft this cinematic work of art. 

#Wolfwalkers, #MariaPareja, #SvendRothmannBonde, #EimhimMcNamara, #SebastienMarquilly, #PhillipeFontaine, #BrunoCoulais, #DarrenHolmes, #RichieCody, #DarraghByrne 

Wolfwalkers Review!

Wolfwalkers is a charming, animated movie that has a little magic and wonder!  It is the last film of the Irish Folklore Trilogy that started with The Secret of Kells (2009) which had young Brendan at the Abbey of Kells aided by the girl Aisling who could shift into a wolf.  In a sense the movie is about growing up and tradition.   They have to face an invasion by Vikings and a supernatural threat to complete The Book of Kells.  This is an illuminated manuscript that is currently at Trinity College, in Dublin.  One page of it is displayed for the public everyday which I have seen on a visit to Dublin.  The style of the book informs on the Irish Folklore Trilogy style.  The first film appears to be opening the book and entering this magical world.  The second movie, Song of the Sea (2014), features Ben and his young sister, Saoirse, who doesn’t speak after their mother mysteriously disappears.  Ben finds out that Saoirse is a selkie, she shifts into seal form, the subject matter reminds me of the The Secret of Roan Inish (1995).  The film’s subject is the importance of family and finding magic in unexpected places.  

Wolfwalkers is co-directed and co-written by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart.  Moore is the director of The Secret of Kells and also a segment of Kahlil Faibran’s The Prophet (2014).  Stewart worked on the art for ParaNorman (2012) and also the other Irish Folklore Trilogy films.  The screenplay is by Will Collins who also wrote the script for Song of the Sea.  The film opens with some beautiful water colors and the swirling design in trees of the forest with animals living free.  Then, we get an axe in closeup, as it hacks down a tree.  The setting comes up; “Kilkenny, Ireland - 1650.”  Kilkenny is a medieval, now modern, town in the southeast part of Ireland, in the Leinster province of the Republic of Ireland.  Kilkenny Castle is along the banks of River Nore.  It is the home base for the studio, Cartoon Saloon, and acts as a love letter to the town.  The year is important, but we will get to that later.  A woodcutter, Seán Óg (Tommy Tiernan), is working to cut apart a tree.   

A bearded, portly man, he notices something in the dark forest.  Wolves appear.  Seán holding his axe is surrounded by the pack.  His axe is bitten and two gashes are made on his chest.  The wolves suddenly pause and are called away.  He sees a mother with long, red hair carrying her daughter with the rest of the pack.  Seán realizes that mother and daughter are placing their golden hands over his wounds.   They heal him.  He realizes they are Wolfwalkers, thanks them, and then runs to the walled town.  The grey wolf has been extinct in Ireland in 1786 so they are legendary creatures.  Torches carried by soldiers pour from the gate hunting the wolves in the misty forest.  The look of the animation is beautiful, worth ten CGI animated movies, there just seems to be love and hard work in every image.   Then, we get the hooded girl in shadows, Robin Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey).  Kneafsey has a number of roles including Princess Emily in the Netflix Christmas Prince films.  She has a crossbow and practices hunting wolves.  

She has a falcon companion, Merlyn, of course her animal connection to the wild.  Her father, Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean), enters to check on her.  Of course Bean is well known as Ned Stark in Game of Thrones.  Here his voice is more gentle, a father who is on his own to protect his daughter, he is really over protective.  Robin hasn’t kept the house tidy and she would rather be out with her father.  He moved them from England and works as a wolf hunter for the Lord Protector.  Her father wants her to stay inside, but of course she follows him using Merlyn to track him through the crowded town.  Robin races across the rooftops behind her father, but of course he finds her and they playfully dance in the square.  They are interrupted by soldiers.  Robin’s attention is on some town kids playing capture the wolf with a kid in a cage.  They are about bully Robin, but her father chases them away.  Bill puts a flower in her hair and he walks out of the town gate.  

                                                        WOLFWALKERS - - (voiced by HONOR KNEAFSEY) - - photo: Cartoon Saloon. 

Later, she looses the crossbow to bring the red and white English flag down on the bully kids.  The city guards run after them and Robin slips out of the gate.  She follows her father into the forest, there is a tunnel made of the bending tree trunks and leaves, it reminds me a bit of My Neighbor Totoro (1988).  Bill sets a trap which Merlyn warns Robin not to step in.  Her father moves on as Robin checks wolf prints next to a stream.  Then, she hears a bell ringing for a wolf alarm.  Robin rushes over as flocks of sheep are running wild.  A farmer is trying to hold off a wolf with a pitchfork.  Robin has her crossbow out, but is struck by a sheep so her crossbow bolt instead strikes Merlyn!, shades of Ladyhawke (1985).  The wolves are called away and Robin sees the red-haired girl take away Merlyn.  Wolves prowl after Robin, but a crossbow bolt injures one wolf.  Bill is worried about his daughter and reminds her he vowed to her mother that she would be safe.  He takes her back to the town and Seán warns them about the wolves.  

Seán mocks the Lord Protector as he and his soldiers march up behind him!  “The Lord Protector” is Oliver Cromwell (Simon McBurney). McBurney was in The Conjuring 2 (2016).  Cromwell is known for the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.  The character here is worse than an invader or a supernatural threat, he is a brutal colonizer.  Seán is taken to the stocks with the Lord Protector wondering if this will lead to a rebellion.  He sends Robin to work at the scullery and wants Bill to eliminate all of the wolves in two days.  Seán tells Robin about the Wolfwalkers.  Robin opens the cage for Seán and in the confusion heads to the forest to save Merlyn.  She finds Merlyn and also a wolf with green eyes.  Merlyn stops her from loosing the crossbow and Robin is caught in a rope trap.  She tries fighting off the wolf as she snaps at the rope.  In the struggle, the wolf has bitten her wrist, once free Robin sees her arm tingle with golden symbols.  Robin sees the wolf in the form of the girl.  She starts to see the wolf vision, scent trails that are colorful, and then uses her touch to enter the forest.   Robin finds the waterfall cave den of the wolf pack.  

                               WOLFWALKERS - - (voiced by HONOR KNEAFSEY, voiced by EVA WHITTAKER) - - photo: Cartoon Saloon. 

She follows the wolf, shift into gold, and then back into wild girl, Mebh Óg MacTíre (Eva Whittaker).  This is Whittaker’s first movie role.  She likes to snack on town tasties, baked bread.  There are rules for Wolfwalkers, girl by day and wolf at night, it works like the Ladyhawke curse.  It features a few songs including “Running With The Wolves” by Aurora who was featured on “Into the Unknown” in Frozen II (2019).   Of course, Robin has to realize her place in this world.  Mebh has to find the wolf form of her mother, Moll MacTire (Maria Doyle Kennedy), who has gone missing for some time. Kennedy is on the show Outlander.  There is some incredible animation a dissolve from color to sketch.  It is a story of friendship, the natural order, and the rule of a colonizer.  The story also touches of the Greek myth of Actaeon the hunter.  The film has started getting award notice as best animated film which will keep the hand drawn animation tradition going with Cartoon Saloon.  The other film the studio worked on is the Academy Award nominated The Breadwinner (2017).  It is based on the novel by Deborah Ellis and is streaming on Netflix until February 19th.  They also have the children’s series, Puffin Rock, on Netflix.  Wolfwalkers started streaming Apple TV+ on December 11th and is currently available with the free seven day trial.  

Five Town Tasties out of Five! 

#Wolfwalkers, #Tomm Moore, #RossStewart, #HonorKneafsey, #SeanBean, #EvaWhittaker

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Sladen!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Sladen!  She is one of the most well known Companions of the Doctor.  Sladen's first ongoing role was in the ongoing soap opera Coronation Street as Anita Reynolds.  She had a taste of sci fi in the strange science in a 1972 episode of Doom Watch.  Then, she had the iconic role of Sarah Jane Smith who traveled with the Doctor from 1973-1983.  Her first adventure was with Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor in "The Time Warrior: Part One."  She also made the TV movie spin-off K-9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend (1981).  Next, Sladen appeared in the Gulliver in Lilliput (1982) mini-series.  Sladen also appeared as Dormouse in the Alice in Wonderland (1986) mini-series.  She returned as Sarah Jane Smith with David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in "School Reunion" (2006).  

Elizabeth Sladen was there at "The End of Time: Part Two" (2010), the farewell to the Tenth Doctor and show runner Russell T. Davies.  Then, Sarah Jane had her own series in the Sarah Jane Adventures starting with "Invasion of the Bane” (2007).  This was geared to a young audience with a team of young teens including her adopted son, Luke Smith (Tommy Knight), her super computer, Mr. Smith, and of course faithful K-9.  Season 5 was the last for the series ending with “The Man Who Never Was” (2011).  We lost her on April 2011, but Sarah Jane Smith still travels through time and space in our memories!  In 2020, there was a special, Farewell, Sarah Jane written by Russell T. Davies.  Happy Birthday Elizabeth Sladen!  

#ElizabethSladen, #DoctorWho, #SarahJaneAdventures, #FarewellSarahJane