Creativity, in spite of any opportunities the new medium promised, were compromised by the limits of budget, technology and corporate sponsorship. No longer was it enough to sell a story, a story was required to sell a product. It was salesmen, not editors or writers or artists, who were in creative positions. It was not enough for Flash Gordon to sell the book his image graced he also had to ensure a substantial market share of breakfast cereals, batteries and special edition bicycles.
While it was evident the entire Fiction House line was different in how they portrayed their heroes, particularly the female characters, it didn't matter one whit to parent groups and politicians. One comic book was just like another and they were all targeted due to panic, fear and misinformation. Fiction House would tweak the Planet Comics format a few more times trying to keep up with market preferences but the experiment was coming to an end. The entire company didn't survive much into the 1950s.
In this chapter of the Futura Saga the protagonist once again fights oppression with mixed results for her followers. Readers back then were not expected to care if thousands of bad guys die as the result of the hero tampering with the Atomo-Ray. If they did, the creators did not give their audience enough credit and rarely offered them the opportunity to become invested in the antagonists. As progressive as some of the Fiction House characters were they were clearly super-heroes who could do no wrong. For the most part it was a black and white universe even as it was rendered in four colors. It is Futura that existed in a perpetual state of anarchy and she took advantage of her surroundings for her benefit and sometimes the benefit of others, though rarely the end result was a positive one. For good or ill this is what made the fictional character just a bit more real than her spandex-clad peers.
More collateral damage in the next thrilling chapter!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Futura - Chapter 20
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The gang got kind of depressing in their final season
Once the Riverdale crew got the news they would be out of work and hopelessly typecast as players permanently stuck in period dramas set in the 1950s the tunes the band decided to play during the show became much more depressing and angst-ridden. In taking their cue from the Scooby Gang when their television show was canceled and Gregorian funeral chants became the featured music covering the chase montages said band-leader Archibald, "Reggie stole all our our money and spent it on the blond girl. I don't give a damn anymore."
Here is their farewell song from the final episode of The Archie All-Fun Smile-Palooza Hour, originally broadcast Christmas Day, 1968. It was said at the time that the sobs of children could be clearly heard as far away as the city limits.
Actually, the song is from 1966 by The Patriots and I listen to it once or twice a day. You can read more about them here. In similar fashion to the 1962 recording Turn, Turn, Turn the song lyrics come from a much older work of fiction. In this case the inspiration was from the 1932 poem As Fall the Leaves by Edgar Albert Guest.
As fall the leaves, so drop the daysMore rare 60s tunes later. I'm waiting to receive one special long-lost .45 in the mail and along with it I'll post a story of how it relates to my one brush with fame.
In silence from the tree of life;
Born for a little while to blaze
In action in the heat of strife,
And then to shrivel with Time's blast
And fade forever in the past.
In beauty once the leaf was seen;
To all it offered gentle shade;
Men knew the splendor of its green
That cheered them so, would quickly fade:
And quickly, too, must pass away
All that is splendid of to-day.
To try to keep the leaves were vain:
Men understand that they must fall;
Why should they bitterly complain
When sorrows come to one and all?
Why should they mourn the passing day
That must depart along the way?
Friday, July 09, 2010
We're gonna show them who's on top!
That's just nasty.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Missed Connection
Your four-sizes-too-big jacket and pants with the other jacket and pants with all the extra pockets and tied-off waist and legs on them...Well, you certainly do cut quite the image when you come swaggering in. You make everybody notice. Aren't you hot wearing all that stuff? I know I am. Yet for someone so slim and tiny you sure do seem to walk like you carry a lot of weight. You have me worried. Are you in good health?
I ask because on July 30th at about 10:15 p.m. when you took that donation jar off the check stand and ran out the store to jump into that waiting white [redacted] with California license plate #[redacted] driven by that obese woman who left the passenger side door waiting open you seemed to have trouble moving your legs and arms. You know, if you were sick I could understand you needing that jar of money reserved for cancer patients. Maybe you needed to cut out the middle-man to had to pay off that guy who gives you your medicine.
Now, some would say you are in pretty good health since you have to carry all those DVDs, packages of food, liquor and pharmacy supplies stuffed in the sleeves, waistband and legs of your under-layer of clothing and that is what slowed you down and made you walk funny. I don't know. Maybe you have been prescribed weight training? If you had told me you had cancer I would have given you the $23 myself to save you the exertion of running. Those coins must have been way too heavy for you because you supported the jar by sliding it up into your jacket sleeve. Fortunately all those layers of extra clothing made sure you didn't drop any change on your way out of the store. Every nickle is important!
But last night was so special. I just can't forget how adorable you were when I took all those pictures of you with my cell phone. You acted all sheepish, covering your face as you ran away from my attentions after I saw you cutting open that Wedding Crashers DVD case. I don't blame you, how else can you be sure that the disc is actually in the case before you buy it? And Oh-Em-Gee, you looked so gangsta when you pedaled away on your Huffy!
But why so shy? A guy like you should not be ashamed of your looks. I've seen your face plenty of times from the high-quality videos and still-frames taken off the store surveillance system. Let me just say you look just like who I've been looking for: A Hispanic male, long brown goatee, shaved short black or brown hair, 5' 1", approx 150 pounds, mid-20s. Mmmmm!
You know, I show your pictures and videos to everyone at work. Everyone wants to meet you. Particularly my pals in the San Diego Police Department (a truly fine bunch of really strong, muscular guys and gals) all agree that you seem to be an interesting person (or person of interest, I forget exactly what they said because I was distracted. Me and uniforms, hello!) and they want pick you up, too! Drat! How can I compete with them? They wear bullet proof vests and carry guns and clubs and hand-cuffs for hand-cuffing and they drive those totally tricked out cars with the lights and horns and wire cages...
What was I doing? Oh, yeah. Sigh.
But I realize that after all this time I don't even know your name! That is just one crime among many, I know. Oh, I'm sure I'll find out who you are eventually. It is I think fated that we meet again. Perhaps soon we will see each other across a crowded room. I'll stand up and point to you and say "That's him!" and then everyone will know how I feel. I can wait. After all, the next time you attempt to register that car or it gets pulled over while you are in it I'm confident my pals in blue will give me a ring and we'll be able to discuss our relationship and your future living arrangements.
My Left Foot
On the side of the store that caters to males a shoe is advertised that protects the wearer from wear and tear of exercise while simultaneously allowing the user to benefit from the activity. The shoe differentiates all the harmful activity from the beneficial through some sort of I don't know, shoe magic, I guess.
The ad for the men's shoe emphasizes protection and the one for women focuses on the wearer being made more attractive at the expense of safety. Are women expected to suffer more for the desired results? This leads me to question the conventional wisdom that women are the more careful and wiser shoppers. Advertising is remarkably complex and nuanced on levels many consumers never consciously detect. Do women shop for their shoes mostly alone and accompany the men? Then the difference in the execution of the advertising makes more sense. Making safety a priority for the men's shoes would indicate the woman in the relationship would have some say in the purchasing decision as she would not want her man out of work recovering from a playground injury.
Then again, it could be that this ad reveals a situation where the right foot doesn't know what the left foot is doing.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Scaring parents since the 1960s
Been re-discovering the grooveness of both professionally polished and amazingly bad/good 60s garage proto-punk and surf bands of late.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Jonah Hex alternate ending script revealed!
While the inclusion of those classic tales would have resulted in a substantially different movie my script makes no changes to the plot of the film as it was released theatrically. This alternate ending embraces the supernatural aspects of the story that confused and disappointed so many fans. The ending makes perfect sense in the manner in which Jonah would exploit his powers and I believe my ending to Jonah Hex would have completely redeemed the entire film. Read it and see what you think.
So go ahead, keep this script in your mind and mentally edit the final scene to include my ending when you watch the DVD. It will undoubtedly be released as soon as possible. Y'know, pard'ner, I'll slap leather using my version up against any deleted scene or alternate ending the DVD might possibly include. I bet I shoot the straightest.
And that, pard'ner, is how you do it.Sunday, July 04, 2010
Hex Communications via Pony Express
Let there be fireworks
A special message for those driving tonight: If you want to watch the fireworks then don't be a jerk. Take the time to pull over off the road to enjoy the spectacle.
Why the PSA? Historically, there are multiple accidents along I-5 near the Mission Bay area during a fireworks show. I'm going to be passing through the area about that time taking my wife to work and I don't want our lives ruined by the gawker behind the wheel who is distracted by the pretty shiny up in the sky.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Music of Thunder
Falling in Love #27 (June 1959).
Monday, June 28, 2010
Top Ten Jonah Hex Comic Book Tales That Would Have Made The Movie Awesome
This flick really needed to be more Once Upon a Time in the West and less Wild Wild West. Much like how the 2009 Land of the Lost adaptation failed with a new generation of consumers I sincerely doubt that anyone introduced to the character by this movie will be at all interested in Jonah Hex in the future. I kept thinking I had nodded off without realizing it and missed parts of the story, which would kind of go with most of the other reviews stating that much of the film had ended up in the wastebasket of the editing room. Josh Brolin did a good job but didn't seem mean enough in that Justin Gray manner from the most recent comic book series I've come to appreciate.
My least favorite part of the movie was the the speaking to the dead aspect. I found it a sorry short-cut to fleshing out the actual story. Why ride around all over the country chasing down the villain when in the space of a few minutes all the answers could be had via a seance? Because travel from Point A to Point B in the 1800s took months if not years. It wouldn't do to have Jonah ride from Texas to Missouri to Washington dogging Turnbull when he could just grope a dead body. Of course the long protracted chase worked just fine in The Outlaw Josey Wales, but what do I know.
As a Hex fan from his first appearance way back in the 1970s I disliked the film because it just wasn't very good as it was presented. It left out all the characterization that made Jonah Hex what he is and portrayed him as much more of a super-hero then even the Fleisher-penned issues of the 1980s did. Josh Brolin whipped his gray poncho around more than Christian Bale did his Bat-cape in The Dark Knight.
As for Megan Fox, her acting isn't up to the role of Talulah Black even with it being written as weak as it was. The time when an audience would pay to see Megan Fox bend over an engine or foot stool or something in a film is several years past and other than that she did not bring much to Jonah Hex. Talulah should have at least been presented as trapped and weary and Megan just acted scorned and heart-sick for a daddy-figure. Honestly, this film could have had the potential to do for Megan Fox what Monster did for Charlize Theron even though Fox is no where nearly as talented as Theron. Imagine how different the film would have been had they made Fox up as the comic book version of Talulah Black, ravaged and angry?
Matching Dragoons, the best Jonah Hex blog there is, has a roundup of reviews to read. First, check out MD's review: Official Jonah Hex Review. He approaches it as an unabashed and unapologetic fan of Jonah who I believe is is just glad something about the character got made, regardless of whether it meets his personal criteria for being good or not (I feel the same way about many science fiction films). Then go browse his collection of critiques of the film from around the web: Some Jonah Hex reviews are in. Once you get done reading those, come back for my list of Top Ten Jonah Hex Comic Book Tales That Would Have Made The Movie Awesome.
I feel your pain, Sarge.Understandably, the story of Quentin Turnbull and how Jonah received his scars are the tales that must serve as the main impetus for the film. That dynamic should be the focus, not a throw-away scene giving a reason for Hex to hate Quentin. In the comic book Hex was falsely accused and trapped and the one thing that really saved him for all those years was time and distance from Turnbull. It was difficult to track Jonah over thousands of untamed miles of territory. What could have been different about the film is some of they story elements. Instead of the science fiction and supernatural aspects that were used to make things "cool" here are some Jonah Hex stories that could have been reworked and successfully included in the film.
1: Promise to a Princess from his first appearance in Weird Western Tales #12 (July 1972). Jonah saves the life of the daughter of a Native American chief, only to have her and the tribe die of a disease abetted by a greedy landowner. Included in the film, this story of corruption and evil could have been one of Jonah's motivations for hunting Turnbull down and the villain could still have been portrayed as a terrorist.2: The Hangin' Woman from Weird Western Tales #17 (May 1973). This superficially resembles the Clint Eastwood movie High Plains Drifter. I could see Jonah fighting alone against Turnbull and the town of variously cowed and nasty citizens High Noon style.
3: Death of a Bounty Hunter from Weird Western Tales #34 (June 1976). What this classic tale would be used for is the ultimate fate of Turnbull after the big showdown. Basically, Jonah would let Turnbull destroy his gang and himself (just prior to the mandatory scene where he tries to shoot Jonah in the back and then gets plugged, letting Jonah make a action hero quip just before the credits).
4: The Holdout from Jonah Hex #11 (v1, April 1978). This issue is perfect for the Tallulah Black story (assuming she would not appear in the sequel) and one that reportedly caused some friction between the creative team members. Allegedly, the artist did not think Jonah should kiss a dead woman goodbye and either had to comply or another artist drew the scene. This issue also noteworthy for the Crucifixion scene. All the villains could have been reworked to be a part of Turnbull and his cronies.
5: The Massacre of the Celestials! from Jonah Hex #23 (v1, April 1979). Include a vengeful Turnbull in a story of the railroad barons and race-relations and you've got a winner.
6: The Gunfight at Murphysburg! from Jonah Hex #32 (v1, January 1980). The best Jonah Hex stories are when he is caught between a town of frightened citizens and the bad guys.7: The Fort Charlotte Brigade! from Jonah Hex #35 (v1, April 1980) and Return to Fort Charlotte from Jonah Hex #36 (May 1980). This two-part tale reveals the entire back story of why Quentin Turnbull wrongfully hates Jonah Hex. Partly told in a flashback it could have been two movies for the price of one!
8: Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo #1-5 (August 1993): If you go supernatural with Jonah then go all the way. This is a gritty, mean series and one of Jonah's first forays into the mystic for the character.
9: Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such #1-5 (March 1995): Jonah Hex, steam-punk and ancient horror. Done properly this would have messed-up an audience for life. The video game tie-in sales for this version would have been crazy huge.
10: The Ballad of Talulah Black, Part 1 from Jonah Hex #16 (v2, April 2007) & The Ballad of Talulah Black, Part 2 from Jonah Hex #17 (v2,May 2007. While the brutal attack and mutilation of Talulah may have been difficult to portray this tale is most reminiscent of another Clint Eastwood film, Unforgiven, except the victim goes on her own mission of justice instead of hiring someone else. Reworked so Jonah Hex and Talulah are a team getting revenge on Turnbull would have been fantastic.
On a final note, just how great would this page from The Last Bounty Hunter! (Jonah Hex Spectacular, DC Special Series #16, 1978) have been as the final scene in the Jonah Hex movie? What a great setup for the sequel it would have been. To repeat: WOULD. HAVE. BEEN.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Planetary Evolution
The long-running Planet Comics serials revealed what was popular, woefully passe and perhaps even what was anticipated in entertainment media of the genre. Styles were aped and innovation occurred in quantity. Aside from the tales the thematic transformations of the covers were likewise a good indicator of the changes that occurred over time to popular science fiction and the tastes of the market. Particularly noteworthy are the covers that feature women as being depicted as other than damsels in need of rescuing. While this happened more than some would think in the pulps and comics it was actually reflected in the stories within the magazine with the tales of Futura, Gale Allen and Mysta being prime examples. Though the artwork often favored stereotypical male power fantasies there are a number of covers that are progressive for the time.
Witness the evolution of 73 issues of Planet Comics from the early Pulp influences to the distinctive EC house-style of the 1950s by clicking the picture.
Planet Comics by Fiction House Publishers (January 1940-Winter 1953).
Friday, June 25, 2010
Norts Spews
Who?
Got sent this yesterday by a pal who works at BBC America (he/she is the one who gets me all those awesome DVDs for the new UK shows). if true, all I can say is: Holy. Crap.
Who Is Johnny Depp?
International film star Johnny Depp has been confirmed to play the part of time traveling Doctor Who in the big screen treatment of the same name slated for a Summer 2012 release. The wildly successful science fantasy television program Doctor Who has been a staple of British TV since the early 1960s. Syndicated internationally, the show about an exiled Lord of Time has seen a resurgence in recent years, particularly among the audiences of the United States where the show has enjoyed high-ratings on BBC America and the SyFy Channel.
Long-time producer of the television series Russell T. Davies reported that the reason he moved on from the show was due to the opportunity to transform the Doctor to the big screen. "Bringing the Who franchise to the theaters is a regeneration for the character beyond the usual one. A theatrical release has a greater range and can reach millions of more people than just the fans. There will be brand new concepts and the film will be just as adventurous, scary and humorous as the television programme. But none of us working the film will forget what makes the character great and interesting and the long-time fans will not be disappointed because yes, the Daleks make an appearance."
In a telephone interview actor Johnny Depp was brief about the project due to contractual obligations, however he revealed some choice plot twists: "The Doctor will absolutely have a serious romance. I can not reveal who my co-star is yet but I'm told she is a strong, lovely actress that everyone knows and is perfect for the part." Johnny Depp revealed one other aspect of the Doctor, that of his secret past: "The Doc is always portrayed as this mysterious Demi-God. Russell has penned this wonderful, exciting script that humanizes this all-powerful alien. The Doctor is actually given a name in the film, I'm told he never really has one. He also acts like a Physician in more than just his title. He's called The Doctor for a reason. His mission is to journey through time and space with a crew of volunteers treating humanity's illnesses brought on by invading aliens. He cures the bubonic plague and then goes to Africa to fight Ebola. The film will be very human and relevant and have a great message."
Doctor Who begins filming in 2011 for a Summer 2012 release.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wanted: Experienced Proof-Reader, Apply DC Offices
I am one long-time reader who is disappointed by DC Comics apparently turning back the clock on the diversity of their characters even though I kind of understand it. It is fear, perhaps, that any lasting change to the formula that basically carried the company over 60 years will meet with disaster. Fear, perhaps based in reality, that nostalgia is all they have going for them and the shrinking fan-base of continuity-addicts snubs with negative consequences financially to the company anything that resembles true progress.
From all the internet press it is clear that DC is very aware of the recent outcry that there is the perception they are relying on the tried, true, nearly antique and primarily Caucasian models of the Golden and Silver Age of comic books. While the retro models of the characters may represent their perceived and steady market-base they are are not truly representative of the diverse population of both the real and fictional worlds. That mentioned, the creative teams and editors of their books should be a little bit more aware of how their products published after the controversy could and would be examined for every perceived slight, hidden message or racial and political agenda. Every beaten woman, murdered Asian, gap-toothed Southerner or jailed Middle-Easterner in their books, movies and games will be picked apart and commented upon by the rational and irrational fans seeking a pattern, proof of a corporate policy of hostility to a diverse populace.
As example, read this scene in Justice League - Generation Lost #4 (July 2010) which hit the stands this week. Preview images have also been available for public perusal on various websites for a while.
If you want to put together and sound out the acronym, go ahead, but I suggest you only do it in your head.
I personally am not the most sensitive or observant person and I noticed and made a connection to a word that sounds like a racial slur that denigrates African-Americans and the character, however tenuous, right away. Unless DC states otherwise I have little doubt that the acronym as it appears was merely careless and unfortunate. It would be career suicide and fiscally irresponsible for anyone to try and sneak an intentional slur into any of the popular entertainment media designed for a wide and diverse audience in this era. Of course it is not beyond the realm of possibility as there are a lot of confused, angry and backwards people out in the world.
There is no proof that someone at DC intentionally included a racial epithet into one of their comic books nor am I claiming that they did. However once something is seen you can not un-see it. It does not matter how unintentional or coincidental the word or how it sounds may be. It is there, however inadvertently and the perception of the individual reader is what will likely hold sway. There are websites that just leap on things like this and run with it. That is important because no one can really conclusively say that the acronym was not intentional and that cavalierly killing off the ethnic and obviously brilliant character in the next page was a mere innocent plot device. Take into consideration in the story it was a secret project and some could infer that killing an African-American who was creating a process that could give the disenfranchised super abilities just looks bad even if it is much-ado about nothing.
Helping create a quality product is one of the jobs of an editor and one could expect that the staff of DC, already under scrutiny by some of their customers and critics, would have paid a little bit more attention to the proof-reading. Some will undoubtedly assert the slur was intentional as a clever flip of the finger to those who complained about the back-stepping of diversity in DC comic books. Some will maintain the incident was just an unfortunate and innocent coincidence. Others will claim there is nothing to be found at all.
Regardless, I expect that in the future trade edition of Justice League - Generation Lost that particular phrase will probably be re-arranged to provide a different result. Given the scene I would submit that an initiative that is all giving super-powers to average people would read better if it was labeled "Project: E.N.R.G.". It would be a lot more fitting if the acronym sounds like "Energy" when spelled out, instead of that other word.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Futura - Chapter 19
The Futura Saga has a mere three issues remaining until it comes to a conclusion. Many of the long-running series featured in Planet Comics come to a close within the following year and Futura was among the first. Changing consumer tastes and market expectations meant the end of many of the decades-long running serials. The Comics Code Authority and nascent Silver Age style of storytelling that was perfected at DC Comics in the early 1960s meant that anthology collections of disposable one-off stories were to become the norm.
Among the Fiction House titles it was Planet Comics that would prove the most adaptable to changing tastes and evolved with more success than the Western or Jungle-based tales but being unable or unwilling to compete with other forms of entertainment that was gaining ground the entire Fiction House line of books would soon become another casualty of the fickle retail market.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Tool-Using Killer Tree
The most interesting part of this feature is the tool-using killer tree. Preternaturally strong, wicked-fast and covered with (probably toxic) barbs the plant decides that isn't enough in the arsenal and figures it still requires something pointed to practice the overkill skills on. As noted previously, the Fiction House Universe is an angry and hungry Universe.
Planet Comics #60 (May 1949).
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Designs by Gojiro
If your building gets stomped on by a giant radioactive dinosaur... 
From Godzilla vs. Biolante or Mecha-Godzilla or one of those 1990s monster flicks, I don't remember.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
There's a reason why Jack is always smiling
Smilin' Jack story re-printed in the Dell title Popular Comics #101 (May 1946).
Futura - Chapter 18
This trait may or may not be a bluff on the part of Futura, who, finding herself the captive of a tyrannical hoodlum, begins to act more like her nemesis Yrina the Space Pirate. This real or effected persona meets with negative results and the former office secretary is forced to revert back to her tried and true method of beating the living crap out of everyone around her.
Futura's sometimes unintentional collateral damage to civilians aside for the most part she is trying to survive as a lawful person in an area of lawless space. Constantly attacked or targeted Futura nonetheless tries not to give back in kind. The universe, however, doesn't particularly care about the best of intentions. Through no real fault of her own Futura has been enslaved, hailed as a rebel leader and worshiped as the savior of an oppressed people. It is her fight to be free, regardless of the path the creators have taken, that is most interesting.
Futura's creative team never really addressed her motivations because in the disposable format of comic books of the era action was preferred over lengthy characterization. Particularly with Futura since the story features a strong, capable though dubiously ethical, female character who usually does not rely on Space-Rangers or love interests to save her. One of the real pleasures in reading Futura is gleaning the deeper story from the sometimes admittedly wandering storyline. What I've taken away from reading Futura is that what has been expressed earlier; it is a fact that often messiahs are hazardous to the health. Yet even more dangerous are those in the process of empire building.
