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Review: ‘Fantasia’ & ‘Fantasia 2000’
Walt Disney saw possibilities where others did not. He turned Mickey Mouse into an American icon and launched a bustling animation business, but wasn’t satisfied with his amusing shorts. Instead, he wanted more and defied the critics who thought a full-length animated feature would hurt viewers’ eyes and test their patience.[[[Snow White]]] proved them wrong. Emboldened, Disney spent the 1930s experimenting with animation in ways none of his peers tried. He adapted classics and he gave us indelible characters and song. He even tried for Art with a capital ‘A’.
His third feature-length film was [[[Fantasia]]] and in eight segments, introduced audiences to a variety of classical music set to animated tales inspired by each. Today, we know it best for the entertaining “[[[Sorcerer’s Apprentice]]]” bit guest starring Mickey in his feature debut; but the film was so much more. It opened up what animation could be and do and while it was a box office disappointment during its 1940 release, it has also endured as a sampling of masterful animation.
In time for the holidays, Walt Disney Home Entertainment has released Fantasia in Blu-ray, packaging in numerous ways including a four-disc set, accompanied by [[[Fantasia 2000]]]. You most certainly want Fantasia one way or the other so the ultimate decision is how badly do you want the follow-up feature.
It was said that Disney intended Fantasia to be a living laboratory as segments were added and dropped every few years, keeping it fresh and imaginative. The lack of business scuttled that plan until 1990 when Roy E. Disney, Walt’s nephew, got animators started on a new version. This time, three of the original segments were to be retained with five new ones added but in the end, Mickey remained and everything else was new and nowhere near as wonderful as the original.
The original Fantasia was edited and re-scored and altered throughout the years but with the passage of time, Disney’s crew has been slowly restoring it to as close to the original 125-minute roadshow release as was possible. About the only questionable edit was keeping a few seconds of a racist black centaur on the cutting room floor, but what you get on the Blu-ray is the definitive version and the one to endure. The restoration and transfer are pristine, which has become the Disney gold standard. Obviously, this was made to be heard as well as seen so the audio is equally exceptional. (more…)
FORTIER REVIEWS GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN!!
ALL PULP REVIEWS
GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN
By George Mann
Pyr Books
236 pages
ISBN 10 – 1616141948
ISBN 13 – 978 – 1616141943
Release – April 27, 2010
Pulp adventure, mystery, steampunk, alternate world sci-fi
If anyone doubts there is a major renaissance in pulp fiction going on today, then let them pick up this old fashion thriller. George Mann has delivered a very typical pulp avenger story with an added twist of steampunk. If you are unfamiliar with the term, steampunk refers to a technology based on steam power as was first developed in the 19th century focusing in large part to Victorian Era Britain. It is a subgenre of science fiction and often used in alternate world settings.
The year is 1926, shortly after World War One. All transportation is steam powered including automobiles. Tesla coils light up cities and viewing tube-telephones are familiar household appliances. Police dirigibles patrol Manhattan’s canyons and bi-planes docked on rooftop rocket launchers are part of the city’s skyline silhouette.
Gabriel Cross is a disillusioned, wealthy veteran living on his vast estate on Long Island. Bored with his life and the shallow social circles he inhibits, Cross dons special night goggles, rocket boots, a dark trench coat and slouch hat and becomes the urban vigilante known as the Ghost. It would be impossible for any pulp fan not to recognize the Ghost’s pedigree, he is an heir to such classic pulp avengers as the Shadow and the Spider and dozens of others who emerged from pages saturated in purple prose.
Of course you can’t have a good pulp hero without an equally impressive pulp villain. In this tale he is a mysterious fiend known as the Roman. The police christened such because he leaves Roman coins on the eyes of his victims, all of whom are prominent public figures. As the Ghost begins his hunt for the Roman, he finds himself distracted by two other players in the game. One is the tenacious police detective Felix Donovan who has been charged to apprehend both the Ghost and the Roman. The other is a beautiful jazz singer named Celeste Parker with whom Cross is enamored.
At first Celeste appears to be merely a love interest whose insight into Cross’ wounded soul slowly begins to heal him. But when a group of the Roman’s henchmen attempt to kidnap her one night, the Ghost is dealt another mystery. Who is she really and what is her importance to the Roman? These are but a few of the elements that add cleverly written layers of suspense to an action packed adventure.
GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN, with its colorful steampunk setting, wonderfully echoes the exuberant fun of the original pulps. In the end it is a romantic tip of the fedora to those times long passed but never forgotten.
Mark Waid Leaves BOOM!
Mark Waid has been a good friend to ComicMix and we wish him well as he returns to the always exciting life of a fulltime freelancer.
Here’s the official word from BOOM! Studios:
December 9th, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA – It is with a heavy heart but also with great warmth and fondness that BOOM! Studios bids adieu to one of its own: effective immediately, Mark Waid is stepping down from the responsibility of Chief Creative Officer at BOOM! Studios. Waid will continue his run on IRREDEEMABLE and INCORRUPTIBLE and his brand new break-out hit collaboration with Stan Lee, THE TRAVELER.
“Mark was key in BOOM!’s transition from a promising upstart to top tier publisher,” Ross Richie, the Chief Executive Officer of BOOM! Studios remarked. “Now that we’ve reached this stage, Mark’s made it clear to me that he’s ready to take on new challenges. And we wish him the best!”
“I learned a lot in my time at BOOM! about the ever-evolving job of publishing comics in the 21st century, and it’s been an invaluable experience,” Waid said. “But now that BOOM! is in a strong place with its best foothold ever in the market, it’s time for me to refocus my energies on writing and on creating. And maybe take one of these ‘vacation’ things that people are always talking about.”
At Comic-Con International in 2007, BOOM! Studios shocked the industry with the appointment of Mark Waid as Editor-in-Chief of BOOM! Studios. After three years as Editor-in-Chief, and writer of some of the bestselling BOOM! Studios titles like IRREDEEMABLE, INCORRUPTIBLE and most recently THE TRAVELER, Waid was promoted to Chief Creative Officer in the summer of 2010. Today, after a little over three years at the company, Waid leaves BOOM! Studios firmly entrenched as one of the top comic book companies in North America.
“Working day-to-day with a creator of Mark’s caliber is an experience I’ll never forget,” said recently-minted Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “Thankfully, with IRREDEEMABLE, INCORRUPTIBLE, and THE TRAVELER going strong on the stands, I still get the pleasure of working day-in-and-day-out with Mark. He’s one of the greats and I wish him the best in the next chapter of his influential career.”
“Mark’s such a phenomenal talent, but also a phenomenally good sport.” Chip Mosher, Marketing Director added. “I’d like to publicly apologize that the tagline ‘Mark Waid is Evil’ will follow him the rest of his days! While Mark’s presence on the BOOM! team will be missed, I look forward to reading what is next on all the BOOM! books he will continue to concentrate on.”
While Mark Waid exits the executive team at BOOM! Studios, Waid will continue writing all three of his current BOOM! Studios titles. This December sees the release of IRREDEEMABLE #20 and INCORRUPTIBLE #13, in what continues to be one of the most successful launches of a new series in the past five years in the Direct Market. The success of the single issues for both series have been surpassed only by the massive trade paperback sales, with December also seeing blockbuster pre-orders for IRREDEEMABLE VOL. 5 and INCORRUPTIBLE VOL. 3 TPBs, that will be hitting store shelves later this month. Waid’s collaboration with Stan Lee, THE TRAVELER #2, also tearing up the sales charts, hits store shelves later this month.
DC keeps moving to LA, but will there be any comics when they get there?
Two business stories making for an interesting juxtaposition.
First, ComicsBeat reports:
More and more ch-ch-changes at DC, as various folks in the online department have announced they are heading to the West Coast office as the DC Online department moves to Burbank next summer. Ron Perazza will become VP of Online for DC Entertainment, Dave McCullough will become Director of Online for DC Entertainment, and Kwanza Johnson is Digital Editor. Heading up the department, you may recall, is Hank Kanalz, Senior Vice President, Digital of DC Entertainment These are the first announced westward personnel changes, although at least two DCU editors are also moving west to work more closely with CCO Geoff Johns.
Of course, by the time they get there, Diamond will have shut down their west coast warehouse.
Diamond Comics Distribution has informed comic stores that the warehouse will be closed from next March.
It’s been a good long while since Diamond closed any such warehouse.
In 2008 they consolidated a few into the new massive Olive Branch
centre, but at one point they used to have 24 warehouses. Now they’ll
have 4. The impact of this move will mean there will be no storage
facility for comics and their like on the West Coast.Affected retailers will notice a change immediately in the new year,
with January the fifth delivering the last shipment from Diamond Los
Angeles. The next week, all deliversies will come from their new,
expanded Olive Branch center in Mississippi. Customers who pick up from
the Los Angeles warehouse can continue to do so until March, and then
will move over to a new LA-based pick up point.
Merry Christmas to everybody who’s losing a job right before the holidays.
One additional problem, not discussed or considered: there are a lot of books that are coming from Asia– not just manga and manwha, but a lot of books from DC, Marvel, and IDW that are printed overseas. One has to wonder what this will do to shipping times and costs for trades, etc.
NINE FOR THE NEW SPOTLIGHTS WRITER LEE HOUSTON, JR.!
NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)
LEE HOUSTON, JR.-Writer/Creator/Editor
AP: Lee, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?
LEE: Iâm a high school graduate with a smattering of junior college, and words have been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. My parents read to me when I was young, and Iâm always haunting the public library and bookstores, so itâs a rare day if I donât have a book in my hands at some point. Ever since I figured out what a writer was and did, I have always tried to pursue that career path somehow and now the dream is finally coming true.
AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?
LEE: My personal tastes have been all over the genre spectrum, although I do find myself always coming back to science fiction, fantasy, and detective mysteries. I also enjoy good television, anime/manga, music, and am a major comic book fan. While I could list several influences in each category, when writing, I do tend to stay within the sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery genres regardless of what format Iâm working in, because they have the most adventure and biggest sense of good triumphing over evil.
AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?
LEE: Iâm not a fan of true horror, and prefer more âmilderâ work like Kolchak, the Night Stalker or a good Godzilla movie to the Jasons and Freddies of the world. I personally feel you donât need to know about every single drop of blood and inch of entrails to build suspense and drama. My biggest intimidation period is self-promoting. As a firm believer that oneâs work should speak for itself, I am constantly being told Iâm too modest for my own good. Otherwise, I find period pieces the most daunting to create, because while I have no problem doing the research, Iâm always afraid of getting some little minute detail wrong that might spoil the story for the audience.
AP: Are you a pulp fan? If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps? If you arenât a longtime fan, then why pulp?
LEE: I may not be as big a fan as some of the other people I work and associate with, but am a fan of the classics such as The Shadow and the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Iâve been told my stories can be a little terse at times, which is akin to the limited word count some pulp authors had to work with, but were still able to tell a great story despite any restrictions. As for why pulp, why not? The pulp style can trace its roots back to at least Cervantesâ Don Quixote, if not earlier, and the genre is just as entertaining today. Its influences are quite apparent in material as diverse as The Wild, Wild West; Jonny Quest, the Indiana Jones and NCIS franchises, Castle, and some of todayâs comic books.
AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?
LEE: First, I must thank Ken Janssens for the job referral, or I would never be where I am today. As a fan of various media, Iâve seen what does and doesnât work over the years and as a writer, use that knowledge as a starting point, while trying to put fresh new spins on the presentation and hopefully not repeat whatâs been done before. So when writing, I try to make sure people have as much fun reading my material as I do creating it.
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| Hugh Monn (on left) and Big Louie Art by CW Russette |
AP: Youâre a staff writer at Pro Se Productions and have a couple of recurring characters. Tell us about HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE.
LEE: Someday, mankind finally reaches the stars and takes its place within an already populous universe. But problems still exist and at times you need someone like Hugh to resolve them. I took some of the classic private detective trappings, like having a war veteran with his own sense of justice trying to earn an honest living the best way he knows how, and placed everything within a futuristic setting on another planet far removed from our own solar system, which hasnât really been done that much within the mystery/detective genre. Of course the biggest mystery might just be Hugh himself. He freely admits in the first story, âDineenaâs Dilemmaâ, that âHugh Monnâ (a play on the term Human) is just a business name, but there is something within his past he is not proud of that has helped shape him into the man he is today. I do reveal his given first name within the sixth adventure (âAt What Price Gloria?â), but can assure the readers that the answers will be eventually revealed as the series progresses within Masked Gun Mystery without it affecting their enjoyment of the individual stories.
AP: Now, onto your other ongoing series at Pro Se. Itâs a departure from futuristic mystery. Just what is WYLDE WORLD all about?
LEE: Very briefly, an ordinary man wakes up with absolutely no memory of his past life before finding himself in an exotic jungle setting. But as he soon discovers, it is not a dream, for the village chief wants to execute him for interfering with the latest âblessed sacrificeâ. Now with the only person willing to befriend him in this alien landscape, he strives to stay alive while trying to figure out who he is and where his people are, and thatâs just the opening chapter! After Hugh was accepted, I was asked if I had anything else to offer Pro Se, so I reworked the opening chapters to the novel I was working on at the time. Although a few people have compared it to James Cameronâs Avatar, WYLDE WORLD is as much a homage to my enjoyment of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs as it is my own creative endeavor. The first real (all text, no pictures) book I could ever read totally on my own was Burroughsâ A Princess of Mars. I read it and the rest of the Mars books throughout the fifth grade, thanks to the school library. Iâm presenting the tale in the style of the classic Saturday afternoon movie serials, and do bring the reader up to date on the previous installments from past issues of Peculiar Adventures as each new story appears. It started with issue two, and while the first story arc should conclude somewhere around issue eight, the series will continue beyond that!
AP: Youâre also an editor for Pro Se. What do you edit and what do you think you bring to the position that can be of benefit to the writers you edit?
LEE: I have been granted the privilege of editing Pro Seâs Fantasy and Fear magazine, starting with issue two. I like to think I bring all my experiences past and present from both the fan and the professionalâs perspective to the position in hopes of presenting everything the writers contribute in the best possible light. While I realize that publishing is a business, I try to maintain a friendly atmosphere and âopen doorâ policy with everyone. I even thanked by e-mail all the contributors to issue two I had contact information on for their hard work, a practice I will maintain on all future issues.
AP: Whatâs coming from Lee Houston, Junior in the future? Any projects you want to discuss?
LEE: In what I laughingly call my âspareâ time, I am working on other ideas; including my own super-hero and an all agesâ adventure featuring a group of inner city kids. Meanwhile, I do want to assure readers that HUGH MONN and WYLDE WORLD will continue indefinitely. Eventually there will probably be trade paperbacks collecting their stories thus far, although I am looking forward to reworking Wylde back into the novel it was originally intended to be for that volume. A Hugh adventure will appear within the 2011 Pulp Ark Convention Benefit Book to help raise money to acquire pulp books for libraries. I am also the Editor-In-Chief of The Free Choice E-zine at www.thefreechoice.info and recently edited the three issue comic book mini-series Raye Knight: Spellbound for its writer/creator Victoria Pagac, with art by Lou Manna, which is available from Indy Planet.
AP: Thanks a lot for taking time to visit with ALL PULP, Lee!
LEE: Thanks for inviting me.
Reviews from the 86th Floor by Barry Reese
FIRST WAVE # 5
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by RAGS MORALES & RICK BRYANT
Cover by J.G. JONES
Well, the series finally continues. This six-issue miniseries was supposed to “kick-off” DC’s First Wave line of titles but it’s still chugging along for some reason, unable to reach the finish line.
Artwise, this continues to be a winner. There are small quibbles here and there but overall Rags Morales is the main attraction to the series (aside from the visceral thrill of seeing The Spirit, Doc Savage and Batman all cavorting about on the same page).
The story, though…. Sigh. The best thing I can say is that, compared to DC’s Doc Savage series, this thing reads like Watchmen. But that’s only in comparison — on its own merits, the labyrinthine plot is confusing at best and boring at worst. I do like the twists on Batman’s personality and the writer does seem to realize that pulp should be exciting — meaning there’s more derring do than most recent issues of Doc’s series — but it just all feels flat. It’s like the creators don’t really care, so why should I?
Basically, the Golden Tree organization is trying to do some awful thing and it involves floating cities and robots, along with icky irradiated gold that is injected into people’s veins. Sounds exciting, I know, but trust me — that sentence I just typed is more goosebump-inducing than anything on the printed page. I continue to actively dislike this version of The Blackhawks and think that Rima the Jungle Girl’s role feels absolutely unnecessary.
Maybe it will read better in trade — but somehow I doubt it. DC has fumbled this First Wave stuff from day one. How can you miss with The Spirit… Batman… and Doc Savage??? Three of the greatest characters ever created — simply tell a story that’s worthy of those three and you’re guaranteed success. But DC, from the beginning, seemed more interested in changing the characters to fit what they wanted to do, rather than the other way around.
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND-NIGHTHAWK EDITION-12/8/10
ALL PULP NEWSSTAND
NIGHTHAWK EDITION
12/8/10
STARTLING STORIES FALL 2010 NEWS FROM WILDCAT BOOKS!
From Ron Hanna’s (WildCat Books) Facebook page-
Just uploaded STARTLING STORIES – Fall 2010 to the printers….
STARTLING STORIES continues the tradition of the old pulp magazines with this exceptional issue for Fall 2010. Editor and Artist William Carney has really delivered a wonderful package for your reading pleasure, with Classics such as “Dawn …of Flame” by Stanley G. Weinbaum, “The Vortex Blaster” by E.E. “Doc” Smith, and “Temple Trouble” by H. Beam Piper. Plus some very fine tales by our current writers, such as “Mirror Magic” by Ron Hanna, “Cask of Ages” by Wm. Michael Mott and Gerald W. Page, “Star Guard” by Carleton Grindle and more… including “Saucy Blaine” by Ron Wilber (with a Special Portfolio of this fine artist’s work) and “Kenton of the Star Patrol” by Wally Wood. Add in our Retro-Reviews by Chris Carney and Rob Morganbesser and I’m sure you’ll enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you! Cover Art by Gary McCluskey and Back Cover Art by Hubert Rogers.
148 pages, 7″x10″ Perfect bound TPB, $12.95
As soon as I approve the proofs it’ll be uploaded to Amazon… hopefully in time for the Holidays!
AERIAL ACROBATICS AND AIRSHIPS: CRIMSON SKIES IS A VISION OF PULP IN VIDEO GAME-FORM
By
DON GATES
Special Guest to All Pulp
Throughout the years, pulp has trickled down and filtered out through all corners of pop culture, so itâs only natural that it would make it to the realms of video games as well. There have been some great pulpy games throughout the years but not a lot of them had a purely-pulp âfeelâ to them beyond a few noticeable influences. The Crimson Skies franchise, however, gets my nomination for âTHE Pulp Video Gameâ, and although there hasnât been a game released since 2003, pulp fans (especially fans of the air-combat sub-genre) should be interested in checking into the games or their affiliated fiction.
The Crimson Skies universe began in 2000 when Microsoft Game Studios released the titular game for PC. The gameâs setting is an alternate-history version of the 1930âs, one where prohibition, the Great Depression, and internal strife between states resulted in the fragmenting of America. The country lies broken-up into several nation-states, such as the Empire State, the Nation of Hollywood, the Confederation of Dixie, etc. Because of the shaky political state, ground transportation between these areas ceases to be feasible and the nationâs real-life preoccupation with emerging flight technologies takes center-stage for shipping and travel needs. In the world of Crimson Skies, massive zeppelins cross the skies, airplanes are as plentiful as automobiles⦠and daring air pirates of varying degree of morality clash with air-militias and independent protection agencies.
In the first Crimson Skies game (for Windows 95/98/ME/2000), players take on the role of the swashbuckling Nathan Zachary, leader of the air-pirate group known as the Fortune Hunters. From their home base, the zeppelin Pandora, the Fortune Hunters act as air-pulp Robin Hoods: stealing only those who can afford to lose their wealth, all while helping others in need. The plot of the first game revolves around a corrupt security firmâs partnership with a ruthless band of pirates called the Black Hats and their plan to conquer a divided America under their control. The gameplay, meanwhile, is a mix of air-combat, light flight-simulation and stunt flying as players take control of a variety of souped-up fantasy warplanes. From the Hughes Aviation Devastator to the Fairchild Brigand, the planes are the real stars of the show: their designs wouldnât look too out of place on the cover of classic air-pulp titles like Bill Barnes, and the first game lets you customize the look, performance, and armaments of your sweet sky-ride to suit your personal pirating tastes.
The sequel, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, came out in 2003 for the Microsoft Xbox video game console. While much of the flight simulation and customization aspects were cut back from the original (players could now only use a one-time general upgrade for each plane), a more casual and âarcade-likeâ flight mechanic was introduced: players could now pull off maneuvers like barrel-rolls and Immelmann turns after only a few minutes of experimenting with the controls; the game featured a new play mechanic as well that let players man anti-aircraft gun placements on the ground and stationed aboard the Fortune Huntersâ zeppelin. This time around, the story features Zachary and the Fortune Hunters becoming involved with the secret invasion of America by the Crimson Skies universeâs analogue of the Nazis: a huge network of black-marketeers called Die Spinne (German for âthe spiderâ). Along the way, Nathan encounters double-crosses, adventures in a lost valley, and other very pulpy predicaments. The climax of the game- in which the Fortune Hunters and their allies take on a massive storm-generating airship thatâs attacking Chicago- plays out something like a pulp-era version of the Death Star battle from Star Wars. This is just one of the many of the grin-inducing moments experienced by long-time pulp fanatics like me.
Even if youâre an air-pulp fan that doesnât play video games you may still find it worth your while to check out other corners of the Crimson Skies franchise. Besides spreading out into a collectible miniatures game (sadly discontinued), there was also a smattering of licensed fiction available that was set in the Crimson Skies universe. Some of the short stories can still be found at the mirror-site of the Official Crimson Skies site (along with a nice whoâs-who of the various factions, planes, and pilots & pirates), while a 3-story compilation novel was released by Del Rey (find it here at Amazon). The stories and the characters are a blast to read: from the hardboiled air-security man Paladin Blake and the Empire Stateâs dashing militia-man Loyle Crawford to the beautiful leader of the Medusas, Justine âBattle-Axâ Perot and the villainous Jonathan âGenghisâ Khan of the Red Skull Legion (and, of course, Crimson Skiesâ poster-boy Nathan Zachary), all the stories are a lot of fun and proudly wear their influences on their sleeve (the collected anthology is dedicated in part to Lester Dent, Walter Gibson, R.T.M. Scott and Robert J. Hogan).
The franchise has been dormant for a while, but every once in a while there are rumblings and rumors of its return (at one point, there was even a big-budget film in the works). Many of us who have found the game to be the perfect pulp video game, or fans who donât know pulp from Adam but love a fun and adventurous flying game, hopefully await the return of Crimson Skies with bated breath.
In Memoriam: John Lennon 1940-1980
30 years ago today, John Lennon was shot and killed by a person who we aren’t going to name.
His influence was huge in the world, and has been immortalized in comics in so many ways, from biographies to being a Skrull super-hero. And most recently, he’s been portrayed in a BBC biopic by Doctor Who‘s Christopher Eccelston, with Yoko Ono being played by Naoko Mori from Torchwood.
You’re still missed, John.
