The Mix : What are people talking about today?

The Lion King

The second age of Disney greatness made raising children in the 1990s a real treat. Taking youngsters to an animated film recreated some of the magic the parents experience when they were first brought to the theater. To its credit, Disney continued to carefully curate its collection of classic films, filling in the gaps left by the far more mediocre fare that marked the 1970s and 1980s. Interestingly, one of those final films was where one of the current age’s greatest was born.

I still remember sitting in the theater with the kids and saw the trailer for The Lion King, which consisted of the opening song, a gutsy move but a brilliant one. Everything you needed to know was present; the sheer majesty of the animal kingdom, the quality of the animation and color palette, and the amazing score.

The fourth film from the Jeffrey Katzenberg/Michael Eisner regime, The Lion King felt special from the outset and has remained that way despite repeated viewings. Now finally out on Blu-ray today, the movie looks and sounds better than ever.

One of the reasons, the movie works is that it deals with universal themes, notably those of coming of age and the relationship between father and son. While the notion of the “Circle of Life” may have been beaten to death since it was reinforced here, respecting the life cycle is a good lesson for audiences young and old alike.

In the best of the Disney tradition, the film also nicely blends action, drama, and humor so it has a rhythm of its own. The littlest viewers can giggle at Timon and Pumba’s antics while others can feel the adrenaline pump during the battles, but there is certainly something for everyone, done with style and panache.

What’s interesting is that once the film’s concept was put into active development, it had to compete for animators with Pocahontas, which most saw as the next slam dunk film. Freed from the same level of scrutiny, the younger animators who signed on rose to the challenge and then some. It was inspired to blend Tim Rice and Elton John for the songs while Hans Zimmer delivered one of his finest scores.

The usual array of extras for a Diamond Edition film are all on display, and actually had me ready for more. The package contains Blu-ray and a standard DVD discs and comes with a fine user interface. New to this collection is a 39 minute “Pride of the Lion King” featurette that reunites former Chairman Katzenberg, Zimmer, producer Don Hahn, and co-directors Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff. This is followed with an additional 21 minutes of memories, “The Lion King: A Memoir”, hosted by Han. The co-directors introduce five previously unseen Deleted Scenes, explaining how these did not make the final cut. Also represented is the missing song, “Morning Report”, which was restored for the Broadway adaptation. The affection for the movie is demonstrated with the freshly animated Gag Reel with outtakes produced specifically for the disc.

The extras from the previously released Platinum edition return here so you get the audio commentary, Art Gallery, and the Sing-Along Mode.

If you have an iPad, the film comes with the new Disney Second Screen app stuffed with production art and interactive games. For those who use the BD-Live function, this one comes with  the “Virtual Vault” access which will show you “The Making of ‘The Morning Report'”, three additional Deleted Scenes, “Stage, Film, Story and Musical Journey” featurettes, Elton John’s “Circle of Life” music video, a Film-to-Storyboard Comparison, two short Demo Sequences and an Unfinished Scene.

One thing I wish they addressed head on was an acknowledgement in some way that the film owed a debt to Osama Tezuka’s Kimba the White Lion. The parallels are too striking for it to have been sheer coincidence.

As we enter the holiday season, this goes on your Must Have list.

Announcing The DC 52 Deadpool!

  • News
  • October 4, 2011

Look, they can’t all live forever.

It’s a sad fact of life. Just as every new TV season brings shows that sound good on paper and test well in pilot stage, some series are going to be cancelled sooner or later.

Even DC’s new 52 initiative, with multiple printings, will have series that will go by the wayside. And now that we’ve all had a chance to see the first issues, it’s now fair to ask– which ones aren’t going to make it? And which ones are going to drop first? Or do we heed the tweets of DuckBob Spinowitz, who thinks that DC stands for Disk Crash… “Isn’t that what you call it when a reboot fails?”

So we leave it to you. Who will live and who goes to that great 3/$1 box in the sky? Vote below (you can only vote for a maximum of 13 titles) and defend your decisions in the comments.

[poll id=”83″]

MICHAEL DAVIS: Who To Blame, Part 2

  • News
  • October 4, 2011

davis-column-art-111004-4811534Please take a look at last week’s installment before continuing on…

As I said, I’ve had a very interesting career in comics.

Denys Cowan and I were biding time until the premier of Mike Grell’s Jon Sable series on television. I’d been invited to watch it in Mike Grell’s hotel room and I invited Denys.

We were wandering around the 1987 Mid Ohio Con and I was on Cloud 9 thanks to John Ostrander, who issued the invite. While Denys was looking at comics at a retailer booth I moseyed over to a creator’s booth. As I mentioned before I talk to everyone and the thought of looking at someone’s work while they stand there and watch me look at their work is just crazy to me.

So, being me, I started asking questions about the copies of what looked like a quickly Xeroxed and even more quickly stapled comic book. One of my pet peeves is presentation. I don’t care how good an artist you are if the presentation of your work sucks I simply don’t want to look at it.

Hey, I don’t care how good a chef is in the kitchen or how good the food is, if I see a roach I’m not eating in the restaurant. I mean who the Hell wants a haircut from a barber who’s own hair is a mess?

Not me my friend, not me.

The book I was gazing at looked homemade – but – the two guys behind the table were cool as shit and the comic was the most original thing I had ever seen in comics before.

The artist and writer I was talking too were Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird and the book was Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles.

I know, how freakin’ cool was that?

And that is why I talk to everyone.

(more…)

Meet The Panthans

  • Uncategorized
  • October 3, 2011
Cover Art: Mark Wheatley

Cover Art: Matt Wagner
Cover Art: Neil Vokes
The National Capital Panthans, founded in September 1996, are the Washington D.C., Baltimore, Annapolis and Northern Virginia area Chapter of the Burroughs Bibliophiles. Meetings are generally held on the firs…t Sunday of the month and are hosted by various members in their homes.

There are approximately 50 members from around the United States and one each from England, Canada and Germany. The Panthans hosted the 1998 Burroughs Bibliophiles Dum-Dum, the 1999 and 2003 ECOF Gatherings, and will again host the 2006 ECOF in Rockville, MD. Generally so many members go to ERB fan conventions hosted by others that the Panthans can be counted on to assist with registration. The Panthans have published a book, entitled “ERB – The Second Century,” which includes fan-produced fiction, scholarly deductions and many great illustrations!

To become a member and receive a monthly newsletter informing you about Panthans activities send your annual subscription fee of US $15.00 to:

John Tyner, Treasurer
5911 Halpine Road
Rockville, Maryland 20851-2410

For further information check their Web site at: www.taliesan.com/panthans/cover.htm

The Point Radio: SNL Vets Try Prime Time Comedy

  • News
  • October 3, 2011


After a summer long publicity build up, Fox has debuted TERRA NOVA in primetime – did you see it? Series star Stephen Lang tells you what you may have missed, plus SNL Vets Maya Rudolph and Emily Spivey mine for prime time comedy gold in NBC‘s new UP ALL NIGHT. And an ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT movie – and series?? Really?

The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebookright here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

New Bobby Nash Interview At Reader’s Voice.

  • Uncategorized
  • October 3, 2011

Simon Sandall recently interviewed New Pulp Author Bobby Nash about his work, pulp, comics, his favorite books, conventions, podcasts, and more for the Reader’s Voice. You can read the interview in its entirity at http://www.readersvoice.com/ along with book recommendations from Bobby and other guests at the 2010 Memphis Comic and Fantasy Convention.

This year’s Memphis Comics and Fantasy Con is October 14-16 in Memphis, TN. Bobby returns as a guest along with New Pulp Authors Tommy Hancock, Wayne Reinegal, Van Allen Plexico, and more.

For more information ont he convention, please visit http://www.memphiscfc.com/.

Monday Mix-Up: Space, The Far East Frontier

  • Uncategorized
  • October 3, 2011

This is something different for Monday Mix-Up– I think this is the first time a government agency has made it onto our list:

China recently unveiled the logo for its version of NASA, the Chinese National Space Administration, and it looks… let’s say it looks a little familiar. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I feel like it looks a lot like what would happen if you mixed the logos for, say, a united federation of planets and a fleet that traveled through the stars.

via To Boldly Go Where China Has Never Gone Before » Fanboy.com.

This can’t be legit, can it? I mean, the logo has English letters in it…

MINDY NEWELL: Go, Giants! And You Too, DC!

newell-column-art-111003-6498284

Just some rambling…

DC’s New 52 made the New York Times again. The title of the article is “So Far, Sales For New DC Comics Are Super,” by George Gene Gustines and Adam W. Kepler was published on Saturday, October 1, 2011 issue, and was featured on the front page of the Arts Section. According the article, the first five weeks of DC’s reboot of its universe has increased “the sales of DC Comics by leaps and bounds.” The first issue of the new Justice League – which the authors call DC’s flagship book. Really? I would have thought it was Superman, since the Son of Krypton is the flagship character. But what do I know? – anyway, the first issue sold “more than 200,000 copies, compared with the roughly 40,000 for each of the last few issues of the old book.” Well, I hope it keeps up, but these are the first issues. I think it’s a little early to call it a win – after all, the NY Giants just pulled out a win over the Arizona Cardinals in the last three minutes of the game.

(more…)

HOLMES AND MORE FROM BLACK COAT PRESS IN OCTOBER!

  • News
  • October 2, 2011

From Black Coat Press- 

blackcoat1-4290809

Our three October releases are:

BAAL by Renée Dunan (1924) which features the remarkable Madame Palmyre, a bold, brazen occult heroine to rival Sar Dubnotal or Canacki (whom she’ll meet in TOTS 8) fighting the eponymous Lovecraftian entity. The great and seductive sorceress Palmyre teaches her assistant Renée the secret of her magic, including her ability to interact with creatures from other worlds, such as the unspeakable Baal, whose octopus-like form is the three-dimensional projection of an unfathomable four-dimensional entity.

The book includes The Devil’s Lovers (1929), a heroic saga about Satanism and Witchcraft that follows the adventures of a poacher and his daring wife in war-torn 16th century France.

These two ground-breaking supernatural thrillers from early feminist writer Renée Dunan, also known for her crime fiction and erotic historical novels, depict witchcraft as having its psychological origins in sexuality, reflecting the repression of the sexual impulses by the social norms of the times. “Highly original works that fully deserve translation for the benefit of fans of modern horror fiction and exotic erotica.” Brian Stableford.

THE HUMAN ARROW, a proto-SF novel started before WWI and anticipating the future of aviation, and reissued in with a new ending in 1927 (also included here) by which time it had become an alternate history.This is the story of the first non-stop Paris-to-New York flight by rocket-powered plane as it never happened. French engineer Henri Rozal faces tough competition from rivals for the hand of his fiancée, as well as shady dealings from financiers trying to steal his invention. But as the shadow of war looms, is Rozal’s utopian dream of a peaceful planet traversed by powerful flying machines fated to turn into an apocalyptic nightmare?

This edition is the first time that the two versions of the story, the original 1917 edition as well as its rewritten conclusion published in 1927, to take into account Charles Lindbergh’s flight and the horrors of World War I, have been published in a single volume.

Also included is Champsaur’s novella, The Last Man (1885), which describes how a comet increases the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere and causes Paris to revert to a jungle, and Man to an ape-like beast. 



SHERLOCK HOLMES VS JACK THE RIPPER adapted/edited by Frank Morlock which includes an 1889 play (the first fictional encounter ever) plus a a 1908 issue of the German series which later became HARRY DICKSON.”Jack the Ripper is one of the most enduring archetypes in criminal fiction. This book presents, for the first time in English, two of the earliest pieces of Ripper fiction ever written in French: Gaston Marot & Louis Péricaud’s stage play Jack the Ripper from 1889, and No. 16 of the French pulp series The Secret Files of the King of Detectives (which later became Harry Dickson) from 1908 in which the Great Detective matches his wits against Jack the Ripper. 

These two stories are translated by Frank J. Morlock, author of Sherlock Holmes: The Grand Horizontals.








COMING IN OCTOBER FROM www.blackcoatpress.com

JOHN OSTRANDER: Surprise Me!

  • Uncategorized
  • October 2, 2011

I’ve been writing stuff for a while so it’s hard to take me by surprise. I can often spot where a story is going; I’ve been known, when watching a movie or TV show, to not only predict the next plot twist but sometimes the next line of dialog. Those around me, aside from shushing me, sometimes ask me if I’ve seen this particular movie or episode before. The answer in these cases is “no” but based on what I know of plot and character, you can predict where the story has to go or what a person has to say to get it there, especially when the writer(s) are going by the numbers.

On the other hand, I’m delighted when the writer surprises me. It’s not a matter of willy-nilly just writing any old damn thing but advancing the plot or the dialog in a way that completely makes sense within context of the story. The sort of thing that makes me go, “Of course! Why didn’t I see that?!” The fact that I didn’t see or hear that coming delights me. It makes sense yet is a surprise.

I first noticed Geoff Johns on the JSA title when he did that twice to me. He re-invented original Justice Society members Doctor Fate and Johnny Thunder in ways that surprised me but were completely true to the characters and the book. They didn’t come out of the blue but were what I call “fair extrapolation” of what was already given. Any chump writer can write a surprise or a “shock surprise;” the real difficulty is to make it work in context of the character or story. Geoff makes his surprises seem organic and inevitable – once you’ve seen the surprise. He’s a writing magician.

Another writer like that is Stephen Moffat, currently renowned for as the producer and lead writer of the current Doctor Who series. He started this season with an astronaut coming out of a lake and killing the Doctor, not giving him time to regenerate. Turns out this Doctor was slightly from the future so we still had the “current time” Doctor running around this season. (The Doctor, for those of you who don’t know, is a time traveler and Moffat makes very good use of time travel in this series.)

Next Saturday is the season finale and it looks as if they’re going to deal with all this. I have no idea how Moffat’s going to pull it off but I trust him. Not only has he done a sterling job on Doctor Who but he’s also done a modern update of Sherlock Holmes (simply called Sherlock) that totally works. He also ended the first three-episode season on a cliffhanger. I trust him to find a way out that will be cool.

Moffat’s also done a revised update of Jeykll and Hyde simply called Jekyll. I admire it a lot but the first couple of episodes creeped me out enough that I haven’t finished the rest. Remember, I’m the guy who wrote the real Wasteland.

The third on my list of writers who know how to pull off “logical surprises” is Jim Butcher and, in particular, his series of novels The Dresden Files. It features a “wizard for hire,” Harry Dresden, who works out of Chicago. Okay, that’s my hometown and so I’m already there and Dresden is a hard-boiled wizard – part private detective, part Doctor Strange. It was made into a short-lived TV series on SyFy and they completely screwed it up. If that’s your only encounter with the series, please ignore it.

The Dresden Files was good when it started and has just gotten better with each successive book. Terrific cast of supporting characters, well-developed mythology for the series, and each one leaves me panting for more. Whoever I think I know where Butcher is going, he throws me for a loop. Highly recommended.

While all these writers know how to do a twist, it’s never a twist just for the sake of doing a twist. It always involves pushing the story forward or reveals new levels of characterization. I don’t need a twist to love a book or story but I always appreciate it when I get blindsided by one and it works.

MONDAY: Mindy Newell

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks