#Detective Conan Original Exhibition

[wormwoodwine]

Gin & Vermouth’s standees

Look at these gorgeous bitches!!! Look at Vermouth’s dress. Oh my god! I mean her tail dress takes up a lot of space! It doesn’t even fit the stand! And Gin is just classy! I love his grin. Very Gin.

Here is the original packaging.

These standees are from 30th Anniversary Commemorative Detective Conan Exhibition Collection in January of 2024.

And now they are back in storage because these @$&&@ are too expensive for display.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 5 Portrayals of Sebastian Moran

This is our penultimate little list for the primary supporting figures in the universe of Sherlock Holmes. We’ve gone over his greatest allies, and one of his greatest adversaries: Irene Adler, whom I declared to be probably Sherlock’s second most notable opponent after Professor Moriarty. While this is true in terms of popularity and impact, there’s one other character who arguably fits this bill even better in the books: the man Holmes declares to be “the second most dangerous man in London,” and, going with the “second” theme, acts as Moriarty’s chief lieutenant. I speak, of course, of Colonel Sebastian Moran.

Moran’s genesis is an interesting one, as it is intrinsically linked with his master, Moriarty. After deciding to bring Holmes back following the events of “The Final Problem,” Conan Doyle had to figure out how to manage it. Bringing Holmes himself to the land of the living again was relatively easy - he’d laid the groundwork for that by making the actual demise of Holmes out as Watson’s presumption, in the way it was written - but just as he needed an enemy powerful enough to snuff out Sherlock’s light in the first place, he needed another opponent who would be worth the great detective’s trouble to step out of the shadows and back into the limelight again. So, in “The Empty House,” he invented Moran: Moriarty’s second-in-command, and the closest thing the Professor ever had to a friend. So loyal he will stop at nothing to kill Holmes, even after Moriarty has been dead for a few good years. A disgraced soldier and expert sniper, whose origins are as shrouded in mystery as Moriarty’s own. While Moran is not as popular as Irene Adler, or his well-known employer, he has remained fairly persistent throughout interpretations of the Holmes canon. He’s even had a few versions where he’s totally separate from Moriarty, surprisingly. But which ones are the best? (pauses) I have no idea, but here’s a few I like, at least. These are My Top 5 Portrayals of Sebastian Moran!

5. Vinnie Jones, from Elementary.

In this series, Vinnie Jones (keep your Juggernaut jokes to yourself) plays a rather different version of Moran. Instead of being Moriarty’s loyal right-hand man, this take on the colonel is a killer-for-hire, who eventually turns against his mysterious employer. He is somewhat more sympathetic than other versions of Moran, as it is ultimately revealed Moriarty has gained hold over him by threatening his family.

4. Nikolai Kryukov, from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson.

This somewhat older take on Moran first appears in “The Deadly Fight” (the Russian series’ adaptation of “The Final Problem”), and secretly helps the Professor out behind the scenes, sniping at Holmes and seemingly killing him after Sherlock defeats Moriarty. In “The Tiger Hunt,” the show’s adaptation of “The Empty House,” Moran returns as the main antagonist, baffling Dr. Watson before ultimately being defeated by the “resurrected” Holmes.

3. Patrick Allen, from the Granada Series.

Allen is a more-or-less “by the book” Moran, which is both his greatest pro and greatest con. He’s the most accurate to the source, but I think a couple versions above him, which go a bit beyond that, are simply more interesting. This version keeps Moran’s identity as a villain a secret for a while, and I love the dichotomy between his more “crusty but seemingly jovial” demeanor before the reveal, and his absolutely fiery, unhinged wickedness when his true nature is brought to light. The anger he exhibits when he goes after Holmes is especially striking: clearly, these two have a history as much as Moriarty and Sherlock do. So much is done with so little, and I applaud this version for that.

2. Paul Anderson, from the Guy Ritchie Films.

Anderson’s version is interesting in that he acts as a sort of dark parallel to Dr. Watson, just as Moriarty acts as a sort of dark parallel to Sherlock Holmes. This is a concept no one has really touched on before or since, and I think it’s a fascinating one. Anderson’s Moran is just as faithful as Watson (if not, arguably, more so), and, like the good doctor, has military experience to back him up. But while Watson questions Sherlock’s bad behavior at times, and acts as an anchor of sanity, Moran goes along with anything Moriarty does without question or remorse, and seems to enjoy it all just as much. He was honestly just as memorable for me as Harris’ take on the Professor.

1. The Version from Moriarty the Patriot.

Like so many other characters in this anime, this version of Moran takes what was in the book, pluses it, and adds many new flourishes. Just like his boss, Moriarty, Moran is reinterpreted not as a villain but instead as an anti-hero. He’s still a gambler, still a sniper, and can be exceptionally cold-blooded when the chips are down, but instead of being a criminal monster, he’s someone trying to find a new purpose in life, facing demons from his past and seeking to do some good. He’s even more fascinating in the manga than the anime, for the record; in the latter, he’s played by Satoshi Hino in Japanese, and Christopher Wehkamp in the English dub. Incidentally, I’ve actually gotten Wehkamp’s autograph: nice fellow!

[hplovecraftmuseum]

A softcover collection printed by Dover Publications Inc. of New York in 1979. Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his tales of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Even in his own day Doyle's character had become incredibly popular. Doyle, however, had many interests and writing aspirations beyond creating a ceaseless series of Holmes and Watson tales. Doyle received serious public pushback when he killed off Holmes. Years went by before he resurrected Holmes and started adding new adventures around the character. Doyle came to actually resent his famous creation. Sherlock Holmes became bigger than his creator. To some degree there is evidence that H. P. Lovecraft was beginning to feel somewhat trapped by his own synthetic mythology in later years. The term "Cthulhu Mythos" had not been used by Lovecraft himself, and would not appear until several years after his death in March of 1937. Nonetheless, Lovecraft was being queried by several of his writing buddies who had recognized that there was a certain developing logic and consistency between the various tales Lovecraft was writing. Some of these gentlemen asked Lovecraft for clarification on the structure or even 'rules' of Lovecraft's fictional mythology. Lovecraft essentially ignored them! Did HPL feel trapped by his own cosmic backstory as Doyle felt restricted and restrained by his famed Sherlock Holmes? In the final 2 years of his life Lovecraft basically stopped writing original fiction. He complained in letters to friends that he felt his output had suffered from his 'pulp fiction' associations. Lovecraft made comments that he was taking a break from origional work, but probably intended to return to future fiction of fantastic turn after reevaluating his direction. Unfortunately, Lovecraft died at the age of 46. We can only imagine what he would have created had he lived another decade? The Cthulhu Mythos as it stands today has never enjoyed the level of populatity of the Holmes tales and probably never will. Still, in the case of both Lovecraft and Doyle one might say that Frankenstein's monster escaped its creator and became the real master! (Exhibit 307)

[bellafox2144]

10 of the best museums to visit in London city

1. British Museum: Housing over 8 million artifacts spanning human history and civilizations, the British Museum is a must-visit for any history buff. Explore ancient Egyptian mummies, marvel at the Rosetta Stone, and admire the Parthenon sculptures. Don't miss the interactive exhibits and special displays that bring the past to life.

2. Natural History Museum: Step into a world of wonder at the Natural History Museum, home to iconic dinosaur skeletons like Dippy the Diplodocus and Hintze the Blue Whale. Wander through galleries showcasing the diversity of life on Earth, from the tiniest insects to the mightiest mammals. Be sure to check out the Darwin Centre, where you can learn about evolution and human origins.

3. Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A): Immerse yourself in the world of art and design at the V&A. This stunning museum boasts a vast collection spanning fashion, furniture, ceramics, jewelry, and more. From medieval tapestries to contemporary fashion installations, the V&A offers a visual feast for all. And if you're feeling inspired, why not book a pair of London split train tickets and explore the vibrant city that birthed so many of these artistic treasures? Whether you're a history buff, a fashion enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates beautiful things, the V&A is a must-visit destination.

4. National Gallery: Art lovers, rejoice! The National Gallery houses an unparalleled collection of Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Gaze in awe at masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet, Da Vinci, and many more. With free entry and themed walking tours, the National Gallery is a haven for art enthusiasts.

5. Science Museum: Ignite your inner scientist at the Science Museum, where interactive exhibits make learning fun and engaging. Explore space exploration, delve into the mysteries of the human body, and witness groundbreaking inventions from throughout history. Don't miss the iconic IMAX cinema, showcasing awe-inspiring documentaries on the big screen.

6. Churchill War Rooms: Step back in time and experience the drama of World War II at the Churchill War Rooms. Explore the underground bunker where Britain's wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and his staff planned the Allied victory. Original maps, telephones, and artifacts bring history to life, while immersive audio recordings make you feel like you're right there in the thick of the action.

7. Tate Modern: Immerse yourself in the world of modern and contemporary art at Tate Modern. Housed in a former power station, this iconic museum showcases works by Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, and other artistic giants. Don't miss the free Turbine Hall exhibits, featuring ever-changing installations by renowned artists. And to avoid the queues, remember to split train tickets – purchase one for your outward journey and a separate one for your return trip. This can often be cheaper and save you valuable time waiting in line!

8. The Tower of London: Journey through history and intrigue at the Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the medieval fortress, marvel at the Crown Jewels, and learn about the dark and fascinating stories of the Tower's past. Be sure to join a guided tour for the inside scoop on executions, ghosts, and royal secrets.

9. Sherlock Holmes Museum: Calling all armchair detectives! Step into the world of fiction at the Sherlock Holmes Museum, located at 221B Baker Street. Explore the iconic detective's Victorian-era house, admire his gadgets and disguises, and meet Mrs. Hudson and Dr. Watson. Interactive exhibits and costumed actors bring the stories to life, making you feel like you've stepped into a Conan Doyle novel.

10. London Transport Museum: Take a nostalgic journey through London's transportation history at the London Transport Museum. Discover vintage buses, iconic red double-deckers, and even an original Tube carriage. Learn about the city's changing transport landscape, from horse-drawn carriages to the modern Underground. Interactive exhibits and hands-on activities make this a fun and educational experience for all ages.

This is just a glimpse into the wealth of museums that London has to offer. With its diverse collections, engaging exhibits, and historical significance, these 10 museums are sure to leave you inspired and informed. So pack your curiosity, lace up your walking shoes, and prepare to be amazed by the treasures that await you in London's museum wonderland!

[sacron1143]

I stopped playing around Elysium Everlasting, so it's a bit tough for me but I'll try:

1) Anti Entropy Visual Novel. Otto tried nuking NY after losing so that his secret wouldn't spread, it's what caused Reanna and Welt Joyce to die

2) Probably Second Eruption, referring to Siegfried going MANTIS

3) Don't remember this one

4) Could be a trick question. In the honkai lore, Conan Doyle was an actual detective wrote the Sherlock stories based on the more interesting cases he solved. His sidekick "irl" was a Chinese woman, yes, but her real name wasn't Watson, that's just one of the changes to make the book more believable

5) Anti Entropy Visual Novel. Nancy Thomas Alva Edison takes a plot device out of nowhere to ascend to godhood and has a brief conversation with 11 Dimensional Benjamin Franklin Dollar Bill about how that still won't be enough

6) Otto rebelled against the original Shicksal after the death of Kallen Kaslana, who is one of the 4 lesbian Jesus-like figures in the game (The others being Elysia, Kiana and Bianka)

7) Alien Space manga. Aliens are real, they are called Sugars and look like little puffballs. Don't remember the location, but I don't think it was Africa.

8) This one is one of the newer chapters. The museum exhibit should be Moriarty, a rogue Otto body, and the god should be Sa? I don't know if they fought

9) Shicksal couldn't get past Fu Hua when expanding

10) Tuna vs Ice cube. Really fun fight actually

Which means I see one option I have no idea, two that could be trick questions, and one that is after I stopped

Wanted to make my own version

[mk1412]

Desde el 5 de julio al 9 de octubre, se podrá visitar la exposición Detective Conan Original Exhibition en el Ishinomori Manga Museum conmemorando el 30º Aniversario de la obra de Aoyama Gosho. Además, la cafetería Blue Zone del museo ofrecerá un menú en colaboración con Detective Conan y se podrá adquirir merchandising exclusivo para la ocasión.

[everything-makes-me-anxious]

R.I.P. to the Original Mycroft

I rather hate the way Conan Doyle "Mary Sue'd", for lack of a better literary term, the character of Mycroft Holmes in "The Bruce Partington Plans".

He was a fun, eccentric and interesting man. The fact that he didn't use his powers for anything serious made him all the more interesting, and made his little competitive nature with Sherlock a sweet exhibition of sibling rivalry in its weirdest form.

Let me catch you up, in case you haven't read the stories. He only appeared in two cases total, first appearing in "The Greek Interpreter". Here are the relevant details about Mycroft from that story that inform us of his character, from a conversation between Sherlock and Watson:

"When I say, therefore, that Mycroft has better powers of observation than I, you may take it that I am speaking the exact and literal truth."

"You wonder," said my companion, "why it is that Mycroft does not use his powers for detective work. He is incapable of it."

"But I thought you said—"

"I said that he was my superior in observation and deduction. If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an arm-chair, my brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived. But he has no ambition and no energy."

"It is not his profession, then?"

"By no means. What is to me a means of livelihood is to him the merest hobby of a dilettante. He has an extraordinary faculty for figures, and audits the books in some of the government departments."

What an interesting man. He was also said to spend the leisure time he had in The Diogenes Club, a social club for men who didn't want to socialize but just wanted a comfortable place to relax and read the news.

But making him basically an MI5 agent turned him into just another failed London detective who needed Sherlock's help, and made him so boring.

I'm not sure what Conan Doyle intended with this change. Had he intended Mycroft to be this important all along? I think it more likely that he ran out of ideas for cases, and turned to his throwaway character of Holmes's brother for another case.

It undoubtedly sealed Mycroft's fate as an important fixture in all adaptations of screen to come along, but at the cost of an interesting little (huge) man.

[jjuzoir]

How about flirting/dating/marriage headcanons for Theo, Arthur and Napoleon from Ikevamp? *w* thamks a lot luv! 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

took me some time due to me not knowing theo too well;;: hahaha, ne way thank you for waiting!

————🌷————

Flirting/Dating/Marriage: Theo + Arthur + Napoleon;

—(🌱

-Napoleon-

flirting;

- You two hit it off particularly well, especially after he attempted to guide you to safety the night you arrived.

- So flirting came naturally to you two, what once started out as a game of who could make the other more flustered rapidly became an attempt to let the other know of the others’ feelings.

- He was quite daring, you’d have to admit that after a few weeks of flirting he started becoming more adventurous with his displays.

- Napoleon would rarely go for the cheap pick up lines, he’d rather gift you thought out compliments he’d know you’d accept.

- His favorite part of flirting with you, however, were the quick and clever remarks and how when he’d hit a particularly well spot you’d blush and quickly leave the room.

- His flirting involves teasing, quick and witty remarks, sarcasm, and lots of sincerity.

- Although a bit of a jester, Napoleon always makes certain to make his intentions with you clear; possibly, if you ever do feel the same, to have a relationship with you.

dating;

- Dating Napoleon is as easy as it is to breathe.

- Once he asks you out it doesn't really feel like anything new, simply putting a label on what came naturally.

- Though you had to admit he’d finally let himself loose now, he’d be more open about his gratitude and admiration for you and the work you did.

- Believe it or not, Mr. Bonaparte sometimes does wake up early but stays inside the bed in hopes of being able to steal a quick morning kiss.

- Enjoys taking you out on strolls of the city and showing you places you’d never seen before.

- He takes a lot of pride in being a soldier so you’ll never have to fear being unsafe when it comes to him.

marriage;

- When he asked you to marry him you had no second thoughts before shouting yes with all your heart.

- The wedding was magical, out of a children’s fairytale.

- Once you did arrive home, you two decided to quickly move out and near the mansion.

- You two open up a small school for less-fortunate kids where Isaac and Arthur help teach too.

- Napoleon makes it a habit of waking up and getting ready together.

- Loves cooking with you on rainy days and he truly enjoys being able to sit down with you while you chatted about god know what.

- Your relationship doesn’t change much, except that nowadays he rarely finds himself doubting his own humanity anymore.

—(🌱

-Theo-

flirting;

- At first you were sure he disliked you or held an unknown grudge against you, but slowly with some work and time he began opening up.

- Mostly thanks to your love for Vincent’s art.

- For outsiders, your flirting may sound more like insulting but you two make sure to never cross that line.

- Tends to blush very deeply when you compliment him out of nowhere but covers it with some arrogant comment.

- Gets shocked when you flirt with him for the first time with no teasing in between though, you almost killed him.

- Calls you pet-names in dutch quite often.

- Enjoys tanking about art with you, so expect him to add stupid little nods to artistic culture and him calling you a “stupid hondje” for not getting it.

- Overall, very smooth but there are times where even you shock and fluster him.

dating;

- When you two started dating it felt extremely natural.

- Even if you two found yourselves disagreeing there was never once an argument that couldn’t be solved with some good old talking.

- Enjoys taking you out so you could see art exhibitions from artists he enjoys, he also likes being able to take you with him when he goes out for work.

- You make the long carriage rides more tolerable.

- Enjoys eating your pancakes for breakfast so much, the way to get him to comply with you is to promise him a thick and tall tower of pancakes with syrup.

- Still a major tease, though he tends to not call you hondje or any sort of dog-related name old habits die hard.

- Likes being around you a lot.

marriage;

- When he asked you to marry him you felt honored so there was no hesitation on your part.

- The wedding was actually small, originally he only wanted to invite Vincent but you convinced him to invite the other guests.

- Cried a lot the day after the wedding.

- Hates being alone so now that you two are together he doesn’t really need to fear that anymore.

- You two don’t move out until a few years married and so you bought a house big enough for you three; Theo, Vincent, and you.

- When Theo isn’t around you, not very often, he leaves you with Vincent.

- He melts when he receives a painting of you made by his older brother.

- He works late into the night, so you often surprise him with warm pancakes.

- Likes taking the weekends off and spending them with you and taking you out on dates.

- You three do go to the mansion quite often too.

- Is awfully sweet and caring in his own, sometimes silly and cold, way.

—(🌱

-Arthur-

flirting;

- Flirting is like second nature for a guy like Conan (yes, I will refer to him by both of names, no I won’t stop).

- It’s not that he has to actively try and flirt with people, he’s just a natural charming guy.

- So when you two begin flirting after the incident (which should’ve taken you some time to come to terms with), you have a hard time trying to make out if he means it or not.

- So, just for the sake of it you reciprocated the feeling.

- He goes for the cheesy one liners he knows such but make you laugh, that plus the genuine compliment shoved in the sandwich and that’s his style baby.

- Doesn’t get flustered easily unless he can feel the genuineness from the compliment, then he short circuits like a robot dumped in water.

- Won’t touch you without your consent (surprising considering that stunt he pulled; I’m still mad).

- Knows your buttons as well as he knows he looks hot in glasses; very fucking well.

dating;

-. At first it was hard to understand if he wanted to date you or if you were going to be another one hit wonder with him.

- But soon he realized that you were more than just a one time thing, and when he does he fully throws himself deeply in the relationship.

- Very thoughtful once he realizes he’s fallen for you.

- Loves spoiling you with clothes and shoes, and if you’re not into that he’d love to do so too with other materials used for your hobbies.

- Romantic, very romantic.

- Likes calling you pet-names but especially darling for some reason.

- Hates serious situations so he will divert them with humor.

- Funny dude, overall.

- Takes you out of the town very often and likes taking you over europe.

- Would love to adopt another dog with you tbh.

- Asks you to tell him stories from the future to inspire him for his stories.

- Arthur’s also surprisingly open with his feelings after a while, he enjoys being able to unwind to you after a hard day.

- Spends less time in the pubs, he’d rather spend his nights with you.

marriage;

-. Overall a very chill and lowkey wedding believe it or not.

- You two moved out near the mansion and probably have a small detective spot you guys help around the city.

- You two became a well-known duo and grew close to the police force.

- The house you two would have would probably sport a very big backyard.

- Loves having coffee with you in the mornings.

- Matching outfits and shit it’s almost annoyingly sweet.

- Arthur enjoys taking walks with you and the dogs.

- Probably doesn’t want kids, he’d rather you two be known as the cool older friends to other people’s kids.

- You two are kind of friends before you’re a couple, you know?

[simon-martin]

SOUTH DOWNS: this wood-engraving by Claire Oldham has a satisfying interplay between the simplified curves of the landscape and the complex spiky foliage of common gorse (ulex). I’d rather overlooked it during the exhibition ‘Drawn to Nature: Gilbert White and the Artists’ @pallanthousegallery - largely because her images of birds and animals are so engaging. Oldham was self-taught as a printmaker: she had read Clare Leighton’s book on wood-engraving and decided to try it out. But she had an intuitive sense of composition and how to create an intuitive image. During World War II she was working as a land girl on a farm, and was ‘discovered’ by the painter Gluck. So little is recorded about her, but I did discover her house in the South Downs, and through ancestry.com worked out her life dates (which no one seemed to know) that she was born in India in 1906 and the extraordinary fact that she was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s niece (her Scottish mother was the detective writer’s younger sister who had married a soldier). She did write an illustrate an award-winning children’s book about a caravan and an old car that live together in the South Downs. Oldham had no siblings and no children, and seems to have been forgotten by her more distant family (who presumably had a much more famous relative to worry about.) She died in Somerset in 1996: I’d love to think there was a cache of her original wood-engravings and blocks waiting to be discovered. #claireoldham #illustrations #womenartists #woodengraving #illustration #southdowns #gorse @southdownsnp @visit_southdowns @southdownsartists (at Brighton and Hove) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMMPc4FFUlz/?igshid=pen1ledb0tzn

[snknews]

New SnK Event at Universal Studios Japan Slated for Winter/Spring/Summer 2020

Universal Studios Japan has announced yet another Shingeki no Kyojin event/exhibition scheduled from January 21st to June 28th, 2019! As always, it will appear along original attractions from other iconic series, such as Lupin III and Detective Conan.

The SnK attraction at the park will be the 360-degree VR rollercoaster “XR” ride, which promises an impressive experience.

The SnK/USJ partnership events have taken place annually since 2015.

Update (November 28th, 2019): New details on the event offerings have been revealed! The XR ride storyline will involve a rescue operations led by Levi, the Cronoids for the year will be Levi & Hanji, the goods store will have an array of new merchandise, and the cafeteria will serve up brand new menu items!

Related News: Events Archival News: Universal Studios Japan

[thecomicsnexus]

TOP 10 INK AND COLOR ARTISTS OF 2019′S REVIEWS

This year I felt the need to also do this list. Why? Well, when I was going through the most prominent artists with a 10 score, I noticed that some names were in almost all of them, but they weren’t the main artists. These artists are mostly inkers and colorists, and they are industry professionals, that usually worked for the publisher directly. This is the main reason they were involved in most of the art teams. Some of these were working for hire though. But you will also notice that unlike the writers and pencillers lists, this one is a lot more diverse.

NUMBER TEN JOHN HIGGINS (1949 - PRESENT)

John Higgins (born 1949) is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colorist for Watchmen.

John Higgins was born in Walton, Liverpool. After leaving school when he was 15, he joined the army and, on leaving, spent some time in a commune in Wiltshire. He returned to Liverpool and, in 1971, resumed his studies at Wallasey College of Art. There, in 1974 he qualified in technical illustration, which allowed him to get a job as a medical illustrator at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

After getting his first comic book art published in Brainstorm in 1975, he drew the cover for 2000 AD No. 43 in 1977 and decided to go freelance in 1978, with an eye on becoming a comic artist. In 1981 he started getting regular work at 2000 AD, one of his early projects being the art for a Tharg's Future Shocks by Alan Moore, as well as doing covers for Marvel UK.

After this he worked steadily at 2000 AD and joined the British Invasion in the mid-eighties—notably doing the colouring on Moore's Watchmen and Batman: The Killing Joke, a job he got through colouring Steve Dillon's art on Moore's ABC Warriors story. This led to more work in the American market, although he has kept working on British titles too especially with Judge Dredd over 20 years.

He provided the art for Greysuit with Pat Mills, as well as working with Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti on The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning and Jonah Hex No. 28.

Higgins is also a writer. He wrote and drew his first Future Shock at 2000 AD and did the same for Razorjack, a comic book mini-series from Com.x, which was reprinted in 2009.

Higgins has worked in a number of different areas providing artwork for animation, film and book covers like The Cabinet of Light and The Morgaine Stories. In 2012, Higgins worked on the Before Watchmen project, drawing the serialised feature "Curse of the Crimson Corsair" which was initially written by Len Wein. Higgins later became the writer of the feature as well.

In 2016 he provided the art for six stamps commemorating the Great Fire of London, illustrating them in the style of a comic strip.

In 2017 a collection of his artwork was exhibited at the Victoria Gallery & Museum in Liverpool, in an exhibition called Beyond Dredd & Watchmen: The Art of John Higgins.

Higgins made it into the list thanks to his work on “Batman: The Killing Joke” and “Watchmen”.

NUMBER NINE ROMEO TANGHAL (1943 - PRESENT)

Romeo Tanghal (born 1943) is a Filipino comics artist who has worked primarily as an inker. He became well known in the industry in the 1980s for his work on DC Comics' The New Teen Titans.

Romeo Tanghal was born and raised in the Philippines. A self–taught artist, he started doing comics illustrations after graduating high school. He briefly worked with various local publications before emigrating to the United States in 1976. His first published work in the U.S. was "If There Were No Batman... I Would Have to Invent Him" in Batman #284 (Feb. 1977) for DC Comics. He then drew short stories for House of Mystery, House of Secrets, and Weird War Tales. He later became the inker on such features as Super Friends, "Scalphunter" in Weird Western Tales, and "Gravedigger" in Men of War. In 1980, Tanghal became the inker of George Pérez's penciled artwork on The New Teen Titans. Tanghal drew two origin stories for DC's digest line during this time, a ten-page short story in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #5 (Nov.–Dec. 1980) featuring Zatara and Zatanna and the origin of the Penguin in The Best of DC #10 (March 1981). Tanghal began working for Marvel Comics as well in 1986. He inked the comics adaptations of such films as Labyrinth, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and Willow. Tanghal did character design and storyboards for Sunbow Entertainment from 1985 to 1987.

Tanghal received an Inkpot Award in 2013.

I usually think of Romeo when I think about the team of Wolfman and Pérez. Their work on New Teen Titans is the main reason he made it into this list.

NUMBER EIGHT LYNN VARLEY (1958 - PRESENT)

Lynn Varley is an award-winning American comic book colorist, notable for her collaborations with her then-husband, comic book writer/artist Frank Miller.

Varley grew up in Livonia, Michigan. Moving to New York City, she found work at Neal Adams' Continuity Associates. She debuted as a comic book colorist on Batman Annual # 8 (1982), written by Mike W. Barr and penciled by her then partner Trevor Von Eeden. Around the same time, she became professionally involved with Upstart Associates, a shared studio space on West 29th Street formed by Walter Simonson, Howard Chaykin, Val Mayerik, and Jim Starlin. Varley colored the first two issues of Chaykin's American Flagg! Frank Miller later became part of Upstart.

Varley provided the coloring for Miller's Ronin (1984), an experimental six-issue series from DC Comics that proved that comics in unusual formats could be commercially successful; and The Dark Knight Returns (1986), a four issue mini-series that went on to become an outstanding commercial and critical success. Miller also noted that Varley helped create the futuristic slang that Carrie Kelley and other characters use.

Subsequently, Varley colored other Miller books, including The Dark Knight Strikes Again, 300, Elektra Lives Again, Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (with Geoff Darrow), as well as a number of covers for the U.S. editions of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. She also colored the backgrounds for the 300 movie (2007), produced by Miller.

Varley has only worked sporadically in the comics industry since 2005.

Varley and Miller were married from 1986 to 2005. They moved from New York City to Los Angeles in the late 1980s and moved back to New York shortly before the September 11 attacks.

Because of her collaborations with Miller, Lynn made it into this list thanks to her work on “Ronin”, “The Dark Knight Returns” and “Wolverine”.

NUMBER SEVEN GLYNIS “WEIN” OLIVER (1949 - PRESENT)

Glynis Oliver, also credited as Glynis Wein is an artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry. For several years, she was married to Len Wein. She returned to her maiden name in 1985. She was born in England.

She has been recognized for her work in the industry with a Shazam Award for Best Colorist in 1973.

Glynis has an extensive career in comics, but the reason she made it into this list was her work on “Uncanny X-Men”, more specifically “the Dark Pheonix Saga” and the “Wolverine” mini-series.

NUMBER SIX BRAD ANDERSON

Not to mistake with the creator of Marmaduke.

Brad Anderson is a cartoonist and comic book colourist. He began his career in 1998 working for DC Comics in 1998 on the title Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. Ever since he has worked on countless comics for different publishers including Dark Horse Comics and Marvel Comics

Most recently, he has been working on titles like Batman Eternal, Green Lantern, Justice League and Convergence.

Little is known about Brad’s life (odd considering the popularity of the material he is part of). He made it into this list thanks to his work on the “Witching Hour” crossover and also on the Shazam Origin that run on the Justice League book.

NUMBER FIVE ANTHONY TOLLIN (1952 - PRESENT)

Anthony Tollin is a professional comic book colourist. Tollin started working for DC Comics in the early 70s as an assistant to Tatjana Wood in the coloring department. In the early 80s, he became the main colourist for DC, doing almost all of the covers of the publications of the company at the time. Tollin worked for DC until the early 90s, when he started working for other publishers.

He is in this list thanks to his work on “Vigilante”, “Ambush Bug” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”.

NUMBER FOUR ADRIENNE ROY (1953 - 2010)

Adrienne Roy (June 28, 1953 – December 14, 2010) was a comic book color artist who worked mostly for DC Comics. She was largely responsible for coloring the Batman line (Batman and Detective Comics) throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

Roy attended an art school in Wayne, New Jersey, where she studied painting techniques. Her first contact with comics was through collecting Marvel Comics' Tomb of Dracula, The Sub-Mariner and Conan the Barbarian. Roy's first work as a comics colorist was assisting her husband Anthony Tollin, who worked for DC Comics at the times. But it was long-time colorist Jack Adler who would give her the first job at DC: the cover of DC Special Series #8 (featuring the Batman, Deadman and Sgt. Rock team-up). Adler and Sol Harrison (who was also a colorist) were considered by Roy herself as her mentors and both trained her on coloring during her first years at DC.

Roy was also responsible for the coloring on many other titles during that time period: The New Teen Titans, The Warlord, Weird War Tales and Madame Xanadu. Nevertheless, she is predominantly known for her work on the Batman books: Batman, Detective Comics, Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Batman: Gotham Knights, and Robin.

When computerized colors arrived to comics, the assignments to classic colorists decreased a lot. By 2000 Roy was largely out of work, despite training herself on the computer. Roy spent her last days battling cancer and died in Austin, Texas, at age 57 on December 14, 2010.

Adrienne Roy illustrated most of the comics of my childhood, and her “fuchsia” skies are pretty much her trademark on many Batman comics. She made it into this list thanks to her work on “New Teen Titans”, “Batman and the Outsiders”, Tales of the Teen Titans”, “The Judas Contract”, “Batman” and “Detective Comics”.

NUMBER THREE TERRY AUSTIN (1952 - PRESENT)

Terry Kevin Austin (born August 23, 1952) is an American comics artist, working primarily as an inker. He is best known for his work embellishing John Byrne's pencils on Uncanny X-Men from 1977 to 1981.

Austin grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and attended Wayne State University. He started inking comics as an assistant to Dick Giordano and Neal Adams, doing "Crusty Bunker" work for Adams' Continuity Associates. Austin came to prominence in 1976–1977, inking Marshall Rogers' pencils on a celebrated run of Batman stories for DC Comics' Detective Comics collaborating with writer Steve Englehart. During this same period, Austin inked Michael Netzer (Nasser) on DC's Martian Manhunter in Adventure Comics and Green Arrow/Black Canary in World's Finest Comics, as well as Al Milgrom on Marvel Comics' Captain Marvel. He later teamed with Rogers again on Marvel's Doctor Strange.

In 1977, Austin and penciler John Byrne became the new art team on Uncanny X-Men. With writer Chris Claremont they produced a series of stories — particularly "The Dark Phoenix Saga" — which elevated the title into the top-selling American comic book.

Austin resides near Poughkeepsie, New York, where he plays volleyball and gets together often with fellow comics veteran Fred Hembeck.

Terry is a very popular inker that has almost no presence online (only through Fred Hembeck). He made it into this list mostly for his work on “Camelot 3000″ and “Uncanny X-Men”, most specifically, “The Dark Phoenix” saga.

NUMBER TWO DICK GIORDANO (1932 - 2010)

Richard Joseph "Dick" Giordano (July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics.

Dick Giordano, an only child, was born in New York City on July 20, 1932, in the borough of Manhattan to Josephine Labruzzi and Graziano "Jack" Giordano. He attended the School of Industrial Art.

Beginning as a freelance artist at Charlton Comics in 1952, Giordano contributed artwork to dozens of the company's comics, including such Western titles as Annie Oakley, Billy the Kid, and Wyatt Earp, the war comic Fightin' Army, and scores of covers.

Giordano's artwork from Charlton's Strange Suspense Stories was used as inspiration for artist Roy Lichtenstein's 1965/1966 Brushstroke series, including Brushstroke, Big Painting No. 6, Little Big Painting and Yellow and Green Brushstrokes.

By the mid-1960s a Charlton veteran, Giordano rose to executive editor, succeeding Pat Masulli, by 1965. As an editor, he made his first mark in the industry, overseeing Charlton's revamping of its few existing superheroes and having his artists and writers create new such characters for what he called the company's "Action Hero" line. Many of these artists included new talent Giordano brought on board, including Jim Aparo, Dennis O'Neil, and Steve Skeates.

DC Comics vice president Irwin Donenfeld hired Giordano as an editor in April 1968, at the suggestion of Steve Ditko, with Giordano bringing over to DC some of the creators he had nurtured at Charlton. Giordano was given several titles such as Teen Titans, Aquaman and Young Love, but none of DC's major series. He launched the horror comics series The Witching Hour in March 1969, and the Western series All-Star Western vol. 2 in September 1970.

He continued to freelance for DC as a penciler and inker. As an artist, Giordano was best known as an inker. His inking was particularly associated with the pencils of Neal Adams, for their run in the early 1970s on the titles Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow. Comics historian Les Daniels observed that "The influential Adams style moved comics closer to illustration than cartooning, and he brought a menacing mood to Batman's adventures that was augmented by Dick Giordano's dark, brooding inks."

By 1971, frustrated by what he felt was a lack of editorial opportunities, Giordano had left DC to partner with fellow artist Neal Adams for their Continuity Associates studios, which served as an art packager for comic book publishers, including such companies as Giordano's former employer Charlton Comics, Marvel Comics, and the one-shot Big Apple Comix. Several comics artists began their careers at Continuity and many were mentored by Giordano during their time there.

He had a brief run as penciler of the Wonder Woman series which included a two-issue story in issues #202–203 (October and December 1972) written by science-fiction author Samuel R. Delany. Giordano drew several backup stories in Action Comics featuring the Human Target character as well as the martial arts feature "Sons of the Tiger" in Marvel's black-and-white comics magazine The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. He was a frequent artist on Batman and Detective Comics and he and writer Denny O'Neil created the Batman supporting character Leslie Thompkins in the story "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley" in Detective Comics #457 (March 1976). Giordano inked the large-format, first DC/Marvel intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man (1976), over the pencils of Ross Andru. Giordano inked Adams on the one-shot Superman vs. Muhammad Ali in 1978. Throughout the late 1970s and the early 1980s, Ross Andru and Giordano were DC's primary cover artists, providing cover artwork for the Superman titles as well as covers for many of the other comics in the DC line at that time.

In 1980, DC publisher Jenette Kahn brought Giordano back to DC. Initially the editor of the Batman titles, Giordano was named the company's new managing editor in 1981, and promoted to vice president/executive editor in 1983, a position he held until 1993. DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz observed in 2010 that "Giordano held the respect of talent as one of their own, and kept their affection with his reassuring calm and warmth."

Giordano provided art for several anniversary issues of key DC titles. He and television writer Alan Brennert crafted the story "To Kill a Legend" in Detective Comics #500 (March 1981). Giordano was one of the artists on the double-sized Justice League of America #200 (March 1982) as well as Wonder Woman #300 (Feb. 1983) He was promoted to Vice-President/Executive Editor in 1984, and with Kahn and Levitz, oversaw the relaunch of all of DC's major characters with the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series in 1985. This was followed by Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen in 1986. Giordano inked several major projects during this time such as George Pérez's pencils on Crisis on Infinite Earths and John Byrne's pencils on The Man of Steel and Action Comics, though during this period he always employed assistants for inking backgrounds, filling in large black areas, and making final erasures.

From 1983 to 1987, Giordano wrote a monthly column published in DC titles called "Meanwhile..." which much like Marvel's "Bullpen Bulletins" featured news and information about the company and its creators. Unlike "Bullpen Bulletins," which was characterized by an ironic, over-hyped tone, Giordano's columns ". . . were written in a relatively sober, absolutely friendly voice, like a friend of your father's you particularly liked and didn't mind sitting down to listen to." Giordano closed each "Meanwhile..." column with the characteristic words, "Thank you and good afternoon."

The Vertigo imprint was launched in early 1993 built upon the success several titles edited by Karen Berger including Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Sandman, Doom Patrol, Animal Man, and Shade, the Changing Man. Giordano inked six issues of The Sandman in 1991-1993.

Beginning in 1987, Giordano was in the middle of an industry-wide debate about the comics industry, ratings systems, and creators' rights. Veteran writers Mike Friedrich, Steven Grant, and Roger Slifer all cited Giordano in particular for his hard-line stance on behalf of DC. This debate led in part to the 1988 drafting of the Creator's Bill of Rights.

Giordano left DC in 1993, and still did the occasional inking job, but later returned to freelancing full-time. In 1994 Giordano illustrated a graphic novel adaptation of the novel Modesty Blaise released by DC Comics, with creator/writer Peter O'Donnell. He was one of the many artists who contributed to the Superman: The Wedding Album one-shot in 1996 wherein the title character married Lois Lane.

In 2002, Giordano launched the short-lived Future Comics with writer David Michelinie and artist Bob Layton. Since 2002, Giordano had drawn several issues of The Phantom published in Europe and Australia. In 2004, Giordano and writer Roy Thomas completed an adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. They had begun the project in 1974 but the cancellation of many of Marvel's black and white magazines put it into limbo. The finished story was collected into a hardcover edition in 2005 and a colorized hardcover edition in 2010. In 2005, F+W Publications Inc. published the instructional art book Drawing Comics with Dick Giordano, which he wrote and illustrated. His last mainstream work appeared in Jonah Hex vol. 2, #51 (March 2010) for which he drew the interior art and the cover. His last comics work was pencilling and editing Baron Five, published by Hound Comics.

Giordano married the former Marie Trapani, sister of fellow comics artist Sal Trapani, on April 17, 1955. She died from complications of her second stomach cancer surgery in February 1993. They had three children together; Lisa, Dawn, and Richard Jr. Marie's death, combined with Giordano's increasing hearing loss, hastened his decision to retire from DC. Following the death of his wife, Giordano split time between homes in Florida and Connecticut. In 1995, he moved to Palm Coast, Florida, where he continued to work full-time freelancing, until his death. Giordano had suffered from lymphoma and later from leukemia, secondary to the chemotherapy. He died on March 27, 2010 due to complications of pneumonia.

Giordano served as mentor or inspiration to a generation of inkers, including Terry Austin, Mike DeCarlo, and Bob Layton.

Shortly after Giordano's death in 2010, The Hero Initiative created "The Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year Award", which debuted at the 2010 Harvey Awards ceremony held at the Baltimore Comic-Con. The award recognizes one person in comics each year who demonstrates particular generosity and integrity in support of the overall comic book community.

Giordano received recognition in the industry for his work, including the Alley Award for Best Editor in 1969. He won the Shazam Award for Best Inker (Dramatic Division) in 1970 (for Green Lantern), 1971, 1973 (for Justice League of America), and 1974. He won the 1971 Goethe Award for "Favorite Pro Editor." Giordano received an Inkpot Award in 1981. In 2009 he was awarded the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.

My favorite anecdote of Dick Giordano, is from Karen Berger (from the book “The British Invasion: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison”) about Grant Morrison’s thick Glaswegian accent.

“When I first met Grant, I was with Dick Giordano and Jenette Khan. I had set up appointments pretty much every hour with different writers and artists in this suite that we had rented to meet people, and Grant was the last person we saw on one of the days. And Dick Giordano was very hard of hearing... he wore two hearing aids and when Grant came in, Grant started talking and [Giordano] just took off his hearing aids and left the room. He couldn’t even read his lips.”

Dick Giordano is a legend, but he is in this list because of his work on “Camelot 3000″, “Tales of the Teen Titans”, “Vigilante” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”.

NUMBER ONE TATJANA WOOD (1926 - PRESENT)

Tatjana Wood (née Tatjana Weintraub, in Darmstadt, Germany) is an American artist and comic book colorist.

Tatjana's father was Jewish, and her mother was Christian. During World War II, she and her brother, Karl Joachim Weintraub, were sent to an international Quaker boarding school in the Netherlands. Gaining Dutch citizenship was not easy, so after World War II, the Quakers arranged for the two to travel to New York City in 1947. Karl went on to the University of Chicago, while Tatjana stayed in New York, attending the Traphagen School of Fashion. In 1949, she met Wally Wood, and they married August 28, 1950.

During the 1950s and 1960s, she sometimes made uncredited contributions to Wood's artwork. One of the stories she worked on was "Carl Akeley" in EC Comics' Two-Fisted Tales #41 (February–March 1955). She did a number of animal drawings for that story.

Later, beginning in 1969, she did extensive work for DC Comics as a comic book colorist. She was the main colorist for DC's covers from 1973 through the mid-1980s. Wood did coloring work on the interiors of comics as well, including Grant Morrison's acclaimed run on Animal Man, Alan Moore's issues of Swamp Thing, and Camelot 3000. She won the Shazam Award for Best Colorist in 1971 and 1974. Tatjana has had no significant credits in the comics industry since 2003.

She is also a skilled dressmaker and weaver, who has crafted theatrical costumes and pictorial loom tapestries.

Tatjana's brother Karl died March 25, 2004. He was a distinguished scholar at the University of Chicago and the author of two books, Visions of Culture: Voltaire-Guizot-Burckhardt-Lamprecht-Huizinga-Ortega y Gassett (1966) and The Value of the Individual: Self and Circumstance in Autobiography (1978).

Tatjana Wood has been mostly uncredited for most of her career. It is only thanks to interviews and reprints that we know of her work on many essential books, like the original Swamp Thing volume.

She made it into this list because of her work on “Swamp Thing” and “Camelot 3000″.

There were more artists that didn’t make it to the top 10, but were considered: Bob Oksner, Bruce D. Patterson, Tom Ziuko, Tom McCraw, Alfredo Alcala, Mike DeCarlo, Joe Rubinstein, Klaus Janson, Malcolm Jones III, Norm Breyfogle (for both lists) and Steve Oliff.

Being an inker or a colorist in comics can be an ungrateful job. But they mean a lot to certain artists. It is not the same to be inked by Romeo Tanghal or by Mike Royer. And because most of these artists had permanent contracts with their publishers, they ended up growing up in the industry. To all of them, thanks for the comics!

[miss-watolock]

Miss Sherlock: An Introduction

Anyone who has dabbled in any form of pop culture probably has the name “Sherlock Holmes” tucked away in their consciousness. The outrageously popular novels from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon have left their mark on storytelling and it seems they will continue to do so for countless years to come. Just look at the endless and more recent reiterations of Sherlock Holmes: BBC’s Sherlock, CBS’s Elementary (featuring one of the few recognizable Asian American actors Lucy Liu), and the film Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. 

And yet it took 99 years for a Sherlock reimagined as a woman to appear in the Soviet Union TV movie My Tenderly Loved Detective. Now, 131 years from the first print in 1887 of A Study in Scarlet, Miss Sherlock has entered the arena of Sherlock Holmes content as a HBO Asia show featuring not only an Asian woman as Wato-san, but also an Asian woman as the titular Miss Sherlock Holmes. 

This is thankfully not the first Sherlock Holmes adaptations with women starring in the main roles, and most hopefully not the last. However, how Miss Sherlock has approached and molded Sherlock Holmes canon into a modern Japanese setting has made for some devastatingly relevant plot which perhaps exhibits how timeless characters like Sherlock and Wato-san can be. This show opens up discourse on how global issues are not isolated events and what makes up our preconceived notions of how we as consumers of content think certain stories should be told versus how they actually are told. 

In eight episodes, Miss Sherlock puts on display what audiences have come to expect from any Sherlock Holmes stories: brilliant detective work from seemingly other-worldly deduction, an eccentric Sherlock with a loyal Wat(o)s[a]n, and bizarre cases that are linked to a grand antagonist *cough*Moriarty*cough*. But Miss Sherlock distinguishes itself from its predecessors in notable ways - and in my opinion, in mostly a better light than most. I mean, look at that original logo. It’s iconic. 

I hope to delve more into the world of not only Miss Sherlock, but how it fits and transcends into the spaces of Sherlock Holmes canon and fanon that has been carved out for the last century. And yes, there will be watolock content. I ship it.

(Here’s some lq watolock right now - S1E03 around the 44:00 timemark) 

[recentanimenews]

Detective Conan The Movie Exhibition Reveals Its Main Visual & Highlights

    "Detective Conan The Movie Exhibition - Memoirs of the Silver Screen," a special exhibition that focuses on the Detective Conan film series to be held at Muromachi Mitsui Hall & Conference in Tokyo from April 30 to June 12, 2022, has revealed its main visual and highlights of its four main areas.

  The venue consists of fore areas, ACT1 to ACT4, where visitors can experience the world of the Detective Conan films through a variety of tricks and exhibits, including recreations of famous scenes, original videos, and photo spots.

      In addition to the exhibition's original introductory movie area, ACT 1-2 include an area displaying famous scenes and lines from the films. Visitors can look back with Conan on various incidents that occurred in the past and enjoy the experience of entering the world of Conan's memories.

      The main area, ACT3, will offer photo spots that recreate famous scenes from the films.

  From "The Time-Bombed Skyscraper"

    From "The Darkest Nightmare"

    In ACT4, visitors can watch a powerful projection mapping in an immersive and realistic 360-degree screen theater to enjoy the world of the Detective Conan films There will also be a surprise from Conan at the end.

      Advance ticket with a five-type original character card will go on sale on March 18. 

    The exhibition's original goods:

    ／ メインビジュアル＆本サイト公開！ ＼ ついにメインビジュアルが公開されました！ 気になる企画展の内容やチケット料金・グッズ情報など、詳細は公式サイトを要チェック✔https://t.co/u53KRCx9i4#名探偵コナン　#コナン　#コナンムービー展 pic.twitter.com/Vbsc2SseTC

— 【公式】DETECTIVE CONAN THE MOVIE 展 (@conan_ginmaku) March 15, 2022

    Source: ShoPro press release

  ©1997-2022　Gosho Aoyama/Detective Conan Production Committee

  By: Mikikazu Komatsu

[angelicsentinel]

Run Rabbit Run

Today was one of the days Shinichi really, really wanted to sleep in, but Agasa-hakase had organized some sort of educational trip with Ran and the Detective Boys without telling him. Shinichi wasn’t sure what it was all about, but Ran had forced him through his morning routine, so here they were, walking through one of Beika’s museums, Shinichi forcing a yawn down.

As they entered the Japanese section of the museum, and past an old piece of art detailing some kind of lagomorph, Shinichi really wasn’t paying attention to what it was, Agasa began to speak. “’Long ago, long ago, there was a Hare that lived in Inaba. His coat was the color of the purest snow, and after the destruction of his boat, he found himself needing to return from Oki island to the shores of Inaba,’” Agasa-hakase was saying as they walked through the exhibit.

“Inaba? Where’s that?” Genta asked.

“That’s Tottori now, isn’t it?” Mitsuhiko said, looking to Shinichi for confirmation. “Isn’t it an old name for it?”

Shinichi nodded. “It is.”

“How’d the boat get destroyed?” Mitsuhiko asked.

“I don’t recall that being in the original myth,” Haibara said. “Does it ever say why he needed to cross back over the sea?”

Agasa tugged at his collar “Well--”

“What’s the next part?” Ayumi asked. “Does he ever make it back across?”

“Well, he does,” Ran said, leaning over on her knees so she was eye level with Ayumi. “He--” she began, and then she let out a little giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Genta asked.

“Well, I just thought about something Shinichi said to me one time.”

Shinichi instantly perked up. “Ran-nee-chan, Ran-nee-chan, what did Shinichi-nii-san say?” He certainly didn’t remember saying anything to her about this legend. It was half-forgotten to begin with.

“Oh, he just called detectives ‘sharks,’” Ran said. “Because they go after mysteries like sharks scenting blood. And I was thinking, you know the Kaitou Kid has sent out another heist note for this museum, and detectives sort of always follow him around. And he dresses in white, like a hare’s winter coat. So maybe he’s like the Hare.”

“But what does that have to do with anything?” Ayumi asked.

“Well, you see, Hare needed a way to cross the sea to get back to Inaba. Thinking himself very clever, he strode out confidently to the beach and started beating his feet on the ground, which made the ground shake and the water churn. Eventually, a shark came to the surface, asking what all the fuss was about. So the Hare offered him a challenge to see who had the bigger clan, the hares or the sharks.”

“What happened next?” Genta asked.

“Well, the shark was a bit arrogant and prideful, and said of course sharks have a bigger clan. The Hare laughed in his face and said he doubted it, not even if they all lined up would the sharks have a bigger clan, which made the shark all the more determined to prove him wrong. So he called his family over, they all lined up just below the surface, and he demanded that the Hare count them to prove they had the most numbers. In fact, the clan was so large, their members stretched from shore to shore.”

“Oh, I get it!” Mitsuhiko said. “Then the Hare used them to cross the sea, right?”

“Mhmm!” Ran said, smiling.

“The Hare crossed happily,” Haibara said, taking over, “bouncing from head to head to head. But on the head of the last shark, the reckless Hare decided to turn around and mock them, calling them all fools. The Hare, quick as he was, was not able to dodge the last shark, and it shredded his coat to pieces and tore his skin.” She shot Shinichi a look, and he didn’t roll his eyes, but it was a near thing.

“Oh no!” Ayumi said. “Was the little Hare okay?” Her eyes were wide, and her lower lip quivered.

“Injured and humiliated and lacking his coat, but he was alive,” Ran said.

“Oh thank goodness,” Ayumi said, clasping her hands together.

“That’s kind of stupid,” Genta said.

“The Hare was clever, but a little too in love with his cleverness,” Haibara said, agreeing, cutting her eyes at him. Haibara liked to be sure she made her point, didn’t she? Shinichi thought.

“And then, as he was curled up in pain, a procession of eighty princes came by, traveling to make a claim for the hand of the Princess of Inaba.  Brought low by his pain, from the ground the Hare tugged at the robes of one of them, begging for a way to end the pain. Annoyed, the man told him to go bathe in the sea, his other brothers nodding sagely. The Hare did, but it only made the pain worse,” Agasa said.

“Duh!” Genta said. “Salt hurts! Even kids know that!”

“Ah, yes, Genta-kun,” Agasa said. “Hurting even worse, the Hare mourned his very existence and despaired of ever healing. But this time, another passing man, traveling alone, heard his cry.”

“Who was it?” Ayumi asked.

“The youngest brother,” Agasa said. “The eighty-first prince. He was left behind to carry all their things, and so he trailed far, far behind them. Again, the Hare told him of his problem, and of the advice given to him by the other princes. This prince was not like his other brothers, who were unified only in their hatred of him. He told the Hare to bathe in the fresh water from the river, and once he was done, to roll in the cattails when he was finished, and it would stick and return his glorious coat to him.”

“That was really nice of him!” Mitsuhiko said.

“But it turned out the Hare was a god, and lord of Inaba,” Agasa said. “And because of his youngest prince’s kindness and integrity, the hand of the Princess would go to him, he who was destined to be a kind, wise ruler, and generous to the people.”

“So why tell us the story, Agasa-hakase?” Shinichi asked. “Weren’t we here to look at some of the other exhibits?”

“I thought you’d never ask, Conan-kun!” Agasa said. “We’re here!”

[courtneyrobinson97]

IXD304

Researching Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional private detective created by the British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his high observation skills, experience in forensic science, as well as his logical reasoning that borders on the crazy to most who don’t know him well. He investigates cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.

First appearing in print in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock’s popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with "A Scandal in Bohemia" in 1891. This series eventually totalled to four novels and 56 short stories. All but one are set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914. Most are narrated by the character of Holmes's friend and biographer Dr. John H. Watson, who usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations and often shares quarters with him at the address of 221B Baker Street, London, where many of the stories begin.

Although Sherlock isn’t the first fictional detective in stories, Holmes is arguably the best known. By the 1990s, there were already over 25,000 stage adaptations, films, television productions and publications featuring the detective, and the Guinness World Records even lists him as the most portrayed literary human character in all of film and television history.

Holmes's popularity hit an all time high to the fact that many belief him to be a real person and not just a fictional character in story books. Fans of the franchise helped create the modern practice of fandom. The character and stories have had a profound and lasting effect on mystery writing and popular culture as a whole, with the original tales as well as thousands written by authors other than Conan Doyle being adapted into stage and radio plays, television, films, video games, and other media for over one hundred years.

The inspiration behind Sherlock Holmes stemmed from Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin which is generally acknowledged as the first detective in fiction. Similarly, the stories of Émile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq were extremely popular at the time Conan Doyle began writing Holmes, and Holmes's speech and behaviour sometimes follow that of Lecoq. Holmes and Watson discuss Dupin and Lecoq near the beginning of A Study in Scarlet.

Conan Doyle repeatedly said that Holmes was inspired by the real-life figure of Joseph Bell, a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, whom Conan Doyle met in 1877 and had worked for as a clerk. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing broad conclusions from minute observations. However, he later wrote to Conan Doyle: "You are yourself Sherlock Holmes and well you know it". Sir Henry Littlejohn, Chair of Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, is also cited as an inspiration for Holmes. Littlejohn, who was also Police Surgeon and Medical Officer of Health in Edinburgh, provided Conan Doyle with a link between medical investigation and the detection of crime.

Watson describes Holmes as "bohemian" in his habits and lifestyle. Described to have a "cat-like" love of personal cleanliness, Holmes is an eccentric with no regard for standard tidiness. 

Watson describes him as

“in his personal habits one of the must untidy men that ever drove a fellow-lodger to distraction. [He] keeps his cigars in the coal-scuttle, his tobacco in the toe end of a Persian slipper, and his unanswered correspondence transfixed by a jack-knife into the very centre of his wooden mantelpiece. ... He had a horror of destroying documents.... Thus month after month his papers accumulated, until every corner of the room was stacked with bundles of manuscript which were on no account to be burned, and which could not be put away save by their owner.”

While Holmes can be dispassionate and cold, when pulled into an investigation, he is animated and excitable. He has a flair for showmanship, often keeping his methods and evidence hidden until the last possible moment so as to impress observers. 

Except for that of Watson, Holmes avoids casual company. In "The Gloria Scott", he tells the doctor that during two years at college he made only one friend: "I was never a very sociable fellow, Watson ... I never mixed much with the men of my year".

The detective goes without food at times of intense intellectual activity, believing that "the faculties become refined when you starve them."

Although Holmes is not the original fictional detective, his name has become synonymous with the role. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories introduced multiple literary devices that have become major conventions in detective fiction, such as the companion character who is not as clever as the detective and has solutions explained to him (thus informing the reader as well), as with Dr. Watson in the Holmes stories. Other conventions introduced by Doyle include the arch-criminal who is too clever for the official police to defeat, like Holmes's adversary Professor Moriarty, and the use of forensic science to solve cases.

The Sherlock Holmes stories established crime fiction as a respectable genre popular with readers of all backgrounds, and Doyle's success inspired many contemporary detective stories. Holmes influenced the creation of other "eccentric gentleman detective" characters, like Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot, introduced in 1920. 

The phrase "Elementary, my dear Watson" has become one of the most quoted and iconic aspects of the character. However, although Holmes often observes that his conclusions are "elementary", and occasionally calls Watson "my dear Watson", the phrase "Elementary, my dear Watson" is never uttered in any of the sixty stories by Conan Doyle. One of the nearest approximations of the phrase appears in "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" when Holmes explains a deduction: "'Excellent!' I cried. 'Elementary,' said he."

For the 1951 Festival of Britain, Holmes's living room was reconstructed as part of a Sherlock Holmes exhibition, with a collection of original material. After the festival, items were transferred to The Sherlock Holmes (a London pub) and the Conan Doyle collection housed in Lucens, Switzerland by the author's son, Adrian. Both exhibitions, each with a Baker Street sitting-room reconstruction, are open to the public.

In 1969, the Toronto Reference Library began a collection of materials related to Conan Doyle. Stored today in Room 221B, this vast collection is accessible to the public. Similarly, in 1974 the University of Minnesota founded a collection that is now "the world’s largest gathering of material related to Sherlock Holmes and his creator". Access is closed to the general public, but is occasionally open to tours.

In 1990, the Sherlock Holmes Museum opened on Baker Street in London. A private Conan Doyle collection is a permanent exhibit at the Portsmouth City Museum, where the author lived and worked as a physician.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes

[sciencespies]

The Long, Strange Tale of the Hand Beast Footprints

https://sciencespies.com/nature/the-long-strange-tale-of-the-hand-beast-footprints/

The Long, Strange Tale of the Hand Beast Footprints

In Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, the legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes observes: “There is no branch of detective science which is so important and so much neglected as the art of tracing footsteps. Happily, I have laid great stress upon it, and much practice has made it second nature to me.”

Holmes is able to distinguish the separate tracks of two men from the many footmarks of the constables on the scene. He can calculate when the men arrived, and by the length of their stride, can determine their height. He also determines that one man is fashionably dressed “from the small and elegant impression left by his boots.”

Countless crime scene investigators have used footprints to apprehend culprits, but footprints are also a valuable resource for studying ancient animals. In many rock formations, tracks are the only remaining record that paleontologists can find of animals that lived millions of years ago.

We can identify the creatures who made fossil footprints if the imprints are well-preserved. The details in these will often reveal the configuration of the bones in the hands or feet and even show traces of skin on the palms and soles. From the length of the stride, researchers can also calculate the speed at which the animal moved.

Sometimes, however, the shape of the footprints can be misleading. Take for example, a set of footprints found in 1833, in a small town in Germany. The fossil footprints, discovered during a construction project, confounded the great naturalists of the day. And, therein lies a tale.

The peculiar foot prints of the hand beast showed hind feet imprints that looked like large human hands with prominent thumbs alongside much smaller front feet.

(Hans-Dieter Sues)

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Friedrich Sickler, the high-school principal in the town of Hildburghausen, first discovered the fossils. He was building a garden house when he noticed strange imprints on the sandstone slabs that were used for this construction project. The sediment was part of what today is termed the Buntsandstein, meaning “colored sandstone,” which represents the early part of the Triassic Period in much of Europe—about 252 to 248 million years before the present.

Sickler offered rewards for more tracks to the workers in the sandstone quarry and soon a large surface covered with the footprints was exposed. The hind feet imprints looked like large human hands with prominent thumbs. The much smaller front feet left only imprints of the fingers. Unable to identify the maker of these tracks, Sickler published an “open letter” in 1834 describing his discovery to the famous German physician and naturalist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach.

Word of Sickler’s find quickly spread and many naturalists weighed in with interpretations of the track maker. Europe’s natural history museums rushed to acquire track-bearing slabs cut from the quarry’s sandstone surface. Researchers made learned guesses at what sort of creature could have left the tracks. The legendary explorer Alexander von Humboldt believed that they were made by a marsupial. Another naturalist insisted the prints were the tracks of a giant ape and still others offered up animals as varied as giant toads and bears. Finally, the German naturalist Johan Kaup named the unknown creature Chirotherium, which means simply “hand beast” in Greek.

A few years after Sickler’s discovery, Chirotherium tracks were found in Cheshire, England, and later also in France and Spain. Naturalists remained at a loss. The unusual footprints were turning up in other locations but without any known skeletal remains of backboned animals to help identify what could have left them.

Recently restored reconstructions for one contender, the giant toad-like Labyrinthodon, can still be found in Sydenham, London.

( Tom Page, Wikimedia Commons)

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In the 1840s, two famous Victorian scientists, Sir Richard Owen and Sir Charles Lyell, developed theories about the animal responsible for the Chirotherium footprints.

From rocks in Warwickshire, Owen identified a few bones similar in age to those from Cheshire as belonging to large amphibian precursors. He named these animals Labyrinthodon because of the labyrinthine folding of the dentine in their teeth. Owen surmised that Labyrinthodon could have made the tracks of Chirotherium. A few years later, Owen began working with the British artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins to build the first life-sized reconstructions of prehistoric animals for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. (The models, recently restored, are still on view in a park in Sydenham, London.) The two men envisaged Labyrinthodon as a giant toad-like creature that looked like it had escaped from the nightmarish paintings of Hieronymus Bosch.

Lyell, who is considered the father of modern geology, meanwhile, wondered how the Chirotherium would have ambulated because the “thumbs” of the tracks were pointed to the outside of the foot. Using the Owen-Hawkins model of Labyrinthodon, Lyell surmised that the animal must have walked with its feet crossed! Other researchers found Lyell’s reconstruction implausible, but they could do no better.

In 1855, Sir Charles Lyell took a stab at modeling how Chirotherium might have walked, surmising that because of the thumbs, the poor creature had to get around with its feet crossed.

(Hans-Dieter Sues)

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Little changed until 1925. That’s when a German paleontologist named Wolfgang Soergel decided to review all available specimens of Chirotherium held in German collections.

Looking at the feet of many living reptiles, he realized that the “thumb” had been misidentified because previous researchers had been so heavily influenced by its similarity to a human thumb. It was, in fact, Soergel pointed out, the fifth toe sticking out from a five-toed hind foot. Measuring the trackways, Soergel, then, reconstructed the limb posture and proportions of the Chirotherium track-maker. In Soergel’s model, the creature would have had strong hind legs and short forelegs, both of which were held much more upright than in living reptiles. The hind feet left large impressions whereas the front feet barely touched the ground. Much like our fingers and toes, well-preserved footprints had distinct crease lines, which allowed Soergel to reconstruct the arrangement of bones in the digits.

But the question still remained: what animal left the Chirotherium footprints?

After an extensive search, Soergel noted that a two-foot-long reptile named Euparkeria roaming South Africa early in the Triassic also had a foot with its fifth toe sticking out to the side. Euparkeria is an ancient precursor of both crocodilians and dinosaurs. Although the reptile that made the Chirotherium tracks was quite a bit larger than little Euparkeria, Soergel inferred that the Chirotherium track-maker was probably related to the South African reptile.

Enter the famous German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene, who in the late 1920s was conducting fieldwork in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. A German doctor had sent him crates of unusual bones found there and dating from the Triassic. While in Brazil, Huene became acquainted with a local resident named Vincentino Presto, who knew of a promising deposit of such bones. In 1942, Huene recovered the remains of a large predatory reptile that he christened in honor of Presto, Prestosuchus. This creature attained a length of at least 20 feet and is distantly related to crocodilians.

Batrachotomus is a slightly younger relative of Ticinosuchus. It has the same foot structure with a spread-out fifth toe that created the “thumb” imprint of Chirotherium.

( Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Wikimedia Commons)

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When Huene reassembled its foot bones he noted a striking resemblance to the foot skeleton that Soergel had reconstructed for the maker of Chirotherium. Huene had come across a major clue about the track-maker. The Chirotherium tracks were probably left by a reptile related to Prestosuchus.

However, at that time, nothing like Prestosuchus had ever been recognized in Europe and other scientists remained unconvinced by Huene’s interpretation.

It was decades later, in 1965 that another major clue emerged, when the French paleontologist Bernard Krebs described the nearly complete skeleton of a ten-foot-long crocodile relative found in Triassic rocks of the Ticino region in Switzerland. Krebs named his creature Ticinosuchus, Latin for “crocodile from the Ticino,” noting that its feet were near-perfect matches to the Chirotherium footprints and its body form closely matched Soergel’s reconstruction. Furthermore, the rocks containing the remains of Ticinosuchus were the same geological age as those with Chirotherium. It was a promising connection.

Meanwhile in 2004, the town of Hildburghausen, looking for its rightful place in history, dedicated a monument to the decades-long long search for the track-maker. It featured the reconstructed original sandstone surface with the Chirotherium tracks but the bronze reconstruction of a crocodile-like reptile was still not quite accurate.

After decades, researchers finally found the culprit. It was Ctenosauriscus, (reconstruction above) which had very tall spines on its backbone that probably supported a sail.

(Hans-Dieter Sues)

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There was one last chapter in this long saga. It involved another reptile—Ctenosauriscus, which is Greek for “comb reptile,” and was from the Buntsandstein of Germany. Very tall spines on its backbone probably supported a sail along the back of the animal. The 2005 publication of a skeleton of the closely related Arizonasaurus in the Moenkopi Formation of Arizona established that the German Ctenosauriscus belonged to the same group of crocodile-like reptiles as Prestosuchus and Ticinosuchus. The Moenkopi Formation is nearly the same geological age as the German Buntsandstein and has also yielded many footprints of Chirotherium.

Now at long last, the Holmesian quest for the maker of the Chirotherium footprints has come to an end. It was crocodile precursors like Arizonasaurus, Ctenosauriscus, Prestosuchus and Ticinosuchus, that had left these prints.

Tracks that resemble those of Chirotherium have now been found on most continents. Some possibly represent precursors of dinosaurs. Many other kinds of fossil footprints have been found, hinting at the existence of as-yet-unknown animals awaiting future discovery. As Sherlock Holmes would have said: “The game is afoot.”

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