#the first Superman movie worked so well because it was more fairy tale than superhero

[oldtvandcomics]

Concept: The Lone Ranger origin story, but instead of the usual superhero movie structure, it is shot like a fairy tale movie. I feel like it would solve a lot of problems.

[kkotseo]

THE ULTIMATE GET-TO-KNOW GUIDE.

Repost, don’t reblog.

Tagged by: @94vousmevoyez ( Thank you! ; u ; ) Tagging: Whoever wants to do it! ( As I have barely people to tag at the moment... )

FAVORITE THINGS.

SEASON: Spring, when the flowers bloom once more COLOR: Yellow, a reminder of optimism, energy and happiness PIE: Doesn’t have a preference when it comes to pies ( but surely strawberry ) FRUIT: Strawberry ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Strawberry, since she enjoys finding bits of strawberries in the ice cream BREAKFAST FOOD: A bowl of fruits and yogourt, a bowl of rice with a sunny-side up on top or an avocado toast. It truly depends on what she has left in her kitchen, but she often goes for either three if possible. ALCOHOLIC DRINK: She always has beer in her fridge ( for those very long and tiring days ), but in terms of preferences, soju and sake are her go-to when outside. She has a knack for the flavoured soju as well, specifically peach and grapefruit. ( Something surprising to say the least as she initially disliked the taste of alcohol, but grew to appreciate it years later. ) SODA FLAVOR: None, she avoids drinking soda SCENT: Any soft floral scents, as they remind her of spring, but also the scents of any tea ( in other words, scents that are soothing ) FLOWER: Without a doubt, blossoms, and precisely cherry blossoms ANIMAL: Bunny MOVIE: Her list is quite long actually— though, Koizora: Setsunai Koi Monogatari is among one of her top movies if she has to name one. TV SHOW: The return of superman, since she enjoys watching the children being adorable BOOK: Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde SUPERHERO: Doesn’t really have a preference FAIRY TALE: Too many to say the least GENRE OF MUSIC: Differs greatly over the years, depending on the mood majorly. She is capable to enjoy classical music one moment and rock the other. In terms of constancy, she listens to a lot of hip hop, RnB and indie. GENRE OF MOVIES: Action, animations, comedy, drama, fantasy, romance and suspense GENRE OF BOOKS: Fiction ( action, anthology, classic, comic, crime, fantasy, mythology, romance and suspense ) and poetry

PICK ONE.

hot or cold juice or soda TV or movie movie or book late night talk shows or reality tv twitter or instagram trees or flowers philosophy or psychology ocean or lake water park or amusement park cats or and dogs fresh water or sparkling water sugar or honey cookies or candy bath or shower morning or night running or walking piercings or and tattoos frozen yogurt or ice cream vanilla or chocolate caramel or butterscotch art or and music t-shirt or and button down text or call ghosts or aliens

HAVE THEY EVER.

RIDDEN A MOTORCYCLE: No STOLEN SOMETHING: No EATEN AN ENTIRE PIZZA BY THEMSELVES: Yes MADE A PRANK CALL: No BROKEN A BONE: Yes FALLEN ASLEEP DURING A CONCERT OR MOVIE: Yes WALKED OUT OF A MOVIE BECAUSE IT WAS SO BAD: No BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH SOMEONE FOR LONGER THAN 2 HOURS: Yes DINED & DASHED: No HELD A GUN: No DING DONG DITCHED: No GONE SKINNY DIPPING: No CRIED DURING A MOVIE: Yes SMUGGLED FOOD INTO A MOVIE: Yes LIED TO GET A JOB: No PRACTICED LINES IN FRONT OF A MIRROR: Yes TRIED TO SEE HOW MANY MARSHMALLOWS THEY CAN STUFF IN THEIR MOUTH AT ONCE: Yes BEEN KICKED OUT OF SOMEWHERE: No BEEN ON A BLIND DATE: Yes GHOSTED SOMEONE: Yes ( Seoah used to date someone, someone who she thought was a good man to her. At first, her impression was right. He loved her and she loved him. As time passed though, sweet nothings became insults and threats. Loving embraces and pecks turned into bruises and worse— He was her nightmare in disguise. However, she fought through and escaped his grasp. She ran away and never returned to him. She thought the man would be good to her. He was just a sickening opportunist who happened to pass by when she was most vulnerable. In 2017, she wrote a song about it: Last Carnival. To give comfort to those who experienced something similar. ) BRAGGED ABOUT SOMETHING THEY HAVEN’T DONE: No SAID I LOVE YOU WITHOUT MEANING IT: No GOTTEN IN A FIGHT: Yes, unwillingly FALLEN ASLEEP ON A BUS: Yes

MISCELLANEOUS.

HOW DO THEY TAKE THEIR TEA OR COFFEE: She’s really not picky with her tea. For coffee, she drinks iced americano whenever it is necessary ( during work, which means most of the time to keep herself awake ). Though, she tends to go for a caramel macchiato or a green tea latte ( so she doesn’t get too dependent on strong caffeine ).   WHAT IS THEIR IDEAL DATE: Rather than a preferred activity or location, Seoah enjoys the simple idea of having to spend time with the one she loves, when both are enjoying and cherishing it by doing something they both adore. WHAT ARE SOME OF THEIR GUILTY PLEASURES: Excessively long periods in the bathtub, reading web comics through her phone’s application LONGEST THEY’VE STAYED UP FOR: Almost 72 hours due to hasty preparations for her single Sorry ( from the recording of the single to the music video ) BIGGEST PURCHASE: An apartment for her family GREATEST TALENT: She is talented in singing, composing music, writing lyrics and playing two instruments: guitar and piano STRANGE HABITS: She is capable to eat fruits with their peels like oranges, kiwis and watermelons FIRST JOB: Street performer, though that isn’t really a job— an unstable job, if it is considered as one CAN THEY DO A HANDSTAND: Yes CAN THEY COOK: The basics, she’s learning more recipes whenever she has the time DO THEY BELIEVE IN THE PARANORMAL: Yes, let’s not discredit what can’t be proven of their nonexistence DO THEY HAVE ALLERGIES: No DO THEY BELIEVE IN LOVE IN FIRST SIGHT: Not anymore HAVE ANY SPECIAL TALENTS: Can’t really think of one

[dotsonabrahamsen63-blog]

Remembering Stan Lee: The Amazing Origin Story Of The Marvel Comics Scribe

Remembering Stan Lee: The Amazing Origin Story Of The Marvel Comics Scribe

Strangely enough, Lee said he would cast himself as the opposite of all that in his own imagination, drawing a comparison to the cynical, Stan Lee Thank You For The Memories Shirt uncompromising newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson. “I’m very frustrated that by the time they made the movie I was too old to play the role,” Lee said. “I modeled him after me. He was dumb and loudmouthed and opinionated. Of all the characters he helped create, Peter Parker remained his favorite. “In a way Spider-Man is more special than the others,” he said. What made him Lee’s favorite? “Nothing ever goes right for Peter. I think for most people in the world, nothing ever goes right. He hates people he’s never seen — people he’s never known — with equal intensity — with equal venom. “Now, we’re not trying to say it’s unreasonable for one human being to bug another. But, although anyone has the right to dislike another individual, it’s totally irrational, patently insane to condemn an entire race — to despise an entire nation — to vilify an entire religion. Sooner or later, we must learn to judge each other on our own merits. Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance. For then, and only then, will we be truly worthy of the concept that man was created in the image of God ― a God who calls us ALL ― His children. 2.99. Available in North America and Europe. Oscorp Search & Destroy Pack - In The Amazing Spider-Manvideo game, Spider-Man has his own smartphone to help navigate around Manhattan, locate missions and challenges and fight crime. With this pack, Spider-Man's smartphone will feature two mini-games inspired by classic arcade fun. 2.99. Available in North America and Europe. Lizard Rampage Pack - The notorious Lizard is on the loose again in Manhattan! Take on the role of Dr. Connors' terrifying alter ego in a race against time. Go berserk through the streets using his devastating stomp attack and tail swipe to defeat Oscorp guards and earn mega points.

Lee knew his work was different, proudly noting that stories were drawn out over several issues not to make money but to better develop characters, situations and themes. He didn’t neglect his villains, either. One, the Moleman, went bad when he was ostracized because of his appearance, Lee wrote, adding it was “almost unheard of in a comic book” to explain why a character was what he was. Lee’s direct influence faded in the 1970s as he gave up some of his editorial duties at Marvel. But with his trademark white mustache and tinted sunglasses, he was the industry’s most recognizable figure. The Amazing Spider-Man is getting a whole bunch of DLC today, including a few different packs that will have you playing as people other than the titular wall-crawler. The Lizard Rampage pack will open up a level where you play as the Lizard, along with a new Spidey suit to wear. 49.99 on Steam, including complete integration with Steam achievements. A Nintendo 3DS demo is also now available in the Nintendo eShop. Rhino Challenge Pack - Take control of the massive, genetically engineered villain Rhino and rampage around Manhattan in an exclusive gameplay challenge of pure destruction! As Rhino, players will be able to unleash his formidable powers to destroy anything and everything in his path in a timed event full of speed, combo streaks, and of course, a ton of things to break! The Associated Press in a 2006 interview. Lee considered the comic-book medium an art form and he was prolific: By some accounts, he came up with a new comic book every day for 10 years. He hit his stride in the 1960s when he brought the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man and numerous others to life. His heroes, meanwhile, were a far cry from virtuous do-gooders such as rival DC Comics' Superman. The Fantastic Four fought with each other. Spider-Man was goaded into superhero work by his alter ego, Peter Parker, who suffered from unrequited crushes, money problems and dandruff.

XXX in the world of comic books were awesome. I happen to think they’re not exactly what a lot of people think but I don’t doubt their size and endurance. I knew him since 1970, worked for him a few times, talked with him at length and fielded an awful lot of phone calls from him asking me questions about comic books he worked on. He really did have a bad memory, if not when he first started telling people he had a bad memory, then certainly later on as he turned more and more into the Stan Lee character he’d created for himself. That’s all I’m going to write now. That’s where it begins and ends with me. To those of us who have been so deeply affected by the humanity of his imagination, the understanding of reaching beyond our potential and the necessity of tapping into our immeasurable imaginations, we thank you and are forever indebted. Rest In Peace Dear Stan. You made our time here a better one. What a man. What a life. When I first broke into Hollywood, he welcomed me with open arms and some very sage advice I’ll forever take to heart. A true icon who impacted generations around the world. Rest in love, my friend. I have to say I am deeply touched by the passing of Stan Lee… I always looked forward to seeing his cameo parts in all his great movies. 1 - Maybe you haven’t noticed, but there is a spiritual quality in all the Stan Lee movies… always the good guys win. Eventually, not always right away, but eventually. And his movies most of the time ended on an upbeat thought… that allowed us to ponder our existence. 2 - Stan Lee was also a man who could have been a musician but he was not good at music at all.

Legendary Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee — famous for giving the world beloved superheroes including Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk — died Monday. According to TMZ, Lee suffered a number of illnesses over the last year, including pneumonia. His daughter J.C. told the site, “My father loved all of his fans. Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber to Romanian-born Jewish immigrants in New York City, spending much of his early life in Washington Heights. He returned to Timely Comics in 1945 and married wife Joan two years later. In 1950, Timely Comics publisher Martin Goodman tasked Lee with creating a new superhero team to rival DC Comics’ Justice League. “Let’s lay it right on the line. Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today. But, unlike a team of costumed super-villains, they can’t be halted with a punch in the snoot, or a zap from a ray gun. The only way to destroy them is to expose them — to reveal them for the insidious evils they really are. The bigot is an unreasoning hater — one who hates blindly, fanatically, indiscriminately. If his hang-up is black men, he hates ALL black men. If a redhead once offended him, he hates ALL redheads. If some foreigner beat him to a job, he’s down on ALL foreigners. Stan Lee, the comic book mastermind who changed the landscape of the superhero genre, has died at age 95. Lee revolutionized the comic world by creating Marvel Comics superheroes such as Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk. An attorney for Lee's daughter, J.C. Lee, said the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic world by introducing human frailties in superheroes such as Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk, was declared dead Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In a statement to Fox News Shane Duffy, CEO of Stan Lee’s POW! I think everybody loves things that are bigger than life. I think of them as fairy tales for grown-ups," he told The Associated Press in a 2006 interview. "We all grew up with giants and ogres and witches. Well, you get a little bit older and you're too old to read fairy tales.

How long would this superhero movie thing last? He didn’t know. He was glad to be along for the ride. Happy to see the old characters he helped create being brought to life onscreen. We began talking about the origin of Spider-Man, born in 1962 after a string of other successes had made Stan Lee a powerhouse scribe at Marvel Comics. He had started working there when he was 17. Back then, Marvel Comics was known as Timely Comics, and he was known as Stanley Lieber, son of Jewish Romanian immigrants from the Bronx. His dream was to become a writer. But before any of that could happen, he earned cash by working a series of small jobs. As a theater usher, his first claim to fame was tripping and falling while showing Eleanor Roosevelt to her seat. “Are you all right, young man? Remember, this was six years before Iron Man and the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The films were not yet interconnected, not that there were many to string together. Stan Lee cameos were not yet a phenomenon. He had played a beachside hotdog vendor in the X-Men film. That was it. (“You missed me?” he teased. “I was like the lead of the movie! ] idea was, I was selling sunglasses in Times Square and I was talking to this little girl, showing her a pair of glasses as Peter Parker walks by,” Lee recounted in his gruff, nasally voice. Think about the incredible characters that derived from the mind of this man. Iron Man, the X-Men, Thor, Daredevil and Dr. Strange. These are characters everyone knows and loves. Look at this list of Stan Lee's creations and think about which ones have gone onto success in other media as well as had very successful runs in comics. Every single one of them almost. Granted, a lot of that success is due to the efforts and contributions of those writers and artists who developed the characters through the years. But Stan Lee's fingerprint is on each and every one of them and will always be seen and felt. Can you name one single creator in comics that has contributed as much in terms of longevity, creativity and uniqueness? You can't because there are none. There are plenty of creators that have made great contributions and have written or drawn amazing characters and stories. But none can say they changed the face of the industry quite like Stan Lee can. No matter what happens from this day forward; no matter what superstar creators land at the Big Two. Stan Lee, Marvel Comics' own living legend, stands head and shoulders above the rest. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died Monday. Lee was declared dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Kirk Schenck, an attorney for Lee’s daughter, J.C. As the top writer at Marvel Comics and later as its publisher, Lee was widely considered the architect of the contemporary comic book. He revived the industry in the 1960s by offering the costumes and action craved by younger readers while insisting on sophisticated plots, college-level dialogue, satire, science fiction, even philosophy.

[spynotebook]

I want to read more comic books. I want to be a regular reader of a series and follow a character through a larger arc, then be intrigued by another character and go down the rabbit hole of their story. But the way that comics are released just doesn’t work for me anymore.

I’ve tried. I’ll wait months for a title to be available in trade if it means I can read it when I want to read it—on my schedule and terms. Asher Elbein’s new piece in The Atlantic explains why many of my favorites are cancelled or in peril by the time I buy their trades, and that just drives me more and more to the indie presses, or even away from comics at all. It is no coincidence that the more so-called “diverse,” i.e. not default white male, titles are the ones that interest me (Alex Brown says a lot of how I feel whenever “diversity” is blamed for poor sales.). If you haven’t kept up with the billionth Spiderman or which Robin is actually Robin since before you were born, it seems like there’s no place for you.

If someone does suggest a series, diverse or default or not, I’m much more likely to buy the trade and risk it on a story with a beginning, middle and end, rather than dip a toe into one issue and then have to remind myself to try it again in a month. It just isn’t in my DNA anymore. It stopped being a priority no matter how much I’d like it to be. Even if I could enter a comic book store on a regular basis, which is nearly impossible with two kids under four, I find it very difficult to browse online the way I can in person. I depend on my friends and Twitter to suggest new titles.

I say it isn’t in my DNA anymore because I should be an avid comics spender. Every Sunday growing up, my Dad gave me my allowance and we went to the comic book store. I agonized over my purchase; this decision could color the rest of my week. The Tick? Wonder Woman? Duck Tales? The latest, highly anticipated Betty & Veronica or splurge on a Double Digest? For my first airplane trip when I was nine, my sister bought some Sweet Valley Twin books and I got ten (ten!) separate comics to read in the sky. I anticipated reading them even more than the trip we were taking to Disney World.

Comics were my treasures.

In junior high, I still read my favorites, but the trip to the store became less enjoyable. I noticed the snickers at my preference for Archie and the leers every time I dared to glance at Superman, or open the latest issue of Wonder Woman to see if I could possibly start the story in the middle. I got interested in darker stories in high school, but still wouldn’t dare enter Newbury Comics without a male friend, or face harassment. A teen girl who wanted the latest Evil Ernie, Purgatori or Chastity?

Say what you want about taste: I eagerly anticipated release dates and spent my hard-earned cash on them. I still lingered over by the superheroes sometimes but never knew where to start. Any Wonder Woman I picked up just made me feel more distant from a character who I once loved so much that I dressed up like her and bounced around my living room. So every week I would go to the spot where I knew my comics were, buy those, and leave before I could endure any humiliation for daring to be female in a comic book store.

My love of comics fell. I still got a tingle of excitement whenever I passed a store, and wanted to enter. But what would I buy?

Fast forward and I’m a work at home mother with a young child. I had to go to the mall for some inane reason, and we pass a comic book store. It’s pretty empty, so I feel bold. I want to catch up on Thor and I still haven’t bought The Black Panther. A few weeks earlier, I had ordered Thor #1 because I was psyched for a female Thor, Ms Marvel because she was so unique and I wanted to support their decision to publish her, then took a shot at a She-Hulk trade that Amazon suggested to me.

So here I am, in the store, wanting to buy more issues. I don’t mind buying them online, but I love walking out of a comic shop with new reading material burning a hole in my bag. I miss it. I want to support the shops. I like to read them right away. I do have a budget, but I can happily stretch it in order to rekindle this happy ritual.

Stroller leading the way, I go straight for Black Panther. I grab issue #1, then … no #2. They have #3-5 available, but I don’t want to get all those without the second part. I could just order it online, but I literally want to sit and read Black Panther for as long as my toddler will nap today. I want to get immersed into that world and have to research its history. I’d pored over every announcement, every think piece, watched all of Marvel’s “Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet” on YouTube—I wanted this world and I wanted as much of it as I could. I asked if they had #2 in the back somewhere, but knew they didn’t. They offered to order it for me. Then I felt horrible as I listened to their voicemail two weeks later, because my life had moved on to other things and I had moved on to other books. Not only did I miss the window of opportunity for wanting to read it, I had also missed the window in my budget.

That day, they did have more Thor, but not in trade, so I got a couple more issues and haven’t picked it up since. I realized that reading the story in short spurts (one issue at a time) doesn’t jive with my reading tastes anymore. I did buy the highly recommended Saga and Lumberjanes though, because—guess what—they had the trades. Not only could I read more on my budget, but I could read them all in one or two sittings. Call this the Netflix effect because it’s considered “binge-reading” if you want, but no matter the reason, it’s how I prefer the experience.

There are certain stories that don’t lend themselves to binging; When I read The Sandman, for instance, I force myself to stop because the writing is so intense that I need a break. But Thor? She-Hulk? They beg to be binged. I would think that the comics industry, seemingly so interested in attracting new readers, would make an effort to meet their audiences where and how they like to read. They’re doing a great job with streaming platforms for TV programs; Luke Cage (a “diverse” title, BTW) is even blamed for crashing Netflix on the day it premiered. Why not experiment with how they market these new titles? If you really want to reach a new audience, you need to actually invite them.

For instance, I left the movie theater after Guardians of the Galaxy absolutely craving to read the old comics. I had no interest in comics based on the movie, although I see that appeal. If there had been someone peddling back issues of the Guardians (those in the movie or not) as I left, I would have bought them.

Free Comic Book Day is great in theory, and I have attended it every year since my first child was born. But I love it because it’s an event that feels special to my toddler (this year he dressed up like Buzz Lightyear because I told him we were getting superhero stories). I take risks on titles to see what he enjoys; he picked out DC Superhero Girls and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles last month. I purposefully buy others for me so the store might at least break even on the free ones. Every year I think that this is the year I will use this day to jumpstart reading comics regularly again, and this year was the first that I admitted it just isn’t meant to be. I still bought the trades.

I doubt the ritual of going to a comic book store will ever really be part of my DNA again. I even tried multiple times to get onto mailing lists as reminders, but newsletters don’t fit into my sales flow very well. If there is an option to be notified only when a trade is available for pre-order, sign me up. I have made numerous efforts to integrate comics back into my life. I’ve tried and tried purchasing and reading one issue at a time, and it doesn’t work for me. The industry left me behind, stuck in a business model that caters only to the people who pushed me out of their stores with their jeers. So great for you, you can keep them, but then don’t complain that I don’t buy your “diverse” titles fast enough.

(image: Shutterstock/Grzegorz Czapski)

Cindy is a Storyteller & Outreach Nerd from Los Angeles, currently a Write-at-Home-Mom in Orlando for cool reasons that require multiple NDAs to explain. She reviews fairy and myth re-tellings at DwarfandGiant.com and is currently investigating why theaters dumb down TYA for The Clyde Fitch Report. She is Creative Producer of @SeeItorSkipItLA , presenting coverage of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Cindy divides her personality into twitter accounts such as @CindyMarieJ and @FairyFolkMyth.

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[drubblernews-blog]

New Post has been published on http://drubbler.com/2017/02/23/the-evolution-of-russian-superheroes/

The evolution of Russian superheroes

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Aleksey Jusev, February 23, 2017, 22:05- REGNUM

to understand whether the superheroes in the Soviet Union, should define the terminology. It is believed that this superhero must possess superhuman abilities, but there are a number of Marvel Comics American characters who do not possess such qualities. This Batman, iron man, the black widow, Electra and others who use to combat enemies of martial arts skills and various technical devices. In the USSR the prefix “super” was not used and the place occupied by conventional superheroes heroes with pronounced moral and volitional qualities. The holders of the outstanding forces also attended, but were originally from epics and fairy tales, for example, the Ilya Muromets. In the role popularly favorite heroes performed real participants of wars, such as Chapaev, Kotovsky, Budyonny. The difficulty of ascertaining the status of certain personalities rests in the fact that the Union cult initiated from above, unlike the West, where the popularity of the character can be judged by the number of comics. Officially the sixth part of the sushi was a large number of heroes, ritual worship that just left a vacuum that might appear and exist for fictional characters. Idols Soviet civilization beaten enemies, ordered torture, put coal mining records and flew on planes, but propaganda was to all the idea that everyone can become exclusive, just need to work on yourself. In doing so, it should be noted that this image as frogmen from the 1961 film of the year, was claimed by the Viewer, but the place of the plot was far from everyday life, like the SOVIET UNION hero origins in another hemisphere.

American superheroes are inextricably linked to comics from the pages where they left off. The USSR painted history have been if not under direct prohibition, under unofficial — Pico zagnivajushhemu come West, and because of this, for example, some time not allowed to shoot a full-length cartoons to not resemble this at Disney. Over time, the comics still made their way to the mass reader through logs remotely resembling superheroes became Gay men. Group characters, focused around the magazine “funny pictures”, apparently, was to replace the Soviet children plethora of foreign competitors, while the fledgling consciousness will not be able to assess the importance of the feat of Treachery. Among these wild men stood one Diy, which increasingly possessed traits of super-powers. Everyone else took ingenuity and vzaimovyruchkoj — skills that tried to inculcate Soviet children. Thirty years before the “Hilarious pictures” appeared, the character unknown Murzilka nature, which has undergone a long evolution and fought in the 80 ‘s against saboteurs Jabedy-Korjabedy. Global tasks, such as saving the world, before the cheerful man who did not raise. In the new Russia’s perception of past cultural heroes changed, and in the new film adaptation of the adventures of dunno entitled “Neznaika and Barrabass” (2004) Shorty had pronounced ethnic traits and character Znayka became luzerom. So diametrically change characters the creators of feature-length cartoon explaining the return to the original source is published before the revolution book Anna Hvolson where much borrowed Noses and other authors.

in the late Soviet period appeared a character who strongly resembled the superhero is Electronic. Although the primary source of the film about his adventures became tale Veltistova mid 60 ‘s robot with supersiloj conquered the perception adolescents. The researchers note the unordinary social origin Torsuevyh brothers, have played starring roles in “the adventures of Electronics. Father of young actors was Secretary of the Central Committee of the KOMSOMOL and party propaganda department instructor, allowing children more insight into Western civilization benefits than peers. Many fans of the film could not prel’shhat’ the looseness of the main characters, their ability to live separately, ride a moped and playing guitar. So beholder electronics technician possessed not just super powers, but also overseas flair. All quality superhero, the origin of which is permanently connected with the West and its values in the perception of the Soviet citizen.

after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the iron curtain a foreign ideology began to fill the void. For decades, refraining from overseas values Soviet man developed immunity against superheroes, so people with superhuman abilities survive bad on foreign soil. Re-education of the consciousness of the population began with the Disney mul’tpersonazhej that were popular personalities from the Pleiades universes Marvel and DC. Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) gave a big boost to mentally adjust the Soviet people with unusual images borrowed from comic books. However, domestic analogues of Western superheroes in the nineties and Noughties. It happened not because of many factors. First, there was a lack of infrastructure and will publishers to promotion of Russian cartoon characters. The prospect of recoupment of funds invested in business development, was vague. Second: there was no ideological platform for the formation of a new Russian psychology of superheroes. The emergence of famous Western characters in comic books was due to political events, such as wars, and a clear view of the enemy. In Russia beginning zero basis for unity of people lacked (before accession The Crimea), and then only occasionally attempted to appear as common hatred to some phenomena and problems. It is much easier to have something together to reject than love.

funny that Americans have invented a superhero with Russian roots, but it is not very well known, we have, with one exception. Characters black widow, Colossus (Piotr Rasputin), red herring, blind faith and Craven-Hunter have different origin stories, but managed to join the international supergerojskie group. In one of the comic books (“red son”, 2003) Superman initially falls not in the United States, but in the Stalinist Russia, and acts on her side in the cold war. The richness of texture images and plots indicates a long path to go through our authors to create something similar.

the first Formally supergerojskim Russian film “Black Lightning” (2009). However, student hero paintings, does not possess any superhuman abilities, unlike its Soviet-era car transport. The picture was taken with a large number of borrowings from Western kinokomiksov scene, for example, the death of his father almost cited from “Spider-man”. At the same time, the main source of strength in steel Ribbon developments and achievements of the Soviet era, now forgotten. This scenic course emphasized the Renaissance of the USSR, and the authors tried to replace in the viewer’s consciousness familiar ideology of Western blockbusters values 70-year period. Enemy in “Black Lightning” was conditional, which pristrunivali in its starting with “Patrols” (directed by novels about vampires Bekmambetov became a producer of “Black Lightning”). Interestingly, financing the project dealt with Western Universal Studios, risknuvshaja to invest in the Russian draft. The filmmakers have promoted the idea of the new Hollywood, which will begin soon, after the box office success of the Ribbon. But the viewer took “Black Lightning” bit and it barely brought to make ends meet, although the numbers of those fees are considered for our pictures. However, experiments in the direction of the local kinosupergeroev suspended. According to the sound of brand new characters, you first need to untwist them in comics and only then move on screen.

the publishing house Bubble Comics began to publish comics in the year 2012 and set the task to create domestic superheroes, and in the long term, not only for domestic consumption. The two lines drawn stories happening at present in Moscow (“Besoboj”) and St. Petersburg (Mayor of Thunder “). Cullen with Orthodox mystical slant possessed Daniel (“Monk”) and a victim of the conflict in South Ossetia, Besoboj. Major Thunder — St. Petersburg police officer, loving home and defends the Act. It is obvious that the worldview of the characters Bubble has strongly affected the funding of the project Aram Gabreljanovym (Publishing House of the News Media, which includes the newspaper “Izvestia” and “life”). The villain of “Major Thunder” leaves white ribbons at the crime scene and notes about “crooks and thieves”. In the comic “Monk” strong Orthodox-patriotic line and Besoboj (N.) carries guns with napisjami “Save” and “Save”. Products Bubble has not found wide response from the reader due to the disproportionate level of well-known Western cartoon franchises, but the owners of the brand continues to attempt to reach a wider audience, which planned to film their stories of seven paintings for ten years (similar to the announcement of the release of films on Marvel Comics). Recently posted 25 network Bubble-minute short films based on “Major Thunder.” Despite a budget of one million dollars, the story plays almost every scene from “the Dark Knight” and “custodians”, until the unit of Russian police and military foreign form. These gross borrowing suggests that authors are not trying to create something original and imitate Hollywood kinojazyku. It may be noted, however, that the content of the comic book Bubble almost gone from mentioning the Soviet past and the construction of values of the characters takes place in the realities of the present time.

Movie “defenders” Director plays in goes in Russia on February 23. The creators of picture position it as the first Super-Hero blockbuster, pointing out that “Black Lightning” no super-powers. The protagonists of “Defenders” is a brainchild of the experiment of the Soviet period, which became modern Russia are needed in the fight against a powerful enemy. The authors again bring together a single past the now-isolated independent States. Total area-General underlined ethnic superheroes. Herewith a sampling of Republics is similar to the composition of any of the international community, such as the Eurasian Economic Community. There is an appeal to the Soviet nostalgia, embodied in the contemporary realities, but built on a foundation of Western kinostilja.

search for typecasting novyh russkih continues, and superheroes in this direction will have to break a lot of copies and pencils. At the moment it is difficult to imagine that just might become the basis for the unity of the people around new domestic character who will gain popularity. Should be steady state ideology or, at least, a common enemy. In the meantime, our society cannot develop consensus and rally around ordinary heroes, not to mention the Super.

Read earlier in this story: Mayor of universe Dough

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[yamijay357]

Top 10 Movies of 2016

Another year has passed and another Top 10 movie list must follow. I found this year to be a tad weaker than 2015, with many of my picks for this list not coming to theaters until November or December. This year started to show, quality wise at least, the blockbuster fatigue that constant releases in expanded universes (superheroes, especially) can evoke. Fortunately, once I narrowed down my list along with a few honorable mentions, it became very difficult to put them in order, which is usually a sign of some great films. I believe that every movie listed here will be a great addition to one of your movie night queues. So, without further ado...

Honorable Mentions

Deadpool

Superhero movies have flooded our theaters to the point that we’ll soon be getting over half a dozen in a single year. This year they ranged from the painfully mediocre (Batman v. Superman, Doctor Strange) to just bad (Suicide Squad). Deadpool was a nice breath of fresh air as Ryan Reynolds brought the much loved Merc with a Mouth to the screen. Deadpool is funny, lampooning everything from the superhero genre as a whole to the questionable decisions made regarding both previous appearances of Deadpool and the career of Reynolds himself. If only all comic book movies could be this faithful to the spirit of the character.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Another year, another Star Wars movie. This installment was a landmark film for the franchise in that it was the first major release not to focus on the main narrative following the Skywalker family. Instead, we were given the story of how Princess Leia ended up with the Death Star plans she had at the beginning of A New Hope. We get a look at a different side of the universe not particularly focused on magic space wizards but instead on real people fighting the threat of the Empire. Felicity Jones leads a great cast in a solid movie that has one of the best third acts of the franchise. Alan Tudyk stands out as a reprogrammed Imperial droid that is loyal to the Rebellion but throws shade like no other. While not all characters were developed fully, in the end, Rogue One stands as the best blockbuster of 2016.

The Top Ten

10. Manchester by the Sea

Grief is often the hardest thing to sell on screen, so making such a deep theme the focus of your movie is a bit of a risk. However, Kenneth Lonergan deftly writes and directs a unique view of grief for a unique family dynamic. Casey Affleck plays Lee Chandler, a handyman who resides in Boston away from his home of Manchester following a family tragedy. The death of his brother brings him home where he discovers that he is now the guardian of his nephew Patrick, played by Lucas Hedges. The film follows both of the men as they deal with death and all of the complications that come from it. However, their story is both painful and funny, as the movie makes for several reactions that seem all too real to those of us that have lost someone close. While the ending leaves several elements uncertain, Affleck and Hedges give strong performances that give us one of the truest depictions of loss ever set to film.

9. Pete’s Dragon

I hate the original Pete’s Dragon. When I found out a remake was being made the chances of me seeing it were slim. However, when it received several good reviews, I fit it into a four-movie day at the theater, mostly because I was curious. I didn’t expect to walk away with such a satisfied feeling. All of the awkward elements of the original (Animation that stood out in a bad way, sub par musical numbers, and Mickey Rooney) are gone, leaving a wonderful modern fairy tale about an orphaned boy and his invisible dragon friend that hit in all of the right places. Bryce Dallas Howard leads a great cast including Karl Urban, Robert Redford, and promising newcomer Oakes Fegley as Pete. A great story, seamless effects, and an ending that will bring tears to your eyes allows this movie to soar above its predecessor and claim its place on this list.

8. Lion

This movie snuck into theaters near the end of the year and I saw it on New Year’s Eve. It was a pretty great way to end the year. Lion is the true story of Saroo Brierley, an five-year-old Indian boy who, while searching for work with his older brother, gets transported across India to a region that is entirely alien to him, including the language. After Saroo finds his way to an orphanage, he is adopted by a loving Australian couple. 25 years later, Saroo is obsessed with finding out what happened to the family he lost. This may be the most genuine, human film made this year, as the audience feels the panic and fear of a strange new place with young Saroo, and the hope and frustration plaguing his adult counterpart as he searches one of the most populated countries in the world for a single small village. Dev Patel gives his best performance yet as Saroo in a film that will take you on quite the feels trip when both you and Saroo reach the conclusion.

7. Jackie

We all know what happened November 22nd, 1963. But have you ever thought about what the person most affected by that day did in the week that followed? Natalie Portman plays Jackie Kennedy, who is interviewed the week after her husband President Kennedy was assassinated. The movie rests completely on her and she doesn’t disappoint. She completely becomes Kennedy as we see a world that is rocked by loss on both a personal and national level. Kennedy must face everything that comes in the aftermath from being moved out of the White House for the Johnson family to trying to explain to her children why their father won’t come home again. There are times that I forgot I was watching Natalie Portman as I fell into the world captured so perfectly by Pablo Larraín. This film speaks not only to the humanity of Jackie Kennedy, but also to her amazing contribution to the legacy JFK left behind.

6. Arrival

What would happen if we really were visited by alien lifeforms? A history of cheesy and often terrible movies (cough, Independence Day, cough) has built in the assumption that the aliens would be hostile and seek to destroy us. If aliens were to visit, I believe that Arrival shows us the most likely outcome compared to anything else. Amy Adams plays linguistics professor Louise Banks who is called in by the government to try to decipher the communications of alien visitors. Along with a brilliant physicist (Jeremy Renner), Banks must figure out the intentions of the visitors before other countries take hostile actions. This movie does an amazing job of displaying both our actual ignorance of other lifeforms and all of the possible directions we could take with it. In the midst of people not understanding each other, Arrival is a brilliantly made film that speaks to all people.

5. Moonlight

Similar in structure to Steve Jobs, Moonlight consists of three short films focusing on Chiron (aka Little), and his coming of age in a poor neighborhood that has no shortage of drug dealers. As a child, he finds a crack dealer named Juan (Mahershala Ali) who, along with his girlfriend, serve as loving parental figures in the place of his disinterested and drug-addicted mother. Juan helps Chiron trust people, which leads to him sharing an intimate moment with his high school friend Kevin. Circumstances lead to Kevin and Chiron separating but encountering each other as adults, leading to one of the most beautiful ending scenes of the year. Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes give stellar performances as each stage of Chiron’s life. Such a simple story gives way to profound emotions that will resonate with you well after the film is over.

4. Loving

Speaking of simple, there was probably no more simply put-together movie this year than Loving. And yet, it managed to be one of the most profound films of the year. Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga play Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose illegal interracial marriage led to the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case that ruled all marriage laws having to do with race unconstitutional. But that is not what the movie is really about. With limited dialogue and politics, Loving focuses almost solely on the relationship of the two main characters and the hardship they have to face from their home state. We learn about their dreams and the lengths they will go to in order to be together. The leads are absolutely fantastic and give you the entire weight of the story while spending only a few minutes of screen time in courtrooms. In a year where several films on this list took my heart, Loving is a true standout.

3. Zootopia

The reason that The Good Dinosaur didn’t succeed as much as everyone thought it would was because it failed to deliver on its premise of a world full of dinosaurs by showing us just a few dinosaurs. Zootopia doesn’t suffer from this problem, as the world of Judy Hopps (Gennifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) is a rich world of animals with different personalities, troubles, and ambitions. This movie would have succeeded as a fun movie on that alone. But Zootopia goes a step further and delivers one of the most profound messages of almost any animated film ever made. It not only highlights the obvious prejudices different groups of people feel toward each other, but also how we may not even be aware of our own unwarranted feelings of distrust and how they can affect people close to us. This was the movie that 2016 needed and that we’ll need for years to come. Also, who wants a full Gazelle album? (Raises hand)

2. La La Land

Earlier this year, when introducing one of my friends to my favorite movie, Singin’ in the Rain, I made the comment that “they don’t make this kind of movie anymore, and it’s sad.” Well, turns out that Damien Chazelle felt the same way and gave us an amazing film that serves as both an homage to the musical genre that preceded it and as a beautiful piece of art that will inspire future artists for years. Emma Stone plays Mia, a girl trying to pursue her acting dreams in LA, along with thousands of other people. She frequently runs into Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), an unemployed jazz musician who dreams of owning his own club. The two chase their dreams together to the tune of the best soundtrack of the year and delightful dance numbers and city backdrops. La La Land succeeds in every technical aspect as Los Angeles is turned into a magical, musical dreamland. Stone and Gosling go beyond their usual charm and give us amazing characters with surprisingly good singing voices that would make Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers proud. And then the ending. Well, if the ending sequence doesn’t fill you with emotion, then you’re probably a robot.

1. Hell or High Water

The biggest surprise of the year for me turned out to be my favorite movie of 2016. Hell or High Water is David Mackenzie’s neo-Western masterpiece that is perhaps the best possible step to take after the Cohen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men. The film shows Chris Pine and Ben Foster playing brothers Toby and Tanner Howard. When their mother dies and Tanner gets out of jail, the bank handling the loan for their mother’s farm seeks to seize the property. In order to pay off the bank that overcharged their mother for years, the brothers begin to pull off small robberies of the local branches. While authorities don’t see it as a priority, the crimes attract the attention of two Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) and a chase across Texas begins. Every performance is incredible in this movie. Chris Pine shows his dramatic chops while giving the best performance of his career (so far) and Jeff Bridges is outstanding beyond even what you would expect. The cinematography shows off the gritty yet beautiful western landscapes yet never loses the scope of how the region has been hit by the advancement of modern times. But the true winner here is the best screenplay of the year as every character is able to draw you into a story that begs questions of morality and loyalty. While La La Land may walk away with all of the awards, Hell or High Water is my pick for Best Film of 2016.

[davidmann95]

The Nightwing Problem

I mentioned this the other day in passing, but I’ve got more thoughts on the subject: I’m no longer convinced Dick Grayson as Nightwing is a good idea, damn cool as that costume may be.

I was convinced. Tim Seeley, Javier Fernandez and their collaborators really knocked it out of the park with the introductory volume of the new Nightwing book spinning out of Grayson; it combined the best of the world-trotting vibe from that with the acid-tinged death trap gimmicks of Morrison’s time with Dick as Fun Batman, and while I don’t think that’s incompatible with just making him Batman again, it’s still different enough from the regular model that it’s reasonable to distinguish it with a whole other identity. If you were able to entirely divorce him from what Nightwing has meant up to this point, and really grab by the horns what Grayson and that first arc of the new book set up for him - the dashing globetrotting super-adventurer who can journey into morally murikier territory than Batman himself, because he’s not vulnerable in the same ways Bruce is vulnerable - I think it could’ve worked. It might’ve still had some issues that I’ll get into, but it could’ve worked in spite of them.

But you can’t really do that; Nightwing had over a hundred and fifty issues to himself in that name before this came along. And as we were just reminded when Seeley journeyed into more familiar territory (I’m pretty convinced the first arc of Nightwing was at least in part really a reconfigured version of what would have been an arc of Grayson), the name doesn’t actually come with much other than baggage at this point.

To be clear: the recent Blüdhaven story by Seeley, Marcus To and company was by no means a bad set of comics. Nightwing is still one of the most underrated, purely entertaining superhero books out there right now, and I’m tremendously looking forward to the upcoming Nightwing Must Die pitting him against an army of his greatest enemies, from the Talon to Pyg to fucking Deathwing. I also know bringing him back to his iconic city was Geoff Johns’ idea that Seeley had to implement, as I expect was bringing back his old ‘rogues gallery’. But it’s still an arc - hot on the heels of an opening titled Better Than Batman - built almost entirely around reaffirming his status as a third-tier offshoot of the actual brand of importance. It’s literally him teaming up with the villains who couldn’t hack it in Gotham, and it draws a clear line between him and them as being in similar positions. I dig setting up his new haunt as the Vegas to Gotham’s New York/Chicago, but even that can’t erase the vague feeling that the characters’ had the keys to his nice shiny new car snatched out of his hands, and now he has to go back to the busted-ass old model his dad loaned him.

I get the impulse to hand him his own city - it gives a stable environment, obvious opportunities for building up a supporting cast, and a base to head back to even if he regularly goes globe-trotting - but as presented, Blüdhaven has always been Gotham-lite. Even now that it’s more pointedly distinguishing itself, it’s still a shadowy city of corrupt cops where Gotham crooks wander around. All elements that could work, but again, it’s straight-up established that the ex-villains here, the people it’s leaning into the nostalgia of Dick having once counted as arch-enemies...were the no-hopers who weren’t cool enough to be worth Batman’s time. Complete with Dick solving a stock Batman-style Whodunnit? hinging on one of the most iconically awful Batman villains in Orca the Whale Woman, and flirting with a morally ambiguous acrobatic lady supervillain. If Batman and Robin established Dick can work as an A-list superhero, and the last few years of Grayson and the beginning of Nightwing demonstrated a valid and fascinating new direction for him to be spun off into, this arc felt like it was reestablishing that whoa there son, don’t be getting too big for your britches now, you’re still Officially Worse Batman. Whatever you think of the stories themselves, that’s how Nightwing has been known for over 20 years, and that’s a narrative gravity I’m not sure he can escape as long as he has that name.

And even if he could, Nightwing isn’t his main identity anyway. The entirety of pop culture can chime in on that.

Not by a mile am I suggesting he should go back to being Robin (though Arkham Knight presenting an adult Robin working alongside Batman in Tim Drake has some interesting possibilities), but it’s more than just cultural weight that keeps that as his biggest identity, even in the comics. The thing is, Nightwing as a name doesn’t mean anything. Yes, I know Superman came up with it, and that these days there’s a connection with the Court of Owls, but those are purely abstract. There was some recent thing where he said “yeah, people think I call myself Nightwing because I’m like Batman, a flying thing at night, but really it’s because of Superman’s suggestion regarding a Kryptonian fairy tale”, but citing the nerd trivia explanation can’t change that the first explanation is clearly the actual reason he’s named that. That’s all there is to it; it’s a cool-sounding name. Robin on the other hand is an obvious pairing with Batman as a brighter flying creature, and if you think of it in the context of heroism you get the obvious connection to Robin Hood. And if you want to talk about him as an equal-but-opposite contrast to Batman’s Zorro figure, comparing him to a charming hero to the people so upbeat they called his partners his Merry Men goes a long way. Hell, Dick sure knew that, given Robin’s the title he picked as a crimefighter, Nightwing being a years-distant second choice. Robin is just plain a better name and identity, as evidenced by the fact that DC’s made at least 4 others of note to fill the void...Richard left behind. Nightwing again has a cool costume, but it can never be his iconic identity in even a best-case scenario; he’s not even Batman’s partner anymore, he’s just the off-brand. Short of showing up in a massively popular and acclaimed movie with virtually none of the elements that have established him over the years as a lesser Batman figure, I’m sincerely skeptical that any amount of momentum could change that forever. In a popular sense, it’s all he’s got.

What would I do then, unless that theoretical movie comes along? I say make him co-Batman again, and totally not just because my favorite writer did that within a year of me starting to collect comics. You can still do all the fun stuff Nightwing offers with him; he can have his own city if you really want, he can smile and go on fun adventures as Fun Batman now that Bruce doesn’t do that, you could even redesign his costume to be more in line with his sleeker Nightwing look while still being recognizably Batman. He gets A-list talent by default. DC sustained two Batmen for a year as equals, so it’s certainly possible. It’s simpler to explain too - when someone asks “Wait, what happened to the first Robin?”, “Well, now he’s Batman too, and Batman’s son is his Robin” works a lot better than “He calls himself Nightwing now and is his own minor superhero. Do you remember him as an occasional guest-star from the 90s TV show? No, he was Robin for that first part, the second part. Yes, there was a second part. No, he’s not on the Teen Titans anymore either. Anyway, he protects another city that’s basically shittier Gotham where he fights a bunch of crappy villains.”

Most of all though, Dick thrives in situations that threaten to undermine him. With his and Bruce’s relationship threatening to fall apart, wondering if he can cut it as Robin after Two-Face beats him, worrying about whether he can escape the ‘shadow of the bat’, trying to hold onto his morals as an agent of SPYRAL, struggling to reform Damian, even being trapped as Slade’s apprentice. He works when forces threaten his sense of stability, and he as a fundamentally upbeat guy naturally finds having to be Batman - plus all the attendant baggage besides - the ultimate destabilizing force, far more so than basically still comfortably being Robin into adulthood. It’s a perpetual conflict generator that still allows him to do his own thing as a fun character while also positioning him as a major player - the most major player possible. And given Anthony Mackie or Sebastian Stan are probably going to become a new Captain America onscreen in the next few years, I think the public at large is going to be primed to accept the idea of there being multiple Batmen of reasonably equal importance far more easily than they could be swayed to care about the guy whose main popular trait is not being Batman.