Between Books - George Pérez

We’re Disney Adults…we’re used to our favorite art not being taken seriously!

I’ve long been a fan of the late George Pérez. If anything, I thought he may have packed too much into his comic pages. But to me, he was a master comic book artist who helped inspire the look and storytelling of two of the most important comic book movies of all time, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Apparently, there was more criticism of Pérez than I believed.

George Pérez by Patrick L. Hamilton is a biographical monograph that takes comic book art and the work of George Pérez seriously. The text opens with a discussion of who Pérez was as an artist and criticisms of his work. This includes the fact that he was often considered slow as an artist and did not complete to the end all of his comic assignments. Additionally, Hamilton points out the primary of writers over artists in praise of comic book work. Let’s be honest, Stan Lee jumps to the top of more minds than Jack Kirby. Hamilton next outlines artistic visual choices that Pérez took in order to populate a full world around his characters and use the page to create vibrant action. The final two chapters discuss how Pérez depicted disabled characters such as the Teen Titans Cyborg and Jericho along with female characters like Wonder Woman and Scarlet Witch. Hamiltons shows his readers a common thread in his depictions! Pérez looked to draw reality into his characters and sought to avoid comic book troupes. Along with the discussion of the artist’s life, Hamilton includes a number of color and black-and-white images that demonstrate Pérez’’s artist endeavors.

Really the opening, with it’s criticism, was eye opening to me. As a comic fan, I know all about the obstacles that slower artists, often many of them the best, face in reaching deadlines. Pérez was one of those artists. But I think as shown in the visual examples found on the page, that his lack of speed was a tradeoff to realism. Pérez drew people and places that were vibrant and full. His backgrounds were filled with the clutter we find in our own homes. And his characters acted out like we would expect them to behave in the real world. Hamilton shows how Pérez grew to bind his reality to our real world. And I think it was all for the better, knowing how the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is bound to reality, has used Pérez art as one of the guides to put comic pages into live action.

George Pérez by Patrick L. Hamilton is a trend I love. Academics are taking pop culture seriously as part of culture. This text is a serious academic work that can be used, and likely will be used, in college courses on art and sociology. It is published by an academic press! This is not a silly book about silly books. And you will feel like someone is taking beloved pop culture seriously.

For Disney fans, you will need to expect some discussion of DC comics, as comic creators often do shift from one company to another. For those who want to understand the evolution of an artist or get to know George Pérez and his legacy better, this is a short yet serious read that can challenge one about what they believe about silly comic art. I wish that when I was an undergraduate, or when I taught, that I had monographs like this available to better connect students to material they were familiar with while making serious points about culture and society. 

 

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Review Copy Provided for Review

 

 

Between Books - Why Wakanda Matters

I am a huge comic book fan. One of the things I love about comics is our ability to learn lessons in multi color action stories. I get why a lot of people don’t like the rude and crude Deadpool. But if you read some of the best Deadpool comics(like Gerry Duggan and Joe Kelly) you find lessons that readers can learn about self-worth, friendship, grieving, self-care and so much more. Many of these great stories and their lessons have been translated onto the screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Audiences worldwide learned that superheroes can help teach lessons through many of these movies, with one of the most impactful being Black Panther.


Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication edited by Dr. Sheena C. Howard is a collection of academic articles discussing the impact of Black Panther on audiences and the general population. A common theme in the book is the power of a movie starring and made by a cast and crew of people of color. The movie seeks to avoid and overcome stereotypes found in the media. By not falling into the expected movie tropes for people of color, it communicates messages to young people about the roles that they can take within society. Additionally, it helps to combat the impact of stereotypes found in media.


I won’t go into the essays in-depth as they are many varied in their messages and themes. The big messages that I see are first and foremost, representation matters. Ryan Coogler and crew when creating the world of Wakanda intentionally built a world that audiences saw as important models for what people of color could be, with the movie showing scientists, soldiers, and kings as just a few of the many options open for futures. This world-building moved beyond stereotypes and generalizations, which often are used in film when creating for broad audiences. Another theme is while all authors agree that the representation in the film is impactful, they may disagree with the messages that the movie projects. For example, some writers see T’Challa’s final choices as conforming to long-term imperialistic and disempowering frameworks. But Killmonger’s strategies challenge the status quo and can be at times applauded. As one reads, you can tell that the authors as a group are very conflicted by the image of Killmonger who they applaud and criticize for his over-the-top aggressive choices…much like the movie-going audience.


Why Wakanda Matters is an academic work, and likely not for every reader with its heavy focus on theory and research. But I think it is more accessible than many academic works because the examples are often ones we know from viewing Black Panther. With it being a work that delves into many cognitive theories, I can also see readers who do not agree with everything written. Let’s be honest, this book talks about a charged issue with race. But, I also do not believe that the authors fully agree with each other, and Howard does a great job of bringing multiple perspectives together.


Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication edited by Dr. Sheena C. Howard is an academic collection that makes you think about race, representation, and portrayals of people of color in media. It helps to teach the importance of our stories, even when super, in teaching us important social and cultural lessons about how we interact and treat each other. For comic book fans, I think it is a great collection for understanding the power of comic characters. And for media fans, it demonstrates the power of story. I think it is definitely worth the read for Marvel…and DC…fans.

 

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Cap's Comics - W.E.B. of Spider-Man

 

 

Here I sit, stuck between two Disney parks, and it has been years since I have been able to visit Orlando or Anaheim. And one of the dreams that has become a reality since my last visit to the Disneyland Resort is Avengers Campus. Yes, I want to go there! Marvel and Disney with W.E.B. of Spider-Man, which collects the five single issues of this comic title, are trying to get myself and my younger self motivated to visit the new land and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure.

In W.E.B. of Spider-Man, writer Kevin Shinick and artist Alberto Alburquerque introduce Peter Parker to the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (W.E.B.) established by Tony Start to gather great young thinkers together to solve the world’s emerging problems. W.E.B. members include Harley Kenner from Iron Man 3, Lunella Lafayette the Moon Girl, Onome, a genius girl from Wakanda, Doreen Green the Unstoppable Squirrel Girl, and Amadeus Cho also known as Brawn. The youngsters are joined by the Spider-Bots found in the ride. The team is drawn into a battle with some familiar-faced villains attempting to steal key data from W.E.B. Peter struggles in this adventure to determine whether he or his alter ego, Spider-Man, best fits within the W.E.B. team dynamic.  

This title is for 10+. And honestly, it is for that age, and a little bit older, this best would work. As an adult, I found the lack of foreshadowing for the big bad to be a major miss. And I think for young readers, the lack of foreshadowing and general low visibility of this villain is problematic. I do not believe the ten-year-old crowd knows who the villain is and may not care about them. I think all readers needed to Scooby-Doo this where we take off the mask and yell it was you! But that is lacking. The story is what you need and expect from a comic from this age, with Alburquerque providing very professional and well-done art. I can see an 11-year-old reading this a few times before hitting the park, but it will likely never be any adult readers entry comic to the ride, where the movies should be taking that role for most of the audience.  

W.E.B. of Spider-Man is a story with a hiccup or two. But it performs as needed by creating a comic story accessible to young readers. And best of all, from a Disney synergy window, it likely will make some young people feel closer to the Spider-Man ride and the backstory and lead to pleas to get into line! 

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Between Books - Words for Pictures

As I am getting more and more back into comics I have become very interested in how they get made. And I hope to learn lessons, or reinforce lessons, that can be used in my own professional life.

Words For Pictures: The Art and Business of Writing Comics and Graphic Novels by Brian Michael Bendis provides an overview of how comics are made, advice on writing and practical advice about working in the comics field. Bendis being an accomplished comic book writer provides a writer’s perspective based on his own experiences. He explains how to pitch a project; both an original story and a work for hire licensed story. He explains what goes into writing a script and how artists, letterers, colorists and editors work together. While Bendis is an author, he spends quite a bit of time discussing how to work with artists, including what they like and do not like in scripts.  And he details how to interact with an editor. To help expand the focus away from just writing, Bendis includes round tables and interviews with artists and editors to provide color to the comic creation experience. A theme that runs throughout the books is collaboration, since unless a creator is doing all phases of production they must work with other creative people. Bendis sets the expectation that everyone must be credited and how to get the most out of the collaborative experience which vary from team to team and project to project. An aspect of the team that Bendis does not ignore is the business side of creativity providing key lessons from his own business failures. The book ends with exercises to help get writers writing. The majority of the book is heavily illustrated, largely with Marvel illustrations, typically with art that links to the process or creators he is discussing on the page.

Words for Pictures is easy to read thanks to clarity, interesting personal experiences and illustrations. The text is broken up with interviews and profiles being interspersed throughout the book. The only thing that I found odd is that the writer FAQ and writing exercise chapter are not illustrated with margins that are stark white. While these plain pages may be a blank slate to motivate writers, for a general interest reader like me the pages seemed stark and different enough from the heavily illustrated pages that it seems like someone just forgot about these pages.

The Marvel illustrations let a Disney fan know early that Bendis has strong ties to the company. One feels like they are reading the inside story from a Disney insider, much like one would with an Imagineer, because Disney owned art is everywhere. A good example of how this enriches the experience for the Marvel fan is Bendis' detailed description of the development of the Spider-Men storyline.  And while it was originated decades before the Disney purchase with Stan Lee there is an interesting discussion of what the Marvel method is and who if anyone likes it.

Words For Pictures: The Art and Business of Writing Comics and Graphic Novels by Brian Michael Bendis does a good job of explaining the comics creation process and providing tips and tools for getting into the comics industry. However, for the general public, Bendis does an excellent job of showing the power of collaboration. Being someone who works on teams everyday, it was nice to see that even in my beloved comics collaboration is key. And as a Disney fan, I loved reading how the Marvel arm functions as an artistic endeavor. While this book may not be a Between Book for every Disney fan, for those interested in creativity and Marvel should look at picking up this title.


Review Copy Provided by Publisher 

Between Books - Make Comics Like the Pros

As someone who collaborates with a comic book professional, it would be nice to understand his job. And as someone who reads a lot of comic book it would be nice to fully understand what goes into the creation of the final product. And as someone who loves Archer & Armstrong, I am more than happy to let writer Fred Van Lente explain it all to me.

Make Comics Like the Pros: The Inside Scoop on how to Write, Draw & Sell Your Comic Books and Graphic Novels by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente breaks down the comic book making process for the aspiring professional and the fan. The book goes through the various steps in creating a book from idea to finished product. And they explain the various jobs in the creation pipeline including providing tips for those holding those jobs based on their own experiences. Along with telling you how to make a comic, they show you as they work with an artist to create a new comic in the book’s pages based on their creation concepts. Along with the text, the book is illustrated on nearly every page with a piece of comic art that helps illustrate their points, generally from a Pak or Van Lente project though never from the big two publishers.

Now, I am not a comic professional. Though this week I did declare myself the COO of a non-existent comic press. After I made my inspirational speech, my staff seemed to have evaporated. But now I have a toolbox to assist me in bringing everyone back!

Okay, seriously, Make Comics Like the Pros has value for those who do not make comics. First, Pak and Van Lente stress the need for collaborating. Unlike a book, a comic book takes several different artists to make the final product occur. And they stress the fact that several people are generally needed and they all need to get credit and get paid. Additionally, they discuss the value of collaboration between writers and artists and how two people can make something even stronger. As someone who writes with a team non-comics it was both validating and instructive. Second, for a comics fan there is a nice summary of what each artist does. Their book helps illuminate what an editor, inker and letterer does and some of their general tools.

Though they do not share any Marvel art, the two discuss the Marvel Method of comic book writing. This method sees the writer giving a plot to an artist and then afterwards filling in the dialogue and narration. They explain the fear around this method, but also how it can be beneficial. For some this method is liberating and not as terrifying as it seems.

For those who want to crack into comics they do discuss how. And the big key is writing stories, your stories. They remind us that Marvel and DC own their heroes, and own your work if you write for them. They do not hire people who send unsolicited pitches. And the best way to get their attention is to write your Avengers story with a team that is yours and not the Avengers.

If anything, Make Comics Like the Pros could have used more illustrations from Archer & Armstrong. Okay, that is me showing a bias. For those who want to get into comics or are interested in how a comic is made this book will be of interest. For those getting paid in the industry, it may seem like information that is already in their toolbox. But again, for a fan this is a quick, illustrative read that is fun.




Review Copy Provided for Purposes of Review

Comic Corner - Marvel's Iron Man 3 Prelude

It was an easy sale to get me to pick up Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Prelude #1. I got it for free for The Marvel Comics App. I like free, free is good. I like Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and The Avengers, they are good. So clearly, I was destined to enjoy this as I prepared to see Iron Man 3, which I will have seen by the time of posting and assume I will have thought was good. Sadly, despite my excitement, I was found wanting in this issue.

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Prelude #1 is written by Christos Gage and Will Corona Pilgrim with pencils by Steve Kurth. The tale intertwines itself amongst the events of Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. The real main character is Rhodey (James Rhodes) as he follows the leads to track down a terrorist named The Ten Rings, which has supplied terrorists with weapons globally. You will also remember them as Tony Stark’s kidnappers in Iron Man. The issue ends with a cliffhanger as Rhodey in his War Machine armor may have gotten too close to The Ten Rings!

Okay, so I do really enjoy the tie-ins to several Avenger Initiative movies. This issue, for example, does an excellent job at explaining why War Machine did not join the Avengers in New York. And it addresses that Rhodey stole his first armor and shows Stark handing over an updated armor to Rhodes. We also see a glimpse of my beloved Agent Coulson in the background. Additionally, The Ten Rings is a clear foreshadowing of Iron Man 3 and the Mandarin. So I do feel like those who are only fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe could pick up this issue and instantly understand all of the background without comics. Co-writer Pilgrim served as a researcher for Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger, so he knows this version of the Marvel universe.

But, I do have two criticisms. First, they did not go all in. Rhodey looks like a buff handsome super hero, which is noticeably different than Don Cheadle's more unstated body type. Instead, he does look like the Rhodey from the comics. And even though Iron Man is in the title, this is really a War Machine issue and I wish that either this was highlighted in the title or that Stark had less of a supporting role. Second, I wish they would have given me the full story in a single comic. The purpose of this comic is to make me more excited about a movie that I am already planning to see (or will have actually seen when you read this!). This title did not change my impression either way, so charging me $2.99 for the second half or $7.99 for a print version with the whole 40-some pages seems like overkill. Especially since the story did not have enough action for me to choose to purchase the next half. I already know that Rhodey makes it to the movie!

Sadly, I did feel a lack of excitement for Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Prelude #1. I felt very vanilla about it. It is the type of story I would expect kids who devour movie tie-ins to enjoy. But adults will probably not find the strands of a story that will get them excited

Comic Corner - Secret Avengers #1

Marvel and Disney have an interesting situation on their hands. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is widely popular, and in 2008, Samuel L. Jackson began to firmly establish himself as Nick Fury in Iron Man. Anyone who has only been exposed to this second level Marvel character, on the big screen, can only visualize Fury as Jackson. So for those who explore comics because they enjoyed the Avenger Initiative may be surprised when the stumble upon Fury in print. Yes, Nick Fury in the Ultimate Universe is stylized to look like Jackson, but in the mainline Marvel Universe, Earth 616, super spy Nick Fury is a gruff Caucasian man. In this universe Fury is more along the lines of Clint Eastwood than Samuel L. Jackson. And though this is a comic universe where things can be changed with a brush stroke and a few lines of story, his ethnicity is a little harder to change since Fury has been Caucasian since 1963. So how does one reconcile Marvel history with the expectations of those who have only seen the movies? I believe Marvel thinks they have found their solution in Secret Avengers.

With issue 1 in February 2013, Secret Avengers caught my attention for two reasons. First, it advertised that Agent Phil Coulson was featured. I am a big Coulson fan! Second, it would feature an African-American Nick Fury. The full cast of the title includes S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, Hawkeye and Black Widow. With 4 members of The Avengers cast, this title is clearly reaching out to fans of the movies. And then adding an African-American Nick Fury completes the attempt to bring movie audiences to a print title. And honestly, though Avengers is in the title, this really is a S.H.I.E.L.D. book. But I personally feel the title choice was to help readers coming from the Cinematic Universe, as they are not yet familiar with Avenger ID cards, an Avengers mansion or self-governing superheroes not backed by S.H.I.E.L.D. But the Avengers label is likely needed to help lead new readers to the concept that this title is related to the movie franchise. Another link to the movies is Hawkeye’s costume, which is far from his traditional over the top purple costume.

As the story opens in Secret Avengers #1, Hawkeye is being taken captive in a foreign land, on a mission that Hawkeye has no knowledge of, in an undisclosed location. This leads to a series of flashbacks where Coulson recruits Hawkeye and Black Widow to serve as Black Ops agents for S.H.I.E.L.D. The duo is introduced to their new field commander, an African-American Nick Fury dressed in a Captain America inspired uniform. The team hits the ground attempting to capture a dealer in black magic before his skills can be used to strike a vital title in the United States. Throughout the book we learn there are secrets upon secrets ranging from why Hawkeye and Black Widow took this assignment to what S.H.I.E.L.D.’s full motivation for using these former Avengers. The story provides hints to action that could happen in future issues and the secrets that can be revealed but the main story is fully resolved in this introductory issue.

Secret Avengers is part of the Marvel NOW! reboot, restructure, reset, or whatever "re" word you want to use. Basically this is a good opportunity to reconcile the print and the cinematic world. And since other changes are occurring, now is the time to bring an African-American Nick Fury into Marvel mainstream with the least disruption. I do understand that Nick Fury is already modeled after Jackson in the Ultimate universe, but I can see how cinema fans want their preferred Fury in the main universe and not a secondary, though exciting, Marvel storyline. At the same time, they also make it clear that this Fury is not the same one that has been around since 1963, a move which should satisfy long-term fans.

Baby Variant Cover - Pointing Out this Team is Low on Powers

Of course it is Fury and Coulson that I laid down my money for. This young and new Nick Fury is modeled after Jackson. He also is a character with unclear motives, much like the movie version. The biggest difference is this Fury is fighting and leading in the field while the Jackson version is largely directing from the bridge of the Helicarrier. I do have a lot of questions about this Fury. It appears that I can find answers to some of these questions in a title called Battle Scars which concluded before Secret Avengers. That series also introduces Coulson to the Marvel mainline universe. I have to admit that I did really enjoy Hawkeye’s reaction to this new Nick Fury! Hawkeye and Fury discuss if the name Nick Fury and James Bond are actually code names for agents and not specific people. It kind of cracks me up to watch a Marvel character attempt to reconcile Bond canon which is far from as complicated as Marvel fictional history. I must admit that I have not warmed up to this version of Coulson. I have seen an animated version of Coulson in Ultimate Spider-Man which is part comic relief straight man and part action hero. This Coulson in this single issue is, well, a used car salesman. I feel like the Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a straight up guy. This guy on the other hand feels a little slimy as he plays let’s make a deal.

The graphics are, in my opinion, solid in this issue. They really help set the stage for a tale that it more spy story than superhero epic. The settings are dark and filled with the back alley type settings you would expect from a black ops team. Sadly, unless the images are super cutting edge, I really do not take full notice of them until they are distracting from the story.

From the business side, I can see why Marvel and Disney both want Secret Avengers. In this title, Marvel brings the movies and Marvel tradition together in a way that could bring new readers to print, paper or digital. I found Secret Avengers #1 a solid endeavor. But with limited money, and new Dole Whip shirts to buy, I will probably wait to borrow the collected trades of this series instead of following it month to month.

Between Books - Was Superman a Spy?

Was Superman A Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed! recounts anecdotes from the history of popular comic book titles.  Author Brian Cronin organizes his book into sections on DC, Marvel and other comic book companies.  Within the sections are chapters on popular comic book superheroes such as Batman, Spider-Man and publishers such as Disney.  Typically Cronin’s stories follow the origin of key titles and miscellaneous incidents from publishing history.  Additionally there are a number of photos and comic art to visually support the tales.

The big question is why should a Disney fan care about this book?  First, with Marvel now being a Disney property, after the writing of this book, the history of Marvel will be of interest to general Disney enthusiasts.  The print history of two characters found in The Avengers, Captain America and the Incredible Hulk both receive their own full chapters.  But for me the Marvel history that I found the most interesting is the role of Stan Lee within the company.  Cronin makes it clear that some Marvel colleagues resented Lee while fans celebrated him.  Some, including prominent collaborators like Jack Kirby, saw Lee in the limelight as their own contributions were marginalized.  Additionally, Lee’s somewhat faulty memory often led to their contributions being ignored by Lee himself.  The Marvel Method, outlined by Cronin, developed by Lee also created antagonism.  While Lee served as Marvel’s primary writer he could not give full attention to the numerous books he helmed.  So instead of pre-writing stories he and the artist would discuss the general story concept.  The artist would draw the story they discussed and then Lee would provide the script and narrative to the completed images.  Lee would at times take the story in a different direction then the artists envisioned, leading to conflict between Lee and others.  In many ways this method paints Lee as an almost Walt Disney figure, coordinating the efforts of many talented people much like Disney did with his animators and Imagineers. 

Second, Cronin provides an entire chapter about Disney comics.  Though I have not read any of these in depth, I did find the chapter highly interesting.  I did not realize that Scrooge McDuck originated in print and not in an animated short or feature.  I think most savvy Disney fans would be interested in reading of a storyline suggested by Walt Disney himself around a suicidal Mickey Mouse.  Additionally, I enjoyed reading about Disney’s conflicts with Marvel, pre-Disney ownership, over the character Howard the Duck and similarities to Donald Duck.  I found the concession of forcing Howard to always wear pants highly amusing.

Finally, Disney is sprinkled throughout the book.  The Batman chapter makes references to the use of the Batman theme song to train Dolphins at Epcot.  And there is a discussion about how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs impacted the budget of the Fleischer Brothers Studio’s Superman shorts.  Yes, the impacts of Disney properties are spread throughout this book. 

A friend loaned me Was Superman a Spy? because of the Disney chapter.  I found the book easy to read, but broken into episodes which at times left the reader wanting to know more about these titles.  Of course, some of these titles have had entire books written about them. I would recommend this book to those who want to dip their toes into comic history but not make a deep dive into any one title.  But it is far from the definitive work on any of the topics included.      

Dreaming Disney - The Josh and Croz Show

They like superheroes, I like superheroes!

They like Batman, I like Batman!

They like Taco Bell, I love Taco Bell!

They like Star Wars, I like Star Wars!

They buy comic books, I borrow some from the library!

They get paid by Disney, I like Disney! 

So, let’s make it clear.  This really is not a Disney podcast The Josh and Croz Show is a pop culture podcast.  Now, Disney does come up as the company creates pop culture consumables.  And the hosts get their regular paychecks from the Mouse.  But just because they work at Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) does not mean you are going to hear the inside track on future projects.  In fact, you probably won’t.  It’s not like I send them the secrets of my job!  Okay, their jobs are probably a lot more interesting than mine!  Though they have discussed how they got hired by WDI. 

I said the show is about pop culture.  Well, mostly.  Sometimes it is honestly not clear what the show is about.  Once they shared an episode that was an hour of giggling early in the morning after working all night on a project, a project they were not at liberty to discuss.  And, as awkward as it sounds it was comedy gold!  In fact one of my least favorite episodes was when tried to be really really focused on an aspect of the Disney community.  I could have gotten the same content from WDW Today, WEDWay Radio, or other podcasts.  The show succeeds when they do what they do best, let us eavesdrop on conversations with each other and friends with no boundaries.  So if a Disney movie or trip to Disneyland comes up, let it.  But if Disney never comes up, the show is just as good.    

So why do I listen to Josh and Croz?  First, because it’s fascinating to hear creative people talk about pop culture.  And there is a mix of Disney items in there to keep me going.  Second, they are my barometer of what geeks, like me, should be looking forward to.  Third, I don’t read a lot of current comic books, so they help me keep track of the state of printed heroes.  Fourth, I love hearing their opinions of movies.  Finally, these guys are just funny.  These guys can take a Fast Food Adventure, a story typically involving national chain fast food joint and the funny stuff they saw, and make you roll over in laughter. 

This is the one Disney related podcast I listen to that I have been able to get friends to listen to because of their pop culture discussions. 

I don’t listen because of how regular the show drops.  There are long gaps between shows and I just let iTunes manage the download for me.  And I don’t listen because they are highly prepared with a clear show plan.  Because that clearly does not usually exist! 

So like Moustaliga, its personalities that keep me coming back. 

When I met one of my best friends for the first time we only talked about Lost, maybe I should watch it someday, and superheroes.  Sadly, we should have probably started talking about Star Wars so I could understand how lost he was.  It was a conversation that Josh and Croz could have easily have joined in.  Thanks for letting us Between Disney laugh with you! 

Avengers Assemble!

Dreaming Disney – Fables

Despite the fact I really like childish things, I am an adult.  No really, don’t let the Mickey Mouse watch, the Toy Story t-shirt and the Disneyland hat fool you!  And I really do like gritty stories, where a character might actually die or make choices that do not match my own.  Some of my favorite worlds are grey, like the Christopher Nolan Batman universe.  And let’s be our typical honest and admit that Disney’s worlds are often black and white not Grey.  The good guy is good, the bad guy is bad, and everyone gets happily ever after as long as they do not fall off a cliff.  But sometimes I am not in the mood for that formula.

A little while ago two friends introduced me to a comic book called Fables.  I thought it would be lame.  These friends and I often do not have similar tastes, they are not Disney guys.  But what they sold me on was that one of the main characters was Snow White, a Snow White living in our world.  Gentlemen you have my attention, but I should warn you it won’t last for long!  Instead of being turned off I fell in love with a fantastically crafted story that is filled with familiar characters that I know and love. 

The basic story is that a group of fairy tale characters, or Fables, have fled their homelands in the face of an adversary who conquered their homes.  The Fables live in two places in our world.  First, the human looking Fables live in a small and secretive New York neighborhood.  The non-human looking Fables live at The Farm, a secluded and magically protected area used for hiding three little pigs, dragons and other Fables that cannot fit into our world.  The comic book follows the Fables as they struggle to overthrow the unknown adversary and regain access to their homelands. 

Any Disney fan is going to love this story because the characters are so familiar, but with a twist.  As we enter the story, Snow White is the deputy mayor of Fabletown and is the power behind the throne of Mayor King Cole.  She is a major character in this world as we follow her romance with the Big Bad Wolf, she is divorced from Prince Charming who has also been wed to Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.  Yes, divorced from Prince Charming something we would never find in a Disney tale.  Charming himself is a con man and rascal who treats women badly but shows his heroic stripes during the war for the homelands.  Cinderella and Mowgli serve as spies for Sheriff Bigby Wolf, serving as his eyes around the globe to ensure good Fable behavior.  We find Pinocchio as a frustrated boy locked in eternal youth with adult sized desires.  And both Belle and the Beast rise in importance to key roles within the Fable government.

I really do love this title, and it’s because I am a Disney fanboy.  First, I get to see beloved characters in a different light.  I have to admit I love the concept of Cinderella as a super spy as highlighted in Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love.  Second, I get to learn more about these characters.  I had no idea that in traditional tales Snow White had a sister named Rose Red.  Anytime a character is introduced for the first time I generally scurry off to Google so I can learn the references that author Bill Willingham is using.  Finally, its characters I am familiar with but in adult story lines.  War is a major theme, and the harshness of war is evident throughout the series.  Characters do die, and when they do it is often forever.  Ever after in Fables is not always happy.  And some of the characters such as Jack Horner, highlighted in his own Jack of Fables title, are crass and often unlikeable. 

Even if you are not a comic book fan, I recommend checking out Fables.  Much like Once Upon a Time it offers a new take on our beloved characters.  And the writing for this series if fantastic, and that’s coming from a doubter.  Trust me, once you are introduced to the Big Bad Wolf you’ll have a hard time putting this title down. 

Between Books - Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion graphic novel is 17 short tales based on the Disney parks attraction the Haunted Mansion.  Each story is written and drawn by a separate team or individual, the Haunted Mansion and its characters are the connective material that binds this volume together since every have a different writing and visual style.   Overall, these stories do not attempt to retell the story of the mansion but provide insights into “life” within the mansion, most often labeled Gracey Manor in the novel.  Stories range from how specific citizens arrived in the mansion, the rules of mansion life, and the behind the scenes lives of our favorite grim grinning ghosts.

With over 17 separate contributes these stories have a wide range of impact on me.  Some of them I absolutely loved.  These included “Blueprint for Murder”  which depicts the architects Mr. Coats and Mr. Davis.  The story plays off on the real life personalities of these Imagineering legends who lead the final design of the Haunted Mansions we have today.  Their competition with each other, the fictional Coats and Davis, leads to additions both physical and spiritual to the mansion.  “A Dynamite Party” gives us a humorous look at the origins of one of the portraits from the stretching room.   Other favorite looks with the Mansion include an explanation of why the caretaker continues to work in a haunted house and Madame Leota’s view of her current bodily state. 

This is not the in-depth storytelling that some graphic novel fans may want.  This book is no Fables.  But it does provide great glimpses into the spooky life.  I found many of the tales really delightful while others missed their mark with me.  I passed my copy off to a young Haunted Mansion fan and she devoured this book as quickly as possible.  And like me there were giggles of enjoyment as she churned through the pages.  Overall, this text is far from Shakespeare, but it does provide a fun connection to the Mansion for us living Between Disney.