About Captain Planet

Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug is a cool guy who reviews bad comics. I really enjoy his video segment on That Guy With the Glasses, "Atop the Fourth Wall", and recommend y'all check him out.

Anyway, he reviewed a Captain Planet comic...



...which started me reflecting on the show it was based on. This post is adapted from my comment on his video.

I liked Captain Planet and the Planeteers when I was a kid, though I'm fully aware of its flaws now. I guess I just liked anything with action and superheroes, plus the lessons it delivered were in line with my family's values - we were and are a bunch of blue-collar New England Democrats, and respect for the environment is something I believe in.

But the problem, as many people have said, is that Captain Planet slams you over the head with its message, appealing to cheap emotional responses, while getting half of it wrong. I'm basically a socialist, but I'm mature enough to realize that capitalist CEOs aren't mustache-twirling villains - they're human beings just like me, and more often than not believe that they're doing right.

If you want to see what a good environmentalist story looks like, watch Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke. The proto-capitalist "antagonist" has noble motives and actually helps people in her own way by giving them employment and shelter. The conflict between her and the nature-worshiping protagonists (who can be seen as eco-terrorists) is far from cut-and-dry. Even the nature spirits themselves are not "good" - they're dangerous, alien creatures who can be downright monstrous.

On a less serious note, I always felt sorry for Ma-Ti, the Planeteers' fifth wheel. Everyone always gets down on him for having a stupid ability. What kind of dumb power is Heart, anyway? But when I think about it, he'd potentially be the most powerful of all the Planeteers. I mean, his powers include clairvoyance, telepathy, and mind control. Just think what he could do if he had the imagination - and the ruthlessness - to use that power to its full potential!

If I were writing Captain Planet? I'd set it 15 years in the future, where Ma-Ti has gotten fed up with being the butt monkey of the team. He's become an extremist and used his ring to become a Communist dictator, controlling the hearts and minds of the masses. The other Planeteers struggle against their former friend, but they dare not summon Captain Planet, for without Heart to guide him, the planet's avatar has become a mindless force of destruction, nature's wrath incarnate.

That's what kind of dumb power Heart is!

The Battle for Terra

Here's the trailer for an upcoming animated film, The Battle for Terra.



It's very good to see an American animation studio making a film with a mature, complex storyline. However, it seems like they can't let go of more family-friendly style elements, such as cartoonish character designs. Not that I have a problem with that - I loved The Incredibles - but it clashes with the subject matter. On the other hand, I realize that it's very hard to make realistic 3D character models that don't look downright creepy (see The Polar Express).

I'm afraid that this movie is going to do poorly businesswise, though. The Animation Age Ghetto is still in full effect. Don Bluth's Titan: A. E. failed miserably back in the '90s, and Ralph Bakshi's output is likewise regarded dismally. (This may because Bakshi's work is mostly crap, but I digress.) Sadly, American animation is a long, long way from reaching the widespread acclaim the medium sees in Japan.

Still, as I said, it's good to see someone trying. I wish the filmmakers the best.

The Simpsons Movie

I have a confession to make.

I have never watched a single episode of The Simpsons.

(this is where you gasp and recoil in shock)

Yet due to the extent to which the series has permeated American pop culture (and particularly the Internet nerd/geek subculture), I still know pretty much all there is to know about the show. I know who everyone is. I know the relationships between the characters. I know that Smithers can't get enough of Mister Burns and why Sideshow Bob is public enemy number one. Yet I've never actually sat through a whole episode of the show itself.

So The Simpsons Movie was an odd experience for me in that going in I knew everything on paper but not in practice.

I liked it, honestly, but I get the feeling that I would have liked it more if I'd been tuning in every week for the last twenty years. I've heard it criticized as being like just another episode of the show only extra long, but I wouldn't know. It was sad watching Bart's growing rift with his dad and Homer coming to grips with how much of a jerk he was, but I think I would have gotten more out of it if I'd invested more into the franchise before now.

Still, the movie worked on a more basic level as far as jokes and gags went. ("Of course I'm going mad with power! Have you ever tried going mad without power? It's boring, nobody listens to you.") I had a smile on my face from beginning to end, and that's what matters.

It was also nice to see a successful 2D animated feature film afloat in the sea of lucrative yet mediocre CGI films about wisecracking talking animals that keep getting thrown at us. I like CGI, but not as much as I like traditional animation. They're really separate art forms that should judged by separate standards, so it saddens me that there's this feeling of competition between them.

Anyway, I recommend the movie to pretty much everyone, Simpsons fans and otherwise. Give it a watch if you have the chance - it's worth it.

You Know...

I just now realized, two weeks after it went out of business, the irony of shopping at a comic book store with an obese owner... in Springfield.

*facepalm*

Worst. Joke. Ever.

A Shameful Confession

This is kind of hard for me to say, because it could wreak havoc on my reputation as a blogger... but then I realized that I don't have a reputation as a blogger (which is exactly how I want to keep it), so what the hell.

I was surprised to learn that TV Tropes Wiki had such an extensive page on My Little Pony, and even more surprised that I actually remembered pretty much everything on it.

Yes, that's right. I watched and liked My Little Pony when I was a kid.

I'm not proud of it.

I think it came from being a fantasy-obsessed young boy with two little sisters. My Little Pony was pretty much the only thing on the Disney Channel that could sate my addiction in between episodes of Gummi Bears (this was before Aladdin hit the airwaves), and since my sisters were into it, it sorta just rubbed off.

Christ, I even remember liking the all-different "Ponies 90210" series that came later.

I have to say, that giant singing purple ooze from the movie freaked me out. I also remember Danny DeVito had a role in it as some kind of troll thing.

I also remember the creepy Michael Jackson pony mentioned in the article. :P

Side note: I find it interesting that I feel a sense of embarrassment talking about this, because a woman who admits to enjoying Transformers as a child probably wouldn't to the same degree. I could insert a rant about gender-typing here, but I don't have the energy.

Anyway... yeah. Just a strange little look into one blogger's past. Try not to think any less of me for it, huh?

(And for the record I did not play with the dolls. Even I have standards. :P)

"And we cannot fail that trust, and we cannot fail to try."

From the ending of the animated adaptation of Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier (ignore the subtitles). All I can say is that they nailed it. I honestly can't watch this without getting a little misty, given the juxtaposition of these paragons of idealism against some of the most inspiring political rhetoric of the last century, not to mention the musical score.

I really want to get the special edition DVD but haven't been able to find it.

Christmas with the Kents

December starts in about 25 minutes, so to start getting into the mood for the impending Christmas season (which I observe secularly despite being an atheist; I'm sorry if I offend), here's one of my favorite scenes from Justice League, from the episode "Comfort and Joy."



Enjoy, and happy holidays.

It's That Time of Year Again!

Homestar Runner Halloween Cartoon yaaaaaaaaay!

*a-jibblie-jibblie*

"When everyone is super, no one will be."

I've just read a convincing argument that The Incredibles is conservative claptrap.

I mean... I love the movie, it was funny, it had great characters, great action, but the basic message here is that some people are just born better and that anyone else trying to be as good as them is wrong; and that in trying to level the playing field and give everyone a sporting chance (affirmative action, feminism, prepackaged super-powers), we're preventing special people from living up to their potential and enforcing mediocrity on everyone. "They keep on finding new ways to celebrate mediocrity." "When everyone is super, no one will be."

Now, the film was set in the early 1960s, when people were deathly afraid of communism turning everyone into identical drones and that the liberals were in cahoots. And of course the creators of the film have every right to express their beliefs however they see fit. But it's just... jarring to come to that realization.

Creepiest Thing I've Seen in Years? I Think So.

From The Adventures of Mark Twain:





Actually, if this were live-action or a comic book or something, I wouldn't be half as freaked out, but since it's in a typically "kiddie" medium like claymation, it's just... *shudder*.

It actually seems like something Neil Gaiman would write. Knowing that Gaiman thinks highly of Mark Twain, that's not all that surprising.

Damn, I'm gonna have nightmares for a week.

DC: The New Frontier Preview

I was going to post a full critique of this, but I'm really tired after going all the way from Springfield to Boston for nothing today (and getting lost on the way home) and in the throes of a post-sugar-rush meltdown, so I'll just post some brief thoughts.

First of all, DC: The New Frontier was one of my favorite graphic novels from DC. I love reading about super-heroes in historic settings (which is one reason I love the Justice Society so much), and I think it's absolutely awesome to see it brought to life in my favorite artistic medium.

For all his faults, in my humble opinion John F. Kennedy was the greatest president of the later 20th century. I really look up to him, and to hear his voice on the video is kind of an experience for me. That's got nothing to do with the movie; I'm just saying.

Every time I see Dan Didio I want to rip his smug face off. That's also got nothing to do with the movie; I'm just saying.

It seems like they've cut the Martian Manhunter from the story, which fills me with dismay. I wouldn't be surprised if they've cut the Suicide Squad, the Challengers of the Unknown, and/or John Henry as well.

But Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman is nothing short of inspired.

I love John Stewart and think he was the right Green Lantern for Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, but it's really good to see Hal Jordan in the animated spotlight for once.

I love the character designs, but the animation itself looks kind of clunky. Maybe I'm just too used to hyperkinetic anime.

All in all, I am really looking forward to this.

A Batman Anime?

I read on Newsarama that there's a "Batman anime" movie in the works.

I hate it when American cartoons are called "anime."

I'm not an anime snob. I don't think that Japanese cartoons are superior to or any more "special" than cartoons from anywhere else. In fact, I love anime and American animation equally, and I recognize the flaws of both. It's just a matter of terminology, is all. "Anime" means "an animated cartoon made in Japan," end of story. It's why we called it "Japanimation" back in the '80s and '90s. It does not refer to the art style -- which is a great deal more varied than its detractors seem to think, and which to my knowledge has no specific name (I just call it "the Japanese pop art style").

I feel the same way about so-called "original English-language manga." Much of it is very good indeed, but if it's not from Japan, it's not manga.

So, no, this movie will not be a "Batman anime." It will be "an American Batman cartoon drawn in the Japanese pop art style." (Or a close approximation, anyway. How many "Amerime" shows look like actual anime? I love me some Teen Titans, but the resemblance to actual anime is purely superficial.)

If they wanted a "Batman anime" so much, they should have gotten a Japanese animation studio to write, produce, and draw it themselves. Heck, they could've licensed Kia Asamiya's Batman: Child of Dreams (a very good read) to a Tokyo animation studio and let them do with it as they would. I'd have liked that a whole lot better, since I love seeing pop culture icons from anywhere given a distinct "spin" by a different culture; I'd like to track down some back issues of Adam Warren's Dirty Pair for that very reason, but that's off-topic.

Meh... well, there's nothing I can do about it.

Fairyland Totalitarian

Here's an interesting article on Walt Disney and his totalitarian leanings. I hadn't been aware that he was such a dysfunctional individual, although considering his lifestyle I suppose it's not surprising.

Disney is not my favorite animator. I do have fond memories of several of his short films -- particularly the "Goofy the Everyman" cartoons of the '50s and '60s -- and I consider Fantasia one of the masterpieces of American animation, but as the man himself said, most of his output is little more than well-drawn corn. Warner Brothers' stable of animators, especially Chuck Jones, were far his superior in terms of artistic expression. Disney's influence on animation and world popular culture cannot be denied, however -- he was, after all, the inspiration for the likes of Osamu Tezuka (and by extension practically every Japanese animator and comicker in the last fifty years), and for that alone he deserves accolades.

On Japanese vs. American Animation

I suck at coming up with original post titles.

It struck me recently that the biggest difference between American and Japanese animation is variety. The thing is, both possess a kind of variety that the other lacks.

Note that this is all mere observation on my part as a viewer, with no actual research involved. If anyone reading this (any of the zero of you) can set me straight on any misconceptions, that'd be cool.

One of the things that sets anime (and I use "anime" solely to refer to national origin, not content, quality, or even art style -- i.e., any and all cartoons from Japan and from nowhere else) apart from American cartoons is that it's possible to create anime for practically any demographic, from little children to preteens to college students to adults, either male or female. Not that anime is particularly well-liked by Japan at large, remaining largely the purview of the geek subculture, but if there's a demographic to be found, chances are there's a cartoon aimed at them. It also comes in an extremely wide range of genres, from sci-fi to fantasy to horror to (my personal favorite) slice-of-life comedy/drama.

By contrast, American animation seems to play to very well-demarcated demographics: it's either light viewing fare for little kids or teenagers, or it's irreverent adult comedy. There's not nearly the same variety of genre or subject matter. However, American toons possess a different kind of variety: a variety of artistic, narrative, and directorial conventions. Despite its wide range of demographic appeal and subject matter, anime is practically always recognizably anime. From big round eyes and giant sweatdrops to more subtle keys like storytelling and direction, "Japanimation" has a definite set of standards. Even if you took away the visual element and just listened to the dialog in English, chances are that the discerning ear could still tell it was made in Japan. (A joke could be inserted here about the distinctively poor quality of the American dubbing industry, but I still have a big enough crush on Lisa Ortiz-as-Deedlit the Elf, so I'll let it go.) Conversely, there's no such homogeneity in American toons -- The Simpsons and South Park may both be satirical adult cartoons, but they're both very different beasts. This, I feel, is the American animation industry's greatest asset.

The Spirit of '43, or: Propaganda Sucks

(Cross-posted from my LJ.)

Here's an interesting thing I found on YouTube -- a WWII propaganda cartoon with Donald Duck.



I remember seeing this on a VHS tape when I was a very small kid. The narrator on the second half of the film creeps me out. "Guns! Guns! Guns!" And the tone he uses just sounds so malicious and venomous.

It also strikes me as interesting how it's implied that Germany and Japan were infringing on America's freedom. Certainly their own peoples' freedom, as well as France, Poland, China, and Korea's freedom, but as far as I'm aware they never had any designs on conquering America; it's pretty damn easy to draw parallels between that kind of propaganda and the lies the Bush administration is feeding us today about our "War on Terror."

All I can say in the end is that I'm just very glad we don't have this sort of overt propaganda in this day and age. (Not-so-overt propaganda, on the other hand...)

A Close-Up, You Jerk, A Close-Up!

Oh putz, Warner Bros. made YouTube take down "Duck Amuck." They probably took down "One Froggy Evening," too.

Ah well, it was illegal anyway.

Chuck Jones was, IMO, America's greatest mainstream animator. He may not have measured up to his contemporary Tezuka (note that I've never seen anything actually directed by Tezuka; yeah, some cartoonophile I am...), but he was still a master of his craft. Jones was by far superior to Walt Disney, who was a masterful entrepeneur who could sell anything, but a dreadfully mediocre animator if you ask me. "Duck Amuck" was the first cartoon I'm aware of to tear down the fourth wall and show that an animated character could carry a short without some contrived storyline.