Jughead: The Hunger One-Shot
Written by: Frank Tieri
Art by: Michael Walsh
Colors by: Michael Walsh and Dee Cunniffe
Published by Archie Comics
Okay so this is an advanced review, and in an effort to avoid all spoilers (because the twists and turns are vital to the success of this comic) I am just going to give you some bullet points regarding the great stuff inside the pages of Jughead: The Hunger. Because it really is great fun.
All you need to know really is that a werewolf is stalking the streets of Riverdale, and that lycanthrope may or may not be everyone’s favorite hamburger eating slacker.
Like Afterlife with Archie, this book has a fantastic EC Comics vibe.
“The Riverdale Ripper” is an amazing phrase.
The book definitely does not hold back on the gore and violence. This a bloody comic book.
There is a much welcome disturbing sense of humor.
The art and colors by Michael Walsh and Dee Cunnifee are simply gorgeous.
Frank Tieri somehow still manages to capture Archie and the gang’s recognizable personalities.
This is still a classic werewolf story with plenty of mythology.
The pacing is damn near perfect and a great use of the “done in one’ format.
The totally spectacular twist with Betty Cooper that needs its own comic ASAP!
That shocker of an ending!
And even with all the horror, dark humor, and classic Archie archetypes, this is still a tragic tale.
There you have it guys. This is a definite must read, and another great example of how malleable the Archie property can be in the right hands. We need more of the Archie Horror books!
Some franchises feel like they hit just a bit too soon. Sometimes they are released just before the social, political, and pop-cultural context are right for them. It is hard to imagine a worse time to release a young adult series than June 1996. No matter how popular or great a series was, it only had a year until a little-known book about a British wizard would ultimately take over the world. But that is the world into which Animorphs entered.
Animorphs: A Synopsis
Animorphs was a series of 54 books, written by K. A. Applegate, following five teenagers who gain the ability to “morph” into any animal they touch. They use this power to fight an invasion of mind-stealing alien slugs, while still trying to live out their everyday middle school lives. Think Power Rangers but with more of a Teen Titans character dynamics. Animorphs also had a twenty-six-episode Nickelodeon television adaptation that was frankly terrible.
Fun Fact: Shawn Ashmore (Iceman from the X-Men franchise) was the lead actor in the Animorphs Nickelodeon show.
So why now?
It’s the TV show that I want to focus on, as it is more than due for a reboot. The books had their day in the sun, being that series you either loved, or at least saw your local library. But the show was a failure, through and through. Why it failed isn’t exactly a mystery: they took a blockbuster concept and gave it a Nickelodeon budget. The result was poor acting, laughable sub-Power Rangers rubber aliens, and the use of real animals instead of CGI.
An example of how low-budget the aliens were.
This is also the saving grace of a reboot: all the problems with the original show are easily fixed in modern Hollywood, and not inherent to the work.
With the right budget, an Animorphs show would excel in the modern context. See, what made it so unique, in hindsight, was the character composition. The cast was made up of diverse, relatable characters. Through the course of the books, they went through believable and complex development. In a time when Harry Potter was all white folks except for the Patil twins and Kingsley Shacklebolt, Animorphs had an African-American girl and a Latinx boy in the lead. There was a constant focus on narratives related to immigration, race, gender, sexuality, war, sanity, innocence, leadership, and of course, growing up. This was not explored to the same depth by other young adult franchises until well after the series ended in 2001.
Like the modern social climate, visual effects technology is at a place where a reboot makes sense. In the sea of terrible movie that was The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Beorn’s transformation into a bear looks pretty damn good. And there’s no reason to use real animals; just look at what Jon Favreau did with The Jungle Book. The hokey rubber aliens can also be replaced with Falling Skies style CGI. But if The Flash proves anything, poorly generated creatures and effects aren’t a death sentence for a successful show, so long as there is character dynamic to support it.
It’s not the worst VFX of the 90’s. But it’s not great either.
And that’s good because the character interaction is where Animorphs shined. Applegate treated her characters as real teenagers, who are plagued by nightmares from the war they are fighting, while also worrying about making the basketball team. That’s exactly why a modern television adaptation would succeed. In a time when shows have the technology and budget to challenge film, a gritty, fun, and unapologetic young adult series about a diverse group of kids trying to survive school and war would stand out from the crowd.
Where to put it?
I’m thinking a Netflix adapted series, to allow for the creative freedom and audience necessary to make it work. And just to make it easier on them, check back for Let’s Cast: Animorphs Reboot.
What do you think of bringing back Animorphs? Pipe dream, or a great idea? Let us know in the comments!
The CW is known for making huge sensations out of their teen drama franchises, and it’s latest addition to the long line of captivating teen dramas, Riverdale, has the potential to be the new Gossip Girl. Now, as a shocked gasp ripples through all of young adult America, let’s start off with the disclaimer that there will never be another series that even comes close to replacing Gossip Girl. The appeal was simple. Us peasants could live the lives of the glamorous and fashionable trust funded teens of Manhattan, while simultaneously feeling better about our own because we would never suffer the problems they did. Mo’ money, mo’ problems. Ammirte? If you push past the designer clothes, confusing lack of supervision, and the fact that nobody ID’d this twerps, there are a lot of similarities in the structure of Riverdale and Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl was not only known for it’s fashion, set design, and hot AF characters, but it was also know for it’s ever exciting plot. Shit was always going wrong. If you’ve been following the current plot of Riverdale, shit also seems to always be going wrong. Pair that with some striking character archetype similarities, and we might as well be in the Upper East Side. Now, for most teen drama series, obviously there are going to be parallels between series, because those are components that just make a series work. However, the accumulation of all of these elements in Riverdale have been patched together so distinctly, that one can’t help but wait for one of the characters to start wearing a tragic muck colored lipstick, and call it a day.
When it comes to characters, the Riverdale and Gossip Girl posse is almost identical. Betty Cooper is the Serena van der Woodsen of 2017. She’s bright, blonde, and is way too nice for the shit she gets herself into. Throw in a micromanaging mother who’s dillusionally trying to do what’s best for her daughter in the worst way possible, and the comparison is too striking. Veronica Lodge has the makings of a good Blair Waldorf. She’s fierce, borderline a complete bitch, and isn’t afraid to access her crazy side to accomplish what she needs to; however, she possesses the unbreakable loyalty for her close friends that Blair had as well. Archie Andrews is almost a complete mirror of Nate Archibald. He’s just a nice kid with a dream…that his father doesn’t share. He has a penchant for older women, which is so Nate it’s not even funny. Jughead, seemingly an outsider who finds himself now in the thick of the drama, gives us the awkward, earnestness we found in Dan Humphrey-that is until Dan became a bitter little B. Charlotte Blossom of course is probably our Georgina Sparks of the series, as she’s a bit of a lunatic, pushes people’s buttons, but we kind of like her because of it. We’re still waiting on the appearance of our Chuck Bass parallel, but seeing as the CW never fails to insert a suave yet lovable douchebag into the mix, it won’t be long.
Not only do the main teens in our teen drama have their own craziness to deal with, many of the side plots starting to develop involve their parents-which is a very Gossip Girl-esque thing to do. There was the random unknown past relationship with Lily and Rufus in Gossip Girl, that exactly is duplicated with Veronica and Archie’s parents. Right down to the upper class woman who once loved a sruffy, less refined man situation. Archie’s father wanted him to take over the family business, and while owning a construction company and going to Yale isn’t the same, Nate and his father had essentially the same expectations versus dreams argument.
It takes some looking, but not that much, to notice the fact that Riverdale has the potential to reach the heights that Gossip Girl managed to reach in it’s 6 season run. For Pete’s sake, if the CW can manage to get 6 seasons out of a show that many didn’t think would go past the first couple episodes, there’s no reason why Riverdale would see it’s end any time soon. All the pieces are there, it’s up to the writers and the actors to bring it all together in that dynamic way that we’ve seen in the past. It’s very likely, and very possible.
The teaser trailer for The Flash/Supergirl musical crossover episode is here! Watch it below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm7idDOvdXE
What are your thoughts on The CW taking a risk and releasing this episode? Will it do well in terms of ratings? Comment below.
“DARREN CRISS (“GLEE”) GUEST STARS AS THE MUSIC MEISTER IN THE FLASH AND SUPERGIRL MUSICAL CROSSOVER – Barry (Grant Gustin) and team are surprised when Mon- El (guest star Chris Wood) and Hank Henshaw (guest star David Harewood) arrive on their Earth carrying a comatose Supergirl (guest star Melissa Benoist) who was whammied by the Music Meister (guest star Darren Criss). Unable to wake her up, they turn to Team Flash to save her. However, the Music Meister surprises The Flash and puts him in a similar coma, one that Team Flash can’t cure. Kara and Barry wake up without their powers in an alternate reality where life is like a musical and the only way to escape is by following the script, complete with singing and dancing, to the end. Dermott Downs directed the episode with story by Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg and teleplay by Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing (#317). Original airdate 3/21/2017.”
Screen Rant caught up with Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins and got her to briefly discuss plans for the future films in the series.
“[There are] many, many things I can’t wait to do with her. She’s got a lot of shades that I really really like. I think whatever we get to do with her in the future, the great thing is this is the way to start.”
Assuming Wonder Woman kills it at the box office, what would you like to see them do in the sequel? Since this first movie is set in the past, would it be wise for them to bring her into the modern age? Give us your thoughts below!
“’Wonder Woman’ hits movie theaters around the world next summer when Gal Gadot returns as the title character in the epic action adventure from director Patty Jenkins. Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.
Inhumans Vs. X-Men finally ends this week with the release of it’s sixth issue. That means that X-Fans are one step closer to ResurreXion; thank goodness. It’s time for mutants to return to their former glory! Marvel also dropped another bit of news on their Twitter, teasing another new X-Men team.
The only release information they’ve provided so far is that this new team is “Coming June 2017.” Apparently this is the comic series “fans have been demanding!” Does that mean it’s a team composed of fan-favorite mutants? Or that it’s a series fans have been asking to be brought back?
I get the sense that this mystery title will most likely be an X-Force book. Of all the ReurreXion titles announced, X-Force is not among them. So far only X-Men: Blue, X-Men: Gold, X-Men Prime, Generation X, and Weapon X are the only team books. Along with solo series’ for Jean Grey, Cable, and Iceman.
Who could these mystery mutants be? Clearly two of them (at the top) are gun toting characters, one seems to have hair while the other clearly does not. If we’re going by Marvel’s claim of “fans demanding” this team, these two would probably be Cable and Deadpool.
On the right side, under what I assume is Deadpool (or Fantomex), appears to be a character with long, flowing hair. Assuming this is a popular female character, and jumping to conclusions on hairstyle, this might be Rogue. According to this Ranker poll that 21,000 people voted on, Rogue is the most popular X-Men character.
These are just my best guesses, Marvel could always be pulling a fast one on us. The rest this image could be entirely composed of Doop, Morph, and misleadingly shaped debris. One thing is certain however, a shift in focus on the X-Men is near.
Soon enough, we devoted “mutant activists” will have a pull-list full of X-Men titles once again. Our beloved mutant heroes will be getting the attention and appreciation they deserve. We just need to make it through one more IVX issue. ResurreXion begins this Spring.
What do you think this new series will be? Which character do you think populate the rest of the team? Will ResurreXion deliver or disappoint? Let us know in the comments!
Prepare your eyes. Prepare your hearts. Prepare your souls for the UNPOP PODSHOW!
Drawing inspiration from a myriad of cinematic masterpieces, the UNPOP PODSHOW is an extension of the greatest UNheard film podcast in Valley Village, CA: The UnPOP Podcast.
The first episode of the UNPOP PODSHOW, entitled “Fantastic Beasts and How to Avoid Them”, will be released on March 10, 2017. In the meantime, catch up with your about-to-be favorite movie podcasters at the UnPOP Podcast!
On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/unpop-podcast/id1118815786?mt=2
At Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/unpoppodcast
Tune in to our most tremendous, fabulous and wonderful review ever. Believe us. Packed with plenty of celebrity guests including Guy Fieri, former Minnesota Governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura and, last but not least, the current sitting President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. Oh God, we really hope this episode tracks well in China…
In all seriousness, The Great Wall is the first film the UnPOP guys regret spending money to see. The discussion about why that’s the case is much better than the film itself. Check it out!
Have a topic you’d like to hear UnPOPPED? Send any comments/love/vitriol to unpopentertainment@gmail.com
The UnPOP Podcast is on iTunes! Check us out there!
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Last Friday, Logan, the latest superhero movie released to great reviews and a strong box office showing. Over the weekend, the film about the metal-clawed mutant vacuumed up nearly 90 million dollars, shredding all other competition. Logan’s financial haul put it fourth all-time for (domestic) weekend opening in March. Logan’s release in March features some stiff competition in the form of some box office giants from cinema’s past. If Logan is going to slice and dice the March competition, it’s got an epic fight ahead.
How does Logan stack up against these
other big March movie releases?
The movie so many love to hate. BvS took in 165+ million during the weekend of March 25 of 2016. An impressive amount to be sure, but BvS slowed quickly due to word of mouth and perhaps even superhero fatigue. BvS made more than half of its total domestic gross in the opening weekend. The film ranks fourth in total grosses all-time for a March release. Zack Snyder, however, is without a doubt the King of March. Three of the director’s films are in the top 12 all-time March openings.
Introducing the FilmKind Podcast. A new show discussing the latest movies and movie related topics including detailed reviews. In this first episode, I offer a spoiler review for Hugh Jackman’s final Wolverine movie, Logan and discuss some of the films biggest spoilers.
It’s 2029. Mutants are gone–or very nearly so. An isolated, despondent Logan is drinking his days away in a hideout on a remote stretch of the Mexican border, picking up petty cash as a driver for hire. His companions in exile are the outcast Caliban and an ailing Professor X, whose singular mind is plagued by worsening seizures. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy abruptly end when a mysterious woman appears with an urgent request–that Logan shepherd an extraordinary young girl to safety. Soon, the claws come out as Logan must face off against dark forces and a villain from his own past on a live-or-die mission, one that will set the time-worn warrior on a path toward fulfilling his destiny.
For more amazing episodes of the FilmKind Podcast make sure you subscribe and don’t forget to check back at Monkeys Fighting Robots for more…
Jughead: The Hunger One-Shot
There you have it guys. This is a definite must read, and another great example of how malleable the Archie property can be in the right hands. We need more of the Archie Horror books!
