Your Name blends beautiful animation with a heartwarming story and fleshed out characters to deliver a solid overall film.
Although more complex, the story essentially revolves around two teenagers, Mitsuha and Taki, who magically swap bodies one day. It’s a fascinating premise as it allows the writer to not only give standard character development to the leads, but tinker with how each character acts while in the other’s body. It’s complex, but works well.
Your Name has an art style I adore. It’s akin to classic Ghibli movies, but modernized with certain visuals that are simply spectacular. Shots of things like the sky and open fields are incredibly well done, and I can tell that the animators worked endlessly on the detail.
In terms of score, the film has a subtle, but good one. The music isn’t overpowering, but definitely adds flare and meaning to certain scenes that otherwise wouldn’t have it. When I look at some of my favorite anime films of all time, like My Neighbor Totoro, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Akira, the music is a major positive, rather than a supplementary filmmaking device; to me, this is what sets the amazing apart from a picture that is good, or even great.
A major flaw in Your Name comes at the end. I won’t spoil anything, but the ending didn’t give fans enough credit. When a movie allows the audience to think about what happens to character, rather than giving them a drawn out and cliche ending, it’s more effective. Your Name falls trap to not letting its audience think about the story they had just seen, its details, and make a hypothesis on what might’ve happened based on that knowledge.
Overall, the film is pretty great. It’s not the greatest anime movie of all time, like My Anime List presents it as, but it’s definitely a solid film for anyone looking to watch an uplifting, and funny, story between two relatable teens.
If the ‘Step Up’ franchise can squeeze out five films, it’s a no-brainer that ‘Pitch Perfect 3’ comes out this holiday season. The first film had a budget of $17 million, and the girls look to destroy all the goodwill they earned with an obnoxious $65 million budget for ‘Pitch Perfect 3.’ I think this film is still about acapella and doesn’t require a giant CGI monster, but if Fat Amy wants to blow all the money on hookers and coke, you let her. Also, John Lithgow makes a surprise appearance!
After the highs of winning the World Championships, the Bellas find themselves split apart and discovering there aren’t job prospects for making music with your mouth. But when they get the chance to reunite for an overseas USO tour, this group of awesome nerds will come together to make some music, and some questionable decisions, one last time.
Trish Sie directs the film, Sie also directed ‘Step Up: All In’ and three OK GO videos. Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Chrissie Fit, Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins all return and are joined by additions including John Lithgow and Ruby Rose.
What makes comics unique? That question has fueled Hass Otsmane-Elhaou for many years. If you haven’t been following Hass’s work over at Strip Panel Naked, then you’ve been missing out on arguably the premier analysis of the comics medium. Formerly of the now defunct Comics Alliance, Hass has long championed the need for a more reflective brand of comics journalism. Sites have too often focused on the fandom side of the industry over the art-form itself, how it came about, and what it means. Indeed, a fatal gap in comics journalism has been the failure to engage with creators on the process of making comics beyond a surface level discussion. Hass’ latest editorial and journalistic endeavour is a digital magazine that aims to fulfill the need. Panel x Panel provides a refreshing break from the current trend in comics journalism by promising an in-depth take on what makes the medium unique and what drives the creators that make it possible.
Panel x Panel, like many great literary magazines, splits its attention between featured and regular sections. However, whereas others have a multitude of features offering insights into different works, it opts instead to examine a single book. For this inaugural edition, we are invited to discuss Beautiful Canvas #1 (in-stores June 28th) by Ryan Lindsay and Sami Kivela with colours by Tríona Farrell and letters by Ryan Ferrier. In this way, both author and reader have a common frame of reference. Our first substantive piece is an interview with the books co-creators as they walk us through their partnership which has endured over four projects. Its a fascinating look into their creative process and how they conceive the structure of a comics. Everything from panel composition to the utility of dramatic devices and purpose of genre is given space. Lindsay and Kivela revel in the chance to welcoming the reader into their workshop and pulling back the curtain without spoiling the magic. This opening interview ends with what is promised to be a re-occurring question of the Inside the Actors Studio variety. “Why does this story need to be told in comics?” That question is one we all should ask when picking up our weekly pull-list and oddly, its one that some creators struggle to come to terms with. Their answer is as instructive as it is enlightening.
Panel x Panel’s consideration of Beautiful Canvas is bolstered by articles focusing on shamefully neglected work of colourists, the role of the femme fatale in fiction and a breakdown of its hidden meaning in its visuals. These contributions by Tríona Farrell, Laura Fagan, Deniz Camp, and Hass himself all add to our appreciation of the base work. They are academic in the sense that they seek to thoroughly dissect these various elements of the comic and in doing so, understand it. To say they are academic is not to say that they are exclusionary. The language and reference used is welcoming for the lay observer. Panel x Panel merely asks that you meet it halfway and think critically about the media you consume.
The magazine’s regular items are a joy to peruse. For those who think that there is too much talk about comics and little of them, fear not. The issue features a short 14-page comic entitled Time is of the Essence by Romain Brun, Deniz Camp and Julien Brun. This heartbreaking tale examines the theme of love through a sci-fi lens and asks what lengths we are willing to go to experience it, even for a short amount of time. It is stunningly rendered. Each panel practically oozes with character, adding to the world these individual occupy. It is a fine example of why this medium excels and a fitting companion piece to this issue. It alone is worth the price of entry.
Panel x Panel is rounded off by a number of compelling articles. Comics Showcase sees creators, journalists, and others industry professionals give their recommendations of books to pick up. Its more than a mere reading list, each paragraph is an mini-essay on why a given book has effected them as it has. Its always inspiring to hearing passion people speak to what currently inspires them. Anyone in need of a break from the deluge of the Big Two owes themselves to add some of these titles. Craft Corner finally gives letterers their due and to prove why it can make or break a comic. Lettering is often a character in and of itself. It subliminally adds to the world the creative team is building. Few have managed to convey their importance than Aditya Bidikar in this issue. The two further interview sections, Five Question With… and Creator x Creator respectively, are utterly fascinating. The former emulates Inside the Actors Studio even more so than the featured interview allows Ibrahim Moustafa to gush about his comic influences. The latter is a truly unique relay format where one creator interviews another of their choice on a topic of their choice. The interviewee then morphs into the interviewer for the next issue and follows suit. The premiere installment sees Ollie Masters interview Rob Williams about the drafting and scripting processes. It is required reading for anyone even somewhat interested in writing their own comics.
At a glance, this may seem like magazine for creators by creators. However, it is anything but a private club. Panel x Panel is for anyone who is drawn to comics in more than a passive sense. It is for those who wish to understand the creative background that goes into making comics. Each article is bursting with information about why comics are so special and why they only continue to grow. Like the medium it champions, it welcomes its reader without ever talking down to them.Discussions which may have previous been the reserves of creators is now squarely open to the public. Panel x Panel is our answer to The Economist or the London Review of Books and it has been long overdue.
Panel x Panel launches on June 28th and is available for pre-order. An advanced review copy was kindly provided by the editor.
When this album starts with dramatic piano and guitar, any preconceived notions of a 2 Chainz album shatter. ‘Pretty Girls Like TrapMusic‘is the first album from the Atlanta rapper that I’ve listened to start to finish. Nothing against 2 Chainz but I’ve always enjoyed his features more than his solo work. That changes with this album.
On his fourth release, 2 Chainz focuses his lyrics but stretches himself with the production. The producers credited include FKi 1st, Mike Will Made It, Buddah Bless, and even Pharrell. Props to each of them for either adding their signature sound (Pharrell) or switching it up (Mike Will Made It). It’s all about 2 Chainz masterfully flow on each beat though. There’s a style that he’s known for but tries out new things. He even has time to call out the new “mumble” style. 2 Chainz does borrow the moody sound that’s invading hip-hop. Also, there’s another rap song with a heavy flute; when did the flute invade trap houses?
Not uncommon on rap albums, nine of the songs have featured artists. What’s strange is how much spotlight 2 Chainz gives each of them. Nicki Minaj and Drake both get extended verses while Quavo appears on two songs (one solo and one with Migos). The most surprising feature on ‘Pretty Girls Like Trap Music‘ is R&B songstress Monica. Other than the ATL connection, never thought I’d hear her vocals on trap album. Just so happens that she sings on the most personal song, “Burglar Bars.” Her voice makes for a great addition that adds something special.
‘Pretty Girls Like Trap Music‘ doesn’t have many flaws but it’s far from perfect. You hone in on the flaws a little more when they ruin good songs. Like “Riverdale Rd” for example, it’s almost perfect until the horrible hook at the end. Weak hooks and choruses seem to be the only consistent problem. That problem is why there are so many features on not only this album but most rap albums. It gives the artist a break from having to carry an entire song. If only more of the solo songs here sounded like “OG Kush Diet”.
Final Thoughts:
Like the best wine, 2 Chainz gets better with age. Each of his albums has great singles but every song here is worth a listen. I found myself enjoying all the songs for their unique quirks. Even on repeat listens, there are no skippable songs.
‘Pretty Girls Like Trap Music‘ isn’t the first of its kind but it’s one of the best. I also think this is hands down the best 2 Chainz album.
Favorite Songs:
Saturday Night
Good Drank
Realize
OG Kush Diet
Burglar Bars
Tell me your thoughts on ‘Pretty Girls Like Trap Music‘ below!
If you liked this review, let me know in the comments.
I think this is great news. I have always loved the world Millar and Romita created in this comic, and felt it could definitely be opened up and explored further.
You can find out more about Kick-Ass and other Mark Millar books/news at the official Millarworld website or follow the very communicative and vocal creator on his Twitter.
After months of anticipation, ‘The Mist’ has finally descended upon Bridgeville. The first of ten episodes has aired and this is the first weekly recap and review of the episode. I’ve got high hopes for the show, the 2007 movie is in my top 5 favorite movies of all time.
“Are you mine?”
The show begins with a soldier waking up in the forest. A large dog sits next to him, panting and waiting for his owner to arise. After a look at his wallet and the dog’s tag, Brian Hunt identifies himself and Rufus The Dog. Clearly uncertain as to who he is, he gets up and goes wandering into the forest. Behind him, a thin mist follows. Before long Rufus runs barking into the dense mist and his owner follows. Unable to see where his dog is, he listens for the barks before here a cry of pain. Following the noise he finds Rufus decapitated and bloody hung over a branch.
A Short Title Sequence…
Teacher Eve Copeland is being reprimanded by the principle of Bridgeville High School. It appears that she had gone off script in a sex education class. Due to her actions, she’s been placed on administrative leave. Back at home, she discusses with her husband Kevin. He offers to go back to work at the newspaper, but Eve dismisses the idea. He sits and enjoys the view. “It’s pretty here” he claims. Unimpressed and removing a bug from her leg Eve points out “Not if you look closely.”
“He can’t hear you when you’re wearing makeup.”
The audience is introduced to Eve and Kevin’s 16-year-old daughter Alex as the family leave the house. Nathalie, the neighbor is tending to her garden and we’re shown the Copeland’s driving to a football match whilst discussing Adrian. Alex’s makeup wearing best friend, who is in the middle of his own uncomfortable family meal. The action cuts back to the football match, where comfortable with his surrogate family Adrian exercises his American right to check out the football players bodies.
Action swaps to a woman fighting in a barn and arguing with a large man who wants to know where “it” is. She plays dumb, gets thrown to the ground and cuffed as the man answers a phone call. Using the distraction she manages to wriggle her wrists out of the handcuffs. Another fight breaks out and Mia runs the man through with a pitchfork before fleeing the scene.
Brian flee’s the forest traumatized. At a road sign, he chooses to run to Bridgeville. I have a feeling he’ll live long enough to regret this choice.
“No drinking.”
After the football match, Alex makes eyes at star football player Jay. He invited her to a party, Eve without missing a beat declines on her daughters behalf. Being 16 Alex uses this as an opportunity to sulk. Back at home, Kevin and Eve argue about her decision to say no. Kevin tries to point out that at some point Eve is going to have to let her daughter spread her wings. In between shooting him daggers with her eyes and telling him that she hates being the villain, we see a softer side to Eve. Kevin sneaks upstairs after the fight and tells Alex she has his permission to sneak out to the party. He sets some ground rules and tells her to be home by midnight.
The party is a pretty standard TV affair. Enough people there to not be happy that Adrian is there (even though he’s doing some killer dance moves and downing drinks like a pro!). There’s an inevitable altercation and Jay steps in to save the day. Afterward he apologizes for his friend’s behavior and gets Alex a drink. Breaking one of her father’s rules.
“It’s Coming!”
Brian arrives at the police station where he proceeds to act like a crazy person. Between shouting “there’s something in the mist” and trying to get guns, he finds himself quite roughly arrested and thrown into a jail cell.
Mia’s acting shady (I think I’ll be writing this a lot!). She arrives at a house and walks around before the owner comes in and tells her that the old lady who lived here died. All the possessions that were in the garage are now in a lock up and he’s not going to let her in the shed.
A New Day
The next morning dawns, and Alex isn’t in her room. After finding her in the garden and talking about her going to the party Alex reveals that she got raped. Eve is pissed at Kevin, Alex says’ that Adrian knows who did it. Kevin and Eve get into an argument about him going behind her back and letting Alex go to the party.
In the local jail, Brian is trying to explain that he doesn’t remember who he is but he know’s there’s something in the mist. The police don’t believe him and tell him they’re calling Arrowhead (connection to the book/movie!). The Copeland’s arrive and Jay is taken to the station.
Nathalie is tending to her garden as it’s invaded by toads and birds fly from the mountains overhead. Back at the station, a doctor confirms that there are traces of drugs in Alex’s system and clear signs she’s had intercourse. Back home and the Copeland’s are arguing again. Their fight is disrupted by a brick being thrown through the window. When they run outside they see “WHORE” spray painted on the road outside the house.
“I’m not sorry.”
After taking some drugs Mia decides to go back to the house from earlier in the episode. She kicks in the door of the garage and digs a hole in the ground. About 3 inches under the soil (seriously – she didn’t even need the shovel) she finds a bag filled with money and a passport. Unfortunately, the owner of the house turns up and threatens her while police sirens wail in the distance. After attempting to run, Mia gets arrested and thrown in jail. Next to Brian. Who’s still telling everyone that there’s something in the mist? (His lines must have been so easy to learn for this episode.)
As Eve’s packing a bag and telling Kevin that she’s going to her sisters without him the mist arrives in Bridgeville.
Nathalie and her husband are at the library where she’s looking at conspiracy theories online. They’re quite cute together and I think this is an important reminder that she’s actually quite a nice lady. Kevin arrives at the police station and has a little verbal sparring match with the sheriff/Jay’s Dad. Adrian arrives to give his statement but is stopped by a car crashing and screaming from outside.
The Mist Is Here!
Blissfully unaware that the shit is about to hit the fan, Alex and Eve are driving to the mall. Eve uses the time in the car to try to justify her 16 years as the bad cop. “Everything I do is to protect you,” she tells her daughter – who just responds by telling her that everyone in town know’s her mother was a slut in her youth. After trying to slap sense into her daughter Eve heads into the mall to get Eve’s prescription.
The police note that the mist is moving against the wind. Alex calls Kevin, who gets enveloped by the mist and his phone looses signal. Connor tells his co-worker to join them back in the station. He chooses to take a selfie instead. Instantly regretting the decision to stay outside as he’s covered in bugs. After hearing the screams, Connor orders Kevin to get in the police car. He chooses to go into the station and get Adrian instead.
Leaving the library, Nathalie and her husband get lost in the dense mist. Things pick up very rapidly here. A stranger runs past and after trying to decide if they are real or not, shoots Mr. Raven in the head before taking his own life. Nathalie finds the church and enters shell-shocked.
“There’s something in the mist!”
In the station, Brian resists doing the I told you so dance and ask’s Kevin to release him. Adrian throws some shade at Mia, who points out that at least she’ll be able to keep them all alive. Plus there’s strength in numbers. Outside the station, Connor gets freaked out and drives off.
Inside the mall its Eve Vs Mrs. Carmody in a verbal sparring match. Eve wins. Alex, sitting outside hears screaming as the mist arrives in the parking lot. Getting out the car, she stumbles on a dead body. The power cuts out in the mall as Alex makes her way to safety. Mrs. Carmody, however, decides that she know’s best and leaves. Less than a minute later, she returns – minus a jaw to cement what Brian has been telling us for forty minutes. There’s something in the mist!
Back at the police station, Kevin is getting guns when Officer Selfie comes in. Bloodied and not himself he wrestles poor Kevin to the floor – where he’s saved by Mia shooting the cop. In the mall, Eve tells the biggest lie of the season, when she tells Alex “It’ll be fine.”
As a die-hard fan of the movie and the novella, I have been looking forward to this show since it first got announced. Naturally, I was nervous as I’ve seen Under The Dome and know what can happen when ideas deviate from the source material. I think the show did a good job of getting across that this isn’t the movie. They made some big changes such as killing Mrs. Carmody off in the pilot and altering the way the mist arrived in the town. It’s a brave decision, but ultimately I felt it worked.
Pilot Problems
I’m always very patient with a pilot episode of a show. The characters didn’t have a lot of depth, but because it’s the pilot it’s important to get the base characteristics across. In this regard, they did really well. It going to be interesting to see how they all change over the course of the season. I’m particularly interested to see how Kevin and Brian develop as the show progresses.
The episode had a high level of tension and managed to get a jump scare and a healthy bit of gore. The GCI for the mist itself wasn’t brilliant, but I was enjoying the show that much I didn’t mind.
I’m looking forward to the next nine episodes and can’t wait to see how things unfold. Check back next week for the review of episode two – “Withdrawal.”
What did you think? Will you be tuning in next week? Sound off in the comments below.
We’re in a golden age of comics right now and in an age of geek none of us could have ever imagined, but with the good comes the bad. As our geek news sites become more corporate they tend to focus less on comics and in some cases less on independent creators. My goal is to never shy away from giving a soapbox to those starting out, the independent, the unsung and the creators trying to carve a niche for themselves.
In this edition of Lettering With Style, I am interviewing Micah Myers a fantastic letterer in this industry. He’s lettered stories and books for Dark Horse, Devil’s Due, Zenescope, Scout, 215 Ink, and a bunch of other companies. Most recently he’s worked on Mercy Sparx for Devil’s Due and Elasticator and Welcome to Paradise for Scout. Among the creators, he’s worked on comics with we have Mark Bertolini, CW Cooke, Shane Berryhill, Hoyt Silva, Eric Esquivel, Jason Copland, Michael May, Josh Blaylock, and much more.
Besides being one of the best letterers in the business he’s also ventured into writing his own comic series about a D-list supervillain team that accidentally kill a superhero called The Disasters. After a successful funding on Kickstarter, the book is nearing completion.
Some of you may be wondering why interview letterers? Well, that’s simple. They make the words writers type come to life. Good dialogue is crucial in comic books but great looking dialogue that flows and has its own look and feel and is as natural on the page as the art that surrounds it. Well, that’s a necessity and something not everyone can do. It’s a thing of beauty when done right and a horror show when handled by someone who thinks it’s as simple as reading a comic. The logo on the cover, the dialogue on the page, and the sound effects all exist because of the hard, dedicated, and creative work of letterers.
And with that said let’s get on with this interview.
Marco: My first two questions are easy questions. They’re your basic starter questions designed to let the readers get to know you. So, what made you fall in love with comics and how did you get your start in this business?
Micah: I read comics when I was a kid like most little boys, but I fell out of it as I got older. In 2006, I saw Comedians of Comedy and in it, Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn talk about going to comic shops every Wednesday. That sounded like such a cool thing so I started to look into comics and what was going on. I read the trade of Watchmen and saw that DC put it out. So, I went to the store and picked up a bunch of stuff that DC was putting out at the time. So, the first trip to the store ended up with me buying the first few issues of Countdown. Somehow, I still was into comics after that, and it grew and grew until I was a fully diversified comic buyer who was buying stuff from multiple companies.
I got into working in comics when I was looking for some kind of direction in life. After high school, I had about 10 different careers in 10 years. I was in school for graphic design and started looking into what I could do with it. I can’t remember how but I started looking into comic book lettering. I wrote into the Crankcast, and asked how to break into comics. Chris Crank gave me a bunch of good advice, and I started practicing my skills. After a while, I started applying for jobs, and eventually got hired. One job turned into another into another, and eventually, I had a career.
Marco: Lettering is something that to me doesn’t get enough praise in this industry. There is a craft to it. One of my favorite moments when making comics is getting the pages back from the letterer. It’s just so much fun to see how the dialogue, captions, and sound effects are interpreted on the page. There’s also quite a bit of misconception to novices when it comes to lettering.
What are some of the misconceptions you’ve run across as a letterer in this business and if you could what’s something you would like to see changed or improved upon when it comes to letterers in this business?
Micah: A misconception that comes with lettering, at least with my family, is that it is done by hand. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell my grandfather that I use computers he will always talk about how nice my handwriting is. Anyway, a real misconception with some creators and some fans is that by lettering on computers vs hand lettering that I am not an artist or less than a hand letterer. That is one of the more annoying things. The belief that guys like me, Taylor Esposito, Marshall Dillon, Nic Shaw, and so many others are not artists. It infuriates me so much. Also, something else that could be improved is letterers getting proper credit in comics. It would be nice to be on the cover of the comics, but a small first step would be to have us credited in reviews and online listings of the comic. We are part of the team so it would be nice to be included when the rest of the team is talked about.
Marco: Now outside of being a letterer you’re also a writer and you’ve been working on a creator owned book The Disasters. Tell us a bit about how that book came to be, and the team you work with and what led you to also want to pursue writing?
Micah: Well, Disasters started out as an idea to make a lettering portfolio with my own story. The idea was to have four 5-page stories all by a different artist to show off lettering in different styles. It grew a little bit as I started picking my team and posting some art.
Facebook friends were excited about the designs, and it made me decide to put more thought behind it. I picked four artists to handle the four different characters: Bobby Simpson was put on Enforcer, a former pro wrestler out for revenge, Marie Enger is on Bimara, a young superpowered thief that gets in over her head. Morgan Sawyer has Glider Hench #4, a life-long henchman looking for his chance to move up. And Joe Badon works in Snow Globe, a criminal demolition expert.
I also got a bookend page done by the amazing Hoyt Silva. The story is about these four supervillains accidentally killing a superhero. We had a successful Kickstarter this time last year, and after some delays, we are so close to being finished with the book. The last few pages are being completed by Morgan Sawyer and then The Disasters will be unleashed on the world.
Marco: Given the Kickstarter success you had with this comic and the interest in it. Is writing something you’re looking to do more of? Will this be one of many stories we see coming from you involving these characters?
And do you ever see yourself going full-time with writing at any point (in the future) and putting lettering to the side? Or will it always be a part of you? Kind of like how Richard Starkings writes Elephantmen but also has his brilliant lettering company Comicraft.
Micah: I definitely plan on doing more stories with these characters. The first issue ends with a cliffhanger so there will be a continuation of this story. At current, I have 4 issues planned for The Disasters. I also have at least one other story for a character, Pantherman.
He is the first character that I thought of when I got into the idea of writing something, but then the idea of Disasters came to me and took over my attention. I would definitely be using Kickstarter to fund the comics. Hopefully, people won’t be burned out by me. We have suffered from some delays in the learning process of how this all works.
I don’t have any plans to stop lettering. I love it. The writing is just a fun thing to do, and it is so cool to have a book that is mine. If somehow a company wants to carry the Disasters, I would be super excited, but nothing will take me away from my first love of lettering.
Marco: I don’t want to but I must. It’s time to wrap things up. I want to thank you so much for letting me interview you, Micah. This is just one of what I hope will be many successful series of articles interviewing letterers, colorists and hopefully editors. They work just as hard as the writers and artists on a book and should be given just as much as respect and press.
But before we go this last question is what I like to call the PIMP YOUR WORK section. So, with all the passion you have let the audience know why they should check out your work, what you’re currently working on, and what you have coming up.
Micah: Thank you for helping to spread the word. It is so much fun to be able to talk about my work especially as a letterer, we don’t get to talk about our part in comics much. You can find out more about me at my website. There are links on there for my portfolio, all my social media, all the pages for my books, and a store that has some of my books and the buttons I make.
Follow me on social media to see what I am working on. Currently, I am lettering the second storyline of Amerikarate from Action Lab so keep an eye out for that. Thank you again!
And that’s the end of that. I want to thank Micah Myers for letting me interview him and I hope you all enjoyed this edition of Lettering With Style. Don’t forget to check out The Disasters when it’s released. Also don’t forget to follow Micah via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.
Welcome to a special edition of the Movie Show podcast. Today our guest is an epic musician, filmmaker, and solid entrepreneur. Back in 1988, Marvin Young, aka ‘Young MC’ released ‘Know How’ – today, the song is featured in Edgar Wright’s new film ‘Baby Driver’. Meanwhile Young is making a name for himself in the horror genre with the release of his film JUSTICE SERVED available now on all digital platforms.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy our conversation with Marvin Young.
About JUSTICE SERVED:
Luke Palmer, a Los Angeles widower, has been in therapy for a year since his wife’s accused killer was found Not Guilty at trial. In an attempt to get away from his anguish, Luke takes a trip to Scottsdale for a three-day vacation, but is kidnapped and awakens to find himself in a room with a recording device…and an electrified restraining chair. The next thing Luke knows, a hooded man is dragged into the room and secured in the chair. The hood is removed to reveal Galen Terry, the man acquitted for Luke’s wife’s murder. An ominous voice comes over a loudspeaker and says “My name is Justice. You are here to retry the case of California vs. Terry for the murder of your wife… The defendant’s chair is electrified. The electricity is controlled by the red button. Feel free to use it.” Luke is one of three individuals whose loved ones were victims of crimes, and the accused perpetrator was inexplicably exonerated. Now, these individuals will be given a second chance to re-litigate the crime in a private setting, under the auspices of “Justice”.
Today was the day that Marvel was going to “shake the comic book industry” with its Legacy reveal. Speculation, excitement, and anxiety consumed the Marvel fan community. After a day full of reveals, Marvel Legacy is mostly a mixed bag of confusion.
Seven rounds of reveals across seven different sites delivered nothing but variant covers and the same quote over and over again about “shattering the industry.” One new title was announced, Spirits Of Vengeance. Everything else was simply a variant of a current series returning to legacy numbering.
Marvel publicly stated that art doesn’t sell books, then tried to sell their entire line of books with new homage art. Without any creative teams tied to these books, assuming they’re at all different, what exactly are we supposed to be excited about?
I struggle to see the difference between a month’s worth of Legacy variant covers and what they’ve already been doing (Venomverse, Hip-Hop Variants, AoA, etc.).
These variants will likely sell but, just like their current sales tactics, it’s not sustainable. Legacy numbering and homage covers are no different than cancelling and rebooting all your titles every year. This can’t be all that Legacy is.
Assuming that the content of the covers is actually somewhat related to what’s inside, some of these look pretty great. The X-Men titles in particular look promising (LONGSHOT FTW). We might be getting the first interesting Spider-Man arc in a while with Miles facing off against the Sinister Six.
It’s not all bad, but it’s certainly not anywhere enough to win back the readers they so desperately miss. If this were a soft reveal out of nowhere, they would probably have gotten the response they wanted. Instead, after hyping up this earth shattering announcement and delivering almost nothing, it hurts more than helps.
For a lot of Marvel diehards, until we see Fantastic Four in some capacity there will be no celebration. The Legacy covers paying homage to FF are a slap in the face to fans of the first family.
At the end of the day, we don’t really know much more about Marvel Legacy than we did yesterday. For most of us, our pull lists will likely contain the same amount of Marvel titles this fall.
There’s no way they showed all their cards today, no major publisher can be that oblivious to its industry. Expect more from Marvel as Secret Empire comes to a close and we actually get closer to the next era.
What do you make of Marvel Legacy? Let us know in the comments below!
Is a certain member of Sword Art Online guilty of several crimes? After you have enjoyed enough Manga and Anime you are able to read between the lines and can see a detail or two another may have missed. Through this and other detailed evidence you are able to piece together what really happened in a particular series. This results in an abstract idea, a thought which doesn’t have a physical existence but can be speculated. Welcome to Anime Abstract.
SPOILERS FOR SWORD ART ONLINE
The subject of this Abstract is the man behind the Nervegear and creator of everyone’s favorite RPG world Sword Art Online, Akihiko Kayaba. On top of giving this great gift to the world he also appeared at just the right moment in the series and bestowed upon Kirito the ability to hack the system and thereby saving his beloved of Asuna from an unspeakable fate. Truly a man among men.
Hold your horses! Don’t call the vatican anytime soon to get see if he can be canonized. Akihiko or Heathcliff (his character name in the game world of Sword Art Online) is not getting off so easily. Remember this guy was the main villain of the first part of the show. If you thought his last minute save of Kirito and Asuna at the end of second arc of this series totally exonerates him, you have another thing coming. The fact is he is guilty of an insane number of crimes. How many crimes specifically? Let’s take a look shall we?
The series, Sword Art Online starts by revealing 10,000 players are unable to logout of the game without clearing all 100 floors. They must fight monsters and each other along the way, forcing them to engaged in the ultimate gaming experience. If a player dies in the game, the nervegear destroys the player’s brain in real life, killing them instantly. More than enough incentive to ensure people worked hard to clear the game.
There is a lot to unpack here so it’s better to break it down individually to see what he would be guilty of. First off there is Dehumanization, a term meaning depriving someone of human qualities, personality, or spirit. By forcing the players to remain in the game, Heathcliff is no longer looking as them as people but simple objects which can be used to help further test the limits of the game. This leads into the second crime, human subject research. As Heathcliff was using the players to test the depths of the system, technology, and software, he is using them as research subjects.
Now considering 10,000 people are removed from their lives you would think it constitutes as kidnapping but in actuality, it fall under another crime known as forced disappearance. The definition of which is when someone is
arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty by officials of different branches or levels of Government, or by organized groups or private individuals acting on behalf of, or with the support, direct or indirect, consent or acquiescence of the Government, followed by a refusal to disclose the fate or whereabouts of the persons concerned or a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of their liberty, which places such persons outside the protection of the law.”
Next, there is torture. By imprisoning the players in the game and not allowing them to log out, he is directly affecting how they are able to eat, sleep, and even use the restroom. Sure it was later revealed players were transported to hospitals, fed through tubes, and cleaned up by the nursing staff, but what about those didn’t get transported in time? This of course leads to the last crime of Murder. Thought not proficient with a degree in law, considering over 3,800 players didn’t make it out of the game alive, a case of some degree of murder would be levied against Heathcliff for his actions.
Anyone of these crimes would be detrimental on there own but even more so when you realize what each of them are. Each of these crimes falls under the category known as A Crime Against Humanity. Courtesy of the United Nations official website:
‘crime against humanity’ means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack
These are the crimes which get national attention and given the 10,000 individuals who were involved, they easily qualify as not only a civilian population but enough individuals to represent a population of a small city. The ever vigilant arm of justice would be quick to come down on Heathcliff. So what punishment is he likely to receive?
There is no clean cut definitions for what kind of punishment is given for Crimes Against Humanity, but in Heathcliff’s case he probably would have received a sentence of life in prison at least. The more guaranteed punishment, which is actually seen in the show is known as restitutions.
Restitutions is when a person/group/organization has to pay someone back for the damage done on their behalf. In Sword Art Online, in an effort to save face after one of their top employees committed the previously mentioned Crimes Against Humanity, Argus (the company behind it all) sprang into action and founded a school and assistive services for those who had lost time in the game.
Additional restitutions had to paid for the over 3,800 players who lost their lives in game. This is why Argus has no choice but to claim bankruptcy and sell all its rights and property to RECT Inc. An international multi-million dollar (or Yen in this case) company goes up in smoke because one of its creators wanted to have the ultimate gaming experience. Congratulations Heathcliff. If anything you are guilty of being the biggest troll on the internet and this truly is an accomplishment.
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What are you thoughts on this anime abstract? Leave a comment below and let us know.
Panel x Panel, like many great literary magazines, splits its attention between featured and regular sections. However, whereas others have a multitude of features offering insights into different works, it opts instead to examine a single book. For this inaugural edition, we are invited to discuss Beautiful Canvas #1 (in-stores June 28th) by Ryan Lindsay and Sami Kivela with colours by Tríona Farrell and letters by Ryan Ferrier. In this way, both author and reader have a common frame of reference. Our first substantive piece is an interview with the books co-creators as they walk us through their partnership which has endured over four projects. Its a fascinating look into their creative process and how they conceive the structure of a comics. Everything from panel composition to the utility of dramatic devices and purpose of genre is given space. Lindsay and Kivela revel in the chance to welcoming the reader into their workshop and pulling back the curtain without spoiling the magic. This opening interview ends with what is promised to be a re-occurring question of the Inside the Actors Studio variety. “Why does this story need to be told in comics?” That question is one we all should ask when picking up our weekly pull-list and oddly, its one that some creators struggle to come to terms with. Their answer is as instructive as it is enlightening.
