Despite my best efforts

I know I’m a few weeks behind everyone else, but I finally got to see The Avengers.  Now, if you’ve read any of my other posts you may know that I constantly struggle with my dark, hipster side; I like discovering things before they’re cool, and if large amounts of people go on about how so-and-so is fabulous, I tend to be skeptical.  Yes, I know this is a flaw.  Yes, I know that’s kind of incongruous from a self-proclaimed geek – but maybe it won’t surprise you to learn that I’ve had trouble claiming that term in the past, as it’s become more popular.  Don’t worry, I’ve got all the passion required – but to paraphrase The Birdcage, when I love something I do an eclectic celebration of the dance! Fosse, Twyla, Michael Kidd, Madonna… but I keep it all inside. 

All this to say: even though I’ve considered myself a fan of the majority of his work, well, I’ve been known to roll my eyes at excessive displays of idolatry for Joss Whedon.  When people said The Avengers would absolutely be good because Whedon was at the helm, I thought of the plot holes in Serenity, or that one episode of Glee, and smirked.  Yes, the snark is strong with this one, and as I entered the theater I was prepared to come across something I disliked.

I was so, so wrong.  Damn it, Whedon’s writing was top-notch.  Was it the best writing in the world, ever?  Okay, probably not, especially when it comes to a few niggling plot points. Still, when it comes to writing dialogue that sounds natural and genuine – the one thing that really stands out to me when it’s wrong –  few do it better.  And he’s writing in several voices – each of which are very distinct, each of which have their own brand of humor, almost none of which sound “Whedonesque.”  In fact, I can only think of one line in the entire movie that pulled me out of the story enough to say “Whedon,” but it still fit the character.  Most who are even familiar with Whedon’s other work probably wouldn’t notice.

So, am I a reborn Whedon fangirl?  Well… maybe.  You probably won’t see me shouting it from the rooftops – I keep it all inside, after all – but let’s just say I’m now fantasizing about an anniversary-quality Doctor Who collaboration between Russell T Davies, Moffat and Whedon, incorporating the best aspects of all three.  A girl can dream.

Ray of light

The last ten years have seen quite a few comic adaptations, but The Avengers stands out to me, and here’s why: Think back to that first X-Men movie.  A well-loved property, to be sure, but it was felt that it needed to match the aesthetic of today.  Gone were the yellow and blue uniforms, and in was a lot of spandex and latex and rubber, all in black matte.  The look of the film attempted to match the somewhat darker themes that have always been present in the comic.

Then came the rebirth of the Batman franchise.  Again, campier elements were ditched and for the first time we really had a Batman for adults.  Instead of glossing over or implying darker subject matter, the Batman films really sunk their teeth into discussions of morality and fear and vengeance.  The result was that the movies were hugely popular and critically acclaimed.

Following suit, X-Men: First Class is a more adult take on the film franchise.  Now, other movies that tried to take a darker turn didn’t handle it as well; the third installments of both the X-Men and Spiderman franchises failed to live up to expectations.  The difference with First Class is that the writing isn’t just more adult, it’s better.  Funny how quality writing tends to reinvigorate the enthusiasm of fans, thus leading to better box office results.

Now, The Avengers: it’s quality writing, no doubt about that.  It’s mature writing.  But is it intended solely for an adult audience?  No, I’d say not.  This film is about as family-friendly as a superhero movie can get, I’d think.  And it has all the hallmarks of a big blockbuster: giant monsters, funny one-liners, crazy action scenes, big names.  It’s like Transformers, only, you know… good.  And the box office receipts reflect the difference quality makes when combined with all the usual blockbuster suspects.

Sending a message

So as I’m getting inundated with ads for Battleship – a movie that might well be good, but right now seems like just another summer offering churned out to oversaturate and then be forgotten – I’m hoping that this summer’s box office numbers will send a message.  That it’s more worth the while of movie-makers to spend time on something quality.   That “family-friendly” doesn’t have to mean “pandering,” and, indeed, doesn’t even have to be made with children in mind.  That we will pay, gladly, to see something of quality.  And then we’ll tell our friends.

Old lessons, yes, but apparently ones that need to be retaught every few years.  But I suppose I’m not one to talk – after all, I keep battling that dark hipster inside me every few months.

What about you?  How did you like The Avengers?  Are you on pins and needles for The Dark Knight Rises?  What are you most looking forward to seeing? 

We Hardly Knew Ye

Terra Nova – This was the first big cancellation.  Supposedly it’s being shopped to other networks.

Alcatraz – I had high hopes for this one, but it apparently failed to connect with viewers (or Fox is being stingy and quick to cancel, as it has a reputation of doing).  There’s already another JJ Abrams drama lined up for next year, though, on another network.

The Secret Circle – The loss of my guilty pleasure particularly stings, because originally it was reported it had been renewed.  In some cases, I literally clicked on a headline that said one thing and got content that said another.

The River – I’ll not lie, I didn’t watch this one because it looked like it’d be too scary for me.  Perhaps everyone else felt the same.

MTV, You’re My Only Hope

So fans of guilty pleasure The Secret Circle have been springing into action to attempt to save it, or perhaps have another channel pick it up (like MTV, ABC Family, or Ion).  It might be a long shot, but it’s happened before: Roswell was saved not once, but twice, by an outpouring of fan support.  The second time, it was booted from the WB, but picked up by UPN.

Other shows have famously been saved by fans:

Star Trek – This is the one that started it all.  If it weren’t for proto-geeks writing in, one of the biggest sci-fi franchises in TV history – one that has surely influenced the look and function of current technology – wouldn’t exist today.

Chuck – In a novel approach, fans targeted a sponsor, not a network, to get financial support to continue the show – and it worked!  For a few more years, at least.

Arrested Development and Family Guy – Sometimes shows do come back, not due to a tidal wave of support, but a growing swell.  Family Guy was off Fox for years before its popularity on Adult Swim prompted some rethinking; Arrested Development supposedly has a movie in active development… six years later.

A Sigh of Relief

Not all shows of particular interest to geeks were cancelled.  Here are just a few that continue to live on:

Grimm – I said it should get renewed, and luckily it has.  Good thing, too, because this show just keeps getting better.  The season finale is this Friday, and I can’t wait.

Once Upon a Time – An unlikely premise, and it borders on the silly with all of the Disney-specific allusions (the perks of being an ABC show).  Still, it’s brought back to earth with genuinely clever writing and good acting by, well, pretty much everyone.

Game of Thrones and Doctor Who – It’s not really a surprise, but it’s comforting to know they’re out there, continuing to be awesome.

What about you?  What cancellation are you most disappointed about?  Are you going to participate in fan efforts to rescue any shows?  And what are you looking forward to? 

But then the TV show hits the air and there are storylines where the main guy – who’s on an NBA team, mind you – is learning how to shoot a three-pointer.  And half the season is spent focusing on the guy’s girlfriend, who works in a health clinic and deals with inner-city kids – not kids who want to play basketball or anything, just standard After-School Special fare.  Hardly any of it has to do with the aspects of the sport you love.  But you keep watching, just to see the athletes you adore, and for those rare glimpses of the world that made you tune in in the first place.

Yep, that’s pretty much what’s happening with musical theatre geeks and Smash, a show that manages to be amazing and terrible all at the same time.  In Smash, we witness a musical being developed, from the general concept, to writing the songs and script, to taking it through workshops and previews, hopefully to someday land on Broadway.  Two women, relative unknowns but both talented, struggle to take the lead role.

A Gem of a Concept

In theory, the show has everything going for it – fun songs, life behind-the-scenes, the excitement and drama inherent in, well, the world of drama.  And the talent!  The cast contains actual Broadway professionals who do not fall into the cliche of over-acting for TV, and who essentially light the screen on fire with their singing and dancing.  Some known pros either haven’t been featured yet or aren’t in singing roles, but the fact that literally just about anyone on the show could break into song and have the chops to carry it off is pretty fun.  They even brought in Bernadette Peters, musical theatre legend, for a small role.

And if you’re not straight from Broadway, chances are you’re still pretty amazing.  Anjelica Huston, seemingly beloved no matter what geek flavor, as the musical’s producer!  Uma Thurman in the role of the Big Star Film Actress Who Isn’t Really Suited For Theater!   Heck, even Steven Spielberg was listed as an Executive Producer of the TV show. With such talent, how could this show go wrong?

The Rough in the Diamond

Evidently, in the writing.  The show is so completely uneven it’s laughable.  The problems begin with one of the main concepts: the two women vying for the leading role (playing Marilyn Monroe, no pressure there) aren’t really equally talented.  Katharine McPhee, an American Idol favorite, is well-suited for pop music, but she simply doesn’t have the range or depth of Megan Hilty, who starred in Wicked and 9 to 5.  The writers seemingly attempt to compensate by adding scenes where McPhee’s character, Karen, performs for random crowds and is fawned over by everyone under the sun – but all they accomplish is creating an increasingly unlikeable Mary Sue.

Not that McPhee’s the only one dealing with poor writing – pretty much every character on the show is now unlikeable.  The humanity that the actors bring in their performances is constantly undermined by mustache-twirling acts of evil and stupidity.

But what really gets under the skin of musical theatre geeks – or just regular geeks like me with knowledge of the performance world – is the dumbing-down.  No, just the dumb.  It’s perfectly understandable if a TV show wants to clue in the audience to some theater term like “upstage.”  However, when the main character who moved across the country to make it on Broadway doesn’t know a Drama 101 term?  That’s just bad writing.  There’s a non-pro character who could easily serve as an audience proxy… if he wasn’t busy twirling his cape and scheming his way up the ladder because That’s Showbiz!  Ooh!

Polishing Required

As much as I scream at my screen every time I watch Smash, the potential is just so there I can’t give up on it.  I’ve heard there’s a little reorganizing and overhauling going on behind the scenes, as well there should be.  I’m hoping the creative team sits down and analyzes what works and what doesn’t, and adjusts accordingly.  Luckily, geeks aren’t known for keeping quiet about their passions, and it shouldn’t be difficult to figure out what audiences love and hate.

If only one thing is changed, I hope it’s that there’s more focus on theater and less on ridiculous soap opera elements.  Because, though mainstream audiences are certainly drawn in by Kat McPhee and the star-studded cast, the people who really make up the passionate fanbase will be the geeks.  Why water it down?

Luckily, they’ve got the most difficult aspect of a show about musical theatre covered: the talent.  The music, the choreography, and the performances are almost always stellar.  Here’s hoping they take a clue from their own script, and know that with a show in progress, it’s always possible to rework it into something better.

What about you?  Have you watched Smash?  Love it or hate it?  And what other geekery would you like to see explored on the small (or large) screen? 

Turns out, my table wasn’t the only one busting out this game; pass a table with some particularly cackling laughter, and chances are they were playing Cards Against Humanity too.  And at least a dozen people stopped by my table to ask, “Hey!  Where did you get that?  It’s not on sale here, is it?!”  Sadly, it wasn’t, but just the same, it was a large part of the PAX experience.   But perhaps you’re like me, and you haven’t come across it yourself yet.

No Need for a Euphemism

Cards Against Humanity can most easily be described as a “Fill in the blank” game, or perhaps “Apples to Apples for filthy-minded adults.”  One black card is read aloud, with a blank  (an actual example: “Anthropologists have discovered a primitive tribe that worships ______.”).  You have a hand of white cards with options ranging from “A balanced breakfast” to “Getting really high” to “Irritable Bowel Syndrome” (and way worse ones I don’t want to mention for fear of waking the spam bots).  You choose the one you feel best fits (or is simply the funniest) and toss it in a pile, and everyone does the same.  The answers are read aloud, usually to a few guffaws, and the person who originally read the black card (the Card Czar) chooses their favorite, awarding a point to the one who struck the Czar’s funny bone.  Everyone takes turns being the Card Czar.

This is definitely a PG-13 game at the least (the very, very least).  You don’t automatically win by being the most offensive; each person has their own taste in humor, and sometimes the picks for favorite are surprising.  Still, you will have offensive cards in your hand, and at some point, you will have to play them.  Plus, when you’re acting as Card Czar, you have to read out everyone else’s choices to the entire group.  Thus, if you’re going to be cringing, either because of your own sensibilities or those of the people in your group, this isn’t the right game for that situation.  In other words, don’t play this with Grandma, unless Grandma’s down with the scatological humor.

Home-grown Humor

One of the really neat things about Cards Against Humanity is that it’s an indie game, developed by a group of people and financed through Kickstarter.  You can buy an official copy of the game for a reasonable price ($25) from Amazon, when it’s in stock – most of the time it’s sold clean out.  Another option, however, is to utilize their free, official PDF and print a copy for yourself.  Granted, if you’re looking for a shiny, nice, reusable copy it might be cheaper in the long run to wait and get a pre-made version when it’s available, but the option is available.

Cards Against Humanity was only released in 2011, but pop culture references move quickly, and humor can always be refined.  As such, the set has already been updated once, and there’s an expansion set, too.  Hopefully the expansion sets will keep on coming; though the replay value is high, more options leads to more unexpected humor.   Plus, these games always seem to grow – you’ll start a game with 5 or 6 players and by the time you’re done you’re up in the teens.

Ultimately, Cards Against Humanity was one of my favorite finds from PAX East – and it was something that was purely person-to-person buzz.

So how about you?  Have you played this game?  Are you eagerly waiting, like I am, for it to be in stock?  And what other racy games should I be checking out?

To Shoujo Manga and its sisters, Yaoi Manga and Josei Manga,

Please stop it.

Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. You know what you did, what you continue to do. It drove me nuts as a teenager and it’s driving me nuts now, particularly now that I work in the manga industry and have to edit manga that pull the same crap again… and again… and again…

And what crap would that be? Well, to be fair, I’m sure you could dig up all sorts of “crap” when it comes to shoujo manga and the weird or twisted messages it gives, but this one irks me more than anything, to the point where I now have to rant.

So, shoujo manga, a news flash.

Abusiveness and possessiveness isn’t adorable.

“I love you. Now never speak to anyone else again.” D’AWWWW…

I’ve seen this story play out so many times. Guy meets girl. Guy is attracted to girl. Guy freaks out whenever girl speaks to any other guy, even the guy friends she’s known for years. Guy has a deep and meaningful confession which basically boils down to “I DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE ANYONE BUT ME.” Girl thinks, “Wow, what a possessive as-“ Oh, no, wait, she doesn’t think that, she thinks, “Wow, he must really care about me!” Guy and girl fall in love and romance ensues.

And don’t think it’s just a straight thing. If anything, yaoi is even worse. Take that plot up there, and add a dash of, well, very dubiously consensual sex (or outright rape in some cases) And somehow this is seen as some sort of major breakthrough while the poor put-upon hero realizes in a flash of sparkles and soft lens flare that Mr. Seme’s emotions are so intense and passionate that they cannot be controlled or harnessed by mere mundane ideas like consent or respect! And though I haven’t read a lot of it, I gather that yuri isn’t that much better. Oh yeah, and you get a giant dose of that whole Rape Is Love trope in josei manga (boy/girl romance manga for adult female audiences) as well. Example: anything by Mayu Shinjo ever. Squick.

Obviously this is not a problem relegated to anime and manga alone (I am looking at you, Twilight, and by “looking” I mean, “glaring while getting out the mace.”) But there’s just something so endemic about it in shoujo manga, to the point where it comes up to some degree in almost every romance shoujo manga you come across. To give you an idea of what brought on this rant, here’s a list in order of the first few manga storylines I got to edit, in quick succession:

•  Guy 1 discovers that Guy 2, an old friend in college, systematically and covertly broke up every relationship Guy1 ever had and alienated him from every one of his friends. Why? Because Guy 2 WUBBED HIM and wanted Guy 1 to rely on him, cling to him, etc etc. End of the story? Guy 1 and 2 live HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
• Guy 1 meets Guy 2, an ex-yakuza who is intense and reserved… at least until Guy 1 accidentally touches his tattoo, then out come the rapings. Cue Guy 1 standing up for him, thinking, “But I didn’t mind it!”, and eventually love and snuggles and HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
• Girl 1 meets Guy 2, a childhood friend, who moved to her country just to see her again, angrily rebuffs her male friends (at least initially) saying that she’s the only one that matters, and openly confesses that it makes him angry to see her talking to other boys. Her reaction? “He’s being so gentle… he’s not forcing me to love him.” Luckily, this is at least a harem series, so there’s a good chance she might end up with one of the other, saner boys who are pursuing her and get a real HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

For lots of examples and another take on the glorification of jerky boyfriends, check out the TV Tropes page for Bastard Boyfriend.

“He allowed me to exist! He cares so much…”

Mind you, this is not to say that shoujo manga should never depict abusiveness or possessiveness. I will not say that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to make these traits attractive or sexy or even sympathetic; a good writer can convince us of a lot (and, when they can’t, eyecandy can often do the rest!) But there’s a difference between, “I am going to read about this sexy dangerous man who is horrible relationship material but great for one-off fantasies,” and “I am going to read about this possessive, abusive man and dream about he’s the BEST BOYFRIEND EVER.” Way too often, shoujo manga seems to aim for the second, and it gives me the heebie jeebies.

See, the behavior of the jerk boyfriends isn’t the only thing that bothers me (though trust me, it bothers me!); it’s the reactions of their “targets” that sends me straight into WTF territory. It’s like Stockholm Syndrome, only instead of hostage taking and weapons, there’s bishonen sparkles and dubiously consensual sex. There is something deeply sad about a teenage girl – or teenage boy – standing there and trying to justify abusive behavior as some sort of sign of affection. “He isn’t forcing me to be his girlfriend! He wants me to choose.” Uh, yeah, that is kind of how it’s SUPPOSED to work. “Wow, he couldn’t control his feelings for me…” So his feelings are more important than yours? “He’s afraid of what will happen if I talk to another guy… he must really care about me.” ARG ARG MUST SHOWER FEEL UNCLEAN.

I hate to go all THINK OF THE CHILDREN, but… um, think of the children? A lot of these manga are being read by teenage girls (and boys), and what message are they taking away? No, teenagers aren’t entirely blank slates that believe everything works out like in the books, but… if they’re constantly being inundated with the message that love means living only for the beloved, or accepting all bad behavior as a sign of affection, what kind of assumptions and expectations are they going to end up having about relationships in the real world?

“But m,” I hear some people (i.e. my friends) say, “isn’t Beauty and the Beast your favorite romance of all time? That’s got abuse and possessiveness galore!” Yes, and this is how it makes it work; when confronted with it, Belle doesn’t say, “Oh, locking me in a castle and yelling at me shows how much he treasures me!” She says, “Stop that right now, you jerk,” and the Beast… STOPS IT. Only after he actually changes and grows as a person does romance blossom, and it feels like a genuine match of equals when it does. You know how people joke about women fantasizing about a bad boy who we can change? Well… it seems like a lot of manga writers are going for the first part but totally miss out on step number two.

So, dear shojo manga, please stop it, for the sake of your younger fans if nothing else. I still love me some shoujo manga, don’t get me wrong, and there are titles that either avoid these issues or at least execute them well. But dangit, I’m tired of opening a manga covered with beautiful bishies in romantic, sweet embraces with their lady/lad love only to get a faceful of tears, sparkles, and abuse. This is one trope I’d be glad if you dropped like a jerky, possessive boyfriend.

What manga have you read that glorified jerk behavior in a relationship? Conversely, what are some good titles that subvert or avoid it?

Long, long ago, back in the days when the only computer in my house was a Commodore64, before online dating sites or really even the Internet as we know it, there was Jumpin’ Jack Flash.  The film combined spy intrigue with online romance and, most importantly, comedy.  The lead, played by Whoopi Goldberg, is a surprisingly well-developed female character, even (sadly) by today’s standards.  Oh, and did I mention?  She’s a geek, too.

Terry (short for Teresa) Doolittle works at a bank transferring funds around the world.  In-between transactions, she chats with other computer operators from around the world, covering the internet basics: trading bootlegs, recipes, and sex advice.  Unbeknownst to her, someone else has been “listening in” on her conversations – and has decided she’s the best chance he’s got at staying alive.  Soon Terry is thrown into the world of Cold War-era spies.

I loved this movie as a kid, but when I recently watched it again as an adult, I was struck by how well it holds up.  It’s a genuinely funny movie, due in no small part to Whoopi Goldberg, but it doesn’t feel like a “vehicle” movie where the actor just “does their thing” for two hours.  Rather, the writing (and directing – Penny Marshall’s debut) allows Whoopi to stretch and make the most of her part.  And make the most of it she does.

I’ve read online that the movie was originally intended to be a Shelly Long vehicle, but I can’t imagine her in this role – and sure enough, apparently much of it was re-written on set as they went along.   There’s also some physical comedy that’s still relatively unusual for a female comedian today, and that, again, is hard to envision on Long or really any other big actress at the time.  One would think the result of such seat-of-the-pants production would be a big mess, but instead Terry feels like a “real”, three-dimensional, character.

First, let’s talk geekiness.  The movie opens up with a shot of Terry’s apartment.  Posters from old movies like Metropolis cover the walls, and giant novelty objects, like a five-foot toothbrush (how 80s!) abound.  Terry’s computer at work similarly reflects her personality: instead of the lone family photo, her computer and desk are covered in stickers and figures of everything from Pokey from Gumby, to dinosaurs, to a can of Hershey’s chocolate syrup.  Her clothes are equally fun and 80s-tastic.

She’s competent: she doesn’t just use computers, she’s apparently the only one in the office who can fix them, too, as well as broken desk chairs.  She’s not afraid to use her brains or more physical (non-sexual) means to get herself out of sticky situations.  Aside from one small exception, Terry pretty much behaves like anyone in her situation (a civilian without training, but not without a brain) would.  It’s perhaps sad that that’s still so rare in film, particularly from female characters, but it is what it is.

At the same time, I never feel like I’m watching a Mary Sue character.  Nor do I feel like I’m watching a typical action film with a female star, though there’s certainly action.  Terry is no superwoman.  And then there’s the fact that, physically, she’s pretty small and thin.  And Goldberg makes this vulnerable face that just makes your heart sink for her.  She’s scrappy, and she’s not dumb, but she’s alone.

That being said, it’s a comedy.  There are definitely silly parts, even as the film acknowledges its silliness – lip-synching and truth serum and bad toupees.  Whoopi Goldberg isn’t the only comedy veteran in this film (Annie Potts, Carol Kane, and Jon Lovitz, to name a few) and it’s full of quotable lines, even if most of them aren’t appropriate for public.  I suspect that most of my viewings of this movie growing up were of the censored Saturday-afternoon-TV-movie variety, because I sure as hell don’t remember half the obscenities.  And it may be juvenile of me, but it’s definitely funnier uncensored.

As far as how this film molded me: Well, Terry is independent, smart, and even a little quirky without really being a Manic Pixie Girl.  Sure, she might be a little lonely in the love department, but she’s got friends, and interests, and she’s not defining herself by her significant other or waiting to be rescued.  In fact, she’s doing the rescuing!  There are certainly worse messages for a young geek to absorb.

What about you?  Have you seen Jumpin’ Jack Flash?  What are some of your favorite geeky films? 

Video game movies are, of course, notorious for this. And it’s with a heavy heart that I’ve concluded that, at least so far, anime movies look to have the same problem.

Not that it’s impossible to make a good live-action movie out of an anime; on the contrary, the Japanese have been making pretty stellar movie adaptations for ages. The upcoming Ruroni Kenshin movie looks fantastic, and I know I’m not alone in saying that the two-part movie version of Death Note is probably the best version of the story out there. But Hollywood… eennnhhh. So far, their initial toedip into the turgid pool of anime has produced some pretty uninspiring results, from the polarizing Speed Racer to the overwhelmingly “blah” Astro Boy to the truly heinous, jawdroppingly bad Dragonball Evolution.

But if you think what they’re releasing is bad, consider some of the strange mutant hybrids that lurk in that dark hole known as Pre-production Hell. While not every movie in there is necessarily going to be bad, chances are that something in the project raises red flags in the average anime fan. Thus, I present my own personal list of NO JUST NO Hollywood anime adaptions currently stuck in limbo, and why I think they deserve to stay there.

Worst Application of “Whoa” to an Anime Franchise: Cowboy Bebop

Keanu Reeves as Spike Spiegel. That is all.

No, seriously, that is all, as Keanu went on record several years ago to say the project was going nowhere and that it would cost ridiculous sums of money to make, so this one seems pretty dead in the water. A shame, in a way, as Cowboy Bebop has consistently proven to have huge mainstream appeal, bringing in non-anime fans with its quirky aesthetic, strong characters, and awesome music.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Keanu Reeves – he seems like a nice guy, he’s an anime fan, and in the right movie, he’s okay. But the guy can’t act. Trust me, I saw Dracula, I know of what I speak. The idea of him monotoning his way through a character as cool and dynamic as Spike just hurts my otaku soul in places I didn’t even know it had.

Worst Chance of Epically Missing the Point: Evangelion

Let’s face it, Evangelion is not a “kids” show. It has disturbing content of both the violent and sexual kind, its characters give new meaning to the term walking dysfunctions, and the theological and psychological content gives first year university students either conniptions or screams of joy. Yet the frame of it – kids pilot giant robots to save the world! – is, at least at first glance a pretty “childish” concept, the sort of thing you’d expect to see in shows and movies meant for children or teenagers. Evangelion was able to make it work in anime format because A) anime already approaches the whole teenage mech genre with some adult maturity, and B) it’s deconstructing the genre in a way that its audience – otaku who grew up with that kind of anime – can connect with.

Hollywood, though? I’m not so sure they would get it, or be able to present it properly. I imagine a boardroom of producers and Hollywood bigwigs sitting around, scratching their heads and saying, “Okay, all this theological-psychological-sexual content is really, REALLY adult and meant for a mature audience… but then we’ve got to make them watch kids piloting big giant robots and saving the day?” I can almost hear the snap of that disconnect in their mind, the thought that “mature” audiences won’t want to watch kids-with-mechs and teenagers who do want to watch kids-with-mechs will be scarred for life by everything else. They might feel they’d have to go one way or the other… and the only way to go would be down.

To be fair, Hollywood seems to be evolving in this respect; they didn’t shrink from making the Batman movies unflinchingly brutal despite the idea that “comics are for kids”, and the popularity of The Hunger Games may help ease more viewers and producers into the concept that adult audiences don’t mind teenagers doing “super” things in a really horrific, adult world. If they decided to ignore the “teenage” concept (but not the teenage characters!) and got someone like David Lynch or Darren Aronofsky to really play up the psychological and body horror, that’d be one thing. But I can’t shake the idea that what we’d be left with is Transformers Lite, a defanged and declawed Evangelion with teenagers SAVING THE WORLD IN BIG ROBOTS OMG where, between action sequences, our hero reconciles with his father and learns a valuable lesson about family and friendship.

Directed by Michael Bay.

Excuse me, I need to start screaming and never stop.

Worst Use of Blue CG Aliens to Set up a Cyberpunk Dystopia: Battle Angel Alita

So, remember Avatar? That movie that half the world was insane about for a bit under a year, and then we all moved on? Well, here’s something you may not know; James Cameron actually considered that movie a testing ground to develop the tech for a movie adaptation he’s had his heart set on for years – Battle Angel Alita, or Gunmu in Japan.

I’ve already talked at length about my own interest in this series, and part of me wants to be excited that not only it might get made but that Cameron is taking it seriously enough to put that level of tech detail into it. But… seriously, Avatar? First off, if James Cameron wanted to test whether CG had evolved to the point of making convincing cyborgs and futuristic cities, maybe he should have, I don’t know, made a movie about those concepts instead of about blue space aliens with USB braids? Don’t get me wrong, Avatar is beautiful, but in terms of aesthetics, it’s about as far from Battle Angel Alita as you could get. Moreover, after seeing Avatar, let’s just say I am NOT holding out hopes for Cameron’s actual storytelling and adaptation skills. Avatar’s weakest point was its story and characters, painted in way too broad strokes and hammering in a message with the subtlety of a sledgehammer; am I really expecting the complex and subtle narrative and characterization of Battle Angel Alita to survive?

Lastly…. Cameron, seriously, you don’t need to develop this new screaming edge of CG graphics and tech. There’s another movie that did a great job of creating a gritty, depressing, cyberpunk garbage city of the future with models and a bit of fancy camera work. You may have heard of it; it’s called Blade Runner!

Worst Whitewashing of an Japanese Movie: Akira

For those that may not be familiar with social justice terms, “whitewashing” refers to the practice of casting white actors for characters who were people of color in the original property. This can range from borderline examples of just one character (e.g. Katniss in the Hunger Games, who had “olive” skin and dark hair but was played by a white blonde actress) to incredibly obvious and uncomfortable shifting of entire casts (e.g. everything to do with the Last Airbender, where “fantasy” Tibetan/Inuit characters became snow-white teenagers and the bad guys were somehow all Ambigiously Brown). While the underpinnings of this phenomenon are rather complex, one thing that often pops up is that movie producers want the cast to be “relatable” to audiences, as if the idea of identifying with people of different skin tone would make our heads pop (I wonder how they think PoC fans manage to enjoy movies with white heroes?)

The current production of Akira, hopefully buried in pre-production hell (no one can decide on a budget; last news said it was slashed by 90%), looks to take this to depressing lengths. The original movie and manga is so quintessentially Japanese that it’s inconceivable for it to work without that Japanese connection. The world is meant specifically as contemporary commentary on Japanese culture of the ‘80s, of Japanese consumerism, of Japanese disillusionment, even of Japanese cityscapes. Japanese Japanese Japanese. Are you seeing a pattern?

Now take a look at the shortlist for the Kaneda and Tetsuo (NOTE: JAPANESE) characters:

-          Michael Fassbender

-          Joaquin Phoenix

-          Chris Pine

-          Justin Timberlake

-          James McAvoy

-          Andrew Garfield

-          Robert Pattinson

If you are noticing a general lack of, oh, I dunno, Japanese-ness to that shortlist, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Only thing is, I’m not sure what’s worse, keeping the characters’ obviously Japanese names, or Westernizing their names to something like “Ken” and “Tanner” or god knows what. In Neo New York, naturally… can’t get people interested if it’s not an American city, gosshdarnit!

Oh, and they signed Kristin Stewart too. How nice for them. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go vomit copiously before curling up in a blanket and watching the original subbed Akira, thanks.

What anime adaptations would you hate to see reach the light of day? Conversely, any anime you think Hollywood could do a good job with?

I made it a point to catch one panel.  Last year I saw the panel on Geek Parenting and loved it, but this year I wanted something completely different.  I decided to go with the panel given by Harmonix, “Evolution of Beatmatch Gameplay,” which shared the experience of developing their new title, Rock Band Blitz.   I was a little bit wary; I love Rock Band and its sequels, but what more could they bring to the table?

Out with the… old?

The panel presentation started off with a shot of several games that have been inspiration or predecessors to the Rock Band franchise, and instantly I was reminded of one fact: I am a fan of the beatmatch genre.  It’s possible I owned every game shown.  Mad Maestro?  An obvious fit.  Elite Beat Agents?  Yep, that too.  Amplitude?  The game that got me hooked on Harmonix.

Then, as we all know, they started expanding into the peripherals: the guitars and drums and mics and keytars, as the Rock Band catalog of DLC was ever-expanding to include everything from the classic to the cult (“Still Alive”) to the silly (iCarly?).

With Rock Band Blitz, they’re combining a little bit of everything I’ve loved from Harmonix: the game itself is played on regular controllers, no peripherals, a great-niece, perhaps, of Frequency and Amplitude.  This is no direct sequel, however, and is absolutely in the Rock Band immediate family: it’s divided into the familiar Rock Band instrument tracks, and aesthetically, it fits neatly into the Rock Band universe.  Best of all: it will utilize the entire Rock Band catalog, hundreds of songs instantly available (and the new songs that will come with Blitz, presumably, will be available to play with your instruments).

Diffusing a bomb with two jugs of water

The majority of the panel was a fascinating tale of how a game makes its way from a concept to a demo.  Blitz had a bumpy ride, even getting an all-new creative team to revive it from the dusty shelves full of Harmonix ideas.  Balancing the different elements of what makes a good game is apparently something like crossing a river with a boat, a fox, and three hens, but it’s somewhat reassuring to learn that first and foremost in importance is whether the game is fun.  For example, when easier modes were revealed to be too easy and, well, lame, they started discussing doing away with difficulty levels altogether (which, in some minds, is like ditching the wheel).

As for actual gameplay, they didn’t simply transfer those old PS2 concepts to next-gen controllers; they went through iteration after iteration of different ideas, figuring out which had the best combo of being comfortable, intuitive, and, again, satisfying and fun.  The end result involves using the shoulder buttons, the analog stick and the d-pad, so your thumbs will still get a workout.

What of the future?

The panelists were quick to emphasize that this was not necessarily the future of the Rock Band franchise.  DLC is still coming out, and they haven’t forgotten about those who love to rock out with their instruments; this is meant to be an alternative.  Some of the benefits cited included the fact that you don’t need to haul out all the peripherals to start up a game.  Also, while at first glance it’s a solo game, they still consider it a social one; the idea is that you compete against your network friends, rather than needing an entire party in your living room.  Call it a digital party instead of an analog one.

Aside from a few quick mentions at the beginning, almost no comparisons to Amplitude were made.  This makes sense, considering that franchise was Sony-only and they want to use the Rock Band catalog.  Still, there’s no doubt it’s descended from these games in spirit, which personally thrills me.  Still, I do wonder why they’ve gone in this direction, now.  Are people tired of games with instrument peripherals?  Have they pushed that concept as far as it will go short of starting your own garage band?  Did the split that led to the concurrent franchises of Guitar Hero and Rock Band oversaturate the market?

Perhaps.  In the meantime, I know I’ll be playing Blitz when it hits this summer.  I’ve missed the days of playing a beatmatch game armed with only a controller and my wits.  And who knows – after playing some new songs my fingers might start itching to pull out my keytar and a mic.  Perhaps Blitz, a little space from our peripherals, and a Labor Day party is all we need to remind us just how fun Rock Band really is.

When I walked into the Harmonix panel, it was almost more out of fondness and nostalgia for a genre and a company I’ve loved for years.  When I walked out, though, I was edified, chuckling at a pretty entertaining panel, and eagerly anticipating a new game.  Mission accomplished.

What about you?  Did you catch any panels at PAX East?  Will you be giving Rock Band Blitz a try?  

When I think of “a good television channel,” my brain leaps over all of the fantastic shows put out by movie channels in the past ten years, past my addiction to the Daily Show, past Syfy, the good idea that was never fully realized, and goes back to my childhood.  Back to when channels like Nickelodeon and MTV produced interesting, sometimes experimental content that didn’t pander to their audiences.  When producers had a lock on their demographic and sought variety within that demographic, instead of trying to appeal to as broad or generic a base as they can.

This, I think, is the strength of Geek and Sundry.  It’s made by geeks, for geeks.  There’s diversity within that niche, just as you’d find diversity at, say, a convention, but it doesn’t try to be something it isn’t.  And for some people – self included – it just fits and instantly feels comfortable.  Comfortable in a way I haven’t really experienced since I was young and couldn’t wait for the Saturday night SNICK lineup.

So, what can you expect to see on Geek and Sundry?  Not all shows have premiered, and I’m sure more will be added in the future, but right now you can see:

The Guild

Yes, you can find The Guild lots of places now, but it would be ridiculous if this show weren’t included in the lineup (you can really probably consider it the “first” G&S show).  In addition to seasons past and present, there’s currently a music video up for a new single by The Guild crew.  ”I’m the One That’s Cool” is clever and catchy, and it’s not a stretch to call it a geek anthem.  I expect it’ll get quite a lot of play in high schools everywhere, not to mention conventions, high school reunion parties, road trips… you get the idea.

The Flog

It’s Felicia Day’s personal vlog, a format that feels quite familiar to viewers of The Guild.   She answers viewer questions (in a weirdly literal sense), discusses her favorite things of the week, and takes us viewers on geek-related field trips.  It’s like catching up with one of your friends.

Table Top

Think Celebrity Poker Showdown meets tabletop gaming.  Wil Wheaton gathers friends, introduces a game, and everyone settles down to play.  This is possibly one of the most ambitious new shows, because making tabletop gaming fun to watch simply hasn’t been done.  This show is clearly already striving to do the right things in terms of pacing, clear explanations, a fun group of people, etc, but I think it will settle in and get even better with time.

I’ll be interested to see if they try different approaches – for example, is it better to have a “newbie” or a table of old hands out for blood?  Do they want to introduce lesser-known games to the audience, or go with one everyone knows, like Settlers, so we can focus on the funny and less on trying to follow along?  It’s got a lot of potential, and I’m interested to see where it goes.

Dark Horse Motion Comics

If I’m being honest, it might have been this show that first got me thinking about the golden days of Nick and MTV – days where they were willing to be experimental, to try shows that were unusual.  I don’t know that I would have normally sat down to watch this, because, well, I prefer sunshine and rainbows in my head like those Friskies cat food commercials.  But I’m glad I did, and I can’t wait for Wednesday and the next installment.

Anyone who thinks you can’t get drawn in to a graphic novel should watch this.  There’s some animation, but essentially you’re “watching” a graphic novel – a dark, creepy one.  And the serialized nature of the show is also a perfect complement to the experience of reading comics.  I may be watching between fingers splayed over my eyes, but I’ll be watching just the same.

What about you?  Have you tried Geek and Sundry?  Share your thoughts and opinions below! 

Wonder Woman, by Kate Beaton (harkavagrant.com)

My post last week about the new Kevin Smith show Comic Book Men and the comments it generated, both on the site and Twitter, got me thinking about the role of women in comics. Not just female characters in comic books themselves, but the place of female fans, writers, artists, and creators in the notably male-dominated realm of the comic book world. I dove into discussions of women writers and read scores of “how to get your girlfriend to like comics” posts, talked to bloggers on all ends of the gender spectrum, and am no closer to finding a consensus on the problem: deliberate sexism or coincidence of interest?

Comics

How do you get women to read comics? Well, why do they need to? I read comics because I find that they bring together the visual stimulation of television and film, with the expansive imagination inflation of literature.

But the world of comics is a big and scary one, and it is hard to make recommendations for any new reader, gender aside. What is detrimental to a happy introduction into comics is immediately separating comics into “girl comics” and “boy comics”, which happens all too frequently. I can’t even say that there are titles which girls “generally” like. Instead, recommendations should be made based on a reader’s other interests. For example, I read Batman because I like police procedurals (and rasping “I am Batman!” when I have a sore throat). I read shojo-ai manga because I like fluffy romance novels.

Honestly, I read Catwoman because I am a red-blooded dyke. And because it’s damned entertaining.

There is so much variety in story and art, especially now, that anyone with an interest in comics should be able to find something to recommend to a newbie friend, regardless of gender.

Creators

One of the blogs I now follow whole-heartedly is Girls Read Comics, which not only showcases strong female characters in the books, but also spotlights the women who write and draw for the big houses. Gail Simone immediately comes to mind as the powerhouse behind the woman-centred Birds of Prey and the decidedly masculine Deadpool, as well as artists and writers like Adriana Melo and Devin K. Grayson, who have both contributed to many of the new titles from DC and leading titles from Marvel. The infamously dark horror title Hellblazer (the basis for the Keanu Reeves film Constantine) was being penned by Scottish crime writer Denise Mina for a year. It’s amazing how many influential titles now have female creative drives behind them; not only women, but male writers who can rock a female-driven storyline and create fully-realised female characters. I will just say the amazing J. Michael Strazynski deserves a shout-out here; he was writing kick-ass female characters for television before Buffy changed the heroine landscape. Alan Moore, the creator of such iconic titles as Watchmen, has been interviewed repeatedly on the importance of female-driven stories.

No Girls Allowed

I had a driving instructor named Fred. He taught all his students about Fredland, a magical place where everyone obeyed the rules of the road and no one was a dumb driver. I like to think that there is a place called Dland, where women feel comfortable hanging out in their local comic book shops, and more conversations are held about whether Batman or Superman would win in a sexy pillow fight. Unfortuantely, I think that’s still a ways off. The times, they are a changin’, what with more women involved in the creation of comics and more retailers and publishers trying to make their product more available to a wider audience. The head of Marvel’s social media team is one of the fairer sex! But we are only at the beginning of that sea change in comics. For the moment, it’s still a boy’s club because it has been a boy’s club, and there has been no reason for that to change. But there is a new class of reader now, a discerning reader who demands a higher quality in their comic books and the stories they tell.

The Verdict

Comic Book Men are turning into Comic Book People at a more rapid pace every day. The progress is steady. There are no legal or ritualistic barriers to the participation of women. Only the fear of the previously unknown.

What brave new world, with such comics in it!

Recommended Reading:

Girls Read Comics

Women Read Comics In Public

Hark! A Vagrant

Bloodstains on the Looking Glass (Gail Simone’s blog)