Man Bytes Blog

Looking Ahead: The Movies of 2012

2012-01-02T03:51:00.001-06:00

I have an annual tradition on my blog to post about my favorite movies of the past year. I'm not quite ready to do that just yet, but last year I started a new annual tradition - posting the films I'm most looking forward to seeing in the coming year. This is that post. No details here, nothing about the movie's synopsis, just an alphabetical list of titles. I will see more movies this year than just the ones listed, but so far, these are my can't miss movies.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The Amazing Spider-Man
American Reunion
The Avengers
Beauty and the Beast*
Brave
The Cabin in the Woods
Chronicle
The Dark Knight Rises
Dark Shadows
Frankenweenie
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Hotel Transylvania
The Hunger Games
Jack the Giant Killer
John Carter
The Lorax
Men in Black III
Paranorman
Pirates! Band Of Misfits
Prometheus
The Raven
Red Tails
The Secret World of Arrietty
Superman: Man of Steel
Ted
The Three Stooges
The Woman in Black
World War Z
Wreck-it Ralph

* I've seen Beauty and the Beast many times. It's one of my all-time favorite animated films. I cannot pass up the opportunity to see it in theaters again (but not in 3D). I'll also go see The Phantom Menace in theaters again, maybe in 3D, but I'm not looking forward to that as much. Ditto for Titanic. Geeze, what's with all these 3D re-issues? Oh...right. Money.

Day 23 - Kermit the Frog

2011-11-23T17:09:00.000-06:00

"Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me."

Day 22 - Miss Piggy

2011-11-22T17:00:00.000-06:00

Day 21 - Fozzie Bear

2011-11-21T17:00:00.000-06:00

Day 20 - The Great Gonzo & Camilla

2011-11-20T17:00:00.001-06:00

Day 19 - Rowlf the Dog

2011-11-19T02:00:00.001-06:00

Day 18 - Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker

2011-11-18T21:00:00.002-06:00

Day 17 - Scooter

2011-11-17T21:00:00.000-06:00

Day 16 - Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem

2011-11-16T17:38:00.002-06:00

Day 15 - Rizzo the Rat

2011-11-15T15:11:00.002-06:00

Day 14 - Pepe the King Prawn

2011-11-14T15:00:00.000-06:00

Day 13 - Statler & Waldorf

2011-11-13T15:00:00.000-06:00

Day 12 - Swedish Chef

2011-11-12T21:00:00.001-06:00

Day 11 - Sam the Eagle

2011-11-11T01:35:00.000-06:00

Day 10 - Muppet Newsman

2011-11-10T18:19:00.002-06:00

Day 9 - Crazy Harry

2011-11-09T17:38:00.000-06:00

Day 8 - Lew Zealand

2011-11-08T17:49:00.000-06:00

Day 7 - Sweetums

2011-11-07T18:00:00.001-06:00

Day 6 - Guy Smiley

2011-11-06T18:00:00.000-06:00

Day 5 - Oscar the Grouch

2011-11-05T18:00:00.001-05:00

Day 4 - Big Bird

2011-11-04T18:00:00.002-05:00

Day 3 - Bert & Ernie

2011-11-03T18:07:00.000-05:00

Day 2 - Grover

2011-11-02T18:00:00.002-05:00

Day 1 - Cookie Monster

2011-11-01T18:05:00.002-05:00

"C" is for Cookie, and that's good enough for me.

The Muppets Drawing Challenge

2011-11-01T17:39:00.002-05:00

In celebration of the release of Disney's The Muppets, this month we're doing a 23-day drawing challenge, culminating in the movie's release on November 23rd. Even though they will not, as far as I am aware, be appearing in the new Muppet movie, this challenge does include characters from Sesame Street. Here is the schedule:

1 - Cookie Monster
2 - Grover
3 - Bert & Ernie
4 - Big Bird
5 - Oscar the Grouch
6 - Guy Smiley
7 - Sweetums
8 - Lew Zealand
9 - Crazy Harry
10 - Muppet Newsman
11 - Sam the Eagle
12 - Swedish Chef
13 - Statler & Waldorf
14 - Pepe the King Prawn
15 - Rizzo
16 - Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem (Floyd, Janice, Zoot, Lips, Animal)
17 - Scooter
18 - Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker
19 - Rowlf the Dog
20 - The Great Gonzo & Camilla
21 - Fozzie Bear
22 - Miss Piggy
23 - Kermit the Frog

Day 30 - Batman

2011-09-20T18:58:00.008-05:00

Here he is, at long last, the Dark Knight himself - Batman. I used the animated Justice League version of Batman as the model, with a couple of minor tweaks.

And that's a wrap for the Gotham City 30 Day Drawing Challenge. It's been a lot of fun, but I think it's time I got back to drawing actual comics, namely my long neglected strip Grimstone.

Day 29 - The Joker

2011-09-19T00:32:00.001-05:00

I wasn't sure which depiction of the Joker I was going to use as reference for this one. I ultimately decided on the animated version from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and Justice League Unlimited.

Day 28 - Professor Hugo Strange

2011-09-18T21:29:00.000-05:00

I have no idea why Hugo Strange was even included in this list, let alone placed in such a prominent spot between Catwoman and the Joker, but here he is. He reminds me of an evil(er) version of Doctor Venture from The Venture Brothers. I also deliberately made him very symmetrical, to add to his strangeness.

Day 27 - Catwoman

2011-09-17T21:08:00.000-05:00

For me there was only one choice for me as to which version of Catwoman to depict: Julie Newmar from the 60s Batman TV show. I used this famous photo of the actress as a reference but drew her in the classic Catwoman costume (sans mask).

Day 26 - Mr. Freeze

2011-09-16T21:22:00.000-05:00

For Mr. Freeze I kept mostly to his design from The New Batman Adventures, but kept the goggles from his original appearance on Batman: The Animated Series.

I usually work almost entirely in Illustrator (after scanning in my hand drawn pencils) but to get all the highlights to work properly, this time I did the coloring in Photoshop. I'm probably going to do more coloring this way, particularly for any new Grimstone comics.

Day 25 - The Scarecrow

2011-09-15T22:12:00.000-05:00

For the Scarecrow, I had to go with appearance from Challenge of the Super Friends. I almost just uploaded this as the pencil sketch, but decided to ink and color it instead.

Day 24 - The Riddler

2011-09-14T17:24:00.002-05:00

The Riddler is my all-time favorite Batman villain, and I'm greatly disappointed that we won't get to see Nolan's take on this classic character.

Day 23 - Harley Quinn

2011-09-13T17:30:00.003-05:00

Day 22 - Bane

2011-09-12T22:33:00.001-05:00

I'm not really a fan of Bane, at all. Which is why I didn't put a lot of effort into this drawing. Bane is just such an odd character. He's usually portrayed as a genius (Batman and Robin notwithstanding) but he's also basically a luchador literally on steroids - super powerful steroids. He's the number one reason I'm not looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises, which I seriously doubt will be any better than any other third entry in a superhero series. He's just such a 90s character; all he needs is lots of superfluous pouches and a really big gun. I just think there are better, older Batman villains that were more worthy of being in a movie than Bane.

Day 21 - Killer Croc

2011-09-11T21:26:00.011-05:00

I never felt like Killer Croc was a good fit for Batman's world, much like my feelings on Man-Bat. Mutants don't seem like they go with a more grounded, less fantastic crime fighter like Batman. But then, if I were doing a Batman comic, I would set it in its own universe where there are no super-powered aliens or ring-powered cosmic policemen. But then, I'd set every comic in its own universe and keep everything contained in that one book, much like television. Crossovers would be more rare and probably occur in specials and mini-series, or their own team-up book. I digress.

Ten Years Gone

2011-09-11T00:00:00.034-05:00

Disclaimer: What follows is a revised version of a blog post I wrote on my Grimstone website on the fifth anniversary of 9/11. I have a tendency to purge my blog posts on that site but I wanted to keep this post alive for posterity. All I've really done here is update it a bit for the tenth anniversary.

Ten years. It’s hard to believe it’s been an entire decade since the September 11th attacks. I still remember very clearly where I was and what I did that fateful day.

I remember getting up and almost instantly feeling like something was wrong. I had no idea what - just a strange sense of uneasiness. No one else was home. I think my first indication of what happened came from My Yahoo page when I went online. I turned on the TV and coverage was on like every channel. It was surreal. One of those things you never imagined would happen in your lifetime. It was a little scary. I can only imagine what it felt like for those people that were actually there in New York to bare witness.

I went to work that afternoon. I was still working at Blockbuster Video right by my house at the time. I think I had already stopped updating Grimstone for the second time. When I got there, my boss went to get gas for his car, as so many people were doing in anticipation of a price hike that didn’t come. I was closing with I think Heidi that night. I think she was late or something. I think I was by myself for a bit. It gets a little hazey after that. I think Heidi was there for a while and then had to leave and got Holly to cover for her. And I think maybe Heidi came back later. I’m not sure. All I remember for certain is that while Holly was there, I went to get some food and she made some mistake on the register and caused a headache for me for later as I was the manager on duty. I remember I was really pissed at her. And in the explanation for the error that I wrote up on the customer’s account, I called her a “dumbass” and that got me written up a couple days later. It was a weird, frustrating day. I don’t think things were ever the same between Holly and I after that. We were pretty good friends at one point before that. I think I was more annoyed though with Heidi for sticking me with Holly in the first place. (Note: Since the time this was originally written, Holly and I have become friends again. I haven't seen or talked to Heidi in like 9 years.)

That night, after work, I was restless. Too many things on my mind, not just about the events of that day. I remember going for a walk. I contemplated stopping by a friend’s house but decided it was too late for that. I went down to the Osco not far from work. I forget all that I bought that night, but the important thing I got was a pair of small spiral notebooks. I was really interested in screenwriting at the time, in addition to my regular cartooning and stuff. So I wanted to have something to keep with me to jot down ideas. I carried one of those notebooks with me everywhere I went. I wrote a lot of good ideas in those notebooks. The original idea for my stop motion film Poker Night is written in there, along with scores of ideas about Grimstone. I filled up that first one long ago and the second one contains almost entirely ideas about a big Grimstone story I never got around to working on, something I might do someday as a graphic novel. Nowadays, I just carry around my iPhone everywhere, and I have a nice light Macbook Air I can take with me places too. But I still have both notebooks.

Anyway, that’s my 9/11 experience. Certainly not as life altering as others’ experiences that day, but it still had a longlasting affect on me.

Day 20 - Poison Ivy

2011-09-10T00:03:00.009-05:00

I kind of prefer Ivy with a normal skin tone as opposed to her green complexion. Her look is based on her original design from Batman: The Animated Series.

For the background, I ended up recycling some vector clip art I had previously used during my days as a graphic designer for Texas Corral Restaurants.

Day 19 - Two-Face

2011-09-09T22:03:00.002-05:00

Day 18 - Solomon Grundy

2011-09-08T16:18:00.000-05:00

Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Grew worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
This is the end
Of Solomon Grundy

Day 17 - The Penguin

2011-09-07T15:07:00.005-05:00

As with many of these drawings, the Penguin is based on his appearance on the 1966 Batman television series. That show really is a lot of fun.

Day 16 - Clayface

2011-09-06T00:07:00.002-05:00

Day 15 - Ra's Al Ghul

2011-09-05T00:06:00.000-05:00

Day 14 - Hush

2011-09-04T00:04:00.001-05:00

Day 13 - Black Mask

2011-09-03T00:03:00.001-05:00

Day 12 - Mr. Zsasz

2011-09-02T00:01:00.004-05:00

Day 11 - Man-Bat

2011-09-01T19:41:00.000-05:00

Nothing much to say about this one. He's Man-Bat. That's all he does.

Day 10 - Scarface & the Ventriloquist

2011-08-31T21:34:00.002-05:00

When I try to draw the Ventriloquist, he just ends up looking kind of like Dr. Frankenbeans. Oh well. Here he is with Scarface.

Day 9 - The Mad Hatter

2011-08-30T19:24:00.000-05:00

I'm probably going to post mostly pencil sketches for the next week or so. We're in a stretch of the challenge featuring villains I don't care a lot about. I'll probably start doing ink and color again when we get to the Penguin.

For the Mad Hatter, I just had to go with the version from Batman '66.

Day 8 - The Demon Etrigan

2011-08-29T01:35:00.001-05:00

Gone, Gone O' Form of Man —
Rise, the Demon Etrigan!

Keep your Kirby hand strong.

Day 7 - Nightwing

2011-08-28T20:36:00.002-05:00

Since I went with the Dick Grayson version of Robin, I wanted to have a touch of symmetry here with his adult alter ego Nightwing. The costume is a hybrid of his old comic costume, the animated costume, and my own little tweaks.

Day 6 - Robin

2011-08-27T03:47:00.003-05:00

For Robin, I had to go with the original Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson. I almost drew Tim Drake instead. And there's no way I was going to do Damian. I hate Damian.

Day 5 - Batgirl

2011-08-26T01:30:00.002-05:00

For Batgirl I've gone with the Barbara Gordon version, since she's about to return as Batgirl in the comics. However, the drawing is a hybrid of inspirations - it's the costume of the 1966 TV show drawn in the style of the 1992 animated series.

Day 4 - Talia Al Ghul

2011-08-25T01:25:00.006-05:00

Another slightly less cartoony pencil sketch for today. The genesis of portraying Talia wearing Batman's shirt comes from the fact that she's the only woman that we know for certain Bruce has had sex with.

Day 3 - Commissioner Gordon

2011-08-24T20:05:00.000-05:00

I decided to mix things up a little bit today - no gag, just a pencil sketch, a little less cartoony. I finished off my sketchbook with this drawing and had to pick up a new one. That's all I've got to say.

Day 2 - Oracle

2011-08-23T23:45:00.003-05:00

I went with the version of Barbara Gordon from Batman: The Animated Series here. And yes, I know Oracle's job is much greater, more complicated, and vastly more important than simply being superhero tech support.

Day 1 - Alfred

2011-08-22T05:51:00.009-05:00

I've been watching reruns of the old '60s Batman television show lately, on Hub and whichever local Chicago channel also airs them. The other day I caught the episodes with Roddy McDowell as the Bookworm, and that's where this image comes from. Alfred makes a regular habit of dusting the nuclear reactor that powers the Batcave and Batmobile. I don't think they actually gave what time it was, but he nevers fails to dust it at the same time and this allowed Batman and Robin to escape from the Bookworm's death trap. I love that old show.

Gotham City 30 Day Drawing Challenge

2011-08-22T03:14:00.009-05:00

So some friends of mine from Columbia are always partaking in these 30 day drawing challenges on their blogs. I always want to join in, but I never do, until now. They finally came up with a subject for the challenge that I couldn't resist: Batman. For the next month, I will be cross-posting my drawings here at my blog and on my Google+ profile, since both use Picasa anyway. Here is the schedule:

1 - Alfred
2 - Oracle
3 - Commissioner Gordon
4 - Talia Al Ghul
5 - Batgirl
6 - Robin
7 - Nightwing
8 - Etrigan
9 - Mad Hatter
10 - Scarface
11 - ManBat
12 - Zsasz
13 - Black Mask
14 - Hush
15 - Ra's Al Ghul
16 - Clayface
17 - Penguin
18 - Grundy
19 - Two Face
20 - Poison Ivy
21 - Killer Croc
22 - Bane
23 - Harley Quinn
24 - Riddler
25 - Scarecrow
26 - Mr. Freeze
27 - Catwoman
28 - Hugo Strange
29 - Joker
30 - Batman

Carl Reiner: Write What You Know

2011-08-15T21:07:00.001-05:00

I have been a fan of the work of Carl Reiner for a long time – longer than I had, until recently, realized. I had never noticed before that he was the director of such movies as Oh God!, as well as the early films of Steve Martin (not all of which I have seen, but I have enjoyed those that I did see). And even before I knew who Carl Reiner was, I was a fan of the work of his son Rob Reiner. I watched All in the Family long before I had ever seen an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. And The Princess Bride, a classic of the fantasy-adventure genre, remains one of my all-time favorite films. Later on, when I began watching The Dick Van Dyke Show, I did not immediately realize that the actor playing Alan Brady was in fact the creative genius behind the entire series. I did not notice that this one man scripted the bulk of the episodes, including many of its best. I had not yet come to fully appreciate the talent and brilliance of Carl Reiner. That is something I have only achieved through this course. I have a new respect and admiration for the man, truly one of the great comedians of our time. The series he created has been a favorite of mine since I discovered it through reruns on Nick-at-Nite and will remain one of my favorites for as long as I live. I will examine Carl Reiner’s various roles throughout the production of The Dick Van Dyke Show and show that this actor turned writer-producer was truly a force to be reckoned with in the field of comedy.

When I began watching The Dick Van Dyke Show, I slowly became more familiar with the work of the cast and crew of the series. Once I had learned who Carl Reiner was – the creator of the series as well as its chief writer and producer – I discovered his early work on Your Show of Shows. I knew, for the most part, who Sid Caesar was. I was probably most familiar with him from the classic comedy film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World – which also featured Reiner in a small role as an airport control tower operator. I knew of Imogene Coca and Howie Morris – the latter more from his cartoon voice over work. I had never seen the show, but I knew it was a landmark television series, essentially the Saturday Night Live of its day. I’ve since learned that it was Reiner’s experiences on this series and with the people that have worked on it that formed the basis for The Dick Van Dyke Show. It was through Your Show of Shows that Reiner began a long lasting friendship and professional partnership with the great Mel Brooks, who I should not have been surprised, was the inspiration for the human joke machine that is Buddy Sorrel. Reiner was primarily a performer on the show but eventually became an uncredited contributor in the writers’ room. However, his alter ego on The Dick Van Dyke Show would be the series’ head writer, an embellishment that I’m sure delighted Reiner to no end.

It is the creation of this series and Reiner’s alter ego Robert Petrie that most impresses me about the man. Trying to break into the arena of television sitcoms, unable to find a vehicle fitting of his talents, Carl Reiner took it upon himself to create his own series – partially at the urging of his wife Estelle. Reiner believed in the old adage “write what you know” and thought about what experiences he could draw upon that others might not. It occurred to him to base his series on his life and career as a performer and writer on Sid Caesar’s television series. It also occurred to him to not only draw upon his professional life, but his personal one as well, and show the two worlds his main character would inhabit: the world of his job as a television writer and his world at home as a husband and father. Reiner then proceeded with the unprecedented endeavor of writing thirteen complete episodes for this series in a single summer. It is this feat of dedication and productivity that most inspires and encourages me. It shows what a creative individual can accomplish when he or she sets his mind on a task, a goal, and commits to it. It remains a grand accomplishment in spite of Reiner’s initial setbacks in getting the series off the ground. Reiner’s series, dubbed Head of the Family, would make it to the pilot stage and, for at least a time, no further. It’s rather ironic that one of the biggest problems with this incarnation of the series is the performance of Reiner himself. One would think that a man would be most qualified to play himself, but apparently this was not true in Reiner’s case.

We can thank the efforts of executive producer Sheldon Leonard for salvaging Reiner’s fledgling series and setting him onto his true path, as the show’s writer and producer. It is was here that Carl Reiner truly shined. The shear workload that Carl Reiner endured throughout the first two seasons of The Dick Van Dyke Show is striking, one might even say Herculean. As producer, Reiner’s responsibilities included the supervision of casting, staging, scoring and editing of each season’s thirty some episodes, in addition to his duties as writer and story editor. Nearly two-thirds of the episodes aired in the first two seasons were written by Carl Reiner, and there was almost no episode that went completely untouched by his creative hands; many of these episodes were polished or rewritten by him as well. How Reiner was able to endure this staggering workload is nothing short of amazing, almost miraculous. However, it was not something the overworked creator could endure forever. Fortunately for Reiner, and for fans of the show everywhere, help arrived in the third season in the form of screenwriters Bill Persky and Sam Denoff. It is because of these unlikely saviors lessening his burden of responsibility that we were able to enjoy Reiner’s efforts in front of the camera as well as behind during the series’ final two seasons. It is here that Reiner was able to return to his first desire – performing – as the vain, egomaniacal, overbearing television star Alan Brady.

If Rob Petrie was the alter ego of Reiner himself, then Alan Brady represented Sid Caesar, as well as many other vaudevillian stars of early television. When one considers what kind of a man and a boss that Reiner was – he only lost his temper on set once and was a genuinely gracious person to work for – it’s a testament to his acting abilities that he delivered such a believable and hilarious performance. Alan was loud, domineering, arrogant, self-centered, often cruel, but always funny. He was the living embodiment of every big shot television star that was completely full of himself, and added a welcome dynamic to the show. As if beleaguered producer Mel Cooley hadn’t suffered enough thanks to Buddy’s constant insults, he now had his belligerent brother-in-law to contend with. But Mel was not the only target of Alan’s pompous anger. I doubt anyone on the cast avoided being walked all over by Alan, and I would say Rob suffered more than anyone. Everyone was terrified of Alan Brady, and with good reason. He held the collective destiny of our favorite characters in his hand. The threat of being fired loomed constantly overhead and led to some great comedic moments, even when the threat was idle or completely non-existent. Whether it was Rob forced to ghost doctor the lackluster play for Alan’s Broadway debut or the whole staff offering their writing services to a snail, the prospect of unemployment was never funnier. Not even friends and family were safe as Laura, Millie and Jerry were all caught in the wake of hurricane Alan.

Writer, producer, performer, Carl Reiner was at least a triple threat. Like nearly everyone in the cast of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Reiner was as multitalented and versatile as they come. Always a class act, forever striving for excellence and devoted to bringing to life “one man’s reality”, Reiner worked fervently for over five years to make the series he had created one of the best television shows ever to grace the airwaves. It is for this reason that he and Dick Van Dyke chose to end the show after its fifth season. Like any good showman, Reiner wanted to go out on a high note and leave the crowd wanting more. It may have been the end of his sitcom, but it was hardly the end of his career.

Carl Reiner would continue to be a driving force in comedy and moved on to become a writer and director of feature films, including the movie based on the novel Enter Laughing that he wrote in the late 1950s that was a precursor to his work on The Dick Van Dyke Show. He kept working in television as well and even reteamed with his former star in the 1970s for The New Dick Van Dyke Show. It was, however, not as long lived or anywhere near as successful as their previous endeavor. Reiner would also continue to work as an actor and, in fact, continues to work to this very day in both television and movies. His role as Saul Bloom in the Ocean’s 11 films was one of the highlights of that series. He has even reprised his most famous role as Alan Brady on sitcoms like Mad About You, a Dick Van Dyke Show reunion special and even an animated program titled – what else – The Alan Brady Show.

Carl Reiner has crafted a legacy that I believe will withstand the test of time, and he will be remembered as one of the giants of comedy, a true creative genius. He has certainly inspired me to continue working hard on my own creative endeavors and to commit myself to the things that I am passionate about. If I could achieve even a fraction of his success, I would be a very fortunate man indeed.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Alan Brady

2011-08-08T06:00:00.016-05:00

Season Four of The Dick Van Dyke Show brings us, at long last, the first full appearance of Carl Reiner as the great Alan Brady. No longer confined to faceless cameos, Reiner is finally able to give full life to a character that we have only, until now, gotten glimpses of. This was, of course, made possible by writers Persky and Denoff relieving Reiner of some of his burden by taking on the responsibilities of story editors and, at times, producers. With more free time available to him, Reiner was able to appear more often and camera and we discovered just how much of a magnificent bastard Alan Brady truly was.

“Three Letters from One Wife” is the oddly titled first full, credited appearance of Carl Reiner in the Alan Brady role. I said “oddly” because there are far more than three letters involved in the plot, nearly three times as many. Was “Fourteen Letters from One Wife” not as funny? In any case, the episode itself is quite funny, due mostly to Millie’s meddling. Brady is not quite at the center of the episode and is not as monstrous as he is in other episodes. Like many stories, this one is really about Rob and the suffering he endears trying to please and impress his boss all the while trying not to anger him and lose his job. The predicament that Millie places Rob in is a doozy, and Van Dyke’s performance in the breakdown scene is incredibly funny and honest. Rob is also far more forgiving of Millie than I would have been; I would of probably moved at this point. And even though this episode marks the beginning of Mel Cooley’s role as Alan’s whipping boy, he very fittingly saves the day for Rob in the end.

“Baby Fat” is by far my favorite of the episodes from this week. We get to see a lot of Alan Brady this time around as he takes center stage along with Rob. We also get to see a bit more to his character. While he’s typically the same Alan we all love to hate, he reveals a vulnerable side to Rob when asking for help in fixing the Broadway play he hopes to star in. Alan very much needs Rob in this episode. He is indebted to him. And he continues to treat him like dirt (and also a tailor). The scenes between Van Dyke and Reiner are pure comedy gold, as are the parade of backstage characters we encounter in the theater. I can only assume that Rob must really love his job and is getting paid a lot of money for him to continue to subject himself to the tribulations of working for Alan Brady. Perhaps he has a really nice benefits package?

“A Day in the Life of Alan Brady” is an episode where Brady’s presence is felt throughout even if he does not appear until the end. Once more, we have Millie (and Jerry too) involved in a Brady-centric story. We learn here that Alan even treats the friends of his employees badly. It seems the only ones that Alan treats with any kind of compassion are his adoring fans, and with good reason. The key to getting on his good side seems to be to feed his massive ego. Millie’s struggle with deciding what to do about Alan and her anniversary party and the chaos that ensues is simply delicious. Millie, like nearly everyone else, is more than willing to put up with Alan’s shortcomings for that little taste of fame, or at least to be near it. There’s something almost masochistic about the people in Alan Brady’s little world.

“Coast to Coast Big Mouth” is a rare episode whose plot greatly involves the interaction of Alan with Laura. In the previous episode, he could barely get her name correct. Here, they have a wonderful scene together with a magnificently funny performance by Reiner. You can tell that he must have missed performing and truly gave the role everything he had when appearing as Alan. Mille once again has a part to play here, and actually makes things worse by doing nothing. We have another great scene of Rob and Laura having an argument that manages not to leave either one truly angry with the other. Rob rushing to Laura’s aide at the end, trying to essentially take the bullet for her is very in keeping with his character, as well as the times. And we do, at least a little, feel a bit of pity for Alan. He’s not really the bad guy this time; he’s the victim. We also get a glimpse into Alan’s forgiving side, if only for a fleeting moment.

Alan Brady is truly one of the most memorable characters on the entire series, despite barely appearing at all until the fourth season. That’s how big the man’s influence was on the rest of the cast. He was there even when he wasn’t. Carl Reiner always gave a tremendous performance as the egocentric comedian and provided us with some of the later seasons’ funniest moments. I only wish Reiner had been willing and able to step fully into the role sooner.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Let's Do a Show

2011-08-01T07:00:00.003-05:00

One of the greatest strengths of the Dick Van Dyke show is its regular use of the “show within a show” format to display the multifaceted talents of its extraordinarily talented cast. Sometimes this is done through the Alan Brady Show, but often it is done in other performance venues and sometimes just at dinner parties. Regardless of the reason for the show, it is always a treat to watch and makes for some of the series’ most memorable and entertaining episodes.

“The Sam Pomerantz Scandals” is a prime example of the cast’s versatility as performers. Everyone’s talents are showcased here: Sally’s singing, Buddy’s jokes, Laura’s dancing - even Mel and Pickles get in on the act. The highlight of the episode has to be Dick Van Dyke and Henry Calvin’s note perfect impressions of Stanley Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Both actors resemblance to the comedians is uncanny and their performance is absolutely flawless. It’s a shame that Van Dyke didn’t get to portray the legendary vaudevillian in a biopic. And speaking of Henry Calvin, we have yet another actor playing the Sol/Sam role. I have to wonder if maybe there wasn’t a pair of brothers in Rob’s army troop, at least one of who resembled Alan Melvin. Either that or Sam Pomerantz is a time lord.

“Too Many Stars” is one of several entries in a series of episodes dealing with the neighborhood talent show. Every year, Rob gets roped into directing the show, much to his chagrin. This year is no different, but in addition to the usual problem of talentless auditions, Rob is faced with the new dilemma of someone who actually rivals the show biz skills of his own wife. Laura’s envy and jealously is well earned. Her opponent is at least as skilled a dancer, perhaps a better singer, and just as beautiful as she is. Being an exotic foreigner with a certain mystique just adds to Laura’s frustration. Rob is presented with a decision no husband should ever have to make, but his solution is inspired and leads to a rather unique and interesting song & dance number. Mel once more tries to join in on the fun, but demonstrates definitively why he is a producer and not a performer. Despite her abysmal attempt at singing, there’s something about Millie’s bit that has always stuck with me since seeing this episode years ago. I’ve always remembered the line “then I’ll kill myself…I’m funny that way.” I’m not sure why. Rob’s break down at the end of the episode upon finding himself tricked into another year of directing is priceless.

“The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail” is not an episode I recall ever seeing before. I have seen, numerous times, the previous appearance of Don Rickles as the man who attempts to hold up Rob and Laura with his comb. I do not remember there being another episode with him. While certainly an entertaining episode and another fine showcase of the cast’s talents, I found the plot somewhat predictable. I was just waiting for Rob to be mistaken as one of the inmates and carted off to a cell. I was not, however, expecting the guard to be played by the most common incarnation of our old friend Sam/Sol. The number of look-a-likes in the Dick Van Dyke universe seems to rival the films of Kevin Smith. The sheer number of appearances by Frank Adamo would make one suspect some cloning experiment out of the Boys From Brazil. At least in this episode its possible that the one prisoner could actually be Big Max Calvada’s associate. I’m not sure how to reconcile the others. I suppose continuity was less important than having a readily available troupe of stock players. In any case, this episode was good for some laughs and it’s always good to see Don Rickles.

“The Alan Brady Show Presents” makes a terrific Christmas special. What I like the most about this episode is that we finally have a more legitimate excuse for everyone performing his or her respective routines. Having it as part of the Alan Brady show means that no one is giving up their vacation or having to entertain guests as a party. They are finally (presumably) being paid for their time and work. Although, knowing Alan, I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t. Still, at least it’s in the context of working on the show. The songs and skits are all fairly memorable, if not necessarily for the best reasons. I do prefer this version of “fine musicians” as the costumes add something fun to the occasion. The Santa Claus routine between Rob and Laura is another opportunity for the pair to display their prodigious physical abilities and is quite humorous. My favorite bit remains the “Alan Brady” song and Buddy’s first interruption of it, declaring his own name instead.

There are few sitcoms and even fewer musical variety shows that are even half as good as the Dick Van Dyke Show. It succeeds at being phenomenal as both. I doubt we’ll ever see another show quite like it.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Family

2011-07-25T06:00:00.004-05:00

The subject of this week’s batch of episodes is family, but it’s mostly about Rob’s family in particular. Laura’s family only appears in the one episode, and even then, it features more of her father than her mother. And perhaps this is as it should be, as Rob’s relatives are the much more interesting family tree. You have his boisterous father, who will seemingly toast to anything. You have his slightly judgmental mother, never quite accepting of Laura, until she destroys a family heirloom that everyone finally agrees is hideous. You have his sleepwalking brother who is quiet and reserved when awake but a hilarious banjo-playing dynamo when asleep (Stacey always seemed to me like he suffered more from a split personality disorder than somnambulism). And while not present in these episodes, Rob also has a hilarious crotchety old grandfather and an eccentric great uncle, the spitting image of his nephew, who bequeaths Rob a mysterious inheritance. Laura’s family simply cannot compete. They’re far too conservative and just not very interesting. The Petries are the more entertaining family by far.

“The Plot Thickens” presents us with a familiar situation to any married couple: arguing in-laws. Based on this episode and “What’s in a Middle Name”, you would think the Petries and the Mehans are always at odds with one another. The Mehans certainly seem to feel it’s a contest between them and Rob’s parents, and that Rob’s parents are winning. It would take the innocence of a child to finally bring peace to this family feud and show everyone how ridiculous they are being. My favorite bit of this episode is that Rob has not one, not two, but four cemetery plots lined up thanks to his parents, Laura’s parents, the writer’s union, and the military. It’s too bad he can’t sell one of them.

“The Curse of the Petrie People” is a fine enough episode, but the actor playing Sam Petrie is just no substitute for the original. Tom Tully just lacks the energy and enthusiasm that J. Pat O’Malley brings to the role. So it is difficult for me to fully enjoy this episode. The plot is straight forward enough, if a bit silly. The real highlight of the episode is Clara Petrie finally warming up to Laura and fully accepting Laura into the family. It only took her about nine years. And it’s kind of a shame the series didn’t go on long enough for us to find out if there really ever was anything to the Curse of the Petrie brooch.

“I Am My Brother’s Keeper” and “The Sleeping Brother” is a rare two-part extravaganza of an episode. I don’t recall seeing many two part episodes of sixties television outside the Adam West Batman series. But Stacey Petrie is just too much fun to be contained by one episode, which held true for his appearance in a later season. Stacey is by far my favorite recurring character on the series. He is funny enough when he’s awake, but he is simply hilarious while sleepwalking (or impersonating himself while sleepwalking, as the case may be). If any of the characters on this show deserved their own spin-off, it was Stacey. Every moment he’s on screen is pure comic gold. I really have nothing bad to say about these episodes. They’re just too good. Although, I never really realized that Stacey had appeared so early in the series (the first season). It always seemed like he came along later. I had also never noticed that Carl’s early appearances as Alan Brady had deliberately avoided revealing the actor’s face. It seemed like he had always been Alan. I suppose I can chalk it up to always watching the series out of order. Seinfeld’s a lot like that to me too; I’m never quite sure what the sequence of events was on that show from season to season.

One final note: I find it interesting, after watching these episodes, that at no point in the series does Rob’s brother appear alongside Rob’s parents. I think it would have been hysterical if there had been a big Petrie family reunion episode. The comedy possibilities would be nearly endless.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Buddy Sorrell

2011-07-18T15:06:00.001-05:00

Buddy Sorrell has long been one of my favorite characters of the Dick Van Dyke Show. He is probably the most consistently funny character on the entire series, due in no small part to the enormous talents of Morey Amsterdam. Buddy has a joke for every occasion and his one-liners are often the highlights of their episodes and some of the funniest moments in television. It is interesting that these three episodes do not quite present the typical Buddy. “The Boarder Incident” presents us with the closest to the Buddy we know and love, but is a departure in that he comes off as more of a pest in this episode. “Divorce” gives us a glimpse of Buddy’s angry, passionate side. This is not the joyful, humorous character we are use to. And “Buddy Sorrell – Man & Boy” depicts Buddy at perhaps his deepest, most emotional state. These three episodes did much to flesh out the character and make him more dimensional.

“The Boarder Incident” is perhaps my least favorite of these three episodes as Buddy is basically the antagonist here. He’s at least an obstacle for Rob and Laura to overcome. I’m not sure anyone could have put up with Buddy as a houseguest for very long, with his constant cello playing, incessant gargling, and massive whimpering dog. It is no surprise that it felt like a month to Rob and Buddy instead of the week it was. Even though Buddy means well, and tries to be a good guest, the situation cannot help but stress his and Rob’s friendship to the breaking point. Fortunately, much like Rob and Jerry, Ron and Buddy have a brotherly bond that can seemingly withstand anything. This episode also implies that Rob and Buddy have known each other for a very long time – Rob calls him his oldest and dearest friend – a fact that is contradicted in the later episode “I Was a Teenage Head Writer”.

“Divorce” is kind of an odd episode to me. The Buddy here is so unlike the one we know and love. We never see him angry, and he’s absolutely livid in this story. But even a livid Buddy is a funny Buddy. Only he could bark an order for tomato juice and swig it down like it was whiskey. The bit with the pepper mill is priceless, as is Rob’s reaction to Buddy taking Dopsey Doodles (from the makers of Nervie Dervies?) As for the nearly hysterical Pickles, it is not so much the recasting that throws me here, although I do prefer the original actress. No, it’s how darn tall she is that I find unsettling. She’s almost taller than Rob, which means she towers over Buddy. And really, what is the deal with that hairdo? If nothing else, this episode proves that Buddy does indeed love his wife, despite appearances to the contrary.

“Buddy Sorrell – Man & Boy” is, I feel, the best of the three. We once again witness a new side of Buddy, but it is a softer, gentle and caring side. I don’t think we’ve seen Buddy’s mother before, but there is a definite emotional resonance to the end of this episode. The show also continues to deliver the laughs we have come to expect from this series. The entire swerve of Buddy’s “affair” is well executed. If anyone had not seen this episode before, and didn’t know Buddy better, you could conceivably think he was having an affair until the rabbi comes home and we learn the truth. Rob and his friends ought to have known better though. The odd thing about this episode is the obvious absence of Pickles. As we discussed in class, the character was more or less written out of the show by this point, joining Norm’s wife Vera and Nile’s wife Maris as often mentioned but never seen. It’s especially odd given that Buddy mentions her in his Bar Mitzvah speech. But the woman sitting next to Buddy’s mother and standing with them all at the end is not Buddy’s wife, she is the rabbi’s – Buddy’s old friend Dorothy – the woman he was thought to be having an affair with. Perhaps the writers should have just had Buddy and Pickles actually get a divorce. I suppose not though, as it would have eliminated the tension from this episode, and we would have not had the many funny stories about Pickles from season two onward. And back to hairdos again, am I the only one that noticed how much Laura and Sally’s hair has changed during the last season? All in all though, this is another well-done episode.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Flashbacks #2

2011-07-11T03:49:00.003-05:00

The Dick Van Dyke Show seems to be almost infamous in its use of flashback episodes. I certainly cannot recall many other sitcoms that use them this extensively or effectively. (The only one that I can think of that comes close is the show Friends.) You could almost take all the episodes and edit them together into a kind of prequel movie, and I would certainly enjoy seeing someone attempt this. So far we’ve seen only episodes focusing on Rob and Laura’s courtship, but here we move forward a few years to focus on the birth of their son Ritchie. It’s interesting that even though these three episodes revolve around the character, he only has a significant part in one episode. In “Where Did I Come From?”, Ritchie serves to get the story rolling and to interject cute questions and observations in the framing sequence. The character goes completely unseen in “That’s My Boy?” save for the bundle of blankets as baby stand-in. It’s the third episode, “What’s in a Middle Name?”, that features Ritchie prominently in the present (and again unseen in the past, as it is before his birth). This is my favorite of the batch, and also where Ritchie gets a well-deserved last laugh. Let’s look at these three episodes further.

“Where Did I Come From?” is all about the moment that I imagine all parents fear the most: how did the child come to be. Ritchie asks the question, like most children do, in such an innocent, naïve fashion. He clearly does not understand at all what goes into making a baby and his parents don’t really explain it to him either. And well they shouldn’t, as he is far too young to know what’s really happening. No, this story is more about the manic circumstances leading up to his birth, at least as they involve his father. Rob is far more nervous about becoming a parent than Laura is. She really doesn’t seem to be worried in the slightest. Rob, however, is a wreck. Dick Van Dyke once again unleashes a brilliant tour de force performance of physical comedy, well supported by his cohorts on the Alan Brady Show. As apprehensive as Rob is during this whole ordeal, it’s a wonder he ever survived being a father long enough to relate the story to his son.

“What’s in a Middle Name?” is, as I stated earlier, my favorite of the bunch. It’s another episode I remember fondly from my youth. The gathering of Rob and Laura’s parents always reminded me somewhat of my own family gatherings. There are certainly some colorful, entertaining characters here, particularly, and not surprisingly, on Rob’s side of the family. And I have always been fascinated by the anagrammatic middle name of Rosebud, which really ought to be spelled with periods. It’s a very clever idea, not just combining seven middle names into one, but also using the infamous sled of Charles Foster Kane as the anagram; it seems oddly appropriate somehow. And while Rob may have satisfied Ritchie with the explanation, since it only says Rosebud on his birth certificate that is his legal name. So technically, he does not have seven middle names as Rob assures him. For me, the two highlights of this episode are Rob’s grandfather (everything he says) and Ritchie’s idea of giving his son the middle name of Rat.

“That’s My Boy?” is probably one of the most well known and well regarded episodes of the series. This is not an assessment that I can disagree with. It is a classic episode, with the new writers perfectly capturing what makes the series great. It really does have the air of a Carl Reiner script, and I’m sure he must have considered Persky & Denoff as godsend. We’ve already talked about the one flaw of consistency in this episode, with the Petries coming home from the hospital to a different house than the one they left from. I think this bugs me a bit more than it does others, even though this is the first time I’ve noticed it. It reminds me of the Universal monster movies, in that from one Frankenstein movie to another, there was no consistency in the castle, or even which village the monsters were destroyed in. But in the grand scheme of things, I suppose it is a minor issue. The other part of the episode that strikes me a bit odd is Mel Cooley being at the Petries for dinner with Millie and Jerry. There just seems something odd about this, like he’s only there because he’s the only character that Rob could conceivably tell this story too who wouldn’t already know it. It’s also strange to see him there without Buddy and Sally present. Otherwise, this is a great episode. We have some great typical Rob and Jerry shenanigans. We also have one of the greatest payoffs in sitcom history. In terms of humorous interracial moments in television history, this one is right up there with Sammy Davis Jr. kissing Archie Bunker. Rob’s reaction is priceless. The Peters were probably laughing all the way over to their house, anticipating the moment to come. And I am mistaken, but is Mr. Peters the same actor that would later play Sticks Mandalay in “Bupkiss”?

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Sci-Fi Fun

2011-07-04T04:01:00.002-05:00

From the moment we received the syllabus, this was the class that I was looking forward to the most. The three sci-fi themed episodes are three of my all-time favorite DVD episodes. The Walnut episode may have been one of the first episodes I ever saw and was a favorite of my dad’s as well. Being a huge sci-fi geek, these episodes were a perfect way to get me hooked on the Dick Van Dyke show and were destined to be my favorites.

As we did in class, so shall I go in reverse order. “Uhny Ufz” is a charming, fun episode. I’ve been a UFO nut for as long as I can remember, and I would react in much the same way that Rob does were I to witness something I thought to be a flying saucer. Buddy shows himself to be a bit of a coward in this episode while Rob, much like Fox Mulder, is determined to find out the truth of his close encounter. There are some things about this episode that always struck me as a little odd, and it’s not anything really to do with the sci-fi elements. First, the writers seem to be working really late these nights. I can’t recall if they give the exact time, but it seemed to be well after midnight, somewhere around 2 or 3am. Considering their commutes and needing to be back at the office the next morning, this seems a bit excessive, even for Alan Brady. I realize the need to have Rob at the office late, tired and unable to be sure of what he’s seen, but this just seems too much. I hope the writing staff gets paid overtime. The second problem is with the toy saucer’s inability to say “Merry Christmas”. I rather doubt such a toy would have a voice synthesizer that would form the words out of nothing; it would probably be using a pre-recorded message on tape or something. Unless, I suppose, the problem was one of playback and the “Merry Christmas” was garbled into “Uhny Ufz”. The final joke, however, would suggest otherwise. These are all nitpicks though and don’t really take away from my enjoyment of the episode.

“The Ghost of A. Chantz” is, to me, an instant classic. It’s Scooby-Doo by way of Candid Camera. Buddy is an even bigger chicken here than in “Uhny Ufz” and, as usual, provides some of the episode’s biggest laughs. Dick Van Dyke gives another flawless Boris Karloff impression here, as he does in all three episodes. The “special effects”, corny though they may be, are effective nonetheless. The whole setup seems kind of cheesy and cliché by today’s’ standards but was not quite so overused at the time. In any case, it’s still a lot of fun. I think my favorites bits are the Vincent Price gag and Mel getting the last laugh on the frightened Buddy.

And that brings us finally to the masterpiece episode “It May Look Like a Walnut”. It’s a definite contender for my number one favorite and was somewhat of a milestone for the series. This wasn’t Jerry Paris’ first directorial effort but it was no doubt his definitive one and solidified him as the new series director. It also marked the first time that the show’s title was shown onscreen, something I never really noticed. That is, I noticed they eventually began showing the title; just not that this was the episode where it started. So much can, and has, been said about this episode. Dick Van Dyke is delightfully weird in his re-enactment of the late night horror movie he’s just watched. Mary Tyler Moore gives a great performance and makes a totally unforgettable entrance. I’m not sure about het attempt at an English accent, but nobody’s perfect. Except, perhaps, for guest star Danny Thomas. He is definitely the highlight of the episode. I just the love the part where he exits the writers’ room, casually tossing walnuts behind him as he goes. Buddy, Sally and Mel all get a chance to give wonderful creepy performances; few sites are as unsettling as that of Buddy and Mel going off together as friends, arm in arm. The only real complaint I can lay upon this episode is that they could have been a bit more careful at the end to not show Rob’s thumbs once he has lost them. Again, it’s a minor nitpick, but one that always bugged me a bit. All in all, this is a classic episode, a wonderful Twilight Zone parody, and just damn good television. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Rob, Jerry, Laura & Millie

2011-06-27T06:00:00.005-05:00

Jerry and Millie Helper are one of television’s most memorable pair of neighbors. As we see in these episodes, they make a perfect compliment to Rob and Laura. Rob gets into bad enough situations when he’s alone, but things tend to get even worse when Jerry is involved as Jerry brings out Rob’s competitive side. And Millie can easily exasperate Laura’s worrying into full-blown hysteria. The Helpers and the Petries make for a powerful and hilarious comedy foursome, especially when they are at odds with each other.

“Don’t Trip Over That Mountain” is another one of my childhood favorites. What’s interesting about this episode is that when compared with the other three, it is the only one where it’s not the Petries versus the Helpers. This episode is more of a Rob and Laura centric episode with Jerry and Millie serving in more of a sidekick capacity than an antagonistic one. Perhaps this is due to the episode being written by Carl Reiner, I’m not sure on that one. In any case, this episode is another showcase for the brilliant physical comedy work of Dick Van Dyke. We continue to see how quickly the Petrie’s relationship can rebound from an argument to tender loving care. Jerry and Millie are strictly in a support role here. Jerry’s purpose is to get Rob into trouble while assuring Laura that won’t be the case, and Millie’s purpose is to try to keep Laura from going to pieces only to fail miserably. This is a delightful episode.

“The Ballad of the Betty Lou” is similar in some ways to the skiing episode. Only this time, Jerry and Rob are pitted against each other instead of being buddies. Laura and Millie maintain their positions as the worrisome wives, although this time Laura is less concerned with Rob being okay and more eager to let lose with an “I told you so.” The competitive side of Rob is in full effect here. Despite being a complete novice at sailing, he’s ready to see himself as captain. Rob’s total ineptitude for following orders is matched only by Jerry’s ineptitude at giving them. It’s a miracle they survived the storm much less refrained from killing each other. But much like their relationships with their respective wives, this episode shows that the friendship between Rob and Jerry runs deep and can withstand nearly anything. While they spend a great deal of time ready to strangle one another, the episode ends with the duo happily being the best of friends once more. Now if only they could find where they left that boat.

“All About Eavesdropping” ups the tension from the sailing episode by pitting the couples squarely against each other, even if the Helpers have no idea what it is they’ve done wrong. The quiet anger of the Petries is perfectly portrayed by DVD and MTM, and it leads to one of the most hilarious rounds of charades ever put to film. Ultimately though this is another comedy situation that can, and eventually is, easily resolved by direct communication. Not that the Helpers weren’t somewhat deserving of the Petries’ ire, but these kind of petty squabbles should be talked out, especially between such close friends. As usual, all’s well that ends well, but I can’t help feel sorry for the truly clueless bystanders of Buddy and Sally. Boy, did they pick the wrong night to attend a dinner party.

“Your Home Sweet Home is My Home” is an episode I have partial recollections of seeing. It’s mostly the rock that I remember, of course. It’s not something one easily forgets. The opposition between the Helpers and the Petries is not as pronounced in this episode as it is in “Eavesdropping”. For most of the episode, Jerry and Millie are once more in their role as sidekicks, accompanying the Petries on their house hunt. The conflict is far more short lived here and never gets much opportunity to really cause any damage. The situation is more benign here too and is more of an honest misunderstanding. Jerry and Millie did not have ulterior motives, they were truly just trying to help Rob and Laura, and they quickly realize this. The humor of this episode is really all about that darn rock. It’s a shame the continuity on the show wasn’t so tight that we got to see more of the rock in other episodes that featured the Petries’ basement. A show like The Simpsons certainly would have gone out of their way to show the rock, as they did with their own giant tiki head statue. I’m not sure how I would feel about having such a fixture in my own basement. I think as I kid I would have found it a cool playscape for my action figures - as an adult, not so much. I especially would not want to be in Jerry’s position of having the water leak into my basement. Come to think of it, I’m still trying to figure out exactly how they built a house around that rock. One last item of note: the framing device for this episode, Rob meeting with his accountant, is an interesting one. I certainly could not have predicted the purpose of Rob’s annual check to Jerry.

My Top 50 Favorite Animated Films of All Time

2011-06-25T16:51:00.004-05:00

This post is in response to the recent Time Magazine article "The 25 All-TIME Best Animated Films". You see, I'm calling shenanigans on this article. I don't believe it to represent, necessarily, the best of animated cinema. In fact, it does not much feel like a best of list at all. No, it feels more like a favorite list.

What is the difference, you might ask? The former is an objective assessment of quality, the latter is a subjective assessment of personal enjoyment. They are both, however, ultimately opinions. No one can truly proclaim something as the best and have it accepted as fact, unless everyone alive agrees with them. That's why I never write best of lists, I write lists of my favorites. It's a more honest approach.

I was originally going to write this list as just my top 25 favorites, just like the Times article, but while compiling the list, I decided to double it and go with my top 50. I'm also counting movies that are hybrids of animation and live-action, mostly because I really love Who Framed Roger Rabbit? And it is only the list, no commentary or video clips.

So without any further ado, here is the list of my all time personal favorite animated films:

Aladdin
Beauty and The Beast
The Iron Giant
Toy Story 2
The Transformers: The Movie
The Last Unicorn
The Lion King
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Secret of NIMH
The Incredibles
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Wall-E
Toy Story 3
Monsters, Inc.
Robin Hood
The Jungle Book
Finding Nemo
Toy Story
Ratatouille
Up
Meet the Robinsons
The Sword in the Stone
The Emperor's New Groove
The Road to El Dorado
A Goofy Movie
The Corpse Bride
A Bug's Life
Tangled
How to Train Your Dragon
Shrek 2
Coraline
Megamind
Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown
Duck Tales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
An Extremely Goofy Movie
G.I. Joe: The Movie
Oliver and Company
Kung Fu Panda
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Shrek
The Hobbit
Anastasia
The Simpsons Movie
TMNT
Cars
The Little Mermaid
The Princess and the Frog

P.S. - I'd also like to take a moment to point out the ultimate futility of lists such as this one. It's not like there aren't going to be anymore animated films ever released. Indeed, there are a couple still to come out to theaters this year that could potentially knock one or two of these movies off this list. Movies are constantly being made and our favorite lists are constantly growing, changing and updating. They will never be finished.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Sally Rogers

2011-06-20T02:19:00.002-05:00

Sally Rogers has always been one of my least favorite characters on the Dick Van Dyke Show. That’s not to say that I dislike her; she is simply not I character I like as much as Rob, Buddy and the rest. Therefore, it is a testament to the quality of the series that even when an episode centers on Sally, it is still enjoyable for to watch, and I can still find them humorous. I think part of the reason I do not care for the character is she comes across to me at times as being a little more one note than the other characters. Sally stories often revolve around her perpetual and unending search for a husband; this week’s episodes are no exception. This can become repetitive and tired after a while. It is her main shtick. Fortunately, the writers keep things just this side of getting old, and the situations are never quite the same from episode to episode. In the three episodes we viewed in their entirety, Sally’s potential mates include a confused old high school classmate, a somewhat oblivious musical guest star, stalwart yet mild boyfriend Herman Glimsher, and potentially millions of complete strangers.

The episode “Where Have You Been, Fassbinder?” shows us a rare glimpse at Sally’s vulnerable side. It is not often that we witness Sally cry and bare her emotions, revealing the more fragile woman that lies beneath the somewhat masculine exterior. It is a welcome view into another facet of the character and proves that there is more to her than we think. Yet, at the same time, Sally’s willingness to shun her friends on her birthday and attempt to reconnect with a man she has likely not seen for nearly 20 years reveals a desperate side to her character. She is certainly not picky about her potential mates and is willing to give almost anyone a shot. There’s no way she could have known what Fassbinder would be like after all these years and inviting him into her home was a somewhat risky move. Fortunately, after some crossed signals are resolved, everything works out well for Sally, at least until the next episode.

“Like a Sister” continues to develop Sally in her pursuit of marital bliss and shows that she can fall for a guy quickly and hard. It also shows that she has a knack for finding men that don’t necessarily reciprocate her feelings. We also get to see a more maternal and forgiving nature to Sally. I’m not sure if it’s further evidence of her desperation or just a sign of how much she cares for Ric, but Sally is willing to tolerate and forgive a lot from this seemingly cad of a man. I would hope, however, that if their relationship had continued in such a manner, that Sally would have wizened up soon and kicked Ric to the curb. I wonder what finally did end their whirlwind romance.

“Dear Sally Rogers” shows us once again that Sally is willing to go to extreme lengths in order to find a husband. You have to be a little crazy, desperate or frustrated to go onto national TV and invite every nut job watching to send you a proposal by mail. I suppose that’s what comes from dating Herman Glimsher (and his ever present but never seen mother). Speaking of Herman, he is probably the only character that is willing to put up with more than Sally to find true love. Sally often treats Herman with little respect and I don’t feel it is all entirely deserved. Especially when you consider the revelation of Herman’s true colors. This is a turning point for their relationship. Herman has proved himself to be a strong, passionate man willing to fight for the woman he loves. He is unwilling to give up, even when Sally outright dismisses him. It will probably take some time for Herman to not be a total mama’s boy, but he’s started down the right path. It was, at least to me, obvious where the story was going with the revelation that Herman had sent the letter. Even though I saw it coming, it was still a satisfying conclusion to the episode. Sally found what she was looking for and learned that she didn’t have to look so far to find it after all.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Flashbacks

2011-06-13T06:00:00.022-05:00

Ah, the Dick Van Dyke Show flashback episodes. These were always some of my favorite episodes when I was younger, but I think this is the first time I’ve watched a set of them in chronological order. Nick at Nite, like most networks, was prone to showing the series out of order, so this latest viewing was far less disjointed than earlier ones. I’m not sure which episode I initially saw first, but I do recall being familiar with Allan Melvin in the Sol/Sam role before seeing Marty Ingels in it (more on that shortly). These episodes have always fascinated me, as the back-story of beloved characters often does. It’s interesting to see how these characters developed into the people we know and love, and the DVD Show has some of the best flashback episodes of any series.

“Oh, How We Met the Night That We Danced” is a fun episode and a surprising look at how Rob and Laura met. I’m not sure anyone expected their relationship to begin the way that it does, with Laura practically loathing Rob from the get go (Rob loving Laura immediately, on the other hand, is no surprise at all). There really seems to be nothing that Rob wouldn’t do just to get the chance to talk to his future wife, and he just barely keeps from coming across as desperate – mostly because it’s so funny to watch. An interesting thing about this story that we would not learn until much later is that Laura was only seventeen years old when she met (and soon wed) Rob. Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, in real life, have an age difference of 11 years. I’m not sure how much older Rob is suppose to be than Laura, but I would conjecture that MTM might be playing slightly older and DVD slightly younger than their actual ages. In any case, they do come off somewhat older in this flashback episode than their characters ought to be.

“The Attempted Marriage” is probably my favorite of the flashback episodes simply because it is the funniest. Mary Tyler Moore gives us another classic “Laura crying uncontrollably” scene and Dick Van Dyke steals the show in the almost wedding scenes. His repeated delivery of “I do” is simply priceless, as is his attempt to escape the army hospital in order to make it to the wedding. The Sol/Sam character is noticeably absent in this episode, Rob’s best man being played by recurring guest star (in a multitude of roles) Frank Adamo.

This brings us to “Honeymoons are for the Lucky” and the topic of inconsistencies. One of the things that has fascinated, confused and frustrated me about these episodes and references to Rob’s army days is the character of Sol/Sam, Rob’s army buddy. When we first meet him, he’s Sol Pomeroy and is played by Mary Ingels. If they had simply recast Sol with Allan Melvin, all would be fine. The problem comes from the fact that not only does the actor playing the character keeps changing, but the character’s name keeps going through alterations. The writers never seem to be able to decide if he’s Sol Pomeroy, Sam Pomeroy, Sol Pomerantz or Sam Pomerantz (played in a later episode by Oliver Hardy look-a-like Henry Calvin). The best that I can reconcile it, is that there are two army buddies with similar names: Rob’s best friend Sol Pomeroy (played by Ingels in our first episode this week and Melvin in our last) and Sam Pomerantz, the heavy set man that Rob performed his Stanley Laurel impression with. I just have to ignore the fact that Melvin’s character is called Sam in this episode and gives his name as Pomerantz in “Remember the Alimony”. And come to think of it, just what exactly is Millie Helper doing in this episode? Was there ever a mention of her and Laura being friends this long in any other episodes?

As for “Remember the Alimony”, our final flashback episode of this week gives us a Rob and Laura that more greatly resemble their present selves, at least in the state of their relationship. Jealousy is obviously at the heart of this episode, with Laura experiencing it toward both the Mexican senorita Maxine and Rob’s buddies Sol and Bernie (now where did he come from?), who presumably got a transfer to Texas along with Rob. The situation of the friends intruding on the couple wanting time alone is familiar to most people, and the reactions of Laura and Rob are highly relatable. There also seems to be a recurring theme in the series that the Petries always end up staying somewhere that never quite lives up to their expectations, be it a fancy hotel in Manhattan, a honeymoon lodge in Missouri or an exotic getaway south of the border. It seems as if they can never win. Favorite joke of the episode: “yes, the lobby is air conditioned”.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Rob Petrie

2011-06-06T00:00:00.004-05:00

For this week’s essay, I think I shall spend some time examining each of the four Rob-centric episodes individually. Although we were only able to watch two of the episodes during class, I did watch the other two online and feel they are still worth discussing. Two of the four episodes from this week were ones I do not recall ever seeing, and “Talk to the Snail” is one of my personal favorites.

“My Husband is Not a Drunk” showcases Dick Van Dyke’s infamous drunk routine. As we briefly discussed in class, it is rather ironic that DVD was so adept at this performance considering his real life problems with alcoholism, a fact I was not aware of previously. The use of hypnosis to bring about this performance is a brilliant one, and while it may seem cliché now, it was probably not as utilized in television when the episode first aired. It still amazes me to this day just how fluid and flexible a physical performer Dick Van Dyke was. He can turn the drunk performance on and off like a switch – literally changing personas at the ring of a bell. His comedic timing is impeccable, and this episode makes for some of the funniest scenes in the series. I particularly enjoyed the interaction between Mel and drunken Rob, with Rob dishing out the torment normally dispensed by Buddy.

“Who and Where Was Antonio Stradivarius?” is an episode I do not think I had seen before in its entirety. I vaguely remember the ending, but not anything else. It’s an interesting companion piece to the Drunk episode, as both depict Rob in an altered state of consciousness – hypnotized and amnesiac. Rob uninhibited in this manner makes him an even more outgoing and energetic character, not to mention a more humorous one as well. This episode also highlights the understanding nature of Laura and just how much she truly cares about her husband. While she is reluctant to believe Rob at first, she knows him all too well and can ultimately tell what the truth of the matter is. One other interesting note about this episode: while I was watching it, I thought the voice of Laura’s uncle sounded familiar and commented to myself that he sounded like the Great Gildersleeve, or at least Looney Tune’s representation of the character. Wouldn’t you know it though, that’s exactly who actor Harold Peary was.

“Br-room, Br-room” is another episode that I do not recall seeing before now. It is another great depiction of the somewhat unbelievable circumstances that Rob Petrie finds himself involved in, usually through little fault of his own. It can almost be viewed as a midlife crisis moment for Rob. He certainly seems too old for the attire and lifestyle of a motorcycle rider, although the police don’t seem to share my assessment. It surprises me that the police would reasonably think that a man in his late thirties would be riding around with a gang of teenagers, but I suppose the rule of funny applies here. Once again, Rob also finds himself in another situation of having to explain the presence of a beautiful woman to his wife and reassure her of his faithfulness. We’ve seen how forgiving Laura can be, but every woman has her limits, and I wonder how long the marriage between the Petries would have remained relatively happy had the series continued any longer.

As I stated earlier, “Talk to the Snail” is one of my favorites and an episode I well remember from my youth. This is in no small part to the presence of guest star Paul Winchell. Known at the time for his ventriloquism, it is his voice acting that endeared him to me. He was the voice of Tigger in Winnie the Pooh, Gargamel on the Smurfs and scores of other animated characters. His voice as Jellybean the snail is instantly recognizable and his performance completely steals the episode. I wonder how hard he was actually hitting DVD in the head, as those scenes are very convincingly done. The appearance of Henry Gibson and his requisite poetry is another memorable moment in this episode. The DVD Show certainly had a knack for getting great guest stars to appear. The story of this episode is also an especially enjoyable one and gives some insight into the character of Alan Brady. In his own way, he seems to care for his writing staff and is insecure about matters of loyalty. His defiance to the network could be an issue simply of ego and bluster, but I think it shows more that he realizes the value of his writing staff. He needs Rob, Buddy, and Sally and he knows it, even if he doesn’t always treat them with the respect they deserve. I’m not certain that the trio would have faired any better working for a snail.

DC Comics Breaks the Internet in Twain; Fanboys Everywhere Enraged

2011-05-31T20:54:00.002-05:00

By now, all the comic book geeks out there should have heard the big news out of DC Comics today. If for some reason you have not, here is a link to one of many places you can read about it: DC UNIVERSE Reboots in September, Same Day Digital Linewide.

Seriously though, this news is huge and all over the Internet, so you've probably read all about it, and likely on more than one site. I was not planning on writing a blog post about this, but some friends on Facebook asked me about it, and I wrote a lengthy reply that I thought I would just share with everyone here. Here are my thoughts on this whole schmegegge:

I like the idea of the global reboot. I think it's long overdue, as I've been saying for years it needs to be done. The DCU is now more convoluted than it ever was before the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. And if this is indeed a complete reboot, with a clean slate for all at the same time, than this is how they should have done it the first time following the first Crisis. Or even after any of the numerous Crises they've had over the last several years. We'll know in a week or two exactly how this is going to play out.

I don't know that DC needs to relaunch every series with a new number one issue, but the only ones that I mind being renumbered are Action Comics and Detective Comics. Those should keep the old numbering. They've been around far too long to end them. Keep them around for the die-hard fanboys. And since they don't have a character name in the title, it's not as important to relaunch them with a new first issue to hook new readers. The rest can be relaunched, although I'd prefer Superman and Batman maintaining their current numbering, I can see why they're relaunching them. It's hard to hook new readers when they are intimidated by the fact that a book has been going for more than 700 issues.

I'm probably not going to be too happy with some of the costume redesigns and revised origins. I know everyone says that trunks on the outside of the superhero costume is silly, but Superman just doesn't look right without them. Batman can get away with not having them, especially if they go with an all-black costume like the movies did, which I personally hope they do. And I know they want to make the DCU a more culturally diverse place, but I hope they keep the gender and race changing of existing heroes to a minimum, and instead create all new female and ethnic characters. With 52 new comic books launching, there's certainly room for new characters.

The real news here though is the day and date digital releases. This I like very much, and it should have happened a lot sooner. Now they just need to make sure they get the right price point. These should not be the same price as the print issues. They don't have to be significantly less, just less. If the print is $2.99, digital should be $2.50 or $1.99. I think 99 cents would be nice, but realistically, it's too low to pay everyone involved properly. If DC could sell everything direct to readers and not have to go through Comixology and/or Apple, then they could probably get away with charging around a buck per book. But if digital is, for some stupid reason, MORE than print, than this will be a colossal failure. There's no reason for it, other than as a subsidy to comic book retailers. Comic book store owners, in the age of digital distribution, need to adapt or perish. Focus on graphic novels, trade paperbacks, statues, toys, games, apparel and other related merchandise. Forget the back issue bins, except for some rare and valuable books, primarily Silver Age and older.

I have not bought any comic books regularly for years, DC or otherwise, but I will at least check out a few of these new comics digitally. Time will tell if this will be a success for DC or the end of comic books as we know it.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Original Pilot

2011-05-31T01:22:00.003-05:00

It’s interesting to watch the original version of Carl Reiner’s sitcom, Head of the Family. All of the elements of the Dick Van Dyke Show are in place, but the differences between the two shows are, at times, startling. There’s almost a completely different feel to Head of the Family. Visually, it is nearly completely distinct from the second pilot. The cast is different, Rob’s home and office bare little resemblance to the sets used in the DVD Show. The chemistry is just not the same. Carl Reiner is a fine comedic actor, but does not have the same presence as Dick Van Dyke, nor does he bring the same range of physical comedy to the role.

The original version of Buddy Sorrell is quite surprising compared to the more familiar version played by Morey Amsterdam. Having the character be a young, up and coming writer might be more accurate to the role’s inspiration, Mel Brooks (who was just that at the time Carl Reiner performed on Your Show of Shows), but having Buddy be an older, veteran comedian makes him far more reminiscent of Brooks to me. The younger Buddy Sorrell comes off to me more as a cross between Buddy Holly and Seymour Krelborne from Little Shop of Horrors. On the other hand, in some ways I find I prefer the original Sally Rogers. Sylvia Miles was, I think, a more attractive actress than Rose Marie and possibly younger, but the latter is probably the funnier of the two. Which is probably better for the character.

The Richie of the DVD Show is also a marked improvement over the original. I’m not sure if Larry Matthews was any older when he filmed the DVD pilot, but he’s certainly more intelligible than Gary Morgan. I found him hard to understand at times and somewhat annoying at others. Likewise Barbara Britton does not hold a candle to Mary Tyler Moore as Laura. I just cannot envision anyone else in the role or Laura without her trademark Capri pants.

Otherwise, the writing of Head of the Family is pretty much just as good as episodes of the DVD Show. It’s funny and well paced, and I especially liked how the school bulletin worked into the plot resolution (a nice bit of Chekov’s gun at work here). Still, something is definitely missing. It was an enjoyable enough episode, but I’m not sure that it is a series that I would have watched in that particular incarnation.

As for the first episode of the series itself, it’s a very good pilot in the sense that it presents a typical episode of the show and all the familiar elements are in place and working. There’s a good balance between Rob’s personal life and professional life. In fact, that may be one of the dominant themes of the episode, Rob’s constant struggle to juggle responsibilities at home and at work. Which world is more important to him? Who does he stand a better chance of patching up an argument with, Laura or Alan Brady? This is a theme I think we see a few times throughout the show. Other notable features that are clearly there from the start are the many talents of the writing staff beyond just writing scripts: performing, joke telling, singing, and physical comedy; the antagonistic relationship between Buddy and Mel; Sally’s desperate search for a boyfriend/husband; the amorous spark of the Petries’ marriage. It’s all there in the pilot. Certainly there are other elements that developed over the course of the series, but all the basic and most well known ones are present from the get-go. It is clear that a lot of work went into the development of the show and its main characters.

As good as Carl Reiner’s script writing is (and it was certainly an impressive feat writing thirteen scripts over a single summer), comparing the two pilot episodes demonstrates that good writing is not enough to make a great show. It is only the beginning. The wrong ensemble of actors can take great writing and only make a decent show. But just the right combination of actors can make it fantastic. And that’s what the Dick Van Dyke Show did.

Studies in Television: The Dick Van Dyke Show

2011-05-30T04:23:00.001-05:00

This past spring semester, I took a class at Columbia College called Studies in Television. It counted as a humanities elective, and different sections of the class covered different areas of television or TV series. The class I took focused on The Dick Van Dyke Show, that classic black & white sitcom of the 1960s. I am going to post the essays I wrote as assignments for the class, beginning with a brief entry on my earliest memories of the series.

I've been watching the Dick Van Dyke show for so long, it's hard to remember exactly when I first watched it. As far as I can recall, I probably began watching it when Nick at Nite started airing it in the early 90's. My parents were, and still are, big fans of the show. I think Nick at Nite had a weekend marathon of episodes to welcome the show back to the airwaves, and my dad recorded most of the episodes to videotape. I remember watching quite a few of the episodes with my dad. In fact, Rob and Laura always kind of reminded me a little bit of my parents. Perhaps that has contributed to my fondness for the series. In any case, I watched the show on Nick whenever I could catch it, and it has gone on to become one of my favorite television shows of all time.

I Will Never Write an Autobiography or Memoir

2011-05-24T19:36:00.000-05:00

So I came to the realization the other day that I really don't like writing about myself. I arrived at this conclusion while trying to update my bio for a film festival submission and just not wanting to deal with it. I think it's why I haven't written much at this blog for a while. There's been plenty going on in my life, just about all of it pertaining to school, I just haven't felt like writing about it. Which is a shame, because it's worth writing about, I just don't feel like doing it. It's probably symptomatic of my deeper self-esteem issues, because I enjoy writing, I want to write, I just don't want to write about myself.

I think I need to find other topics to write about if I'm going to continue this blog. I found it much easier to write those weekly essays for my Studies in Television class than I do writing about my boring little life. So I'm definitely going to post those. I have a few other blog post ideas kicking around. I'd really like to try writing some short stories, and I need to post a few items from my portfolio. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get around to the grand post about my experience making Play Date in my APS class.

How I'm Going to Spend My Summer Vacation

2011-05-13T14:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't get the internship with Nickelodeon that I was trying to get for this summer. It's possible I might still hear from Cartoon Network or Dreamworks, but since I haven't even gotten to the phone interview stage with either, I'm not holding my breath. I also responded to a general call for resumes for interns on the new Superman movie that will be partially filming near Chicago this summer. Even that would be really cool to do. I was just really hoping to get something for this summer.

I'm registered for three gen ed classes this fall, and I wanted to do an internship this summer to fulfill my credit requirements for film & video. Unless I take a summer class, this probably means I'll have to wait until next May to graduate instead of this December. Which is fine, I suppose. I'll have a lot more financial aid in the fall and spring than I would for this summer. So I'll probably take my three classes this fall and try again next spring for an internship. If I don't get one then, I'll just take a screenwriting class to fulfill my degree, and give it one more shot for a summer internship.

In the meantime, I'll spend this summer working on some of my own projects. I'll probably work on Grimstone some, at least to finish the big book collection. I'd like to do some more writing. I'd also really like to work on another short film. And I'm going to try to find some kind of paid work this summer, even if it's just a part time retail thing. I'll have no shortage of things to do this summer, I'm just not going to be doing quite what I hoped I would be doing. Unless, of course, I still hear back from one of these other places. I'll give it to the end of the month before I write any of them off.

Sometime soon, probably next week, I'll post more about the film we just finished in my Animation Production Studio class. We have the big premiere screening tonight. I think I will also start posting my essays from my Studies in Television class on The Dick Van Dyke Show.

A Quick Note

2011-04-10T13:12:00.001-05:00

To anyone that actually reads this blog or stumbles upon it, I have not given up on it. I just have not had a lot of time to sit down and write in it. I hope to change that soon. If nothing else, I'm going to start posting some highlights from my animation & cartooning portfolio. I also plan on posting my essays from my Studies in Television class on the Dick Van Dyke Show. Over the summer, when I will have more time, I might try writing some short stories for the blog. I will be making a post in the near future on what's been happening this past semester and about the film I am directing for my Animation Production Studio class. Stay tuned.

Winning the Space Race: The Americans’ Come From Behind Victory

2011-02-24T06:00:00.027-06:00

Space – it has been called the final frontier. Never was this truer than during the Cold War between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. These two enormous super powers, locked in a political and ideological struggle, both sought to be the first to explore and master this latest of frontiers. The Soviets would strike first by sending the first artificial satellite into orbit, an event that sparked more than a decade of competition between the two countries for superiority in space exploration. However, the ultimate goal of the Space Race was landing a man on the moon and then safely bringing him back home to Earth, a feat that would be accomplished by the United States. With this achievement, America effectively won the Space Race. But exactly why did the United States win when the USSR had a significant head start on space exploration? How was the U.S. able to accomplish this victory before its rival could? These are questions that I shall endeavor to answer by examining the events of the Space Race – the successes and failures of both countries – to discover how the United States pulled ahead of the Soviet Union in their quest for dominance of the final frontier.

The Space Race between the U.S. and the USSR was a back and forth contest of perpetually one-upping the other country. The Soviets would be the first to accomplish one milestone and then the Americans would be the first to achieve something else. This pattern continued for many years, but at some point, the Soviets began to falter and the Americans would take a clear lead. The late 1950s and the entire 1960s featured many landmarks in space exploration, far more than it would be prudent to examine in this paper. Instead, I shall focus on what I believe to be the most significant events that contribute to the final outcome of the Space Race.

The race for the dominance of space began on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit around the Earth. This event stunned the world and made the United States very apprehensive. This was seen not only as a victory for the Soviet Union in the field of space exploration, but also a Cold War victory for communism over capitalism and a threat to the national security of the United States. Before the U.S. even had an opportunity to react to this troubling situation, the Soviets launched a second satellite, Sputnik 2, on November 3, 1957. This larger satellite carried as its passenger a dog named Laika, the first animal in space (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 76-77). The Soviets were off to a roaring start and took an early lead in the Space Race.

It took some time for the United States to successfully respond to the Soviets’ launching of Sputnik. However, when they finally did respond, they were able to achieve even more than the Soviets had. Where as Sputnik 1 had merely sent signals back to Earth containing simple data about its own status, Explorer 1, launched on January 31, 1958, contained more sophisticated equipment for scientific study. This equipment, along with the higher altitude it had reached, allowed Explorer 1 to detect an area of intense radiation within the Earth’s magnetic field. This phenomenon would come to be known as the Van Allen radiation belts, named after the head of the team that had developed the Explorer 1 satellite (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 76, 79). In order to continue America’s progress in the Space Race, President Eisenhower approved the creation of NASA – the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA quickly approved the creation of Project Mercury, a program designed to launch a man into orbit and safely bring him back to Earth (Cadbury 185). However, before the United States could achieve this, the Soviet Union would retaliate with further accomplishments that gave it a strong lead in the Space Race.

During the year 1959, the Soviet Union would launch three significant lunar probes. Launched on January 2, Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to completely escape the gravity of Earth, and while it did not land on the moon, it did become the first man made object to orbit the sun (Cadbury 191-192). Luna 2, launched on September 12, was successful in reaching the moon and became the first man made object to ever impact another celestial body. It was soon followed by the launch of Luna 3 on October 4, a probe that was able to photograph 70% of the moon’s surface, including the never before seen far side of the moon that is forever turned away from the Earth (Cadbury 200-201). As astounding as these accomplishments were, however, they paled in comparison to what the Soviets were able to achieve less than two years later.

On April 12, 1961, aboard the new Soviet spacecraft Vostok 1, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being in space and completed a 108-minute orbit of the Earth. A few months later, Gherman Titov, aboard Vostok 2, became the first cosmonaut to spend an entire day in space, setting a new record for orbital flight (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 81-82). The Soviet Union had now taken a commanding lead in the Space Race and the United States would have to act quickly if it was going to keep up.

1961 was a significant year in the continuing struggle between the U.S. and the USSR to master space exploration. It began with test flights of NASA’s Mercury spacecraft: sending chimpanzees into suborbital flights and successfully recovering them, alive and well. These tests ultimately led to manned flights, the first by Alan Shepard. On May 5, 1961, Shepard became the first American in space (on a suborbital flight) and the first astronaut to exert pilot control over his spacecraft. Less than a few months later, on July 21, 1961, astronaut Virgil “Gus” Grissom became America’s second man in space, also on a suborbital flight. Finally, the day many Americans had been waiting for arrived on February 20, 1962, when John Glenn became the first American astronaut to achieve orbit – three of them, to be precise (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 91-92). The U.S. had made its first crucial steps toward catching up with the Soviet Union.

Amidst these successes, President John F. Kennedy made a bold challenge to NASA that would up the stakes in the Space Race. Appearing before Congress on May 25, 1961, President Kennedy pledged his belief that America “should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth” (qtd. in Hardesty and Eisman 124). Kennedy’s speech galvanized the nation. The U.S. and NASA were now determined, more than ever, to win the Space Race by beating the Soviets to the moon.

While the United States was busy designing its new Apollo program that would take a three-man crew to the moon, as well as the two-man Gemini project that would support Apollo by developing the technology necessary for it to succeed, the Soviets responded to the American efforts with a string of milestone accomplishments. In August 1962, the Soviet Union made the first near-simultaneous launch of two manned spacecraft with Vostok 3 and Vostok 4. During their orbits, the two craft came within close enough range of each other for radio communications, and the first ship-to-ship contact occurred. History was made yet again by the Soviets the following year when they launched Vostok 5 and Vostok 6 in June 1963. Vostok 6 carried cosmonaut Valentia Tereshkoba, the first woman in space, and Vostok 5 set the new space endurance record for a manned mission at five days (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 82-83).

Although the Soviets continued to make great strides in the Space Race, it is around this time that their accomplishments became less frequent. However, many of their achievements continued to be firsts in the field of space exploration. In October of 1964, they launched the first three-man crew aboard Voskhod 1. In March of 1965, the Soviets achieved the first extra-vehicular activity (EVA, or spacewalk) when Alexei Leonov spent 12 minutes outside the Voskhod 2 (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 83-84). Then in 1966, two more Luna probes, Luna 9 and Luna 10, would become the first spacecraft to make a soft-landing on the moon and the first satellite to orbit the moon, respectively (“Timeline of Space Exploration”). Impressive as these achievements may be, they were not enough to prevent the United States from gaining the upper hand in the Space Race.

At about the same time that it appeared that the Soviet Union’s space program was on the decline, the United State’s, in contrast, appeared to be on the rise. The Gemini program was created to test and perfect the techniques that would be required for missions to the moon. In this regard, the program was a tremendous success. From 1965 through 1966, NASA launched a total of twelve Gemini spacecraft, nearly each one accomplishing a vital task to the success of a lunar mission. Gemini 3 was the first manned spacecraft to alter the path of its orbit. Gemini 4 featured the first American spacewalk by astronaut Edward White. Gemini 5 set the new manned mission space record at eight days. Gemini 6 and 7 were the first spacecrafts to achieve an orbital rendezvous, and Gemini 7 increased the mission duration record to fourteen days in space. Gemini 8 accomplished the first manned spacecraft docking, done with an Agena class target vehicle. Gemini 11 set the altitude record for an orbiting spacecraft at 853 miles, and Gemini 12 set the record for longest EVA at five and a half hours, during which Buzz Aldrin became the first astronaut to perform simple, practical tasks during a spacewalk (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 94-101). The United States had finally caught up to the Soviet Union in the field of space exploration with this series of successful and significant accomplishments. In fact, at this point, I would say America began to take the lead in the Space Race, a lead that would become a definitive victory with the ensuing Apollo missions.

The Space Race was marked by great accomplishments by both nations; however, it was not without its setbacks. It was the Soviets that would experience the worst of these setbacks, which were, I believe, the greatest contributor to why they fell behind the United States. The most significant of these setbacks was the loss of engineer Sergey Korolyov, the chief designer of the rockets and spacecraft used by the Soviet space program. Korolyov had been responsible for much of the Soviets’ success in the Space Race and they never recovered from his death in early 1966. Without his involvement, the Soviets were never able to perfect the N-1 rocket that was meant to carry their spacecraft to the moon. The N-1 had several catastrophic but unmanned launch failures in the late 1960s and, as a result, the Soviets would not be going to the moon (Hardesty and Eisman 218-223). In contrast, the Saturn V rocket developed by NASA and its lead designer, German-born scientist and engineer Werner Von Braun, had a 100% successful launch rate and was instrumental in landing astronauts on the moon (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 51). Both Korolyov and Von Braun were prominent figures in the achievements of their respective countries and crucial to the success of space exploration.

Unfortunately, there were additional casualties besides Korolyov. The Soviets lost cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov in the crash of Soyuz 1 – the spacecraft they intended to use for their own lunar missions – that was caused by a malfunction of the ship’s landing parachute (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 85). The United States endured an even greater tragedy with the death of the entire crew of Apollo 1. Three astronauts, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Edward White, were killed when a fire ignited inside the craft during a training exercise. The three had been sealed inside the ship and its pure oxygen environment and were quickly asphyxiated (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 142). This accident would delay the Apollo mission, but only slightly, as the resolve of NASA, its astronauts, and the American people could not be deferred. The United States was determined to get to the moon and would not allow its brave astronauts to have perished in vain.

Following the tragedy of Apollo 1, NASA continued to perfect its spacecraft and the Saturn V rocket that would carry it out of Earth’s atmosphere and on to the moon. Beginning with Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, NASA would test the command module, the lunar landing module, and all other equipment and procedures necessary for a successful landing on the moon. The highlight of these tests was Apollo 8, the first spacecraft to complete a manned orbit of the moon (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 143-145). All of this culminated with one of the most spectacular achievements in human history. On July 20, 1969, the lunar module of Apollo 11, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, landed on the moon. The following day, watched on television by millions of people around the world, Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon and delivered his infamous statement, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind” (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 146-149). With the subsequent re-launching of Apollo 11 from the moon and its successful return to Earth, President Kennedy’s challenge had been met: America had landed a man on the moon and brought him back to Earth, safe and sound. There could no longer be any doubt – the United States had won the Space Race and proven their superiority over the Soviet Union in the field of space exploration.

The race to the moon was over and the United States had won. Of course, the exploration of space did not end there. The United States and the Soviet Union would continue their endeavors and sent many more astronauts into space. The U.S. had several more successful Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972 that brought more men to the moon and more rocks and soil samples back with them. One of the highlights of these missions was Apollo 15 that featured the first use of a mobile vehicle – the lunar rover – to be driven on the moon by human beings (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 149-156). Having failed to reach the moon, the Soviet Union shifted its focus to manned space stations. The first of these, Salyut 1, was launched on April 23, 1971 and set the record for a manned space mission at 23 days. Six more of these space stations would follow in the ensuing years (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 103-105). The United States, not to be outdone, countered with a space station of its own called Skylab. Whereas the Soviets launched separate stations into space, the Americans used the same one and merely alternated crews. These crews would, one after the other, set longer and longer records for manned space missions, including 28 days for crew #1, 56 days for crew #2, and 84 days for crew #3 (Neal, Lewis, and Winter 105-109).

Due to a thawing of the Cold War conflict between the U.S. and the USSR, the two super powers decided it was time to pool their resources together for the further exploration of space. In July of 1975, the first multinational manned space mission became a reality with the Apollo-Soyuz test project (Hardesty and Eisman 245). The Space Race was, at long last, officially over. The continued exploration of space, however, was just beginning.

The Space Race was a tense 12-year contest between two super powers for dominance of a new frontier and was marked with milestone upon milestone. Both nations had something to prove, and being the first to reach the moon was a matter of national pride. Both countries accomplished great feats of science and engineering and were perpetually gaining ground and surpassing the other. But along the way, the Soviet Union tripped and never recovered. With the loss of their key engineer and space architect, smaller financial reserves, and problematic technology, the Soviet Union could not hope to surpass the United States again. NASA had more resources, more funding, better technology, and a resolve and determination that would not be diminished. Through the setbacks and tragedies, failures and accidents, NASA and its astronauts persevered, while its Soviet rivals lost focus and faltered. Some may view the U.S. winning the Space Race as the triumph of capitalism over communism, a political victory that proves the superiority of one ideology over another. I prefer to see it more as a triumph of the American spirit and our unwavering determination to be the absolute best that we can be.

Works Cited / Sources

Cadbury, Deborah. Space Race: The Epic Battle Between America and the Soviet Union for Dominion of Space. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006.

Conger, Cristen. “Did NASA Win the Space Race?” How Stuff Works. 2008. (July 9, 2010)

<http://science.howstuffworks.com/nasa-space-race.htm>.

Hardesty, Von, and Gene Eisman. Epic Rivalry: The Inside Story of the Soviet and American Space Race. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 2007.

Neal, Valerie, Cathleen S. Lewis, and Frank H. Winter. Spaceflight: A Smithsonian Guide. New York: Macmillan, 1995.

“Timeline of Space Exploration.” TheSpaceRace.com. (July 10, 2010) <http://www.thespacerace.com/timeline>.

When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions. Narrated by Gary Sinise. Discovery Channel, 2008.

Written in 2010 for the Columbia College Chicago class U.S. History: From 1877.

Hellenistic Gifts: What The Greeks Gave To Me

2011-02-22T06:00:00.019-06:00

On the social networking website Facebook, there is a discussion group called “Greeks Invented Everything”. While there is an incredible amount of hyperbole in that statement, there is also a kernel of truth. The ancient Greeks did create, develop or refine many things that had an enormous impact on the development of Western Civilization. These creations influenced other ancient civilizations, such as the Romans, and continue to have an impact on the world today.

The influence of ancient Greece is all around us, from the form of government that runs our country to the style of the buildings that house it. Perhaps more so than any ancient civilization, the Greeks have had a long lasting effect on our day-to-day lives. This effect has earned ancient Greece a reputation as “the cradle of Western Civilization” and is visible in many aspects of society, including our language, politics, architecture, the arts, science, mathematics, and philosophy. I will examine some of these aspects in greater detail in order to demonstrate just how much our modern world owes to the civilization of ancient Greece.

One of the most significant contributions of ancient Greece is the alphabet. The word itself is a joining of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, “alpha” and “beta”. Although the alphabet that the Greeks used originated with the Phoenicians, the Greeks made a very important enhancement to it – they added vowels. This alphabet was further revised by the ancient Romans who turned it into the Latin alphabet used by nearly all of modern Western civilization. The original Greek version is still used in Greece today and also partially served as the basis for the scripts of the Russian and Slavic languages. A great many modern languages therefore use an alphabet descended from the one developed by the ancient Greeks (Chambers, et al. 44).

One of the most visible contributions of ancient Greece in the modern world is their style of architecture. The Greeks refined a very distinct style of architecture that heavily used stone columns. There are three types of columns: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The Doric column is a simple, undecorated, yet elegant design that was used in the famous Greek temple called the Parthenon. The Ionic column is taller and slimmer than the Doric and is considered the most graceful of the three. It is topped with a crown consisting of opposing curves that somewhat resemble the horns of a ram. The Corinthian column, used more by the Romans than the Greeks, is decorated with stylized leaf carvings (Boyer & Lubell 85). This style of architecture is prevalent today in many public buildings around the world, including several banks, museums, libraries, and many of the buildings in Washington, D.C, such as the United States Capitol.

There are many things that the Greeks are known for that they were not the first to accomplish, but instead took what came before and improved upon it – perhaps even perfected. One such example is that of the Greek sculptures. Initially inspired by the Egyptians, the Greeks took the art of carving figures from marble and stone and made it their own. Not content with making still, static sculptures, the Greeks began creating dynamic, lifelike statues and brought a new dimension of realism to the art form. Greek statues were fully carved, three-dimensional figures, and they were the first statues to depict the human body in the nude and the human form in motion (Boyer & Lubell 75). The Greek artists always strove for perfection in what they created, and their works progressed beyond the realistic into the idealistic. Every minute detail had to be just right and sculptures were meticulously carved with great care. These were statues that needed to be worthy of the Gods themselves (Roberts & Barrett 129). The art of ancient Greece would later influence the artists of the Renaissance, who would take what was bold and original in ancient times and turn it into the standard that we all know and accept today (Boyer & Lubell 78).

One of ancient Greece’s greatest contributions to art is that of drama. Theater began in ancient Greece and many of the words associated with it – tragedy, comedy, and orchestra – are Greek in origin. Greek dramas were performed in large exterior amphitheaters and developed from annual spring festivals in celebration of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry. Greek tragedies were serious, heavy affairs that dealt with complex issues and featured grim, sometimes bloody events. The comedies were just the opposite: lighthearted, satirical plays ripe with slapstick and burlesque humor. Actors in Greek plays (all of whom were men) wore stylized masks to symbolize the characters that they played. It is from these masks that the emblem of drama – the twin masks of comedy and tragedy – is derived (Boyer & Lubell 105-110). Many of these ancient plays still exist and continue to be performed today – one of the most famous of which is the tragedy of Oedipus Rex.

I would say that the art of theater owes a tremendous amount to the ancient Greeks. Without the Greek works of drama, there may not have been a theater for William Shakespeare to write his plays in. The Vaudeville stage of the early 20^th century may never have existed either. Even the world of cinema, of film and movies, may not have developed if the Greeks had not laid the groundwork of dramatic performance all those centuries ago. Granted, this is all purely speculation, but I cannot help but wonder how different the modern world of entertainment may have been without the Greeks.

Let us turn now from the world of the arts to that of science and mathematics, where the Greeks made equally important contributions. There are a plethora of noted Greek figures who had valuable scientific theories and made significant mathematical discoveries.

Pythagoras of Samos theorized that mathematics was the key to understanding the universe and dedicated himself to the study of numbers. He devised the Pythagorean theorem (a² + b² = c²) concerning the lengths and areas of the sides of a right triangle and discovered a mathematical harmony within the notes of the musical scale (Chambers, et al. 66-67).

Pythagoras’ work in geometry was followed centuries later by Euclid. Among Euclid’s many observations, proofs and theorems were that nonparallel lines must, at some point, intersect, and that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Euclid’s work in mathematics led him to create the definitive textbook that is still the basis for planer geometry taught in schools today (Chambers, et al. 85).

Greater still than either Pythagoras or Euclid, in fact, one of the greatest mathematical minds of history was Archimedes of Syracuse. It was Archimedes who first calculated the value of pi that gives the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. He also devised a 100 million-base number system for expressing incredibly large numbers. He was also renowned as an engineer and physicist, making use of the lever for lifting tremendous weights and demonstrating the principal of weight displacement – that is, that an object floating in a liquid will displace an amount of liquid equal to its own weight. These are but a few of the many accomplishments of Archimedes, whose work has had a tremendous impact in the fields of science and engineering (Chambers, et al. 85).

One final Greek theorist of note was Democritus of Abdera. It was he who first devised the theory that matter was composed of smaller particles that he called atoms. Although improvable with the technology of the time, Democritus theories would eventually be proven true and have an enormous impact on the foundations of chemistry and physics. Scientists today are still searching for the ultimate building blocks of the universe - the smallest subatomic particles - a journey that began millennia ago in ancient Greece (Chambers, et al. 68).

The last area where the Greeks made important contributions that I would like to discuss is that of politics and government. For it was the ancient Greeks that first devised that form of government that has become almost synonymous with Western Civilization: democracy. Even the word “politics” derives from the Greek word “polis”, which meant both the city-state itself and the form of government that ran it (Boyer & Lubell 26).

Democracy is, simply pit, the “rule of the people”. It was a radical notion at the time the Greeks began it, the concept that people could govern themselves, that all citizens had an equal voice in government. Now it is true that there are many differences between the form of democracy that the Greeks practiced and the one that runs our country today. Firstly, as stated, all citizens were equal, but not everyone was considered a citizen. Only free men, born in the city where they lived, that were of age were considered citizens and had their voices heard. Women, children, slaves, and foreigners had no part in government. Secondly, the democracy of ancient Greece was a direct democracy, whereas the system we have is a representational democracy. Today we elect officials and representatives to speak on our behalf, but in ancient Greece, all citizens were members of the legislature. Private individuals held positions within the government, were chosen randomly by lot and served for a short time so that all citizens would have the opportunity to serve the city. In a way, this is a more democratic system than the one we have in place now (Boyer & Lubell 27).

All things considered, the idea that so many people could take part in how laws were made and policy determined was unheard of at that time in the ancient world, where the dominant form of government was the monarchy. If not for the ancient Greeks and their creation of democracy, one can only imagine what kind of government would be in place today. Indeed, although the government created by the founding fathers bares a greater resemblance to the Roman version of democracy – the republic – neither would have existed without the Greeks’ initial attempt. Democracy is perhaps the greatest legacy left to us by the ancient Greeks as it has allowed people freedom to pursue their lives as they see fit and for equality of all people to flourish.

There are many more parts of Western culture that we owe to the ancient Greeks. In fact, you can fill several papers, several books on the subject, and many people have done just that. There are topics I have intentionally left unaddressed, and instead I have focused on those contributions that I feel are most relevant to today and the ones that resonate most for me. Everyone has their own thoughts on what the grandest accomplishments of the ancient Greeks were and these are mine. I most appreciate the contributions they made to our language and writing system that allow me the ability to praise them now. I admire the beautiful sculptures they crafted and the elegant buildings they constructed. I am thankful for their works of dramatic theater that over time evolved into the cinematic world in which I intend to work. I appreciate the advancements they made in math and science, the groundwork they laid that allowed others to build upon with greater and greater achievements, culminating in the technological advancements of the 20^th century. And I am grateful for the form of the government they helped design that allows all people to have their voices heard and help to make their country, their world, a better place. I am, like the rest of the world, forever indebted to the ancient Greeks and their magnificent accomplishments.

Bibliography

Boyer, Sophia A., and Winifred Lubell. Gifts From the Greeks: Alpha to Omega. Chicago: Rand McNally & Company, 1970.

Chambers, Mortimer, et al. The Western Experience, Volume A: Antiquity and the Middle Ages. 9^th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Roberts, Jennifer T., and Tracy Barett. The Ancient Greek World. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Written in 2010 for the Columbia College Chicago class Europe and the West: Ancient Civilizations.

Sometimes a Wand Is Just a Wand...Or Is It?

2011-02-18T06:00:00.019-06:00

The magic wand – it is a classic symbol of mystical power and abilities. From the stage magician using it as a prop for misdirection to the fairy godmother bestowing beautiful gifts upon Cinderella, perhaps no object is more synonymous with magic than the wand. Indeed, it is a crucial element of the Harry Potter mythos and most significant in the last volume of the series. It is a timeless symbol that conveys wonder and power, but there is, I believe, a deeper subtext to the wand as well – as the ultimate phallic symbol of masculinity.

The wand appears in many forms throughout history, mythology and folklore. Usually it is as the small, slender piece of wood familiar to Harry Potter fans. But it is also often depicted as a staff, much larger and stronger – a wand on steroids, if you will. Biblical figures such as Moses are often depicted with a staff, as are other literally characters such as the wizard Gandalf. The wand sometimes also takes the form of a scepter, as used by kings and queens, and thus takes on a meaning of authority and sovereignty. The wand can also take on more elaborate forms such as the caduceus used by the Greco-Roman god Hermes/Mercury. It can even take on a more mundane guise such as the conductor’s baton or the diving rod once used to help discover sources of water. In all it’s varied shapes and sizes, the common trait is being a symbol of power, strength or leadership. This is especially true for its depiction in the Harry Potter series, as it is the focal point through which a wizard channels his magic.

Outside of literature, the wand is also a key occult symbol, used in ceremonial magick, modern witchcraft and Pagan religions such as Wicca. Here the wand often represents the element of air and is a masculine symbol. It is used, much like in Harry Potter, as a tool for directing magickal energies. It is also used in rituals and ceremonial rites. Its use in magick and witchcraft is also reflected in the Tarot cards used for divination and fortune telling. The suit of wands is one of the four suits of the Minor Arcana and corresponds to the modern playing card suit of clubs. In the Tarot, the wand also represents the peasant and farmer classes of feudal society and represents the element of fire. Getting back to the phallic nature of the wand, it is also viewed in the occult as a symbol of fertility.

The use of wands in Harry Potter is very fascinating. Going beyond the traditional notion of a wizard’s magic wand, J.K. Rowling has crafted a deep and complex lore about the use of wands. “The wand chooses the wizard…” Mr. Ollivander tells Harry. And a wizard never gets as good of a result when casting spells using another sorcerer’s wand. Thus, a symbiotic relationship is created between the wizard and the wand. There is also a touch of destiny involved: a particular wand is meant for a particular wizard, and no one else. The wand becomes an extension of the wizard. It is as much a part of him as his own arm. Yet, a wand can betray its master and switch allegiance, although this is not an easy task. It must be won in battle; the allegiance to its new master must be earned. Indeed, there are many instances in Deathly Hallows of wands changing loyalties and going to new masters. The resolution to the entire conflict rests on this notion of wands being able to change allegiance. This gives wands an almost sentient quality, as if they can think for themselves. However, these pairings of old wand and new master are never good fits. They are forced pairings and the wizard will still not get as good of a result as they did with their original wand, the one they were meant for. By the same token, characters with inherited wands, such as Ron and Neville, do not perform magic well with these instruments. Neville particularly becomes a quite more adept wizard after gaining a new wand meant especially for him. All of these things considered, one thing is perfectly clear: the relationship between wand and wizard is a complex one that no one will ever completely understand or appreciate. In this regard, they are not so different from real human relationships.

There also exists somewhat of a duality to the wands in Harry Potter. They are primarily tools, used to cast spells and charms, a mystical aid to the wizard that wields them. But they are also used as weapons, for dueling and casting curses and enchantments. The wand can be used to create as well as to destroy. The wand thusly is a symbol of both life and death. It represents the potential within all of us to do either good or evil. Much like magic itself, it is neither light nor dark; the true nature is within the heart of the witch or wizard. The wand itself is neutral.

There is another symbolic meaning to the wand that I have touched upon. It is one that I feel may be a tad obvious, and that is the wand as a phallic symbol of masculinity and manhood. The wand and its usage are ripe with sexual imagery and metaphor. One only has to think of the Patronus Charm to understand this metaphor. The wizard, grasping his wand, concentrates on a happy memory, a joyful thought, he cries out and a silvery white substance shoots forth. (The third movie’s depiction of this moment just further drives the point home.) There is also much emphasis made in the books on both the size of the wand and what it is capable of, a sort of magical measuring contest, as it were. The wands are also strictly made of wood. Wands are received at eleven years of age, just at the onset of puberty. And wizards are not able to freely use their wands away from school until they have come of age. That is, they are not free to fully express their own sexuality until they have physically matured. It is noted that the Weasley twins, once of age, are whipping their wands out for every little thing, a clear metaphor for a young male in his sexual prime, driven by hormones and primal mating instincts. As stated earlier, the wand chooses the wizard, which may be a metaphor for the idea that sexual preference is not a choice consciously made by an individual, it is simply the way they are. Further, a wizard not getting good results with the wrong wand may enforce a more romantic notion of sexuality, the concept of the soul mate and two people being destined for one another. Unfortunately, there is one critical and obvious flaw in my theory: wands are not used exclusively by males. Although there is less depiction of female characters using wands in the books that may be due to the greater number of male characters present. Still, the use of wands by witches does poke some holes in my theory. Perhaps though it is representative of either some kind of gender equality, or of women conforming to a male dominated society. I cannot decide if this is a sign that there is no “penis envy” among the females of Harry’s world since everyone has wands and are thus equal, or if it is a sign of rampant and widespread “penis envy”, since everyone has a wand. In either case, it is probably an idea best left alone and not one to dwell upon. Nevertheless, there is a definite subtext at play when it comes to wands and their sexual symbolism is apparent, whether we want to acknowledge it or not.

The world of Harry Potter would not be quite the same without the wand. Much like the lightsaber is to Star Wars, the wand has become a defining characteristic of Harry Potter. These small pieces of wood add so much to the story in both their literal use and symbolic meaning. Wands are very expressive items and often reflect the characteristics of their owners. They are, in a way, avatars for the characters. Symbols not just of power and magic, but also of the people who wield them. While this is more evident in the movies than the books, as film is, by its nature, a more visual medium, it is also present in the text. The wands are still described in great detail and are unique to each character. They are important element of who these people are and what they are capable of. Several characters’ wands even become highly important to the plot, especially those of Harry, Dumbledore and Voldemort. Without the wand, the story would not be as rich, detailed or interesting as it is. This simple, almost cliché element gives the tale of Harry Potter a complex and fascinating lore that fuels the imagination of its readers. One cannot help but think, “if only I had a wand like Harry’s, maybe I could be a wizard too.”

Works Consulted

Grimassi, Raven. Wiccan Magick: Inner Teachings of the Craft. St. Paul: Lllewellyn Publications, 1998.

McCoy, Edain. Making Magick: What It Is and How It Works. St. Paul: Lllewellyn Publications, 1998.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1997.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic, 2007.

Tresidder, Jack. The Complete Dictionary of Symbols. San Francisco: Chronicle Book, 2005.

“Wands.” Harry Potter Wiki. (October 21, 2010)
<http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Wands>.

“Wands.” The Harry Potter Lexicon. (October 21, 2010)
<http://www.hp-lexicon.org/magic/wands.html>.

Written in 2010 for the Columbia College Chicago class Fantasy Literature: Harry Potter.

Sirius Black: A Character Analysis

2011-02-16T06:00:00.035-06:00

Sirius Black III is a character that is initially cloaked in a bit of mystery. When the character is first mentioned, in the very first chapter of the first Harry Potter book, we know absolutely nothing about him, except that he apparently owns a flying motorcycle and has lent it to Hagrid in order to bring Harry to the Dursley’s. If memory serves, the character is not mentioned again until the third book, where Black is the titular Prisoner of Azkaban. Even then, we learn about Black in small increments. He starts with a mention on the Muggle news, just some escaped lunatic. In Chapter 3, we learn a bit more about Black, courtesy of the Daily Prophet and Stan Shunpike. But we still only know very basic information: he is the only prisoner to ever escape from the wizard prison Azkaban, he was sent there for murdering thirteen people with a single curse, and he was a big supporter of Lord Voldemort. Of course, not all of this information, we will come to learn, is true. Sirius Black is a character that, like many in the Harry Potter series, is not at all how he appears to be. There is much more to Sirius than the reader or any of the characters knows. Over the course of the books, he quickly goes from one of Harry’s most hated foes to one of his most beloved friends and protectors. Through it all, however, Black remains a flawed but fascinating character.

Throughout the Prisoner of Azkaban, we all led to believe, along with Harry himself, that Sirius Black is a man to be hated. We think that he wants to kill Harry – which, in turn, causes Harry to want to kill him. We believe that he was one of Voldemort’s loyal followers and was responsible for the death of Harry’s parents. While the former is certainly not true, the same cannot necessarily be said of the latter. Sirius is, to some extent, responsible for the murder of James and Lily. At least, he is within his own mind. Sirius blames himself for their deaths. It was on his suggestion that the Potters used Peter Pettrigrew as Secret-Keeper instead of Sirius. It was a decision that seemed sound at the time but had disastrous repercussions. While no one could have foreseen Pettigrew’s betrayal, it does not change the way Sirius feels. His words to Harry in Chapters 17 and 19 clearly show how deeply he blames himself. He carries a great burden of guilt and this is the primary thing motivating his actions. He caused the deaths of his best friends and it is up to him to set things right, both by enacting vengeance upon the one truly responsible and by protecting and caring for the son they left behind. The bond between Harry and Sirius is forged by guilt and a sense of longing and loneliness and further fueled by Sirius’s desire to have back that which he can never have – his best friend. Harry becomes a surrogate for his father (in more ways than just his relationship with Sirius, but that’s a whole other topic).

Once Harry is convinced that Sirius is an innocent man and that he truly is a loyal friend of James and Lily, he jumps at the chance to leave the Dursleys and live with Sirius. Both Harry and Sirius want this very much. Harry longs to have a proper family that really loves him and Sirius wants to know some semblance of the friendship he has lost. Unfortunately, this arrangement is not meant to be and Sirius once more becomes a wanted man. This does not stop him from being a part of Harry’s life. Sirius is, after all, Harry’s godfather and rightful guardian. Even if he cannot physically be there for Harry, he will do anything he can for him. Sirius would have gladly given his life to save Harry’s parents and his actions throughout books 4 & 5 continue to display is unwavering loyalty. He puts himself at great risk many times to be close to Harry (meeting at the cave in Goblet of Fire, accompanying him to King’s Cross as Padfoot in Order of the Phoenix) or just communicate with him (several owl letters and fireside Floo chats in both books). Harry desires a father figure from Sirius and he endeavors as best he can to be that person, even as he treats Harry more as a friend than a son, seeing too much of James in him. In truth, I think Sirius functions more as the “cool uncle” to Harry than anything else. He sends him expensive gifts like the Firebolt and gives him permission to go to Hogsmeade, but can also be very protective of him when he is in danger – particularly during the Triwizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire. However, when Harry’s life is no longer threatened but it is instead his freedom and magical education at stake, Sirius encourages Harry to be rebellious against Umbridge and her dictatorial regime, just as himself and James would have been. Sirius is there for Harry when he needs him to be but also lets him make his own decisions and not be overbearing. He treats him more like an adult and gives him guidance when required. Sirius is to Harry equal parts parent, friend and confidant. It is this never ceasing love and loyalty to Harry and his parents’ memory that redeems Sirius of his lesser qualities.

Despite all his good qualities, Sirius is also quite a flawed person. His time spent in Azkaban has not done any good to his emotional development. His treatment of Harry as more a friend than a son goes a bit too far at times. Harry is still a boy and while he is a great deal like his father, Harry is not James. Sirius does not always see this. Their relationship is also a weakness, one that Voldemort is able to exploit and that ends with Sirius’s death. Sirius is also something of a hypocrite. In book 4, he tells Harry, Ron and Hermione that the true measure of a man comes from how he treats those inferior to himself, not his equals. Then in book 5, he proceeds to treat his house elf Kreacher with total scorn and disgust, simply for being a reminder of the life that Sirius hated. Indeed, it is in his past that Sirius’s flaws were most apparent.

Sirius was a rambunctious youth, a rebel in nearly every sense of the word, and he continued to be reckless as an adult. Sirius defied authority at every turn. In his youth, he broke school rules, played practical jokes, created the Marauders’ Map, incessantly bullied Severus Snape and had a reputation as a troublemaker. He disagreed with everything the majority of the Black family believed in and stood for and was ostracized by his parents. Along with his friends, he illegally became an Animagus and took the form of a great black dog. (It is from here that his name is derived, as Sirius is known as the Dog Star, but perhaps it would have been more appropriate had he taken the form of a black sheep.) He also owned an enchanted flying motorcycle, an item that, while it would be greatly admired by Arthur Weasley, is also certain to be highly illegal. As an adult, Black continued to defy authority. As an escaped convict, he defied the Ministry of Magic. He defied Dumbledore by sneaking out as Padfoot to watch over Harry. And – this one is actually a positive – he continued to defy Lord Voldemort by being a member of the Order of the Phoenix and his family by using their home as its headquarters. Perhaps this makes Sirius a rebel with a cause?

Sirius Black remains, despite his many personal flaws, one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series. In truth, this is partly due to his portrayal in the films by the great Gary Oldman, since I was exposed to the movies before I read the books. While his portrayal of Sirius in the films is not 100% accurate it is still very faithful and captures the spirit of the character well. In fact, after reading the books and gaining a greater love and appreciation for the character, I became very disappointed by all the scenes of him that were left out of Goblet of Fire. The books, thankfully, gave me many more moments of Sirius to enjoy and further explored his back-story. Sirius has many great and complex relationships in the series: his somewhat paternal nature to Harry, his friendship with James and Lupin, his hatred towards his family (Bellatrix especially), his rivalry with Snape. All these make him a richly interesting character. His death is a great personal loss for Harry that ups the stakes in the series and allows us to feel Harry’s pain and frustration. Even when he is not actually present in the books, much like Voldemort himself, his presence is keenly felt. He leaves much to his godson that becomes useful to him on his quest to defeat Voldemort: his knife, the two-way mirror, Kreacher and Grimmauld Place itself. And Sirius’s brief appearance in the final book helps Harry prepare himself for his penultimate confrontation with Voldemort and the sacrifice that he is willing to make for his friends.

Sirius Black had a profound effect upon young Harry Potter’s life and it could be argued that Harry would not have been the same person without Sirius’s presence. Along with Dumbledore and Snape, Sirius is an integral part of the saga and an essential character to the development of Harry Potter. He helped shaped Harry into the man he would eventually become and gave him the support he needed to succeed. He is an important and pivotal character despite his many flaws. His loyalty and rebellious yet good nature make him an easy character to like. The Harry Potter series just would not be what it is without Sirius Black and I, for one, am glad he was there. I would enjoy nothing more than to see J.K. Rowling tell more stories about my favorite Marauder Padfoot and his adventures with Wormtail, Moony and Prongs.

Works Consulted

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic, 2003.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York: Scholastic, 1999.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1997.

“Sirius Black.” Harry Potter Wiki. (December 1, 2010)
<http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Sirius_Black>.

“Sirius Black.” The Harry Potter Lexicon. (December 1, 2010)
<http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/sirius.html>.

Written in 2010 for the Columbia College Chicago class Fantasy Literature: Harry Potter.

Harry Potter and the Perfect Night

2011-02-14T06:00:00.088-06:00

Last semester I took a course called Fantasy Literature: Harry Potter. This counted as my humanities literature requirement and was a pretty enjoyable class. It involved a lot of reading and a lot of writing. In addition to covering all seven Harry Potter novels in great detail, we also had many, many handouts to read and were assigned written responses to several of them. This was our weekly participation grade and the papers were short, nothing difficult.

The larger portion of our coursework were three rather more substantial papers. The topic of the first essay was symbolism. I wrote mine on wands and will be posting that paper on Friday. The second essay was a character analysis, and I chose Sirius Black as the subject of mine; I will be posting this paper on Wednesday. The third paper was far more open-ended than any of the others. It was a creative writing assignment and the directive was pretty much "anything goes." In fact, it didn't even have to be a paper. It could be almost any creative work: a painting, a song, a one act play, pretty much anything.

My first instinct was to do some kind of comic, perhaps depicting a scene from one of the books that we didn't get to see but only heard about. However, after much consideration, I decided to write a short story instead. It had been a while since I had done any creative writing in prose form, and I was anxious to try my hand at it again. It took me a while to come up with a good idea, and even then I wasn't sure I could write it. The story I had thought of was a bit outside my comfort zone - it wasn't the type of story I usually write. This just made me want to write it more.

I spent a few days jotting down notes on my idea and assembling an outline. I did some research on the various Harry Potter websites to check for facts about characters, spells, etc. I was setting my story a few years after the events of the last book, and I wanted to make sure I had everyone where they were suppose to be. I then sat down at my computer one afternoon and over the course of several hours, the story pretty much just flowed out of me. When all was said and done I had written a twelve and a half page story - over 5,000 words - about a particularly eventful day in the life of Harry Potter post-Deathly Hallows. The story is set on Valentine's Day, which is why I've chosen to post it today. Consider it my Valentine to Harry Potter fans everywhere.

One last thing before I post the link to the story and leave you all to read it. I would like to share the comments that my teacher wrote on my paper, as they are what motivated me to post this and my other Columbia papers:

"Mike, you have outdone yourself - this is wonderful writing - it "feels" very accurate. I think this would be a publishable story!!!!"

Click here to download "Harry Potter and the Perfect Night" as an Adobe PDF file.

The Many Faces of Daffy Duck

2011-02-11T06:00:00.038-06:00

Daffy Duck is arguably one of the most versatile cartoon characters ever created. He has played a myriad of roles over the course of his long career and shown many distinct personality traits. Each director that has worked on Daffy has brought something to the character and has helped define and develop him. The transition Daffy has made over the years has been startling and quite hilarious. From his humble beginnings as an uncontrollable screwball to the greedy egomaniac we all know and love, Daffy Duck has shown more range than most of today’s live-action actors.

It all began in 1937 with Tex Avery’s cartoon “Porky’s Duck Hunt”. At this point in time, Porky Pig was, surprisingly enough, the most popular Looney Tunes character and its main star. This cartoon begins much like any other Porky cartoon, but takes a definitively wacky turn that would change the course of animation forever. The first appearance of the as yet unnamed Daffy introduced a new kind of cartoon character: the screwball. Daffy was unlike anything audiences had seen before. He was manic and uncontrollable, insane for no discernable reason. He defiantly stood up to the gun-toting Porky and bounced and laughed his way all over the place, including the end titles. His frantic energy and loony personality were just what cartoons needed.

Daffy, the “crazy, darn fool duck”, continued to be an unbridled ball of hilarious lunacy throughout his early pictures in the 1930s and 40s. He received his name in his second appearance, Tex Avery’s 1938 picture “Daffy and Egghead” (which also featured the man who would be Elmer Fudd). However, it was director Bob Clampett, not Avery, who truly developed Daffy’s madcap character. Clampett’s Daffy was a bit taller and leaner than the original squat and pudgy design used by Avery. Clampett’s Daffy was a gleefully wild screwball, who was content to “Woo-hoo” his way throughout life, an almost ever-present thorn in the side of Porky Pig. In fact, Daffy’s popularity began to eclipse Porky’s. Based on 1940’s “You Ought To Be in Pictures” by Friz Freleng, one might imagine this is exactly what the crafty duck had in mind from the start. Here, Daffy tries to trick Porky into leaving cartoons for live-action features so that he can become the new star of Looney Tunes. While Daffy’s efforts on-screen are not so successful (Porky returns and soundly thrashes the duck) in real life audiences could not get enough of Daffy and he soon became Warner’s new king of the cartoon hill.

Clampett and the other animators would continue to develop Daffy’s personality and design throughout the 1940s. Most notably was the work of Robert McKimson. McKimson made Daffy a little bit leaner, a little less crazy, and a bit wittier. The once great Porky Pig now found himself reduced to being the straight man for Daffy’s wacky antics. Daffy also found himself involved in World War II, much to his chagrin, as evidenced in 1945s’ “Draftee Daffy” where he is constantly evading the “little man from the draft board”. The Daffy of the 1940s was a good-natured goofball who was zany but a little more in control. And just as “You Ought To Be in Pictures” foreshadowed the duck’s rise to stardom, so did “The Great Piggy Bank Robbery” give a glimpse of the next stage in the duck’s evolution. This 1946 gem by Bob Clampett features Daffy as gumshoe Duck Twacy, hot on the trail of a piggy bank thief. This parody of comic strip detective Dick Tracy is complete with a ludicrous rogues gallery featuring such oddballs as Rubber Head and Neon Noodle. Daffy was still a crazy darn fool duck but showed that he could do more than just comedy.

The next director to leave his mark on Daffy was the great Chuck Jones. Jones, I feel, contributed the most to Daffy’s evolution. While he still displayed occasional fits of lunacy, Jones’ Daffy was much more defined by his large ego, his lust for fame and fortune, his greediness, and his uninhibited jealousy of Bugs Bunny. Jones also altered the duck’s design yet again, and it is his taller, lankier and scruffier Daffy that is most recognized today.

The first contribution that Jones made to Daffy’s character was a continuation of what Clampett began in “The Great Piggy Bank Robbery”. This is what I like to refer to as Daffy as the hapless adventurer. The 1950 film “The Scarlet Pumpernickel” was the first of many Jones cartoons placing Daffy in the role of an adventure hero parodying popular movies and literature. Harkening back to “You Ought To Be in Pictures”, this cartoon features Daffy pitching his masterpiece script to the head of Warner Brothers and proclaiming that he is tired of being typecast in comedy and wants to try his hand as a dramatic leading man. What follows is an all-star Looney Tunes extravaganza that sets up the formula for following cartoons: Daffy relentlessly tries to be a dramatic leading man and hero, and proceeds to fail miserably at both. Try as he might, he can’t shake his comedy roots, and time and time again winds up with the short end of the stick. Daffy’s wacky adventures continued in such classic Jones shorts as the western farce “Dripalong Daffy” in 1951, the sci-fi spoof “Duck Dodgers in the 24^th and a ½ Century” in 1953, and “Robin Hood Daffy” in 1958. Not so surprisingly, and in a brilliant bit of revenge, Porky Pig is often featured in these stories as Daffy’s sidekick who ends up overshadowing his mentor and saving the day. While Daffy’s ego and bad luck get the best of him, it’s Porky who is competent and resourceful. Porky defeats the outlaw in “Dripalong Duffy”, outwits Marvin the Martian in “Duck Dodgers” and subdues the Shropshire Slasher in the Sherlock Holmes parody “Deduce, You Say”. An almost fitting turn of events given what Daffy had put him through over the years.

The final stage of Daffy’s development was as the spotlight craving, greedy, upstaging egomaniac, and foil to Bugs Bunny. Indeed, the pairing of Warner’s two biggest stars was a stroke of pure genius. For just as Daffy had eclipsed Porky in popularity, so had Bugs overtaken Daffy. Daffy was none too happy about it and was determined to get the spotlight back. The Bugs-Daffy dynamic began with Chuck Jones’ 1951 masterpiece “Rabbit Fire”, where the two toons square off against each other in a continued effort to convince Elmer Fudd that the other is the animal currently “in season”. Daffy proves to be no match for the superior wit of Bugs and is perpetually on the receiving end of Elmer Fudd’s gun. The debate over whether it was Duck Season or Rabbit Season would continue in “Rabbit Seasoning” in 1952 and “Duck! Rabbit! Duck!” in 1953, the latter were it is ultimately revealed to be Baseball Season!

The Bugs and Daffy rivalry does not stop there, not by a long shot. The animators realized they had a successful formula on their hands and continued to pair the rabbit and the duck in many more films throughout the 1950s and early 60s. Two shorts in particular stand out. The first is THE definitive Daffy Duck cartoon and one of the finest animated films ever made. The second is the best example of the Bugs-Daffy one-upping each other relationship, and was surprisingly directed not by Jones but by Friz Freleng. The first cartoon is the 1953 classic “Duck Amuck” where Daffy is continuingly plagued by an unseen animator who rearranges the duck’s world and appearance and effortlessly torments our star into a frenetic rage. The animator is finally revealed to be none other than Bugs himself, showing that he has, and always will have, the upper hand. This cartoon exemplifies everything that Daffy is: a wild, loony character, an actor capable of playing any role, an egotist in constant need of attention, and a loveable rogue who is at his funniest when he is losing. This point is further driven home in the second cartoon, Friz Freleng’s “Showbiz Bugs” in 1957. The rivalry between the stars to see who is funnier, more talented and more popular comes to a head on the Vaudeville stage. Daffy tries and tries to win the audience over and garner applause, but to no avail. He is constantly overshadowed by the effortless performance of Bugs, whose simple dance step gains more appreciation than any one of the duck’s acts, save perhaps for the last one, in which Daffy blows himself up. Unfortunately, as Daffy himself states, “he can only do it once”. Daffy finally receives the admiration he seeks and winds up losing anyway. This film proves a simple truth of cartoons. Bugs Bunny is funniest when he wins; Daffy Duck is funniest when he loses.

By the 1960s, Daffy’s journey from unstoppable madman to greedy sob was complete. While cartoons after this period were of significantly less quality and misused Daffy as the mean-spirited tormenter of Speedy Gonzales, they could not tarnish the memory and reputation of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Daffy Duck continues to delight audiences to this day in movies and on television. Films like Space Jam and Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and cartoon series like Duck Dodgers continue to show Daffy as the multifaceted comedic genius that he is. He is and always will remain: the greatest foil of Bugs Bunny, the least successful adventure hero ever born, and a crazy, darn-fool duck. And I for one wouldn’t have him any other way.

Selected Filmography

“Porky’s Duck Hunt” (1937) – Tex Avery

“Daffy Duck and Egghead” (1938) – Tex Avery

“You Ought To Be in Pictures” (1940) – Friz Freleng

“Draftee Daffy” (1945) – Bob Clampett

“The Great Piggy Bank Robbery” (1946) – Bob Clampett

“The Scarlet Pumpernickel” (1950) – Chuck Jones

“Rabbit Fire” (1951) – Chuck Jones

“Dripalong Daffy” (1951) – Chuck Jones

“Rabbit Seasoning” (1952) – Chuck Jones

“Duck Amuck” (1953) – Chuck Jones

“Duck Dodgers in the 24^th and ½ Century” (1953) – Chuck Jones

“Duck! Rabbit! Duck!” (1953) – Chuck Jones

“Beanstalk Bunny” (1955) – Chuck Jones

“Deduce, You Say” (1956) – Chuck Jones

“Showbiz Bugs” (1957) – Friz Freleng

“Robin Hood Daffy” (1958) – Chuck Jones

Written in 2005 for the Columbia College Chicago class History of Animation.

The Skeleton Dance: A Critical Analysis

2011-02-09T03:00:00.012-06:00

The advent of sound in the 1920s was an innovation that brought a whole new dimension to films, especially to animation. It was not, however, the use of sound effects or characters being able to speak and be heard that was most significant. It was the use of a musical score that really added to the enjoyment of animated films. Today, the idea of musical cartoons is a well-known one, a staple of animation. Back then it was new and fresh. Early attempts at joining sound & music with animation were clunky at best. The animation was done first and a soundtrack was added later. This led to little synchronicity between the sound and visuals. Walt Disney was one of the first to create a cartoon that was specifically designed to accompany a soundtrack with the Mickey Mouse classic “Steamboat Willie”. The success of this cartoon and a partnership with composer Carl Stalling led to a new way of creating a cartoon with music. The creators learned you could time the action of a cartoon to a particular beat or rhythm and set the animation to a specific musical score. Their first attempt at this was “The Skeleton Dance”.

Produced in 1929 by Walt Disney, with animation by Ub Iwerks and music by Carl Stalling, “The Skeleton Dance” was the first cartoon where the music and animation were perfectly timed to each other. Each visual action is accented by the music, from the sparring of the two black cats atop gravestones to the chattering bones of the skeletons. The music and animation complement each other and together are more enjoyable than either could be alone. This is most evident in the antics of the skeletons themselves.

The four identical boney figures dance about with rhythm and harmony to each other and the music. They use each other’s bones as musical instruments, as if they themselves were playing Stalling’s whimsical score. This fusion of music and animation was so successful that it began a new series of cartoons from Disney: The Silly Symphonies, of which “The Skeleton Dance” is the first. Each of these films featured the wonderful Disney Studios animation set to a particular musical piece. They featured no recognizable or recurring characters. In fact, character and plot were not so important, neither were gags or jokes. These films were mood pieces meant to evoke an emotional response and engage the viewer in different ways than the more gag oriented Mickey Mouse cartoons. The series enjoyed many years of success and inspired scores of imitators, including Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies series.

While the Silly Symphonies has many standout entries, none are as memorable to me as the original “The Skeleton Dance”. With its contrasting black and white visuals, dark atmosphere and grim design, it stands as a macabre classic of cartoon fantasy. It has been one of my favorites since childhood when I would repeatedly watch it on video. No cartoon entertained or inspired me as much, leading me to the creation of my own skeleton cartoon character and many other equally funny monsters. My first animated project at Columbia was an ode to this wonderful film, a tip of the hat to its talented creators. “The Skeleton Dance” will long be remembered, at least by myself, as the film that helped launch one of the most successful partnerships in entertainment history, that of music and animation. They are two great art forms that fit together perfectly, and I can hardly imagine one without the other.

Written in 2005 for the Columbia College Chicago class History of Animation.

The Columbia Papers

2011-02-07T06:00:00.098-06:00

Beginning this week, I will be posting several of my papers from various Columbia College courses to this blog. I'm not exactly sure why I want to post them, I just know that I do. Some of them will probably not interest anyone that might happen to read this blog, but a few others might. They are pretty good papers though, at least my teachers and I seem to think so - I think I got an "A" on each one. I really just want to share them with anyone that might enjoy reading them.

Here is the schedule of papers for the next few weeks along with brief descriptions:

History of Animation

02/09/11 - The Skeleton Dance: A Critical Analysis - A short essay on the very first Disney Silly Symphony cartoon.
02/11/11 - The Many Faces of Daffy Duck - A longer essay on the various incarnations of the Looney Tunes character and how he was depicted by different classic directors.

Fantasy Literature: Harry Potter

02/14/11 - Harry Potter and the Perfect Night - This right here is the main reason I'm posting any of this. This is a short story I wrote as my final paper for the class, and I think it's really good - maybe one of the best things I've ever written. I think Harry Potter fans will enjoy it. (Note: this will be a linked PDF file for downloading instead of a standard blog entry)
02/16/11 - Sirius Black: A Character Analysis - An essay on the strengths and flaws of Harry Potter's infamous godfather.
02/18/11 - Sometimes a Wand Is Just a Wand...Or Is It? - An essay with a slight Freudian perspective on the symbolism of wands in the Harry Potter universe.

History (Ancient Civilizations, U.S. History From 1877)

02/22/11 - Hellenistic Gifts: What the Greeks Gave to Me - A short research paper on the influence of the Ancient Greeks on Western civilization and culture.
02/24/11 - Winning the Space Race: The Americans' Come From Behind Victory - A research paper on how the United States was able to catch up and ultimately surpass the Soviet Union in the contest for space supremacy during the Cold War.

So there you go. This will probably be all that I post for the next few weeks. I think the essays from History of Animation will interest my cartoon obsessed friends, and all my fellow Harry Potter fanatics should check out the papers from Fantasy Literature. Feel free to skip the history papers, unless you're really into the subjects.

Oh, and one final note to anyone reading this blog who is considering stealing one of these papers and using it for one your own classes, I'd highly recommend against that. While I wouldn't be able to do much about it if you did, and I'd probably never find out that you've done so anyway, teachers these days tend to look up students' papers online to ensure they're not committing plagiarism. It would not be too difficult to find these papers here in my dated archive, so you'll only be hurting yourselves.

Lightning Strikes Twice

2011-02-04T08:00:00.006-06:00

On Monday, January 31st, the very same day that I made my post on hockey jersey concepts, the Tampa Bay Lightning unveiled a new logo and jersey design for the 2011-2012 season. They're not bad, but they're 1) a little too simple, 2) look too similar to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with a bit of the Red Wings striping pattern, and 3) need more than just white & blue.

They should have kept black or silver (or both) to add a little more to the design. Black has been the Lightning's dominant color since their inception nearly 20 years ago. Like I said, the designs are nice, but could use some improvements, in my opinion. So I've taken the liberty to spruce up their logo and jersey designs a bit for my second set of Tampa Bay Lightning jersey concepts.

I was originally going to add black back into the designs, but I tried this darker shade of blue and liked it better. Go figure. I've also used silver as a trim color on the white stripes and made some slight modifications to the logo.

Same basic design as the home, but with colors swapped. Blue becomes white, white becomes dark blue, dark blue becomes lighter blue. The logo didn't swap in quite the same way as the striping did though, but it looks better this way.

See, I got some black into the designs somewhere. The Lightning are apparently keeping their existing third for at least another season. I wonder if they'll get a new one for 2012-2013 for their 20th anniversary, perhaps based on their original jersey. In any case, I've given them a new third to keep black in their uniforms. I've made the revised alternate logo as the main crest and used the primary as the shoulder patch. I also decided to mix things up a little with the diagonal sleeve stripes.

These are my personal take on the Lightnings new jersey. They're not perfect, maybe they're not even any better than the new or old jerseys, but I like them. As with all my designs, I may tweak them a little here and there. Any slight changes, I'll probably just update the images, but anything drastic will get a new post. I think this conclude my posts on jersey design for a while. I think next week will bring a new topic for the blog.

Concept Evolution: Red Wings Third Jersey

2011-02-02T23:14:00.004-06:00

As alluded to in my last post, I've decided to post all the variations on my Red Wings third jersey concept. My delving into the world of jersey concept design began with trying to create a Red Wings third based on a jersey I created for my old PC game NHL 2000. I searched the web for many different jersey templates before I found one that I was satisfied with. The first two designs I'm going to show were actually done on a different template, but I have since transferred them over to my current template.

My first attempt at a Red Wings third jersey concept.

My revised Red Wings third jersey concept. Just a few tweaks from the first pass.

Red Wings third jersey concept version 3.0. With the new templates I found, I was finally able to get the jersey how I wanted it. This is the closest to the one that I made for NHL 2000.

The design itself is inspired somewhat by the Wings' Winter Classic jersey. The logo is the "D" from that design placed inside the shield from the other Detroit Cougars logo, seen here: http://sportslogos.net/team.php?id=994

Red Wings third jersey concept version 4.0. I decided I wanted to change things up a bit on this design. I've gone with just the script "D" logo sans shield. I changed the horizontal shoulder & arm stripe to a shoulder yoke and more traditional vertical arm stripes. I kept the primary logo shoulder patches.

For version 5 here, all I did though was lose the shoulder yoke. I kind of like this one better, but I may still continue to tweak it. Don't be surprised if I post version 6 sometime in the future. At this point, it's not too different from their Winter Classic jersey.

This is what I call version 5b. It's the same design, just swapped the colors, so that they make a set of alternate home and away jerseys.

There you have it, my five and half versions of a Red Wings third jersey. I doubt that I'm totally done with these yet. I'll probably keep tweaking things, maybe even go in a radically different direction. Who knows. Next time, I'm going to post another set of Tampa Bay Lightning concepts based on their recently unveiled new jerseys for next season.

NHL Jersey Concepts

2011-01-31T10:00:00.002-06:00

This is a post that I've been working on for a little while now. You see, I'm a perfectionist, and I keep going back to these jerseys and tweaking little things here, fixing small errors there. So I didn't want to post this until I was done fiddling with the jerseys. And now I think I finally am. Let's take a look at what I've got.

Detroit Red Wings

The only thing new here is the third jersey at the bottom. The home and away are simply re-creations of their existing jerseys that I've included for completeness. The third jersey is based on their Winter Classic jersey from a few years ago. I liked the basic look of it, but wanted something a little different. I've gone with a slightly darker shade of red to distingush it more from their regular jerseys. I'm not 100% satisfied with what I have here, so I may keep tweaking it.

New York Rangers

The one thing that always bugged me about the Rangers' jersey was the lack of the team's logo. Most NYR fans will agree that the Lady Liberty logo is awesome, so I decided to put that on their existing home and road jerseys. I also added the standard logo as shoulder patches and removed the laced collar. I really dislike the laced collars, as they serve no practical function and are just unnecessary decoration.

The third jersey is based on their classic third from the late 90's / early 00's. Since I promoted the Lady Liberty logo to the regular jerseys, I've used the stylized version of the NYR shield that adorned the original third's shoulders. I also added some tail stripes to the bottom of the jersey, as that always seemed a little plain to me.

Boston Bruins

I've always liked the Bruins, since bears are my favorite animal, but I've never really considered myself a fan of the team. I've also never cared much for their logo, but I really like their newest alternate one. So much like my NYR designs, I've promoted the bear logo to the regular jerseys. This design is really just their current third jersey with some minor tweaks, mainly the tail stripes.

For the road design, I've just swapped white for black in the main part of the jersey. I like the simple subtraction of color on changing home to road jerseys. I prefer it over swapping colors around.

Finally, not much in the way of drastic redesigns for Boston's third. It's basically their Winter Classic with a few tweaks, mainly the use of the modern "B" logo and the bear logo as shoulder patches. I liked the use of gold and brown in their WC jersey. It's odd that a team named after brown bears normally has no brown in their team colors.

Tampa Bay Lightning

I initially wanted to try to get the jerseys closer to their originals, but ended up using a design based on their current thirds. I pretty much just removed the "BOLTS" wordmark that I never much cared for and replaced it with their primary logo. I've also left off the shoulder patch logo.

For the away jersey, I took the new home and did a color swap. Blue became white, white became black, black became blue. I've also dropped the silly player numbers from the front of the jersey. I've never liked those on any jersey design.

For the third jersey, I used their original jerseys as a starting point. I decided not to use the white shoulder yoke but kept the secondary logo patch. Originally, I was going to use a hybrid of their new and original logos for these jerseys, but in the end I went with the current logo.

That's it for now on jersey concepts. I might continue to tweak these, I'm not sure. I may do another post on just the different designs I've tried for the Red Wings third jersey. I may also do some new concepts for other teams, possibly the Los Angeles Kings.

Looking Ahead: The Movies of 2011

2011-01-28T20:56:00.001-06:00

I was planning on being a little more in depth with this blog post than I am going to be. I've decided simply to list, in alphabetical order, the movies I am most looking forward to seeing this year. I imagine about half of these will end up on next year's best of list. A few of them will probably really suck. There's some other movies coming out this year I'm sure I'll get around to seeing, but these 25 are the ones I definitely don't want to miss.

The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Quest for the Unicorn
Apollo 18
Captain America: The First Avenger
Cars 2
Cowboys and Aliens
Green Lantern
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part Two
Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
The Muppets
Paul
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Puss in Boots
Rango
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Scream 4
Sherlock Holmes 2
Source Code
Sucker Punch
Super 8
Thor
The Three Musketeers
Winnie the Pooh
Your Highness
X-Men: First Class

The 12 Movies of 2010 That I Enjoyed the Most

2011-01-24T02:58:00.001-06:00

That's right kiddies, it's that time of year again. That time when I post the list of movies from the previous year that I liked the best. I'm not sure why I do this list. I never use to, but now it's become kind of an annual tradition. I cannot not write this list. It must be done. I have no choice in the matter.

Here is this year's list. It's twelve movies strong this year - all the ones I rated 4 stars or higher, and maybe a 3 star honorable mention at the end. I'll probably be brief this year, and I might recycle some of what I wrote on Flixster. Being an animation student, you'll find a bunch of animated films on this list.

Also, keep in mind that I did not see every movie that I wanted to see that came out last year, so there may be some movies that should be on this list but aren't. It is unavoidable and happens every year.

12. Iron Man 2: I remember liking this movie, despite the quality of the theater that I saw it in. I remember liking the first one a little more than the second. I remember the suitcase armor. And that's about it.

11. The Wolfman: A lot of people did not like this movie, but I'm not really sure why. Yes, the two CG animals (a bear and a dear) were horribly done, but I thought the Wolfman looked great. I would have preferred all practical effects on him, but the CG transformation worked fine and the Rick Baker make-up was just tops. Despite changing details here and there (like the setting), I thought it was a solid remake. My only real complaint is that I think Larry should have used that iconic walking stick to kill his father.

10. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole: This was a visually stunning movie, just fantastic animation. The story was pretty good too. Maybe it wasn't on par with Pixar, but it was still an enjoyable adventure flick with a terrific voice cast.

9. Megamind: This was the last movie I watched before compiling this list and it managed to edge its way onto it. There was some familiar territory covered here as the film makes use of a lot of superhero cliches and conventions. Yet there was a freshness to it. There were two animated films last year that focused on a villain becoming more of a hero, this and Despicable Me. The latter was good, Megamind was better. Maybe I just prefer Will Ferrel to Steve Carrel. Maybe the animation was better or the story a little stronger. Maybe I'm just a sucker for Tina Fey. I don't know. In any case, this was a fun movie that got me thinking about some of my own cartoon ideas again. My one complaint: Metroman should have been played by Bruce Campbell. That would have been awesome.

8. Inception: I wish I had been able to catch this one at IMAX. Nolan is always making movies you need to watch more than once to fully appreciate. His films are deep and complex, much like the dream worlds depicted in this movie. I really should have watched it twice. As it is, I cannot rate this one higher and didn't enjoy it as much as his previous films. Maybe this is due to the somewhat nonchalant way the characters treated the whole dream controlling stuff, but it's always partly due to the fact that I don't really like Decaprio all that much. Great soundtrack though. I'm sure I'll come to appreciate this film more over time.

7. The Social Network: The movie that it seems everyone was talking about, except, oddly enough, on Facebook. Seriously, I didn't see really anything about this movie on Facebook itself, but pretty much anywhere else. Some people will criticize it for not being "historically accurate" These are the same people who complain when a movie based on a book is not 100% faithful. It is a movie, not a book, not a play, and certainly not real life. Things need to be changed for dramatic purposes. So I do not really care what the true story of the creation of Facebook was, this one is probably more interesting anyway. Solid script, solid directing, solid performances, it'll probably clean up at the Oscars.

6. Scott Pilgrim Vs the World: I'm not the Scott Pilgrim fanatic that most people in my Animation Production Studio class seem to be. This is probably because I have not yet read the comics and there's somewhat of an age-gap between the rest of the class and myself. Still, I enjoyed this movie a lot. It was fun, the sound and visual effects were amusing, the whole concept is just crazy and cool. I hadn't realized that the film was an adaptation of the entire comic series, and I was expecting sequels. It's probably best they got it all done in one, since this movie surprisingly bob-ombed at the box office.

5. Kick-Ass: This is a bizarre, hilarious, violent movie. The main character is also very similar in many regards to a comic book character of my own creation, the Lunatic. A little too similar. Actually, 2010 seemed to be the year for movies featuring ideas eerily similar to stuff I though of years ago. Sorcerer's Apprentice was a hell of a lot like a movie idea I was developing before I started doing Grimstone. And the main character in Hereafter, as far as I can tell, is exactly like the main character in a script I never finished. The lesson here: don't procrastinate or else someone else will think of your idea eventually and beat you to the punch. At least I know my ideas are marketable. Anyway, so yeah, Kick-Ass was a fun movie.

4. How to Train Your Dragon: Terrific animation, great cast, fun story - I loved this movie. I caught this one on video and really wish I had gotten around to seeing it at the theater, maybe even in 3D. This is probably my favorite Dreamworks animated film and one I wouldn't mind seeing continued as a film or TV series, which I think they may be doing both. I really like all the variety they were able to get with the different species of dragons and the effort they put into creating the zoology of these mystical beasts.

3. Tangled: This is, by far, the best animated film that Disney proper (meaning non-Pixar) has released in a long time. This is classic Disney animation, right here. It is the first CG movie I've seen that felt more like traditional animation. There is a painted quality to this film that I love. Two of my favorite characters are the two animal sidekicks - the horse and the chameleon. Neither one says a word (thankfully) but they are more expressive than most Disney sidekicks. A fantastic movie all around, I just wish they had kept the original title of Rapunzel Unbraided.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part One: Is this a perfect movie? No. Is it the best one of the series? Quite possibly. Did I want to see it again immediately after viewing? Most definitely. I am going to go mad with anticipation for the next one? Count on it. And yet, I don't want this series to end. Much like I felt after finishing the books, I want more. Which is, I suppose, a good thing and the only way to leave an audience.

1. Toy Story 3: I saw this movie twice at the theater. I almost saw it the first time in IMAX 3D, but I got sick. The first viewing was not in a great theater, and I wasn't sure how I felt about the movie yet. I enjoyed it more upon the second viewing, partially due to better quality sound and picture in the theater. After letting it all sink in after the second viewing, the movie stood on equal footing with the first two for me. In fact, it might be even better. This is Pixar's masterpiece, and although I know it will not win Best Picture at the Oscars, it damn well should.

Honorable Mention - Tron Legacy: The sequel 28 years in the making. I liked it about as much as I liked the original. I was always more of a Black Hole fan than a Tron fan. The movie is basically the original Tron crossed with the Matrix with a heaping helping of Star Wars. It was good but predictable. I liked the IMAX, but I still don't like 3D.

Apparently I was not as brief as I expected I would be. Oh well. Another year has ended and there are lots of movies to look forward to this year, which will be the subject of my next post. Until then, these are the movies I liked the most from last year. As always, agree, disagree, I don't care. Right your own damn list.

The Top Ten Greatest NHL Jerseys I've Ever Seen

2011-01-20T00:00:00.003-06:00

There is only one way, so to speak, to "cleanse the palette" after my last post. And that is to go over my absolute favorite NHL jerseys. This was not an easy list to put together. I decided not to represent any team on the list more than once. Some of the teams on this list were offenders on my worst jerseys list. One or two of them are teams that I don't even really like, but I think have cool jerseys. Obviously, my love for certain teams informs my opinion on their jerseys, but that's kind of how it's suppose to be. These are my favorites, meaning they are my opinion, my personal tastes, and they're going to focus a lot on the teams that I am a fan of. Here they are, my list of the ten best looking NHL jerseys ever. (All images are from the Hockey Uniform Database.)

10. Dallas Stars (1999 - 2007)

Currently Dallas has some of the plainest, most boring jerseys I've ever seen. They almost made it onto my worst list. I much prefer these designs. They are quite different from other teams' designs and work well for the Stars. They need jerseys this interesting again.

9. Phoenix Coyotes (2003 - 2007)

The Coyotes came in at number 4 on my worst jerseys list. In 2003, they underwent a complete makeover and improved their jerseys by like a 1000%. Simple, striking, effective. I love the shade of red here and the Coyote logo is a drastic improvement. This is a jersey of redemption that was, unfortunately, lessened by the switchover to the Reebok Edge jersey system. Bring back the tail stripes Phoenix!

8. St. Louis Blues (1998 - 2007)

Another vastly superior redesign compared to its horrid 90s predecessor. This jersey works so much better with the two shades of blue than the stupid use of red seen on my worst jerseys list. I still prefer their older, not quite as sharp-edged logo, but these jerseys work well. Alas, they were yet another victim of the changeover to the Reebok Edge style. These just look so much better.

7. Florida Panthers (1993 - 2003)

The Panthers have not looked this good in years. Their current uniforms are terrible. They need to go back to red as the primary team color. This is one of the best that 90s jersey design had to offer, which, granted, is not saying much. Still, these jerseys rock, and I would love to see Florida revisit this design in the near future.

6. Los Angeles Kings (2008 - Present)

The Kings have had an interesting jersey history. They made it to number two on my worst list and have had trouble nailing their design ever since Gretzky left the team. Their current crop of jerseys is pretty nice. There's room for improvement on their home and away (I prefer their crossed hockey sticks shield logo), but they are the only hockey team that can really pull off purple. The black design, reminiscent of the Gretzky era, is I think their best jersey yet. I would love to see them promote this from third to home jersey and create a white road version. They can then use the purple throwback as their new third.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning (2001 - 2007)

While the basic design of the Lightning's jersey did not change between 1992 and 2007 (save for their horrid third jersey, number five on my worst list), there were fluctuations in the lettering of the names and numbers. This version is where they finally got it right. I prefer these jerseys and the original logo to what the team has now. Their current third jersey would be a good design if not for the stupid "BOLTS" word mark across the chest. I think something of a cross between that and these jerseys would make for an awesome design. In any case, this is one older jersey that I'd still love to get my hands on.

4. Chicago Blackhawks (2009 - Present)

Despite the facts that my Pa-Pou was a diehard Blackhawks fan and that I've lived less than an hour away from the city of Chicago for my entire life, I am not nor ever will be a Blackhawks fan. But damn is this one nice looking jersey. The 2009 Winter Classic between the Blackhawks and my beloved Red Wings featured both teams wearing jerseys based on designs from early in their respective histories. The Blackhawks whipped up this little beauty here, and it was so nice they made it their new third jersey the following season. Of course, this kind of set off a trend of teams donning retro-inspired jerseys with circular logos, and none of them are as nice as this one.

3. Boston Bruins (2008 - Present)

The Bruins have also had an interesting jersey history. There have not been any real drastic redesigns, just tweaks here and there. I don't completely like their home jersey here, I think it has too much gold. However, their road jersey works well, and their black third is just awesome. I love that logo. They had a different bear head logo in the 90s that I liked, but the jersey was not great. This one works a lot better. A few teams have done the black, gold and white color combo, but nobody does it better than the Bruins.

2. Detroit Red Wings (1986 - 2007)

Now here's a jersey with staying power. The Red Wings are my favorite hockey team and their jersey is just classic. It has changed very little from the team's first season in 1932, but this particular version of the jersey went completely unchanged for twenty freaking years. Their current jersey is not that much different, but I've never been a fan of the Reebok Edge jersey style. The Red Wings are one of the few teams who have not experimented with their jerseys at all in recent memory. They never had a third jersey. The only other thing we've seen them wear are throwbacks to the days when the team was the Detroit Cougars. That being said, I never want to see Detroit alter their regular jerseys, but I would love to see them adapt their Winter Classic jersey as a third option.

1. New York Rangers (1996 - 1997)

The Rangers home and away jerseys here are another classic design. Their current version is somewhat different (the stripes, the laced collar) but I always preferred the ones they wore back in the days of Messier, Leetch, Richter, etc. But the real reason I chose this particular jersey set is that awesome Lady Liberty jersey at the bottom. Not only was this the best looking third jersey out of all the third jerseys since the program began, but it is, in my opinion, the greatest jersey that ever was. I never got around to purchasing this particular one and would still love to own one with Messier's name and number on it. The anniversary jersey that the Rangers are currently wearing is pretty sharp, but nothing compares to this one. They need to bring it back and soon. I still think they should have promoted it, and its white variation, to their full-time home and away jerseys.

There you have it folks. My all-time favorite NHL jerseys. In the future, possibly next week even, I think I will post some of my jersey concept designs, as most of them are based on jerseys from this list. Until next time, Let's Go Red Wings!

The Top Ten Ugliest NHL Jerseys I've Ever Seen

2011-01-19T00:00:00.003-06:00

I love hockey. I love watching it, and I love discussing it. I grew up in a family that loved hockey. My maternal grandfather (hereby known as Pa-Pou) was a die-hard Blackhawks fan. He raised my aunt as a Chicago fan, and she was also a New York Rangers fan. This lead to my sister Maria becoming a Rangers fan. It was through her that I became a fan of the Rangers and then a fan of the Detroit Red Wings - the greatest franchise in the history of the NHL (IMHO).

So I've been an avid hockey fan for nearly 20 years. In that time, I've seen a lot of hockey jerseys. I've seen some really great jersey designs, some fairly mediocre ones, and some truly, horrendously, god-awful designs. I will be addressing the former in another post, but let's get the latter out of the way first. Without further adieu, here is my list of the ten worst looking NHL jerseys ever. (All images are from the Hockey Uniform Database.)

10. Atlanta Thrashers (2008 - Present)

There are probably worse looking jerseys I could have put on this list, but I just don't like these. There's no unity in these designs. They're just three completely unrelated jerseys. I'm not even sure which is the home, away, or third jersey. The white one is by far the best looking one, and by itself is really not that bad. But taken all together as a set of team uniforms, this is a disaster.

9. Minnesota Wild (2009 - Present)

The Wild's jerseys are pretty much in the same boat as the Thrashers' - no unity. Again, we have three totally different designs, three different logos, no idea which jersey is suppose to be worn for which occasion. To top it all off, the color scheme is just not good for hockey jerseys. I'm really not a fan of the Wild as a team concept at all. I'd rather the Stars have moved back to Minnesota than have this eyesore of a team around.

8. Philadelphia Flyers

You will notice that there is no date for the Flyers jersey as there is for other jerseys on this list. That is because all of the Flyers jerseys are hideous. I've simply chosen the one most familiar to me to represent their history of crimes against hockey fans' eyes. Orange and black are a great color combination - for Halloween decorations, not for hockey jerseys.

7. St. Louis Blues (1995 - 1998)

Ugh. Our first entry in the NHL's darkest period of jerseys: the 1990s. So many ugly jerseys from that time. So many teams with great looking jerseys who for reasons I cannot begin to fathom threw them out and replaced them with complete crap. Case in point, our St. Louis jersey here. They are the Blues, not the Reds, and there is far too much of that color here. I cannot believe we had to watch both Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky skate around in these. Thankfully, as the 90s came to a close sanity prevailed and the Blues came to their senses.

6. New York Islanders (1995 - 1997)

Oh lord, where do I begin? The Islanders didn't exactly have the best looking jerseys before these, but they were leagues better than this epic fail of a jersey. Commonly referred to as the "fish sticks" jersey by Isles fans, due to the logo that resembles the Gorton's fisherman, this jersey could have ranked much higher on this list if I actually gave a crap about the Islanders. But there are far worse looking jerseys ahead from far better teams.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning (1996 - 1999)

Our trek through 90s suck continues. I love the Lightning, I have since their inaugural season when I watched them bitch-slap the Blackhawks 7-4. Their original jerseys were very nice. But when the NHL started the third jersey program in the 90s, some teams got awesome jerseys (a few will be in my favorite jerseys post) and many got garbage like this. There is just far too much happening on this jersey. It's just ridiculous. Imagine if the Lightning had still been wearing these when they won the cup in 2005.

4. Phoenix Coyotes (1998 - 2003)

And the Coyotes get the trifecta of bad taste. This right here is a prime example of the insanity that was 1990s jersey designs. And don't let the date above fool you. The Coyotes wore these jerseys beginning in 1996; they sucked then and sucked even more when they added this terrible third jersey two years later. From the logo to the the striping to the colors to everything about these jerseys, there are no redeeming qualities present here. I can only assume the designer was blind.

3. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1995 - 1996)

Just when you thought you couldn't make a team based off of a Disney movie more ludicrous, here comes this little gem of a third jersey. What the hell was up with the nineties? Why are there all these crazy scenes on jersey designs? Clever logos just weren't enough for some teams, they have to have a cartoon duck goalie bursting out of the freaking ice. I just can't take much more.

2. Los Angeles Kings (1995 - 1996)

Good lord Gretzky was forced to wear some hideous jerseys late in his career. Apparently Los Angeles decided to get Burger King to sponsor the team, because that's the only explanation for this logo and jersey design. It just hurts my eyes looking at it. Although, not nearly as much as our number one entry...

1. Vancouver Canucks

Ladies and gentlemen, I present the ugliest jersey in NHL history. Actually, as with the Flyers, I have left out a date and am representing all of Vancouver's jerseys with this single eyesore. The Canucks have never had a decent looking jersey in the history of the team. They are all god-awful monstrosities that should be blasted from the face of the earth and wiped from our collective memories. Seriously, follow that link and look at all those jerseys. Not a good looking one in the bunch. Not even a good looking logo. The Canucks are a team of ridiculously dressed goons; they always have been, they always will be.

And that's it for the worst NHL jerseys I've ever had the misfortune of laying eyes upon. Next time, we will look at my favorite jersey designs.

Why I Want to Work in Animation

2011-01-17T04:40:00.000-06:00

I have long labeled myself as a cartoonist, despite never having made much money being one. So I am not sure that I can be considered a professional cartoonist, but I also don't like being called an amateur. I prefer the term aspiring cartoonist. Now most people, when they hear the term cartoonist, think of people who draw comic strips or maybe even comic books. I don't like to limit myself, and so I think of cartoonist as a broader term. That is to say, I feel it encompasses animation as well as comics. After all, we think of animated films and TV series as cartoons more than we think of comic strips as such.

I bring this all up for clarification. When I call myself a cartoonist I am not speaking strictly of comic strips, although I do enjoy making them. But I've come to the conclusion that I'll probably never be able to make a living creating comic strips and publishing them online. I've tried, maybe not as hard as I could have, over the years with little success. I've also never been completely satisfied in the medium creatively. It's not where I want to make a career for myself. It is in animation where I believe my path lies professionally. I'll probably always work on comics in some capacity, but as more of just a personal creative outlet - a hobby.

To further clarify, when I say I want to work in animation, it is not as an animator. That may seem confusing or contradictory to some, but it makes perfect sense to me. Animators have longed been called the actors of animated filmmaking, and it's possible to want to make movies without being an actor. That's basically what it's like for me. I can animate, it's just not one of my strong skills, and I don't enjoy it as much as other parts of the process. I prefer writing, storyboarding, conceptual design, and the post-production process - editing, compositing, etc. I also fancy myself a director, but I am not sure yet the best route to become one professionally. What I really want is to be involved in nearly every step of the animation process and to develop and produce my own original ideas. This is also why I like making comic strips - I can create whatever I want - but animation allows for things that comics, by their nature, cannot. With animation, my characters can move and speak. Animation allows for more action and can incorporate sound and music. Animation is also a collaborative medium and that allows me to work with people who are better at certain tasks them I am. True, I could work with other artists on my comic strips, but the solidarity is one of the things I like about that. I am a complex and sometimes contradictory person.

When you get right down to it though, there are two main reasons why I want to work in animation filmmaking. First, as I've sort of indicated, there are a lot of creative things I enjoy doing. I enjoy writing, drawing, directing, producing, editing, and doing cool stuff with computer software. Animation allows me to do all these things and more. Second, there are few things in this world that can compete with the feeling I get when I am sitting among an audience that is watching a film I worked on up on the screen, laughing and enjoying it. It's a natural high that is just the best feeling in the world. It's exhilarating, vindicating and makes you feel that all the work was worthwhile. It is a feeling I hope to experience more of in the future.

Caught in My Own Web of Sites

2011-01-14T06:00:00.003-06:00

I wanted to take a moment to talk about all of my various websites. Obviously, there's this blog. If you look at the URL above, you'll see it's a sub-domain of my main website, www.mikewytrykus.com. This site is purely a hub for all my other websites and social networking profiles. You can also find links to all of these sites over in the sidebar. I will now run down a list of them here:

Portfolio - This is my ZenPhoto powered, professional portfolio of my best work in comics and animation. Its purpose is primarily to help find me paying working, preferably with an animation studio or comics publisher. It's a mixture of work from my Columbia classes, stuff pertaining to my independent projects Grimstone and My Martian Friend, and anything else worth including.
Grimstone - My long running but sporadically updated comic strip. I haven't worked on this in a while, but I will never truly be done with it. I hope to get back to it soon, maybe publish on a weekly schedule for a while. Grimstone is the story of a skeleton named Ribcage struggling to make it as an actor in Hollywood. Of course, he only ever gets to play a skeleton in horror and fantasy movies, so work is even harder to come by than for most actors. He's joined by a colorful cast of other monsters and supernatural creatures.
My Martian Friend - This is a project that has been stuck in the development stage for a few years now. I've been working on it from time to time with my friend Steve. It's your basic boy and his alien best friend story, but I haven't been able to decide what medium I want to pursue it in. I'd really like to pitch it as an animated series at some point, but I also kind of want to work on it as a comic first so it would be more like adapting an existing property. I'm just not sure if I want to go more of a daily comic strip route or a monthly comic book route. So right now, there's really nothing there to see...yet.
Rabid Mongoose - The less said about this site the better. It's a few old stop motion toy movies that I did with Aaron Brown and some of our friends several years ago. It's a no-budget Robot Chicken before there was a Robot Chicken. They're still amusing to watch (to me anyway), but we could do sooo much better now.

As for the rest of my sites, it's all your basic social networking stuff. I've got a profile on Facebook and LinkedIn; a Twitter feed that I don't use as much as I probably should be; and my YouTube channel, which I've actually just started using to post videos. I wanted a place I could put some of my films and animation work that weren't quite good enough for my Portfolio but that I still wanted to share, and YouTube seemed like as good a place as any. I may, from time to time, spotlight one of these videos here at Man Bytes Blog.

So there you have it. The many websites of Mike Wytrykus. I probably have a couple other places floating out in the either somewhere, but these are the ones I use.

Blog at '11 - Part Two: Remains of the Year

2011-01-13T12:00:00.004-06:00

Let's continue my look back on 2010, a year that certainly will not be missed by anyone that I know.

As Autumn rolled around and brought new classes with it, I settled into more of a steady routine. For the first time in many years, neither one of us was moving to a new location, but we still ended up helping my parents move to theirs. Otherwise, the bulk of my time was spent focusing on school. I had two classes in the Fall: the first part of the two semester senior capstone class Animation Production Studio and a Fantasy Literature class about Harry Potter. Having already read all the Potter books twice, I felt thoroughly prepared for this class. I ended up reading the first two books for a third time but instead opted to listen to the audio books for the remaining five; I only got up to the first quarter of Half-Blood Prince. Still, I got another A in this class as well and wrote what I think is a fairly good short story for my final paper. It's basically a bit of post-Deathly Hallows fan fiction, but I like it a lot and will probably post some or all of it on here at a later date.

Animation Production Studio was a class that I had been both anticipating and dreading for a long time. I was not disappointed. The course involves a group of about 18 people or so all trying to work together on creating a completed animated short film from scratch. Needless to say, this is no easy task. There is so much I could say about the course, but I think I will save most of it for the end of the spring semester when it will be completely over and done with. I will say that I did ultimately enjoy the class. It can be quite fun and creatively fulfilling at times and frustrating and intolerable at others. I was not sure what role I would play in the class, I hoped to do some writing and storyboarding and considered maybe trying out for the director's position. I did not do as much of any of those as I had first hoped, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of directing the entire film, I'm only directing one of three sequences, and I think that worked out for the best. Although I'm not sure if I made any substantial contributions to the film's story and did mostly rough boards. I've spent most of my time working more on the technical side of things, editing together story reels, scanning and staging animation, composting. I will be doing even more of this kind of work next semester when I officially step into my role as the film's technical director.

I've long been searching for where exactly I fit into the animation production pipeline. I'm not completely sure I've found it yet, but I do have a somewhat better idea of where my skills may lie. I've always known I didn't want to be an actual animator; I've always been more interested in the pre-production and post-production sides of filmmaking. Writing and editing continue to be my two favorite parts of the process. And while I think I would enjoy doing the sort of work I've done for this class professionally, I'm starting to wonder if animation is what I really want to focus on. I'm interested in taking more screenwriting classes and may focus my efforts there and not limit myself strictly to animation. I'm not sure. Hopefully I'll have this all figured out by the time I graduate next year. I want to try and get an internship before then as well, and I think that might go a long way to helping me figure out where my talents are best utilized.

There's really not much left for me to say about 2010. I'm glad to see it go and hope that 2011 will be a much better year. I'm not going to hold my breathe though. I will leave you with my true highlight of 2010: I finally got a freaking iPhone and I love it. Trying to keep it free of dust and smudges drives me crazy a lot of the time, and I don't always like the bulk that a protective case adds to it (why is so much of it made of glass?!). However, the awesomeness of the device itself and the gazillion apps at my disposal more than make up for any issues I have, which all derive from my own obsessive-compulsive idiosyncrasies anyway. And I have not had any problems with AT&T's service and have no regrets about not waiting for it to finally come to Verizon.

Blog at '11

2011-01-12T22:04:00.010-06:00

Welcome to the new online home for all my random postings of words and pictures: Man Bytes Blog. It's 2011, a new year, and time for a new blog. And as a special bonus, this one comes pre-loaded with old blog posts, primarily from my long defunct MySpace blog (a few of these posts may have also resided on Grimstone for a time). All the old posts, comments and all the data is intact and will live on here. I will be using this new blog to post pretty much whatever the hell I feel like, anything that I want to write or draw, anything that doesn't fit in at any of my other sites.

Because it's been a long time since my last blog post of any kind (Grimstone hasn't updated at all since last March), I wanted to start by taking a look back, as so many do this time of year, at what went on in my life last year. All things considered, 2010 was kind of a quiet year for me, or at least that's how it seems. It certainly was a quiet year for Grimstone; it's 10th anniversary came and went with no pomp to be found or circumstance of any kind. I had planned to mark the occasion in some way, most likely by finally finishing the ultimate edition of my first book collection, but I barely did anything with Grimstone at all in 2010. In fact, the first half of 2010 is more or less a blur right now. All I can really recall is listening to a lot of Red Wings hockey games on the radio. No, 2010 didn't really get going for me until the summer, with the notable exception of the first annual Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo in mid-April. This was a convention that was so awesome, it deserves its own blog post, a shame I didn't write one last year. I'll talk about it more when I go to the second one in March.

Summer of 2010, in contrast to the rest of the year, was actually busier than my summers tend to be. It began with a decision to return to school to finally complete my degree and education in animation. I had crunched the numbers and determined that I would have enough financial aid to accomplish this, about the only good outcome of being unemployed for so long. I wanted to get a bit of a head start on things, so after several meetings and emails with advisors, I enrolled for a couple summer classes. Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I decided to take two history classes, traditionally my least favorite subject. There is also the added fact that since I re-enrolled at Columbia in 2004, I had yet to successfully complete a general education class. Much to my surprise, I rather enjoyed these two classes and got A's in both them, something I had not done in a gen ed course since my time at Purdue Calumet so very long ago. I was starting to feel good about my decision to return to Columbia.

Amidst my continuing education, other fun and joyous thing occurred that summer. My best friend Aaron and his girlfriend returned from Korea after spending two years there teaching English. Lynda and I spent a lot of time doing various things in downtown Chicago, beginning with our first ever visit to the Taste of Chicago. Throughout the summer, we also went to a couple museums, the Adler Planetarium's After Dark event, and a long overdue trip to Brookfield Zoo. Locally, we went to a few Greekfests and saw some movies. We skipped the former Wizard World Chicago comic con due to its steady decline over the past few years. Even the presence of both William Shatner and Adam West was not enough to entice us into another trip to Rosemont.

This blog post has gotten a bit long, so I think I will end it here and pick up tomorrow with part two of my 2010 year in review.

Top 14 Favorite Movies of 2009

2010-02-09T08:18:00.001-06:00

Every year for the past three or four, I've done a list of my favorite movies of the previous year. I've been holding off on making this list because there are still some movies from last year that I haven't seen yet that I am confident would be on this list.

Since I do not know when I will get around to seeing these movies, and it is already February, I am posting my list. After I have seen some more of the movies from last year that I missed, I will most likely come back to this post and revise my list.

The list ended up being 14 movies strong after revisions. These are all the films from 2009 that I personally rated at 4 stars.

14. The Princess and the Frog: An enjoyable return to traditional, hand-drawn Disney animation.

13. Drag Me to Hell: It's good to see that Sam Raimi has still got it when it comes to darkly humorous horror movies. Lots of fun.

12. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: This was a lot better than I thought it would be. Bruce Campbell is hilarious as the mayor. Good times.

11. Moon: A very cool, understated sci-fi film. I love Kevin Spacey's HAL 9000 impression. We need more sci-fi films like this one and less SyFy original movies.

10. The Invention of Lying: A brilliant concept. Ricky Gervais is always entertaining.

9. Sherlock Holmes: Robert Downey, Jr. continues to kick lots of ass.

8. Coraline: A great film, one that I actually enjoyed seeing in 3D. And for the record, all you in the uninformed masses, Tim Burton had nothing to do with this film. It was directed by Henry Selick, the man who actually directed The Nightmare Before Christmas (as well as James and the Giant Peach and the underrated Monkey Bone).

7. The Men Who Stare at Goats: This movie was hilarious. Clooney and McGregor are terrific in this. Hell, the whole cast is. Just a really fun movie.

6. Zombieland: Some people are sick of zombie movies. I am not one of them. Another fun, amusing, entertaining film, with one of the all-time best surprise cameos.

5. 500 Days of Summer: This movie is much better than a lot of people probably expect it is. It is not your typical romantic comedy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is becoming a great actor and I absolutely love Zooey Deschanel.

4. Inglorious Basterds: This is my all-time favorite Quentin Tarantino movie. Great script, great performances, an unbelievable ending. One of the best films of the year.

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: You all knew this was going to be on here somewhere. I love Harry Potter. This entry in the series was a new experience for me as it is the first one I've seen after reading the book. I still enjoyed it immensely, but was keenly aware of everything that got left out. If I have one complaint about the film, it's that there wasn't enough Snape. I would have liked to see him finally teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

2. Watchmen: A lot of people did not like this movie. A lot of comic book geeks thought it was not a good adaptation. I was not among these people. I thought the film was excellent and as faithful to the source material as it could reasonably be. I saw this one twice at the theater.

1. Up: Another brilliant Pixar masterpiece. A thoroughly enjoyable film from start to finish. Heartwarming, bittersweet and very funny all at the same time. By far the best film I saw this year.

As always, agree, disagree, I really do not care. Tune in next year for another list, same bat-time, same bat-channel.

Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship

2009-09-03T14:18:00.001-05:00

Well, it's official. I am not in the running for the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship. I will not be moving to California. I will not be spending a year writing for Nickelodeon, learning more about the TV animation production process, and earning more money then I've ever earned in my life.

First, a little background. Every year, Nickelodeon awards this Fellowship to 2-4 screenwriters. You get to go work at Nickelodeon's studio in Burbank for a year writing scripts and pitching story ideas. The pay is pretty good. Full details can be found at their website: http://www.nickwriting.com. I entered my submission to the Fellowship, a spec script for Batman: The Brave and The Bold, back in February and have been waiting on pins and needles ever since.

I waited on making this post until I was sure I wasn't going to get it, of course. See they were suppose to notify the semi-finalists by the end of August. When I didn't hear anything, I decided to send Nickelodeon an email asking if they had indeed notified all the semi-finalists. Today, I got the response to that email, saying that they had notified them all, thanking me for my interest and expressing their hope that I would enter again next year. And since I did not get a call, I figured it was safe to post about it.

And then the universe decided to rub a little salt into my wound. I had been following the blog of someone who had entered the Fellowship (as well as several other fellowships, something I probably should have done too) to see if he had heard anything. He hadn't heard anything by the end of August either and had given up hope on hearing from them at all. So he decided to enter next year and move on. Furthermore, since the last week of August, I had been searching online for some mention of someone, anyone, having gotten a call. I have been unable to find any such mention of anyone getting called anywhere. Until today. I had suspected that Nick might be running behind schedule and boy was I right. Soon after I got my email informing me that all semi-finalists had been called, the blog I had been checking posted another update. He got a call today from Nickelodeon and he is a semi-finalist. He must have been one of the last people called. Envious as I am, I do wish him the best and hope he at least makes it to the finalists. But it still feels like the universe kicking me when I'm down. After all, misery loves company.

Of course, now I'm just going to wonder if Nick ever even got my submission or if something else got messed up - some stupid little detail I neglected or someone losing one of my forms or something. I guess I will find out in October when they are suppose to notify everyone else that didn't make it. If I hear something, then I know I just didn't cut the mustard. If I don't hear anything, boy am I going to be pissed.

In the meantime, this all just means I will have more time to focus on creating comics. Grimstone will continue full steam ahead, and I will likely begin working in earnest on my other project, My Martian Friend. I was hoping to save it for animation, pitch it as a TV series, but I think my best course of action is to create the comic, put it out there, and see what happens.

Top 5 Favorite Movies of 2008

2009-01-03T01:42:00.001-06:00

Normally around this time of year, usually a bit after the New Year starts, I do my list of my favorite movies of the year. Not the movies I thought were best, but the movies I personally liked the most. Thus, my list will not resemble any critics' top ten lists.

Well, this being the crappiest year of, quite possibly, my entire life, I did not get to see as many movies as I usually do. While I did watch a bunch of DVDs through NetFlix, that was pretty much all older stuff or movies from last year. At the theatre, I only saw 9 movies. I went more than 9 times, seeing a couple movies as many as 3 times, but only 9 different movies.

So this year, I present to you, my Top 5 Favorite Movies of 2008.

5. Iron Man: Robert Downey, Jr. IS Tony Stark. Awesome flick.

4. The Incredible Hulk: Most people prefer Iron Man, but my love of the Hulk knows no bounds. That, along with all the great nods to the TV series, made me enjoy this movie a bit more than Iron Man. And it is far superior to Ang Lee's version.

3. Wall-E: Another fantastic effort by Pixar. Who would have thought the love child of R2-D2 and Johnny Five would yield one of the most adorable movie characters ever? The visuals here are just stunning. Pixar can do no wrong, they just can't.

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: I do not care what anyone has to say about this movie. I do not care about your gripes about the flying fridge, Shia's Tarzan syndrome, or the Close Encounters ending. I loved this movie. I saw it three times at the theatre and left humming along to that grand Raiders March each time. I for one would love another round with Dr. Jones while Harrison Ford is still able of sound mind and body.

1. The Dark Knight: Seriously, was anyone expecting my favorite movie of 2008 to be anything else? Not only is this my favorite movie of the year, it is the best movie of the year. Period. This film is a masterpiece and needs to win all kinds of Oscars. It would be a dishonor to the memory of Heath Ledger if he does not get the Best Supporting Actor award. This film will stand for years to come as the definitive live-action rendition of Batman, the Joker, et al. Brilliant performances, a great script, fantastic directing - the film is near perfect. Comic book movies do not get better than this and the bar for all future superhero films has been raised.

Honorable Mention
Cloverfield: I love the whole Godzilla meets Blair Witch thing this movie has going. Ironically, a movie that was shot on video (or at least appears that way) is better viewed in the theatre. Watching it on the big screen plus the wacky camera angles and POV make you feel like you're almost there. I'm just a sucker for giant monster movies.

And there you have it. Agree, disagree, I really don't care. Make your own damn list, this one is mine. Now I must return to watching the Dark Knight DVD.

P.S. After re-reading my favorite lists of the two previous years, I remembered another reason why this list is so short. Two movies that should have been out in 2008 that most definitely would have been on this list got pushed back to next year: Star Trek and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I don't know if either would have beat out Dark Knight for me, but I know Harry Potter would have been a contender.

LA or Bust: Post-Trip Travel Blog, Part 2

2008-08-23T22:41:00.002-05:00

Thursday:
This was double studio tour day one. We began with Cartoon Network at 10:30 am. Once again we had to give a ride to the other Columbia student staying at are hotel. In retrospect, I wish we had all walked to CN. The studio is well within walking distance, and ironically enough was the only place we had to pay for parking. Which the guy we were giving a ride to did not pitch in on, in fact, he never even offered us gas money, so yeah, he was basically a mooch. I'm still surprised he didn't try to tag along on any of our dinner outings. Anyway, getting back on topic, Cartoon Network. This was by far my favorite tour. Our guide was really cool and very eager to show us stuff and answer are questions. He is one of the producers on the excellent Transformers Animated, best TF show in over 10 years. We got to see A LOT. We talked to people from like every department, saw all the different show areas. We talked to a veteran animation director for a good long while who gave us lots of advice and words of encouragement. We got to see the actually Flash animation files from episodes of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. We got to meet the creator of Chowder. We got to talk to and see the work of storyboard artists, animators, script writers, background artists. We briefly got to meet one of the head honchos of their new development program the Cartoonstitute. Fortunately, I was able to meet one of his staff members whom I had spoken with on the phone the previous week and gave her my portfolio CD and pitch book for the My Martian Friend cartoon that Steve and I are working on. We just got to see so much cool stuff and meet so many people. We ended the tour with the Transformers area where Lynda impressed the producer with her Starscream tattoos and we got to see character model sheets of upcoming characters, actual animation pages, and ask when all the Starscream clones will get their proper name. It was awesome. We all left copies of all work with our guide and headed out.

Next stop was Warner Brothers Animation. Warners was a mixed bag. There was a lot of cool production artwork around, but there just isn't much happening there right now or a lot of work to be had. We did get some good insight on the business side of animation from one of the executives, saw some cool background artwork, got some sneak peeks at upcoming DC Comic DVDs, and talked to some people in some of the more technical areas of animation. The highlight of the tour was getting to see uber-producer Bruce Timm (Batman, Superman, Justice League, etc) roaming the facilities, talking to his artists, and looking generally annoyed by our presence. It was sweet.

Thursday night ended with an ok dinner and so-so service at the hotel restaurant, another trip to the mall and more frozen yogurt. I think that was Thursday night, coulda been Friday though.

Friday:
This was double studio tour day number two. First stop, Nickelodeon. Nick was an okay place. Again, we saw some cool stuff and talked to some cool people, but I really feel like we just scratched the surface. I honestly cannot remember much about Nick right now, so that might tell you something. I just wasn't impressed. Sure, they showed us a yet to air episode of Spongebob, but I really couldn't care less about Spongebob. Nick was the only place, surprisingly, where we had to sign release forms for submitting stuff. I once again left them a copy of my portfolio and the My Martian Friend pitch book. They also gave us a goodie bag with various Nick branded office supplies and stuff in it. All in all, not a bad experience, I just would have liked to see more.

From there we had just enough time to get over to Walt Disney Feature Animation. This place was cool. The parking garage was a crazy mess of a maze and almost felt like being on some weird ride at Disney land. The facility itself is nice, not quite as awesome as Dreamworks, but we saw waaay more cool stuff. Our tour guide was really cool, he was just coming off of their upcoming film Bolt. We got to see the departments working on that film, Rapunzel, and Disney's return to 2D The Princess and the Frog. Tons of great production art everywhere. We got to stand in the room that was once the office of Roy Disney, inside the Sorcerer's Apprentice hat. We ended our tour talking to a former Columbia student about how to break into the business and everything. He had a very cool work area where he took an old animation desk and replaced the standard animation light table disc with a big fancy Wacom Cintiq tablet. Very sweet. All in all a good tour. Any place that has a free cereal bar is gotta be a nice place to work.

Friday night we made one last trip to BJ's for dinner. Alas, no more hundred dollar bills waiting for me on the ground. We were originally suppose to meet up with the whole group to do...something. But we kinda fell asleep for a while at the hotel and after we got up, we were unable to get a hold of anyone.

Saturday:
Another long day of travel. We slept in a little later than usual, packed up, checked out, and grabbed some brunch at Denny's. From there it was off to Avis to drop off the rental car and on to LAX. Our first flight out was a short one to Phoenix. Got to see the desert from the plane. We were in Phoenix just long enough to grab some TCBY and get to our plane to Chicago. That was another long flight where nothing was free. We got into O'hare after midnight, and were very tired and hungry. We met up with my parents at baggage claim, and while trying to show my dad pictures of the Disney building, my PDA decided it was going to go all wacky on me and basically fry my memory card, effectively erasing all the pictures from my trip. After the long drive home, trying to recover these photos was one of my first priorities. I stayed up late and tried like crazy for the next couple days running data recovery program after data recovery program to get the files back. They found them, but they were way too corrupt to save. Fortunately, there were not that many, around a dozen or so, and nothing "once in a lifetime" kinda thing. Just photos of buildings and mountains and stuff. Oh well.

And that is it for the trip. It is one week later, and we haven't really heard anything yet. Lynda sent out some thank you cards. I followed up by email with my CN contact to make sure I don't need to sign anything for the MMF pitch, but I still want to follow-up with a few other people. I have no idea if either of us will get anything out of this trip. I sure hope at least one of us does. But either way, it was worth it, and I am glad we went. But I really, REALLY, want to work at one of these studios. So fingers crossed.

Cheers.

LA or Bust: Post-Trip Travel Blog, Part 1

2008-08-19T12:29:00.002-05:00

I'm going to go through a rundown of my trip to California. All in all, it was a good trip, but it will probably be some time before we know if the seeds we planted will bare any fruit.

Sunday:
This was basically travel day. My parents took me & Lynda to the airport (O'Hare). Our first flight out was delayed by a good half hour or so because of staffing issues or something. The flight itself was good for the most part. This flight was on United, the rest were on US Airways, and it had the best service. Drinks and the movie were free on United, they weren't on US Airways. Food was the same on both, $5 for a snack box. There was some turbulence near the end and a very rough landing that had me very nauseous and in search of some dramamine when we landed.

This first flight was to Las Vegas, and by the time we got there we had like an hour before our next flight. Just enough time to use a few dollars on the airport slot machines. The next flight, to Los Angeles, was way shorter than the first (1 hour vs 3 and a half). Thankfully this flight was smoother, and our luggage was all there when we got to baggage claim. From there we picked up the rental car, a really small but fuel efficient little bugger we called "Wasp" because it looked like a blue-green version of Bumblebee from Transformers Animated. We then made our way through Los Angeles, passing the convention center, on to our hotel in Burbank, the Holiday Inn Media Center.

The rest of the night was spent checking in, unpacking, and searching all over downtown Burbank for somewhere to eat that was still open at 11pm on a Sunday. We finally found an IHOP, ate a great dinner/breakfast, drug are weary jet-lagged asses back to the hotel and crashed.

Monday:
This was explore downtown Burbank day. We started with driving around the area, trying to locate the Jim Henson Creature Shop, but were unable to find it. We grabbed some lunch at Quiznos and some provisions at a small grocery store, many food for breakfast for the week. We returned our supplies to the hotel and decided to continue exploring Burbank on foot. We finally found the Cartoon Network building, grabbed some smoothies at Cold Stone creamery, checked out the local stores, including two interesting used book stores, and ended the night at a very nice restaurant & micro-brewery called BJ's. Great food, great service, wish we had one here. On our way back to the hotel, I found a $100 bill lying on the ground that was a most welcome addition to our food fund for the week.

Tuesday:
This was mainly Siggraph day. Siggraph is the big computer graphics, animation and technology convention. We went because there was a job fair, which turned out to be a real bust. No one was taking anything more than resumes, no reels or portfolios. A couple places were giving on-site reviews of these items, but the wait list was far too long. We actually had much better luck on the main convention floor. Oddly enough, places out there WERE taking portfolio and resume submissions. It was really ass-backwards. So we gave our stuff to companies like Blue Sky, Lucasfilm/LucasArts, and a company out of Oregon that does a lot of different animation - including the stop-motion for an upcoming film by the director of Nightmare Before Christmas & James and the Giant Peach. They gave us free t-shirts and viewmasters. We also got some other free swag from other exhibitors, including more t-shirts and a 512MB flash drive wristband.

By the time we left Siggraph, which really wasn't that late, we were tired and hungry. We drove a little around Los Angeles's many market districts and made our way back to the hotel through the beginnings of rush hour traffic. We did a little more walking around downtown Burbank again, checked out the mall and almost got dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen, but instead ended up back at BJ's for some of their California version of Chicago deep dish pizza. It was good and we got some free dessert - a giant chocolate chip cookie ala mode.

Wednesday:
This was Dreamworks day. Our tour wasn't until late in the afternoon, so we basically slept in and lounged around the hotel until then. Around 4pm or so, we met up with one of the other Columbia students staying at the hotel that we were giving a ride to. Dreamworks was our first tour and was probably the nicest looking place of the bunch. The facility is laid out like a college campus, many building, lots of plants and fountains and stuff. We really didn't get to see that much of the working parts of the studio or really meet anyone other than our tour guide. We did get a sneak preview of Madagascar 2, and lingered too long in certain areas. They do have a nice cafeteria where employees get free meals, and lots of great recreational areas with video games, and foosball tables and such. All in all, seems like a nice place to work, but the tour was a bit of a let down since we really didn't see any animators or anyone actually at work. It kind of reminded me of a Simpsons episode we caught while at the hotel, where Bart's Angry Dad comic becomes an Internet cartoon and the company making it has everyone just playing and not working. And then Stan Lee tries to turn into the Hulk. Funny stuff.

Our group that was out there touring with us decided they were going to eat dinner at one of the most expenses restaurants in our area, so we opted to eat at Fuddruckers instead and conserve our money a bit longer. We followed that with dessert at this really cool self-service frozen yogurt shop where you pay by weight. Like 10 different flavors of yogurt, take as little or as much as you want, with lots of toppings - fruit, candy, and cereal. Once again, wish we had one here.

And my hands are really tired now, so I will finish this up later in Part 2.

LA or Bust

2008-08-08T09:19:00.000-05:00

Lynda and I are leaving on Sunday for Los Angeles / Burbank. We will be there the entire week, returning late Saturday night / early Sunday morning.

There we will be joined by several other former Columbia College Students. We will be taking tours of the following animation studios: Dreamworks, Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, and Disney.

We are going to give out copies of our animation reel (her) and story portfolio (me) in hopes of obtaining some work in the not too distant future.

I was really hoping to get the chance to setup a meeting at CN or Nick to pitch to someone while I'm there. While this is not happening, I did get in touch with someone from CN's new shorts program the Cartoonstitute.

I'm going to try and talk to her more while I'm there and try to get in on it that at some point in the near future. I am taking along a pitch book for My Martian Friend to leave with her to let her bosses look at. So who knows, maybe something will come out of that.

Either way I'm going to try to make as many contacts as I can and try really hard to get foot in the door.

God willing, at least one of us will be able to ultimately get a job out of this that would allow us to move out there later this year.

And please no comments like "remember me when you're a big shot in Hollywood" or "when you become rich & famous" or anything. It is far too soon for that.

I still have a ways to go before I find that elusive rainbow connection. In the meantime, I'll get loving, dreaming, and being me.