Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Flotsam & Jetsam from Hell Week

Still no time to put up the next DUCKTALES RETROSPECTIVE -- it's been that kind of week.  Even with the added advantage of an unexpected day off from school (on Monday) because of snow, I haven't been able to proceed with "Duckman of Aquatraz."  Things look more promising for this weekend, however.  In the interim, I'll serve up a goulash of gobbets of various types.

Another sign of how busy I've been is that I never did get a chance to post my bracket of predictions for the NCAA tournament.  Ten of my "Sweet 16" are still alive:  Louisville, Michigan State, Duke, Ohio State, Kansas, Florida, Indiana, Syracuse, Marquette, and Miami (Fla.).  That's actually not so bad given the upset-laden nature of this year's Tournament.  Florida Gulf Coast?  Is that an educational institution or the name of an oil refining company?  For the record, my Final Four consists of Louisville, Ohio State, Kansas, and Marquette.  All of them are still alive and well.

From longtime friend Mark Lungo comes word that a "remastered" version of the classic late-80s DuckTales video game will be released by Capcom this Summer.  It's remastered, but, thankfully, not "re-imagined"; as you can see above, many of the original's features are being retained but are being slicked up a bit.  I'm not a game-player, but I can see many nostalgic gamers and Duck fans jumping on this release with both webbed feet.  The (surviving) original voice actors will apparently be returning to lend their voices to the game.

I saw where Joe Torcivia plans to start digging back into his "short boxes" to review old comics, now that he's pretty much stopped buying new ones.  I'm taking a slightly different tack in order to keep my comics-reviewing chops sharp.  With Ape's RICHIE RICH apparently dead in the water and the IDW and Fantagraphics comic-strip collections that I follow releasing new volumes at such a slow pace, I've decided to take the "pony plunge" and give the much-praised MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC a try.  Too many folks whose opinions I respect have told me that this series is worth checking out.  I remain a little skeptical for all that; why would IDW feel the need to produce all of those issues with variant covers if it REALLY felt confident that the comics series could stand on its own four hooves, as it were?  My last experience with variant covers, back during the Boom! Disney era, was somewhat less than optimal.  In any event, you'll be seeing reviews of the first MLP four-issue story arc sooner or later, once I get "out from under behind the eight-ball."

See you this weekend... if all goes well.

6 comments:

  1. Chris:

    MLP? These are strange times indeed!

    Not to say it won’t be good… but, if you’re going to patronize IDW, why not go for POPEYE? It’s the only new comic I’ve broken my “retirement rule” for – and small wonder why. It’s sort of like what Disney’s MICKEY MOUSE ADVENTURES was… owing much to its origins, and the kind of thing you never thought you’d see done new again!

    Clearly, these have been busy and difficult times for us both, yet we both strive to keep our Blogs fresh. ‘Cause, that’s the way we’re built! That’s why you’ll see a Porky Pig Dell Four Color review tomorrow. I really will have to do more of those.

    Why don’t you go “back to the boxes”, too? I know you have some interesting stuff in there.

    Joe.

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  2. Yaaaay! My Little Pony I love this show!

    The series final was 20 minutes of disapoitment but as a whole the series Is simply amazing in the way it's targeted to little girls yet adult can enjoy it on their own level :)

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  3. @Joe Torcivia - Ow, for a second I was thinking your talking about the oryginal Segar strip... WICH I LOVE!!!! The (often dark) humor, the characters, the unique atmospher...I both all six books by Phantagraphic and I was supprise how better and better the stories got...

    I didn't see this much of the new Popeye's comics but what I've seen felt very poor and screeming with rehashing but that's just my opinion...


    As for MLP - It's good. I know seeing comic stories about talking cute ponies is obvious "Ow, this is some girly crap" but It's actually very good, funny and worth to be mentioned among some of the best current series out there...


    Yours
    Pan Miluś

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  4. I'll agree with Joe Torcivia..IDW's Popeye is a surprisingly good comic, thanks to Roger Langridge's writing and the various artists who drew the stories who really have an appreciation for Segar's work and are fantastic cartoonists. (Unfortunately the new Popeye comic is coming to an end with issue 12). Popeye, Classic Popeye and Kaboom's Peanuts comic are the only monthly comics I read regularly anymore.

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  5. Chris,

    This is in check with the impression I've had that people my age, who grew up with DuckTales, are actually more nostalgic for this video game than the show itself. (I consider that unfortunate.)

    I never thought there would've been "buzz" over a My Little Pony comic. A lot that might be due to IDW's clever marketing of the book. If you do end up reviewing it, your take might determine if I "take the 'pony plunge'", too.

    -- Ryan

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  6. "if you’re going to patronize IDW, why not go for POPEYE?"

    The Langridge Popeye book will apparently be shut down with issue 12. Dunno whether the Sagendorf book will continue, though.

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