The following is a review/analysis. If plot details or analytical conjecture would ruin the experience for you, please read the album first. Enjoy!
Aurora the Sprite
A dead child is only the beginning of cruelty in Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoet’s Beautiful Darkness. This eurpoean graphic album, available stateside from Drawn and Quaterly, juxtaposes the life of a child with the death of child in a manner that breaks the heart and chills the spine. Continue reading
Science Fiction pulp covers are amazing and you can get collections of them everywhere. Internal illustrations are the b-sides of history, often forgotten. Not here. This collection of images comes from If Magazine‘s November 1963 issue. Thrill at the Muck Man! Be Amazed by the Dolphin of Thunder! Wonder at a rocket robot with a tail for a nose!
Illustrations by Jack Gaughan, Norman Nodel, Ed Emshwiller, and Virgil Finlay. Continue reading
Here’s a discovery. Startling Comics #49 from 1948 has an early appearance of a particular bending unit from the year 3000. Continue reading
Creator: Eric Haven
Publisher: Fantagraphics
In order to have alternatives, you must seek out alternatives. Vague Tales is not a comic to pick up if you like comics as they are. It’s a comic to pick up to see what comics can be. They can be weird. Continue reading
“What do I know of plumbing? Do I plumb? Have I plumbed?” – Luigi
There are games and then there are experiences. A game invites you in, gives you options, and let’s you play within the rules. An experience resonates and changes you. Some games engender experiences. Some don’t even try. When you encounter an experience in the wild, unburdened by marketing or expectations, it’s a glorious day. The day of Ennuigi. Continue reading
Our Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers Rewatch continues. Read about Episode 1: Phoenix first if you like or dive in below. These synopses will be featured on the Beta Mountain wiki, a great resource for those interested in a deep dive on the show. Comments, likes and shares are always appreciated.
Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
Episode 1: New Frontier
Written by: Robert Mandell
Synopsis:
The Rangers have assembled for the first time at B.E.T.A. the Bureau of Extra-Terrestrial Affairs. They await the arrival of the eminent Dr. Owen Negata, a green brain on a flying plate. Dr. Negata informs the Rangers of their next mission. It seems Captain Kidd has reached out to the Rangers offering an exchange. Information on the abducted humans in exchange for a trade alliance. The Rangers must travel to the planet Tortuna to negotiate the deal. Continue reading
Attention: This review contains analysis and therefore spoilers.
Is Ghibli magic? Those two word arrive together more often than not and the pairing is rarely disputed. Is magic replicable? Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the new release from Studio Ponoc seeks to expand the magic beyond the walls of the venerable studio. Unfortunately, while the beauty of the imagery, and its close approximation to Ghibli’s style, cannot be denied, it takes more than beauty to make magic. Continue reading
There was a time in your life when your neurons fired off like assault rifles. Thoughts burned through your brain leaving permanent scars. Everything mattered and the universe opened a door to your awakening. We call this time adolescence. Like all important events, we focus on the end, the disappointment, the disillusionment when that great door slammed itself in your face once more. It’s why we shame nostalgia. What existed in our middle childhood that didn’t turn out to be an illusion? Continue reading
The boundaries of our totality are slipping. How else can you explain this animated version of Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula from the 1960’s? Surely it’s the surfeit of apostrophes. Compare. Continue reading
We take a break from our regularly schedule Bionic Six Rewatch (don’t worry, it will return) for an essay someone actually asked for. An Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers Rewatch. These synopses will be featured on the Beta Mountain wiki, a great resource for those interested in a deep dive on the show. And in a way, Galaxy Rangers is a sibling to Bionic Six, same production company, similar bionics, different setting.
Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
Episode 1: Phoenix
Written by: Robert Mandell
Synopsis:
“In 2086, two peaceful aliens journeyed to Earth seeking our help. In return, they gave us the plans for our first hyperdrive, allowing mankind to open the doors to the stars.” Continue reading
