The two biggest fighting game franchises of their time (and ours) were adapted into feature films one after another: first Street Fighter in 1994, then Mortal Kombat in 1995. The question is, why did one work and the other didn’t? The Structure: The first and, I think, the most important factor is how the two … Continue reading Compare – Contrast: ‘Street Fighter’ vs. ‘Mortal Kombat’
On Writing
Friday (Saturday) Flotsam: Agatha Christie
1. Missed yesterday, obviously. I'm currently on a kind of personal mini-retreat at my sister's, which meant being on the road or otherwise occupied for the past few days. 2. On the way up I listened to the Miss Marple novel They Do it With Mirrors. It isn't one of Dame Agatha Christie's best (I … Continue reading Friday (Saturday) Flotsam: Agatha Christie
Friday Flotsam – Mostly on Superman
1. Been adjusting lately to various life developments (yeah, I'm gonna go with that), which means I haven't quite worked out how to fit blogging into the picture. I intend to blog more regularly going forward, but so far I haven't worked out how. 2. Working on a post summarizing how I think Zack Synder … Continue reading Friday Flotsam – Mostly on Superman
Repost: Heroes, Dark Heroes, and Antiheroes
Found this excellent post through a friend's blog, and I highly recommend it for an insightful summary of the progress of the past hundred years or so in storytelling. The key point, it seems to me, is this: There’s a reason humans innately love morally upright characters, and it’s because storytelling was originally a vehicle … Continue reading Repost: Heroes, Dark Heroes, and Antiheroes
Some Thoughts on ‘Silver Spoon’
I have recently begun to seriously explore the wonderful world of anime and manga. And one of my favorites so far has been Silver Spoon, which I am currently in the process of reading after having finished the anime (which, unfortunately, only covers about the first half to two-thirds … Continue reading Some Thoughts on ‘Silver Spoon’
A Dramatic Illustration of How Marvel has Fallen
This is fascinating, and appalling. This guy compares the most recent Captain Marvel comic with a classic Avengers issue by Chris Claremont from 1981. The difference between them is stunning. Language warning - it's not non-stop profanity, but he loses his temper at one point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW8MO4jAUH0
The Nuances of How Superpowered Characters Are Received at Home
The irreplaceable Caroline Furlong has another insightful essay in her series on writing superpowered characters; this one is on how they should be viewed in their own world. In it, she hits several points of nuance that the vast majority of modern writers (especially those working in Hollywood or in the comics industry) seem incapable … Continue reading The Nuances of How Superpowered Characters Are Received at Home
Do the Powers Make the Hero?
The Irreplaceable Caroline Furlong writes an excellent piece about whether the superhuman powers of a hero is what makes him a hero worth rooting for, or not: Due to the numerous ways extraordinary faculties can be introduced into a tale, there are several conditions that an author must consider when creating powered protagonists. In today’s … Continue reading Do the Powers Make the Hero?
On Moral Ambiguity
"There are precious few at ease / with moral ambiguities / so we act as though they don't exist." That's a lyric from the show Wicked, in which the Wizard - here portrayed as wholly a bad guy, rather than an ultimately harmless 'humbug' - sings about why he deceived the ignorant and superstitious people of Oz. I … Continue reading On Moral Ambiguity
Thoughts on ‘The Empire Strikes Back’
Past Entries: -Star Wars -The Holiday Special Empire Strikes Back is generally regarded as the best of the ‘Star Wars’ films, and for good reason. This is where the fun space adventure of the original film becomes something grander: something epic, yet without losing the adventure and excitement of the original. The film, as the … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘The Empire Strikes Back’
Serpent's Den 