In 1963 Tetsuwan Atom made its way to the United States as Astro Boy. Syndicated by NBC Films, the cartoon proved very successful, so much so that it would launch a wave towards Japanese cartoons on American television that would last nearly to the end of the decade. At the time the Japanese word "anime (itself a slang abbreviation of the Japanese word animeshon, "animation")" was largely unknown in America and would not enter the English language for decades. The word Japanamation, largely abhorred by modern day anime fans, would not be coined until the next decade. Indeed, most children who watched these cartoons were not even aware that they originated in Japan. And many of the cartoons' American distributors took pains to hide their country of origin.
Regardless, the 1966-1967 season would see more anime series follow Astro Boy, 8th Man, and Gigantor onto American television. Among these was Yuusei Shounen Papi, which debuted in Japan in June 1965. The cartoon was brought to the United States by none other than American International Pictures, the legendary b-movie studio. It was renamed Prince Planet for American consumers and debuted on American television in the January 1967. It was produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff (co-founder of AIP and producer on their Edgar Allen Poe adaptations and later such films as Blacula and the Seventies version of The Island of Dr. Moreau) and James M. Nicholson (co-founder of AIP and producer on their many "beach party" movies and later The Abominable Dr. Phibes).
Prince Planet centred on one of the Universal Peace Corps who comes to Earth to consider our planet for membership in the Galactic Union. In the process he finds himself battling both extraterrestrial and domestic threats to Earth. AIP toned down much of the violence in the original Japanese cartoon, although a lot of it was still fairly obvious. Prince Planet's foes had an uncanny knack for being killed off, and at times Prince Planet was responsible for their deaths. Ultimately, this would not insure its survival once the Sixties became the Seventies.
Another Japanese cartoon to make its way Stateside in the 1966-1967 season was partially the result of NBC Films' desire for another hit series to follow in the wake of Astro Boy. In 1965 NBC Films approached "god of manga" and "father of anime" Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astro Boy, for any new ideas for a series. Tezuka brought up a manga that he had written and was first published in 1951 in Japan called Janguru Taitei ("Jungle Emperor"). The manga followed an orphaned lion kitten named Leo from his birth to adulthood, when Leo sought to bring peace to the jungle as its "emperor." NBC liked the idea and only demanded that it be shot in colour. Tezuka told them that Mushi Productions had never made a colour cartoon. In response NBC Films not only paid for many of the production costs on Janguru Taitei, but paid for the conversion of Mushi Productions to colour production. While Tetsuwan Atom, Tetsujin 28-go, and Eitoman were all shot in black and white, Janguru Taitei would become the first anime series shot in colour
The resultant series was largely a loyal adaptation of the manga, with Leo maturing from a kitten to an adult. It not only featured serialised storylines, but, while the show's central theme was essentially peace, it did contain more violence than most American cartoons of the time. Before the series could air in America, then, NBC felt that changes would have to be made. Because at the time syndicated series were almost never shown on local stations in the order in which they were made, NBC Films wanted each episode to be self contained. This meant that there could be no serialised storylines. They also wanted Leo to remain a kitten throughout the series run. Ultimately NBC Films would only accept the first 52 episodes in which Leo was a kitten, although they did say that if the series was a hit they would consider a sequel in which he would be an adult. Finally, much of the violence had to be sanitised for American audiences. Under no circumstances could the heroes willingly kill a villain. As a result in the American version, antagonists always died by accident.
NBC Films once more looked to Fred Ladd, who had adapted both Astro Boy and Gigantor, to adapt Janguru Taitei for American audiences. Ladd would use many of the same team who worked on Astro Boy. Feeling that Leo was a bit too generic a name for a lion and the fact that MGM's mascot was also called "Leo," initially the character was called "Simba (Swahili for "lion")." NBC Films, however, wanted a unique name that could be copyrighted--"Simba" being a Swahili word was very much in the public domain. The name "Kimba" was then suggested and became the hero's name. Janguru Taitei debuted in Japan in October 1965. The American version, Kimba the White Lion debuted in the fall of 1966. In both countries the series was wildly successful. In America Kimba the White Lion would become Tezuka's best known creation besides Astro Boy.
The success of the series on both sides of the Pacific guaranteed a sequel. Tezuka went ahead and produced Janguru Taitei Susume Reo without NBC Films, which debuted in Japan in October 1966. Featuring Leo as an adult, it was more or less a loyal adaptation of the original manga. Indeed, many of the characters in the original series would be killed off! While not as popular as Janguru Taitei, the new series was a hit in Japan. NBC Films, looking at Tezuka's new show as overly violent for American audiences, passed on the series. It would eventually reach American shores as Leo the Lion, broadcast in heavily edited form on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
Of course, Kimba the White Lion would make an impact on Anglo-American pop culture again when anime fans accused Disney of plagiarising Tezuka's work for their movie The Lion King in the Nineties. While Disney has always disputed this claim, there is some evidence that points in that direction. Early in the production of the film, the lead character was referred to by those involved as "Kimba." Matthew Broderick, who voiced Simba in the film, even stated that he believed he was being hired for a Disney remake of Kimba the White Lion. While the stories of Janguru Taitei and The Lion King differ considerably, there are some similarities both in characters and in various situations. A scene in which Simba's father Mufasa stands on a cliff is remarkably similar to one in which Kimba stands on a cliff. In both Janguru Taitei and The Lion King there are scenes in which both Leo and Simba's fathers appear in the sky. Fred Ladd feels that Disney's contention that The Lion King did not draw upon Janguru Taitei "is ludicrous." It is the contention of Osamu Tezuka's heirs that Disney did not intentionally plagiarise Janguru Taitei and that it was entirely coincidental. Regardless, the controversy has never really faded.
Kimba the White Lion was not the only anime series shot in colour to make its American debut in the 1966-1967 season. Kaitei Shonen Marien
was historic in that it was the first anime series made with
importation to foreign markets in mind. Produced by K Fujita Associates
Inc, it debuted in Japan in 1966. The American rights to the series were
bought by Warner Brothers/Seven Arts Television. The series centred on
Marine Boy, whose father was part of the Ocean Patrol, a group devoted
to keeping the world's oceans safe and secure. Marine Boy could breath
underwater through the use of "oxygum," a chewing gum which allowed
anyone to breath below water. The American adaptation, simply titled Marine Boy,
debuted in fall 1966 and was produced by Stanley Jaffe. As was usually
the case, the violence in the original anime was toned own for American
audiences. Despite this, Marine Boy was still attacked for what
watchdog groups perceived as its violent content. Even though Marine Boy
never killed anyone on the series and the deaths of any villains were
usually accidental, the National Association for Better Broadcasting
called the series "...one of the very worst animated shows..." and
claimed it expressed "... a relish for torture and destruction of
characters." Regardless, Marine Boy proved to be successful and would remain in syndication in America for some time. It would later air in Australia.
The 1966-1967 would also see the first cartoon created through cooperation between American animators and Japanese animators. The King Kong Show, based on the legendary movie ape, was a cooperative effort between Rakin-Bass (best known for their stop motion holiday specials) and Toei Animation. It was historic as the first Saturday morning animated series to debut on primetime in the United States, in a special aired on ABC shortly before its debut on Saturday morning. It debuted in America in September of 1966 and in Japan in April of 1967.
Not every anime considered for American adaptation would air here. Fred Ladd would dub the pilot episodes of Uchuu Shounen Soran ("Space Boy Soran" in America) and Uchuu Ace ("Space Ace" in English) into English in an effort to sell them to an American distributor. Neither series sold, although Uuchu Ace would eventually be adapted into English and aired in Australia in the early Seventies.
The 1967-1968 season would see yet more anime series make their way to the United States. It would also be the final season in which anime in appreciable number made their way to America. Among these series would be W 3 (short for "Wonder 3"), another creation of Osamu Tezuka. W 3 was based on the manga of the same name, which first saw print in 1965. The animated series debuted in Japan the same year, in June 1965. It centred on three agents of the Galactic Council who go to Earth to decide if our war torn planet should be destroyed or not. To blend in the three agents took over the bodies of three animals--a rabbit (Bokko in the original; Captain Bonnie in the American version), a duck (Pukko in the original; Lt. Zero in the American version), and a horse (Nokko in the original; Cpl. Ronnie in the American version). The three befriended a boy, Shinichi Hoshi (Kenny Carter in the American version), who is the only one who knows their secret. The American adaptation of W 3, retitled Amazing 3, was produced by Copri International, the same people responsible for Eighth Man a few years earlier. The series was not as successful as either of Tezuka's other creations (Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion), although it did develop a following. Sadly, the 16mm prints of the American version are believed to have either been lost or destroyed. Only a few bootleg VHS tapes of broadcasts on local stations still exist.
While Amazing 3 would only see limited success in America, the same cannot be said for Mach Go Go Go. The series was based on a manga of the same name by Tatsuo Yoshida and first published in 1966. Both the manga and the animated series focused on young racer Go Mifune (whose last name was a homage to legendary actor Toshiro Mifune) and his specially equipped car, "Mach Go." Both the manga and the show featured complex plots involving conspiracies and plenty of action. Debuting in Japan in April 1967, it was wildly successful.
The American rights to Mach Go Go Go was quickly bought by Trans-Lux, the same company which had helped distribute Gigantor. For the American adaptation the series was renamed Speed Racer, as was the lead character. The car, "Mach Go," was translated literally as "Mach Five." As usual with anime, series, much of the violence in the anime was re-edited. Speed Racer debuted in the United States in the fall of 1967. Even given the plethora of anime released since that time, Speed Racer would prove to be the most successful anime in America of all time. The original series was still being reran in syndication in America well into the Eighties. In the Nineties it would air on MTV and later on the Cartoon Network and then Boomerang. The series has been released on DVD. In addition, a new series, The New Adventures of Speed Racer, was made by Americans in 1993. It flopped, only lasting 13 episodes. Speed Racer X, based on a new 1997 anime produced in Japan by Tatsunoko Productionsm would make its way to America. The show did not last long in the United States, brought to a halt by a lawsuit brought by Speed Racer Enterprises (current owners of the original series). Since 1992 Warner Brothers has planned a feature film based on Speed Racer. The movie remained in development hell for years, with actors and directors coming to and going from the project. In October 2006, however, the Wachowski brothers (responsible for The Matrix trilogy), signed on to direct the feature. It is set for release in May 2008.
Only one more anime series would nearly make its way to America in the Sixties. Ribbon No Kishi, based on a Osamu Tezuka manga first published in 1954, almost made it to the United States in the late Sixties. Set in a fairy tale world, both the manga and the anime centred on Princess Sapphire, who is forced by circumstances to pretend to a boy to inherit the throne. The animated series debuted in Japan in April 1967. Joe Oriolo (best known as creator of Casper the Friendly Ghost) and his partner Burt Hecht bought the American rights to the series in 1969. The series was actually dubbed into English, but it would not air on American airwaves as originally planned. The partnership between Oriolo and Hecht fell apart, with Hecht taking off with the masters to the American adaptation. Regardless, episodes of the English adaptation would leak out. The series would air in Australia in 1970, and in the late Seventies it air in the United States on a various local television stations.
With the 1967-1968, the race for American distributors to adapt Japanese cartoons for consumption in the United States ended. For many years the only Japanese TV shows seen on American television would be such live action shows as Ultraman and Jaianto robo (broadcast Stateside as Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot). The end of the anime wave on American television in the Sixties was the result of three factors.
The first of these was the switch of the American networks and local stations to colour broadcasting in the mid-Sixties. Because of this American television outlets came to prefer series shot in colour in the mid-Sixties. This preference would become so strong in the Seventies that it became difficult even for such classic American series as The Dick Van Dyke Show to succeed in syndication. Since many of the early anime shows were shot in black and white, they were no longer desirable for broadcast on many American outlets. The situation was made all the worse by competition from American Saturday morning cartons which started entering syndication in the mid to late Sixties. In 1960 King Leonardo and His Short Subjects became the first American, Saturday morning, network cartoon to be shot in colour (the series was made by the same people who would later create the classic Underdog). Since then the vast majority of American cartoons, whether network or syndicated, were shot in colour. By contrast, the first anime series to be shot in colour, Jungaru Taitei, would not be made until 1965.
The second factor which ended the wave of anime on American television in the Sixties were protests against violence on television, particularly in children's shows. It is significant that the 1967-1968 was the last year of the wave, as it was in 1968 that the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy would spur concerns over television violence. Since many of the anime series tended to be more violent than their American counterparts, many of the shows found themselves the focus of many watchdog groups. As early as 1965 Giantor was condemned by Variety for being "violent." In 1968 Marine Boy was condemned by the National Association for what they thought was violent content. Even Kimba the White Lion, originally commended by parent's and education groups, was now being condemned for supposedly violent content. With the protests against violence on television growing ever more, many anime series from the Sixties found their syndication profits drying up in the Seventies.
The third factor which ended the wave of anime on American television in the Sixties was simply that many of the distributors went out of business. Trans-Lux, who distributed both Gigantor and Speed Racer, would leave television distribution to concentrate on real-time displays (they had started out manufacturing stock tickers). Their library was sold to Alan Enterprises, a much smaller outfit ill equipped to adequately market the shows. In the early Seventies the Federal government ruled that the television networks could not syndicate the shows they produced as this violated anti-trust laws (later this would be reversed). As a result NBC Films, who distributed both Astro-Boy and Kimba the White Lion, was shut down. Their library was sold to National Telefilm Associates (NTA for short). Eventually the American rights would expire, ending any chance that Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion would remain in syndication in America.
While the avenues for the Sixties anime dried up in America in the Seventies, many of the series themselves would not survive. The original, Japanese masters of Astro Boy were destroyed and many of the American masters were lost. Fortunately, the entire run would be restored through the efforts of collectors and it is now available on DVD. Amazing 3 suffered a worse fate. The American masters are believed lost or destroyed.
As big as anime was in America in the Sixties, it apparently was even bigger in Australia at that time, where even live action Japanese shows appeared. Indeed, anime that never made their way to America actually aired in Australia at the time (Ken the Wolf Boy is an example of this). In fact the first Japanese show to air in Australia was the live action show The Samurai. Well into the Seventies, anime series continued to air on Australian television.
Of course, this was not the case in America. The Seventies would see a dearth of anime on America television. Only Gatchaman (which aired in much altered form as Battle of the Planets in the United States) and Space Battleship Yamato (which was renamed Star Blazers in America), and the aforementioned Princess Knight would find their way to America in the Seventies. Regardless, the anime series of the Sixties were not forgotten, and many of them had a lasting impact on American pop culture. Astro Boy was referenced in the film 28 Days. With regards to the Lion King controversy, Kimba the White Lion was referenced in The Simpsons episode "Round Springfield." References to Speed Racer are even more prevalent, appearing in everything from the movies Slap Shot and Pulp Fiction to the TV show Scrubs. Fortunately, some of the old anime shows are even available on DVD. Astro Boy, Gigantor, and Speed Racer have all had DVD releases.
Gone but not forgotten, the anime shows that aired on America in the Sixties were the first exposure the United States would have to Japanese cartoons. It would not be the last by a long shot. While anime remained rare in America in the Seventies, the Eighties would see such series as Robotech and Voltron airing in syndication. Even anime movies started travelling across the Pacific, with Akira becoming a major hit. By the Nineties anime would become commonplace on America, with TV shows from Pokemon to Mobile Fighter G Gundam airing here and yet more feature films being released in the United States. While many younger anime fans are seemingly unaware of this, it was the anime series of the Sixties that started it all.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
The Anime Wave on American Television in the Sixties Part One
If you are a fan of science fiction and fantasy, animation, or movies in general, chances are you have heard the term anime. The word anime is Japanese. In Japan anime basically means "animation (an abbreviation of the word animeshon)"--not only is Princess Mononoke considered anime, but so is Disney's Dumbo, for that matter. Here in the United States, however, the word anime has come to specifically mean "animation from Japan," whether referring to children's fare such as the TV series Hamtaro or more adult fare such as Ninja Scroll. And while the American Heritage Dictionary defines anime as "A style of animation developed in Japan, characterized by stylized colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sex," this is hardly accurate. Nor does all anime feature characters with large, doe like eyes (this was am homage on anime legend Osamu Tezuka's part to Walt Disney's Bambi). If anything, anime varies more in style and genre than American animation. Regadless, in the past decade, anime has developed a fairly large following in the United States.
Indeed, I have actually seen web sites that assert that while Americans were first exposed to anime in the Sixties, said exposure was only occasional. In reality, this is far from the truth. Not only was the United States first exposed to anime in the Sixties, but there was an outright wave of anime TV series that flooded American airwaves from the mid-Sixties nearly to the end of the decade.
Of course, at the time no one called these cartoons "anime"--that term would not come into widespread use in the United States until the Nineties. At that time the cartoons were not even referred to as "Japananimation," a word which would not be coined until the Seventies and is now scorned by most fans. Indeed, I rather suspect that most kids watching the many cartoons from Japan that aired on American television in the Sixties were not even aware from which country they originated. Indeed, in the American adaptations of some of the cartoons (such as Eighth Man, great lengths was gone to obscure the series' country of origin!
The first animated cartoon created in Japan appeared in 1907. Despite this, animation in Japan would not really take off until after World War II. Indeed, the first feature length Japanese animated film, Momotaro Umi no Shinpei (Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors), would not be released until 1945. Toei Animation, one of the major Japanese animation studios and the one responsible for such TV series familiar to Americans as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, was founded in 1956. In 1958 they would release the first colour feature length animated film, Byaku fujin no yoren. This film would also be historic as the first anime to be released in America (under the title Panda and the Magic Serpent). Released here in 1961 by Global Pictures, it performed poorly at the box office. Byaku fujin no yoren was followed in short order by Saiyu-ki, which was based on the Chinese legend of the Monkey King. It was released here in the United States as Alakazam the Great later in 1961. It fared no better here than Byaku fujin no yoren.
If anime was to have any success here in the United States, it would seem to be on television. The first anime to air on Japanese television was Mittsu no Hanashi (Three Tales). It was a black and white limited series and anthology which retold three folk tales from Japan. It first aired in 1961. The first animated TV series to air on Japanese television was Otogi Manga Calendar. It aired in black and white from 1961 to 1964. Perhaps the most historically important of the early anime TV shows to air in Japan was one called Tetsuwan Atom (that's "Mighty Atom" in English), the first anime series with continuing characters. First aired on New Years Day 1963, it was the first bona fide hit animated series in Japan. At its height a full 40% of the population watched the series. It would also be the first to reach American shores.
The TV series Tetsuwan Atom was based on a manga of the same name created by the "god of manga" Osamu Tezuka and first published in 1951. It would continue being published until 1968. It became one of the most successful manga in the history of Japan, as well as Tezuka's most famous creation. It centred on the title character, a robot in the shape of a boy who uses his enormous power for good. Among other things, the series explored such serious themes as racism, prejudice, heroism, and morality.
Given its popularity, it was a natural choice for adaptation as a television series. Tetsuwan Atom was produced by Mushi Productions, the studio founded by Osamu Tezuka to provide an alternative to Toei Animation. News of the success of the series reached America and NBC Films, then the syndication arm of the National Broadcasting Company. They quickly snatched up the American rights and called in Fred Ladd, who had considerable experience in adapting and dubbing foreign cartoons for American consumption. Among other things, they were forced to call the series Astro Boy here in the United States, DC Comics having had a character called "The Atom" since the Golden Age of Comics. Astro Boy first aired on American television in the fall of 1963. Out of the original 193 episodes of Tetsuwan Atom, only 104 would be adapted for American audiences. Among other things, Ladd had to downplay the violence that sometimes permeated the original series. In fact, six episodes would be rejected outright, dealing as they did with vivisection and a bachelor with girlie pictures on his wall among other things (Japanese network NHK had completely different ideas of what was acceptable in an animated cartoon than NBC). New episodes of Astro Boy continued to be aired until 1966, and the series would be rerun in American syndication for some time. And just as Tetsuwan Atomwas wildly successful in Japan, Astro Boy was wildly successful in the United States.
In fact, it was so successful that it would spark an entire wave of anime TV series that would make their way to America in the mid to late Sixties. The first of these to follow in the wake of Tetsuwan Atom was Tetsujin 28-go (at least in Japan). Tetsujin 28-go (literally "Iron Man Number 28") originated as a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, first published in 1956. In fact, it was the first manga to feature a giant robot (Yokoyama would later create the legendary manga Jaianto Robo or "Giant Robo"). The manga centred on Tetsujin 28-go, a giant robot developed as a weapon of war by Japan during World War II. Allied bombs destroyed the facility in which the robots were being developed, leaving the 28th prototype (hence Tetsujin 28-go) surviving. Years later Shotaro Haneda, the son of scientist Dr. Haneda, learns that the mob is searching for the giant robot. Fortunately, he beats them to it. Tetsujin 28-go would then be used as a force for good.
Tetsujin 28-go was very popular, making it an obvious choice for adaptation as an animated TV series. Produced by TCJ Animation and debuting in 1963, the series also proved a success, running for 96 episodes. As fate would have it, Fred Ladd (yes, the same man who adapted Tetsuwan Atom as Astro Boy) happened to see Mitsuteru Yokoyama's artwork of Tetsujin 28-go being controlled by Shotaro Haneda. Quite aware of the success of Astro Boy, Ladd formed Delphi Associates to bring Tetsujin 28-go to the United States. Ladd renamed the TV series Gigantor and relied largely on the same team who had adapted Astro Boy. Only 56 of the 96 episodes would be adapted. Those episodes would have the considerable violence in the series toned down. Even so, Gigantor was an overly violent cartoon even for American television in the Sixties. Reviewing the series, Variety called it a "loud, violent, tasteless, and cheerless cartoon..." Regardless, following its debut in America in January 1966, Gigantor was very successful. The series has a cult following to this day. And due to Fred Ladd's foresight in preserving the series, it is one of the few early anime available on DVD.
While Tetsujin 28-go was the first anime to follow in the wake of Tetsuwan Atom, Gigantor was not the first anime aired in America after Astro Boy. That would be 8th Man, originally known in Japan as Eitoman (in English "Eight Man"). Like Tetsuwan Atom and Tetsujin 28-go, Eitoman was based on a manga, in this case one created by Jiro Kuwata and Kazumasa Hirai and was first published in 1963. The animated version, produced by TCJ Animation, ran from November 17, 1963 to December 31, 1964 on the Toyko Broadcasting System. Both the manga and the series centred on police detective Hachiro Azuma, who is fatally wounded by criminals. Azuma's body is retrieved by the scientist Professor Tani, who saves Azuma's life by turning him into a superhuman cyborg. The manga is historic in that Eitoman was the first cyborg hero in Japan. The character is also reputedly an inspiration for the movie RoboCop.
Eitoman was brought to the United States as 8th Man in 1965 by Copri International and ABC Films, anxious for a hit in the wake of Astro Boy. The series would see neither the success of Astro Boy nor Gigantor and only aired briefly on American television, usually on smaller television stations. An interesting bit of trivia is that director Ralph Bakshi did the opening sequence for the American version, 8th Man.
The failure of 8th Man in the United States would not stem the tide of cartoons coming from Japan. For the next few years there would be even more anime making its way to America. And some of it would be successful enough to have a lasting impact on Anglo-American pop culture.
Indeed, I have actually seen web sites that assert that while Americans were first exposed to anime in the Sixties, said exposure was only occasional. In reality, this is far from the truth. Not only was the United States first exposed to anime in the Sixties, but there was an outright wave of anime TV series that flooded American airwaves from the mid-Sixties nearly to the end of the decade.
Of course, at the time no one called these cartoons "anime"--that term would not come into widespread use in the United States until the Nineties. At that time the cartoons were not even referred to as "Japananimation," a word which would not be coined until the Seventies and is now scorned by most fans. Indeed, I rather suspect that most kids watching the many cartoons from Japan that aired on American television in the Sixties were not even aware from which country they originated. Indeed, in the American adaptations of some of the cartoons (such as Eighth Man, great lengths was gone to obscure the series' country of origin!
The first animated cartoon created in Japan appeared in 1907. Despite this, animation in Japan would not really take off until after World War II. Indeed, the first feature length Japanese animated film, Momotaro Umi no Shinpei (Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors), would not be released until 1945. Toei Animation, one of the major Japanese animation studios and the one responsible for such TV series familiar to Americans as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, was founded in 1956. In 1958 they would release the first colour feature length animated film, Byaku fujin no yoren. This film would also be historic as the first anime to be released in America (under the title Panda and the Magic Serpent). Released here in 1961 by Global Pictures, it performed poorly at the box office. Byaku fujin no yoren was followed in short order by Saiyu-ki, which was based on the Chinese legend of the Monkey King. It was released here in the United States as Alakazam the Great later in 1961. It fared no better here than Byaku fujin no yoren.
If anime was to have any success here in the United States, it would seem to be on television. The first anime to air on Japanese television was Mittsu no Hanashi (Three Tales). It was a black and white limited series and anthology which retold three folk tales from Japan. It first aired in 1961. The first animated TV series to air on Japanese television was Otogi Manga Calendar. It aired in black and white from 1961 to 1964. Perhaps the most historically important of the early anime TV shows to air in Japan was one called Tetsuwan Atom (that's "Mighty Atom" in English), the first anime series with continuing characters. First aired on New Years Day 1963, it was the first bona fide hit animated series in Japan. At its height a full 40% of the population watched the series. It would also be the first to reach American shores.
The TV series Tetsuwan Atom was based on a manga of the same name created by the "god of manga" Osamu Tezuka and first published in 1951. It would continue being published until 1968. It became one of the most successful manga in the history of Japan, as well as Tezuka's most famous creation. It centred on the title character, a robot in the shape of a boy who uses his enormous power for good. Among other things, the series explored such serious themes as racism, prejudice, heroism, and morality.
Given its popularity, it was a natural choice for adaptation as a television series. Tetsuwan Atom was produced by Mushi Productions, the studio founded by Osamu Tezuka to provide an alternative to Toei Animation. News of the success of the series reached America and NBC Films, then the syndication arm of the National Broadcasting Company. They quickly snatched up the American rights and called in Fred Ladd, who had considerable experience in adapting and dubbing foreign cartoons for American consumption. Among other things, they were forced to call the series Astro Boy here in the United States, DC Comics having had a character called "The Atom" since the Golden Age of Comics. Astro Boy first aired on American television in the fall of 1963. Out of the original 193 episodes of Tetsuwan Atom, only 104 would be adapted for American audiences. Among other things, Ladd had to downplay the violence that sometimes permeated the original series. In fact, six episodes would be rejected outright, dealing as they did with vivisection and a bachelor with girlie pictures on his wall among other things (Japanese network NHK had completely different ideas of what was acceptable in an animated cartoon than NBC). New episodes of Astro Boy continued to be aired until 1966, and the series would be rerun in American syndication for some time. And just as Tetsuwan Atomwas wildly successful in Japan, Astro Boy was wildly successful in the United States.
In fact, it was so successful that it would spark an entire wave of anime TV series that would make their way to America in the mid to late Sixties. The first of these to follow in the wake of Tetsuwan Atom was Tetsujin 28-go (at least in Japan). Tetsujin 28-go (literally "Iron Man Number 28") originated as a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, first published in 1956. In fact, it was the first manga to feature a giant robot (Yokoyama would later create the legendary manga Jaianto Robo or "Giant Robo"). The manga centred on Tetsujin 28-go, a giant robot developed as a weapon of war by Japan during World War II. Allied bombs destroyed the facility in which the robots were being developed, leaving the 28th prototype (hence Tetsujin 28-go) surviving. Years later Shotaro Haneda, the son of scientist Dr. Haneda, learns that the mob is searching for the giant robot. Fortunately, he beats them to it. Tetsujin 28-go would then be used as a force for good.
Tetsujin 28-go was very popular, making it an obvious choice for adaptation as an animated TV series. Produced by TCJ Animation and debuting in 1963, the series also proved a success, running for 96 episodes. As fate would have it, Fred Ladd (yes, the same man who adapted Tetsuwan Atom as Astro Boy) happened to see Mitsuteru Yokoyama's artwork of Tetsujin 28-go being controlled by Shotaro Haneda. Quite aware of the success of Astro Boy, Ladd formed Delphi Associates to bring Tetsujin 28-go to the United States. Ladd renamed the TV series Gigantor and relied largely on the same team who had adapted Astro Boy. Only 56 of the 96 episodes would be adapted. Those episodes would have the considerable violence in the series toned down. Even so, Gigantor was an overly violent cartoon even for American television in the Sixties. Reviewing the series, Variety called it a "loud, violent, tasteless, and cheerless cartoon..." Regardless, following its debut in America in January 1966, Gigantor was very successful. The series has a cult following to this day. And due to Fred Ladd's foresight in preserving the series, it is one of the few early anime available on DVD.
While Tetsujin 28-go was the first anime to follow in the wake of Tetsuwan Atom, Gigantor was not the first anime aired in America after Astro Boy. That would be 8th Man, originally known in Japan as Eitoman (in English "Eight Man"). Like Tetsuwan Atom and Tetsujin 28-go, Eitoman was based on a manga, in this case one created by Jiro Kuwata and Kazumasa Hirai and was first published in 1963. The animated version, produced by TCJ Animation, ran from November 17, 1963 to December 31, 1964 on the Toyko Broadcasting System. Both the manga and the series centred on police detective Hachiro Azuma, who is fatally wounded by criminals. Azuma's body is retrieved by the scientist Professor Tani, who saves Azuma's life by turning him into a superhuman cyborg. The manga is historic in that Eitoman was the first cyborg hero in Japan. The character is also reputedly an inspiration for the movie RoboCop.
Eitoman was brought to the United States as 8th Man in 1965 by Copri International and ABC Films, anxious for a hit in the wake of Astro Boy. The series would see neither the success of Astro Boy nor Gigantor and only aired briefly on American television, usually on smaller television stations. An interesting bit of trivia is that director Ralph Bakshi did the opening sequence for the American version, 8th Man.
The failure of 8th Man in the United States would not stem the tide of cartoons coming from Japan. For the next few years there would be even more anime making its way to America. And some of it would be successful enough to have a lasting impact on Anglo-American pop culture.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
I just saw Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End tonight. And while I would have to see it again before I said it was necessarily better than the first two movies, I would say that it is at least as good. Director Gore Verbinski has achieved something rather remarkable for the genre of pirate movies. He has directed three of them in a row and every single one of them are of the best calibre of films.
Indeed, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has everything a fine pirate movie needs. The plot is wonderfully complex; every single character has his or her agenda, and they don't always agree with the others (some critics will try to tell you the plot is convoluted, but as far as I am concerned anyone with an ounce of intelligence will have no problem following it). There is plenty of backstabbing and betrayal as the characters scramble to achieve what they want. Indeed, one cannot say that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End lacks for unexpected plot twists. These are true pirates, people for whom honesty is not always the best policy.
The nearly constant betrayals and jockeying for position on the part of the characters makes Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End a darker film over all than the first two. Indeed, with Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) and the East India Trading Company (which actually existed and really did try to create a monopoly on the seas, but not quite the way they do in the movie....) and Davy Jones Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has some of the best villains of any pirate movie. Basil Rathbone would be proud. That is not to say that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a film without humour. As usual, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow is good for a laugh. And inept pirates Pintel (Lee Arenberg) and Ragetti (Mackenzie Crook) are back in this film with some of the best lines. Indeed, even inept Marines Murtog (Angus Barnett) and Mulroy (Giles New) are back to lend some comedy relief.
Of course, perhaps the most necessary ingredient in any pirate film is action and lots of it. And there is no shortage of action is Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. This movie not only features some of the best swordplay in any movie, but some truly exciting ship battles as well. Indeed, the climax features what may well be the best ship to ship battle in any pirate or naval film. And as might be expected, Jack Sparrow gets his final showdown with Davy Jones in what is a sword fight worthy of Errol Flynn.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is helped immensely by its talented cast. There is one off key performance in the bunch. Indeed, it was good to see the great Chow Yun-Fat as Singaporean pirate Captain Sao Feng. OF course, the actors' jobs are made all the more easier by a well written script in which every character is very well developed and three dimensional. When taken alongside the complex plot, it can truly be said that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a pirate movie with some actual depth. While Gore Vebinski may not top too many people's list of great directors, his direction more than fits the film, keeping it steady and on course.
Over all Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a fine conclusion to a great trilogy of films. In a summer of threequels when two so far have been major disappointments (Spider-Man 3 and Shrek the Third), it is good to see one that finally delivers the goods. It's the most fun I've had at the movies all year.
Indeed, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has everything a fine pirate movie needs. The plot is wonderfully complex; every single character has his or her agenda, and they don't always agree with the others (some critics will try to tell you the plot is convoluted, but as far as I am concerned anyone with an ounce of intelligence will have no problem following it). There is plenty of backstabbing and betrayal as the characters scramble to achieve what they want. Indeed, one cannot say that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End lacks for unexpected plot twists. These are true pirates, people for whom honesty is not always the best policy.
The nearly constant betrayals and jockeying for position on the part of the characters makes Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End a darker film over all than the first two. Indeed, with Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) and the East India Trading Company (which actually existed and really did try to create a monopoly on the seas, but not quite the way they do in the movie....) and Davy Jones Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has some of the best villains of any pirate movie. Basil Rathbone would be proud. That is not to say that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a film without humour. As usual, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow is good for a laugh. And inept pirates Pintel (Lee Arenberg) and Ragetti (Mackenzie Crook) are back in this film with some of the best lines. Indeed, even inept Marines Murtog (Angus Barnett) and Mulroy (Giles New) are back to lend some comedy relief.
Of course, perhaps the most necessary ingredient in any pirate film is action and lots of it. And there is no shortage of action is Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. This movie not only features some of the best swordplay in any movie, but some truly exciting ship battles as well. Indeed, the climax features what may well be the best ship to ship battle in any pirate or naval film. And as might be expected, Jack Sparrow gets his final showdown with Davy Jones in what is a sword fight worthy of Errol Flynn.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is helped immensely by its talented cast. There is one off key performance in the bunch. Indeed, it was good to see the great Chow Yun-Fat as Singaporean pirate Captain Sao Feng. OF course, the actors' jobs are made all the more easier by a well written script in which every character is very well developed and three dimensional. When taken alongside the complex plot, it can truly be said that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a pirate movie with some actual depth. While Gore Vebinski may not top too many people's list of great directors, his direction more than fits the film, keeping it steady and on course.
Over all Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a fine conclusion to a great trilogy of films. In a summer of threequels when two so far have been major disappointments (Spider-Man 3 and Shrek the Third), it is good to see one that finally delivers the goods. It's the most fun I've had at the movies all year.
Friday, May 25, 2007
The 30th Anniversary of Star Wars
It was thirty years ago today that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was released simply as Star Wars. At the time no one expected for Star Wars to become the first film to break $300,000,000. Nor did anyone expect for it to become the second highest grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation (second only to Gone with the Wind, which had a 38 year head start...). No one certainly expected Star Wars to become a pop culture phenomenon.
Indeed, on that spring day in 1977, nobody really expected much from Star Wars. George Lucas's proposal for a "space fantasy" was rejected by both Universal and United Artists before finding a home at 20th Century Fox. Simply to make the film Lucas had to found Industrial Lights and Magic because 20th Century Fox no longer had a special effects department. The movie fell behind in production in its first week of shooting. The movie was originally going to be released during the Christmas season of 1976, but because of delays on the film its release date was moved to May 25, 1977 (it must be noted that the novelisation of the film was published in December, 1976). Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope did have groundbreaking special effects. It was also groundbreaking with regards to its use of sound. That having been said, the movie only cost $11 million, which was not an abnormally large budget even for 1977.
The film was given very little promotion by 20th Century Fox, so little that Charles Lippincott, Lucasfilm Ltd.'s marketing director, was forced to find other ways of promoting the movie (the novelisation, comic books, and so on). Nobody could have predicted that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope would become one of the most successful films of all time. That having been said, something strange happened upon the release of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. There were long queues of people at nearly every theatre which showed the film. The movie was breaking box office records. In its first weekend alone it grossed $307,263,857--a king's ransom by Seventies standards. And the success of Star Wars was not limited to the movie. Marvel Comics had bought the rights to the comic book adaptation of the film, little realising how big it would really be. They sold out of the first print run of the six issue adaptation, forcing them to publish even more editions. That Christmas, Star Wars action figures and other toys would swiftly sell out. Since then there have been literally tons of Star Wars merchandise, from commemorative glasses to books (not just novelisations of the film, but original material based in the Star Wars universe as well.
Of course, Star Wars would ultimately become a whole saga rather than one film. Its success guaranteed that there would be sequels. Initially, Lucas thought of doing nine to twelve films, the first few films detailing the rise of the Empire and the second part detailing its fall. Eventually, however, he would settle on six films. The original trilogy was continued with Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and concluded with Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in 1983. Lucas retired Star Wars for more than a decade before the first film in a trilogy of prequels, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released in 1999.
Ultimately, the success of Star Wars is perhaps not best measured by the amount of merchandise it has sold or even the fact that there are now two trilogies of films, but the degree to which it has infiltrated Anglo-American pop culture. Its characters, at least from the original trilogy, are as recognisable as Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Indeed, even people who have never seen the film can recognise the characters (especially Darth Vader). Over the years there have been so many pop culture references to and parodies of Star Wars that it would take a large book to list them all (everything from Rescue from Gilligan's Island to The Simpsons). As a pop culture phenomenon, Star Wars would naturally have an impact on motion pictures themselves. That having been said, there are two things for which it is often credited which it should not be. The first is that it legitimised science fiction movies. In truth, the process of legitimising sci-fi films had started in the Sixties with such films as Planet of the Apes and 2001: a Spaced Odyssey. It continued in the Seventies with movies such as Silent Running and Soylent Green. by the time Star Wars was released, science fiction was no longer considered juvenile fare. Second, Star Wars has been blamed for the rise of the summer blockbusters. In truth, summer blockbusters have been around nearly since the beginning of feature films. By way of example, The Wizard of Oz, The Great Escape, and Dirty Dozen were all released in the summer. What Star Wars might have done is encourage summer blockbusters with lots of special effects and appeal for younger crowds
Of course, the biggest impact Star Wars would have would be upon science fiction movies. Prior to Star Wars the sleek look had been the rule for sci-fi films, typified by the TV series Star Trek and the movie 2001: a Space Odyssey. Everything was clean, pristine, and hardly looked like it had been used. For Star Wars, however, George Lucas chose to give the films a "used" look, in which spaceships and other technology would show signs of wear and tear. This look would inform such science fiction movies following Star Wars as Alien. Star Wars would also revolutionise special effects, making realistic space battles possible.
Star Wars would also serve as an inspiration for future filmmakers. The story goes that after James Cameron saw Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope he quit his job as a truck driver and entered the film industry. Other filmmakers inspired by Star Wars include Dean Devlin, Roland Emerich, John Singleton, and Kevin Smith. As an epic space fantasy, Star Wars would influence epic movies that would follow in its wake. In making the Lord of the Rings films, Peter Jackson looked to Star Wars for inspiration. The irony of this is that Lucas himself had been influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Indeed, in some respects Star Wars was nothing new. What George Lucas did was take various inspirations from pop culture and blend them into something new and unique. The most obvious influence upon Star Wars are Akira Kurosawa's samurai films.
To some degree the Jedi Knights are drawn from the samurai of medieval Japan. And the plot of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope bears some resemblance to Kurosawa's classic film The Hidden Fortress (indeed, C-3PO and R2-D2 are based on the two peasants who serve as comic relief in that film). The first film also shows some influence from Yojimbo, particularly in some of the fight scenes. Star Wars also inspired by such earlier space operas as the Flash Gordon chapterplays, particularly in the serial like structure of the films (complete with opening crawl). The climax of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was inspired by the British film The Dam Busters.
Of course, not all of the inspiration for Star Wars was cinematic. Some of it was literary. Lucas was inspired by such legendary heroes as Beowulf and King Arthur. He also looked to J. R. R. Tolkien and Lord of the Rings for inspiration. In particular, Obi-Wan Kenobi seems similar to Gandalf, and there is marked resemblance between Gandalf's fight with the Balrog and Kenobi's final battle with Darth Vader. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope also shows influence form Dune, particularly in the desert planet of Tatooine.
Perhaps Lucas's chief inspiration for Star Wars was mythologist Joseph Campbell's Hero wuth a Thousand Faces. Lucas made conscience use of Campbell's "heroic journey" with regards to Luke Skywalker's transition from farm boy to Jedi in training. Lucas also made use of Jungian archetypes (Jung having heavily influenced Joseph Campbell).
The various influences upon Star Wars might well explain its phenomenal success. On the one hand, Star Wars seems very familiar. Its stories evoke the legends of old, with the Jedi Knights playing the role the Knights of the Round Table or the Japanese samurai. Its heroes are made of the same cloth as the heroes of old, facing many of the same battles as they did. As to pop culture, Star Wars evokes the serials of old, as well as space operas from the past. In some respects, it was Flash Gordon for the late 20th century. With its mythic tales of Jedi Knights and princesses, it also evokes the old medieval epics, both from the UK and U. S. and from Japan.
At the same time, however, that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope offered audiences something familiar, it also offered them something new. Never before had a filmmaker offered audiences a space opera that had nearly the scope, spectacle, and epic nature of Lord of the Rings or The Gormenghast Trilogy. Arguably, short of 2001: a Space Odyssey, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was the first epic science fiction movie. Indeed, perhaps no other movie series in the history of film had as complex and as deep a back story as the Star Wars films. The very fact that the movies created an Expanded Universe that includes books and animated series demonstrates that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was more than a simple film.
Star Wars has proven to have a lasting impact on pop culture and film. And it is difficult to say that any other movies will have ever match that influence. The Matrix trilogy fell short of Star Wars influence. It is possible that the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will have similar influence, but only time will tell. Regardless, I doubt Star Wars will ever be forgotten short of an apocalypse. Even then, I have to wonder that it won't be enjoyed by other civilisations in a galaxy far, far away.
Indeed, on that spring day in 1977, nobody really expected much from Star Wars. George Lucas's proposal for a "space fantasy" was rejected by both Universal and United Artists before finding a home at 20th Century Fox. Simply to make the film Lucas had to found Industrial Lights and Magic because 20th Century Fox no longer had a special effects department. The movie fell behind in production in its first week of shooting. The movie was originally going to be released during the Christmas season of 1976, but because of delays on the film its release date was moved to May 25, 1977 (it must be noted that the novelisation of the film was published in December, 1976). Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope did have groundbreaking special effects. It was also groundbreaking with regards to its use of sound. That having been said, the movie only cost $11 million, which was not an abnormally large budget even for 1977.
The film was given very little promotion by 20th Century Fox, so little that Charles Lippincott, Lucasfilm Ltd.'s marketing director, was forced to find other ways of promoting the movie (the novelisation, comic books, and so on). Nobody could have predicted that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope would become one of the most successful films of all time. That having been said, something strange happened upon the release of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. There were long queues of people at nearly every theatre which showed the film. The movie was breaking box office records. In its first weekend alone it grossed $307,263,857--a king's ransom by Seventies standards. And the success of Star Wars was not limited to the movie. Marvel Comics had bought the rights to the comic book adaptation of the film, little realising how big it would really be. They sold out of the first print run of the six issue adaptation, forcing them to publish even more editions. That Christmas, Star Wars action figures and other toys would swiftly sell out. Since then there have been literally tons of Star Wars merchandise, from commemorative glasses to books (not just novelisations of the film, but original material based in the Star Wars universe as well.
Of course, Star Wars would ultimately become a whole saga rather than one film. Its success guaranteed that there would be sequels. Initially, Lucas thought of doing nine to twelve films, the first few films detailing the rise of the Empire and the second part detailing its fall. Eventually, however, he would settle on six films. The original trilogy was continued with Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and concluded with Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in 1983. Lucas retired Star Wars for more than a decade before the first film in a trilogy of prequels, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released in 1999.
Ultimately, the success of Star Wars is perhaps not best measured by the amount of merchandise it has sold or even the fact that there are now two trilogies of films, but the degree to which it has infiltrated Anglo-American pop culture. Its characters, at least from the original trilogy, are as recognisable as Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Indeed, even people who have never seen the film can recognise the characters (especially Darth Vader). Over the years there have been so many pop culture references to and parodies of Star Wars that it would take a large book to list them all (everything from Rescue from Gilligan's Island to The Simpsons). As a pop culture phenomenon, Star Wars would naturally have an impact on motion pictures themselves. That having been said, there are two things for which it is often credited which it should not be. The first is that it legitimised science fiction movies. In truth, the process of legitimising sci-fi films had started in the Sixties with such films as Planet of the Apes and 2001: a Spaced Odyssey. It continued in the Seventies with movies such as Silent Running and Soylent Green. by the time Star Wars was released, science fiction was no longer considered juvenile fare. Second, Star Wars has been blamed for the rise of the summer blockbusters. In truth, summer blockbusters have been around nearly since the beginning of feature films. By way of example, The Wizard of Oz, The Great Escape, and Dirty Dozen were all released in the summer. What Star Wars might have done is encourage summer blockbusters with lots of special effects and appeal for younger crowds
Of course, the biggest impact Star Wars would have would be upon science fiction movies. Prior to Star Wars the sleek look had been the rule for sci-fi films, typified by the TV series Star Trek and the movie 2001: a Space Odyssey. Everything was clean, pristine, and hardly looked like it had been used. For Star Wars, however, George Lucas chose to give the films a "used" look, in which spaceships and other technology would show signs of wear and tear. This look would inform such science fiction movies following Star Wars as Alien. Star Wars would also revolutionise special effects, making realistic space battles possible.
Star Wars would also serve as an inspiration for future filmmakers. The story goes that after James Cameron saw Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope he quit his job as a truck driver and entered the film industry. Other filmmakers inspired by Star Wars include Dean Devlin, Roland Emerich, John Singleton, and Kevin Smith. As an epic space fantasy, Star Wars would influence epic movies that would follow in its wake. In making the Lord of the Rings films, Peter Jackson looked to Star Wars for inspiration. The irony of this is that Lucas himself had been influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Indeed, in some respects Star Wars was nothing new. What George Lucas did was take various inspirations from pop culture and blend them into something new and unique. The most obvious influence upon Star Wars are Akira Kurosawa's samurai films.
To some degree the Jedi Knights are drawn from the samurai of medieval Japan. And the plot of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope bears some resemblance to Kurosawa's classic film The Hidden Fortress (indeed, C-3PO and R2-D2 are based on the two peasants who serve as comic relief in that film). The first film also shows some influence from Yojimbo, particularly in some of the fight scenes. Star Wars also inspired by such earlier space operas as the Flash Gordon chapterplays, particularly in the serial like structure of the films (complete with opening crawl). The climax of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was inspired by the British film The Dam Busters.
Of course, not all of the inspiration for Star Wars was cinematic. Some of it was literary. Lucas was inspired by such legendary heroes as Beowulf and King Arthur. He also looked to J. R. R. Tolkien and Lord of the Rings for inspiration. In particular, Obi-Wan Kenobi seems similar to Gandalf, and there is marked resemblance between Gandalf's fight with the Balrog and Kenobi's final battle with Darth Vader. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope also shows influence form Dune, particularly in the desert planet of Tatooine.
Perhaps Lucas's chief inspiration for Star Wars was mythologist Joseph Campbell's Hero wuth a Thousand Faces. Lucas made conscience use of Campbell's "heroic journey" with regards to Luke Skywalker's transition from farm boy to Jedi in training. Lucas also made use of Jungian archetypes (Jung having heavily influenced Joseph Campbell).
The various influences upon Star Wars might well explain its phenomenal success. On the one hand, Star Wars seems very familiar. Its stories evoke the legends of old, with the Jedi Knights playing the role the Knights of the Round Table or the Japanese samurai. Its heroes are made of the same cloth as the heroes of old, facing many of the same battles as they did. As to pop culture, Star Wars evokes the serials of old, as well as space operas from the past. In some respects, it was Flash Gordon for the late 20th century. With its mythic tales of Jedi Knights and princesses, it also evokes the old medieval epics, both from the UK and U. S. and from Japan.
At the same time, however, that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope offered audiences something familiar, it also offered them something new. Never before had a filmmaker offered audiences a space opera that had nearly the scope, spectacle, and epic nature of Lord of the Rings or The Gormenghast Trilogy. Arguably, short of 2001: a Space Odyssey, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was the first epic science fiction movie. Indeed, perhaps no other movie series in the history of film had as complex and as deep a back story as the Star Wars films. The very fact that the movies created an Expanded Universe that includes books and animated series demonstrates that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was more than a simple film.
Star Wars has proven to have a lasting impact on pop culture and film. And it is difficult to say that any other movies will have ever match that influence. The Matrix trilogy fell short of Star Wars influence. It is possible that the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will have similar influence, but only time will tell. Regardless, I doubt Star Wars will ever be forgotten short of an apocalypse. Even then, I have to wonder that it won't be enjoyed by other civilisations in a galaxy far, far away.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Technorati Redesign
I've been a member of Technorati since September of 2004. And I have always thought that Technorati was the best blog search on the Web, even after the introduction of Google's blog search. The past few days saw them introduce a redesign of their website. And I must admit that I have very mixed feelings about it.
The new design certainly looks snazzier than the old one. And it is fairly easy to navigate. I can't say it's a dramatic improvement over the old design, but it is certainly better.
That having been said, there are other things that I dislike about the redesign. One of them is the ticker at the top of the page, which displays various subjects being written about in various blogs. To me the ticker is just annoying. And it's not particularly useful.
While the ticker is annoying, it is not my major complaint about the new design. That would be Technorati's introduction of what they call an "everything in the known universe" search. Whereas in the past when one performed a search from the Technorati homepage, it delivered results from various blog posts, now it delivers results from blog posts, visual media, and audio. According to the Technorati blog, the need for this "everything in the known universe" search grew out of the fact that the Web has changed and there are now different types of user generated content than there was a few years ago. This includes video, pictures, audio, games, and so on. To be of service to its users, then, Technorati introduced its "everything in the known universe" search.
Perhaps unfortunately, I am one of those people who uses Technorati to search blogs. I really am not interested in searching for videos and pictures, and on those rare occasions when I am, I tend to use Google. I rather suspect that most of Techorati's core users are people like myself who use it to search blogs. I then think that it is a big mistake on Technorati's part to not have a blog search on their homepage. Okay, they still have a search for blogs alone (you can find it here), but there isn't a link to it on the homepage. To me this is hardly a suitable solution.
While I can understand why Technorati developed their "everything in the known universe" search, I think they really should have kept the blog search on their homepage. Indeed, I think perhaps their best bet would have been to follow Yahoo's lead. On both the Yahoo homepage, one can search for web sites, images, video, and so on. One just clicks on the category one wants to search and then types in the search terms. Technorati could have done the same thing, setting it up so that one can search for blogs, visual media, audio, or "everything in the known universe" from the homepage. In this way they would appeal to new users, while not alienating their core users.
At any rate, I certainly won't stop using Technorati, although I will probably be visiting the homepage less (I'll being using the blog search instead). As a long term member and user of Technorati, I wish they would make it so one can search for blogs from the homepage again. And I hope they do away with that ticker!
The new design certainly looks snazzier than the old one. And it is fairly easy to navigate. I can't say it's a dramatic improvement over the old design, but it is certainly better.
That having been said, there are other things that I dislike about the redesign. One of them is the ticker at the top of the page, which displays various subjects being written about in various blogs. To me the ticker is just annoying. And it's not particularly useful.
While the ticker is annoying, it is not my major complaint about the new design. That would be Technorati's introduction of what they call an "everything in the known universe" search. Whereas in the past when one performed a search from the Technorati homepage, it delivered results from various blog posts, now it delivers results from blog posts, visual media, and audio. According to the Technorati blog, the need for this "everything in the known universe" search grew out of the fact that the Web has changed and there are now different types of user generated content than there was a few years ago. This includes video, pictures, audio, games, and so on. To be of service to its users, then, Technorati introduced its "everything in the known universe" search.
Perhaps unfortunately, I am one of those people who uses Technorati to search blogs. I really am not interested in searching for videos and pictures, and on those rare occasions when I am, I tend to use Google. I rather suspect that most of Techorati's core users are people like myself who use it to search blogs. I then think that it is a big mistake on Technorati's part to not have a blog search on their homepage. Okay, they still have a search for blogs alone (you can find it here), but there isn't a link to it on the homepage. To me this is hardly a suitable solution.
While I can understand why Technorati developed their "everything in the known universe" search, I think they really should have kept the blog search on their homepage. Indeed, I think perhaps their best bet would have been to follow Yahoo's lead. On both the Yahoo homepage, one can search for web sites, images, video, and so on. One just clicks on the category one wants to search and then types in the search terms. Technorati could have done the same thing, setting it up so that one can search for blogs, visual media, audio, or "everything in the known universe" from the homepage. In this way they would appeal to new users, while not alienating their core users.
At any rate, I certainly won't stop using Technorati, although I will probably be visiting the homepage less (I'll being using the blog search instead). As a long term member and user of Technorati, I wish they would make it so one can search for blogs from the homepage again. And I hope they do away with that ticker!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tomahawk
Today when most people think of comic books, they tend to think of superheroes. At most, if they are older, they might think of the old EC horror titles. But when I was very young comic books published more than just superheroes. Comic books covered several different genres, among them Westerns, horror, war, romance, and, of course, funny animal books. But there was one title which I read loyally not long after I learned to read that was unique in its choice of genre. Tomahawk followed the exploits of a man originally called Tom Hawk in his first appearance, but also referred to as Tom Haukins in some accounts, but better known by his nickname, "Tomahawk." If I had to define its genre, it would be "frontier drama," the same genre as James Fenimore Cooper's Natty Bumpo novels and Walt Disney's Davy Crockett mini-series.
Tomahawk was an adventurer who often served George Washington against British, French, and Iroquois forces in the decades prior to the American Revolution. He typically dressed in a coonskin cap and bucksins, his trusty rifle never far from his side. His sidekick was Dan Hunter, a youth modelled after such sidekicks of superheroes as Robin and Bucky (Captain America's sidekick). The series was created by writer Joe Samachson and artist Edmund Good, although it would be artist Fred Ray who would give shape to the character more than any other man. Ray was a fervid Revolutionary War buff and more than suited to his work on Tomahawk. In some respects Tomahawk was ahead of its time. It predated both Disney's Davy Crockett mini-series (which wouldn't appear until 1954) and the old Daniel Boone TV show (which debuted in 1964--both starred Fess Parker).
Tomahawk first appeared as a back up feature in Star Spangled Comics #69 (June 1947). Batman's sidekick Robin was the cover feature at the time, but it was not long before Tomahawk's popularity would allow him to push Robin from the cover. His first cover appearance was in Star Spangled Comics #96 (September 1949). Tomahawk remained the cover feature until Star Spangled Comics #121, (October 1951) when he lost out to a new character called "The Ghost Breaker (long since forgotten)." With its 131st issue (August 1952) Star Spangled Comics would become Star Spangled War Stories and Tomahawk would cease appearing there at all. By then, however, it hardly mattered. Tomahawk also appeared in World Finest Comics starting out in 1948 and it would continue to appear there until 1959. He received his own comic book, Tomahawk, with an issue dated September/October 1950.
Sadly, like many of DC's titles from the Forties to the Sixties, Tomahawk would stray from being a serious frontier drama into outright silliness. This started early, with a Tomahawk story in Star Spangled Comics #83 (August 1948) called "The Lost Valley," in which Tomahawk faced dinosaurs! Tomahawk #46 (February 1957) featured story called "The Valley of the Giant Warriors," in which Tomahawk faced giant Native Americans. Tomahawk #103 (March/April 1966) featured the Frankenstein Monster in a story called "The Frontier Frankenstein." Eventually, when the Silver Age of comic books made superheroes hot again, Tomahawk would feature its own superhero. In Tomahawk #81 (July-August 1962), the patriotically themed Miss Liberty made her first appearance. She would continue to appear in Tomahawk until nearly the end of the run of the series.
Fortunately, Tomahawk would eventually swing back towards more realistic stories. Robert Kanigher assumed the writing of the series in the late Sixties. Best known for his work on DC's war titles (he is the man who created Sgt. Rock), Kanigher brought Tomahawk back to being a straight frontier drama. Complimenting Kanigher's scripts was art by two of the best artists in the business--Frank Thorne and Joe Kubert. The cast of characters was also expanded in Tomahawk. Tomahawk's Rangers were introduced. This colourful band of adventurers often assisted Tomahawk in his exploits. It is at this point where I was first introduced to the character and it is a run that I remember particularly fondly.
Sadly, following the Silver Age (the Seventies are often called the Bronze Age of comic books, but I tend to think of them as "the Plastic Age..."), comic book sales fell dramatically. This was no less true of Tomahawk. With sales in decline, the magazine which had borne Tomhawk's name for twenty years underwent a dramatic change. With issue 141 (November/December 1970) it was retitled Son of Tomahawk. It no longer focused on Tomahawk but on his son, simply called "Hawk." The setting was also moved up several years, closer to the days of the Old West. This was not enough to save the magazine. Issue #140 (May/June 1972) was the final issue.
Since then Tomahawk has rarely been seen. He made an appearance, along with nearly every other DC character, in DC's massive mini-series Crisis on Infinite Earths (published from 1985 to 1986). Later a Tomahawk oneshot was published in 1998 under DC's Vertigo imprint. Sadly, that is about the extent of his appearances since 1970.
I have fond memories of reading Tomahawk as a child. And he was a fairly successful character, with an uninterrupted publishing history spanning twenty three years. While Tomahawk could fall into outright silliness, at its best it was a rousing frontier drama. Robert Kanigher's run on the series was particularly impressive, with beautiful illustrations by some of the industry's best artists. It seems to me that among DC's characters ripe for revival, Tomahawk is among them. Indeed, given that in the past thirty years comic books have expanded well beyond superheroes, I would say that he is overdue for a resurgence.
Tomahawk was an adventurer who often served George Washington against British, French, and Iroquois forces in the decades prior to the American Revolution. He typically dressed in a coonskin cap and bucksins, his trusty rifle never far from his side. His sidekick was Dan Hunter, a youth modelled after such sidekicks of superheroes as Robin and Bucky (Captain America's sidekick). The series was created by writer Joe Samachson and artist Edmund Good, although it would be artist Fred Ray who would give shape to the character more than any other man. Ray was a fervid Revolutionary War buff and more than suited to his work on Tomahawk. In some respects Tomahawk was ahead of its time. It predated both Disney's Davy Crockett mini-series (which wouldn't appear until 1954) and the old Daniel Boone TV show (which debuted in 1964--both starred Fess Parker).
Tomahawk first appeared as a back up feature in Star Spangled Comics #69 (June 1947). Batman's sidekick Robin was the cover feature at the time, but it was not long before Tomahawk's popularity would allow him to push Robin from the cover. His first cover appearance was in Star Spangled Comics #96 (September 1949). Tomahawk remained the cover feature until Star Spangled Comics #121, (October 1951) when he lost out to a new character called "The Ghost Breaker (long since forgotten)." With its 131st issue (August 1952) Star Spangled Comics would become Star Spangled War Stories and Tomahawk would cease appearing there at all. By then, however, it hardly mattered. Tomahawk also appeared in World Finest Comics starting out in 1948 and it would continue to appear there until 1959. He received his own comic book, Tomahawk, with an issue dated September/October 1950.
Sadly, like many of DC's titles from the Forties to the Sixties, Tomahawk would stray from being a serious frontier drama into outright silliness. This started early, with a Tomahawk story in Star Spangled Comics #83 (August 1948) called "The Lost Valley," in which Tomahawk faced dinosaurs! Tomahawk #46 (February 1957) featured story called "The Valley of the Giant Warriors," in which Tomahawk faced giant Native Americans. Tomahawk #103 (March/April 1966) featured the Frankenstein Monster in a story called "The Frontier Frankenstein." Eventually, when the Silver Age of comic books made superheroes hot again, Tomahawk would feature its own superhero. In Tomahawk #81 (July-August 1962), the patriotically themed Miss Liberty made her first appearance. She would continue to appear in Tomahawk until nearly the end of the run of the series.
Fortunately, Tomahawk would eventually swing back towards more realistic stories. Robert Kanigher assumed the writing of the series in the late Sixties. Best known for his work on DC's war titles (he is the man who created Sgt. Rock), Kanigher brought Tomahawk back to being a straight frontier drama. Complimenting Kanigher's scripts was art by two of the best artists in the business--Frank Thorne and Joe Kubert. The cast of characters was also expanded in Tomahawk. Tomahawk's Rangers were introduced. This colourful band of adventurers often assisted Tomahawk in his exploits. It is at this point where I was first introduced to the character and it is a run that I remember particularly fondly.
Sadly, following the Silver Age (the Seventies are often called the Bronze Age of comic books, but I tend to think of them as "the Plastic Age..."), comic book sales fell dramatically. This was no less true of Tomahawk. With sales in decline, the magazine which had borne Tomhawk's name for twenty years underwent a dramatic change. With issue 141 (November/December 1970) it was retitled Son of Tomahawk. It no longer focused on Tomahawk but on his son, simply called "Hawk." The setting was also moved up several years, closer to the days of the Old West. This was not enough to save the magazine. Issue #140 (May/June 1972) was the final issue.
Since then Tomahawk has rarely been seen. He made an appearance, along with nearly every other DC character, in DC's massive mini-series Crisis on Infinite Earths (published from 1985 to 1986). Later a Tomahawk oneshot was published in 1998 under DC's Vertigo imprint. Sadly, that is about the extent of his appearances since 1970.
I have fond memories of reading Tomahawk as a child. And he was a fairly successful character, with an uninterrupted publishing history spanning twenty three years. While Tomahawk could fall into outright silliness, at its best it was a rousing frontier drama. Robert Kanigher's run on the series was particularly impressive, with beautiful illustrations by some of the industry's best artists. It seems to me that among DC's characters ripe for revival, Tomahawk is among them. Indeed, given that in the past thirty years comic books have expanded well beyond superheroes, I would say that he is overdue for a resurgence.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Lloyd Alexander Passes On
Writer Lloyd Alexander, best known for his fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain and other books for young adults, passed on May 17. He was 83 years old and had been fighting a long battle with cancer.
Lloyd Alexander was born in Philadelphia on January 30, 1924. His parents were not exactly supportive of Alexander's decision to be a writer at age 15. They enrolled him in a local college, where he attended for only one term. During World War II he served in the U. S. Army in intelligence and counterintelligence. While he was in the Army he was stationed in Wales, whose myths and legends would serve as the basis for many of Alexander's books. Following his stint in the Army, Alexander attended the University of Paris.
In 1955, Lloyd Alexander's first book, And Let the Credit Go, was published. Unlike his later novel, this novel was an autobiographical satire. Alexander would publish six more books before the first book in The Chronicles of Prydain, The Book of Three, in 1964 would make his famous. The Chronicles of Prydain would become his most successful works. He would even receive the Newbery Medal for the final novel in The Chronicles of Prydain, The High King. The novels are set in Prydain, essentially a fantasy version of Wales (although, as Alexander always emphasised, it is distinct from Wales). The protagonist of the series, Taran, begins as assistant pig keeper to Hen Wen, the oracular sow who originally belonged to the warrior Coll. The series draws heavily upon Welsh mythos, including such characters as Gwydion and High King Math. The Disney film The Black Cauldron was based on The Chronicles of Prydain.
Following The Chronicles of Prydain, Alexander would write The Westmark Trilogy. Taking place in the fictional kingdom of Westmark, the novels were heavily influenced by French existentialist writers and for the most part darker than The Chronicles of Prydain. He would also write a series of novels centred around the character of Vesper Holly, essentially a female version of Indiana Jones.
Although less famous than either J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, I always thought that Lloyd Alexander was equally talented. I read The Chronicles of Prydain while I was growing up and as a young adult, and they always impressed me as inventive and original. With Prydain Alexander created a world as complex as Middle Earth or Narnia. What set it apart is that while Middle Earth drew heavily upon Germanic myths and Narnia drew heavily upon Christian themes and classical myths, Prydain was based around the Welsh mythos. This gives it a different flavour from any other fantasy series around. In fact, I am rather surprised that in the wake of The Lord of the Rings films that no one has snatched up the rights to do a series of live action feature films based on The Chronicles of Prydain. Lloyd Alexander was certainly a talented writer and he will be sorely missed.
Lloyd Alexander was born in Philadelphia on January 30, 1924. His parents were not exactly supportive of Alexander's decision to be a writer at age 15. They enrolled him in a local college, where he attended for only one term. During World War II he served in the U. S. Army in intelligence and counterintelligence. While he was in the Army he was stationed in Wales, whose myths and legends would serve as the basis for many of Alexander's books. Following his stint in the Army, Alexander attended the University of Paris.
In 1955, Lloyd Alexander's first book, And Let the Credit Go, was published. Unlike his later novel, this novel was an autobiographical satire. Alexander would publish six more books before the first book in The Chronicles of Prydain, The Book of Three, in 1964 would make his famous. The Chronicles of Prydain would become his most successful works. He would even receive the Newbery Medal for the final novel in The Chronicles of Prydain, The High King. The novels are set in Prydain, essentially a fantasy version of Wales (although, as Alexander always emphasised, it is distinct from Wales). The protagonist of the series, Taran, begins as assistant pig keeper to Hen Wen, the oracular sow who originally belonged to the warrior Coll. The series draws heavily upon Welsh mythos, including such characters as Gwydion and High King Math. The Disney film The Black Cauldron was based on The Chronicles of Prydain.
Following The Chronicles of Prydain, Alexander would write The Westmark Trilogy. Taking place in the fictional kingdom of Westmark, the novels were heavily influenced by French existentialist writers and for the most part darker than The Chronicles of Prydain. He would also write a series of novels centred around the character of Vesper Holly, essentially a female version of Indiana Jones.
Although less famous than either J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, I always thought that Lloyd Alexander was equally talented. I read The Chronicles of Prydain while I was growing up and as a young adult, and they always impressed me as inventive and original. With Prydain Alexander created a world as complex as Middle Earth or Narnia. What set it apart is that while Middle Earth drew heavily upon Germanic myths and Narnia drew heavily upon Christian themes and classical myths, Prydain was based around the Welsh mythos. This gives it a different flavour from any other fantasy series around. In fact, I am rather surprised that in the wake of The Lord of the Rings films that no one has snatched up the rights to do a series of live action feature films based on The Chronicles of Prydain. Lloyd Alexander was certainly a talented writer and he will be sorely missed.
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