We do dorkdom Big Apple style.
The New York Geeks sit down to talk about instances of retroactive continuity (or “retcons”) in various forms of fiction — when creators or copyright holders go back and mess around with previously established works. We’re looking at YOU, George Lucas.
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It’s the Electric (boogie woogie woogie woogie) Company! A few nights ago I went to an ASIFA-East panel starring some producers, writers, and animators of this funky new revival. I… am too young to have been emotionally impacted by the original Electric Co, but not so many many other people. Let’s see if I learned anything from them:
The original TV show aired from 1971-1977 and had over 700 episodes. They were a sketch comedy show for kids starring the talents of Joan Rivers, and the Hubleys (a cute animator couple who inspired John Canemaker) among others. It was a “melange groove tune” for “people who like to scratch things.” That is “it’s a TV show not for kids, but for little people,” says Karen Fowler the executive producer. She is a very LOUD happy person who wanted to combine pop culture, righteous music, comedy and ‘the freedom to make mistakes’ to recreate this show. PBS Kids was lucky to receive a “Ready to Learn” grant to kick off the business, but ‘favors’ still had to be called in to get over 80 different animations done cheaply for the first season. On top of new animated segments, and a new narrative storyline, a special emphasis is placed on vocabulary skills. Hear hear.
First, they came for Rollerball and I did not speak out because I was not a fan…
Then they came for The Pink Panther and I did not speak out because I was not a fan…
Then they came for The Karate Kid and I got mildly annoyed, because I was a fan…
Then they came for Total Recall and… DEAR GOD PLEASE NO!!
Noooooo!!!
I tried to doubt it. Hell I only found one site reporting it. And then another. And another. Oh dear god, this is really happening…
Yes, friends, Len Wiseman, auteur of such fine works as “Live Free or Die Hard” and the “Underworld” series, is set to direct a remake of Total Recall (aka the greatest film ever made… possibly).
David and Erin commiserate after the shared experience of boredom known as The Last Airbender. Listen to this podcast, but don’t see this movie.
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Let’s be honest: there really aren’t any geek holidays. The numerous interests of geeks worldwide have become so varied and diverse (some might say “fractured”), it’s hard to pinpoint even a couple of things that make someone definitively geeky or not. There’s geek-themed observances like Pi Day or Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you), but there isn’t really a well-publicized overarching geek holiday out there. Which is fine.
Nevertheless, folks keep trying to foist these pseudo-geek-holidays on us. Today is such a day: “Embrace Your Geekness Day,” a made-up, pandering holiday copyrighted by the folks at Wellcat Holidays (whose website seems to be stuck in the late ’90s). From the site:
“Into dungeon games, comic books and doing vampire dress-up? Spend endless hours going strange places on the internet? You’re a geek, and this is the day to roar!”
Yeah.
DC Comics is relaunching Wonder Woman with a brand new origin and a brand new look, starting in this weeks issue #600.
Bomber Jackets never go out of style, right?
So, this new costume is designed by Jim Lee, an artist I tend to like. But, man, do I not like this costume. It feels incredibly 90’s.
The new origin is similarly frustrating. The god’s went back in time 20 years and changed something, causing Wonder Woman to go from a walking swimsuit-clad bondage fantasy to a hip “urban” warrior princess who rebels against the idea of practical shoes.
The writer on this run is Babylon 5 creator and all around good guy, J. Micheal Straczynski, who share’s his thoughts on the redesign and the new origin on DC Comic’s Blog. He takes a small jab at the 60’s era Wonder Woman, where she becomes a super sexy hippie spy. That run is badass. Low blow, Straczynski. Other than that, he seems to have thought this whole thing through and approaches the subject with the respect of a comic fan. Oh, and he drops this gem:
“What woman only wears one outfit for 70 years? What woman doesn’t accessorize?”
Women be shopping! Am I right?
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