So here we are again, clearing house of Cracked links. You know, I miss the old Cracked magazine. The parody comics (which I found superior to Mad’s) were the main reason I picked up the two issues that time has taken from my collection and would read in the stores. Sylvester P. Smythe was less nightmare-inducing than Alfred E. Newman, but our favorite janitor is no longer anywhere to be seen.
Luckily, the new Cracked website is still a fun read, and many of them take a decent look at storytelling but the Sunday format doesn’t for the “This Week’s Cracked” feature. So the ton o’ links I have need to be cleaned out. So here are some more BW-approved articles you really should catch.
- 5 Parental @#$@ Moves You Hate (Until Your A Parent): Not all of Cracked’s list involve asking writer and directors what the hell they’re thinking. Some look at history and some are thought-provoking pieces like this. The author had terrible parents if he’s to be believed but there may be a few things they did that were GOOD parenting. When drugs and booze weren’t involved, anyway.
- 6 Groups Who Don’t Work As Movie Bad Guys Anymore: Peace is the worst thing an action story writer can have unless that’s how his story ends. You need villains, but what if they’re no longer a threat (or it’s not PC to treat them as evil, even the portion that are) or played out?
- 9 Famous Movie Villains Who Were Right All Along: You know who’s missing from this list? Tom from Tom & Jerry. (They started as theatrical shorts, it counts.) How many stories were Jerry trying to either ruin Tom’s love life, mess with him because he was bored, or steal food from innocent people knowing Tom would have the stuffing beat out of him for failing? Jerry Mouse is pure evil, folks!
- 6 Supervillains From History That Make The Joker Look Subtle: As you may have seen from earlier This Week’s Cracked, I do enjoy stories of historical figures that could be the templates of fictional villains by doing basically what said fictional villains did. Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.
- 6 Deadly Injuries You Think You’d Survive (Thanks To Movies): I think my favorites are the ones where they point out how unrealistic movies, TV, and comics can be. When someone brings up how more “realistic” comics are, I usually respond by noting this more realistic story has people in tights (or whatever Jim Lee is using) flying around and punching each other. If movies really did reflect real life, it would be a very short, boring story. Like real life.
- 5 Ridiculous Gun Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks To Movies): Anti-gun people like to make fun of the NRA, but one of the things they do is teach people (classroom style, by the way) how dangerous guns are. Action movies tend to make their job harder.
- 7 Shockingly Dark Origins of Lovable Children’s Characters: I’m sure most of my readers already know the backstory to the Ninja Turtles and Birdo but…the Tin Man. Woah. That’s just messed up.
- 6 Insane Batman Comics Courtesy of Tasty Hostess Cupcakes: Because I don’t want to end on THAT image, the wonder of Hostess cakes ads and the Batman. That’s what Dark Knight Rises needs…a battle over Twinkies.
And there’s still one or two more collections I can make, but I think that’s enough reading for you guys.
BW Media Spotlight 