“This never happened on the Ponderosa!”
Battlestar Galactica #9
Marvel (November, 1979)
“Space-Mimic!” WRITER: Bill Mantlo ARTIST: Sal Buscema & Klaus Janson COLORIST: Bob Sharen LETTERERS: Irving Watanabe & John Costanza EDITOR: Al Milgrom
Traditionally songs don’t follow the three-act structure, unless it comes from a bard, and I wouldn’t mind showcasing some of that in a future installment of this series. The three-act structure (introduction, conflict, resolution) is hard to fit in a three or four minute piece that includes refrains and occasional instrumental moments. So they go for moments in time, like an audio snapshot. If you look through previous installments, everyone from Miley Cyrus to Johnny Cash has just captured scenes but not a full story.
Tonight’s offering isn’t any different, but it’s pretty close. It’s still a short moment, but it might work as a short story. Shannon’s “Let The Music Play” is her only #1 hit and managed to survive the dance music drop-off that came in the wake of the disco backlash. Dance music was still around, but rarely played on major radio stations, much less hitting #1 in the US. (Other countries were friendlier to dance hits on their music charts in the 80’s.) But if you go into analysis mode there is a story to be told here, and one that can possibly even be overanalyzed. Let’s have some fun.
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Why are Adama and Tigh protecting the Time Trapper?
Battlestar Galactica #8
Marvel Comics (October, 1979)
“Shuttle-Diplomacy” WRITER: Bil Mantlo ARTIST: Sal Buscema & Klaus Janson COLORIST: Bert Sean LETTERER: Clem Robbins EDITOR: Allen MligromTell others about the Spotlight:
16- It’s not a con without the Joker and Harley
I’m really asking you guys to have an idea about what I discuss around here to get that title. Otherwise I’ll refer you to last week’s commentary on DC’s artist tryout contest. The latest came later that week, where DC corporate took blame–finally–for the poor decision. From ICv2 today:
DC later issued a statement to Huffington Post: “The purpose of the talent search was to allow new artists an opportunity to draw a single page of a 20-page story. True to the nature of the character, the entire story is cartoony and over-the-top in tone, as Harley Quinn breaks the 4th Wall and satirizes the very scenes she appears in. DC Entertainment sincerely apologizes to anyone who may have found the page synopsis offensive and for not clearly providing the entire context of the scene within the full scope of the story.”
DC does not appear to have altered the contest page, which still describes the scenario in question this way: “Harley sitting naked in a bathtub with toasters, blow dryers, blenders, appliances all dangling above the bathtub and she has a cord that will release them all. We are watching the moment before the inevitable death. Her expression is one of ‘oh well, guess that’s it for me’ and she has resigned herself to the moment that is going to happen.”
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Guess what doesn’t happen until near the end of the book.
Battlestar Galactica #7
Marvel Comics (September, 1979)
This is one of the comics I actually own.
“All Things Past and Present!” WRITER: RogerMcKenzie ARTISTS: Rich Buckler & Klaus Janson COLORIST: Bob Sharen LETTERER: Clem Robins EDITOR: Allen MilgromTell others about the Spotlight:
It took most of the week for me to come up with an idea. Then, as my Twitter followers know, my last grandmother passed away due to cancer. She was already 90+ years old and she was too stubborn to see the doctor when she started feeling sick. Because of my grandfather’s growing dementia they had to move to a convalescent home, and if anyone in Connecticut ever has to do that, we can recommend Cook’s in Plymouth. They treated my grandparents very well and it was the doctor there who discovered my grandmother’s cancer…but by then it had spread too far to matter. Folks, please swallow your pride and see a doctor if home remedies aren’t working. It’s your life.
We were prepared for it so when she finally passed it didn’t hit as hard. Still, I just didn’t have the urge to attempt even what passes for humor in this strip. Also, being old reviews there is no Best Scene, The Clutter Reports is delayed again and I was too distracted between my grandmother (and how it affected my family) and the funk I’m getting into with not finding a job. So next week will also be old reviews as we try to get through the rest of the Marvel run. I’m also hoping to have another BW Panelling up this week.
I’m not looking for pity. It’s just how things are right now, and also a warning to see your doctor before it’s too late. Had my grandmother’s cancer not spread as far as it did they might have caught it soon enough to treat her. One of my oldest friends had to deal with breast cancer recently, another friend lost his father to cancer and now his mom is dealing with her own, and my uncle is also fighting cancer. Cancer is nothing to play with people.
I’m not trying to turn you into a hypochondriac because you shouldn’t run to the doctor every time you sneeze. But if nothing else has worked or your in really bad shape, go to a doctor. Your pride isn’t worth your life.
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This is going to be different than other reviews since I used this book this week to review the first five issues of Marvel’s run on Battlestar Galactica when the show was on the air. I’ll be going to it again to review issues #15 & 16. For today’s article, however, I’m going to look at the book itself.
Battlestar Galactica: Saga Of A Star World
Titan Books (February, 2005)
COVER ART: Garry Leach
Individual credits will be given during the reviews of the comic. The book collects issues #s1-5 and #s15-16 of Marvel’s Battlestar Galactica comics.
