I want to fill this week’s Morning Article Links with Christmas, so I just put “Christmas” in a search engine and eventually I found this article about displays in Ohio. Works for me, and there are some nice pictures and videos.
Remember those brat kids who wanted to prove Santa wasn’t real, so they exposed the Mall Santas in front of other kids and ruin Christmas? Some of them didn’t outgrow that.
I’ve defended Rudolph time and time and time again and I’m starting to think I’m going to be doing it every year. “Baby It’s Cold Outside” is never understood in concept because nobody does research like I do when discussing a Christmas song. And then there’s the fallout from a photo homaging A Christmas Story by people who hate guns. Angry people seem to enjoy being angry. Well this is one short-fused person who doesn’t like being angry all the time and I’m getting tired of the Christmas bashing, in small ways like this and people who put out anti-Christmas displays and whatever else. And no, I don’t include “happy holidays” in that.
So if I do make a Christmas video it’s mostly likely coming out after Christmas. It seems like every year I have to choose between Captain Yuletide and a Christmas video review since I can’t seem to find the time or energy to do both. And this year the superhero wins out, but I know what I want to do and it can be a little late. If I get to do it at all. Sorry. This just frustrates me.
I’ll also have smaller postings this week, probably a posting on Christmas displays on YouTube, or something easy as I try to finish the comic on-time for once. I am getting to read one of my favorite Superman comics this week, but it’s not going to be reviewed as usual. You’ll see on Saturday. I also have the next set of chapters for Op-Center because nothing says the holidays like a terrorist bombing aftermath. Well, the rest of the week should be happily festive.
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When you think of Filmation and Snow White you probably think of the failed attempt at a sequel to the fairy tale the Disney film is based on. Happily Ever After isn’t that great, but they did try to do something different beyond “let’s make the new dwarfs into girls”. But here’s something I bet you didn’t know, or at least I didn’t until earlier this week: it’s not the only time Filmation played with the world of the lost princess and her seven landlords.
In 1980 CBS aired A Snow White Christmas, although frankly there isn’t a lot “Christmas” about it. It’s not about Christmas, Christmas doesn’t save the day, and any Winter day frankly wouldn’t have changed anything. I mean, I still put it on my Christmas special playlist over on YouTube but it’s a bit of a stretch. The story takes place well after the classic tale, as the now King Charming and Queen Snow White have a daughter, also named Snow White (for branding purposes I guess), who is joined by her comic relief friend Grunyon and meets with seven friendly giant (because Filmation couldn’t stop themselves from messing with the dwarfs apparently) who must protect her from the returned wicked queen. Anybody remember seeing this because it was new to me. While I put the official version on the playlist I’m going with a different posting (unless it’s taken down at some point) for this article because Classic Media’s official channel for this stuff didn’t include the intro and outro. I like to show the credits after all.
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Father/daughter bonding, Gotham style.
Batman: Gotham Adventures #22
DC Comics (March 2000)
“Minute Differences”
WRITER: Scott Peterson
PENCILER: Tim Levins
INKER: Terry Beatty
COLORIST: Lee Loughridge
LETTERER: Tim Harkins
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Fran Berrios
EDITOR: Darren Vincenzo
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I expect this one to be short, but I’ve said that before. There are only two sections left, but I’m not going over the actual science section. I’d have to do a lot of fact-checking I don’t think either of us cares about and if you need to be told what a planet is you really shouldn’t be writing science fiction. Also, your teachers have a lot to answer for and I don’t just mean your science teacher. So this is the last section I’ll be reviewing, as we take a look at the ship’s computer. I’m oddly surprised that there is a section just to talk about the computer, but I guess they consider it rather important, even though it continues to be outdated with each new incarnation in the franchise.
While other actors have performed a ship’s computer voice over the years, Trek fans will most likely consider Majel Barrett’s (later Majel Barrett-Roddenberry) voice as that of the computer. Except when a different voice was used for certain situations (like the mirror universe or a “guest” computer) it was Barrett in the original series, the animated series (although on occasion Nichelle Nichols pinch-hit for TAS), and all three of the 24th century series. Her last appearance before her passing was in the first Abrams reboot movie.
The computer’s voice in the original and animated series was usually cold and mechanical, the only exceptions being the time they attempted to give it a more natural voice and when it malfunctioned. That first attempt at a less mechanical voice led to the computer flirting with Kirk, because he’s Captain Kirk and apparently his deal with the devil didn’t discriminate between organic and mechanical human. By the 24th-century they fixed the problem because you really didn’t want to hear the computer flirting with Picard. Besides, Beverly would be jealous. 🙂 So what was so special about the computer that the writer’s guide felt the need to give it a section of its own?
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No matter what Roy is hoping, it’s not ending that way.
Robotech: Return To Macross #29
Academy Comics, Ltd (February, 1996)
“War Stories”
WRITER: Bill Spangler
ARTIST: Lani A. Kimmel
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I’ve enjoyed Sean Wang’s Runners series since I was first introduced to it at ConnectiCon. You can find reviews of the comic both in print (in Scanning My Collection articles of the first two volumes) and web form (in Internet Spotlight) right here on the Spotlight. Wang recently decided to add color to the previously black and white first volume, Bad Goods, and the process is done! He’ll be putting the comic out soon, with the better news that he’ll finally be able to start work on Volume 3. He already has the script, he just needs to draw it and he’s even looking for someone to color it. He’s not asking for applications now though. I’ll let you know if he is.
