This isn’t the next planned Free Comic Inside but considering how little I care about horror comics or horror games (or any other horror story), this is really the only time I’d be able to discuss this particular minicomic. I know there are people who like the adrenaline rush they get from being scared, or just really enjoy dark and bloody stories or games. I am not one of those people and there’s nothing wrong with that. So a game like F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon is not something I would ever play, unlike most of the toys and games that come with free comics for me to review. But there is a minicomic and this is the day when people like scary stuff so why not boost the signal a bit?
In the “director’s cut” release of the game on CD-Rom you get a minicomic, which I learned thanks to Lazy Game Review’s review of the game. I’ll post that at the end of the minicomic review but here’s what little I know. In the game you play the silent protagonist (normal for a “first person shooter”) known only as Point Man. You are a member of the First Encounter Assault Recon, a special ops unit that deals with the freaky paranormal stuff. From what I can tell the minicomic is an extended version of the opening that serves as a mission briefing to the characters, but I’m going strictly on the review. Note that the game is rather dark and violent and I’m expecting no less from the minicomic. Given the nature of this site I do warn that LGR left a lot of that in there in his video but as for images from the comic I will not. But how scary is this thing?
And you thought it was tough getting your kid a haircut.
F.E.A.R.
Dark Horse Comics/Vivendi/Sierra (September, 2005)
WRITER: Alden Freewater
ARTIST: Edwin David
COLORIST: Dan Jackson
LETTERER: Michael David Thomas
DESIGNER: Debra Bailey
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Katie Moody
EDITOR: Dave Land
I don’t know if this was ever released outside of the Director’s Cut game but if you want to read this yourself, it is on the F.E.A.R. fan wiki (because there’s a wiki for almost everything nowadays). So let’s get into this thing.
Apu And The Stereotype Issue
The Simpsons began as a series of short appearing on The Tracy Ullman Show, a skit show in the style of Carol Burnett. The shorts followed a family that was a bit dysfunctional but in the end loved each other. Imagine if Married…With Children had less annoying people. The shorts did so well that the family got their own Christmas special, which began fleshing out their world. That did well enough that a full series was created, which meant more characters. One of those characters was Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the owner of the local convenience store in the town of Springfield, the Kwik-E-Mart, a take on stores like 7-11 (more of a guide than a commentary), but easily the cheap and legally questionable version. 7-11 even ran a promotional campaign for the theatrical movie by becoming Kwik-E-Marts so I guess they didn’t have a problem with the gag.
However, somebody had a problem with Apu. They say the character is a horrible stereotype. This came to a head after Indian comic Hari Kondabolu put out the documentary The Problem With Apu, which showcased the exact problems. I haven’t seen this so I can’t comment. I do know that I really haven’t watched the show in years and even when I did, in the show’s early years, I only watched it occasionally. So to put this in perspective before I give my thoughts here’s a reason v-log by one of my fellow Reviewers Unknown contributors, Joey Tedesco of the Cartoon Palooza. He’s working to get into animation and sets up my thoughts on the whole debate.
Continue reading →
Tell others about the Spotlight:
Posted by ShadowWing Tronix on October 30, 2018 in Animation Spotlight, Television Spotlight and tagged Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, commentary, The Simpsons.
3 Comments