Scooby-Doo It Some More

Way back in this post, I expounded on the latest incarnation of eveybody's favorite enigma-solving and ghost chasing pooch - Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorportated.

This is a quick status update.

I’d spoken of how it has brought a much needed new element to the Scooby-verse - a narrative story arc. Well, it hasn’t lost sight of that. Far from it. It’s not only kept it up, but has layered it upon itself. What on earth do I mean? Simple.

 I’d told you of how the Scooby gang had been receiving strange leads and clues from someone hailing as Mr. E. Well, we’ve since learned who he is. I don’t want to spoil it for you if you’ve yet to see the whole saga, but suffice to say it’s not a superfluous character. Rather Mr. E is imbedded into the tale already. And once we learn more of this pre-established backstory, it doesn’t stop there. We’re suddenly privy to a clearing up of what happened long ago in Crystal Cove’s past. Yet it still doesn’t stop there! We delve into the mystery that had been around long before, one that the mystery-solving team prior to Scooby’s took on and only partially succeeded in figuring out. Thus, we have fresh story with backstory in a backstory derived from a backstory. Wow. They really took their time developing this concoction. It may sound as if it were convoluted, but I assure you, it’s not. Well, it’s not so far as a Scooby Doo cartoon is concerned.

And all the while, they have not dropped any of the side issues among characters, nor ignored any of the great avenues to explore.

On the whole, they’ve managed to bolster the world of Scooby into something practically logical. And we all know how preposterous it had been in the first place.

I should mention that a friend of mine who has long moved away now and happens to be a big Scooby fan also enjoys the show, but he feels that the overlaying storylines get a bit thick and out of hand, perhaps even unnecessary or in the way. But by the same token, he didn’t pooh-pooh them or wish they were entirely absent.

And then there’s Zoey, who watches it peripherally when her kids do. She thinks it truly awful what they’ve done with the franchise. She specifically cited the Shaggy and Velma “romance” (which fails- no mystery there!) as one of the offenses. You might recall that I also raised an eyebrow at this notion, but kept on with it only to see how well it had been handled - and that it brought along with it a character development that had been sorely needed after so many manifestations. So I told her she’d have to see it all from the beginning and let it do its thing, since it most definitely relies on the power of the Story Arc to work.

So, to the entire team who brought us Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorportated, I say:
BRAVO! Bravo, indeed.

New Napoleon Is Dynamite!

HECK YES!

After seeing it, I thought the movie Napoleon Dynamite would work as a TV series. I, for one, wanted more of these characters. But a sequel seemed beyond the limits of what could be done. What on earth would constitute a good enough plotline to sustain a film? But a series? That’s an open invitation to explore many avenues of comedy without striving or requiring it to be so big. The mundane and quirky lives of these strange people can be showcased in perfectly sized vignettes. After all, the movie had been not much more than that to begin with, right?

Someone else thought so, too, and I am glad of it. For it DOES work. Very well. And they had the excellent idea of doing it in animation.

Buttercup had been skeptical at first, but given that it’s Napoleon Dynamite and has all the original cast voicing their characters, she’d been willing to give it a try. (She’d also laughed at the ads.) She wound up cracking up just as much as me. She now whole-heartedly agrees - it’s a marvelous TV show.

I’m not sure what it is about this wacky world. Much of it doesn’t seem as if it should be funny at all. It just IS. And I’m happy to say that whatever worked in the movie is still carrying the mojo for the cartoon. Plus, there's the added bonus of having the freedom to be THAT much wackier to [moon]boot. Instead of needing Jon Heder to pilot a jet ski and daringly make a sweet jump, Napoleon and friends can now just do it. Tina the Llama can be helping Napoleon with his exercises. Aaron Ruell doesn’t have to master the Fushigi Magic Gravity Ball... but his cartoon Kip self certainly can with no trouble. To great hilarity. And I must say that it’s a sheer delight to have Grandma be around. She’s just as I pictured her in daily life. (She’d been gone most of the movie.)



Water skiing, too!



Also, the opening sequence is just right.  It's funny AND shows us all the main characters in a way that's not forced.  And I adore the way Napoleon runs.  How did they get that calm-psycho quality of Heder into a drawing?   Not sure, but I'm sure it's there.

Hooray for everyone involved. I applaud. I wipe tears of laughter from my eyes and look forward to more episodes of this SWEET show.

Viva Cartoon Dynamite!



Needs a few more VOLTS, no?

Well, another

"Looking forward to it!"

has gone down the drain for me.

I thought a live-action Voltron would be a lot of fun.  Then I saw the concept art.

Sorry, no offense to anyone involved, but NO.

At least not for me.  Yes, I expected a redesign.  But I just don't like this one.  And besides my personal pereferences, don't you think it looks entirely too similar to another giant robot franchise of films?  (I bet you can guess that I am not a fan of the look of that, either.  I've seen plenty of "John/Jane Doe" homespun animations that run circles around the look of those films, mostly because they kept true to the original cartoon.)

Oh well.

Scooby Dooes It

Back on July 20, I gave my initial thoughts on Cartoon Network's new Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated in this post.  I've now seen seven episodes of it.  I thought I'd give an update.

It turns out that, yes, the obvious had been/is true - this Scooby Doo adventure is contiguous.  The never-be-seen-in-a-Scooby-show idea of creating a story arc not only is happening, but it's being done to fantastic results.  It's an arc that is always lurking, but not in your face.  They're doing a great job of stringing a thread through each episode, while still creating stand-alone pieces.  Of course, that cannot entirely be the case, but the referential bits to other shows are not so clandestine that someone just jumping in will wind up lost for that episode.  But don't let that fool you - it's not as if they're over-simplified either.  I'm quite impressed with how the overall elements are woven into the single stories.

I'll be honest - twice now it has thrown me for a loop.  It utterly suprised me with a twist or two.  That's a rare thing in a Scooby show, don't you think?  It's a nice and even balance to the "I can guess what the mystery is" of the original series.  Since it can often be a bit of a let down when you already are already steps ahead of the Scooby gang, how exciting and cool is it to have an myserty that spans over all of them that you are hard pressed to solve?  P.S. - That "Mr. E" charatcer is heating up!

On to my other concerns... the kids' parents and their "relationships."

It turns out that having their parents/siblings does lend itself to some poignancy.  Whereas before we wondered what the deal with thse "teens" had been driving around aimlessly in a van finding people in costumes everywhere they go, we now have a 'base' for them.  They go to school together and the like, so having their parents concerned (or not) with what they are doing creates a dimension also unhithero seen in Scooby cartoons.  Sure, their folks might be just a peppering (which led me to wonder why they even had them) but the truth is that it is a spice nevertheless.  And it's becoming an acquired taste.

Now, the thing about Shaggy and Velma being a secretive couple... although ultimately it still doesn't sit right with me, I am warming up to it.  Why?  Because it's not just "there."  It factors into the storylines, such as their strain affecting the outcome of a successful capture or creating a 'mystery' among the gang itself.  (e.g. perhaps Fred wonders why Velma isn't where she's supposed to be - and it's because she's been spying on Shaggy instead...)  So, it's not just a wacky add-on, it's a full-fledged story element.  Daphne has always been sweet on Fred... but now, there's depth to it.  When have you (besides the movies) ever seen a Scooby character be anything more than 2-Dimensional in terms of personality?  Yep, it's done here in Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated.  Not just in their potential hook-ups, but of their lives in general.  This Scooby gang learns and grows and holds grudges and... you get the idea.

Lastly, it pays homage wonderfully.  It's just like watching old-school Scooby, but fresh and with 21st Century markings.  They even make fun of the original in a loving way, such as variants on the "And I would have gotten away with it to, if it weren't for you meddling kids."  So far (I think) none of the 'villains' has actually said those words.  Instead they tweak it so as to be included but different.  For example, one of them had been known to be studying Latin earlier in the episode.  So they say it in Latin instead, with the remark of something like 'Loosely translated that means:  I would have succeeded if not for you interfering young people.' (Not exact, of course.)

So on the whole, what had been a little scary about the new version has been unmasked.
Looking forward to more - and finding out the answers to the mystery of the old-tyme Mystery Incorporated!  (I speak of a clue from Daphne's locket...)

Hot Pockets

Oh. Here's an addendum to the Thursday's post...

Another reason to love Johnny Test:
The boy is in cargo pants!
I love cargos, too.  The chances of seeing me in something other than cargos are pretty damn slim.  (Though I wear cargo jeans [as you can see in my cartoon self above], but I do like his green pants!)

I don't know about you, but I need my extra pockets.  Pockets rule.

“And you could darn our clothes, and make pockets for us. None of us has any pockets.”   How could she resist?  - Peter and Wendy

No, Not Depp
TWOting a Horn
I'm Still a Test Subject 

I'm Still a Test Subject

Way back on February 25 2010,  I said I might eventually get around to giving some other reasons I love the cartoon series Johnny Test.

The truth is... I still can't get enough of him.  I often have little Jonathan Test as the wallpaper on my computer and my phone.  I look forward to Mondays because that [currently] means another episode/segment.  My TiVo still faithfully records them and every so often I'll watch a episode I haven't seen in a while.  Just the other day I realized that there is only ONE episode where Johnny isn't wearing his blue overshirt* for a large chunk of the story... and that doesn't include when he's dressed otherwise.  [i.e. in the episode the rest of his standard outfit is intact sans the blue shirt.]

*perhaps it's a jacket, but I think of it as an overshirt since I tend to wear shirts like that myself

ANYWAY...

Some of my not getting back to it on here is due to forgetfulness, some of it chalks up to laziness and a smaller chunk of it seems to be that I must have been particularly "hopped up" on Johnny that day, since I've come to realize that my other reasons aren't really all that interesting.  But, I'll state them now just to get it over with...

I bet you could see this one coming... in some ways he's like Peter Pan.  Johnny Test falls under the heading of the 'puer' mythos.  (That's really just Latin for boy.)  He's a boy hero who gets himself tangled up into all sorts of adventures which often turn dangerous or deadly and in most cases they are by his own doing.  Besides diving headfirst into recklessness, Johnny, like Pan, can be insentitive to others' feelings.  He's in it for himself, and to hell with everybody else.  But don't be fooled by either of them.  Given the right circumstance, Johnny and Pan will care.  (If you need a Pan example, why else would he bring Wendy with him for the Lost Boys?  [Yes, sure, okay, it had been for himself, too.  But even so, there's a part of Pan that will do the right thing when it comes down to it - such as saving Michael Darling from the sharks to appease Wendy... or how about saving Wendy and the boys from Hook?])  Likewise, Johnny will not stand for others mistreating his sisters, even if he himself does it.  You'll also find him being nice on purpose from time to time.  I suppose I just like the "semi-heartless boy" idea.  And as Dukey (Test's talking dog) says in an episode [wherein Johnny's "bad" self is extracted from him and accidentally runs amok and "good" Johnny is utterly, annoyingly sweet]: AIH!  I don't like Good Johnny.  I'm not crazy about a totally Bad Johnny.  But a caring yet mischievious Johnny is what I love.

(And yes, I slapped together the "Johnny Pan" pic.)

Another reason is his hair.  Yes, really, his hair.  Over and over on the show he's referred to (even in front of him or to him) as the "flame headed boy" (or some variant thereof).  I like characters aflame, it seems.  I used to draw little wisps of flame with feet.  And in What If It's a Trick Question? Jeremy's favorite video game features an imp with flames for hair.  Now, granted, Johnny's hair isn't moving like fire.  But the idea is there, and that appeals to me.

Okay, see... I said they weren't that interesting.

If there's another reason, I'll be sure to burden you with it when I remember.

In the meantime, Viva Johnny Test!

No, Not Depp
TWOting a Horn

No, Not Depp...

If you ask anyone who knows me, they’ll be quick to tell you I’m a pretty obsessive kind of guy. I mean, you only need to come to this site to know I’m obsessed with Peter Pan. But it is true. It’s not just Barrie’s creation… I tend to get uber-excited/interested from time to time.

However, for all of how it may look, I certainly know when I am truly obsessing. And quite frankly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve been THIS hooked on something. I’m talking about the cartoon series I mentioned in the previous post.

Oh sure, I’ve liked other shows a lot recently, such as The Mighty B! (which Laughter told me about) and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which Bart and I recently “got into” when a friend of ours asked us to record it for her). But even with our absolute love for the delightful awfulness that is Sunny which we craved every week (and bought the complete series of) I didn’t have days where I’d get through the hours thinking, excitedly: When I get home, I can watch more!

As you can see from the logo image, the show that I’m currently in love with is Johnny Test. I’d heard of it, knew vaguely about it (and I mean vaguely) but had not actually watched it until I accidentally caught one the other day (a couple of weeks ago now, I think.) Immediate response: MUST WATCH MORE.

Fortunately it plays often (as I said in the last post) so I set my TiVo to pick up episodes. The more I saw, the more I fell in love with the characters, the premise, the humor, with everything.

For those who don’t know, Johnny Test (his actual name) is an 11 year old boy with a talking dog named Dukey. Dukey is able to talk (and drink coffee and ski, and…) because Johnny’s 13 year old twin (though not indentical) sisters Susan and Mary Test are geniuses who genetically altered him. They have a huge “lab” upstairs where they create all sorts of fantastical sci-fi goodies. They use Johnny as their lab rat. Yep, Johnny is their test subject - naturally with comedic disastrous results. Usually Johnny will cause the trouble himself by over-doing it, breaking the experiment or trying it out not as intended.

I love the show for a number of reasons. The character design, their personalities, the cleverness of the wild inventions, the homages/parodies…

As I said in the last post, I found the show on streaming Netflix and happily watched episode after episode. Though I knew I whittled away the ability to see new ones, I couldn’t help myself. I’d move on to the next one immediately. Even when just a few episodes remained to watch, and I knew I’d not have any more to see after that, I still went ahead and clicked the buttons. To give you some perspective, I watched three seasons of it pretty much over the course of two days.

Johnny Test has been “criticized” as a rip-off of another cartoon series called Dexter’s Laboratory. I can’t say for sure, as I’ve never seen it. I can see why someone might say so, however. The animation style is similar and just from the ads for it (or even just the title) it’s full of madcap experiments gone awry. So yeah, similar. But I have to say nothing I saw of Dexter drew me in to want to watch it. The minute I stumbled across Johnny, I had a new friend (so to speak.) However, even with the little I know, I wouldn’t call it a “rip-off” since there are many stories with similar ideas and themes. At worst I’d think Johnny Test to be a variation on Dexter’s Laboratory. And it at first glance it seems to be different enough, with its own set of indigenous siuations and characters.

Johnny Test is my wallpaper on both my phone and computer. I’m eagerly awaiting the 3 segments [each half hour episode has two different stories] I have not yet seen. You see, there is a current season still airing and are just those three that I haven’t seen. (Although it might just be one… I’m unable to tell from the online descriptions whether or not I saw two of them.) One day TiVo will pick them up. And fortunately for my sanity, a friend of Bart’s who works at Cartoon Network has said that the response to Johnny Test has been very positive — so more episodes are on the way, as well as some merchandising. (I’d been sad to see that no figures or video games had been made. Put me down for each of those when available.)

Just thought I’d give a “shout out” to it. Bravo to creator Scott Fellows.

I might be posting about Johnny Test again… after all, I’m obsessed, right? But seriously, there are a couple aspects of it that could be spoken about specifically — including a theory (or two) as to why I love it so much.

And I hope Scott Fellows and everyone else involved isn't angry at me for doing so, but I made a screen where Johnny is a fan of ME.

Critter-ed Characters

While hunting and pecking for images of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn (for no particular reason other just to see how he's been presented I suppose) I came across this video from MGM. I have not seen it, so I can't say if it's an atrocity or not.

But I found it amusing since as a kid I used to draw Tom and Huck as cats.

It's kind of cute, although I'm not so sure I like the look of Huck here, even if I do have an affinity for foxes. Maybe it's the white hair on top. Is that perspective drawing or is he that much smaller than Tom? And maybe it's just me, but Becky seems a bit too prissy. I always thought of her as quite pretty, but a little more tomboy (ha!) at the same time.

Anyawy, it got me to thinking, naturally, what animal (if any) Peter Pan would be, besides a cat. The obvious choice is of course a bird, given his history. But then, what kind of bird? Certainly not a crow, as we cannot take that honorable position away from Solomon Caw. Or maybe he's not a bird in critter related anthropomorphic terms at all? Any ideas?

Fox's Boy Who Never Grew Up

Fox’s Peter Pan & the Pirates

For a long time this had been my favorite adaptation of Barrie’s tragic boy hero. Sure, it has some differences in character appearance from his tale, but I looked the other way because everything else had been so right. And at the time, my only “options” were Disney’s and Mary Martin’s. The silent movie hadn’t been readily available. I have a theory as to why the discrepancies existed. I believe they wanted to differentiate from Disney’s. And much of it has to do with…color. For instance, Captain Hook has black hair (in Barrie’s and Disney’s.) Disney shows him in red. Wendy is in blue. Tinker Bell is in green. And Peter Pan himself also wears something green. According to Barrie he is “clad in skeleton leaves and the juices that ooze out of trees.” Now note the difference: Fox’s Hook has white hair and he is wearing dark blue. Wendy wears pink. So does Tink. And the eternal boy? In brown. It seems like they wanted a complete contrast to make it their own. For the most part, those are the changes. Otherwise, they took Barrie’s text seriously. They even list the title correctly in the opening sequence: A new and independent series inspired by J.M. Barrie’s original novel “Peter and Wendy”

Like the Japanese series Peter Pan no Bōken that predated it (which I had no knowledge of then) Fox’s animated television series is based on this part of Peter and Wendy: Adventures, of course, as we shall see, were of daily occurrence... To describe them all would require a book as large as an English-Latin, Latin-English Dictionary, and the most we can do is to give one as a specimen of an average hour on the island. A simple, yet rich with potential idea for a TV show. How wonderful to be able to experience more Peter Pan adventures without straying from the story. I enjoyed this series. Quite a bit. As I said, it provided the best Peter Pan I’d ever seen.

Unlike no Bōken, however, there is no semblance of a story arc to this show. It's simply a series of separate adventures. It's not a Finite Cartoon.

The deliciously wicked Tim Curry lent his voice to bring Captain James Hook to life. He had a particular way of saying “boy” that tickled me. It conveyed the pirate’s grumbling and annoyance with Pan quite well. He won an Emmy for his performance.

And I’m happy to say that Peter Pan is portrayed just right, too. Cute, cocky and unconcerned half the time. Plus a lot of “pointless” mid-air hovering around. I described this in my post about no Bōken. (Here you will find a Peter who stands on a ship’s mast and appear to fall only to quickly zip-curve around behind you. A Pan who sits crosslegged in midair. A Peter who jumps down and falls fast, then slow, then throws out his arms and legs and darts off another way. ) As I said in that post, no Bōken does it better, actually. But when I’d been watching Fox’s it had been the first time I’d been exposed to the idea, so it delighted me greatly.

What I admired most about Fox’s effort is their ability to create new characters and places which seemed quite Barrie-like indeed. The place name that springs to mind is Small Monday Island. As I recall, it’s sort of a fair for fairies and gnomes and the like. Small Monday Island…what on earth does it mean? Not that I actually want to know. It has the Barriesque quality of sounding logical and for-certain yet being born of gibberish and ambiguity. The character who springs to mind is…well, it’s a tie. Either Uloch the troll or King Kyros, Lord of Ice. Uloch feels incidental…as if he’d always been there and you just never noticed. And Kyros’ irritation with Peter boy added to the idea he is often an unwelcome troublemaker. “Stop this pitiful nonsense, Pan!” I remember being very happy that he just called him Pan. There is also a new Indian character worth mentioning. A boy named Hard-to-Hit.

There are few bizarre additions, such as the episodes with the Girl in the Moon and a brother, Captain Patch, for Hook. But they are not offensive to Barrie’s work, just a bit more jarring than the rest of their creations.

They also oddly portrayed the Twins. In their version, one is tall and the other is short. One is dark skinned and the other fair skinned. But they’re inseparable and seem to have one mind. They will finish each other’s sentences. Barrie explains that Peter never quite knew what twins were. So, perhaps…just maybe…Peter’s lack of knowledge resulted in him believing their situation to be Twins. That’s my answer for it. Again, I found myself willing to let the oddity slide amid all the rest of the accuracy.

In the final two-episode, Ages of Pan, Fox practically crossed a line. Peter Pan captures Hook and has a large device that will shoot spears at him. In an effort to save his life, Hook makes a speech with complete serenity and control of thought. He does not plead for his life to be spared. Rather he tells Pan that he may be killed - for he has had a full life. He has been a youth, an adolescent, a young man and an adult. Unlike Pan. Something Peter can never do. Not to be told he can’t do something, Peter Pan lets him go. He begins a new game - growing up. But it’s no game. For true and make-believe can be the same for Pan. He starts to age. Okay, now, see, that’s just not right…but they made it compelling… believable. Instead of simply making him a disgruntled lawyer with parenting issues, they showed his agonies and grief at forgetting his fun as a child. At odds with the strangeness and the yearning to know his identity. The Neverland dies around him. And considering that one of Barrie’s own fascinations had been what on earth the old age of Peter Pan would be…Fox gave us their spin on it. At the end of the episode he is an old man, with a long white beard. It takes the love and words (and single tear) of Tinker Bell (who is barely existing herself) to restore him. A bit hokey, perhaps. But when held up as a parallel to Peter Pan asking that Tink’s life be saved, it’s a touching moment. Don’t worry. Peter returns to his normal self. As with everything, Fox handled it the situation with great care.

Despite the risks it took and the small changes it made, Fox’s Peter Pan & the Pirates never seemed to leave the world of Barrie. His mocking logic and child-like playfulness always flew along, like wind keeping the stories aloft.

Sure, some episodes are leagues better than others. But that’s always the case.

The series lasted for 65 shows.
It premiered on September 8, 1990. The last air date: December 2, 1991

The picture is the first I had seen of the show.

The Silent Boy Who Never Grew Up
Japan's Boy Who Never Grew Up
P.J. Hogan's Boy Who Never Grew Up
Disney's Boy Who Never Grew Up

Peter Pan no Bōken - Not Entirely Broken!

I finished the Peter Pan no Bōken series.
The other two posts regarding it are here and here.
Springing off the previous commentary, I must report that the appearance of Don Quixote remained inexplicable from the story arc perspective. What’s curious is that there are 41 episodes. Why not 40 and skip the gratuitous use of Cervantes amid Barrie?





The return of Captain Hook and the pirates eventually did intertwine its way into the plot. It’s true that without them the adventure would not have worked as well. His past rivalry with Peter Pan added weight and sense to his shenanigans. Their interference with Darkness (the evil queen) allows for a display of her power as well as extra trouble/adventure for Peter Pan and friends. Still though, I’d prefer that once Hook left the picture, he remained out of it.

The rest of the series delighted just as much as the first half. Such imaginative additions, from the White and Black Mirrors to the stone city that rises up and crumbles around them. But it is not without flaws. The magical queen’s need to destroy the Neverland stemmed from little if anything more than “I am evil.” The stealing of dreams seems to be nothing more than just blotting them out. And at the end, Wendy abruptly announces that perhaps they should leave. It’s not prompted by a fear of forgetting their previous lives or realizing that Peter is never going to be what is desired of him. Here it’s just that the Neverland is at peace again and her sudden decision.

As before, the characters remained true to their novel/play counterparts. And Rascal the raccoon even became more important. I enjoyed the new characters of

Luna, her Grandmother Darkness and henchmen.
But at the same time they seemed a bit more “standard” fantasy and not as Barrie-like as they might have been. Fox’s Peter Pan & the Pirates, in my opinion, had new characters more in tune with Barrie’s style.

Overall, an enjoyable series. And a terrific portrayal of Peter Pan, with both his sweet and rude sides flipping like a coin as per needed. If only he didn’t look the way he did. I mean, seriously...what’s going on with his nose?

But, I’ve already said I don’t like the character design.
Though I did like the Darlings and Tinker Bell, to be honest.

A very fun, highly inventive take on Barrie's classic.

...return to Japan's version of the Neverland

I managed to find the rest of Peter Pan no Boken (Adventures of Peter Pan) that I wrote about here. I'm just a few episodes beyond where I left off. On the whole, it's still very good. They've created a compelling set of characters and circumstances. Peter Pan and company have befriended Luna, who is a princess and grandaughter to the Black Magician. Children's dreams are being destroyed in some capacity, but the how and why does not yet seem entirely clear. And it seems I'm not either, so I will wait until I have seen more and can focus my thoughts.

Two parts seemed rather jarring though. Although I adored the location of it (a graveyard of pirate ships floating haphazardly in dingy, foggy space) I didn't see the point of bringing Captain Hook back. Perhaps there is a good reason. I have yet to see. As of now, it seems unnecessary when they could focus on the wonderful characters they created instead. And he didn't do much but sneer and grumble a lot.

The other part is the inclusion of Don Quixote. What? Right. I don't know either. The character of Miguel Cervantes shows up in an episode which, other than a lesson in courage vs. cowardice, has no real value. Not to be cruel, but it steered away from the story arc just to have Don Quixote appear. I imagine the writers had an affinity for the knight errant and paid him homage this way. I just didn't get it.

Peter Pan no Boken - Not Entirely Broken

Japan's Boy Who Never Grew Up

Peter Pan no Bōken (Adventures of Peter Pan) is a Japanese cartoon series based on…well, you know. I have long known about this TV show (which ran in Japan over the course of the year 1989) but being able to see it proved a bit difficult. Then the magic of the internet came along. Which means I caught glimpses of it on YouTube and other sites. I resisted delving into it. Somehow I did not fully trust it to be a worthwhile adaptation. The skeptical side of me always won out. Until now. I recently came across a site harboring half of this 41 episode series, with English subtitles. I will not link to where, for it’s probably not “right” that they are online.

I must say that I am not a fan of the character design. I’m sure there are many traditions being drawn upon here. But it is just not to my tastes. [Though the Captain’s hook is on the correct hand!] I just don’t like the way the characters look. But I did not let that stop me from watching the show.

As it turns out, it is very much a forerunner to Fox’s Peter Pan & the Pirates. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Fox procured the idea.) Fox’s show I enjoy very much. More on that series some other time. But no Bōken proved to be just as appealing, despite the character design. However, it does veer from the original story in many ways. Normally that would bother me greatly. But on this front I am not entirely an ogre. After all, they are changing the medium of the tale. When that happens, rearrangements are often necessary. Among other alterations, they subtracted some Lost Boys, gave them a house amid a tree (calling to mind the Wendy house in the treetops at the end of Barrie's, of course, although they are supposed to live underground for the main text) and added a lot of extra story. In fact, it doesn’t even begin in quite the same way. Sure, Wendy is hoping that Pan will show up at her window. But here she and her brothers are dreaming about him, researching him in a book store, eating breakfast with the family and such. Later on, the final battle with Hook is a grand adventure through a booby trapped mountain (which is much better than it sounds).


The entire premise for the show revolves around the fact that the Darling children had many adventures in the Neverland that did not make it to the page. Adventures, of course, as we shall see, were of daily occurrence... To describe them all would require a book as large as an English-Latin, Latin-English Dictionary, and the most we can do is to give one as a specimen of an average hour on the island. Thus, creative folk have plenty of room for imagining other escapades. What struck me, though, is the time devoted to showing everyday life in the household. Besides being used as petty, cute filler until the adventure begins, whole sections give us the amazement of the Lost Boys at seeing Wendy-Mother making breakfast, washing dishes, sewing, etc. In short, it drives home the very notion of Home. It truly accentuates the irony that for these castaway boys surrounded by countless fun, the true curiosity and hold is what would have been mundane had they stayed on the mainland.

I loved how Peter Pan himself behaved. Not just his personality which they hit spot on, but his movements. Here you will find a Peter who stands on a ship’s mast and appear to fall only to quickly zip-curve around behind you. A Pan who sits crosslegged in midair. A Peter who jumps down and falls fast, then slow, then throws out his arms and legs and darts off another way. From his wayward flight paths to his subtle floats, his lovable obnoxious demeanor is beautifully translated by the writers, animators and voice actor. I should mention that this kind of attention to his, well, flighty motions happen in Peter Pan & the Pirates, too. And I adored them in it. But I noted that the Japanese did it first, and better. For those of you who will say that Disney’s Pan did this even before no Bōken, I say: Yes, true. But for me, not in quite the same way. I think no Bōken and Fox’s depiction of the controlled recklessness is far superior.

One aspect I found curious is the inability of anyone to fly in the Neverland except Peter Pan (and Tinker Bell, of course). A reason is given: Because in the Neverland there are too many other fun things to do than be able to fly. A trumped up reason, if you ask me. But I went along with it on the grounds that it proved a wonderful way to create tension and adventure. For instance, one cannot just fly across a raging river…one must brave jumping along the stones poking out of the water. But then, by the same token, Fox’s had them all flying and managed to create danger and excitement. However, no flying worked for this version.

I enjoyed their other interpretations as well, like the Neverland being an island in the sky. It’s easier to show you a picture:

It’s not correct, of course, but again, it’s a new way for a cartoon adaptation.
Rascal the Raccoon: another fun addition. Others exist, to be sure, but I won’t list them all.

I found myself loving this series. I truly wish to see the second half, especially since they introduce more characters, like an evil sorceress as a villain once Hook is gone. For those of you know me well, a pleasing Peter Pan is something of a rarity. Amazingly I like it even better than Fox’s. It does have foibles, but on the whole it captivated me. But I think Peter Pan no Bōken captures Barrie even more.

If you can find it, do give it whirl. I recommend it.
If we could combine the two shows into one? Dare to dream.

Disney's Boy Who Never Grew Up
P.J. Hogan's Boy Who Never Grew Up
The Silent Boy Who Never Grew Up
Fox's Boy Who Never Grew Up
...return to Japan's version of the Neverland
Peter Pan no Bōken - Not Entirely Broken

Finite Cartoons III

Finite Cartoons I
Finite Cartoons II

Before I tell you about my final favorite Finite Cartoon (my definition of this term is here) I must confess something. I have not seen every episode of this one. Gads! Furthermore, once I researched it to refresh my memory of what I did know of it, I discovered that I might not be entirely correct on this one. That is, it may not be a Finite Cartoon in the truest sense. It seems as if it is more like a series with a continuity, but not an actual arc. I’m sorry. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it and as I stated, I didn’t get to see them all. However, this cartoon series has what I think are fascinating origins and production development. I’ll get to it in a bit.

First let me explain the difference between a continuity series and a finite series. A comment on the last post asked if the delightfully wacky parody of superheroes and supervillains, The Tick, counts as a Finite Cartoon. To the best of my knowledge it does not. The argument for it being one is that it has recurring tidbits such as the example given that Chairface’s attempt to emblaze his name on the moon can be seen throughout the shows after it first appears. Yet this just chalks up to consistency (which many cartoons do ignore, sadly.) I don’t see The Tick as having a general overall story that follows toward an ending. It’s a series of adventures, each separate but for the continuity of elements. I hope I’m making it clear enough. For the record, I love The Tick. SPOON!

All right…the last cartoon show I wish to talk about is Jumanji: The Animated Series. I have to tell you, I happened to experience Jumanji backward. Huh? Like this: The cartoon series is based on the live-action movie, which itself is based on a magnificent picture book by the amazing writer/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. Somehow I never had picked up that particular book. I had wanted to see the movie, but it did not work out in the cards. I happened to catch the cartoon show one day. At first the drawing style threw me, for it takes some getting used to. [For instance, the character’s eyes are very far apart on their heads.] After time, I really came to enjoy the vaguely abstract character and setting design. Now, as I watched, it made me wonder. I knew the basic idea of the movie’s plot through general knowledge. But this show had the premise…backwards. I suppose I should explain the general idea for those who don’t know. Jumanji is a board game about traversing a jungle. But the game is “real.” When it says monkeys attack, well, they do. Creatures and people and floods and things come “out of the game” and manifest into our reality. In the movie version, a boy named Alan Parrish plays with his friend Sarah Whittle. A little black bubble in the center has green mist form into rhyming words for each turn, indicating what will happen, albeit usually in “clue” form. Alan’s message: In the jungle you must wait until someone rolls a five or eight. Then, the reverse happens to him - he gets “sucked into” the game through the black bubble. Sarah runs screaming. Decades later, two children named Peter and Judy move into the house and find the game in the attic. They start playing and experience its delicious horror…but they are not playing their own game…they become additional players to Alan and Sarah’s, as a game of Jumanji does not end until someone’s piece gets to the center of the board. Peter rolls and releases an adult Alan, now a “wild man” of the jungle. They have to enlist the help of reclusive Sarah, for they need to finish the game in order to stop the ever-increasing chaos unleashed upon their town. Got that? Good. Now you will be able to see why I became confused watching the cartoon. For in the series, Peter and Judy receive a clue and then both get sucked into the game, where they meet “Wild Man” Alan Parrish and have adventures with him in the jungle of Jumanji. In order to get out, they must figure out what their cryptic clue means. Alan, however, never saw his clue and is thus stuck in Jumanji. Sarah Whittle is not in the show. After getting ‘sucked into’ the TV show, I then, naturally, sought out the movie. Loved it. I knew they had expanded the story from the picture book, so I had a theory. Alan Parrish would not be in the book. Correct. It’s just Peter and Judy and the perils that escape from the game remain confined to their house only and they complete the adventure before their parents get home. [In the movie and cartoon, their parents had died and they live with their Aunt Nora played by Bebe Neuwirth. For the record, a young Kirsten Dunst plays Judy. Bonnie Hunt is adult Sarah Whittle. Robin Williams is adult Alan Parrish.]

I’m not sure about you, but I find this progression and re-adaptation from book to series fascinating. It’s cool how you can re-fashion something without losing the basics of the original. Chris Van Allsburg (love him!) is given credit on IMDB for helping with the screenplay, although in interviews he says that his (allowed) input had been extremely limited.

As for it being a Finite Cartoon, I’ve discovered that it at least has a rudimentary plotline of trying to find out Alan’s clue that he missed so that he can escape Jumanji. Sorry for this spoiler (spoiled it for me, too): In the final episode they do get the clue and Alan leaves with them and takes a shine to their Aunt Nora. So at the very least, it does “end.” So in that sense, it qualifies as Finite, though it may not fully deserve the title.
And guess what…Tim Curry has a role in this one, too! He plays Trader Slick of Jumanji, as the cartoon allowed for the creation of a whole set of new characters.

If you haven’t seen the movie or read Van Allsburg’s book…what are you waiting for?

Van Allsburg is also responsible for The Polar Express, among others. My favorite of his works, though, is The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Talk about creatively inspiring...!

Yes, YouTube strikes again. You can find nearly all the episodes of the Jumanji cartoon series there.

Two other examples of a Finite Cartoon (though I would not call them “favorites”) are:
Jackie Chan Adventures. Yes, the martial arts legend is also a ‘toon. I’ve caught quite a few episodes and have enjoyed it. But for me it did not have the same lure as Mighty Max, Danny Phantom or Jumanji. This one has the distinction of having a new (but contiguous) arc for each season.
Star Blazers (English Title). This is a Japanese anime series chronicling the adventures of a starship crew making their way to see Trilena of Telezar, who needs their help. (As I recall it.)
The web has info on both, of course.

If you know any more good Finite Cartoons, I’d love to know about them!

Finite Cartoons II

Here is the next Finite Cartoon I wish to tell you about. For a definition of “Finite Cartoon,” see this link to the previous post.

Danny Phantom is Butch Hartman’s spin on the formula of Stan Lee’s Spider-Man. Danny Fenton is a fourteen year old high school freshman whose somewhat eccentric parents are into ghost hunting (and busting.) Their portal to the Ghost Zone doesn’t work initially, but Danny takes a look at it when they are not around. In true comic book fashion, there is a freak accident and he becomes a halfa, half boy and half ghost. Actually he is able to switch at will. Thus, Danny Fenton becomes Danny Phantom. Like Spider-Man, he keeps a secret identity, though his best friends Sam(antha) and Tucker know the truth. He battles the ghosts that plague Amity Park (kudos on the name. They also attend Casper High.) Again like Spider-Man, using his super powers for justice and protection are often misunderstood by the media and public, forcing him to grapple with acceptance and his dual nature in addition to the horrors of high school. It evolves into his arch nemesis being Vlad Plasmius, an evil adult halfa, aka Vlad Masters, a college mate of his father’s. But both Danny and Vlad are sometimes at the mercy of bigger, badder villains from the Ghost Zone. Admittedly, Danny Phantom is not rich in a basis of mythology and legend as is Mighty Max. But Hartman is to be praised for his imaginative new creations.

Okay, on to the Finite part. Oh, the horror! Hartman had a plan for the series from the beginning. He had a definite story he wanted to tell when he pitched the series to Nickelodeon. (He already had the very successful Fairly Odd Parents [which I also love, but is not Finite] on the network.) I don’t recall the exact number (nor is it important) but they allowed a chunk of them. Well received, they gave him another chunk, circa 20. Hartman happily set to work on fleshing out his storyline…recurring characters, developing relationships and situations. Danny also discovered new ghostly powers as it went along. Hartman certainly kept it interesting. While some had aired and some were being written, Nickelodeon gave him even more. About double what he had. Thus, he excitedly expanded his storyline further, able to write in much more developments. But…eventually Nickelodeon pulled the plug…in the middle of his story. He had a fixed number left, nowhere near his allotment. A trooper, Hartman had to rework his arc to fit within the only remaining episodes he had. Guess what happened next. Yes, possibly due to fan outcry, they went ahead and reversed their decision. However, by the time they did so, Hartman had already retooled the storyline. Now he had the opportunity to make it closer to his original vision, but still not quite the same given the changes that had been made. Then, they did it…again. Poor Hartman! I’d like to think I can sympathize with his trauma. To make matters worse, they aired episodes out of order! Now, in a regular show, this most likely would not make a difference. But for a Finite series, it throws it all out of whack. It does not make it easy for good storytelling at all, no fault to Hartman, who informed fans on his website of the shenanigans. It finally ended up that they gave him a set, final limit. Having already had some “movies” (hour long episodes) during the course of the show, they also gave him a “movie” to finish it off. (How nice of them.) So Hartman had to shuffle it around yet again and get his story back on track to its conclusion in much less the space than planned. Though he will admit that some small bits feel rushed (but can you blame him after that frenzy?), he is pleased with how it turned out. And I have to say, I am very impressed. In light of what insanity he had to work under, he gave us a fabulous adventure, with a satisfying ending to boot. Yes, it leaves it open for more. But not in the sense of a Hollywood movie where it is painfully obvious that more is on the way. In the final movie "Phantom Planet,"Danny Phantom is wrapped up nicely, all the loose ends tied into bows, secrets revealed and major dilemmas solved. Yet if he wanted to, he could start another story arc from there.
Danny Phantom could be considered as falling into the Puer Archetype as well. But my next and last report of my favorite Finite Cartoons will not include a traditional Puer.

Coincidentally, you will find Rob Paulsen's vocal talent in this series as well. He plays Danny's father.

As of now, many episodes of this are on YouTube, hunt it down if you wish. Also as of now, the first two seasons are available from iTunes.

Finite Cartoons I
Finite Cartoons III

Finite Cartoons

I really enjoy a good Finite Cartoon. What on earth is that? It’s the term I use for an episodic animated series which follows a progressive story arc. This differs from a regular show. A regular program is situation-based and each episode is complete in and of itself. Next episode, new story, solved within that time frame. Yes, a Finite Cartoon can also wrap up a situation within an episode, but there is more to it. A Finite Cartoon has a definite origin and moves along to a planned conclusion. I especially like the ones with side-story episodes as well, those that don’t actually factor into the spine of the overall tale. Just to mix it up a little bit and give the arc more weight when it does appear. I’ve certainly not seen every Finite Cartoon that exits, nor do I have a complete tally. But I do have a few favorites.

One of these had actually been an advertising ploy for bad toys produced in the early 90’s. But don’t let that fool you. It seems as if the writers and animators used the toys as a springboard, leaving it in the dust of their overactive imaginations. This series draws on a wealth of mythology from around the globe, alleged ancient civilizations and a whole set of newly created mythos. It’s no wonder I like it, especially since the protagonist of the story is of the Puer Archetype. (Boy Hero) He’s not a Puer Aeternus (Eternal Boy) like Peter Pan, but he’s a wonderful character nonetheless. His name is Max. Here's the basic story (and bear in mind this is a fantastical, almost comic-book show): A package is delivered to Max's house which he assumes to be for his mother, an archeologist working for a museum. But no, it is addressed to him. Inside is a statue of a fowl. After translating Egyptian hieroglyphics to be a personal message for him, he drops it and reveals a red baseball cap with a yellow “M” on it. Before long a lava beast attacks him on his bike and the cap automatically opens up a portal into which he escapes, ending up on another part of the world. He’s met by a Schwarzenegger-esque fellow with an enormous sword and a large foul (about half Max’s height.) Max has been chosen by prophecy and destiny to be the next Mighty One, he who stands up against the evils of the world. More specifically to take down Skullmaster of the Underground Kingdom, who is orchestrating much of the chaos above. (I know, I know, but it’s technically for kids, okay?) Skullmaster had been trapped by the previous Mighty One and is now making his escape. It progresses into a complicated story of pupils and teachers, ancient artifacts, beasties, legends and gods. It all comes to a magnificent conclusion at Stonehenge. Skullmaster is voiced by the iconic gentleman Tim Curry. Oh. The name of the show is Mighty Max. Whether you believe me or not, it’s a sophisticated well-written show, rich in “edutainment.” Unfortunately it’s not yet available on DVD. But I got to see all of it on TV, watching reruns (new to me) as an adult. Once the conclusion aired during the middle of the week, I figured the next day just might be the pilot. So I set the VCR (Jeepers, remember those?) for it. Yup, they aired the whole series over again, in order. So with a few glitches (thanks to imperfect technology and weather) I have 98% of the entire series on video tape. Someplace, in a box. It didn’t just go to waste, for I showed Cassidy the entire series and she agreed that it’s of a wonderful calibre. If it ever comes to DVD, do check it out. It’s a hell of a lot of fun. You can find a lot about it on the good ‘ol ‘net if you’re so inclined. Other vocal talent in it includes Tony Jay, Richard Moll, Rob Paulsen and Tress MacNeille. You may know the last two from Animaniacs. Ms. MacNeille also voices Agnes Skinner (and many others) for The Simpsons and has done work for Futurama and Rugrats, to name but a measly few of her track record.

That’s enough reading for now. I’ll tell you about another choice Finite Cartoon in the next post.
How about you? Have a “Finite Cartoon” favorite?

Finite Cartoons II
Finite Cartoons III
*After writing this, I discovered that someone has the entire series posted on YouTube. I’m not posting a link, as this is technically infringement. But I’m not going to discourage you from looking it up ;)

Disney's Boy Who Never Grew Up

The Walt Disney version of Peter Pan. While reading, please keep in mind that these are merely my views. Obviously yours may not be the same. I am very much a purist, especially when it comes to Peter Pan. I am looking as someone who reveres the original work. Perhaps that skews me in general, but I don’t want to lose sight of the specifics.

I do not dislike the animated feature, but I have no great fondness for it either.
As with many stories that they have adapted, the "Disney touch" is not necessarily a good thing. It's a bit too bright and happy for me. Too "bubble-gum" if that makes sense to anyone. It does have its "dark" moments, which is great. I'd say Barrie's story is a little of both. It's just that Disney seems cutesy heavy. Overall, it’s fine. Besides bringing to the story the ever-popular live shadow, I have a few qualms, which are:

"Second star to the right and straight on till morning." The added word irks me. Barrie wrote: "Second to the right," said Peter, "and then straight on till morning." Now, I can see why they'd want to put a word in there. Second to the right...what does that mean? Second to the right of WHAT? But that is precisely the point. For Barrie also wrote: That, Peter had told Wendy, was the way to the Neverland; but even birds, carrying maps and consulting them at windy corners, could not have sighted it with these instructions. Peter, you see, just said anything that came into his head. The inclusion of the word "star" has become ingrained into popular culture. I deem this loss of the original story element sad. (It's like the Wicked Witch of the West. Technically she is not green, folks.)

Tinker Bell (not Tinkerbell nor Tinkerbelle) is not a pixie, but a fairy. The change baffles me. Though similar, there is a folkloric difference.

Disney's mode of dress for Peter Pan has tainted people's view of him. Many illustrations allude to Disney's design. And it makes people believe he wears tights. *sigh*  And the ears?  No. 

Hook is too comedic and foppish. Barrie wrote, Hook should be played absolutely seriously, and the actor must avoid all temptation to play the part as if he was conscious of its humours. There is such a temptation, and in the stage play the actors of the part have sometimes yielded to it, with fatal results. He is a blood-thirsty villain, all the more so because use he is an educated man. The other pirates are rough scoundrels, but he can be horribly polite when he is most wicked. He should have the manners of a beau. But above all the part should be played with absolute seriousness and avoidance of trying to be funny. This should be insisted on throughout, and especially later in the pirate-ship scene. This same warning applies to all the pirates.

The hook is on the wrong the hand. I am used to this one, however. It seems 'everybody' makes this mistake. Possibly because it is harder for most to swordfight with the left hand. Dare I say this might be excusable if not for some lines in the movie. As John and Michael are playing at being Hook and Pan respectively, Wendy corrects John on the placement of his hook (coat hanger) saying, Ohno, John, it was the left hand. The narrator then informs us that Wendy is the “Supreme Authority” on Peter Pan and all his marvelous adventures. Now, the problem here is that she corrects John…incorrectly! Not only is there the discrepancy with the text but it is then emphasized? Again, I am baffled. I don't object to the scene or Wendy’s title, but why not have her comment on some other aspect?

Otherwise, the disturbing racial portrayal of the Indians notwithstanding, it's all right – it’s Disneyized.
Just please don't hold it as the ideal.

Japan's Boy Who Never Grew Up
P.J. Hogan's Boy Who Never Grew Up
The Silent Boy Who Never Grew Up
Fox's Boy Who Never Grew Up