Captain America: Reborn review

The new Captain America series under the direction of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting has been phenomenal. Starting the series by killing the Red Skull and embarking on a massive story line involving the Cosmic Cube and the return of James ‘Buckey’ Barnes as the Winter Soldier was a master stroke but the big story was the death of Captain America and Buckey’s attempt to fill his mentor’s shoes.

Brubaker stepped it up a notch by returning Steve Rogers to life, but not exactly in the way that anyone imagined.

Captain America: Reborn (variant by Joe Quesada)

Captain America: Reborn
A 5 part miniseries by Ed Brubaker, Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice

Any comic book reader will tell you the death is never the end on the world of comics. Even so, many of those same fans feel cheated when their heroes return from the dead. This may be due to the large amount of poorly orchestrated deaths and even worse rebirths that comic fans have had to endure over the years. Even if a death is well done, often the character’s return is a let down or vice versa. Green Lantern Hal Jordan’s death was a dissapointment and his multiple returns to the DC Universe were embarassingly bad until Geoff Johns got his hands on him. The same can be said for Hawkman whose death was a convoluted mess yet the hero’s return from oblivion was very impressive. Of course he died all over again… you may have missed it since it took place in Final Crisis.

In the case of Captain America, his death story was incredibly moving and impressive and Marvel knows it. As the series was raking in readers each month it was hardly a publishing stunt to kill of the main character. In fact, Brubaker said that Steve Rogers’ death was part of his plan after taking over the title. A casualty of the Civil War over the Super Human Registration Act, Captain America was defeated not so much by the opposing force led by former compatriot Iron Man (they even shared a comic together once upon a time!), but by his own inability to understand the will of the people he had sworn to protect. As the SHRA’s support grew and split the people of America in two, Cap devoted his attention to defending the freedom of all Americans and missed the fact that they were genuinely scared of the super-powered beings who lived amongst them. It took a moment of clarity in which Cap suddenly became aware of the death and destruction that his crusade against the Registration Act was causing to convince him to back down.

Death of Captain America

But Captain America’s decline was not over yet. On his way to court, however, he was gunned down both by a sniper and at close range by his former lover Sharon Carter. Since that time last year readers have been waiting for Steve Rogers to return to life.

Norman Osborn

In the character’s absence, the Marvel Universe has become volatile. Inexplicably Norman Osborn (formerly the Green Goblin) has been exonerated for his life of crime, ousted Tony Stark and declared him an enemy of the state, reformed SHIELD as HAMMER and assembled his own team of Avengers who are secretly super villains.

Buckey as Cap

Seeking to fight the war that Rogers started, James Buchanan ‘Buckey’ Barnes has taken on the mantle of Captain America. Thwarting the machaivellian plots of the Red Skull designed to destroy America from within and battling phantoms of his dark past, Buckey has become a hero in his own right and earned the title of Cap’s uniform. That being said, all readers have still been waiting patiently for Steve Rogers to return. As noted earlier, I have yet to see both super hero’s death and return as knock-out stories. This may be the exception.

The 5 part series just started this week is an indicator of just how brilliant Brubaker and Marvel Editorial has been regarding the return of their most beloved character. There was a brief moment not long after Rogers’ death when readers thought that the character was not dead after all and was in fact held by SHIELD. This turned out to be a ruse on Tony Stark’s part to draw out the New Avengers. Later, it was thought that Rogers was alive and in the thrall of the Red Skull. This turned out to be the ‘other’ Captain America from the 1950’s, driven mad by the Super Soldier Serum. With two possibilities debunked, what was left?

It turns out that the Red Skull, along with Emil Zola, was attempting to use a unique combination of hi-tech machinery (including the ‘gun’ that Sharon Carter used on Steve) to bring him out of time. While it is still unclear why the Red Skull was doing this, it is apparent that the experiment was a failure and has left Steve Rogers ‘unstuck in time.’ Bounding from one period of his life to another, the bewildered super patriot is slowly but surely on his way back ‘home,’ but how he will get there and what he will do after he arrives is anybody’s guess.

The death and rebirth of Captain America seems to mirror the states of the nation in America… so it won’t be an easy process but it is sure to be fascinating.

Force Five – Gaiking

Each school day of my childhood was threatened by the cartoons of Force Five, shown hauntingly close to the time when my bus picked me up… or took off without me as I caught up on the adventures of giant fighting robots. In fairness, how was school prepared to deal with that kind of competition?

Jim Terry Productions had purchased the rights to five separate series and played one each day of the week, including Danguard Ace on Monday, Starvengers on Tuesday, Spaceketeers on Wednesday and Grandizer on Thursday. Each of these program was a knock-out in its own tight, but in my humble opinion the best was saved for last.

Friday – Gaiking

While each of the Force Five programs shared some tie to existing manga or in the case of Spaceketeers tied to Japanese folklore, Gaiking was something else entirely. Threatened by the Dark Horror Army (fantastic never-to-be-topped bad guy name there), Professor Hightech and his international crew of experts are forced to rely upon the skills of a Greek immigrant minor-league baseball pitcher named Ares Astronopolis to pilot the super-robot Gaiking. Ares narrowly escapes an alien killing spree of baseball pitchers put into action by the Dark Horror Empire by assassins armed with shoulder-mounted baseball launching guns.

Honestly… you cannot make this stuff up.

The robot, like many of its ilk, was housed in parts that needed to be assembled on the fly whenever needed. This required near super-human piloting skills to get the head part on the shoulders part while in flight. If this sounds unwise, Ares insists on being thrown headlong into the role of robot jockey without ever actually seeing one. The series is full of many such bad ideas. In retrospect, the Dark Horror Army are real menshes for just waiting while the crew of the Space Dragon got all of their toys lined up and ready to fight.

Force Five Gaiking opening

The genius behind Great Sky Demon Dragon Gaiking (as it was initially known) is that it centers not only on the giant robot, but also on an entire team of mythical beast-type robots including the flying Skylar, Plesiosaur-shaped Nesser and triceratops-like Bazolar all housed inside of the Space Dragon. Not only did this make the program more visually interesting and full of other characters, it also multiplied the toy tie-ins.

Part of the Shogun Warriors family of super robots, Gaiking is one of the more visually impressive of his kind. Replete with massive horns and a roaring face on his chest that fired devastating energy from its nose and eyes, this is a robot that makes an impression. Unfortunately, the dignity of Gaiking didn’t exactly translate to the all of the toy versions.

Vintage Shogun Warriors Commercial

For young boys growing up in the cultural cesspool of the late 1970’s, there was little to hope for. Luckily comic books, kung fu movies, Kiss and Japanese cartoons were around to fill in the gap ordinarily filled by illuminating literature, ground-breaking music and meaningful dialog. Each day, Force Five delivered the goods. Super robots ripped giant lizards, UFOs and anything else that came into the light of day in half with Japanese-style disco music and intense battle cries dubbed dubiously into English.

And if that ain’t a blueprint for a solid childhood… I don’t know what is.

Thanks to all who joined me on this week-long journey back to 1978 and to those who had never seen Force Five and have been wondering what happened to my mind over the past five days… regular service will resume tomorrow.

Force Five – Grandizer

An essential part of growing old is embarrassing yourself with knowledge from your childhood, especially regarding cartoons, toys or cartoons based on toys. In the case of the anthology anime series Force Five, the marks that I have earned this week will stay with me well into my old age. I remember waaaay too much about these cartoons but after I go into detail you may not be able to blame me.

A series of five Japanese cartoons that ruled each school day of the week on UHF channels in New England, Force Five’s series progressed in ambition and absurdity from Monday to Friday. We had already seen a modular robot in Danguard Ace, three flying craft that combined to create any one of three robots in Starvengers and a trio of space adventuring misfits in Spaceketeers… what could possibly be next?

Thursday – Grandizer

By far one of the most warmly remember and loved of the Force Five cartoons is Grandizer. The towering robot of concussive power which split his enemies in twain with his double-bladed staff made each Thursday morning worth waiting for.

Originally known as UFO Robot Grendizer, Grandizer (as he was known in the US), is an informal sequel to the popular series Mazinger. The returning character of Kouji Kabuto is rather unfortunate as he comes off as a kind of comic relief in comparison to the smokily mysterious farm-hand known as ‘Johnny.’ In truth, Johnny is Orion Quest, the last of his people who escaped genocide at the hands of the Vegan empire. Escaping to Earth in the Vegan saucer ship known as Grandizer, he found solace in the home of a top UFO scientist and even gets hired on at the farm of peanut-head-shaped prospector named Panhandle.

I really think he took the job to get a shot at Panhandle’s sweet daughter, but we can never be sure.

In any case, Koji is suspicious of Johnny and his connection to the alien attacks. In time he is entrusted with the secret of Johnny’s real past and the threat that the Vegans pose… to Panhandle’s farm. This is one of those conceits that I am all too familiar with from watching too much Dr Who. When ‘the Earth’ is threatened, they really mean London. In this case it’s one small farm.

… whatever. This is still one of the best robot cartoons I have ever seen. Each week the evil Vegans send another ’saucer animal’ to kill Johnny and he laments that he must once again go into combat… he plays the Spanish guitar a bit… then jumps into his secret lair, calls out his real name of Orion Quest and embarks on an exceedingly long process to getting into battle in his robot which is also housed inside of a giant blade-saw-firing flying saucer. This animation sequence stuck with me so deeply that I could almost play it back without thinking about it… because it happened EVERY EPISODE. Additionally, the UFO enthusiast and genius Koji would attempt to defend the farm each week in his sad saucer only to nearly get killed before Johnny saved his bacon. Poor guy.

An additional oddity is that the oddly dressed second in command known as ‘Commander Ding’ (I can hear my father’s laughter every time this villain is on the screen) answers to a man who must deal with a woman residing in his head. No lie, each episode features the lead villain’s head splitting apart to allow a screeching miniature witch to extend and pester his inability to defeat Grandizer.

Scarred for life.

In any case, it was only much later that I learned of the connection between Grandizer and Mazinger and the sweeping epic-style nature of the Japanese storyline that has to be read to be believed. I knew that Jim Terry Productions took some liberties in the translations of these toons but this one suffered a great deal.

That being said, it remains one of the most revered animation robot cartoons to date and a major high point on Force Five.

Much like Star Blazers before him, Grandizer left an indelible mark on my generation. Don’t believe me? Click on the image below to read about the Grandizer amusement park ride.

Force Five – Spaceketeers

My special review of the daily cartoon anthology series called Force Five continues. New England readers may recall that on local UHF channels during the early 1980’s each day there was a new episode of Force Five, an ingenious series consisting of five unique cartoon programs mainly starring super robots.

The one exception to this rule of giant robots is the program known as Spaceketeers. Originally the granddaddy of giant robot cartoons, Mazinger-Z, was to fill this slot but when it fell through, this program filled its place.

Originally seen in my childhood, I’ve been revisiting this program. To my surprise I have found that the schedule of Force Five built up to an outlandish crescendo of devastating absurdity… but more on that later. While Monday’s Dangaurd Ace and Tuesday’s Starvengers are relatively straight-forward super robot toons, Spaceketeers is a whole other animal.

Wednesday – Spaceketeers

Many of these programs rely on the rule of three, where our heroes are a tightly knit trio of heroes each fulfilling a different role. In the case of Spaceketeers and Starvengers, we can see that there is a slender guy, an average guy and a goofy portly guy (who replaced a dead portly guy). I’m not exactly sure what this triumvirate of body types but I feel that it is bizarre enough in its repetition to be pointed out.

The story of the program involves Princess Aurora’s mission to restore the balance to the Galactic Energy. The Empress and Prof.Schnitzel assign a bodyguard to accompany her on this mission who remains one of my most favorite fictional characters. An unlikely orphan named Jesse Dart who willingly volunteered himself for transformation into a kill-crazy cyborg is one of the funniest characters in cartoons I have ever seen. Brash, destructive and self-centered, Dart is full of problems but in the end the Princess’ innocence and beauty always win out.

In time two additional guardians join the Princess and Jesse Dart in their journey. First the portly ’space hog’ called Porkos abandons his empire of mud and later the calculator-obsessed Arimos leaves his planet of water to restore cosmic equilibrium to the galaxy and fight some of the most whacked-out monsters I have ever seen.

Known in its native language as Science Fiction Saiyuki Starzinger, Spaceketeers is loosely based on the Janpanes folklore Journey to the West. Jesse Dart is a sci-fi adaptation of the Monkey King character of myth.

Dart proves to be such an uncontrollable pest to the gentle and delicate Princess that it is only with the use of a golden crown that she can control his temper. Even as a child I found this to be far more evocative and meaningful than it appeared to be. I mean… what does this say about man/woman relationships? Maybe I’m reading into this too much.

I never tire of seeing Jesse Dart take his attacks too far, causing the Princess to remind him that they are on a mission of peace, cross her arms and force him to calm down. The middle of the week always proved to be one of the high points thanks to the high level of violence and comedy in each episode.

Force Five – Starvengers

The second in a series of five daily cartoon programs known collectively as Force Five, Starvengers was a giant robot series that would spawn an interest in cartoons where multiple vehicles combine to create a collective mecha.

Force Five – Starvengers Opening

Tuesday – Starvengers

Known originally as Getter Robo G, Starvengers is strangely a sequel to a series that few Americans ever saw called Getter Robo. Starvengers opens with our heroes celebrating the defeat of an old enemy and mourning the loss of a comrade. The search for a new pilot to join the noble Homer and rakish Paladin. With the creation of an even greater trio of vehicles (again, meaningless to an audience not familiar with the previous series), the team welcomes the boisterous and plump ‘Foul Tip’ as their third team member in the fight against the Demon Empire.

The main gist of this series is that the viewers got three robots for the price of one. When the three vehicles combine in a certain order they create three distinct super robots.

Star Dragon- the double hatchet-wielding Star Dragon is a fan favorite for obvious reasons. The red robot has a variety of attacks, but the one that sticks with most fans is the Double Hatchet Boomerang.

Star Arrow- the slender blue robot known for its double drill attack capable of penetrating the toughest of enemy armors.

Poseidon- the less popular undersea robot piloted by baseball enthusiast Foul Tip, Poseidon’s signature Star Cyclone attack was nothing to sneeze at.

If the high drama and intrigue of Monday’s Danguard Ace caught viewers off guard, the all-out action of Starvengers delivered the message that Force Five was all about high adventure and giant robots smacking the Hell out of each other.

All three robots were present in Marvel Comics’ Shogun Warriors and in toy form, but Star Dragon was the real star of this program.

Make sure to visit Plaid Stallions for more vintage catalog action!

Update:

I only just noticed that one of the evil no-good-nicks threatening our heroes on a regular basis is actually a mutant Hitler called ‘Captain Fuhrer.’

Captain Fuhrer

You cannot make this stuff up.

Force Five – Danguard Ace

Over the course of this week I will strive to introduce my readers to the era of Force Five, a daily cartoon series consisting of a different episode each day of the week. Mainly showcasing mecha anime (aside from the last minute addition of Spaceketeers to take the place of Mazinger Z), Force Five ran throughout the early 1980’s, bridging the gap between the success of Star Blazers and Robotech on American TV.

In my own childhood, these cartoons formed a pivotal role in shaping my creative landscape. Absurd, dynamic, dramatic and packed full of action, Force Five seemed to be from an entirely different world.

Monday – Danguard Ace

My entire relationship with the days of the week has been impacted by the programming schedule of Force Five. I never did like Mondays and the scheduling of Danguard Ace has long suffered in this regard. A series centered on domination of the tenth planet known as Promete, the main thrust of the program was the relationship between the young pilot Windstar and his estranged and mysterious father, known only as Captain Mask.

Force Five – Danguard Ace Opening

As with many of these programs, the story in each episode was an explosive battle between Windstar piloting the mammoth Danguard Ace robot against the threat of Kommisar Krell and his horde of kill-crazy robots.

Like all of Force Five, Danguard Ace is a rewritten translation of a previously existing anime series from the late 1970’s. The original cartoon, known as Planet Robo Danguard Ace, was co-created by Leiji Matusmoto, famous for his work on Space Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999. Again, like many of the Force Five robots, Danguard Ace appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics’ Shogun Warriors, a kind of repository for Japanese robots in comic book form at the time.

While I admit to not wholly enjoying Danguard Ace as a child, re-watching it now I can find a new kind of appreciation for what the program was trying to do. Depicting a future where wars spanned planets and the fate of the human race hung in the balance, this series has a lot going for it. The addition of Captain Mask’s determination to both foster his son through adulthood while refusing to reveal that he is indeed Windstar’s father is so complicated it’s Shakespearean. The robot battles are in keeping with the other Force Five-ers, but the high level of drama makes this one stand out.

UPDATE

I just discovered that there is an episode that Jim Terry Productions didn’t bother to translate that explains all of the background behind Windstar’s dad and the Promete project (both of which you have to pay close attention to catch in the series). I wonder how many piece of hidden info I’ll uncover as I revisit these cartoons!

Superman/Batman animated movie details

Additional details have come in for the upcoming DC Animated feature, Superman/Batman. It’s certainly heartening to see stalwart voice actors such as Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy and Clancy Brown returning to the fold once again! A popular storyline from the monthly comic by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness, this should be a great project.

EARTH IMPERILED, VILLAINY REIGNS, HEROES HUNTED –PREPARE TO ROOT FOR THE BAD GUYS!

SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES
FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO ON SEPT. 29, 2009

DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie Based on Acclaimed
Jeph Loeb/Ed McGuinness Comics; Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy & Clancy Brown Reprise Original Voices of Superman, Batman & Lex Luthor

BURBANK, CA (June 29, 2008) – The World’s Greatest Super Heroes become America’s most wanted criminals – and are hunted by friends and foes alike – in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the sixth entry in the popular DVD series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies. A co-production of Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, the full-length animated film will be distributed by Warner Home Video on September 29, 2009. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies will be available as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def for $24.98 (SRP) and $29.99 (SRP), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP) and On Demand. Order due date for all versions is August 25, 2009.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is based on the popular Jeph Loeb/Ed McGuinness comic series/graphic novel. Animation legend Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday, Green Lantern) is executive producer. Michael Goguen (Justice League: The New Frontier) is supervising producer. Sam Liu (The Batman) is directing a script written by Stan Berkowitz (Justice League: The New Frontier).

In the film, United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his “partner in crime,” Batman. Heroes and villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite – and recruit help – to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the asteroid, and uncover Luthor’s devious plot to take command of far more than North America.

The movie reunites the lead voices of Superman, Batman and Lex Luthor from the landmark Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series. Tim Daly (Private Practice), Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League) and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption) reprise their roles as Superman, Batman and Lex Luthor, respectively.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies – 2 Disc Special Edition version will have more than three hours of incredible bonus features, including:

· Featurettes
· The Blackest Night: Inside the DC Comics Event: Behind-the-scenes of BLACKEST NIGHT, the epic DC Super Hero event in which the dead shall rise.

· A Test of Minds: Superman and Batman featurette with Jeph Loeb, giving viewers a fresh and revitalized look at the team-up of Superman and Batman working together despite their often competitive and challenging relationship.

· “Dinner with DC: With Special Guest Kevin Conroy”: Reprising his role from Batman: The Animated Series, Kevin Conroy joins the crew for dinner to discuss their creative approach and what the Superman/Batman team-up means. The evening will be hosted by Voice Director Andrea Romano, Producer Bruce Timm and DC’s Gregory Noveck

· Extended Sneak Peak at Next DCU Film

· Digital Copy Download

· Widescreen (1.78:1)

· Two Episodes of Justice League Unlimited hand-picked by animation legend Bruce Timm

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Blu-Ray versions will have more than three-and-a-half hours of bonus materials, including all the great extras from the 2-disc Special Edition as well as two additional episodes of Justice League Unlimited and two episodes from Justice League, both personally selected by fan-favorite Bruce Timm.

“Warner Premiere is excited to continue this successful partnership with DC Comics, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video to present feature-length PG-13 animated original films with the filmmaking and celebrity voice starpower of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies,” said Matt Bierman, Senior Vice President Production, Warner Premiere.

“Based on the past success of Superman Doomsday and Batman Gotham Knight, we know the pairing of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight – pitted against both their DC Super Hero colleagues and the entire rogue’s gallery of DC villains – will offer fans the level of entertainment normally reserved for the big, summer blockbuster films,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands.

“This is the ultimate film for DC animation lovers featuring not only the cornerstone characters of comic book and Saturday morning heroes, but also returns the seminal voices of those characters – Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy and Clancy Brown – in a story that explores the Superman/Batman dynamic and allows Lex Luthor to shine in ultimate villainy,” said Gregory Noveck, Senior VP Creative Affairs, DC Comics.

Release date: September 29, 2009

The real Transformers

In the 1980’s the Japanese anime craze was shifting gears. With the popularity of the Tranformers cartoon, several toys created by Takara were re-packaged by Hasbro under the Tranformers banner, including the granddaddy of them all, Autobot leader Optimus Prime.

(note- forgive my ignorance if I get any of my facts wrong on this one, I’m still a novice on Japanese toys)

My exposure to Japanese robots came about after I was intrigued enough from Transformers to seek out the ‘real thing’ at an import shop in Boston. I walked away with as very strange toy that I only recently learned was of Daimos. The shop was full of strange and wonderful robots that would haunt me for decades afterwards. Like a bizarre dream come true, my glimpse into the world of Japanese toys left me with an indelible scar of intrigue.

The level of craftsmanship shown in these toys is just uncanny, hardly translating into the American releases by Hasbro.

Just look at the ‘master edition’ of Optimus Prime by Takara!

With the release of Transformers 2: Even Worse Than Transformers 1 (working title), I thought it would be neat to take a look at how the trucker known to us all simply as ‘Prime’ was presented overseas.

Japanese Diaclone Ultra-Magnus ad

The popularity of the toy and cartoon character of Optimus Prime has led many rising film makers to experiment, including this amazing (if short) piece.

Optimus Prime transformation (note- no audio)

Of course if you want to get technical, the ‘real’ transformer has been around for ages:

Star Blazers (and the nature of nostalgia)

Nostalgia is a funny thing. I’m convinced that everyone goes through a moment in their life when they are stricken by the ‘nostalgia bug,’ developing into a kind of fever that results in some dubious purchases. For some, it may even involve a desire to connect to a time that they had never even experienced to begin with (I went through this with Silver Age comics from the 1960’s).

For myself, I have noticed a kind of pattern which I will map out below.

1. I am in a kind of adult bliss, free from connections to anything that is not current or in vogue with the general population.

2. Due to some random encounter, I uncover a hint of something absurd from my past, be it a cartoon, toy or comic and I am intrigued. ‘How humorous this item is,’ I think ‘how ironic and harmless it would be to purchase it.’

3. Mad with desire, I hunt down anything and everything connected to the absurd oddity that is now the most important thing ever.

There are two conflicting thoughts on human development that I feel are related to nostalgia. One thought is that we are born perfect and each moment of our life we are unlearning that which made us what we were. The other thought is that each experience builds on the one before as we continue to develop into a whole person.

Therefore my current infatuation with classic 1970’s cartoons is either an attempt to re-connect to a more perfect time in my life or my developed wisdom is allowing me to appreciate a simpler time in my life. In any case, I have an almost uncanny ability to justify any purchase, including a complete set of Star Blazers episodes (yes, including the films).

A series made famous in the U.S. thanks to the English-dubbed version of the Space Battleship Yamato cartoon that ran in Japan from 1974. Played on American channels during 1979 (the height of all things sci-fi and the beginning of the anime craze that continues to stretch outward to today, I feel that for my generation this fascination began with Star Blazers.

As an American suburban youth, I completely missed the connection to WWII served through the refit of the Yamato as a space cruiser. When asked why he chose the famous battleship as the basis for the Star Blazers cartoon, series producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki stated that ‘Yamato was a tragic figure for those of us who experienced World War II. In fact, I once went to the China Sea to find the spot where it sank.’

Set in the far future, the human race has been attacked by the Gamalon Empire, who have been assaulting the Earth with radioactive asteroids. The only hope lay at the other end of the galaxy on the planet Iscandar. The narrative opening of each episode reminded me each morning that the planet Earth’s days were numbered as the adventurers struggled to make it home in under a year, lending a level of drama and anxiety to the program.

Since the purchased episodes of the series have yet to arrive, all of my memories of the program remain intact and ‘golden,’ unsullied by revisiting the cartoon with a more adult set of criteria. In an attempt to do this the right way, I decided to purchase the original Japanese version of the series (since it is rumored to a must see piece of anime) rather than the translated English version that I am familiar with.

In the past 15 years or so, there has been a resurgence in nostalgia, bolstered by feature films based on 1980’s cartoon properties and the like, leading many to wonder if Star Blazers would also return.

In 2008, a  Star Blazers revival was officially announced:

Studio Open general superintendent, Masuda Toshio gave toast to the revival project now that the copyright litigation is over, which was originally announced in July 2004. According to Mr. Nishizaki “This time it’s a fresh start, all is clear.”

In 1999, Mr. Nishizaki was arrested for violating sword and gun laws, who served time and was released December 19th 2007. Meanwhile, reconciliation between Leiji Matsumoto concerning each others work has gave way to allowing each to pursue their own works.

The movie IS currently titled “Fukkatu-hen” which Nishizaki has been planning since the mid 1990s.

Toshio Masuda (81) superintendent of Studio Open, is Chief Director of the Rival Movie. Toshio Masuda (81) has been directing films and TV since 1958, including “Life at the Showa Era” (1968), “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (1970), “Space Battleship Yamato” (1977) and “Arrivederci Yamato” (1978).

Tomonori Kogawa (58) will be Chief animator for the Revival movie. Tomonori Kogawa has animated such works as; “Space Runaway Ideon” (1980), “Aura Battler Dunbine” (1983), “Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross” (1984) and “Heavy Metal L-Gaim” (1984).

Announced for 2009 release.

Additional details on Star Blazers: Rebirth can be found here… and it is very exciting stuff!

So apparently I’m not the only one with the ‘nostalgia bug.’ Perhaps we are living in a kind of oroborus age of retro-active entertainment, forever chasing its own tail in hopes to recapture a simpler time or get in touch with something more perfect.

Fantastic Planet

A French animated feature based on the Oms en Série, by Stefan Wul, Fantastic Planet is both visually mystifying and disturbing all at once. Set in a world where humans are treated as little more than pets at best and pests at worst, the story has a very emotional tale of slavery and co-existence that echoes from the time of its release to today.

The film opens with a mother desperately trying to escape an unseen threat, her baby cradled in her arms. Suddenly a barrier blocks her progress, then another prevents her escape. Aghast, she collapses. It is eventually revealed that her tormentors are giant aliens playing with her as humans would torment an ant on a hot day. The planet where the film is set is populated by beautiful yet savage Draags and the minuscule humans (called Oms).

It is only through the whims of a Draag child that the Om baby is allowed to live as a kind of plaything. The baby is named Terr and lives in a Draag house, enjoying all of the privileges of such an opportunity as well as the humility of playing the part of a live doll for the Draag child. After obtaining some level of intelligence by absorbing the electronic teachings that pass for Draag school, Terr proves far too clever for his own good and becomes involved in a violent strike against the Draags for independence.

Trailer

A spellbinding picture, Fantastic Planet won the jury prize at Cannes in 1973. One of the most thought-provoking and breath-taking animated films I have ever seen, this movie comes highly recommended.