The man, the myth, the legend...

While fighting a losing battle with insomnia the other night, I stumbled across this trailer, for an upcoming film. Now, I don’t normally critique films, particularly based solely on their trailer, but I’m making an exception here.

So, the first thing that came to mind after I finished watching this was “how is –this- Hercules?”

For those unfamiliar with the character of Hercules, first welcome to the outside world, glad you’re out from under that rock finally. Second, here’s a brief guide to Hercules (or Heracles, if we’re going with his original Greek name). Hercules was born to a woman named Alcmene, and was one of Zeus’ many children. Hera, Zeus’ wife, was very annoyed with her husband’s constant sleeping around, and decided to take out her anger on the young Herc, sending a pair of serpents to kill him as a baby. Unfortunately for her, Herc inherited some of his dear old dad’s power, and killed the snakes easily. He eventually grows into a fine young man and marries a woman named Megara and has two children with her. Hera, still nursing her hatred for him, decides to induce in him madness which causes him to murder his children (and in some accounts Megara too). He seeks out an oracle who tells him to serve King Eurystheus for ten years. Eurystheus assings to Herc twelve labors he must complete to end his service; slaying of the Nemean Lion, slaying the Lernean Hydra, capturing the Golden Hind, capturing the Eurymanthian Boar, clean the Augean stables in one day, slay the Stymphalian Birds, capturing the Cretan Bull, obtaining the Girdle of Hippolyta the Queen of the Amazons, stealing the Mares of Diomedes, stealing the cattle of the monster Geryon, stealing the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, and finally capturing Cerberus. He completes the tasks, sometimes with the help of others, and is freed from service.

Now, there are obviously many, many more stories of Hercules, since he was a major character in Greek mythology and had a sizable cult dedicated to him. This however is the myth that most people are familiar with (though most people can’t remember what all the labors are, myself included. I cheated and looked them up.) Now, because the labors are the most familiar stories about him, they’ve obviously been taken on in film before. The Disney film Hercules, while not expressly about the labors, does feature many of them in his “zero to hero” montage. There was an NBC TV movie about Hercules doing four of the labors in 2005, and before either of these, there was Hercules: The Legendary Journeys TV series, which was launched by a couple of TV movies that dealt with the twelve labors. Clearly, the labors stories have been done to death, so it is nice to see the creators of the film going in a new direction with the character. However…

The plot that the trailer is alluding to does not seem to bear any resemblance to any of the myths involving Hercules at all. Not only that, but it’s also taking some fairly serious liberties with the character, most notably his ability to call upon lightning. While he was the son of Zeus, he never had that power. In fact, Zeus’ lightning bolts were seldom (if ever) used by someone else. Hercules’ only real power was his incredible strength, and also his sexual prowess (with both women and men it should be noted). The film also seems to portray Hercules as a leader of an army, which does not fit the character. He was certainly brave, charismatic and had his moments of cunning, but he was not a brilliant tactician, and would have made a poor general.

So, why does this movie exist then, if they’re not actually trying to tell a story of Hercules? Well, a couple reasons that I can see. First, sword-and-sandal films seem to be a popular genre right now. Hollywood’s always had a love affair with guys in the desert wearing sandals and armored skirts, usually with chariots involved. They were huge in the early days of film, but the interest in them died off during the 60’s and 70’s. That’s not to say that there weren’t any such films made, but they were fewer. However, there’s been something of a recent resurgence in the interest. Movies like Troy, 300 (and it’s upcoming sequel), Prince of Persia, The Scorpion King have been getting some good love at the box office. Certainly, not as much as other genres of film, but enough that studios will invest in one even if it seems a bit poorly conceived. There is something in the public consciousness right now that makes people want to see these movies, even though for the most part they’ve been pretty bad (Prince of Persia, Clash of the Titans and Immortals all come to mind immediately). Some have done really well such as 300 and Troy, (though in my opinion, both are highly overrated), and even the ones that didn’t receive good reviews at least brought in good money (Clash of the Titans netted almost 500 million, Wrath brought in 400, Immortals was 225, and Prince of Persia was at 335 with the lowest profit margin). So, we can see why there’d be an interest from the studio’s perspective.

But why call the film Hercules? The character is clearly only Hercules in name and the names of people associated with him. Why not just make up a character and put him in this situation? Or why not actually draw from the myths? Well, for the first question, the answer is pretty simple; recognition. People have all heard of Hercules, so there’s a level of familiarity there. People have proven time and time again that they’re more likely to accept something they’re familiar with rather than try something new (which is why the last three presidents we’ve had all got elected to two terms). Even though this Hercules is hardly recognizable as Hercules (especially the voice. Seriously, the dude sounds semi-British, how is he allowed to play a Greek?) the name has enough cache to get people into the theater. The second question, about why not just stick to the material is a bit more complex. First off, we have to go back to the issue of the labors. They’ve been pretty extensively depicted in the media, and while familiarity can help draw in an audience, too much familiarity will drive them away. There’s also the issue of time. A movie covering Hercules’ origins, rise, and then the labors would be very long, and there’d be a lot of details lost on viewers. Okay, so the labors are definitely out. Why not do a different story about Herc? Well, that’s not as easy as it sounds. First there’s the ever present issue of familiarity again. Then there’s the issue of what a studio is willing to allow in a major motion picture. A lot of Hercules’ stories involve subjects that most studios don’t want to be associated with (murdering children, pederasty, homosexuality, etc), so most of the stories he’s involved in aren’t something anyone wants to adapt into a potential blockbuster. Finally, there’s the idea that the studios know what the audience wants. In order for the studio to make money, they have to make a film that will attract audiences, and as stated earlier, audiences accept things that are similar. So, the studio hires someone to write a script that incorporates as many plot and character clichés as they can, puts them in a somewhat interesting order, and boom, potential money-maker. If past performance is any indication, the film will probably bring in around 300 million at the box offices, meaning the studio will have made about 230 million, not bad for about ten months worth of work. If it turns out to be a blockbuster, then we’re talking even higher profit margins, though I honestly don’t have high hopes for it.

So, after all this, what’s the take away? Well, simply put, this film is not Hercules, and is in fact just another generic flavor-of-the-month cash piñata for the studio. As I stated at the beginning, I don’t normally take on films (especially unreleased ones). So why did I this time? Because the movie claims to have its roots in mythology, which is a subject I not only have a fascination with, but also love dearly. The characters and stories that ancient cultures told as ideals that they held themselves up to is delightfully complex and intriguing, and not to mention artistically inspirational. Plus, the stories are generally pretty interesting in and of themselves, ignoring any sort of anthropological connection. For anyone trying to figure out college (or high school, if you’re lucky) courses to take, I highly recommend anything about mythology, especially if the course is about something other than classical myths (Greek and Roman). Worst comes to worst, you’ll get to hear some gory and dirty stories. But if you’re like me, you’ll find endless sources of inspiration for gaming, art, writing, or pretty much any other sort of creative outlet.

(Now, because I am writing this about a future film, I’m going to say this; if it turns out I’m wrong, and the film follows the source material pretty well and the film is overall pretty good, I will –gladly- admit my mistake. Most of the time, I don’t mind being proven wrong.)

EDIT: So, I just found out that there is in fact ANOTHER Hercules movie coming out next year, a couple of months after the one mentioned above. Sadly, there's no trailer for it yet, but it stars Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock), and is titled Hercules: the Thracian Wars.  I'm wondering which came first of these two, and if maybe the second one was created to try and steal the thunder from the other. Either way, I don't foresee Thracian Wars being any better than The Legend Begins, even if it does have Robert DeNiro.

Comic Reviews

It's been a few weeks since my last post. I promise to try and get better about them in the future. Once again, I have a pile of comics to review, followed by a bit of news.

Deadpool, issues 4 & 5: I finally received my first two issues of Deadpool via my subscription. Issue #4 was a little disappointing. It certainly advanced the plotline in fairly short order. Too short, in fact. It felt as if the pace was being rushed, getting rid of the presidents nobody ever hears about (Van Buren, Polk, Taylor, etc) just so nobody has to worry about them and the writers don't need to be clever. Issue #5 however was much better. There was some good comedy, and the plot continued forward at a reasonable pace. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the ending definitely makes me want the next issue badly. There is, however, a couple problems I had with the artwork in the book. In one panel, the hilt of a sword is clearly on backwards, and there's a pose in another panel, which I just found absolutely ridiculous. The art isn't my favorite style, but it's good, and I think it fits with the tone of the book.

Thunderbolts #2: I decided to give Thunderbolts the benefit of the doubt, and picked up the second issue. Overall, I was pleased with it. I was a fan of Way's writing from the previous Deadpool series, so I'm not surprised that he manages to do a fair job here, especially getting a couple good one liners from Deadpool. Dillon's artwork is a good match to the tone of the book, although for some reason the Punisher's face always looks... off somehow. It looks like somebody doing their hardest to impersonate Sylvester Stallone. His face just never looks natural. Elektra, Ross, and Venom (for the few panels where his face is visible) all look fine, so it's just Punisher, which is odd. I'm glad that the plot moved forward in this one. The previous one, it just felt like nothing really happened. I'm looking forward to picking up the next couple issues, and getting caught up.

Thor: God of Thunder #2, 3, 5: I picked up all the back issues of God of Thunder that I could, plus the new one. The series continues to be as strong as the opening issue, if not stronger. The jumps between the three different time periods flow more naturally now, integrating with the narrative quite well. I'm absolutely loving the story, it's something that's never been touched on with Thor before, and it's being handled excellently. I'm also enjoying the artwork quite a bit. It's got a nice, soft painterly sort of feel, using no lines at all. It adds a certain sense of the classical to it, which fits with the style. Also, I love that Thor's lettering is unique. Though there are lots of other gods in the books, they all have standard lettering, save for Thor.

I also picked up a new book, one I'd been very interested in.

Superior Spider-Man #1: For anyone who hasn't heard, the true Peter Parker is dead (supposedly). Otto Octavius, formerly Doc Oc, switched his mind into Peter's body. However, he does have a lot of Peter's memories, and has decided to give the hero thing a go. It's interesting, seeing Spider-Man in a whole new way. It's not Peter Parker calling the shots, because it's the right thing to do. Otto's got his own reasons for doing things, and his own ways. I'm really intrigued to keep reading, and looking forward to picking up the back issues.

That's all the comics I picked up to review. So far, I've been very pleased with the Marvel NOW reboot. I obviously haven't picked up everything, but from what I've seen, they've got good teams on the books. My only problem (and I feel that this is a problem that's been going on for awhile) is how many similarly titled books there are. I mean, there's Superior Spider-Man, Avenging Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-man, and that's just for one character. There's I think three X-men titles as well, with a fourth coming out in the near future (which I'm excited for), and four Avengers titles. For new readers, it's hard to tell what the book's going to be like, and what the differences are.

For anyone who pays attention to my Facebook posts (which I'm assuming is anyone reading this), my own fledgling steps into the world of comic creation have been going well. I have been working on the character designs for the first arc of my own comic series. I am planning on having it setup as a webcomic, and if it gains enough popularity, selling print copies of it as a graphic novel. I'm going to need help getting a place on the web setup for the comic, so if anyone is willing to help with that, I'd love to hear from you. Oh, and of course, if anyone has suggestions of new comics, I'm always happy to hear them.

Comics, of the print variety.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of comic books. Ever since I was a small child, I have been a fan of a variety of super heroes. However, my love of them came not from comics themselves, but from the television series they were in. I remember well watching the old Superman cartoons, an old video with some of The Fantastic Four, and the 90's Spider-Man and X-men cartoons as well. But I'd never picked up a single comic. This trend continued for a long while, while my interest in the heroes remained kindled through TV and later film. Until, that is, Iron Man hit theaters. It was upon seeing that movie that I decided I would make an effort to start reading comics. I've had limited success, given how few places there were to purchase comics in my old hometown. But I have managed to finally get into the hobby a bit, and I've found a place to buy the comics from that feels comfortable enough that I like going in. I'm hardly an extensive reader, due to a lack of funds as well as simple ignorance; I don't know what's good and what's not. It's not as though that's all that shocking. There's dozens upon dozens of different books out there, each with their own creative team, and it's hard to figure out which ones are good based solely on the cover. I have a general knowledge of a lot of the books, as far as what the main characters are like, but I've no idea how good the writing is, or what is currently going on in most series. It can be overwhelming, to become a new reader, when you go into a shop and see a massive wall filled to the bursting with comics featuring characters you've never heard of, multiple different titles about the same character, and trying to find a book that you can actually pick up, read, and understand what's going on without having to research the comic's history.

Fortunately for me, Marvel has started their "Marvel NOW" initiative, wherein they've restarted a bunch of titles, but without wiping away the history of some of them. A lot of the titles didn't seem interesting, but a few did, and thus I picked them up and began reading. Here now, are my thoughts concerning the books I picked up.

Deadpool, issues #1-3. Deadpool was one of the first books of the NOW movement, and started back in November. The first thing I had heard about the series, prior to its start was that they were switching to a completely different creative team. I had read a few issues of the old Deadpool series, as well as heard its praises sung by many people, and so I was of course a little upset when I found out that such a wonderful team was being replaced. When I read the first issue, it seemed like my fears were grounded. The dialogue didn't seem to flow quite naturally, and the puns seemed terribly forced. Not only that, but the art, while good, wasn't as good as I had seen from the previous book. However, I'd already bought the second issue anyway, so I felt I may as well read it. I'm very glad that I did. It seems like the writing managed to find the proper flow, and began to feel natural, which included some good humor (as any Deadpool book needs). The only problem I have with the series thus far is that Deadpool's signature little yellow boxes are gone, which is a shame. However, one of his inner voices has been replaced by Ben Franklin, so I can't complain too much. Issue three continued the trend set by two, and I was pleased to see that. I look forward to receiving future issues, as I was given the wonderful gift of a subscription to Deadpool by my beloved.

Thor: God of Thunder. Thor's been one of those heroes that has always intrigued me, mainly because of the fact that he's based on one of my favorite mythological figures. I'd never been able to get into the series though, because it felt... off somehow. I read a description of what was going to be happening in the God of Thunder series, and found myself interested enough to actually pick up the first issue. When I opened to the first page, I read of an account of Thor tracking down and defeating a troll that had been harassing a viking village, followed by the celebration of its death. It was wonderful, everything I'd hoped for when I picked the book up, and the rest of the story didn't disappoint. The writing was engaging, telling an interesting story with good pacing so that I never felt a single page drag or move too quickly. The artwork was likewise great, fitting the style of the writing superbly. My only complaint is that I didn't pick up the other issue that was available at the time, because I definitely want to see where the story goes.

Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts is a superhero team that I know next to nothing about. If you had told me a year ago that I'd be picking up an issue of it, I'd be asking why. But when I saw the lineup they had for the series, I was more than a little intrigued. Deadpool, Venom (Flash Thompson), Red Hulk, The Punisher, and Elektra all on the same team? That struck me as more than a little odd. Elektra and the Punisher had never really interested me all that much. Red Hulk I was only mildly interested in. But I'd been reading the Venom series that had Flash paired up with the symbiote, and I'd thoroughly enjoyed the few issues I'd managed to acquire. Deadpool has always been one of those characters that seemed like he couldn't be part of a team for any length of time. So, I had to pick the first issue up, just to see what it was about. I then found out that the writer for the series was the same one as for the old Deadpool series, which pleased me, and made me want the book more. I was pleased with the book, but not as thoroughly as I was hoping. The pacing of the whole thing was kind of slow, and it focused mostly upon General Ross (Red Hulk) and Punisher, but I feel that the slow start may be a bit necessary. I'm certainly still interested, enough to pick up the next issue when I get the chance.

I'm looking forward to the next chance I get to walk into the comic shop and pick up my desired titles. If anyone has any recommendations, by all means, leave a comment. I'm always happy to hear suggestions from people about things I may like.

Arrapha!

*dusts off the old blog* Well, it certainly has been awhile since I've gotten to do this. I've been very busy lately, but I finally have time as well as a sense of purpose enough to do a post.

Many of you are aware that a few months ago, I moved into a new apartment complex. Not too long after moving in, my love and I became acquainted with our neighbor, Amon26 (as he is known upon the internet). We learned that he was a game designer/artist, and an all around cool guy, who we became fast friends with. He's currently working on his latest game, a horror/comedy game called Arrapha. I thought it might be fun to sit him down for an interview, in order to get some answers about the game, and share the answers with my readership, as a way of helping to spread word about the game.

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Me: What is Arrapha?

Amon 26: I guess it’s my attempt to take the stuff I really liked as I grew up and mix it with the stuff that’s come along since,  the better methods of storytelling and the attitude, and see how far I could take that and make a game that I would want to play.

M: Where did the idea come from?

A: It actually started off as a discussion between Jessica and I about The Addams Family, about Gomez and Morticia and how odd it is that they’re bound together. We thought how it’d be fun to trade characters that were really different from each other. A kind of John Q Everyman, and a very cold and ruthless  villainess. And I decided just for fun, I should draw the hero. And then, just for fun, I should draw the bad guy. And then, just for fun, I should make the engine for it. And then I realized well, I’m making a game, I may as well go for it. It was too much fun to do down the road.

M: So Keith is inspired by Gomez Adams, anyone else?

A: James Dean, Indiana Jones, Ash from Army of Darkness. We wanted a guy who shoots first and asks questions later. A guy who always lands on his feet, even if he really doesn’t know where he’s landed. The whole, immovable object meets an unstoppable force kinda thing.

M: How ‘bout Runira?

A: We got the idea of her of course from Morticia, and we also got a lot of ideas from her from Malificent, along with some of the wardrobe of Marilyn Manson, along with some people Jessica and I know, who are just larger and life, but you really don’t want to be on their bad side. We wanted to make a Count Dracula, who was more… not charming, but more complex. Someone who wants to do more than just drink blood for all eternity. Her control is exact and unwavering. Anyone who thinks differently is destroyed immediately. So, Keith is kind of a fly in her ointment.

M: What’s your process for creating the artwork?

A: Even though it’s digital, I do a lot of stuff by hand. I grew up doing a lot of drawing, I don’t really use a whole lot of scanners, or anything like that. I’ll start with a rough sketch and usually take a photograph and rotoscope over that. Sometimes I’ll start digitally. It all depends on what works best for the idea.

M: Are there any artists whose work influences your own?

A: A whole bunch of them. Ralph Stedman, a guy who really has no idea how to draw, but draws in ways nobody ever thought to try. Katsuhiro Ottomo. Then, lemme see… when I try to think about my inspirations, I can’t. I grew up with the people who did a lot of the old Nintendo games. Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania and all that. I grew up saying I was going to make the next Megaman. I grew up with the Disney cartoons like Tale Spin, Darkwing Duck, and Gargoyles.

M: What is your favorite kind of pie?

A: Apple Pie. I love Apple pie.

M: There are opportunities in the game where you get to ride a giant chainsaw. Are there going to be other such opportunities to do amazingly cool things?

A: Yes, yes there are, but I haven’t done them yet. I don’t want to commit to them until they’re done. I don’t want to say “you’ll be able to blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah” and then when the game comes out say “oh yeah, sorry but I wasn’t able to do that.”

M: You’re currently trying to raise money to fund Arrapha. Have you considered dragon slaying? I hear it’s quite lucrative.

A: Um… I did but I took an arrow to the knee. If it wasn’t for the arrow related injury, I’d be all over that.

M:How did you get into making games?

A:Acci- well not accident. Um… fun. This is really what I enjoy, and I’ve really been a feverish game player since I was seven years old. It came to the point I decided I should stop talking about making a game, and not be afraid of how bad it could be or how it could fail. It ended up being a game called All of Our Friends are Dead, and I put it out and said “here it is, I’m sure you’ve played better.” And it started getting attention, I started getting emails from people saying “do you have another in you?” “where have you been?” And it just kept going. I really enjoy entertaining people, and making games is something that I just decided to try and do it. And people haven’t gotten sick of it yet.

M: Do you have any plans for once Arrapha’s done?

A: I have a whole bunch of different games I’ve been wanting to do, and a bunch of different ideas. And there’s a few unfinished projects I have floating around that I feel strongly about. But it all depends on if there’s a big enough pull, a big enough audience, and if I have the time and energy to finish it. But, right now I’m just focusing on finishing Arrapha, and whatever life presents me with, I’ll deal with it.

As was mentioned in the interview, Amon is currently trying to raise funds for Arrapha, via IndieGoGo. If you are interested in donating to have the game funded, or are interested in additional information, check it out here.

Expect more frequent updates from me in the future. Until then, may your days be ever nerdy.

ArtPrize 2012

When I first moved to Grand Rapids last year, I had to face the terrible realization that things had changed in the four years that had passed between when I first applied to KCAD and when I finally started. The major construction of the highway and medical institution a stone's throw from the school had been completed, the school had been heavily remodeled, and apparently, some sort of international art competition had become a big boon to the city.

I speak of none other than ArtPrize. As I said, when I first applied to Kendall, ArtPrize had not yet been conceived (or at least, not implemented). So last year, when everybody was talking about it, I was very much confused. The confusion increased when I walked outside one day to crowds of people walking along the streets, taking in the sites of pieces of artwork, both large and small, overt and subtle. As a budding artist, I thought that, in the spirit of the season, I'd share my musings on the event.

First, the background. ArtPrize was started in 2009 and is probably the largest publicly voted on art competition in the world. It brings people from all over, both to compete and to take in the three-week event. All mediums are represented and the pieces are displayed all throughout the downtown area. Every venue has different pieces, usually ones that match the area's style (for example, a local gaming shop has a sculpture of a [I believe] Warhammer game piece that is about a foot and a half tall). At the end of the competition, the artist of the piece judged best is awarded $250,000, with other prize money being awarded to the other nine artists from the top ten. In 2010, they also established a jury that votes on the pieces as well, with the jurors picks receiving prize money as well ($20,000 for the top one is what I've heard for this year).

Now, onto my negative criticism. While I certainly think that this is a great way to expose the public to art, I'm not fond of the voting. Most people know absolutely nothing about art, and only know what they like. They have little to no appreciation for the talent, time or effort put into a piece of artwork, and they simply judge it based on how cool something is. I am, of course, speaking generally. I am aware that the event does in fact attract many people who have studied art, either professionally or as a hobby. But the event also attracts a lot of people who are ignorant of such things, not to mention the residents of Grand Rapids itself. That much prize money should be awarded to a truly exceptional artist, one who has created a breathtakingly masterful piece. But unfortunately, the public tends to vote towards the flashy and sensational.

However, for all that I've said against it, I do love this event. First of all, it's a great opportunity to see some very impressive artwork, even without making an effort to take in the event. I was walking to buy some supplies today, and passed a rather nice dragon sculpture made from what looked like scrap metal. Unlike say going to a museum, you don't have to go to a specific place, pay a fee, and keep your voice down as you admire the artwork. You can take it in by walking around town, enjoying the crisp autumn air, while listening to the sounds of the crowds and maybe even strike up a conversation with somebody new about a particular piece. Secondly, as I briefly mentioned, it's an opportunity for the general public to get some exposure to artwork. Art museums are an excellent way to get exposed to art, but they do have faults (most of which I mentioned above), and they also have a somewhat pretentious sort of aura. It can be intimidating to go to a museum for the first time (even if you are an artist). Finally, it's a wonderful thing, to see a city embracing art like this. My art department in high school never really got all that much recognition, nor did it at community college. I never heard people get excited about seeing artwork, save for in my art classes (and even then, it was a fairly uncommon occurrence). It makes me hopeful that one day, my artwork will be appreciated in a similar way.

If you have an opportunity, I highly recommend checking out the event. If not this year, then perhaps some other year. Or even just try to find some quality images of the pieces online. The official website has images of the pieces ( http://www.artprize.org/entries ).

A Gray and Ashen Road

One of the classes I'm taking this semester is 21st Century Literature. The idea of the class, which studies contemporary literature and attempts to find samples that will go down as especially great novels of the era, intrigued me. We've just finished our first book, and I thought it would be good to share my thoughts on this 'future classic.'

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, is a fiction novel set in a post-apocalyptic version of our world. It centers around the journey of a man and his son towards the coast. I'm going to be very blunt. I did not like the book, and not because I'm not a fan of post-apocalypse. The novel has a great many things which I do not enjoy in a book, and also a number of things which make one wonder why the book has received such praise (including winning a Pulitzer). And yet, at the same time, there's... something contained within the pages which makes it seem like more. Much more.

To begin, the overall tone of the book is very, very bleak. This is not unexpected from a novel about a post-apocalyptic setting, but it's one of the things that tends to sour me on the genre. There is almost no life in the world McCarthy has created, and almost no color either. Gray and ashen are two of the most frequently used words in the book. One of the recurring elements within the book is the black and white concept of good guys and bad guys. This only adds to the bleakness because aside from the man and the boy (they're not given names, simply referred to as "the man" and "the boy") there don't seem to be any good guys, and even their designation as good guys seems to be questionable.

Then there is the language. The book I was reading before The Road was The Fellowship of the Ring. Now, anyone familiar with Tolkein could certainly understand why phrases like "long-winded" and "tediously descriptive" could be used to describe his writing. Cormac McCarthy is on the opposite end of the spectrum. The writing is sparse, bare-boned, and dry as the ashen landscape is describes. I found it very difficult to get a picture in my head as to how things looked throughout most of the book. McCarthy also eschews certain "necessary" elements of the English language, such as punctuation. I don't believe I found a single comma in the entire book. The sentences are often brief, sometimes even fragments. Narrative and dialogue switch seamlessly without quotation marks. The language is hard to read, and it can easily put someone off the book entirely.

There are other things which make me dislike the book, but they are mostly specifics, and I don't want to leave any spoilers floating around. But even though I dislike the book, there is a certain something about it which makes it seem... well, rather good. There are a few passages which make it obvious that McCarthy is in fact a good writer, in spite of his seemingly weak grasp of proper English. I truly wish I could pinpoint exactly what it is about the book that makes it seem to stand out, but if I could do that, I imagine I could make a fine career as a literature professor or critic. There is just a certain quality which it has, and other novels such as The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men possess. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the book to people, but nor can I say it's a bad book. I think that it is in fact a good book, but just not for me.

In other literary news, I'm taking a break from reading The Fellowship of the Ring. I'm going to finish it, but as I've been having a hard time reading things lately, I think I need something a bit lighter to read (especially after The Road). To that end, I picked up a new book, Dead Iron by Devon Monk. I'm not terribly far into it, but I have to say it's quite enjoyable so far. It is a gritty western/steampunk novel. The writing is very similar to that of Jim Butcher, so I'm finding it to be an easy, comfortable read. Expect a more thorough review once I've finished it.

Finally, I am eagerly awaiting the next book in The Dresden Files, Cold Days, which is due out November 27th. I've been a big fan of The Dresden Files for about six years now, and Jim Butcher continues to make the series a worthwhile read. If you're fond of modern-day fantasy with a touch or two of mystery mixed with a healthy dose of humor, then I highly recommend the series.

Smooth

Earlier in the week, I decoded to splurge and get the second of the Transformers in the first wave of the new series. This bot was none other than the legendary Autobot, Jazz.

Jazz (Fall of Cybertron)
"AUTOBOT JAZZ is gifted with a flair for flexible thinking and improvisation, making him the ideal special operations commander for the AUTOBOTS. OPTIMUS PRIME entrusts him with the most sensitive missions, counting on his keen mind and natural leadership to accomplish even the most dangerous objectives, no matter what."

Strength - 6
Intelligence - 8
Speed - 8
Endurance - 6
Rank - 8
Courage - 8
Fireblast - 5
Skill - 8

Though I have few memories of the original series, I do remember Jazz. His unique voice certainly tended to stick in one's mind, but I also remember him being one of the cooler Autobots (which is saying something, given my preference for the Decepticons. From what I remember, the above information about him being special operations commander sounds right, but mostly what I (and I'm guessing everyone) remember about Jazz is his affinity with Earth pop culture. Unlike with Shockwave, this isn't the first time they've made a Jazz figure in a long while. In 2010, another version of Jazz was released, one more closely modeled after the original. I was actually very fond of that particular one, but the one opportunity I had to buy it (for the MSRP or close enough to it to consider it that is) I passed. I regretted that, so I chose not to pass up this opportunity.

The articulation on Jazz is pretty good. Legs have a good range of movement, as do the arms, though the shoulders for some reason lock at a certain point somewhere about half-way of raising the arms up. One thing I like about Jazz moreso than Shockwave is that his head turns. It may seem like a minor thing, but when you're trying to pose the figure, this can offer a much greater variety in the number of poses you can put them in. The figure is pretty well-balanced, despite his overly-large upper body. Over all, he has a pretty good articulation, better than Shockwave's by a good amount.

Now then, onto design. The vehicle mode is, instead of the classic car, a Cybertronian racer (since all these bots are based on the Transformers before they awakened on Earth). It's still quite obviously a car that was designed for speed, but it's very much unlike an ordinary car. The robot mode is, likewise, distinct. For people familiar with Jazz, they would be able to recognize it. But they'd also notice some key differences. The chest and forearms are much bulkier than other versions, and the head and face are also quite different, including the color (the classic black has been replaced by a navy blue). For some reason, the robot form's ankles have what look like a tire as the joint for each one, which makes little sense as the four wheels of the vehicle are all on the upper body. I think they could have done something a bit different with that, maybe even just make it look like a foot and put a ball-joint there instead of the awkward wheel-joint. There's also the problem of his hand being obviously visible from behind when he's in car-mode. I don't think it would have been that difficult to figure out a less obvious way to conceal the hands. Overall, the design of the vehicle and robot forms aren't bad, but I feel they're not quite as good as some of the other figures I've seen, nor as bad.

Finally, the transformation. It's pretty darned simplistic, only taking a couple seconds. Pretty much just fold the arms and legs back and you're done. They've changed the difficulty scale that they put on the box. In the previous series, it went from one to five, with five being the most difficult. Now, they're rated from zero to three. Jazz is rated at a two, but honestly, it seemed simpler than that. It seemed on the old scale to be somewhere between a two and a three.

Overall, I'm pleased with the figure, though the one thing that really bothers me is the size. He's smaller than the previous series of bots by about a head (the exception being The Seekers, who were about this size). It's kinda bothersome, but I suppose Jazz would be smaller by a bit than Optimus or Megatron. I just hope the others are a bit larger, especially since these are supposed to be "deluxe" sized figures.