Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site noao.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!petsd!pesnta!amd!noao!parks From: parks@noao.UUCP (Jay Parks) Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: Flanamation 3D Message-ID: <447@carina.noao.UUCP> Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 02:31:40 EST Article-I.D.: carina.447 Posted: Wed Oct 30 02:31:40 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 02:26:16 EST Organization: Natl. Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ USA Lines: 105 (She was arrested for selling pornographic connect the dots.) Back, because a few people mentioned it... Flanamation in FLANAMATION 3D The Flanamation Scale 6 See it, record it, watch it several times a day. (Macross) 5 Record it, watch it while some dreck is playing on T.V. (Mighty Orbots) 4 Watch it if you happen to be in the room at the time. (Transformers) 3 Not offensive, not impressive. (Wheeled Warriors) 2 Dreck, but with some redeeming factors. (Thunder Cats) 1 Dreck. (He-Man) Note the whatever-- So I spent a couple weeks being lazy, so sue me! Meanwhile-- If any of you have seen episodes Captain Harlock and Queen of a Thousand Years, Tell me how it is! I've heard it's playing on a San Francisco station. If it's playing any where else I'd like to know that too. We return you to our program already in progress. GI Joe-- If you've seen transformers, you've probably seen the best of GI Joe. The setting takes place "Somewhere in America". There is a group of solders, everyone is a specialist in something, Usually they specialize in something destructive. Nobody dies. I've complained about this before, but this takes the problem to extremes. More about that later. The group of solders make up an anti terrorist military force called GI Joe. Their opponents are a group of terrorists (what else?) that are trying to take over the world. They are called Cobra. Both the good guys and the bad guys don't seem to have names. They have snappy little code names that are supposed to describe their specialty. Of course the good guys always defeat the bad guys, but the people in charge always seem to get away. I'm not pleased with GI Joe. If you've been giving the news half a glance you'd know what a timely subject Anti Terrorist activities could be. The room is there to make a few relatively good statements about such subject as international trade, world peace, terror as a political weapon, the costs of keeping a military unit running successfully, and a million others. Their messages always seem concerned with swimming without a partner, and running after a ball across the street. It also might have occurred to the producers that terrorism is always a tool for obtaining small political goals. A terrorist group, no matter how well financed, could not even hope to take over the world. Fighting terrorists is a dangerous business. People can get hurt or even killed. It's ridiculous to believe that every time a plane is shot down, a parachute will pop out like a magicians flowers. That's the way they avoid the censors. It really degrades the whole project. The good parts-- For all its failings GI Joe does hold it's own in the animation department against any other American produced syndicated show. The animators did as good a job with this as with Transformers, or Mask. They use shadow colors, and have very good mechanical animation. They also extend some of their plots over the course of two or three days to make them interesting, and sometimes enjoyable. GI Joe rates a three on the Flanamation Scale and is produced by Marvel Productions. You're Thor! I'm so Thor I can't even pith Dept. Marvel Super Heroes-- I've found the bottom of the scale folks. I thought Saturday morning animation was bad! This is the worst stuff I've ever seen called animation. Marvel Super Heroes takes stories from their comic books and turns them into animated stories. Doesn't sound bad does it? It wouldn't be if they had bothered to use the comic books only for inspiration and then drawn new pictures. But Noooo. They took the pictures from the comic books themselves, draw in new mouths to make them move, then photograph the result. It is the least work I've ever seen to make a moving picture. In one episode the villain brings his hand down to a table in one great karate chop splits the table in two. As it built up to the scene I was filled with suspense. "Would they actually show the arm move?" And the answer is...NO! They switched scenes to show the follow through as in any regular comic. Don't let me fool you! They do show hands moving! Once I saw a hand move in a Pythonesk fashion across the screen. Another time I saw one clench! This is major animation problems for someone folks. Usually you see mouths moving while the main characters are standing in unnatural positions. He Man is art compared to this. Fat Albert is an animation revolution. Tranzor Z hits the heights of animated suspense and action! Saturday morning is a feast of imagination in the presence of Marvel Super Heroes. The good parts-- It was about well conceived characters and not some sickening furry toy like Care Bears. If it is on television in your area avoid it like the plague, unless you are interested in seeing something laughable. A frightening note-- It's being sold on video cassette for about fifteen dollars a shot. At my local shop there was a huge cardboard display inviting your children to the action filled world of Marvel Super Heroes. Marvel Super Heroes rates a negative five on the Flanamation Scale (may god help us if there is anything lower), and is produced by Marvel Productions. That's all for this week Bill Flanagan "Coffee?" "Yes I know."