We are living in the Marvel Age of Cinema. Every year we’re treated to a couple of superhero films and most of them aren’t half bad. We asked movie & comic geek and author Michael Minneboo to perform the Herculean task of choosing his five favorite superhero movies. To make this an as objective as possible exercise, he committed himself to five self-imposed criteria.

1. The adaptation must be a movie, not a tv film or series.
2. It must be a ‘serious’ adaptation, no parodies or comedies in this Top 5.
3. I’ve limited myself to movies about characters that are generally known as superheroes. Meaning; Superman, Spider-Man and Batman could be part of the selection. But the characters from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ are not, for not being considered classic superheroes. (I am not sure if we could consider them superheroes at all, to be honest).
4. The movies must be live-action, not animation. But I promise to look at the best animated superhero movies at a later time.

All right, let’s get started!

1. Spider-Man 2 (Sam Raimi, 2004)

The first Spider-Man movie was a great introduction to the loveable superhero that has been around ever since Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created him in 1962. Director Sam Raimi, the screenwriters, and the superb cast hit all the right notes in the second installment of the trilogy. Spider-Man/Peter Parker (a wonderful Tobey Maguire) is a relatable superhero trying to balance his responsibility as a savior of the innocent with his responsibilities of every day life: his duties as a student, as a best friend to Harry Osborn and potential love-interest Mary Jane Watson, and as a part time freelance photographer and pizza delivery guy. His nemesis is not some baddy who wants to conquer the world, but Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), a nuclear scientist that dreams of perfecting sustained fusion power to provide the world with an unlimited energy source. He’s also the sort of scientist Peter Parker aspires to be. After Octavius’ experiment goes wrong and he turns into Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man will have to fight his surrogate father figure to prevent him from blowing up the city.

‘Spider-Man 2’ provides great and well-executed action sequences – the confrontation between Ock and Spidey on top of a train is an instant classic – but also interesting character development. The mixture of action, humor and romance is just right. Just like the Spider-Man comics, the focus is on Peter Parker and the supporting cast and how their lives are affected by Spider-Man’s duties. To me, that makes it the greatest superhero film adaptation to date.

2. The Avengers (Joss Whedon, 2012)

Like I said in the intro: this is the Marvel Age of Cinema. Kicking off with surprise hit ‘Iron Man’ (Jon Favreau, 2008) and solo movies of Thor and Captain America, all movies lead to ‘The Avengers’. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow reluctantly team up under the guidance of Nick Fury to fight the Asgardian Loki and an extraterrestrial race known as the Chitauri. Just like in the comics created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the alternative family dynamic comes across perfectly: in the beginning the ego’s and personalities of the heroes clash a lot, which makes for great scenes with funny dialogues and character dynamics.

To me, ‘The Avengers’ still is the ultimate superhero team movie. Joss Whedon’s strengths as a director and a writer (Buffy, Firefly) is being able to work with groups of characters and give each character his own little moment to shine. Also, he’s able to balance action and humor in quick paced storytelling, never forgetting that under the armor, the green skin and the superhero outfits we are dealing with real, rounded characters. Robert Downey Jr.’s cocky yet charming Tony Stark is one example of great casting. Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow is sexy, smart and dangerous, and Mark Ruffalo is the best cinematic Bruce Banner/Hulk to date.

3. X-Men 2 (Bryan Singer, 2003)

One could argue that the current trend of superhero movies started with ‘X-Men’ (2000) by Bryan Singer: finally a Hollywood director who really gets what the comic book material is all about, who made a serious, believable adaptation that didn’t make comic book fans feel ashamed. Remember, we were still licking our wounds after the 1997 ‘Batman & Robin’ debacle – a movie responsible for catapulting comic book fandom back to the realm of camp and gay jokes.

‘X-Men’ had a perfect cast with Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, the telepathic mutant mentor of the X-men, Ian McKellen as nemesis Magneto who thinks mutants are superior to humans, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Then, Singer made an even better X-Men-film in 2003. The X-movies deal with super-powered mutants that are considered a threat to society. The great thing about Singer’s X-Men movies is the fact that, although we’re dealing with a large cast of characters, most of the characters are allowed to develop.

The storyline centers on Wolverine who is trying to find out what happened in his past and how he got his adamantium skeleton and claws. Meanwhile, the other X-Men have to deal with Colonel William Stryker, a military scientist who plans a worldwide genocide of mutants. Interestingly, Stryker is connected to Wolverine’s past, bringing both plotlines neatly together in an eye-catching and spectacular climax that features Wolverine versus his female counterpart Lady Deathstrike.

‘X-Men 2′ is a great translation of the comic book page to the silver screen, keeping the comics’ grand themes of alienation and fear of the other intact in a very entertaining and well executed blockbuster.

4. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

I will always have a soft spot for Tim Burton’s Batman movies because they look wonderful and are a lot of fun. The wonderful Michael Keaton plays the titular character in Burton’s movies, but Christopher Nolan directed the best Batman film to date when he made ‘The Dark Knight.’

It is the second installment of his trilogy about the protector of Gotham City – a character that has been around ever since Bill Finger and Bob Kane created him for the funny pages in 1939. Heath Ledger is phenomenal as the Joker. To me, it’s the first time the Joker is really scary in live-action. He is a destructive force of chaos, with apparently no origin.

The tone of the Nolan films is very serious and his take on Batman is the darkest and grittiest by far. Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart) looks as horrific as an extra from ‘The Walking Dead.’ At the same time the movies strive for a high level of cinematic realism. I love Gary Oldman as James Gordon. Christian Bale plays a great Bruce Wayne and is imposing as Batman. Too bad Batman talks like he is trying out to be a ‘grunter’ for a Black Metal band. Other than that, and even though the next Batman flick wasn’t up to Nolan’s high standard, ‘The Dark Knight’ is a must see for all Batman and comic book fans out there.

5. Superman: The Movie (Richard Donner, 1978)

‘Superman: The Movie’ is a very well executed retelling of Superman’s origins, his first heroic deeds on earth and his confrontation with arch enemy Lex Luthor. By today’s standards, the special effects in Richard Donner’s ‘Superman’ look very dated, but back then they were top notch and really made people believe a (Super)man could fly.

Superman is a classic character: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created the first superhero starting a new genre in 1938. This movie adaptation from the late seventies basically started the genre of superhero movies. Although there had been adaptations before, most notably the 1966 Batman TV series and spin-off film with Adam West, it was Donner’s film that convinced Hollywood that comic books could be a great source for highly successful films. Christopher Reeve plays a charming and disarming Superman and Clark Kent – or any actor that came after him – hasn’t topped his performance yet.

Due to the family-friendly and light tone, ‘Superman’ works on two levels: excitement for the kids, as well as a good-natured tongue-and-cheek approach to a colorful hero in tights. Gene Hackman brings us a handsome yet menacing Lex Luthor and Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane and Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent have great chemistry together. ‘Superman’ has a lot of heart and that’s the pivotal ingredient that Zack Snyder’s gritty, dark and boring ‘Man of Steel’ sadly lacked.

The post Superhero Movies appeared first on Submarine Channel.

Reading comics is great. Watching other people talk about them might be even greater. Besides running my own YouTube channel (in Dutch), I spend a lot of time checking out videos on comics and the comic book world, eager to discover new artists, writers and series. These are my five YouTube channels that deal with the rich history of American and British comics and comic tropes, or focus on artists, drawing styles and techniques. There’s a lot to learn for readers and (aspiring) comic book makers.

Michael Minneboo writes on geek culture for Submarine Channel

Cartoonist Kayfabe

Cartoonist Kayfabe is the channel of comic book artists Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg. Currently their videos on the comic book world are my favorite. They are filled to the brim with interesting information.

Ed Piskor rose to fame with Hip Hop Family Tree. Published by Phantagraphics, Hip Hop Family Tree is a historical comic book series about the early days of hip hop. He is now writing and drawing the ‘X-Men Grand Design’ series for Marvel. Jim Rugg is most know for his Eisner-nominated indie comic book series Street Angel and Afrodisiac.

Being artists themselves, Piskor and Rugg offer an inside look on the art of making comics. At the same time they are comic book collectors and their passion for the medium is apparent in every episode. Sometimes colleague Tom Scioli is a guest, who offers interesting insights.

Piskor and Rugg host different series on their channel. In the weekly show, The Magazine Commentaries, they meticulously go through an old issue of Wizard Magazine. This was a monthly magazine about comic books published in the US by Wizard Entertainment between 1991 – 2011. They add a lot of interesting context and show relevant comic books from their own collections. It’s a great way to learn about the comic book industry of that particular period.

They also interview some of their peers, focus on particular comic books, series and artists, and give weekly updates on their projects and working life. The Show and Tell series might be the most interesting show on their channel. In every episode Piskor and Rugg focus on a particular theme that should be of interest for every aspiring comic book artist and aficionado.

In this particular episode, they focus on Ed’s comic, Wizzywig, from its humble beginnings as xeroxed zine shipped from his mother’s basement to the more familiar hardcover graphic novel that’s easily found in your local comic shop. The episode offers some food for thought for enterprising young creators on their path to making and publishing comics.

Comic Tropes

Chris Spiers of the YouTube Channel Comic Tropes sums up its purpose as follows: “Reviews of comics, both good and bad. Primarily I look at the recurring elements that creators or characters use. It’s all just an excuse to drill down on various comic books.”

Han Solo’s Worst Adventure, Death Note and Its Use of Psychological Thriller Tropes, Bernie Wrightson’s Swamp Thing, Lady Cop: A 70s Comic that Tried (and Failed), and Is Mark Bagley a Great Spider-Man Artist? are just some interesting videos on this channel.

Comic Tropes contains a lot of insightful, well researched videos that are also very entertaining to watch. The show’s host Chris presents everything with a comedic and light touch. And he isn’t afraid to offer his personal opinion and reading experiences, like when he’s dealing with the controversies surrounding Cerebus author, Dave Sim.

The video about America Splendor is a great example of how Spiers relays interesting information in a personal and enthusiastic way:

Richard Friend

Richard Friend works in the mainstream comic book industry. He worked as an artist, inker and colorist on numerous flagship DC Comics titles, including Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Superman. He also runs a YouTube channel with over 8,800 subscribers. His channel is about comic art and drawing and about how to trouble shoot problems working as a professional artist, whether technical, mental or financial.

Like the guys of Cartoonist Kayfabe, Friend offers a perspective as a maker but acts like a fan. His enthusiasm for the medium and his peers seems limitless and frankly is quite contagious. I particularly enjoy his Super Fun Sunday episodes in which he takes a very close look at a particular book or artist. One can learn a lot about cartooning just by looking closely at a panel and listen to Friend commenting on it.

Friend also looks at his own inking work and makes close up videos while he’s working. And he tackles particular subjects, such as the fundamental building blocks of drawing superheroes or how to create details in your artwork using the feathering and splatter techniques.

One of my personal favorites is this look at the artwork of Marc Silvestri, one of my favorite X-Men artists:

Diary of a Struggling Comic Book Artist

Struggling comics creator Chris Wisnia examines the difficulties of trying to make it in the comics industry. Usually he makes short video interviews shot at the artist’s home or at conventions, covering questions about the struggle of making it in the comic book industry. In the process, he gets the perspectives of dozens of famous comics creators, such as Neal Adams, Cecil Castellucci, Kelley Jones, Steve Englehart and Robert Kirkman.

For instance, Frank Cho, famous for his comic strip Liberty Meadows and drawing sexy, beautiful women, explains in the video how his Korean parents never believed in his comic book work and rather wanted him to pursue a career in nursing, even after he became successful with Liberty Meadows.

So even though this channel shows the hardships and the downsides of working in the comic book industry, it also sends a hopeful message; the artists he interviewed were all struggling to get heir work noticed, but eventually became quite successful or even big stars. Diary of a Struggling Comic Book Artist shows that the struggle pays off in the end.

Often the interviewee gives good tips for aspiring comic book artists, such as this interview with Todd McFarlane on how to present your work to publishers:

https://youtu.be/RzHUoB4CKc0

SyFy Wire

Although SyFy Wire focuses on any commercial geek outing, including movies, tv series and books, it’s worth watching for the interviews with some great American comic book artists. Where else do you get to see the inside of John Byrne’s art studio? Or watch Marc Silvestri drawing The Darkness at his drawing table? We get an inside look while the artists often convey useful drawing tips. Other videos cover a certain phenomenon, like the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series from the 1990s.

In the interview with inker Klaus Janson, we get an in depth look at Janson’s and Frank Miller’s close collaboration on their Daredevil run from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their run on the book is legendary and brought new life to the character.  We learn what a great inker like Janson brings to the table and what the difference is between drawing full pencil and doing breakdowns.

The production value of the SyFy Wire videos is oftentimes better compared to the vloggers who work by themselves or with a very small team. However, this doesn’t make those vlogs any less valuable in my opinion. In fact, I am partial to watching media made by individuals or a small group because they tend to be more original in their approach to subjects compared to media made by professional corporations.

The post Comic Book Channels on YouTube appeared first on Submarine Channel.

Spider-Man has been around since 1962. His adventures have been chronicled in multiple series and he’s had many guest appearances in other Marvel series. This means there are hundreds and hundreds of covers featuring your friendly neighborhood crawler. To make the selection process a bit easier, I restricted myself to the main series ‘Amazing Spider-Man,’ thus ‘limiting’ my option to a mere 800 plus issues.

I set up a couple of rules to which a good cover must abide:

1. The main task of a cover is to make the book stand out from the other comics that are displayed, so the potential buyer wants to check the book out. Therefore, the composition must be eye catching.

2. The composition must be clear and readable; the viewer must have a good idea of what is going on.

3. The cover must convey in broad strokes what the story is about: is it a thriller, is Spider-Man fighting a particular villain, is Spider-Man’s secret identity going to be discovered?

4. In line with rule number 1 and 3, the cover must pique one’s curiosity. Maybe a new character is introduced or an interesting scene from the story is depicted. Besides the illustration, captions and other cues might produce this effect.

Of course, these guidelines are open for debate, but  I often use these rules myself when judging a book by its cover. However, it doesn’t mean a cover has to abide all these rules to be successful in my opinion.

5. Amazing Spider-Man #700

Looking at it from a distance, the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #700 (cover date February 2013) shows a close-up of Spider-Man’s eyepiece. But when we look more closely we discover this image is a collage of hundreds of Spider-Men and other characters from the books.

All pieces are cut-out by hand by French collage-artist Mr. Garcin (http://mrgarcin.com/about-en/). Mr. Garcin has made numerous superhero themed collages in a similar style, but he came to public attention when his Spider-Man collage was used as the main cover of Spider-Man #700. This comic contained the controversial story of the death of Peter Parker after Doctor Octopus forced a body swap. Better not to mention anything about that story ever again.

The cover stands-out as most original and really grabs your attention. At the same time it’s a great visual nod to the 699 issues of Amazing Spider-Man that came before and the creative people who made them. I love studying this collage up close and recognizing the drawing style of particular artists. Every one of them knows how to draw a great Spider-Man and every artist renders the superhero in his own unique drawing style

I did a 2-minute video on the cover of Spider-Man #700.

4. Amazing Spider-Man #262

Some Marvel Comics from the eighties feature a photo on their cover. This one from Amazing Spider-Man # 262 (cover date March 1985) is, as far as I know, the only photo cover of this 800-plus issues series.

In the photo we see actor / stuntman Scott Leva posing as Peter Parker who is caught by a photographer when he is changing from Spider-Man into his regular clothes. At the time Leva was hired by Marvel to dress up as Spider-Man for photo shoots and public appearances at comic cons and such places. For a while he was also in the running to play Peter Parker in a Spider-Man film that would be produced by Canon Film. Some test photos of Leva dressed as Parker were shot, but the film was never made.

The cover photo was taken by Eliot Brown, but the idea came from editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. Photo covers are a rarity in the Marvel universe. In addition to this Spidey cover, Marvel Team-up #128 (April 1983) has one with Spidey (shaped by letterer John Morelli) and Captain America (artist Joe Jusko). Spiderwoman #50, Dazzler #21 and issues of The Marvel Fumetti Book also received photo covers. Nowadays Marvel uses photo covers for comics that are released as preludes to Marvel films such as Avengers.

However, none of the others have had the same impact on me as this photo cover with Scott Leva. He looks quite a lot like the way Parker was depicted back then. It’s a great cover that catches your attention because it looks so different from an illustration. The situation is clear in one glance, and will make the reader curious about how Spider-Man will get out of this predicament: an unknown photographer taking a picture of his true face will mean a lot of trouble for a superhero who tries to keep his identity a secret.

I remember being very happy with this cover when I was a kid, because it was the first view of what Spider-Man’s costume would look like in the real world. And it was just around the time my parents were making a Spider-Man costume for me.

3. Amazing Spider-Man #233

This cover of Amazing Spider-Man #233 (cover date October 1982) by artist John Romita Jr. and inker Al Milgrom, shows us the basics of comic book grammar: two panels depicting one fluent action. Spider-Man’s spidey sense warns that the Tarantula attacks him from behind. In one swift move he turns and punches his enemy, sending him flying backwards.

The composition the illustration is almost symmetrical. And there’s another interesting observation to be made. When studying the illustration closely, we discover that in the second panel the ‘camera’ has turned 180 degrees around the characters. We see the action from the other side.

The yellow background color complements Tarantula’s red suit, making the shape of his body stand out against the background. Quite a clever and action packed cover by my favorite Spider-Man artist. I especially like how Romita Jr. draws Spider-Man’s body language and makes him move. The cover also demonstrates three of Spider-Man’s powers: his Spidey sense, his ability to move very fast and his extra human strength. Of course, the “Ka-Pow!” onomatopoeia emphasizes the force of Spidey’s blow.

2. Amazing Spider-Man #136

The cover of Amazing Spider-Man #136 (cover date September 1974) is drawn and inked by legendary artist John Romita Sr., who took over the drawing duties on Amazing after Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko quit suddenly. Romita made the character even more popular and a lot of people consider his as the ultimate version of Spider-Man.

On the cover we see Peter Parker confronting his best friend Harry Osborn. Their alter ego’s are fighting each other as well, high above New York City’s streets. So, this perfect illustration shows us literally two perspectives on the eternal conflict between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin and therefor between Peter Parker and the Osborns.

Peter and Harry are colored red, emphasizing their heated conflict. Because their alter ego’s are colored in a regular fashion, your attention first goes to Spidey and the Goblin depicted at the center of the composition, and only secondly you notice the characters on the foreground.

Besides containing a great composition and color scheme, the cover also provides some shock value and excitement for regular Spidey-readers. This is the first time Harry Osborn appears as the Green Goblin, after his father Norman Osborn allegedly died in issue #122. Harry blames Spider-Man for the death of his father. For the reader it is a shock to learn that not only has the Green Goblin, or some version of him, returned to make Spidey’s life miserable, it’s also clear Harry knows Peter’s secret identity!

I also want to point out that the dialogue on this cover is very clever. If this would’ve been the first Spider-Man book you ever picked up, not knowing anything about Harry Osborn at all, the situation would still be clear to you thanks to the dialogue.

1. Amazing Spider-Man #258

It was very difficult to choose an ultimate favorite, but eventually I picked the cover of Amazing Spider-Man 258 (cover date November 1984), with pencils by Ron Frenz and inks by Josef Rubinstein. Bob Sharen colored the illustration.

On the cover we see how Peter Parker is being held by two versions of the Spider-Man costume: his original red-and-blue costume and the black one – a new addition to Spidey’s wardrobe at the time. The two costumes seem to be fighting over Peter or dragging him into the vortex behind them. The image comes from a nightmare that warns Peter that the new black suit is dangerous. In the comic, Peter discovers that it’s an alien creature that wants to turn him into a living puppet. This fact is unknown to us when we see the cover for the first time.

However, the image is intriguing and makes us curious about what is going on. It is also a very special illustration, because which hero has to fight his own outfit? The cover is somewhat unreal and very original.

Last but not least, Ron Frenz made a striking illustration that catches your eye and draws you in, with the two suits fighting over Peter Parker, and also because of the vortex in the background. Sharen colored the background in grey tones, which makes the colorful figures stand out even more.

Michael Minneboo vlogs in English and in Dutch on YouTube.  Check his vlog on the cover of Spider-Man #258.

Author Michael Minneboo dressed up as Spider-Man. (Photo by Mike’s dad).

The post Top 5: Best Amazing Spider-Man Covers appeared first on Submarine Channel.

By Michael Minneboo

I’m talking about cosplayers: passionate fans that dress up like their favorite fictional characters. To me, cosplay is a wonderful part of fan culture. It’s great to see fictional characters come to life this way. Have a look at these five amazing cosplayers on Instagram who take their hobby to the next level.

Joo Skellington

Finally got the chance to make lines in Spanish and More in English Video Taken at @comic_con by @sofidavalosg Wig sponsored by @ardawigs and styled by @becsdabest #Ursula #UrsulaCosplay #UrsulaMakeup #UrsulaProsthetics #Drag #DragQueen #MakeupTransformation #PoorUnfortunateSouls #Divine #BoyToGirl #Disney #DisneyVillains #VillainsCosplay #SFX #MakeupEffects #Prosthetics #FatSuit #UrsulaEnEspañol #DisneyLatino

A post shared by Joo Skellington (@jooskellington) on Jul 29, 2018 at 6:19pm PDT

 

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Davy Jones Wins “Best Original Interpretation” at @comic_con Masquerade Ball Thank you all who went to see me and cheered me up This is my Last In year in this Type of contests! I had the most beautiful time participating in contests. Thank you @sofidavalosg for helping me out so much, @samhaincontactlenses and @ebaperformancemakeup and my Mom @claudiagomezaifd #PiratesOfTheCaribbean #POTC #DisneyPirate #YOHO #DavyJones #DavyJonesCosplay #DavyJonesMakeup #MakeupEffects #Prosthetics #SFX #ProstheticMakeup #TheFlyingDutchman #SeaLegend #JohnnyDepp #DisneyVillains #VillainsCosplay #DisneyLove #Horror #Fantasy #Creature #Monster #Kraken #APirateLifeForMe #Winner #Masquerade #ComicCon #ComicCon2018 #SDCC #SDCC2018

A post shared by Joo Skellington (@jooskellington) on Jul 22, 2018 at 1:55pm PDT

 

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Davy Jones Wins “Best Original Interpretation” at @comic_con Masquerade Ball Thank you all who went to see me and cheered me up This is my Last In year in this Type of contests! I had the most beautiful time participating in contests. Thank you @sofidavalosg for helping me out so much, @samhaincontactlenses and @ebaperformancemakeup and my Mom @claudiagomezaifd #PiratesOfTheCaribbean #POTC #DisneyPirate #YOHO #DavyJones #DavyJonesCosplay #DavyJonesMakeup #MakeupEffects #Prosthetics #SFX #ProstheticMakeup #TheFlyingDutchman #SeaLegend #JohnnyDepp #DisneyVillains #VillainsCosplay #DisneyLove #Horror #Fantasy #Creature #Monster #Kraken #APirateLifeForMe #Winner #Masquerade #ComicCon #ComicCon2018 #SDCC #SDCC2018

A post shared by Joo Skellington (@jooskellington) on Jul 22, 2018 at 1:55pm PDT

Joo Skellington describes himself as a self taught plastic artist, international cosplayer and judge (in cosplay competitions). He dresses up as different characters and has a particular passion for Disney villains. He made a name for himself after posting a video of himself as Ursula from Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’. Thanks to his talents for make-up and prosthetics, Joo makes it seem like characters from the movies have really come alive. And that’s no small feat with larger than life characters such as Jack Skellington, Captain Hook, Edward Scissorhands, or Beast from Beauty and the Beast. Once he is in full cosplay mode, he really is transformed into the character.

Alannakin Cosplay

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You can’t deny there’s an element of glamour to these super criminals😈❤️ Awesome shot of my Suicide Squad Harley by @dallas_kylo_ren 📸 Shirt by @lazarettocosplay 🖤 Belt from @hottopic 🖤 Shorts, glove and gold cuffs from Amazon 🖤 Purple cuffs from eBay🖤 Holster, Wig, boots, bat and choker by me🖤 #cosplay #cosplayer #cosplaygirl #cosplaylove #cosplaydallas #dallas #dallascosplay #harleyquinn#harleyquinncosplay #harleyquinncosplayer #harleyquinnmakeup #baseball #suicidesquad #dallas #dallascosplay #dallascosplayer #cosplaydallas #harleenquinzel #margotrobbie #jaredleto #jaredletojoker #suicidesquad #suicidesquadmovie #batman #batmancosplay #jokercosplay #deadshot #dcsuperherogirls #comics #comiccon #comiccondallas #dallascomiccon #dallasfandays #fandays

A post shared by Alan ✌🏻🧡 (@alannakin.cosplay) on Nov 28, 2018 at 1:09pm PST

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Happy Independence Day🇺🇸🎇On this Forth of July, let us all strive to be more like Wonder Woman. Let us all remember where we came from, what we are now and who we want to be. Let us all stand up for what is right, and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. After all, the one thing we all believe in is Love❤️💪🏻💙

A post shared by Alan ✌🏻🧡 (@alannakin.cosplay) on Jul 4, 2018 at 10:06am PDT

Alan Nakin is a professional cosplayer from Dallas, Texas. She’s a true chameleon. Alan portrays a large group of characters, including HarleyQuinn, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Snow White and Alice in Wonderland. She even crossplays as Archie and the Joker from time to time. Crossplay is a term to describe a cosplayer portraying a character with another gender.

Every once in a while she combines different influences and comes up with a new, mixed character. Because of this diversity, it’s always a surprise which character you’re going to meet when you check her Instagram-page.
Her outfits look great, and I particularly like the effort she puts into choosing the right location for her pictures.

Spider-Inferno 

Home for the Holidays 😅 Who wants to come by and cleanup my messy bedroom? 😊 In my Iron Spider-Man cosplay. Suit made by @therpcstudio Design by @brandonogilberto #spiderman #cosplay #marvel #mcu #homecoming #spidermanhomecoming #spiderverse #newyork #NYCC #avengers #theavengers #infinitywar #avengersinfinitywar #Nerdybrovas #tomholland

Een bericht gedeeld door 😈Spider Inferno Cosplay😈 (@spider_inferno) op 19 Dec 2017 om 7:02 (PST)

The struggle to hold back the darkness of the Symbiote is real. We are Spider-Man. #spiderman #cosplay #marvel #spiderinferno #montreal #peterparker #symbiote #venom

Een bericht gedeeld door 😈Spider Inferno Cosplay😈 (@spider_inferno) op 15 Nov 2015 om 11:58 (PST)

Since I am a huge Spider-Man-fan, and wrote a book (in Dutch) about my lifelong friendship with the guy, I might be slightly biased when it comes to cosplayers dressing up as Spidey. The Montreal based cosplayer Spider-Inferno occasionally dresses up like Nightcrawler, Mr Fantastic or a super villain like the Riddler. But playing Spider-Man is his shtick and he does so on numerous occasions in all kinds of Spidey-suits. His wardrobe contains suits that are modeled after the suits from the movies, and after the different styles in which particular artists render the classic attire of Spider-Man.

Spider-Inferno is a very creative cosplayer. He reenacts comic covers and particular scenes from the books, has a nice sense of humor and, with the aid of a little Photoshop, sometimes becomes a real life wall-crawler.

He’s also a comic book collector.

Dutch Lucky Luke

I knew it!! @frans_heidenis did save the best for last!! This is the final photo of this series and I love it! Being the official Lucky Luke and working with such an incredible photographer really creates magic. So proud!! – #luckyluke #dutchluckyluke #officialluckyluke #lonesomecowboy #photography #thecowboyrules #portraitphotography #photoshopskills #adobephotoshop #photostudio #colt #coltsaa #bullet #coin #usdollar #wildwest #sunset #arizona #1885 #frontier #fransheidenis

A post shared by Dutch Lucky Luke (@dutchluckyluke) on Jun 15, 2018 at 12:15pm PDT

Comic2Life! Still proud of making the top picture into a live-action version back in July of 2017 when I had just finished the costume. – #luckyluke #officialluckyluke #dutchluckyluke #realluckyluke #luckylukecosplay #comicbookcosplay #comicbookhero #stripheld #stripfiguur #sidebyside #liveaction #stripboek #fasterthanmyshadow #lonesomecowboy #western #cowboy #wildwest #comic2life

A post shared by Dutch Lucky Luke (@dutchluckyluke) on May 14, 2018 at 2:36pm PDT

Lucky Luke will always be one of my favorite comic book characters, but I am sorry to say I haven’t seen a lot of cosplayers dressed up like him. Except for Rutger Gret, whose get up is so convincing, the European publisher of the Lucky Luke comics christened him as the official Dutch and Belgium Lucky Luke. That’s no small feat.

Rutger also shows how he makes his costumes look as real as possible. I’m really fond of these little behind the scenes moments.

Real Amanda Lynne

 

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This Bat-tech doesn’t invent itself, you know. 💛🔧 . This is one of my favorite sides of Barbara – brainy, motivated, and self sufficient. I’m sure she spends a lot of time tinkering on the Bat gear between protecting Gotham, and training, and studying… and people say she doesn’t have super powers! 😜 . . . . Barbara Gordon/Batgirl from @dccomics Photo/comp by @johnnyporsche #batgirl #barbaragordon #cosplay #batgirlcosplay #batman #cosplaygirl #dccomics #gotham

A post shared by Amanda Lynne 🌙 (@realamandalynne) on Apr 24, 2018 at 11:34am PDT

 

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✨🖤 DEATH 🖤✨ . . . Death of the Endless from Sandman! Photo by @jackofalltradesx11 . . #death #deathoftheendless #sandmandeath #deathcosplay #cosplaysidebyside #cosplaycomparison #sidebysidecosplay #sandmancosplay #dcdeath #deathsandman #theendless #gothgirl #vertigo #vertigocomics #dc #dccomics #dccosplay #cosplay #cosplayer #cosplayvscharacter #charactervscosplay #cosplaygirl #cosplaybabe #cosplayselfie #neilgaiman #thesandman #goth #selfie #cutecosplay #comics

A post shared by Amanda Lynne 🌙 (@realamandalynne) on Nov 21, 2017 at 4:01pm PST

Amanda Lynne calls herself the fan-girl next door. The LA-based beauty is one of the many professional cosplayers who mix great cosplay pics with sexy modeling pictures on their Instagram. Being a cosplayer can be a professional business, though some cosplay instagram-accounts could be considered borderline pornographic. However, this is not the case with Amanda Lynne.

I like her account because she’s able to convincingly transform into a lot of female characters, while keeping it lighthearted and humorous. It looks like she’s having a lot of fun being a cosplayer and to me, that’s the important part. She even met one of the greats in the comic book industry, and this pic alone made my day (and made me a bit jealous). She plays a lot of female super heroes, villains, but also comic characters like Death from The Sandman by Neil Gaiman.

Bonus

These are two of my favorite Instagram accounts that focus on more than one cosplayer or groups.

Jfhcosplay focuses on Dutch cosplayers, gamers and vloggers.
Cosplay in America is the Instagram account of Ejen Chuang to complement his book on the same subject. Great pictures of cosplayers with short interviews.

The post Cosplayers on Instagram appeared first on Submarine Channel.

by Michael Minneboo

My favorite YouTubers have a couple of things in common. They show us that every day life is makes great source material for telling interesting stories. They know to handle the camera and edit their videos. They all are distinguished personalities. Just like Hollywood stars they have particular characteristics for which they are liked and easily recognized. And because these guys upload new material on a regular basis –some of them daily– you start to feel a connection to them and you feel part of their world. These YouTubers become virtual friends.
Finally, they inspire me in my own endeavors as a Dutch vlogger with a focus on comics.

Casey Neistat (Subscribers at the time of writing: 9,790,483)

Bike Lanes is a classic and still one of Neistat’s best YouTube videos.

Casey Neistat is a great storyteller and uses narrative techniques to transform his daily adventures into captivating and fun videos. I especially love his positive, go-getter attitude. Neistat may well be the most positive vlogger on YouTube. He’s also one of the most prolific. Neistat vlogs about his life in New York City. He also does tech reviews and covers miscellaneous stuff like golden chicken wings that cost 1000 dollars per portion. Sometimes Casey makes inspiring, motivational videos.

Neistat started out making videos with his brother. Their big breakthrough was a critical video about the iPod batteries having a short life span and Apple not providing a battery replacement program, aptly titled iPod’s Dirty Secret (2003). The video got picked up by the media and eventually lead to Apple changing its policy. In 2011 Neistat published a brilliantly funny video in which he criticized New York City Police Department’s ticketing of cyclists for riding outside of the marked bike lanes.

Neistat vlogged almost daily from March 2015 until November 2016. A couple of months ago he returned to vlogging on a regular basis for his new media company, 368. Currently the creation of his new creative breeding ground is still a work in progress. It’s very exciting to see where Neistat will go next.

Cath in College  (Subscribers at the time of writing: 27,020)

Cath in College is exactly what the title promises to be: to show what’s it like to be a college student. The main character of the videos is Catherine, a student at Standford who majors in Science, Technology, and Society with a focus in Media and Communication. Not only does ‘Cath’ make us part of her college life, she is also very open about her thoughts and her personal life. Her channel is like a diary of a twenty-something woman in the 21st century.

Catherine posted her first video on June 7, 2013, about her high school graduation.

Most episodes are filmed over the course of a couple of days, but the story is presented as if it’s one the same day. This gives Cath’s vlogs a real slice-of-life quality. She obviously put a lot of effort in making these vids, but she managed to keep them looking natural and real.

Because vlogs sometimes make real life look more glamorous than it actually is, Cath made this video, literally a day in the life.

On her website CathinCollege.com Catherine has been blogging to her community. She even invited her followers to submit their own day-in-the-life videos, like this one. I find that very sympathetic. This way she creates a web of experiences that go beyond Catherine’s knack of the woods. It’s an interesting and positive way to use one’s star power.

Jenna Marbles (Subscribers at the time of writing: 18,863,184)

More than 18 million people subscribe to Jenna Marbles’ YouTube channel. And it is easy to understand why. Marbles has a very warm personality, a positive attitude, and she makes videos that are a lot of fun to watch.

Jenna Marbles published her first video in 2010, which was an instant success receiving over 5.3 million views in one week.

Marbles covers every day life stuff like buying a house, her boyfriend cooking her favorite meal and getting a hamster. But she mixes it up with weird experiments like camouflaging herself into a chair (the main image from this article is from this video), transforming herself into a dog, or giving advise on things that girls don’t understand about boys. She’s such a big star on YouTube that people are making compilation videos about her and her boyfriend, to which Jenna and Julien then respond to. Like with Casey Neistat, the Jenna we see on screen seems to be the real thing and not just an act.

Kent Heckel (Subscribers at the time of writing: 29,320)

Kent Heckel started vlogging on March 11, 2014, when he was 18 years old and in his senior year in high school. Most of his vlogs deal with his life as a mass communication college student.

Subjects in Heckel’s vlogs range from dorm room tours and life on campus to how to party big at a small college. He also makes vlogs about lifestyle subjects like happiness, friendship and love. Heckel seems to give you an unrestricted view into his life. Just like Cath in College we get a taste of college life but without the boring classes.

For a couple of years Heckel was able to make daily videos, until he dropped out of college to pursue a career as a professional vlogger, making vlogs for a creative company.

Since then, he uploads less regularly, focusing more on technical themes such as beating the algorithms of social media or explaining bitcoins.

Dan Mace (Subscribers at the time of writing: 716,791)

‘I make movies about the things that make me happy. I hope they make you happy too,’ YouTuber Dan Mace writes in the introduction to his channel. Dan is a South African who currently lives in New York. He’s a close friend of Casey Neistat and has helped him on numerous videos. But Mace’s vlogs are interesting in their own right. They are creative, funny and philosophical.

Mace started releasing weekly films only a couple of weeks ago, so he hasn’t published a lot yet. But what I really like about his vids, besides them being well crafted, is the fact that he offers an interesting perspective on every day things.

The best example of this is the video in which Dan and record producer Narch use city noises to create a symphony.

Dan also reflects on his friends. He made a funny animated film about how Casey Neistat handles his equipment and whether or not YouTube personalities can have real relationships.

The post Life Vloggers appeared first on Submarine Channel.

Ubergeek Michael Minneboo, who wrote a book about his lifelong obsession with Spider-Man, selects the five Best Geeky Vloggers on YouTube.

NerdSync

Could Superman actually reverse the earth’s spin and turn back time? What’s the real origin of free comic book day? Why is the Hulk green? And why do people still choose to live in Gotham City? These are the sort of question every comic book geek asks himself at one point in his life. Thanks to Scott Niswander and his team of editors at NerdSync, one doesn’t have to look any further for an an intelligent answer. All videos on NerdSync are well researched, well edited and a lot of fun to watch. With his boyish charm and infinite enthusiasm for geeky stuff, Scott seems like one of us and a great guy to drink a beer with.

I especially like the videos on comic book misconceptions in which they set the record straight about things like whether or not Ant-Man is a wife-beater, or why it isn’t really a problem that a lot of superheroes are rip offs of other characters.

On the about page, and in this introduction video, Scott says the goal of his channel is twofold: ‘show that superhero stories can be deep and complex and show that learning can be exciting when done so through a fun subject matter.’

Mission accomplished, I’d say.

At the time of writing, NerdSync has over 458 thousand subscribers and published over 400 videos since the channel started in September 2012.

Filmjoy aka Movies with Mickey

FilmJoy is hosted by Mikey, Deep Dive, Portscenter, and Review Candy w/ Thaddeus. What all of these creators have in common is that they do not lash out at films, like so many other ‘movie critics’ on YouTube. Instead they talk about movies because they simply love cinema.

My focus will be on Movies With Mickey, because he’s the reason I follow this channel. Mickey focuses on geeky films, such as The Dark Knight and Scott Pilgrim vs the World and television series like Stranger Things.

Sometimes Mickey looks at these intellectual properties from a more philosophical standpoint. Like when he asked his audience who would be the ideal person to play Batman, he taps into the discussion about the quest for more diversity in movies, and he is not only talking about the Batman franchise. In another video he explores the reception of Star Wars movies upon their initial release and the cultural legacy of the franchise.

Mickey can get a little manic sometimes, with his asides, but his weird sense of humor gives his video essays a lightheartedness that leaves me with strong positive feelings after watching them.

FilmJoy started in November 2013. By the time of writing, the channel has gathered more than 180 thousand subscribers and published 160 videos.

The Strip Panel Naked

To me, comic books are a wonderful, creative and complex medium. I love to read them, to write about them en hopefully, some day write them as well. Comics seem to be very accessible and easy to read, which explains why most people start their reading life with comics. However, comics can be a very complex medium.

That’s why I love the Strip Panel Naked, because this channel takes a look at why the best comics work the way they do. It’s a channel filled with great videos in which comics are analyzed. Whether its about the three ways to create focus in comic book storytelling, how movement works in static images, or how one establishes characters. The Strip Panel naked uses a particular book as an example or a specific artist to get their point across.

The Strip Panel Naked is for geeks that love comics and the people who make them. This channel started in June 2016. By the time of writing it has gathered over 19,500 subscribers and published over a hundred videos.

Toy Galaxy

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjoe3Qo_DymYyBR6X9VxFjQ/videos

Is there anything more geeky then collecting toys? Well, yeah, collecting action figures and making damn good videos about them like the good people of the Toy Galaxy channel do.

Whether you want toy reviews, the history of a particular animated series that accompanies a toy line, or an in depth video on toy collecting, Toy Galaxy is the place to be on YouTube. Although I’m not a toy collector myself, I’m having a lot of fun watching this channel.

Toy Galaxy started in April 2015. By the time of writing they have gathered more than 87,600 subscribers and published about 536 videos. That’s a lot of hours of talking about toys.

Minty Comedic Arts

Lists are like gold on the Internet and are often used as clickbait. However, I really like the ’10 Things You Didn’t Know About…’ lists by Minty Comedic Arts. He covers classic geeky films like The Dark Crystal, Ghostbusters II, and Creepshow. He also covers characters like He-Man and Wonder Woman, or cult tv shows like The Twilight Zone. Occasionally he publishes a film review or a video about merchandising to boot.

Minty Comedic Arts, whose host always wears sunglasses, started his channel in February 2008. By the time of writing he has gathered about 112 thousand subscribers and published over 270 videos. His first videos from back in the day are rather roughly edited, but they look much more polished now.

The post Best Geeky Vloggers on YouTube appeared first on Submarine Channel.

By Michael Minneboo

Dani Moonstar, Falcon, Sunspot, Blade

In recent years Marvel added characters like America Chavez, Ms. Marvel, a female Thor, a Korean-American Hulk, a black Spider-Man and a black Captain America and so on. Not that all these efforts at diversity have been successful; a lot of solo titles with non-white and/or feminist characters have been cancelled after a relatively short run.

Still, representation matters. A lot. When you check the letter pages of ‘America’ for instance, the comic revolving around America Chavez, Marvel’s first Latin-American LGBTQ character to star in an ongoing series, readers express how happy they are to finally read about heroes that look like them, that have to deal with the same stuff as they do. As Nathan Hinojosa writes: ‘I have to thank y’all for representing Latinas, and giving me a character that my daughter could one day look up to and admire.’

However, ‘America’ has been cancelled after only 12 issues because of poor sales. According to some detractors, this has everything to do with poor writing and the comic being too preachy.

Personally I find minority superheroes that are a direct rip-off of existing characters a sign of a lack of creativity. The black superhero Sam Wilson, who played Captain America for a while, comes to mind. And the female version of Thor. Wilson was a great character in his own right as the Falcon. I find these solutions rather insulting to the reader. I’d rather see NEW superheroes with a diverse background and sexual orientation rather than those lazy, non-creative variants of existing heroes. People who feel they need to be represented more in fiction deserve better. And frankly the same can be said for all readers.

Come on, Marvel! Introduce new interesting gay, lesbian, transsexual, asexual and whatever characters instead of ripping off existing characters. Marvel doesn’t call itself ‘The house of ideas’ for nothing. Those words are better worth something! Thankfully, a lot of times those ideas are pretty good as you can see by this short list of great Marvel characters.

1. Storm (Marvel Wikia)

The X-Men comics thematically are all about prejudice and discrimination. The comics revolve around mutants, people whose special powers manifest at puberty. The mutants are often hunted down and discriminated by society: people are afraid of them because of their abilities. The mutants are a metaphor for how society deals with ‘The Other’ and ‘The Outsider’.

Granted, sometimes mutants look pretty weird: Nightcrawler looks like a blue colored devil or demon, and Beast looks like, well, a blue furry animal. Because of the main theme, it makes sense that the X-Men team consists of a very diverse cast. Although that wasn’t really the case when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the team in 1963, the rebooted version from 1975 by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum has a very diverse membership with international roots. For instance, Wein and Cockrum introduced Storm. Her real name is Ororo Munroe, and she’s the child of a tribal princess of Kenya and an American photojournalist, David Munroe. Storm is able to control the weather and atmosphere. She’s one of the most powerful mutants on the planet and some think she’s a goddess.

Storm suffers from claustrophobia: when she was five years old a plane crashed on their home, killing her parents and also burying Ororo who survived. A weakness that makes her more than human, but her humanity comes from a love of all life, and being very much in touch with nature and the spirit of our planet. Since her introduction Storm has grown tremendously as a character, eventually becoming the leader of the X-Men and a mother figure to young Kitty Pryde, a fellow X-Men. Even when Storm lost her powers, she was still a very capable warrior and leader. All this makes Storm one of the coolest Marvel characters ever, and one of my favourite X-Men.

2. Black Panther (Marvel Wikia)

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Black Panther made his first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 (spring 1966). Black Panther is a loyal member of the Avengers and has been a part of the regular roster of Marvel heroes since his creation. In the last five decades numerous Black Panther series have been published and cancelled at one time or another. As far as I know, he’s the first black superhero ever. Black Panther is T’Challa, king of the fictional African country Wakanda. T’Challa is a nobel character that divides his time between being a superhero and his duties as the leader of Wakanda. With Wakanda, Lee turned some stereotypes about Africa on its head. Instead of being poor and backwards, Wakanda is technically the most advanced country in the world and one of the richest thanks to a Vibranium mine, a rare metal that is the source of their technical expertise. As the Black Panther movie from director Ryan Coogler has shown, T’Challa’s kingdom is a bit of a weird mix of African tradition, modern technology and superhero lore. But that’s also part of the fun of Black Panther’s world.

3. Ms. Marvel (Marvel Wikia)

Kamala Khan is a sixteen-year-old Pakistani-American girl from Jersey City. She idolises superheroes, especially Carol Danvers who calls herself Captain Marvel (she used to be Ms. Marvel). Kamala has a hard time fitting in: she is a Muslim and her parents try to bring her up according to their faith. Obviously, they don’t like their teenage girl to go to parties where boys attend as well and alcohol is being served. Her older brother spends his time praying all day, wearing traditional clothes, much to the chagrin of their father who’d rather see his son get a job. Kamala is living between two worlds, not really fitting in with either of them. Some of her white American school buddies, particularly Zoe, have no problem pointing out that she’s the odd one out. When Kamala is bestowed superpowers, her life gets even stranger. All of a sudden she can change her appearance to whomever she wants, even her mother, and she can stretch her body to become very big or very small. She also heals a lot faster than before. Kamala becomes the new Ms. Marvel.

Kamala’s story is also about trying to determine your identity, accepting who you are and not being afraid to show it. These are important issues for teens, and typical for coming-of-age stories.

Kamala is actually the fourth character called Ms. Marvel in the Marvel Comic books, but she’s the first Muslim character to headline her own book. Ms. Marvel was created by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona. This new Ms. Marvel is one is one of the most successful non-white superheroes introduced in the last couple of years.

4. Iceman (Marvel Wikia)

Robert (Bobby) Drake was one of the original X-Men. As his moniker indicates he can generate, manipulate and fully control ice, snow and cold temperatures. He can also use his mutant ability to freeze any air moisture into super-hard ice. He’s also pretty funny and like Spider-Man cracks jokes during the fights.

Recently Bobby came out as being gay. This happened in a wonderful scifi way that only the people at Marvel could come up with. The young X-Men time travelled from the past to the present. When young telepath Jean Grey accidentally reads young Bobby’s mind, she discovers he’s been living in the closet. When young Bobby confronts his older counterpart he admits he’s been gay all this time as well. This was a bit of a surprise for a lot of readers, because Bobby has had heterosexual relationships in the past, including a thing with the wonderful Kitty Pryde.

The series ‘Iceman’, written by Sina Grace and illustrated by Alessandro Vitti and Edgar Salazar, deals with Bobby coming to grips with his homosexuality and his coming out to the world. Besides having to fight bad guys like Juggernaut, he also has to deal with dating apps. His parents aren’t too happy with their son being a mutant, and when Bobby finally confronts them with being gay, they have a very hard time dealing with this as well. (In a way, coming out as a mutant is a metaphor for coming out in general.)

When his mother remarks that him being gay doesn’t make any sense since he has had a lot of girlfriends in the past, he replies: ‘Don’t you wonder why none of them stuck around, mom? […] Haven’t you ever been with someone and know deep down that it’s not right? That’s how it’s felt with EVERY girl … EVERY time.’

Although the argument can be made that this coming out scenario is rather textbook like because we’ve seen it a lot in queer media, it’s still very well executed. Too bad ‘Iceman’ has also been cancelled after 11 issues.

5. Miles Morales (Marvel Wikia)

An argument can be made that too many Spider-Man-like characters are currently walking around in the Marvel Universe: with Spider-Gwen, Silk and Miles Morales, to name just the most important ones. Technically speaking Miles Morales is a rip-off of Spider-Man, so therefore he shouldn’t be on this list. But he’s an original new character created by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, and that makes him a better option when it comes to diversity than let’s say an already existing African-American character playing for Captain America. Also, the Black Hispanic teen has conquered the hearts of many comic book readers and is to star in his own animated feature.

Morales was an inhabitant of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe comic line. When the Peter Parker of that universe died, Morales took over being Spider-Man. Just like Peter Parker, Morales gets his powers when he is a teenager, and has to combine his responsibilities of being a superhero with his responsibilities as a high school student.

Miles Morales possesses powers quite similar to those of the original Spider-Man, which were derived from the bite of a genetically engineered spider. But as a bonus, Morales has two abilities that the original (Ultimate) Spider-Man does not have. Morales is able to camouflage himself and his clothing, to match his surroundings. Also he has a venom strike that can paralyze most people just by touching them.

In the current comics, Morales is Spider-Man in the mainstream universe, so now there are two Spider-Men swinging around in New York. Although my Spidey will always be Peter Parker, Morales is a great example of representing minorities in superhero comics.

The post Top 5: Marvel’s Diverse Superheroes appeared first on Submarine Channel.

By Michael Minneboo

These essays give great insights into the art of filmmaking and storytelling. They are thought-provoking; they offer new perspectives or possible answers to interesting questions. I find them inspiring and they help me deal with my own creative issues.

The Discarded Image

The Discarded Image is an online video series created by Julian Palmer that deconstructs well-known pieces of cinema such as the films of Quentin Tarantino, Alfred Hitchcock and David Fincher. The essays are centered around a particular theme, such as the use of pop music in David Fincher films. Palmer doesn’t upload on a regular basis and has only produced 18 videos as of this writing, but all essays are very insightful and entertaining to watch.

I especially liked this one on Jonathan Glazer’s ‘Under The Skin’, in which Palmer breaks down how the director puts the audience in an alien’s perspective, experiencing the world from the point of view of an outsider.

A good introduction to The Discarded Image is this essay about Tarantino’s use of violence in his movies:

Every Frame A Painting 

Every Frame A Painting offers a wide variety of essays about film form. The videos are written and edited by animator Taylor Ramos and editor Tony Zhou. Unlike a lot of other essayists, they do not concentrate on story and character, but on film form by focusing on a particular clip, scene or technique. Therefore the audience can easily follow the essay without having to have seen the movie that is mentioned. This way, the essays of Every Frame A Painting function a straightforward learning tool.

Sadly, there hasn’t been a new video on this channel for over a year. In this post Ramos and Zhou explain why they started the channel in the first place and why they stopped making essays: ‘When we started this YouTube project, we gave ourselves one simple rule: if we ever stopped enjoying the videos, we’d also stop making them. And one day, we woke up and felt it was time.’ The post in itself is worth a read for aspiring YouTubers because Ramos and Zhou are talking about how to deal with YouTube copyright restrictions, their workflow and how the form they chose for their essays ultimately became very restrictive.

For those interested in making video-essays, I highly recommend this arresting essay on making video-essays by Ramos and Zhou.

Even though Every Frame A Painting has ended, the small body of essays are definitely worth a look. Check out this wonderful tribute on the way the late Robin Williams used movement as a way to express character:

The NerdWriter

As of this writing, NerdWriter Evan Puschak has 228 videos under his belt and is still going strong. He’s a very prolific essayist that publishes a new video regularly. In his essays Puschak talks about movies, but also tackles numerous other pop-cultural subjects such as how Fleetwood Mac creates a song, or how to design a comic book page (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQEfL2BfUM). All videos are well crafted, insightful and well researched. NerdWriter might be the best damn channel on YouTube at the moment.

Puschak often focuses on a particular film, tv-series or filmmaker, concentrating on a central theme. For instance, he uses ‘Ghost in the Shell’ as an example of what can go wrong when you adapt an anime into a live-action movie. Puschak has strong opinions you don’t have to agree with, but because he expertly explains his reasons and train of thought, you always understand where he’s coming from and why he came to certain conclusions.

I especially like Puschak’s explanation on why Zack Snyder’s superhero movies do not work and frankly give me a tremendous headache:

Now You See It

Now You See It is the YouTube-channel that Jack Nugent started in 2015. Since then he published a little less than 50 essays in which film themes and tropes are explored. ‘It’s like a college film analysis class minus the lecture halls, essay assignments, and student loan debts,’ as Nugent describes his body of work.

Nugent answers questions like: what makes a movie scary, how to end a movie, how to break the fourth wall or what makes sequels good? But also deconstructs specific storytelling techniques unique to cinema such as the use of the Dutch Angle, long shots and how settings can function as characters. Sometimes Nugent sidesteps into making videos on the workings of political campaign ads or an analysis of Dave Chappelles stand-up routines.

His latest video as of this writing, on the origins of the Dutch Angle, is one of his best:

VoorDeFilm 

Video-editor and movie-expert Menno Kooistra runs the VoorDeFilm-channel. Roughly translated the title means: BeforeTheFilm or ForTheFilm. Kooistra makes thematic mash-ups and video-essays, with a flair for the poetic. Kooistra tackles particular movies like ‘Almost Famous’, ‘Martyrs’, ‘The Brood’ and ‘The Big Sleep’. He also makes 1-minute videos in which he mashes up films that are thematically related, like terror clowns in movies or films about the American President.

Some of the videos are commissioned by VPRO, Cinema.nl or the Imagine Film Festival. Kooistra started out in Dutch and now only makes videos in English. For the essays Kooistra often collaborates with others. Together we have made a couple of episodes, with me presenting and Menno editing my ramblings into a comprehensive whole.

I particularly like his essay on Thelma Schoonmaker. She has been the editor for Martin Scorsese for four decades. This very skilled editor is as much responsible for the success of these films as the director, and Kooistra’s video essay makes clear why.

But as an introduction to VoorDeFilm I’d like to recommend this excellent and smart essay on the Art of David Lynch:

The post 5 Great Video Essayists appeared first on Submarine Channel.

1. Origin of the Hobgoblin

One could argue that the Green Goblin aka Norman Osborn is Spider-Man’s ultimate nemesis. In the 1980s he had been dead for about a decade, and readers wanted him back. The main Spider-Man scribe at the time, Roger Stern, didn’t want to resurrect Osborn. Therefor he decided to meet the readers halfway: together with artist John Romita Jr. he created the Hobgoblin. A villain that stumbles upon the Green Goblin’s old hide-outs and equipment and creates the Hobgoblin identity by upgrading Osborn’s stuff. Hobgoblin became the ultimate Spidey villain for the decade. He’s very smart, lethal and looks like a great Halloweenesque character to boot.

‘The origin of the Hobgoblin is a very well crafted and exiting story. Stern uses pre-existing elements of the Spider-Man mythos, and gives them a modern and fresh twist. John Romita Jr. excels in visual storytelling. To me, he’s the best Spider-Man-artist ever. The battles between the hero and the Hobgoblin are visually exiting, and at the heart of this storyline is the mystery of Hobgoblin’s real identity.

Originally published in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #238-239,
244-245, 249-251 (1983-1984) and ‘Peter Parker, the
Spectacular Spider-Man’ #43, #47-#48 en 85.
Also collected in the trade paperback ‘Origin of the
Hobgoblin’ and the omnibus ‘Spider-Man by Roger Stern’.

2. The Night Gwen Stacy Died

In the early days of his career, Peter Parker experienced a couple of major losses. The first one was the death of his Uncle Ben, which made him realise that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. The second big loss was the death of his first great love, Gwen Stacy. When the Green Goblin kidnaps Gwen, he drops her off the Brooklyn Bridge. Spidey tries to save her, but fails. Even with superpowers, a hero doesn’t always succeed.

‘The Night Gwen ‘The Night Gwen Stacy Died’ is a two part story that shook the comic book world and in a way made it lose its innocence. If the hero isn’t always able to save the day, anything is possible.

Written by Gerry Conway, with art by Gil Kane.
Originally published as ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #121 & 122 (1973),
reprinted in trades and special collections numerous times.

3. The Master Planner-Saga

This is a classic three-part story by the original creators of Spider-Man: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Of course, their run is mandatory reading for any Spidey-fan, but this one sticks out, because it’s a great example of how being Spider-Man frustrates the life of Peter Parker.

Peter starts his first year in college. He’s worried about his sick Aunt May who is dying of blood poisoning. She once needed a transfusion of Peter’s radioactive blood and that’s what making her sick. The serum that can save May’s life is in the hands of a villain who calls himself the Master Planner, who turns out to be Spidey’s nemesis Doctor Octopus.

During their fight in the villain’s hideout, the ceiling collapses burrying Spider-Man under tons of machinery and rubble while the chamber begins to flood. The situation looks hopeless. Thinking about how he doesn’t want to let May down like he did Uncle Ben, Peter finds superhuman strength within himself and is able to slowly lift the tons of rubble off his back. Ditko illustrates every part of this process by making each comic book panel bigger than the last one, underlining Peter finding the power within to persevere and free himself. In this classic sequence Ditko perfectly shows his artistry and wonderful draughtsmanship.

Originally published in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #30-33 (1965/66),
but also included in ‘Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man’ vol. 4.

4. Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut

When the unstoppable Juggernaut tries to kidnap the blind clairvoyant Madame Web, Spider-Man tries everything within his power to protect her. When he fails and Juggernaut almost kills the elderly woman, Peter decides that, whatever it takes, the villain must be stopped.

This two-parter is a wonderful study of Spider-Man’s character and perseverance. Risking his own life, Spider-Man tries to protect others against evil, even when he is confronted with an opponent who is way out of his league.

Story (again) by Roger Stern, with art by John Romita Jr. This creative Spider-Man dream team show what heroes like Spider-Man are made of, and why he’s the best comic book character in the world.

Originally published in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #229-230 (1982).
Also collected in the trade paperback titled ‘Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut’.

5. Spider-Man

People who watch superhero movies, sometimes complain about the origin stories. To me, Spider-Man’s origin story is one of the greatest of the genre. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko introduce Spider-Man in a mere 11 pages. But these 11 pages are one of comic book’s gems.

Peter Parker is 15 when a radioactive Spider bites him, giving him spider-powers. Instead of becoming a hero, the social outcast decides to become Spider-Man and make money in showbiz. This way he is able to financially help out his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, the people that have raised him ever since his parents died. When a thief breaks into the TV studio where he is recording and makes a run for the door, Spider-Man does nothing and lets him get away.

When a burglar breaks into the Parker house and kills Uncle Ben, Peter discovers this is the same guy he easily could have stopped a few weeks ago. But he didn’t bother back then for selfish reasons. Because he feels responsible for his uncle’s death, the youth now has learned that with having great power, there also comes great responsibility. Ben’s death makes Peter decide that Spider-Man must help out his fellow men, even to great personal cost.

Originally published in ‘Amazing Fantasy’ #15 (1962),
reprinted numerous times, among which ‘Marvel Masterworks:
The Amazing Spider-Man’ Vol. 01 and ‘Essential Spider-Man’ vol.1.

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