What happens when Charles Schultz beloved “Peanuts” style cartoon is crossed with the baddest Motherf***ing shark to ever hit the big screen? Just remember to stay out the deep end! (Whomp, Whomp) *All puns intended*. Artist Charles Forsman puts a twist on the movie by putting Charles Schultz Peanuts in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Though he’s a fan of the Jaws novel at heart, Forsman icreated the movie’s scenes for fan familiarity. He has created seven strips in all depicting key moments from the film, and they have been collected on an 11×17 print that fans can pick up for $20 at his online store.
By now I’m going to assume you might have heard the controversy revolving around the fact that the new Spider-Man in the Ultimate series is going to be a multiethnic (Half-Black, Half-Hispanic) character named Mark Morales. Now on one hand I can understand the cultural impact this will take on the series of Spider-Man (fyi. if you don’t know, this is only the ultimate series, not under the other stories ie. The Amazing Spider-Man). This marks the only time in the Characters franchised history that we will be a character of an ethnic background don the mask, but what is with this negative feedback? In this day and age? One example is right-wing commentator Glenn Beck astonishingly attributing the character to First Lady Michelle Obama, and the Drudge Report even more bizarrely suggesting that the character “could be gay.”
The new Spider-Man is really quite great. He looks just like President Obama… This one is half-Hispanic, half-black. Do I care? Half-hispanic, all-Hispanic? Half-black? I really don’t care. Half-gay, all gay? I don’t really care. I don’t care. It’s a stupid comic book. However, what I do care about is the fact that I think a lot of this stuff is being done intentionally. What was it Mrs. Obama said before the campaign? Because it’s strange how so much of this seems to all be happening. Where she pointed out that we need to change…
[plays clip where Michelle Obama says "Barack knows that we're going to have to make sacrifices. We're going to have change our conversation. We're going to have to change our traditions."]
…I know this is just one stupid example of it, but really? We now have a half-Hispanic, half-black, half-gay Spider-Man?
I came across this piece on Comicalliance.com, and saw the contributers, Laura Hudson, take on this matter as well and I couldn’t agree more with her views: “The weirdest part about this is how fervently and repeatedly Beck feels the need to assert that he “does not care” about the race or sexuality of the new Spider-Man, not just because it is an indicator of exactly how much he cares, but because I don’t really understand what he’s trying to communicate with that statement. “I definitely am not angry that minorities exist in the world!” Are we supposed to think that’s gracious?
Also, no matter how many times you insist that you’re not hatemongering about race, if your statement ends with you expressing total indignance over the fact that a character exists and is a minority you’re still being racist. I also have no idea why the idea of changing the conversation or changing our traditions is a negative thing when you consider how many racist traditions have existed in this country, including but not limited to slavery and segregation. I’m sure the people shouting racial slurs at black schoolchildren in the South during the 1960s were pretty upset about their traditions changing but that doesn’t make it a defensible argument.”
But fret not readers, faux-Conservative commentator Stephen Colbert shares his views on this “terrible precedent of superhero diversity”:
“Fear Itself started out with a fairly straightforward premise: An ancient power was transforming chosen villains (and a few anti-heroes) into “The Worthy,” a hammer-empowered force evil enough to wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. Things haven’t been going very well for Marvel’s heroes since then, as The Worthy’s rampage continues to topple civilization as fans know it. Marvel’s latest teaser for the series may provide humankind with a glimmer of hope, however, giving readers a glimpse of the mysterious group known as “The Mighty.” Check out the new teasers after the jump to see if you can make out each warrior’s identity.” (Via. comicalliance.com)
My personal take on the story so far, pretty dry. I mean I only read the 1st two issues and currently there are four, so I shouldn’t give this premature opinion. I hope it gets better though throughout.
As we approach the release of the new Green Lantern movie tomorrow, I suppose it only be befitting that there should be some insight for the people out there to get a lil history on the man. While on Comicsalliance.com I came across this great original comic by Curt Franklin and artist Chris Haley of the webcomicLet’s Be Friends Again, they break down the history of a notable comic book character in a recurring segment they call “Comics, Everyday!” And this weeks choice just so happened to be known other than the green man himself, no not Kermit the frog, The Green Lantern.
