WEEKLY STUFF E-ZINE #20 (9-26-98) -Plain Text Version ----Contents---- 1.)OMEGA's Ramblings 2.)Web Site Showcase 3.)Pioneer's Evolution Part 1 (+ reviews) 4.)MixxZine Vol. 2 #2 : The Final Mistake? 5.)News Form AnimEigo 6.)Otaku No Video 7.)Anime Tidbits 8.)Star Wars: Episode 1 Title 9.)Highlander: The Raven - Show Info 10.)Topps Cancels The X-Files and Xena Comics 11.)The X-Files Tidbits 12.)Comix Tidbits 13.)DC Comics In December 14.)Crisis Restorations of Infinite Worth 15.)Wizard's Top Ten (9-2-98) 16.)DC Comics Online Trivia Questions (9-4-98) 17.)DC Comics Online Trivia Answers (9-4-98) 18.)Legion of Super-Heroes Challenge 19.)A Few Crass Words from Kaneda 20.)Mailing List Technical Info ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.) Omega's Ramblings This issue was originally meant to be the 'Blast From The Past II Special' but due to a lot of changes in the mailing list, it was decided to forgo the special. But my 'Pioneer's Evolution' article will be converted into a weekly article starting with this issue with Pioneer's debut on the Anime scene in December of 1993. This article will cover all of Pioneer's products from Tenchi-Muyo! to Fushigi Yugi and will try to give a review of some kind of each series mentioned. Without that stack of ANIMERICA back issues, this wouldn't be possible. Enjoy. Also A LOT of problems occurred while doing this issue, the first being my main e-mail account (the MSN one, not the one this issue was sent by) is currently having Service Problems due to the hurricane in Florida. Hopefully this will be corrected shortly. Because the majority of this issue was complied via various web site news sections. WSE is currently being beta-tested to see if a 'HTML VERSION' will get through to you. You are currently reading the 'PLAIN TEXT VERSION' which has all the nice formatting taken out. But a formatted HTML version is being tested to see if it will properly send and be received in one piece. If you would like to help with this process please e-mail me at ablarnold@msn.com. All this entails is 2 versions of one e-mail being sent to your mail box and you e-mailing me back telling which version did what in your mail-box. ---Adam "OMEGA" Arnold QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Would you drink a tofu-jello chocolate-coffee shake? ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.) Web Site Showcase + A.D.Vision - Animation For A New Generation http://www.advfilms.com/ +Anime Café Home Page (the anime encyclopedia and more) http://www.nucleus.com/~nagatomi/index.htm +Nintendo Power Source (Nintendo 'nuff said) http://www.nintendo.com/ +The Kryptonian Cybernet Homepage (the monthly Superman newsletter) http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sykes/kc/ +Switchboard White/Yellow Pages (find pretty much anybody in the USA) http://www.switchboard.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3.) Pioneer's Evolution Part 1 Pioneer's Evolution Part One by Adam "OMEGA" Arnold "If you haven't seen it on Laserdisc, you haven't seen it." Pioneer's debut saying. In December 1993 Pioneer took America by storm with the release of Tenchi-Muyo!: Ryo-Ohki OVA #1 on a bi- lingual Laserdisc. For the first time people could own both a subtitled and dubbed Japanese Animation for $34.95 a disc. TENCHI-MUYO!: RYO-OHKI is considered by Tenchi enthusiast to be the Canon continuity on which all the spin-offs should be criticized, because this is the first 6 episodes are the BEST of them all. This is the original story of Tenchi Miaaki, an ordinary high school student who unwittingly unleashes the demon Ryoko. And soon Tenchi finds himself in the midst of 5 Alien women and a Cabbit all fighting over him in some sense. But what is Tenchi's true fate? You'll just have to watch the first 6 OAV episodes to find out. (The Specials and Second OVA will be mentioned later). Success continued for Pioneer and in April 1994 they released Green Legend Ran OVA #1 and Moldiver OVA #1 on Laserdisc. They also anounced 4 classics that would soon be released on LD: Speed Racer, Robotech, Giant Robo, and Ambasador Maguma. Though GLR and Moldiver didn't take off like Tenchi did they are still Exceptional movies to watch. GREEN LEGEND RAN is an ecological movie that makes you think. The story starts with Ran as he sets out to avenge his mothers death at the hands of the Hazzard. But when he meets a young silver hared girl named Aira who seen gets kidnapped. Ran sets out for the Holy Green where the fate of the world is about to be decided. Though it does have its flaws, such as characters not being very round in development and several slow points. The dream sequences and the ending make up for this. MOLDIVER is a lot better, it is a comedy like Tenchi-Muyo! The best thing about the early episodes is they seem to tell individual stories but have an underlying storyline and then get into some nerve wracking fights in the end. Moldiver is first the story of Hiroshi Ozaro as he discovers a Supersuit that gives the wearer absolute power by way of twisting the laws of physics to repel forces. But what happens when his sister, Mirai Ozaro, finds out about what her brother has been doing and wants to get in on the action? Well she designs her own Moldiver. But the programs get mixed up. Now Mirai turns into her brothers manly Moldiver, and Hiroshi gets Mirai's Girlish Moldiver. Will they ever get it straightened out? What does that crazy millionaire scientist have in mind? And What is their kid brother working on? Pioneer went on to finish releasing their first batch of anime. And even added a few extras to their products, like free T-shirts, and they complied GLR into a boxed set with a T-shirt and linear notes and added things on the laserdisc themselves. And Pioneer even released the first Tenchi-Muyo!: Ryo-Ohki Special which is known in the show as Episode 7 (fun fact: Due to law restrictions the English Dub voice actors had to use aliases to do Episode 7). Next: Pioneer introduces VHS versions and Kision Corps. makes the scene. To Be Continued…… ======================================= + Note 1: Tenchi-Muyo!: Ryo-Ohki OVA is currently available on VHS subtitled ($24.95) or Dubbed ($19.95) as the TENCHI COLLECTION. There are 7 volumes with 2 episodes per tape. Volumes 1- 3 of the Tenchi Collection include OVA Episodes #1-6, Volume 4 has Episode 7 and the Mihosi Special, and Volumes 5-7 contain the second OVA series #8-13. + Note 2: A Special Edition Laserdisc collection was also created prior to the Tenchi Collection release. TENCHI-MUYO!: THE BOOK OF HEAVEN contains OVA episodes #1-7 on 2 double sided CLV Bi-Lingual Laserdisc for $39.95.TENCHI-MUYO!: THE BOOK OF EARTH contains OVA episodes #8-13, plus the Mihosi Special on 2 double sided CLV Bi-Lingual Laserdisc for $39.95. + Note 3: Green Legend Ran OVA is currently available on VHS as a 120 minute dubbed movie for $19.95 in the form that appeared on Sci-Fi Channel in 1997. +Note 4: Green Legend Ran OVA is also available in on an UNCUT bi-lingual DVD for $29.95. It includes all 3 episodes in there original form with a music video and interview with the director. +Note 5: Moldiver OVA is currently only available as a Dubbed VHS for $19.95. No re-release has been planned as of yet for this 6 episode series, so all 6 episodes are ONLY available on 6 separate VHS tapes, plus the availability of these tapes are in short supply. ======================================= ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4.) Mixx-Zine Vol. 2 #2 : The Final Mistake? MixxZine Vol 2 #2 is the first issue without Sailor Moon, because she has her own comic book now and Smile magazine. Sure this book It has a nice Gundam head shot for a cover, but other than that, THIS ISSUE IS A WASTE OF MONEY!!!! The magazine is 133 pages long and costs $4.95. Compared to previous issues it is horribly thin. Wanna know why? MixxZine has DOUBLED up the Manga pages. That's right. You have to read the book side-ways. 2 full pages of Manga a page. So the panels are Pocket Manga sized, and the artwork is undiceferable at times in this form. If you were mad at the changes Mixx did last issue with all the ads and columns then be prepared for this issue. Because there are tons more. Now I buy Mixx for the manga and could care less about the articles, but 2 pages on 1 full page, to be blunt, is CRAP. I personally feel MixxZine has finally made the final mistake. On September 24, 1998 someone hacked the MixxZine website (www.mixxonline.com/mixxonline/) to write the following message. The situation was quickly covered up by the Mixx staff. Why are you here? Stu Levy, president of Mixx Entertainment is A MONEY GRUBBING LIAR. His sole purpose is to remove you from your money. Why don't you try one of these links: www.webcrawler.com www.yahoo.com www.altavista.com Signed, PissedFan ------------------------------------------------------------------ 5.) News From AnimEigo ~Edited from AnimEigo's News Section at http://www.animeigo.com/ The Kimagure Orange Road TV Series Project Status Current Status of preproduction (9/24/98):The first half of the box set has been mastered (it took 4 days to do it, whew!). The D2 digital master tapes for both the VHS tapes and the LaserDiscs are now going through a meticulous examination at CineMagnetics, our tape duplicator. Once they are OK'd, the VHS set will go into duplication, and the LaserDisc masters will be sent off for LD mastering and replication in Japan. As soon as we have reliable information about when the sets will be shipping from Wilmington, it will be posted here. Please click here for all the details! Bubble Gum Crisis on DVD more or less ASAP! Yes, in cooperation with M-2K, we're releasing all of BGC in a 3 DVD set that promises to be one of the coolest DVDs ever done. Check out all the details... Urusei Yatsura Status While we have agreed with Fuji Creative on the terms of a new license for UY, there are a few details that have taken much longer than we expected to work out. We hope to have these cleaned up very soon. UY TV 20 is ready to be mastered, so as soon as things are finalized, we'll be in studio, and the tape will be available shortly thereafter. In other words, we are ready to roll. As soon as UY TV 20 comes out, we will be announcing the availability of a second UY TV LD set, containing volumes 11-20. We expect to have it out for Christmas. It will be packaged in the same type of packaging (traditional Japanese LD box set packaging) as the KOR set, not the "survives nuclear war" packaging we used on the UY TV LD 1-10 set. We will make matching packaging available to purchasers of the 1-10 set for a small fee when they purchase 11-20. We will also do a signup to see if there is sufficient interest to permit the repressing of the 1-10 set. Otaku No Video on Laserdisc? An effort is underway by Anime Fans to gather support for the release of the subtitled Otaku No Video on LaserDisc. In order for us to justify doing this, we need to be sure that there is a sufficient number of people who will buy it, in order that we can recover the cost of remastering, resubtitling, and pressing the LaserDiscs The magic number is 500. If we get 500 people to pre-order the Otaku No Video LaserDisc, we'll do the job. The cost will be $40 per LaserDisc. Please use the form below to pre-order the LaserDisc. Once we get enough people, we'll contact you in order to confirm your order. You won't be charged anything until we actually ship. Preproduction will take about 3-4 months. We intend to make only enough LaserDiscs to fulfill preorders, plus some extras for replacement of defective discs. If we have any leftovers, they will be available for sale at a higher price. If you have already registered a pre-order with us, or with one of the fan-efforts to gather names, you don't have to do it again. We will be publishing a list of the people on the pre-order list soon so you can check your status. To sign up PLEASE go here and do so ASAP… http://www.animeigo.com/Products/Videos/All/%7EONV.html For more info on Otaku No Video read the next section…. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 6.) Otaku No Video A true treat for true fans of any genre, Otaku no Video ("Fan's Video") is an outrageous mockumentary that combines the superb animation that made GAINAX one of Japan's best-loved animation studios with truly strange interviews with "real animation fans." The result is a thinly fictionalized history of GAINAX that segues into a truly strange SF adventure. AnimEigo's special presentation of Otaku no Video contains both episodes: "Otaku no Video 1982" and "New Otaku no Video 1985." It is hard to explain Otaku No Video to those who haven't ever seen it, and it is even harder to write about it without having seen it. But I have read ever review I can find about it plus the linear notes. The first movie begins with the main character meeting an old friend who runs a college Anime Club, and manages to convert them into an Otaku. Together they make it there gola to spread the idea of 'Otaku' to everyone. The interviews are what you would call chapter breaks. They are shot in 'true crime' style with the faces blurred and the voices distorted. The second movie is about the theme park Otakuland. Believe me I haven't' even touched the surface of this cult favorite. The characters were designed by 'GunSmith Cats' creator Kenichi Sonoda, and was the final film GAINAX did until they staged a come-back and spawned the unforgettable Neon Genesis Evangelion. There are also hundreds of hidden Anime/Manga in-jokes and a good assessment of these are in the 21 page Linear Notes, which can be found at… http://www.animeigo.com/Resources/Liner/ONV.html Currently only a Subtitled VHS release containing both movies is availble for $39.95 (a very reasonable price considering a single subbed VHS costs $29.95 for a single movie.) But wouldn't you like to have a Laserdisc that won't degrade as fast? If so please add your name to the pre-order list so AnimEigo can get 500 people who want the Laserdisc version as soon as possible. http://www.animeigo.com/Products/Videos/All/%7EONV.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ 7.) Anime Tidbits +++ Tenchi In Tokyo (Shin Tenchi-Muyo!) Vol 1 will be released in the US on 12-8-98 on VHS, subtitled and Dubbed. +++ Ah! My Goddess manga vol.17 by Fujishima Kosuke, Afternoon KC 1091, Kodansha, Yen 505 (before tax), ISBN4-06-321291-X. Cover : Skuld with mechanical wings, with Noble Scarlet at her back, with a chronograph like object at the background. Back : Demonic Chibi-Vespa. Jacket flaps : Chibi-Bell-chan, head scratching K1. 250 page (very thick), chapter 98-104. Many CUTE chibi- Bell-chan. They are cuter now than when I saw her pictures in Monthly Afternoon. Most probably due to sharper image when scaling down the picture to fit the tankouban. ---CuSO4 +Ken Starr: "And you were alone in the oval office with President Clinton?" +Belldandy: "Why yes, he had just called and wished for me." +++ It is rumored that the Shin Tenchi Perfect Collection gives details about an “upcoming Third Tenchi OVA series” (no date is given). A.) The Third OVA series will focus on Mihoshi. (Reportably, from the Shin Tenchi book). B.) Kiyonne will be in the third series. (Radio Interview) C.) There is no relation between the “True Tenchi” novels. (comment from Kajashima) D.) The story has been done for a long time. (Several different sources). E.) No Mayuka. (only from one fan) F.) The Third OVA will end the series. (Tenchi Souran, which has proved remarkabley accurate ;-) G.) Kajashima will be doing the OVA series (From the forward to the True Tenchi books). ---- TenchiKen ------------------------------------------------------------------ 8.)Star Wars: Episode 1 Title SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR WWW.STARWARS.COM FANS -- STAR WARS: EPISODE I TITLE September 25, 1998 -- One of the most common questions fans have been asking is, "What is the title of the new Star Wars movie?" We're happy to report that George Lucas has decided to name the new movie "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace." As announced earlier, the new movie will appear in theaters in the United States and Canada on May 21st, 1999. ~Source: http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/news/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ 9.) Highlander: The Raven - Show Info Highlander: The Raven picks up where the six-year cult-hit Highlander: The Series left off. She's Immortal, He's not. She's a 1200-year-old thief who is reluctantly developing a sense of responsibility. He's an ex-cop who has found the legal system criminal. Through their struggles with evil, and each other, Highlander: The Raven adds a fresh and exciting twist to the saga of Immortals locked in an eternal struggle to fulfill an anchient prophecy -- In the end, there can be only one. The beauty of the original "Highlander: The Series" was its ability to span decades and generations as it coursed through history. You got a little history lesson with the glamorous action adventure and the antics of Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul). Now the beauty comes by the way of Amanda (former Miss America and popular "Highlander: The Series" guest Elizabeth Gracen). You not only get all the fantastic thrills of the original series, but a gorgeous Immortal. Amanda, who was introduced during "Highlander: The Series'" first season, now takes over where the original - and her on-again, off-again lover --left off. "Highlander: The Raven" tells the tale of the 1,200-year-old con-artist/thief and her unlikely pairing with a principled ex-cop, Nick (Paul Johansson, "Beverly Hills, 90210"). The duo wage a war against evil, all the while battling their own developing affections and their innate differences. Set against the backdrop of Paris and Toronto, where the series is shot, "Highlander: The Raven," has an elegant international flavor, like the stars themselves. All of her (very long) life, Amanda has been a hedonistic bon vivant, living only for the good things in life, using her feminine wiles (of which she has many) and brilliant thievery to get by. Despite the fact that she's been busy pilfering works of art, priceless jewels or fine cigars, Amanda's still got scruples. The way she's looked at it: she's taken care of No. 1 ... herself. Meanwhile, Nick has trust issues. A dedicated cop, he was betrayed by his mentor and the system and left the force. Still, he's compelled to do good. They're quite a pair, Amanda and Nick. Working privately to "protect and serve," Nick repeatedly encounters Amanda and questions his own sanity about joining forces with a criminal, but he senses the honor beneath the tough exterior. It doesn't hurt that she's gotten him out of some scrapes or that she's fantastic to look at. They'll take on crime, with a vengeance. "Highlander: The Raven" has an impressive history. It follows six seasons of "Highlander: The Series," and three feature films: "Highlander," "Highlander 2: The Quickening" and "Highlander: The Final Dimension" (with a fourth, starring Adrian Paul, in the works). The stories center on the magical premise of the Immortals. An ancient prophecy renders them locked in an eternal struggle - they never grow old and will live until their head is separated from their body. When an Immortal finally perishes, the entire life force and knowledge of the slain Immortal is transferred to the victor in "The Quickening," so that the last of their kind will gain the power and knowledge of the universe. If a virtuous Immortal delivers the final blow, goodness triumphs. If the last surviving Immortal is evil... well, you get it: darkness reigns forever. In the end -- there can only be one. The story continues to engage audiences. Fans demonstrate their continuing fascination with their astonishing attendance at annual "Highlander" conventions. The franchise has generated a multi- million dollar merchandising industry and a fan base of more than 800,000 people worldwide. The series is seen in 70 countries throughout the world and in 48 languages. "Highlander" websites fill the net and "Highlander: The Series" consistently ranks in the top 10 for first-run action hours. "Highlander: The Raven" is produced by Gaumont Television and Fireworks Media, Inc. in association with Davis/Panzer Productions, Rysher Entertainment and Gaumont. The series is distributed by Rysher Entertainment in the U.S. ~Source: http://www.ultimatetv.com/highlander/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ 10.) Topps Cancels The X-Files and Xena Comics Topps is ending publication of their THE X-FILES and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS books, which have been losing sales gradually since last year. At least one publisher has expressed an interest in doing X-Files if the current Topps contracts with Chris Carter and company could just be transferred to a new publisher--but when you consider the problem-laden efforts Dark Horse went through to try to get a Millennium comic approved by Carter and company, only to find that it was impossible, you begin to understand why publishers are reluctant to even try to negotiate a new comic book contract. Making it more problematic, by the way, is the fact that Gilian Anderson, in particular, was vocally critical about the art in the X-Files comic book when the comic was in its early issues; since then, both she and David Duchovny have been more particular about asking for approval of anything that features their likenesses, which means that the comic books--if produced under a new, more restrictive contract--would have to go through even more levels of approval. "It'd be like a black hole," one industry insider commented. "Everything would go in, nothing would come out." Xena is a different situation; if the contract specifies that the rights revert to the show's creators if Topps fails to publish, then those contracts might be signed over to another publisher--and the creators of that show have been much more complimentary of the comics based on Xena and Hercules, so it's much more likely that stories would be approved and the book could be published on a timely basis. Right now, though, no one's confirming that they're even talking with the show's producers--perhaps they're waiting for Topps to officially release the license. ~Source: http://www.csnsider.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ 11.) The X-Files Tidbits +++Some quick minor spoilers: 1. The Usual X-Files sweeps promo will debut during Fox's first televised baseball wild card game. It will contain scenes from 6X01-6X06. We will get 6 or 7 straight new eps to start the season. Expect the Chrismas Carol two- parter then to rerun. 2. Either 6X05 or 6X08 will be directed by Michael Watkins. 3. 6X07 is a MOTW . 4.Ep. 6X08 is continnualy rumored to be Scully Centered. 5. The Straight out Vince comedy ep is set to be 6X11 with the director probably Cliff Bole who directed Vince's last two comedy opus's SP and BB. 6. Kryeck and Marita will appear in the usual Febuary two parter with Veronica Cartwright possibly returning to her emmy-nominated role. This might be the Samantha answers two-parter we have been waiting for. ----GF2020@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ 12.) Comix Tidbits +++ Marvel- Rumor has it that Marvel planning a major relaunch of X-Men and Uncanny X-Men in spring of '99. +++ DC/Vertigo- The Vertigo letter columns will be a thing of the past as of books shipping in December. +++ Image- The rumor that Image is considering splitting up and abandoning the Image name due to the WildStorm/DC deal. Is a Lie. ---http://www.csnsider.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ 13.) DC Comics in December Fans will be given a chance to enter The Kingdom in December when DC unveils its three-week Kingdom Event, written by Kingdom Come author Mark Waid. The excitement begins on December 16th with the release of The Kingdom #1 (illustrated by Ariel Olivetti), an extra-sized bookshelf format issue that pits DC's mightiest heroes against Gog, the villain who was introduced in last year's New Year's Evil event. Not only is the future threatened by Gog's perfidy, but so is the past... unless the heroes can stop him. On December 23rd, DC offers quite a Christmas present: five Kingdom related books, each developing the core storyline while focusing on some of the young heroes. Kid Flash (illustrated by Mark Pajarillo and Walden Wong) presents Wally West's son and daughter; Nightstar (illustrated by Matt Haley and Tom Simmons) spotlights the son of Nightwing and Starfire; Offspring (illustrated by Frank Quitely) introduces the son of Plastic Man; Planet Krypton (illustrated by Barry Kitson) is set in the superhero theme restaurant‹a site that plays an important role in the developing story; and Son of the Bat (illustrated by Brian Apthorp and Mark Farmer) stars the son of Batman and Talia. Kingdom comes to a climax on December 30th with the release of The Kingdom #2, an extra-length issue that pits the heroes of the present and the future against the time-travelling Gog. Mike Zeck and John Beatty supply the art for this book, which shakes up DC continuity forever. In addition, DC is working with the Comic Shop News gang to produce The Kingdom Direct Current Special, an eight-page CSN-style magazine that focuses on this epic event. Flash #145 begins the "Chain Lightning" storyline. Cobalt Blue's hatred for all things Flash is well- known... but who'd have ever thought that his hatred would lead him to travel through time in a plan to kill Barry Allen prior to his heroic death in Crisis on Infinite Earths? Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn are joined by new artists Paul Pelletier and Vince Russell in a storyline that culminates in Flash #150. Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths presents the Crisis #4.5 story that CSNsider told you about a few weeks ago; this extra-length story by Marv Wolfman, Paul Ryan, and Bob McLeod reveals the final adventure of Barry Allen and Kara Zor-El. Glen Orbik supplies the eye- catching painted cover. Starman #50, written by James Robinson and David Goyer and illustrated by Peter Snejbjerg, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Keith Champagne, is a 48-page issue with a foil-enhanced cover. Jack and Mikaal find themselves in the 30th Century, where they have to call on Star Boy to help them return home... but where they end up isn't exactly home. Superman decides the only way he can make the Earth safe from crime and disaster is to give up his Clark Kent identity and become Superman full-time... and that's just what he does beginning in Superman #142, written by Dan Jurgens and illustrated by Georges Jeanty and Joe Rubinstein. So what does this mean for his marriage and his family? You'll find out in upcoming Superman titles... Superman 80-Page Giant #1 (the new 80-page giant, not the reprint) unites Superman and Hitman in an offbeat tale written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Nelson DiCastro and Jimmy Palmiotti; other tales in the issue focus on Mr. Mxyzptlk, Scorn, Captain Tomorrow, and--of course--the Man of Steel himself. Superman: A Nation Divided is an Elseworlds tale that merges the historical authenticity of The Kents with a compelling alternate-reality Superman adventure. The Man of Steel, raised by an abolitionist couple in 19th Century Kansas, becomes the Union's mightiest tool in the Civil War in this prestige-format one-shot by Roger Stern and Eduardo Barretto. ~Source: Comic Shop News http://www.csnsider.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ 14.) CRISIS RESTORATION IS OF INFINITE WORTH Worlds lived. Worlds died. And the DC Universe was never the same. In December, DC Comics collects the 1985 maxiseries that redefined comics' original universe— CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS—in a mammoth slipcased hardcover edition. While the jacket illustration—a stunning wraparound featuring more than 500 characters—painted by Alex Ross (KINGDOM COME) over pencils by original CRISIS artist George Perez, is a stunning selling point, the book's interior is more than a match for the cover, the result of a restoration effort unparallelled in the history of comics. “The best way to think of this is book is as ‘CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS: The Special Edition'” says Jim Spivey, Associate Editor—Collected Editions. “While no new story pages have been added, we have taken great care to make sure mistakes and inconsistencies have been corrected, taking full advantage of current technology to do it.” Since the original CRISIS used a special printing process that has long since been outmoded, every page had to be reconstructed from the original four-color film. The painstaking process included multiple corrections for scratches, art that had dropped out, typos, and other mistakes and inconsistencies. “Many of the pages needed to have their surprints (color special effects) entirely redone,” says Spivey, and “each of the 342 pages was then re-coded and color-separated using state-of-the-art computer separation techniques and effects, fixing errors and even clarifying some story points (on instructions from series writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez) as needed.” Spivey notes that perhaps the most significant improvement is on the “Monitor Tapes” strip that ran along the bottom of every page in CRISIS #10. “Originally done in pencil only, the pencils were then screened, and the photostats that were created were pasted onto the original pages. Unfortunately, the effect didn't really work as planned, and the strips didn't reproduce very well. We tried a new line-art reproduction, created directly from the original black plate, and it wasn't much of an improvement. And since the CRISIS hardcover is on Archives-quality stock, the strips would have possibly printed even more poorly in the hardcover than they did originally.” After several attempts to locate the original pencils (of which no copies existed), the decision was made to ink what had never been inked originally. Inker Al Vey (The Avengers), Jerry Ordway's assistant on CRISIS, was commissioned to finish the “Monitor Tapes” strips so that, for the first time, readers “could truly see what was going on,” says Spivey. But, he adds, “the distinct tone of the original has been preserved.” Among other things that have been corrected or enhanced: For the poster reprinting the cover of CRISIS #7 (the “Death of Supergirl” issue) included in the slipcase—as well as for several of the covers reprinted in the interior—Spivey notes that “since George sold the art shortly after the series' completion, we had to contact the owner of the original art and borrow it to make clean stats that could be used for the collection. In one case, going to the original art revealed characters that had been obscured by cover copy in the original issue (CRISIS #10). And, on the cover to #11, a character had to be added in order to fill the space that had been left blank to accomodate the UPC box.” Mistaken identities (Speedy was miscolored and accidentally referred to in dialogue as the Earth-2 Green Arrow several times), incorrectly colored costumes (Arion's costume was inconsistently colored), and typos (consistent misspellings of Solovar's name, Earth-1's Hawkwoman being referred to as “Hawkgirl,” etc.) have been corrected. In addition, scenes with multiple speakers have had word balloons adjusted to better clarify who is speaking. The Anti-Monitor's shadow demons are now a grey color-hold (border is the same color as the item itself) rather than black (“more like actual shadows,” explains Spivey). Additional color-holds and surprints have been added where appropriate (i.e., the beams from Green Lantern's ring, Firestorm's “hair,” Flash's speed trails). Shading and additional character modelling have been enhanced throughout, and several backgrounds were redone to better portray appropriate mood. Inconsistent design elements (such as Dr. Fate's irregularly shaped word balloons, which were used in his first appearance in the series, but never again) have been made consistent. “The CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS hardcover has been a labor of love for all concerned,” adds Spivey. “Tom McCraw (the book's color reconstruction artist) has been knocking himself out to bring CRISIS back to its original form and beyond, as has the entire production team.” In addition to the maxiseries itself, the hardcover also includes an introduction by writer Marv Wolfman, an afterword by CRISIS inker/former DC Vice President—Executive Editor Dick Giordano, and original character- design sketches by Perez, including the never-before-published sketches of Doctor Light. Included with the hardcover in the foil-stamped slipcase is the aforementioned 22” x 34” poster-sized reproduction—minus all type save the logo—of the unforgettable cover to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #7. The 368-page CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS slipcased hardcover arrives in comic- book stores December 2 with a cover price of $99.95 U.S. ~From the DC Comics Online Newsletter (http://www.dccomics.com/newsletter.html). ------------------------------------------------------------------ 15.) Wizard's Top Ten (9-2-98) Top 10 Ways for Superheroes to Advertise 10. Three words: merchandising, merchandising, merchandising. (Tripz420@aol.com) 9. Guest appearances on the late night talk shows. (Kenzillaja@aol.com) 8. I got one word for ya: Infomercial! (Olumor@aol.com) 7. Get your face on the bottom of a bucket of chicken. (Randomnerd@aol.com) 6. Calling every number in the phone book at super speed. (Rubyeye1@aol.com) 5. Instead of their symbol on their signal, they have their picture and phone number. (Wolvie3985@aol.com) 4. Fly around Metropolis wearing nothing but one of those sandwich board thingies sporting a slogan. (JDFPink@aol.com) 3. Catchy theme song written using rhyming couplets. (spork246@aol.com) 2. Ads in Wizard, of course! (Peterf84@aol.com) 1. “Avengers OnLine” - a megalomaniacal ISP run by the Vision for a measly $22/month with all kinds of scary chat rooms, Emailers, and, of course, offers for the Avengers Adamantium credit card. (Eboladude@aol.com) ~ Source: Wizard's Top Ten is modified from the original from which appeared in: Top Ten a part of the weekly WIZARD E-MAILER . ------------------------------------------------------------------ 16.) DC Comics Online Trivia Questions (9-4-98) BobRo's Trivia Questions: 1. Entomologist Bertram Larvan took on what criminal guise? 2. Batman and Robin used a leopard to help track what bizarre villain? 3. Former gang member Jose Delgado fights street crime in what guise? 4. Using shock treatments and secret teaching techniques, who gave Monsieur Mallah an IQ of 178? 5. Who was employed by DZ Comics editor Morton I. Stoops? 6. Bess Lynn battled the British secretly, but what was her “normal” occupation? 7. Who married Steve Dayton? 8. Actor Chuck Conners helped the Man of Steel foil the plans of Leftover Louie; what was his character's name? 9. Hugh Dawkins grows to great size, with increased strength and speed as what hero? 10. Which Substitute Hero could shoot quills at his foes? 11. Private Jud Fuller fought beside Tomahawk, but was better known by what nickname? ------------------------------------------------------------------ 17.) DC Comics Online Trivia Answers (9-4-98) BobRo's Trivia Answers: 1. Bug-Eyed Bandit—BUGS BUNNY 2. Mr. Polka-Dot—DOT, from Animaniacs 3. Gangbuster—BUSTER BUNNY from Tiny Toons 4. The Brain—Pinky and THE BRAIN 5. Sam Simeon—YOSEMITE SAM 6. Nurse—HELLO NURSE!!! from Animaniacs 7. Rita Farr—RITA from Animaniacs 8. Sylvester J. Superman—SYLVESTER the Cat 9. Tasmanian Devil—the TASMANIAN DEVIL 10. Porcupine Pete—PORKY PIG 11. Brass Buttons—BUTTONS from Animaniacs All the answers tied into WB cartoon characters. The original competition takes place at the Anything Goes Production Chat Hour, every Monday at 10 PM ET, keyword Chat DC. ~ Source: Questions and Answers are modified from the original from which appeared in: BobRo's Trivia Corner a part of DC Comics Online E-Mail Newsletter. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 18.) LOSH CHALLENGE +++++LOSH AOL CHATS ARE ON HIATUS THIS WEEK+++++ CHALLENGE by Gwendolyn Horton All the quotes in this challenge are from the postboot Can you guess who said it, or the issue number or the storyarc it's from? Let the CHALLENGE begin! 1. Oh, man... three years and still it keeps knocking on my dreams. Isn't there a clock in this dive? What time is it? ‘Bout time to check out. The shuttle from Braal will be coming through soon... with luck, before Mom and Dad figure out I lied about visiting Aunt Ruth. 2. How smart is that? From Braal to Titan... with our treaty as shaky as it is? Guess this new United Planets group is having some effect on galactic unity. Still... I hope nothing happens on Titan... 3. About who? About the Stonn family? You owe them—what? -- a million-five? You're into a man named Prel Dryger for twice that, and I'm picking up... Wow. You sold Krinn's endorsement rights without consent? That alone will earn you five years on Takron-Galtos... 4. It was a collar, Stu... and a collar's a collar. ... Huh! Soemthing a lot more interesting, actually... 5. Oh, I did Earthgov a couple of favors... “Yeep! How dare you sneak up on me like that” (Gigi Cusimano) Sorry. Old habit. 6. untypable (not in Interlac, sorry) 7. I guess. I can transfer mass from the stars to anything I want, just pointing at it. Kinda hard with these casts, though. I was in a space-cruiser accident on the way here and— 8. Mom's gonna kill me! I can't believe I left these documents behind at the hotel! Why can't I do anything right for once? C'mon, -----, c'mon... Luckily, it's getting pretty crowded in here. Maybe she won't notice I'm late... **NOTE** ---- means a name has been omitted that has that many letters. ---- for Rokk or Imra. ----- for Garth or Jenni. 9. Apparently, your guardian angel. Good thing you got arrested, or we might never have tracked you down. Follow me. 10. All Imskites carry a special aura. It's what allows us to change our size—and the size of any clothing or air within our space. But we've developed a flux-metal that resists the aura's effect and it won't size-change. It's surgically implanted in prisoners to keep them from shrinking out of jails. 11. Yeah. One of the Daxamite invaders tore them apart with his bare hands. And you know what, Gates? We'd all be dead if not for the Legion. This group is like, the best thing that ever happened, and I want you all to know how proud I am just to be here. But... am I the only one? 12. No, Dr. Regulus. ... You tortured me. You tried to kill me. I won't let you hurt anyone else. ... Not now—and not ever. 13. Thank you, officer. Show yourself out. ... Mm-hmm. Rond, try Zed-zed-three... 14. There are similar proverbs on many worlds. From what I've seen— even the time-lost Martians held that belief. This is a miniature of an old Martian city, isn't it? About 15,000 years old. 15. They wish. You want a straw with that, ugly? You're gonna be needing it to eat with! So much for some down time before the job. Keep the change. Which way to Legion Plaza? ~ Answers hopefully will be in the next issue, if all goes well. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 19.) A Few Crass Words from Kaneda Kaneda is taking a break this week, but promises to return next week with another great commentary. --Adam "OMEGA" Arnold ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 20.) Mailing List Technical Info The end has come to another for another week. Thanks for reading. ~Back Issues can be found at http://members.rotfl.com/OMEGA/ ~To subscribe a friend send e-mail to ablarnold@msn.com, with the subject of _SUBSCRIBE_ . ~To unsubscribe send an unsub e-mail to ablarnold@msn.com, with the subject of _UNSUBSCRIBE_ . See you next issue. Ja Ne. Adam “OMEGA” Arnold Ablarnold@msn.com ; ICQ #7737442 http://welcome.to/vanishing.point/