Off the Charts: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

On March 21, 2013March 21, 2013 By James CastroIn Opinions, Projects, Reviews, TV ShowsLeave a comment

I was an avid TV-watcher as a kid. Between Saturday morning cartoons, after-school afternoon shows, all-day Nickelodeon-a-thons, and NES my young life revolved around the Television. Well that and action figures.

Despite all the TV-ing I did there was only ever ONE show I remember being excited about the premiere: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Honestly I don’t know how I heard about it, what the promotion for the show was, and even if I was a huge Fresh Prince fan before the show (I knew several of the songs but I was deep into Guns N Roses love at this point…) but for some reason I have a distinct memory of my sister and I ending playing outside early (unheard of!) to run inside and crowd around the second TV in my parents’ room (sitting on a giant desk and occasionally requiring a SMACK on the side to work properly) to watch the very first episode.

As part of my 90s nostalgia I bought and re-watched the entire show from start to finish over the last couple of weeks. There was a lot I’d forgotten, a lot that I remembered (and couldn’t WAIT to get to!), and some changing opinions on the show itself. Here are my thoughts:

The show starts, as many shows do, with a cliché premise. This one is “fish out of water.” Will Smith, from West Philadelphia (born and raised), moves in with his rich relatives and their clash of cultures causes hilarity. I remember as a kid only seeing the Will-side of things and reveling in his bucking of the establishment. Watching as an adult I realize it’s more complex than that. In the very first episode Uncle Phil (James Avery) sets Will straight, he might be a kid from the streets now, but being an adult on the streets isn’t appealing, Phil worked hard to get where he is and while Will’s revolutionary spirit is often the white hat of the show, you see the value of the Banks’ ethics too. Similarly in another episode Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) comments that Will mocks him for being the “bourgie” guy he is, but in doing so he’s being as unaccepting of Carlton’s personality and much as he (Will) claims the Bel Air society is unaccepting of him. It’s much deeper than just watching wild-Will run amok as I thought as a kid.

The show is full of lots of running themes; Will’s “look to camera,” cartoon effects, Jazz being thrown out. A lot of common threads that are undoubtedly “Fresh Prince.” It’s like watching live-action Looney Tunes in a way. Even the serious moments I hated as a kid are effective now. Try watching Will respond to his father leaving and not be affected!

The show also has some of the best bloopers I’ve ever seen. The only unusual aspect of the show is the high number of clip shows they do. Even in the early season. I learned from audio commentaries on The Simpsons that this is something networks do to save money and this may be the case here. It’s not a complaint as the clips are always the best of the show, just strange to have a second season clip show.

Another strange thing that hit me while watching it is how much has changed in the intervening time between the show’s original run and now. The stars they mention who we lost way before their time (specifically Heavy D, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson), and the fickle nature of the trends as celebrities on the show who received raucous cheers who are now in the midst of relative obscurity.

My favorite aspect of the show is Jazz. DJ Jazzy Jeff, in addition to being one hell of a DJ (a REAL DJ. Ya know…with records…) is absolutely a riot every time he’s on screen. You can tell he’s not a trained actor, but his part is so funny it doesn’t matter.

Here are some of my personal favorite moments:

If it’s been a while since you’ve visited Bel Air I say pick it up. It’s one of the rare shows from the 90s that, while it does have its dated moments, is as funny now as when it was made.

Below is the REAL FULL theme song of the Fresh Prince. As far as I know it never aired. Only an extended version during the first two episodes. It’s still missing two sections in the middle. But to answer a long standing question, no the Prince didn’t take a cab from West Philly to Bel Air!

Off the Charts: An Idiot Abroad Series 3

On March 6, 2013March 5, 2013 By James CastroIn Opinions, Projects, ReviewsLeave a comment

Karl Pilkington has been around the world twice. Once to see the seven wonders of the world and again to check things off the bucket list of someone more adventurous than he. A viewer could tell Karl had about had it with his travels at the end of the second season. Actually this was apparent at the end of the FIRST season, but thankfully he agreed to go on more adventures.

Season three of Idiot Abroad just finished broadcasting in the US. It was, no pun intended, a mini-season, consisting of only three episodes and features a constant travelling companion for Karl, film star and friend of Ricky Gervais (who also appeared on the phone in the second season of Idiot Abroad when Karl visited the Chinese dwarf village at the end of the Trans-Siberian railway) Warwick Davis.

As a fan the concept was concerning to me. We like to see Karl exploring on his own and hear his random, yet always honest, reflections about his experiences. When I heard he would have “a little company” for season three, and it would consist of only three episodes, I thought it might prove to be disastrous. After seeing it I’m happy to say it was a great conclusion (I REALLY don’t think Karl will be up for any more of this…) to the series and still loaded with Karl fun.

This season was billed as Karl, who hates doing new things, and Warwick, who’s up for anything as they trace the Marco Polo route from Venice to China. This turned out not to be the case. In a few ways:

First: They didn’t do the whole Marco Polo route. Obviously in 3 episodes that journey wouldn’t be possible. Unlike previous seasons, you got brief looks into each place they stopped, usually punctuated by one or two big events per episode.
Second: Karl was as up for doing new things, and looking back, he really always has been. From using a water jetpack, to eating Chinese street delicacies (something he was totally against in series 1!). There remains ONE thing Karl abjectly refuses to do though!
Third: Warwick was as apprehensive as Karl about some of the activities. Including ones he tried to get Karl to do (like being lifted in the air by helium balloons) and enjoying a Venetian “Pleasure Machine” during a masquerade party.

Overall this season was filled with the same Karl blunt hilarity as the others. Some viewers complained about the “shock” value of it, the inclusion of Warwick in general, the “Spider Sisters” event, but to me this was just more of the same. Anyone who’s familiar with Karl knows he’s fascinated by “different” people, including the very tall Steve Merchant who produced the first two seasons and appears on the Ricky Gervais Show. And it was no more shocking than bird fetus-eating and lady boy-visiting that appeared in previous seasons. These inclusions always feel like Karl doing what Karl does. Here are some of the highlights of season 3 for me:

Karl’s failure to use the water jetpack and Ricky Gervais’ very correct theory on why he chose to do it (essentially to try to find something Warwick would hate but he wound up hating it himself)
Flying Warwick on helium balloons in Macedonia (to quote Karl, “I’ve never had a kite…”)
Karl dressed as the slouchiest panda in genetic history. Also his plan on how to fend off an attacking panda.
The results of Karl and Warwick in a Bollywood film and how they both reviewed the experience. Surprisingly the roles reversed in this case!
Random Karl quips and quotes about Warwick (comparing him to a leech, saying he’d trade him for a cat, constant references to his playing a “bear” in Star Wars, and his utter shock that Warwick was in ALL the Harry Potter films)
A favorite moment, that might seem uncomfortable to some, was Karl’s tough love to Warwick climbing the steps to a Buddhist temple. Warwick wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to continue. Karl’s blunt, seemingly vicious, criticisms eventually got Warwick to walk the entire length of the stairs. Though to add to the comedy, Karl ended up taking a palanquin!
And my personal favorite moment, perhaps in the history of the show, what makes Karl laugh:

The only negatives in this series to me are; it can feel uncomfortable as you watch the two of them interact and interact with those around them at times, until you get used to what is going on. Karl was right to be angry that Warwick had better lodging than him. He was right that he got a different experience, eating the local food and getting sick, than Warwick. It doesn’t detract from the show, but the tension makes it a little more “reality show” than the others. The other negative is there was no “Karl Comes Home” this season. Obviously with only three episodes a clip show would be a waste, but I always enjoyed Karl’s final thoughts on his travels. Warwick’s as well as he could review where they had been and what it’s like to travel with Karl.

I highly recommend the entire show, and this season was no exception. It’s not for the easily-offended, but Karl never is. If you’re looking for comedy and pure honesty on TV Idiot Abroad is the way to go! Thanks to Karl for going through all this for our entertainment!

100th Post: And Now for a Taste of Things to Come!

On February 6, 2013February 6, 2013 By James CastroIn Art, ProjectsLeave a comment

When Raven and I started RevPub we wanted to have an outlet for all of our random thoughts, opinions, and interests. We love posting our topics every week and find lots of new topics and threads we can follow and share with our readers. Though we enjoy our weekly posts we never lose sight on our true goal, and that is to find a venue for our creative works.

Last October we introduced our first (and for me monumental) publication, Lil Horsemen #1: How Death and War Postponed the Apocalypse, a story I wrote as a teenager finally brought to full-color life as a graphic novel. This was only the beginning of things and we have more Lil Horsemen and other series to come.

This post, as it’s our one-hundredth, I thought it would be a good time to share what we have in store for this year and beyond.

In the Spring/Summer of 2013 we’ll introduce the second adventure of Grimmy and Skirmish in Lil Horsemen #2: The Soulless Shoes. This issue will introduce the other two Lil Horsemen, Smally Pox and Faminista.

(Sorry for the scan quality, I only had access to a consumer scanner this week…)

Below is the first design of Smally Pox!

And Faminista with her lil dog Fam-Fam:

By the end of this year we also hope to introduce the first installment of a continuing, more traditional, graphic novel action series, Bloody Bantam IV. Introducing the gunslinging swordsman character, Bantam IV, aka “Quad the Merciless!” I’m truly excited about this series. I have the story arch planned and this, unlike the random fun of Lil Horsemen, is more of a traditional narrative.

These major projects aren’t all; we also have planned several new post series; a few one-shot comics; at least one more BIG Lil Horsemen adventure and several mini-adventures; new t-shirts and merchandise; and eventually the series to which Revenant Publications owes its namesake…

Here’s to 100 more posts! Thanks for reading!

Off the Top of My Head #8: Warhammer and the Holidays

On January 30, 2013January 30, 2013 By James CastroIn Art, Games, Projects, Random Fun1 Comment

We’re a little over a month away from Christmas…and it both seems like ages ago and like we all just barely made it through…

I admit I like giving personal gifts. Anyone can buy gift cards or choose something from a list, but for the people closest to me I like to give very personal gifts. In the past this usually meant drawings, but since my drawing time mostly consists of RevPub projects I decided to marry my new interest in painting Citadel miniatures with giving creative gifts.

Part of the fun was picking models that matched the individual receiving the gift, the rest of it was creating small dioramas within the display case size to make a nice scene.

This is my father’s. For him (he enjoys carpentry) I chose a Fantasy dwarf master engineer and created a workshop for him, including a furnace made of a Volvo wheel bolt (See THIS post to see how I got a pile of those…) and extra tools. I gave him a little helper on stilts.

For my Sis, who likes Egyptian history, I did High Queen Khalida from the Fantasy Tomb Kings. I added bitz from a Sphinx and gave it a teal/gold tone. This might be my favorite composition. I also added a little copper familiar.

For my mom I made a Isabelle von Carstein. I cut a halloween decoration skull in half for a hill and added some zombies to give her a horde army. The snow effect also was fun to do for the first time.

Since I’m interested in the 40k universe this gave me a chance to paint models I’d otherwise be unable to paint and I’ve always enjoyed creating little dioramas and stories this way.

Anyone else give unique/creative Christmas presents this year?

Life Lessons from Video Games Versus Mode: Bonus Stage!

On January 23, 2013January 22, 2013 By James CastroIn Games, Opinions, Projects, Random Fun, ReviewsLeave a comment

While Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat were locked in deadly battle for arcade supremacy other franchises came and went on the console market. TMNT Tournament Fighters, Clayfighter, and the dreaded Shaq-Fu all appeared to take advantage of the fighting game popularity.

One franchise stood out to me and, though it’s vanished into retro-obscurity, it is probably my favorite of the bunch.

Eternal Champions

Eternal Champions showed up as a Sega-only franchises on the Genesis and utilized the same aggressive marketing campaign that Sega used to fight Nintendo. I remember seeing the plastic clamshell box stalking around the residential hallways chasing down other fighting games throughout the house. Admittedly these kinds of ads are a turn off to me. I’d rather not compare one item to another, just let me know what’s good about the one you’re selling me. But Eternal Champions won me over. It combined the cartoon-style animations and unique character styles of Street Fighter with the brutality and violence of Mortal Kombat.

The premise was terrific. A group of warriors, all throughout time, each meets a premature demise . The Eternal Champion has offered them a chance to return to their respective time, moments before their deaths, and have the chance to prevent their deaths before they happened. I loved the premise, and when the Sega CD sequel offered more fighters and more options I jumped on that version too.

Eternal Champions CD — My copy of EC: Challenge from the Dark Side

At the time reviewers, who are always an annoying snarky bunch I’ve found (and I still maintain it’s easier to write a bad review than a good one…recently reviewers don’t think it’s “cool” to like things they review), called it a Mortal Kombat rip-off, based solely on its bloodiness. But the gameplay and presentation was FAR closer to Street Fighter than Mortal Kombat.

The special moves, character movement, and attacks all resembled Street Fighter. I remember playing as a caveman named “Slash” (I was then and am still a GnR fan I had to play as Slash) and how incredibly hot the portrait of Shadow Yamoto looked in the game, so much so that I hated to beat her up. My favorites on the Genesis were RAX, the futuristic kickboxer and Midknight, the vampire. In the Sega CD sequel Challenge from the Darkside I added Chin Wo and Ramses III to my favorites list. They all used specific martial arts styles as well and, since I was deep into Tae Kwon Do at the time, I loved the variety.

The kills that were the most fun came from the environments. I remember the car in Larcen’s stage riddling you with bullets and getting sucked into the big fan on Blade’s. Dinosaurs ate you, you got electrocuted, and burned. The tricky part was getting your opponent into the right position to meet their destruction.

UN-like Mortal Kombat, it required the strategy and techniques of Street Fighter to defeat an enemy. Often killing your enemy was just an awesome bonus. The Challenge from the Darkside offered more kills, challenging, but terrific if you pulled them off, and often related to stories. Sometimes a new event happened you’d never seen before and, remember this is PRE-INTERNET, you had to figure out how that happened.

Added to this was the secret element. Eternal Champions was loaded with secret characters. From a Senator (taking potshots at political anti-game violence grandstanding) and my favorites, the animal characters, a chicken named Crispy, a monkey named Zuni , an owl (loved the owl) named Hooter, a snake named Slither, and a dog named Yappy. These were simple diversions from the regular game…but brought humor and replay value into the fighting game, which can be sorely missing in some of them.

Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Darkside, along with Sega Saturn’s X-Men: Children of the Atom, remain my favorite non-Street Fighter fighting games. It doesn’t suffer the same “Duke Nukem” effect I mentioned that impacts Mortal Kombat for me and is still loads of fun to play. I personally would like to see a return to the Eternal Champions franchise. Updated in the same way as Street Fighter IV, keeping true to 2D fighting roots but updating the graphics and gameplay. The premise, characters, and styling already exists. You’ve got a foundation, gaming industry, get to it!

So while Street Fighter reigns supreme in my fighting game memories…Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side holds a special place as the potentially the best fighting game no one remembers…and potentially a challenge to SF’s throne…

For a full look at my love for classic Sega check out my love letter to the Genesis-Saturn days!

Life Lessons from Video Games Versus Mode: SFII v MK Finale!

On January 17, 2013January 19, 2013 By James CastroIn Games, Opinions, Projects, Random Fun, Reviews2 Comments

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who prefer Street Fighter and those who prefer Mortal Kombat. Yes we can love them both, but if you were stuck on a desert island which would you prefer? We all have an answer. This will be no surprise, I’m a Street Fighter person.

Part of it has to do with my introduction to it. I learned it first so its moves in a one-on-one style tournament fighter became second nature to me. I’m not a fancy or elaborate Street Fighter player, I keep things basic, but I also win a LOT (right Mike? >: ) ) Here’s why I prefer Capcom’s Street Fighter to Acclaim’s Mortal Kombat. Keep in mind I’m only dealing with the 16-bit iterations of the games, not the later ones.

Longevity: I don’t mean one series has or will outlast the other. We’ve seen bad versions and weird crossovers for both franchises, I mean the longevity of these 16-bit games themselves. Street Fighter II is a fun game. All the special moves, all the different characters and strategies, it still feels the same way as it did when I first played it. Mortal Kombat has suffered the Duke Nukem effect for me. Despite all its violence and cutting edge effects…it all seems somehow…childish. As though maybe that kind of thing is only really cool to a 12-15 year old. Mortal Kombat’s brutality actually feels like a gimmick now.

SPAM: I think we’ve all done hadouken-hadouken-hadouken-hadouken or TIGER (high)-TIGER (low)-TIGER (high)-TIGER (low) against the computer or a live foe. I have. Especially Zangief and Balrog (M. Bison in Japan). But if you did that on a harder difficulty or against a competent foe you also saw a jumping roundhouse or a leaping short into a sweep. You can only spam fireballs for so long. I can beat Mortal Kombat by doing flying kicks and upper cuts. And JUST flying kicks and uppercuts. The flying kicks strategy is how I always beat Goro. I could usually get a flawless victory on him too. Even on tougher difficulties. It seems easier to spam cheesy moves in Mortal Kombat to me. So much so that I’d try to play fair then just say, “forget it I’m spamming to win…” I’m sure the MK masters out there know ways to break those kinds of things, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating when some chump starts doing it to you…or any less lame when you see it work on the game’s hulking sub-boss! One cause of this problem is reflected in the next item!

Diversity: I mentioned this in my Street Fighter post, but it wasn’t until I did my Mortal Kombat post that I realized how diverse Street Fighter is in comparison. Street Fighter had two characters that played essentially the same, Ryu and Ken. In Mortal Kombat, except for special moves, they all essentially play the same. And it struck me the reason why, no one really cared about the fight. I never did as a kid. I typically just rushed through the fight however I could…I only cared about fatalities and unlocking secrets. In a way MK’s secrets and violence kind of trapped it. By giving all the characters the same basic set of moves with the same range, speed, and strength, it made it essentially the same game over and over with different kills at the end of each round and those kills are what I looked forward to.

Fun: The most important thing to me. To this day I can plug in Champion Edition or Super into my Nomad or CDX and pick up right where I left off as though it was 1992 all over again. I can have just as much fun, find just as much challenge, and remember all my timing and moves through straight muscle memory. I admit I haven’t played Mortal Kombat since I quit playing it in the 90s (though I have played the newer ones!)

All of this is not an indictment of Mortal Kombat at all. I love the game. I loved the time I spent with it and I still cherish the franchise as the brutal cousin of Street Fighter, the Asia-gothic-hellscape fighting game that still has plenty of room to grow and reinvent itself at every opportunity. I just prefer Street Fighter. All of these opinions are of course mine only. I think Mortal Kombat fans also have good points as to why they prefer their franchise and I’d love to hear some.

Which do you guys prefer?

In my opinion it’s a clear win and a…