Star Wars Original Trilogy Graphic Novel

First and foremost, I want to thank Wizard's Tower again for carrying my comic for so long.  Due to my upcoming bundle of joy, I pulled 'Son of God' knowing I wouldn't be able to drop by as often.  While there, I perused the shelves as normal and came across the Star Wars Original Trilogy Graphic Novel released by Disney and Lucasfilms.  Released in March of this year, the beautiful hardcover fell completely under my radar.

Unlike the current effort to rebuild the Star Wars universe over at Marvel, the Star Wars graphic novel is a retelling of the original movies aimed at kids aged 8-12.  I should point out that I am not a Star Wars fan, and hadn't seen the movies since I was very young.  The graphic novel basically acts as storyboards for the original movies, touching on all the highlights of the films.  At only 208 pages, the graphic novel blazes through the plot points for each movie.  I feel this took away from the story as a whole, muting the impact of the more emotional scenes.  Despite this, the book acts as a great way to not only catch up to the new movies, but also acts as a refresher if it's been a while since you've seen the movie like me.

© Lucasfilms Book Group & Disney

Art-wise, the Star Wars Graphic Novel is incredible.  The book credits a list of artists in the back, who most likely belong to an illustration company Kawaii Studios.  Alessandro Pastrovicchio gets a solo credit for art so it was likely based off of his designs and layouts.  The illustration company did a great job as the artwork is consistent and the quality is top-notch.  The layouts are expertly done, and keep the fast-paced story moving.  The art style has a distinct cartoon caricature feel to it, and it's clear that the art style has a foreign influence.

I think the Star Wars Graphic novel is a great read, and at the $20 price point, it's a steal.  It's clear that the intent is to release another book for episodes 1 - 3, and I look forward to going through both books with my kids as they get older.

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom

I don't know where I got it, but there was an unmarked VHS tape that had recorded classic cartoons on it. On the tape was a little gem called Toot, Whistle, Plunk, Boom.  This Disney cartoon gives a run down on the 4 types of musical instruments and how they evolved throughout history.  'Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom' was animated with an art deco look which is so stylized that it does not look nearly as dated as it is.  

This short is packed full of catchy tunes that stuck with me my whole life and I hope it does the same for my son.  First released in 1953, this little short is the very definition of timeless educational programming and is just plain fun to watch.

Darkwing Duck

When I was still in elementary school, around grade 4-6, I would wake up every morning to get ready for school. Every morning I would catch the first 20 minutes of Darkwing Duck while eating cereal before walking out to the bus stop. Because of this, I have seen almost all of the Darkwing Duck episodes, but have only seen the ending to a handful of them.  My memory of everything prior to the age of 13 is a bit hazy, so I don't recall if I genuinely liked the show or if it was just what was on.  Watching it again for this post, it doesn't really hold up.  It was a pretty run-of-the-mill show. That being said, I'm glad that it was around when I was young, and I have fond memories of a little Megavolt action figure that was a mainstay villain against my Ninja Turtles.

Aladdin for SNES

Of course, most people remember the Aladdin for the Genesis, but I was innately against it (although secretly jealous). I was a Nintendo kid through and through. My mom bought me Aladdin because she loved those old disney cartoons, and I am not ashamed to admit that I loved them even more. Aladdin turned out to be one of those games that I'd play over and over and eventually learn to beat with my eyes closed. I feel the game might have been a bit underrated, but there's a really strong chance that my opinion was a bit biased.  Still, I think that an acrobatic Aladdin kept more true to the movie than one who swings a sword around.