The Arts Archives - Page 4 of 17

June 25, 2015June 25, 2015

5 Ways DC Comics Can Pose a Serious Threat to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

After the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, every major studio wants to copy that model. There have been rumors of a Ghostbusters Universe, Transformers Universe and more Star Wars. Universal Studios was hoping to launch a new Monsters Universe beginning with 2014’s Dracula Untold, but that is in limbo. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg and the beginning of the mimicry. The biggest threat comes in the form of a massive experiment from Warner Brothers. DC Comics and Warner Brothers appear to be the only forces that could come close to dethroning Marvel. With the slew of announcements, the DC Cinematic Universe could be a breath of fresh air or a beautiful disaster with merit.

Diversity

From the beginning, DC and Warner Brothers announced that the Justice League would be replacing founder Martian Manhunter with Cyborg. This minor change was just the beginning to something bigger when we learned that Jason Momoa was Aquaman. Stage actor Ray Fisher will portray Cyborg and also star in the solo film, which was announced before Black Panther. The interesting aspect to this is who will direct the film. Let’s look at other directing choices:

Patty Jenkins will direct Wonder Woman after only directing one real hit film, 2003’s Monster.

James Wan who is of Malaysian and Chinese descent will direct Aquaman. Wan has directed countless hits including Furious Seven (2015), which is one the highest grossing films of all time and one of the most diverse.

There is a strong chance Antoine Fuqua or someone else could direct Cyborg’s film.

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June 24, 2015June 24, 2015

Game Time: The Top 5 Announcements from E3 2015

Nintendo

This year’s E3 was not very good for the mega gaming company. There were some lukewarm reaction to its releases and to their presentations. However, there was a gem or two that emerged from the filth. Some of the big moments included the announcement of Platinum Games co-developing Star Fox Zero with Shigeru Miyamoto and Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Fans have been awaiting these two games but Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the 3DS has not been received well. The trailer has been destroyed since its release.

Source: Nintendo/Youtube

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June 18, 2015June 18, 2015

Green Arrow Comic Addresses #BlackLivesMatter Movement

The New Green Arrow comic creative team, writer Benjamin Percy and artist Patrick Zircher, will take the character into familiar territory as they discuss the recent social movements in the United States.

After 41 issues of the New 52 Green Arrow, this new team wants to shake up the comic by having upcoming storylines echo events in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore as the character tackles tough social issues.

“I can’t go into much detail. I don’t want to give away any of the mysteries that keep readers reading. I will say that the first arc has a veiled, incendiary connection to what is happening in places like Ferguson and Baltimore. Green Arrow has a history as a political firebrand,” said Percy.

According to writer David Barnett from The Guardian, “Green Arrow certainly asked the tough questions back in the early ’70s, during an infamous run of stories written by Dennis O’Neil and drawn by Neal Adams, which actually appeared in the Green Lantern comic, though Green Arrow (secret identity: Oliver Queen) had joint billing.”

During that time, Green Arrow and Green Lantern dealt with segregation in America, rising drug usage, and with mental health all in an attempt to save a struggling book.

Percy goes on to say that “DC wanted me to bring that back to the series. This won’t dominate the book – but it will be an essential undercurrent. These are culturally, politically, environmentally dangerous times, and I’m taking a knife to the nerve of the moment. But even as I wrestle with these issues – some of them ripped from the headlines – I hope the story never comes across as editorial or preachy – just relevant. I think stories should raise questions, not answer them.”

DC Comics has been pushing the envelope lately in order to compete with Marvel. The character Midnighter is the first mainstream homosexual male to have a solo series, and recently there was a transgender character introduced in Batgirl.

If DC wants its books to be more reflective of the times, putting Green Arrow in the midst of a new social movement is a good call.

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015

5 Impressive Facts About the First Black Woman Cartoonist

Jackie Ormes was the first Black woman to create, write and draw her own syndicated comic strip in the United States. For those who read and enjoy comics, you may realize that there are not a lot of female creators working on prominent characters for DC Comics and Marvel. However, in the 1930s, Ormes (born Zelda Mavin Jackson), was making a comic strip before Batman and Superman became the cultural icons they are now. She was a pioneer who deserves the same credit as Jack Kirby, Wally Wood, C.C. Beck, Joe Kubert and many others. Ormes was ahead of her time just like Orrin C. Evans.

Torchy Brown in ‘Dixie to Harlem’

Ormes’ first comic strip was published in the all-Black newspaper the Pittsburgh Courier from 1937-38. Above, you can see the extreme detail of her work. This strip showed the great migration of African-Americans moving to the North to escape the Jim Crow South. Torchy Brown is a teenage girl from Mississippi who goes to Harlem to find fame as a singer and dancer.

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June 8, 2015June 8, 2015

Will John Stewart Be the Next Green Lantern?

News has been swirling around for a long time about who will become the next Green Lantern? The Green Lantern movie, slated to be released in 2020, has a bare bones profile on IMDB.com, and we don’t have quite enough information of what to expect aside from a release date. However, in an announcement from Meet The Movie Press, it was revealed that John Stewart will in fact be our 2020 Green Lantern. I haven’t seen anything else released directly from other sources to substantiate if the news is in fact true, but if it is, this will be another great accomplishment from DC to bring in one of the most popular Black superheroes of all time.

Since Justice League Unlimited on Cartoon Network aired from 2004-06, the popular space cop has become a favorite among many fans of the animated series. There are younger fans who only know of John Stewart because of JLU, and it makes sense to bring in a Green Lantern who has already resonated with so many fans both young and old. Older fans, who were likely reading his comics during John’s heyday, already know that John Stewart is one of the first popular Black superheroes published by DC Comics.