Gun Fury Returns!

Gun Fury Returns #1 - #4 

(Aircel Comics/Malibu Graphics, June - September 1990)

Story: Barry Blair
Art: Dave Cooper

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

New York City has been overrun by costumed heroes and villains. Millionaire Donald Lump believes Gun Fury and Ammo can restore some semblance of order, so he coaxes them out of retirement by funding new equipment for them and providing a base of operations. The city has been overrun by costumed heroes and villains, and only Gun Fury can restore some semblance of order!

Gun Fury and Ammo were the stars of a ten-issue superhero parody series that ran from January to October of 1989. There are hints that, despite the series wrapping up with the heroes retiring at the end of #10, there were course adjustments in the final 2-3 issues, because the creators knew cancelation was looming due to low sales. 

In mid-1990, Gun Fury and Ammo returned for four more whacky adventures of questionable taste, brought to us by the original creative team of Barry Blair (writer and creator) and Dave Cooper (artist and sometime co-plotter) in the limited series "Gun Fury Returns". In keeping with the tone of the original series, "Gun Fury Returns" is full low-brow spoofs of popular comic book characters and dominant industry business and storytelling trends. (You can read my thoughts about the original series by clicking here [issues 1-5] and here [issues 6-10].

One thing that immediately jumps out if you put the four issues of this series side-by-side is that the covers get progressively more unappealing and downright ugly. Take a look:

Does the interior artwork and stories follow this same progression, you may ask? Generally no--except for #4 where artist Cooper didn't do the excellent ink washes that graced all the pages up until that point. There is a fairly steady level of quality throughout the series... which is both good and bad.

"Gun Fury Returns" follows the rhythm that the first series fell into as of issue #6: Each issue features a self-contained story, with Gun Fury and Ammo being the only recurring characters and everything being tied together with a thin subplot that's little more than a running joke. In this mini-series, the subplot is about Gun Fury's hemorrhoids, which should tell you something about the level of humor present within the pages.

The first issue of the mini-series is perhaps the weakest. I remember reading it back in 1990 and being disappointed in it. I particularly found the Batman spoof that is the central feature of the issue to be overly juvenile and crass (even by the standards of the previous series), as well as a little trite and redundant since Gun Fury and Ammo were already something of a Batman spoof. 

Thirty years later, I still find "Batman and Throbbin" and the related, embarrassingly obvious scatological humor to be lame, but, because there have been one redundant Batman movie after another, I also feel like this target is even more deserving than it was Back In The Day. The Alfred-type character made me chuckle back then, and it is still one of the more amusing (and darker) elements of the parody. 

Issue #2 offers an X-Men spoof -- The Yes Men. The story here is an improvement over the first issue, and the subplot involving Gun Fury's hemorrhoids actually serves a purpose other than providing some mildly gross gags. This issue's main target was the seemingly never-ending, ever-present X-Men crossovers that Marvel was dishing out during the late-1980s--and into the 1990s, as well as the big-boobed women that became increasingly common in the pages of comics. I was never much of an X-Men reader--the mutant stories in "Marvel Comics Presents" was all that I followed--and the incessent crossovers into titles I DID follow were a contributing factor to my getting away from Marvel Comics (except when I had to read them for work purposes). For this reason, some of the humor in this issue may be lost on me, but them being cast as basically a fetish sex club was something I found very amusing. Further, over all, the timing of the gags were better in this issue than any one previously; Blair and Cooper seem to have found a perfect rhythm... and this carries through to the end of the series.

Issue #3 skewers two indie comics properties that exploded in popularity during the 1980s, ElfQuest and the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles. This issue features what is probably the most mature industry commentary featured in all 14 issues in which Gun Fury appeared. Wrapped within the usual, off-color gags, the story takes shots at how art can take a back seat to creativity (with caricatures of ElfQuest creators Wendi and Richard Pini callously exploiting dog-riding elves to enrich themselves) and how putting greed above all else will eventually come back to haunt and destroy creators (or at least their reputation and stature).

This issue may stand out from the rest, in part because the villains here are satirical versions of friends of Blair--and they would eventually hire him to contribute to their expanding ElfQuest fiefdom, in the "New Blood" spinoff series. More care and less vitriol was probably infused into this script than any of the others--although I assume the Pinis were consulted on the jokes, because Richard comes off REALLY badly. (For what it's worth, I had some small dealings with Richard Pini during the early mid-1990s and my last halfhearted attempts to break into comics. He came across as a nice guy.)

The mini-series closes with a Spider-Man spoof, including the sentient suit from "Secret Wars" (which eventually became an even dumber concept via the invention of the Venom and Carnage characters). Story-wise, this issue is on-par with #3, and Blair's comedy version of Peter Parker at his most whiny is hilarious. The only disappointing aspect of this issue is that the art feels unfinished and a bit empty, because the excellent ink wash finishes  are not applied here as they had been in the previous 13 issues. (The panel that opens this post is from "Gun Fury Returns" #4.)

 

Like most satire, "Gun Fury Returns" is, to a large extent, a product of its time. Much of the humor will be silent or even baffling to readers who aren't familiar with tropes or controversies or fads that permeating comic books and the comic book industry in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The original 10-issue series was broader based in its humor, in the sense that the pot-shots at fans and creators and publishers involve stereotypes and issues that continue to present day, so in that sense its held up better to the passage of time. As a snap-shot of history and as a irreverent and off-color walk down memory lane for Gen-X comics fans, "Gun Fury Returns" still entertains.

--

For an excellent exploration of the man behind the creation, Barry Blair, click here.

Dont be shy. Watch 'Bashful'!

Bashful (1917)
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, William Blaisdell, Snub Pollard, Belle Mitchell, and Bud Jamison
Director: Alf Goulding
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A shy young man (Lloyd) will inherit millions of dollars if he has a wife and child. When the estate executor (Blaisdell) pays him a visit, his girlfriend (Daniels) pretends to be his wife, and his manservant (Pollard) and cook (Mitchell) set out to find and "borrow" a baby.

"Bashful" hits the ground running and never slows down for its 9-minute running time. The early part of the film is amusing, but things get over-the-top hilarious once the menacing executor of the estate (played with great effect by the giant-of-a-man William Blaisdell) arrives to vet the heir and his family, and the household staff go through their efforts to make sure their employer can present a baby.

As is almost always the case, Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels are a joy to watch. This film is made all the more fun by there being a slight role reversal to what was typical in these older films: Daniels' character wants to smooch with Lloyd's character and she isn't afraid to go after him for it. Meanwhile, Lloyd's character is more demure and brushes off her advances. (Daniels played a similar character in "Off the Trolley", which is another Lloyd/Daniels pairing I highly recommend.)

 

As mentioned above, "Bashful" is a fast-moving film, and not a second of screen time is wasted on anything that doesn't move the plot along, or isn't a gag or an extended comedy bit. This might have been an Eight Star film if it had been a little slower in a couple of different ways--or maybe a little longer. The film ends with a couple of MAJOR plot elements unresolved--and they had intersected and were coming to a head as things fade to black. 

I don't think the version I've watched is incomplete, because the ending isn't abrupt and satisfying in the overall context of the film... but I would have loved to see the total chaos and possible brawling and chases that almost certainly descended upon the Lloyd household after. All it would have taken would be another minute or two or run-time (well, and a longer shooting schedule and a bigger budget and...)

I can't go into details about what those plot elements are without ruining some of the film's funniest moments, but I hope you will take a few minutes to check out this great little film. I'm not terribly fond of the music used in this version, but the image quality is fantastic!

And if you feel inclined, let me know if you agree with my view that this would have been an even better film if those severed plot threads and been run out completely.

Where have the dancers gotten to?

On International Dance Day 2022, the ballerinas ran off into the wild. We're trying to keep track of them, and we'll try to bring you updates on the last Wednesday of each month until International Dance Day 2023.

Some of the ballerinas got on buses going everywhere...

... and others caught trains to somewhere.

Kate decided to make her fortune as a trader on Wall Street...

... while poor Violeta somehow ended up in Chicago.

Meanwhile, Francesca went to England...

... and Katie went to France...

... and we don't know where Sydney is, but we can see her underpants!

 

Wherever they find themselves we hope the ballerinas are all being careful and looking both ways before they cross the street...

... or at least staying in the crosswalks!

'Say Nothing' is a stylish mini-thriller

Say Nothing (2022)
Starring: Jake Libner, Craig Roath, and Callie Stonecipher
Directors: Joe Rosener and Jak Velinsky
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Jake (Libner) is a prisoner being subjected to a brutal interrogation. When sees an opportunity to escape, he takes it. But will his interrogator (Roath) capture him before Jake reaches the warmth and safety of his home and loving wife (Stonecipher).

"Say Nothing" is a stylish mini-thriller with an aura of film noir hanging around it thickly. I liked it so much that even though I recognized what it was inspired by, and thus knew where it was ultimately headed, I still enjoyed it right up until the end.

One thing I really liked about the film was the clever way the filmmakers handled transitions. There was already artificial abuse and aging (of the kind you see on those bargain DVDs of public domain or copyright-orphaned films from producers like Alpha Video) done to the footage, and they used the appearance of severe scratches and damage to denote scene changes. I also liked the lighting of the scenes in general, as well as the camerawork. The technical aspects of this film really made it for me.

The only real complaint I can mount is that the entire film was too dark. Although I liked the way the scenes were lit, it was sometimes hard to see what was going on because everything was so dark. If the picture had been a bit brighter and with a little more contrast, I think I might have given this a rating of Seven. (I suspect the dark quality of the film may be a product of the desire to make the footage seem "old", despite the prominent presence of a cellphone.)

A less valid complaint, but one that also probably would have prompted me to give "Say Nothing" another Star (for a possible total of Eight) is that I think it could have been served well with a few lines of actual dialog. While it works as a silent movie, and is enhanced by a well-synchronized score, it would have been even stronger if there had been a voice on the cellphone, or if the interrogator spoke a few lines, and even if we got ot hear from Jake and his wife.

But, like I said, this works well enough as a silent movie. Craig Roath is particularly impressive and sinister as the interrogator, but Jake Libner and Callie Stonecipher also do as much as they can with their parts. (They don't get to emote as much as Roath).

Check out "Say Nothing" below; it's only six-and-a-half minutes long. Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below, and let me know if you caught onto where the film was going early on as well.

(BTW, I think I've seen Callie Stonecipher and Craig Roath in other things, but none of their IMDB credits look familiar, nor can I otherwise place them. Anyone out there know what else they've been in recently?)

'Barnyard Melody' is a song of madness

Barnyard Melody (1929)
Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors
Directors: John Foster and Harry Bailey
Rating: Four of Ten Stars

Animals form a singing group, and a farmer lends his voice to their cacophonous effort.

Among the cartoons you should never watch while high or really drunk is "Barnyard Melody". Even stone-cold sober, in a well-ventilated room, and after a good night's sleep, when it's over, you may find yourself questioning if you really just saw what you think you saw.

The best Van Beuren cartoons are wild rides of surreal weirdness. This one starts promising--with a mouse and a cat roller-skating down the road--but the opening also suffers from what ends up sinking this entire cartoon: There is just one single gag that isn't dragged out beyond the point where it stops being amusing and becomes tedious... and that gag is among the weakest the film has to offer.

There's a lot of very funny moments and/or cute moments in this film, but they are all ruined by the way they are dragged out and just go on and on and on. Some are even just the same animation sequence being looped three or more times. It's like instead of coming up with material, they padded a four-minute cartoon until it ran six minutes. Given that this cartoon feels like it's a two-minute bit (an old man joins some animals in a musical group) that was padded out to short-film length with random jokes and surreal bits that make little sense in or out of the context of the film, the fact that so much of it feels padded is even more frustrating. Since this was already a mess of random stuff that was just thrown together between the opening and closing credits, would it REALLY have been that hard to come up with a few more situations?

This is often the point in a review of a Van Beuren cartoon where I often talk about how great the music is. Generally, even the most wretched, badly animated, plotless messes from the shop at least has spectacular music that is artfully coordinated with whatever is unfolding on screen. The music here is... well, interesting. As always, it's well integrated with the action on screen, but in this case that means it must, out of necessity, be intentionally bad. It should come as no surprise that animals who aren't birds aren't that great at singing. The music in this short is up to the usual Van Beuren standards and fits the cartoon perfectly, but this means it's more whacky than what a sane person would describe as "good".

There's a lot to like about "Barnyard Melody", but it's almost overwhelmed by the sense of tedium that replaces the initial amusement or curiosity that you'll feel when a new scene begins. The fact there are some good and fun ideas here made me give this Four Stars. I still think it's worth seeing if you've liked other Van Beuren releases, or if you just want to experience something a little strange. (And, hey, maybe you should watch it high or drunk? I could have it backwards--maybe being in an altered state is the BEST way to experience this one!)

Click below to check out "Barnyard Melody".

Note: The bearded farmer in this film appears in a bunch of the Aesop Fables cartoons. I've seen the character referred to as Farmer Grey or as Al Falfa in writers about the Van Beuren releases, but I've not yet seen one where his name was spelled out. Time will tell if this is a Milton & Rita-type situation where the name is identified in sources other than the actual cartoons, or if I will come across actual mentions as I view more of Van Beuren's output.

Celebrating World Goth Day

The Goth Girls are at Shades of Gray for the 2022 World Goth Day.

Signature Select's Buttery Caramel

I made another trip to the grocery store, heard the call of the coffee aisle, and returned with an impulse buy. I brewed some up, I drank it, and now I'm reviewing it.

SIGNATURE SELECT: BUTTERY CARAMEL

Signature Select is the house-brand for Albertson's and Safeway grocery stores. I've previously reviewed two of their other offerings, Double Dutch Chocolate and Sun-Kissed Blonde (in the second half of the linked post), and I found them tasty and worthy of recommending to all of you. Let's see if Signature Select will have a hat-trick!

The Signature Select Buttery Caramel blend consists of Arabica light roast. The packaging states that should taste rich, sweet, and creamy, which is what I would expect from a light roast that's caramel flavored.

When I opened the bag of pre-ground coffee, the scent of caramel wafted up from it, strongly and delightfully. That aroma was also faintly present around the coffee maker as it brewed, and when I poured it into the mug, the mix of caramel and coffee made me feel certain I was in for a treat.

That is why I was so surprised when this turned out to be one of the bitterest light roast coffees I've ever tasted. Initially, the flavor is what I expected when I drank it hot and black--coffee with a caramel flavor added--but it wasn't sweet nor creamy. It had an edge from the outset... and that got worse when a bitter aftertaste hit. Things got a little better when I tried the coffee with the Unsweetened Almond Milk and sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, as the caramel flavor was drawn out with both additions. The bitter aftertaste, though, hit just as strong.

I thought perhaps I'd somehow screwed up when brewing the pot. I dumped the rest, cleaned the pot and coffee maker, and brewed a fresh batch. But the result was the same. The bottom line is that this is just not a coffee flavor that I like when it's hot. 

Don't drink Signature Select Buttery Caramel hot,
or you'll find yourself asking, "What is this sh*t?"

The good news is that the bitter aftertaste fades as the the Buttery Caramel blend cools. At room temperature, it's quite tasty whether consumed with Unsweetened Almond Milk or the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer added. It's also quite good black with a packet of Stevia. There is no aftertaste, and the coffee and caramel flavors mingle nicely and almost with the mildness I expect from a light roast.

Where this blend really excels is when it's iced. The caramel flavor is even stronger and the coffee flavor milder. It's delicious whether mixed with Unsweetened Almond Milk or the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. It's even better with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (which REALLY mixes nicely with the caramel and coffee flavors); in fact, the Buttery Caramel blend iced with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk added was my favorite of the variations I tried.

In the final analysis, the Signature Select Buttery Caramel blend is an inexpensive option if you want a tasty iced coffee... but you need to avoid drinking it hot. I don't know exactly what causes the horrid aftertaste, but it's one that I experienced so you didn't have to. Brew this coffee, let it cool, pour it in a jug or bottle you can seal, stick it in the fridge for a while... then enjoy it over ice cubes. Do it any other way, and you're going to regret it.

It's a Fantastic Friday...

... and we dedicate it to honoring the work of George Perez, one of the most fabulous artists to ever draw portraits of the First Family of Comics!

 

Can you name the FF's friends behind them in this picture?

Can you name the FF's foes and frenemies behind them?

The Secret Life of Brigitte Bardot

From early 1964 until the end of 1965, Brigitte Bardot adopted the role of Captain America and prevented the re-emergence of the ancient secret society, Hydra. Here's a rare photo of Bardot in action as Captain America with her sidekick, Becky.

Men, Women, and In-Between in the Workplace

Mabel's Stratagem (1912)
Starring: Mabel Normand, Fred Mace, and Alice Davenport
Director: Mack Sennett
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

A secretary (Normand) disguises herself as a man so she can get her job back after her boss's jealous wife (Davenport) insists he fire all female staffers and replace them with males.

"Mabel's Stratagem" is a straight-forward and silly comedy about sex, gender, and sexual harassment in the workplace.  The film is 110 years old, but pretty much all of the situational and gender-based humor works almost as well today, what with all the talk about how there's no difference between men and women, how the society is rotten with power imbalance with the hypocritical rich always abusing the workers, and so on.

While the acting styles are outdated, the film is so fast-moving that viewers hardly have time to notice the excessive pantomiming and emoting (except on the part of Fred Mace who really goes above and beyond). In fact, the only serious complaint I can mount is that maybe the film is a little too fast-moving; the story would be more effective if a little more time could have been spent developing the characters. 

"Mabel's Stratagem" is only five minutes, so I recommend you click below and check it out. I think you'll have fun.