San Diego Comic Con

(swiped from Facebook)

 

Sometimes I still get the fear of missing out on Comic-Con, but the stress and expense are too much. And a lot of trains have left the station since then. Comic-Con used to be about talking to artists and writers, and just scrounging thru boxes of back issues, but since it "went Hollywood", the bloom is off the rose for me. I can't deny the success of the MCU. The giants like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created a modern mythos that Joseph Campbell would understand. But to me, the original Marvel Bullpen seems to be becoming hazy legends like Homer and the Odyssey, or even Shakespeare.

Those times were from my crazy youth, and I'll always cherish them.
But it's time to move on now.

Looking back on the Con from 1994(?)

 Still, enjoy the day!

Kubo and the Two Strings

(copyright Laika studios) It's mortals vs. the gods in Kubo and the Two Strings. An outcast boy whose music and stories that brings origami to life goes from hustling on the street to a real challenge when he learns more about his true origins.

Laika has got another winner here! The plot is a little vague at the beginning, but things are not what they seem, as Joseph Campbell might have once said, and that's good for the film. The stop motion is well done, almost looking like CG animation. Director Travis Knight and his crew didn't cut any corners on this film

The action, although theatrical, is intense, and I am still surprised (and annoyed) at parents bringing very small children in the cinema. Still, the story succeeds on concepts of being true to yourself, appreciating your parents, and your gifts.

Get a good seat! I'm looking forward to the Blue Ray already.