The Disaster Episode is a template that I noticed in the different Star Trek series from the 90's.
It's a neat way to separate a big cast of characters into different small groups. And when it's done well, it can be very powerful and show a different ...
The Disaster Episode
Banes at 12:00AM, Feb. 24, 2022Technology and Story
Banes at 12:00AM, Feb. 17, 2022
I just can't quit you, Star Wars!
George Lucas once said something about special effects without story being a pretty boring thing.
I wonder what Mr. Lucas thought about the recent episode of Book of Boba Fett, where (spoilers!) Luke Skywalker shows up in his Return of the Jedi-era ...
Establishing Shots
Banes at 12:00AM, Feb. 10, 2022
The establishing shot sets up the setting of a scene, of course. It could be a wide shot of a city or a house, or a crowded bar, or two characters at a dinner table.
It'll need more detail than other panels; even in a simpler art style, establishing ...
Fountain of Nostalgia
Banes at 12:00AM, Feb. 3, 2022
I've had this Newspost in mind again since I saw Spider Man: No Way Home. That movie pushes the nostalgia buttons with abandon, to an extent I couldn't believe. To avoid having anything spoiled I rushed out to the theater to see it as soon as I could ...
The Comedy Balloon
Banes at 12:00AM, Jan. 27, 2022
I watched a reunion interview from a few years ago. It was the cast of the old sitcom “Family Ties”. All very likable people and I remember quoting so many lines from this show when I was a kid.
Michael J. Fox mentioned the great presence that Justine Bateman brought ...
Everyman Heroes
Banes at 12:00AM, Jan. 13, 2022
Critics, professional or not, identified a trend in many of the…lesser regarded manga and anime series.
It's the “everyman hero”.
This school of thought is that to make a lead character who is identifiable to everyone in the readership or audience. So the lead will be unremarkable, and ...
Back and Fore
Banes at 12:00AM, Jan. 6, 2022
Characters and Backgrounds … and Compositing Different Styles
when I started putting my webcomic out I'd been drawing for most of my life already, and knew the characters and setting really well. The stories I would figure out as I went…and still do.
As far as the art goes ...
And In the End...
Banes at 12:00AM, Dec. 30, 2021
In the behind-the-scenes interviews about the show “Seinfeld”, Writer/Creator Larry David talks about the ending of an episode, I think it's “The Marine Biologist”.
To sum it up, the show is about fairly normal-yet-eccentric antics of the four characters, including George claiming to be a marine biologist to ...
Another December and Another Gift to Fans
Banes at 12:00AM, Dec. 23, 2021
Last December saw the return of iconic hero Luke Skywalker in the Mandalorian. It was a shockingly well-kept secret and I can tell you that I sure didn't see it coming. As a fandom-dweller, it was a beautiful moment that still brings a smile to my scraggly, wrinkled face ...
Above and Below the Surface
Banes at 12:00AM, Dec. 16, 2021
There are a couple of movies I've seen - only a couple that come to mind - with a very specific issue
that makes them not work for me.
It's when the THEME or below-the-surface meaning of the story holds together but the actual plot suffers for it.
Spoiler for ...