Day: October 23, 2006

Eric’s Animé Pick

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This time around is the opening to Azumanga Daioh, along with a couple of gags.  Azumanga Daioh is so totally nonsensical it defies description.  Originally a 4-panel comic strip, it was then turned into a daily 5-minute Animé for TV.

Since this video preview is already wacky, for contrast I’ll tack on a single-gag cartoon done of the 4-panel comic strip Peanuts, way back in 1963.  This was some of the first animation produced to test Charlie Brown and the gang for television.

Virtual Yard Sale

Here’s a bizarre coincidence.  Ebay has an auction right now for a framed amateur drawing.  To my surprise, I realized that the drawing is by the mother of a close friend, who was one of my college roommates.

My friend says he remembers his mother selling this picture at a yard sale about 7 years ago.  The person auctioning it now picked it up at an estate sale on Cape Cod.  By coincidence, the seller happens to be right in my town!

Accurate Color

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This week’s Spider-Man comic, inserted in the Sunday paper, starts reprinting issue #5, from 1963. Spidey is hopelessly mis-matched, battling Doctor Doom, one of the principal character inspirations for Darth Vader.

I was impressed that the colorist for this little freebie comic made the TV a black & white set, as it was originally, 43 years ago; emphasizing that the comics were in color, but TV (for the most part) wasn’t. Nice touch.