Reviews – Page 6 – ÜberSciFiGeek

VIZ Signature Presents Inio Asano’s “What A Wonderful World!”

"What a Wonderful World!" vol 1 by Inio Asano

Truth: life as a young adult is hard. Straight out of high school, your dreams and hopes are still fresh. You constantly feel like you’re on the verge of something big. Dreams seem attainable. Time passes and nothing happens. You compare yourself to friends and fellow graduates, and wonder: what went wrong? How did I get here? How do I change it now? Can I go back? What a Wonderful World! doesn’t answer these questions; it illustrates the paths chosen by a cast of interconnected characters and how they find hope in the face of reality.

The two-volume series by Inio Asano (Solanin, Nijigihara Holograph) contains nine short “tracks” about modern life. Each track begins with a character’s internal monologue about how utterly dismal everything is. Life happens (encounters with friends, family, even enemies and strangers), and by the end of each track, the lesson is learned: this is reality; accept it, find joy in the little things, and be happy. The story is then handed off to the next character, usually a friend or relative of the previous story’s main character. This suggests that everyone feels lost at some point — it’s just part of life.

Sound depressing? A little. But I believe it’s a gem of a book. I grew up reading shoujo manga, so I was a little hesitant after reading the blurb on the back cover: “What do you mean it’s about real life? Rated for ‘older teens’? Where’s my bishounen and love story?!” But the yellow and brown colour scheme for the cover was eye-catching, and the design was rather unique as it didn’t resemble those of traditional Japanese manga (of course, you should never judge a book by its cover). The drawing style was believable, in between cartoon and real life (no oddly proportioned people here!). Character design was accurate in portraying average, twenty-something people in an average town, living average lives.

I ended up loving it. Sombre, but with just the right amount of humour. In fact, I laughed out loud in the middle of a semi-quiet cafe during the last short story, titled “Syrup.” The story focuses on Syrup’s friend Tamotsu, who almost gives up his dream of becoming a photographer because of an argument with a mutual friend. Syrup, nicknamed thus because of his addiction to cough syrup, saves Tamotsu’s faith in photography during a tussin-induced high. In doing so, Syrup almost kills himself in a hilarious manner. The story doesn’t end there, but I’m not going to spoil it. The ending was bittersweet and brought a smile to my face.

Other stories include a girl who talks to and outwits a shinigami (Japanese death god) in the form of a crow; a kidnapper/thief who ends up befriending and giving stolen money to the girl he takes as a hostage; a girl who rediscovers love for her long-term boyfriend; and, a jaded bully who restores his belief in life again after being forced to talk to his victim, and that’s just to name a few. The quotes out of this book are enlightening. A few of my favourites include:

“Living sucks. And yet, I still want to live.”

“Don’t stress. We all live in our own ways. And we all have doubts about whether it’s right or wrong. But there isn’t a right or wrong way to live.”

“…You’ve probably realized that happiness never lasts. That fleetingness is why we have to cherish each and every day…”

They’re really common quotes, but they’re things people need to remember in order to be happy wherever they are in life.

What a Wonderful World! is written and drawn by Inio Asano, and is published by VIZ Signature. This two-volume manga is available for purchase at your favorite stores and online retailers today and can be purchased directly through the publisher here:

What a Wonderful World! Volume 1
What a Wonderful World! Volume 2

SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants, and Nickelodeon continues its ongoing celebrations with the release of a huge treat for fans of the iconic cartoon character who “lives in a pineapple under the sea”, the SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes DVD megaset. This treasure chest contains the entire first five seasons’ worth of episodes plus exclusive bonus features, and, as an added gift, there’s a pull-tab on the box that reveals a code to enter the Happy Squared Sweepstakes. The publicists at Nickelodeon splashily announced:

It’s the Best SpongeBob DVD Collection EVER!
38 Hours. 14 Discs. 1 Yellow Sponge.
You’ll be the envy of Bikini Bottom with the first 100 episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants.

“Are you ready?!” for the spongetacular adventure, comedy and drama? Go ahead, backstroke through ten years of hilarity with “Help Wanted,” “SpongeBob’s House Party,” “Christmas Who?” and “Dunces and Dragons.” You’ll laugh and guffaw as you cruise through this massive DVD collection with SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, Squidward, and, yes, even Plankton.

Whether you’re a super-absorbent fan or just beginning to soak up the wonderful world of SpongeBob, these first 100 episodes are all you need to become an expert on Bikini Bottom and our most beloved sponge. It’s all here: “Ripped Pants,” “The Camping Episode,” “Goo Goo Gas,” “Atlantis SquarePantis” and much, much more!

Are you getting a nice squishy feeling inside? You know you are. That’s because a rising tide of Happy is lapping at the shores of your brain!

Wow. 100 episodes and a tidal wave of special features. Talk about going to your Happy Place!

SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes is a solid brick of a box set, its sturdy slipcase enclosed by a wrap-around sleeve that opens at the top and bottom. The sleeve’s wide edges have the title and logo printed on almost identical seascape art, so you can display either spine on your shelf depending on your character preference. Patrick joyfully chases a jellyfish with a butterfly net on one side, while Squidward cowardly runs from another pink, squishy blob on the opposite side. SpongeBob, of course, gets star placement on the front of the box, where the limited-edition lenticular panel pops him and his bubble-filled surroundings out of the cover in a trippy, 3D effect. The only thing that could have made the brightly coloured packaging more spectacular is if the set came with a little Gary the Snail toy to perch on top of the box.

Inside the box are seven slimline cases, the cheerful jacket art featuring close-up portraits of the series’ main characters: SpongeBob, Patrick, Gary, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, and Plankton. The clear plastic cases house two discs each, with 7-8 episodes per disc and audio commentaries from the cast and crew on discs 11-13. Episodes are presented in their original fullscreen format and retain the crisp picture quality and Dolby Digital stereo sound of their initial television broadcast. The disc menus are unanimated, yet still attractively designed, and are accompanied by an instrumental version of the theme song. This simple, stripped-down approach makes the playlist extremely user-friendly, especially for small fry who want to put in a disc and just hit the “play all” button. The show’s credits are compiled as a separate selection, so when multiple episodes are played they flow seamlessly from one to the next without the interruption of scrolling text. Of course, the best thing about SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes is that there are 100 Episodes. It’ll be a long sea voyage before you run out of material to watch and need to start over at the beginning, by which time the episodes will seem fresh again. Next time you throw a Hawaiian-themed party, consider playing SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes in the background instead of a traditional Don Ho or ukele CD. Not only will the DVDs add some fun, luau-appropriate visuals to your gathering, your guests will never have to listen to the same track twice. A person can only hear the song “Tiny Bubbles” so many times without having a Squidward-style meltdown, after all.

The final disc in The First 100 Episodes set is dedicated to special features. Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants is an insightful and trivia-filled look into the evolution of SpongeBob SquarePants that cuts together behind-the-scenes footage, media clips chronicling SpongeBob’s rise to fame, and infectiously enthusiastic interviews with series creator Stephen Hillenburg, the show’s creative team, and a host of devoted fans, many of them celebrities. The 43-minute documentary is also the only material in the box set to earn an advisory warning, though exactly why is unclear, unless a candid but fairly brief discussion of the SpongeBob/Patrick “gay controversary” could be viewed as offensive by some. Life Lessons from Bikini Bottom, a featurette done in the style of a 1950s educational film, explores the distinctive personalities and worldviews of the characters who inhabit Bikini Bottom, and “Help Wanted”: The Seven Seas Edition is an audio remix of the pilot episode that samples SpongeBob SquarePants‘s many international translations. The energetic Kick-Wham-Pow-Bob Music Video is basically a clip-reel set to the heavy metal beat of Pantera.

A must-have DVD set for cartoon afficionados of all ages, SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes is a bargain for longtime fans who have yet to buy the individual seasons, and serves as an immersive introduction for those new to the classic series. (For the complete SpongeBob experience, be sure to add a copy of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which isn’t included in the box set.) So, grab a Krabby Patty, pull on your squarest pair of pants, and prepare to dive deep into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants!

Order now at Amazon.com:
SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

SpongeBob SquarePants is distributed by Nickelodeon, a subsidiary of Paramount Home Entertainment. For more information, please visit the official SpongeBob SquarePants website.

First Mate Piggy

The Miss Piggy Collection from the Tonner Doll Company introduces First Mate Piggy, Miss Piggy’s sci-fi alter ego from the classic Star Trek-inspired sketch on The Muppet Show, Pigs in Space.

Sculpting:
The 16″ tall vinyl doll reuses the basic Miss Piggy body that is the foundation for every dressed doll in the Miss Piggy Collection. The doll is an absolutely perfect likeness of the Muppet character it’s based on, capturing Miss Piggy’s outgoing personality so well that you nearly expect the doll to come to life and start channeling the attitude of her on-screen counterpart.

Packaging:
When First Mate Piggy arrives in the mail, three layers of cardboard armour surround the well-protected doll. It’s doubtful that the hull of the USS Swinetrek is even this thick and effective! Inside the corrugated shipping box is a sleeve of white corrugated cardboard that slides over the doll box. Since the doll is not meant to be displayed in its packaging, the doll box has no window, affording an extra measure of protection. Sturdy yet simple in design, the doll’s glossy box is a sophisticated lavender and white with just a small Miss Piggy Collection logo adorning the shoebox-style lid, much like the boxes fancy perfumes come in. Inside the box is a lift-out cardboard liner tray with a foam pad at each end. A sheet of tissue paper is folded around the entire tray, and a soft netting is wrapped around the doll’s head to keep the wig tidily in place. The box is deep enough that the doll doesn’t come near to touching the lid, so the tissue paper doesn’t actually protect anything, but it is an appropriately feminine accent. In place of the wire twist-ties that are most often used to secure dolls in their packaging, satin ribbons are threaded up through the liner tray’s bottom to tie the doll to the back of the box. Besides leaving no unsightly impression marks on the doll like the wire ties tend to, the ribbons add to the elegance of the presentation and make it very easy to remove the doll from the box or secure her back in.

Paint:
The only paintwork on First Mate Piggy is on her face, and is perfectly clean and smooth in application. The eyes are even, and the black eyeliner and purple eyeshadow realistically mimic the look of real make-up. A light “blush” is sprayed on to give Miss Piggy her apple cheeks.

Articulation:
Unlike the majority of Tonner’s fully articulated dolls, the Miss Piggy doll only has five points of articulation: neck, shoulders, and hips. While this eliminates the unsightly exposed seams of jointed elbows and knees, it does drastically reduce the doll’s posability. With a character as theatrical as Miss Piggy, it’s a bit disappointing to not be able to display her in her trademark diva poses.

Accessories:
First Mate Piggy doesn’t come with any accessories, since she really didn’t have any recurring props on the show. She also lacks a display stand, which is an essential item for a doll that can’t bend well enough to sit on the edge of a shelf. Tonner does offer a saddle-style 16″ stand and waist-gripper 17″ stand, though, for a very minimal price, and selling the stands separately allows customers the flexibility to choose exactly how they want to display their doll.

Outfit:
Miss Piggy’s silver first mate uniform is a nearly exact recreation of the one she wore on the Swinetrek bridge, a knit dress embroidered with the Pigs in Space logo and sprinkled with appliqué stars across the chest. The stars, made of the stiff plastic that sequins are normally made of, tend to get their points caught in the fabric of the dress, so a softer material for them would have been ideal. They should also be white rather than silver. Beneath the dress are a pair of stretchy silver tights, and the silver, faux-leather belt secures around the waist with a metal snap. The doll comes fully dressed except for the gloves, epaulets, and boots, which are stapled to the side of the box in plastic bags. A lot of doll gloves are just crude mitts, sometimes with partial finger separations sewn in to give the illusion of being fingered, but this doll’s gloves, made of the same material as the tights, are real gloves in miniature. This attention to realism makes the gloves a bit of a challenge to get on, as the seams can easily pop when stretching the form-fitting fabric over Miss Piggy’s hands, but the end result is well worth the effort. The faux-leather epaulets easily attach over the gloves with velcro tabs, and the matching boots have zippers hidden in the back seam to make them easier to pull on. Note that, despite no labels on the packaging to let you know, the boots are foot-specific. The boot for the leg that’s bent at the knee is slightly shorter in the back so that the boot cuff won’t bunch. As a finishing touch to the doll, you just need to fluff up the gorgeous wig to give it Miss Piggy’s famous, gravity-defying volume and bounce.

A growing selection of additional outfits and custom-made, changeable wigs are currently available in the Miss Piggy Collection, but remember, “Miss Piggy cannot (and will not) share clothing with other pigs.”

First Mate Piggy comes in a limited edition of 1000, at a price of $159.99. She’s a fabulous gift for Miss Piggy and sci-fi fans, and now that Miss Piggy has made her sci-fi debut at Tonner, hopefully the company will also make Mermaid Piggy as a fantasy companion piece.

The leading lady of Pigs in Space will soon have some new sci-fi companions, as well. Tonner currently has plans to release BBC-approved Doctor Who and Torchwood character figures. Brilliant!

Order directly through the TONNERdirect website.

First Mate Piggy and the Miss Piggy Collection are distributed by Tonner Doll Company.

Sanctuary: The Complete First Season

sanctuary_dvd_cover

A few years ago while fans were still reeling over the announcement of Stargate SG1 coming to an unexpected end, I started surfing the web for interviews with cast members to see what their reactions were to the cancellation. During one of my searches, I found an interview with Amanda Tapping (who played Samantha Carter on SG1) on a Vancouver morning show. In this interview she mentioned a new project in the works. This new series, Sanctuary, was being produced and released directly to the web. With a host of Stargate regulars both in the creation and production of the show, it was certainly a promising idea.

I looked for anything I could find on Sanctuary and stumbled upon a creaking and rattling gate that said, “Coming Soon.” I bookmarked the site and checked back regularly for updates. One fateful day, I noticed the tiny print added to the corner of the screen: Join the Team. Of course, I jumped on that right away. A few days later, I received an email inviting me to participate as a beta tester on the website before it publicly launched and so began my Sanctuary adventure.

It was an incredible experience. Everyone was so excited to be a part of this new idea and we spent months crawling through every nook and cranny of the website reporting any issues we encountered and providing feedback for the team. While we patiently waited for the launch of the show, we started getting to know each other. We speculated over the characters, the stories and the world we were about to delve into. We also did a lot of goofing off while we waited. Tons of inside jokes formed as a result (Trollops, Okra and Channel 13 Action News being among the most pervasive) and fan fiction sprang up exploring and speculating on the world of Sanctuary.

Finally the day came and thousands of people waited up all night long for the launch of the first webisodes. No one was disappointed. From the beginning, we were drawn into the world of Sanctuary and became permanent residents of it. We discussed everything from technical achievements and visual effects to character development and the mythology behind creatures and inhabitants of Sanctuary. By the time the 8th webisode aired, Damien Kindler, Amanda Tapping and team had garnished fans for life. While millions of us anxiously awaited more episodes, the news broke that they were in talks with television networks for a re-launch on T.V. The following fall, we finally got a look at the new, polished and shiny television version of Sanctuary.

The 8 webisodes were reworked, edited and expanded into the first 3 episodes of the T.V. series with new footage added in to flesh out the story to cover over 120 minutes. The first 3 episodes were a tiny bit hard for me to watch the first time around. I kept seeing the original incarnations and had trouble reconciling the changes at first. Beginning with episode 4, Folding Man, that problem went away. Here, we began to explore the world we had first begun to delve so many months before. Over the next 9 episodes, they continued to draw us into their fantastical world of monsters and mystery.

Our introduction to this mysterious world is through the eyes of forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne). While investigating what the police insist was a massacre by a criminal with a violent past, Will comes up with a very different theory. After witnessing a boy leaving the crime scene and going in pursuit of him, Will encounters Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) for the first time. After continuing his search for the boy despite discouragement from the police, Magnus approaches Will about joining her team. As Will gets more deeply immersed in the world of the Sanctuary, we are taken along with him and what he discovers is amazing.

In the two part premier, Sanctuary for All, we learn that the Sanctuary is actually a global network of facilities created to protect the creatures (or Abnormals) of the world who need protecting and to imprison the creatures the world needs protected from. At the heart of the Sanctuary is research into the amazing genetic secrets hidden within every living creature on Earth. Each episode follows the adventures of the enigmatic Dr. Helen Magnus who is assisted by her feisty and fearless daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup) and her gadgetry-wizard, Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins). Will becomes Magnus’ protégé as the team searches the world over for creatures believed to be only myths and legends that prove to not only be real but in many cases living among us.

While the stories deal with what we might consider monsters (there are lots of them in there, too), the series also explores the soul of humanity. After all, what is it that makes someone a monster, what they look like or what is in their heart? As the series tagline puts it, Even things that go bump in the night need protection.

The look and feel of the show reminds me of the books I grew up from authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard and Jules Verne. The mixture of science fiction, history and mythology with just a hint of Steampunk influence blends together to create a unique, living and breathing world. There are no limits to the stories that could be told here. Anything you can imagine or dream could be found here.

The award winning effects are almost always flawless and it’s hard to believe that most of this world is completely CGI. Filmed against green screen, the actors rely on their talents rather then props and report it’s quite like acting on stage.

Helen Magnus has so much history in her past that I can’t wait to learn more about her life and experiences. While Amanda Tapping is as always a wonderful lead, I find myself highly interested in the entire cast as an ensemble. I want to see more of everyone and what tidbits we learn feel like appetizers and I look forward to the real in-depth exploration of the rest of the team.

Will is a combination of Adrien Monk and Shawn Spencer from Psych with a twist of Nick Stokes from CSI tossed in for good measure. He uses his observation and profiling skills to get inside the head of the beings they encounter (Abnormals are people, too, after all).

My favorite character is Ashley Magnus. A real hardcore and unstable, darker character in the webseries, her T.V. makeover toned her down, softened her up and added more depth to the character. She’s a tough and mouthy fighting machine (loving referred to by fans as Kick-Ash) with just enough femininity to round off the rough edges. With certain revelations made early in season one, the mother-daughter relationship has a lot of room for exploration.

Henry Foss is cute, geeky goodness and adorable in every way. He quips and wise-cracks his way through technical solutions from electromagnetic fields to sonic weaponry. When the big guns can’t do the job, he’s usually got something up his sleeve to solve the problem.

The cast is rounded out with recurring roles by the smoldering Christopher Heyerdahl (pulling double duty as two characters on the show), Jonathon Young and Peter Wingfield. The guest stars throughout the season is a virtual smorgasbord of sci-fi regulars such as Chuck Campbell, Kandyse McClure, Kavan Smith and Christine Chatelain .

I really enjoy this series and look forward to seeing much more of it. My only issue with it is that, with only 13 episodes in the first season, there wasn’t enough exploration of the characters and relationships. I love character driven ensemble casts and they have assembled a marvelous cast here. Sometimes an episode began to explore those relationships but then rather than continuing to explore those themes in further episodes, they sometimes move on too quickly with the next show. I understand they want each episode to stand alone so it doesn’t feel like a soap opera but some things could be subtly continued from episode to episode to further develop and emotionally involved the audience with the show.
This 4 disc sets includes all 13 episodes of the first season as well as the original webseries, Behind the Scenes featurettes and photo gallery, Audio commentary on all 13 episodes, bloopers and a Season 2 sneak peek.

Sanctuary: The Complete First Season is now available on Amazon.com and other retail outlets where you normally purchase your favorite DVDs. Be sure to check it out and remember to watch Season 2 now airing on the Syfy channel, Space Channel and dozens of other networks globally.

Let the Invasion Begin! Looney Labs Presents Martian Fluxx

Martian Fluxx

Looney Labs first introduced the unsuspecting public to the madness that is Fluxx over a decade ago. Since that time, Fluxx has crept into card game-playing circles and families everywhere. As the name suggests, Fluxx is a game of change. With each card played, the rules change, the goals change and the gameplay changes. The original Fluxx was followed up over the years with expansions such as Monty Python Fluxx, Zombie Fluxx, EcoFluxx and Family Fluxx (which can, in some cases, be mixed and matched to create customized games). Other versions (such as Christian Fluxx, Jewish Fluxx and Japanese Fluxx) are floating around out there, too.

With the success of expansions such as Zombie Fluxx and Monty Python Fluxx, someone suggested a Martian Fluxx and the Looneys thought it sounded like a good idea. Martian Fluxx differs from previous versions of the game slightly and, unlike those other versions, can not be combined with other Fluxx games. Why not? Because in this game, you are the Martian Invaders, not the Pathetic Humans striving to save their planet.

The object of the game is to meet the current goal requirements to successfully launch an alien invasion. In order to meet those goals, you have Keepercards, items in your inventory that help you achieve success. You have obstacles called Creepers that foil your attempts at success. Fortunately, many Keepers can be used to nullify your Creepers and help you meet the victory conditions set by the Goal card. Unfortunately, and hilariously, those victory conditions are constantly changing.

For example, the goal may be War of the Worlds, which is to have both Mars and Earth Keeper cards placed in front of you. Let’s say you already have Earth on the table and Mars is in your hand but your turn is over and you can’t play it yet. Suddenly, the next player swaps out War of the Worlds for Mars Needs Women and now you need Mars and at least two human female Creepers on the table to win. Your new objective is to find those women before the goal changes again.

Goals aren’t the only things that are constantly changing. By default, you start with three cards, draw one card, and play one card during your turn, but New Rules can be played that replace the existing rules. For example, Draw 1 could be replaced by Draw 4. Play 1 could be replaced with Play All, and then you have no choice but to play every card in your hand every round, even the ones you don’t want to play, causing quite a riot and throwing a major monkey-wrench into your diabolical invasion plans. The 1 Card Hand Limit could be played and then, at the end of your turn, you must discard all but one of your cards. Your assured victory crumbles before your eyes time and time again.

As if the game isn’t funny enough already, bonus cards like Talk Like a Martian just adds to the laughter. I got to show off my Stitch and Marvin the Martian impersonations and score a few bonus cards in the process. Maybe I’m just an aggressive player (I wasn’t the kind of mother who let my kids win all the time when they were small), but I found myself prone to loud outbursts and laughter while playing, much to the dismay of those around us who couldn’t figure out the odd behavior exhibited by the weirdos in the break room at work.

Martian Fluxx is for 2 to 5 players and recommended for ages 8 to adult. Gameplay lasts between 15 and 30 minutes. The game includes over 100 cards, including:

20 Action cards
27 Goal cards
1 Ungoal card
17 New Rule cards
20 Keeper cards
13 Creeper cards
1 Basic Rules card
1 Meta Rule card

If it follows in its ancestor’s footsteps, expansion packs should be available at some point in the future to further the Fluxx family fun. Whether you are a long-time Fluxx fanatic or you’ve never heard of the game before, Martian Fluxx is a treat that should be enjoyed with friends, so go buy it now! The fate of the human race may depend on you…

You can pick up a copy of Martian Fluxx through Looney Labs or Amazon, or find a retailer near you through Looney Labs’ Store Locator.

BOOM! Studios Presents the Classic “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” as a Graphic Novel

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Philip K. Dick was known for his bizarre take on the future, his paranoid and delusional characters and strange, unexpected twists. While other authors were churning out utopian futures based on scientific advancements that improved the human condition, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? painted a future of rot and decay where the Earth is a slum that normal people want to escape from physically, while the genetically-challenged escape in their minds. Moods are dialed up and served like noodles or rice — any way you like it. Animals are rare, many extinct, and it’s become an obligation to care for them, your duty as a human. The world’s gods have been replaced by Mercer, a man whose struggles you can tune into virtually and find your humanity in the Unity of the struggle. Androids that have replaced human workers in the off-world colonies have become so life-like, you wouldn’t know if the guy next to you was a human or an “andy”.

Enter Rick Dekard, bounty hunter. His job is to find and “retire” andies who have escaped their masters and fled back to Earth to hide. With the lead bounty hunter in his area laid up in the hospital after a hunt went wrong, Dekard finds himself with the task of tracking down and retiring six andies.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is considered to be PKD at his best. It was the basis for the film Blade Runner, which for many was an introduction to PKD’s work. (Other film adaptations of PKD’s work include Next, Total Recall, Minority Report and Paycheck). In BOOM! Studios’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? they’ve chosen to celebrate the brilliance of the original story by illustrating it and including the full, unaltered text of the original novel. Blade Runner has been celebrated over and over again with re-masters, re-edits and director’s cuts. It’s about time Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? gets its turn.

A blend of traditional and digital illustrations, each issue has three alternate covers for the enthusiasts who want to try to collect them all, and has more than thirty high-quality pages. Each issue also includes backmatter, commentary included in the final pages by various authors who were greatly influenced by PKD’s work. The heavy pages are inked from edge to edge and are absolutely gorgeous. The price tag of $3.99 is a bargain considering how much you get and what you find between the covers.

Tony Parker’s artwork tells the story just as surely as PKD’s words do, and the colors by BLOND give the world and the characters depth and dimension. The contrast between light and shadow is as dramatic as the muted and glowing colors that spill across the pages. The illustrations are so rich and every frame seems photo-like. No busy or blank backgrounds here. Everything is well-balanced and compliments PKD’s story. In the first issue, there were a few pixelated images that may or may not have been intentional, but with the exception of that, these images are sharp and impressive.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? will be released as a 24-part maxi series, the first three issues of which are currently available from BOOM! Studios or your local comic shop. Regardless of whether you are a comic book collector, a fan of the film Blade Runner, or a Philip K. Dick fanatic like me, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is definitely worth adding to your collection.

Sea-Monkeys on the Moon Mini-World

In 1994, NASA recruited Sea-Monkeys, otherworldly marine creatures that breathe through their feet and have three eyes in adulthood, for experiments in hatching and growing on two space shuttle flights. Back home on Earth, these tiny astronauts have a fittingly space-themed habitat in which to reminisce about their interstellar adventures, the Sea-Monkeys on the Moon Mini-World.

Sea-Monkeys on the Moon Mini-World

A brightly coloured rendition of a sci-fi moonscape, the Sea-Monkeys on the Moon Mini-World tank has a bright green bottom dotted with craters, one of which has a huge (to the Sea-Monkeys) three-eyed alien popping out of it. The craters are topped by white circles and orange starbursts, and there’s a small, blue UFO stealthily parked at the back of the tank. It’s amusing to watch the Sea-Monkeys congregate beneath the UFO’s saucer and swarm about the limbs of the smaller alien figurine standing on the lunar surface. Unlike the crowded Sea-Monkeys in the City Mini-World — the third Mini-World is the beach-inspired “Hang 10” — the Moon Mini-World has plenty of room between the contents of the tank and the clear wall, so none of the Sea-Monkeys will be in danger of getting stuck when they go for a moonwalk. This short, square-shaped tank may look smaller than previous styles of Sea-Monkey tanks, but actually does hold the same volume of water, and its squat proportions serve to keep that water from spilling since the tank is much harder to knock over than its taller and skinnier counterparts. Magnifying portals, which are usually located on the sides of Sea-Monkey tanks, are on the lid of Mini-Worlds, offering a whole different observation angle. The Mini-World packaging says there should be a pipette included with the accessories, but there wasn’t one in this kit. That’s really the only mark against this tank, as the pipette, aside from being useful for cleaning the tank floor, would be very handy for aerating the oxygen-greedy Sea-Monkeys. Without an air pump you have to resort to stirring the water, pouring the water repeatedly between the tank and a glass, or blowing through a straw, which could result in injuries to your fragile little pets. Aside from that omission, though, the Sea-Monkeys on the Moon Mini-World has everything a good commander needs to make sure that their Sea-Monkey charges live long and prosper.

The Official Sea-Monkey Handbook says, “Sea-Monkeys are a variety of Artemia which are crustaceans such as Brine Shrimp or Seed Shrimps. Their correct latin name is Artemia nyos (after the New York Ocean Science Laboratories where the hybrid Sea-Monkeys were developed.)” According to the Sea-Monkeys’ famous advertising slogan, “Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys are the world’s first ever Instant Live Pets. Simply add water and your Sea-Monkeys come to life right before your eyes.” Anyone who tried to raise Sea-Monkeys when they were first introduced decades ago knows that it wasn’t always that simple, as the classic tanks came with very brief and inexact directions, so the highly detailed instruction sheets included in the Mini-Worlds and other modern kits are a welcome addition to the Sea-Monkeys’ gear. In an eggshell, here’s how to avoid an aborted flight when attempting to get your new colony off the ground:

Add Water Purifier
Sea-Monkeys are extremely sensitive to contaminants, so their tank and water must be thoroughly cleaned before you begin the Instant Life process. Rinse the tank with warm water to make sure it’s sterile, but don’t use soap, which is lethal to Sea-Monkeys. (This step isn’t mentioned in the enclosed temperature/hatching chart, but better safe than sorry.) Fill the tank with bottled, room temperature water, then pour in the contents of the #1 Water Purifier packet. Stir in the powder for about a minute, using a clean spoon or straw. Wait for a full 24 hours.
Add Instant Live Eggs
Add the #2 Instant Live Eggs packet, which contains about 75 Sea-Monkey eggs. Place the tank in indirect sunlight, keeping it away from electrical appliances. Wait for the baby Sea-Monkeys to emerge.
Start Feeding
Houston, we have lift-off! On the fifth day after the eggs hatch, give the Sea-Monkeys one level scoop from the #3 Growth Food packet, using the small end of the calibrated feeding spoon. The food packet should last for a year if rationed out as directed.

If you follow these tips, and those in the official promo video How to Create, The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys, you won’t need to use the 2-Year Guarantee to start over with a new packet of Sea-Monkeys. Just feed the inhabitants of your moonbase once a week, and they’ll continue to happily frolic in their Moon Mini-World for the entire duration of their projected two-year mission.

Order now at Amazon.com:
Sea-Monkeys on the Moon Mini-World

Order additional food and accessories through Sea-Monkeys: The Official Site.

The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys are distributed by Big Time Toys, in partnership with Transcience Corporation. For more information on Sea-Monkeys, visit Swim with Sea-Monkeys, the Sea Monkey Worship Page, and Sea Monkey Mania.

Lumina Premieres

LUMINA Front Page

After many months of anticipation, Jennifer Thym‘s Lumina premiered with back-to-back episodes! Was it worth the wait? I have to say a resounding YES!

The story is intriguing, the music is compelling, and the imagery is beautiful. I kept finding myself staring at all the reflective surfaces and at the color and the texture of beautiful Hong Kong. I’ve re-watched a few times now, and each time I noticed something new. Obviously, an incredible amount of thought went into the cinematography, and the RED camera has proved once again just how amazing it is.

LUMINA Webisode 1: Single Women introduces us to Lumina, a woman who lives alone, has an antagonistic relationship with her mother, and works late rather than go home to her empty apartment. Her life is suddenly changed one night when she meets a stranger in her mirror. Ryder lives on the other side of the glass and can see her through any reflective surface. As she gets to know Ryder, she is drawn from her usual monotony into exploring the reflective surfaces of the city around her.

The song “Make Me Real” by Sense of Akasha closes out the first episode and leaves you with a sense of hope and foreboding.

In LUMINA Webisode 2: Wake Up Call we see that Lumina has favor with her boss, but not some of her coworkers. While trouble brews at work, and another mysterious stranger becomes entangled in her life, her deepening relationship with Ryder starts her down an uncertain path.

“Grey” by LGF closes out the second episode with high-octane intensity and a sense of danger.

New episodes of Lumina will premiere every Tuesday, and Jennifer Thym promises lots of fun stuff in between!

Never heard of Lumina? Check out our past articles on Lumina, including our interview with series creator and director Jennifer Thym.

Other Lumina links:
Lumina’s YouTube Channel
Lumina’s Facebook Group
Lumina News RSS
RockGinger

Steampunk and the Web Collide in Riese: The Series

Riese Logo

A reluctant heroine travels with her wolf through a
collapsing world, outrunning a dangerous religious cult
and piecing together her past.

Steampunk and sci-fi fans are going to love the new series Riese from filmmakers Ryan Copple and Kaleena Kiff. Picking up where Sanctuary failed to follow through, due to its jump to television, the series intends to not only produce fresh, high-quality content for the web but to be interactive with the fanbase through its website, forums, and an alternate reality game that will premiere along with the series. Other applications are being developed that will further integrate Riese into your daily web life.

In a hauntingly familiar dystopian world, Riese, a seemingly random wanderer, flees across the dying lands. Hunted by a terrifying religious group, The Sect, Riese must evade the assassins that have been sent to kill her and discover their true objective.

Her past is shrouded in mystery as even Riese can’t recall the events of the tragic night when her entire family was slaughtered and she was forced to flee. On her journey, she’ll piece together her past and her destiny, in a struggle that will hold the fate of the world in the balance — and the once peaceful kingdom of Eleysia will be the battlefield. Despite the impending doom, Riese emerges as the sole beacon of hope.

The Riese team has put together a lot of behind-the-scenes photos and videos to help submerge you in the world of Eleysia before the series premieres and, at first glance, I was hooked. The wardrobe has that high-quality look you got used to with shows like Firefly and Merlin. There are photos in the online gallery of the cast in costume and they look great. I was wondering how they’d pull off a steampunk feel, something typically reserved for graphic novels and anime, but it looks like they’ve done it. There aren’t any CGI shots to view yet but the concept art reminds me a bit of the mutants in Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards. The series appears to utilize both traditional settings and greenscreen to create the world of Eleysia, and I look forward to seeing the familiar woods outside of Vancouver that we geeks have fallen in love with over the years, largely due to Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis.

Speaking of Sanctuary and Stargate, fans may recognize a few familiar faces in the Riese cast. Christine Chatelain (Riese) was introduced in Season 1 of Sanctuary as the invisible girl, Clara Griffin. Sharon Taylor (Amara) not only played Amelia Banks on Stargate Atlantis but appeared in Smallville and Eureka, as well. Ben Cotton (Herrick), who played Dr. Kavanagh on Stargate Atlantis, also appeared in Harper’s Island, jPod, and a handful of other sci-fi favorites. Patrick Gilmore (Trennan) appears in all of the Stargate series (including the upcoming Stargate Universe), as well as Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, and Eureka. I’m sure we’ll see many more familiar faces on Riese as the series progresses.

THE STORY

Imagine a crumbling world, a parallel universe. A world of anachronisms, full of archaic characters and conventions. This world once enjoyed a lasting prosperity, due largely to the influence of the monarchy of Eleysia.

Eleysia — the kingdom of the wolf, governed by Kara and Ulric, was a peaceful nation. This all changed when a mysterious and unexpected coup d’etat, orchestrated from the shadows by a religious cult, brought about a regime change.

Taking the throne was Amara, Kara’s cousin. A power-hungry tyrant, Amara immediately utilized Eleysia’s resources to begin colonizing this world, toppling nation after nation in order to unite the people under one banner.

Even as Amara assaulted the world, an ominous, enigmatic group clearly wielded power over her. Called The Sect, they purported themselves to be the official religion of Eleysia, and began to spread alongside Eleysia’s borders. Horrifying tales of their practices began to circulate, casting an even darker shadow across this war-torn environment.

Since then, this world has begun to change.

The land is dying, resources are dwindling, and compassion is fading. Distrust and anxiety have clouded the people’s minds, causing a regression to primitive ways of thinking. People have grown restless, almost feral. Rituals and mythology have resurged, and the darker side of mankind has begun to reveal itself. Some say the end is coming. Shadows have begun lurking in the hearts of men.

The true horror of the world is not in how it ends, but what will become of mankind as it fractures.

And yet, despite the impending doom, a single beacon of light shines in Riese, a mysterious wanderer. Traveling with her wolf, Fenrir, she journeys across this barren world. Within her lies the strength and resolve to stop the nefarious plans of Empress Amara and the Sect and restore the kingdom of Eleysia to its former prosperity.

This is the world of Riese.

Principal filming for the first batch of episodes just wrapped with more slated to begin in December. We’ll keep you updated as new info is released. In the meantime, be sure to check out these links:

Official Riese Website
“The Sect is Here” Website
Riese on YouTube
Riese on Twitter
Riese on Facebook

Atlantean Swim Technology from FINIS

Geeks oftentimes lead a rather sedentary lifestyle, sitting in front of the computer all day, but, as the Wii Fit has proved, entertaining gadgetry and technology is all that’s needed to lure them into the world of physical activity. FINIS, “The Worldwide Leader in Technical Swimming Development”, goes a step further, enticing the computer generation away from the simulated activity that video games offer for some real life sport using swim gear that looks like it was designed in Atlantis.

Monofins turn exercise into a cosplay or role-playing experience beneath the waves. Fusing traditional flippers into one large fin with joined foot pockets, the Monofin is designed to enhance the dolphin kick, a technique in competitive swimming that resembles the undulating tail motion of a mermaid. It allows users to “swim fast and fun like a dolphin”, while channeling their inner Ariel or Neptune. There are three recreation level Monofins, the Wave Monofin (shoe size 1-7; all FINIS products are universally sized using standard male sizing), Tempo Monofin (shoe sizes 4-7), and Rapid Monofin (shoe size 1-7). The flexibility of the fin blade decreases with each size, providing a more challenging workout to the muscles of your lower back, abdomen, buttocks and quadriceps. If you find yourself in water that’s a bit deeper than you are tall, the Monofin’s blade is rigid enough that you can use it to stand on tip-toe rather than expend energy treading water. The foot pockets are soft and comfortable, with release-clip straps to adjust them to your exact foot size, and a safety mechanism for quick foot release. For those used to regular flippers, the Monofin feels quite strange at first, since your legs are locked together, but adaptation is remarkably quick. It’s easy to imagine, once you’ve gotten the hang of skimming along in a Monofin, that your legs really have transformed into a tail, especially when you dive sharply downwards and the fin briefly clears the water in iconic mermaid fashion, coming down with a satisfying slap on the water’s surface.

Watch the FINIS Monofins instructional video to see the Monofin in action. It’ll reassure any guys afraid of looking silly that mertails aren’t just for girls!

The Mermaid & Shark Tail Swim Fins (male shoe size 1-7, female shoe size 1 – 8-1/2) are for little swimmers not yet ready to transition to the full-sized Wave Monofin. This play fin will “make fantasy a reality” while it “builds confidence in the water during playtime”. The fin blade is quite a bit smaller than the Wave Monofin’s, making it easier for children to maneuver. It’s made from soft plastic and TPR (Thermo Plastic Rubber), so the foot pocket, which has a simpler slip-on design than the more fitted style of the adult Monofins, is very comfortable, as is the padded band of fabric that holds the feet in place with an adjustable velcro strap. Intended for ages 6-12, with a year or more of swimming experience, the fin should only be used with adult supervision. Despite the kid-friendly foot strap, children will still need help in and out of the pool. Unless the child is lowered into the water, the fin needs to be put on after entering the water since it hampers walking movement, and if the pool doesn’t have a set of wide stairs in the shallow end to sit on while slipping out of the tail, then someone will need to haul fledgling mermaids and sharks onto the deck. The entire fin weighs less than two pounds and also floats, so if kids become separated from their fin in the lake or ocean, you won’t have to worry about it sinking straight down to Davy Jones’ locker, never to be seen again.

If you have sensitive feet, add a layer of protection by wearing Skin Socks with the Monofin to keep the plastic from rubbing directly on skin and causing chafing or blisters. Skin Socks, available in either royal blue or black, are made from a thin nylon/lycra material but are great protection when you’re at the beach and need to cross a scorching expanse of sand to reach the water. They’re also good for avoiding the germs inherent in public pool showers, decks, or while doing aqua aerobics. A pair of goggles is also a recommended accessory when speeding through the water with a Monofin. The Revolution goggles have anti-fog and UV protection built into each polycarbonate lens, and are streamlined and micro-adjustable, which means that you can change both the strap length and nose bridge width for a perfect fit. The iridescent lenses of the Clear/Multi-Mirror style give a striking, alien look to eyes, and will protect your eyes while still being extremely comfortable and fashionable. Alternatively, the larger Energy, FINIS’s “most comfortable soft-frame adult goggle”, is ideal for any face shape, has curved lenses that reduce the distortion of looking through water, and is so light and inobtrusive that you won’t even remember you’re wearing goggles.

Video games aren’t complete without an epic soundtrack, and FINIS allows you to transfer this gaming element to the live-action arena with the SwiMP3, a unique waterproof MP3 player that uses bone conduction, a technology that is explained in the SwiMP3 instructional video. “Because the SwiMP3 uses bone conduction,” FINIS says, “the sound vibrations are able to be directly transferred from the cheek bone to the inner ear, giving the swimmer the ultimate sensory experience.” Just load up the SwiMP3 with music that’s evocative of underwater fantasy and clip it onto your goggles before diving into your next aquatic adventure. The player’s two halves, where the on/off, volume, next/previous track, pause, and shuffle buttons are located, rest against your cheekbones. It’s best to memorize the configuration of the buttons before going swimming, so you don’t have to fiddle around and learn them by trial and error. For the most impressive introduction to the SwiMP3, turn the player on while your head is still above water, then slowly submerge. The sound quality, quite good in the air when compared to a regular MP3 player with earbuds, suddenly becomes crystal clear the moment your ears dip below the water. It’s a thrilling shock to hear stereo-quality sound in an aquatic environment. Coldplay’s song “Clocks” is pure magic underwater, and Enya’s “Orinoco Flow” and the bubbly songs from The Little Mermaid would make great SwiMP3 tracks, as well. Listening to music underwater without the muffled playback of waterproof players that rely on air or water sound transmission is a truly amazing experience, and because earphones are unnecessary with bone conduction it’s possible to carry on normal conversations with fellow swimmers while listening to your tunes. If the volume is turned high enough, anyone within several feet of you will be able to share in the fun, as the sound carries quite a distance. The SwiMP3 is compatible with Windows and Mac, and at 256 MB you can drag-and-drop about 60 MP3 or WMA files into its playlist. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery charges directly from your computer’s USB port and provides up to eight hours of play. FINIS’s SwiMP3 will keep swimming enthusiasts in the water until they develop webbed fingers and gills.

Track your vitals with FINIS’s new Aqua Pulse, a bone-conduction heart rate monitor. It works in and out of the water, so in addition to listening to your heartbeats while swimming, you can wear the Aqua Pulse while doing step-ups on the Wii Balance Board, or to determine just how fast your heart races during a World of Warcraft raid. The Aqua Pulse will be available the first week of September.

Order now at Amazon.com:
Monofins
Mermaid Swim Fin
Shark Swim Fin
Skin Socks
Revolution Goggles
Energy Goggles
SwiMP3

Or order directly through the FINIS website.

Monofins, Mermaid Swim Fins, Shark Swim Fins, Skin Socks, Revolution Goggles, Energy Goggles, SwiMP3, and Aqua Pulse are distributed by FINIS and its associated Dealers.

Looney Labs Presents the Aquarius 10th Anniversary Edition

Aquarius 10th Anniversary Edition

Is there anything Andrew Looney can’t do? Former NASA engineers Andrew and Kristin Looney started their game company Looney Labs back in 1997 with the goal to create easy-to-learn, easy-to-play games. Since that time, they have continued to create inventive, educational, challenging and fun games, and have taken home many awards and kudos. On top of being fun, their games tend to be beautiful in design and ingeniously simple to play yet strategically complex. The Aquarius 10th Anniversary Edition (or A v2.0 as it’s referred to on the box) is yet another brilliant addition to that legacy.

Aquarius is a card game for 2 to 5 players. Game play is a little like dominoes with an UNO twist. There are 5 elemental goal cards: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Space. Once each player is dealt a goal card, they must attempt to be the first player to create a chain of seven connected elements by matching the elements cards. Each player begins with 3 elements cards and 1 goal card. At the beginning of each turn, the player draws an elements card and then plays a card by matching one or more elements on the played card to one of the cards already placed. The elements card may have 1, 2 or 4 different elements featured on it. To create a chain, the player must place an unbroken line of 7 touching matched elements cards. Sounds simple, right?

Next you add the Action Cards. This is where the dominoes playing style takes on an UNO twist. With cards like Trade Hands, Trade Goals, Move a Card, Rotate Goals, Zap a Card and Shuffle Hands, even the player with the best strategy and a winning hand can quickly turn into the loser. Because your opponent’s agenda is hidden, you have to speculate which element they have as their goal. You may be thinking, “Well, which one are they trying to match?” Because you have to lay a card down with each turn (or forfeit the turn) and you don’t necessarily want to give your goal away by aggressively pursuing it, you may choose to, or have to, lay down a chain of elements cards simply because you need to get them out of your hand in hopes of drawing more of your goal element in the next hand.

Also, if you can match 2 or more elements when laying down a card, or you play a Zap Card (which allows you to take any one card from the placed cards and add it to your hand for later use), you get additional cards in your hand. Having 4 or more cards in your hand at the beginning of each turn gives you an advantage over the other players. Making chains other than those in your goal can be a valuable tool. It helps throw your opponents off your trail. It can, however, be risky if you don’t know what the other players’ goals are. If you are playing with more than two people, odds are that you are helping your enemy out and may even be handing them a win. Still sound simple?

Now imagine you have it figured out; you know exactly who has what goals and you are one or two connections away from a win. Suddenly an opponent plays a Trade Goals card on you and they are now in control of your winning combination while you now have their less than desirable goal (or they wouldn’t have traded it, right?). What do you do now? Well, you can throw a Trade Goals or Rotate Goals card on them if you have one, or you can Zap a pivotal card in their chain. There are lots of twists and turns in gameplay and your goals and strategies are constantly shifting and having to be rethought.

While the regular gameplay can get highly complex, the basic concept of the game is matching items. Because of this, variants of the game can be taught to children as young as 3 or 4 years old by just using the elements cards for a matching game. As they get older and can learn more complex gameplay, you can introduce the goal cards into play and, later still, begin introducing one or more action cards into the mix. This aspect of the gameplay makes Aquarius a fabulous family game for all ages. My teenage son and I have been playing it obsessively for a couple of weeks now. We even came up with a solitaire version which is basically a two-player game with one person laying both hands (think Chess), but a coin toss after the game is over determines which hand was yours.

The artwork by Andrew Looney is beautiful and harkens back to the 60s and 70s with its colorful, simple designs featuring rainbows, fires, flowers, fish and stars. Printed on recycled paper right here in the USA, Aquarius is eco-friendly, too. The cards have handled some abuse well as we have been playing not only repeatedly, but in less then ideal places such as dirty school hallway floors and sticky tabletops. It fits so easily in a pocket that we took it along to the annual School Open House so my son could show it to, and play it with, his friends. We were surprised to learn that one of them grew up with the original release of Aquarius in her household, and she added that “It was fun!”

I love this game and can’t wait to introduce more of my friends to it. I’ve found myself blowing off other things I could or should be doing to play it. I’ve even been bringing it to work with me, and have it out so often that some of my co-workers comment if I don’t have a hand dealt at some point during the day. I just can’t help myself — it’s so much fun!

Aquarius 10th Anniversary Edition will be available in stores and online August 28th. You can order it from Looney Labs and Amazon.com, or check for a retailer near you with the Looney Labs Store Locator.

Magic Trixie

Fans of Jill Thompson’s Scary Godmother comic books will be enchanted by her new series, Magic Trixie, a Scary Godmother for the younger set. Filled with witty dialogue, the graphic novels are illustrated in Thompson’s signature style of energetic, brightly-coloured watercolours. The books are recommended for ages 8-12, but the universal childhood themes will appeal to all ages.

Trixie, a young, pink-and-orange-haired witch is introduced in the debut title, Magic Trixie, whose cover proclaims, “Meet Magic Trixie! She’s smart. She’s sassy. She has magic powers.” Trixie’s also an outgoing little girl who shows off, complains, pull faces, gets into mischievous scrapes, and acts rashly like any normal kid. In this first volume, Trixie deals with the familiar problems of peer pressure and sibling rivalry. Any child, or adult who remembers being a child, will relate to Trixie’s school woes and empathize when, frustrated by the constant favouritism she perceives for her baby sister, Abby Cadabra, she wails “Not fair!” and runs off to hide in a closet. Unlike most people, however, Trixie has a talking cat named Scratches to give her a pep talk (or play pirates with her in the backyard). The story’s conclusion, in which one problem is inadvertently resolved by the other, is heartwarming without being sacharrine, and will make readers appreciate the benefits of having a sister, big or little.

In Magic Trixie Sleeps Over, no longer at odds with her sister and having called a truce with her nemesis at school, Trixie turns her displeasure elsewhere. Her parents, she thinks, have gotten much too bossy and demanding, plaguing her with baths and unreasonable bedtimes when all she wants to do is watch tantalizingly forbidden shows on Spell-O-Vision and stay up late playing and making messes. When she finds out that her friends from school — a mummy, Frankenboy, werewolf, and vampire twins — don’t have to put up with such inconveniences, she decides to go stay with them, only to discover that they have other, much less appealing nighttime rituals (to a witch, at least). Each sleepover is amusingly in keeping with its host’s archetypal monster heritage, and the art changes subtly to reflect the associated atmosphere, such as the vampires’ pages being done entirely in a spooky, grey monochrome that’s broken only by the twins’ glowing red eyes. This peek into the home lives of Trixie’s friends really fleshes out the secondary characters, while teaching the increasingly homesick Trixie just how good she actually has it at home.

Magic Trixie and the Dragon whisks Trixie off to visit an extraordinary circus where there are performances by pink elephants, a mermaid, fairies, wizards, robots, alien creatures, and more. Best of all, the main act features real, live dragons! Naturally, Magic Trixie then wants a pet dragon, but has to settle for getting a genuine dragon scale as a gift. When she takes the scale to school to brag about it to her friends, a misunderstanding results in them thinking that she has the amazing beast the scale used to be attached to, and they want to see it. Trixie, like any kid who doesn’t want to lose face in front of friends, never thinks to just ‘fess up. After letting her mind wander during a routine transmogrification spell, she thinks her dilemma is solved when she accidentally turns her sister into a dragon. (Look for a cute cameo appearance by Scary Godmother‘s Bug-a-Boo in Abby’s nursery.) The moment Trixie turns her back on dragon-Abby, though, her baby sister promptly flies off, and Scratches, believing he’s been replaced in Trixie’s affections by this new “pet”, runs away from home to join the circus. A remorseful Trixie must race back to the circus to retrieve them both, in the process surprising her friends by making an unscheduled appearance in the Big Tent with the famous Dragonriders. Later that evening, in bed, Magic Trixie says to Scratches, “Well, everything worked out fine in the end, pal. I learned my lesson, Abby’s Abby again, you’re still my bestest bud, a dragon is a drag, and best of all — no one is the wiser…” From a child’s point of view, it’s the perfect happy ending.

Jill Thompson is the winner of multiple Eisner Awards (the highest honor in graphic novels) for her art and writing. She’s the author and artist behind Scary Godmother, Magic Trixie, and many other titles. She lives in Chicago. Visit her online at magictrixie.com.

Q&A with Jill Thompson:

ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) Is Magic Trixie set in the same universe as Scary Godmother?

Jill Thompson (JT) Magic Trixie is set in her own world. One that is closer to our own reality. But one where magic is totally part of the culture. And there are monsters and robots and dragons and other marvelous things…

(ÜSFG) Will there be more Magic Trixie books, beyond the three currently published?

(JT) There are only three on the schedule as of now, though I’d love to do more. I’m working on Beasts of Burden, a series debuting in September from Dark Horse. And then I’ll be starting the second Little Endless Storybook which should come out next summer.

(ÜSFG) Do the Magic Trixie books mean the end of the Scary Godmother series?

(JT) Not at all. I’m currently talking to prospective publishers about reprinting the books and comics and subsequently more new stories.

(ÜSFG) Is there any possibility of a Magic Trixie film or television adaptation, like the Scary Godmother animated specials made by Mainframe Entertainment?

(JT) There’s always that possibility but nothing has happened like that as of yet.

(ÜSFG) Has there been talk of any tie-in merchandise for Magic Trixie and Scary Godmother, such as dolls, action figures, or plush toys?

(JT) I’d love to do some merchandise for all of the characters. I’ve recently dabbled in embroidered patches of some of them and I’m looking into creating plush toys, statues, figurines, and other items. I have a sketchbook full of designs I’d love to see made.

Author Interview from HarperCollins Publishers: Jill Thompson on Magic Trixie

Order now at Amazon.com:
Magic Trixie (Canada)
Magic Trixie (US)
Magic Trixie Sleeps Over (Canada)
Magic Trixie Sleeps Over (US)
Magic Trixie and the Dragon (Canada)
Magic Trixie and the Dragon (US)

Magic Trixie is distributed by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollinsCanada and HarperCollins Publishers. For more information on the book series and its author, visit the Magic Trixie and Jill Thompson websites. Jill Thompson may also be followed on Twitter.