A Tribute to Artie Simek

If you're a fan of Silver Age comics, then there's a decent chance that you've seen the work of Artie Simek, a prolific Letterer for both Marvel and DC in the 1950s and '60s. Not the most celebrated member of the famous Marvel Bullpen, you don't really hear Simek get mentioned in the same breath as Lee and Kirby, or even Ditko or Sterenko, but odds are, if you own a Marvel comic from the 1960s (real or reprint), Simek worked on it. For those who don't know, Lettering was the job in which someone had to write all the letters on every page of a comic before typesetting was advanced enough to handle the speed and precision that comics needed. Seriously, look at a page of just about any comic from the era and imagine having to hand print every single letter, often quickly because of the time pressure to get issues out, then imagine doing work, often uncredited, on almost every issue of Marvel Comics.

Look, I'm not going to make this a piece about how early comics staff were exploited, we all know that, and Simek passed away in 1975, so getting mad at people who are mostly dead for doing what was standard in the industry at the time, even if it was grossly unfair, because it's kind of pointless at the end of the day. Instead, let's just take some time to appreciate a man who contributed so much to a medium we love. As well as lettering probably hundreds of classic comics, including most of the Lee/Kirby run of Fantastic Four, Simek is the guy who did most of the large sound effect balloons and had a hand in designing the famous Banner Titles on the covers of comics, including Fantastic Four and Marvel Two-In-One. In many ways, Simek contributed to the iconic look of many Marvel comics as much as Kirby, Ditko and the bullpen of artists churning out 12 cent funny books back in the day.

So do I have a broader point with all this? Yes and no. I think it's important to cover the lesser-known people who worked on comics back in the days when the medium was coming together and building the foundations that would eventually lead to them dominating the world of entertainment. Lettering is something that you probably don't consider all that much when reading an old comic, and whilst we can't retroactively make things better for Simek and those like him, appreciating the work that they did a little more is worthwhile. Lettering must have been a crummy job, hunched over a desk in his bedroom in Queens, but Simek was evidently a really jovial and friendly guy, working right up to the end bringing to live a form of entertainment that was considered juvenile and disposable right up until well into my own lifetime, but that people loved and internalised to a degree that has brought it into the fore half a century later. Damn impressive if you ask me.

Superhero Media: Tron Evolution

Well this particular piece of Tron media took me a while, but that's only because Tron Evolution is a terrible game and I kept putting it down in disgust. I know I don't normally review gameplay and design when I look at Video Games here, focusing instead upon narrative and character, but Tron Evolution was so clunky and poor to play that it really was my main take away from my experience. Set on what I can best describe as the Tron version of "The Night of the Long Knives", when Clu makes a grab for power, starts slaughtering the Isos and attempts to kill Flynn. Now, as far as stories for a Tron video game go, that's a pretty solid pitch, add to that the presence of Olivia Wilde and Bruce Boxleitner in voice roles and the game had real potential to be something great. But there is just this cascade of poor choices discernible behind Tron Evolution that sucks any joy out of the finished product. For starters, the protagonist is 'The Monitor', a security program with no dialogue and no personality.

Why aren't I playing as Tron? Seriously, you have Boxleitner in the recording booth and I'm fighting Clu for most of the game, why isn't Tron the protagonist? It really wouldn't have been more than a narrative and dialogue change, so why am I 'The Monitor', who, spoiler alert for a PS3 game, dies at the end of the game, when Clu being captured and turned into Rinzler would have had more impact? Secondly, clearly a great deal of effort has gone into depicting the landscapes and buildings of the Grid, but you never really get to explore it, instead using parkour to get from one fight to the next and only really seeing anything interesting in background. Sections where you get to drive a Lightcycle or Light Tank are interesting, but the controls are wonky and the sections are, again, very linear. Hell, there's not even a light-cycle battle at any stage, which is just a waste of the setting and history of the franchise. Seeing the events that lead to Tron Legacy played out is great, but without any real engagement with the setting, it doesn't feel grounded and any impact is lost.

I know Tron is a weird franchise to want more and better versions of, but as we've discussed here previously, I think there's a great deal to be found within what's there. Tron is antifascist, it's anti-corporate, it's Dionysian and it's radical in a way few family films, especially those made by Disney, tend to be. The narrative is heroic, though in terms of talent, not destiny, with Flynn's intellect and skills at video games being what enables him to defeat Master Control. It's odd that one of the best film series about video games doesn't have a whole series of video game tie-ins, as it's an immediate excuse to get around ludonarrative dissonance, has an iconic look and a banging soundtrack by Daft Punk. Oh yeah, Tron Evolution doesn't use the Daft Punk music, but some odd sound-alike version which is pretty terrible, again, what an odd choice given what was available. Hopefully there is more for Tron, Clu and Flynn in the future, hopefully better than this and hopefully not too far away.

Playing Marvel United

Well I'm way behind on getting to this one, but I finally got a chance to play Marvel United, a board game series that I probably would have collected pretty hard if I hadn't found Unmatched. Thankfully, I have a gaming friend with poor impulse control who works for a rival FLGS, and he seems to have plenty for us to mess around with. For those that don't know, Marvel United is a cooperative board game featuring almost every Marvel superhero you can probably think of. The minis are "SD" or chibi style and different enemies change up how the game flows.

So, of course, for the first game, I picked the best Avenger, Hawkeye (Clint Barton) as Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) wasn't available and there isn't a heroic version of Doctor Doom currently available.

See, they're pretty cute, right? I'm not sure I'd want to paint an entire set in that cartoony style, and some look better than others, but that's definitely Clint Barton. I probably would have liked a more Fraction/Aja version in tracksuit pants and a bandaged face, but I won't be mistaking him for anyone else.

Our first game was against Ultron, who kicked our butts, but that may have been my fault, as I didn't know how the game worked and kept saying "this looks bad" and calling everyone "bro". But the great thing about games like Marvel United though, is that we can reset and get going again quickly.

This time, I decided to play Jessica Jones, who looks pretty naff really, but I guess that'll happen when you don't really have a costume. We did better that game, against Onslaught of all people, narrowly losing on the last couple of card flips, which tends to happen with these kind of games.

For the final round, against Loki, I played as Blade, with the rest of the team being Squirrel Girl, Howard the Duck and Shadowcat, which turned out to be a pretty brutal combination, except poor Kitty, and we mopped up the God of Mischief in short order. Marvel United is a lot of fun, though I probably prefer other co-op games like the D&D series, Sentinels of the Multiverse or Pandemic. The minis are cute, but not really usable for other games, unlike my Unmatched characters. If you wanted a fun collection and a game to play with friends that scratches your obscure Marvel character itch (there's Alpha Flight!), then this is probably the game for you.

Superhero Media: Kirby's Adventure

Although I don't review all that many video games on here, I am conscious of the fact that there is really only so far back I can go with the medium. The 1990s saw dozens of superhero-themed "brawlers" released to consoles and arcades, but most lack any real story, so I don't see myself ever bothering with them here. As they are intended as a lead-in for younger gamers, the Kirby series tend to be pretty light on story in general, but the earliest ones especially don't have a lot going on. I can't see ever covering Kirby's Dream Land for example, as the game is really short and the narrative is essentially "King Dedede steals all the food, so Kirby goes to get it back". The reason I actually want to cover Kirby's Adventure (from the Nintendo Entertainment System), is that it is basically the origin of many of the narrative elements that would go on to define the series for years to come. Kirby "lore" is surprisingly deep, but only really between the lines, as there is a lot there, but a great deal of it has to be teased out. For this game, a creature known as Nightmare arrives in Dream Land, and it's up to Kirby to save the day, especially as Dedede has absconded with the Star Rod.

Who and what is Nightmare? Well, that's not super clear, it seems to be a manifestation of the concept of nightmares? And it's come to Dream Land because, at this stage, Dream Land is directly linked to dreams, rather than just being the name of a region on planet Pop Star. Or is it? Here the odd nature of Kirby canon can be a real boon to writing games and scenarios as well as an annoying issue. Perhaps Dream Land could be something like Marvel's Siege Perilous or Nexus of All Realities? That would explain why Kirby, the infant Star Warrior has arrived there rather than anywhere else in the universe, and why Elder Gods, Machine Intelligences and Planet-eaters keep turning up. Kirby's Adventure is also the first appearance (essentially) of Meta-Knight, the last Star Warrior, who is a nasty boss, but is also clearly trying to help and mentor Kirby through parts of the game. Even Dedede has shifted to more of a "friendly rival" stance, with his stealing of the Star Rod being his wrongheaded attempt to keep it away from Nightmare.

If any of this lore and worldbuilding sounds interesting, just be careful before you jump right on YouTube and start searching because, of course, adult men have read way too much into the Kirby games and there are plenty of Lovecraftian takes on what lore is there. And, look, I have enjoyed that kind of thing in the past, and will probably go to that well with my own Ultimate Alliance narratives and games in the future, but the entire concept is a little silly, like a "dark and edgy" reboot of The Smurfs or something. The Kirby series works really well as it is, and takes very little readjusting to fit in with something like Guardians of the Galaxy or Ratchet & Clank, so even if you want the Annihilation Wave or Lady Styx invading Pop Star, you could probably pull it off, though I don't like their chances. Seriously, Kirby has killed Elder Gods, Annihilus is just fucking done if he takes on Dream Land. I wish we got more of these games, or at least the older ones were easier to get a hold of.

Miniatures Finished: Unmatched - Battle of Legends Volume 1

Slowly painting through my growing Unmatched collection continues with "Battle of Legends - Volume 1", not quite the first set in the series, but essentially a "core" in many ways. Although most of the characters in the set are considered pretty weak by now, excepting Alice, this is kind of the foundation of how the Iello sets would look and play. And personally I like playing Sinbad, even if he's swingy.

Medusa, King Arthur, Alice and Sinbad

I much prefer painting the Iello characters to the Marvel ones, as I have the fun little challenge of using a colour palette that matches the assigned base ring for the model. Plus I already own a whole lot of superhero and pop culture miniatures for my Ultimate Alliance stuff, so Unmatched focusing on Mythological and Literary characters kind of tickles my fancy in just the right way.

Superhero Media: Spiderman

Emissary from Hell, Spiderman! Yes, you may know Spiderman (note the lack of hyphen) as either Japanese Spider-Man or Spuidaman, depending on where you first heard about it, but the title is Spiderman in the opening credits, so I'll be sticking to that. Our story begins when aspiring professional motorcycle racer Takuya Yamashiro is caught up in the centuries-old battle between the Planet Spider and the Iron Cross Army, led by Professor Monster. After the death of his father at the hands of the Iron Cross Army, Takuya encounters Giaera, the last survivor of Planet Spider, who gifts the young man his blood so that he may become Spiderman! With his new suite of powers, as well as the supercar Spider-Machine GP-7 and the transforming spaceship Marveller, Takuya is ready to battle evil. Up against him are the Iron Cross Army, with legions of soldiers, Amazoness and her increasingly-terrible wigs and a plethora of cyborg monsters known as Machine Bem. It's pretty fucking amazing.

Like most Sentai and Toku, Spiderman is pretty repetitive, and you really don't need to watch all 41 episodes like I did to get the feel of it, but it really is a lot of fun if you can stick with it. Although Super Sentai technically predates Spiderman, this series codified many of the themes and tropes that would become the standard in the genre, such as giant robots, transforming vehicles and enemies growing giant in the climax. Although you can jump into pretty much any episode of Spiderman and not have to worry about continuity, there is some development over the course of the series, such as the Iron Cross army suspecting that Takuya is Spiderman, Spiderman working with INTERPOL and a recurring Youth Detective Club. Should you just want to check out a few episodes of Spiderman, the first four and last two do quite well, with a surprisingly solid climax that sets an injured and desperate Takuya against the last vestiges of the Iron Cross Army. It's pretty damn solid given the genre and era.

Despite being reasonably obscure outside of Japan, the internet has, almost miraculously, brought Spiderman back into the cultural consciousness. Aside from appearing in the Spider-Verse comic crossover event, Spiderman has been referenced in cartoons, video games and is set to appear in an animated film. Naturally, I've had one in 28mm for a while, though I'd be up for an Amazoness and Professor Monster if I could get them, and it's an easy conversion if you want someone other than Peter Parker filling out the red and blue for a few games. Hopefully, Spiderman is here for many years to come, and Takuya takes his rightful place alongside other alternatives like Miles, Gwen, Miguel and Ben, because he really is just as good and deserves more exposure. It may seem like a big ask, but go track some Spiderman down and give it a watch, trying to push past your cultural expectations and aversion to rubber suits and see what's there. It's not a great programme, but it's bloody interesting and certainly good enough to fill up a slow afternoon.

Ultimate Alliance - China: Part VIII

Hidden deep in the wilds of China's mountain ranges, the massive underground complex which housed The Most Perfect Science Division hummed like a city, for indeed it was. Intended to preserve superior Chinese technology in the event of global catastrophe, the staff of the complex would often not leave for years, telling friends and family that they worked overseas or on isolated ships. The complex housed everything the Party deemed necessary to a productive and healthy life, including an arboretum and a small zoo, including mostly endangered species native to the mainland. Children occasionally were born and grew up in the complex, though those sired without prior approval were taken away to be raised by the state and the parents suitably punished for their indiscretion. The management of the complex was difficult and expensive, but seen as utterly necessary for one of its outputs; the complex provided China with superhumans.

From multiple iterations of the Crimson Dynamo to many of the now all-but-defunct Great Ten, The Most Perfect Science Division had provided their nation with the superhumans needed to compete with the Western "heroes" for decades. Despite having gained his powers through training and study, Most Accomplished Perfect Physician was well familiar with The Most Perfect Science Division, and had no need to follow the broad route lines painted on the floor to help people find various divisions and facilities. Walking along with Most Accomplished Perfect Physician was a sextet of generals and high-ranking Party members, mostly engaged in a circular and pointless argument about the current superhuman conflict in Hong Kong. Every member of the group had a strong opinion they felt the need to voice, though Most Accomplished Perfect Physician noted silently that none had a genuine idea of how to resolve the crisis.

A final, long corridor brought the group to one of the most secure labs in the complex, though technically it existed on its own separate branch that tunneled deep into the mountains. Although the majority of the labs in the complex gave aesthetics over to functionality, this particular one could only be described as deliberately brutalist, calling to mind incarceration more so than research. In many ways the lab was a prison, designed to resist all but the most powerful assaults from both without and within, as it was this very lab where the most powerful members of the Chinese Superheroes were created. The current occupant, the latest incarnation of the Crimson Dynamo (occasionally known as Socialist Red Guardsman) was the focus of the impending meeting, though fixed as he was to a repair rig, he made for a less than impressive sight, despite the bulky armour and ominous red glow.

After a moment of reverent silence, the argument of the generals reached fever pitch, squabbling like children over the need to deploy the new Crimson Dynamo in Hong Kong to stop Inframan and settle the riots once and for all. To describe the option as "nuclear" was not unwarranted, with the latest few iterations of the Dynamo being atomically powered with technology reverse-engineered from observations of the Atomic Robo; it was, in many ways, literally a walking bomb. Accomplished Perfect Physician noted that any scientists, technicians and other civilian personnel had faded to the far side of the room so as to not catch the attention of any of the Generals, having learnt from past mistakes that being the voice of reason was only something that worked in terrible American cinema.

In a style typical for compartmentalised bureaucracy, with which Accomplished Perfect Physician had become intensely familiar since joining the Great Ten, the generals weren't arguing over weather or not they would deploy Crimson Dynamo, that had already been decided, the man/machine hybrid would be going in. The sticking point was as to whom would be taking responsibility for the destruction and all-but-guaranteed civilian casualties that would result from a major superhero fight in a populated area. If things went wrong, like Dynamo getting out of control, the Western superheroes getting involved, or a nuclear incident on what was considered Chinese Soil. Watching the argument circle in the reflection of the Crimson Dynamo's face-plate, it took Accomplished Perfect Physician a moment to register that the 'pilot' had woken up and was silently watching the proceedings. They locked eyes through the red-tinted porthole for what felt like an eternity.