Velleity Studios, Independent Comic Creators

The storytelling in comics is appealing. Ever since the Famous Funnies or the earlier comics from Europe comic books have employed a unique method in that make the story fun and enjoyable. This goes from the daily three-panel cartoon to the full length graphic novels and comic books. These aren’t children’s books. They are more complex and deal with stories with great depth.

Fans of this media I know have told me how it would be fun to make a book. Some have an idea that has been rolling around in their thoughts for years, or even a recent flash of inspiration. While others would like to create shorter books called ashcans as a hobby. Some aspire to make it a career. It’s a question of how to get the knowledge and experience.

Chris Hoffman and Andrew Malin of Velleity Studios (website) have some ideas on developing your talents learning how to become a comic book creator. Velleity Studios is an independent comic book publisher in Salt Lake City that wants to support the dreams people have of developing their own stories in this wonderful format. They are comic book creators themselves and wouldn’t mind gaining huge recognition for their work. But, a large part of what they are doing is helping others get into the field. And, they their work gives them credibility.

Velleity Studios is a new company because of their work on Ruthless (When tragedy strikes, do you become a hero? Or do you become...Ruthless). However, these authors have been creating comic books for almost a decade and have been comic book fans going back to the days of working at Comics Utah and before. Their experiences provide a base of knowledge they are willing to share with others.

Velleity Studios, in part, is a platform where you can get your feet wet. They have a collaborative writing group that is open to those who are interested in creating comic books as a writer, and artist, or both. From past and current experiences of working in higher education, they want to share with others and develop the creativity they have found in the broader community.

Chris explained there is no one way to create a story for a comic book. It is a matter of finding a style best suited to the person or people working on it. That is the basis for the collaborative setting they use. People get together and bounce ideas off each other. They help each other through the rough points. And they share their experiences to help bring everyone along to the level each person want to go to.

This is like the writing groups I’ve been involved with. A safe sharing space for ideas and growth. Not everyone wants to make it big, and it’s not a requirement. You also don’t have to know every aspect of what needs to be done. One person may have a story they want to develop while another wants to do the art. In fact, comics for the most part are collaborations.

You are welcome to join them in creating comic books, but they’re not sitting and waiting. Ruthless started them as a new company and they are continue to create with Banana Panic!, Gull, Salt City Strangers, and others. They’re not limiting themselves to comics either. Right now they are finishing a Kickstarter campaign for the game, Daring Heroes: The Golden Age. An action card game of super heroics in the classic style.

Check out Velleity Studios (website, Facebook, and Twitter). You can also find their work at Dr. Volt Comic Connection (website), who they were sharing booth space with at Salt Lake Gaming Convention 2018 (website) where I met them.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Incredibles 2, Movie Review

Incredibles 2 has received a broad range of reviews, which isn't surprising. There is a broad range of people seeing the movie and reviewers are part of the audience. I saw Incredibles 2 knowing this was a movie, like so many lately, with a strong base of love and hate. Both sides are correct with their analysis of the movie. It all comes down to what you are looking to get out of it.

I am sure there are going to be parts from here on out that some will see as spoilers.

The Downside

Incredibles 2 was close to a remake of the first movie, just with a role reversal. Supers are still outlawed. This time Elastagirl is recruited instead of Mr. Incredible. Things fall apart when Elastagirl is taken by the villain, Screenslaver. Mr. Incredible runs to her rescue, to then be rescued by the family. Sound familiar?

Along with the plot being predictable there are holes. If this was a book, I don't think it would have made it past the editor. There is a certain level of suspension of disbelief required in all fiction. Incredibles 2 seemed to break from its own level of suspension requiring a second level to make the story more exciting. Not so much as to make it work, but a feeling of, "It would look neat to do...."

The down side culminates in a weak story. With the time between the two movies, I would have hoped for a story that built from the last. Instead, I felt like I was getting a retelling.

The Upside

Incredibles 2 is fun movie to get lost in. Picking up with where the first movie ended brings you right back into the story with the memories of what had happened. It keeps with the same look of a "futuristic 60s" that was so prevalent in the movies created in the 50s and 60s. And, there also homage paid to the cartoons of the time.

The gender role reversal and the issues faced by the characters were reminiscent of the older movies and the time. I heard a complaint that new math wasn't around then, but it was because I remember going through it.

I think they hit their real target audience. Some of the rants against the movie I heard were from people who saw The Incredibles when it came out 14 years ago when they were younger kids. Now they are adults, not young adults, but adults. Here is a movie with a Super with the power to "throw up" burning bile. The children may not have caught onto his name when he presents himself and makes a joke about it, but they liked it when they saw him in action. That younger crowd is the audience this movie was truly aimed at, with enough woven in to satisfy many of the returning fans. This is very much in the style of the parent studio and the movies they have done for generations.

The audience I sat with enjoyed the movie. This was a mixed crowd of older and younger. Throughout the movie I heard younger members around me cheering and calling out. They were excited and were having fun. That fun spread, it’s hard not to have a good time when you hear children enjoying themselves.

Overall

Incredibles 2 is a summer family, fun movie that children are going to love. Just like the first one. The main level of humor is set for the younger ones, but there are also lines and setting that are just for the adults. Not because they are adult humor, but because they are more complex in the setting and delivery.

The main theme continues from the first Incredibles of the strength of the family. Family members go through problems. They pull together when needed and help each other individually and as a group. It also builds the concept that there is strength in the family.

I give Incredibles 3 ½ out of 5.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Wonder Woman, Movie Review

My wife bought tickets in advance to see Wonder Woman. For people who don't know my wife this doesn't mean much. But for those who do, this is big. My wife is not into geek culture, and for her to want to see a comic book hero movie tells me there is a lot of expectation. In short, we enjoyed the movie and I recommend it. However, expectations are double-edged. I know others who had expectations for Wonder Woman and felt let down by the production. It really came down to what was expected.

Wonder Woman is a character driven story. The hook at the beginning of the movie ties in with the last DC movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which for one friend was the first nail in this movie's coffin (they brought forth their dislike of that movie and started applying it). Once the tie in is made, we are taken back into Diana's origin. The first section of the movie shows her growing up and training. Because she grew up in isolation from the rest of the world, this is not an action sequence.

The fight scenes are restrained. This is not to say there aren't any, there are, and they do some amazing special effects. But, the scenes play out in a shorter time frame than other movies in the genre. This allows for the story to move along and cover a lot without getting so closely tied into how the fight went.

Characters are portrayed for the time frame of the movie. Two people who expressed their displeasure of the movie was because to them Diana wasn't the character they grew up with from the Justice League cartoons. They wanted a strong, intelligent leader. Instead you are presented with a naive woman who is discovering the larger world of men after four years of World War I. She is still presented as a strong woman upholding the ideals she has grown up with, she is faced with the atrocities of war. She is forced to face her own standards and come to a decision of what she is willing stand, and fight, for.

The characters are true to themselves throughout the movie. The on-screen work of acting, directing, editing, all worked well together to present character who are relatable and gain the sympathy of the viewer. Several people I know expressed how the story presented brought them to emotional states, drawing them deeper into the characters and the movie. Good acting is needed for this to work and actors need good writing.

The story is well written. I noticed some wonderful foreshadowing that set up later parts of the movie. Along with that there are false leads and a good twist that kept me guessing. I had an idea of what was coming, but not enough to make the ending obvious.

The thematic elements were carried throughout the movie. This is one of those elements of story that lies beneath the storyline. It gives the story a feeling of wholeness. When we left the theater that is what I had. Yes, I know there is another movie coming with Wonder Woman, hopefully more than one. But, this story stands on its own.

We did not leave the theater on an adrenaline high, or fatigue, from the past paced action movie that many of come to expect from a comic book based movie. We left on a high from feeling good that there is a chance to overcome the bad in the world and do something worthwhile to help one another.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad