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Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Science Of Not Having Your Own Ideas
If you are not creative, it doesn't mean you can't create. The way to do it is to take things that were once popular and update them by adding whatever new technical gadgets people use, add Rock 'N' Roll or Rap, add any kind of passing trend to it and not only get the concept wrong but get the trends themselves wrong and piss everyone off equally.
It seems to me it would cost a lot less and be a lot safer just to hire actual creative people who make entertaining characters naturally, rather than taking old characters and undoing what made them popular in the first place.
Here's an article to show you how executives think. It also shows that anyone on earth can be an executive....except someone with talent and ideas.
Warner Brothers hopes to "reinvigorate and reimagine" Bugs Bunny and Scooby-Doo through a new virtual world on the Internet,
Strawberry Shortcake, part of a line of scented dolls, now prefers fresh fruit to gumdrops, appears to wear just a dab of lipstick (but no rouge), and spends her time chatting on a cellphone instead of brushing her calico cat, Custard.
This is double irony. Strawberry Shortcake-a cartoon based on a line of greeting cards; something that never had any integrity to begin with is now being watered down even further.
"I love classic Mickey, but he needs to evolve to be relevant to new generations of kids," Robert A. Iger, Disney's chief executive, said in an interview.
"You want a dark, Goth version of Tweety Bird? Have at it," said Lisa Gregorian, executive vice president for worldwide marketing at Warner Brothers Television.
Thanks to James McEwan for this article!
114 comments:
- Captain Napalm said...
That is the funniest and most disturbing thing I have ever read. "Fruit-Forward" is my new favorite piece of Dadaist exective-speak.
- Jamie said...
awww but I liked my Earring Magic Ken....
- MasterK said...
OMG, these spinoffs are so pathetic. I like the part about how they all get the trends wrong anyways so it pisses everyone off equally. Meanwhile, kids still love classic Looney Tunes. Hmmm...
- Miguel said...
So truthful, John...
Unfortunately that crap distorts the image that younger and missinformed generations have of the classics of Animated cartoon. Just for greed and lazyness.
- Robert said...
But it's so much easier to just reuse old characters. That way you don't have to come up with a decent story. The drones will simply flock to see these "new" characters based off the success of their predecessors. Oh yeah, and lets not forget, "children" are better off if they are feed the filtered version of content under the guise of political correctness. You know, because only kids watch cartoons...
- Charlie J. said...
"Warner Brothers struggled to make the Looney Tunes characters relevant to modern children, and introduced futuristic-looking "descendants" of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and others in a television series in 2005. But many parents hated the "Loonatics," which had mohawks and menacing eyes."
Hmm, menacing eyes and mohawks? Maybe they hated them because the show was a piece of shit!
I love how they can boil their failures down to retarded statistics.
- Adam T said...
I enjoyed this little quote...
"It's a terrible world, and modern parents are trying to cocoon their kids as much as possible," said Alfred R. Kahn, chairman of 4Kids Entertainment, which also manages franchises like Pokémon and the Cabbage Patch Kids. "What better way to protect them than wrapping them in nostalgic brands?"
Yes keep kids bored and ignorant until they go off to college. Alfred R. Kahn is a monster.
- Jim Rockford said...
"I love classic Mickey, but he needs to evolve to be relevant to new generations of kids," Robert A. Iger, Disney's chief executive, said in an interview"
Its this type of mindset thats destroying our society.
Rather than discouraging mindless trends,and degenerate behavior we seek to cash in on them.
We are catering to degenerates.
So does this mean well soon be seeing Gangsta' Mickey with the butt of a gun hanging out of the back of his baggy pants?
Why not Waner Bros. already "pimped out" Bugs and the gang with ghetto clothes and bad ass attitudes,so why not Disney?
How else will our worthless inner city gang bangin' youth be able to relate to him?
Mickey needs to "put a cap" in donalds ass and dream of becoming a famous rapper to "be keepin' it real"
How about queer mickey,they can sell shirts with him and goofy exhanging vows.
Chip and Dale always did seem a little to "happy"...and what about their obsession with having nuts in their cheeks?
maybe Iger will "out" them.
We just keep lowering the bar!
I personally was never much on Disney anyway,but at least they once projected a wholesome image and made family movies with traditional values.
Now they are nothing but brazen money chasing whores.
mention Disney to todays generation and they conjure up images of Britney Spears,and hanna montana.
Apparently Disney thinks its great to encourage 13 year olds to aspire to be "rock stars" and future Paris Hiltons.
- Booo Tooons Ltd. said...
I am now OFFICIALLY never having kids. Not because I hate kids, but because this is so depressing, I actually want to commit suicide.
Wait, no. I should just kill executives.
Bill Hicks was right. "Kill yourselves ( marketers ). There's no rationality for what you do, you are lowering the standards of this planet, you are fucked and you are fucking us, it's the only rational thing to do: kill yourself".
We should do a market research driveby.
- trevor.
- Mattieshoe said...
What kind of idiot thought up "Action Adventure Looney tunes"?
Not only does it shame the past of the WB, but it's simply horrible marketing.
if you're going to try and "Cash in" on a popular franchise, you should at least try to imitate what was popular about it.
At least Tiny Toons tried to target Looney Tunes fans by imitating what most people like about them (the comedy, the Irreverence), but why would anyone who likes Looney Tunes give a shit about an Anime Action-Packed 'Drama' like "Loonatics"??
I though Execs were just ignorant,
But no. they're flat-out stupid.
- FinnFactory said...
For the most part I agree with your assessment - why fix it if it ain't broke BUT let's not forget the characters that were changed and by doing so made better...THE SIMPSONS, even MICKEY and THE HULK, oh wait -- not that one.
"It's a terrible world, and modern parents are trying to cocoon their kids as much as possible," said Alfred R. Kahn, chairman of 4Kids Entertainment, which also manages franchises like Pokémon and the Cabbage Patch Kids. "What better way to protect them than wrapping them in nostalgic brands?"
Yes, even though this Kahn guy is the chairman of the anime crapshoot known as 4Kids, he's got a point. If politically correct soccer moms didn't try keeping kids away from real life and try to "soften it up" with the crappiest cartoons and Disney sequels imaginable, maybe we wouldn't have idiot spinoffs, horrible cartoons, and sludge-spewingly horrible Disney sequels.
And yet, something tells me that within a few years...it's going to get worse. Much, much worse. And that's just looking at this in a positive perspective.
By the way, looking around on the Internet, I found the Scooby Doo remake.
Search "Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue!" on Google Image and shield your eyes.
"We should do a market research driveby.
- trevor."
I'm with him on this one.
- Mattieshoe said...
And I thought the couldn't get any uglier.
- Jim Rockford said...
"Wait, no. I should just kill executives"
Why not?,they're already dead inside anyway,and I dont think they have souls,so would it couldnt be considered murder,could it?
I agree,it would sure suck to be a kid in todays world.
Why do the classic characters need to be updated...dont todays kids understand "FUNNY"?
- Mattieshoe said...
Something else I don't get is why Today's kids have have to "Relate" to Cartoon characters in order to like them.
Kids in the 40s loved Looney Tunes, and they didn't go around doing wild takes and dropping Anvils on each other.
- HemlockMan said...
- Sven Hoek said...
I read this article yesterday and was sickened by the lack of imagination of these executives. They have run out of talented, creative people to steal from and just decided to ruin the property they still own before they bankrupt their companies.
Hey, cartoon execs, if you want to appeal to the kids of today, get some plastic surgery and a lobotomy, hell it couldn't hurt your work any. You want to make good cartoons that people will like and will make some money, let creative people create and get out of their way!
Bunch of unimaginative, useless, greedy morons.
- JonnyPlank said...
Okay... I may have more modern tastes, but even I'm repulsed by those comments, and the shows they produce.
A tribute is one thing and a spoof is another, but this sort of logic is a farce.
- JonnyPlank said...
Um... Adding on to my other comment...
Some of you guys are missing something. Most of these shows run for a season or two, and then they scrap them. That's because NOBODY likes these shows. It's video game style marketing.
Make something cheap and easy in a short period of time, allow what creativity you can without taking foreseeable risks, hype it up, sell it, repeat. They don't want to entertain. Entertainment is the furthest thing from their minds. They aren't making art, they're making a product.
They allow creativity, in the hopes of some how striking a chord with someone, and starting yet another phenomenon. But outside their main productions, they just make little things to stay afloat.
It's pure marketing, and everyone can see it. You guys are talking about the absolute bottom of the barrel garbage cartoons. EVERYONE hates them, except for three or four kids with very primitive tastes.
- pappy d said...
How long can they go on "improving their business plan"? Can profits really be maximized or will there always be an even more cynical asshole waiting in the wings?
Strawberry Shortcake used to be nice, but now that she's popular, she thinks she's "all that".
- Hryma said...
I think I'm going to be sick...
Now that I'm back, that's no Looney Tunes or Strawberry Shortcake!
Cellphone really? Aarrgghhh! *%#@$#!!!
Ok, I'll grant that she is a decent looking character and if I can't do any better then I shouldn't bag.
But it looks nothing like the original (tasteful. I wouldn't want to go anywhere near that new Strawberrie's shortcake!).
They could atleast change the name of that "Strawberry Shitcake" and put her in with one of those fairy cartoons that's on the tv now.
It is very very VERY depressing!
Is there a petition or a blog we can sign to put an end to this murder?
I want to take their job
and help stop this depression.
- Anthony Rizzo said...
If the executives are scared to take risks and they feel more comfortable rehashing and mining the old shows that were great, then how did the old great shows get made in the first place? At least one dude had to know what was up to allow them to be made. Tv is dead anyways since the internet, but just curious anyways...
- Joseff!!1 said...
WHAT THE HELL? GOTH TWEETY, does that chick even have kids, if she does either she doesnt pay attention to them, or they are little burocrats, but really what this article made me is laugh and get pissed at once.
- Jim Rockford said...
A lot of times even if a new show IS sucessful they are so stupid they still find a way to kick it in the head and kill it.
The folks at Nick are masters at that!
Ren & Stimpy is one example,
They rake in money on repeats of popular shows they cancel rather than investing in making new episodes and encouraging creativity.
And the reasons the come up with to censor shows are laughable and sometimes defy even the thinnest logic.
Nick execs actually censored an episode of "Angry Beavers" for using the phrase "shut up"!
They bleeped it out making it only funnier because it suggested the use of foul language!
Smart move,huh?
I heard they then cancelled it after they saw a proposal for the final episode in which the characters acknowleged they were cartoon characters in a show that was being cancelled.
This is the kind of stuff they tell us NOT to do in business school. When I'm CEO of Warner Bros. I'll be making some changes...AND more money.
- Adam T said...
Using market research to come up with ideas for cartoons is like asking a girl if you can kiss her.
- Roberto González said...
Well, we did see those images of Mickey like an UPA character, so I guess all periods have their trends.
Anyway this kind of thing normally applies to merchandising and maybe one tv series that is soon cancelled before they come back to the usual design. When WB did Space Jam and LT: Back In Action they used the traditional designs, sort of. The day they do a Loonatic feature for cinemas then I will be more worried.
I'm not totally against reusing old cartoons, but man, why can't they show some respect? I'd totally be in favor of the realization of a decent LT feature, for example. Is it so difficult to let some freedom for some talented people who actually cares about these characters? We wouldn't get Clampett quality, that's for sure, but maybe the characters could finally have a good homage in a feature film. But that's impossible, executives would turn everything into crap.
Also, this commentary is totally spot-on: "Something else I don't get is why Today's kids have have to "Relate" to Cartoon characters in order to like them. Kids in the 40s loved Looney Tunes, and they didn't go around doing wild takes and dropping Anvils on each other."
Very true. I was born in 1980 and I enjoyed Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse and nothing looked especially old-fashioned about them. And even if something looks old-fashioned,should kids be afraid of it? Should they be exposed only to the most modern trends?
The older the cartoon the edgier it seems to me and the more "true" modern it is. Political Correctness and "hip" trends are so dull and lame, they are not even modern or they are only modern during a couple of days.
- Taco Wiz said...
I hate today's shitty corporate reimaginings. I think that remakes should be made, but not like this. The characters shouldn't be updated to modern tastes. They should stay exactly the same. The only difference should be that instead of using telegrams, Bugs Bunny uses a cell phone. Small changes such as technology. Not personality and complete look!
- Mattieshoe said...
Just one more thing, John.
I think I've found the perfect anecdote to speperate you from guys like "Matt Groening", Seth Macfarline, and Dave Jeser.
"Ren and Stimpy wasn't 'trying' to be weird...It was JUST PLAIN WEIRD. Because John K is weird."
and of all places, I found this on the Toonzone forums.
- Michelle Klein-Hass said...
Stoooooopidity in action.
Warner Bros. should have retired the Looney Tunes after Mel Blanc died. If that had happened, we would not have been tormented by Space Jam, Back In Action, the Duck Dodgers TV series and the Loonatics TV series.
Meanwhile, The Iron Giant and Cats Don't Dance are largely unknown to all but the Cartoon Cognoscenti. Retards.
Besides, Disney revived Goofy the right way in "How To Hook Up Your Home Theatre System." At least Goofy had personality that they stayed true to...Mickey has always been a non-entity. At least Jimmy The Idiot Boy has some character outside of being your signature character, John. You can't say that about Mickey. Even in his heyday Mickey was a goody two-shoes non-entity. Bleah.
Mickey is a brand logo, not a character, and the kids of today know it. Dressing him up in saggin' jeans showing his boxers and draping tons of gold chains around his neck isn't going to change the fact that HE HAS NO PERSONALITY OF HIS OWN.
At least the classic Looney Tunes were personality-plus. That's one of the many, many reasons why the classic shorts are still fresh and new 60-70 years out.
- PCUnfunny said...
I don't give a crap about Strawberry Shortcake but when they screw with the Looney Tunes, I start eating human flesh. Thankfully, Loonatics was gigantic disaster.
- PCUnfunny said...
John this is OT but isn't it hilarous when a cartoony character design actually meets a bland one ?
Kingdom Hearts
- The Butcher said...
I'm speechless...
- Bwanasonic said...
I do seem to remember having a pretty keen sense of what was a *counterfeit* version of my beloved cartoon characters, even at an early age. I certainly could differentiate between the *real* Popeye, and the King features stuff, the lame Tom & Jerry vs. the good Tom & Jerry. Shemp versus Curley is one thing, but did anyone actually like Curley Joe? I'm not sure marketing should be completely reviled: Considering your audience, and the *context* in which your creativity is perceived has been a legitimate concern for artists since forever.
- Williaint said...
The nerve...
Yeah, it's kind of scary how it works. "Well, I can't see Character a_1 appealing to people, possibly because when I became executive I had no other plans but to become powerful. So, take a_1 and change it to b_1. It has the same principles because we say so."
- Rancid Ryan said...
That article made me want to puke; it disgusts me that these bastards are making so much money off these great characters (looney tunes I mean) and now have the nerve to screw with the characters themselves, that the great artists of the Golden Years created.
Shame, shame, shame. I see the same sort of crap happening over here in Oz.
- Timefishblue said...
It seems being an executive is like running a cargo cult.
- Jim Rockford said...
"Ren and Stimpy wasn't 'trying' to be weird...It was JUST PLAIN WEIRD. Because John K is weird."
All I can say is thank God for "weird"! considering what is considered "normal" nowadays I'd take that as a compliment!
- Dan Jackson said...
Patents didn't like "Menacing eyes and mohawks?" Wasn't that the reason kids loved Mr. T in the 80's?
I remember back in the early and mid 90's when the WB store was infesting malls, and kids in my high school were all wearing "Tuded" Taz and Bugs shirs... the ones where they were dressed in Kris Cross backward pants crap that was going on then. That was bad. Distasteful. Stupid.
Lunatics, on the other hand, was obviously the product of a mind affected by several generations of inbreeding.
Some things can be updated with out a problem...usually movies: John Carpenter's "The Thing", David Cronenberg's "The Fly"... even "Battlestar Galactica" had a fantastic update. Those were old idea that were given a boost by some very creative people.
So you'd think yo could do it easily with cartoons. John did pretty well with Mighty mouse, Yogi Bear, and the Jetsons (shame those last 2 didn't go on to start new series).
Trouble is, with cartoons, the "new" ideas aren't coming from good creative types who want to entertain.. they're coming from the marketing department.
I think marketers more often than not underestimate and misrepresent what kids want. Kids didn't ask for a Tudified futuristic version of Bugs. Hell, a 9 year old kid actually started a webpage to stop WB from releasing Lunatics called "Save our Looney Tunes".
Trouble is.. as long as execs who don't understand creative-types are in charge of the money, we're gonna have to deal with this "re imagining" problem over and over again.
- Jósel said...
"A Pup named Scooby Doo" looks brilliant compared to this!
- david gemmill said...
fruit forward. jesus christ that guy needs his balls stomped on. or maybe the more appropriate thing is to have someone punch his ovaries.
- Trevour said...
I thought Kingdom Hearts was a fun idea though: take a Final Fantasy game and throw Disney characters into it. It wasn't like any of the Disney characters in that game were re-invented. But I totally agree that classics like Donald and Goofy have way more depth and personality than any Anime-type Final Fantasy character ever will.
- Taber said...
JEEZE that hurt my soul... We can only hope that in the future all us up and coming creative people will be able to wrestle some sort of creativity back into cartoons!
Anyway, you're helping us to get educated John so many thanks even though the medicine hurts.
- mike f. said...
Well well well - welcome to my world, kiddies! The scariest thing about that article is the fact that it doesn't contain even a hint of irony. These people are dead serious.
I could tell you stories...
And it doesn't even stop with cartoons. What they did to Speed Racer, they're about to do to Maxwell Smart! I hope they use a condom this time...
- Timothy Merks said...
It's interesting choosing both the kingdom hearts and loonatics images.
Kingdomhearts did a great job(I've only played the first one) of really bringing out the core of what was good about the characters and the stories. Design wise Nomura did his thing. I dont mind his work to be honest. I cant say I like it on established disney characters but I've read enough comic books to get used to the different artists take on things.
Loonatics on the other hand, well I just watched a few bits and pieces on youtube and yeah...wtf. It's as painful as the new transformers animated. SO godawfully crap!
Oh I just saw those "The Bad Catholic girl Models" They were drawn amazingly!! What are these from?
- Brendan Body said...
Donald Duck as an S&M gimp? These people are geniuses!
Great post John, a point well made.
- Chloe Cumming said...
OK, having read the article only once and not really wanting to read it again, here were my main screaming logic problems with those executives: Firstly, the article admits that their focus group approved projects and funky brand re-energizations fail half the time anyway, for reasons they don't understand. At all. They have no understanding of anything. So what would be the harm in actually allowing someone somewhere in the process to actually be creative? Would it really make the odds of success any worse, even from a cynical no-integrity perspective?
And that business about 'wrapping them up in familiar brands' that's just wrong on so many levels. Firstly he's trying to make something completely amoral (milking tired shite) sound a bit moral (helping parents to 'protect' their children from the world's nastiness). Secondly that idea in itself is playing to a bad instinct in parents who were young in the 80s, to feed the child something familiar because 'familiar' is always safe and always conveys excellent values. By the 80s, hadn't this process of soulless sunglasses-adding watery 'tudenizing already started anyway? So we're now getting a 'more relevant' worse drawn worse designed more ill-conceived version of that? What are we trying to be relevant to?
'Cool' is such a false value. The concept was probably only culturally applicable for a short period in the late 50s or something. Aside from the fact that these people elevating cool are possibly the worst positioned people to identify what might actually be cool. And do kids really care about making things be gothic and have piercings anyway? Do they really think that might be the magic jackpot answer?
- NateBear said...
Wait wait, so they were making 2.5 billion dollars off the outdated Strawberry Shortcake, but that just didn't sound as cool as making 5 billion off a shiny new version that preys on baby money?
- Gabriele_Gabba said...
Eehh... These executives are everywhere it seems.. I'm really curious as to where exactly this whole recreation process began and why. And OH DEAR what's this about a gothic tweety? -Time to reconsider a brain implant!
- Chris said...
These executives are great. Their quotes make them sound like parodies of themselves. I do love the double irony of framing the story around Strawberry Shortcake. There's nothing good about her so there's nothing to ruin in the first place. I say give her a makeover every 10 years. Maybe you can kill her off and then retell her origin story like a comic book character. There's nowhere to go but up!
- Elliot Cowan said...
I think these are brilliant ideas and I commend all the dedicated and brilliant people who took the time and energy to contribute to such a worthwhile creative endeavor.
Three cheers for them I say:
- FinnFactory said...
Regarding Michelle's Comment --
"Mickey has always been a non-entity. At least Jimmy The Idiot Boy has some character outside of being your signature character, John. You can't say that about Mickey. Even in his heyday Mickey was a goody two-shoes non-entity. Bleah. Mickey is a brand logo, not a character, and the kids of today know it. Dressing him up in saggin' jeans showing his boxers and draping tons of gold chains around his neck isn't going to change the fact that HE HAS NO PERSONALITY OF HIS OWN."
I can't agree with it entirely. When Mickey originated, he was like many other characters, with faults. He tried to kiss Minnie, by force, when she didn't want to -- he threw a bird out a window that was annoying him. When it was decided that he would become the face of the company, he became Mr. Goody Goody. I remember reading that Walt would actually be a little jealous of Mickey's fame, as Mickey's name was even put on top of the Snow White Poster!
- StudioMMG said...
Anybody think Speed Racer: Next Generation is hip now?
(Complete with new rock theme song)
- pappy d said...
adam t:
"Using market research to come up with ideas for cartoons is like asking a girl if you can kiss her."
That's perfect. adam's just one of those guys who really know how to treat a muse.
Holy CRAP.
Fruit-forward?!? Goth Tweety?!? Earring Magic Ken?!? "Characters that don't shout out fruit"?!???!?
I found it hard to believe what I was reading.
They ask "Will modern children know what an old-fashioned trolley is?" They sure won't if you make them extinct!
- Freckled Derelict said...
OH god what a horror show. ugh those executives should be sterilized, no focus group needed!
- Whit said...
Mickey Mouse hasn't behaved like a real cartoon character since he stopped playing the teats on that musical sow in 1928. That gag was one of Walt's. Walt always had his finger on something, and once in a while the magic showed up on the screen. Walt's name for a silent screen romantic star in one of his old Kansas City pictures was "Rudolf Vaselino." Walt had a grip on base comedy at some molecular level, though he was arguably not as obsessed with bowel movements per se as Friz.
- Steve S said...
I love Kingdom Hearts...
- Sven Hoek said...
The harder they try to be cool the less they are. By the time they recognize the "cool, hip, groovy, radical, extreme" new trend or fad it's usually too late to ride it. So "Beating-a-dead-horse" passes for creativity and lazy slackers are Americas heroes. Yuck! Right back to the bottom end of the creativity cycle.
The cartoon world looked similar to this when John made "Ren & Stimpy" (execs without a clue in charge) and is the reason it was such a huge hit when it came out, because we were aching for it. I can feel the thirst for John's cartoons building. Hell, I'm parched. It's only a matter of time until one of those bones heads decides to give John another try, hell they have tried everything that doesnt work, they are bound to do something right by accident eventually.
Free John K.!!!!
- Frank Macchia said...
man oh man...nothing in the animation world ever pissed me off more than that loonatics show...such sacrilege...personally i think the looney toons characters need to be left alone...everytime they try to bring them back in live action movies, or crap like loonatics..it just kills the legacy of those classic looney tunes....honest to god...why not just keep the classic ones in syndication for new generations of kids to discover...i cringe at the idea that some kids first exposure to bugs bunny would be him as an "futuristic action hero"...in fact..ill cringe right now...*cringe*
- Chaplin said...
Did you ever see the Simpsons episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show"?
I feel we should Rasta-fy him by... 10 percent or so.
Brilliant satire on the way most cartoons are created today.
- JonnyPlank said...
trevour, I think you're confused. The later Final Fantasy games emphasize their plot. Although the series is still going because of marketing, the crews are left to do what they do best. That's why those games keep selling. That's why those games are still good.
The characters are far more developed in the form of a plot, over time. It's dramatic fantasy fiction. Just because it isn't funny doesn't make it "bad". There's a lot of different types of entertainment. I, for one, enjoy a good tragedy story.
The way cartoon characters and more serious characters are developed is different, though. Cartoon characters tend to be expressed entirely in the moment, through their actions, their expressions, the way they move, the way they look, etc. Dramatic characters are developed through their words, their actions over time, their interactions with other characters, the way their emotions are brought out.
Kingdom Hearts was a stupid fucking game, and I hated it. It was easy, it was boring, the characters were NOT developed properly, the main characters had nothing to do with FF or Disney, and the cartoony stuff always looked out of place in the FF environments. (Or vice versa) The whole game seemed thematically out of balance. I did not enjoy it.
That game only has the fandom it does, because of childish fangirls/boys who have a tendency to "fall in love" with a character like Sora or Riku. They're drawn in by the sheer fact that it's anime, and they're obsessed with the cliche garbage produced by/for american broadcast. (I call it americanime) They have no taste. They just want something brightly colored, emo, cliche and spiky-haired. And most anime fans, who seek out the really old stuff by the "masters", hate these fans. They just like it, because it's the stylish thing for american nerds to like.
That's what the anime guys are trying to do, to try and revive their industry. They're feeding off a trend, to try and make enough money to pay for what made their art god. But the problem isn't the money! Technically, the entire anime side of things has ALWAYS been in trouble! They're too busy trying to build a trend that will pay them, to realize that they've done animations at 15 fps (And lower in some scenes) and still done amazingly well!
- Larry Levine said...
It's been two decades & I'm still recovering from "Popeye & Son". I don't know which was worse: Popeye's updated Hawaiian shirt or that he & Olive reproduced???
- FinnFactory said...
this is getting heated - in a good way.
- Martin Juneau said...
Johnnyplank i agree with you. Many rabid fans being too obsessed with this characters because it's the Anime! They should make the difference between a real good Anime (60's to 80's) and the bastardised ones (90's-2000's). I notice in today's Animes it's always the same story with same cliches. They tried harder to be the more approach from the real world but they lose any integrity at the end. It's purely a piece of CRAP!
I remember giving a chance to Loonatics in his premiere but now i feel to disgusting this show even after his cancellation. I always dreamed to see action packaged Looney Tunes characters but now i'm disappointed because i learn why this characters are created. They supposed to be funny with slapstick moments and not a Anime garbage shit.
I hope only they don't updated Tintin, Haddock or Lucky Luke to emo or rappers. Eerrrk!
- Jay said...
Wow... you folks are incredibly conservative! All change is bad!
Here's a challenge, instead of bitching about crap that's out there, how about spreading the word about what's good?
- Taco Wiz said...
John. I know how you only like the art in cartoons, but I saw an episode of The Simpsons that completely mocks the idea of "coolness" and "trends" in cartoons. It's called The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show. I'd like you to watch that episode and use some of it's points to describe the issue of cartoon characters being modern, old ones or new ones.
P.S: I just saw the new modernization of Alvin and The Chipmunks that was made as a movie. IT'S HORRIBLE! IT WAS HORRRRRRRRRRIIIIIBBBLLLEEE!
- smackmonkey said...
I thought nothing could ever be worse than working on WB's "Loonatics". I cried like a pussy every day. Then, later on, I worked on Scooby/Shaggy "Get A Clue" and a little part of my soul shriveled and died. I thought to myself that nothing could ever be worse than this. Since I was wrong before, somebody PLEASE put a bullet in my brain so that I don't end up working on Low Fat Strawberry Flavored Snack Food Bitch.
The worst aspect of this executive-run animation business is the not the lack of creativity by the higher ups (though it's the root of most ills). Instead it's the plummeting financial returns that result from audience dissatisfaction and the corresponding decline in pay for the animation artist in general. It's hardly worth being creative even if you're given a chance.
- I'm Jon, just a guy. I try to smell good. said...
I love the Muppets... but i do blame the Muppet Babies success for all the Flintstone Kids, Pink Panther and Son and all that crap...
- Mitch L said...
Wow that loonatics sucks, glad I never seen that.
- JonnyPlank said...
Jay, we do spread the word of what's good... Or, at least, I do, in person. And John seems to be doing the same through his blog entries on how to do cartoons right.
The problem is that these (as John calls them) executives try to re-imagine the entire character. In essence, they take the name of a character people love, and put it on one who only vaguely resembles it's source. With each re-imagination, they're jumping series after series over the shark. And they've made a few do it several times. I like to think that Loonaticks somehow did a back flip over the shark. It allows me to derive some sort of pleasure out of it's existence, simply by allowing me to laugh at it.
I think these are brilliant ideas and I commend all the dedicated and brilliant people who took the time and energy to contribute to such a worthwhile creative endeavor.
Three cheers for them I say:
Elliot Cowan, I can only pray you're kidding. Please tell me you are. And, who said "Popeye and Son"? Really? Did it get down to THAT?
By the way, being a 90's born kid, I have some experience in bad spin-offs. Tom and Jerry Kids. Flinstones Kids. Muppet Babies. Baby Looney Tunes. A Pup Named Scooby Doo. I'm not surprised if those idiots at Cartoon Network are gettin' ready to do a "Gangsta Looney Tizzunes" spin-off. It'd be worse than Loonatics, and, sadly, that's actually not hard to do these days.
On a non-sequitur note, I seem to remember a crappy show called "Samurai Pizza Cats". Look it up some time.
- Manel said...
wtf, thats bugs bunny?????????
what the hell is going on?????
- Jay said...
The reaction here to Iger's suggestion that Mickey, a character unique only in his blandness, may be changed is knee-jerk conservatism.
Change is not inherently bad. Mickey could do with some honest motivation, something he never really had outside of Gottfredson's strips.
John's frequent contrast of past craft with modern "design-by-committee' junk is a useful teaching tool, but it make me despair for the future of cartoons.
- john muller said...
Well, it is possible to revive an old character and update them so they look more "modern," but very few get it right. One that really worked for me was The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, which incorporated the rubber-house animation and surrealism of early theatrical cartoons with a 90's version of "perverted, gross-out" humor. Interestingly enough, Felix still felt like Felix, even though he might have had a bit of 'tude.
- Joseff!!1 said...
good add on the Kingdom Hearts pic.
- PCUnfunny said...
Regarding Kingdom Hearts:
I thought the game play was good yet un-remarkable, you'll find the same style in any modern RPG. The characters were hollow and the story was so tedious and boring that it will put to sleep. Basically, they had one story that couldn't execute into an entire game so old Disney film plots were chopped up and stuffed in just to increase the length. In general, the game is a lazy effort that anime and game nerds have lapped up like booze.
Mike F. : Are you the only one in Warners markerting that gives a damn about the Looney Tunes ? :(
"Wow... you folks are incredibly conservative! All change is bad!
Here's a challenge, instead of bitching about crap that's out there, how about spreading the word about what's good?"
I agree 100% with Jay.
Why spend 24/7 bitching about cartoons you don't like when you can examine the traits of the ones you do like.
It's like if you met a person in real life, would you want one who constantly complained about the same old thing everyday or actually tried to enjoy life and have fun?
- andrewdmortlock said...
There is a way to get rid of the un-creative executive positions - never work for them. it sounds crazy yes, but the only way is a massive load of hard-work, save up your own money and make your own show. team up with other like-minded friends and make a collection of shows. Set-up a community based website (or if you save up enough money, a community cable channel) and make sure there are no strings attached anywhere. if you really are talented with interesting ideas, this will work.
To knock them off their thrones, we need a creative revolution, everybody with talent who care about kids more than buying jacuzzis, put in the effort and by-pass the middle men (you have to admit how ever they got in the middle in the first place is rather amazing).
- I.D.R.C. said...
Here's a challenge, instead of bitching about crap that's out there, how about spreading the word about what's good?"
John does plenty of posts about what's good about cartoons. The problem is that out of necessity they are usually about the distant past. This post is about why.
It's important to know how the enemies of fun operate. It tells you a lot about the world you inhabit. It's a lot like we are living in a world run by human replicant infiltrators with a secret anti-human agenda. You might due well to call it a corporatist agenda.
Killing them is probably not the answer. There are too many of them and more will just take their places, so in that regard I agree that you have to just ignore it, but that doesn't mean it should never be spoken about. We can only beat it with awareness and brains.
- Dan Jackson said...
fusy and jay:
Frankly, there's alot to bitch about, because there is an astronomical amount of crap out there.
It's rare that quality cartoons get made these days, and it's been a trend since the 70's. There's also a lot to enjoy too, and I think this blog tries to emphasize that as well. This blog is mostly about teaching about cartoons and animation through criticism of the form.
I think some people get their loins chafed when they hear criticism of anything. They think criticism is always meant to be purely negative, done by those who are purely conservative as an excuse to spit bile and be nasty, when that's usually not the case.
Yeah, pure complaining can get annoying at some point.. but some things just need to be pointed out. I think this blog does a decent enough job of providing some constructive criticism. It's heavily biased toward John's personal views.
I don't agree with everything John or the posters here think (there's some stuff I flat out disagree with), but I appreciate the discussion and point of view, because it inspires me to think more critically of my own work and improve it.
- Chloe Cumming said...
No one said that all change is bad. The point is fighting the false doctrine that all change is good.
I don't think most of us are conservative for the sake of being conservative. (Though that's clearly a loaded word.) And it's an easy slur to throw at someone in order to paint them curmudgeonly.
The point is having enough clarity to discern what's good and what is worthless, regardless of what era things come from. And not buying into the bonkers idea that anything that has apparent 'nowness' about it is by definition making 'progress'. Progress isn't a steady march forward. In order to make progress you HAVE to have discernment. Or to use a word that political corrected has made negative, you have to have discrimination. Or there's really no basis for saying or making anything.
And also, to Jay and Fusy, I don't know if either of you read this blog much, but John points out what's good about things that are good quite a lot. Probably most of the time. And pretty exhaustively.
Don't normally like to get into these sorts of arguments but what the heck.
- JoeyCee said...
Dayum...why I ask do these suits need to update stuff! SSC wasn't an animated character to begin with...now shes a BRATZ doll...instead of a cell phone give her eyepatch and a parrot for crisesake and make her a pirate while yer at it.
- JonnyPlank said...
Hey, John, I know you've already posted a new article, and the responses here are getting rather lengthy, and I dn't really know you as a person, (So have no right to request much) but I'd like to know something.
What modern cartoons do you like? It can't ALL be crap, because there will always be those who know what they're doing.
So, I'd like to know what modern cartoons you think DO work, and why you think they work. If anything, those shows could give us a better perspective of where to go in modern times.
I mean, yeah, you have to understand the past to make progress... But at the same time, we don't want to go backward in time. We want to bring what was good in the old cartoons, and augment it with new good things! We want to bring our own unique take on things into our work, and make it entertaining! Those old animators weren't as great as they are for being just like everyone else who came before them, after all!
I mean, look at your style. You have a different way of assembling your characters from the "masters" of old quite often. And your comedy style is different from just about everything out there. You've taken what was great about the old stuff, and put your own uniqueness into it. Seeing how other people have done it could be equally useful... And possibly more relevant to the REAL modern audiences.
- Lampshade said...
"Why spend 24/7 bitching about cartoons you don't like when you can examine the traits of the ones you do like."
If you actually read through at least one month worth of stuff in this blog. No, even one week of this stuff. Hell even actually READ the damn blog you'll find that John does plenty of that.
- Jim Rockford said...
"It's like if you met a person in real life, would you want one who constantly complained about the same old thing everyday or actually tried to enjoy life and have fun?"
WHAT??!! Thats a pretty wild overeaction!
I dont think you're grasping the context of these remarks!
I dont think anyone here sits around bitching about this 24 hours a day.
The comments are in direct reply to the topic of this post!
Besides the old saying "ignorance is bliss" should be noted.
Pretending a problem doesnt exist and prancing around through life like everythings sunshine and lollipops wont change the problem...stupidity NEEDS to be adressed and those responsible taken to task!
and YES maybe complaining about it on Mr.K's blog WILL make a difference.
Its out there on the internet for any media sloth to see and take note of! and yes,I am sure they secretly read this blog (even though some of us use big scary sounding words)
maybe seeing all this disent over thier crass marketing methods will cause them to stop and THINK (gasp!)
The subject of this post has obviously struck a chord with its audience!
- Jeff Read said...
Kingdom Hearts seems tailor-made for a particular kind of fangirl who exist in legion strength on DeviantArt.
They're maybe 15 or 16 years old and can't wait to get into animation school so they can go work at Disney on Cinderella IV: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boobsag. They absolutely lurve the blandness of Disney design and have notebooks full of Lion King fan art in which their mary sue fursona hangs out with Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa.
Not surprisingly they also lurve Final Fantasy, and the thought of emo prettyboys with too many zippers getting it on with each other gets them all twitterpated.
Combine the two, and you have an alchemical reaction of SAD and FAIL. But Square knows their fanbase and more importantly, how to milk them for money.
The first game was really quite fun to play, though.
"and YES maybe complaining about it on Mr.K's blog WILL make a difference.
Its out there on the internet for any media sloth to see and take note of! and yes,I am sure they secretly read this blog (even though some of us use big scary sounding words)
maybe seeing all this disent over thier crass marketing methods will cause them to stop and THINK (gasp!)"
Now that's a wild overreaction.
- Guy said...
JonnyPlank:It can't ALL be crap, because there will always be those who know what they're doing.
You're pretty naive.
Now that's a wild overreaction.
Well, actual cartoonists certainly pay attention, considering how enraged some of them get when you bring up the name "John K."
- Seamus said...
Holy crap...
I just YoutTube'd "Loonatics". I saw a segment from an episode. AND THERE WERE NO GODDAMN JOKES!! What the hell kind of cartoon doesn't have comedy?! What kind of world are we living in?! And do kids actually watch that shit?!
- Skid said...
Those executive types are too scared of creative people. Its too bad though, there's tons of awesome ideas out there.
Its also really disheartening to see all these once awesome characters being rehashed into large piles of puke.
- JonnyPlank said...
guy, there's ALWAYS people who know what they're doing. Even if they're the minority, they're there. Even if it's just three guys doing good work for a bad show, they'll still be there.
John's clearly one of the people who knows how to make a good cartoon. If it's possible for him to be part of the entertainment industry, then there are certainly others.
I want to know who of his contemporaries/competition, he respects artistically.
- J Hobart B said...
I loved the reference to the Ninja Turtles "with more muscles and less attitude."
Because that's what kids want to see - Pulsating masses of muscle and veins with no personality.
At least most of the cartoons being messed with here were crap to begin with, and the ones that weren't (like Looney Tunes and Mickey) are far too strong now to be outlasted by their cheap knock-offs.
It still sucks that creative people aren't being hired to create new characters, but it's not like these shows are going to have any lasting effect on the world. Even little kids will forget about them as soon as they've watched them.
The sad, sad thing about it all is that we're FIGHTING OVER CARTOONS. If executives weren't complete retarded puppets, we'd have some creative cartoons. And we wouldn't be having these arguments. If execs and CEOs weren't idiots, we'd have better cartoons that were worth watching and giving a damn about.
Something tells me that the moment John K. was kicked out of Nickelodeon, was the moment that it all started going way down hill.
- Jonathon said...
I think what impressed me most was the description of the process of selecting the 'new' Strawberry Shortcake. File in a bunch of ADULTS with post it notes to decide what the future face of a brand for children is?
Yeah, sounds like loads of fun.
- Guy said...
guy, there's ALWAYS people who know what they're doing. Even if they're the minority, they're there. Even if it's just three guys doing good work for a bad show, they'll still be there.
Maybe. But if they aren't the ones creating cartoons or even having an influence on the content of cartoons, as it was a few decades ago, they might as well not exist.
- Elliot Cowan said...
Subject #645-3
"Elliot Cowan, I can only pray you're kidding. Please tell me you are."
I am not kidding.
- Erin Sleme said...
well, that article was depressing.
this line especially bothers me:
"One plan features an old-fashioned trolley, but Mr. Iger is not sure that is a smart idea. Will modern children know what an old-fashioned trolley is?"
i don't remember EVER having a problem understanding the props used in 40's cartoons when i was a kid, watching looney tunes reruns in the 90's, despite never having ridden an old fashioned trolley...
- Zach Smith said...
that strawberry shortcake remake was ridiculous, some people man, some people.
- tom-turbo said...
While I agree its too bad that theres a lack of "new" cartoons lately, is it right to say these ideas aren't creative? Isn't it creative to take something pre conceived and add a twist to it? Take any old Donald Duck comic from the 40s to 50s, where they would often have parodies of classic works of literature with the whole Duck cast taking the roles. Was that un-creative because they based the entire story on an already existing work? Or was it not creative to use lovable characters in a situation that still suited their personalities?
I understand I'm a minority in this post, but I believe all of these examples are good ideas. While the writing and animation in Loonatics Unleashed isn't particularly noteworthy, the very idea was fresh and an interesting take on old characters, with my favorite one being Wile E. Coyote being the gadget savvy member of the team. This works because from the classic cartoons he always had some gadget or another when trying to capture the road runner, thus complementing his personality greatly.
My one problem with all of these new and altered characters would be if we were to forget the old ones. If Classic gray, white gloved wise cracking Bugs Bunny was to become a foreign idea, then thats disappointing. But thanks to the internet and conservation of all of these movies I don't think we will. These characters are part of the world history, and if nothing else, they will remain and be remembered better than any real human ever would.
And I'd just like to say this is my first post here :D
- Philip Dimitriadis said...
Hi John..love your blog, great stuff as always.
But guess what...
I heard that Mucci Fasset is directing Strawberry Shortcake feature.
take care,
- James Sutton said...
Kingdom Hearts and Loonatics sucked balls.
No doubt it.
Whenever I see this stuff browsing my favorite forum and watching Saturday morning toons I puke.
- Alvaro said...
I agree: Loonatics is the worst cartoon ever made.
Fortunately, Kingdom Hearts doesn´t have any animated show (by the moment, at least.)
- dandeco said...
I know you don't like the Simpsons, John K., but I can't help but picture the Simpsons doing a scenario like this:
Bart: Hey Lis, check out this new WB cartoon... Loonatics Unleashed?!
Lisa: Updating the characters with superhero stuff like that is often a shameless attempt to boost low ratings.
Marge: *flies in with a black action suit and rocket pack* Hey, kids! Check out my new laser and jet pack!
- Pokey said...
Hey Michelle, good hearing, uh, seeing your comments, right on about retirng after Mel Blanc died but as we both and others agree, maybe 30 years before, like in the 50s [Daffy and Speedy? Cool Cat? Though I like that---gulp--and it was Larry Storch, who'd been already doing the "Gilligan"-slapstickly "F Troop" for WB [which, ironically due to the Ted Turner, bought Gilligan as well from United Artists and Phil Silvers!~] And you correctly mentioned the classics voiced by Mel Blanbc from 60-70 years ago, as by 45 or 50 years WB cartoons starting shark jumping. Big Time. [I'm with Stephen Worth and others who aren't big fans of, to say it mildly, of "What's Opera Doc", and even Mel Blanc couldn't save that, and I'd be the keeper of the Brooklyn Bridge if ANYONE can tell me if even Mel Blanc could save the piece of shit Bugs and Daffy crap fest from 64, "Iceman Ducketh". Bleath. I think Warners should have retired their shborts in 1955 myself..:) [I did like Friz's 1960 Bugs/Sam "From hare to Heir", Spoiled Little Lord Fauntleroy Sam was so much more better in the ticked off role for this "...but...if you blow your top you blow some dough" role opposite Bugs..]
Hey, , how about a comment on everyone's "Claymation" favorite, Gumby and Pokey, the 80's "updating" of THAT [which I hated] and the Capitol/Seely, Sam Fox, Phil Green, Jack Shaindlin, KPM, JWMedia Music,etc. cues being [legalies, y'know] redubbed [I hated that too.]
And I HATED Space Jam! [insert evil grin]
PS Strawbeery Shortcake sucked in the first place but they already a few years ago redesigned her..and NOW they're redesigning her AGAIN??
Your Pony Pal Pokey, too
- Pokey said...
And Mr.Jim Rockford [loved your show!] I have to say that Tiny Toons irreverence killed it since it went in a direction too far even from the 1940s one..even more
so than Quentin Taratino's excellent movie set in the early Bugs era, WWII, using the word, uh, plastered - replace PL with B and put a S on the end. At least that current [as of August 21, 2009] flick box office champ is FUNNY [and DRAMATIC,too.] Tiny Toons used simplky hip hop tudes in the characters and Plucky/Daffy doesn't even get to be wise quacking as in the 40s.
- Pokey said...
John K. said under the ugly Loonatics screen grab:
"If you are not creative, it doesn't mean you can't create. The way to do it is to take things that were once popular and update them by adding whatever new technical gadgets people use, add Rock 'N' Roll or Rap, add any kind of passing trend to it and not only get the concept wrong but get the trends themselves wrong and piss everyone off equally."
LOL! How true! AND, said, as well.
- Pokey said...
Well, it's Obamas that set the "nutrition factor" for Strawberry Shortcake. Andy Williams can use that as yet another reason to hate the current so-called Prez and his wife.
Strange thing is that first Strawberry S. was already cloying before this, and this just wrecked her even more, but what is even more odd is that in her origianl heydey she's like "Flashdance!" It's Madonna! Minnie Mouse got like that!
Incidentally, her 2001 revival seemed to have her like her "sweet" self without the 2008 makeover [when the first post here turned up].
- fan/haters said...
I understand that some shows are stupid, like Loonics. But I liked Space Jam, Looney Tunes Back in Action. I even liked Duck Dodgers show because they had more on Marvin the Martian. He is my favorite looney tune character. They gave him more of a back story rather than have him show up in several cartoon shorts with Bugs Bunny. They didn't rehash their appearance.I was born in the 80's and I missed the classic shows like My Little Ponies, Pound Puppies, etc. They ruined them completley. Who ever got the rights of those should be shot. It was stupid to change the characters completely. Hell they could of had the little ponies having g strings attached to them. It actually makes them horrible. I grew up with those shows, and the horrible of all Pound Puppies look nothing like the old ones at all.
Shows like Sponge Bob should be on the chopping block. I am trying to figure out what is so popular. Is it because people hate stupidy?
Now with Kingdom Hearts
Well apparently you don't understand the concept that the game is a cross over and that Sora and FF are characters owned by Square ENIX. Disney characters were added into the mix as they companies thought it would be a great twist to a crossover. It is still on going and popular with fans, not because of Sora, but because of the variety of various characters they put in the game. Some game companies have tried that and failed, but Square Enix has created an hit and several sequels and even prequels. Firstly I don't think Kingdom Hearts wouldn't be able to stand up on its own without the use of both Square Enix, FF, or even Disney in it. It works for the story with the whole friendship concept with Sora Donald and Goofy. I couldn't picture Kingdom Hearts without these characters.
I am not a Sora fan and orignally Square Enix were going to add only Sora and Riku, but then Disney told them to stick Kairi in so people don't get the impression that Sora could be gay. I do like the disney characters because I grew up with Disney and giving them more of a role rather than short cartoon shorts or even spin offs gives them more developement for their characters. Mickey in my opinion and so does Donald and Goofy look better with Iris in their eyes rather no pupils. I love charcters from the KH 2 game organization XIII which are black cloaked grim reaper individuals that have no hearts meaning no trace of emotion in them. They act like they do to fool their enemies. They have unique powers such as erasing memories or some variety of with elements of magic. I like their personalities as well and they are interesting.I know lots of people in their 30 through 50s that like it.
Yes I like anime, but only certain type of characters on series. It depends if the characters are interesting to me or not. I usually like villains when I do like shows. I don't like girl anime, robot anime, or school anime. Anime writers are doing exactly what american or other country writers do to get their stuff exposed. Sometimes things fare out while others don't. People can't help popularity. I was introduced by some old school cartoons and newer ones. I don't like all.
People get attached to characters, but don't we all? Wouldn't someone like to see their favorite characters expand rather than die and never be heard of from again. I certainly wouldn't. Unless they changed their appearance completely. Sure all cartoon/video game companies are all money grumbling whores, but what companies isn't? Nintendo is big into this as well. They kept Mario the same, but he does all these other things. His character has expanded as well.
- 9--1234123--04ufk;lsad said...
Kingdom Hearts was a stupid bonking game, and I hated it. It was easy, it was boring, the characters were NOT developed properly, the main characters had nothing to do with FF or Disney, and the cartoony stuff always looked out of place in the FF environments. (Or vice versa) The whole game seemed thematically out of balance. I did not enjoy it.
That game only has the fandom it does, because of childish fangirls/boys who have a tendency to "fall in love" with a character like Sora or Riku. They're drawn in by the sheer fact that it's anime, and they're obsessed with the cliche garbage produced by/for american broadcast. (I call it americanime) They have no taste. They just want something brightly colored, emo, cliche and spiky-haired. And most anime fans, who seek out the really old stuff by the "masters", hate these fans. They just like it, because it's the stylish thing for american nerds to like.
Someone had the nerve to post this comment on a KH forum, probably knowing that it was going to get a response like this. Firstly, I don't even think you played the game because there are no Final Fantasy environments in the game at all. The worlds are original, meaning they were created for the game (i.e. worlds like Traverse Town, Hollow Bastion). There are worlds with Disney characters like Olympus Coliseum (Hercules) and Atlantica (The Little Mermaid) that have a story that's connected to the game's plot. Why this game's picture is in the article, I don't know because the Disney characters in the game stick to the original vision that the characters came from. The only thing different about them is maybe Donald, Goofy, and Mickey's attire but like I said before, the characters are changed in no way at all and it astounds me that it was mentioned in this article.
Secondly, what you said about the series fans was not called for. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I was attracted to the series because of the Disney aspect. When I got into it (maybe at 6 or 7) I didn't even know what anime was. Most people got into it because of the original story, but that's really not the case for some.
Lastly, what you said about the characters not being developed was probably because it was the first game in the series. In KH: CoM the characters get developed pretty damned good.
No offence or anything, you must be retarded or something because all your points about the series are wrong and you shouldn't criticize a series or its fans without giving some thought about it.
- Pokey said...
Well, the thing is for Ms.Shortcake and the CZare bores, I ean Bears, the way that they are going to look after this obvious Michelle Obama (couldn't SHE WAIT as six months later she'd be the first lady) treament nutritionally, they are even MORE goody goody, more prudish looking, so's to make the ORIGINAL Strawberry Shortcake & Care bears look like Duke Ellington (or, more animatedly, Fred Flintstone and Bugs Bunny by comparision! An amazing though dubious fat.)
August 21,2012.Steve C. (Note, the date there is to keep track of the timeline on these posyts..)


text:
See video on How to clean your beauty sponge.
Many of you have asked me for awhile now to compare both the Beauty Blender Sponge and the Sonia Kushuk version from Target, so I finally got around to it! It's hard sometimes to do requested product reviews because 1.) 90% of the time the products I review are out of my own pocket, so if it's pricey I'll wait to try it because 2.) I have similar products I have to finish first before I go buying another one (such as liquid foundations, I have like 3 different brands so I better finish at least 2 of them before buying any more!)
Anyway, I bought the Sonia Kushuk one the other day at Target for a nice and economy-friendly price of $10! I wanted to get a "backup" for my makeup bag, and even though I have a brand new Beauty Blender Sponge I could use; I didn't want to risk losing it since they are expensive, so I figure the Sonia Kushuk one is just as good and at least if I lost it I won't feel as bad! We all love good deals anyway, so I just had to try it.
These 2 sponges have A LOT of similarities they could seriously be twins. First of all, look at the packaging, they are pretty similar although the Beauty Blender Sponge has its own stand that you can use to store your sponge or use it to dry after washing, and is more aesthetically pleasing (I am a sucker for polka dots), while the Sonia Kushuk is simple and basic. The sponges themselves are also identical in size and feel (althought the SK one seems a bit more dense and a tad bit more sturdier), and almost have the same egg-shape. They are both soft, squishy, and just as flexible; not to mention easy to wash. You can use baby shampoo or Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap available at CVS, Target, or even from my good friend Robyn at Purely Cosmetics who also sells the actual Beauty Blender Sponges! (CLICK HERE to watch video on how to clean these beauty sponges).
The only noticeable differences I can say is: 1.) The Sonia Kushuk one only costs $10 whereas the Beauty Blender Sponge starts at around $18+, and that's not even including the Beauty Blender Cleaner, that's just the sponge. 2.) The Sonia Kushuk sponge has an almost plastic-manufacturer type smell, nothing foul or anything like that but you can definitely smell like it's "new" whereas the Beauty Blender Sponge has no smell at all. 3.) The Beauty Blender Sponge comes with it's own cleaner that you can purchase with a sponge or separately, whereas Sonia Kushuk is just the sponge (but you can easily use the products I mentioned earlier) 4.) The Sonia Kushuk one seems much more thicker than the Beauty Blender Sponge, and not as light; could be perhaps that it's still new and hasn't been broken in, but nonetheless, this is great because it gives more control when it comes to stippling liquid foundation on your face or even applying mineral foundation wet for an airbrushed look. Simply spritz some water or MAC Fix+ spray onto the sponge, then into your mineral foundation. Then gently dab across your face till you reach your desired coverage. You don't want to wipe it across your face because this will cause streaks which you want to avoid.
Does the slight difference in shape make a difference? I honestly didn't notice any dramatic difference in terms of the shape affecting the way this sponge performs, like I said before, the Sonia Kushuk sponge seems a little bit more thicker and wider at the bottom which probably makes this the better sponge for applying liquid foundation because there is more surface area so you cover a lot more. It's also pointed at one end like the Beauty Blender Sponge to help conceal or apply foundation in hard to reach areas like the sides of the nose, inner corners of the eyes, etc. I think the slight indentation on the Sonia Kushuk sponge is genius as it gives you somewhat of a "grip" so you can hold the sponge better, again giving better control.
Is this a good dupe? Yes.
Overall? The Sonia Kushuk blender sponge is an AMAZING dupe to the Beauty Blender Sponge. Definitely worth $10 in comparison to $18+ and if you have a Target near you, you save on shipping since the Beauty Blender Sponge isn't accessible everywhere in terms of actual stores (that are near me anyway), and the ones that are, jack up the prices on it! I definitely recommend it to all of you who have never tried it or even those of us who already have Beauty Blender Sponges and are looking for a cheaper alternative when it comes time to replace 'em. I know I will definitely be buying this one from now on!
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Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Beauty Blender vs. Sonia Kushuk
41 comments
- Anonymous said...
thanks for all the updates lately.
always fun to read as a pick-me-up.
- April 8, 2009 at 11:53 PM
- Beauty is Androgynous said...
they remind me of peeps. i want to eat them.
- April 9, 2009 at 12:10 AM
- Vanessa said...
HAHAHA they do look like Peeps huh!?? LOL, I say we eat 'em BEFORE we put makeup on it haha
- April 9, 2009 at 12:14 AM
- sanniet said...
great review!!! Tiffany did a review on it too and now this just makes me want to get it even more! Going to go pick one up since I hate using brushes for foundation sometimes x_X
- April 9, 2009 at 12:22 AM
- Caroline :] said...
YESS! OMG! I am SO THEREE!!! ;P haha...I would be sooo old by the time your little sis turns 18...since I'm 21 right now (just turned it last March! :])
I actually heard about the Sonia Kashuk sponge first, then I discovered the Beauty Blender sponge after from wandering around the 'net. haha. I've yet to buy one for myself!
- April 9, 2009 at 12:23 AM
- blushing in high heels said...
you should try the beauty blender soap for your brushes! it works soooooo well for cleaning my goat hair brushes. it cleans better than baby shampoo. IT IS JUST AMAZING!!! i got it at sephora.
- April 9, 2009 at 12:48 AM
- Anonymous said...
I remember seeing that sponge last time at target, and I think the beauty blender is a bit pricey for a little sponge, I'm totally gonna get the sk one now XD
Thanks for the review!
- April 9, 2009 at 1:14 AM
- Caramel Geek said...
Thank you so much for doing this review. I've always been hesitant to get Beauty Blender cause of the price. Now that I know about the Sonia Kushuk dupe, I'll definitely get that. :h:
- April 9, 2009 at 2:36 AM
- Syn@3sTh3sI@ said...
i've been eyeing on this sponge for longest time.. the only problem for me is i really have difficulties in using liquid foundation...
- April 9, 2009 at 3:07 AM
- Janelle said...
Thanks for this review, Vanessa! I've been lemming the Beauty Blender Sponge ever since I saw your first review! But I might try the SK one first since it's cheaper & you say it's a good dupe. :) Thanks again!
- April 9, 2009 at 5:13 AM
- ~Mel said...
yeah the Target one is just as good and I didn't even bother getting the other one.. I used SK one to apply foundation on my sister and works just as great.. but i didn't see a purple one?!?! hehee.. now that's a pretty color.. the one we got was blue.
- April 9, 2009 at 6:49 AM
- MakeupByRenRen said...
thanks hon! i think i'm goin to pick up a few of the sonia kashuk sponges for my kit!
- April 9, 2009 at 7:52 AM
- KiLLaCaM said...
what a great review! i love a good dupe.
this is on my next target list! darn it, the baby doesn't need anything now so i won't be there for a while :/ i need to come up with a scheme. lol.
- April 9, 2009 at 8:31 AM
- MakeupNme said...
I have the sonia kashuk one and love it! =)
- April 9, 2009 at 8:40 AM
- Leslie Yang said...
omg you found a purple one! hehe
- April 9, 2009 at 8:50 AM
- Phyrra said...
Great review!
I have the Sonia Kashuk blender (though mine is blue, not a pretty purple like yours!) and I really do like it.
I've been using the Castille Soap in Almond scent from Robyn at Purely Cosmetics to clean it. That stuff is great for brushes!
- April 9, 2009 at 8:51 AM
- Julienne said...
Thanks so much for doing this review. I've been eyeballing both sponges and wasn't sure if I wanted to pay double when the SK one does the job as well. Great review. xoxo :)
- April 9, 2009 at 9:00 AM
- Stephanie T said...
I've been wanting one of those for awhile. Too bad I don't have a Target nearby. :(
- April 9, 2009 at 9:01 AM
- Sonya said...
I have both, but I have the blue Sonia Kashuk. I perfer the Sonia Kashuk to apply my MAC MSF, because it's more dense than the beautyblender. However, the beautyblender when damp does an awesome job at stipling liquid foundation. I love them both, but would repurchase the Sonia Kashuk instead since it's easier to get...just drive to Target!
- April 9, 2009 at 9:07 AM
- Phamtastic said...
Great review! I also enjoy your detailed comparisons.
I have a question though Vanessa. I have oily/combo skin so I am too afraid to try liquid foundation in fear of insane break out. I use powder foundation instead (Mac Studio Fix) but you know how powder can look kind of cakey. Do you recommend any type of liquid foundation or a way to minimize the cakey appearance with my studio fix? Thanks!
- April 9, 2009 at 9:41 AM
- ☠Makeup by Jacqueline☠ said...
I've always wanted to try the Beauty Blender but I wasn't about to spend $18 on a sponge lol! I'll be trying the SK version. Thanks for this! :)
- April 9, 2009 at 10:05 AM
- Coco said...
Thanks for the review. I've been eyeing both for a minute now.
- April 9, 2009 at 10:33 AM
- Ethereal Prey said...
i keep hearing good things about the SK line. I'm trying to find that hairbrush she has that's supposedly a dupe of the expensive $180 version. any thoughts on her skunk brush? :P Happy easter!
- April 9, 2009 at 12:26 PM
- aquaracer said...
thanks for reviewing this product. been having second thoughts on this one since i'm about to replace my beauty blender but now i think i'll try this one too. thanks :)
- April 9, 2009 at 1:14 PM
- Anonymous said...
these are so silly looking!!! i will never think of buying them if i didn't read reviews. lol. cute gadgets to have.
- April 9, 2009 at 3:38 PM
- Jennifer said...
Thanks for the review.
Beauty blender sponges are 2 for $26 if you buy the twin pack, by the way. However, Target is more convenient.
- April 9, 2009 at 3:38 PM
- Iyah said...
I need to go to target & get one of these! I've heard so many great reviews about it already :D Thanks for this one :)
PS: I was too shy to even say Hi. I should have since we are meeting any on June at the Pow wow. ahaha :P I'm such a dork!
- April 9, 2009 at 4:01 PM
- Paint Me Gorgeous said...
hm i think $10 is still high for a sponge....>< i'd rather pay another $5 and get a brush from SK!
- April 9, 2009 at 4:44 PM
- Jen said...
oooh you sold me on using the blender with fix+. now i'm itching to go to target... =)
- April 9, 2009 at 6:01 PM
- Saimese said...
Thanks for the review. I'm def going to grab it now
- April 9, 2009 at 7:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
i am so interested in these now =) great review!!
oh yeah, thanks for the site!! i can't wait to try essie!! and yay for Ruby Pumps!!! that's my fave so far and i chose that one first!!
- April 9, 2009 at 7:23 PM
- Anonymous said...
As always thanks for the review. Your expertise is great...
- April 9, 2009 at 8:23 PM
- ~Glossifyed said...
Super cute, but with the amount of brushes I've ended up with recently I don't think I'll be needing it for a while. Thanks for the review though :)
- April 9, 2009 at 8:36 PM
- loveva said...
thanks for the GERAT heads up nessa! i will def. have to give this sponge a try. or even these SPONGES a try (:
- April 9, 2009 at 9:25 PM
- liposuction said...
thanks for reviewing this product. been having second thoughts on this one since i'm about to replace my beauty blender but now i think i'll try this one too
- April 10, 2009 at 3:49 AM
- Tammy said...
I love my Sonia Kushuk sponge, it can be a bit of a pain to clean though if it's not done right away.
- April 13, 2009 at 9:26 AM
- Milan Angel said...
Thanks for reviewing this! I just got my beauty blender sponge at the Makeup Show LA and although I haven't gotten around to using it yet, I'm glad that there's a cheaper, more accessible alternative around. Take care, girl.
- April 13, 2009 at 6:04 PM
- Sofee said...
thanx to u and tiffany I totally had to go and get one at target yesterday..I actually got two and i was lucky that i got the purple one..the last time I went they only had a blue one that looked all jacked up so i waited and i actually got a better deal by being able to purchase the purple ones :D
- April 19, 2009 at 11:17 AM
- Karthick M said...
Just linked this article on my facebook account. it's a very interesting article for all.
- April 15, 2011 at 9:49 PM
- Cristina said...
I think that you forgot to say that when the beautyblender is wet, it's bigger than the SK one :h: And using it wet leaves better results than dry.
Your article was very interesting (even though my opinion is not the same as yours).
- April 29, 2011 at 5:22 AM
- asas said...
Been using it for a while now and I absolutely love this product
- August 23, 2012 at 11:57 AM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Pratt Institute, which falls within Clinton Hill's borders, elevates this already cool neighborhood to an uncommon level. Even as diverse as the community is, there is a great sense of cohesion and collaboration which can be seen especially along Myrtle Avenue where storefronts are...
Explore Clinton Hill
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text:
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Olympic Spirit, Sarajevo
Posted by Kilroy_60 at 6/13/2007 02:23:00 AM
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Staking a claim in the universe known as The Blogosphere allows us to create our own little world. That becomes evident when as you explore. You happen upon abandoned settlements, you find interesting sites to which you want to return and land in places you can't leave fast enough. In the course of my journey I've found a hodgepodge of items including treasures, trash and everything in between. It seemed about time to start collecting. Here it is, stuff I find in The Blogosphere...


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- Fall '14
- Economics, New Hampshire, COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION, DAVID ESTES, CHURCH ST PO, ST PO BOX
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text:
Worthy FM is Glastonbury Festival's very own on site radio station. It broadcasts for just 1 week, from the Monday before the festival opens until the following Monday when the festival closes.
The station is like no other in the world, with a unique audience made from 150,000 festival goers, 20,000 crew and thousands of other people who aren't attending the festival but are listening online.
The station is staffed entirely by a crew of 30 volunteers. The crew is made up of a wide variety of people, usually with an interest in radio, the festival, or the arts and media, but not necessarily professionally employed in those sectors. Many are people who return each year and have been involved for many years. In addition, each year the station reserves two crew spaces for new broadcast volunteers. These members are selected by a competition process, aiming to bring something new to the station and festival alike.
How to enter
To enter the competition, you need to record and produce 30 seconds of audio that demonstrates your presenting style. The audio must be in mp3 format, and saved with a filename in the fomat 'yourfirstname_yourlastname.mp3′. Next, send the mp3 in an email to firstname.lastname@example.com. Your email must contain the following information laid out as follows in the text of your email and NOT as an attachment.
Full name:
Full postal address:
Email Address:
Contact telephone number:
Explain, in 50 words or fewer, why you want to volunteer for Worthy FM in 2013:
Send this to firstname.lastname@example.com by 11:59pm on Sunday 6th January 2013. Late entries will not be accepted.
What makes a good entry
First, make sure your audio is no longer than 30 seconds, is in mp3 format and has your name as the filename. Also make sure you provide all of the information requested in the same email as your audio. Entries not meeting these requirements will be automatically rejected.
The entries will be judged by festival organiser Emily Eavis and BBC Radio 1′s Huw Stephens. They will be looking for people who demonstrate traits that match Worthy FMs style and values; diverse, exciting, creative, innovative, informative and cool under pressure.
Before applying, please be aware that whilst the competition crew spaces are reserved for presenters, any Worthy FM crew member is expected to carry out a wide range of duties beyond presenting a show. This could include anything from feature gathering to lighting the fire in the crew compound! As a result, it is essential that any new crew member has all round radio skills, including editing, interviewing, news reading and presenting. It is also essential that you are able to be onsite from Sunday the 23rd June until Monday the 1st July 2013 inclusive.
Finally, before you send in your entry, ask yourself if you are ready for this? There are many easier ways to experience the festival!
Volunteering for Worthy FM will mean hard work for the entire week, sometimes pressured and stressful, and always unpredictable. You will be in extreme conditions unlike any other in radio; there aren't many other stations that deliver radio that is as entertaining, exciting, creative and innovative, whilst meeting a demanding public service agenda. That would be challenging in any environment, least of all in a muddy or dusty field, where anyone from Michael Eavis to the onsite firecrew to a Saturday night headliner could drop in unannounced.
If you are up for the challenge though, we are waiting to hear from you.


text:
Yep ketchup.
But the ingredients are merely: good homemade pizza dough (I adore whole foods multi- grain pizza dough), ketchup used as the tomato sauce (a nice think layer), good mozzarella cheese, and some sun-dried tomatoes that are soaking in olive oil. Trust me, you will love it. And its easy peasy.
See those crispy, charred sun-dried tomato bits? HEAVENLY!
sun dried tomato pizza with ketchup
print recipe
1 pizza dough (whole foods multigrain pizza dough is amazing)
good quality ketchup (love whole foods organic brand)
a few handfuls sun dried tomatoes (that were sitting in olive oil), drained slightly
good quality mozzarella cheese
few dashes of red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
preheat oven to 450/500 degrees. grease up a jelly roll pan.
spread out pizza dough
apply thin layer of ketchup, even the edges of the dough
apply the mozzarella
add on the sun dried tomato bits
add on the red pepper flakes (if desired), then the salt & pepper
bake for about 10-18 minutes until desired doneness is achieved
i like mine really crispy so i went to about the 17 minute mark.
let cool before slicing.


text:
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Saturday, February 18, 2017
"A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND (fake news) WORDS"
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text:
A man who collects plastic cauliflower bags deserves a certain respect. So between my mental trips to the water cube in Beijing, I've been reading a quirky new book by a University of California theater professor who collects things nobody else wants, like empty Cheez-It boxes and cauliflower bags that mimic "the sphericity of a cauliflower head."
William Davies King seems to have low-keyed ambitions for Collections of Nothing (University of Chicago, 163 pages, $20), a cross between a memoir and a meditation on the impulse to acquire. He hasn't tried to provide a definitive survey or analysis – just insights into the passion for accumulation that include this observation:
"Middle-class life is itself a collection: a spouse, a house, a brace of children, a suitable car, a respectable career, cuddly pets, photos of grinning relatives, toys for all ages and hours, coffee and coffee pots, coffee cups and spoons, coffee table books about coffee and about coffee tables."
King offers a host of reasons for why the urge to collect is universal if you count people who collect jokes or friends or experiences instead of objects. But perhaps his most interesting idea is that collecting is a way of coping with the knowledge that you can't own other people – which is what all of us really want. Read more about the book here www.press.uchicago.edu and an excerpt here www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/437002.html.
© 2008 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.


text:
So the last few weeks have been crazy busy for me not to say stressful. After having just left a horrible rental that had a horrible kitchen I was finally ready to start cooking in my new kitchen in my new home. Then BAM, the flu hits me like a Mac truck. Literally a week after getting settled into my new home I get the stomach flu, then I get the flu. And now, as I type this I am still sick, not as sick as before, but better. I've never been this sick before for this long. Whatever bug it was called it was morphing from stomach flu to flu flu to 'I-feel-better-now-oh-wait-no-you're-not-better-flu'. Strangest flu I've ever had. I thought it was the swine flu too, but it wasn't. It was so hard to just stay in bed and do nothing, I love to keep busy. And have you ever watched daytime TV? Awful. Thank goodness for Food Network. Did you know that Barefoot Contessa is on two times during the day? Yeah, so everyday, the highlight of my day was watching Ina at 1pm then again at 4pm. I just love when she says "isn't that fabulous?" I always say "oh heavens yes!".
It feels like it has been decades since I've baked or cooked anything. I've been eating a lot of toast, ginger ale, live active cultures, chopped ginger, saltines, and other granny-foods. I just want some damn chili already--I need hot chili to open up my sinuses!! Not really having the strength or patience for 'from scratch foods', I made a quick 'everything-in-the-cupboards-must-go chili'. Yeah, I know, it's really not from scratch. Shame! I know I know. It really was good though and I have valid excuses. So if ever there is a night or two when you are strapped for time, really don't want to cook because you are recovering from the flu and are craving buffalo chicken chili, well have I got just the perfect recipe for you!
Note: while having the flu I am walking, talking and breathing, but I still have the memory of a tsetse fly, so I think I got all the ingredients down, maybe not.
buffalo chicken chili w/ blue cheese drizzle
print recipe
3-4 chicken breasts
Salt, pepper, and olive oil (rubbing on chicken to roast)
1 large red onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, crushed (I can't remember how much, enough to kill a cold)
½ finely chopped carrots
A couple tablespoons chili powder
1 TB ground cumin
2 jars of Newmans Own Garden Salsa (might need a bit more)
½ cup spicy bbq sauce
Couple big squirts of ketchup (fancy eh?)
1/4 cup or so of Coca Cola
Some chipotle peppers, diced
1-2 TB honey
1 cup black beans
1 cup red kidney beans
Some fresh lime juice
(add whatever you want, it's chili, it's easy & laidback)
Creamy blue cheese topping:
½ cup or so of creme fraiche (or sour cream)
¼ - ½ cup blue cheese dressing
Chopped fresh chives
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake in oven until done, about 25 – 30 minutes. Let cool, then chop into chunks, set aside.
In a large pot, pour in some olive oil, then heat up the red onions, carrots, whatever else veggie you want to use up. Sautee them a bit, then add in the garlic, the chili powder, cumin, chipotle peppers, Mix a bit, then add in the salsa, bbq sauce, ketchup, Coke, honey, all the beans, and the chopped cooked chicken. Heat mixture through and taste-test; see what else it needs. I added in some lime juice, salt & pepper, and some fresh lime juice.
If you want the blue cheese topping, just mix all the ingredients and let chill in fridge a bit before using. Serve with buttered toast or corn chips. Taste even better the next day.


text:
"Eat your breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day!" Why are parents always saying that?
Well, imagine you're a car. After a long night of sleeping, your fuel tank is empty. Breakfast is the fuel that gets you going so you can hit the road.
Any breakfast is better than no breakfast, but try not to have doughnuts or pastries all the time. They're high in calories, sugar, and fat. They also don't contain the nutrients a kid really needs. And if you have a doughnut for breakfast, you won't feel full for long.
Just like with other meals, try to eat a variety of foods, including:
Some kids skip breakfast because they sleep too late or because they think it's a way to stay thin. But skipping breakfast doesn't help people maintain a healthy weight. In fact, someone who skips breakfast tends to eat more calories throughout the day.
If you find yourself skipping breakfast because you're too rushed, try these quick breakfasts. They're easy to grab on the way out the door or can be prepared the night before:
Just in case you need more evidence that eating breakfast is the way to go, kids who don't eat breakfast are less able to learn at school, get less iron (an important nutrient) in their diets, and are more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI), which is a sign they may be overweight.
On the other hand, kids who eat breakfast do better in school, are more likely to participate in physical activities, and tend to eat healthier overall. So tomorrow morning, don't run out the door on an empty stomach. Fuel up with a healthy breakfast!
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date Reviewed: 14-09-2013


text:
So you think you can pick football games better than some local experts, huh?
So you think you can pick football games better than some local experts, huh?
Well, that may be the easiest thing you do each week.
And that's why you should enter our weekly "Pigskin Pick 'Em" football contest which is featured in The Wayne Independent.
Not only will you be able to prove you are much wiser than our local panel of experts, you can win a prize, as well! Each week, the winner takes home $50 in cash.
(We must admit, beating the local "experts" might not prove so difficult, however, it's always fun to win a prize.)
The weekly contest is featured in each Wednesday edition of The Wayne Independent. The rules are very simple.
Cut out the entry form from the newspaper and then choose the teams you think are going to win that week. Either mail the entries back in or bring them to our office at 220 8th Street in Honesdale to enter. Entries must be received by the end of business each Friday.
And then let the games begin!
Each week we will tally the entries and a winner will be crowned. A tiebreaker appears on the form so make sure you fill that out to have a chance to win in case of a tie.
Once the winner is determined, it will be announced on Wednesdays at 8:45 a.m. on Classic Hits 105.3. Sports editor Kevin Edwards and editor Greg Little join with the "Classic Hits Squad" consisting of George Schmitt, Tim Downs and Mickey Uzeps to discuss the previous week's fumbles and to prognosticate for the upcoming week. There might even be discussions outside of football, be it Miley Cyrus or world peace, you just have to tune in to find out.
This year's experts include Little and Edwards, the reigning champions who pulled away at the end last year with their expert and secret system of choosing the right games; the Classic Hits Squad which is still reeling from what transpired last year even though it's obvious their prowess was just not up to par; Tom Fasshauer of Arts for Him who valiantly sends in his picks but came up short in his initial season last year; the Honesdale National Bank crew — Brian Wilken, Mark Graziadio and Ron Sebastianelli — who also faithfully send in their calculated picks but have yet to take home the gold; the Elegante crew, Ernie and Joe, who we affectionately refer to as "Bert and Ernie," another team which has some sort of secret formula, but obviously not as good as their food; and the duo at Stanton Office Equipment, Fred and Dave, who are rejoining the fray after spending a year on the injured reserve list last season.
"This is a great contest and we encourage everyone to get involved," said Little. "We think it is fun for the entire community and hope everyone enjoys themselves this year."
Turn to Page A12 for this week's lid-lifter of the contest and fill out the form today!
This year's sponsors for the contest are Arts for Him, No Limits, Elegante, Honesdale National Bank and Motion Physical Therapy. The Wayne Independent and Bold Gold Media also team up to promote the contest.


text:
Intervention Services in Congress
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