Rock-a-Doodle is a 1991 independent live-action/animated musical comedy film produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios Ireland Limited and Goldcrest Films. Loosely based on Edmond Rostand's 1910 comedy play Chantecler, Rock-a-Doodle was directed by Don Bluth and written by David N. Weiss. The film features the voices of Glen Campbell, Christopher Plummer, Phil Harris (in his final film role), Charles Nelson Reilly, Sorrell Booke, Sandy Duncan, Eddie Deezen, Ellen Greene, and Toby Scott Ganger (in his film debut).

The film tells the story of an anthropomorphic rooster named Chanticleer, who lives on a farm and crows every morning to raise the sun. However, he leaves his farm to become a singer in the city after being tricked by the Grand Duke of Owls, whose kind hates sunshine, into thinking that his crow does not actually raise the sun. Without Chanticleer, rain continues to pour non-stop, causing a massive flood all over the country. The Duke and his henchmen take over in the darkness, and plan to eat all of the barnyard animals. Chanticleer's friends from the farm, along with Edmond, a young 8-year-old human boy who was transformed into a kitten by the Duke, take off on a mission to get Chanticleer to bring back the sun and save the country before it is too late.

Rock-a-Doodle was released in the United Kingdom on 2 August 1991 and in the United States and Canada on 3 April 1992, to generally negative reviews from film critics. The film grossed $11 million on a budget of $18 million, making it a box-office bomb.

Plot

In 1957, one morning, Chanticleer, a rooster whose singing raises the sun every morning, gets into a fight with a stranger sent by the Grand Duke of Owls, whose kind hates sunlight. Chanticleer defeats his attacker, but forgets to crow, and the sun rises anyway. Ridiculed and rejected by the other animals, Chanticleer leaves the farm in shame, and the sun goes back down as Chanticleer had not crowed. Afterward, perpetual darkness and rainfall threaten the farm with flooding.

This story turns out to be a fairy-tale being read to a young 8-year-old boy named Edmond by his mother. Their family's farm is in danger of being destroyed in a storm, and when his mother leaves to assist the rest of the family, Edmond calls for Chanticleer's return. However, he's instead greeted by the Duke, who is angered by Edmond's interference and uses his magical breath to transform Edmond into a kitten with the intent to devour him. Edmond is saved by Patou, a basset hound from Chanticleer's farm who struggles to tie his shoes, and Edmond manages to drive away the Duke with a flashlight. Edmond then meets several other animals from the farm, all of whom are hoping to find Chanticleer and apologize to him for their behavior. Edmond accompanies Patou, a cowardly magpie named Snipes, and the intellectual field mouse, Peepers, to the city, while the rest of the animals remain at Edmond's house.

Hunch, the Duke's pygmy nephew, is assigned by him to stop Edmond and the others from finding Chanticleer. The group narrowly escapes him and enters the city through an aqueduct pipe. Chanticleer, now under the name of "The King", has become a famous Elvis impersonator under his manager Pinky Fox, who is employed by the Duke to keep Chanticleer in the city and prevent his friends from finding him. During a concert, he is introduced to Goldie Pheasant as a distraction in case Chanticleer's friends come to find him. Goldie soon grows genuinely attracted to Chanticleer, and realizes Pinky's true intentions when he captures Edmond and the others trying to get a letter to Chanticleer. Meanwhile, the Duke and his party stalk the farm animals at Edmond's house, who continually use Edmond's flashlight to drive them off as long as the batteries hold out. Realizing that she is in love with him, Goldie confesses to Chanticleer that his friends had come to see him, and Pinky blackmails Chanticleer by giving him a demand to attend his show or never see his friends again. Hunch inadvertently frees Edmond and the others, and they help Chanticleer and Goldie make a grand escape in a helicopter, which they use to return to the farm.

After their batteries run out, the denizens of the farm are nearly made a meal of by the Duke and his minions when they are driven off by the helicopter's spotlight. Edmond and the others try to get Chanticleer to crow, but his ongoing sense of dejection limits his ability. The Duke taunts Chanticleer and tries to drown him, but Edmond starts chanting Chanticleer's name in hopes of reviving his spirit, provoking the Duke into strangling Edmond until he loses consciousness. Impressed by Edmond's bravery, the other animals begin chanting Chanticleer's name, driving an angry Duke to transform himself into a tornado. Chanticleer finally regains his confidence and crows loud enough to raise the sun, diminishing the Duke into a harmless miniature version of himself. He is then chased away by a vengeful Hunch into the distance once and for all. The floods begin to subside and Edmond transforms back into a human. Edmond awakes in the real world, where the sun is shining outside, and the floods have ended, but Edmond's mother assumes that his adventures were only a dream. Nevertheless, Edmond picks up Chanticleer's book, and thanks him for coming back, before he is magically transported into Chanticleer's world, where he witnesses the rooster singing to make the sun shine.

Cast
 Toby Scott Ganger as Edmond, an 8-year-old son of a human farmer who is being read the story of Chanticleer by his mother, Dory. He is transformed into a kitten by the Grand Duke after trying to summon back Chanticleer. Although his human form was lost thanks to the Duke, Edmond organizes the farm animals to bring Chanticleer back to the farm after the flooding starts. He slowly begins to learn the errors of his ways and stops being afraid. This is Ganger's first acting role.
 Glen Campbell as Chanticleer, a rooster who lives on a farm with many other animals, who are fond of and love him. When the sun rises without his crowing, his friends, believing he was lying to them about his crowing bringing up the sun (a fact he himself thought was true), reject him, leading to the adventures of Edmond and the others. In a miserable state, he goes to the city and becomes a popular singer. Through his manager Pinky, he meets Goldie and falls in love at first sight with her. Soon though, his friends come to the city and apologize. He and Goldie are then brought back to the farm, so he can save it. He is based on the late superstar Elvis Presley, who passed away in 1977.
 Phil Harris as Patou (Narrator), a Basset Hound who is a good friend to both Chanticleer and Edmond, and plays the narrator character of the story. He despises the Grand Duke and is dedicated to Edmond's cause to bring Chanticleer back home. He is brave and reasonable, but somewhat temperamental]. His endeavor to find Chanticleer is hampered by the fact that he does not know how to tie his shoes (which he wears because of bunions, in which it is a running gag). However, in the end, he finally figures out how to tie them right, after Edmond teaches him. Harris retired from acting and died in 1995.
 Christopher Plummer as the Grand Duke of Owls, a magical owl who despises Chanticleer. He overhears Edmond's call for Chanticleer in the real world and plans to eat him alive as a death penalty. First, he transforms Edmond into a kitten to make him "more digestible" like other kittens, but on his dismay, Patou stops the Duke from eating Edmond just in time. The Duke is a malevolent powerful creature of the night, with a penchant for eating smaller animals as meals and commanding other villainous owls to do his bidding. He hates sunlight, like all owls, and recoils when light shines on him. Also, he possesses magical breath that can transform anyone into any creature, as exampled when he turns Edmond into his kitten form. He manages to seemingly kill Edmond by strangling him to death with his magic breath, when he is attempting to restore Chanticleer's crowing spirit at the cost of his own life. He is chased away by Hunch near the very end of the film after being shrunken to a size smaller than that of Hunch and the mice and chicks on the farm, driving the both of them far away from Chanticleer's farm. In a deleted scene of the film, he nearly eats a skunk that he has stuffed (live) into a pie, but thanks to Hunch's clumsiness, the skunk escapes. In the final version of that scene, however, it is unknown what kind of pie the Duke is baking.
 Ellen Greene as Goldie, a pheasant and singer who is in Pinky's employment. She is initially jealous of Chanticleer for stealing her spotlight, but falls in love with him upon becoming more acquainted with him. Pinky initially tells her that Edmond is a bad kitty, but when Pinky has Edmond and his friends tied up, she realizes that they are actually Chanticleer's friends, and tells Chanticleer that they tried to get a message to him. After this, Chanticleer manages to escape the set of Pinky's new movie, and returns to the farm with his friends, Edmond, and Goldie. Goldie stays with Chanticleer on the farm, they get married and have two children.
 Eddie Deezen as Snipes, a magpie. He, Edmond, Patou, and Peepers travel to the city in a toybox floating on the floodwaters, with Snipes more interested in exploring the city and its sights than actually helping his friends. Being claustrophobic, this poses a problem when he pokes holes in the box trying to escape and reach open air. He despises garbage and dirt, but loves the food served in the city when they go inside a restaurant where Chanticleer sings, particularly lasagna.
 Sandy Duncan as Peepers, a mouse. Because of this, she is initially terrified of Edmond, but he tries to convince everyone that he used to be a boy. She was willing to accept him for being a cat if he took her and the others to the city. It is not until the very end of the film that she believes him and comments "oh, he was a handsome little boy..." She has a lisp and very round glasses, and is constantly arguing with Snipes's chauvinistic views.
 Charles Nelson Reilly as Hunch, the Duke's pygmy nephew and lead henchman. Hunch enjoys rhyming words with "aggravation" and humming "The Ride of the Valkyries". He is dimwitted, but extremely aggressive. He carries an all-purpose Swiss Army Knife in a lidless soda can strapped to his back and uses its various bladed objects, tools, and household objects (such as a flyswatter) as weapons. A small running gag in the film was that whenever the Duke would breathe on him, his magic would transform Hunch into a randomly different creature. In the end, Hunch gets the upper hand, and chases his abusive uncle away with his flyswatter.
 Sorrell Booke as Pinky, a Southern fox who loves money and golf. He is also Chanticleer's manager in the city. His job is to ensure that Chanticleer never feels the compulsion to return home by convincing him that his friends hate him, making it easy to profit off of Chanticleer's singing skills. He secretly works for the Duke and lies to Goldie about Edmond being a "bad kitty". Chanticleer and Goldie, who have fallen in love with each other, escape with Edmond's friends, foiling Pinky's plans and destroying his limousine simultaneously. This was Booke's final film role.
 Will Ryan as Stuey, a chronically nervous pig from Chanticleer's farm. Whenever anyone mentions the owls, he starts to freak out, and will sometimes snort and whimper. While Edmond, Snipes, Patou, and Peepers go to the city to return Chanticleer to the farm, he stays behind to keep the owls at bay. He is almost eaten by the Duke, but is saved when the group returns with Chanticleer, shining a helicopter light on the Duke.
 Louise Chamis as Minnie, a rabbit from the farm.
 Bob Gallico as Radio Announcer
 Jake Steinfeld as Farmyard Bully, a rooster and minion of the Duke sent by him to stop Chanticleer from crowing. Steinfeld also voiced Max the Bouncer, the leader of a group of bouncer frogs who are Pinky's henchmen.
 T. J. Kuenster, Jim Doherty, John Drummond, and Frank Kelly as the Duke's owl henchmen.
 Kathryn Holcomb as Dory, Edmond's mother
 Stan Ivar as Frank, Edmond's father
 Christian Hoff as Scott, one of Edmond's older brothers
 Jason Marin as Mark, one of Edmond's older brothers

Production

Development
Plans for an animated version of the Chanticleer tale dated as far back as the early years of the Disney studios, where several of its artists were interested in combining elements of the story with those about an anthropomorphic fox named Reynard. Though character designs by Marc Davis survive, Walt Disney personally rejected the pitch in 1961, eventually passing on the project in favor of The Sword in the Stone. Eleven years later, Don Bluth, himself a former Disney animator, had begun pre-production on an fully animated film based on Chanticleer in 1982, before the release of The Secret of NIMH. In 1985, the film was mentioned as being in development limbo. Three years later, as a response to the success of the groundbreaking live-action animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bluth ultimately revived his proposal, intending to tell the rooster's story through live action and animation. Originally, the story's first and last scenes were to be shot in black and white, similar to 1939's The Wizard of Oz. The film's opening, which took place at a farm, had Edmond's mother reading the book The Story of Chanticleer to him. Victor French, who had directed several episodes of Get Smart and Highway to Heaven, was set to direct these sequences, but terminal lung cancer forced him out of production. Bluth, who had never done anything in this field, took over from this point, but very little of this footage made it in the final cut.

In a 1990 magazine article, Don described the plot of the film thusly:  In the final film, however, it is never explained why the sun rises even though Chanticleer does not crow, despite how much the narration of the film tries to explain many things.

Filming
The live-action sequences were done at Ardmore Studios in Dublin, Ireland. When the live-action footage was finished during production, Goldcrest Films recruited Sullivan Bluth Studios to animate the rest of the film. Animation took place in both Burbank, California and Dublin, Ireland. Chanticleer's girlfriend, Goldie the Pheasant, was designed to have attributes similar to Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit (as seen in the original trailer). In response to reactions from mothers during test screenings of her scenes, Goldcrest requested that Sullivan Bluth reanimate the scenes by covering her chest with feathers as cel overlays, or simply painting her cleavage out.

Aspect ratio
The live-action and animation sequences were filmed in two separate aspect ratios. The animation was shot on an open-matte full-screen negative, meaning the top and bottom of the image was cropped to fit the theatre screen along with the new Olive Films DVD and Blu-ray releases. The live-action scenes, including all animated elements, were shot in hard-matted widescreen. When viewed in full-screen (except the theatre screen and the new Olive Films DVD and Blu-ray releases), all the animated sequences (except for parts of the finale) can be seen in full, but the live-action segments lose information on the sides.

Post-production
To avoid a potential PG rating, Bluth edited out the showing of The Duke's "skunk pie" (the pie is not seen in full view in the final version), the animators had to replace Chanticleer's glass of wine with a transparent cup of soda in the "Kiss and Coo" sequence, and had to draw colored effects into The Grand Duke's breath to make him less scary for young audiences. Test audiences also felt confused by the storytelling so the filmmakers decided to include narration told by the dog character, Patou, voiced by Phil Harris. The crew, because of these changes, had to work overtime to finish the film by Thanksgiving 1990.

Release
The film was originally going to be released by MGM-Pathe Communications Co in November 1990, but studio partnership was facing financial difficulties, so Bluth rescheduled the film for release around Thanksgiving 1991 and selected The Samuel Goldwyn Company as the film's distributor. That date was further moved to April 1992 to avoid competition with Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Feature Animation's Beauty and the Beast, as well as Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment's An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, a sequel to An American Tail, in which Bluth himself was not involved. Prior to the North American theatrical release, a sneak preview of the film was included on the 1990 VHS release of All Dogs Go to Heaven.

Rock-a-Doodle was the first feature-length live-action/animated film since 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but unlike the live-action characters from that film sharing the screen with animated characters like Roger Rabbit, Edmond is the only live-action character to share the screen with the animated farm animals; this was at the beginning, when The Grand Duke confronts Edmond before turning him into an animated cat, and at the end, where Chanticleer is singing a reprise of Sun Do Shine like he does at the beginning. Bluth chose this direction because he was influenced by Roger Rabbit.

Home media history

In the United States and Canada, Rock-a-Doodle was first released on VHS and LaserDisc on 18 August 1992, and then on DVD on 20 July 1999 by HBO Video. A second edition was released by MGM Home Entertainment through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on 8 November 2005.

In 2010, the film was released along with The Pebble and the Penguin as a double-sided DVD. For the 25th anniversary of Rock-a-Doodle'''s North American release, a third edition was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Olive Films (under license from 20th Century Fox and MGM) on 31 October 2017. That edition marked the film's first widescreen debut in an American home media release. Unlike the previous home media releases, both the new Olive Films DVD and Blu-ray releases were sourced from telecine masters made for PAL, resulting in a slightly higher audio pitch than normal, despite the running time remaining the same as its NTSC counterpart.

The copyright date of 1990 appears in the film's end credits, VHS, DVD, although it was not released until at least a year later.

 Reception
 Box office
The film took in $11,657,385 at the US box office after an opening weekend gross of $2,603,286, which forced Bluth's studio into liquidation half a year after its release. Moreover, a Hong Kong company, Media Assets, purchased Bluth's next three films, Thumbelina (1994), A Troll in Central Park (1994), and The Pebble and the Penguin (1995). None of these did any better than Rock-a-Doodle critically or commercially, except Thumbelina, which did get slightly better in critical reception. All of them preceded 1997's Anastasia, his comeback hit. Despite the film's dismal theatrical performance, the film did sell quite well once it hit home video, shipping an estimated 2 million units, worth about $28 million gross.

 Critical reception Rock-a-Doodle received generally negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that  of critics gave the film a positive review based on  reviews, with an average score of . In a positive review, The Washington Post wrote: "The young ones, who certainly don't give a sticky-fingered hoot about animation production values, are likely to have a good time with this. There are many passing delights. Composer T. J. Kuenster has some funny songs. They're not Ashman and Menken (The Little Mermaid songwriting team), but they're sprightly. The best is probably a Bach-like fugue number, in which the Grand Duke and his owlish goons sing "Never Let Him Crow" around a church organ. But in a movie like this, it ain't over till the rooster sings". Empire found it more compelling than Bluth's previous effort All Dogs Go to Heaven, labeling Chanticleer "good-natured kitsch" and praising the film's "successful if unspectacular" live-action/animation mixture and the use of the real-life Jordanaires as backing vocalists.Halliwell's Film Guide commended its "excellent animation", but complained of the "poor and confusing narrative" that "rendered [it] pointless". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two stars out of four. In his review, he gave mild praise to the songs and the animation and said the film may entertain younger audiences, but said the film "doesn't feel as bright as it should". He also called the live-action segments unnecessary. Dave Kehr of the Chicago Tribune criticized the film's overwhelming amount of characters and subplots as well as its "frantic" altering in pacing and tone, but acclaimed the hand-drawn animation, calling it superior to the "shabby rotoscoping techniques" of Beauty and the Beast (1991). Hartford Courant reviewer Malcolm L. Johnson, while feeling that Rock-a-Doodle lacked a story, highlighted its "technical feats" in animation, such as the use of live action and moments where the animation "zoomps us through layers of action, as though a camera were riding on the back of a freewheeling bird". He also praised the voice acting and "witty" take of the "Bach vs. rock" story.

Charles Soloman, a critic for the Los Angeles Times, disliked the film's writing, reasoning that it was filled with plot holes, forced "fun" elements, and rejection of the source material's "powerful message about the importance of self-knowledge". He also criticized its cheap-looking special effects: "The Grand Duke's magic breath sprays twinkling stars and crescent moons that look like the glitter sold by the scoop in card shops. The matte lines are clearly visible in the final live-action/animation scenes, and a weird glow suffuses the entire sequence, as if it had been shot at Chernobyl". Entertainment Weekly panned Rock-a-Doodle's "limp rock homages", forgettable song, "washed-out" colors, and the "cheap" look of the live-actions sequences.

In 2011, Total Film ranked it as 24th among the 50 worst children's films ever made.

 Music

The soundtrack for Rock-a-Doodle was composed by Robert Folk and performed by the Irish Film Orchestra, with songs written and produced by T.J. Kuenster, one of the songwriters for All Dogs Go to Heaven. Background vocals on "We Hate the Sun", "Tweedle Te Dee", and "The Owls' Picnic" were all sung by a triple-tracked Kuenster himself. The tracks "Sun Do Shine", "Come Back to You", "Rock-a-Doodle", "Treasure Hunting Fever", "Sink or Swim", "Kiss 'n Coo", and "Tyin' Your Shoes" contained background vocals by The Jordanaires.

The soundtrack is the forty-ninth album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1992. Campbell voiced the main character.  The soundtrack was recorded at The Music Mill, Nashville; Ropewalk Studios, Dublin, Ireland; and Devonshire Audio, Los Angeles. It was produced by T.J. Kuenster, Robert Folk, and Nicky Moss. The album was released on the Liberty Records label.

 Songs
All tracks are written by T.J. Kuenster:

 Merchandise
A novelization of the film, written by Don Bluth and Chip Lovitt, was published by Troll Communications LLC (). The film also inspired a Computerized Coloring Book by Capstone Software and IntraCorp called The Rock-A-Doodle Computerized Coloring Book''.

See also

 List of animated feature-length films

Notes

References

External links

1991 animated films
1991 films
1990s fantasy comedy films
1990s musical comedy films
1990s musical fantasy films
American children's animated adventure films
American children's animated comedy films
American children's animated fantasy films
American children's animated musical films
American fantasy adventure films
American films with live action and animation
American musical comedy films
Animated films about birds
Animated films about cats
Animated films about dogs
Animated films about foxes
Animated films about revenge
British animated fantasy films
British children's animated films
British children's comedy films
British children's fantasy films
British fantasy adventure films
British musical fantasy films
Animated films about chickens
Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley
Animated films about size change
Films directed by Don Bluth
Films directed by Gary Goldman
Films directed by Dan Kuenster
Animated films about mice
Films produced by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman
Films produced by John Pomeroy
Films scored by Robert Folk
 Films set in the 1950s
Animated films set on farms
Films with screenplays by Don Bluth
Films with screenplays by Gary Goldman
Films with screenplays by John Pomeroy
Films with screenplays by David N. Weiss
Goldcrest Films films
Independent animated films
Irish animated fantasy films
Irish comedy films
Irish musical films
English-language Irish films
Rock musicals
Sullivan Bluth Studios films
The Samuel Goldwyn Company films
1991 comedy films
1990s children's animated films
1990s English-language films
Animated films about owls
1990s American films
1990s British films
American independent films
British independent films
Irish independent films
British animated comedy films
Films set in 1959

Rock-a-Doodle


The Knersvlakte is a region of hilly terrain covered with quartz gravel in Namaqualand in the north-west corner of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The name, literally "gnashing plain" in Afrikaans, is thought to be derived from the crunching of wagonwheels as they moved over the hard quartz stones.

The Knersvlakte is a Succulent Karoo and dominated by leaf succulents belonging to the Aizoaceae and Crassulaceae, with a variety of shrubs spread amongst them. The climate of the region is semi-arid with long dry summers, and rainfall occurring in the winter months.

The white quartz gravel reflects the sunlight, and is not as hot as the darker rocks and soil found in adjacent areas. Because the area is isolated from other areas with abundant quartz stones, there is a high level of endemism in the plants that occur in the Knersvlakte. Many of these plants are small and compact, which is presumably an adaptation to absorb heat as rain occurs in a short and cool winter period.

The Knersvlakte Nature Reserve was established in 2014 by CapeNature and the World Wide Fund for Nature to protect the endemic vegetation of the Knersvlakte.

References

 Knersvlakte Section in the Conservatory at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
 Factsheet from SKEP

Geography of the Western Cape

Knersvlakte


Hexic 2 is the sequel to Alexey Pajitnov's puzzle game Hexic, developed by Carbonated Games. It was released on August 15, 2007.

Gameplay

The board is one column longer than in the original game to allow for a more effective use of the board and remove two impossible hexagons accessed by the grid (the hexagon in the upper right and the hexagon in the lower right). Hexagons in Hexic 2 are colored red, blue, yellow, green, silver, white, and black.

It is even hinted with various screenshots that new skins are available, but possibly as a power for the new multiplayer mode. Combos are still achieved by rotating the cursor in a similar manner to the previous incarnations of the game. Starflower tiles are formed in much the same way, but the black pearl tiles are a bit more challenging to form this time around.

New to Hexic 2 is the "Battle" mode, where the player is pitted against the computer (or another player via Xbox Live) in a race to fill their meter bar before the other (see screenshot above). This is done by clearing pieces from the board, as well as deploying various "attacks" on the opponent.

"Marathon," "Timed Marathon," and "Survival" also return in Hexic 2, with the new alterations for the game implemented into the Gameplay.

New pieces and features
 Emeralds – 2 piece changer tile. Emeralds are created by forming a row or line of 5 or more same-colored pieces or circling one piece by 6 pieces with all 6 having 1 color. The resulting piece is an Emerald. Lining up 5 or more Emeralds will result in a Starflower or circling one piece by 6 Emeralds.
 Rubies – 4 piece changer tile. Rubies are created by lining up 5 or more Starflowers in a row or circling one piece by 6 Starflowers.
 Black Pearls are no longer created by circling one piece by 6 Starflowers; they are now formed by lining up 5 or more Rubies in a row, or circling one piece by 6 Rubies.
Lines or Rows – Forming a line of 5 or more pieces results in the creation of at least one of the next piece in chain of command.  Color > Emerald > Starflower > Ruby > Black Pearl.  The line in effect creates pieces in all positions of the original line minus the two pieces at each end (#-4).  So, using an extreme example, if a line of 11 Starflowers is made (2 rows of 4, then rotate in 3 in the middle), 7 Rubies are made, and a line of 7 Rubies makes 3 Black Pearls.
Detonation – Emeralds, Starflowers, Rubies and Black Pearls can be detonated on the player's command.  The explosion causes some of the adjacent pieces to explode, making it easier to destroy "locked" pieces or clear bombs.
Chain Reactions – If a piece that is detonated has an Emerald, Starflower, Ruby or Black Pearl next to it, the initial explosion will cause the 2nd piece to explode, which in turn blows up the pieces that are adjacent to it.  In this manner, long chains of pieces can be linked together and detonated in a single massive chain reaction.

Bug and fix
The Marathon mode featured a bug in which saved games would remove the bomb threat from the boards, allowing players to play forever. On September 23, 2007, an update fixed this bug, among other minor tweaks.

2007 video games
Alexey Pajitnov games
Carbonated Games games
Microsoft games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Puzzle video games
Video games developed in the United States
Xbox 360 games
Xbox 360 Live Arcade games
Xbox 360-only games

Hexic 2


William L. "Spider" Nyland (born October 2, 1946), a veteran of the Vietnam War, is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star General who served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from 2002 to 2005.  He retired from the Marine Corps in November 2005 after over 37 years of distinguished service.

Marine Corps career
Nyland was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps under the Naval ROTC program upon graduation in 1968 from the University of New Mexico. In addition to attaining a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California, his formal military education includes The Basic School (1968), Naval Aviation Flight Training (NFO) (1969), Amphibious Warfare School (1975), Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) (1977), College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College (1981), and the Air War College (1988).

He was advanced to first lieutenant on September 5, 1969, captain on February 1, 1972, major on September 1, 1978, and lieutenant colonel on April 1, 1984.

After being assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 351 (VMFA-531), he was ordered to Vietnam, where he flew 122 combat missions with VMFA-314 and VMFA-115. His other tours included: Instructor RIO, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101); Squadron Assistant Operations Officer and Operations Officer, VMFA-115; and Brigade FORSTAT and Electronic Warfare Officer, 1st Marine Brigade. He also served as Operations Officer and Director of Safety and Standardization, VMFA-212; Aviation Safety Officer and Congressional Liaison/Budget Officer, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.; and Operations Officer, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Amphibious Brigade. He commanded VMFA-232, the Marine Corps' oldest and most decorated fighter squadron, from July 1985 to July 1987.

Lieutenant Colonel Nyland subsequently served as section chief for the Central Command Section, European Command/Central Command Branch, Joint Operations Division, Directorate of Operations (J-3), Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. He was promoted to colonel on February 1, 1990. In July 1990, Colonel Nyland assumed command of Marine Aviation Training Support Group Pensacola, Florida. Following his command of MATSG, he assumed duties as Chief of Staff, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2MAW) on July 5, 1992, and assumed additional duties as Assistant Wing Commander on November 10, 1992. He was promoted to brigadier general on September 1, 1994 and was assigned as Assistant Wing Commander, 2MAW, serving in that billet until December 1, 1995.

Brigadier General Nyland served next on the Joint Staff, J-8, as the Deputy Director for Force Structure and Resources, completing that tour on June 30, 1997. He was advanced to major general on July 2, 1997, and assumed duties as the Deputy Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He then served as the Commanding General, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, from July 1998 to June 2000. He was advanced to lieutenant general on June 30, 2000 and assumed duties as the Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. He next assumed duties as the Deputy Commandant for Aviation on August 3, 2001. He was advanced to general on September 4, 2002, and assumed his duties as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps on September 10, 2002.

General Nyland served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington D.C., from September 2002 until September 7, 2005. He retired from active duty on November 1, 2005.

Awards
His personal decorations include:

In retirement
As of August 2006, Nyland serves as Deputy Director for Defense Research and Development for the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). He is on the Board of Directors for FreeLinc.

Nyland served as Chairman of Toys for Tots He also served as Chairman of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and He also served as The National Commander for the Marine Corps Aviation Association (January 2007-January 2010).

See also

List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals

Notes

References

External links

Living people
1946 births
United States Marine Corps generals
Assistant Commandants of the United States Marine Corps
University of New Mexico alumni
University of Southern California alumni
College of Naval Command and Staff alumni
Air War College alumni
United States Naval Flight Officers
United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Air Medal
Recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)
Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition people
Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal

William L. Nyland


, also referred to as simply , is a Japanese science fiction media franchise created by Tomy that feature giant robots (or "mecha") called Technozoidaryans, otherwise known as Technozoids, Zoidaryans or Zoids for short. A Zoid is essentially a large mechanical animal, with designs being based on animals; including dinosaurs, insects, arachnids and mythological creatures.

The franchise started with a model-kit-based toy line and includes five main anime TV series (Chaotic Century, New Century, Fuzors, Genesis and Wild) as well as several video games and manga products.

Model kit lines
There have been a number of different Zoids model lines over the years, both in Japan and other countries. Between these lines, over 200 different designs have been released, some several times over. Several companies outside of Takara-Tomy have produced Zoids kits. This has led to Zoids being made as die-cast figures, highly detailed posing kits, smaller action figures and even PVC figurines.

Mechabonica
The predecessors to Zoids. Released in 1982, "Mechabonica" was technically not a Zoids line, but is counted as such by collectors as it consisted of three models that would later be re-released as the first three Zoids (Garius, Elephantus, and Glidoler). The line was not very successful and was quickly dropped by Tomy.

Starzeta
Starzeta was the Spanish version of the Mechabonica line. Since Tomy had no direct marketing power in Spain during the 80s the models were released under licence by a smaller company (Feber) but unfortunately the line performed even worse than its Japanese counterpart. The same 3 models were released but bizarrely they were given new color schemes; grey parts became silver and the dark blue caps became bright blue. The models were not given names but are listed as Starzeta I, II and III.

SZ IV (Garantula), SZ V (Aquadon) and SZ VI (Gorgodos) were supposedly planned as a continuation of the series but their release status is currently unknown.

The models are incredibly rare (even more so than the Japanese Mechabonica) and demand is boosted even further by their unique color schemes.

Original American release
TOMY sold the Mechabonica line in the United States and Europe in late 1982, under the name Zoids. The line was far more successful than Mechabonica, which led TOMY to reintroduce the line in Japan under the new name.

Later, a pair of original Zoids, the Power Zoids Tank and Serpent, were created exclusively for the European and North American markets and were never released in Japan. Other Zoids like the Bigasaur (renamed to Giant ZRK) were also released. Radio Shack released the Mammoth Zoid in the US at the same time. While not a part of the release, it is generally counted with them.
The Original American Release is commonly abbreviated as OAR by fans and collectors.

Original Japanese Release
In 1983, following the success of the OAR, TOMY reintroduced the Zoids line in Japan. The relaunched Japanese line, now entitled Zoids, was a success, running from 1983 until 1990. The Zoids line had its own "Battle Story" that was told serially on the backs of the model boxes and in catalogues.

Initially, the Zoids were divided into two distinct factions, the Helic Republic and the Zenebas Empire. In 1989, the Zenebas Empire was replaced with the Guylos Empire.

The Original Japanese Release is commonly abbreviated as OJR.

Original European Release
Zoids were also released in Europe, (and to a limited extent in Australia, South Africa and South-East Asia), from 1984 to 1987 by TOMY. The models in this release were a mixture of ones directly ported over from the OJR, as well as recolored Zoids, including the rare Ghost Zoids line. Additionally, the Tank and Serpent Power Zoids from the OAR were released. Most of the Zoids in the line were renamed.

The Zoids in the release were divided into two distinct factions, which are the Blue Guardians and the Red Mutants. The line had its own story told in the UK Zoids comic.

The Original European Release is commonly abbreviated as OER.

Robo Strux
Robo Strux were released in the US and Canada by TOMY, in 1985–86. All the Zoids in the line were OJR Zoids, however, some versions of the same model retained their original (OJR) color scheme, whereas other versions of the same model received a distinctive Robo Strux color scheme. Thus, the Robo Strux line had two differently colored releases of several models. Based on their color schemes, the Zoids were divided into two factions, the heroic Blue Guardians and the evil Red Mutants. However, there was no accompanying story or media.

Due to the lack of marketing and the relatively high prices of the models, Robostrux was rather short-lived.

Robostrux is commonly abbreviated as RS.

1:24 Scale Zoids
In 1988, TOMY launched a sub-line of the OJR, featuring larger-scale Zoids. The 1:24 line featured Zoids of similar size to existing ones, but scaled for larger pilots. Each kit came with a 3 inch tall action figure of the pilot. Like the regular Zoids line, the Zoids were divided into Helic and Zenebas factions.

The 1:24 Zoids were not a success, and were discontinued after a year.

Zevle
In 1990, TOMY re-released several of the 1:24 scale Zoids in a new line called Zevle. The Zoids were recolored from the OJR versions, and came with detailed, 3 inch tall action figures of the pilot and crew. The pilot figures were unpainted and on sprues, much like a model kit, and had to be assembled. The crew figures also came with accessories of guns and beam sabers. Zevle featured its own "Battle Story" on the boxes, but while it was similar to the Zoids Battle Story, it was unrelated to it.

Like the 1/24th Zoids, Zevle was a commercial failure and was discontinued.

Technozoids
Kenner acquired the rights to release Zoids in North America, releasing the Technozoids line in 1995–1996. The Zoids in the line were all recolors of earlier Zoids released in the OJR, although some were directly imported from the Zoids2 line. There were no distinct factions for the Zoids, and no backstory was given.

The Technozoids line was a failure and was discontinued after one year. A number of Zoids were left unreleased at the end of the line.

Technozoids is commonly abbreviated as TZ.

Zoids 2
TOMY released another line of Zoids in the UK and Europe (with a re-release in Australia and South-East Asia) in 1994. The Zoids 2 line featured very bright color schemes, with all the Zoids having at least some chromed parts. The Zoids also had unique stickers with odd swirling designs. The Zoids 2 line did not feature distinctive factions for the Zoids, but did have a backstory loosely based on (but not a continuation of) the UK Zoid comic, with the Zoids invading Earth and humanity's last hope being to turn the Zoids against each other.

Like Technozoids, Zoids 2 was eventually discontinued.

Zoids 2 is commonly abbreviated as Z2.

New Japanese Release
In 1999, TOMY relaunched the Zoids line in Japan, with subsequent releases elsewhere in Asia. Initially, the line consisted of recolored re-releases of older Zoids, but TOMY quickly began producing new Zoids designs. The Zoids were divided into Helic and Guylos factions, with the Zenebas Empire returning later. The OJR battle story was continued on the NJR boxes, with the Zoids Anime and Manga drawing on alternate versions of the New Battle Story's events.

The line was abruptly discontinued in August 2004. By the end of the line, there were still thirty-three Zoids from the OJR line that had yet to be re-released.

The New Japanese Release is unofficially abbreviated as NJR.

Customise Parts
Along with the re-launch of the Zoids line, TOMY also launched a line known as Customise Parts or simply CP. The line consisted of additional weapons and equipment that could be added onto Zoids models. The line was a mixture of new parts and re-issues of parts originally included in various OJR models (as well as the Empire and Republic Customization Kits).

The Customise Parts line was discontinued in 2002.

Blox
In 2002, TOMY introduced a new line of non-motorised Zoids called Blox, which featured flexible construction. Blox Zoids can be easily disassembled and combined with each other, as well as with regular Zoids.

Toys Dream Project
In 2002, Toys Dream Project began a line of limited Zoids releases. The line consisted of a mixture of new recolors of existing Zoids and re-releases of older versions of some Zoids in their OJR colors, as well as kits paired with uniquely colored customize parts.

Zoids: Build Customize Mobilize
Following the launch of the NJR, Hasbro licensed Zoids for release in North America and South-East Asia in 2001. Like the NJR, the line was divided into Republic and Empire factions, with the Anime providing the backstory. Initially, the Hasbro line consisted of just re-releases of Zoids from the NJR. However, they later began developing their own Zoid designs, as well as co-developing others with TOMY. Additionally, Hasbro had planned to re-release several OJR Zoids that had not been released in the NJR.

Although it was initially successful, Hasbro suspended the line in 2004, due to poor sales. The cancellation of the line left a number of new Zoids unreleased, including most of those not yet re-released by TOMY. Much of the leftover stock was later released by Hasbro in Australia and the UK.

In Australia and South-East Asia, these Zoids were released by TOMY. These countries were identical to Hasbro's Zoids, but featured TOMY branding on the box. In the UK the Zoids boxes featured slightly different logos to both Australia and the US. The UK release featured several Zoids designs and color schemes that were not available in the US.

Z-Builders
Any Blox Zoids that were released by Hasbro were sold as part of the line known as Z-Builders. Most of the Z-Builders were re-releases of the NJR Blox line, but the line included several Hasbro-designed Zoids, as well as individual releases of Blox Zoids that did not occur in Japan. The Z-Builders line was suspended alongside the motorized models. Z-Builders was released in Australia and the Pacific featuring TOMY branding instead of Hasbro branding.

Fuzors
In late 2004, TOMY launched a new Zoids line to tie into the Zoids: Fuzors anime that was then showing on Japanese TV. The line was composed entirely of recolors of older Blox and Zoids. Some models were altered slightly, or packaged with additional parts, mainly to allow different Zoids to connect (or "fuse"). The line also featured a number of Zoids that were previously only released in North America.

The line was abruptly halted in early 2005, with several items unreleased.

Fuzors is commonly abbreviated as FZ.

Genesis
In early 2005, another new Zoid line was launched, to tie into the Zoids: Genesis anime. The line consists of a mixture of old designs, new designs and older designs with new parts. The line is most notable for the much-anticipated reissues of Houndsoldier and Gilvader.

Reactions to the line were mixed; the re-releases of older designs (which included several OJR Zoids not previously re-released) were well received. The new designs, namely the Bio-Zoids which had rubber armor, did not do so well, having been plagued by quality control issues and production errors.

Genesis is commonly abbreviated as GZ. An alternate abbreviation, GB, is used for the Bio-Zoids released as part of this line.

Neo-Blox
Released in May 2006, the Neo-Blox are an improvement on the previous Blox line, primarily due to the greater range of poseability the 'Blox and peg' connection system has.

Two sublines have also been released. The first is the Legends Series, which features Zoids from previous releases, but redesigned to be the same size as the Neo-Blox Zoids, and modified to use the same connector system. The second are the Custom Blox; subline appeared to be on hold, with Tomy instead focusing on the Legend Blox sub-line. With the cancellation of all unreleased Neo-Blox in early 2007, the line was effectively dead.

The Neo-Blox is abbreviated as either NBZ or NB. Alternate abbreviations are used for the Legends Series (LB) and the Custom Blox (CBZ).

Academy Zoids
Academy, a company from Korea better known for model airplanes and ships, re-released many of the NJR Zoid models, as well as some Zoids from the Customize Parts, Fuzors and Genesis series. In most cases, these Academy Zoids have nearly identical packaging to their Japanese predecessors save for the Korean language and a sticker bearing the Academy logo. Though the quality of the Academy Zoids were on par with their Japanese counterparts in the early 2000s, the age and repeated use of some molds, such as Command Wolf and Liger Zero, has caused degradation in the line. The line continues to sell Zoids exclusively in Korean markets.

High-end Master Model
Starting in late 2006, the High-end Master Model line, commonly abbreviated HMM, is a joint effort between Tomy and Kotobukiya. The line advertises high-quality, highly detailed, pose-able model kits based on designs of existing Zoids.

Evo Drive Zoids
Miniature Zoids
Starting in late 2006, the High-end Master Model line, commonly abbreviated HMM, is a joint effort between Tomy and Kotobukiya. The line advertises high-quality, highly detailed, pose-able model kits based on designs of existing Zoids.

Zoids Graphics
Released in Summer 2007 onward, the Graphics line are reissues of the OJR model kits released in the 1980s.  They feature the model kit in special windowed packaging along with bonus parts or miniature figures and a booklet with early battle story information.

Zoids 25th: Rebirth Century
Starting in 2008 as part of the line's 25th anniversary, this new Zoids line contains both re-releases of 80s Zoids and entirely new designs. The backstory is set between the end of the original line and the start of the new Japanese release, covering the Zoidians' efforts to rebuild after the meteor disaster and the conflicts that come with it.

Zoids Anime 10th Anniversary
Starting in 2009, as a tribute to both the NJR Zoids Release and the Chaotic Century Anime series, the Anime 10th Anniversary is a limited line of correctly colored model kits based on those piloted by characters in the Anime series. The line abruptly stopped after just two of the kits were released. Zoids: Chaotic Century is what this 10th anniversary is based upon. It was only ended in 1999.

Revoltech Zoids
A company called Kaiyodo released four Zoids as Revoltech figures under the Yamaguchi line. Two Zoid types, the Blade Liger and the Geno Breaker, were produced with the Liger coming in three different colors. These Zoids were made to be highly pose-able, having more joints than any Revoltech before. These Zoids are smaller than the motorized Zoid models but larger than the Hasbro action figures.

Yamato Zoids
Yamato released two Shield Ligers and a set of Beam-Cannons for the Zoids between 2010 and 2012. These Zoids had die-cast metal parts as well as fine details and many points of articulation for movable parts. The action models dwarfed their predecessors in size and weight. The first Shield Liger was colored like the hero Zoid of the Chaotic Century series and included three small character figures. The second was painted black and silver and included the Beam Cannon like the limited NJR model, the Shield Liger DCS-J, it was based on. The Yamato Shield Liger was released in the United States and is the only line to be sold in the U.S. since Z-Builders.

Modeler's Spirit Series
For the 30th anniversary of Tomy's main Zoids line, the franchise was treated to a new line of Zoids kits. Abbreviated MSS, the Modeler's Spirit Series were produced by TOMYTEC at a 1:144 scale, much smaller than previous lines. These Zoids are not motorized but do feature posing gimmicks similar to Mobile Suit models, which have used the word 'gimmick' for movable parts longer. Zoids in the MSS line also include a display base. The first MSS Zoids, released in January 2013, were a Shield Liger and Hammer Rock.

Zoids Original
Another event for the 30th anniversary was announced on Takara-Tomy's main Zoids web page. Titled Zoids Original, the line features redesigned motorized kits. As with other core Zoids lines, the new series includes a tie-in Battle Story. A model called the Mirage Fox was the first kit to be released in the new line.

Battle story
 "Battle story" is a fictitious timeline of events that features on the boxes, manuals and cataloges of some Zoid model kits. Battle Story allows collectors to piece together information about the Zoids universe from the perspective of certain Zoids, and their roles in the various timelines. None of the English-language model kits feature this story.

Original battle story
Beginning fairly early after the start of the original Japanese Zoid releases, the battle story first introduced the conflict between two rival nations: the Helic Republic and Zenebas Empire. Their main weapons were Zoids, living war machines built from metal-based lifeforms native to planet Zi. The Zenebas Zoids were mostly red and silver and more armored, the Helic more skeletal and favoring blue and grey.

The line expanded and drew in fans, and was thus given a proper ongoing story, with the creators wanting to appeal to fans of science fiction and animation.  The two nations' conflict turned into an ongoing series of stories included on the boxes and published in various magazines and books. History of Zoids, published in 1985, covered Zi's history as a planet wrecked by natural disasters and conflict, King Helic's uniting the original tribes and formation of the Republic, the Empire's bitter splitting off after his son Helic II took over and the younger Zenebas was betrayed by the era's politicians, and much of the earlier battles in the resulting war over territory on the Central Continent.

As more advanced model kits were added to the line, a human element was added to the story: mainly, a ship from Earth (the Globally 3) crashlanding on Zi. Earth technology made its way to both sides, accelerating the arms race and making for many stronger Zoids.

In 1986, the Ultrasaurus was released, and billed in-story as the machine that would defeat the Empire. It nearly succeeded, but Zenebas and his forces fled to the Dark Continent Nyx, soon returning with new-model Zoids like the Death Saurer. The Republic was driven back and forced to hold the Empire off with guerrilla warfare in the mountains, paving the way for the brief 1/24 scale line (notable for featuring the Battle Rover as the winner of a fan design contest).  The Republic's counterattack came in the form of the Mad Thunder, and as Zenebas again turned to the Dark Continent for help, he was betrayed by Guylos, whose new "Dark Army" Zoids attacked and absorbed the Empire Army.

1989 thus marked a drastic change in the line's focus, the first catalogue even calling it "Zoids New Century" (a title unrelated to the anime series Zoids New Century /Zero). The more ambiguous conflict became more "good versus evil", with Guylos described as having a "merciless, cruel fighting style [...] beyond imagination" in Tomy's material, and Shogakukan's version of the battle story abandoning telling things from both sides to give only the viewpoint of a Republic soldier portrayed as a hero. There were no windup kits released after the Cannonfort in April 1989, the toys instead focusing on "Gradeups", curvy techno-organic designs with vacuum metalized parts, build-it-yourself motor boxes, and interchangeable custom parts.

The line ended in the late months of 1990, King Gojulas and Descat marking the final designs.  Battle story Zi came down to a final showdown between the nigh-unstoppable King Gojulas and various Dark Army Zoids (including Gilvader), only to have the conflict cut short as a comet struck Zi's third moon, raining down meteor destruction and leaving the entire planet in disarray.

New battle story
The Zoids revival in 1999 included both an anime and a new battle story. After decades of peace, the current Emperor died, leaving only the young Rudolph as his heir. His regent, Prozen, took the opportunity to resume the conflict between the Guylos Empire and the Republic.  Early on, both sides used their past Zoids, the model line focusing entirely on reissues of popular past kits.

As technology advanced, entirely new designs were produced, the first being the Rev Raptor and Geno Saurer. Many of them were also tie ins to the Chaotic Century anime, including special pilot figures of characters who used them while the Zoids did different things in the battle story. The accelerating arms race came to a head with the Death Stinger, which proved an uncontrollable berserker and only served to further the Guylos Empire's gradual loss.

Their retreat to the Dark Continent was not as it seemed, and in 2004 (four years after the first anime series finished its run), Prozen was revealed to be Zenebas' son...and the current ruler of the Republic his daughter under the alias Louise Elena Camford. The entire war until now had been a ruse to weaken both nations, and in a bitter coup ending with his own death Prozen engineered the rise of Neo Zenebas. His son took over the reins, driving the Republic forces back to the Eastern Continent.

The toyline shifted to match, introducing the new posable "Blox" kits (first sold in 2002) as the creation of humans who had fled there to remain neutral in the original conflict. They sold their work to both sides during the Republic's bid to regain their homeland. The ensuing battles—and the battle story portion of the toyline—ended with the Republic reclaiming their capital, forcing the Zenebas Empire back to the western half of the Central Continent.

Three Tigers
Providing a glimpse into Zi's future and released in 2004, the Three Tigers line consisted of all of six kits: three legendary Tiger-type Zoids (one formed via a combination of two separate kits) and the Dekalt Dragon (also a combination). It was very closely followed by the Fuzors line and its direct anime tie-in (also in 2004), and featured a similar setting: Zoids are owned mainly by private citizens, with fightworthy ones restricted to peacekeeping forces and licensed sports battlers.

Two large Zoid manufacturing corporations, ZOITEC and Zi-Arms, became considerable powers on Zi. Discovering the cores of ancient tiger Zoids, they set out to create their own versions. Part of Zi-Arms proved to have an ulterior motive: seizing power and reviving the glory days of the Empire with the Dekalt Dragon, Brastle Tiger, and a Mega Death Saurer. The two ZOITEC Tigers (Whitz and Rayse) team up with a rebelling Brastle to stop the Saurer, however ... and then vanish, the story booklet included with the Brastle Tiger kit describing them as "disappearing back into legend".

Rebirth Century
While the old battle story and the 1999 revival left nearly thirty years post meteor disaster undetailed, Tomy's Rebirth Century revival (2008–2010) picks up where the old story left off.  After retelling the final battle with King Gojulas, it moves on to a Zi torn by magnetic storms and faction tensions, using it as a reason to rerelease both old kits (Gilvader and King Gojulas included) and new designs.

Onslaught
For the 30th anniversary of the OJR line, Takara-Tomy revived the Battle Story on the main Zoids website. Prior to the anniversary, this story was released as a book series titled Zoids Concept Art in 2010. Though the overall plot is the same, some differences between the OJR and the Onslaught version occur. Also, the new version of the Battle Story is digitally illustrated with highly stylized Zoids instead of featuring pictures of the actual Zoids models like the older lines did. Episodes of this story can be viewed on the Tomy's main Zoids web page.

Anime
The six anime series pertaining to Zoids are: Zoids: Chaotic Century and its sequel series Zoids: Guardian Force, Zoids: New Century Zero, Zoids: Fuzors, Zoids: Genesis, and Zoids Wild. The first four series take place on the fictitious planet Zi. Zoids Wild is set on a post-apocalyptic version of Earth. Chaotic Century and Guardian Force aired as one series in the US, but they are considered two separate series by Takara Tomy.

Chaotic Century (1999)

Zoids: Chaotic Century is the first two Zoids anime series and consists of Chaotic Century and Guardian Force. Its setting is loosely based on that of Battle Story, and follows Van Flyheight as he meets an amnesiac girl called Fiona and an organoid called Zeke. As the series progresses, Van meets various opponents, such as Raven, and friends, like Moonbay and Irvine, and eventually ends up helping Fiona in her quest to regain her memory and to find a mysterious entity called the "Zoid Eve". Their quest takes them into the thick of an ongoing war between the two factions of the Helic Republic and the Guylos Empire.

In the US the story of Chaotic Century is split into two seasons, with a time skip in the middle. In Japan Guardian Force is considered the second series. Three to four years after the initial arc ("Chaotic Century"), the second story (Guardian Force) begins. The two warring nations seen in the first arc have made peace, and to ensure it remains, they establish a joint military task force called the Guardian Force. Van becomes a part of this force, and after some time again goes searching for the elusive Zoid Eve. On the way, he meets up with both old and new friends and foes.

Despite being the first series created in Japan, Chaotic Century was the second series to be broadcast in English, following New Century.

As well as the anime series, there was a Chaotic Century manga published in Japan. It was later reproduced in English in North America by Viz Communications, and in Singapore in English by Chuang Yi. There are significant differences between the anime and manga, becoming more striking in the later issues.

New Century (2001)

Zoids: New Century takes place some time after the events of Guardian Force, however, aside from a few cameo appearances, there is no direct relation to the past series. In New Century Zoid battles have become a tournament-based fighting competition. The main character is Bit Cloud, a junk dealer, who forms part of the Blitz Team. He becomes a pilot of their Zoid, the Liger Zero, a temperamental Zoid that previously had been unpilotable. Bit and Liger form a partnership and end up joining the Blitz Team in their various league matches. He is aided by his teammates, Leena Toros, Brad Hunter, Jamie Hemeros, as well as their leader, Dr. Steve Toros.

Along the way, Bit's unique Zoid gets the attention of the Backdraft Group, an organization who is trying to take over Zoid battles and make them more "interesting" by using illicit battles, often with no rules or regard to pilot safety. The Backdraft attempts to acquire the Liger Zero by any means possible.

New Century Zero has a number of animation cameos with Zoids from Chaotic Century and Guardian Force, which are the cause of much fan speculation but not explained.  Moonbay's Gustav can be seen in the background in one of the later episodes, the Backdraft shoots judge satellites down with a Death Stinger tail, the Death Saurer appearing as a model and in a background TV show, the three Geno Saurers that attack Berserk Fury, and the Ultrasaurus wreck on which Bit Cloud claims victory carries the Gravity Cannon on its side.

This was the first Zoids series to appear on American television, airing in Cartoon Network's Toonami block.

Fuzors (2003)

Zoids: Fuzors follows the adventures of team Mach Storm and RD, a novice Liger Zero pilot. They live in the technologically advanced Blue City, competing in Zoid battles.  When a top team is wiped out by a pair of Zoids able to combine, it leads to a series of discoveries relating to special "Fuzor" Zoids and combinations: RD's Liger Zero ends up partnered with the Fire Phoenix and later the Jet Falcon.

There's something more sinister lurking behind the sports battles and RD's rivalry with team Savage Hammer. As the series unfolds RD and his friends Helmut, Sigma, Hop, Sweet and Matt get caught up in a plot to take over the city. Eventually RD discovers the secret behind the mysterious "Alpha Zoid" and with the help of pilots from all over the city, defeats the Seismosaurus holding it under siege.

About half-way through the series, the show was removed from America's Cartoon Network, ending on a cliffhanger. This was most likely a result of flagging ratings and toy sales, although its timeslot did not help matters. However, the full series aired in Australia and was later shown in Japan, getting full DVD releases in both countries.

Genesis (2005)

Zoids: Genesis aired in 2005. At a certain point in time, there was a great quake on Planet Zi. An enormous crack ran through the planet, stretching as far as the seabeds to the high mountains. Volcanoes erupted with fire, and the sky was covered in darkness. Many cities were destroyed as they were swallowed in large areas, sinking underwater. This was known as "God's Fury."

Before this large series of natural disasters, all civilizations were at their peak. All were destroyed by the disasters, and it was several thousand years before the inhabitants of Zi were able to re-establish themselves in any meaningful form. Survivors of the disasters gathered together and formed new civilizations; these groups searched for Zoids that are buried underground for human use.

The story begins in a village whose most precious item, a giant blade, is worshipped as a holy symbol. Ruuji, a teenage boy, discovers an ancient Liger-type Zoid, the Murasame Liger, while on a deep water salvage operation. His village is suddenly attacked by skeletal "Bio-Zoids" intent on securing the powerful Generator located in the village. During the attack, Ruuji awakens Murasame Liger and fends off the Bio-Zoids, however the Generator on which the village depends becomes damaged in subsequent attacks. Seeking to repair it, Ruuji sets off on a journey to find a mechanic capable of fixing a generator.

Wild (2018)

Zoids Wild is the newest Zoids anime series. It began airing on July 7, 2018 on Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo Broadcasting System. It is notable that characters are depicted riding on top of Zoids rather than within an enclosed cockpit as in previous Zoids media.

UK Zoids comics

In the 1980s, a Zoids tie-in strip was published in the Marvel UK title Secret Wars. On the back of this, it gained its own weekly title, Spider-Man and Zoids. This story has no continuity with any Japanese anime (which didn't exist at the time) and it was created to go along with the original UK (and subsequently Australian) release of model kits. The comic is notable for featuring early work by Grant Morrison, including the epic and apocalyptic Black Zoid storyline.

References

External links

 TOMYTEC's official  Zoids site
 Sho-Pro's official Zoids anime site
 Zoidstar UK Zoids Comics

1980s toys
Fictional extraterrestrial robots
Fictional giants
Fictional robots
Mass media franchises
Shogakukan franchises
Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy franchises
Toonami

Zoids


Corita Kent (November 20, 1918 – September 18, 1986), born Frances Elizabeth Kent and also known as Sister Mary Corita Kent, was an American artist, designer and educator, and former religious sister. Key themes in her work included Christianity, and social justice. She was also a teacher at the Immaculate Heart College.

Corita was born Frances Elizabeth Kent on November 20 in the year of 1918. At 18 years of age Kent entered the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart, which were known to be very progressive and welcomed creativity. Frances joined a teaching order, taking the name Sister Mary Corita. Initially she taught young children on an Inuit Reservation in British Columbia  until returning to Los Angeles to study for her bachelor's degree at Immaculate Heart College and her master's degree at University of Southern California. She was the head of the art department at Immaculate Heart College. where she also taught a wide variety of different painting styles. Her artwork contained her own spiritual expression and love for her God.

Kent's primary medium was screen printing, also known as Serigraphy. She became self-taught after she sent away for a DIY silk screening kit. Her innovative methods pushed back the limitations of two-dimensional media of the times. Kent's emphasis on printing was partially due to her wish for democratic outreach, as she wished for affordable art for the masses. Her artwork, with its messages of love and peace, was particularly popular during the social upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s.

Due to opposition from Cardinal James McIntyre (who had a particular dislike for Kent), the sisters would eventually be forced out of their schools in Los Angeles—with the exception of the college—and most of the sisters left the order entirely, while keeping the larger school. Kent, however, would move to the East Coast and begin to work independently.

After a cancer diagnosis in the early 1970s, she entered an extremely prolific period in her career, including the Rainbow Swash design on the LNG storage tank in Boston, and the 1985 version of the United States Postal Service's special Love stamp.

In recent years, Corita has gained increased recognition for her role in the pop art movement. Critics and theorists previously failed to count her work as part of any mainstream "canon," but in the last few years there has been a resurgence of attention given to Kent. As both a nun and a woman making art in the twentieth century, she was in many ways cast to the margins of the different movements she was a part of.

Corita's art was her activism, and her spiritually-informed social commentary promoted love and tolerance.

Biography

Early life and education
Frances Elizabeth Kent, fifth child of Robert Vincent and Edith Genevieve, was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa in 1918. Kent's parents were artistically inclined, especially her father, and always encouraged her art. In junior high, Corita and her siblings attended Blessed Sacrament School which was partially staffed by Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When attending junior high, Kent's art potential was noticed by several nuns. Kent graduated from Los Angeles Catholic Girls' High School in 1936. Upon entering the Roman Catholic order of IHM sisters in Los Angeles in 1936, Kent took the name Sister Mary Corita. She took classes at Otis (now Otis College of Art and Design) and Chouinard Art Institute and earned her BA from Immaculate Heart College in 1941. She earned her MA at the University of Southern California in Art History in 1951.

Career
Between 1938 and 1968 Kent lived and worked in the Immaculate Heart Community. She taught in the Immaculate Heart College and became the chair of its art department in 1964. Her classes at Immaculate Heart were an avant-garde mecca for prominent, ground-breaking artists and inventors, such as Alfred Hitchcock, John Cage, Saul Bass, Buckminster Fuller and Charles & Ray Eames. Kent credited Charles Eames, Buckminster Fuller, and art historian Dr. Alois Schardt for their important roles in her intellectual and artistic growth. By the early 1950s, she had such a unique and well-known aesthetic and teaching style that clergy members from all over the country were sent to be educated at Immaculate Heart College. Her students were drawn to her selflessness and unique teaching methods such as large class assignments like asking students to create 200 drawings or take three hours to draw their arm without looking at what they were creating.

Kent toured widely the following decade. After the Second Vatican Council, Kent transformed Immaculate Heart College's annual Mary's Day procession into a community celebration which was part of the sister's campaign to bring secular people together. During this time, Kent's work became increasingly political, addressing events such as the Vietnam War and humanitarian crises. For example, she was commissioned by the Physicians for Social Responsibility to create what she called "we can create life without war" billboards. Tensions between the order and church leadership were mounting, with the Los Angeles archdiocese criticizing the college as "liberal" and Cardinal James McIntyre labeling the college as "communist" and Kent's work as "blasphemous." Due to this, Kent returned to secular life in 1968 as Corita Kent. Most sisters followed suit and the Immaculate Heart College closed in 1980. Corita Kent also embraced the many different revolutionary movements going on in the world at this time. These movements included the anti-Vietnam War movement, Civil Rights, and Women's Rights.

Kent created several hundred serigraph designs, for posters, book covers, and murals. Her work includes the 1985 United States Postal Service stamp Love and the 1971 Rainbow Swash, the largest copyrighted work of art in the world, covering a  high natural gas tank in Boston. She did not attend the unveiling of the Love stamp because she wanted it to happen at the United Nations and was not happy with the message that was sent when the design was unveiled on the Love Boat. Her 1985 work "love is hard work" was made in response. The stamp itself sold successfully—over 700 million times. Kent was also commissioned to create work for the 1964 World's Fair in New York, and the 1965 IBM Christmas display in New York. Her 1951 print, The Lord is with Thee had won first prizes in printmaking at the Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science, Art, and at the California State Fair.

Kent's work has been exhibited extensively beginning in 1952. By the 1960s, Kent had already shown work at 230 exhibitions across the country and her work was included in the collections the Achenbach Foundation Graphic Arts, the Fogg museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art, the National Serigraph Society, the Norman Rockwell Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Death
Corita Kent was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1974. After this diagnosis, in the Back Bay of Boston, Kent confined her art to water color painting and only pursued printmaking in order to say something substantiative. The Papers of Corita revealed Kent had kept two calendars towards the end of her life. This displayed that Kent, in the midst of fighting cancer, followed a strict diet, answered and wrote letters, and wanted to live and continue to create art. She ultimately died on September 18, 1986, in Watertown Massachusetts at the age of sixty-seven. She left her copyrights and unsold works to the Immaculate Heart Community formed by the former IHM sisters in Los Angeles.

Artistic style
Corita Kent worked at the intersection of several powerful—and at times contradictory—cultural, political, and religious influences. Corita Kent, inspired by the works of Andy Warhol, began using popular culture as raw material for her work in 1962. Her screen prints often incorporated archetypical product brands of American consumerism alongside spiritual texts. Her design process involved appropriating an original advertising graphic to suit her idea; for example, she would tear, rip, or crumple the image, then re-photograph it. She often used grocery store signage, texts from scripture, newspaper clippings, song lyrics, and writings from literary greats such as Gertrude Stein, E. E. Cummings, and Albert Camus as the textual focal point of her work.

E. E. Cummings was one of Kent's earliest and strongest influences. She quotes him in her work separately more than a dozen times and was inspired by a line from one of his lectures to create an entire series of alphabet prints. In her 1966 piece Tame It's Not, she uses quotes from Winnie the Pooh, Kierkegaard, and an ad slogan for men's cologne. Using everyday consumer items, like Wonderbread, she was able to bring words and thoughts about her religion to a familiar product that people saw and used every day. By creating juxtaposition between formally acknowledged or respected "art" and the art Corita saw in her everyday world—at the supermarket, on a walk, in the classroom—she elevated the banal to the holy. "Like a priest, a shaman, a magician, she could pass her hands over the commonest of the everyday, the superficial, the oh-so-ordinary, and make it a vehicle of the luminous, the only, and the hope filled," noted Corita's friend, theologian Harvey Cox.

Corita's earliest work was mostly iconographic, drawing inspiration and material from the Bible and other religious sources. Her style is heavily text-based, with scripture passages or positive quotes often encompassing entire compositions with bold and highly saturated typefaces. Despite the often surreal or disorienting compositions of her works, her pieces are "always about something." By the 1960s, her work started becoming increasingly political. For example, her silkscreen print, stop the bombing (1967) is a large piece protesting the use of nuclear weaponry in bold, blue letters against a white and red background.

Kent produced her oeuvre during her time at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles in response to the Catholic reform in the 1960s by the Vatican Council II as well as several political and social issues happening at the time. Her work itself aided in the Vatican II movement, a movement to modernize and make relevant the Catholic Church. Kent's use of English church texts in her work, for example, made an impact on the Vatican II's efforts to normalize conducting Mass in English. Because of her strongly political art, she and others left their order to create the Immaculate Heart Community in 1970 to avoid problems with their archdiocese.

The "Big G" logo that Kent appropriated from General Mills was to stress the idea of 'goodness', while the elements from Esso gasoline ads were meant to project the internal power within humans. Unsurprisingly, a Christian subtext does underscore several of her artworks, but not all, which are open to interpretation.

One of Kent's prints, love your brother (1969), depicts photographs of Martin Luther King Jr. overlaid with her handwritten words, "The king is dead. Love your brother," producing one of her more serious artworks, and presenting her views on politics and human nature. Her collages took popular images, often with twisted or reversed words, to comment on the political unrest of the period, many of which could have been found at any number of marches or demonstrations, some of which she attended herself.

Legacy
Kent had solo exhibitions at the National Museum of Women in the Arts and her work is in several art museums, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. An archive is dedicated to her at the Immaculate Heart Community Headquarters in Hollywood, CA. Some of Sister Corita's papers and early artwork are in Schlesinger Library, in the Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. Recent solo exhibitions of Kent's work include Someday is Now: The Art of Corita Kent at the Tang Museum at Skidmore College and There Will Be New Rules Next Week at Dundee Contemporary Arts.

The Corita Art Center, a gallery and archive dedicated to preserving and promoting the work and spirit of Corita Kent, was originally founded as the Corita Prints in 1969 in North Hollywood. It changed its name when it moved to the Immaculate Heart property in 1997 and is located within the offices of the Immaculate Heart Community Headquarters in Hollywood, CA.

Corita Kent received the American Institute of Graphic Arts Medal in 2016.

In 2023 the Catticus Corporation was granted $700,000 by the National Endowment for the Humanities to produce a documentary, titled "You Should Never Blink", about the rebellious life of the "pop art nun" Corita Kent.

Awards and recognition
1966 Woman of the year LA Times
1967 on the cover of Newsweek
2016 American Institute of Graphic Arts Medal

Partial list of publications
 1967 Footnotes and Headlines: A Play-Pray Book, Sister Corita
 1968 To Believe in God, poem by Joseph Pintauro, color by Sister Corita
 1969 city, uncity, poems by Gerald Huckaby, pages by Corita Kent
 1970 Damn Everything but the Circus, Corita Kent
 1990 Primary Colors: The Story of Corita, Jeffrey Hayden
 1992 Learning By Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit, Corita Kent (posthumously) and Jan Steward
 2000 "Life Stories of Artist Corita Kent (1918–1986): Her Spirit, Her Art, the Woman Within" (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Gonzaga University), Barbara Loste
 2000 Eye, No. 35, Vol. 9, edited by John L. Walters, Quantum Publishing
 2006 Come Alive! The Spirited Art of Sister Corita, Julie Ault

Stage Plays

 2023 Little Heart - The story of Corita Kent, by Irene O'Garden

References

External links
The Corita Art Center

1918 births
1986 deaths
20th-century American women artists
American graphic designers
American women graphic designers
American pop artists
20th-century American Roman Catholic nuns
American women printmakers
Artists from Iowa
Artists from Los Angeles
Chouinard Art Institute alumni
Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts
Educators from California
20th-century American women educators
Immaculate Heart College alumni
Otis College of Art and Design alumni
People from Fort Dodge, Iowa
American stamp designers
Women stamp designers
University of Southern California alumni
20th-century American printmakers
Catholics from Iowa
AIGA medalists
Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School alumni

Corita Kent


The Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA) is an executive agency sponsored by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The agency was formed in April 2015 from the air division of the Defence Support Group, which was retained when the rest of the group was sold to Babcock International.

DECA provides maintenance, repair, overhaul, upgrade and obsolescence management for a diverse range of avionic and electronic equipment. It has recently been announced as the global repair hub for maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade services for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft avionic and aircraft components.

DECA's main base is MoD Sealand in Deeside, Flintshire. It also has a presence in MoD Stafford.

References

External links

Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
Defence agencies of the United Kingdom
Electronics companies of the United Kingdom
Organizations established in 2015
2015 establishments in the United Kingdom
Organisations based in Flintshire
Government agencies established in 2015


The 8th Metro Manila Film Festival was held in 1982.

ECP's Himala captured nine awards in the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival including the Best Picture, Best Director for Ishmael Bernal and Best Actress for Nora Aunor among others. The film also emerged the top grosser of the festival edging FPJ Productions' Ang Panday...Ikatlong Yugto.

Entries

Winners and nominees

Awards
Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

Multiple awards

Commentary

Second Golden Age of Philippine film
The period of the Philippine film's artistic accomplishment begins in 1975 (three years after Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of Martial Law) and ending in the February 1986 People Power Revolution where Marcos lost his power. Nora Aunor's Bona and Himala in 1980 and 1982 respectively (both are official entries of MMFF) achieves to represent the period where the accomplishments of two government institutions contributed to the emergence of New Cinema in the 1970s and 1980s. Her films are cinematically accomplished despite being politically engaged films, and the MMFF is able to make these films flourish during this period.

References

External links

Metro Manila Film Festival
MMFF
MMFF

1982 Metro Manila Film Festival


David C. Rowe (27 September 1949 – 2 February 2003) was an American psychology professor known for his work studying genetic and environmental influences on adolescent onset behaviors such as delinquency and smoking. His research into interaction between genetics and environment led to the discovery of the Scarr–Rowe effect.

Life and career
Rowe earned his A.B. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was a student at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics.

Rowe was well known for his work on the genes and the environment: how they interact, what the limits of environment and genes might be, and what mechanisms implement these effects. He also focussed on articulating the different realms of the social environment: shared in families, unique to individuals, neighbourhood or nation level social and cultural effects. His book The Limits of Family Influence: Genes, Experience and Behaviour  brought together much of this work.

This work led to several substantive findings on shared and nonshared environmental influences; seminal work on the heritability of parenting behaviors (the genetics of the environment for children); on the heritability of antisocial behavior; race differences and their causes; for testing the interaction of education, and social class with genes in the development of intelligence; and for blending behavioral and molecular genetics. He made several methodological contributions, including work on modeling of means and covariances with raw data, the utility of the DeFries–Fulker analysis, and measured genes and environmental influences. The Add Health data featured in much of his research, and he served as the main geneticist on this large and influential survey of over 90,000 adolescents across the United States.

Rowe's work highlighted the often surprising immunity of mental states to social circumstances, reporting that "great fortune does not guarantee happiness; neither does great misfortune assure depression". This led to his positing of biological set points as a mechanism for stability, as well as arguing for indirect genetic effects: that different genotypes would cause different people to react to the same environment in different ways, and, moreover, that individuals expose themselves to different social environments. This led to ideas about active seeking and environment construction, as well the idea that exposure to (controllable) life events may result partly from genetic predisposition. He was an advocate of Consilience: including biological individuality along with social, psychological, and cultural factors in any understanding of human behavior.

In 1994 he was one of 52 signatories on "Mainstream Science on Intelligence," an editorial written by Linda Gottfredson and published in The Wall Street Journal, which declared the consensus of the signing scholars on issues related to intelligence research following the publication of the book The Bell Curve. Rowe's work identified gene-environment interactions in cognitive traits, and contributed to understanding of the Scarr-Rowe Effect, which posits that the heritability of intelligence is higher in children with higher socioeconomic status. His final paper, published posthumously, advocated for impartial testing of genetic versus environmental influences on racial differences.

References

Books
 Rowe DC (1995). The Limits of Family Influence: Genes, Experience, and Behavior. The Guilford Press,
 Rowe DC (2001). Biology and Crime. Roxbury Publishing Company,

External links

1949 births
2003 deaths
University of Colorado alumni
University of Colorado faculty
Harvard University alumni
20th-century American psychologists
Psychology educators
American psychology writers
American male non-fiction writers
Behavior geneticists
20th-century American zoologists
20th-century American male writers

David C. Rowe


Charles Tindal Gatty  (14 November 1851 – 8 June 1928) was a British antiquary, musician, author, and lecturer.

Personal life
Charles Tindal Gatty was the son of the Rev. Alfred Gatty, D.D. vicar of Ecclesfield; his mother, Margaret Gatty, was the daughter of the Rev. Alexander John Scott a chaplain in the Royal Navy who served under and was a friend of Lord Nelson on board  during the Battle of Trafalgar." Charles Tindal Gatty was educated at the Charterhouse School until he was 13 and from then on by a private tutor. Gatty converted to Catholicism and became a well known political spokesman for his adopted faith.

Early career
Gatty was appointed Curator at the Mayer Museum in Liverpool, where he worked from 1873 until 1885. During his time at the Museum he worked on a catalogue of the Mayer collection, which had been presented in 1867 by Joseph Mayer (antiquary). In 1875 Gatty became a member of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, in 1881-2, he was the Hon. Secretary, whilst Mayer is listed as one of the Vice-Presidents alongside John Ruskin. He was next, for two years, private secretary to Catholic convert John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute. In April 1887 Gatty moved to Yeovil where he became editor of the Western Chronicle (a newspaper with Liberal interests started by Lord Wolverton).

Controversies
While working as an editor in Yeovil Gatty convinced the Bishop to allow the celebration of Mass to resume in the town. The first Mass celebrated in Yeovil since the Reformation 350 years previously was held on Sunday 13 November 1887 in Gatty's drawing room at 137 Hendford Hill. It had taken six months to convert the room into a chapel and 16 people attended. The congregation quickly grew and by 24 June Gatty was renting a pre-Reformation Chantry in the town centre. A year later religious intolerance led to a "great and bitter" anti-Catholic demonstration at the Town Hall; following this the Chantry windows were broken and the Carmelite Fathers were intimidated by "the rough element".  Gatty used the Western Chronicle as a platform for debate and also published a 50-page pamphlet to explain "what the Church really is" and "what she teaches". His opponents included author and publisher Sampson Low who wrote a book aimed at Gatty and defending the English Church. Gatty's opponents refused to openly debate with him at the Town Hall and eventually religious discord in the town abated.

In the 1892 General Election Gatty ran for parliament as a Home Rule candidate, as the nominee for the West Dorset riding. In March that year his opponent Henry Richard Farquharson began a 'drirty tricks' campaign and told St John Brodrick in the House of Commons that Gatty had been expelled from Charterhouse aged 13. Brodderick repeated this to Conservative politician George Wyndham, a close friend of Gatty's, who immediately informed him. Gatty sued Farquarson for libel and slander.  During the course of the trial it emerged that Gatty had been the victim of bullying and abuse at the hands of older boys that "went on " at public schools. His father the Rev. Gatty called the slander "an infamous lie" and confirmed he had removed his son from the school and " sent him to a private tutor". The Lord Chief Justice said Gatty had been "dragged to the stake" for something that had happened "30 years ago". Farquarson was ordered to pay £5,000 damages, reduced on appeal to £2,500 a year later. The jury reached their decision "without leaving the box" and the verdict "was received with applause"

The Irish Art Companions
Shortly after the trial Gatty served as secretary to the Chief Ministerial Whip, T. E. Ellis. Between 1898 and 1905 Gatty was joint editor, with the Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, of the hymnal Arundel Hymns, to which Pope Leo XIII contributed a preface in form of a personal letter. When George Wyndham served as Chief Secretary for Ireland between November 1900 and March 1905, art dealer and collector Hugh Lane corresponded with Gatty about meeting with Wyndham; Gatty's reply in 1903 "advising patience" survives. That same year Gatty was invited by Wyndham to stay at the Chief Secretary's Lodge.

In 1904 he returned to Dublin and founded the Irish Art Companions with the involvement of the wealthy Irish American nationalist Thomas Hughes Kelly. The Irish Art Companions was run by Gatty, a member of the Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League) that sponsored the 'Industrial Conference' in November 1905, at which Gatty delivered a speech on 'Industrial Development'. The Art Companions aligned themselves with the cultural nationalism of the League and played an active part in the artistic life of Dublin, in 1906 Gatty stated that the Art Companions wanted "a re-evaluation of this country in the estimation of its own children". On 4 May 1906 he gave a lecture at Westminster Hall on "the revival of sacred and other Arts in Ireland".

The Art Companions opened a sales depot to store and exhibit works in adjoining 18th Century houses at 27–28 Clare Street, not far from the School of Art; the building also housed a plaster mill. By 1907 this was described as "a manufactory, technical college, art school and shop all in one". Between 4 May and 9 November 1907 members of the Irish Arts Companions exhibited at the Irish International Exhibition. A branch was then opened in London in 1908, which was managed by Charles H Cochrane.

Among those associated with the Art Companions were the Irish republican sculptor Willie Pearse, sculptor and portrait painter Lilla Vanston, sculptor, medallist Gwendolen Herbert and sculptor, painter Mervyn Lawrence whose work was owned by Lady Fingal Elizabeth Burke-Plunkett who knew Gatty and was an activist in Irish industrial, cultural and charitable groups.

A factory was also set up at Ringsend to manufacture plaster from Irish gypsum. The Art Companions also helped provide an alternative to imported ecclesiastical statues.
 A letter exists from the Irish Art Companions to Patrick Pearse dated 7 March 1910 asking him to "give bearer cheque as promised". The letter is written on headed paper : Irish Art Companions
Everything Sold in this Shop has been made in Ireland by Irish hands.

The Irish Art Companions also sold clothing and advertised 'Irish Costume Material' on the front page of Bean na hÉireann (The Women of Ireland) a magazine run by the Inghinidhe na hÉireann the Irish radical women's movement founded by Maud Gonne; and in January 1912 in the An Claidheamh Soluis an advert promoting "Irish Linens, Dress Materials, Colleen Cloaks and Underwear".

Later life
In 1913, George Wyndham died suddenly and Gatty wrote a warm and moving tribute to his friend, George Wyndham, Recognita published in 1917 which gives an account of their shared interests and time spent at Clouds House as well as in Ireland and elsewhere.

In 1921, Gatty published the two-volume work Mary Davies and the Manor of Ebury.

Death
Gatty died on 8 June 1928 in a London Nursing Home and was buried at St. Mary's Church, Eccleston Cheshire. The day before his burial a requiem Mass was celebrated at St James's, Spanish Place. His obituary stated "By his death there is removed a cultured and interesting personality, a man with a great number of friends both in this country, and in Ireland"  Among the bequests in his will was "a framed page of fourteenth-century Liturgical MS. "given me by John Ruskin".

Publications
 With Norfolk, Henry FitzAlan-Howard, 15th Duke of, 1847–1917 – Arundel hymns : and other spiritual praises / chosen and edited by Henry Duke of Norfolk and Charles T. Gatty. Arundel hymns: and other spiritual praises

References

External links

1851 births
1928 deaths
People from Bedale
19th-century English writers
20th-century English writers
People educated at Charterhouse School
Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire

Charles Tindal Gatty


Sir Charles Rodger Noel Winn, CB, OBE (22 December 1903 – 4 June 1972) was a British judge and Royal Navy intelligence officer who led the tracking of German U-boat operations during World War II.

Early life
Winn suffered from polio as a child, leaving him with crippled legs and a stooped posture. He was educated at Oundle School. Notwithstanding his disability, he obtained degrees from Trinity College, Cambridge and Harvard Universities. He was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1928 and joined the chambers of Sir Patrick Hastings.

War service
At the outbreak of war in 1939, Winn volunteered for service as an interrogator of German prisoners. But he was soon assigned to the Admiralty's Submarine Tracking Room (part of the Operational Intelligence Centre – OIC), although he was still a civilian. Though new to the naval environment, he quickly came to understand U-boat tactics, and could frequently predict their actions. As a result, he was promoted to command the Tracking Room, as a temporary Commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. It is a measure of his ability that he received this rank and position without formal naval officer training, which was unprecedented at the time, and that he displaced his former superior. Winn's advancement was no surprise to his colleagues and he extended his influence within the OIC.

During the German attacks on shipping off the U.S. coast, Winn was sent to America to put the British case. His arguments and expertise proved effective; he managed to persuade Admiral Ernest King (the formidable USN commander in chief), to implement a convoy system.

Winn was a keen student of ULTRA intelligence. From ULTRA and his observations of U-boat movements, he deduced that German codebreakers had cracked the BAMS (Broadcast to Allied Merchant Ships) code used by the Admiralty for convoy operations. In 1943 he eventually convinced the Admiralty to make the necessary revisions to BAMS. After the war, captured records showed that the German Navy's Beobachtungsdienst (Signals Intelligence Service) had been reading BAMS since the start of the conflict.

In 1944, the Germans equipped the U-boats with snorkels, so that they could operate without surfacing. It was still extremely difficult for a U-boat to navigate without surfacing. But U-boats operating in the dangerous waters south of Ireland managed anyway. Winn guessed that they were using their depth sounders to locate and fix on a particular conical seamount. He arranged for a double agent to send a bogus message, warning the Germans of a new British minefield "where [the U-boats] go to fix their position." The Germans soon declared a zone 60 miles square, prohibited to U-boats and centered on that seamount.

Winn's war-time work was crucial to the Allied success in the Battle of the Atlantic. Without this success, Britain might have been forced out of the war.

By the war's end, Winn attained the rank of Captain. His reputation and influence extended to the United States, where his Tracking Room was the model for a similar facility. He received an OBE in 1943, and the American Legion of Merit in 1945.

Post-war career
Winn returned to the Bar after the war. From 1954 to 1959, he served as Junior Counsel to the Treasury (Common Law). He was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1959, assigned to the Queen's Bench Division, and received the customary knighthood. In 1965, he became a Lord Justice of Appeal, and was made a Privy Counsellor. He also served on several important official and legal committees.

Rodger Winn died on 4 June 1972.

Honours and awards
 Privy Councillor (1965)
 Knight (1959)
 Companion of the Order of the Bath (12 June 1947)
 Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1 January 1943)
 Officer of the Legion of Merit, United States (17 July 1945)

References

1903 births
1972 deaths
20th-century English judges
Lords Justices of Appeal
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II
Officers of the Legion of Merit
Knights Bachelor
Companions of the Order of the Bath
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People from Kings Norton
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Queen's Bench Division judges
People educated at Oundle School
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Harvard University alumni
Royal Navy officers
Military personnel from Worcestershire

Rodger Winn