With Linkara missing, it's up to Harvey Finevoice to review this crappy adaptation of a novel!
BONUS: Linking Up With Linkara Bloopers!
NOTE: Musical accompaniment by Skitch.
WARNING: There appears to be some kind of audio glitch at 2:55. We are aware of the problem.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Anita Blake: The Laughing Corpse #1 and 2 (PLUS EXTRA!)
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129 comments:
Yeah...I think this series works a lot better as novels then comics. There's a bit of set-up in each book before you get to the action and while its only a the first few chapters in the books, obviously it takes a lot longer here.
That and Anita Blake does not wear pink. Its just a rule, she doesn't wear pink, ever. (at least not if it's avoidable)
Nice singing by the way
Yay Harvey Finevoice finally got his own review!
So let's deal with your arc plot. Linkara has been captured by someone (we guess it's this Lord Vice we've heard of somewhere, but it equally could be Mecha-Kara's return) and it's because he has access to the Arsenal of Freedom (AKA a crap load of magic guns)
Well I'll say one thing, that's a lot more impressive than ROTM. Not only have you developed the characters used but you've also introduced a mystery that we care about. Even though we all know that the ultimate hero of the story will survive in the end it's the challenge that we want to see. We've had development more than anything else.
Not that ROTM was bad, this plot is just better. Moving on to predicted developments. I suspect Iron Liz is going to be a guest host while Poyo is trying to track Linkara down. It might not be next review but I do feel she's going to make an impact soon (and this arc is the perfect time)
On to the review (which is the least important part of the review) Anita Blake always felt to me to be a little bland. Like a lot of this vampire crap it came in on the coat tails of Buffy. Developing the protagonist and antagonist beyond the two dimensional good guy / bad guy view. The problem was as Buffy got there first and did a better job of it I just wanted to put down the comic and watch the show.
The two issues I've read, and I can't remember what they were for all the tea in china, were dull, un-inventive and the greatest cure for insomnia since 24 hour news channels.
This is why I'm glad you did this review as Harvey Finevoice and this brings us to the most important part of the review of the review. As the Python brigade proved you need to be a good actor to pull of more than one character convincingly. Up until now We haven't seen, or heard, enough of one of your other characters concentrated to see the difference. Now that we have and thanks to your Q&A also seen the Lewis or "Real" you we get a better idea as to how different Linkara is.
It would have been easy just to do the Linkara character, but with a different voice. Instead you pulled of a different character, even if there were times when your views were a little out of Character.
Fantastic review mate, take a couple of throat lozenges and pat yourself on the back.
Thomas
AKA Mountain King
Seriously doing that voice all that time must have hurt eventually. Oh and was there some sort of competition between you and Spoony to see who was the better singer?
Does this mean that the next episode will be hosted by *gasp* 90's Kid? EXCELLENT!
Heh, that was pretty cool. I didn't even know they did a comic about her story. But honestly, I think the artwork wasn't all that bad, aside from the small noses. ;)
Still, after Spoony sung in FFX and you sung here... Will the NC sing in his review tomorrow as well? Will there be a singing meeting?
Great review.
It was nice to see Harvey Finevoice do a review and the ending is great.
You have a great voice.
Damn Harvy Finevoices has a uh Fine voice my best bet is 90's kid or Dancin Ninja are next week. nice review and prey to god Pollo finds Linkara soon....
I gotta say, I've been missing Harvey Finevoice and I was fucking pumped when I saw that he'd be doing his own review, but then...I mean it wasn't terrible, but the gimmick got old after awhile. Harvey is better in small doses.
Though I can't help but wonder if a 90's kid review wouldn't get old either.
Wow, gotta say that this new storyline is beggining to look promising.
...wait, does that mean that next review will be done by... 90's Kid? The world isnt ready for it.
Hm. Why do I get this horrible feeling that we'll be seeing a 90s Kid review at some point? DUUUUUUUDE! Twenty minutes of his drawl would be AWESOME! ... No, actually, it'd be really annoying. Please don't do it. It'd probably be the first episode I'd actually have to skip...
Also, as for "Lord Vice", I think anyone with the power to both, snatch a person bodily out of his own dimension, and to make Linksano run in fear wouldn't need a magic gun, nor the knowledge to build or use one, as he can probably construct Lensman nukes...
I know the effects aren't meant to win awards, but a screen saver?
Hey, am I the only one who thinks Lewis looks a bit like Tom Baker in the "Linking with Linkara" vid?
Your singing voice is surprisingly high especially when associated with Harvey it caught me off guard.
But man are you sexy when you swing :)
FINALLY Harvey Finevoice gets his own review! And may I say, he does look extremely handsome in that tux. I have a hunch that Iron Liz is going to have to a)cover for her boyfriend while he's MIA and then, if aunt_zelda's fanfic portrayed Liz true to character, b)actually save her boyfriend (or at least get a chance to kick this Lord Vyce's behind). Great job, again, Mr. Lovhaug!
Lewis, I've only just started watching your reviews and I feel I have to ask this after seeing almost all your other videos thus far. Were you at any point in your life involved in theatre--straight plays and/or musicals? Because from what I've seen, you have a natural gift for taking on different characters and making it appear effortless...no small feat! You also have a rather nice singing voice. I'm glad you have this outlet to show it off! Well done, my friend! I look forward to more wonderful things from you.
That Harvey Finevoice has the voice of an angel. Unlike that Lewis guy! Seriously it's like a cow having sex!
Nice! Good use of lingo, it really helped the whole thing roll.
*swoon* The singing! Oh, the singing!
I mean, uh, *koff* what a lovely review.
And the mystery deepening, as well. Mwahahahaha.
...back to the singing now.
It was a neat idea to have substitute hosts, but Harvey can't carry an entire review himself. Maybe a co-hosting gig? I am enjoying the "Oh no, Linkara is missing" storyline though. My guess for next week's host- 90s kid!
Wow... First Spoony, now you... Whats next? AVGN or NC? XD seriously though, your singing is WAYYYYY beter then Spoony's!Good job Lewis, its awesome!
BTW I like your new continuity plottwistthing with Linkara missing. Makes it feel like more then just plain reviews.
Great as always, Linkara. Couldn't help noticing you would start to slip back to your normal voice when you started to wisecrack, but you've still pulled through.
Also I wonder how many people know where that song is from. ;)
Wow! That's a nice singing voice you have there. Love the song. I mean you're no James Darren or Brent Spiner...but definatly up there with em.
Is it like a thing now for you guys to sing at the end of your videos? First Spoony now Linkara.
Nice job too.
This singing reviewer trend bodes well. ;)
Man, between what Insano started to say over in Spoony's video and the interesting developments over here... I'm captivated. Who would have thought that I'd come for the reviews and stay for the plot twists?
Hmm. I'd wager that the style of those stories works a lot better in the books.
I don't read comics anymore, really, but I can't resist your show, Lewis. You are very entertaining. Keep up the great work, and I'll keep coming back.
I might be one of the few, but I'm hoping your not doing 90's Kid next week. I love 90's Kid and all, but I just don't think I can take 20 streight minutes of "DUUUUDE!" and "Extreme!" without any real substance. 90's Kid isn't like you're other characters; he's only good in small doses.
What I am hoping for is a Ninja Style Dancer review. Sure, he dosn't talk, but you're creative Lewis, you can find some way around that.
You couldn't have picked a better comic to review as Harvey Finevoice. I'll admit I've never really heard of the series until you brought it up, but with the whole Harvey character, it seemed to fit together quite nicely.
Also, you have a great singing voice. It's not perfect or anything, but it's better than I expected.
The only thing I regret is that Finevoice didn't get his own theme song. Of course, he might not have enough appearances for a theme song montage, so I don't mind.
New reviewer next week? Well, the Ninja's mute, Mechkara's presumably still destroyed, Linksano's gone, and 90's kid...no, that would just be annoying. Spoony's probably out too, since the Linksano finale's so recent. Hmm...
Its a good review but try and avoid Frank Miller speak like "dames to smooch" that gets old really quick regardless of who's saying it, along with spare rod.
try: "women to shake down" as a replacement and maybe add "if you know what I mean" to it althought that might be to monty python-ish.
and you broke character when you said "Why did you bring it up?" at 4:35 and "what do you think?" at 7:28
try and keep your tone sort of jonny bravoish when your being serious in short bursts
Hear that Linkara? Thats the sound of thousands of fangirls squeeing in delight.
I can't finish this... I mean, I want to, but... Dear GOD.
It's a bit embarrassing to admit I read these books, worse that I enjoy them, but MAN, Marvel has already shown the tendency to gut the things they develop from.
At some point I'll watch ahead, just to hear the singing. But for now, I just can't. It's like watching Jumper. The book is always better.
Very good change of pace, this is probably going to be the status-quo for the next couple of reviews.
One thing interests me, why do I get goose bumps when Pollo speaks? He's seems to be perfectly fine, but its that music in his seen. Oh, and Mechakara on the loose, hmmm.
It was only a matter of time before you got to Miss Blake, which may be one of the worst comic series I've ever had the utter enjoyment reading out of shear snarkiness.
I didn't really care for this episode. Your complaints seem to be just about the art and a lack of action. I don't really care much for art myself, and as for the exposition dump, I just assume that's because it was adapted from a novel, not much you can do if the early chapters aren't action packed.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but did I detect an MST3K reference at the end there, Lewis?
The Ninja-style dancer could do it! See, he'd do the review using the "interpretative dance" subgenre of Ninja-style dancing. Then there would be subtitles (in Engrish, of course!) for those of us not fluent in Interpretative Ninja-Style Dance. It could work! ;D
Harvey Finevoice FTW! This is awesome having characters dedicated to an entire episode. OH PLEASE have 90's Kid do one next week!
Absolutely beautiful Harvey! I say you must get that baby face out there more often and exercise those vocal cords!
Now while we're at it lets have Dancing Ninja do a review next. 90's kid and 60's kid would just over power the sheer awsomeness that a video of this length can contain.
Say, how did you guys convince Lindsay to chill out in a pink bra and drink dr peppers for that long?
Well, Harvey, it may not be your own show - but it's a start. :P
Great episode! I was unsure of how a full review with a different character would go, but I think it turned out really well. I love that you have all of these characters and they aren't just Linkara in a different costume and/or with a different voice.
And awesome singing. I would put Harvey on my iPod. XD
And LOL at those bloopers. "They had Mr Pibb..."
@James Re: Tom Baker -
Holy crap. You're right. Now I can't unsee it. ...D:?
In contrast, I kind of do want to see a 90's Kid review, for two reasons.
1) Just to see if it will work for a full review (and judging by how entertaining he was with the Bum in the anime convention, I think he will.)
2) Because it would be kinda funny to see the worshipping of a bad comic for once.
Er. In the interest of constructive criticism, I should probably add that I agree with the couple of people who said Harvey is better in small doses. There's just something a bit... off about watching him talk about comics for too long. At least in the style of Atop the Fourth Wall. He doesn't quite seem to fit.
Now, if he had his OWN review show... ;)
(Not to say the episode was bad. It just felt a bit strange.)
it's a good bet that next week will be 90's kid.the schedule said that next week is Freak Force #1 which was published in 1992 by Image Comics.
Oh Mr. Finevoice, sing to me some more... :3
It was good to see more of Harvey Finevoice, but that being said I noticed that 90's Kid has been M.I.A. for a while.
Wow... we're getting close to the 100th episode (if you count the specials.)
I'm guessing 90s Kid might be doing two reviews in a row seeing as how we've got both Freak Force and Chain Gang War lined up. Which both sound very much like his kind of books.
Also I'd love to have an MP3 of that song at the end credits.
Dang, Bubby! You got some nice pipes.
I've always liked the Finevoice character, but I didn't think anyone could do that voice for the entire review.
But you exceed my expectations once again, Linkara.
Great job!
Yes those comics are pretty bad as I really don't think novels with a lot of plot and introduction of characters can be made into an intriguing comic. That said the books they are based on are fairly competent. The problem is they introduce a really good character who detests and kills all vampires who eventually falls into being a willing vampire's servant who then further evolves into a sort of lycanthrophic succubus whore. The fall of the character as done by Hamilton is quite disgusting. You read the first few books like the characters and interactions and then you realize the Anita from the first few books would hunt and seek to destroy the monster she becomes later. That could be powerful and dramatic if it was done to make for drama but no, Hamilton does it to seek the most interest among her 'romance' audience. Which is quite sad as her initial character was interesting.
That said the books did introduce me into the whole urban fantasy genre as a whole and if you have the time I'd suggest looking at Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series (talk radio show host werewolf is an awesome concept), and Seanan McGuire's Rosemary and Rue series for some really good examples of what urban fantasy should be.
Speaking of Armstrong she's written some comics which I've never taken a look at, I think mostly Buffy and Angel comics, but I don't keep up on that aspect of her writing. She's also done this online free comic featuring some of her characters which isn't bad at all (though it is incomplete): http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/becoming/nBecTOC.htm . Might be intriguing for you to take a look at series it's based on is definitely worth a look if the urban fantasy thing interests you.
Anyway as to your review was great fun to see Mr. Finevoice get a chance to showcase his talents. You went into 'Linkara' voice a couple times when you were shouting but still was immensely entertaining. I can't wait to see who your next guest star is...Are we going to see Poyo do a full review on a comic with Robots in it? Anyway, very nice work I look forward to the next.
I will consider Mr. Finevoice's most excellent singing a fine, belated birthday present. Man, I didn't think Anita Blake would be so ... BORING. When it says "Vampire Hunter" in the very title, it would behoove one to actually have say... vampires. If I wanted to watch people standing around a crime scene, talking I'd watch CSI.
That was awesome <3 I loved the song at the end, nice work :D
O dear, does this mean we get a 90s kid review next week? XDDDD
Harvey may have to become one of my favorite characters if he keeps being so badass. On a related note: I cannot live without an mp3 of that song.
Awesome episode! I look forward to your continuing story arc.
The writing in this comic makes me want to weep. And watch Buffy.
But I very much appreciated your singing! ;)
GO HARVEY! Yeah! About time man!
OMG!!! It's Mechakara! What an awesome way to bring him back!
I know you said in the Q & A that you might try to do a negative universe Linkara, but I think Linkara has found an arch nemesis in Mechakara.
First off, I want to say as someone who sings on a regular basis and has taken classes to improve my singing, you didn't really sing all that well.
I mean, don't get me wrong. It wasn't horrible. (Spoony is a worse singer than you. He's completely tone-deaf. At least, you don't seem to have that problem very much.) But you could do better. You have a lot of potential. Here's some tips on how you could improve.
1. Practice. I mean, you really don't even have to set time aside to do this. You can sing while you're driving, sing in the shower, or sing while you're doing chores. Like with anything, the more you sing, the better you get.
2. You are chest-breathing. This isn't a good thing when you're trying to sing. What you really want to do is more like "gut breathing."
Do you know what a diaphragm is? Your diaphragm sits just below your lungs. The diaphragm enlarges your thoracic cavity, which allows you to draw air into your lungs. You can utilize your diaphragm to help you with singing. By utilizing the diaphragm, you will be able to achieve a much fuller tone (which sounds really nice), and it will allow you to hit higher notes with much more ease than if you were to simply "chest-breathe." You didn't appear to have a problem with the higher notes in this song (you are a natural tenor), but you could've done much better
Here's a simple exercise. Put your hand on your belly. Breathe in so that your belly fills up and pushes against your hand. Breathe out and feel it deflate. Try doing this a few times. Now, when you sing, work on controlling your diaphragm. Your belly needs to be pushing out and in.
3. You know how you were talking about tiny noses? You have a tiny mouth. By which, I mean, you're not opening your mouth enough to let out a clearer, more pronounced sound. Look in the mirror and drop your jaw as far as you can. Your mouth should have a tall O shape (not wide, that would lead to a really irritating sound). When you are singing make sure to get your mouth into this shape as much as possible. You'd be amazed at how the shape of your mouth makes a difference in a puny, pathetic sound and a strong, clear sound (which is not to say loud. You can sing loudly or softly this way).
4. You really sucked at getting those low notes (particularly the desire part). Not good. Even though you're a tenor, those low notes, in particular, are well within a tenor's range. You should've nailed them with ease and sounded good doing it. Instead, you ended up singing them with this ugly, guttural sound that makes me think of a cat about to spit up a hairball. (Please pass these tips onto Spoony. The guy is nice and awesome and all, but he needs the help even more than you do.)
Here's what you can do to fix that. (The previous tips I gave you will also help you nail those lower notes better). Try to push the sound up into your head. Let me explain.
When you sang those low notes in that video, they most likely came from deep in your throat. This is what a lot of people do when they're trying to make their voices sound deeper than what they are naturally. You need to avoid this when singing. When you sing a low note, raise your eyebrows (and keep that mouth open!!!). Push it up out of your throat. (This is difficult to explain through words. It's much easier to explain through demonstration.)
Best advice in this case is to, once again, practice. Practice those low notes, so that they don't have that guttural sound, and so that you don't have to struggle to get down to them.
5. Keep good posture. From what I can tell (you do a lot of swinging, so it's a bit difficult to ascertain), you don't have a problem with this while you're singing. I just wanted to reinforce it, though. Slouching puts pressure on the diaphragm and makes it harder to utilize for singing.
@ Frank R. Yep, the anita blake series really went down hill after the book that was basically a tribute to the most bad ass character in the series. The hitman who hunts monsters because he got bored of people. I forget his name. After that the entire premise for the books devolved into porn. btw that Kitty Norvelle series sounds cool, what's the first book?
Ok I should talk about the review or rather the story arc. I gotta say Louis you have a great singing voice, or should I be talking to Harv? Ever consider singing live till I die? Less known song than fly me to the moon but still good.
I love when you review comics in different personae. maybe next time Mechakara can do a review in HIS style. And why not? Everyone knows that super villains hate competition, and Lord Vyce just did what your alter ego failed to do. Take you out of the picture. I bet Mechakara isn't happy about that. unhappy enough to join the good guys perhaps?
Judging by Anita's face, I see that anime as struck again.
Long post was long. //>.>\\'... On the actual review itself, nice job. You did good work for a comic that was so mind-numbingly boring. I was hoping for something that was action-packed and absurdly stupid... *Pouts* Oh well.
Hmm. Some people think 90's kid is going to do the next review... That would be.... XTREME!!!! *FLASHING LIGHTS, AWESOME XTREME MUSIC!!!* It'll be interesting to see where this goes. //^_^\\
Wow.
This was funny up until the song at the end. And then, when I realized it was the song from MST3K Episode 415: The Beatnicks, it became perfect.
Dude, gal, it's pronounced rah-Zefon, not rocks-effon... yeesh.
I'm not sure how I felt about doing this all in an alternate persona. The accent slippage was noticeable the longer you went along. But on the plus side, you have decent pipes. Were you ever in a choir?
Wow! I want Harvey Finevoice to have his own show even more now. And even if he does not you should have him host AT4W more Lewis.
Also would it be to hard to ask for an MP3 of that song Harvey sung at the end? That was awesome you should sing more too Linkara because you sir have the most wonderful voice I ever herd.
Good to see Harvey Finevoice in action, though doing that for 20+ min must have been murder on your throat.
Good review though, and nice setup for future events.
PS: I'm glad you *didn't* do a Buffy joke in this review.
~The Monk
Hmm... I really enjoyed the review, but I think you should have gone more over-the-top with Harvey's voice. Half of the time I couldn't tell if you were doing his accent or not; it just sounded like you.
Also, @Celey -- I don't think Linkara has ever claimed to be a great singer. Trying to pick apart his singing (that he did for a joke/bonus) is just being anal about it. Get off your high horse and laugh at the joke.
Oh my goodness!!! I was just watching "The Beatniks" this afternoon!! Lewis, words cannot express how much that ending made my day!
Loved the consistency with the voice. You even did it while reading characters, good lord.
The singing was, well, not as good. I think your big deal was mostly just you were sort of singing through your nose (I mean your voice IS a little nasally) but I think if you fixed that you'd probably sound excellent.
I am wondering what made you think to have Harvey do the entire review.
That was lovely. It really made my night--thanks Linkara! And may I second the request for an MP3 of the song, if it's not too much trouble? I mean, when the Nostalgia Critic sang a full song we got an MP3 and your singing is better, so ...please?
@Pat http://www.carrievaughn.com/ that's the authors website for the Kitty Norville books. But for some rampant right wing hatred that she pops into for about 25 pages a book they're all quite excellent.
Another reviewer? But-- AH 90'S KID! NO!
Too. Much. EXXXXXXTRRRREEEEEEEME!!!
;)
I recognize that artwork. The pencil-work is done by the almighty BRETT BOOTH!
I've emailed the guy a couple of times. He spends most of his time drawing dinosaurs and stuff. Right on.
Whoa! Apparantly, Brett Booth isn't taking the criticism very well...
...check this out!!
http://demonpuppy.blogspot.com/2010/05/this-is-end.html
Nice that you gave the ISB's review of the comics a nod there. I was wondering what you'd be saying about them after following Chris' reviews of the issues.
Next week: Ninja Style dancer reviews a comic, communicating through the language of dance! (Well, it's more interesting than guessing '90s kid' like everybody else hahaha)
I actually do like the artwork
why do you always insist on everything being 100% realistic?
Everybody knows, next week, Benzaie will do the comic review. Or Iron Liz. Or Phelous, one of those 3 and I wouldn't mind. (Phelous '\cause he's funny, Benzaie 'cause he's French and Iron Liz, because she's a part of Lewis' life.)
First off, people who don't seem to be able to read well, I didn't draw those books I left Anita after #7 of the first series. Secondly, the post "tThis is the End' is a JOKE about someone on Newsarama who doesn't like my work. The Praise Jesus was a huge give away, that and I posted again the next day. Nice job on the researching! I 've never even heard about this blog until today.
In the books, Anita does were pink in the scene. It's called comedy, look it up. Hoe can anyone take these reviews even remotely seriously if you can't even get the basic facts correct? Waste of time.
Best,
Brett
Linkara, when you started singing (I haven't heard you before), I got ready for an intentionally cringe inducing moment. I was surprised how good you were. I’ve only seen one person offer criticism and while they are entitled to their opinion, I think that person is missing the point and doesn’t really understand how to evaluate singing.
You had to approve that comment, which shows how big a guy you are. The greatest part of these reviews is how comfortable you are with what you do and who you are. For me, AT4W is a celebration of individualism. At the start of your History of Power Rangers you outright state a defense of niche geekdom.
Here's hoping for an Uwe Boll style crossover again BUT WITH MUSIC (NC has already shown his singing...chops with the Angry Joe intro). Year 3 crossover should be a musical. IN SPACE.
I have to admit, You've got a great singing voice & even in the Bloopers You're getting some, Ya Lucky Pimp!
Anonymous said...
I recognize that artwork. The pencil-work is done by the almighty BRETT BOOTH!
I've emailed the guy a couple of times. He spends most of his time drawing dinosaurs and stuff. Right on.
-------------------------------
ME: Brett Booth didn't draw those two issues reviewed here...It's by Ron Lim. Google is your friend.
-------------------
Anonymous said...
Whoa! Apparantly, Brett Booth isn't taking the criticism very well...
...check this out!!
http://demonpuppy.blogspot.com/2010/05/this-is-end.html
----------------------
ME: Did you miss the part were he said it was a joke in the comments? lol
It was interesting to see Harvey Finevoice doing a whole review but not sure it quite worked.
The singing at the end didn't strike me as how a guy like that would sing. There may have been room for seriously hammy crooning.
"Whoa! Apparantly, Brett Booth isn't taking the criticism very well..."
Brett Booth isn't the artist. Ron Lim is.
A few pages in and she's complaining about pumps. This is the character that went to a wedding in a tux and she's complaining about pumps here. She gets no sympathy from me, I know they make business shoes for women that don't elevate you by five inches.
I assume Linkara knows, but for the audience: on the 'unarmed' comment, this actually makes MUCH more sense in the book. There her gun was taken away, when they tried to leave the guard threatened her and she bluffed her way out. The books are still really bad, but not as bad as this. Which, incidentally, is why it's usually a bad idea to try to turn a book into a comic. They're completely different types of media.
Nice lewis it was good to see you sing,you should do it more ofen!
and havery fine voice!
You might hate me for this, but I found a Twilight graphic novel. Edward looked... shiny. Lucky for everyone, I found it at a bookstore in Nice, France, so I didn't even consider buying it and sending it to you. Although hearing you read the thing in French would be pretty hilarious...
I'm surprised you didn't throw in any X-files jokes near the end. There were some "Spook squad" parts that seemed like they were crying for an X-files joke.
Whoa! I really messed this whole thing up, didn't I?
I remembered something about Brett Booth doing the art for Anita Blake and when I saw the "joke" on his page; I didn't clue in one the right thing.
Sorry...
At least the artwork is better than Frank Miller!
I'll keep this short, since most of what I would have said has been said already:
The "Lord Vyce" plot thickens. Or congeals. Or something. Put me in for thinking Iron Liz will guest host. Further, I think that she might be called in to save the missing Linkara.
Having Harvey Finevoice host is a nice twist. Not a bad set of pipes, there, fella. Keep on swingin'.
I suppose 90's Kid doing an "X-Treme" episode of AT4W might be diverting, though I cringe a bit at the thought of how deep one has to dig to find something he considers bad.
Looking forward to the next episode, as always.
Uh, Justin... I never said that Linkara ever claimed to be a great singer... I'm just giving him tips on how he could improve. Whether he decides to take the advice or not is up to him... I still love his show, either way (same with Spoony... although, for the sake of my ears, I hope Spoony doesn't sing again without doing something to improve. Linkara, at least, sounds half-way decent.)
As for the speculation as to whether Linkara has ever been in a choir or a musical or anything like that... Well, I can't speak for him because I don't know, but I suspect he has not. At least, not for any long amount of time.
Otherwise, his singing wouldn't be quite so... amateur. The only TGWTG member that I think has ever been in a choir or a musical (based on the singing I've seen) is the Nostalgia Critic. When he sang at the beginning of the first anniversary event, I picked up on the movement of his mouth... As well as the use of vibrato... His voice also did not sound breathy (which is very indicative of chest-breathing), but had a nice, fairly, developed tone.
Not that I'm saying NC's singing was perfect, he had some flaws, but he seems to have a much better grasp on basic singing techniques.
His song was... rather interesting in itself. It's a parody of a song from the musical Oklahoma! beginning with... "Oh, what a beautiful morning!" (Instead of.. "Oh, what a adequate morning!") If he hasn't actually been in a musical himself, it's clear that he has an interest in musicals.
I haven't noticed any sign of an interest in musicals by Linkara. He does appear to be very appreciative (and in turn, I am appreciative of his being appreciative) of a great many works of literature, though. It's possible that through a chain of associations, he might actually be interested in musicals.
There wouldn't be any chance that you could make an mp3 of "If You Should Want the Moon" available for download, would there? I would be a very happy fangirl if you could.
~
@Brett
Chill out you whiny hack. Some people in the comments section of a blog gave you a poke and you go off on a rant?
As for the pink dress..so? Linkara was having a bit of fun. See, he's entertaining (the exact opposite of what YOU are).
Damn! I knew you'd be a primadonna but I didn't think you would be such a petulant little twerp.
Speaking as a veteran of both high school choir AND high school musical theater, Celey's pointed, snooty info dump isn't worth any keystrokes except for these: "Just repeat to yourself, 'It's just a show, I should really just relax.'" There's concrit and then there's what you did. *head desk*
Anyway, I'm going to commend you for this review, Lewis. Yes, you had some hiccups here and there, but you stretching yourself like this will only help you grow and get better. Onto this week's fodder: Yeesh. I'm a fan of the vampire genre (TWILIGHT DOESN'T COUNT!) and wow, this was terrible. Not too long after this ep came out, some friends and I were actually discussing this series, and apparently after a certain point in the series it turned into straight-up porn. All the more reason for me to give a pass to this stuff.
As for your choice of song? ACE. I grew up on Sinatra and the Rat Pack, among others, and it brought quite a smile to my face. You should stretch those million dollar pipes more often; I know you can hear the fangirls squee and swoon. I'm pretty sure Liz didn't mind hearing it either.
Wow, I hope Linkara is found soon. Lord Vyce sounds more and more terrifying every time I hear of him. Next week, I can think of four possibilities as to who fits the bill. Looking at the cover of next week's kindling, it goes down to two. Hmmmm...
Keep up the excellent work, Lewis.
Let's everybody calm down, shall we?
I don't like insults getting thrown around on my blog and Celey's advice was still appreciated, so I'd very much appreciate it if everybody took a chill pill and didn't continue to be angry with one another.
@Brett,
Very professional, chief. Remind me never to buy anything you so much as breathe on, since you can't handle any audience reaction besides mindless praise and have the mindset of the average FF.Net denizen.
Okay, reactions to the man-child aside, an adaptation should NOT require familiarity with the original work for a reader to judge it. Thinking that a review is somehow "weaker" and less valid because "you didn't read the original books and therefore can't have an opinion" shows that the adaptation is weak - at best. If you can't make it stand on its own as a variation of the original for a different medium, then don't adapt it. And if you can't handle that, then make your own works instead of flying off the handle at people reacting to your piss-poor handling of someone else's creation. Acting like a child, then saying "It's a joke, you don't get it, you're stooopid" definitely doesn't help, since it's the same mindset as Miller doing ASBAR, getting razzed, then trying to claim it was a parody all along - only not as mature.
I don't really think I'm being snooty, but I do tend to come off as... arrogant... and I honestly don't mean to... (Dodger of Zion, I'm also a veteran of a high school choir, as well as a college choir... I've never been in a musical, but I enjoy watching them. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you should know what I'm talking about...)
I am sorry to have caused such a ruckus, though... It is not my intention to be... troll-ish and stir up people every time I comment.
I'll try to be more cautious with what I say next time.
Hmm. I can't watch this video. This is probably a problem on my end, but google has not been as helpful in providing a cure for it as I may have wished.
For many of the videos featured on the site, download of the video gets randomly interrupted every few minutes and won't restart. Usually, this is not too dramatic of a problem as I can simply move the progress bar to reinitialise the video from whatever position it stopped, but in this case that's not possible, the video forces me to start loading from the beginning every time, so I can never get past the first few minutes of video.
If anybody knows what causes my problem, I would be glad for some help.
Um, Mela? The 'joke' Brett was referring to was the link anonymous posted to our blog. It's a joke post, see, this guy on Newsarama that really really hates Brett always manages to comment about how much he sucks every time Newsarama features a project he works on, and Brett made a joke about how much it hurts his feelings. Maybe you should go read the blog post before you comment about it, okay? Do you really think Brett would have lasted almost twenty years in comics if he was that sensitive?
The comment about the pink dress was in reference to the first commenter on this thread, who said Anita does not ever wear pink. Which isn't true, she has a fitting for a pink dress for her friends wedding in that issue. It's both a comment on Anita's great love for her friend, that she would wear this hideous pink dress, and a comment on Anita's vision of herself. See, the pink dress accentuates all the things Anita doesn't really like about her appearance, the cuteness, the short stature, etc.
Also, Mela? Brett didn't work on either of the issues reviewed. I did the adaption, and I'm sorry you don't like it, but it's really no skin off my nose if you don't buy it.
We can't watch the video, sorry, our connection is not good enough. So sorry if that's causing some confusion.
Have fun, kids.
Sorry guys. This whole thing was my fault. I thought Brett was the guy who drew the art for this book; especially since there was a mention of the Anita Blake series on his site.
I jumped ahead to conclusions and started a flame war between people. I learned my lesson and it won't happen again. Please don't hate Brett for it.
As for the singing? I thought it was a worthy effort. It was a good idea to tie it in with the end credits. Please, sing it again Sam!
I was watching Spoony a while ago and it dawned on me that a Mechakara guest review would be AWESOME! Pretty please, can we have one before the arc is done? I know that he is going to show up sometime and the awesome cannot be denied! And if not please do me a favor and keep it in mind in the future. Do not attempt to resist the awesome, for all who try are doomed to failure.
I have that problem... What I do is as soon as the video starts, I pause the video.... and wait for it to load at least half way.... Then, I start it and it usually works fine. Try that, and see if it helps.
And I think after all of that that it's enough, people. I see any more insults flying around and I'll either close the comments or start rejecting them.
I have no intention of starting any flame wars.
THIS MEANS EVERYONE.
I could stand to hold back on my... err... colorful usage of words. I can see how people might take the thing I said about cat's spitting up a hairball insulting... And... hmm... I know it seems like I'm really picking on Spoony, but I don't have anything against him personally. I really do like his show and think he's a cool person (from what I've seen). Of course, I think Spoony knows he's not a very good singer... Dr. Insano's reaction walking in on him was priceless. :)
But the whole cat thing is how I remember a music teacher describing it to me. She wasn't a mean teacher, she just had really interesting ways of describing things. She also liked to say things like... "Flaunt 'em if you got 'em. And if you don't, pretend you do." (Something she would say so that we wouldn't be putting pressure on our diaphragm)...
As an alto, low notes are a regular thing for me. So, I've had my fair share of singing with that guttural sound (which sounds even worse in a girl). It took me sometime to really get that fixed, but I think I have, and I sound better for it.
I dunno... I just saw so many comments saying Linkara was singing well... and like I said, he wasn't horrible, but there is a lot of things he could do to improve, if he wants to.
It probably isn't that important. Singing isn't a large majority of his show, after all. I really just wanted to be helpful...
I just wanted to comment on the character of Finevoice for a moment - I know the author is a comic writer, and I hope my comment will prove useful.
This character was a breath of fresh air from all the cast of disfunctional and zany alternate cast members I've seen from your sister programs (TGWTG, Spoony Experiment, et al). Harvey's concern over the fate of Linkara was done well, even if it was done briefly. You did a lot with a small end sequence, both establishing the crisis of the principle character, as well as showing that his other friends are both concerned and involved in his fate.
Harvey's bluster was perfect - he seems loyal and tough, a refreshing change from mad scientists and murderous or insane counterparts. The fact that he understands some of the principle players in this story tells us that Linkara's "others" pay attention to and care for him, even if they are not often apparent.
I LIKE Finevoice. I like him. He was a one-shot joke before this, but now I like him as a character. I hope you do more with him.
I just noticed that Harvey likes to smoke but never lights lol. I assume that Lewis doesn't actually smoke but then where is he getting the cigarettes?
I really love your reviews Linkara... i really do! You have become a little part of my life! im always waiting to see your videos...
But theres something that have always bug me in your reviews... specially as an artist myself... and is the way you criticize the art work... i would give you things like elastic waist's and huge breast and stuff like that, but i really disagree when you criticize things like eyes slightly bigger or nose smaller with that red tone and such...
Thats what the guy who draws the comic is called artist! Some artist have their own style so it doesnt look like your generic comic art... Todd MacFarlane, Greg Capullo, Jim Lee and Alex Ross have diferent styles but their are good for what they are...
Not everyone has to draw as realistic as Alex Ross to be good... if the people that they do don't look like monsters like in the Warrior comic is ok!
With all this speculation over a guest host, has no one brought up Ensign Monroe yet?
Celey don't worry about it I get the same thing when I critize stuff.
people just seem to automatically take offense to anyone who says its not perfect and explain why in vivid detail, probably because they speed read through it and overeact.
its best to speak up about it and just ignore the people who mistake the message as a hateful rant unless it really came off that way after reviewing it to you and you didnt mean it to, which it didn't.
Thanks for the support, Kavinsky. Maybe I didn't do anything really wrong...
Well... Linkara said he appreciated the advice... and he didn't seem too offended... So, maybe everything is okay...
Still, I feel bad about causing a ruckus. I probably could've put it better than I did...
I didn't mean to make anyone upset...
I mean, I know I can be very argumentative, but it's not because I'm trying to hurt anyone's feelings... I just like to offer a different point of view... and maybe help inform other people.
I wish my opinions didn't tend to be so different from everyone else's... and I really need to stop playing devil's advocate.
It seems like I can't say anything without making people upset at me (I mean, not just here)... So, clearly, the problem lies with me.
@Celey
Quit apologizing, sweetie. You didn't do anything wrong.
I swear, you sound just like my girlfriend: always worried about getting people riled.
Don't be sorry for sharing your life experience and opinions with others.
Listen to your auntie Jannett:
Alot of people like to look for reasons to be pissed off at others.
Look at me for example,
People have gotten wild on me because:
-Of my faith
-Of my political ideology
-Of my sexual orientation
-Of my stance on social justice
...and that's the short list.
But do let that change me? Do I allow that to cow me into submission?
Hell no.
You, sweetums, have valuable life experience and talent that you wish to share. Do it.
People will disagree. Let'em. Heck, some will even argue with you. Let'em. But don't you dare let them bully you into silence.
Keep your chin up, Celey.
Thank you. That was very nice advice. I'll try to stop feeling bad. I don't think anyone was really bullying me... I can just be very sensitive, sometimes.
But yeah... No need to feel bad, right? I mean, I usually come here to watch these videos so I can feel the exact opposite of bad... so... I shouldn't let these things bother me so much.
I don't have any kind of experience with this sort of thing, but... You wouldn't happen to a motivational speaker of some sort, would you? //^_^\\'
I'm glad you understand, sweetie. Now keep your head held high!
Motivational speaker? Well,I am the moderator of a Youth Group for my Church (which I guess is where the tone of my little speech came from).
With all the people commenting on the singing I’m going to say something completely different; the lighting.
A black suit on a back background is notoriously difficult to film. A tip to help prevent blending into the wall is to use back lighting. It doesn’t have to be much but something to give a bit of an outline usually helps. Not something directly from behind of course, otherwise you’ll get a halo effect but maybe something from the side or up high.
Of course, since you’re filming in your house it’s probably not something that you could easily do and it takes a bit of practice to get right but I thought I’d mention it in case you wanted to experiment. Lighting makes a lot more difference then people realise. (It can also help for green screens as a back light can flood out the reflective colour of the green behind you getting rid of the wavy outline you sometimes get.)
If the back light’s too strong you can compensate with more light from the front but then we start getting into three point lighting and I’ve waffled on long enough.
Great vid, as always. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
-xt1me
Finally got around to watching this episode, as my nose has been stuck in E3 coverage. This may be your best AT4W storyline yet.
I liked Harvey's singing, but Celey isn't wrong to offer some advice. As someone who took chorus class I thought it was good advice.
Finally, toward Zombie Man: Speaking for myself (since I don't even know Lewis that well), I've often critizied art on my blog that was way better than anything I'll probably ever do because it didn't look right. The nose size doesn't bother me too much, but I do agree with him that the color seems wrong, which isn't the penciler or inker's doing. That's the colorist's fault, but I can't say (I don't read the comic, but I do catch Chris Sims' annotations over at ISB) that I'm a fan of the art style, either. I've seen far worse, mind you.
From what I've been able to tell from the ISB articles is that the comic's biggest problem may be too closely adapting the novels. Comments that may work in one format won't in another, and should be adapted accordingly, which the Anita Blake comics don't appear to be. Then again, I haven't read the actual comics since horror isn't my "thing".
The next episode has to do with a comic from a fowl age. There will be a giant red brute who looks like he's about to embrace the characters on the cover and it's going to be reviewed by 60s kid! ;)
No wait, Lester B.Bum! Wait, I forgot Lester's a two-shot character and we'll never see him again.
Hmm..."_"
...wow, I'm having flashbacks to my furry fandom days, on here, with all of the insults being thrown at Demonpuppy over this.
Now, to be fair to the hecklers, even if they got it mixed up that he did these PARTICULAR issues, and were too boneheaded to see through the joke post he made, I HAVE seen his work on some of the latter issues of this series...and they really are quite bad. Not as bad as some of the other artwork that's been featured on here, but...let's just say that the noir style called for in the comic doesn't go well with his normal art technique.
On the other hand, he really is a good artist, and it's stupid to misblame him for the bad artwork of another; I quite liked his take of the Thundercats in the Dogs of War miniseries, and I have a "how-to" book on anthropomorphic characters that he helped compiled that I found really useful for my own drawing skills, so really, don't knock the man.
Getting away from that controversy, I was surprised Mr. Finevoice took over; I half expected this comic to be part of the "torture" that Lord Vyce had you put through, sorta like how Mechakara had you read the Power Rangers comic as your last review. I just hope we don't have to go through TOO many "guest" reviews before we actually see who this "Lord Vyce" is and what he's doing to you.
Finally, if you're still open for suggestions...I'm not sure how big of a Mortal Kombat fan you are, but with the recent hoopla over the latest game coming out, I thought maybe you could take advantage of it to review one of the Malibu MK comics. Unfortunately, I'm not able to find any physical copies of them to send you as a donation, but I did manage to find a site that has all of them uploaded for free: http://www.kamidogu.com/gallery/comics/ Personally, I'd go for either Goro: Prince of Pain, or the Battlewave miniseries; they both have ridiculous stories, very bad dialog (no one in the comics seem to know of the existence of proper pronouns), and the art is a combination of Liefeld and those artists who keep on drawing women like they're surgically-altered contortionists (one page in the Battlewave books has an image of Jade with her spine bent in such a way, her chest is PERPENDICULAR TO HER ASS, I mean a perfect 90 degree angle, there). Oh, and one issue of Goro: Prince of Pain ends with the titular Shokan wielding a gun that makes the one in Superman: At Earth's End look sensible, by comparison.
Yeah, a Mortal Kombat comic would be an awesome addition to AtFW library. Dont remember which one I read, but it was awful beyond belief.
This was an odd review.Now there are two kinds of odd: good odd (like Monty Python) and bad odd (like axe wielding hillbillies).
Good Odd:
-Harvey Finevoice reviews a crappy comic about vampires.
-Finding out that Linkara can sing pretty good for an amateur.
Bad Odd:
-Case of mistaken identity involving the artist..which becomes even more bizarre when said artist appears and has a pout in the comments section (even though it was something a commenter said and NOT Linkara).
-The unsettling possibility that Linkara will show up dressed as Lord Zedd.
I apologize for taking so long to comment on your review, but I needed to consult an expert.
i.e. my sister, who's read the novels.
This doesn't actually help the case of the comic or the writer of the novels (not that I expected it to), as she has informed me that what we have here is 100% true to the original.
Yes, a professional novel writer actually wrote Anita exploding with "Do you think I came here unarmed" for no absolute reason. And the other dialogue.
In fact, the only thing we could spot that was altered from the original work is that copboy is supposed to have beard. Everything else is 100% pure Laurell K. Hamiliton. (And all of you up there claiming Marvel ruined it from the source material can go put on the rather horrified expression my sister had when she suddenly realized that the comic wasn't making the story awful, it was simply presenting the story in a way that the awful could not be hidden. So there! :P)
Also, I'm not surprised that Harvey showed up. After all, it is in accordance with the prophecies that he shall have his own show.
I believe we should have more books about zombies and less books about vampires. All in favor?
I don't know about that, Celey.
There are already hundreds of comic books about zombies.
Most of them are really lame (big spoiler: humans are always the bigger monsters in these undead morality plays, unless its the Marvel Zombies in which case the real monster is the writer who churned out this tripe).
In fact, I have a system to determine which ones stink and which ones are worth adding to my collection WITHOUT EVEN READING THE BOOK.
My secret?: Check to see if Bruce Campbell is a character in the comic. If he's not there, throw it away.
In my view what we need, are more comics about Trolls.
Depending on the context, these guys are either dimwits who turn to stone in sunlight, evil geniuses who rule dark kingdoms and devour the dreams of children, or freakish horrors who can match muscle with even the divine (or bother people in forums).
Now that's versatility!
Well, the keyword there was books. Not comic books. But zombies are starting to gain in popularity. What with several survival guides...
Then, there's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. :)... That was awesome. I'd like to see zombies that are like vampires, though. I mean, a long time ago, vampires were monsters with no human thought or feelings. Zombies have remained monsters. I think they need to take the next step. Besides that, they're unlikely to have books written about them that look like Twilight. You know... The whole rotting flesh thing tends to be a real turn-off. :P
Oh. My mistake then. Sorry.
You do have a point that in "proper" literature there is little love for zombies. But even so, I don't think zombies have really had a good book about them come out.
"PAPAZ" wasn't good in my eyes. Don't get me wrong: I thought it was a substantial improvement over the snore fest that was the original (yeah, I'm not a fan of Jane Austen) . But it just wasn't engaging for me.
So I'm hoping that zombies will one day get their Bram Stoker.
A sidenote: Actually there already exist books which "Twilightify" Zombies. I learned this when my cousin showed me a book called "Hungry for Your Love" (it's a collection of zombie romance stories done completely straight faced). One word: ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Yeah. :|... Yuck.
*Also, I've never been a fan of Jane Austen myself... I've tried. I swear to God, I've tried. I can read Orwell, H.G. Wells, Bradbury, Doyle, Flannery O'Connor... but man, I cannot read Jane Austen.*
That soung you sung at the end was in ms3tk! (beatnicks)
Wow. I had no clue that Linkara can sing that well. I applaud you on that, as well as another great review.
Wow, what a great song at the end. What is that?
I feel odd submitting a comment so long after the video was put up ... but I enjoyed this review so much I had to leave a quick comment.
I really enjoyed Harvey Finevoice in this episode ... And congrats for doing an entire review through him without slipping back into Linkara's character. Or at least without doing it in a way that is horribly noticeable.
My favorite part, though, was probably the end scene with Pollo and Harvey. I adored the glimpse at the relationship between Linkara and Harvey here, especially since, as Charlie in the Box commented above, there doesn't seem to be a lot of that in other thatguywiththeglasses.com shows.
Actually, that was one of the big reasons the whole Linkara Lost arc was so enjoyable for me.
Thanks for a great show. :)
Ashe
You have a really great voice. :)
This episode rocks. Loved Harvey's musical number at the end.
Like to see you do the rest of Anita Blake The Laughing Corpse.
Incidentally, have you ever checked out the comic adaptation of Stephen King's the Stand?
I prefer Harvey's cover of that song than the one from the Beatniks
I found that last part on Youtube when I was looking for a clip of you singing those songs from "Camelot" so I was expecting it, but it was still glorious. Hee hee people keep wanting the mp3 and I already downloaded the mp3 from youtube.
Thanks for the serenade Lewis, but no matter what you sing you would never give me a baby. ^u~
As for the art in the comic, the nose looked fine, if placed low on her face. Women are constantly drawn with small noses because it's feminine, like small hands and feet. What really bugged me was her hair. I know it was parted on the side, but it just looked lopsided.
I have to say, this is still one of my favorite reviews. I think you've really got Harvey's voice down here and his commentary about the comic is rather amusing.
I read many of these novels up until the point where it went from suspending disbelief to being repetitive, boring, ridiculous and just beyond gross & uncomfortable. Even though the Laughing Corpse is a book I still like, was never happy to see it in comic form. The art style is weird, and as you pointed out, the novel doesn't pace well for a visual comic.
Nice song at the end, would love for Harvey to sing again in the near future, maybe in a few months for Christmas?
Am I the only one who thought of Moarte once I heard the "Undead Law and Order spin-off" joke?
Arson, murder, and jaywalking do not apply to the laws of the undead!
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