You know you've always wanted to know...
Inspector Gadget's Comic Book is Out This Week; Thumbs Up (Mostly) from Detroit News
| comments
This August 16 review by Eric Henderson of Geek Watch (Detroit News) seems to confirm that Inspector Gadget: Gadget on the Orient Express will not be delayed until December. Here's the very first thing Henderson writes in his brief review:
I'll try to get hold of the book and review it myself as soon as possible - but for now, I'll point you to Eric Henderson's review, which seems mostly enthusiastic about Gadget:
Anyhow... until next time, be on the lookout for THIS in comic shops - and please tell us in the comments when you do find the book in a shop, just to confirm once and for all that it truly is released!
EDIT: The book is not out in stores this week. It will be available for online ordering as of this weekend, but won't hit the store shelves until August 31. Check my latest post on the subject.
"Viper is releasing a couple licensed kid titles this week, “Inspector Gadget” and “Johnny Test.”So there you have it. Issue 1 of Inspector Gadget's comic book is getting released this week. While the delay didn't turn out to be as long-lasting as feared, I still think Viper could have made some kind of announcement regarding the fact that one of their books were a month-and-a-half behind schedule. But at least it is out.
I'll try to get hold of the book and review it myself as soon as possible - but for now, I'll point you to Eric Henderson's review, which seems mostly enthusiastic about Gadget:
"I was a big “Inspector Gadget” fan as a kid, (...) so it was a treat to read that. (...)
"The book flows pretty well like an “IG” episode, and I could still hear the original voices in my head as I read."Henderson does point out one drawback, which I agree with to an extent:
"The only place that the book fell short was in the art. The characters are recognizable, but Penny’s face is a bit off, and Gadget’s face looks almost unrecognizable in a few spots. It also appears the pages were drawn for a physically larger product, so sequences feel cramped in the current format somewhere between standard comic and digest. Odd shadow work in the coloring doesn’t help."I've felt much the same way about José Cobá's artwork, I must admit, while reading the 15 preview pages. Henderson's comments on Gadget and Penny's faces are dead-on; and I'll try to elaborate on this in my own, future review. Still, I think Cobá's shadow work can be defended, as that style of shadowing - or close to it, anyway - was used extensively in the original TV show. (Of course, the book's shrunk format perhaps being too small for this kind of shadowing is another matter.)
EDIT: The book is not out in stores this week. It will be available for online ordering as of this weekend, but won't hit the store shelves until August 31. Check my latest post on the subject.
The Master of Disguise-O
| comments
Let me begin this post by saying that I'm absolutely, positively no fan of the Icelandic children's series Lazytown. However - sync one of their songs to clips of M.A.D. Agent Presto Change-O from the classic Gadget episode The Infiltration, and you somehow get a very appealing mix...
This AMV was done by YouTube user BevinKB back in 2007 and, while the video quality may be somewhat lacking, the syncing and timing is great. Not to mention believable: I certainly wouldn't put it past a self-absorbed villain like Presto Change-O to sing such a narcissistic song about himself.
(Okay, okay! I'll post the original Lazytown video, too, so you can compare. Gotta admit the villain is actually a bit amusing to watch while performing this song...)
(What's that? You want to hear the song in its original Icelandic version, too? Fine! Okay! But just because it's so damn catchy. I can't believe I just said that about a Lazytown song.)
UPDATE (February 18, 2013): The original YouTube video I had embedded for the English Master of Disguise scene from Lazytown has long since vanished. I probably wouldn't have bothered to fix this if it hadn't been for the fact that the song is up on Lazytown's official YouTube channel. But since it is, I thought I might as well...
This AMV was done by YouTube user BevinKB back in 2007 and, while the video quality may be somewhat lacking, the syncing and timing is great. Not to mention believable: I certainly wouldn't put it past a self-absorbed villain like Presto Change-O to sing such a narcissistic song about himself.
(Okay, okay! I'll post the original Lazytown video, too, so you can compare. Gotta admit the villain is actually a bit amusing to watch while performing this song...)
(What's that? You want to hear the song in its original Icelandic version, too? Fine! Okay! But just because it's so damn catchy. I can't believe I just said that about a Lazytown song.)
UPDATE (February 18, 2013): The original YouTube video I had embedded for the English Master of Disguise scene from Lazytown has long since vanished. I probably wouldn't have bothered to fix this if it hadn't been for the fact that the song is up on Lazytown's official YouTube channel. But since it is, I thought I might as well...
What The New Inspector Gadget Comic Might Have Looked Like
| comments
Found these on deviantArt a little while back and realized I had to post them here. This comic page (above) and pin-up illustration (below) are official Inspector Gadget art samples done by comic artist Andy "ND!" Genen for Viper Comics!
You see, back when Viper were trying to decide on the artist for their upcoming Inspector Gadget book, they apparently arranged a so-called "tryout" to find that person... letting several artists draw their version of the Gadget universe. So these are the samples that Mr. Genen produced for that assignment.
Genen's Inspector Gadget didn't make the cut, but his samples give a fun glimpse into an alternative interpretation of the Inspector in comic book form. Here's what the artist himself says about the experience (in his deviantArt comment for the pin-up):
"This was a pin-up I did for the "Inspector Gadget"-tryout at Viper Comics. Attentive followers of my stuff may recognize the background I recycled here (in fact, I had less than 24 hours to crank out a page and a pin-up...and within those 24 hours, I had no electricity for about 5 hours...)
I had SO MUCH FUN drawing those characters!!"
Despite the harsh deadline and electricity shortage, I have a feeling Genen is really genuine when shouting out how FUN it was. There's a real sense of fun to his artwork, at least - though the characters do look pretty odd at times (especially Penny - what happened to her nose and hands??). But that oddness is part of the fun!
(Oh, that's right: Click here to visit the main deviantArt page of Mr. Genen and check out some of the other cool stuff he's drawing.)
SECOND FIRST LOOK: The Rest of Inspector Gadget's Comic Book Preview
| comments
Since we're still waiting for that first, official issue of Viper's comic book, I thought I might as well post the rest of the preview pages included with the Inspector Gadget: M.A.D Dash iPad game (especially seeing as that game is currently available for free on iTunes). A full review of these comic pages is on its way - but meanwhile, read for yourself and let us know what you think! Presenting pages 6-15 of Dale Mettam and José Cobá's Inspector Gadget on the Orient Express (continuing where we left off in my February 14 post)...
Page 7 and 8...
Page 6...
Page 7 and 8...
...page 9...
...page 10-11...
...page 12-13...
...AND page 14-15, ending the preview with a genuine splash (page)!
Go, Go, Gadgetinis Wallpapers!
| comments
Came across these nice-looking Gadget & the Gadgetinis wallpapers and thought I'd post them here for fans of this modern Gadget spinoff. While Gadgetinis has its share of flaws, this French-produced 2002 series is arguably the best revival of Inspector Gadget since the original show - and the only one to involve all three original creators (Jean Chalopin developed it and wrote most of the episodes, Bruno Bianchi directed and produced and Andy Heyward served as executive producer). Despite not personally being the show's biggest fan, I do hope the complete series makes it onto English-language DVDs one day (France is currently the only country to have seen such a release). But for now, enjoy the wallpapers.
(Thanks, MultBox.Ucoz.Ru.)
When Are We Getting The Comic Book?
| comments
Well, Inspector Gadget's official, first comic book issue from Viper Comics should supposedly have been out in June - but still no physical sign of it anywhere according to the various retailers I've asked here in Atlanta, Georgia (where I'm currently vacationing). One Barnes and Noble store suggested that it was either sold out or never printed, and another was 99% certain it had never been printed. So there ya go. Adding to this, Dave's Comics and Collectibles thinks it won't be out until August. They sound like they know what they're talking about so I'll treat that thinking as a fact until something else turns up. Not least because Viper's official site says nothing whatsoever about this delay...
UPDATE (August 1): According to the good people at Oxford Comics and Games, the first issue of Viper Comics' Inspector Gadget series is currently scheduled for December 28, 2011(!). This is, of course, a mysteriously long delay for a book which is reportedly already written and drawn. Oxford's theory: It's simply a temporary estimate from Viper because they don't know as of yet exactly when the book will be out. The guy I was talking to still thought it might be published within the next couple of months.
UPDATE #2 (August 18): The comic book is apparently out. Check my other update.
UPDATE (August 1): According to the good people at Oxford Comics and Games, the first issue of Viper Comics' Inspector Gadget series is currently scheduled for December 28, 2011(!). This is, of course, a mysteriously long delay for a book which is reportedly already written and drawn. Oxford's theory: It's simply a temporary estimate from Viper because they don't know as of yet exactly when the book will be out. The guy I was talking to still thought it might be published within the next couple of months.
UPDATE #2 (August 18): The comic book is apparently out. Check my other update.
.bmp)
