Easter Egg Basket #4 - Gremlins Reading Material

Previously:

EEB # 1 (Avengers: EMH/Green Lantern)  - -  EEB #2 (Classics in DKR) 

EEB #3 (Green Arrow's Contacts)

I don't have a whole lot of free time to indulge in nostalgic re-viewings of the classics but luckily I found some time over the holidays.  Since I was choking on Christmas cheer, I decided to keep that vibe going by tuning into a true holiday classic: Gremlins!

I don't think I had seen the movie for decades and I had all but forgotten about the Christmas theme but once I started it, it was undeniable.  Everyone talks about Die Hard and Batman Returns as their go-to holiday escapism but Gremlins should be at the top of that list.

Christmas cheer notwithstanding, what really grabbed my attention were a few quick cameos of some classic comic book issues.  Which brings me to our topic today.  Just for funsies, let's see what the actual issues were that made an appearance.

The comics show up in the scene where that nitwit Corey Feldman spills water on Gizmo and the 'multiplying" begins.  As the fur balls start to pop, they land on Billy's comics and the Conan issue was the first to catch my eye.  Here it is in all its glory:

From Marvel, Conan the Barbarian Vol 1 #150 tells the story of the "Tower of Flame" which involves Conan protecting a strange woman who then goes through a bizarre transformation to reveal her true self.  I'd like to think they picked this issue for that theme...but who knows?

Apparently Billy doesn't play favorites with the "Big Two" because the next issue is from DC.  House of Mystery Vol 1 #320 is also in mix while Gizmo screams in pain.

I can't find too many details on the story "Death, Come Rescue Me" featured in the issue but according to the DC Wiki the main character ends up "as a slave on a Chinese junk [sic] where no one ever dies".  A Chinese junk what?  Well, Gremlins starts with a scene in a Chinese "junk" store (kind of) so maybe that's why this one got picked for the set.

Gizmo's mot done with his infarction but before the town gets overrun with murderous monsters we've got one more comic to check out: All-Star Squadron Vol 1 #16.

Don't ask me why this one made the cut. "The Magnetic Marauder!" is essentially a team-up between the Squadron and Wonder Woman against Percival Plazchek a.k.a. Nuclear, the Magnetic Marauder.  So maybe they did just grab an arbitrary stack of comics for the scene.    

But regardless of any intentional or accidental themes, it's always great to see old school comics show up in old school movies.  Keep your eyes open, you never know what you're gonna see next.

Top 5 at the Harryhausen Exhibit

Previously:

Batman Top 10 at the Action Figure Museum

The smART Space section of Science Museum Oklahoma is committed to showcasing the convergence of art and science.  New exhibits rotate throughout the year and bring unique works of imagination and innovation to Oklahoma city crowds.

The most recent exhibit to inhabit the space is "Ray Harryhausen – Mythical Menagerie" which celebrates the work and innovation of legendary special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen.  If you don't know the name, I can guarantee you that his talent has influenced the work of some of your favorite filmmakers.

So without further ado, here are my picks for the Top 5 pieces on display in this menagerie of monsters:

5.  Skeleton Soldier (Jason and the Argonauts, 1963)

One of the most famous visuals of Harryhausen's work may the the sight of the sword wielding skeleton army in "Jason and the Argonauts."  A few of these guys survived and are on display as well as some partial pieces.  They were a part of an incredibly ambitious action sequence:

4.  Storyboards (Various)

Storyboards are one of the more underappreciated pieces of the artistic processes in film making.  A lot of time, effort and talent go into creating them and then they aren't seen by the movie audience.  This one is from "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" but there are several more on display.

3.  Medusa (Clash of the Titans, 1981)

The incredible details of the Medusa model doesn't fully come across in the movie.  So this is a great opportunity to really get a close look at the work that goes into a piece like this.  Just don't look at her eyes...you'll turn to stone.

2.  Bubo (Clash of the Titans, 1981)

Our friend Bupo here stands out from the pack since he's not your typical Harryhausen "monster," but instead, he is kind of/sort of a robot.  Or at least he's a mechanical creature created by one of the gods to be comic relief.  This model was used for close ups (something different was used for the flying effects seen below).

1.  This Crazy Walrus (Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, 1977)

This is another example of of an uncommon type of "monster" in Harryhausen's body of work but I knew as soon as I saw it that it would be my #1.  Look at this thing.  We typically think of walruses as essentially big sea sloths but when you lay eyes on this guy you know you wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.

The exhibit runs until Dec 3rd so there's plenty of time to go see Hollywood history live and in person.  Take the kids and show them what movie monsters used to look like before computers took over.