Category Archives: Other stuff…
We’re Back!
Well, hey there, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, we’re back! That’s right the mystical mansion of mystery, known as Precinct1313, has once again risen, like the proverbial phoenix, from the ashes!
It’s been well over a year since this other-worldly abode dematerialised from this earthly plane! Our last article was posted on the 30th of March 2024, a celebration of that curmudgeonly creature of the night – Batman, and his 85th anniversary since Bat-birth! So it’s lovely to be back posting once more, alongside all of you talented writers and artists, here on this magical digital conveyance known as – WordPress.
But, where have you been, you may well ask? Well, other projects have been sired since that Bat-post of yesteryear. I took up the art of poetry, something I have never dabbled in before, or, to be honest, ever had any real interest in. Then I met a lovely lady, who happened to be a established poet, whom, after reading some of my articles in this existential edifice, reasoned that I should try my hand at poetry, so I did! and now I’m well on my way to self publish my very own book of emotive verse!
I have, so far created around forty finished poems, and illustrated around half of those, so still some work to do before printing and publishing can take place. That said, and if you would like to indulge in some of my work in rhyme thus far, a new website was forged to share my new love of words with the world, a sister site to the Precinct, known as Anathema’s Abode.
As I previously mentioned, it’s lovely to be back amongst all my followers and fellow creators once more, and it would be wonderful if you found the time to click on the above link and visit my new site. Until next time, dear friends.
85 Years Of, The Batman!
Eighty five years ago, today, the smoking gun barrel of Joseph Chill unleashed unto the wretched streets of Gotham City, a nocturnal nightmare of which they had never seen before. The mindless murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, before the innocent eyes of their young son, Bruce, unshackled a force of vengeance and righteous justice that has been preying on Gotham’s criminal underbelly with furious anger, ever since… The Batman!
Created by the peerless pairing of Bill Finger, and Bob Kane, this creepy and curmudgeonly creature of the night’s first ever appearance was in DC Comic’s revered – Detective Comics #27, which released on 30th March 1939 (though the issue was dated May, comics are often dated a month or two ahead) Since that time, the dark and surly one has gone on to become, quite possibly, the most popular and renowned Superhero ever conceived, with his fame spreading across every single known entertainment medium, from comic-books through video-games, television shows, movies, toys, clothes, novelisations, and so, so much more, firmly cementing his Bat-place in heroic history!
But what is it that compels readers to immerse themselves in a vengeance driven man-hunter, a being that has devoted his life to bringing his own brand of Bat-justice to a corrupt and dystopian city seething with criminal detritus? I absolutely believe that it’s his inherent vulnerability and pathos, you see, unlike the vast swathe of caped crusaders, Bruce is, ultimately, just a man in a costume… he can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, or deflect bullets with bracelets, he’s not capable of reaching the speed-force, or even talking to fish! but what he does possess is the inherent belief in his own righteousness and decency, it’s his integrity and moral fortitude that has enabled him to rise above the sea of costumed crimefighters and be the best he can be, no matter the adversity or lack of powers thereof… the mark of a true hero (of course, billions of dollars, an unsurpassed mastery of myriad martial arts, genius level intellect and a compendium of glorious gadgets also, sort of, helps!)
So, Happy eighty fifth anniversary to the greatest comic-book character ever created! So, my bodacious Bat brethren, why not sound off in the comments below about your very first encounter with the dreaded Dark Knight, and what you will be doing to celebrate eight five years in the company of Gotham’s grim and gritty guardian.
Precinct1313’s Monthly Swag-Bag…
Har Har! Avast me hearties!! X marks the spot on another tremendous treasure trove of thrilling toys! That’s right, my poor ol’ wallet has taken yet another beating for the cause, and this month has procured us an admirable assortment of – cool cyborgs, wondrous warriors and voluptuous vixen vamps!!
Robocop And OCP Cruiser –
To say I was surprised to walk into my local Smyths’ toyshop and find merchandise for a 36 year old cult classic movie would be a vast understatement, I was literally gobsmacked! and really bloody happy, as Robocop (the 1987 original, not the horrendous remake!) is my absolute fave movie, ever! Dead or Alive this toy was coming with me!!
Actually, it wasn’t a dollar, but an extremely reasonable 25 British pounds! The Jada Toys 35th anniversary Robo and cruiser are die-cast metal and fantastically detailed (especially ol’ Murphy himself) The OCP cruiser doors, bonnet and trunk are all interactive, and the car is fairly heavy and robust. Even better, it’s from the same range as my previously bought – Robert Pattinson Batmobile and Batman set, so the size and scale are the same meaning I can pit Batsy against Robo in a dynamic duel!
Wonder Woman – Endless Winter – Action Figure…
Suffering Sappho! at last count, I believe I currently possess around thirty Wondy action figures and statues… but then, you can never have too much of a good thing, so when I saw the wondrous one on sale in my local HMV at 50% off, how could I say no (hint: I didn’t!) Endless Winter was a 2020 crossover comic from DC that charted the rise of the Frost King and his effort to cause a global eternal winter, and the Justice League’s attempts to stop him.
I have to say I love the design of Wondy’s arctic warrior look, the figure itself is fantastically chunky, with 22 points of articulation, and comes replete with Diana’s sword and Golden Lasso of Truth! Best of all… it was an absolute bargain at just £12.50!
Elvira – Neca Figure…
Cassandra Peterson’s awesome alter-ego… voluptuous vixen vamp – Elvira, now resides on our spooky shelves, thanks to Neca collectables and (once again) my local HMV. This cleavage-tastic toy celebrates 40 years of the quirky queen of delicious double-entendre! The horror hostess heroine also makes the perfect accompaniment to my recently purchased special edition Blu-Ray of the – Elvira: Mistress of the Dark – movie by Arrow Video (which comes highly recommended also by the way, with a fantastic picture and sound transfer) they make for the perfect pair… rather like Elvira herself (ooh-er missus!)
Why not join us again next month for even more spectacular swag, fellow fans of fantastic fiction!
Daily Dose Of DC…
The Spectacular Art Of Steve Rude!
Steve (the dude) Rude is an American comic-book artist, who is best known as the co-creator (alongside Mike Baron) of Sci-Fi comic-book – Nexus – which began life in 1981 and ran for an initial eighty issues, with seven shorter mini-series that released yearly after the main comic ceased publication.
It was 1984 that Steve produced his first work for DC Comics, in – Tales Of The Teen Titans #48 – he later collaborated on DC’s World’s Finest series with writer/artist – Dave Gibbons (of Watchmen fame) in 1990, before moving on to a myriad of projects for the comic-book publishing giant. Steve was also the subject of a documentary titled – Rude Dude: The Steve Rude Story – in 2014. Filmed over a period of three years, Steve spoke candidly about his effort to enter the world of fine art and his daily struggle with bipolar disorder. Steve is one of my personal favourite comic-book artists, with a unique and instantly recognisable painterly style, so why not kick back and enjoy some of the finest imagery to ever grace a comic-book page…
All Imagery Copyright: Steve Rude.
Precinct1313’s Monthly Swag-Bag!
We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of, erm… comics! Ok, ok, so my local comic shop guy may not be a 100% bonafide wizard, but what he does manage to do is conjure up some very cool stuff for me to purchase, each and every month, much to my delirious delight (yet, my wallet and bank account fail to share in my enthusisasm!) So, what glorious goodies have we managed to procure this month? Well…
Let’s begin our geeky gallivanting with this bodacious brace of Batmobiles. Masterfully modelled after the most recent filmic variation of the world’s most famous fictional car, we managed to pick up both the Lego-mobile and Jada Toys rather wonderful Die-Cast version, with both packs also packing a diddy (diddy is slang for small in the UK, fact fans!) version of Robert Pattinson’s Batman!
Next we enter the murky waters of this villainous version of Batman, surreptitiously surfing onto our shelves is this spectacular statue of Bryce Wayne aka: The Drowned! I fell in love with this statue as soon as I saw how awesome the base was! I always love when the manufacturers take the time to add a bit of diorama to a figure, rather than just a plain stand, and this one is a doozy!
And, my absolute favourite pick up this month was this delightful double pack of the dynamically dysfunctional duo that are – Blue Beetle (Ted Kord version, ie: the best version!) and Booster Gold! I absolutely love these characters so was deliriously happy to get my fevered mitts on this dazzling doublet. Nicely articulated and magnificently modelled, this set also comes with a diorama stand, Beetle’s BB gun, and Booster Gold’s robotic buddy – Skeets.
I also spied these Batman lollipops in my local Sainsburys supermarket and just couldn’t resist, once again, pulling out the ol’ Bat-wallet and purchasing, problem is, they’re milk chocolate and I’m vegan, so I shall just stare at the fantastic foil wrapping and donate the choc to my next door neighbour.
Phew! That was an expensive one this month, and this doesn’t even include the comics and trades I also bought, of course, the real problem I have now is… where in the name of Zeus’ gnarly beard am I going to display all this new stuff, I mean, look at my shelves, bustling to the brim with cool toys, oh well, there’s always the floor…
Join us again next month for even more spectacular swag, fellow fans of fantastic fiction!
Legendary Comic-Book Writer – Alan Grant – Passes Away At 73
It is with great sadness that we relay the tragic news that legendary British comic-book writer – Alan Grant passed away on July 20, 2022, at the age of 73.
Alan is one of my absolute favourite comic-book authors of all time, I first discovered his inordinate writing talent through Brit comic anthology – 2000AD, where he regaled the readers with his stunning takes on legendary characters such as Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog. But it was his acclaimed run on DC Comics’ Batman and Detective Comics that sealed him as a personal fave in the wonderful world of comics, alongside mainstay artist, the late Norm Breyfogle, Alan produced some of the my favourite tales of the Caped Crusader, it was during this run that he also co-created the rogues gallery characters – Anarky, Victor Zsasz and The Ventriloquist.
Alan was born in Bristol in 1949, but grew up in Scotland. After fleetingly working in a bank, Alan took a trainee position at a local newspaper. At 18 he joined publisher – DC Thomson, home to another classic Brit anthology comic – The Beano, it was during this tenure that he met lifelong comic-book cohorts – Pat Mills and John Wagner.
He moved to London in 1970, and joined publishing giant – IPC, where he worked as a writer and sub-editor, it was here that he was offered an editorial position on 2000AD. Going forward he became one of 2000AD’s most prolific writers with hard edged, anti-authoritarian tales like – “John Cassavetes Is Dead” and “Letter To A Democrat” his writing was inspired by left wing ideology, anarchism and Eastern philosophy. It was in the late 80s’ and throughout most of the 90s’ that Alan worked for DC Comics on their venerable Bat titles and also wrote the celebrated – Judgement On Gotham, the awesome Judge Dredd/Batman crossover alongside Scottish artist – Simon Bisley.
Our thoughts go out to Alan’s family and friends at this very sad time.
Precinct1313 Breaking News: Batman Caught Walloping Wildlife!
Yep, it appears that The Batman is such a bad-arse that when he isn’t out fighting crime he spends his day punching tigers… PUNCHING TIGERS!
Now, look here Bats, we love ya man but is it absolutely necessary to pick on those poor defenceless tigers?
Oh, after a little digging around it appears that this isn’t a single time incident, the dark and surly one has been whomping wildlife since the beginning, and apparently even found a way to go back in time for some dinosaur dunking!!
Ye Gods Man! Can You Stop Already!!
!!!
(Disclaimer – I’m sure there was a very good reason ol’ Batsy had for these ( ever so slightly) out of context actions… oh, and I’m a member of PETA and love their work)
Eight Years In Precinct1313 – An Anniversary Special
Welcome, fellow agents of Precinct1313, to our ebullient eighth anniversary! That’s right, the majestic mansion of mystery first materialised unto this plane of existence in 2014, it’s mission (which we absolutely chose to accept) was to provide you with some decidedly delectable DC Comics documentation, whilst behind the scenes we continued to map out the convoluted corridors, herculean hallways and colossal comic crypts that compose this recondite residence.
Shortly, as is our tradition, we shall be making our merry way down to the Precinct’s fabled – Great Halls Of Quaffing – to celebrate in style, along the way though, we shall take a short excursion and visit the abstruse anomaly known as the – Scrying Chamber – whence sits, upon a single stone table, a stygian black crystal ball. So why not join me, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, as we stare deep into its sanguine depths and re-live some of our favourite posts from the past eight enthralling years…
World’s Finest – Interview Series
A mainstay of of the Precinct over the years (and my absolute favourite posts to write) was the – Worlds’ Finest: Interview – series, where each episode we would invite our most treasured – Superheroes, SuperVillains, Costumed Crimefighters, Dimension Dwelling Demons, and, of course, Super-Pets to answer a quotient of quintessentialy quirky questions about life, the universe and cake (’cause everyone loves cake!)
Classic characters such as – Circe, Harley Quinn, and Cheetah have darkened the Precinct’s media studio, and have – harassed, bludgeoned, nibbled and vexed our poor hapless interviewer, with his deadly denouement happening at a final, fatal interview with Judge Death, almost two years past. I’m very happy to announce the imminent return of World’s Finest and, also, our original interviewer! thanks to Ra’s al Ghul’s much appreciated offer to plonk him in his Lazarus pit! So keep your eyes peeled for World’s Finest: Series 2, which will include interviews with the likes of Rorschach, Zatanna, and The Scarecrow!
Ace, Krypto and Streaky Too!
One of our more recent posts, and one that was without a doubt absolutely massive fun to write was this post dedicated to the awesomely adorable animals that populate the DC Universe. These super-powered pets include such dynamic delights as – flying felines, detective deducing dogs and, yep, even a Bat-Cow!! You can peruse (and pet) this perky post – Right Here.
Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed
As you’re all probably bored of hearing right now , ’cause we never, ever shut up about it (and never shall!) we love Wondy here in Precinct1313, she is our favourite comic book creation of all time! And just recently the glorious gods of Olympus once more bestowed upon us mere mortals yet another thrilling tale of the Themysciran Titan with the fabulous Laurie Halse Anderson penned opus – Tempest Tossed – a sublime celebration of the wondrous one, and you can read our rapturous review of this titanic tome – Right Here.
The Bat Loves The Cat
The Bat most assuredly does love the cat, in fact they’ve been dancing around each other emotionally for the past eight decades! Yep, that’s eighty years of perfect passion procrastination! No character has had a more emotive impact on the Dark Knight’s melancholic life than sultry Selina Kyle aka -Catwoman! Why not re-live their tender tale of romance – Right Here.
Phew, thanks for sticking with us as we shared some of our personal favourite posts we have submitted to the WordPress world over the past eight years, and as we near the great Halls of Quaffing for mucho merriment, allow me to say a massive THANK YOU to all of the Precinct’s followers, readers and fellow bloggers… it is YOU that makes this joyous journey worthwhile.
Oh, And As Ever – Make Mine DC!
Comic Book Icon – George Perez – Passes Away At 67
The legendary artist/writer George Perez sadly passed away on May 6 with complications arising from pancreatic cancer. This devastating news actually hit me quite hard as it was George’s Wonder Woman comics run in the eighties that first introduced me to the Themysciran Titan, and ultimately made me fall in love with the character.
George Perez is one of the most popular and acclaimed artists of the past half century, with his extensive run on Wonder Woman in the 1980’s being a defining moment not just in his own artistic career but also for the character herself. His reboot of Diana began with the 1987 issued – Wonder Woman #1, George was the main artist and plotted the series for its first two year run, then went on to write it for a further three, with his take on Wondy and her pantheon of allies and villains hailed as the greatest and most significant version of the characters since the original creation team of William Marston and Harry Peter in the 1940’s.
In 1980, George alongside fellow comic-book legend, Marv Wolfman, launched – The New Teen Titans, rebooting the classic sixties series and creating new characters to add to the roster of the team of teen sidekicks – Starfire, Raven and Cyborg, and also anti-hero mercenary – Deathstroke. It was also during this run that Dick Grayson finally stepped out of The Batman’s shadow and shed his Robin persona to become the peerlessly popular Nightwing.
George was born in New York City in June 1954, and was always destined to be an artist and started drawing from the tender age of five years old. At the age of twenty he took a job as a studio assistant at Marvel Comics, with his first published work appearing in Astonishing Tales #25 in 1974. George continued to work for Marvel until 1980 when he moved over to DC Comics, with his first artistic endeavour drawing the Flash back up tale – Firestorm. In 1985 after close to five years working on The New Teen Titans, he started work on DC’s massive crossover event – Crisis On Infinite Earths, the criss-crossing maxi-series that would end up altering the DC Universe dramatically for years to come, when this came to an end George went on to his career defining run On Wonder Woman and cemented his place in Comic-Book history.
Thank you George for all the joy and wonderment you have brought to me personally throughout your astonishing career, without you I may never have fallen in love with the many characters I hold dear today, most especially Wonder Woman, it was your iconic run that endeared Diana to me more than any character previous to her and for this reason alone, you will always be my most beloved comic creator of all time, rest in peace good sir.
Our Thoughts Go Out To George’s Family And Friends At This Sad Time.
Brian Augustyn – Comic Book Author And Editor Passes Away At 67
Brian Augustyn, the legendary creator behind the classic Elseworlds story – Batman: Gotham By Gaslight and mainstay on The Flash throughout the nineties, sadly died yesterday – February 1st – at just sixty seven years of age.
Brian passed away after suffering a severe stroke, according to his longtime friend and Flash collaborator – Mark Waid, who posted the sad news to Facebook at the behest of his family.
“The Augustyn family has asked me to let Brian’s friends and fans know that Brian left us today after a sudden, severe stroke over the weekend. I have spent a lot of time these past few hours writing a great deal about Brian, and I’ll share these thoughts soon, but for now I simply wanted to let everyone know. Comics has lost a very kind and talented man who has been my big brother, and one of my best friends for the past thirty five years”
Brian first began working in the comic-book industry in the mid eighties, and joined DC Comics in 1988 as co-editor on Action Comics Weekly. He went on to be the singular editor of The Flash, which is where he originally brought on board the talented Mark Waid, and the two would become firm friends and comic collaborators over the passing years. Brian’s most beloved work was on the previously mentioned – Gotham By Gaslight, which featured art by Hellboy creator – Mike Mignola, the story was so popular that it spawned a sequel – Batman: Master Of The Future and a fantastic animated movie based upon the tale in 2018.
Our condolences and thoughts go out to his family and friends at this sad time.
Remember, Remember, The Fifth Of November…
Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason and plot, I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason shall ever be forgot…”
Hey there fellow conspirators of Precinct1313, today in the UK it’s Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night. This annual commemoration is observed every November the fifth in Britain, the history of which began with the events on fifth November 1605, when a senior member of the Gunpowder Plot – Guy Fawkes – was arrested after being discovered guarding the explosives his Machiavellian associates had placed beneath the House of Lords.
In celebration at the time, that King James had survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around the provinces of London, over the centuries this has become an annual national remembrance day of the plot and it’s failure, to which people burn effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire pyre traditionally accompanied by fireworks.
In commemoration of Mr Fawkes, we present a re-blog of an interview we held a couple of years back with one V of V for Vendetta fame, so you too can join in on this classic chronicle of conspiratorial calamity! (also why not indulge in the fantastic 2005 celluloid adaptation, which encapsulates, quite possibly, the greatest performance of all time by thrilling thespian – Hugo Weaving as the titular V!)
Re-live Our V Interview – Right Here!
Happy Bonfire Night!
Why We Love Wonder Woman…
It is 1941, and eminent psychology professor and inventor, William Moulton Marston, radically shakes up the male dominated market of Superhero comics with his charismatic and compelling creation – Wonder Woman, unleashed in the progressive pages of All Star Comics #8, Diana was an instant hit, and less than a year later the seminal character received her very own ongoing comic-book series, which is still being published monthly to this day, almost eight decades on from her groundbreaking inception.
It is 1982, and a nine year old Batman fanatic opens his eyes to a whole new and enlightening world outside of the grimy, corrupt streets of Gotham City, transcending the grim, driven, dark angel of justice known as The Batman, and accepting into his other (comic book) reality a much more virtuous and progressive character. A simple gift from his mum would ultimately turn into a lifelong (but wholesome) obsession, with Wonder Woman helping to not only sate a young imagination with fantastic tales of heroism, mythological monsters and warrior women, but ultimately also help guide his future precepts, and tenets.
I, of course, am that nine year old Batfan, and though the above statement of receiving guidance from a fictional character on moral precepts may sound corny, it’s also true! You see, even though much of our growth mentally and morally is instigated through parentage, friendships and schooling, we are also heavily influenced by (especially now) the fictional worlds we reside in, be that video-games, novels, movies and, of course comic-books.
My comic-book upbringing, strangely, mirrors that of my actual upbringing, and, no, that does not mean my dad ran around in tights, a pointy eared mask and fought crime, but he did share similarities to the caped crusader. He was a driven, but kind man, a member of the British parachute regiment who received the military cross for his act of heroism in rescuing injured members of his squad from a minefield, like the Batman, he was a hero that I looked up to. My mum, again has always been a kind and gentle soul with a love of animals and people, whom has never a bad word to say about anyone, she is also a feminist and rights activist, she also is my hero. Batsy and Wondy have always felt like perfect fictional counterparts to my parents, and that connection between real world and fiction has what’s really led to comic-books holding a special place in my essence.
My adoration of the Themysciran Titan not only derives from my affection for comic-books and a long-standing fascination of Greek mythology, but also my love of strong women in all forms of narrative fiction, and reality, in fact I have always preferred kick-arse female fighters in my video-games and movies and most certainly comics. I have over the years here in the Precinct written about the female influences in my life, my love of martial arts films stems mostly from my youth and watching fantastic fighting female furies like Moon Lee and Cynthia Rothrock reverse the tropes and kick everyone’s arses in film, and don’t get me started on the myriad female superheroes outside of Diana that I adore.
Ultimately though, I look up to Wonder Woman because she stands for everything I personally believe in, social justice, diversity and equity. Fairness, equality and emancipation are tenets that we should all aspire to, and Wonder Woman was, is, and always shall be a golden beacon of hope held up to shine her light on the philosophical theory of a fair and equal society. Long may she reign!
Precinct1313’s Favourite Fearless Fighting Female Furies: Cynthia Rothrock
Hey there fellow fans of fantastic fighting female furies, and welcome back to our ongoing/occasional series where we strive to acquaint you with some our favourite formidable females from throughout cinematic history. Last instalment we caught up with the magnificent Moon Lee, our absolute fave ever Asian action star, this time around we’ll be introducing you to none other than the bombastic blonde fury herself, scintillating Cynthia Rothrock! of all the action/martial arts stars throughout film, Cynthia has always been our most revered and is, arguably, the most accomplished female martial expert of all time!
Formidably known in her cinematic heyday as The Queen Of Martial Arts, Cynthia has undeniably lived up to that daunting moniker – starred in over sixty films since her dynamic debut alongside Michelle Yeoh in Yes Madam, attained an astonishing seven black belts with a rank of 8th Dan in varying Chinese, Japanese and Korean martial disciplines, is five times undefeated world Karate champion in weapons and forms, was the first ever female cover star on both Inside Kung Fu and Black Belt Magazine, is the inspiration for two of video-games most popular female fighters – Sonya Blade from Mortal Kombat and King from SNK’s popular Art of Fighting and King of the Fighters series, and, is an inductee in the distinguished Black Belt Hall Of Fame alongside such legends as Bruce Lee… Phew!
Cynthia Ann Christine Rothrock was born in 1957 in Wilmington Delaware, though her formative years were spent in Scranton Pennsylvania, it was at the age of thirteen that she first developed an interest in martial arts. In 1981 Cynthia won her first world tournament in the forms and weapons classification, this particular martial category deals with fluidity of movement and form and is mostly non combat oriented, and saw both female and male participation, with Cynthia managing to easily outclass both sexes, she would go on to win this title for an astonishing four more years.
In her first thirty eight tournaments she took first place in forms discipline an astonishing thirty two times (again competing against both female and male martial artists) and twelve times in weapons, she was also pronounced Grand-Master (an honorary title given to individuals who excel at their chosen art and are revered by their peers) at five separate championships… it’s safe to say that Cynthia was a martial arts savante from a very young age.
It was at the height of her tournament dominance that the esteemed martial magazine Black Belt took notice and inducted her into the Black Belt Hall Of Fame as the “Female Competitor Of The Year” she also took the coveted front cover status on the very same issue, the first ever female in martial arts history to receive that distinguished honour.
1983 was the year that Cynthia would first be propelled onto the cinematic stage after being talent scouted by venerable Hong Kong based fighting film studio – Golden Harvest. It was in 1985 that Cynthia co-starred in her very first movie – Police Assassins alongside the magnificent Michelle Yeoh. The film was a massive box office success and launched Cynthia’s long running movie career, with the rapidly rising star going on to make another sensational seven movies for the studio giant, including my personal favourite – Blonde Fury.
Cynthia also holds the prominent achievement as the first ever westerner to be billed as the leading actor in Asian fighting movies. Upon returning home to the United States, Cynthia continued her movie calling with titles such as – China O’Brien and its sequel, Guardian Angel, No Retreat-No Surrender, Prince Of The Sun and many, many more.
She eventually retired from acting after the movie Sci-Fighter in 2004, when she returned to teaching martial arts and expanding on her own, already formidable skills, though she still occasionally cameos and guest stars in various television productions including her own YouTube channel where she continues to showcase her incredible agility, and at sixty three years old is still able to out-surpass the majority of her younger martial peers!
Cynthia Rothrock Movie Recommendations – Blonde Fury, Police Assassins, Righting Wrongs, Prince Of The Sun, The Millionaire’s Express.
Precinct1313’s Favourite Fearless Fighting Female Furies: Moon Lee
Aah the 1980’s, it was a gloriously golden time for action and horror movies, in fact that decidedly delectable decade was most definitely THE trend setter for these two particularly popular filmic categories. Iconic is undeniably an over used term, but it’s a phrase that encapsulates 80’s genre films perfectly. Movie stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jean Claude Van-Damme (and countless, countless more) are paramount as archetypes of their day, exemplars that have been copied and trended throughout the decades since their first paradigmatic entries onto the silver screen and into fervent fandom.
That said, and as much as I am a fan of these burly, brawly action paladins, I have, from as far back as I can remember always, always preferred kick-arse female fighters, not just in movies but also in my other cherished media of comic-books and video-games. As a young lad growing up in the eighties I was inducted into the formidable fold of fantastic fearsome fighting female furies (phew!) by the meritorious, marvellous and magnificent Moon Lee, though I had encountered other female martial arts stars in various films previous to my encounter with Moon, they were usually cast as second tier characters in film, back up to the male lead… Moon Lee for me was a revelation, a gifted actress with phenomenal martial skill, and, the most predominantly prominent point… the lead in virtually every movie she ever starred in!
Moon Lee Choi-Fung was born in Hong Kong in 1965, though from an early age she spent many years living in Taiwan with her father who ran a business out of the southern port city of Kaohsiung. During her six year stay in Taiwan, Moon attended Youchang grammar school, where she discovered an inherent aptitude for piano and dance proficiency. After moving back to her homeland of Hong Kong to attend middle school, Moon was approached by television director Hsiao Hsianhui after he saw her in a school dance performance.
Hsianhui was so mesmerised by Moon’s remarkable athleticism and dancing talent that he cast her in a small role in his television series Fatherland. From this humble introduction into acting, and thanks to her incredible physical abilities, Moon went on to become Hong Kong’s action movie queen. At a mere eighteen years old, Moon signed contracts with Asia television, and most importantly martial arts movie production giant – Golden Harvest. It was whilst filming a commercial for Mitsubishi that she adopted the first name of Moon, when the directors of the advert asked her to pick a western sounding name for foreign audiences.
After cutting her acting teeth in television with an appearance in an astonishing four hundred episodes over many different series, Moon went on to become the most sought after female action movie star in Hong Kong history thanks to her first major role in the classic period Kung Fu movie Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain, where she starred alongside such martial legends as Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, and Corey Yuen.
Moon throughout the eighties and early nineties starred in close to an incredible fifty action movies, with co-stars that included the aforementioned Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and the great Jackie Chan. But it was in Japanese martial arts actress Yukari Oshima (also known as Cynthia Luster – soon to be another inductee into this ongoing series) that Moon finally found her forever co-star with whom she starred in many, many movies over the years as both antagonists and protagonists. The dynamic duelling duo had an onscreen cohesion and physical synergy that was unsurpassed in the field, and held female fighting film fans worldwide spellbound, in fact Moon and Yukari were almost single-handedly responsible for the burgeoning Girls with Guns sub genre, which became an action movie staple throughout almost their entire acting careers.
In the latter part of the nineties Moon gradually left the movie business and moved back to her first love of dance and the arts, and eventually opened a school dedicated to nurturing talented dancers, with many of her students winning excellence awards for their abilities in the field.
Moon Lee Movie Recommendations: Kickboxer’s Tears, Fighting Madam 1 and 2, Angel Enforcers, Angel Force and Zu Warriors.
Precinct1313’s End Of The Decade Geekstravaganza
Well hi there fellow agents of Precinct1313, and welcome to the majestic mansion of mystery’s infamous Comic Crypts. I hope you didn’t have too much trouble finding your way down through the Precinct’s convoluted and ever changing hallways and chambers, that’s the problem with running a comic blog from a supernatural entity posing as a resplendent residence, oh and the fact that we are located at the edge of existence also doesn’t help with navigation, as most Sat-Navs don’t appear to cover that… surprisingly!
And yet here you all are, so welcome, to Precinct1313’s End Of The Decade Geekstravaganza! That’s right, the decade draws itself to a close and we’re here to steer you through some of our favourite geeky moments from the past ten years, so pull up a tombstone (these are the comic crypts after all) and let’s all relive our favourite things of the past decennium…
Our Favourite Comic-Book Series: Mister Miracle
Masters of the miraculous – Tom King and Mitch Gerads deserve every bit of praise thrown their way by their peers, critics and fans for this superlative series, a groundbreaking, emotional and touching 12 issue maxi-series that took one of DC and Jack Kirby’s most beloved second tier characters, and thrust him headlong into the deserving limelight. We wrote a review on this tenacious tome recently, so we shall leave you a handy dandy link right here .
Starfire
Though we feel that Miracle was without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest Superhero story released since Watchmen (really!) we couldn’t leave this particular post without mentioning our other comic-book love from the past ten years – Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s tantalising and terrific take on our absolute favourite orange hued alien princess, sizzling Superheroine – Starfire! Conner and Palmiotti are a dynamic duo of some renown in the wonderful world of comic books, a husband and wife team with a wild and wacky sense of humour that light up any character they get their talented hands upon, from Power Girl to their award winning run on Harley Quinn, everything these terrific twosome touch is utter comic-book gold, especially their 2015 maxi-series -Starfire.
Endlessly endearing and wonderfully witty, Starfire’s 2015 series is a gift that keeps on giving, Conner and Palmiotti (along with the series’ fantastic artist – Emanuela Lupacchino) have bestowed upon us humble comic fans, the greatest take on Tamaran’s lost Princess since she was first unleashed in 1980 by her superstar creators, George Perez and Marv Wolfman. An origin tale, a laugh out loud stranger in a strange place fable, Starfire is a beguiling and winsome take on a beloved DC character. Quite possibly the funniest and most captivating series from DC in many a year, the Precinct unequivocally recommends this touching and hilarious series.
(Favourite Comic-book series runners up – Doomsday Clock, Supergirl: Being Super, Wonder Woman: Rebirth)
Our Favourite Comic-Book Movie: Wonder Woman
Can you believe it took seventy five years to finally get one of the most popular, significant and important fictional characters of all time onto the big screen, a primary reason for this according to some producers, directors, movie studios and overall decision makers (all of whom were talking nonsense, of course) was that a female led Superhero movie stood little chance of success… well, I’m pleased to say that those negative naysayers were completely wrong in their assertions, because Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot’s 2017 Wonder Woman movie most assuredly was an exquisite example of, not just a top tier translation of character to silver screen, but a film that also carried a compelling message of love, hope and empowerment.
Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins more than made up for Diana’s seventy five year cinema snub by giving us, not just a superlative and accurate representation of the Themysciran Titan, but also THE greatest Superhero movie of… all… time!
(Favourite Superhero movie runners up – Batman v Superman, Aquaman, Shazam)
Our Favourite Comic-Book Artist: Amanda Conner
I have been reading, collecting and immersing myself in comic-book worlds since the mere age of six, my first dalliance with a Superhero was the Batman, from there I went on to discover the thrilling tales of the Themysciran titan Wonder Woman and have, over the decades become a devoted stalwart of DC Comics. Not being content to just absorb these wonderful stories of heroism and emancipation, I was also always interested in the compelling creational process behind the formation of these thrilling and titanic tales, from the literary scripting and especially the wonderful artistic endeavours.
From an early age some of my very favourite artists included such luminary delights as – Neal Adams, Brian Bolland, Nicola Scott, Emanuela Lupacchino, Norm Breyfogle and Adam Hughes. Picking a favourite from these amounted to an impossibly herculean task… that is until I discovered the astonishing art of one Amanda Conner. From that point on anyone enquiring as to who my all time fave artist was would not be able to shut me up as I enthused and rhapsodised over her astounding artwork. Quirky, zany, fun and instantly recognisable, Amanda’s incredible artistic style (for me) stands head and shoulders above her peers.
(Favourite Comic-Book artist runners up – Emanuela Lupacchino, Stanley Lau, Nicola Scott)
Our Favourite Non DC Comics Movie:
Mmmmm, now this is a difficult one, I mean sooooo many great movies have been released over the past ten years, how in the name of Zeus’ beard are we able to pick just one? We can’t, so here (in no particular order) are a few of our fave non DC Comics based films of the past decade…
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets:
A tremendous movie conversion of the classic French comic-book ‘Valerian and Laureline’ that was first published in 1967, created by the talented duo of Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres. Stunning effects, decent acting (though Clive Owen, who is usually great, was rather uninspiring in this one) and an engaging, wild and zany plot make this definitely one of our top fave films from the past ten years.
Alita: Battle Angel:
Another comic-book classic given the silver screen treatment, Alita is originally a manga series created by the great Yukito Koshiro in 1990. A post apocalyptic, cyber-punk stylised story that was brought to vivid life at the talented hands of Robert Rodriguez.
Groundbreaking visual effects bring android Alita to the big screen through some jaw-dropping motion capture of the movie’s phenomenal lead actress – Rosa Salazar, who puts in an outstandingly impassioned performance, and with a back up cast that includes such thrilling thespians as Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Maershala Ali, and Jackie Earle Haley, Alita is more than deserving of your free time.
Franklyn:
British cult movie ‘Franklyn’ is a genre defying delight, part superhero saga, noir thriller, romance, and horror, it takes great pleasure in flouting any kind of atypical filmic categorisation.
Franklyn is a visually rich movie, set across the dual dystopian parallel dimensions of Meanwhile City and contemporary London. It is within these dark, ethereal realities that we encounter four protagonists, each a lost soul, and on an intertwined and fated path to ultimately affect each others lives, be that for good or ill.
Unfortunately, as is the case with a large number of movies emanating from the UK, Franklyn never achieved the audience or status that it truly deserved. With a standout cast that includes Eva Green, Bernard Hill, Sam Riley and Ryan Phillippe, Franklyn is a film the Precinct heartily recommends. We reviewed the movie at the time, so if you find your interest piqued, then a link to our review is right here
(Non DC Comics movie runners up: Dredd, Halloween 2018, Super, Solomon Kane)
And there you have it, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, I mean we could go on, but then this post would end up novel length, and I only have so much time to get it published before the end of 2019! With that, may I just say a big thank you to all of the Precinct’s followers and readers for the likes, comments and visits to the site over the past five years, it really is so, so appreciated. Happy New Year to you all!!
Oh, and as ever… Make Mine DC!
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