COMICS
REVIEWS
All
in Your P.O.V.
Contractual
Desperation!
F'reeze
a Jolly Good Fellow!
Louie's Ristorante
Shine a Little
Light
Voodoo Baloo
The Volcano of
Gold
The Why of the Beholder
All in Your P.O.V.
(short)
(1 out of 5 Krakatoa Specials)
Feb 95, Vol. 5, #4
Cover: X-Men (cartoon)
Summary
Gidget: While
Wildcat tampers... er, tinkers with the engine, Baloo is fishing off the H4H dock. Suddenly, he gets a bite!
("Nibble! Nibble!")
(as Baloo) Not now, Becky! I'm tryin' ta catch a big
one!"
Rebecca: (seductively) So am
Cody: Well, that would have made this comic more
interesting.
Anyway, Baloo reels it in --- a good-sized
blue fish. Baloo is just about detach the hook when an evil-looking alley
cat dashes by, snatching the fish in its
mouth. Still attached to the hook and reel, the poor fish is dragged along
the pier, and still holding onto the rod, Baloo.
Gidget: I wouldn’t get too
attached to that fish…
Cody: Bah-dum-ching.
"Hey--!!" The pilot shouts as he's dragged up and down the docks.
"Whoa--!!"
Kit passes by and sees the commotion. He goes up to the mechanic and asks,
"Wildcat, what's Baloo doing?"
"He's, uhh... cat fishing?"
Gidget: Ba-dum-ching!
Cody: Being stupid is more like it. (pauses) But that's normal,
ain't it?
Gidget: I hate to say it, but… yeah.
Comments
Gidget: Obviously,
this is meant to be cute. I call it lazy. I really
don't like these two-page comics. There's no room to build an interesting
story, and the joke --- if you can call it that --- it’s lame-o. The artwork
is very good, however, so it gets one Krackatoa Special from the Angry Prom
Queen.
Cody: I agree. It's stupid. Really stupid. The artwork
was all right --- the colors were a little off and the buildings had the usual
cartoon slant to them that isn't visible in the show.
Gidget: Like the doomed fishie, this one was dead in the water.
May 2003
Contractual
Desperation!
TaleSpin #4
Written by Bobbi JG Weiss
Pencilled by Oscar F. Saavedra
by Guest Reviewer
Cynthia Gardener
5 out of 5 Krakatoa Specials
Cyndi:
Rebecca comes home to find Baloo off to get lunch but hasn't returned
yet. (what else is new?) Kit
goes outside and waits for Baloo who has found a new client for Rebecca.
He thinks that by doing this, he will get a promotion into management, but the
contract -- from a T. Bone Picker (where did
they come up with that name?) -- has a catch that if Baloo doesn't return with
the cargo by 10 am, H4H is his.
Gidget:
At least it wasn't 'Nose' Picker...
Baloo
leaves to pick up the cargo, taking Wildcat -- who's been working on some
invention --- with them. (if you read the comic through, you see Picker's
henchmen, (both dogs) stashing a crate into the hold of the Sea Duck. The
first part of the delivery goes smoothly, but then things start messing up on
the return flight. Wildcat fixes everything, including his invention, a
portable engine comes in handy when he has to put a pontoon back on the plane.
Time
marches on toward 10 am and Baloo stops at Louie's for a good cry.
Gidget: Heh-heh... that's a great scene. I like Louie's
comforting words:
Louie: There, there, Big Daddy!
Cyndi: It's then that Wildcat runs into the club carrying a
monkey caught in a board. Louie reveals that it is a 'pieces' monkey
"as in it takes things to pieces" -- quote from Louie. The cargo
is nothing but old suits and coats and Picker is revealed to be the culprit.
Baloo and
Louie catch the rest of the monkeys and devise a plan to get Picker away from
H4H. Baloo comes back and tells Rebecca he had to round up a bunch of
people, because if Picker runs the business he gets to handle all the debts.
The cloaked people walk up shouting "bills, bills!" and Picker and his
cronies run to their plane. Rebecca demands to know what was going and
Baloo reveals the 'bill people' to be Wildcat, Louie, and Kit along with two
others in disguise. In the end frame we see the pieces monkeys tearing
Picker's plane apart.
Commentary
Cyndi:
I give this comic 5 Krackatoas because I thought it was pretty good.
Although the storyline sounded like something I had heard somewhere before.
The comic was well written and well drawn. I did have a few quirks about
it though. Why did Rebecca leave Baloo in charge of H4H while she was
going to the bank? She knew he was going to screw everything up and yet,
here we see that she left him in charge. At least Kit had sense enough to
take the phone messages or Rebecca wouldn't have known who had called. I
can only imagine what she would have done if Baloo had taken a few messages for
her. Yikes!!
The fact that she nearly wanted to fire him for getting a contract without her
permission was classic enough, especially in one scene where you can almost see
steam shooting out of her ears. (This was where Picker tried to calm her
down. Baloo looks really embarrassed here.)
Gidget: I know! I just love her reaction when she finds out
just how badly he screwed up:
Rebecca (draws him aside to whisper as Picker waits nearby):
Despite the fact that I should have known better, I left you in charge of Higher
for Hire while I was gone, Baloo. Legally, your signature had the
power of my signature during that time... (pause, then strangles
him, Homer style) But you weren't supposed to sign anything!!
Cyndi: It was also good to see Baloo show some remorse when he
thought he had actually lost H4H. Overall, like I said, pretty good and
well-written. I thought it was pretty funny when they said the name of the
critter was a "pieces monkey." It also made me wonder what would
have happened if Baloo had succeeded in getting a contract with no strings
attached to it. Would Rebecca have to move him into management? One
may never know.
January 2005
A
Tale Spin Comics Review by Guest Reviewer jb
4
out of 5 Krakatoa Specials
Tale
Spin
#6, November 1991, W.D. Publications, Inc.
Writer:
Bobbi J.G. Weiss
Pencillers:
Oscar F. Saavedra and Hector Saavedra
Inkers:
Ruben Torreiro and Robert Bat
Letterer:
Bill Spicer
Colourer:
Jo Meugniot
Cover
Art
Penciller:
Jim Mitchell
Inker:
Gary Martin
Colourer:
Gail Bailey
Summary
The Higher for Hire crew is taking a rare Saturday off with Baloo
planning to snooze the day away (as usual) while doing babysitting duty with
Molly listening to Danger Woman on the radio in her makeshift costume;
Kit going on a hike with some of his schoolmates and Rebecca taking a day cruise
around the surrounding
Rebecca is festively dressed up
in a button-downed blouse, flamenco-styled skirt, heels and bolero hat with
bangles along the rim and her hair is put up in a bun, which she proudly models
for the others. While Kit and Molly shower her with compliments, Baloo can only
muster up a snide comment much to his employer’s chagrin with: “So…where
are yer castanets?”
Baloo bemoans the fact that her outing is nothing more than to find her
“Mister Right” on some fancy day cruiser and suggests she looks for a real
man at Louie’s instead. The businesswoman then questions her pilot’s
behaviour as a thinly-disguised bout of jealousy, which he staunchly denies,
disappointing her somewhat.
jb: Well, duh! Wasn’t this
scene kind of obvious between these two?
As she puts on a fringed shawl, grabs
her purse and prepares to head off the cruise ship plus drop off Kit en
route, Rebecca warns Baloo to take good care of Molly, to which the pilot
nonchalantly replies that her offspring will be too preoccupied with the all-day
Danger Woman radio marathon now playing. After they leave, Baloo prepares
to catch up on his forty winks just as Molly hears the radio sponsor’s ad for
her favourite dessert, Frosty Pep Ice Cream. She then jumps on Baloo’s
stomach and begs him to buy some later on, making him realize this isn’t going
to be as easy as it looks…
Gidget:
Welcome to the
Cody:
Yeah, I always need to pop a few Valiums before I go there.
jb:
Some people just aren’t meant to deal with children…;3
Meanwhile, Air Pirate leader Don Karnage prepares to celebrate his
twenty-ninth birthday – for the umpteenth consecutive year – by listening to
his favourite radio programme: Danger Woman, until Mad Dog enters his
quarters to tell him they’ve got everything on his wish list for his
“surprise” birthday party for tonight except the cake and ice cream. Just
when his lackey questions where to get some after some unsuccessful raids, when
Karnage overhears the radio announcer mention the weekly cargo supply to
Back at Higher for Hire, Molly’s
quietly listening to the latest episode of the marathon and Baloo is still sound
asleep when the announcer interrupts with the news that the Frosty Pep
cargo plane has been hijacked by unknown perpetrators, horrifying the cub. She
quickly wakens the pilot to tell him the news in the hopes they can track down
the plane and recover the ice cream. Baloo tries to resist the little girl’s
pleas, but eventually caves in.
The Air Pirates have successfully
taken control of the Frosty Pep plane and is readying to toss out the two
pilots overboard when Gibber mutters in his leader’s ear to get a musical band
for tonight’s entertainment, to which he places Mad Dog in charge of finding
one. Pondering where he’s going to get the cake, Gibber whispers another
suggestion that leads to another idea before the two of them shove the cargo
pilots overboard with one parachute to share and take off in other direction in
search of a bakery to make his cake.
Baloo and Molly scour the skies in the Sea Duck for the missing Frosty
Pep plane without much luck. The pilot comes up with an idea to head for Louie’s
Place for some ice cream, promising the despondent little girl a big
Krakatoa Sundae Special that Molly suddenly becomes enthusiastic over.
Closer to the
At that moment, Mad Dog’s squadron
happens to be in the same area as the Festivia and finds their acquired
target. Just as the band is about to honour Rebecca and Taddy’s request, the
Air Pirates make their move by throwing grappling hooks and ropes and hauling
off the bandstand, musicians and Rebecca by mistake, who was standing on the
stage at the time. Slipping and losing her balance, she falls off the stage but
is rescued by the quartet just in the nick of time and now ponders their fates
as they head off to
Louie greets the two newly-arrived bears at his nightclub and tells them
of a catering job at the floating gambling casino at Pair-O’-Dice Island (jb:
Not that original a name, but I love it!J),
complete with a fireworks display that he’s providing. The simian then asks
for a Krakatoa Special. In a frantic whisper, Louie tells the pilot that his own
ice cream shipment didn’t come in either due to the skyjacked Frosty Pep cargo
plane, but placates the child with a Pie-To-The-Sky Fruit Delight with whipped
cream and a cherry on top.
jb:
Whipped cream?? Doesn’t he care about this kid’s fat intake? Look at Baloo!;3
Gidget:
Maybe
he’s fattening her up for Thanksgiving.
Cody:
She’d give everybody diabetes.
jb:
More
good reasons to go vegetarian.
Don Karnage and his minions then barge
in, making everyone prepared to defend themselves. The lupine leader announces
his peaceful intentions and orders a large ice cream cake for his birthday which
he supplies three generous crates of ice cream that he plundered from the Frosty
Pep plane. Baloo gets incensed and begins to confront him, but is stopped
when Karnage offers payment, telling the doubting orang-utan rather
threateningly to have cake and twenty sundaes ready by five o’clock today or
else. Louie then comes up with a plan to give Karnage a well-deserved
birthday “‘spankin’’ he’ll never forget” with the two bears’ help.
That evening, the captive Rebecca and the Festivia
quartet forced to perform for the Air Pirates in the mess hall party at
The pirate leader praises Mad Dog for
bringing the band and dancing girl for his party and in a smitten mood he orders
his vassal to bring Rebecca to him. In the kitchen, the hippopotamus chef places
the last of the birthday candles on top of the tall ice cream cake, unaware by
anyone that Baloo and Molly are hidden inside the hollowed centre. Shivering
with cold, the pilot feels a sneeze coming on to which the young cub tries to
stop in order for Louie’s plan to work.
In the mess hall, Rebecca tries to
resist Karnage’s advances as the cake is readying to be rolled out.
Blindfolded, he drags the petulant she-bear by the wrist to the centre of the
room and the pirates sing in honour of their fearless leader. But Baloo
violently sneezes enough to blow off the cake’s top just as the blindfold is
whipped off of Karnage’s eyes. Stunned silence fills the room as the two bears
are exposed to the world in general, bring out a roll-call montage of Baloo,
Molly, Rebecca and Karnage, all of them unexpectedly surprised by the turn of
events.
Enraged by these uninvited guests, the
lupine commander orders them to be captured. The pilot trashes what’s left of
the cake as a stalling point against the pirates, grabs Rebecca and Molly and
zooms out of the mess hall with the kidnapped musicians soon following them.
Running through
Charging into the treasury, Mad Dog
orders Baloo to drop the coin bags. As he refuses to, the young she-cub gives
the command to spill pearls at the oncoming pirates. While they’re slipping
and falling, the fugitives then charge at them, dropping a large tapestry rug on
top and make a mad dash for the docking bay.
Confronted by more pirates along the
way, Molly accidentally discovers a large trolley cart in a side tunnel that
they all clamber aboard and smash their way through Karnage’s search party and
into a large guard at the end of the ride that brings them back to the mess
hall, where Baloo executes the final stage of Louie’s plan.
The Air Pirates search the tunnels for the runaways when they hear
Baloo’s voice coming from the mess hall. Barging in, they find a deserted
place and lit candles on the sundaes making a strange hissing sound. Before they
know it, the firecrackers explode and splatter the room and the brigands with
ice cream.
Shaking with cold and fright, Karnage
looks at the scene and finds the motive highly unusual for Baloo to commit until
Mad Dog warns of a lit firecracker atop a large wrapped birthday present from
Louie himself. As he boldly attempts to put it out, the leader learns to his
shock it’s just a hollow stick attached to a longer fuse that goes directly
into the box and starts to rumble quite loudly…
Baloo and
Afterwards, a fireworks display erupts
from
Quibbles
& Quips
-
On the cover, Baloo’s fur is about a grey shade lighter and the frills on
Molly’s underpants are lessened in comparison to the comic.
Gidget:
I hate cartoon girls with frilly panties showing. There’s something
distasteful about it, IMO. And it looks like their clothes don’t fit.
Cody:
I hate frills, period.
jb:
I sympathize with you, two, really. But back in the 1930s, girls’ briefs were
purposely oversized to prevent wear, which probably explains why the original
Minnie Mouse’s skivvies looked the way they did (even with the modern version
now, which is still silly). On the whole, it is rather odd and sexist to be
doing them in this post-feminist era, not to mention saccharine-inducing to the
eye >_<. But IMHO, whether a woman wants to wear lacy underwear or not,
that’s their prerogative.
-
The opening panel has Higher for Hire’s rooftop flag is coloured yellow
instead of its customary red, the Sea Duck isn’t parked on the front
landing and Wildcat’s floating shack is missing (page 1).
-
There’s a constant fluctuation on the objects around Rebecca’s bolero hat,
one panel show they’re tassels, the next bangles throughout the comic.
-
Rebecca’s hair bun is missing on the bottom left panel of page 2, plus her
shawl looks too stiff when she removes it from her desk chair.
-
Baloo’s head looks shrunken and chinless in upper right panel of page 2.
- Second tier of staircase missing in centre-left panel; reappears on bottom-left panel (page 3).
-
Karnage’s head looks a little compacted as he admires himself in the mirror on
centre-left panel on page 4; his private quarters (Gidget: LOL!) looks rather toned down when it’s been shown as
being lavishly decorated and wooden floorboards appear only once (lower left
panel, page 4).
-
If the Air Pirates captured the Frosty Pep cargo plane (page 7), whey
isn’t there the usual grappling hooks and lines on it like they did in
“P&L Part 1” and later when they kidnap Rebecca and the musicians?
- Dumptruck’s muzzle is missing some colour on the lower jaw in centre-right panel, (page 7).
-
The Frosty Pep logos on boxes missing white circles except for one (first
lower right panel, page 7) and the logo is not the same as the original seen in
“It Came From Beneath the Sea Duck.”
-
Molly seems to have earned some height in the centre-left panel, then drops down
to regular level in the next panel (page 9).
-
Lower panel has the quartet’s bassist hair is blond and trumpeter bandleader
is brown, then is reversed for the rest of the comic and the guitarist’s
guitar is grey, then white afterwards (page 9).
-
The Festivia’s stairwell is beige (where Taddy kisses Rebecca’s hand)
in the background while it’s white throughout (page 10).
-
The quartet’s jacket colour is turquoise in upper left panel and then is green
in the remainder of the comic (page 10).
-
On the lower right panel of page 10, bassist looks like he had elongated
eyelashes like a female character on one eyelid and the percussionist’s
pointed hand is missing it colour (page 10).
-
There’s a microphone stand that suddenly appears on the upper left panel all
of the sudden, as the Air Pirates hoist the bandstand above the ocean as the
bandleader throws the cord out to Rebecca – it wasn’t there before the chaos
happened (page 11).
- Taddy’s pencil-thin moustache kind of disappears in the upper-right panel (page 11).
-
‘Toon physics defy real life: how can the Air Pirates lift the bandstand
upwards and onwards away from the Festivia and keep it balanced all the
way back to Pirate Island? Same illogic on their raid on Shere Khan’s plane in
“P&L Part 1” (page 11).
-
Colour missing on percussionist’s muzzle; guitarist’s ear looks like a grey
hairpiece (consistent thorough comic) and not an ear; plus a poorly-drawn bass
turner on when they’re pulling up Rebecca back onto the stage (page 11).
-
Louie’s holding a rather large rocket (looks like a big dynamite stick!);
he’s more brown-coloured than usual reddish-brown and his lei is pink
(lower panel, page 11).
-
Baloo’s palm colour missing on upper central and lower right hand panels (page
12).
-
Why do half the customers at Louie’s Place look like gangsters? (I know
it’s a rough place, but it’s not Gangster Central, either, for crying
out loud!)
Gidget:
Well, it is rather disreputable, compared to
jb:
You never know what Louie’s putting
in those drinks, anyway. :)
-
Rather odd-looking snarl on Karnage’s face as he shuts up Dumptruck (page 13).
-
Karnage’s eyeball colour missing (upper left panel, page 14).
- Molly’s spatula appears for the first time in Louie’s Place (lower left panel) and a fourth Frosty Pep ice cream crate appears on the trolley as the pirates unload it – there’s only three in the beginning (page 14).
-
Rebecca’s bun matches the colour of her fur in upper right hand panel (and
again in centre-right panel) and Karnage looks more bored at her than
lustful in upper panel (page 15).
- Rebecca’s front hair bang appears under her hat, then disappears afterwards; Mad Dog’s party hat missing, then reappears again (upper right panel, page 16).
-
Trumpeter bandleader looks a little drowsy (is that supposed to be a worried
look?) when Rebecca’s being dragged along with Karnage; plus her feet and
shoes look tiny (page 16). Rebecca: If you’d been wearing those heels
all damn day, buster, your feet would shrink too!;)
-
Why does Rebecca’s hat have a jaunty tilt then placed perfectly on top again
(middle-centre panel, page 18)?
-
Molly’s toe colour is missing and Rebecca’s skirt is missing colour on the
first and second tier – looks like she’s wearing an extra large blouse
(lower right panel, page 18).
Rebecca:
I had to borrow one of Baloo’s blouses. They make great nightshirts!
Baloo:
Hope ya dry cleaned it afterwards, Becky. An’ no starch on the collar
like last time!;3
-
For an upset mother, Rebecca doesn’t show her anger much when she’s lashing
out at Baloo when they’re running from the pirates (page 19).
-
Why does the guitarist look overjoyed when Baloo’s shoving coins into the
first bag (lower left panel, page 19)for? Weird…O_o (Gidget:
He’s getting free money, isn’t he?)
-
For an evening sky, it looks like it’s daytime and a pretty under-coloured
fireworks display from
Neat
Little Details
-
No debate – with the exception of those clunky-looking heels – Rebecca’s
Latin-inspired outfit looks great on her.
-
Rebecca does a really neat pirouette down the H4H stairwell (upper left, page
2).
-
Love the way Karnage leans to hear Gibber’s suggestion in the upper-right and
the co-pilot’s shocked look on his face and hand clasped over his mouth with
his eyes on the pilot when he calls him “crazy” for doing this for his
birthday party (centre panel, page 8).
- Cute father-daughter moment in the Sea Duck (centre panel, panel 9).
-
Trumpeter bandleader tossing cord to Rebecca as she tumbles off the stand is a
good action scene (third panel, page 11).
-
The encased, blue-tinged cutaways of Baloo and Molly hiding inside the cake
scenes.
- One of the pirates grabbing onto a flag streamer above his head to avoid the cake that Baloo dumps on them and a sharp-looking silhouette of Rebecca looking on (lower left panel, page 18).
-
Excellent move of Baloo grabbing Molly under his arm and Rebecca by the wrist as
they flee the mess hall (lower right panel, page 18) and when they leave again
linked in a hand chain (upper left panel, page 23).
Gidget
(Baloo): Me Baloo, you Jane!
Rebecca:
Oh, goody! I can break out that leopard print outfit I wore in “A Star Is
Torn”!
Baloo:
Hot diggity!!! Let’s go play
“Rumble in the Jungle,” Becky!
jb:
I’ve heard of swinging couples, but this is ridiculous! ;D
Funny
Stuff/Dialogue
-
Rebecca approaching Baloo to get his say on her ensemble:
Rebecca: Well, Baloo? I
didn’t hear you offering a comment!
Baloo: So – where
are your castanets?
Rebecca:
Hmph!
jb: Gee, and she complains about Baloo having a large ego?
-
Rebecca’s reaction to Baloo’s almost indignant denial:
Baloo:
“Jealous? Now why would I be jealous?
”
Rebecca:
(disappointed) “Oh, no reason! Never mind!”
-
Molly: (after jumping on
Baloo’s stomach) Baloo, you’ll buy some Frosty Pep Ice Cream today, won’t
you, huh? Please oh please oh pleeeease??
Baloo:
(groans) R&R…I think it’s gonna stand for run ragged!
-
Karnage: (singing) Happy
birthday to me! I’m as young as can be! If I never hit thirteeee – it
will never hit me!
-
Karnage getting in Mad Dog’s face when he’s about to report on his wish
list, believing it will be bad news.
-
Mad Dog looking a little miffed and crumples up the wish list when Karnage
patronizes him as he plots to skyjack the Frosty Pep cargo plane.
-
When Molly pleads with Baloo to search for the Frosty Pep plane, why do
her eyes look seductive at first, then by the next panel she kind of
looks…stoned? O_o
Gidget:
I noticed that too!
Esp. the ‘seductive’ part.
Baloo: Man, this kid is good.
She’s real good!
jb: Takes after her mother now, doesn’t she? (see “P&L, Part 4” and “My Fair Baloo” eye-fluttering scenes) :)
Molly:
(stoner voice) What do you think gives the “pep” in Frosty Pep, dude?
;3
jb:
Maybe it should be called Frosty PCP. ;3
-
Baloo’s contorted expression of surrender to Molly’s plea equals to looking
intoxicated.
Baloo:
Hey, I like Frosty PCP – er, Pep too, man!;3
-
Karnage is also a rabid Danger Woman fan too – who knew? And doesn’t
it seem kind of ironic for a villain to listen to a crime-fighter radio
adventure series? O_o
-
Karnage: (before he boots out
the Frosty Pep pilots off the plane) “I am not crazy – I am
just one heck of a fun-faluting guy, hee-hee!”
-
Taddy is a weird-looking canine. What did Rebecca see in that guy –
other than the contents in his wallet? ;)
-
Taddy gets a second thought in helping Rebecca after she’s abducted.
Taddy: Wait, what am I saying??
I’d ruin my suit!”
jb:
LOL! Some knight in shining armour… a “real” man would have gone to her
rescue.
Baloo:
Tol’ ‘er she shoulda gone to Louie’s, but does she listen to me? Noooo…
-
Karnage: (grabbing Dumptruck
after revealing his “age” at Louie’s) Remind me to shoot you
when we get home!
Dumptruck:
Err— sorry, Captain!
-
Karnage: So what is your name,
my prancing pigeon?
Rebecca:
None of your business!
Mad Dog:
Gee, that’s a funny name!
jb: Old
and corny, but classic a la Marx Brothers line.
-
Karnage: Where do you think you
are going, lovely one? You must stay with me for the grand finality!
jb (as
Rebecca):
I’ll give you a “grand finality” you’ll never forget, buddy – right
in the pantaloons!
Karnage:
(getting horny) Ooooh…the girl of my dreamboat!
Rebecca:
(sighs) Men!
-
Baloo’s explosive sneeze and the pirate’s party hats popping up in surprise.
-
Karnage has this simpering look on his face on centre right panel (page 17) –
or is he just intoxicated? O_o
Karnage: I am not the only one
who is liking Frosty PCP – um, Frosty Pep!;3
-
Molly’s cheeks look plumped up, almost cherubic in a comical style (third
upper panel, page 18).
Gidget:
Looks fat to me.
Cody:
She’s been hanging around with Baloo too much.
jb:
Time to lay off the Frosty Pep, I guess. Besides, don’t all
women have an extra layer of fat everywhere? (ducks space shuttles)
Gidget,
Cody, Rebecca, Molly:
Watch it, buster!!!
-
The roll-call montage at the fake cake revelation (reads like a Three
Stooges/Marx Brothers tribute):
Karnage: BALOO???
Rebecca:
Baloo!?!
Molly: Mommy!!
Baloo:
Becky?!?
Karnage: Becky??
Rebecca: Molly?!
Karnage: GET THEM!
- Molly’s plan of attack on the Air Pirates in the treasury cavern – humorously choreographed. :)
-
Baloo and Karnage colliding into each other (centre-left panel, page 21)
Baloo: Okay, maybe I need a
map!
Karnage: You
will need more than a map when I am through with you, you
uninvited party crasher!
jb: (singing old Kenny Rogers song) Every time two fools collide…;)
-
The trolley cart ride looks something like a tribute to the Indiana Jones and
the Temple of Doom tunnel escape scene. :)
Gidget:
For sure.
jb:
Call George Lucas’ lawyers (lawsuit!).
Baloo: (leaving the mess hall
again) Now, we make our getaway!
Rebecca:
But this is the wrong door!
Molly:
No, this is the right door, Mommy! He took the wrong door last time
jb: My favourite line here! :)
-
Karnage’s expression on his face in the mess room during the sundaes/present
melange:
Karnage: And who lit all the
little birthday fuses? (pauses, then realizes…) FUSES?!
Karnage: (In the aftermath of the sundae explosions) That was it? A few little boom-booms in the ice cream? That Baloo, he is one very estrange fellow!
-
The pirates’ looks on their faces when Louie’s “present” activates –
totally priceless.
Commentary
This story was a rarity in the TS comics collection, managing to do a
B&B- and Molly-centric tale rolled into one. It balances both the oft-kilter
relationship between the two adult bruins and the father/daughter bond Baloo has
with Molly in practically the same vein of the episode “Flight of the Snow
Duck.”
Among the many things in F’reeze that
it puts out Baloo’s feelings placed with Rebecca. In the opening scene at H4H,
he rants off about her wanting to meet decent men suggesting his own
place-of-call, Louie’s Place, instead of those of more sophisticated
tastes to her style. Seldom in the TV series did Baloo ever express jealousy –
with the possible exception of Captain Stansbury wooing Rebecca (“Her Chance
to Dream”); his somewhat emotionless “sympathy” to her when Covington’s
true nature is revealed (“Mollycoddled”) and open despair with the
possibility of her taking another date to the Pilot’s Ball (“Gruel and
Unusual Punishment”) – compared to his employer’s openly reactionary
behaviour in “A Star Is Torn.” F’reeze was the perfect outlet to
showcase this side of the pilot be seen and becoming verbally apparent in the
escape when he accuses her of holding hands with Karnage at the cake ceremony.
We see he is upset by this – and amused, is Rebecca only to be disappointed in
his denial at the office.
Gidget:
Baloo the romantic…
Rebecca:
(mutters) …Or unromantic.
Baloo:
Hey, I’ma pilot, not a poet.
While not an openly popular TS
character, Molly stands out in playing the heroine role that was constricted in
the TV series, seen as less precocious and more Nancy Drew-esque in wanting to
solve the disappearance of the Frosty Pep plane and give the bad guys their due.
As in “Mollycoddled,” her resourcefulness proves to be an asset to the
storyline and situation instead of being a liability (okay, even if she was a
bit more interested of getting her favourite brand of ice cream ;3).
Gidget:
Sort of like Baloo wanting to earn his diploma in order to be invited to his
reunion party.
jb:
Yeah, but in the end he really did learn something more than just to party, so
there’s some credibility there.
As rip-roaring an adventure it is, F’reeze
falls a bit short of being one of the best TS comics. There’s no further
explanation of the B&B relationship after their escape from the Air Pirates
and into Baloo’s jealousy (what a missed opportunity!); Rebecca’s continued
shallowness with her gains for materialism and prestige (hooking up with a guy
named…“Taddy”? What’s up with that?? ;P); the aforementioned
artwork flaws (see Quibbles and Quips) and a somewhat mediocre colour
scheme except for the cover art, but that can be blamed on the Disney
Company’s part in the early 1990s by dismantling the Gladstone publishing
division and running it themselves cheaply.
Gidget:
I agree… it was a missed opportunity to explore the possibility of
change in the B&B relationship.
Only a passing mention of his jealousy and then it gets snowed under the
theft of ice cream!
It really could have had more dimension, even for a comic book.
Cody:
I’m the odd one out.
I really don’t care for this comic.
It’s too silly and I don’t care about B&B or Molly.
The only good part about this particular one was Karnage singing “If I
never hit 30, it’ll never hit me.”
jb:
(sighs) There’s one in every crowd…;)
Failing a point from greatness, F’reeze A Jolly Good Fellow! gets 4 Krakatoa Specials out of 5, yet it remains a highly enjoyable read for all TS fans, both of TV and comics alike.
April
2006
Louie's Ristorante
(short)
A
Disney Adventures TaleSpin Comics Review by
Guest Reviewer jb
3 ½ of 5
Krakatoa Specials
Disney
Adventures Magazine
#1,
November 1990 (cover: Rick Moranis & Baloo); also reprinted in Colossal
Comics #2 (both W.D. Publications)
Writer:
Bobbi J.G. Weiss
Penciller: Cosme Quartieri
Inker:
Robert Bat & Ruben Torreiro
Summary
It’s
just another night at the popular pilot’s refueling stop/water hole, Louie’s
Place, with an old-fashioned bar brawl has broken out, caused by Baloo over
some khaki outfit-clad boar’s atrocious table manners.
Baloo and Kit make taillights back to
Busted
by the awaiting Rebecca at Higher for Hire, she berates him on his constant
visits to the nightclub and then grills him on what makes him go there all the
time. Fumbling between half-truths that he can’t explain it to her; she
demands that she be taken there tomorrow night for dinner.
Realizing
that if she discovers that it’s really a rough-and-tumble nightclub instead of
a restaurant as she believes it to be, he’s sunk so he warns Louie ahead of
time to “expect” a special guest with him tomorrow.
The
next evening, Baloo and Rebecca look very much like a couple on a night out with
the pilot in a bomber jacket, dress shirt and tie (!) and the businesswoman
decked out in a strapless gown, a mink stole, matching heels and purse.
Gidget:
A big improvement over that horrible pink mess she wore in ‘My Fair Baloo’
and ‘Gruel and Unusual Punishment’.
jb:
Agreed. But if you’d notice, the dress in “Gruel” is the same one used in
“Her Chance to Dream.” Damn, those designers at Disney are so lazy! :-)
Rebecca:
Err…budget cuts?
Edna
Mode (from The Incredibles): Next
time, dah-ling, call me.
Obviously
nervous about what she might find, Baloo suggests that she tone down the flashy
jewelery “because Louie’s may be a little…”
Gidget:
Lice-infested? ;)
Louie:
Hey, I do all the delousing around here myself!
Baloo: Yeah…see the hair salon in the
back? :-)
Cody (as Louie):
I don’t have a business license for that yet, so keep it quiet.
But
before he can finish his sentence, the ursines enter the establishment to
discover…an upscale Italian (to the best of its ability) restaurant.
Everyone’s in their best threads and behavior – even Louie’s wearing a
suit – and the house band’s playing soft music associated with eating
places.
After
being seated, Rebecca’s impressed and apologies to her pilot, but little do
they realize that two suspicious characters, one suave wolf in a three-piece
suit and his heavy-set bear partner in a trench coat, have entered the place
with their eye on Rebecca.
As
a relieved Baloo heads to the bar for a couple of drinks for them, the wolf
makes his move on the she-bear, working his charms on her and easily persuades
her to take a moonlight stroll with him outside.
jb:
How do you like that? Some date she is. A few frilly words and she’s ready to
count ceiling tiles! :-)
Gidget:
LOL!!
Cody (as Becky): I was not!
(muttering) He would have had to show me some green before I’d be ready
to do that!
Gidget:
Becky’s a Supertramp!
Kitten
Kaboodle: Hey, I’m
the original Supertramp around here!
jb,
Gidget, Cody, Becky: No
arguments there! ;3
As
they head out the door, the wolf’s partner rises to follow, only to be
aggressively confronted by other concerned patrons.
When
the pilot returns with their drinks, he discovers to his surprise that the booth
is empty. Louie then informs him that his employer stepped outside with “some
shady-looking Don Juan [that had just] come in…and swept her right outta
here.” With that, Baloo makes a quick dash for the exit and things begin to
get ugly with the other patrons and the bear partner inside…
Meanwhile,
the wolf pitches his woo over Rebecca on the pier to which she falls hook, line
and sinker, only to have her necklace violently lifted off her, much to her
shock and horror.
Ridiculed
over her foolishness and helpless position, her shock quickly turns to fury.
Baloo runs to her rescue, she then gives the mugger a good wallop with a nearby
bucket (jb: Oh, how convenient), which surprises the pilot.
The
enraged mugger then flicks a switchblade and threatens to cut up the she-bear.
As she screams in fear, the large bear charges at the would-be assailant in a
football-style slam into the mugger like a freight train, sending the lupine and
knife into the water.
Rebecca
rushes toward Baloo in relief over saving her, then confesses that she
“maneuvered” (jb: why not just
use the word “tricked” or “lied”?) him to taking her to Louie’s
out of loneliness without realizing its unruly environment and didn’t want to
look like it was a date “date” thing with him.
Gidget: Poor little lonely businesswoman… *sob* ;)
jb:
Well, maybe if she wasn't such a hard case all the time and loosened her
chastity belt once in a while... ;3
Gidget (as Molly): Hi!
Quibbles and Quips
-
In the opening bar fight scene,
there’s a group of private dancers in the background seemingly dancing to a
slow beat (one couple in particular look pretty intimate) while the fight goes
on. Now it’s always been known that once a bar fight goes on, it spreads like
wildfire – as it does in the last panel – but not here. Why doesn’t this
occur?
-
Louie’s Hawaiian shirt is red, as
opposed to the usual green colour, not to mention an ugly
colour on his lei.
Gidget:
I hope you mean his flower necklace… ;)
jb:
Yes, you perv. Boy, do you need to
get out more often!
:-)
Gidget:
That’s what I keep telling the people in the white coats, but they
won’t loosen these darned restraints! ;)
jb:
Which ones…the straightjacket or chastity belt?;3
-
Why did Baloo pick on the boar’s
table manners for? His table etiquette isn’t exactly out of Emily Post either.
-
Kit’s silhouettes at
Gidget:
Um… Baloo doesn’t let him eat?
Cody:
(as Baloo) Hey, food’s expensive
and I’m a growin’ boy! The kid
can
Kit:
That’s it. I’m calling Child Services.
- At Higher for Hire, there’s a mélange of pipes, boxes and junk lying about. For someone as meticulously tidy as Rebecca is, she sure let the place go.
-
Throughout the story, Baloo never
uses the nicknames “Becky,” “Beckers” or “Boss Lady” (but does call
her boss at the end).
Gidget:
I never noticed that!)
-
Some H4H scene drawings make Baloo
look like he’s intoxicated.
Gidget:
LOL! I gotta check this out!
I suppose he had googly eyes and a lolling tongue?
jb:
Only when Rebecca wears sexy dresses.
;-)
Cody:
You mean she actually owns something sexy? ;)
-
Rebecca’s got her own place, yet she
spends the night at the office, as we see her in that hideous purple bathrobe
and white fluffy slippers. Were Baloo and Kit that
late? She could have easily gone home.
Gidget:
I know. My complaint exactly
in War of the Weirds!
Cody:
Let’s face it. The woman
has no life. Waiting around for
Baloo is probably the highlight of her day.
-
Why does Baloo hope he has a tie? He hates
ties like the plague! (plus it’s pretty ugly too)
-
Lack of planes at Louie’s island –
even the Sea Duck is missing!
Gidget:
Wow. Didn’t see that
either.
-
Rebecca’s hair is longer than it
should be in “the next evening” panel before going back to its regular
length; her earrings, ring and bracelets are missing in a few panels; the ring
band is brown-coloured in “the next evening” panel and the pattern on the
bracelets disappears every few panels.
-
In the first “ristorante” panel,
Rebecca’s gown goes from strapless to some colouring near her shoulders that
makes it look like she has a plunging neckline gown with straps, and then
returns back to regular strapless number.
-
What’s with the cheesy Italian décor
in a Polynesian-themed nightclub? Besides it would be a very usual location to
place one in the middle of near-nowhere to be profitable (not that I’m against
the proliferation of Italian eateries…).
-
Tiger patrons tails are missing in
“ristorante” panel
-
Noticeably, Rebecca is the only woman
in the place as opposed to the private dancers in the first panel. What happened
to them – or is this a gay nightclub in disguise? Hmmm…;3
Gidget:
Well, it does have
cross-dressers… ;-)
jb
(as Baloo): Hey…what’s
that supposed ta mean?!
-
Rebecca’s nose and muzzle colour
missing as Baloo gets the drinks.
-
A really
goofy grin on Rebecca’s face as the wolf pitches his woo before snatching her
necklace; plus her purse disappears, and then reappears at the realization of
his true intentions.
-
When the mugger takes the necklace, it
a) looks like he’s lifted it over her head and b) the hook looks released.
Despite it being a thick one, he could have snapped it off her neck.
-
At the pier, the wooden bucket that
she uses to bonk the mugger with is filled with water, only to be bone dry when
she puts it to action.
-
The pier looks unusually wide in the
panel when the mugger pulls a knife on Rebecca.
-
Mugger’s tail is missing in a couple
of panels during the pier fight scene.
- As Rebecca rushes to embrace Baloo after the fight, his dress shirt is missing in the panel, then returns back after she confesses her real reasons for going out with him.
-
In the final scene, Rebecca has this
somewhat bemused look on her face as she sees the bar fight. Does any
woman find a bar fight that interesting (unless she’s participating in it)?
Gidget: That bugged me too… she even has her hands clasped t