Lazy Weekend - Books and Cartoons

July 2, 2007

Did some work around the house and generally lazed around this weekend.

Watched the animated Clone Wars series with my kids.

If you're a Star Wars fan, you probably want to check these out. The animation is sorta quirky, very much in line with a lot of what's on Cartoon Network and such these days. Maybe Samurai Jack-ish, or something. Not really sure, as I don't watch the stuff, but it's definitely a particular style. Anyway, you will be surprised at the quality of the writing.

The stories take place between Episodes II and III, and lead directly into 'Revenge of the Sith'. If you were wondering who the heck that robot general guy is at the beginning of Episode III and why is he coughing, your questions will be answered. Excellent, and those of you who have been disappointed since the end of The Empire Strikes back will probably say "Now THIS is what Star Wars should be!"

I'd also be interested in hearing what other fans who've seen the cartoons think of them.

Last I heard, there are two Star Wars television series on the way, one animated (not sure if it's along the lines of or tied to Clone Wars) and one live action.

Speaking of Star Wars, I recently picked up The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film by J.W. Rinzler and just started reading it. The foundation of the book is a collection of "lost" interviews conducted during and just after the making of the original blockbuster. They had been collected for a book at the time but it was never completed. Using those interviews, given before the scope of the film's success and impact on pop culture had become apparent, the Rinzler builds a great narrative complete with comparisons of early drafts of the script, conceptual artwork and storyboards, and a ton of behind-the-scenes production photos, many of which I've never seen before.

I also picked up a copy of Bernard Irleand's The Illustrated Guide to Aircraft Carriers of the World. Now, looking this up I see that it's due to be published next January. Which is odd, considering I bought it yesterday off the cheap racks at Barnes & Noble. It appears that the book will be republished soon. The copy I have is published by B&N. The new version may have a few updates, but Murdoc can heartily recommend either edition. Amazingly good for a consumer-type compendium.

While browsing at the bookstore (which is still a lot of fun despite online shopping) I happened across Grumman F-14 Tomcat: Bye - Bye Baby...!: Images & Reminiscences From 35 Years of Active Service by Dave Parsons, George Hall, and Bob Lawson. A gorgeous book with tons of photos and packed with info and quotes, this looks to be a great read and look for Tomcat fans. I didn't buy it yesterday, but if the publisher wants to send me one for a full review I will be glad to oblige. (Heh.)

On a different note, I finally picked up The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden. This book has been all over the blogosphere for a while, and I must admit that it lives up to the hype.

My son's in Boy Scouts, so he has some exposure to some of the outdoors stuff and knots and such that I fear a lot of boys don't ever see. And the idiosyncrasies of his father mean that he's not unfamiliar with some of the more interesting points regarding military history and similar subjects. But if every boy had a bit more exposure to the contents of this book, I think the world would be a better place. No exaggeration. Oh, and girls can read it too. Most of it will appeal to most girls, though the recent interest in this book on the internet has pointed out several similar books targeted for those of the fairer sex.

Including sections on paper airplanes, making a bow and arrow, timers and tripwires, U.S. Naval flag codes, famous battles, pirates, navigation, how to play poker, the Ten Commandments, chess, and the wonders of the world (both modern and ancient), this is truly a book that no boy should be without.

Murdoc's going to be reading the thing himself. For instance, he never learned to play marbles.

From MURDOC ONLINE -- www.murdoconline.net