Cartoon bombshell

By BRIAN THOMAS     February 11, 2006

I'm always a bit suspicious of riots. This past week, all across the Mideast and Europe, Muslim extremists have been staging violent, destructive riots, supposedly in response to an editorial cartoon in a Dutch periodical. As far as I know, this is the first time a cartoon has sparked such a heated response. The cartoon portrayed the Prophet Mohammed in a turban shaped like a bomb, and since the Muslim religion forbids depictions of Mohammed, they're mighty ticked off about it. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I checked my magazine rack for the latest edition of Jyllands-Posten, but couldn't find the cartoon anywhere. It turns out the offensive cartoon the ironic fuse that ignited the ticking bomb of religious fundamentalism - was published last September, and there's been plenty of rioting over bigger issues since then, so it may be safe to assume that religious leaders have been holding onto this for a while, waiting to get their followers riled up about something. Even if they were regular readers, one would think that they'd had plenty of time to write a strongly worded letter to the editor, or even initiate a lawsuit, in the intervening time.

This may seem like a lot of hubbub over nothing to those of us in the USA, who see all sorts of blasphemy in cartoons and elsewhere without anyone getting too upset about it. There's occasionally an episode of SOUTH PARK that inspires some complaint over the portrayal of religious figures like Jesus or Tom Cruise, but we generally expect that things will be kept in perspective. Tuesday's DVD Shopping List column will list the title JESUS CHRIST SERIAL RAPIST, but I don't expect Episcopalians to start burning embassies. But keep in mind that this isn't really about a cartoon. Riots are targeting plenty of people and institutions that have nothing at all to do with the paper and its cartoon, so it's more a case of free-floating anger directed at any convenient victim, with some of it channeled for political gain. And as with any riot, a lot of those participating probably know nothing about the issues involved, joining in on the destruction either for the excitement or looting. Here's my bold stand on rioting: I'm against it. Maybe I'm overreacting because somebody smashed my car window last weekend an act of random vandalism it appears but I think those having their homes burned to the ground might agree with me. If you need any evidence that these demonstrations are less than spontaneous, just look at the flag issue. Folks in Birjand may be righteously upset about their living conditions, but rioters always seem to have plenty of foreign flags on hand to burn. If I get mad at a foreign country, I'd need to run down to a flag store before I stage my riot unless I'm mad at Canada, of course.

Meanwhile, a newspaper in Iran proves they have a sense of humor by hosting a contest to pick the best cartoon about the Holocaust. I hope someone sends a copy of Art Spiegelman's MAUS, which is still the best cartoon about the Holocaust ever drawn. They might even think it's funny and pick it as a winner.

I've got a contest of my own to run here, so I'll open up the Prize Closet. We've got DVD 3-packs to give away, courtesy of your friends at Geneon! Five winners will get VIEWTIFUL JOE Volume 1, TENJHO TENGE Volume 5, and TETSUJIN 28 Volume 3. To enter, send one email containing your name and mailing address to psycho@psychotronic.info with the word "GENEON 3 MORE" in the subject line. And if you want, send along a cartoon criticizing the Church of the SubGenius. It might help.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

You can't beat some of those old shorts for surrealism.

(O) GOLDEN AGE OF CARTOONS: CULTOONS!: Ads & Oddities (Mackinac) A collection of animated advertising, educational, and just plain weird film shorts from the private vaults of collectors.

NEW DVD RELEASES

Here's a rundown of the constant stream of anime comin' at ya on DVD from around the world:

(O) AQUI VIEN EL GRUNON Volume 1 (Image) 12-episode collection of the 1970s Friz Freling cartoon series HERE COMES THE GRUMP in Spanish.
(O) DIGI CHARAT NYO! Volume 1: Nyo Arrival (Bandai) Ultra-cute Princess Dejiko is taken to planet Earth for royal training, but both she and her trainers get lost in a shopping mall. New comedy series from Madhouse.

(O) DISNEY PRINCESS SING ALONG SONGS Volume 3: Perfectly Princess (Buena Vista) More princessly karaoke.
(O) GHOST STORIES Volume 3: Junior Jitters (ADV) Episodes 9-12. The kids face ghoul cabbies and a re-animated bunny.
(O) GOOF TROOP Volume 1 (Buena Vista) Three episodes from the Disney series starring Goofy and his nephew Max.
(O) HARÉ + GUU Volume 1 (Funimation) A rural kid learns that the new girl is really a supernatural beastie. First four episodes plus outtakes and cultural notes. Also available in a gift box with a "chest hair Afro wig". And you'd want that why?
(O) HE-MAN & THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Season 1 Volume 2 (Brentwood) Episodes34-65, plus two documentary featurettes, storyboards, trivia, two art cards, scripts and more.
(O) KITE (Media Blasters) College co-ed by day, killer vigilante by night. Includes XL t-shirt.
(O) LOVELESS Volume 1: Lost and Found (Media Blasters) A boy investigates the mysterious death of an older brother.
(O) MABURAHO Volume 6: Divine Intervention (ADV) Episodes 19-21. Teenage ghost romantic comedy.
(O) MARS DAYBREAK Volume 4 (Bandai) Episodes 15-18. Mutiny!
(O) MEZZO FORTE (Media Blasters) Girls With Guns action. Includes XL t-shirt.
(O) QUACK PACK Volume 1 (Buena Vista) Three wacky adventures with Donald Duck and his nephews.
(O) ROBANIMAL PANDA-Z: The Robonimation Volume 4 (Bandai) The giant iron panda battles a variety of enemies.
(O) ROBERT DARROLL: DIGITAL ANIMATIONS1990-2001 (Blackchair) Acclaimed video artist combines computer graphics, cel animation, and live action video into five multi-layered visual and auditory collages.
(O) RUROUNI KENSHIN TV Series Season 3 Box (Media Blasters) Samurai adventure.
(O) SAINT SEIYA Collection 1 (ADV) 30 uncensored episodes on five discs of the 1980s series about the adventures of mythic demigods.
(O) SAMURAI GUN Volume 4: The Bitter End (ADV) Episodes 11 & 12, plus the unaired episode. Ghosts of the past test Ichi's sanity.
(O) TETSUJIN 28 Volume 3: The Phantom Thief (Geneon) More new adventures of the world's first anime giant robot hero.
(O) UFO ULTRAMAIDEN VALKYRIE Volume 1: Bedlam, Bathhouse & Beyond (ADV) An alien warrior princess crashes her spaceship into a boy's home, then saves his life by giving him part of her soul.

UMD CORNER

None!

And be sure to check back next weekand every weekfor CINESCAPE's Anime Avalanche! And check in every Tuesday for the latest DVD Shopping List!

Anime Avalanche (© 2006 Brian Thomas) is our weekly animation column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at DVDShoppingList@cinescape.com.