What was that? You didn't know there were other Marvel Comics based animation on Disney+ than the four iconic series shown above?
While you're racing to revisit X-Men: The Animated Series, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and some of the other iconic cartoons from Marvel Comics' early animation efforts on Disney+ since it's official launch on November 12, 2019, I wanted to take a moment to point out these other often forgotten Marvel Comics-based series are also available on the platform for streaming.
Spider-Woman
When I saw this listed on Disney+, I had a legit gasp of surprise. I haven't seen this in any capacity since renting it when I was a kid and it ended up being eaten by the VCR at the time.
According to the title sequence, Jessica Drew (voiced by Joan Van Ark) was bitten by a venomous spider as a child; her father saved her life by injecting her with an experimental "spider serum," which also granted her superhuman powers. As an adult, Jessica is editor of Justice Magazine, with two other employees featured; photographer Jeff Hunt (a cowardly braggart who nonetheless fancied himself as a quick-witted and resourceful crime-stopper) and Jessica's teenage nephew Billy. When trouble arises, Jessica slips away to change into her secret identity of Spider-Woman.
The Spider-Woman cartoon should not be confused with Web Woman, a Filmation superheroine cartoon launched at around the same time, which reportedly prompted Marvel Comics into creating a Spider-Woman character to secure the copyright.
This version of Spider-Woman took a lot of liberties with her powers for the sake of animation and make her more comparable to Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He would appear in this series voiced by Paul Soles who previously voiced him in the 1960s Spider-Man series. The Julia Carpenter Spider-Woman would appear later in the Iron Man animated series in the 1990s, who was more comparable to her comic book counterpart.
Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends
This was a guilty pleasure of mine since it used to air in reruns on Disney XD when Disney first purchased Marvel. I remember watching this briefly when I was a kid, but I grew to appreciate the campiness of it all, much like the DC Comics' Superfriends era stuff that this was obviously inspired by.
Originally broadcast on NBC as a Saturday morning cartoon, the series ran first-run original episodes for three seasons, from 1981 to 1983, then aired repeats for an additional two years (from 1984 to 1986). Alongside the 1981 Spider-Man animated series, Amazing Friends was later re-aired in the late 1980s as part of the 90 minute Marvel Action Universe (not to be confused with 1977's The Marvel Action Universe).
Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Bobby Drake (Iceman), and Angelica Jones (Firestar) are all college students at Empire State University. After working together to defeat the Beetle and recovering the "Power Booster" he stole from Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) the trio decide to team-up permanently as the "Spider-Friends". They live together in Peter's aunt's home with her and a pet dog, Ms. Lion (adopted from Firestar), a Lhasa Apso. Together, the superheroes battle various supervillains.
Some stories featured team-ups with other characters from the Marvel Universe, including Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Sunfire, and the mid-1970s X-Men. This is one of the only series that comes to mind that has an animated appearance of Shanna the She-Devil to this day.
Angelica Jones / Firestar is one of four characters exclusively created for this cartoon who would later be introduced into the comic book continuity, much like DC Comics' Harley Quinn following her inclusion in Batman: The Animated Series.
Spider-Man: Unlimited
Often regarded as the "unofficial" sequel to Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Spider-Man Unlimited sees Peter Parker journey to Counter-Earth to rescue the estranged John Jameson from the tyranny of the High Evolutionary and his race of Bestials. This series provides a lot of interesting twists and redesigns on classic Spider-Man villains and allies, including the Green Goblin, Venom, Carnage, Man-Wolf, and Electro. It's only limited to 13 episodes and ends on a high stakes cliffhanger. Despite that, I'm still fond of this series for a lot of reasons. I like to mention that the Unlimited costume stands up there as one of my favorite Spider-Man costume re-designs of all-time.
I'm still pretty salty that we never saw that included in the PlayStation 4 exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man video game. Was that too much to ask? Like c'mon!
Iron Man: Armored Adventures
I never mentioned this show much at the time of it's release as it was honestly a guilty pleasure of mine. It aired originally on Nickelodeon's Nicktoons network, featuring a teenage reimagining of Tony Stark and his Ironman lore. As someone who grew up reading Ironman's early works, this was an interesting experiment. While I wasn't too crazy about the high school element - such as how hyperactive Pepper Potts is in this iteration (think Mako in KILL la KILL), Rhodey just the token black dude at their high school, Happy Hogan is a dumb jock, and so on - but I did love the re-designs to classic Ironman villains. The villains, along with Ironman's armor(s) that Tony constantly develops and improves upon throughout the series, get to shine in this computer-generated artstyle. One major, yet controversial change in this series is that the Mandarian is one of Tony's classmates, Gene Khan, who ends up with the fateful Makluan Rings after betraying Tony and his friends to get them.
The first season adapts the Makluan Rings saga in its own spin while featuring the introduction of Madame Masque too following Tony's feud with Obadiah Stane over control of his father's company.
The second season covers the Armor Wars saga and its own version of the Stane International story arc while following Gene's journey to obtain the remaining 5 Makluan Rings. By the end of this season, both Pepper and Rhodey have joined Tony as his partners in their own armors as Rescue and War Machine respectively.
The series features some guest appearances by the Hulk, Rick Jones, Thunderbolt Ross, Black Panther, Magneto, Professor, Jean Grey, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Hawkeye, and Black Widow.
Avengers: United We Stand
As much as I have knocked this show in this past, I do want to state that there was some good in this show. The series features a team broadly based on the roster for the 1984 Avengers spin-off series The West Coast Avengers, composed of the Wasp, Wonder Man, Tigra, Hawkeye, and Scarlet Witch (Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch were also both in the Iron Man animated series as members of Force Works), led by Ant-Man/Giant-Man, with the Falcon and the Vision joining in the opening two-parter. For undetermined reasons (perhaps due to their rights being tied up in planned movie projects), the Avengers' "Big Three" were not regular fixtures in the series – Captain America and Iron Man made only guest appearances in one episode each, while Thor did not appear outside of the opening titles. Captain America appears in one episode, "Command Decision". The story involves the Masters of Evil and a flashback to Captain America defeating Baron Zemo. Iron Man, meanwhile in the episode "Shooting Stars", helps the Avengers thwart the Zodiac's plan to send a radioactive satellite crashing to Earth.
The series features many of the Avengers' major comic book foes, including Ultron, Kang the Conqueror, Egghead, the Masters of Evil (consisting of Baron Helmut Zemo, Tiger Shark, Absorbing Man, Moonstone, Whirlwind, Boomerang, Cardinal, and Dragonfly), the Grim Reaper (this version wore full body armor and a helmet featuring a skull-like paint job; his ties to Wonder Man remained intact) and the Zodiac, as well as associated characters such as the Swordsman, the Circus of Crime, Namor, Attuma, Agatha Harkness, and the Salem's Seven.
The show made several fan-friendly references to aspects of the characters' comic book history that were otherwise not expanded upon for the uninitiated, such as the Falcon and Captain America's partnership, Hawkeye's partial deafness or Namor's half-breed nature. Beyond this, however, the series bore little in the way of similarity to the comics, mainly due to its wholesale redesign of the cast, characterized by asymmetrical costume design and the most infamous element of the series – Ant-Man, Wasp, Hawkeye and Falcon all wore suits of battle armor, which they donned in Super Sentai-inspired "power-up" sequences. Also in this incarnation, Tigra is an athlete who underwent genetic treatments to give her a competitive edge. These treatments went awry, leaving her with the form and abilities of a cat.
I have raved enough about my fascination for the West Coast Avengers in one of my 30 Things I Like posts. This series plays off some of the issues and storylines present in their source material, such as Vision, Wonder Man, and Scarlet Witch's love triangle better than Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which completely ignored that relationship in most regards as Scarlet Witch wasn't present in that show, and the MCU completely rewrote attributes of it. The Falcon While I wasn't too crazy about the Power Rangers-style armor that they don for their missions, I thought the action was decent enough for the time period too. It's an interesting look at what could have been back before the MCU was a thing currently.
Also, I have to mention that a lot of the voices in this should sound familiar as most of the voice actors were in X-Men: The Animated Series too as a lot of the same team worked on this following the ending of that show. Much like Spider-Man: Unlimited it only lasted 13 episodes before seeing its unfortunate end.
Tentative plans for additional episodes featured Hawkeye's return to the carnival where he grew up, as well as an episode exploring how the Scarlet Witch discovered her powers were made. Plans also included guest appearances by the X-Men, utilizing the Toronto-based cast from the 1990s series as a few of them already worked on this show. Other proposed episode plots include Bruce Banner appearing to help the team when Ant-Man fell ill to gamma radiation exposure during a fight with the villain Egghead, Thor and his brother Loki in a two-part episode (there was even a Thor toy made for the show's line of action figures). However, all plans were scrapped when the show had stopped production.
Silver Surfer
As a fan of the old Jack Kirby run of Silver Surfer comics, I really appreciated this cartoon for the rare gem that it was back at the time. It has only gotten better over time and I think it's a tragedy that Marvel Studios nor anyone else has done anything with this character after all of these years. If you're looking for a much different take at Thanos before his MCU iteration, then look no further than this one.
Blending cel and computer animation, the series is rendered in the style of Silver Surfer co-creator Jack Kirby.
While inspired by various Silver Surfer comic book stories, the series alters the original mythos in some key ways. The most notable change is the removal of the Fantastic Four from The Galactus Trilogy, the story that serves as the foundation for the first three episodes of the series. In this version, the Silver Surfer, who has had the memories of Norrin Radd partially restored to him by Thanos, protects Earth from the hunger of Galactus because it reminds him of Zenn-La.
Many other characters from Marvel's cosmic stable appear in the series, including The Watcher, Ego the Living Planet, Pip the Troll, Drax the Destroyer, and Adam Warlock. Most of the characters featured in the series differ from their printed-page incarnations. For instance, Adam Warlock is an alien supersoldier designed to fight the Kree and, due to Fox broadcast standards, Thanos serves Lady Chaos rather than Death.
The series utilizes a serialized storytelling approach. As with many Silver Surfer comic book stories, episodes tackle a range of social and political issues, including imperialism, slavery, non-violence, and environmental degradation.
The series was cancelled after one season. Eight episodes were written for the second season before production was shut down. According to series creator Larry Brody, the cancellation was the result of a legal dispute between Marvel and Saban Entertainment.
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes
This is the only series on this list that I honestly haven't seen in its entirety (mainly the last 5-6 episodes) and looking forwards to seeing to its conclusion.
In the United States, the show had an erratic airing schedule on Cartoon Network, having premiered as part of Toonami on September 2, 2006. It ran for only eight of the season's 26 episodes before being pulled. It subsequently returned to the network starting June 9, 2007, shortly before the release of the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The second launch of the show aired only nine episodes, leaving nine installments not televised in the USA. The show aired on Boomerang for a brief time before moving to Nicktoons in 2009 for the final episodes.
Unlike the 1994 Fantastic Four animated series, this series didn't directly adapt (or slightly modify) any classic storylines from the comics. Instead, it offered its own unique spin on the Fantastic Four's adventures. Ben, Johnny, and Reed are mostly unchanged character-wise, but Susan doesn't come off as completely useless or pathetic in this iteration, so that's a major plus.
There's a lot of cameos in this series, including appearances from Ant-Man, Ironman, She-Hulk, Hulk, Namor, Peter Parker, and even Squirrel Girl. She-Hulk's lone appearance alone is worth the viewing for me along with the episode where Dr. Doom gained control of the entire armory of Ironman armors.
After all of these years, I never found out exactly why this series was cancelled, but I have no doubt that the erratic schedule across multiple television networks didn't help either in the ratings department.
X-Men: Evolution
I have a love and hate relationship with X-Men: Evolution as I felt that it was poor follow-up to X-Men: The Animated Series. At the time, I gave it a fair chance with the revising of the X-Men characters in a high school setting as it SHOULD work easily given the topics that those comics deal with but ultimately in a lot of ways it just doesn't click. I like to blame it to the early 2000s growing obsessed with teenage superhero narratives, ranging from Batman Beyond to Teen Titans. It felt like almost every other property was toying with the idea of the team of super-powered teens.
The first two seasons deal with more teen angst than traditional drama that the X-Men lore is known for while establishing the teams of both the X-Men and Brotherhood (and later Magneto's Acolytes) over the course of those episodes, with Mystique posing as the principal of their high school. In season two's finale, the existence of mutants is exposed to the world during a battle against a Sentinel that both the X-Men and Brotherhood are forced to work together to defeat. In the third season, the show notably begins to take a much more serious tone. After the battle with the Sentinel, the mutants are no longer a secret and public reaction is one of hostility. The show is brought into more traditional X-Men lore, dealing with themes of prejudice, public misconception, and larger threats. At this point, that's where I felt that it felt like a traditional X-Men show where a lot of moments before this point were cringe-worthy. It's final season dealt with the confrontation of dealing with the threat of Apocalypse, with the X-Men working together with every ally at their disposal to defeat Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen.
As a fun bit of trivia though, most people aren't aware that majority of the voices used in this series were the same voice actors used for Inuyasha, Vision of Escaflowne, Zoids: Future Century Zero, and New Mobile Report Gundam Wing that were all airing on Cartoon Network's Toonami block or on Fox Kids at the time. Most of those voice actors were based out of Canada for a lot of English-dubbed anime and cartoons, so there was a lot of overlapping with voice acting talent in the early years of anime becoming popularized in the United States.
Wolverine & The X-Men
This series was the successor to X-Men: Evolution that came out a few years prior, but set in its own continuity.
What is interesting about this series is that during it's 26 episode season, it deals with two parallel narratives in both the present day timeline and the chaotic future timeline overrun by Sentinels.
The plot goes a bit like this... A mysterious huge explosion destroys the X-Mansion at the moment that Wolverine was leaving following an argument with Rogue. In the aftermath, Professor X and Jean Grey are mysteriously missing, and perhaps gone for good, causing the X-Men to disband. One year later, the task of reuniting the X-Men to take on the new threat of the MRD (Mutant Response Division) is left on Wolverine's reluctant shoulders since no one else is willing to take the leadership role following Xavier's disappearance. Without too much spoilers, Xavier is found shortly in a comatose condition with his mind communicating to the reunited X-Men from the future, urging them to do everything in their power to prevent the future being overrun by Sentinels and the MRD. It's an interesting twist to see Wolverine in the leadership role (at least at the time) instead of Xavier, Cyclops (who is still distraught over Jean Grey's disappearance), or Storm (who is commonly understood as the X-Men's second-in-command in the comics continuity) while this series juggles a time travel plot similar to the popular Days of Future Past storyline.
While the X-Men don't sport their iconic costumes inspired by Jim Lee and Chris Claremont's period working on the X-Men comics for Marvel Comics like in X-Men: The Animated Series, all of the characters in this series are inspired by their appearances in the Astonishing X-Men comics. Looking back at this series, I still fondly prefer this style over what came before it in X-Men: Evolution.
One more thing to note about this series is that the voice acting cast assembled for this series still regularly voices the X-Men in just about all of their modern animated and video game appearances following the cancellation of this series, from those characters' appearances in the Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Marvel Anime: X-Men, and Black Panther animated series along with the characters' appearing in the X-Men: Destiny, Marvel Heroes, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 video games.
Steve Blum, Tom Kane, Kate Higgins, and Kiam O'Brien reprise their respective roles as Wolverine, Magneto, Scarlet Witch, and Nightcrawler in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. Fred Tatasciore also reprises his roles as Hulk and Beast in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order.
While the original X-Men: The Animated Series voice cast will always be the definitive voices of those characters when I'm reading X-Men comics or lore in my head, this entourage of voice talent aren't bad at all.
On November 4, 2008, a second season, consisting of 26 episodes was confirmed as being in production by Toonz Entertainment and Marvel Animation. During Comic Con 2009, images of season 2 were shown, consisting of Bastion, Cable, Colossus, Deadpool, Havok, Jubilee, and Magik. It was announced that these characters were to appear in season 2. Colossus was set to receive a reintroductory storyline and would have been a regular character in season 2. Joshua Fine also revealed that Holocaust, Sunfire, and Unus The Untouchable would have made appearances in season 2.
On April 13, 2010, Comics Continuum reported that (according to an inside source) a second season seemed very unlikely. On April 15, 2010, Marvel Animation Age confirmed the recent report that Wolverine and the X-Men would not be returning for a second season. The reason for this was due to financial problems with their financing partner due to Disney purchasing Marvel while Fox owned the movie rights to the X-Men.
Marvel's Ant-Man (Shorts)
These six episodes premiered on Disney XD back in June 2017 and pretty much flew underneath the radar for most people. They manage to capture the old school feel of the classic Ant-Man & The Wasp comics while adding charm found in the MCU version. I think it was a darn shame we didn't more episodes than just the initial six episodes.
Note: I stand corrected on some of these entries as they could be hidden/tucked away or I'm just getting bad results from the in-app search client.
Black Panther (BET aired this series and produced it actually)
Dr. Strange (animated film)
Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles (Shows up as Season 3 of Gargoyles actually...)
Iron Man (animated film)
Marvel Anime: Blade
Marvel Anime: Iron Man
Marvel Anime: Wolverine
Marvel Anime: X-Men
Spectacular Spider-Man
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series
The Pryde of the X-Men (just a pilot episode but still...)
Thor: God of Thunder (animated film)
Ultimate Avengers
Ultimate Avengers 2
I think a lot of these series are locked up behind continued legal woes between Disney's current acquisitions following the Fox buyout and they still don't have the rights to everything, such as the Hanna-Barbera made 1967 Fantastic Four animated series that strangely enough, DC Comics owns the rights to since they own the studio that produced it. At the same time, I understand that Disney can't give us literally EVERYTHING with this thing and have to hold back something to keep in rotation to keep people interested and to continue investing in this service.
Phillips conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese, who was initially attached to the project as a producer. The graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) was the basis for the premise, but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast signed on by August. Principal photography took place in New York City, Jersey City, and Newark, from September to December 2018. Joker is the first live-action theatrical Batman film to receive an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, due to its violent and disturbing content.
Cast
No lie I busted out laughing when I realized that was Sam from GLOW (Marc Maron) in this.
Additionally, Brett Cullen plays Thomas Wayne, a billionaire philanthropist running for mayor of Gotham. Unlike in the comics, Thomas plays a role in the Joker's origins and is less sympathetic than traditional incarnations. Alec Baldwin was initially cast in the role but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Douglas Hodge plays Alfred Pennyworth, the butler and caretaker of the Wayne family, and Dante Pereira-Olson plays Bruce Wayne, Thomas's son, who becomes the Joker's archenemy Batman as an adult.
In 1981, party clown and aspiring stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck lives with his mother, Penny, in Gotham City. Gotham is rife with crime and unemployment, leaving segments of the population disenfranchised and impoverished. Arthur suffers from a disorder that causes him to laugh at inappropriate times, and depends on social services for medication. After a gang attacks him in an alley, Arthur's co-worker, Randall, gives him a gun. Arthur invites his neighbor, single mother Sophie, to his stand-up comedy show, and they begin dating.
While entertaining at a children's hospital, Arthur's gun falls out of his pocket. Randall lies that Arthur bought the gun himself and Arthur is fired. On the subway, still in his clown makeup, Arthur is beaten by three drunken Wayne Enterprises businessmen; he shoots two in self-defense and executes the third. The murders are condemned by billionaire mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, who labels those envious of more successful people as "clowns". Demonstrations against Gotham's rich begin, with protesters donning clown masks in Arthur's image. Funding cuts shutter the social service program, leaving Arthur without medication.
Arthur's comedy show goes poorly; he laughs uncontrollably and has difficulty delivering his jokes. Talk show host Murray Franklin mocks Arthur by showing clips from the routine on his show. Arthur intercepts a letter written by Penny to Thomas, alleging that he is Thomas's illegitimate son, and berates his mother for hiding the truth. At Wayne Manor, Arthur talks to Thomas's young son, Bruce, but flees after a scuffle with butler Alfred Pennyworth. Following a visit from two Gotham City Police Department detectives investigating Arthur's involvement in the train murders, Penny suffers a stroke and is hospitalized.
At a public event, Arthur confronts Thomas, who tells him that Penny is delusional and not his biological mother. In denial, Arthur visits Arkham State Hospital and steals Penny's case file; the file says Penny adopted Arthur as a baby and allowed her abusive boyfriend to harm them both. Penny alleged that Thomas used his influence to fabricate the adoption and commit her to the asylum to hide their affair. Distraught, Arthur goes to the hospital and kills Penny. He returns home and enters Sophie's apartment unannounced. Frightened, Sophie tells him to leave; their previous encounters were Arthur's delusions.
Arthur is invited to appear on Murray's show due to the unexpected popularity of his comedy routine's clips. As he prepares, Arthur is visited by Randall and fellow ex-colleague Gary. Arthur murders Randall but leaves Gary unharmed for treating him well in the past. En route to the studio, Arthur is pursued by the two detectives onto a train filled with clown protesters. One detective accidentally shoots a protester and incites a riot, allowing Arthur to escape.
Before the show goes live, Arthur requests that Murray introduce him as Joker, a reference to Murray's previous mockery. Arthur walks out to applause, but tells morbid jokes, admits he killed the men on the train, and rants about how society abandons the disenfranchised. Arthur shoots Murray and is arrested as riots break out across Gotham. One robber corners the Wayne family in an alley and murders Thomas and his wife Martha, sparing Bruce. Rioters in an ambulance crash into the police car carrying Arthur and free him. He dances to the cheers of the crowd.
At Arkham, Arthur laughs to himself and tells his psychiatrist she would not understand the joke. He runs from orderlies, leaving a trail of bloodied footprints.
The Verdict:
Let's get this out of the way right now. If you're going into this hoping for some hint or clever nod to connect the dots between this film and the existing DC Extended Universe's films to date, then you're going to be disappointed. This film is to be taken as it's own entity, separate from what we have seen in DC Comics' live-action endeavors to date. I thought that was a very wise decision as it gives this film some liberties that would not have been able to do otherwise.
I honestly went into this film thinking it was a super villain origin story looking to make an iconic villain into a hero - much like Venom did (or rather attempted to do) for Sony around this time year. I was surprised to find that this film is more of a conversation on mental health and psychosis than it is the origins for both Joker and Batman. Bruce Wayne, along with Thomas and Martha Wayne, are in this film but this isn't a Batman origin story in the least. We get to see how Bruce's parents die in the film's closing moments but this film isn't setting up this Joker and Batman to cross paths in any shape or form. In a bizarre, yet crazy way, I found this ending to have a clever nod to the recent comics' mythos where it was revealed that there wasn't just one definitive Joker but three active in DC Comics' history. If DC Comics wanted to, they could follow this film up with the revelation that Joaquin Phoenix's Joker inspired a wealth of "imitators" with Jared Leto's Joker among these "imposers", allowing Phoenix to reprise the role if wanted by actually making it canon to their cinematic universe. As it stands, I'm completely fine with this film being it's own stand-alone feature.
I think this film is going to be highly regarded as the superhero genre's equivalent of Momento and Fight Club where filmgoers are going to revisit the film again and again to see what they missed the first time around in terms of analyzing Arthur's loss of sanity over the course of the film. The film opens with him seeing his social worker for his prescription of medicine that he depends on, but over the course of the film he's unable to refill on this medication and slowly becomes unhinged by the ongoing stresses in his life along with the unfavorable social reception of his disorder that causes him to laugh at inappropriate times.
I'm not going to paint the picture of Joker being "heroic" in this film, but this film does a damn good job of making you sympathize with the guy to an extent. That doesn't justify the negativity surrounding the film around the time of its release with theaters in fear of possible gun violence and forced to bring in additional security as a result. It's a fucking movie, people. Stop glamorizing a damn serial killer and psychopath. It's bad enough that people glamorize the comic book and animated portrayals of Harley Quinn and The Joker's relationship to disturbing degrees, let's not go that route here. One would think that would be the message to be gained from this film by the time the credits rolled but I guess that was lost on a few people...
Sorry, I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. Back on the topic of Arthur's degrading sanity. It's not helped that he's being fed disillusions from his delusional mother, Penny, who is oddly optimistic that Thomas Wayne is going to answer one of her many letters and save them from their state of poverty. Penny's letters contribute to Arthur's stress and inner turmoil too when he reads one before sending it in the mail and finds out that he's Thomas Wayne's illegitimate son from an affair that was covered up between Penny and himself. I know what you're thinking - that would make Bruce Wayne and Arthur Fleck half-brothers in this continuity, but let's not jump the shark on that. I was caught a little off-guard by this revelation, but when it was revealed later on that Penny suffers from her own bouts of psychosis. Arthur was actually adopted by Penny as a baby and allowed her abusive boyfriend to abuse her and the infant. The whole "affair" with Thomas Wayne was all in her head as a big delusion, but by the time that Arthur found out the truth, he had already confronted Thomas about the alleged "affair" with Penny, only to make a fool out of himself.
Every time I see these early depictions of Thomas Wayne of being a bad-ass I always picture this and go, "Why the fuck he didn't do this in that alleyway that fateful night?"
This is a story about one man's pain and daily struggle to just be accepted as who and what he is by not himself but by society as a whole. Instead of reaching some mortal high ground or acceptance from his friends and peers, Arthur is frowned upon and ridiculed by society at every opportunity, even when he constantly tries to do the right thing.
Arthur gets beaten up by a group of teenagers who stole his sign while working a gig outside a store as a clown to (hopefully) bring in more customers only to get the same sign smashed over his face before beating him handily.
He found himself at the wrong end of a beating on his train ride home from work where he opted to step in between three Gotham socialites harassing a young woman who were offended by his inappropriate laughing at the situation. Arthur shot them dead in self-defense, but once again, Gotham City's society had the last laugh, turning the situation into a tragedy for three scum-balls who got what they deserved. Much like the two examples cited above, Arthur's life doesn't give him any breaks. Arthur's life seems to slight him at every possible opportunity to turn the positives of his life into a negative. Simply put, he just can't catch a break.
I think a lot of people went into this film thinking that Zazie Beetz' Sophie was going to be the precursor to Harley Quinn in the traditional Joker narratives but she wasn't. The writers geared this story in a manner that made one think that she was his love interest when she wasn't at all. It was all part of the delusions manufactured in his mind due to his deteriorating psyche from his lack of medication. In a lot of ways that it's very sad when this revelation comes to fruition as Sophie is only person who is there to support him in his efforts as a struggling amateur comedian and even there as a shoulder to cry on when his "mother" Penny is hospitalized. When the truth comes out about Penny's delusions and the truth about his own background, it shatters the glass in this happy, content world that Arthur has made for himself as a coping mechanism. His relationship with Sophie isn't real at all and just another manufactured illusion by his deteriorating psyche. It's not as extreme as the dissociated personality disorder that the main character in Fight Club deals with, but disturbing nonetheless.
When you realize that nothing "good" in this man's life is real, it's hard not to empathize with him and in a sense, I hate that as a viewer - even more so knowing this character's comic book history. At the same time, I understand that this is it's own continuity and the director wants you to feel this way - conflicted. Society has turned it's back on a person who wanted nothing but to be accepted for who he is and wanted to put smiles on people's faces. Instead, Arthur Fleck finds himself beaten senseless - figuratively and physically - by society constantly casting him aside for not conforming to their accepted social norms. It's only natural that one will reach their breaking point - that point of no return where you stop turning the other cheek once you have had enough of everyone's bullshit around you and fight back. Not everyone is going to eat shit and like it as how the saying goes. Arthur reached that point during Murray Franklin's television show when he shot him dead in cold blood. Arthur was sick of being the butt end of the joke that his life was taking him down and refused to be that punchline (figuratively and literally in that sense) and made one of his own, shooting Murray on live television. In sick twisted way, Arthur's actions end up inspiring a cult-like following. Much like Arthur Fleck, the people of Gotham are fed up with the high and mighty sitting on their high horses of authority on the top of the social hierarchy in Gotham City and set off a riot within the streets.
I'll admit though that the one specific eerie sense of brilliance of this film that blew me away was the final scene with Arthur (now The Joker) meeting with his psychiatrist once more. She asks him what's so funny, shortly following this continuity's recreation of the infamous death of Thomas and Martha Wayne that set Bruce Wayne down the road to become Batman - the titular hero who would serve as his greatest rival and he would be his arch-enemy. There is no way that Arthur couldn't have seen that event play out in person since he was unconscious when it happened, but in a twisted way, he contributed in creating the chaos that the Wayne family found themselves swept into that fateful night. Much like the ironic twists, shortcomings, and misfortune that his own life has managed to throw in his way at every opportunity, it seemed like life didn't have spare any expenses in regard for cruel jokes for the Wayne Family either. To most, that situation could be seen as an extreme case of irony, but for a twisted mind like The Joker's, it's simply... comedy. Hearing the news of Thomas Wayne's demise finally gave Arthur Fleck that one punchline of someone else's misfortune - that didn't involve him on the receiving end for once.
After everything he went through over the course of this film, I honestly can't blame him for laughing.
"Oh what the heck... I'll laugh anyway..." - The Joker, Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker
Does it deserve the praise and critical acclaim?
Joaquin Phoenix left his own unique mark on this character that I'm sure film-goers will be comparing to those that proceeded him (Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, Heath Ledger, etc.) in film and animation for years to come. He definitely put on a much more memorable performance than Jared Leto did a few years ago and washed the bad taste of that out of our mouths. JOKER stands to be a film that is revoluntary of it's kind within the superhero/comic book adaptation/homage genre, but I think people are getting a little of themselves to say that it's one of the greatest films of all time.
My only regret is that we won't be able to see this iteration of The Joker in the DC Extended Universe, but I wonder if Joaquin Phoenix wouldn't be opposed to playing a different iteration of him in the future?
Watch It or Don't Bother?
Watch It. This is more of a character analysis film than a superhero narrative or something that would be regarded as something connected to a bigger universe. I feel that if it were, it would have fallen down the same slippery slope that Sony Pictures' Venom fell into last year, despite it's omissions and lack of connections/references to Spider-Man. This film acknowledges that this is a "Batman" story, existing in that same universe, BUT doesn't go out of it's way to connect it to the existing DC Extended Universe. That decision gave this film a lot of creative freedom. Otherwise, I doubt that this film would have came off as powerful as it did as a look into social conformity, psychological disorders, and the importance of mental health. While I did enjoy this film, I don't like that it's does nothing to suggest those who glamorize The Joker's behavior and characterization as an anti-hero instead of the psychotic criminal that he is. He isn't a rebel without a clause, leading a movement for social justice and equality as if this film seems to suggest by the time the credits roll. This is a man unhinged by the maligned society that created him, furthering the notion that we are all byproducts of the environment that we are raised in. From all of the iterations of Gotham City that I have seen from cartoons and films growing up as far back to when I was a child, I have come to the realization that Gotham City is an absolutely rotten place to live. I'll never understand why people continue to live there from how fucked up the city is from lower class to the high class - this was even before Batman and his Rogues' Gallery came into the equation. JOKER just serves to hammer that point home even harder.
Full Gear was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It took place on November 9, 2019, at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Britt Baker DMD def. Bea Priestley; Awesome Kong (w/ Brandi Rhodes) attacks Bea post-match
I mentioned this to a few friends that I was messaging back and forth with at the start of the show, but Britt Baker came across really heel in that promo to Bea. I get that she's "pissed off" from that attack a few months ago, but why react to it now after the fact. It seems like they are telling her story out of order since debuting on Dynamite. She should have feuded with Bea after that initial attack and the one during the battle royal that cost her the initial shot at the AEW Women's Championship, but for some reason, she was able to bypass losing the opportunity to get a title shot to be one of Riho's first challengers anyway. That ends up being a losing effort followed by her being heavily promoted in hometown the week following that loss. Wouldn't that fanfare and promotion have done wonders for Britt Baker's character prior to challenging Riho?
A better match than what Britt has been capable of up to this point, but that's not saying much. I still don't know what the hell to make of this new direction for Brandi Rhodes and Awesome Kong cutting off pieces of girls' hair to wear like some hunting pelt. It just comes off as really fucking odd to me.
Main Card
Proud & Powerful (Santana & Ortiz) def. The Young Bucks
A great opener for this PPV. I was surprised that there was a lot more controlled chaos in this tag match than the one later in this show as both teams followed the tag rules (for the most part) instead of doing like they do on Dynamite most weeks and just throw caution to the wind with tags everywhere left and right. I can't praise this tag team match enough on this show. The right team went over and the match got over hot from bell to bell. You couldn't ask for anything more from this match. I just want to offer a word of caution for the Inner Circle that they are coming off more tweener than heel in most cases outside of Jericho (it's not his fault that his stuff is so good that people are popping for it), Sammy Guevara, and Jake Hager.
Case in point? Santana & Ortiz are coming off more goofy than heelish in my eyes, especially after Santana's comical sell to that Super Kick.
Adam Page def. PAC
Weren't we "denied" this match a few months ago due to some misunderstanding and they ended up having it at a non-AEW event instead? In either case, I have to confess that this was the first match that I fell asleep to during the live broadcast. I wasn't expecting this match to go this long. After that goof/referee botch on Dynamite from this past Wednesday, I thought they were going to give PAC another convincing victory, but nope. Then again, I can understand why they didn't have PAC go over as Adam Page's win/loss record is looking like shit so far to say that he's supposed to be one of the young stars that they are building up. I don't think they have to push him to the moon but they have to be careful about beating Page into powder to the point where people don't give a flying fuck about him too (i.e. Dolph Ziggler case in point). PAC had a cool winning streak from singles competition going at this point and I don't feel like it was a great idea to end it so fast. They didn't have to establish his "streak" on the level of Samoa Joe's in Impact Wrestling, but it would have been a great sidebar note. Right now, it seems like the only one who has a good win/loss standing is Chris Jericho with 6 wins and 0 losses from singles and tag team competition.
I can't help but wonder if Tully Blanchard is wasting his talents in Shawn Spears' corner from the little that AEW has done with him. The former Tye Dillinger isn't doing much better than his WWE tenure either in terms of wins and losses. There were some interesting spots here, but I couldn't help but shake my head that it took an assisted Jumping Piledriver on the floor for Spears to beat Joey Janela. Then again, Kenny Omega had to have a mock-New Japan tier match to beat him on television a while back and even on AEW Dark with the "furniture" involved. I honestly don't see what's the big fascination with Janela but whatever at this point.
I guess Penelope Ford didn't either to say that she's moved on to accompanying Kip Sabian's act now.
Triple Threat Match for the AEW Tag Team Championship - SCU (c) def. The Lucha Bros. and Private Party to retain
Kazarian and Daniels had to be the ones putting this match together as this match reminded me exactly like those old triangle X-Division tag team matches from Impact Wrestling's early years, especially during the World X Cup tournaments. I'm not saying that's a bad thing either as this was another fun tag team match, but I can't say it was my favorite of the night. AEW has to be careful like I feared during their time in Impact Wrestling of having the Lucha Bros. being overexposed from their constant array of crazy matches to the point that audiences aren't surprised by what they are capable of. I know I shouldn't worry too much about that as those two have a wealth of talent to offer as singles stars too, but I don't want to see this team split up anytime soon.
Can't say I was too crazy about Christopher Daniels returning to his "Fallen Angel" gimmick, but then again, my best friend pops more for that gimmick more than I do. I am curious though... Are the Lucha Bros. going to bring in a third member to counter Daniels if they are going to continue feuding with SCU?
AEW Women's Championship Match - Riho (c) def. Emi Sakura to retain
Going into this PPV, I didn't give a flying fuck about this match in the least but by the end of this match they won me over. This match was preluded with a great video package to hype this up, offering a bit of background on both Riho and Emi Sakura as student and teacher with Kenny Omega offering a few words. I have said it both on social media and on my recent This Month in Wrestling - October 2019 write-up that AEW's women's division is a tough sell, especially when they do little to make you care about the women in their division. From my understanding from reading a few threads on Reddit, Riho versus Emi Sakura is supposed to be a joshi wrestling fan's wet dream, but the appeal to a casual fan has been lost here in AEW from little attention given to this feud. Much like the Shawn Spears match earlier on this show, this match was given about two weeks (if that) to set up for this PPV and casuals are supposed to care? We're going into a month into the debut of Dynamite and AEW is still in this mindset of assuming that everyone is familiar with the wealth of "indie darlings" that they have signed.
I want to get to know everyone that they have under their roster but shoehorning them into a ton of matches without rhyme or reason isn't going to do anything to make me care about them more than I did previously. I have had some of you tell me that they are "attempting" to do some character development on AEW Dark when the initial selling point of that show on YouTube was essentially featuring dark matches that didn't make air on AEW Dynamite. That's where the promo where Britt Baker called out Bea Priestley for her match that aired on this show came from.
AEW World Championship Match - Chris Jericho (c) w/ Jake Hager def. Cody w/ MJF to retain via MJF throwning in the towel; MJF goes heel during post-match fallout
Normally, I hate these slower bouts but it worked out for the slow burn that they had for this match's narrative. They took their time and told a story instead of just spot, spot, spot, high spot, near-fall, near-fall, spot, roll-up/weak finish. I laughed when I realized Jericho was gassed early into this match when he's always making fun of Brock Lesnar on social media. That dude's face was redder than Lesnar's within the first 5-10 minutes of this match and they barely got going.
I cringed for Cody busting himself open over the eye with that missed dive. That could have been a LOT worse if he had hit one of corners going down. Thank goodness it wasn't worse than it was. That being said, the Rhodes family aren't strangers to working with blood running down their faces so that was a nice contribution to the drama and suspense of this match. I was anxious to see where they were going with this match as Jericho's appearing on NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom card in January. I don't know if AEW and NJPW have mended the fences between them but I don't know how they would feel about their champion showing up in New Japan and losing. Then again, they still have a few weeks of TV leading up to that show, so they could take that title off Jericho in the meantime, even though that would be a sin at this point. Jericho and Cody are easily the hottest acts that they have in that company with Jericho doing the best work of his entire career in that company in that role. Going into this show, I could have seen them going either way with Cody winning the title or Jericho retaining. In either scenario, MJF turning on Cody would have been paramount and worked in both narratives.
MJF's heel turn was telegraphed for weeks now and it wasn't a bad thing. You can have predicability in wrestling angles as long as it makes sense (i.e. "logical" reasoning - even though a lot of people hate to use the word "logic" in regard to professional wrestling) and benefits to the overall narrative. I couldn't believe that so many people thought the fan throwing his drink at MJF was real when the cameras panned over and got a clear shot of the guy. Not even WCW made it look that obvious when Eric Bischoff had his plants in the crowd throwing trash at the nWo when Hulk Hogan made his infamous heel turn to align himself with that faction.
Unsanctioned, Lights Out Match - Jon Moxley def. Kenny Omega
A win here doesn't affect Moxley's AEW win/loss records, so it does nothing to his current standing towards the AEW World Championship. That being said, let's talk about this match though. I have seen people say it was too violent and others regard it as one of the best matches this year. I have to leen on the opinion that I thought they did a little too much here, but I didn't think it was too violent. This was tame in comparison to some of the deathmatches in Japan or even that "Hell of War" match between Killshot (Shane Strictland/Isiah "Swerve" Scott) and Dante Fox (AR Fox) from Ultima Lucha Tres in Lucha Underground. I get that AEW want to offer stuff that WWE doesn't provide to their fanbase, but at the same time, you don't have to go the "garbage wrestling" route. That is essentially what this was. They brought out all of the furniture, garbage, and heaven knows what else into the equation here as if it was one of the older WWE video games with hacks enabled for maximum weapons allowed. I will give Moxley and Omega major props for creativity in regard of a lot of spots in this match, but my biggest knock against this match was that they could have taken off at quarter of these spots or the time given here and still won the people over with what they presented here. I was a fan of the exposed floor boards spot back when Impact Wrestling was doing it (Bully Ray vs. Sting immediately comes to mind along with that LAX vs. the OGs match in recent memory...), but goddamn I had to cringe at Kenny Omega doing a Phoenix Splash and smacking his forehead on that exposed wood. I know that wasn't a fun bump to take at all - much like 98% of the stuff that they were putting themselves through here. I was going to throw a fit if he was going to kick out of another series of finishers after that too. It was already absurd that they were still kicking out of finishers at this point.
On a side note, I heard a few podcasters ask if this wasn't the blow off to this feud then what would Moxley and Omega do for a rematch. That's easy. They would just nuke the ring and kick out at two. (Laughs) Okay, okay. I'll stop.
Closing Thoughts
I want to start off with a disclaimer. AEW's diehards, aka these "marks" (I'm a mark too so don't throw it back at me like I'm going to get offended as I'll think of it as a compliment) who can't take criticism about their beloved product need to chill the fuck down. I have seen a wealth of constructive criticism, even from Jim Cornette on occasion, to help better AEW as a whole instead of flat out shitting on it. I found it ironic that the same AEW diehards that I spoke to about my gripes about the show being too long were the ones who told me that the pre-show/Buy In was a complete waste of time and "doesn't count" to the length of the PPV. Since when? It counts with WWE shows and everything else. It's still part of the goddamn show. It's not stand alone like Sunday Night Heat. That being said though? I thought the promotional packages and hype videos on the Buy In were some of the best promotional work AEW has done to date. Why can't we have more of these videos instead of matches that go through commercial breaks? It's not even a knock on their weekly product when I say that these promotional packages were stellar work, but they need stuff like this to keep new and existing viewers hooked. Those videos sold me more onto the undercard of this show than anything else that they have done in the build-up to this PPV that's for show, with the exception of Cody and Jericho's promos and vignettes on the go-home episode of Dynamite. I really want them to do more of that stuff on Dynamite to distance themselves away from their "competition" on Wednesday nights from NXT instead of match after match after match with little to no in-ring promos or vignettes to break them up. Anyone with two fully functioning eyes can see that AEW has some stellar athletes but I would like to know more about them as individuals and that doesn't mean having to invest time into watching all of the episodes of Being The Elite on YouTube either. That's like insisting that I watch Xavier Woods' UpUpDownDown channel to understand the New Day's gimmick. Is too much to ask for more character development time for the roster members who aren't in Cody and Jericho's respective factions?
While I thought this was a solid show from start to finish, I didn't feel like it didn't justify being roughly five hours. During the live show, I nodded off at least four different times and kept waking up going, "This shit is STILL going on?" in regard of match times. Not every match needs to be 15-30 minutes, especially for the folks on the undercard. That Spears/Janela match should have been 5-8 minutes tops. PAC/Page didn't need to go a full broadway either. Someone in that company needs to sit their roster down and tell them that not everyone is getting 15-30 minute broadway like it's the damn main event at WrestleMania or fucking Wrestle Kingdom match. I could cut them some slack on the time when they didn't have a weekly television show to promote their stuff, but we're a month into Dynamite now. They should have a grip on this by now. Watching that show from 7PM to roughly a quarter to midnight made me feel like I wasted my entire Saturday watching that show. Even NXT TakeOver knows to end their events between 10-11PM. AEW has a weekly television deal on a major cable network. There's no need to circle jerk themselves by using an entire five hour broadcast when they have two-hours to fill on Wednesday nights. Save something to look forward down the road. I don't understand with this mindset in most of their matches where the talents are performing as if they aren't going to get another chance to compete again. With as shallow as the depth of the AEW roster is right now (in terms of people that they have been using on TV repeatedly for the past month), you would think that they would be rotating more of names out of the pool of talents they have signed prior instead of limiting them to dark matches on AEW Dark.
AEW should give themselves a pat on the back. They had a successful and more importantly a very entertaining initial PPV outing after their first monthly build following their debut on TNT. The opening act jitters are over, now it's time to show what else you got up your sleeves to keep the people hooked for the long haul.
Jem, also known as Jem and the Holograms, is an American animated television series that ran from 1985 to 1988 on first-run syndication in the United States. The series is about music company owner Jerrica Benton, her singer alter-ego Jem, her band the Holograms, and their adventures.
The series revolves around Jerrica Benton, the owner and manager of Starlight Music and, as Jem, lead singer of the rock group Jem and the Holograms. Jerrica adopts the persona of Jem with the help of a holographic computer, known as Synergy, which was built by Jerrica's father to be "the ultimate audio-visual entertainment synthesizer" and is bequeathed to her after his death. Jerrica is able to command Synergy to project the hologram of Jem over herself by means of the remote micro-projectors in her earrings, thus disguising her features and clothing, enabling her to assume the Jem persona. Jem, through the use of her earrings, is also able to project holograms around her and uses this ability throughout the series to avoid danger and provide special effects for the performances of her group.
Jem's group, the Holograms, consists of Kimber Benton, Jerrica's younger sister, keyboardist, and main songwriter for the band; Aja Leith, guitarist; and Shana Elmsford, who plays the synth drums. Aja and Shana are also childhood friends and adopted foster sisters of Jerrica and Kimber, having lived with the Benton family since they were young. Shana briefly leaves the group to pursue a career in fashion, at which point a new character, Carmen "Raya" Alonso, is introduced as her replacement. The Holograms are aware of Jem's secret identity and the existence of Synergy when the series begins, while Raya is made aware unintentionally shortly before joining the group. Upon her return to the Holograms, Shana becomes the band's bassist.
The Misfits (from left to right: Roxy, Stormer, Pizzazz, and Jetta)
The Holograms have two rival bands: the Misfits and the Stingers. The Misfits (no relation to the real-world band Misfits) are composed of petulant rich girl Pizzazz (real name Phyllis Gabor) and her cohorts: no-nonsense guitarist Roxy (Roxanne Pelligrini) and kind-hearted, sensitive keytar player Stormer (Mary Phillips). They are joined later by the manipulative British saxophonist Jetta (Sheila Burns).
The Stingers (from left to right: Minx, Riot, and Rapture)
The Stingers debut on the third season when they cause disruptions for both groups by becoming co-owners of Stinger Sound with Eric Raymond. Originally from Germany, the Stingers are composed of egotistical lead singer Riot (Rory Llewelyn), guitarist/con artist Rapture (Phoebe Ashe), and keyboardist Minx (Ingrid Kruger). (The real names of Minx and Rapture are not disclosed in any of the installments.)
Episodes of the series frequently revolve around Jerrica's efforts to keep her two identities separate, protect Synergy from those who might exploit the holographic technology, and support the twelve foster children known as the Starlight Girls who live with her and the Holograms. The Misfits frequently attempt to upstage Jem and the Holograms' endeavors, often nearly resulting in physical harm to members of the group. This rivalry is encouraged and manipulated by their manager and central villain in the series, Eric Raymond, former half-owner of Starlight Music who runs Misfits Music (later Stinger Sound).
During the series, Eric Raymond constantly plots to become owner of Starlight Music and get revenge on Jem and the Holograms for having cost him control of the company. Jerrica also deals with a complex and emotionally draining faux love triangle involving her alter identity, Jem, and Rio Pacheco, longtime boyfriend of Jerrica. Rio romantically pursues both women, not knowing they are one and the same. Later in the series, Jem is also romantically sought after by Riot, who becomes infatuated with her – adding further complications to her relationships.
In the final episode of the series, the Misfits and Jem declare a truce when Ba Nee, one of the most troubled foster girls in Starlight House, is claimed by her long-lost father. Her father is found by Jem and the Holograms with the help of Riot's father. Riot's relationship with his father is mended with the help of Jem.
Production
Conception and staffing
Hasbro hired advertising agency Griffin-Bacal Advertising, the founders of Sunbow Productions, to create the 65-episode animation series. Griffin-Bacal (Sunbow), as well as Marvel Productions, had previously created the successful G.I. Joe series for Hasbro. G.I. Joe writer Christy Marx was hired to create the series based on the line of dolls and the original concept, which consisted of the two girl bands, Synergy, the boyfriend Rio, and the Rockin' Roadster. Marx created the full character biographies and relationships, including the love triangle aspect between Rio and Jerrica Benton/Jem, Starlight Music and Starlight House, the Starlight Girls, the villain Eric Raymond and various secondary characters. Later, Marx was asked to develop new characters as they were introduced.
These writers are a literal who's who of marque names of writers who would go on to create some remarkable and amazing work after their contributions to this series. For example, David Wise would go on to work on the 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, Greg Weisman is known for his work on Disney's Gargoyles, Marv Wolfman (co-creator of Blade for Marvel Comics) worked on DC Comics' The New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series with George Perez
Samantha Newark provided the speaking voices of Jem and Jerrica. Despite having toured as a child singer in Africa, she did not do the singing for Jem. The voiceover cast never auditioned for the music side of the series and vice versa. The music for Jem was all cast and recorded in New York and Atlanta and the voiceover actors were cast and recorded in Burbank, California. They matched the speaking voices of the cast to the singing voices. Britta Phillips, who had never before worked professionally as a singer, was cast as the singing voice of Jem after obtaining an audition through her father who worked on jingles in New York. The initial take from the audition was used as the first opening theme song, "Truly Outrageous". The remaining Holograms speaking voices were provided by Cathianne Blore (Kimber Benton/Aja Leith), Cindy McGee (Shana Elmsford), and Linda Dangcil (Carmen 'Raya' Alonso).
The Misfits' speaking voices were provided by Patricia Alice Albrecht (Phyllis "Pizzazz" Gabor), Samantha Paris/Bobbie Block (Roxanne "Roxy" Pellegrini), Susan Blu (Mary "Stormer" Phillips), and Louise Dorsey (Sheila "Jetta" Burns), the daughter of Engelbert Humperdinck. Ellen Bernfeld provided the singing voice of Pizzazz.
The Stingers' speaking voices were provided by Townsend Coleman (Rory "Riot" Llewelyn), Ellen Gerstell (Phoebe "Rapture" Ashe), and Kath Soucie (Ingrid "Minx" Kurger). Gordon Grody, a vocal coach who later worked with Lady Gaga, provided the singing voice for Riot.
Other notable cast members included Charlie Adler, who had already had a lengthy voice-over career, as the central villain Eric Raymond. He also provided the voices of both of Eric's major henchmen Zipper and Techrat. Vicki Sue Robinson, famous for the 1970s discothèque-oriented hit "Turn the Beat Around", who provided the singing voices of both Rapture and Minx, and Ari Gold, pop singer and songwriter, who provided the singing voice for Ba Nee.
Music
The inclusion of music videos in Jem was a result of the success and popularity of MTV at the time which began airing four years prior. The placement of the songs throughout each episode was done to complement the story and the use of music videos in the show was considered "radical" for the time.
The show contains a total of 187 music videos with 151 unique songs.
Complete List of Jem songs
"A Father Should Be" Ba Nee
"Abracadabra" The Misfits
"Ahead of the Game" The Misfits
"All Across This Country" Jem and the Holograms
"All in the Style" The Stingers
"All's Right with the World" Jem and the Holograms
"Alone Again" Laura
"Are You Feeling Alright" The Stingers
"Aztec Enchantment" Jem and the Holograms
"Back in Shape" Jem and the Holograms
"Bad Influence" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"Beat This" Jem and the Holograms
"Believe in Yourself" Jem and the Holograms
"Believe/Don't Believe" Jem and the Holograms and the Stingers
"Between Me and You" Jem and the Holograms
"Broadway Magic" Jem and the Holograms
"Can't Get My Love Together" Jem and the Holograms
"Click/Clash" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"Come on In, the Water's Fine" Jem and the Holograms
"Congratulations" The Misfits
"Dear Diary" Jem and the Holograms
"Deception" Jem and the Holograms
"Designing Woman" The Misfits
"Destiny" The Stingers
"Don't Look Now" The Misfits
"Everybody Wears a Mask" Jem and the Holograms
"Falling in Love with a Stranger" Jem and the Holograms
"Family is..." Jem and the Holograms
"First Love" Jem and the Holograms
"Flowers in My Hair" Jem and the Holograms
"Free and Easy" The Misfits
"Freedom" Jem and the Holograms
"Friend or Stranger" Jem and the Holograms
"Gettin' Down to Business" Jem and the Holograms
"Gimme a Gimmick" The Misfits
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" The Misfits
"Glitter 'n Gold" Jem and the Holograms
"Happy Ever After" Jem and the Holograms
"Here Comes Trouble" Jem and the Holograms
"Hollywood Jem" Jem and the Holograms
"How Does it Feel" The Misfits
"How You Play the Game" Jem and the Holograms
"I Am a Giant" The Misfits
"I Believe in Happy Endings" Jem and the Holograms
"I Can See Me" Ashley
"I Got My Eye on You" Jem and the Holograms
"I Like Your Style" The Misfits
"I Love a Scandal" The Misfits
"I'm Comin' from Behind" Jem and the Holograms
"I'm Gonna Change" Roxy
"I'm Gonna Hunt You Down" The Misfits
"I'm Okay" Kimber and Stormer
"I'm Takin' a Train" Jem and the Holograms
"Imagine Me" Jem and the Holograms
"In the Land of the Midnight Sun" Jem and the Holograms
"It Could Be You" Jem and the Holograms
"It Depends on the Mood I'm In" Jem and the Holograms
"It Takes a Lot (To Survive)" The Misfits
"It's a Hard, Hard Life" The Stingers
"It's Fun to Be Scared" Jem and the Holograms
"It's Workin' Out/It's Doin' Me In" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"Jack, Take a Hike" The Misfits
"Jam All Night Long" Jem and the Holograms
"Jazz Has" Jem and the Holograms
"Jealousy" Jem and the Holograms
"KJEM" Jem and the Holograms
"Let Me Be" The Stingers
"Let Me Go" Jem and the Holograms and The Beast
"Let Me Take You to the Mardi Gras" Jem and the Holograms
"Let the Music Play" Jem and the Holograms
"Let's Blow This Town" The Misfits
"Let's Not Forget the Past" Jem and the Holograms
"Like a Dream" Jem and the Holograms
"Listen Up" The Misfits
"Look Inside Yourself" Jem and the Holograms
"Love Is Doin' It to Me" Jem and the Holograms
"Love Is Here" Jem and the Holograms
"Love Unites Us" Jem and the Holograms
"Love Will Show the Way" Jem and the Holograms
"Love's Not Easy" Jem and the Holograms
"Lovesick" The Misfits
"Makin' Mischief" The Misfits
"Midsummer Night's Madness" Jem and the Holograms
"Mind Games" The Stingers
"Music and Danse" Jem and the Holograms
"Music is Magic" Jem and the Holograms
"Nightmare" Jem and the Holograms
"Now" Jem and the Holograms, the Misfits, and the Stingers
"One of Those Days" Jem and the Holograms
"Only the Beginning" Jem and the Holograms
"Open a Book" Jem and the Holograms
"Our Love Makes You Beautiful" Jem and the Holograms
"Outta My Way" The Misfits
"People Who Care" Jem and the Holograms
"Perfect Match" The Stingers
"Puttin' It All Together" Jem and the Holograms
"Queen of Rock and Roll" The Misfits
"Rock and Roll Is Forever" Jem and the Holograms
"Rockin' Down Through Time" Jem and the Holograms
"Runnin' Like the Wind" Jem and the Holograms
"Safe and Sound" Jem and the Holograms
"Set Your Sails" Jem and the Holograms
"Shangri-La" Jem and the Holograms
"Share a Little Bit of Yourself" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"She Makes an Impression" Jem and the Holograms
"She's Got the Power" Jem and the Holograms
"Show Me the Way" Jem and the Holograms
"Something is Missing in My Life" Jem and the Holograms
"Star Spangled Fantasy" The Misfits
"Starlight" Jacqui Benton
"Stingers Theme" The Stingers
"Straight From the Heart" Jem and the Holograms
"Surprise! Surprise!" The Misfits
"Take It or Leave It" The Stingers
"Take the Time" Jem and the Holograms
"Takes Work" Jem and the Holograms
"Takin' It All" The Misfits
"The Last Laugh" Jem and the Holograms
"The Real Me" Jem and the Holograms
"There Ain't Nobody Better" The Misfits
"There's a Melody Playin'" Jem and the Holograms
"This Is Farewell" Jem and the Holograms, the Misfits, and the Stingers
"Time Is Runnin' Out" Jem and the Holograms
"To the Rescue" Jem and the Holograms
"Tomorrow Is My Wedding Day" Jem and the Holograms
"Too Close (For Comfort)" Jem and the Holograms
"Too Much" Jem and the Holograms
"Top of the Charts" The Misfits
"Trapped!" The Misfits
"Truly Outrageous" Jem and the Holograms
"Twilight in Paris" Jem and the Holograms
"Under My Spell" The Stingers
"Universal Appeal" The Misfits
"We Can Change It" Jem and the Holograms
"We Can Make a Difference" Jem and the Holograms
"Welcome to the Jungle" The Misfits
"We're Making It Happen" Jem and the Holograms
"We're Off and Runnin'" The Misfits
"We're the Misfits in Hawaii" The Misfits
"We're Up/You're Down" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"When It's Only Me and the Music" Jem and the Holograms
"Who Is He Kissing?" Jem and the Holograms
"Who Is She, Anyway?" The Misfits
"Winning Is Everything" The Misfits
"You Already Know" Jem and the Holograms
"You Can't Catch Me" The Misfits
"You Gotta Be Fast" The Misfits
"You May Be a Star" Krissie
"You Oughta See the View from Here" The Misfits
"You'll Never Win My Love" Jem and the Holograms
"You're Always in My Heart" Jem and the Holograms
The series' format called for three fully produced songs for the featured music videos in each episode. Anne Bryant composed the music. Lyrics for the show's featured songs were written by Barry Harman. The theme song "JEM – Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous" was the opening and closing theme for the show until late 1987, when Bryant's second theme, "JEM GIRLS" became the series' opening theme for the majority of episodes and "JEM – Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous" was kept as the show's permanent closing theme. Music videos featured an "in-your-face" style that was directed at the viewer or the more traditional style. The music videos paralleled the style of rock videos found on MTV at the time featuring fast editing, a quick pace, and special effects.
Ellen Bernfeld, performing as Pizzazz, Britta Phillips, performing as Jem, and Gordon Grody, performing as Riot, the lead singer of the Stingers, along with Diva Gray, Florence Warner and Angela Capelli were the voices of the pop, funk and punk electronica productions, supported by Britta Phillips's father, pianist Peter Phillips, and by guitarist Steve Bill, bassist Tom Barney and set drummer and electronic drum programmer Tom Oldakowski. Anne Bryant, who chose the singers and musicians, created a pure young pop sound for Jem and the Holograms supported by acoustic instruments. The sound for the Misfits was crafted as strictly electronic other than the addition of guitars and an occasional sax solo when the character of Jetta was introduced into the Misfits. This was done to create an identifiable punk electronica style in stark contrast to their rival singing groups. In season three, Bryant introduced the slower, smooth, sexy/funky groove for the third group that entered the show, the Stingers.
No official Jem soundtrack was ever released; however, many of the songs from the first season were released on cassette with dolls or play-sets.
List of cassette releases
Love Is Here – (included in the Video Madness playset of the same name)
"Jem Theme"
"Love Is Here"
"Can't Get My Love Together"
Show Me the Way – (included in the Video Madness playset of the same name)
"Jem Theme"
"Show Me the Way" (TV edit)
"People Who Care"
It's Workin' Out – (included in the Video Madness playset of the same name)
"Jem Theme"
"It's Workin' Out/It's Doing Me In" Jem and the Holograms/The Misfits
"We Can Change It"
Welcome to the Jungle – (included in the Video Madness playset of the same name)
"Jem Theme"
"Welcome to the Jungle" – The Misfits
"Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" – The Misfits
Kimber – (included with the Kimber doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Only the Beginning" – Jem and the Holograms
"Twilight in Paris" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Kimber Second Edition – (included with the Kimber Second Edition doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Can't Get My Love Together" – Jem and the Holograms
"Love's Not Easy" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Aja – (included with the Aja doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Like a Dream" – Jem and the Holograms
"She's Got the Power" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Aja Second Edition – (included with the Aja Second Edition doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Something Is Missing" – Jem and the Holograms
"Share A Little Bit" – Jem and the Holograms/The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Shana – (included with the Shana doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Gettin' Down to Business" – Jem and the Holograms
"Too Close" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Shana Second Edition – (included with the Shana Second Edition doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Broadway Magic" – Jem and the Holograms
"It All Depends on the Mood" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Raya – (included with the Raya doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Love Unites Us" – Jem and the Holograms
"There's a Melody Playin'" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Pizzazz – (included with the Pizzazz doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Outta My Way" – The Misfits
"Makin' Mischief" – The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Roxy – (included with the Roxy doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Click/Clash" – Jem and the Holograms/The Misfits
"Takin' It All" – The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Stormer – (included with the Stormer doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Winning Is Everything" – The Misfits
"Music Is Magic" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Jetta – (included with the Jetta doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Who Is She Anyway?" – The Misfits
"Designing Women" – The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Clash – (included with the Clash doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"I Am a Giant" – The Misfits
"You Oughta See the View from Here" – The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Rio – (included with the Rio doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Deception" – Jem and the Holograms
"I Got My Eye on You" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Synergy – (included with the Synergy doll)
"JEM Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Friend or Stranger" – Jem and the Holograms
"We Can Change It" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Video – (included with the Video doll)
"JEM Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Come on In" – Jem and the Holograms
"She Makes an Impression" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Danse – (included with the Danse doll)
"JEM Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Running Like the Wind" – Jem and the Holograms
"When It's Only Me" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Flash 'n Sizzle Jem/Jerrica – (included with Flash 'N Sizzle Jem/Jerrica doll)
"Glitter 'n Gold" (commercial version) – Jem and the Holograms
"Time Is Running Out" – Jem and the Holograms
"Set Your Sails" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Glitter 'n Gold Jem/Jerrica – (included with Glitter 'N Gold Jem/Jerrica doll)
"Glitter 'n Gold" (commercial version) – Jem and the Holograms
"Depends on the Mood I'm In" – Jem and the Holograms
"Love is Here" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Glitter 'n Gold Rio – (included with Glitter 'N Gold Rio doll)
"Glitter 'n Gold" (commercial version) – Jem and the Holograms
"People Who Care" – Jem and the Holograms
"Puttin' It All Together" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Glitter 'n Gold – (Second year mail-in offer)
"Glitter 'n Gold" (extended TV version)
"Back 'n Shape" (extended version)
"Jem Theme" (extended version)
Jem and Friends Dream Tour – (mail-in offer for Glitter 'N Gold Jem/Jerrica or Glitter 'N Gold Rio dolls)
"How You Play the Game" – Jem and the Holograms
"Doctor, Doctor" – The Thompson Twins
"One Things Leads to Another" – The Fixx
"Rock 'n Roll Forever" – Jem and the Holograms
"Crush on You" – The Jets
"The Kid Is Hot Tonight" – Loverboy
"Walkin' on Sunshine" – Katrina and the Waves
"Electric Avenue" – Eddy Grant
"Rosanna" – Toto
"Cool It Now" – The New Edition
"Glitter 'n Gold" – Jem and the Holograms
On October 6, 1985, the first episode of Jem premiered on television. I could have easily waited another year and did a proper write-up on this series for it's 35th Anniversary next fall, but why wait? Truth be told, I would have had this done sooner, but with the passing of my grandmother on October 3rd, my family and I have been going through a roller coaster of emotions for the past two weeks. I'm just happy to have something positive to look back on with this retrospective of this franchise.
Every episode of Jem had a recurring theme that worked for the most part. Jerrica Benton (under the guise of her alter-ego - Jem) and the Holograms, her fellow band mates, would find themselves doing a charity or fundraiser for a good cause to raise money or whatnot for keeping Jerrica Benton's family business afloat while keeping the girls house for orphaned young girls owned by Starlight Music, Starlight House, open as well. Unfortunately, the Misfits find every opportunity to attempt to upstage Jem and the Holograms for their own benefit and popularity while trying to sabotage all of their good will endeavors.
Characters
Jem and the Holograms
Jerrica has a wide array of support from her friends and family within the Holograms along with her on and off-again boyfriend, Rio, but outside of her constant money problems to run Starlight Music and keeping the Starlight House afloat, her greatest conflicts come from her inability to juggle both of her responsibilities as Jerrica Benton and Jem. If we can be completely honest here though, most of Jerrica's relationship problems would be alleviated if she merely told Rio that her and Jem are one in the same instead of stringing the guy along, only to get mad when he prefers one over the other. I guess that's one reason why I got caught up into the drama of this show when I was younger - it's the EXACT same dilemma that Clark Kent/Superman and Peter Parker/Spider-Man deal with in their relationships. You want to tell that one special person in your life your secret, but if you do they would be in danger from all of the trouble and turmoil that comes with having that knowledge. And let's face it - the Misfits were as threatening and imposing as the average comci book supervillain in Jem's world, so Rio was better off not being in on that secret since Jem and the Holograms found themselves in near-fatal situations on a regular basis.
The Misfits
If you follow my wrestling themed blog Let's Talk Wrestling Blog, you should know that I regularly reference the fact that WWE Divas could learn a LOT from Jem & the Holograms. When I say that, I'm VERY serious. Jem and her friends are babyface to the point that it makes you want to throw up in terms of their kindness and willingness to help others, while the Misfits - who serve as the primary antagonists for the bulk of the series until the last season (we'll discuss the details of the cartoon in-depth later this week) - were fucking cruel to the point where I half expected them to serve jail time from some of the stuff they were doing to terrorize Jem and the Holograms.
The Misfits took pleasure in finding any and all ways to ruin Jem and the Holograms' day.
The Misfits took that whole cliche about having someone at your workplace who wanted to "destroy you" and did so LITERALLY. They took pleasure in causing suffering and misfortune to Jem and her friends by ANY means necessary, even if it meant illegal actions, such as acts you would expect the common comic book (or rather typical Saturday Morning cartoon) villain would do to annihilate the protagonist.
How could anyone hate the Misfits with lines like this?
The Misfits were led by Phyllis "Pizzazz" Gabor (voiced by Patricia Alice Albrecht, singing voice recorded by Ellen Bernfeld) – an archetypal spoiled rich girl who is the lead vocals and guitarist of the Misfits. Pizzazz was raised by her tycoon father Harvey Gabor and spoiled as a child. Pizzazz is the primary antagonist of the show, constantly trying to upstage Jem and the Holograms, she has been shown to be attracted to Rio (Jem/Jerrica's boyfriend), Sean Harrison (British teen idol and Kimber's on-and-off boyfriend), and Riot (of The Stingers). Pizzazz despises her real name "Phyllis" and is prone to fits of rage if things don't go her way.
The other members of the Misfits include: Roxanne "Roxy" Pelligrini (voiced by Bobbie Block) – Roxy is the Misfits' tough-as-nails bassist who also provides the backup vocals; Mary "Stormer" Phillips (voiced by Susan Blu, singing voice recorded by Lani Groves) – Stormer is the primary songwriter of the Misfits, Keytarist for the band, and overall creative force behind the group (though she is almost never given credit for it); and Sheila "Jetta" Burns (voiced by Louise Dorsey) – Jetta became the newest Misfit when Stormer hears Jetta playing the saxophone in a seedy dance club during a search for new talent.
You guys are lucky, I was going to force you to have the Misfits' songs stuck in your head all day, BUT I found something better to showcase the Misfits' villainy in this cartoon. This article cites 10 episodes in particular where the Misfits should've shown up to take them to jail.
The Stingers
The problem with the Stingers is that as quickly as they were established as the new antagonists/rival band to both Jem & the Holograms AND the Misfits, they were watered down in the episodes that followed. Riot found himself softened the more he grew closer to Jerrica's alter-ego, Jem, while Rapture and Minx kept up their mischievous antics up until the finale for the most part. They never came to the point of several attempted murder attempts like the Misfits did for the first two seasons.
Riot merely served as a foil to Jerrica/Jem's relationship with Rio, if that wasn't complicated enough with Jerrica at war with her own alter-ego over her own boyfriend's affections. Riot merely gave Rio someone to be jealous of on the other end of the spectrum, even though Rio was competent enough to stand up and fight him at one point.
Noteworthy Episodes
Season One
The first five episodes of the series, "The Beginning", "Disaster", "Kimber's Rebellion", "Frame Up", and "The Battle of the Bands", served as a five-part mini-movie to introduce the series and all of the characters. These first five episodes do an excellent job of establishing the Misfits as the resident "Mean Girls" along with Eric Raymond as the main antagonists for Jem and the Holograms.
Starbright (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
Any early fine example of the Misfits' villainy at its finest. The Holograms land a movie role only for Pizzazz's father to buy control over it. Jem and the Holograms grow fed up with the Misfits' bossiness and quickly quit the film. That is until they find out one of the Starlight girls need an operation for a degenerative, medical condition and the money for the film role would easily cover it. Jem and the Holograms return to work the film to their dismay since they need the money for Ba-Nee's surgery, despite the Misfits' taunting. It gets to the point where Eric Raymond almost has Jem killed on set and Video records the incident, only for Jem/Jerrica to refuse to use it against him as they need the money for Ba-Nee's surgery. A near-fatal explosion on the set causes the Holograms to finally have enough of the humiliation of working for Raymond and the Misfits and quit the movie, along with majority of the production crew and staff. Jem and the Holograms end up making their own movie, leaving the Misfits to finish the film on their own. Ultimately, the Holograms' film is a box office smash while the Misfits' is a flop. The Holograms use their profits on the film to pay for Ba-Nee's operation.
This episode stands out visually in Season One as this was one of the first animation overhauls to the series to resemble the opening animation and toyline out at the time.
The Music Awards (Part 1 & 2)
Jem and the Holograms are caught up in competition with the Misfits for the upcoming music awards and with all of the promotion for that and the additional work they took on for Danse's benefit concert, they were unintentionally neglected the Starlight House girls. This causes Krissy, Deirdre, , Ba Nee, and their new friend Danny to fall in with the Misfits. The kids fall out with the Misfits as well, only to stumble across Danse's Haven House where she takes them in and reunites them with the panic-stricken Holograms. The Misfits end up winning the music awards, but the Holograms are more happy to be reunited with the children and to put their talents to use raising money for Danse's cause, much to Pizzazz's chagrin.
These are two episodes that focuses more on the orphaned children that live at Starlight House rather than the ongoings and typical drama surrounding Jem/Jerrica Benton and the Holograms. It should be noted that Christy Marx had to fight hard to get this story approved, especially with the narrative surrounding runaways at the time.
The Jem Jam (Part 1 & 2)
I personally thought this episode is worth the watch just for the sheer amount of celebrity musical artists are parodied here (at least tastefully). I thought it would have been cool if they were able to get their real-life counterparts to voice these characters at the time but no dice. Given the musical significance of this show at the time, I bet a lot of those musical artists regret that decision after all of these years.
Glitter & Gold (Season One finale)
Jem hasn't been seen or heard from in some time and Jerrica doesn't seem to care. The Misfits waste no time capitalizing on her absence, especially when Owen Beech, the owner of Diskovery Records, promotes a contest awarding a Gold Album and a new car, the Glitter 'n Gold Roadster, to the winner.
After an argument with Rio, The Holograms try to persuade Jerrica to make a new album to compete with The Misfits. Jerrica is somewhat resistant to the idea, feeling it may be too late to enter the contest, but when she overhears Eric making a comment that she ruined Jem's career, it galvanizes her to enter and promises Owen she and The Holograms will deliver a new album in time for the contest.
The Holograms decide to use the prizes of the contest as the theme for their new album and look, called "Glitter and Gold".
The major significance of this episode as it serves as the last time both bands are together without their additional members introduced in the next season. Visually, this episode ushers in the "re-branding" of sorts for the series going forward with fashion changes to the women in the series to align properly with the toyline at the time (27 in total featured in this episode).
Season Two
The Talent Search (Part 1 & 2) introduction of Raya to the Holograms
This episode makes the list mainly for two reasons: 1) introducing Raya to the group and 2) Stormer's brother who has more balls than any other guy in this series. He punked out the Misfits and Eric Raymond so bad to make them take back Stormer that I was convinced that he would've fed Raymond's ass to him if he didn't do what he demanded. Too bad Rio couldn't be man enough to do this himself to get Raymond and the Misfits to quit bullying Jerrica/Jem and the Holograms all the time. For this single appearance in the series, Stormer's brother was my favorite male character in this entire show.
Roxy Rumbles
We're treated to some insight into Roxy's character and discover that she can't read. Of course, the Misfits make fun of her for it, causing her to promptly leave the group after winning the lottery.
Some people will joke and say that this was their Emmy nomination episode nowadays, but illiteracy was pretty common issue back in the '80s and even today. We get some very rare insight into Roxy's character away from the Misfits and learn more who she is as an individual rather than part of their collective group. Roxy finds her way back to the group by the end of the episode but not before getting a helping hand from one of the Starlight Girls to put herself on the path towards learning to read for herself.
Father's Day
Video is having trouble coming up with a Father’s Day present, so Jem suggests creating a film featuring video footage of their fathers and an original song. Everyone is excited except for Kimber, who is sad about having no father to celebrate with and refuses to write the song.
A chance encounter with Harvey Gabor (Pizzazz's father) helps Kimber put the day into perspective. Meanwhile, The Misfits spend Father’s Day with Clash’s family and tell the entire town that Video lied about being friends with Jem and The Holograms.
We get some great insight into why Pizzazz is the spoiled brat that we know her as the leader of the Misfits while simultaneously seeing Video and Clash's families for the first time. Besides, I never can get enough of these episodes of Clash in them. I don't know why she wasn't around more often in the later seasons as she fits in better with them than even Jetta does at times.
The Bands Break Up
Stormer and Kimber both get into arguments with their respective bands and join up as an inspiring duet act after their newfound friendship blossoms. Their rising popularity sparks the ire of both bands. Too bad this partnership only lasts for one episode as I thought Stormer and Kimber had great chemistry together.
Britrock
This episode serves as the Misfit Jetta's backstory and dive into who she is as a character. Truth be told, it's quickly revealed that her British family are a group of con artists, who almost trick Pizzazz into purchasing some worthless land from them.
Out of the Past
For most Jem fans, this is arguably the "best" episode of the entire series as it explains a lot of stuff from Jerrica's past that lead to her having the tools and resources to become Jem. IMO this is a better "origin" story than the pilot episode and it's ironic that it's this far into the series' run to show this revelation.
"Out of the Past" (Season 2, Episode 25) chronicles Jerrica and Kimber's past with their mother, Jacqui Benton, and their father's (Emmett Benton) history leading to both of their demises that causes Jerrica to inherit Starlight Music and the Starlight Foundation. This episode also shows Eric Raymond at the WORST of his villainy to the point you'll want to reach into your TV and choke this bastard. If anytime where Rio should've just came in and beat the piss out of him it should have been here.
For me personally, I can understand why fans love this episode so much. Emmett Benton's journal chronicles a lot of emotional events leading up to his death from his illness, including the construction of Synergy and Jacqui's impact on the girls' lives. A few extra tidbits are thrown in to show that he could see some glimpses of the future - i.e. knowing that Jerrica would end up with Rio eventually after they get their shit together and Eric Raymond was always a douche...
Season Three
The Stingers Hit Town (Part 1 & 2)
I swear this episode felt like the episode of ThunderCats where the Lunattacks debuted and upstaged the Mutants as the main antagonists in the series. That's exactly what happened here with the Stingers. They swept in and pretty much swept the Misfits under the rug as the new "tough act" to follow, even though their leader, Riot, was infatuated with Jem. I thought that this finally gave Rio a taste of his own damn medicine when he was juggling two women (Jerrica and Jem) over the course of the series to this point, but at the same time it complicates their love triangle even further.
The Day the Music Died
Riot treats Jem out on a cruise while Eric Raymond and the Misfits swoop in on this opportunity to completely takeover Starlight Music and the Starlight House in Jerrica Benton's absence. The funniest thing about all of this is that the Misfits get so fed up with the Starlight House that they give it all back to Jem and the Holograms by the end of the episode. Mind you, this hostile takeover happens within the span of THREE DAYS and goes back to normal - another crystal clear episode of this show's "outrageous" narratives at times.
The highlight of this episode is Pizzazz's (along with the other characters') monologues about the events that lead up to present where the Misfits had total control of Starlight Music. It was worth the viewing of this episode just to see the Misfits "win" for once over the Holograms.
I actually watched this episode recently to refresh my memory and found myself laughing hysterically at the absurdity of everything here. One thing that people kept sweeping underneath the rug on this episode is that Jem, Jerrica, AND Kimber all blurt out at three separate occasions clues that would expose Jem's secret identity and it's not even brought up at all nor makes the situation even worse. I have to admit rewatching this episode with adult eyes that Riot comes off as a sexual predator from his lines to Jem and the sheer amount of sexual innuendos between Rio and the Stingers' Rapture and Minx. That one line where Riot says, "(Laughs) I got already got what I wanted from Jem..." killed me though.
Video Wars
The Misfits' #1 fan, Clash, poses as a student intern set to sabotage Video's music video that she's working on for Jem and the Holograms. Instead, Clash finds herself enjoying the company of her newfound "friends" and begins to question her loyalty to assisting with the Misfits' malicious actions.
Riot's Hope
This episode serves as a deep dive into Riot's character and reveals the origins of how the Stingers band came to fruition. Jem aims to mend Riot's relationship with his military father who frowned upon his son's decision to take up into the musical arts after a dishonorable discharge from the military. Riot's father felt that taking up the arts made his son less of a man or rather a "sissy" - a common misconception, even today.
Hell, I wouldn't be surprised that there's guys reading this article right now thinking nothing but male "sissy's" watched this cartoon.
A Father Should Be... (Series finale)
Jem and the Holograms call a truce with both the Stingers and the Misfits to aid Ba-Nee reunite with her real father. Riot's father even reconciles with his son in this episode to boot. The finale sends viewers off with a group song with all three bands working together in unison.
The folks over at Comics Alliance has a great article on the most "outrageous" episodes of the series in a hilarious fashion.
Personal Favorite Songs
Not all of the songs that I liked, but definitely the ones that stayed with me after all of these years.
"Universal Appeal" by The Misfits
"Congratulations" by The Misfits
"Bad Influence" by The Misfits & Jem and the Holograms
Jem and the Holograms was theatrically released on October 23, 2015, by Universal Pictures and was a box office bomb, grossing $2 million worldwide on a $5 million budget and receiving negative reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Cameo appearances from the original TV series cast include: Samantha Newark, the voice of the original Jem, as a hairstylist; Britta Phillips as a stage manager; and Jem's creator Christy Marx as Lindsey Pierce.
Plot:
Teenaged songwriter Jerrica Benton and her younger sister Kimber live with their Aunt Bailey and two foster sisters, Aja and Shana. The four girls frequently videotape themselves playing music and wearing colorful '80s outfits just for fun, but Jerrica is too shy to sing on camera. Jerrica learns one day that due to Aunt Bailey's financial problems their house will be auctioned. She vents her emotions by recording a song with the video camera Kimber uses to post blogs. She disguises herself by calling herself Jem, her deceased father's nickname for her.
She is interrupted just before deleting the video and an Internet-obsessed Kimber posts it onto YouTube. The video attracts millions of views in a single day. Jerrica is offered a record deal by Starlight Productions and travels to LA with her sisters. They meet music producer Erica Raymond and her son Rio. Erica is polite and courteous with the four girls but shows particular interest in Jerrica, who she sees as a potential superstar.
The girls settle down in LA and discuss their next move. They've brought along a small robot called 51N3RG.Y (pronounced synergy) built by the Benton sisters' deceased father, Emmett. The robot suddenly activates itself and leads them on a scavenger hunt. Each clue represents something Jerrica did or wanted to do with her father. The objective is to find several missing pieces designed to fit into the robot so that it can be fully activated. The girls find the first piece in the Santa Monica Pier. They find the second clue in a guitar once owned by Jerrica's father when, by coincidence, the band plays a concert.
Rio and Jerrica begin to develop feelings for each other, much to Erica's dismay. Erica signs Rio off to another singer in an attempt to keep him away from Jerrica. Aunt Bailey tells Jerrica via FaceTime that their house is going for auction in a few days. Desperate to save the home, Jerrica asks Erica for an advance. Erica says she will oblige if Jerrica agrees to leave her sisters and start a solo contract. Jerrica relents, believing she is doing it for the family. Her sisters discover the truth about the contract, denounce her for leaving them out of the deal, and leave. After a dull solo performance, Jerrica becomes depressed over her mistake and goes to visit the LA house where she used to live with Kimber and her father.
Her sisters arrive to visit her at the old house and make amends. They vow to help her finish the scavenger hunt and Rio goes along too. Jerrica realizes that the last piece is the earrings her dad told her to wear, but Erica made her take them off when she first went to Starlight. The earrings are now stored in Erica's office. Rio and the girls break into Starlight headquarters, almost getting caught by Erica, but succeed. The reward for finishing the hunt is a final hologram message from Jerrica and Kimber's father. They also discover Rio's late father's will, which gives him a majority of shares in Starlight and effectively puts him in control of the company.
With the house safe, Jem and her sisters play in their concert together. Rio chats with a woman called Lindsey Pierce at the concert. She offers to give the band the cover of Rolling Stone, and asks Rio what to call the band; he suggests "Jem and the Holograms".
In a mid-credits scene, Erica, now terminated from Starlight, arrives in a seedy junkyard, where she attempts to recruit a group of punkish young women into a band to rival the Holograms. They decline, saying that Erica dropped them the first time they were signed with Starlight. They change their minds when the leader, Pizzazz, discovers that Rio is dating Jem, and take Erica inside. The graffiti on the side of their trailer reveals their name as the Misfits.
The Verdict
I happened to dig up my comments from Facebook on the film (from reactions to the trailers and then the film itself) and the post-credits scene teasing the Misfits in a possible sequel (*laughs* That's not happening...) as well.
Watch It or Don't Bother?
Don't even waste your time watching this. I can't even think of any redeeming qualities of this - AT ALL. There was backlash from both ends of the rope on this one, both from the creators of the original series and fans who wanted to see it done right by Hollywood. Ultimately and bluntly, Hollywood completely shit the bed on this one. The only thing I kinda liked was the teaser for the Misfits following the credits and that's it, but even that tease isn't worth enduring the duration of this film for.
Legacy
Reruns & Home Video Release
In mid 2013, Hub Network brought Jem back for morning lineups.
On July 25, 2011, Teletoon Retro, a Canadian channel dedicated to cartoons, announced that Jem would be part of its fall 2011 lineup.
On April 5, 2012, Hasbro announced that Jem, along with several other Hasbro franchises, will be available on Netflix.
Currently, you can purchase the ENTIRE series of Jem and the Holograms on DVD from Wal-Mart for less than $30-40. It is also available on Amazon as well.
I remember hunting this stuff for my older sisters about 6 years ago for Christmas presents and the DVD set was well over $300. Weird how a few years makes since the show is back into reruns again now on the Hub and easily available on Netflix.
IDW Comic
The Jem comic book was released by IDW on March 2015, written by Kelly Thompson, art by Sophie Campbell and colors by M. Victoria Robado.
I personally haven't had a chance to check it out, but you can see some of the artwork for it below.
I personally never had a chance to read the Jem-inspired comics, but after seeing the art from it online, I have to say it looks great visually. I would have to see if I can get a chance to read it digitally if anything else and get back with you guys at a later date on my thoughts on it.
Toys & Collectibles
When Hasbro first debuted the series in the '80s, the line of Jem themed dolls were completing with a rocker theme line of Barbie dolls at the time. I thought the Jem dolls were the better bargain, coming with a change of clothes for each of the characters while including a cassette tape of roughly three tracks per doll. A lot of those track listings were recycled for a lot of the dolls on the Jem line, but that was a pretty big deal at the time as there was never a full soundtrack listed for the series until the time of the release of the live-action film and that wasn't even covered by the original vocalists from the animated series. Ultimately, the mega powerhouse known as Barbie (made by Mattel) won out in this battle in favor of the long-lasting appeal and multi-faceted variety of that line of dolls in comparison of Hasbro's Jem line of dolls.
Despite losing the battle, Jem dolls are still highly sought after collectibles. It amazes me at the sheer demand for these dolls after all of these years. I personally remember trying to hunt down Jem merchandise when my older sisters and I had a bout of nostalgia a few years ago when the series picked up steam again in reruns and I was determined to find Jem-related merchandise for potential Christmas and/or birthday presents for my older sisters.
Good lord did they make a lot of Jem dolls. Everyone from the Starlight Girls (the kids from the orphanage) to Jem and the Holograms themselves, the Misfits (along with their companions such as Clash who wasn't ever a "confirmed" member who just regularly helped with their mischief). Hasbro, the same company that made GI Joe and Transformers' toys, made dolls based off of the Jem cartoon as well.
Nowadays, you're going to have to pay a pretty penny for the original dolls.
On September 8, 2011, Hasbro issued a press release announcing its attendance at the 2011 New York Comic Con convention, which ran from October 13 to October 16. The press release stated that Hasbro would be showing new and upcoming products from its toy lines at its booth, including Jem and the Holograms.
On June 27, 2012, Integrity Toys, Inc. announced their plans to release a brand-new series of collectible fashion dolls based on the TV series. The special edition Hollywood Jem doll became available at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth during Comic-Con International in San Diego at an approximate retail price of $135. The Jem doll sold out on day two of the convention.
On October 5, 2012, the four (then-upcoming) dolls in the new Integrity Toys limited edition collectible line were presented with pictures: Classic Jem, Jerrica Benton, Synergy and Rio Pacheco. The suggested retail price is US$119 and they began shipping in late November 2012; pre-orders were accepted via Integrity Toys' network of authorized dealers. As of April 2014, Integrity Toys has produced over twenty-five different dolls based on the classic show.
Then there's Funko Pops being made (or probably already available by the time of this posting) of Jem and the Holograms, along with the Misfits.
Current status of the franchise
A Jem and the Holograms advert at a select Target store.
Christy Marx has long expressed a desire to make a modern day revival of the animated series, but stated in a 2004 interview that there are a great deal of complications concerning the rights to the Jem properties.
"I would like to see that happen. I don't want to go into a lot of detail, but the whole rights situation for Jem is very, very complicated. Believe me, if there were a simple straightforward way to do it, it would be done. But there are some very big complications that are in the way at the moment."
— Christy Marx
The voice of Jerrica Benton/Jem, Samantha Newark, has a YouTube channel and she still openly responds to fans on the platform, even to this day while still making sporadic appearances to comic conventions and the like. She appeared briefly in the live-action film, making a cameo as a hair stylist.
She recently did an interview at Awesome Con that you can watch below, in which she seems pretty optimistic about the future of the franchise. I can't help but love her take on all of the different versions of Jem - from her original version, to the live-action film version, IDW Comics version, and even her appearance on Robot Chicken - that they all exist as some sort of "Jem-Multiverse".
Influences
I like to think that Jem continues to inspire a lot of young women with the lessons they brought to the table in the 1980s while simultaneously leaving their mark on the musical genre of animated cartoons. There hasn't been nothing quite like it ever since and that's mind-boggling to me in a lot of aspects. Jem had everything that people demand and want from these mediums - a diverse multi-racial and multi-cultural cast of characters to identify with a wide range of viewers, unforgettable antagonists (first the Misfits and later the Stingers in a lesser capacity) that you love to hate, and timeless life lessons that speak to viewers young and old.
If I were speculate and offer my two cents, I think the closest thing that we have to recreating the magic that made Jem such a hit at the time is with the Winx Club.
Winx Club is themed with magical fairies and other mythical beings in mind instead of being more reality based, but still have your adolescent female protagonists striving to leave their own mark on the world. I would say that Winx Club takes elements from both Jem (fashion and musical influences from pop culture at the time) and Sailor Moon (shoujo/magical girl anime-style transformations and action) if I were to be perfectly honest though. Winx Club has to be doing something right as they are currently at eight seasons of 26-episodes each, two spin-off series, and four television movie specials with more content on the way.
To be honest, Winx Club can't deny being influenced by Jem in some capacity, especially when you look at some of the character designs. For example, I thought the Trix were dead ringers for the Misfits at first glance while Bloom and her friends were a group of multi-racial young women in the same vein as Jem and the Holograms.
Closing Thoughts
As "truly outrageous" as it was in terms of storytelling, Jem, was a definitive byproduct of the '80s culture from top to bottom. When I got to revisit the series with adult eyes when the reruns aired on The Hub channel, I enjoyed it a lot more than I did as a child growing up. Growing up, I saw it more as a show just for girls that I watched with my older sisters until the rest of my Saturday morning cartoons came on. As an adult, I could truly came to appreciate the character development among all of the craziness that the show brought to the table. It's no less sillier than going back and revisiting G.I. Joe, G1 Transformers, or even The Superfriends with adult eyes from the levels of absurdity going on in every episode. The show had a lot of heart and soul at it's core and that's why I think it's a shame that we don't have anything quite like it today in animation. Sometimes the only thing we need is the right song to brighten our rainy days; Jem truly had a knack for delivering that throughout its three season run. The live-action film failed to capture the magic that captivated many from the original TV series that inspired it, but the IDW Publishing comics continue to keep the spirit of the original TV series alive for old and new fans.
Out of all of the beloved cartoon properties from the '80s, Jem definitely deserves a spot along the lights of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Transformers, GI Joe, and the like. It definitely remains a beloved part of my childhood and cherish the memories that I have with watching it with my sisters growing up and even more revisiting it as an adult. If She-Ra can get a reboot on Netflix (despite how you may feel about the end product...), I think Jem deserves to be brought back for a new generation of fans. The show may have been over for the original run of the series since the late '80s, but I think there would be a lot of old and new fans - myself included - who wouldn't mind seeing Jem/Jerrica and the Holograms come back for one more "concert".
The music never dies unless you allow it to fall on deaf ears.
"Showtime, Synergy!"
In the meantime, feel free to bookmark this excellent fansite, TotallyJem!, that is regularly updated on all things JEM.
