David Bordwell writes about Shaw Brothers Studios particular use of the widescreen format in film. “The Shawscope blazon opens onto a world of one-armed swordfighters, beautiful woman warriors, and kung-fu masters with very long white eyebrows. Without denying the peculiar pleasures of these sagas, we can peer behind […]
Smithsonian Magazine discusses the dangers to children parents saw in Little Orphan Annie. “These days, when Annie is known mainly as the little girl who sang brightly about ‘Tomorrow,’ it may be hard to picture her radio series as the Grand Theft Auto of its day. But the […]
Open Culture. has images and discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien’s art. And they have links to see more at The Tolkien Gateway. “Beyond perusing the images in the Tolkien Gateway, you’ll also want to have a look at Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull’s book, J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist […]
The Gutter’s own Keith Allison writes about Mickey Spillane, Mike Hammer and Spillane’s I, The Jury at Cocktails and Capers! “In I, the Jury, Mike Danger became Mike Hammer, a war veteran and ex-cop (like every detective of the era) with a chip on his shoulder and a […]
Friend of the Gutter Mark D. White writes about Captain America’s struggles with identity at Psychology Today. “When people think about Captain America, whether from the comics or the movies, they might think of his rock-solid ethics, based in virtue and duty, or his patriotic devotion to the […]
Read all the pre-1959 comics for free! Well, the public domain ones. “The Digital Comic Museum offers free access to hundreds of pre-1959 comic books, uploaded by users who often offer historical research and commentary alongside high-quality scans.”