We hope that you enjoy your time at Blackjack Fairgrounds. Remember the rules: no guns, thieves will be strung up, buyer beware, and be sure to leave before nightfall!
Today's edition will be a review of the post-apocalyptic version of Richard III performed at the City College of San Francisco. The director, John Wilk, stated that this is one of Shakespeare's most compelling plays. It deals with the politics of greed which destroys the fabric of a society and this parallels the corporate greed that has helped weaken our education system.
The set was what you would think of as post-apocalyptic - the shell of a destroyed building. They had jagged plastic hanging from the window frame that looked like broken glass and they used that as a backdrop for a film projection. They showed a black and white film of clouds passing by, so you got the feeling that outside the building nothing was alive.
The costumes were modern grunge with a little bit of Hollywood Pirate thrown in.
With such a radical change in scenery and costuming, I was hoping this would be an adaptation of Hamlet III. Unfortunately it was not, it was the Shakespeare play performed with the original verse and prose. I've always found it jarring to hear Shakespeare's plays out of context and this play was no exception.
The actor who played Richard III, DeWayne Spalding, was very good and reminded me a bit of John Goetz.
Although I was hoping for more, the play was still enjoyable.
Next month, we will be looking at the third issue of the Jericho Season 3 - Civil War comic.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
February Edition of Blackjack Fairgrounds
We hope that you enjoy your time at Blackjack Fairgrounds. Remember the rules: no guns, thieves will be strung up, buyer beware, and be sure to leave before nightfall!
Issue 2 of Jericho Season 3-Civil War Comic
Jake and Hawkins are on the road as Wanted Men. Forced to enter into enemy territory, they must use the help of the Jericho Resistance to make their way through an Allied States processing town on the Texas Border. Disguised as refugees, our heroes must maneuver past hi-tech cameras, armed ASA soldiers and local black market thugs to continue their mission to find terrorist John Smith.
Order Link
Cover A & B
$3.99
each
Reviews:
The action continues in issue two of the 'Jericho Season 3, Civil War' comic book
The Full Rundown on Issue #2 of Jericho Season 3
Jericho Issue #2 (Video Review)
Questions:
Was Dale's action justified?
What was Major Petrella's decision?
What did Stanley think of Mimi's surprise?
Where is Chavez?
Issue 2 of Jericho Season 3-Civil War Comic
Jake and Hawkins are on the road as Wanted Men. Forced to enter into enemy territory, they must use the help of the Jericho Resistance to make their way through an Allied States processing town on the Texas Border. Disguised as refugees, our heroes must maneuver past hi-tech cameras, armed ASA soldiers and local black market thugs to continue their mission to find terrorist John Smith.
Order Link
Cover A & B
$3.99
each
Reviews:
The action continues in issue two of the 'Jericho Season 3, Civil War' comic book
The Full Rundown on Issue #2 of Jericho Season 3
Jericho Issue #2 (Video Review)
Questions:
Was Dale's action justified?
What was Major Petrella's decision?
What did Stanley think of Mimi's surprise?
Where is Chavez?
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Special Announcement
The first issue of the Jericho Season 3 - Civil War comic will be available on November 27th.
From the Devil's Due Newsletter:
The time is almost here! Jericho: Civil War: Season Three is wrapping completion, now in the final coloring / design stages and heading to the printer very soon.
Originally scheduled for late October, production has taken longer than planned, as extra care is being taken to work closely with the television series producers, and to handle the project with the care it deserves. Look for an excellerated schedule between issues 2 and 3. We know you've waited patiently and thank you for your support!
If you haven't already, call your local retailer and reserve your copy today, or order the whole series here.
From the Devil's Due Newsletter:
The time is almost here! Jericho: Civil War: Season Three is wrapping completion, now in the final coloring / design stages and heading to the printer very soon.
Originally scheduled for late October, production has taken longer than planned, as extra care is being taken to work closely with the television series producers, and to handle the project with the care it deserves. Look for an excellerated schedule between issues 2 and 3. We know you've waited patiently and thank you for your support!
If you haven't already, call your local retailer and reserve your copy today, or order the whole series here.
Friday, October 16, 2009
October Edition of Blackjack Fairgrounds
We hope that you enjoy your time at Blackjack Fairgrounds. Remember the rules: no guns, thieves will be strung up, buyer beware, and be sure to leave before nightfall!
Jericho Season 3 Issue 1
October 28th is the tentative release date of the first issue of the Jericho Season 3 - Civil War comic by Devil's Due Publishing. There will be three covers of this issue.
The first cover is the special preview cover. It is priced at $9.99
This is cover A, regular length. It is priced at $3.99.
This is cover B, regular length. It is priced at $3.99.
Per the DDP website, the first issue continues where Season 2 cliffhanger ended! Jake Green and Robert Hawkins are in the safe haven of Texas with the last remaining warhead from the devastating attack on America. As the Cheyenne army bears down on them, they must decide whether to side with a mysterious figure, possibly their former enemy, to fight an even greater one...
Check out the official website
You can order the comic now direct from the Devil's Due Publishing or via your local comic shop.
Reviews:
JERICHO Rises in Season 3 Comic
'Jericho Season 3, Civil War' off to an explosive start
Comic Book Review: Jericho Season 3 #1
Comic Review- Jericho Season 3 Issue #1 (Video Review)
Questions:
Where is the bomb?
How did the attack get through Texas airspace?
Who made the mysterious phone call?
Who was the mystery man smoking a cigarette and is he still alive?
Jericho Season 3 Issue 1
October 28th is the tentative release date of the first issue of the Jericho Season 3 - Civil War comic by Devil's Due Publishing. There will be three covers of this issue.
The first cover is the special preview cover. It is priced at $9.99
This is cover A, regular length. It is priced at $3.99.
This is cover B, regular length. It is priced at $3.99.
Per the DDP website, the first issue continues where Season 2 cliffhanger ended! Jake Green and Robert Hawkins are in the safe haven of Texas with the last remaining warhead from the devastating attack on America. As the Cheyenne army bears down on them, they must decide whether to side with a mysterious figure, possibly their former enemy, to fight an even greater one...
Check out the official website
You can order the comic now direct from the Devil's Due Publishing or via your local comic shop.
Reviews:
JERICHO Rises in Season 3 Comic
'Jericho Season 3, Civil War' off to an explosive start
Comic Book Review: Jericho Season 3 #1
Comic Review- Jericho Season 3 Issue #1 (Video Review)
Questions:
Where is the bomb?
How did the attack get through Texas airspace?
Who made the mysterious phone call?
Who was the mystery man smoking a cigarette and is he still alive?
Friday, September 18, 2009
September Edition of Blackjack Fairgrounds
We're back, after a one month vacation, and in this issue we will go over all the ways to order the Jericho Season 3 - Civil War Comic from Devils Due Publishing (DDP).
We hope that you enjoy your time at Blackjack Fairgrounds. Remember the rules: no guns, thieves will be strung up, buyer beware, and be sure to leave before nightfall!
HOW TO ORDER THE JERICHO COMIC
The smash hit TV series returns with the original series writers! Continues where Season 2 cliffhanger ended! There will be six issues of Jericho Season 3 – Civil War. Each issue will have two covers - Cover A and Cover B. One cover will be a drawing and one will be a photo.
There is a special preview being released with issue one -PX - Special Preview is $9.99.
Please order the comic now, since the pre-order sales determine how many are actually printed of each issue.
1. Via Your local Comic Shop
You can contact your local comic ship: http://www.comicshoplocator.com/
Type in your zip code and find your local comic shop. Contact your local shop and ask them to pre-order the Jericho comic from DDP.
2. Order Direct from the Publisher
You can also order direct from DDP: Six Issue Subscription
There is also a five issue subscription, if you’ve already bought issue #1. The ashcan (collector’s preview) and the special preview are all available via this link: All Jericho Items
3. International Orders
International fans should try Forbidden Planet This link will have the current issues for sale.
If you wish to advance order the other issues go to the home page and click on “Advance Order”, then click on DDP’s icon (red circle with helmeted red-eyed devil).
Come back next month, as we take a look at the further adventures of Jake and Hawkins in issue one of the Jericho Season 3 comic.
We hope that you enjoy your time at Blackjack Fairgrounds. Remember the rules: no guns, thieves will be strung up, buyer beware, and be sure to leave before nightfall!
HOW TO ORDER THE JERICHO COMICThe smash hit TV series returns with the original series writers! Continues where Season 2 cliffhanger ended! There will be six issues of Jericho Season 3 – Civil War. Each issue will have two covers - Cover A and Cover B. One cover will be a drawing and one will be a photo.
There is a special preview being released with issue one -PX - Special Preview is $9.99.
Please order the comic now, since the pre-order sales determine how many are actually printed of each issue.
1. Via Your local Comic Shop
You can contact your local comic ship: http://www.comicshoplocator.com/
Type in your zip code and find your local comic shop. Contact your local shop and ask them to pre-order the Jericho comic from DDP.
2. Order Direct from the Publisher
You can also order direct from DDP: Six Issue Subscription
There is also a five issue subscription, if you’ve already bought issue #1. The ashcan (collector’s preview) and the special preview are all available via this link: All Jericho Items
3. International Orders
International fans should try Forbidden Planet This link will have the current issues for sale.
If you wish to advance order the other issues go to the home page and click on “Advance Order”, then click on DDP’s icon (red circle with helmeted red-eyed devil).
Come back next month, as we take a look at the further adventures of Jake and Hawkins in issue one of the Jericho Season 3 comic.
Friday, July 17, 2009
July Edition of Blackjack Fairgrounds
In this issue, we will look at why we react so strongly to the post-apocalyptic story.
Operation Blackjack was a slide show story in the UK Telegraph that caused widespread panic among it’s readers. The story caught my attention because it was based partly on the Jericho story.
The strip started by showing a date in the future “June 20 . . . 2PM” and the following message: “MI5 REPORT WARNS GOVERNMENT OF IMMINENT TERORIST ATTACK …”.
The story added:
“…a coalition of home-grown-grown extremists, Islamists and Christian Doomsday Cultists may have acquired the means to carry out a mass-casualty attack …”
“such a strike may take the form of a biological, chemical or even nuclear attack in one of the main population centers…”
“…human intelligence indicates that this group is ready to strike at any time …”
Further in to the story you get this photo, showing London undergoing a nuclear explosion:
All slides had this notice beneath them: “The events portrayed in this slide show are entirely fictitious”.
The Jericho story and Operation Blackjack warn of a possible near future. These types of stories, where the alternate future has a starting point in contemporary times, often reflect society’s fears.
Heather Urbanski states:
“The tension between our cultural excitement for change and our concurrent fear of it often expresses itself in cautionary tales that reflect the nightmares the Unknown can cause. These stories, it is important to note, do not simply express the fear, nor do they admonish us for it. Instead, they attempt to warn about the possible nightmares that encounters with the Unknown might generate, in an attempt to prepare us for just such situations.”
Since the 9/11 attacks, our society has been inundated with warnings of future attacks. The warnings in the press, the government bulletins, and the changes in airline travel. In California, I’ve seen bridges closed, public facilities canceling events (Ranch Seco, a park around a dismantled nuclear power plant, often has to close if the warning level goes up), and the closing of many public bathrooms (like at the BART stations).
The website Transparency has many essays on speculative fiction. One states:
"Into these worlds, which are our own and not our own, post-apocalyptic fiction places one or a handful of main characters whose job it is to experience the pageant of the future, confront its demons, and often undergo an ethical transformation and bring about a new world. These characters escape from and destroy oppressive dictators or machines that control human life; they go on journeys to find better ways of life; and they found new societies in which civilization will get a second chance. Their role is often to fight so that humanity will have a second chance, and to manifest ethical qualities that demonstrate it deserves a second chance.
As we observe them in our role as the audience (or reader), our identification with their struggle puts us in touch with our own ability to think and care about the fate of the human race. Similarly, as we are drawn into their battle, we get a sense of what it would be like to sacrifice for this very large goal and all-encompassing value, the human prospect. This not only puts us in touch with our better selves, it gives us a sense that our location in the unfolding of events might not be so inconsequential after all. It tells us that we can change our own world-turned-upside-down, the way they try to change the one they are in, to prevent a world like theirs from developing."
As we study what the authors of speculative fiction are trying to show us, we realize why the stories we study are so important to us. The message these stories tell us, that we can change the world, is so powerful that we feel the need to move from the role of TV fan into a larger role of advocator for a better future.
This also explains why the stories are so popular and taken so seriously. The Operation Blackjack story also has Easter Egg websites that had to be found and identified. One of those hidden website got five million viewers. Just imagine how many viewers actually saw the slide show if the hidden website got five million views.
Not only was Operation Blackjack widely popular, but unless you saw the hidden website with a countdown clock ending in 2010, you assumed the attack would be in six months (the slide show began in January depicting attacks in June). The closer it got to June the faster the story flew in the on-line realms. It was actually hard to keep up with all that was written and beyond the scope of this essay.
Before the attack date, depicted in Operation Blackjack, the author came forward and confessed that it was a fictional story expressing his political views. It was reported there had been calls to Homeland Security in the US, the MI5 in England, the author’s identity had been hacked and he was receiving harassing messages.
Feel free to post how these stories affected you and what your learned from them.
Resources:
UK Telegraph:
Operation Blackjack Part 1
Operation Blackjack Part 2
Operation Blackjack Part 3
Operation Blackjack Part 4
Operation Blackjack Part 5
Urbanski, Heather. Plagues, Apocalypses and Bug-Eyed Monsters, How Speculative Fiction Shows Us Our Nightmares. McFarland & Company Inc., 2007, page 145.
Sanes, Ken. Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: Holocaust as Metaphor from Transparency.
Operation Blackjack was a slide show story in the UK Telegraph that caused widespread panic among it’s readers. The story caught my attention because it was based partly on the Jericho story.
The strip started by showing a date in the future “June 20 . . . 2PM” and the following message: “MI5 REPORT WARNS GOVERNMENT OF IMMINENT TERORIST ATTACK …”.
The story added:
“…a coalition of home-grown-grown extremists, Islamists and Christian Doomsday Cultists may have acquired the means to carry out a mass-casualty attack …”
“such a strike may take the form of a biological, chemical or even nuclear attack in one of the main population centers…”
“…human intelligence indicates that this group is ready to strike at any time …”
Further in to the story you get this photo, showing London undergoing a nuclear explosion:
All slides had this notice beneath them: “The events portrayed in this slide show are entirely fictitious”.
The Jericho story and Operation Blackjack warn of a possible near future. These types of stories, where the alternate future has a starting point in contemporary times, often reflect society’s fears.
Heather Urbanski states:
“The tension between our cultural excitement for change and our concurrent fear of it often expresses itself in cautionary tales that reflect the nightmares the Unknown can cause. These stories, it is important to note, do not simply express the fear, nor do they admonish us for it. Instead, they attempt to warn about the possible nightmares that encounters with the Unknown might generate, in an attempt to prepare us for just such situations.”
Since the 9/11 attacks, our society has been inundated with warnings of future attacks. The warnings in the press, the government bulletins, and the changes in airline travel. In California, I’ve seen bridges closed, public facilities canceling events (Ranch Seco, a park around a dismantled nuclear power plant, often has to close if the warning level goes up), and the closing of many public bathrooms (like at the BART stations).
The website Transparency has many essays on speculative fiction. One states:
"Into these worlds, which are our own and not our own, post-apocalyptic fiction places one or a handful of main characters whose job it is to experience the pageant of the future, confront its demons, and often undergo an ethical transformation and bring about a new world. These characters escape from and destroy oppressive dictators or machines that control human life; they go on journeys to find better ways of life; and they found new societies in which civilization will get a second chance. Their role is often to fight so that humanity will have a second chance, and to manifest ethical qualities that demonstrate it deserves a second chance.
As we observe them in our role as the audience (or reader), our identification with their struggle puts us in touch with our own ability to think and care about the fate of the human race. Similarly, as we are drawn into their battle, we get a sense of what it would be like to sacrifice for this very large goal and all-encompassing value, the human prospect. This not only puts us in touch with our better selves, it gives us a sense that our location in the unfolding of events might not be so inconsequential after all. It tells us that we can change our own world-turned-upside-down, the way they try to change the one they are in, to prevent a world like theirs from developing."
As we study what the authors of speculative fiction are trying to show us, we realize why the stories we study are so important to us. The message these stories tell us, that we can change the world, is so powerful that we feel the need to move from the role of TV fan into a larger role of advocator for a better future.
This also explains why the stories are so popular and taken so seriously. The Operation Blackjack story also has Easter Egg websites that had to be found and identified. One of those hidden website got five million viewers. Just imagine how many viewers actually saw the slide show if the hidden website got five million views.
Not only was Operation Blackjack widely popular, but unless you saw the hidden website with a countdown clock ending in 2010, you assumed the attack would be in six months (the slide show began in January depicting attacks in June). The closer it got to June the faster the story flew in the on-line realms. It was actually hard to keep up with all that was written and beyond the scope of this essay.
Before the attack date, depicted in Operation Blackjack, the author came forward and confessed that it was a fictional story expressing his political views. It was reported there had been calls to Homeland Security in the US, the MI5 in England, the author’s identity had been hacked and he was receiving harassing messages.
Feel free to post how these stories affected you and what your learned from them.
Resources:
UK Telegraph:
Operation Blackjack Part 1
Operation Blackjack Part 2
Operation Blackjack Part 3
Operation Blackjack Part 4
Operation Blackjack Part 5
Urbanski, Heather. Plagues, Apocalypses and Bug-Eyed Monsters, How Speculative Fiction Shows Us Our Nightmares. McFarland & Company Inc., 2007, page 145.
Sanes, Ken. Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: Holocaust as Metaphor from Transparency.
Friday, June 19, 2009
June Edition of Blackjack Fairgrounds
Since The CW has finished it’s encore run Jericho on Sundays at 7/6c, Blackjack Fairgrounds finishes our review series with "Reviews/Musings for Season 2, Episodes 1-7".
We hope that you enjoy your time at Blackjack Fairgrounds. Remember the rules: no guns, thieves will be strung up, buyer beware, and be sure to leave before nightfall!
Episode 2.01 - Reconstruction
When the Cheyenne government puts an end to the battle between Jericho and New Bern, Major Beck (guest star Esai Morales) leads the reconstruction efforts to restore Jericho’s power and communication with the outside world. Steve Boyum directed the episode written by Carol Barbee & Jonathan E. Steinberg. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Carl of iF Magazine
Margie & Edna’s Take from Beth and Jane, guesting on Remote Access.
Episode 2.02 - Condor
Jake (Skeet Ulrich) helps Major Beck (guest star Esai Morales) prepare for a special visitor from the Cheyenne government, while Hawkins (Lennie James) continues to work with Chavez (Chris Kramer) to uncover the secrets of this new regime. Chris Leitch directed the episode written by Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Will of Premium Hollywood.
Episode Crossword
Episode 2.03 - Jennings and Rall
When Jake (Skeet Ulrich) discovers that the government official who is supposed to protect them is actually withholding a vaccine for the Hudson River virus, he and the Rangers take their survival into their own hands. John Peters directed the episode written by Joy Gregory. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Kystorms of TV @ It’s Finest.
Trivia/Quotes
Episode 2.04 - Oversight
Hawkins (Lennie James) receives another call from his mysterious new contact, John Smith, who continues to know his every move, and who informs Hawkins that he is one day away from being caught by Major Beck (Esai Morales). Steve Gomer directed the episode written by Robert Levine. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Tory of IGN.
Episode Crossword
Episode 2.05 - Termination for Cause
Jake (Skeet Ulrich) and the Rangers square off in a battle for survival against Goetz (recurring guest star D.B. Sweeney) and Ravenwood (Link Baker), while one of the Rangers takes a course of action that will alter his life forever. Rob Fresco wrote the episode directed by Guy Bee. (Summary from The CW website.)
Recap by Derek of Starpulse
Trivia/Quotes
Episode 2.06 - Sedition
Following the Rangers' decision to take justice into their own hands, Major Beck (Esai Morales) goes to extreme measures to prove he's in complete control of the town, while Hawkins (Lennie James) receives a call from Chavez (Chris Kramer) telling him that it's time to transport the bomb. Carol Barbee, Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia wrote the episode directed by Scott Peters. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Amy of Remote Access.
Episode Crossword
Episode 2.07 - Patriots and Tyrants
Jake (Skeet Ulrich) and Hawkins (Lennie James) have one final opportunity to prove to the independent Texas government that they hold the evidence to one of the biggest conspiracies in history, but first they'll have to get past the Cheyenne government. Jonathan E. Steinberg & Dan Shotz wrote the episode directed by Seith Mann. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Raoul of Windows Live, TV Filter
Trivia/Quotes
The theme of the July Edition will be a review of the new Jericho-like Alternate Reality Game, Operation Blackjack.
We hope that you enjoy your time at Blackjack Fairgrounds. Remember the rules: no guns, thieves will be strung up, buyer beware, and be sure to leave before nightfall!
Episode 2.01 - Reconstruction
When the Cheyenne government puts an end to the battle between Jericho and New Bern, Major Beck (guest star Esai Morales) leads the reconstruction efforts to restore Jericho’s power and communication with the outside world. Steve Boyum directed the episode written by Carol Barbee & Jonathan E. Steinberg. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Carl of iF Magazine
Margie & Edna’s Take from Beth and Jane, guesting on Remote Access.
Episode 2.02 - Condor
Jake (Skeet Ulrich) helps Major Beck (guest star Esai Morales) prepare for a special visitor from the Cheyenne government, while Hawkins (Lennie James) continues to work with Chavez (Chris Kramer) to uncover the secrets of this new regime. Chris Leitch directed the episode written by Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Will of Premium Hollywood.
Episode Crossword
Episode 2.03 - Jennings and Rall
When Jake (Skeet Ulrich) discovers that the government official who is supposed to protect them is actually withholding a vaccine for the Hudson River virus, he and the Rangers take their survival into their own hands. John Peters directed the episode written by Joy Gregory. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Kystorms of TV @ It’s Finest.
Trivia/Quotes
Episode 2.04 - Oversight
Hawkins (Lennie James) receives another call from his mysterious new contact, John Smith, who continues to know his every move, and who informs Hawkins that he is one day away from being caught by Major Beck (Esai Morales). Steve Gomer directed the episode written by Robert Levine. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Tory of IGN.
Episode Crossword
Episode 2.05 - Termination for Cause
Jake (Skeet Ulrich) and the Rangers square off in a battle for survival against Goetz (recurring guest star D.B. Sweeney) and Ravenwood (Link Baker), while one of the Rangers takes a course of action that will alter his life forever. Rob Fresco wrote the episode directed by Guy Bee. (Summary from The CW website.)
Recap by Derek of Starpulse
Trivia/Quotes
Episode 2.06 - Sedition
Following the Rangers' decision to take justice into their own hands, Major Beck (Esai Morales) goes to extreme measures to prove he's in complete control of the town, while Hawkins (Lennie James) receives a call from Chavez (Chris Kramer) telling him that it's time to transport the bomb. Carol Barbee, Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia wrote the episode directed by Scott Peters. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Amy of Remote Access.
Episode Crossword
Episode 2.07 - Patriots and Tyrants
Jake (Skeet Ulrich) and Hawkins (Lennie James) have one final opportunity to prove to the independent Texas government that they hold the evidence to one of the biggest conspiracies in history, but first they'll have to get past the Cheyenne government. Jonathan E. Steinberg & Dan Shotz wrote the episode directed by Seith Mann. (Summary from The CW website.)
Review by Raoul of Windows Live, TV Filter
Trivia/Quotes
The theme of the July Edition will be a review of the new Jericho-like Alternate Reality Game, Operation Blackjack.
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