Kecoughtan!
and then download the exe file too... for good measure.
db.tt/N9dZ0oKB
word.
For Graphic Design and DMEA:
www.dropbox.com/sh/9dhjcsbz8rh…
Bonus for GD/DMEA:
petapixel.com/2013/07/23/man-p…
Art 1 - Blocking in Practice!
Good luck, you'll need it!
social networking? huh?
Graduate Paper 05 - Losing Sight in the Dark
Old Dominion University
Losing Sight in the Darkest Night:
How fans and DC Comics have lost the will of their most powerful property
Christopher Kozak
Superheroes and US Media ENGL795/COMM 795/ HUM 796
Dr. Avi Santo
Due 8/11/2014
With the onset of the San Diego International Comic Convention, fans preform a Hajj to their native land. A fertile land of lush red stained hotel carpeting and comic vendors as far as the eye can see. Die-hard fans lines up days in advanced dressed in their favorite hero’s costume. Creators of the most famous comic book characters arrive to lavish god-like praise. America has been swept away with a new found love for comic books. Our movies and televisions are sending us a constant stream of everything from Superman and Batman to Wolverine and The X-Men. Almost every boy and girl’s lunchbox has splayed across in dynamic fashion, a grown man in red and blue spandex, web-slinging his way through downtown New York City. In order to have such a diverse fan base a concrete foundation must exist to help form these million dollar businesses. One such franchise hero is The Green Lantern. There have been many characters to tackle the mantle of being a Green Lantern over the years and the stories have only allowed the fans to debate further. The question is why and what makes these fans so fanatical and how do comic companies reciprocate that love?
The Green Lantern has appeared in a number of different media sources. Over seven different cartoon versions of the hero exist, including one where Daffy Duck becomes the Green Lantern. Most recently Cartoon Network aired a very popular version which did not focus on the hero’s origin at all; rather aiming to introduce to the many different types of lantern power rings in the DC comics universe. However, in 2012 the show was cancelled building to the rage of most of the adult viewing fans. But, when these same fans were polled on whether they would choose a new cartoon series or one more live action movie, more than 65% chose the live action version. The constant ebb and flow of fans loyalties seem to totally consume the desires of comic creators. Over the years, to be a fan has gained popularity in the media amounting to a dividing filiality of the fans to the comics industry. This divide is due to an imbalance between the fans individualistic desires and the comic publishers. In the case of The Green Lantern, DC comics have tried to meet ALL of their fans needs at once while still trying to reach new fans in the process. DC comics and the fans want to see themselves as the heroes of these stories, but even heroes can hold a dark past.
For the fans part in their own dark secret identity, they turn to a grey economy, an above ground market dealing with underground goods. The fans love these stories of the cosmic police zipping through the universe. Occasionally a story will come along that entices their imaginations. But then, in a flash as bright as the Lantern Core on Oa, the tale that they love is gone and the writing staff has moved on to the next flavor of the week. That desire for more will send fans on an outward trajectory for uncharted space. They bump off the path selected for them by the industry of movies and comic pages and move toward the internet and convention circuit. Now the cyclical nature of fandom spurs along where fans of the property want to buy a certain iconic product; say a Green Lantern “blackest night” power ring. DC comics do not manufacture such a product, so the fan returns home disillusioned about the franchise that they love so much. It is this longing that creates a will and imagination reminiscent of the Lantern Crops themselves. These creative fans begun to craft what they wanted to buy in the first place. Perhaps they bring their inventions to a friend or comic convention and a few people ask to have a copy for themselves. Now the fan is creating for the fans and slowly the market begins to exclude the very property in which they were originally formed. This same cycle continues through many aspects of fan culture. Although socially, DC would appear to reach out for a more diverse population of readers, they constantly return to waffling to the current “loyal” fans desires. DC has lost their power of will. The industry as a whole has lost sight of what it IS to be a Green Lantern; to be a part of a fictional world as a small part in a world saving whole. For evidence of this look no further than the grey economies of comic conventions, podcast swag, and websites like Etsy.com. Here creative fans peddle their homemade goods to money drenched cash cows ready to pounce on the first hero merchandise that they can fine. The comics industry continues to feed the beast of limited edition figurine models and specialty signed issues of Hal Jordan’s decent into the evil being, Parallax. Although these products sell, they are not even close to the small incomes that form for simple silk screened T-shirts, hand crafted fiber glass masks, and cheap plastic rings. The industry tries to turn a larger profit by using catch phrases like, “The Movie Edition” or “The Limited Blackest Night Kyle Rayner version”; but the truth continues to escape their sight. But unlike the mega money makers like Batman and Superman, no fan wants a limited Hal Jordan figurine. THEY want to BE the next Green Lantern, themselves.
Who wouldn’t want the power to construct a real world object from their minds, to be able to bring their very imaginations to life? The Green Lantern stories embody the very nature of free will and creativity. DC comics have invented their own way into the superhero hall of fame time and time again. But the very originality of the story is ultimately debated and proven by fans to be plagiarized. Through different in a few respects the main thrust of the magically imbued space cop was established in a popular novel series. E.E. Smith’s “Lensman” series began with the novel “Triplanetary”, first published in 1937. The lens gave these guardians of interstellar law many powers, including the ability to understand alien languages. Only one year later Bill Finger and Martin Nodell would introduce the power rings of the Green Lantern Corps to the world. While denying any connection to the novels, the new comic hero has far too many of the same trappings to not be at least inspired by the Lensmen. Creative works often build on each other. A small camp of readers may fight battles over the validity of such claims while others will acknowledge the obvious connections fan community’s unrest on the matter can be seen through later writers of The Green Lantern making nods to Arisia and Eddore, words unique to “Doc” Smith’s fiction. Still claims could be made that the Green Lantern’s stronger stories lead to the eclipse of smaller ideas, like “Lensmen”. And that the world could be found in the fabric of any space peacekeeper stories. These rifts create tension across the media where fans gather. Derek Johnson refers to these disputes as a “Fan-tagonism”, which if not controlled can lead to a loss of the creator’s grand narrative. If an argument is made that silver age hero, Hal Jordan, is the best Green Lantern then a choir of descending voices will rise up. They have said that Jordans’ fall in to the villainous person of Specter makes him irredeemable. Both are right, in their own ways. But, fans are rarely satisfied by having multiple “correct” answers. So they bicker and feud. But, one place they can come together on is in their fan fiction. This wild west of fan produced dream stories allows for anyone to see any aspect of the stories as they would like them to be. In fan fiction, Hal Jordan can live on in his prime by having to never face the destruction of his home, Coast City. In these stories, Hal will never be wracked by the all-consuming grief that warped him into the vengeance seeking ghost, Specter. On the flipside, the fan fiction writers may choose to keep him locked as the cosmically tortured wraith forever. A being never seeking or hoping for redemption, as others take on the responsibility of his Green Lantern power ring. These tales of “What If?”, allow a refuge from the warring fans and the constant changes in the regular comic book continuity.
In essence both the publisher and the fans have built their myths upon lies. These stolen ideas are justified by their ability to serve the creators to reach their own personal goals. In the same way, pushing beyond the grey economies, the blackest night of social agreements can be found online. It is often said that people vote with their money, and to a great extent that statement is true, but while speaking to a property that is already based out of a lie why then would the money it earns be any different. What people aren’t willing to buy can sometimes speak even more towards their true desires. There is a small crack in our social economic agreements that the real black market fills. In a few clicks of the mouse a fan can outright steal a selection of media. Thanks to bit torrenting websites such as Isohunt.to, torrentz.eu, and the fan and away leader in the game thepiratebay.se. In these online downloading dens, the honor among thieves is stretched to its limits. When everyone accepts the fact that they are stealing, then why bother being polite about it? Comments from fans with names like, Highresjunkie, sarsky, RaidDeamon, and Superflow do not add up to the codenames of an international internet hacking syndicate. Rather, these are not die hard anarchists out for the wanton destruction of the capitalist lifestyle; they are simply your neighbors who do not want to pay a dollar to see the schlock 2011 Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie. A constant rabble roars in the comments section focus on the quality of video and audio. How their video is better than any others. The thieves who are actually peddling their goods seem to get off by adding to their download counter. It is obviously not about income but instead their pride is raised by being the best. The users go as far as to have the highest quality sound and HD video even, in some cases, adding over 40 subtitles languages and capacity for 3D viewing. Some users will even eventually earn different badges ranging from “VIP” to “Untrusted”, depending on their online activity. They have even begun to have fans of their uploading techniques. Also, fans will warn each other about how legitimate they believe another user is and if they could in some way be linked to the police. Even in this black market environment the fans still feel their need to assess their nerd knowledge and fan fiction spirit by making off color comments. They still debate on the merits of the movie in comparison to the comics, commenting on how “it’s all in the eye of the beholder; I thought the film was very good.” (user: Ganesha69).
Even more interesting is the sheer data that can be extruded from an illegal source like The Pirate Bay. Movie files are uploaded to and from the website one bit at a time. In this process there are two groupings of users, seeders and leechers. Each amount of the two groups will assist in your own personal download; ranging from the speed in which the file can be acquired to the level of risk in a future arrest. A seeder is someone who is hosting the file so that the more of these users the more places you would have to download from and thus the file comes much quicker. A leecher is what you are when you are actually downloading the file, you are taking it one piece, or bit, at a time from the seeders. A movie like the 2011 flop, The Green Lantern still has around 100-300 seeders and around 50 leechers. For a matter of perspective, a more recent movie like Guardians of the Galaxy has 12,167 seeders and almost 5,000 leechers; keeping in mind that is for a camcorder recording from a theater, not a DVD version. To compare apples to apples, another 2011 superhero movie, X-Men: First Class still hangs on to about 1,000 seeders and 200 leechers. A more dynamic study of how those number shift over the years would be useful but simply observing through the here and now, one can easily see that the Green Lantern franchise is not even worth stealing.
Than fans red raged hatred of the 2011 movie can be traced through online forums to how they handled simple things like the casting and costuming of the emerald hero. Even the actor portraying Hal Jordan, Ryan Reynolds, felt the need to speak out to the online communities on behalf of the charges to the iconic costume;
“It has to be virtual rather than spandex. This is a suit from an alien planet. It’s not ‘The Dark Knight’ I don’t put the suit on and my voice drops several octaves. The suit is powered specifically on [Hal’s] will, his emotion, his creativity and his imagination. I love that.”
As much as the actor and creative directors may have loved the costuming decision, the fans almost unanimously despised it. After the painful explosion of fan hatred of the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie, creators are understandably wary of future film adaptations. This fear has not stopped fans from dog piling online and barking out their ideas of which actor should carry on the traditions of the character in future movies. Suggestions are a buzz from Terry Crews, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Jai White, Chadwick Boseman, and most highly requested Idris Elba; who is most known in action movies and TV as in The Wire, Heimdall in Marvel’s “Thor”, and Stacker Pentecost in “Pacific Rim”. Even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has made his opinions known on social media by stating that he as The Green Lantern could take down Superman any day. With a 2016 tentative release for “The Justice League” live action movie and then a 2017 release date for a Green Lantern and Flash team up in the works; it is obvious that DC is still taking its fans advice. As seen in the majority of the suggestions, fans now crave John Stewart to be represented as their live action Green Lantern. On the popular ComicVine.com, user Osiris428 posted;
“Justice League the animated series aired between 2001 and 2004. Justice League Unlimited ran from 2004 to about 2006. The Green Lantern most kids got to know was John Stewart. Understand comic books (are) not as (accessible) as cartoons. It’s nothing for a comic geek to get up, get in their car or bus or walk to the comic store to find the comic (that) they want. It’s nothing for everyone else to sit on the couch, grab the remote and watch cartoons. Millions watched JL and JL:U. Today you can barely get 10,000 on a flagship [printed comic book] title.”
The race of a character has always brought about disunity in the readers, almost as much as religion. In 2012, DC introduced the newest of Earth’s Green Lanterns, Simon Baz, a Lebanese-American. His character is tied instantly within and outside of the comics to a religious based terrorism. This is because Simon is of an Arab decent and has a tattoo reading the word “Courage” in Arabic. This tattoo not only acts as a religious signifier but also has caused waves in how it is meant to be interpreted. Tattoos are strictly forbidden in the Muslim faith. The readers hope that this could be explained away because the tattoo is made of Lantern energy and therefore are not permanent, but it feels more like a cheap cash-in on DC’s part. These kinds of fan arguments are sadly, not new. Publishers have been cashing in on small spikes in the story or character creation. Even with something as simple as gender or sexual identity, women continue to be a small off shoot in the Green Lantern tales. From the cool chill of refrigerators to the “brave” introduction of Cary Wren, a female Lantern and the revision of Alan Scott, a homosexual Green Lantern, they always leave more to be desired. The obvious gimmicky nature of these characters is sparked online after the understanding that they both reside in Earth 2, an alternate universe and that Cary Wren was given a SPARE power ring and lived in the 31st century. Her character is also constantly worried about her many relationships with other emerald clad boyfriends. The fans and the corporations’ investments become a debate of Avarice verse Integrity. The gimmicks and placation of DC comics, once again, show through while trying to keep their current fan core and reach newer readers. In the comic book, The Green Lantern Corps pride themselves on their will power seeing them through any dark day that may come in their future. But, seen time and time again, the fans outrage at the smallest of changes and DC folds to their demands. This kind of moves ends up pleasing neither party. Fans desire more and publishers, like DC comics, desire more fans. This constant butting of heads leads to a steady impasse where DC will source newer fans by pumping out butchered retellings of older stories and the fans turn inwards to find a new source of entertainment.
In this way, the fans have begun to form their own universe through fan fiction and fan art on websites such as DeviantArt.com. A major stride often found through “fan-fic” is to combine different fictional worlds. The fans end up using their own textual poaching to side step the holy text of comic book canon. Ironically, those same fans will always refer back to the industry for confirmation, as a way to prove their wealth of comic knowledge. Similarly, in 1996 both Marvel Comics and DC combined their characters under the Amalgam Comics publishing name. Most of the Green Lantern fan-fic out there involves the Corps meeting up with Harry Potter or the gang from The Big Bang Theory. Through a first reading, the papers are shallow and self-serving, but there is plenty of room for new ideas to arise. Through this gateway of literary self-service there grows a need to push the envelope even further. Leading to things like, “Yiffing” also known as sex based stories. Furry is a small movement in the cosplay, or costuming convention world, where people see themselves as anthropomorphic animals. Taking this imaginary costumed life style on a more sexual bent while still incorporating licensed material for another “What If?” scenario. Other dark alleyways in fan-fiction can be things like “Yaoi” and “Yuri”, a type of homosexual Japanese writing. Most notably the fan writing communities online have turned to “/ fic” (pronounced “slash fic”), a type of fan work depicting two characters, not necessarily from the same fictional universe partaking in an amorously based adventure. The need for fan communities to venture into a sexually devious world seems quite prevalent. From transgendered Sailor Moon and Green Lantern to Alvin and the Chipmunks and Green Lantern, it would appear that any crossover inevitably leads to some strong sexual desire.
This thought is echoed again throughout the online forums such as very popular BlogOfOa.com. It is easy to see how the fans are ready for a change, but that they still cling to a certain level of yellow hued fear as well. If DC would stop bending to the old fans who want nothing to change and the new “/ fic” fans who want to change it all, and simply follow their own will; as professed by the very characters that they want to move with into the next century, perhaps they may see the emerald power that the franchise holds. No one will ever buy a Hal Jordan or Guy Gardner T-shirt. No one ever seeks out a limited edition Sinestro power ring; instead they may choose to buy a Yellow power ring. This can also be seen in Youtube.com fan videos and the ComicCon cosplay creations. Their costumes may link back to a famous comic book hero, but they always put their own spin on the creation, thus making a NEW character. The fans of The Green Lantern want to live out their own slice of the cosmic lore. In certain areas of the world, the green lantern character goes unknown. But, the more new lanterns that are introduced, the wider and more diverse of an audience will be drawn to the tales of their own empowerment. In the myth of Green Lanterns is that the ring chooses you. And just like the ring itself, over the years the stories have gained a will of their own. They have begun to organically grow through the fan communities. Keeping true to the imagination, creativity and will of what it is to be a Green Lantern. If DC and the fans only open themselves up to allow their own personal hero through, then someday we could all have the potential to be Green Lanterns in the Corps. A million beacon in the black of night, rather than seekers of a single point of green light.
Works Cited
Arteaga, Juan. "6 Famous Characters You Didn't Know Were Shameless Rip-Offs." Cracked.com. N.p., 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
"The Blog of OA." My Green Lantern Can Beat Up Your Green Lantern. Blog of Oa, 16 July 2014. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
"Community Post: Green Lantern and The Lantern Corps Mash-Up Fan-Art." BuzzFeed Community. Uniblogger, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Desh. "John Stewart for New Justice League and Green Lantern Movies, and Commentary on the Green Lantern Fanbase. | Green Lantern John Stewart Website." John Stewart for New Justice League and Green Lantern Movies, and Commentary on the Green Lantern Fanbase. | Green Lantern John Stewart Website. Green Lantern . Co, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Distant, Daniel. "Green Lantern Is Gay: DC Comics Prompts Backlash by Outing Superhero." Christian Post. N.p., 1 June 2012. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
"The Emotional Spectrum Controversy, a Big Bang Theory + Green Lantern Crossover Fanfic | FanFiction." The Emotional Spectrum Controversy, a Big Bang Theory + Green Lantern Crossover Fanfic | FanFiction. The ZMage, 5 Nov. 2010. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Garneau, Eric. "DC Introduces Controversial New Green Lantern. What Do YOU Think?" SparkNotes. SparkNotes, 6 Sept. 2012. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
The Geek Twins. "The Controversy over Green Lantern's Buddy "Pieface" ~ The Geek Twins." The Controversy over Green Lantern's Buddy "Pieface" ~ The Geek Twins. Blogger, 21 May 2011. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Health, Rob. "Lulz: British Cop Green Lantern Cosplay British Cop Green Lantern Cosplay – AWSM Blog." AWSM Blog. L Jinto, 18 Feb. 2011. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
"How Fans Took the Fun out of Green Lantern." Http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2014/06/losing-heat-how-fans-took-fun-out-of.html. Forces of Geek, 20 June 2014. Web. 2 Aug. 2014.
Jdsven. "Green Lantern." Between the Failure of the Film and Now... IMDB Forums, 5 Feb. 2013. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Kendrick, Ben. "Rumored DC Movie Schedule: ‘Shazam,’ Flash/Green Lantern Team-Up, & More." Screen Rant. ComicCon 2014, 13 June 2014. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
"Marvel Studios Head Talks ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Avoiding ‘Green Lantern’ Problems." Screen Rant. Kofi Outlaw, 4 July 2013. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
MisterZ173. "Misterz173." Green Lantern Girls. Comic Vine, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Osiris1428. "Green Lantern." Should Have Been About John Stewart. Comic Vine, 13 May 2011. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
"The Podcast of Oa." ITunes. William Giancoli and Myron Rumsey, 19 July 2014. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Robinson, Iann. "10 Things You Should Know About Hal Jordan - CraveOnline." RSS 20. Crave Online, 17 June 2011. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Rosenberg, Alyssa. "Guest Post: The Failures of DC’s Gay Green Lantern Alan Scott." ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., 24 July 2012. Web. 2 Aug. 2014.
Schwartz, Terri. "Ryan Reynolds Talks About 'Green Lantern' Costume Controversy." News. MTV, 24 July 2010. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Skulexander. "Green Lantern." Would You Rather See in Another Live-action Movie or Have the Animated Series Be Brought Back? Comic Vine - Poll, 19 July 2013. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
Volpe, Giancarlo. "Fans React To Green Lantern The Animated Series Finale." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.
EzTV. "Search: Green Lantern." Pirate Bay.
DC/Warner Bros., 2011. Web. 2014.
The pop culture of superheroes is on the rise like never before. The (super) powerhouse
of comic book heroes and heroines has proven to the market that it can draw both children and
adults alike. As children grow up with these mythic beings imbued with cosmic powers they find
a power within themselves that they never knew existed before; the power of their dollar. That
green energy that flows ever freer from the hands of unsuspecting cash cows can have a massive
impact on advertising and sales. But, like any good super power; “With great (spending) power,
comes great responsibility (to the licenser).” Marketing companies have known for years how to
reach different audiences with different advertisement campaigns. If you wanted to reach women
in the 1950’s there would be little reason to advertise on a downtown billboard. Instead
marketers would aim for something in the home; early television commercials or more
importantly magazine advertisements. But something is changing; nostalgia is on the rise like
never before. Although this is not a new experience it does seem to be ever growing, like an
island full of kryptonite, it could be the demise of our super men. The idea of a “Puer Aeternus”
or eternal boy dates back to Greek myth. The story of a man who desires his freedom from the
limitations of life. It was later reanalysis by one of Sigmund Freud’s most influential colleagues,
Carl Jung. Along with other Jungian analysts like Marie-Louise von Franz in the 1960’s and
more recently with Dr. Dan Kiley in 1983, the idea of a “Peter Pan Syndrome” or a “Wendy
Dilemma” have solidified themselves in popular culture as well. The concept of the “Man-Child”
is not simply limited to men. While it is thought that men specifically are being taught to
suppress certain emotions which can lead to a stalling of mental development it would seem the
same can be said for women. William Berry teaches at Florida International University and Nova
Southeastern University, while his focus is set in individual happiness and substance abuse he
also has written about the modern development of adults. There are many other meanings for a developmental halt, but one lead cause could be that the roles of the maturing genders have
planted themselves in the position of boy and mother. Both are nothing more than a desire to
relive time past. The man’s desire to go back to a time when they had little to no responsibility
and the woman need to care in essence, play house. All people at some point in their lives desire
the need to return to what they once knew as safe and secure. What could possibly be more safe
or secure from ones’ own childhood than the power of a super hero?
Superheroes have become something of a commodity to our society. Especially in
American society, these heroes have shown their buying power in the capitalistic style of the
day. But that green dollar super power that we each hold is ours to spend how we see fit.
Thankfully marketers know just how to pull those age old heart strings. Children are easy targets,
but it is the adults who buy the goods for their children. The economical commodity of The
Green Lantern is thought of as the value that the brand can bring to the product. We, the
American society, are the ones who bring that value. When we see any super powered character,
what does that do for our interest in the product?
But, as a cultural commodity, The Green Lantern acts in the way that it gives the product
a value beyond any use value. These products allow the buyer to connect with a deeper identity
as a way to express who they are inside. Unlike Hal Jordan, who wears a mask to protect his
secret identity as the Green Lantern, we choose to wear our identities on our sleeves; or heads, or
shoes. Ranging from products like a crumby plastic ring with your favorite Lantern Corp
emblem melted into it to a one of a kind engagement band to propose to your loved one that you
are a nerd who wants to be by there side forever. Sometimes the character is misused; like in
cheap plastic Halloween costumes just created to steal money from a child’s fading interests.
They do, however, hit the mark sometimes with reaching the widest audience in the hunt to link the product to the values of the character himself. A “Got Milk” advertisement that show the
“super” power of milk or even something as simple as a little kids plastic light switch cover with
the Green Lanterns symbol across it.
“In Blackest bedroom and brightest nightlight, no monsters will escape from under my bed.”
These cultural values hold a strong power in smallest of forms. Something as cheesy as a
Happy Meal kids toy in a Philippines based fast food joint called Jollibee that encourages kids to
go online and play Green Lantern based video games can be enough to spark a flame in our
hearts. It is not the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup that we want or the chance to fly in a Jet Fighter
through the sweepstakes; rather it is our need to feel the sense of smugness that you just bought
the Green Lantern brand Reese’s Cup. That you are that kind of guy/girl, and maybe, just maybe,
someone might notice and share in that interest. These commodities can back fire sometimes as
in the Green Lantern glow in the dark boxer briefs, the Green Lantern keychain beer bottle
opener or in the worst being; the DC comics licensed Green Lantern Hostess GLOBALLS. A
coconut and marshmallow
cacophony of lime green sugar
and stomach aches yet to come.
But, even in the worst of
situations, the cultural value can
still bring a silver lining to
otherwise random kitsch trinkets.
One of those commodities is fast food toys. Many children’s first introduction to super
hero comic characters is through cheap happy meal toys. Therefor the market to landing such a
licensed deal is fraught with high demand. So when the power of the green, lantern that is, came
around with a huge major motion picture many fast food companies jumped on the chance to
hock their plastic junk to kids. Well in the case of the green lantern, it was Subway of all
companies to come out on top. They struck a deal with the Time Warner / Warner Bros. / DC
Comics Corporation. Subway seems like an odd choice for a licenser of a children’s comic book
movie. The subway company tried to entice children to buy more “green” as in healthy. This
sounds fair on its initial thought, but fell flat as a licensed deal when the Subway restaurant
decided to make their “toy” giveaway as reusable bags. That’s right; the toy all of the kids are
clamoring for is a cheap plastic bag. Of course, negating the hours of fun that one can have with
a plastic bag, they also tossed in paper glasses that looked like The Green Lantern mask and
collectable rubber wrist bands. Now, seeing as those kids “toys” sold so poorly, why would
Subway spend the exurbanite amount of money to lock down the rights to The Green Lantern
Movie? This was because subway’s goal was not to get their money back with a kid’s meal.
Their aim was to hit the adult market. Subway set up a promotion using the movie as the
backbone.
Figure 2 - Subways Plastic Bag Kids Toys
6
The “Grab the Green” Sweepstakes was to encourage people to start buying more extras
with their sandwiches. The Subway sandwiches were already selling just fine, but they needed a
big ticket name that would help them sell their chips and drinks. This is because the company
makes way more on the cheap carbonated syrup water and bulk ordered Doritos. The more a
person bought with these extra food “meal deals” the more chances that they would have to win
$100,000. They also ran the option of winning free flights on American Airlines, a new #D LG
Cinema Television, and many more “fabulous” prizes. The only other movie tie-in license was
with Frito Lays (Cheetos and Ruffles), Doritos, and Brisk Tea. The promotional deal with these
snack foods was that each bag had a nine digit code along with it. The “snacker” would type the
code in online to see if they had “been chosen” by the Green Lantern ring. If they were chosen
they would win amazing giveaways which were never fully disclosed. On the lighter side of
things, the website crashed on the first day and was never fully operational. The saddest part
about these licensed deals with the Green Lantern movie is that aside from the cute puns on the
word “green” they have little if nothing to do with the actual property of the comic character.
Even when it came to the Green Lantern Brisk Tea, which was orange Mango-Dragon fruit
“flavored” Green Tea.
Figure 3 - Green Lantern (comic book style art) Brisk "Green" Tea
7
In the Green Lantern lore, the color orange represents pure greed. Which I suppose is
what the company would like to see in their consumers. They also were smart enough to not use
any of the movie photo stills on their packaging. They only used cartoon versions of characters
appearing in the movie. I can only assume that they planned this would be such a hit that it
would far outlast the movies popularity. Or, they had already seen the abysmal film version of
the lying self-centered Hal Jordan, Green Lantern movie and thought that they should separate
themselves a few steps away from the movie and more towards the comic. It is “green” tea after
all. Overall, in the world of food products inter-textually fulfill the idea of being chosen by the
Green Lantern’s rings power. Only one person in our whole sector of space will have the right
and will to become some of their legions. That being said, I am not quite sure if a 3D TV equates
to the power of the cosmos.
Another iteration of the licensing of The Green Lantern franchise on a wider scale would
be the Six Flags roller coaster experiences. Now these rides already fit in much more with the
life style brand of the comic super hero. They are fast, exhilarating, and give audiences a feeling
of soaring through the skies like Hal Jordan. There have been two rides with the Green Lantern
name. The first was in Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. The ride was
retrofitted with its new Green Lantern duds in 2011. It replaced the Great American Scream
Machine, a more traditional roller coaster, with the Green Lanterns more adventurous stand-up
design. The mega machine can reach a top speed of 63 mile per hour and can surely give the full
immersion of a flight from earth to Oa. The ride was originally called, The Chang, which was
dismantled in Kentucky’s Six Flags and moved to New Jersey. The theme was chosen in order to
coincide with the Green Lantern movie which was released in 2011. The track was repainted
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green except for sections painted neon yellow in an attempt to link the coaster to the evil villain
Parallax. As the coaster cars come careening down the first drop of the ride they are met with a
cutout of the evil villain of the movie. While anxious riders wait in line they are also met with
cut-out boards of the hero, Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern along with some of his friends from
the Green Lantern Corps. The evil Parallax, as well as the Green Lantern Corps, are all done in a
comic book style of art seeing as the developers wanted to capitalize on the movie’s release but
not directly link the ride to the film.
In this way the ride could live on
much longer while being tied to the
comic franchise. The ride on its own
could be entertaining, as seen in the
previous iteration of The Chang, but it is
The Green Lantern that has customers
returning. They too want to fly alongside
with The Corps. The second ride to be
tied to The Green Lantern is a coaster
which opened the same year as the ride at
the Six Flags Great Adventure.
California’s Six Flags Magic Mountain is
the landing of the Green Lantern: First Flight ride. This is the first of its kind “ZacSpin” coaster.
In what’s referred to as a 4th Dimension coaster, the ride moves around the track all the while
spinning the seats themselves. Personally, it sounds like my worst nightmare, but riders continue
to flock in droves to the spinning wheel of doom. The First Flight ride is not only the first of its
Figure 4 - The Six Flags Green Lantern Roller Coaster.
"Watch out for Parallax!"
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kind but also a different type of roller coaster ride. It does not focus on speed, which maxes out
around 37 miles per hour, but instead a sort of confusion based rotation. While similar to the X2
ride, also in Magic Mountain, The First Flight spins its riders (or victims) rather than rotation
them. The Green Lantern First Flight ride was first opened on July 4th weekend, around the same
time as not only the Green Lantern movie, but also the redesign of the Superman: Escape from
Krypton ride. So just like in the Justice League, Superman had to come first. Sadly, this is where
the similarities to the property end. Other than a massive 10 foot tall Green Lantern battery
which stands above the entrance, there is little to do with the Green Lantern story. The only
character which is shown from the comics is Hal Jordan himself, but the rides coaster cars are
shaped in the form of ninja stars. The research that I found seemed to indicate this was to further
the spinning sensation, but it also has literally nothing to do with the Green Lantern’s. On top of
that, the ride itself is a carbon copy of Sweden’s “Insane” ride at Grona Lund amusement park.
Trying their best to keep the Green Lantern theme alive, Six Flags also hold a wide variety of
justice league rides such as, Batman: The Ride, The Flash: Speed Force, and Wonder Woman:
Lasso of Truth. Although these characters along with looney tunes characters were originally
licensed by Six Flags Corp. In 1993, the Six Flags theme parks were out right purchased in
whole from Time Warner who later sold the parks to Premier Parks in 1998 for $1.86 billion.
Premier went on to purchase Warner Bros. Movie World Germany, Madrid, and Australia. They
continued buying more and more amusement parks until in 2004 there was a shareholder revolt.
The rights for the characters use in amusement park rides where in the air. Time Warner regained
control over the Madrid amusement park. Finally, in 2008 the stock of Six Flags had plummeted
and they filed for bankruptcy. In 2010 two hedge fund investors assumed control of the company
and planned to issue new stock on the New York Stock Exchange. Along with this reemergence
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of the company they also planned to terminate long running licensing deals. The Six Flags
Company left their licensing deals with Thomas the Tank Engine, The Wiggles, Tony Hawk,
Evel Knievel, and The Terminator. They did, however, continue to let their long running deals
with Warner Brother continue to this day. Their licenses have thrived enough to keep the
company afloat in the midst of a painful crash. Now with a new outlook the Six Flags company,
much like the Green Lantern movie franchise, would like a new lease on life. They are using the
characters cultural commodity to show the new face of Six Flags. A family fun entertainment,
full of what the heroes stand for; adventure, excitement, good over coming evil. And it seems to
be paying off, after a slow start in 2011, the Six Flags Entertainment stock is rising at $41 a
share. That comes from $8.50 per share holding in 2011. Again, the power of the “Green” shows
up to save the day.
As a cultural commodity, The Green Lantern certainly falls behind the big guys, like his
justice league counter parts; Superman and Batman. But swinging in at a close third in the DC
comics universe his name is beginning to take its hold on American investors. And when
something takes hold of the American consciousness such as the comic book heroes have, and
then be sure that knock-off trinkets will emerge from the murky depths. These super heroes have
slowly crept into our hearts and then on to our televisions. The wildly popular early 2010’s show,
“The Big Bang Theory” holds too many of the super hero themes that are becoming house hold
names. In the Big Bang Theory, The Green Lantern is brought up a number of times. In one
instance there was a Halloween party where all of the characters dress up as members of the
justice league. The goofy side characters dress up as The Flash, Batman, and as a on off joke
Aquaman. But, it is the main character that gets to dress up like the Green Lantern. In this way
showing that the tastes for the obvious choices of Batman and Superman are limited. The
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American collective consciousness, especially within nerd and fan culture is shifting to the
secondary super heroes. Another instance with the Green Lantern in The Big Bang Theory is
when the nerdiest of all of the characters, Sheldon, is finally close to having sex. Knowing this
character, he humorously fumbles and loses that chance due to his complete ineptness towards
her advances. But, again, The Green Lantern’s character is brought to the forefront by way of the
first introduction of the two characters in the TV show. While attending a party Sheldon brings
the limited edition Green Lantern, lantern. Martha, the girl he is being introduced to, find this
more than a turn on, enough to have her head
home with Sheldon.
If a hero like the Green Lantern holds
that level of power in our culture then there
has certainly been a massive shift since the
nerds were looked down upon in the early
1990’s. This cultural shift has led to a wide
variety of unlicensed goods being crafted
from kitchens all over the world. Most
notably is that of the website, etsy.com.
While searching through etsy.com, one of
the most remarkable goods floated to the
surface. For a mere $15, you too could own a Green Lantern handmade magnet. This is not just
any old magnet. This one was crafted painstakingly by melting little plastic beads together in the
form of an old Nintendo 8 bit figure.
Figure 5 - Even in the darkest of lights, this lamp and green ring
combo can get Sheldon from "The Big Bang Theory" into
women!
12
The purveyor of these fine goods, JumpingElephants opened their cyber doors in May
2014. With only 2 of these little magnets available, I was worried that one may be scoffed up
before I could stake my claim, but I have decided instead to wait for my purchase. I list this
product amongst all others because of the sheer loss of any level to continuity of the Green
Lantern character. The plastic material used is against the time period that the comic was
originally created. Hal Jordan was a WWII fighter test pilot. A time before plastics existed
altogether. The second action that is offensive to the characterization and culture of The Green
Lantern is that the design is directly stolen from the Nintendo game Mega Man.
This is done to assume the style of the 8 bit techniques. With a simple change of colors
from blue to green and a burst of green light instead of a blaster rifle for an arm and you are left
with the Green Lantern in all of its 8 bit glory. But, hands down the final step away from the
purity of the license is that it is/or can easily become in some cases, a magnet. Most people
would like to decorate the most magnetic surface of their homes with this beaded wonder. In
most cases, that would be the refrigerator. This with any other character would be fine. Even
Figure 6 - Etsy Bead-worked 8 Bit Styled Hal Jordan.
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some characters like Indian Jones from the most recent film, “Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls”
would welcome the humorous tongue and cheek play of a refrigerator magnet. But, in The Green
Lantern’s case, I point to the example in the comic book, “Green Lantern volume 3 #54, Deadly
Force”. In this infamous issue, the new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, is being attacked by an evil
force named, of all things, Major Force. After trying to escape, he comes home to find a note that
says there is a gift in the refrigerator for him. He opens it to find that his longtime girlfriend has
been hacked into pieces and left to chill in the fridge for him to find. This is not only a horrific
turning point for the character but also a huge climax in comic books themselves. This was to act
as the last straw for more feminist groups led by an article and website from comic author Gail
Simone.
She claimed
that enough was
enough and women in
comics had to stop
being used simply as
plot devices. So for
the etsy.com creator
of this small magnet
to get the character so
very wrong and to
misuse the license so
poorly leave me to believe that it would be a stronger case for DC and Time Warner to keep hold
Figure 7 - "Gasp?! Who put my Green Lantern magnet there?!" - Kyle Rayner
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tightly of their Green Lantern franchise. While crafty green plastic rings will and should always
push the fan comic convention world, it would seem that the corporation should be the only ones
allowed to steer the franchise. The time spent on building the market over the years of
manipulation may have been for not. The Green Lantern franchise has steadily developed over
the years. The market has changed from the cookie cutter Golden Aged magic man to a Modern
Aged mega hero. There have been many Green Lanterns over the years, but they too have been
squandered. The focus seems to always be on Hal Jordan as the “real” green lantern. Kyle
Rayner is hated by fans, John Stewart was used extensively in the Justice League cartoons but
the media was never carried over into other branches of the industry. There have been hints that
maybe John Stewart would don the mask in the new Justice League movie coming soon, but that
is also mere rumor. Guy Gardener, The new Alan Scott of Earth 2, and the newest Arab
American Simon Baz are nowhere to be seen in media outside of the comic world. When the
Green Lantern movie was created in 2011 of course they struck out with Hal Jordan as the Green
Lantern. So why would this same motion that has not worked in the past continue to be the
prevailing thread that DC follows? I propose that it goes back to Carl Jung’s peter pan analogy.
The fans that DC comics want to serve are not the child market, but the child at heart. The manboy
who wants to go back to “their” green lantern and revisit “their” childhood one last time.
The problem will arise when the children of today, who grew up with John Stewart in the
cartoons as the Green Lantern want their own childhood’s to be revisited. Then a conflict can
arise within the fan rank and file.
When we look back over how DC and Time Warner have handled The Green Lantern, it
is obvious that they TOO should not control the license. This leads me with more questions than
answers, other than one fact; The Green Lantern Corps stand for the power of will. The will that
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is within all of us to do what is right and when it is required of us. The ring chooses us on its
time frame, not ours. We simply answer the call with a forthright vigor. This is the true cultural
commodity of the Green Lantern. Not through the comics, the merchandise, the advertisements,
or the movies; but, through the character of The Green Lantern. The cosmic power of Green
energy is fictitious and certainly does not stand for financial well-being; it stands for us, all of us
and our aspirations to be a hero in our own lives.
Happiness + Find a Therapist. Psychology Today, 14 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 July 2014.
"The Big Bang Theory - The Gang All Dressed Up As The Justice League." YouTube. YouTube, n.d.
Web. 12 July 2014.
"The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon Almost Has Sex (green Lantern) Clip." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web.
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"The Blog of OA." McDonald's Green Lantern Happy Meals Launched. Blog of Oa, 30 Mar. 2012.
Web. 12 July 2014.
"First Look: Ryan Reynolds' 'Green Lantern' Got Milk Poster." Access Hollywood. Access Hollywood /
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"GeekMatic!: Kids Meal Spotlight: Green Lantern Force Collection!" GeekMatic!: Kids Meal
Spotlight: Green Lantern Force Collection! GeekMatic, 10 Dec. 2013. Web. 12 July 2014.
JumpingElephants. "Green Lantern." Etsy. Etsy, n.d. Web. 12 July 2014.
"Peter Pan Syndrome." - Beaumont Psychological Services, P.C. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2014.
Yeoman, Ann. Now or Neverland: Peter Pan and the Myth of Eternal Youth: A Psychological
Perspective on a Cultural Icon. Toronto: Inner City, 1998. Print.