cozy retreat for dedicated Planet of the Apes fans, The Forbidden Zone has the inside track on all things Ape—movies, the live-action and animated TV shows, tie-in novels ... even the infamous musical parody by The Simpsons!
This well-designed and thoroughly informative fan site offers a timeline outlining key events in the Planet of the Apes series, along with data on the continuity snarls that inevitably proliferate in such a long-lived SF universe. It has a lengthy compilation of trivia, excerpts from tie-in novels and an index of articles sure to be of interest to visitors. Other content on the Web page includes an interview with actress Linda Harrison, who portrayed "Nova" in two Apes movies. Meanwhile, the site's Links section provides an exhaustive inventory of sites about everything from do-it-yourself Ape costuming to Charlton Heston's filmography.
This site was at its busiest during the lead-up to Tim Burton's 2001 cinematic "re-imagining" of the franchise. Hollywood gossip, previews and eventually reviews of the film packed the Web page with new content before and after the film's release. Now that some time has passed the pace is more sedate, but The Forbidden Zone is far from dead: A news blog tracks current Ape events, a recent editorial in the Scrolls section discusses the brave new world of TiVo and podcasting, and the site continues to faithfully track new DVD releases and tie-in projects.
Enduring affection for Planet of the Apes is evident on every page of this site. Serious but never stuffy, this site is a fitting tribute to one of SF's most unique and long-lived universes.
—A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—September 12, 2005
heery, humorous and insightful by turns, Jitterbug Fantasia is a media magazine with an eclectic range of content. With fiction, online games, interviews and even a graphic novel called "Clown Story" rounding out its content, this site is something of a literary candy store, with treats for every type of reader.
This site is best known for its Star Wars Origins section, which traces a number of cultural influences that affected George Lucas during his creation of Star Wars. The analysis in this section is detailed, with articles on Flash Gordon, film director Akira
Kurosawa, the writings of Joseph Campbell and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. All of the essays are accompanied by tables that analyze Star Wars story elements, comparing—to pick just one example—its mythic roots with those of The Matrix.
Games available on Jitterbug give guests a chance to protect Tokyo by squashing an invading army of Tamagotchis ... with Godzilla's foot! Others may prefer to fight a lightsaber duel as a cuddly teddy bear in Star Bears: The Fandom Menace. Meanwhile, the interview section of the page spotlights a collection of offbeat artists: author Jessica Amanda Salmonson, comic artist Kyle Baker and Simon Baker, an expert on real and invented languages and the writing systems that go with them. The site's links section is small but selective, pointing to other sites that have tickled the fancy of its staff.
The offbeat content at Jitterbug Fantasia makes it the ideal stopping place for Web surfers seeking a bit of eccentric SF-themed reading, a quick round of Tamagotchi-stomping or some fresh insights into Star Wars. Infrequently updated but always intriguing, the site's restful detours into whimsy are always worth sampling.
—A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—September 6, 2005
ack Kirby (1917-1994) is a name that carries immense weight with aficionados of superheroes and science fiction. Noted for his incredible fecundity and his unique drawing and narrative styles, Kirby enjoyed a long career that stretched from early manhood right up until his death and left the world a legacy of unforgettable characters, from Captain America to the Eternals and from Darkseid to Mister Miracle. He's been the topic of essays by everyone from Jonathan Lethem to Mark Evanier, the latter of whom is at work on a full-length biography of the artist.
And although he's had his share of attention on the Internet from fans, there's never been an official site devoted to the man who could legendarily pencil and ink six pages a day in his youthful prime. Until now, with the debut of the Jack Kirby Museum, timed to coincide with the recently celebrated 88th anniversary of Kirby's birth.
The museum is not yet jam-packed with exhibits, but what's here is quality material, presented elegantly and with maximum respect, devotion and elan, befitting the master's own joie de vivre. I suggest first checking out Evanier's condensed biography, where you'll learn the scope and shape of Kirby's life and career. (His infamous inability to reap a full share of the profits from his genius is seen to extend way back to the 1940s, when he left Timely Comics, the ancestor of Marvel, in a dispute over money from the success of Captain America.) A comics database provides details about Kirby's credits and collaborators. Then you can read a sample comic from early in Kirby's career, "Lockjaw the Alligator." Round out your visit by watching a short QuickTime documentary, compiled by Glenn Fleming and David Schwartz, which finds Kirby recounting the real-life antecedents that led him to create his war story script, "Mile-a-Minute Jones."
Perhaps no single individual—other than Will Eisner—is as responsible for the look and feel of modern comics (and consequently much of modern cinema) as is Jack Kirby. Take off your virtual hat as you enter his shrine—and put on your crime-fighting mask!
—Paul Di Filippo
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