Heavy Metal

BABYMETAL IS HEADED FOR ANANIMATED ADVENTURE

Rob Leave a Comment

JAPANESE POP-METAL SENSATION BABYMETAL IS HEADED FOR AN

ANIMATED ADVENTURE VIA A NEW SHORTFORM SERIES FROM

WARNER BROS.’ DIGITAL STUDIO BLUE RIBBON CONTENT, IN

COLLABORATION WITH AMUSE GROUP USA

 

Twitter Pitch: WB’s Blue Ribbon Content & Amuse USA develop series w/Japanese pop-metal sensation@BABYMETAL_JAPAN: http://bit.ly/BRC-BabyMetal #BABYMETAL

 

BURBANK, Calif. (September 28, 2016) — Fresh off the triumphant finale to their unforgettable 2016 world tour in front of more than 110,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, Japanese pop-metal sensation BABYMETAL will embark on a new adventure with an original shortform series from Warner Bros.’ digital studio Blue Ribbon Content and Japanese powerhouse Amuse Inc’s subsidiary, Amuse USA. Manager and creator of BABYMETAL Key Kobayashi (a.k.a. KOBAMETAL) is also producing. The hybrid live-action and animated project is currently in development, it was announced today by Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series.

 

Sam Register said: “BABYMETAL have to be seen to be believed — a mind-blowing, fun combination of pop vocals, heavy metal music and dance choreography brought to life by three incredibly talented teenage stars. We are huge fans here at Blue Ribbon Content and are extremely excited to help bring the BABYMETAL phenomenon to U.S. audiences through this upcoming digital series.”

 

Tatsuro Hatanaka, President, Amuse, Inc. and Amuse USA, commented: “We are grateful for Warner Bros. and Blue Ribbon Content’s interest in BABYMETAL, and to be moving onward with the project. We are very much looking forward to working on this project with Sam and his team, and hope everyone will enjoy our completed work.”

 

The action-adventure will take viewers inside the magical world of heavy metal music as it comes under attack, and one lonely god, Kitsune, forms the warrior band BABYMETAL to save the day. In the series, SU-METAL, YUIMETAL and MOAMETAL join together to ultimately redefine the genre. The series will also feature new live-action performances from the group, who will enter the animated world through a secret portal.

 

Fronted by three teenage girls with choreographed dance moves to accompany their vocals, BABYMETAL is making waves in the music industry with two chart-topping albums that have solidified the Japanese pop-metal band’s cross-continent success. In fact, the buzz-worthy group recently caught the attention of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who are taking them on their first UK tour in five years.

 

With a name inspired by “the birth of new metal” and a goal of fusing metal and pop music, the BABYMETAL lineup includes SU-METAL, YUIMETAL and MOAMETAL. BABYMETAL has already achieved two major debut singles, both of which ranked in the Top 10 Oricon chart in Japan. Their first studio album also earned the #1 spot on Billboard’s World Album chart, and the official live music video for their debut album’s lead single,“Gimme Chocolate!!,” has garnered more than 60 million views on YouTube. Their sophomore album,METAL RESISTANCE, made them the first Japanese act to make the Billboard200 album chart’s top 40 in 53 years. They have also won several awards, including:

 

·       The Breakthrough Act award at the 2015 Metal Hammer Golden Gods

·       The Spirit of Independence award at the 2015 Kerrang! Awards

·       MTV Europe’s Wildcard Best Japanese Act

·       The Discovery Prize at GQ Japan’s Men of the Year 2015 Awards

·       Women of the Year prize at VogueJapan’s Women of the Year 2015 Awards

·       Best Live Act award at the 2016Kerrang! Awards

·       Best Live Act award at the 2016 AIM Independent Music Awards

 

Since its inception, the Japanese metal dance unit has developed a devoted fan base that describes their concerts as both energetic and unforgettable. The band has also received glowing praise from the industry’s top acts, includingSlipknot’s Corey Taylor, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and Rob Zombie, who toldBillboard that BABYMETAL “are like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” The new series will take their energy from the stage to the screen with a can’t-miss adventure for all ages.

 

Helldiver Heavy Metal review

Rob Leave a Comment

By Edward Gambichler

Helldiver : The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse

Book One

 

     Most people can remember reading either Marvel or DC Comics growing up as teenagers. Unfortunately, the young comic book reader must grow up at some point and graduate to subject matter that reflects their own maturing reading habits. For some, ( in the 50’s ) it was consuming the  Horror, Science Fiction, and True Crime stories found in pages of EC Comics. Other reader’s found it in the subversive humor of MAD magazine and racy cartoons of Playboy magazines. I was lucky enough to come of age in the mid 70’s early 80’s era that defined Heavy Metal magazine. First released in France under the name Metal Hurlant in 1974, it included science fiction stories with an erotic bent that featured the work of such artists as Moebius, Milo Manara, and Philippe Druillet.  It was brought over to the United States in 1977 by National Lampoon publisher Leonard Mogul who was in France trying ( ironically enough ) to release a french version of the Lampoon over in that country’s market. The American version featured the art of Richard Corben, H.R. Giger, Berni Wrightson, and Esteban Maroto. The publication became so popular it even spawned a cult animated movie in 1981 ( with vocal performances by SCTV mainstays John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Harold Ramis  ).

     When the magazine went up for sale, Kevin Eastman ( co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ) stepped in and became both owner and publisher. Under his direction, another animated movie was released called Heavy Metal 2000 ( aka Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 ) with the main  animated protagonist based on his then wife, B-Movie actress and model Julie Strain. The plot of the film was based on a story Eastman wrote with Eric Talbot  called The Melting Pot. It featured artwork by Eastman, himself, and British artist Simon Bisley. Bisley has always been one of my favorite artists. The first time I’ve ever set eyes on his artwork was when I read the graphic novel, Batman/ Judge Dredd: Judgment On Gotham. I’ve been a fan ever since and i’ve been on the look out for his work. That led me to his work on Slaine, Lobo, his covers for the Verotik imprint, and now Helldiver: The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.

     Written by Michael Mendheim, Mike Kennedy, and Sean Jaffee, the story centers around the character of Adam Cahill who is a member of the Order of Solomon. The Order is a religious group charged with the protection of the Seven Holy Seals foretold in Revelations. As a result of an attack on the Order and his family by the group’s ancient enemy, Cahill finds himself thrust into the bowels of Hell. His task is to enlist three corrupt souls, an Addict, a Madman, and a Deceiver, to help him go up against the biblical Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. The outcome of this battle will determine the fate of Humanity.

     First off, the artwork. If you wanted Hell, then there is no better artist to serve it to you than Simon Bisley. I have to say that I was hoping this would be one of his painting efforts like Slaine, but I was pleasantly surprised with the mixture of inking and digital rendering. And this is definitely the type of story that is geared towards Bisley’s palette as well as palate. I have to say I favored the inking in this book more than I did his linework on Lobo.

     As for the story, I found humor in the Wizard of Oz literary structure in Cahill having to meet up with his potential allies along his journey. Since this is only Book One, I can’t really comment on the overall story until I have seen its entire arc. I’m not familiar with the writers with the exception of Mike Kennedy ( Superman: Infinite City ). Although with a strong start like this, I doubt I’ll be disappointed.

Follow Ed on Twitter @EFG72