Thursday 31 January 2019

MMM: "By The Great Solar Wind!" - Ulysses 37


Alright! The controls are set for the heart of the, er, fun, as we cascade through the final four episodes of Ulysses 31, soaring towards the epic(-ish) grande finale. (Again, bear in kind the 'restored' episodes are numbered in a different order to the UK broadcast/DVD release)....


EPISODE 23

"May he be crushed like the crystal sand."

The Odyssey declares an emergency, detecting a "distress signal on D92" as they are approaching a Crystal Planet that is under attack from Tridents. Despite Yumi sensing that it is a trap Ulysses takes a shuttle and fights off the attacking spaceships, rescuing Calypso (who it has to be said has the galaxy's funkiest crystal hairdo)....



It seems Ulysses is too late as the crystal sun is fractured and the planet will soon be destroyed. With Zeus pressuring her to obey, Calypso tricks Ulysses into repairing the crystal sun using the route back to Earth as bait. Calypso soon has a change of heart as she realises she is deeply in love with Ulysses - again her funky 'fro does its thang! - and she can only bring herself to imprison him....



Again the Gods pressure Calypso and this time, as she attempts to kill Ulysses, she confesses all. With her tears of anguish reviving the Crystal Planet the Gods attack, raining down lightening, sending Tridents and conjuring up great crystal birds. Shirka sends down a shuttle to assist in the battle. Will Ulysses and Calypso - who might just have one more trick up her hairstyle - survive the onslaught....





EPISODE 24

"A curious kind of beggar."

Having landed on a planet the Odyssey is drilling for precious minerals, Shirka warning our heroes that the drilling area has "a high proportion of energy catalyst". The children, who are enjoying playing in the planet's low gravity, accidentally fall down one of the holes. As such Telemachus arrives at "The Place Of Time" and is sent 5,000 years into the distant past by the Gods....



Ulysses arrives and is told that to save him he must also go back in time and seek out the first Ulysses and help him protect the right to his throne - both the first Ulysses and first Telemachus are absent, Penelope fending off the interests of many greedy suitors. Ulysses 31 is captured and Penelope, taken with his cause, sets a challenge for the suitors, a trial of strength - if one can successfully string the bow of Ulysses 01 and fire an arrow then she will marry him. Telemachus 01 returns and attempts to rescue Telmachus 31, only they are captured by the dastardly Antilles(?)....



Fortunately they are saved by a mysterious man dressed as a beggar. Who could this be, and could his teaming up with Ulysses 31 foil the cunning plans of the 100 suitors....



EPISODE 25

"Lotus seeds will make you dreamy if you eat them."

Shirka reports the Odyssey will "soon be moving past the last planet recorded in this system" and that she detects a "trace of intelligent life" as well as imminent "meteoric activity". With the "meteoric density now rising sharply" Trident meteors begin to bombard the Odyssey, damaging the Iris. Ulysses utilises the emergency systems to make repairs, but quickly realises their only hope is to make use of the emerald supplies on the nearby Emerald Planet....



Ulysses and Nono take 2 shuttles down to the surface and proceed to begin their operation. Here they are approached by the planet's inhabitants who lead him to the emerald mines, showing him where to dig, and offering him a Lotus Seed to eat. With a warning of "volcanic activity imminent" Ulysses ignores Nono's protest, dreamily wandering off and wanting to stay....



The children speed to the planet surface, concerned that Ulysses will not answer their communications. There they meet Lota, who warns them of the debilitating effects of the Lotus Seeds - if you eat too many you will disappear! The race is on to find Ulysses and give him Lota's antidote before the volcanic eruption. With Ulysses back to normal the race is on to counter the effects of the plants, saving the young and old and to somehow stop the eruption once and for all....




EPISODE 26

"Full speed to the final point!"

The final episode! The Odyssey comes in sight of the oft-mentioned Galactic Glaciers and our heroes begin to hope that The Kingdom Of Hades (and home) is within their reach. Shirka warns that they are "entering a semi-luminous zone" and they encounter a giant butterfly swarm that threatens to envelop the Odyssey and drain all their energy....



Their escape brings the Odyssey to rest on the Galactic Glaciers where they meet a morose Orpheus who wishes to cross The River Styx into the Kingdom Of Death, and there join his beloved Eurydice. Can Ulysses defy the god of death, save his companions from their potential fate as citizens of Hades, and discover the route back to Earth (and Penelope) in time....

"...to the city, the styx, the darkness perhaps."



I had always assumed Ulysses and company never completed their mission, the (outcome of the) final episode never registering with my childhood self coupled with a perpetuating rumour that an intended second series was never made. Indeed there's no denying it's a genuine "kitchen sink" of a conclusion as they cram their usual mix of space adventure and gloomy lamentation together while racing towards a brisker than brisk finale to this truly excellent series....


Before blasting off one last time a final props to TheAdamAnt - a playlist of his loving and painstaking-ly restored episodes can be found here >> Ulysses 31....

Thursday 17 January 2019

A Chronicle Of Doom....


A Happy New Y.E.A.R.! ....and a first trip in months to Ice Station Zebra for Agent Rob 'fer to visit' Agent Johnny (fer a decidedly easy does it 'nyoo yeer's' 'View To A Swill'). First footing things first it wiz not before time for Rob to 'retyoon' the 'one-eyed god' so it was able 'fer to receive' The Horror Channel. Of course, with their welcome repeat of The Invaders having since been and gone in its entirety over X-Mas there was nothing for it but to default to The Avengers on ITV4, our Agents enjoying 'The Hidden Tiger' episode, the first beers duly cap twisted and glugged while Ronnie Barker grinned and mugged....


And what would X-Mas be without the 'SALES', Our Man In Pester Wails proudly showin' off his copy of Skull The Slayer 'wot he done bot cheap' from Forbidden Planet - just the sort of 70's MARVEL comic that fires Johnny's rockets....


Being unable to (empty) stomach Kojak it wiz time fer the 'music box' to make an appearance and contented chuntering to take centre stage. Talk - prompted by an auld copy of Shivers magazine - quickly turned to a fascinating 1968 episode of Mystery and Imagination that starred Denholm Elliot in an adaptation of Dracula (all of which was previously completely out of the unknown to Rob)....


Agent Johnny then reminisced about 19060's programme The Magic Boomerang (it stops time!) and how it wiz replaced in the 'tea-time-telly' spot by National Velvet, although presently he confused this with the forties fillum, talking at length about Elizabeth Taylor (and one of his/her look-a-like 'girlyfriends') in the lead role....


Sadly nothing lasts forever and before long Agent Rob had to shortly spaceship himself away (clutching a newly finished page of Manderston Street Madmen!) to the Plaza 'fer to catch' the train back thru to Glasgog....

Agent Johnny will return....

Sounds: Two From The Vault by Grateful Dead: Nerve Pylon (the grand finale!) by The Lines....

Saturday 12 January 2019

UndergRound Up of the Year....


If last year's 'UndergRound Up' review of the year before last was pitched as something of a Shada-alike (re)construction, then, er, this year's review of last year is no different, being a Frankenstein-esque assemblage of (pre-)prepared(-ish) parts painfully assembled by an exhausted Agent Rob over the last weak (why?) or so, hoping upon hope that he can breath some life into these semi-aborted blogs, making for a serviceable whole. Has he birthed an intelligent, articulate creature or simply stitched himself up, spawning another shapeless, idiotic monster of a post? Read on to find out....


What better way to kick off a recap of 2018 than with a little piece about the "wireless" (but not that sort of, er, wireless!) and in particular let's talk Noreen Khan's early afternoon-ish show - it's "banter and beats" tagline as good a description as any - on BBC Asian Network. It was a (crying) shame (/complete insult) to see her omitted from the Radio Times 'The 50 Best BBC Radio Broadcasters of All Time' as she's simply perfect for the radio - thankfully there's no horribly contrived funniness, no braying studio team, just a naturally entertaining person being, er, y'know, their natural entertaining self....


It helps that the show (used to be) centred around the excellent Old School Hour which then morphed into the Throwback 13 - maybe even better in retrospect as the 60 minutes of music cycled chronologically up through the decades from the 50's to the present. Unfortunately, as with everything, a recent tweak of the format saw this feature truncated to half an hour of (the slightly less appealing) 90's to now. Luckily enough, Agent Rob was paying sufficient enough attention to shape a decent enough playlist of favourites from this daily gone by dose of Desi (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh), Bhangra (upbeat pop music associated with the Punjab region) and Bollywood (the Indian Hindi-language film industry) music that you can hear (hare) here ==>


No mixture to the bag of 'fillums' this year, as Avengers: Infinity War brought their epic A-game to the cinema. Any fears that the 149 minute running time would be punishing were quickly dispelled as this superhero spectacular, er, flew by (leaving DC Entertainment - a moniker surely worthy of being penalised under the trades descriptions act - eating celluloid dust)....


Turns out SOLO: A Star Wars Story was actually quite good. There's no denying that anticipation for the new wave of Star Wars films has been 'set to stun' and yet each has disappointed in its own way (as it's much harder than you'd think to squeeze satisfying creative dollars out of a massively influential film series that hit its (only iconic) peak 40 years ago). Still, it's something of a shame that Disney didn't have enough faith in this decent enough effort, opting to flop it between two hefty MARVEL juggernauts (and thereby bringing their Star Sausage movie machine to a grinding halt in the process). If you missed it I'd recommend waiting for the inevitable 'Special Edition' whereby they retroactively CGI Harrison Ford and Billy Dee Williams into their respective roles, Sure, Alden and Donald had a decent shot but Ford and Dee Williams definitely shot first - they are those characters....


The summer saw a brief flirtation with SKY which allowed Rob to settle down (having filtered out the countless channels of 95% modern movie dross) and enjoy the fine vintage spoils of SKY Cinema Select (in HD too!). The picks of the brilliant bunch had to be (the still frighteningly relevant) Dog Day Afternoon and French Connection with The Duellists, Dirty Harry, Klute and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot also hitting the sweet spot. It also allowed Rob an opportunity to see The Planet of the Apes series (the originals with the prequel reboots to come) - here's hoping there might be a blog examining their monkey magic in the year ahead....


Hardly the sort of show you'd expect a self-respecting Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. to 'tyoon in to' but Hold The Sunset saw the (welcome) return of John Cleese to the small screen (in the most white, middle-aged, middle-England, cosy and tame teatime Sunday television TV show ever). Yes, it was poor in a gently inoffensive manner, like watching someone empty their bins, but Rob simply enjoyed the chance to see Cleese in action again. Worth it for the precious few minutes of genuine bite, of expressive animation where the years rolled back and he put down the phone to properly deliver (material just about worth his while). Still, you really have gone to Specsavers before you read the script, John. (And if you're after alternative laughs them Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle provided the very best in that department. Mind, he's lucky in that he's operating in a (left) field entirely of his own (making)....)


Of course, we had a new Doctor Who in the shape of Jodie Whitaker dragging her eclectic crew around the universe/Sheffield on a series of enjoyably breezy, if instantly forgettable, adventures. Still, bonus points abound for the sparkling new title sequence, theme and incidental music (replacing the annoying strings that often undermined Pete Capaldi's excellent turn as The Doctor). And further kudos for actually giving the tired old monsters a rest and thereby building some sort of anticipation ahead of the New Year's 'Resolution' episode. Nearly there, Doc. Just a bit more sure-footedness and authority is all that's really required for Jodie's Doctor to really shine (with a nice dash of commanding 'Baker bluster' for good measure). (And if the stylings of 'classic' Doctor Who are more to your taste then you could do much worse than check out the stately pace of 1957's very much influential Quatermass and the Pit, available to watch online until the summer....)


Countless male teeth were also a-gnashing at the arrival of a female lead in Star Trek: Discovery. A shame really, as anyone who neither tuned in or tuned out on (some sort of rather small-minded) principle was missing a wonderful icy and ambiguous performance from Jason Isaacs as Captain Gabriel Lorca. Elsewhere it was unfortunate to see Dirk Gently stumble through his second (and final) series. Sadly trying to counterbalance Dirk's sparkling enthusiasm of Series 1 by delving into a deeper, darker backstory didn't really help (anti-)matters and it was no surprise that, as fun as the journey was, the show was cancelled. In fact, you could say it was possessed by the very same brooding angst that often undermined Peter Capaldi's, excellent turn, etc, etc. Thankfully Killing Zoe helped plug the irreverent adult-ish drama void that Dirk left in his wake. That it also featured Kim Bodnia (or 'Mahhtin' from The Bridge - all four series of this Nordic Noir duly enjoyed last year too) helped. The Handmaid's Tale also returned for a second series. Most of a Handmaid's job seems to be ironing out a thin and miserable plot for 13 (of course!) depressing episodes so when it was later announced that it could potentially run for 10 seasons it was definitely time to bid them 'under his eye'....


And if off-kilter (indeed, veering off-piste to ski along the edges of bad taste) Euro comedy is your thing - regular(?) readers will know of Rob's fondness for Iceland's very own Vaktin series - then KLOVN, the Danish Curb Your Enthusiasm-esque tv comedy series and films certainly filled that gaping (glory) hole nicely. Concerning the (mis)adventures of Frank (above right) and his pal Casper (on the left) the show follows them around as their creative comedy business tangles them up in all sorts of awkward social situations that often leaves them in hot water with their poor partners.... 


Musically the year was a bit quieter as Rob's favourite 'ambientertainers' (on record, anyway) The Orb returned with No Sounds Are Out Of Bounds. Pitched as something of a sequel to The Dream (which was itself pitched as something of a sequel to Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld) it saw chief 'orberstrator' Alex Paterson successfully reunite with Youth and co. (thereby giving Thomas Fehlmann a much needed breakbeat) for a suitably spaced out odyssey. A deeper dig into the crates (/racks of second hand/charity shops) unearthed Kool Keith/Dr Dooom's excellent album of spooky hip-hop, First Come First Served, with the gentle tones of Hammock's Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow helping tougher times dissipate in a pleasant enough haze....


Gig-wise GNOD and White Hills surely registered on the Richter Scale when they played a shattering double bill in Broadcast, GNOD especially. Looking like a bunch of painter and decorators drafted in at the last minute they played a truly thundering set, quite satisfied when, after a finishing a particularly punishing, er, 'number' no one in the audience was able to identify the, um, 'tune'. Mugstar came a close third in the volume stakes, cooking up a heady post-rock stew for an enthusiastic crowd at Nice'n'SleazyManchester heroes (to Rob, anyway) The Longcut also played a belting gig to mark the arrival of their 3rd album (9 years in the making!), proving they've lost none of their abrasive sonic post-indie/dance noisnik groove....


Unfortunately it seems that of late Soundcloud (often Rob's, er, 'platform' of choice for, um, 'consuming' music) is now trying to turn itself into Spotify (surely soundclouding the same user exodus that saw Myspace crumble as soon as it forgot its own strengths and was tweaked beyond recognition/usefulness in trying to ape Facebook). Still, fellow Scots Boobs Of Doom and Fordell Research Unit seem unperturbed by this development as both continued making excellent music, while languid Russian space cadet Ma Holo morphed into the tighter, even more wilfully eclectic Tvoy Gaijinn. 2018 also saw Cetus, the solitary intergalactic whale, breach alongside Rob's boat, floating it accordingly. And, of course, we have to mention Khaki Shorts alumni Adam J. Smith and Iain D. Smith making their return under the guise of arch-popsters The Hector Collectors....


No matter how much Philip K. Dick was absorbed this year the pick of the (other) bunch had to be Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's gritty and atmospheric Roadside Picnic (the book that became Tarkovsky's excellent film, Stalker). In fact it was a strong year all round for journeying into classic science fiction, with Rob making his first forays into the wonderful world(s) of Robert Silverberg as well as enjoying Asimov's The Gods Themselves, Brunner's Stand On Zanzibar and Shepard's Life During Wartime. (And if we have to nominate a black and white hole of the year then sadly Zelazny's Lord Of Light burnt itself out over the course....)


That Goran Parlov's further (art)work on Punisher: Platoon was the obvious stand out of the year goes without saying, but there's no denying that FROM HELL was this year's top notch rediscovery. Rereading for the first time (and having obviously revised his opinion of Eddie Campbell's art in a 100% volte face) there was much for Rob to enjoy in this exhaustive and deep work from the endless mind of Alan Moore. There's the odd foray into writer's stodge, there's no denying that, but also moments of sheer power - several scenes towards the end of the book are almost transcendent in their rendering. The same goes for Moore's run on Swamp Thing, another of the year's comic highlights. (Unfortunately his Promethea held up less than well and Rob was defeated by the time he reached the third volume, tired of wading through page after page of the droning, self-indulgent prose....)


With Braw on something of a publishing hiatus this year - although our, er, 'marketing' did finally pay off with a sterling write-up for Unearthly Science Fiction and a duo of understanding reviews for Rob's Life In The Buckfast Lane and The Collected Braw! via The Slings & Arrows Graphic Novel Guide - it was over to the rest of the independent comics scene to try and stand and deliver in our absence. Thank the maker(s) then for Fraser Campbell and Iain Laurie's mind bending and back again The Edge Off (complete with a local/world coup in the shape of a wonderful Frank Quitely cover) and Harry French and Garry Mac's similarly twisted Freak Out Squares: The Collection, two books by creators very much worth taking your precious time to seek out (by following the links - easy!)....


Frank Quitely also (cream of the) cropped up to round off a sterling year of in depth comics interviews over at Working Comics - don't worry if it looks mighty empty as the whole host of 'em have shifted over here ==> - where, aside from discussing his peerless talent and career, he gave serious 'props' to both Agent Rob and Agent Johnny as artists (toiling away in obscurity) who deserve more recognition. If it's good enough for one of the world's greatest ever comic artists, then....


They say a picture is worth a thousand words (well, that's what Rob tells himself when he tries to convince himself that having drawn 3 (short-ish), er, 'graphic novels' no one cares about was actually worth his while) and it's also true that a single John Miller panel is worth a thousand other comic art pages. So, yes, we are quietly working away on the John Stark: Secret Agent comic (600,000 pages and counting!) and, y'know, something else that ought to happen if we don't run, em, 'out of time'.... In the meantime - and it is 'mean' - this place will have to do for yir best bet Braw fix. Expect the last blog on Ulysses 31 as well as more Philip K. Dick reviews, Chronicles Of Doom and perhaps a whiff of 'Skunk Rock' later in the year....


Okay, so this upload of The Charlatans at Reading '92 was very nearly top of the heap for this year's greatest (freshly unearthed) hit until, as per last year, (ex-drummer) Harry Harrison decided to share some precious footage of Rob's fave 90's underground rockers Pusherman crushing it live in Tokyo. Yeah, bring it on....

Pusherman live in Tokyo