In Defense of Disney’s Dark Age

Disney, the company that, these days, dominates popular culture in many ways, did suffer a dark period. Animation buffs and historians define this “Dark Age” or the “Bronze Age” of Disney as taking place between the years 1966 and 1988. This was the time when the quality of their animated features suffered. This is especially apparent when compared to its earlier period when Walt and his team were turning out masterpieces. But why did it happen? Who’s to blame for the downward spiral?

In the years just before the death of Walt Disney, the company suffered a crushing defeat. Sleeping Beauty was a disappointment for the studio upon its release in 1959. The financial losses were so serious that Walt actually considered shutting down his animation division. He would spend the next few years focusing on live action features and his theme park projects. And then Walt Disney died in 1966.

The death of Mr. Disney took the floor out from under the company. By the 1970s, the company began to financially suffer. Shareholders began to scramble the company up into pieces, believing the worth of this major corporation to be more valuable as parts than as a whole. After the death of Roy O. Disney, even leadership of the company changed several times. It was clear that behind the scenes Disney was a shadow of its former self, but, although the animation had suffered and the original Disney studio was gone, some of their output—not all—still deserves to be heralded as “classic.”

A technology known as xerography was first used on the 1961 classic, One Hundred and One Dalmatians. This new process allowed Disney animators to transfer their artwork directly onto the acetate rather than the old time consuming job of tracing and inking, frame by frame, onto a cell. It was cheaper and saved time, but xerography didn’t produce the same fluid quality, the same aesthetic impact, that the previous cartoons had. Disney animation would never be the same and beginning in 1970, eight films, all created with xerography, would define the Disney’s Dark Age.

The Aristocats 

The first film to come out of this fabled downturn was The Aristocats in 1970. Sure, the animation doesn’t compare to Snow White, Dumbo or even Pinnochio, but its still one of the most entertaining films that the company has ever put out. It’s story has been seen as a rip-off of Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp by some, but the main characters, Duchess and her kittens as well as O’Mally, the alley cat, are memorable. The film has heart and the settings are spectacular. This is probably the best of all movies from this period, in terms of quality and storytelling.

Robin Hood

After the Aristocats, came Disney’s take on Robin Hood in 1973. This movie began as an adaptation of Reynard the Fox, a popular children’s story. After Walt's death, the film morphed into an adaptation of the Robin Hood stories. Because the movie used a lot of recycled animation from other Disney features (because of financial difficulties at the time), this film is not well regarded by many serious animation buffs. Despite its mixed critical reception and its reputation today, the film did receive an Academy Award nomination. For a certain generation, this version of the legendary Robin Hood myth may be definitive. Perhaps more than any other “Dark Age” movie, this one has the largest cult following. I have an admitted nostalgia for this one, as I am always entertained every time I see it.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was Disney’s first compilation feature film. Repackaged for theaters in 1977, this boasts three segments (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!), all of which were released to theaters separately in the 1960s. Walt Disney had actually planned on making an entirely new Pooh movie but financial difficulties and time never allowed it. This was not a financial success but the film would garner praise from critics for being a faithful adaptation to the Pooh books. Looking at it today, however, can be challenging because it is more juvenile and pedestrian than any other Disney picture. The best Disney films can entertain people of all ages. While this can be quite entertaining for little children, older kids and adults probably won’t enjoy it.

The Rescuers

The Rescuers, also released in 1977, was a critical and commercial smash. Heralded as Disney’s biggest hit in years, it even broke the record for most money made for an animated film on opening weekend, a record it held until 1986 when Don Bluth's An American Tai was released. The film was seen as Disney's comeback movie at the time. It’s quite possible that without the success of this feature Disney’s future may have been very different. The film is now seen as one of the most popular films of the period, permitting a sequel in 1990, The Rescuers Down Under. The biggest problem with it is the animation. More than any film in the Disney animation library, this fails to live up to the Disney standard. The movement is muddy and the character animation is stiff. The color in this film also seems to be flat and diluted. That said, the film tells an entertaining story and has memorable characters. Medusa, in particular, makes for a genuinely creepy villainess.

The Fox and the Hound

This film started production after the release of The Rescuers but wasn't released until 1981. Don Bluth left and took many of Disney’s top animators with him. When it was released however, the film was a financial success. Critically, it faired less impressively. Fans of the original story, as well as critics, were disappointed with the story changes. However, the film has developed a strong fanbase. This is probably my favorite film in the Dark Age. The story is engaging and, while there are a few problems, the animation is an improvement over the past few releases. This is an excellent coming-of-age story that is as moving and heartfelt as any feature from the Renaissance era. It’s one of the best examples of all-ages animation that has ever been produced. 

The Black Cauldron

Next up is the film that is consistently pointed to as the company’s worst film. What detractors of The Black Cauldron fail to understand is, whether they attempted to or not, Disney released an experiment in more mature animation. This came out in 1985 and was the first Disney animated feature to get a PG rating. This feature has a darkness and set of scary visuals that would only be surpassed later by gothic adventure features like Beauty and the Beast or The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It’s an interesting movie that is, at the very least, worth a watch. While an abysmal failure, both critically and commercially, the story is decent and the animation is better than it had been in decades up to this point. Am I actually defending Disney’s worst film? Yes! However, I find more to enjoy in this one that I ever did in Winnie the Pooh.

The Great Mouse Detective

Despite being too young to realize it when I first saw this, The Great Mouse Detective is just Sherlock Holmes with mice. Arriving in 1986, this could be an argument that Disney had run out of ideas. The idea seems a little silly at first glance but if examined critically this is actually a brilliant film. Stylish design and dark visuals, combined with memorable death traps and Vincent Price as the menacing Ratigan, make this an entertaining picture. It was a much-needed critical and financial success after the disappointment of Cauldron, even saving the animation studio from insolvency. It remains a truly underrated gem.

Oliver and Company

The final animated feature of the Dark Age is an adaptation of the Oliver Twist story. It is the most quintessentially 80’s Disney film. The animation, musical cues and character design is reminiscent of an almost Saturday morning cartoon approach. Oliver and Company came to theaters in 1988 and faired moderately well critically. It was the highest grossing “Dark Age film.” Disney fans, however, don’t know what to make of this film. Reviews are mixed, but I think it’s the weakest of the series. Even The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh wasn’t this saccharine. The film’s attempt at some sort of social relevance by dancing delicately around poverty is a miserable failure, no matter how cute that orange kitten is. The inclusion of many famous voices was also surprising as Disney had rarely been so shameless in their promotion of celebrity before. That said, the story is decent, if a little reminiscent of Lady and the Tramp. The animation is standard for the late 1980s. Like Pooh, this might be one for the very little kiddies to enjoy.

Overall, the Dark Age of Disney was hit or miss, but, in this reviewer’s opinion, every film here has something to recommend it. Even the weaker efforts like Pooh and Oliver can still hold up in their own way for children, while adults may get some nostalgia out of great films like The Aristocats, Robin Hood and The Fox and the Hound. If you’re a fan of cartoons or animated movies, each of these deserves another look. Although Disney did suffer financially and creatively in the 70’s and 80’s, these films still matter and should not be dismissed in the wake of the arguably better works of the Disney Renaissance.

Citation

'https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Disney_Dark_Age.' Disney. (2019).

Lobster Johnson: A Wonderful Homage to Pulp Heroes

While Mike Mignola is best known for his Hellboy franchise, and its spin-off series, B.P.R.D. (the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense), his truly unsung creation is a character called The Lobster (published as Lobster Johnson). Such a character works so well in the Hellboy universe, sometimes referred to as the “Mignolaverse,” precisely because he is a throwback to the pulp heroes of the 1930’s and 1940’s.   

As a major fan of pulpy heroes and pulp-inspired superheroes like Batman, I have enjoyed this series probably more than any other comic published after the year 2000. This is the only ongoing series in recent memory that acts as a meditation on the mystery men and pulp-action heroes from the Golden Age of pulp magazines. It builds its own mythology while giving credence to the tropes and conventions of pulp fiction in an incredibly entertaining and fresh way.

The Lobster’s story is very easy to follow if you have never read a Hellboy comic, so it works very well as a standalone saga. Within the Mignolaverse, the public, in modern times, believes the Lobster to be merely a fictional character called Lobster Johnson that was created by a retired detective turned writer. He did exist, however, as a vigilante in 1930s New York. He had a group of assistants (similar to The Shadow’s agents) that helped him fight crime and injustice. He is unique amongst masked crime fighters in that his true identity and origin remain a mystery.

Like most other men of mystery, The Lobster was an expert combatant. He usually wielded a pistol that has been dubbed by some as “The Lobster’s Claw.” He has been known to use other weapons on occasion as well. Like The Spider before him, The Lobster could be very violent at times. After killing mobsters and criminals he burned his calling card, a lobster claw symbol, into their foreheads.

The Lobster also seemed to have incredible endurance, at times living through explosions and heavy gunfire. No explanation has been given as to how he could survive such attacks. He did, however, possess technology that was advanced for its time. He used a bulletproof vest on occasion, and he also possessed a radio that was small enough to fit inside his helmet. Inventions like these, along with help from his assistants, may explain his ability to survive. He is not invulnerable though, as he has been shown to get injured and even bleed.

His first appearance was in a backup story featured in Hellboy: Box Full of Evil #1. The story was called The Killer in My Skull and featured a scientist, Stanley Corn, that worked for Zinco-Davis Laboratories. The scientist is responsible for the deaths of 4 other lab workers, killing them with furniture. The Lobster determines that Corn was doing “brain research” and that the scientist has been able to use his mind to telepathically kill. Corn shoots himself after The Lobster confronts him. Then Corn’s brain launches out of his skull and attempts to kill The Lobster. The Lobster reacts and the brain dies. It’s a pretty strange first appearance for any character but Mignola’s art serves this bizarre tale well.

The Lobster received his own series beginning with Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus #1 (published Sep. 5^th, 2007). The Lobster’s stories vary from full 5-issue mini-series to short stories and one shots. As of this writing, there have been 31 issues and 6 trade paperbacks released for the series. His universe and mythos allow for genre-bending tales, from straight up horror stories, sci-fi, crime fiction or just good, old-fashioned high-stakes action-adventure. If you have never heard of The Lobster, have been thinking about branching out into other parts of the Mignolaverse or just want to read great action-adventure comic books, you can’t go wrong with this series.

My Top Ten Comic Book/Superhero Movies

The following is a ranking of, what I consider to be, the best comic book movies ever made. There are many great superhero films and as a result this list was hard to compile.

I rate these movies on 3 criteria:

1) Faithfulness: Does the film boil the source material or character(s) down to its essence, hit the major points of the character or at least give a decent idea to the viewer of what the mythos is all about?

2) Entertainment Value: Is the film entertaining? Does it leave the viewer with a sense of wonder, amusement or enjoyment?

3) Story: Does the film tell a compelling story? Does the story fit the character?
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10) Hellboy (2004)

Although director Guillermo Del Toro took some liberties with the movie version of Hellboy, this film tells a compelling story. The film is well paced and gives a succinct origin for the hero, hitting many of the major beats of the first Hellboy story, Seed of Destruction. For many people, myself included, this was what got them into the Hellboy comics.
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9) Road To Perdition (2002)

Although not a superhero movie, this film is based on one of the greatest graphic novels ever written. Famed crime fiction writer, Max Allan Collins wrote a fast paced, suspenseful tale that was turned into one of the greatest modern noir films. Tom Hanks was brilliantly cast as the lead, Michael Sullivan. This should be held up as an example that great comic book movies don’t have to feature long underwear characters.
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8) Batman Begins (2005)

While this is probably the best Batman movie ever made on a filmic level, it forsakes much of the fantasy of a superhero in favor of grounded realism. The film is a master class in dramatic storytelling, taking its main cue from the story, Batman Year One. It even manages to tell a great origin story, playing on the fears of a post-9/11 world. However, it misses the escapism that a great superhero story can provide. This is a great Batman movie. The rest of the Dark Knight trilogy, while well-made films, are not good adaptations and explicate too much.
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7) Spider-man 2 (2004)

This movie is the most impressive statement about Spider-man ever put to screen. It boils everything about the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko creation down to its essence and features, arguably, the best villain in Spider-man’s rogues gallery, Doctor Octopus. It’s a movie with great action, a fun story, and is probably as close as classic Spidey will ever come to being straight off the page.
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6) The Avengers (2012)

This film is probably the best superhero team movie ever made. It is the blueprint for how to film a team of superheroes. It builds off of many of the solo hero movies that gave birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and manages to be mostly faithful to the origin of the team. Impressive visual effects and a credible villain make this film an entertaining spectacle.
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5) Wonder Woman (2017)

Before seeing this I had not been very impressed with DC’s attempt at a cinematic universe for their heroes. Man of Steel and Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice were not that great. Wonder Woman changed my mind. It is one of the best superhero films to ever come out of DC and one of the best superhero movies of the last few years. Gal Gadot is impressive in her role as the Amazon Princess but the story is what really blew me away. There is faithfulness to the origin and it works well as a period film.
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4) The Rocketeer (1991)

The Rocketeer is the perfect example of a pulpy action adventure film. It tells an engaging story, features plenty of action, has heart and is one of the most faithful adaptations of a graphic novel ever put to screen. Billy Campbell is perfectly cast as The Rocketeer and Timothy Dalton expertly plays the villainous Neville Sinclair. Jennifer Connelly isn’t too bad either. This is one of the greatest adventure films ever made.
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3) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles nails the tone of its source material better than any superhero movie ever made. It perfectly captures the gritty, fun and absurd flavor of the original comic book. It adds a few details from the wildly popular cartoon show of the late 80’s and melds everything that was ever good about the TMNT into a masterpiece. Its compelling story is constructed out of bits and pieces of the first dozen issues of the original comic series. It’s probably the greatest TMNT movie that could ever be made.

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2) Batman (1989)

This film is more style over substance and doesn’t really feature much of a plot, but its importance in the pantheon of superhero movies cannot be denied. I rank this so highly as a superhero movie almost purely out of childhood nostalgia. It takes liberties with the mythos and is very indicative of the time it was created in. That being said, every time I watch it, I am impressed and awed by the set pieces and the mood. The film is such an entertaining spectacle, and gives me such a feeling of joy, that it will forever be one of my favorites. It’s also the purest expression, in live action anyway, of the Batman from the 70’s and 80’s, my favorite eras in the bat books. For more on this movie, go here.
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1) Superman: The Movie (1978)

In 1978, when Superman was released, director Richard Donner delivered a blueprint for all future superhero movies to follow. This is the gold standard for all comic book films. Christopher Reeve was perfectly cast as Superman. The story was an epic three-act fantasy that also served as a compelling origin. The effects were like nothing ever seen at the time and are especially impressive because they were all practical effects. It perfectly captures the essence of Superman’s character and is an affectionate tribute to one of pop-culture’s most important icons.
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The Dark Knight (2008)

X2: X-men United (2003)

Black Panther (2018)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)