Welcome to the inaugrual edition of ‘Web Wanderings’ a new weekly offering where Yorkton This Week’s editorial staff will take readers on an explorative journey around the Internet, searching out the best in videos, podcasts, webcomics, music and anything else that catches their collected eyes which might interest our readers.
Beautiful animation
Let’s say there’s a place where murder is legal. As a thought experiment, would this be a place where people are killed all the time, or a place where people are killed very rarely? After all, if you kill someone, there’s the chance that someone else would want revenge, or just think you were a nuisance that needs to be stopped. Is it going to be a polite society or a blood-soaked one? And will that society be uniquely prone to making delicious crepes?
So we begin Kino’s Journey - The Beautiful World, a new animated series airing on streaming site Crunchyroll in Canada. Every episode is at least one “country” – they seem to be mostly city-states, usually consisting of a single town – though sometimes there are multiple countries in an episode. All function as a thought experiment. Kino and her talking motorcycle Hermes go from place to place, encountering the people of each country and having their own impact on the people who live there. Some are silly, some are very serious.
It changes constantly, even Kino doesn’t necessarily appear in each episode - there is also Shizu and his talking dog Riku, who eventually take up with quiet little girl and grenade enthusiast Ti. The countries each have their own defining quirk, and the series explores both how the quirk manifests itself and how the characters impact the people who live there.
The comedy can be dark, such as when a man spends his life committing good deeds so he has the cultural capital to be able to murder someone, and then can’t find anyone to murder. Sometimes it tackles deep rooted societal problems, sometimes it doesn’t.
The great thing about the show is that it’s a very simple framework that allows the people behind it to do a lot of varied things. So long as there is a hook, there’s an episode behind it, and exploring what the hook might be builds the world around it. Each episode is a variety of questions and the answers can be all over the map.
I find that at the end of every episode, I am amused by how the story resolves. Each episode is filled with little thought experiments, and whether or not you agree with the conclusions of the writers it’s always entertaining to see where they take it.
— Devin Wilger
The Red Panda rules
If you want to just sit back and listen to some fine action pulp with a healthy dose of humour then look no farther than The Adventures of the Red Panda.
There is so much to like about the Red Panda, which Wikipedia describes as “a lighthearted radio drama series in the style of old time radio that follows the 1930s adventures of “Canada’s greatest superhero”, the Red Panda, and his trusty sidekick, the “fearless fighting female”, the Flying Squirrel, as they protect the citizens of Toronto, Ontario from villains ranging from gangsters and supervillains to the supernatural forces of darkness.”
I have always liked pulp stories, The Shadow, The Phantom and the Green Lama as examples, but to have a Canadian hero is a huge bonus. That the stories have lots of smiles and laughs make it a great diversion.
“The series was created by Gregg Taylor of Decoder Ring Theatre and earned the company multiple Podcast Award and Parsec Award nominations,” continues Wikipedia. “In 2010 the series won the Parsec Award for excellence in Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form), and earned Decoder Ring Theatre the Podcast Award for best podcast in the Cultural/Arts Category.”
As a podcast these adventures have a radio feel, and that was clearly Taylor’s goal.
“In the tradition of the great mystery men of radio, pulp fiction and the golden age of comics comes The Red Panda, famed protector of 1930s Toronto,” notes the Decoder Ring website.
“Hiding his true identity as one of the city’s wealthiest men behind a bright red domino mask, The Red Panda dispenses two-fisted pulp justice with strength, courage and eerie hypnotic powers. Joined in his quest by that Famed Fighting Female The Flying Squirrel, this Terrific Twosome holds high the lamp of justice in a dark time!”
Taylor was prolific with the Red Panda lasting 11 seasons with 120 episodes, each roughly 30-minutes.
There is an underlying story here, as time passes through the series, so jump in at episode one, and savour the extended journey.
The Red Panda is obviously not a new offering, but it is one of the best of its genre, and is a true Canadian gem. This is one that I completely enjoyed, and gets my highest recommendation.
Decoder Ring Theatre’s shows are available for free download in mp3 format, either directly from their site, via the Podcast Feed or subscribe in iTunes. Or if you prefer, there is a handy player beside each episode. Check it out at www.decoderringtheatre.com
— Calvin Daniels
Cheeky music
For those of us who like a bit of cheeky humour with their funk music, a band from Michigan is supplying the toe-tapping, head-bopping jams with their late-2017 release.
Vulfpeck (a name that is simply delightful to say out loud; go ahead and try it) are a modern funk outfit who’ve been slaving away in the independent music scene since 2011. Hopefully, they’ll reach a wider audience with their latest album, the undeniably catchy and infectious Mr. Finish Line.
Going into the album, you need to know that Vulfpeck is a goofy band. They’re clearly talented musicians, but much like Chromeo or “Weird Al” Yankovic, they never take themselves too seriously. The first time I listened to Mr. Finish Line, it took me a while to adjust to their wacky antics. But if you can groove with silliness, you’ll discover a fun and funny experience.
The hooks and choruses are top-notch throughout the album. Songs like “Birds of a Feather, We Rock Together,” “Tee Time,” and “Business Casual” are instantly memorable and dance-worthy. The instruments are light and bouncy, creating a smooth relaxing atmosphere. My one complaint is that there’s a general lack of bass with some songs, but that’s a minor issue.
Adding to the fun is the lyrics. The title track and the album-closer “Captain Hook” are hilarious tracks. Lines such as “There’s no need to steal from Marvin Gaye/When the hottest hooks are public domain” have me cracking up every time. The quality of the writing gives the album a lot of replay value.
At 35 minutes, Mr. Finish Line is well-worth your time. It’s available on YouTube for free (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3T8d50jzTk) or you can buy it on bandcamp (https://vulfpeck.bandcamp.com/).
— Sean Mott
