Post by Scrooge MacDuck on Sept 18, 2020 19:23:10 GMT
Huh. I still think his “House of Mouse” voice fit the comics character better, but I could get used to this, and Esposito is clearly having a blast voicing him so that's nice to see. A Blot/Magica enmity is a bit unexpected, but not unwelcome. And might have shades of the Blot/Mim comics if you squint.
Sigh. Again, we are treated to the sorry sight of the Angones gang applying a well-known Disney comics character's name to a character who is really a rip-off of non-Disney sources--in this case, it appears, a combination of Thanos and Mordo from the Marvel movies. As with the transformation of Goldie into Catwoman and/or River Song, this obsession with transposing the comics characters into analogues for characters from other franchises shows a complete lack of faith in the source material, if not outright contempt for the source material.
However, while Angones' treatment of the Blot is unquestionably going to be dreadful, I will add that I don't think anyone has gotten the Blot entirely right since the original Gottfredson story. He is not a grandiose, egotistical supervillain who wants to conquer the world; he is a cool, calculating master spy, with a twisted side that manifests itself in his aversion to direct violence and his obsession with cold-blooded death-traps. "The Blot's Double Mystery" is one of the only non-Gottfredson stories in which the Blot really feels like the same character as in Gottfredson; his twisted plan of revenge on Mickey and Chief O'Hara feels like it was contrived by the same brain that dreamed up the death-traps in the original story.
The Western Publishing stories, I suppose, began the Blot's transformation into your standard power-mad ranting Big Villain, and the original Ducktales episode "All Ducks on Deck" (which I do enjoy a lot) set the seal on it. "The Big Fall" came close to returning him to his roots, by giving him a smaller-scale scheme and emphasizing his twisted brain (as shown by his insistence that Mickey know what it feels like to fall into the "bowels of the earth"), but the follow-up "Bedtime Story" went astray giving him a ridiculously over-the-top villainous setup and moved him back into supervillain territory. The "Epic Mickey" video game, the Ultraheroes saga, and the recent Darkwing Duck comics have gone even further by turning him into essentially a quasi-supernatural being.
I will add that I don't think anyone has gotten the Blot entirely right since the original Gottfredson story. He is not a grandiose, egotistical supervillain who wants to conquer the world; he is a cool, calculating master spy, with a twisted side that manifests itself in his aversion to direct violence and his obsession with cold-blooded death-traps.
Look, it's not that I don't sometimes wonder at an alternative history where the Gottfredson Blot was more accurately picked up as a recurring character, but… complaining that no one got the Blot right since Outwits is a bit like complaining that no one has gotten Scrooge McDuck right since Christmas on Bear Mountain.
("What's this nonsense about treasure-hunting and making it square and swimming in money? The core of Scrooge's character is to be a withered old miser who invites people into kid-friendly version of horror movie setups so he can satisfy his misanthropic obsession with BrAvErY!")
For the vast majority of his usage the Blot has been reimagined as a “grandiose, egotistical supervillain”, or at least a “grandiose criminal mastermind” — like it or not. Nor was that undercurrent totally absent in Gottfredson, even if it wasn't yet the soul of the character: the calling card, the showboating, even an ostentatious “Blotmobile” are all elements present in Mickey Mouse Outwits the Phantom Blot. While going back to Gottfredson would have been interesting, it's no betrayal for a modern adaptation to decided to adapt the “consensus”, modern Blot, rather than the 1930's "first draft".
Sigh. Again, we are treated to the sorry sight of the Angones gang applying a well-known Disney comics character's name to a character who is really a rip-off of non-Disney sources--in this case, it appears, a combination of Thanos and Mordo from the Marvel movies.
…well, I just don't see it, here. First, Thanos? Just because he happens to have a gauntlet? And secondly, they indeed repeat the pattern of tacking a new, more X-treme gimmick into an existing character because just being a criminal mastermind would apparently be too pedestrian. Not crazy about that. But from the evidence thus far, he seems more of a Magica than a Goldie to me. The soul of the character (at the very least of the post-Gottfredson character) is still there, additional fantasy gimmick or not.
In the Esposito trailer we see ruthlessness, we see a man of ultimately limited means (outside of his gauntlet he appears to be working from a very ordinary-looking base of operations, not some huge James Bond-esque lair), we see seething, murderous single-minded hatred (albeit tranferred onto Magica rather than Mickey)… and hell, this may be the first animated Blot ever who actually appears to be a man in a cloak, rather than an actual black phantom! Even House of Mouse didn't get that right. I'm really not seeing a betrayal here.
The Western Publishing stories, I suppose, began the Blot's transformation into your standard power-mad ranting Big Villain, and the original Ducktales episode "All Ducks on Deck" (which I do enjoy a lot) set the seal on it. "The Big Fall" came close to returning him to his roots, by giving him a smaller-scale scheme and emphasizing his twisted brain (as shown by his insistence that Mickey know what it feels like to fall into the "bowels of the earth"), but the follow-up "Bedtime Story" went astray giving him a ridiculously over-the-top villainous setup and moved him back into supervillain territory. The "Epic Mickey" video game, the Ultraheroes saga, and the recent Darkwing Duck comics have gone even further by turning him into essentially a quasi-supernatural being.
Also, that's just a ludicrously American-centric view of Disney comics hitory here. I can guarantee you that All Ducks On Deck didn't matter diddly-squat in the evolution of the Phantom Blot as a character, in the grand scheme of things. And The Big Fall/Bedtime Story, delightful as they are, are ultimately weird little evolutionary dead ends. Past the 1960's, anything of note happening to the Blot is happening in Europe, while the U.S.A. only occasionally remember that he even exists.
Also also, Epic Mickey doesn't actually feature the Phantom Blot, even if its Blot-themed antagonist was inspired by the Phantom Blot early in development. The Phantom Blot and the Storm Blot are ultimately… different characters, both in- and out-of-universe. They've even met! Sort of. I also recommend you check Dangerous Currency again if you think the Blot in that story is a “quasi-supernatural being”. He's firmly in grandiose-supervillain mode, yes, but there's nothing supernatural about him. You may be confusing him with the Slime in the same story, which does look rather like Epic Mickey's Blot but is actually entirely unrelated to either (it's in fact an emanation of Negaduck, instead).
Also also also, you seem to be overlooking the pretty darn amazing treatment of the character in Mickey Mouse Works/House of Mouse.
I got the feeling that Phantom Blot is the cause of Gladstone's losing his luck. If that's the case, this plot is reminding me of Sarah Jolley's fancomic Witch Hunt, where a group of medieval-dressed strangers offer Scrooge his services to help him get rid of Magica's threats by using their anti-magic formula to rob her of her powers, but it turns out that they're planning to use it on anyone with magical traits including Gladstone, who has to team up with Magica to save himself. Come to think of that, Blot's cloak seems reminiscent of a medieval coat, and his voice reminds me of those mooks' from The Owl House, who also wear plague doctor masks like the characters from Witch Hunt...
I hope they address more details of F.O.W.L.'s plans against the Duck family, since that's what I missed in the Double-O-Duck episode, but I guess they're gonna drag it out throughout the season and save most details for the finale, like they did with Magica and the Moon Invasion.
Also, that's just a ludicrously American-centric view of Disney comics hitory here. I can guarantee you that All Ducks On Deck didn't matter diddly-squat in the evolution of the Phantom Blot as a character, in the grand scheme of things. And The Big Fall/Bedtime Story, delightful as they are, are ultimately weird little evolutionary dead ends. Past the 1960's, anything of note happening to the Blot is happening in Europe, while the U.S.A. only occasionally remember that he even exists.
My expirance with Bluto from western post-Gottfredson are mainly Paul Murry stories which I found to be mostly a very goofy treatment of the character, while a lot of European stories I seen tend to take more sinister direction... or at least focus on making Blot a threat to Mickey (heck, the first Scarpa take pretty much makes him a mastermind that tries to frames Mickey into a murder)
I for one never cared for the All Ducks on Deck version as aside from giving his a mouth (which I think takes a way a lot of creepyness) I neverl liked that voice which just sounded like a strange Cobra Comander impression. But it's true - House of Mouse/Mouse Works pretty much treated him like a living ink blot (like that costume was ment to be his body) and the oryginal Duck tales also never adress it in any shape or form so this very well the first animated version that makes him a guy in a costume - even if they will never unmask him, it's pretty clear that's the idea.
As for making him a character with vendetta against magic - Meh, I have no problem with this. This show from begining was an alternative interpretation of the universe and this feel like a fresh idea to not make him just another world domination James Bond-ish villian. As you can tell the glove he is using (which seams to be Thanos inspired but not to be distracting) is some type of invention he created which sims to fit with The Blot and idea of him using technology to over-power Magica feels like something he would do and I think It's an interesting idea to have Blot as a villian that is threat to Magica. We will see in few day when the episode will come out in what direction they are planing to take this.
As long it will be true to the spirit of the character I have no problem of them taking him in such directon. Hosue of Mouse short "Color Caper" had Blot wanting to streal all the colors in the world, which was a very childish take but I didn't mind it in a least since it wa true to the character as an evil mastermind (plus the voice was great)
Know as Maciej Kur, Mr. M., Maik, Maiki, Pan, Pan Miluś and many other names.
But it's true - House of Mouse/Mouse Works pretty much treated him like a living ink blot (like that costume was ment to be his body)
Well, that's not quite true — the House of Mouse/Mouse Works Blot monologues in Color Caper about his parents having forced him to wear the inky black cloak ever since his childhood. So it is acknowledged that it's a costume, even if that whole backstory, and the Blot's general gimmick in those cartoons, make him out to be much more inkblot-themed than he ever was in the comics. I meant more that the design the animators gave the Blot fails to parse as a costume, whereas this DT17 version has a clearly-defined hood and even, apparently, a sash of some kind.
Well, that's not quite true — the House of Mouse/Mouse Works Blot monologues in Color Caper about his parents having forced him to wear the inky black cloak ever since his childhood. So it is acknowledged that it's a costume, even if that whole backstory, and the Blot's general gimmick in those cartoons, make him out to be much more inkblot-themed than he ever was in the comics.
Yhe, I may overinterpreted that part .
Know as Maciej Kur, Mr. M., Maik, Maiki, Pan, Pan Miluś and many other names.
Also, that's just a ludicrously American-centric view of Disney comics hitory here. I can guarantee you that All Ducks On Deck didn't matter diddly-squat in the evolution of the Phantom Blot as a character, in the grand scheme of things. And The Big Fall/Bedtime Story, delightful as they are, are ultimately weird little evolutionary dead ends. Past the 1960's, anything of note happening to the Blot is happening in Europe, while the U.S.A. only occasionally remember that he even exists.
My expirance with Bluto from western post-Gottfredson are mainly Paul Murry stories which I found to be mostly a very goofy treatment of the character, while a lot of European stories I seen tend to take more sinister direction... or at least focus on making Blot a threat to Mickey (heck, the first Scarpa take pretty much makes him a mastermind that tries to frames Mickey into a murder)
I for one never cared for the All Ducks on Deck version as aside from giving his a mouth (which I think takes a way a lot of creepyness) I neverl liked that voice which just sounded like a strange Cobra Comander impression. But it's true - House of Mouse/Mouse Works pretty much treated him like a living ink blot (like that costume was ment to be his body) and the oryginal Duck tales also never adress it in any shape or form so this very well the first animated version that makes him a guy in a costume - even if they will never unmask him, it's pretty clear that's the idea.
As for making him a character with vendetta against magic - Meh, I have no problem with this. This show from begining was an alternative interpretation of the universe and this feel like a fresh idea to not make him just another world domination James Bond-ish villian. As you can tell the glove he is using (which seams to be Thanos inspired but not to be distracting) is some type of invention he created which sims to fit with The Blot and idea of him using technology to over-power Magica feels like something he would do and I think It's an interesting idea to have Blot as a villian that is threat to Magica. We will see in few day when the episode will come out in what direction they are planing to take this.
I never got the impression that Phantom Blot in All Ducks was anything more than a guy in a cloak. Maybe it's because of his raspy voice and the lack of a dognose shape in his face that he seemed less-than-natural; we know unmasked Blot has a small nose, but most dogface characters in the show had a proeminent one, making his design distracting.
Now, I just thought of something: this Phantom Blot is on a cruzade against all the magic in the world, so he definitely has a personal motivation for that (Esposito mentioned villains who are more sympathetic these days). Could it be that he was cursed in the past? Those glowing green eyes don't seem part of his costume, nor do they seem natural of an average dogface.
Plus, the synopsis mentioned that Lena will have to face things form her past, implying that it was the period between her creation fifteen years earlier and the time she met Webby. What if Magica was responsible for whatever happened to Phantom Blot, while she was trapped with Lena and Blot blames on Lena? Or maybe it happened before Lena's creation, but he's on against anything that's magical (including maybe Gladstone), so of course he wouldn't spare Lena even if she had nothing to do with what Magica did to him.
As long it will be true to the spirit of the character I have no problem of them taking him in such directon. Hosue of Mouse short "Color Caper" had Blot wanting to streal all the colors in the world, which was a very childish take but I didn't mind it in a least since it wa true to the character as an evil mastermind (plus the voice was great)
This episode is the only memory I have from that version of Phantom Blot. I'm having a hard time finding episodes of House of Mouse and Mickey Mouse Works in Portuguese; any chances that they're included on Disney+ catalog in the future?
Well, I am an American, so my view of the Blot will by necessity be somewhat American-centric. Also, I don't think that the histories of Scrooge and the Blot are the same thing--Scrooge's development took place over the course of many stories all written by the same man, while the Blot lay dormant for a time after his debut, then was revived by people other than his original creator, and cluelessly wrenched out of context in the process (at least in American comics). The Blot's Double Mystery, and to a lesser extent, the Big Fall, show that the character can be returned to his original context and that the prevalent pompous-supervillain depiction isn't the only way to handle him. I do realize that the Blot wasn't technically supernatural in the Darkwing Duck comics, but his use of the ink/slime to all intents and purposes gave him supernatural powers. I never saw the complete House of Mouse treatment of the Blot, but from the clips I've managed to track down, it appears that he was the grandiose supervillain again there, albeit less hammy than in original Ducktales. As for the Marvel comparisons, it's probably fair to say that this Angones "Blot" doesn't appear to resemble Thanos other than in his very Thanos-y glove; that's why I alluded to Mordo as well, since the portentous, humorless voice and the hatred of "magic" evoke that character more than they do Thanos.
Speaking of western stories... a lot of the early Western stories had Blot go after Scrooge's fortune (well, ok - maybe "a lot" would be pushing it but at least the few I seen) I would make sence that a master criminal like him would left Mouseton long time ago and would stick to Duckburg and propably proven himself to be a better theat to Scrooge's bin then The Beagles Boys... or perhaps even Magica.
Then agian, maybe that's why they distinquish the Blot by beling less interested in money and more in world domination type of plot - hipnotizing people to control over them and such.
To be fair even the oryginal story made him sort of James Bond-ish or Batman-ish villian with the gimmick of leaving Mickey in a contrive trap and living him... with a funny explenation why he did it on the end but still.
On a sidenote - I did some Italian stories have Blot mention he hate see things die do to his soft heart so it's interesting that this aspect of the character is still being used around on rare ocassions.
Plus, the synopsis mentioned that Lena will have to face things form her past, implying that it was the period between her creation fifteen years earlier and the time she met Webby. What if Magica was responsible for whatever happened to Phantom Blot, while she was trapped with Lena and Blot blames on Lena? Or maybe it happened before Lena's creation, but he's on against anything that's magical (including maybe Gladstone), so of course he wouldn't spare Lena even if she had nothing to do with what Magica did to him.
The more I think about it Magica is shadow-themed in this show (not to mention Lena's orgin)a and Blot do look like a shadow... so maybe there is a conection?
While It would take away from this darker take on the Blot, I do think it would be funny if they would made the explenation why he hates magic his bad expirance wth Mad Madame Mime from the comics
Know as Maciej Kur, Mr. M., Maik, Maiki, Pan, Pan Miluś and many other names.
Hum... so the Phantom Blot's orgins make him another importal character who is 400+ something years old but... I don't know, it dosen't bother me and it appears to fit a character they wanted be a mystery. Still for a guy who hates magic I can't help to point out that he propably needed magic to well... not die for so long.
[EDIT : Well, ok... Magica say "decades ago" but the flashback clearly show medival times]
This is moslty a Lenna story and there isn't that much development on the Blot - he was mostly a force of nature here - which was a bit dissapointing but at the same time You can tell they are just seting him up to be a treat in the future. Logical for F.O.W.L. to imploy a person who is a specialist in anti-magic stuff since Scrooge has ghosts and (now) a sorceress on his side.
The fact that Blot is going after Magica for "destroying his family" makes him less a villain and more of a dark anti-hero... and is pretty tragic when you think about it. I did like that he didn't had to many goof moments - mainly scenes when he is puzzled by other characters.
It was a bit disapointing that Donald was only a cameo and not even Donald but transformed Gladstone but at the same time it's not something I can hold up agianst the episode itself... I just wish they didn't spoil Donald will be in the episode in the teasers. If I watch the episode not knowing what to expect I think it would have been a funny gag - it's just when you expect Donald will be in the episode it's a "Oh, that's it, huh?" moment.
It was funny to see Gladstone freaking out do to lack of luck and jokes how simple things are a nightmare to him was diffrent enough from the old Duck Tales episode. You don't need to curse Gladstone with a jinx - just taking his regular luck away should be enough to brake him.
I also think it was amusing that the girls spend most of the episode pretty much ignoring Gladstone. At the same time when their meet him for the first time Webby acted like she hated him and - I don't know... I guess "House of lucky Gander" ends with kids no logner being impressed by Gladstone but they seam to be fine with him durng the "Moonvasion".
The way episode used of Magica was interesting but now that she has her magic power back thanks to the amulet there goes my theory she would be ploting to get the dime to restore the magic. So far we didn't get explentation why she had fued with Clan McDuck in the first place... I HOPE they will adress this before the show ends. Still the episode points out she is powerfull again so let's hope we get more of her. Nice lair btw.
Overall it was fine episode. Not my favorite Lena story but a good one and It's nice to see a (mostly) all-girl adventure and it was an interestic location even if I was hoping there will be a little more to it.
Few things I also didn't like -
- The snot joke (Ooooh how I miss the days where gross out humor was seen as inappropriate in kids cartoons)
- Lena's desing after her transformation. Was it... anime inspired? Hard to say. I hope it's just her transfomration when she use her powers, I would grow to hate quckly if she would look like this all the time. She now feels like she less human (well duck) and more some angel-like spirit.
One side note - Magica talks how she "broth Lena to this world". Woudn't it make more sence if Lena didn't refrence Magica as "aunt" but as "mom"? I guess the concept of having an "evil mom to rebel against" would be to much for kids to swallow but they keep bringing up how the two are ment to be related and... yhe, that's true. Magica created her... its's just the "aunt" thing dosen't exactly work from what we know now.
ALSO :
"Magycks"? As in magic? Like since the time she had her power or is this a refrence to something else?
P.S. Oh... And some Italian fans may find Magica eating garlic out off character. In the Italian comic it's been well established for a while that garlic effects her ala vampires and depoweres her magic... plus she hates it in general.
Last Edit: Sept 21, 2020 16:06:24 GMT by Pan Maciej
Know as Maciej Kur, Mr. M., Maik, Maiki, Pan, Pan Miluś and many other names.
Post by Scrooge MacDuck on Sept 21, 2020 17:35:43 GMT
Yeah, the "aunt" thing bothers me too.
That aside… hm.
Hmmmm.
I really didn't click with this one. Even beyond the questionable adaptation of the Blot, the plot just felt contrived and trite and messy. In fact it kind of reminded me of the bad episodes of the original DuckTales, or, anyway, of how the flaws of the original DuckTales would translate in the early-2020's animation climate. Whizz-bang-training montage-lessons about friendship-good lord, but shut up already. I was always kinder than most folks here to the "whoosh! glowy fireball!" magic stuff the 2017 crew started pumping into the Duckverse. But even I have my limits with such things, and that episode exceeded them and half again. Gargh.
Gladstone, at least, was pretty funny.
The scene where Magica tries to fake still having true powers using entry-level stage magic tricks was also absolutely joyful, and in general I've always loved Tate's Magica, and the way Tate's performance is translated into animation. That held true here. But I'm really not mad about the decision to give her her powers back at the end. This was far too short of a time spent with the Barksian-slanted "sorceress" Magica, and it really hurt after that scene drove home what a hilarious concept it can be in animation. I'll take what Tate Magica I can get, but I'm not looking forward to the "whish! bang! Good Magic Beam more powerful than Bad Magic Beam because Friendship! who'dathunkit?" stuff that is sure to follow now.
…Alright, and now let's talk about the Blot.
He felt caught between essentially two different drafts here. The first line about hil outright describes him as a “thief”, and a couple times more throughout the episode he is purported to be trying to “steal” Magica's magic. Okay, yes, that I could get behind more easily. But this is unartfully mingled with a suggestion that he hates magic and wants to… destroy it? Huh? And then later his vendetta seems to be against Magica specifically, regardless of whether she's magical? Oh, and they totally failed to address the Funso's business in any way. He's just an appalling mess of a character.
And he has far too few lines — none of them very inspired, whether in a weighty or witty kind of way — for Esposito to make an impression. I wanted to like this Blot, but I can't. It was unbelievably cathartic to see that daft glove wrenched away for him and destroyed, at least — and to get to see, albeit for a few moments, the symmetrical, all-black Blot of the comics. I dearly hope he stays like that the next time he pops up.
…All that being said, yeah, no, @pan, I don't think anything in this episode is meant to indicate the Blot is medieval, or for that matter that Magica is. His silhouette is seen holding a sword for a few seconds in the shadow-puppet-flashback, but that's probably one of'em Magical Artifacts of Undefined Origin, not an indication that he was a medieval knight.
What I got from the context episode is that Blot is traveling around the world destroying any magic he meets while searching for Magica and now he came to Duckburg hence Gladstone becoming his victim and then Scrooges portal but when he meet Lena he realise she is part of magica...
But Blot STEALING magic not destroing it since the moment the glove is destroyed luck return to Gladsone.
The thing about Lena is that she is pretty much made of magic so by sucking it from her he is KILLING HER but he appears to be ok with that as long he gets what he wants, which makes him pretty evil.
I guess it's the "Vanhellsing hate crime" trope, when a character wants to kill a vampire and dosen't care is the vamprie good or not just as long it's a vampire. Of course Blot has personal vendetta against Magica for destroying his family so her being magical at the moment or not dosen't make much diffrence... Plus he knows if she didnt had magic she would find way to use it anyway.
As for the type of magic on the show... Eh, I don't mind it even if it runs on My Little Pony : Frenidship is Magic logic more then on Harry Potter logic.
Know as Maciej Kur, Mr. M., Maik, Maiki, Pan, Pan Miluś and many other names.