Ferrari theme by Elvfam. Icons by Nebuloso
Download: Ferrari_2.p3t
(1 background)
 | |
.jpg) Headquarters in Maranello, Italy | |
| Company type | Public (S.p.A.) |
|---|---|
| ISIN | NL0011585146  |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 13 September 1939 in Modena, Italy (as Auto Avio Costruzioni)[1] |
| Founder | Enzo Ferrari |
| Headquarters |
44°31′57″N 10°51′51″E / 44.532447°N 10.864137°E |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Products | Sports cars, luxury cars |
Production output |  13,663 units shipped (2023)[3] |
| Revenue | €5.970 billion (2023)[3] |
| €1.617 billion (2023)[3] | |
| € 1.257 billion (2023)[3] | |
| Total assets | € 8.05 billion (2023)[3] |
| Total equity | € 3.07 billion (2023)[3] |
| Owners | |
Number of employees | 4,988 (2023)[3] |
| Divisions | Scuderia Ferrari |
| Website | www |
| Footnotes / references [3] [4][5] | |
Ferrari S.p.A. (/fəˈrɑːri/; Italian: [ferˈraːri]) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and began to produce its current line of road cars in 1947. Ferrari became a public company in 1960, and from 1963 to 2014 it was a subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A. It was spun off from Fiat's successor entity, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, in 2016. In 2024, the Wall Street Journal described the company as having been "synonymous with opulence, meticulous craftsmanship and ridiculously fast cars for nearly a century".[6]
The company currently offers a large model range which includes several supercars, grand tourers, and one SUV. Many early Ferraris, dating to the 1950s and 1960s, count among the most expensive cars ever sold at auction. Owing to a combination of its cars, enthusiast culture, and successful licensing deals, in 2019 Ferrari was labelled the world's strongest brand by the financial consultancy Brand Finance.[7] As of May 2023, Ferrari is also one of the largest car manufacturers by market capitalisation, with a value of approximately US$52 billion.[8]
Throughout its history, the company has been noted for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula One, where its team, Scuderia Ferrari, is the series' single oldest and most successful. Scuderia Ferrari has raced since 1929, first in Grand Prix events and later in Formula One, where since 1952 it has fielded fifteen champion drivers, won sixteen Constructors' Championships, and accumulated more race victories, 1–2 finishes, podiums, pole positions, fastest laps and points than any other team in F1 history.[9][10] Historically, Ferrari was also highly active in sports car racing, where its cars took many wins in races such as the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as several overall victories in the World Sportscar Championship. Scuderia Ferrari fans, commonly called tifosi, are known for their passion and loyalty to the team.
History[edit]
Early history[edit]
Enzo Ferrari, formerly a salesman and racing driver for Alfa Romeo, founded Scuderia Ferrari, a racing team, in 1929. Originally intended to service gentleman drivers and other amateur racers, Alfa Romeo's withdrawal from racing in 1933, combined with Enzo's connections within the company, turned Scuderia Ferrari into its unofficial representative on the track.[11] Alfa Romeo supplied racing cars to Ferrari, who eventually amassed some of the best drivers of the 1930s and won many races before the team's liquidation in 1937.[11][12]: 43
Late in 1937, Scuderia Ferrari was liquidated and absorbed into Alfa Romeo,[11] but Enzo's disagreements with upper management caused him to leave in 1939. He used his settlement to found his own company, where he intended to produce his own cars. He called the company "Auto Avio Costruzioni", and headquartered it in the facilities of the old Scuderia Ferrari;[1] due to a noncompete agreement with Alfa Romeo, the company could not use the Ferrari name for another four years. The company produced a single car, the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, which participated in only one race before the outbreak of World War II. During the war, Enzo's company produced aircraft engines and machine tools for the Italian military; the contracts for these goods were lucrative, and provided the new company with a great deal of capital. In 1943, under threat of Allied bombing raids, the company's factory was moved to Maranello. Though the new facility was nonetheless bombed twice, Ferrari remains in Maranello to this day.[1][12]: 45–47 [13]
Under Enzo Ferrari[edit]
In 1945, Ferrari adopted its current name. Work started promptly on a new V12 engine that would power the 125 S, which was the marque's first car, and many subsequent Ferraris. The company saw success in motorsport almost as soon as it began racing: the 125 S won many races in 1947,[16][17] and several early victories, including the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1951 Carrera Panamericana, helped build Ferrari's reputation as a high-quality automaker.[18][19] Ferrari won several more races in the coming years,[9][20] and early in the 1950s its road cars were already a favourite of the international elite.[21] Ferrari produced many families of interrelated cars, including the America, Monza, and 250 series, and the company's first series-produced car was the 250 GT Coupé, beginning in 1958.[22]
In 1960, Ferrari was reorganized as a public company. It soon began searching for a business partner to handle its manufacturing operations: it first approached Ford in 1963, though negotiations fell through; later talks with Fiat, who bought 50% of Ferrari's shares in 1969, were more successful.[23][24] In the second half of the decade, Ferrari also produced two cars that upended its more traditional models: the 1967 Dino 206 GT, which was its first mass-produced mid-engined road car,[a] and the 1968 365 GTB/4, which possessed streamlined styling that modernised Ferrari's design language.[27][28] The Dino in particular was a decisive movement away from the company's conservative engineering approach, where every road-going Ferrari featured a V12 engine placed in the front of the car, and it presaged Ferrari's full embrace of mid-engine architecture, as well as V6 and V8 engines, in the 1970s and 1980s.[27]
Contemporary[edit]
Enzo Ferrari died in 1988, an event that saw Fiat expand its stake to 90%.[29] The last car that he personally approved—the F40—expanded on the flagship supercar approach first tried by the 288 GTO four years earlier.[30] Enzo was replaced in 1991 by Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, under whose 23-year-long chairmanship the company greatly expanded. Between 1991 and 2014, he increased the profitability of Ferrari's road cars nearly tenfold, both by increasing the range of cars offered and through limiting the total number produced. Montezemolo's chairmanship also saw an expansion in licensing deals, a drastic improvement in Ferrari's Formula One performance (not least through the hiring of Michael Schumacher and Jean Todt), and the production of three more flagship cars: the F50, the Enzo, and the LaFerrari. In addition to his leadership of Ferrari, Montezemolo was also the chairman of Fiat proper between 2004 and 2010.[31]
After Montezemolo resigned, he was replaced in quick succession by many new chairmen and CEOs. He was succeeded first by Sergio Marchionne,[31] who would oversee Ferrari's initial public offering and subsequent spin-off from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles,[32][33] and then by Louis Camilleri as CEO and John Elkann as chairman.[34] Beginning in 2021, Camilleri was replaced as CEO by Benedetto Vigna, who has announced plans to develop Ferrari's first fully electric model.[35] During this period, Ferrari has expanded its production, owing to a global increase in wealth, while becoming more selective with its licensing deals.[36][37]
Motorsport[edit]
Since the company's beginnings, Ferrari has been involved in motorsport. Through its works team, Scuderia Ferrari, it has competed in a range of categories including Formula One and sports car racing, though the company has also worked in partnership with other teams.
Grand Prix and Formula One racing[edit]
The earliest Ferrari entity, Scuderia Ferrari, was created in 1929—ten years before the founding of Ferrari proper—as a Grand Prix racing team. It was affiliated with automaker Alfa Romeo, for whom Enzo had worked in the 1920s. Alfa Romeo supplied racing cars to Ferrari, which the team then tuned and adjusted to their desired specifications. Scuderia Ferrari was highly successful in the 1930s: between 1929 and 1937 the team fielded such top drivers as Antonio Ascari, Giuseppe Campari, and Tazio Nuvolari, and won 144 out of its 225 races.[12][11]
Ferrari returned to Grand Prix racing in 1947, which was at that point metamorphosing into modern-day Formula One. The team's first homebuilt Grand Prix car, the 125 F1, was first raced at the 1948 Italian Grand Prix, where its encouraging performance convinced Enzo to continue the company's costly Grand Prix racing programme.[38]: 9 Ferrari's first victory in an F1 series was at the 1951 British Grand Prix, heralding its strong performance during the 1950s and early 1960s: between 1952 and 1964, the team took home six World Drivers' Championships and one Constructors' Championship. Notable Ferrari drivers from this era include Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, and John Surtees.[9]
Ferrari's initial fortunes ran dry after 1964, and its began to receive its titles in isolated sprees.[10] Ferrari first started to slip in the late 1960s, when it was outclassed by teams using the inexpensive, well-engineered Cosworth DFV engine.[39][40] The team's performance improved markedly in the mid-1970s thanks to Niki Lauda, whose skill behind the wheel granted Ferrari a drivers' title in 1975 and 1977; similar success was accomplished in following years by the likes of Jody Scheckter and Gilles Villeneuve.[10][41] The team also won the Constructors' Championship in 1982 and 1983.[9][42]
Following another drought in the 1980s and 1990s, Ferrari saw a long winning streak in the 2000s, largely through the work of Michael Schumacher. After signing onto the team in 1996, Schumacher gave Ferrari five consecutive drivers' titles between 2000 and 2004; this was accompanied by six consecutive constructors' titles, beginning in 1999. Ferrari was especially dominant in the 2004 season, where it lost only three races.[9] After Schumacher's departure, Ferrari won one more drivers' title—given in 2007 to Kimi Räikkönen—and two constructors' titles in 2007 and 2008. These are the team's most recent titles to date; as of late, Ferrari has struggled to outdo recently ascendant teams such as Red Bull and Mercedes-Benz.[9][10]
Ferrari Driver Academy[edit]
Ferrari's junior driver programme is the Ferrari Driver Academy. Begun in 2009, the initiative follows the team's successful grooming of Felipe Massa between 2003 and 2006. Drivers who are accepted into the Academy learn the rules and history of formula racing as they compete, with Ferrari's support, in feeder classes such as Formula Three and Formula 4.[43][44][45] As of 2019, 5 out of 18 programme inductees had graduated and become F1 drivers: one of these drivers, Charles Leclerc, came to race for Scuderia Ferrari, while the other four signed to other teams. Non-graduate drivers have participated in racing development, filled consultant roles, or left the Academy to continue racing in lower-tier formulae.[45]
Sports car racing[edit]
Aside from an abortive effort in 1940, Ferrari began racing sports cars in 1947, when the 125 S won six out of the ten races it participated in. [16] Ferrari continued to see similar luck in the years to follow: by 1957, just ten years after beginning to compete, Ferrari had won three World Sportscar Championships, seven victories in the Mille Miglia, and two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, among many other races[20] These races were ideal environments for the development and promotion of Ferrari's earlier road cars, which were broadly similar to their racing counterparts.[46]
This luck continued into the first half of the 1960s, when Ferrari won the WSC's 2000GT class three consecutive times and finished first at Le Mans for six consecutive years.[47][48] Its winning streak at Le Mans was broken by Ford in 1966,[48] and though Ferrari would win two more WSC titles—one in 1967 and another in 1972[49][50]—poor revenue allocation, combined with languishing performance in Formula One, led the company to cease competing in sports car events in 1973.[24]: 621 From that point onward, Ferrari would help prepare sports racing cars for privateer teams, but would not race them itself.[51]
.jpg)
In 2023, Ferrari reentered sports car racing. For the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship, Ferrari, in partnership with AF Corse, fielded two 499P sports prototypes. To commemorate the company's return to the discipline, one of the cars was numbered "50", referencing the fifty years that had elapsed since a works Ferrari competed in an endurance race.[52][53] The 499P finished first at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, ending Toyota Gazoo Racing's six-year winning streak there and becoming the first Ferrari in 58 years to win the race.[54]At the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari achieved its eleventh victory, second consecutive at Le Mans since 1965 with the No. 50 499P driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen. While the Ferrari No. 51 499P driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, a
Megaman v1.1 w/ Custom Sounds
Megaman v1.1 theme by Caleb Frey (aka Frey)
Download: Megaman1.1.p3t
(5 backgrounds)
P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon
This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!
Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip
Instructions:
Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.
The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.
The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].
For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.
Right Arm of the Devil Nero (DMC4)
Right Arm of the Devil Nero (DMC4) theme by Genesis
Download: RightArmoftheDevilNero.p3t
(3 backgrounds)
P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon
This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!
Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip
Instructions:
Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.
The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.
The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].
For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.
Armored Core #2
Armored Core theme by Elvfam. Icons by Nebuloso
Download: ArmoredCore_2.p3t
(1 background)
| Armored Core | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Developer(s) | FromSoftware |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Platform(s) | |
| First release | Armored Core July 10, 1997 |
| Latest release | Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon August 25, 2023 |
Armored Core[a] is a third-person shooter mecha video game series developed by FromSoftware. The series centers on a silent protagonist who takes on work as a mercenary pilot in the far future, operating large robot combat units known as Armored Cores at the behest of corporate and private clients. As the player completes missions for these clients, they gain credits to improve their Armored Core and unlock further opportunities to make money. Some games include an "Arena" mode in which the player fights other Armored Core pilots in head-to-head battles, which can reward the player with further income or prestige.
Several story continuities exist, spread across 13 main games, seven spin-offs, and three remastered re-releases, with different releases divided by a different set of "generations" of sequels that starts with every numbered entry. The first game in the series, Armored Core, was released in 1997, while the most recent, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, was released in 2023.[1][2] The series has been released on the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, mobile phones, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Premise[edit]
In the original continuity established by 1997's Armored Core through 2001's Armored Core 2: Another Age, Earth experienced a cataclysm known as the "Great Destruction" and humanity has been forced underground. Corporations begin fighting for dominance, leading to the increasing reliance on Armored Core pilots called Ravens.[3] Following the events of 1999's Armored Core: Master of Arena, humanity rebuilds and colonizes Mars. Through 2000's Armored Core 2 and its expansion, Another Age, the fledgling Earth government struggles to maintain power as opportunistic corporations exploit the power gap and rebel groups resist against the hegemony of government and business interests.[4][5]
The series was rebooted with 2002's Armored Core 3, beginning a new story arc that concluded with Armored Core: Last Raven in 2005. Following a global nuclear war, humanity has retreated underground. Following centuries of rule by an artificial intelligence called The Controller, its decay leads to the destruction of much of humanity's underground network, causing them to look toward the surface for safety.[6] By the end of 2003's Silent Line: Armored Core, humanity has fully returned to the surface of Earth.[7] The final two games of this continuity, 2004's Armored Core: Nexus and 2005's Armored Core: Last Raven involve the end of the existing power dynamic of corporations and Ravens fighting over the surface.[8][9]
2006's Armored Core 4 rebooted the series yet again. Here, corporations have seized control of Earth governments and are waging war across the surface for dominance. A war waged over the course of the game pollutes the environment, leading to the creation of floating cities in 2008's Armored Core: For Answer. Depending on the player's choices, humanity either barely survives the fallout of For Answer's conflict or is completely eradicated.[10][11]
The third continuity of the series continued with 2012's Armored Core V. A single corporation has dominance over a contaminated Earth and is being opposed by a resistance faction that seeks to overthrow them. 2013's Armored Core: Verdict Day details the outbreak of another war 100 years later following an apocalyptic event.[12][13]
Another continuity has begun with 2023's Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. For the first time in the series, it takes place far away from Earth in a human-colonized solar system on the planet Rubicon 3. Decades prior to the game's start, a powerful resource called Coral was discovered, leading to significant technological advancements, but a disaster called the Fires of Ibis scorched the entire Rubicon system and left it highly contaminated. However, the Coral, thought to have all burned, has begun to reappear, bringing multiple corporations into conflict for control of it which, in turn, has brought the attention of mercenaries. Added into the conflict are the Planetary Closure Administration, an organization tasked with quarantining Rubicon, and the Rubicon Liberation Front, a resistance group who venerate the Coral, wishing to end its exploitation and free the planet.
Gameplay[edit]
Within the core games of the franchise, the gameplay is generally focused on the player taking the role of a mech-piloting mercenary, taking on missions for various clients and gaining currency from completing them.[14] Missions can involve multiple objectives and pit the player against computer controlled opponents, some of which pilot mechs as well.[15] Upon completion of a mission, the operating costs of the mech, such as repairs and ammunition, are deducted from the total earnings of the player, as well as compensation for destroying valuable objects within the mission area. Likewise, if the player loses a mission, those same deductions occur from the player's direct balance.[16]
The game's mechs, called Armored Cores (or ACs for short), are highly customizable with hundreds of parts and weapons that can be purchased from an in-game shop or by fulfilling certain requirements.[17] Different parts can provide gameplay advantages in certain terrains or against certain enemies, which forces the player to put thought into how to approach the construction of their mech as each sortie often has different obstacles and hazards to overcome.[14] The customization of Armored Cores is strictly limited by multiple factors such as the maximum weight load of their leg parts, or the energy output of their generators supplying power to all equipped parts of the AC. As such, an Armored Core's performance varies depending on the parts which compose it.
Many of the franchise's games feature a branching storyline where taking on certain missions can block off others, with consequences of a player's decision in mission being relayed to them at the end of a mission. Certain games require multiple playthroughs to access additional contents, such as missions inaccessible during initial playthrough, and even different endings that adds additional lore and context to the games.[18]
An Arena mode introduced in Armored Core: Project Phantasma gave players the opportunity to fight opponents outside of missions for additional rewards. Project Phantasma also introduced the import feature, allowing players to retain their progress from a previous entry when starting a new one.[19] This import feature would become a mainstay of the franchise, with "expansion" titles like Silent Line: Armored Core allowing for importing save data.[20]
Multiplayer[edit]
Since its first release, the Armored Core games have featured multiplayer options in some form. In the original PlayStation era, local split-screen multiplayer modes were the primary method, generally featuring head-to-head battles.[21] A PlayStation Link Cable feature, allowing for the connection of two PlayStation consoles, was included in all three original Armored Core titles.[22]
With the PlayStation 2, split-screen and console linking continue to be the primary source of multiplayer. 2004's Armored Core: Nexus introduced the LAN multiplayer mode, in addition to connecting through their internet service and allowed up to 4 players to fight in matches together.[23]
Online multiplayer was first introduced in the Japanese release of Armored Core 2: Another Age, but was removed in other regions due to the PlayStation Network Adapter not being ready in time.[24] No PlayStation 2-era game after this release would include online play either, with the first game to do so being Armored Core 4.[10]
Games[edit]
| 1997 | Armored Core |
|---|---|
| Project Phantasma | |
| 1998 | |
| 1999 | Master of Arena |
| 2000 | Armored Core 2 |
| 2001 | 2: Another Age |
| 2002 | Armored Core 3 |
| 2003 | Silent Line |
| 2004 | Nexus |
| Nine Breaker | |
| Formula Front | |
| 2005 | Last Raven |
| 2006 | Armored Core 4 |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | For Answer |
| 2009–2011 | |
| 2012 | Armored Core V |
| 2013 | Verdict Day |
| 2014–2022 | |
| 2023 | Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon |
Armored Core[edit]
The original trilogy of Armored Core games were developed for the original PlayStation by FromSoftware and established many of the core themes and mechanics that would be found in the rest of the series. The debut title, Armored Core, was released on July 10, 1997, in Japan.[25] Story elements like corporate-funded conflicts, post-apocalyptic settings, and silent protagonists were introduced in the first game. The game's mechanics revolve around taking on missions from various clients for pay, using earned money to customize the player's Armored Core unit.[14]
Armored Core: Project Phantasma was released as a stand-alone expansion to the original game, released on December 4, 1997.[26] Project Phantasma introduced an Arena mechanic that would be expanded on in later titles, as well as an import mechanic that would become an important feature through the franchise. Players were able to import save data from earlier Armored Core games and bring their existing Armored Core units into the expansions.[19]
A second stand-alone expansion, Armored Core: Master of Arena, was released on February 4, 1999, and was the final game released for the original PlayStation.[27] It concluded the core arc of the original Armored Core and greatly expanded on the Arena mechanic introduced in Project Phantasma.[28] Like its predecessor, Master of Arena allowed players to import save files from both the original Armored Core and Project Phantasma to continue their progress.[29]
All three games from the original PlayStation era were re-released on the PlayStation Network in 2007 for the tenth anniversary of the original title.[30][31][32] The original Armored Core was also released on the Japanese PlayStation Classic in 2018.[33]
Armored Core 2[edit]
With the transition to the PlayStation 2, FromSoftware released Armored Core 2 as a launch title in Japan on August 3, 2000.[34] As a narrative sequel to the original trilogy, Armored Core 2 transitioned the series away from the post-apocalyptic setting and added more science fiction elements, such as Mars colonization. Much of the gameplay remained the same, including the mission structure, customization, and Arena modes.[35][4] The title did overhaul the visuals from the original game, taking advantage of the added power of the new console, but overall designs stayed similar.[36] Unlike Project Phantasma and Master of Arena, players could not import their saves to the new game.
Armored Core 2: Another Age was released on April 12, 2001, as a stand-alone expansion.[37] It allowed players to import their save files from Armored Core 2 and continue with their existing Armored Core units.[38] The game introduced movement controls using the DualShock analog sticks and cooperative mission mode.[39] The Japanese version of Armored Core 2 was the first title to include online broadband play, allowing players to fight each other over the internet.[24]
Armored Core 3[edit]
Armored Core 3 was released on April 4, 2002, and served as a reboot for the franchise.[40] The story returned to a post-apocalyptic setting and retained the core concept of corporate warfare and mercenary mission structure. Very little gameplay was changed from the earlier PlayStation 2 titles, instead focusing on incremental improvements and minor features like USB mice, computer-controlled allies, and surround sound.[6][41][42] Due to its nature as a reboot, players could not import save data from Armored Core 2 or Another Age.
A stand-alone expansion, Silent Line: Armored Core, was released on January 23, 2003, and was a direct sequel to Armored Core 3.[43] Like other expansions in the franchise, players could import their progress from Armored Core 3 into Silent Line, retaining their parts and credits from the earlier game.[20] Silent Line introduced new gameplay mechanics, including computer-controlled companions and a first person mode.[44][45]
Armored Core: Nexus was released on March 18, 2004, as a direct sequel to Silent Line.[46] Unlike its predecessor, Nexus was treated as a core entry rather than an expansion and did not allow for save data import.[47] While carrying over parts from 3 and Silent Line, mechanics changed significantly compared to past expansions. The heat mechanic introduced in Armored Core 2 was made much more influential, especially with the introduction of booster heat. All part stats were also totally redistributed. The game was the first in the franchise to include support for dual analog sticks. It also introduced a new LAN multiplayer mode that allowed up to 4 players to participate in matches against each other.[23]
Armored Core: Last Raven was released on August 4, 2005, and served as the conclusion to Armored Core 3's story arc.[48] The game is structured around a 24-hour clock that moves forward as missions progress. At the end of the 24-hour period, choices made by the player can alter the outcome of the plot.[49] The game introduced a component damage system, allowing for individual parts to be broken in combat.[50]
Armored Core 4[edit]
Armored Core 4 was released on December 21, 2006, for the PlayStation 3, serving as another reboot for the franchise. An Xbox 360 version, the first instance of a main title in the franchise being released outside of the PlayStation ecosystem, was released on March 22, 2007.[51] Gameplay in Armored Core 4 has been sped up and streamlined from its predecessors in an attempt to make the game more accessible to new players.[52] The game marks the first instance of online multiplayer outside of the Japanese release of Armored Core 2: Another Age.[53]
Armored Core: For Answer was released on March 19, 2008, as a standalone expansion to Armored Core 4.[54] It incorporates an online co-operative mode and a branching storyline.[55] The game was noted for its technical problems on the PlayStation 3 version.[56] Like Nexus, this game did not simply add content to its predecessor and changed gameplay by greatly increasing booster speeds and increasing generator performance.
Armored Core V[edit]
Armored Core V was released on January 26, 2012, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and acts as indirect sequel to Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: For Answer.[57] The game focuses on the online multiplayer component and includes far fewer offline story missions than its predecessors.[12] In the game's online mode, players battle for territory in teams of up to 20 players. A co-operative mode is included for players to fight NPCs alongside other players for various rewards.[58]
Armored Core: Verdict Day was released on September 24, 2013, as a standalone expansion to Armored Core V.[59] The game retains its predecessor's multiplayer focus, though it allows players to create teams of AI companions instead of requiring teams composed entirely of players.[60] A full-length story mode returns alongside a newly implemented "hardcore mode", and players can import their saved games from Armored Core V to retain their personalized mechs.[61]
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon[edit]
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon was announced at The Game Awards 2022 on December 8. It is another reboot of the series, unrelated to any past games, set in an alternate future where humanity has developed an interstellar civilization. The player character, codenamed "C4-621" is an augmented Armored Core pilot sent to the distant planet Rubicon 3 to fight in a war between corporations, the government and the local inhabitants for the control of a highly valuable resource called "Coral" which only exists there. The game was released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on August 25, 2023.[62][63]
Spin-offs[edit]
In 2004, FromSoftware released two spin-offs from the main Armored Core series. The first, Armored Core: Nine Breaker was released on October 28, 2004, for the PlayStation 2.[64] Removing the focus from story-based missions, the game is instead built around an Arena mode where the player must compete with computer-controlled opponents to increase their rank.[65] Minigames designed as training exercises were included to allow players to practice specific skills.[66]
Armored Core: Formula Front was released on December 12, 2004, for the PlayStation Portable.[67] Like Nine Breaker, its focus was on Arena-style gameplay, though a new mechanic put a focus on building an artificial intelligence strategy for the Armored Core units to execute.[68] Formula Front was later released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan.[69]
Several mobile games were released in the Armored Core franchise from 2004 to 2008, but they were never released outside of Japan.[70] An American version of these mobile games was in development around 2005, but the title was never released.[71]
Other media[edit]
Armored Core: Tower City Blade is a manga by Fujimi Shobo based on the game. It was serialized in Dragon Age Pure between March 14 and April 14, 2007. A project called Armored Core: Fort Tower Song was to consist of a book and an anime also released in 2007. The book was completed but the anime was not.[72] From Software announced in 2011 that the anime had been canceled due to View Works shutting down.[73]
Legacy[edit]
The making of Armored Core solidified FromSoftware's development skills, and in July 1999, they released the multiplayer action game Frame Gride for the Sega Dreamcast.[74] The company's focus would shift from RPGs to mech games due in part to the success of the Armored Core series. In 2002, FromSoftware released the mech action game Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit for the Xbox.[74] In 2004, they released another Xbox title, Metal Wolf Chaos. In 2005, FromSoftware would start to produce a series of licensed games based on the various anime properties under the banner Another Century's Episode.[75] Kenichiro Tsukuda, the producer of the Armored Core series produced a very similar video game called Daemon X Machina that was released for the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows.[76]
Footnotes[edit]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Diaz, Ana (2022-12-08). "FromSoftware reveals a reboot for Armored Core". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (2022-12-09). "Armored Core VI Announced, Which Isn't A Souls Game". Kotaku. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ^ Chang, Clint (November 4, 1997). "Armored Core Review". Game Revolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ a b
Burst Angel
Burst Angel theme by Kiri
Download: BurstAngel.p3t
(7 backgrounds)
Burst Angel 
Third DVD cover, featuring (from left to right) Meg, Jo, Amy and Sei爆裂天使
(Bakuretsu Tenshi)Genre Anime television series Directed by Koichi Ohata Produced by - Naomi Nishiguchi
- Naoshi Imamoto
- Toshio Hatanaka
Written by Fumihiko Shimo Music by Masara Nishida Studio Gonzo Licensed by Original network TV Asahi English network - SA: Animax
Original run April 7, 2004 – September 22, 2004 Episodes 24 Manga Burst Angel: Angel's Adolescence Written by Minoru Murao Published by MediaWorks English publisher - NA:
- Tokyopop (former)
- Titan Comics
Magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! Demographic Shōnen Original run January 27, 2004 – June 27, 2005 Volumes 3 Original video animation Burst Angel: Infinity Directed by Koichi Ohata Written by Fumihiko Shimo Music by Masara Nishida Studio Gonzo Licensed by Released March 23, 2007 Runtime 25 minutes Burst Angel (Japanese: 爆裂天使, Hepburn: Bakuretsu Tenshi) is a Japanese anime television series directed by Koichi Ohata, from a screenplay by Fumihiko Shimo. It was produced by the Gonzo animation studio. Burst Angel takes place in the near future, after a rise in criminal activity forced the Japanese government to allow citizens to possess firearms and establish the Recently Armed Police of Tokyo (RAPT). The series follows a band of four mercenaries, named Jo, Meg, Sei, and Amy. It was broadcast for 24-episodes on TV Asahi from April to September 2004. An original video animation (OVA), titled Burst Angel: Infinity, was released in 2007.
Plot[edit]
In the near future, due to an unusual rise in criminal activity, it has become legal to possess firearms in Japan so lawful citizens can protect themselves. At the same time, the government established the Recently Armed Police of Tokyo, whose methods are exterminating criminals rather than arresting them.
The story opens with Kyohei Tachibana, a male college student at a culinary arts school with dreams of someday becoming a pastry chef, motorcycling down an inner city street and becoming caught up in a shoot-out between a mysterious silver-haired woman and a psycho gangster. Kyohei escapes unharmed and ends up working as a cook for Jo, Meg, Amy, and Sei in an effort to gather up enough money to travel to France. The girls, ranging in ages of eleven to nineteen, turn out to be pseudo-mercenary agents for a larger international group known as Bailan.
Burst Angel focuses on the group as they investigate a series of mutated human monsters with glowing brains that cause various amounts of mayhem in Tokyo.
Characters[edit]
Main[edit]
Three of the four girls (Jo, Meg, and Amy) are named after the March sisters in the novel Little Women.[4]
- Jo (ジョウ, Jō)
- Voiced by: Akeno Watanabe (Japanese); Monica Rial[5] (English)
- Jo is the muscle of the group, as well as the pilot of Django, which she uses to carry out various missions for Sei and to help out her friends when they're in need, mainly Meg. Jo also puts Meg over anything else, which she stated when telling Meg that she fights for her. It is heavily implied throughout the series that she has romantic feelings for Meg. When she is not fighting, she enjoys watching horror or gore related movies. Jo would eventually rediscover her past as a genetically engineered war machine in human form. After being forced to surrender with Meg and others held hostage, Jo returns to the secret labs for reprogramming and conditioning at Hinode. Jo's counterpart, Maria, frees her and Meg to prove who was the strongest by re-staging the fight they were unable to finish in their past. After the fight between Maria and Jo, which pushes both of them to their limits, Maria loses her will to fight and is restored to her true humanity. Reunited with the group, Jo decides that she has to destroy RAPT. Against Meg's will, who is highly opposed to the idea after seeing her go through a lifetime of combat, Jo knocks Meg out for her own safety, bids her farewell, and leaves her jacket behind for her to remember her by.
- ADR Director Christopher Bevins comments that Jo is "like a female cross between Clint Eastwood and Wolverine".[5]
- Meg (メグ, Megu)
- Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese); Jamie Marchi[5] (English)
- Meg has red hair (although in her first appearance chronologically in episode 14: "Wild Kids", she is portrayed as having black hair due to the monochrome setting) and dresses like a cowgirl. She carries a small revolver, and, at times, a large anti-tank rifle. Meg is highly prone to be captured, only to be rescued by Jo. She is the very best of friends with Jo and is 100% loyal only to her. Meg was once an orphan in New York City with several other children until she encountered Jo. Since then, Meg and Jo partnered and became bounty hunters together. Her personality is one of the main differences between anime and manga, while the anime tries to keep her relationship with Jo on the verge of friendly affection and subtle subtext, the manga prequel quite openly shows that Meg is experiencing a sexual attraction to her friend, fantasizing about their sex or even openly trying to seduce Jo. The other children appeared to have been adopted by a police officer. After she finds out Jo's origin, she feels that Jo should no longer fight. Jo however knocks her out and leaves her jacket with her. At the end of the series, Meg makes her way to the ruined RAPT HQ and sees Jo's scarf tied on a piece of debris. Meg then says her final goodbye to Jo. The final scene shows Meg in Jo's outfit, in a scene very much paralleling the beginning of the opening titles, only with an Orange Django behind her.
- In the Newtype magazine article, Meg is the "'spunky act now, ask questions later' gal" and that voice actor Jamie Marchi "brilliantly captured Meg's What-ever attitude".[5]
- Sei (セイ)
- Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (Japanese); Clarine Harp[5] (English)
- She is the kind leader of the group who hires Jo and Meg to become members of Bailan. She wears a long blue jacket and her black hair in a bun. Sei's grandfather runs Bailan and comes from a very powerful Chinese family. Sei was born and raised as a traditional Chinese girl and was trained in various ways of her clan/syndicate. After her grandfather stepped down as leader of the clan, their current clan members made a partnership with RAPT to preserve their clan. However, such actions not only disgusted Sei, she was also forced to do many things for RAPT in Bailan's name. She eventually rebelled against her own organization under the advice of her grandfather. Along with Jo she was caught in the explosion after destroying RAPT HQ and is presumably dead.
- In the Newtype magazine article, Bevins comments that Sei's character is cold, business-like, and notes that Clarine Harp's personality of sarcastic exterior, but most caring and fiercely loyal interior, "that's Sei to a T".[5]
- Amy (エイミー, Eimī)
- Voiced by: Mikako Takahashi (Japanese); Alison Retzloff[5] (English)
- A young genius in computers and technology. She was saved and recruited by Sei after her hacking drew attention from the authorities in her own country. It was through her hacking skills that Sei managed to recruit Jo and Meg. She often argues with Meg in a friendly way and loves scarfing down Kyohei's various treats. Her hair is light brown, and worn in pigtails. Amy's often seen carrying a pink stuffed animal that contains a laptop.
- In the Newtype magazine article, Bevins comments that "while Amy is just as brainy as Conan" (the title character in Case Closed, and also voiced by Retzloff), "she has a prissy, snotty demeanor that would give the young detective a migraine".[5]
Supporting characters[edit]
- Kyohei Tachibana (立場無 恭平, Tachibana Kyōhei)
- Voiced by: Yūji Ueda (Japanese); Greg Ayres (English)
- A student attending a certified culinary school who is proficient in French, Chinese, Italian and Japanese cooking. Kyohei is often seen wearing his chef uniform and riding a small motor scooter which is destroyed by Jo on two occasions. He is hired by Sei as a cook for the girls because their last cook had left. He continues working for the team to earn money to go to France and try becoming a pastry chef.
- Leo Jinno (仁野 レオ, Jin'no Reo)
- Voiced by: Takayuki Sugō (Japanese); Mike McFarland (English)
- He is Django's mechanic. Leo hates that Jo plays rough with Django and that Meg annoys him when he's working. He has trouble controlling his urges to act like a child as seen when the team goes to Fortune Island Artificial Beach resort. There, he smashes a go-kart out of the raceway and down the street. Despite being the team's mechanic, he has seen combat on several occasion wielding a pair of sub-machine guns.
- Takane Katsu (勝 鷹音, Katsu Takane)
- Voiced by: Risa Hayamizu (Japanese); Caitlin Glass (English)
- A loud-mouthed, bike-riding police officer from Osaka. Takane is often seen riding a chopper and wears a uniform resembling that of a schoolgirl. She carries a large wooden sword, which she swings around often as it symbolizes her leadership of an all girl biker gang who often act as her deputies. She's also efficient at throwing handcuffs and subduing her target. Takane is quick to lose her temper and hates being in debt to anyone. She is also the daughter of the Police Chief of Osaka. After crossing paths with the team however, she becomes attached to the team and assists them any way she can as a debt to Jo even if it means disobeying her father.
Antagonists[edit]
- Ishihara (石原)
- Voiced by: Katsuhisa Hōki (Japanese); Kent Williams (English)
- The governor of Tokyo and the founder of RAPT. Though he puts on the act of wanting to restore the city as a peaceful crime-free capital, in truth, he relies on ruthless methods for executing criminals and blames other companies and businesses for his shortcomings. Ishihara also makes a deal with Azuma Iriki that he would get total control of Osaka if he agreed to help the governor take over. He explains to Chief Katsu in "Tsutenkaku Tower, Drenched in Tears" that he established RAPT due to his jealousy over Osaka's less toxic community. After many scuffles with Jo's team, Glenford tries to kill Ishihara by trapping him inside a building and using a bomb to destroy it, after which, Glenford replaces him as governor. As it turns out, Ishihara actually survives the explosion and is mutated into a zombie-like beast. During his time as a mutant, Ishihara attacks the underground railways, burning for revenge against Glenford. After emerging from his iron grave, the Ishihara battles Bailan's forces in an organic mech form. After a short yet violent battle, Jo uses Django to kill the zombie.
- Ricky Glenford (リッキーグレンフォード, Rikkī Gurenfōdo)
- Voiced by: Yukitoshi Hori (Japanese); Jerry Russell (English)
- The leader of RAPT. He organized the creation of the "Genocide Angels" program which leads to the creation of Jo, Maria, and others like them. After organizing the assassination of Ishihara, he takes control of Tokyo and puts it under martial law. His true identity turns out to be a glowing brain placed in a cyborg body.
- Maria (マリア)
- Voiced by: Kyōko Hikami (Japanese); Colleen Clinkenbeard (English)
- She is a bio-weapon like Jo, but with even stronger and more violent tendencies. While Jo is more efficient with guns, Maria relies more on bladed weapons such as swords and cutting wire. In the past, both she and Jo were the remaining fighters in a combat exercise to determine the Syndicate's "Genocide Angel." Maria won by default, but as Jo was only rendered unconscious, Maria never felt like she truly defeated Jo. When Jo is captured by RAPT, Maria disobeys orders and kidnaps Meg to lure Jo into one final battle. She lures Jo onto an aircraft carrier similar to the one where Genocide Angel exercise was held. After a hand-to-hand battle, Jo won and Maria lost her will to fight. She asks Jo what she can do after she gains her humanity; Jo only tells her to live on. She then reunites Jo with Meg only to be surrounded by new RAPT Cybots. She tells Meg to escape with Jo while she fights off the new mechs and appears to have been shot dead.
Other characters[edit]
- Jei Kokuren (ジェイ国連)
- Voiced by: Kazuya Ichijō (Japanese); Michael Sinterniklaas (English)
- A representative from Kokuren and Bailan's Japanese counterpart. His father and Sei's grandfather arrange for him and Sei to wed so that the white and black lotus can join together once again. However, Sei's grandfather respectfully declines Jei's request to have both the Bai Lan and Kokuren seals displayed together. Angry, he and his men attack Sei to try to obtain the Bai Lan seal by force. Jei obtains the seal and almost escapes, but he is stopped by Jo after shooting down the dragon head of the yacht making it crash onto Jei's boat.
- Chief Katsu (勝署長, Katsu shochō)
- Voiced by: Kazuhiko Kishino (Japanese); Brice Armstrong (English)
- The Chief is a well-respected man in Osaka with a great sense of honor and justice. Despite looking like he doesn't care for his daughter, Takane, he actually shows great concern for her. He shows great disgust towards the government of Tokyo and further towards Glenford and RAPT.
- Sam (サム, Samu)
- A police officer that Meg robbed when she was younger. Based on flashbacks, it is implied that Sam once had a family (a wife and daughter), that are now dead as he carries around his daughter's doll with him. He saves Charlie and Shirley from falling debris at the area Jo was fighting Lava, one of the "Genocide Angel" candidates. Afterward, he adopts all three children while Meg and Jo leave their own way.
- The Orphans
- There are four orphans, the eldest of whom is Meg. The next oldest is Dorothy, an African-American girl who usually aids Meg in her thefts. Then Charlie, a young Caucasian boy who is usually left to care for Shirley when Meg and Dorothy leave. He is the most cynical of the group. And finally, Shirley, a mute little girl and the youngest of the group. She is the one who finds an unconscious Jo and decides to take her home with them. She carries a book with a picture of an angel with silver hair; something she always points out to everyone and especially towards Jo who she shows great affection for.
- Akio (アキオ)
- Voiced by: Toshihide Tsuchiya (Japanese); Johnny Yong Bosch (English)
- An old friend and classmate of Kyohei who always defended him. He is found on the streets by Eiji, a Yakuza member. He takes Akio in and has a doctor convert him into a Cyberoid. He goes on a one man war against the Yakuza. Eiji agrees to a deal with the right-hand man of the Yakuza boss to kill Akio. Eiji fails and ends up being shot several times by an enraged Akio due his betrayal. He tells Kyohei what happened to him and how he became a Cyberoid. After killing off the Yakuza and the Boss, Akio battles Eiji now being converted to a Cyberoid. Akio kills Eiji though he dies in the process leaving Kyohei crying at the loss of his friend.
- Lover (ラヴァー, Ravā)
- Voiced by: Mayumi Asano (Japanese); Gwendolyn Lau (English)
- She is a bio-weapon along with Maria and Jo. Lover is one of the final three survivors in the "Genocide Angel" training exercise (which occurred before Jo is found by Shirley). During the exercise, she almost kills Jo and Maria with missiles from a fighter plane she hot-wired, but is countered by Jo, and ultimately defeated by Maria. However, all three survive the ordeal. She is then sent by the Syndicate to retrieve Jo, but fails.
Media[edit]
Anime[edit]
Burst Angel, animated by Gonzo, directed by Koichi Ohata and written by Fumihiko Shimo, was broadcast for twenty-four episodes on TV Asahi from April 7 to September 22, 2004.[6] The opening theme for the series is "Loosey" by the Stripes while the ending theme is "Under the Sky" by Coudica in Japanese and Caitlin Glass in English.
The complete collection of DVDs from Funimation have been released as of January 2, 2009. This DVD set includes episodes 1–24 and the OVA. The complete collection was later released on Blu-ray on September 29, 2009. The series was made available on PlayStation Network's Video store in 2008.[7][8] Following Funimation's merging with Crunchyroll, the series was added to the platform in September 2022.[9]
Manga[edit]
A manga prequel to the TV series,[10] titled Angel's Adolescence, was written and illustrated by Minoru Murao. It was serialized in MediaWorks' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! from January 27, 2004,[11] to June 27, 2005.[a] MediaWorks collected its chapters in three tankōbon volumes, released from July 27, 2004,[14] to July 27, 2005.[15] The manga depicts the romantic relationship of Jo and Meg.[16][17]
In 2008, Tokyopop licensed the manga for English release in North America,[18] The three volumes were released from September 9, 2008,[19] to May 12, 2009.[20] In August 2023, Titan Comics announced that they had licensed the manga, and the first volume is set to be released on May 21, 2024.[21]
Original video animation[edit]
An original video animation (OVA), titled Burst Angel: Infinity was released in Japan on March 23, 2007. The OVA deals is a side story revolving around Jo and Meg visiting Sam and her old gang in New York explaining the aftermath of episode 14 of the TV series. The OVA also includes a short preview titled Burst Angel Heavenly Moon Burst Crimson (爆裂天使 赤ク爆ス天ノ月) by Ugetsu Hakua showing the characters five years in the future, including Jo, Sei and Maria alive. The OVA was released by Funimation on November 13, 2007.[22]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Luther, Katherine (May 8, 2005). "Burst Angel - Anime Sneak Peek". About.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Martin, Theron (May 8, 2019). "Burst Angel Blu-ray - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
- ^ Arbogast, Samuel. "Burst Angel". T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ Friedman, Erica (June 23, 2007). "Burst Angel Anime, Volume 1 (English)". Okazu. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Johnston, Chris (2005). "City of Angels". Newtype USA. 4 (4): 34–35.
- ^ 爆裂天使. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- ^ Loo, Egan (July 15, 2008). "Funimation, BONES Anime on PlayStation Video Service (Update 2)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
Kay Hanley
Kay Hanley theme by Daniel Keen (DK One)
Download: KayHanley.p3t
(3 backgrounds)
Kay Hanley
Hanley at the 2024 WonderConBackground information Born September 11, 1968
Dorchester, Massachusetts, U.S.Genres Rock, folk, pop, acoustic, alternative Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar Years active 1990–present Labels Zoë Records
De GuerreKay Hanley (born September 11, 1968) is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known as the vocalist for the alternative rock band Letters to Cleo.
Life and career[edit]
Hanley grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts,[1] across the street from the Wahlberg family. She attended school at St. Gregory's and Latin Academy. She has been lead singer/songwriter for rock band Letters To Cleo since 1990. The band name was inspired by Hanley's childhood penpal.
In 1996, she co-starred alongside Gary Cherone in Boston Rock Opera's performance of Jesus Christ Superstar as Mary Magdalene.
In 1999, Hanley appeared as herself in the film 10 Things I Hate About You, singing a cover version of Nick Lowe's "Cruel to Be Kind" to Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles at their characters' high school prom, in addition to performing original song "Come On" with Letters to Cleo during an earlier scene at a club. Towards the end of the 90s she began performing with her then-husband[2] and fellow Letters To Cleo member Michael Eisenstein outside of the band. Around the same time, she gave birth to their daughter, Zoe Mabel.
Songwriting[edit]
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (April 2019)In 1999 Hanley began a shift in her music career. She wrote and performed songs for the Kids' WB cartoon series Generation O! along with the rest of Letters to Cleo and provided the singing voice for Rachael Leigh Cook's character Josie in the movie Josie and the Pussycats. In 2002, she released her first solo album, Cherry Marmalade. That same year, she appeared on the Dropkick Murphys/Face to Face split CD, providing guest vocals on the original version of the Dropkick Murphys song "The Dirty Glass".
In 2003, Hanley was approached by Jun Senoue from Sega to co-write and perform on an original song for their upcoming entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, entitled Sonic Heroes. The result was the song "Follow Me."
In 2004, Hanley released a follow-up to Cherry Marmalade, The Babydoll EP. That same year, she and her then-husband Michael Eisenstein had their second child, Henry Aaron, the name given in honor of baseball player Hank Aaron and their love for baseball.
In August 2005, Hanley recorded a cover of Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" for the soundtrack of the Reese Witherspoon film Just Like Heaven. In September 2005, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as part of a pre-taped man-on-the-street segment, singing a song about falling in love at Starbucks.
Hanley is popular with fans of the New England Patriots thanks to the team at one point going 8–0 after she sang the pre-game National Anthem at Gillette Stadium. The streak came to an end when the Patriots lost on January 10, 2010, to the Baltimore Ravens. Hanley is also very involved with the Boston-based charity "Hot Stove, Cool Music," both as performer and spokesperson for the semi-annual event, which has raised over 6 million dollars for The Foundation To Be Named Later
She sang the theme song [3] for My Friends Tigger & Pooh,[4] a half-hour Disney Channel TV show that premiered on Playhouse Disney on May 12, 2007, and "We Are Care Bears" from Care Bears: Oopsy Does It! and Care Bears to the Rescue.
Hanley and longtime writing partner Michelle Lewis currently compose all-original songs for animated television shows such as the hit Disney series Doc McStuffins.,[5] Cartoon Network/WB's DC Super Hero Girls, and Harvey Girls Forever and Ada Twist, Scientist on Netflix. Hanley won a 2022 Emmy Award for songwriting on We The People.
She and writing partners Michelle Lewis, Dan Petty, and Charlton Pettus created Kindergarten The Musical. In production at Disney Junior, the show will debut in fall 2024. Hanley serves as executive producer.
She is co-executive director of Songwriters of North America, an LA-based non-profit which advocates for fair pay and other rights for songwriters. Due to her work with SONA in getting the Music Modernization Act passed into law in October 2018, Hanley was elected Vice Chair of the Mechanical Licensing Collective's Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee in August 2019
On Thanksgiving Day 2007, Hanley sang a song called "Caring Changes The World" in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Care Bears float.
In 2007–08, Hanley toured as a back-up singer with Miley Cyrus for Hannah Montana concerts and events.
Hanley's latest album, Weaponize, was released May 27, 2008.
Hanley co-wrote "Don't Wanna Be Famous" on the band The Dollyrots' eponymous album.
In 2014, Kay Hanley appeared in the Parks and Recreation season 6 finale, performing her song "Here & Now" at the Pawnee-Eagleton Unity Concert. The character of Ben Wyatt, played by Adam Scott, is seen offstage in his Letters to Cleo t-shirt, blissfully watching the band as Hanley winks at him. Hanley is seen later in the episode entering Tom Haverford's new restaurant, Tom's Bistro.
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she appeared as lead vocalist in a "distanced" music video, a cover of Donnie Iris's "Ah! Leah!"[6] Later that year, she appeared on Saving for a Custom Van, a tribute album for Adam Schlesinger, with whom she had worked on Josie and the Pussycats, following his death from COVID-19. She performed the Fountains of Wayne song "Radiation Vibe" in his memory.[7]
Hanley married audio engineer Clayton Janes in 2021 in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Oh 2023, Hanley and her fellow Letters to Cleo bandmate Tom Polce wrote the songs for “Subspace Rhapsody,” an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds performed in the style of a broadway musical.
Discography[edit]
Letters to Cleo[edit]
Pet Projects[edit]
The title of this section indicates projects that both Hanley and Eisenstein have taken an active interest in developing, in terms of playing multiple roles, including production as well as composition and/or instrumentation.
Year Artist Title Label Role 2003 The Gentlemen Blondes Prefer the Gentlemen Sodapop Records Vocals 2007 Murder Capitol of the World St. Jude's Revenge Dot Rat Vocals 2008 Cruiserweight Big Bold Letters Doghouse/Siren Songs Composer, Background Vocals Solo[edit]
Year Title Label 2002 Cherry Marmalade Zoë Records 2003 The Paradise - Boston, MA 5/30/03 (live) Instant Live[8] 2004 The Babydoll EP The Paradise - Boston, MA 8/26/04 (live) 2006 Kay Hanley / Scamper split single CD De Guerre/Scamper 2008 Weaponize De Guerre Soundtracks[edit]
Year Title Label 1996 The Craft Sony 1999 10 Things I Hate About You Hollywood Records 2001 Music from the Motion Picture Josie and the Pussycats Sony 2003 Sonic Heroes Pioneer/Geneon 2005 Just Like Heaven Sony Special appearances[edit]
Year Artist Title Label Role 1995 Mary Karlzen Yelling at Mary Atlantic Records Background vocals 2002 James Taylor October Road Sony Choir, chorus 2006 Agnes Chan Forget Yourself Bungalo Records Background vocals Peter Gammons Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old Rounder Vocals 2008 Lisa Loeb Camp Lisa Furious Rose Productions Vocal harmony 2009 Will Dailey Torrent, Vols. 1 & 2 BS Background vocals 2010 Lindsey Ray Goodbye from California LRay Composer The Posies Blood/Candy Rykodisc Vocals 2011 Bowling for Soup Fishin' for Woos MRI Vocals, sounds Will Dailey Will Dailey & the Rivals Universal Republic Records Composer Filmography[edit]
Year Title Role Type 1999 10 Things I Hate About You Herself Cameo 2000 Generation O! Molly O's singing voice Voice 2001 Josie and the Pussycats Josie McCoy Singing voice 2007–2008 My Friends Tigger & Pooh opening song performer (Season 1) Performer
2008 Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Herself Background vocals 2014 Parks and Recreation Herself Cameo Further reading[edit]
- MacNeil, Jason. "Kay Hanley". Allmusic. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
References[edit]
- ^ Jordan, Chris (August 18, 1995). "Dear Cleo". The Central New Jersey Home News. p. On the Go 5.
- ^ "Kay Hanley" The Quaz - Kay Hanley, a 2013 interview with author Jeff Pearlman in which Hanley indicates that her marriage to Eisenstein's ended within the three years prior to the date of the interview]
- ^ My Friends Tigger and Pooh Theme Song Music Video - Music - My Friends Tigger and Pooh - Playhouse Disney
- ^ Home - My Friends Tigger and Pooh - Playhouse Disney
- ^ "Doc McStuffins". IMDB.
- ^ "The Isolation Jams - Ah! Leah! (Feat. Kay Hanley)". YouTube.
- ^ Enis, Eli (June 16, 2020). "Adam Schlesinger Honored with New Tribute Album Featuring Jeff Rosenstock, Charly Bliss, Ted Leo, Rachel Bloom & More: Stream". consequence.net. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
- ^ CD Universe listing
External links[edit]
- Kay Hanley on Twitter
- Letters to Cleo website
- Kay Hanley's MySpace
- Kay Hanley at IMDb
- Kay and USA Mike's Lynx
International National Artists Other Ghost
Ghost theme by Creighton
Download: Ghost.p3t
(no backgrounds)
An engraving of the Hammersmith Ghost appears in Roger Kirby's Wonderful and Scientific Museum, a magazine published in 1804. The "ghost" turned out to be an old local cobbler who used a white sheet to get back at his apprentice for scaring his grandchildren.[1] Part of a series on the Paranormal In folklore, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or non-human animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes to realistic, lifelike forms. The deliberate attempt to contact the spirit of a deceased person is known as necromancy, or in spiritism as a séance. Other terms associated with it are apparition, haunt, haint, phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter, spirit, spook, wraith, demon, and ghoul.
The belief in the existence of an afterlife, as well as manifestations of the spirits of the dead, is widespread, dating back to animism or ancestor worship in pre-literate cultures. Certain religious practices—funeral rites, exorcisms, and some practices of spiritualism and ritual magic—are specifically designed to rest the spirits of the dead. Ghosts are generally described as solitary, human-like essences, though stories of ghostly armies and the ghosts of animals other than humans have also been recounted.[2][3] They are believed to haunt particular locations, objects, or people they were associated with in life. According to a 2009 study by the Pew Research Center, 18% of Americans say they have seen a ghost.[4]
The overwhelming consensus of science is that there is no proof that ghosts exist.[5] Their existence is impossible to falsify,[5] and ghost hunting has been classified as pseudoscience.[6][7][8] Despite centuries of investigation, there is no scientific evidence that any location is inhabited by the spirits of the dead.[6][9] Historically, certain toxic and psychoactive plants (such as datura and hyoscyamus niger), whose use has long been associated with necromancy and the underworld, have been shown to contain anticholinergic compounds that are pharmacologically linked to dementia (specifically DLB) as well as histological patterns of neurodegeneration.[10][11] Recent research has indicated that ghost sightings may be related to degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.[12] Common prescription medication and over-the-counter drugs (such as sleep aids) may also, in rare instances, cause ghost-like hallucinations, particularly zolpidem and diphenhydramine.[13] Older reports linked carbon monoxide poisoning to ghost-like hallucinations.[14]
In folklore studies, ghosts fall within the motif index designation E200–E599 ("Ghosts and other revenants").
Terminology[edit]
The English word ghost continues Old English gāst. Stemming from Proto-Germanic *gaistaz, it is cognate with Old Frisian gāst, Old Saxon gēst, Old Dutch gēst, and Old High German geist. Although this form is not attested in North Germanic and East Germanic languages (the equivalent word in Gothic is ahma, Old Norse has andi m., önd f.), it appears to be a dental suffix derivative of pre-Germanic *ghois-d-oz ('fury, anger'), which is comparable to Sanskrit héḍas ('anger') and Avestan zōižda- ('terrible, ugly'). The prior Proto-Indo-European form is reconstructed as *ǵʰéys-d-os, from the root *ǵʰéys-, which is reflected in Old Norse geisa ('to rage') and *geiski ('fear'; cf. geiskafullr 'full of fear'), in Gothic usgaisjan ('to terrify') and usgaisnan ('to be terrified'), as well as in Avestan zōiš- (cf. zōišnu 'shivering, trembling').[15][16][17]
The Germanic word is recorded as masculine only, but likely continues a neuter s-stem. The original meaning of the Germanic word would thus have been an animating principle of the mind, in particular capable of excitation and fury (compare óðr). In Germanic paganism, "Germanic Mercury", and the later Odin, was at the same time the conductor of the dead and the "lord of fury" leading the Wild Hunt.
Besides denoting the human spirit or soul, both of the living and the deceased, the Old English word is used as a synonym of Latin spiritus also in the meaning of "breath" or "blast" from the earliest attestations (9th century). It could also denote any good or evil spirit, such as angels and demons; the Anglo-Saxon gospel refers to the demonic possession of Matthew 12:43 as se unclæna gast. Also from the Old English period, the word could denote the spirit of God, viz. the "Holy Ghost".
The now-prevailing sense of "the soul of a deceased person, spoken of as appearing in a visible form" only emerges in Middle English (14th century). The modern noun does, however, retain a wider field of application, extending on one hand to "soul", "spirit", "vital principle", "mind", or "psyche", the seat of feeling, thought, and moral judgement; on the other hand used figuratively of any shadowy outline, or fuzzy or unsubstantial image; in optics, photography, and cinematography especially, a flare, secondary image, or spurious signal.[18]
The synonym spook is a Dutch loanword, akin to Low German spôk (of uncertain etymology); it entered the English language via American English in the 19th century.[19][20][21][22] Alternative words in modern usage include spectre (altn. specter; from Latin spectrum), the Scottish wraith (of obscure origin), phantom (via French ultimately from Greek phantasma, compare fantasy) and apparition. The term shade in classical mythology translates Greek σκιά,[23] or Latin umbra,[24] in reference to the notion of spirits in the Greek underworld. The term poltergeist is a German word, literally a "noisy ghost", for a spirit said to manifest itself by invisibly moving and influencing objects.[25]
Wraith is a Scots word for ghost, spectre, or apparition. It appeared in Scottish Romanticist literature, and acquired the more general or figurative sense of portent or omen. In 18th- to 19th-century Scottish literature, it also applied to aquatic spirits. The word has no commonly accepted etymology; the OED notes "of obscure origin" only.[26] An association with the verb writhe was the etymology favored by J. R. R. Tolkien.[27] Tolkien's use of the word in the naming of the creatures known as the Ringwraiths has influenced later usage in fantasy literature. Bogey[28] or bogy/bogie is a term for a ghost, and appears in Scottish poet John Mayne's Hallowe'en in 1780.[29][30]
A revenant is a deceased person returning from the dead to haunt the living, either as a disembodied ghost or alternatively as an animated ("undead") corpse. Also related is the concept of a fetch, the visible ghost or spirit of a person yet alive.
Typology[edit]
Relief from a carved funerary lekythos at Athens showing Hermes as psychopomp conducting the soul of the deceased, Myrrhine into Hades (ca. 430-420 B.C.) Anthropological context[edit]
A notion of the transcendent, supernatural, or numinous, usually involving entities like ghosts, demons, or deities, is a cultural universal.[31] In pre-literate folk religions, these beliefs are often summarized under animism and ancestor worship. Some people believe the ghost or spirit never leaves Earth until there is no-one left to remember the one who died.[32]
In many cultures, malignant, restless ghosts are distinguished from the more benign spirits involved in ancestor worship.[33]
Ancestor worship typically involves rites intended to prevent revenants, vengeful spirits of the dead, imagined as starving and envious of the living. Strategies for preventing revenants may either include sacrifice, i.e., giving the dead food and drink to pacify them, or magical banishment of the deceased to force them not to return. Ritual feeding of the dead is performed in traditions like the Chinese Ghost Festival or the Western All Souls' Day. Magical banishment of the dead is present in many of the world's burial customs. The bodies found in many tumuli (kurgan) had been ritually bound before burial,[34] and the custom of binding the dead persists, for example, in rural Anatolia.[35]
Nineteenth-century anthropologist James Frazer stated in his classic work The Golden Bough that souls were seen as the creature within that animated the body.[36]
Ghosts and the afterlife[edit]
Although the human soul was sometimes symbolically or literally depicted in ancient cultures as a bird or other animal, it appears to have been widely held that the soul was an exact reproduction of the body in every feature, even down to clothing the person wore. This is depicted in artwork from various ancient cultures, including such works as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which shows deceased people in the afterlife appearing much as they did before death, including the style of dress.
Fear of ghosts[edit]
Yūrei (Japanese ghost) from the Hyakkai Zukan, c. 1737 While deceased ancestors are universally regarded as venerable, and often believed to have a continued presence in some form of afterlife, the spirit of a deceased person that persists in the material world (a ghost) is regarded as an unnatural or undesirable state of affairs and the idea of ghosts or revenants is associated with a reaction of fear. This is universally the case in pre-modern folk cultures, but fear of ghosts also remains an integral aspect of the modern ghost story, Gothic horror, and other horror fiction dealing with the supernatural.
Common attributes[edit]
Another widespread belief concerning ghosts is that they are composed of a misty, airy, or subtle material. Anthropologists link this idea to early beliefs that ghosts were the person within the person (the person's spirit), most noticeable in ancient cultures as a person's breath, which upon exhaling in colder climates appears visibly as a white mist.[32] This belief may have also fostered the metaphorical meaning of "breath" in certain languages, such as the Latin spiritus and the Greek pneuma, which by analogy became extended to mean the soul. In the Bible, God is depicted as synthesising Adam, as a living soul, from the dust of the Earth and the breath of God.
In many traditional accounts, ghosts were often thought to be deceased people looking for vengeance (vengeful ghosts), or imprisoned on earth for bad things they did during life. The appearance of a ghost has often been regarded as an omen or portent of death. Seeing one's own ghostly double or "fetch" is a related omen of death.[37] The impetus of haunting is commonly considered an unnatural death.[38]
Union Cemetery in Easton, Connecticut is home to the legend of the White Lady. White ladies were reported to appear in many rural areas, and supposed to have died tragically or suffered trauma in life. White Lady legends are found around the world. Common to many of them is the theme of losing a child or husband and a sense of purity, as opposed to the Lady in Red ghost that is mostly attributed to a jilted lover or prostitute. The White Lady ghost is often associated with an individual family line or regarded as a harbinger of death similar to a banshee.[39][40][needs context]
Legends of ghost ships have existed since the 18th century; most notable of these is the Flying Dutchman. This theme has been used in literature in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge.
Ghosts are often depicted as being covered in a shroud and/or dragging chains.[41]
Locale[edit]
A place where ghosts are reported is described as haunted, and often seen as being inhabited by spirits of deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property. Supernatural activity inside homes is said to be mainly associated with violent or tragic events in the building's past such as murder, accidental death, or suicide—sometimes in the recent or ancient past. However, not all hauntings are at a place of a violent death, or even on violent grounds. Many cultures and religions believe the essence of a being, such as the 'soul', continues to exist. Some religious views argue that the 'spirits' of those who have died have not 'passed over' and are trapped inside the property where their memories and energy are strong.
History[edit]
Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons Ancient Near East and Egypt[edit]
There are many references to ghosts in Mesopotamian religions – the religions of Sumer, Babylon, Assyria, and other early states in Mesopotamia. Traces of these beliefs survive in the later Abrahamic religions that came to dominate the region.[42] The concept of ghosts may p
Black Label Clan
Black Label Clan theme by capone
Download: BlackLabelClan.p3t
(1 background)
P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop MenonThis program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!
Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip
Instructions:
Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.
The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.
The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].
For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.vS-c0nc3pt
vS-c0nc3pt theme by Versus-
Download: vS-c0nc3pt.p3t
(3 backgrounds)
P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop MenonThis program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!
Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip
Instructions:
Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.
The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.
The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].
For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.Cartoon #2
Cartoon theme by Elvfam. Icons by Rednave
Download: Cartoon_2.p3t
(1 background)
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images intended for satire, caricature, or humor; or a motion picture that relies on a sequence of illustrations for its animation. Someone who creates cartoons in the first sense is called a cartoonist,[1] and in the second sense they are usually called an animator.
The concept originated in the Middle Ages, and first described a preparatory drawing for a piece of art, such as a painting, fresco, tapestry, or stained glass window. In the 19th century, beginning in Punch magazine in 1843, cartoon came to refer – ironically at first – to humorous artworks in magazines and newspapers. Then it also was used for political cartoons and comic strips. When the medium developed, in the early 20th century, it began to refer to animated films that resembled print cartoons.[2]
Fine art[edit]
Christ's Charge to Peter, one of the Raphael Cartoons, c. 1516, a full-size cartoon design for a tapestry A cartoon (from Italian: cartone and Dutch: karton—words describing strong, heavy paper or pasteboard) is a full-size drawing made on sturdy paper as a design or modello for a painting, stained glass, or tapestry. Cartoons were typically used in the production of frescoes, to accurately link the component parts of the composition when painted on damp plaster over a series of days (giornate).[3] In media such as stained tapestry or stained glass, the cartoon was handed over by the artist to the skilled craftsmen who produced the final work.
Such cartoons often have pinpricks along the outlines of the design so that a bag of soot patted or "pounced" over a cartoon, held against the wall, would leave black dots on the plaster ("pouncing"). Cartoons by painters, such as the Raphael Cartoons in London, Francisco Goya's tapestry cartoons, and examples by Leonardo da Vinci, are highly prized in their own right. Tapestry cartoons, usually colored, could be placed behind the loom, where the weaver would replicate the design. As tapestries are worked from behind, a mirror could be placed behind the loom to allow the weaver to see their work; in such cases the cartoon was placed behind the weaver.[2][4]
Mass media[edit]
John Leech, Substance and Shadow (1843), published as Cartoon, No. 1 in Punch, the first use of the word cartoon to refer to a satirical drawing In print media, a cartoon is a drawing or series of drawings, usually humorous in intent. This usage dates from 1843, when Punch magazine applied the term to satirical drawings in its pages,[5] particularly sketches by John Leech.[6] The first of these parodied the preparatory cartoons for grand historical frescoes in the then-new Palace of Westminster in London.[7]
Davy Jones' Locker, 1892 Punch cartoon by Sir John Tenniel Sir John Tenniel—illustrator of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland—joined Punch in 1850, and over 50 years contributed over two thousand cartoons.[8]
Cartoons can be divided into gag cartoons, which include editorial cartoons, and comic strips.
Modern single-panel gag cartoons, found in magazines, generally consist of a single drawing with a typeset caption positioned beneath, or, less often, a speech balloon.[9] Newspaper syndicates have also distributed single-panel gag cartoons by Mel Calman, Bill Holman, Gary Larson, George Lichty, Fred Neher and others. Many consider New Yorker cartoonist Peter Arno the father of the modern gag cartoon (as did Arno himself).[10] The roster of magazine gag cartoonists includes Charles Addams, Charles Barsotti, and Chon Day.
Bill Hoest, Jerry Marcus, and Virgil Partch began as magazine gag cartoonists and moved to syndicated comic strips. Richard Thompson illustrated numerous feature articles in The Washington Post before creating his Cul de Sac comic strip. The sports section of newspapers usually featured cartoons, sometimes including syndicated features such as Chester "Chet" Brown's All in Sport.
Editorial cartoons are found almost exclusively in news publications and news websites. Although they also employ humor, they are more serious in tone, commonly using irony or satire. The art usually acts as a visual metaphor to illustrate a point of view on current social or political topics. Editorial cartoons often include speech balloons and sometimes use multiple panels. Editorial cartoonists of note include Herblock, David Low, Jeff MacNelly, Mike Peters, and Gerald Scarfe.[2]
Comic strips, also known as cartoon strips in the United Kingdom, are found daily in newspapers worldwide, and are usually a short series of cartoon illustrations in sequence. In the United States, they are not commonly called "cartoons" themselves, but rather "comics" or "funnies". Nonetheless, the creators of comic strips—as well as comic books and graphic novels—are usually referred to as "cartoonists". Although humor is the most prevalent subject matter, adventure and drama are also represented in this medium. Some noteworthy cartoonists of humorous comic strips are Scott Adams, Charles Schulz, E. C. Segar, Mort Walker and Bill Watterson.[2]
Political[edit]
Political cartoons are like illustrated editorials that serve visual commentaries on political events. They offer subtle criticism which are cleverly quoted with humour and satire to the extent that the criticized does not get embittered.
The pictorial satire of William Hogarth is regarded as a precursor to the development of political cartoons in 18th century England.[11] George Townshend produced some of the first overtly political cartoons and caricatures in the 1750s.[11][12] The medium began to develop in the latter part of the 18th century under the direction of its great exponents, James Gillray and Thomas Rowlandson, both from London. Gillray explored the use of the medium for lampooning and caricature, and has been referred to as the father of the political cartoon.[13] By calling the king, prime ministers and generals to account for their behaviour, many of Gillray's satires were directed against George III, depicting him as a pretentious buffoon, while the bulk of his work was dedicated to ridiculing the ambitions of revolutionary France and Napoleon.[13] George Cruikshank became the leading cartoonist in the period following Gillray, from 1815 until the 1840s. His career was renowned for his social caricatures of English life for popular publications.
Nast depicts the Tweed Ring: "Who stole the people's money?" / "'Twas him." By the mid 19th century, major political newspapers in many other countries featured cartoons commenting on the politics of the day. Thomas Nast, in New York City, showed how realistic German drawing techniques could redefine American cartooning.[14] His 160 cartoons relentlessly pursued the criminal characteristic of the Tweed machine in New York City, and helped bring it down. Indeed, Tweed was arrested in Spain when police identified him from Nast's cartoons.[15] In Britain, Sir John Tenniel was the toast of London.[16] In France under the July Monarchy, Honoré Daumier took up the new genre of political and social caricature, most famously lampooning the rotund King Louis Philippe.
Political cartoons can be humorous or satirical, sometimes with piercing effect. The target of the humor may complain, but can seldom fight back. Lawsuits have been very rare; the first successful lawsuit against a cartoonist in over a century in Britain came in 1921, when J. H. Thomas, the leader of the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR), initiated libel proceedings against the magazine of the British Communist Party. Thomas claimed defamation in the form of cartoons and words depicting the events of "Black Friday", when he allegedly betrayed the locked-out Miners' Federation. To Thomas, the framing of his image by the far left threatened to grievously degrade his character in the popular imagination. Soviet-inspired communism was a new element in European politics, and cartoonists unrestrained by tradition tested the boundaries of libel law. Thomas won the lawsuit and restored his reputation.[17]
Scientific[edit]
Cartoons such as xkcd have also found their place in the world of science, mathematics, and technology. For example, the cartoon Wonderlab looked at daily life in the chemistry lab. In the U.S., one well-known cartoonist for these fields is Sidney Harris. Many of Gary Larson's cartoons have a scientific flavor.
Comic books[edit]
The first comic-strip cartoons were of a humorous tone.[18] Notable early humor comics include the Swiss comic-strip book Mr. Vieux Bois (1837), the British strip Ally Sloper (first appearing in 1867) and the American strip Yellow Kid (first appearing in 1895).
In the United States in the 1930s, books with cartoons were magazine-format "American comic books" with original material, or occasionally reprints of newspaper comic strips.[19]
In Britain in the 1930s, adventure comic magazines became quite popular, especially those published by DC Thomson; the publisher sent observers around the country to talk to boys and learn what they wanted to read about. The story line in magazines, comic books and cinema that most appealed to boys was the glamorous heroism of British soldiers fighting wars that were exciting and just.[20] DC Thomson issued the first The Dandy Comic in December 1937. It had a revolutionary design that broke away from the usual children's comics that were published broadsheet in size and not very colourful. Thomson capitalized on its success with a similar product The Beano in 1938.[21]
On some occasions, new gag cartoons have been created for book publication.
Animation[edit]
An animated cartoon horse, drawn by rotoscoping from Eadweard Muybridge's 19th-century photos Because of the stylistic similarities between comic strips and early animated films, cartoon came to refer to animation, and the word cartoon is currently used in reference to both animated cartoons and gag cartoons.[22] While animation designates any style of illustrated images seen in rapid succession to give the impression of movement, the word "cartoon" is most often used as a descriptor for television programs and short films aimed at children, possibly featuring anthropomorphized animals,[23] superheroes, the adventures of child protagonists or related themes.
In the 1980s, cartoon was shortened to toon, referring to characters in animated productions. This term was popularized in 1988 by the combined live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, followed in 1990 by the animated TV series Tiny Toon Adventures.
See also[edit]
- Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
- Caricature
- Comics
- Comics studies
- List of cartoonists
- List of editorial cartoonists
- List of comic strips
References[edit]
- ^ Merriam-Webster's Dictionary.
- ^ a b c d Becker 1959
- ^ Constable 1954, p. 115.
- ^ Adelson 1994, p. 330.
- ^ Punch.co.uk. "History of the Cartoon". Archived from the original on 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
- ^ Adler & Hill 2008, p. 30.
- ^ "Substance and Shadow: Original Editorial Accompanying "Cartoon, No. I"". Victorian web.org. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Sir John Tenniel". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ Bishop 2009, p. 92.
- ^ Maslin, Michael (May 5, 2016). "The Peter Arno Cartoons That Help Rescue The New Yorker". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2018-09-16.
- ^ a b Press 1981, p. 34.
- ^ Chris Upton. "Birth of England's pocket cartoon". The Free Library.
- ^ a b Rowson 2015.
- ^ Adler & Hill 2008, p. 24.
- ^ Adler & Hill 2008, pp. 49–50.
- ^ Morris & Tenniel 2005, p. 344.
- ^ Samuel S. Hyde, "'Please, Sir, he called me "Jimmy!' Political Cartooning before the Law: 'Black Friday', J.H. Thomas, and the Communist Libel Trial of 1921", Contemporary British History (2011) 25(4), pp. 521–550.
- ^ Harvey, R. C. (2001). "Comedy at the Juncture of Word and Image". In Varnum, Robin; Gibbons, Christina T. (eds.). The Language of Comics: Word and Image. University Press of Mississippi. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-57806-414-4.
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