Monthly Archives: May 2017

Magic, She Wrote

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Nathan

Bedknobs and Broomsticks – I seem to recall liking this movie pretty well as a kid, although even then I recognized it as kind of a second-rate Mary Poppins. It’s again set in England with precocious children, a stern caretaker … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Cartoons, History, Magic, Music, Revisiting Disney, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Grand Unified Marioverse Theory

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Nathan

I’m glad to know I’m not the only one interested in mapping the Mushroom World and riveting together a sense of continuity for the Mario games. Like Oz, the games show a whimsical world where the creators weren’t all that … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Crossing, Animals, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Maps, Mario, Metroid, Video Games, Zelda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What’s the Punishment for Puns?

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Nathan

It’s well-known that L. Frank Baum was a notorious punster, and some of the authors who continued the Oz series were even worse in that respect. Puns are delivered in several different ways in the books, some being delivered intentionally … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Humor, L. Frank Baum, Language, Magic, Magic Items, Names, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

When Humor and Anti-Humor Collide

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Nathan

I found this post by Amy to be interesting, as I think we have similar senses of humor in many respects, and I’m somewhat fascinated by the concept of anti-humor. I’ve never come across the “No soap, radio!” joke in … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Cartoons, Characters, Comics, Discworld, Humor, L. Frank Baum, Language, Lewis Carroll, Oz, Oz Authors, Television, Terry Pratchett, The Simpsons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Crones and Clones

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Nathan

It’s been a while since I’ve written a book review post (well, not counting my look back on The Patchwork Girl of Oz, which I’d read a long time ago), and I have to say that I just haven’t been … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Book Reviews, Comics, Diana Wynne Jones, Humor, Magic, Monsters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Real Food

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Nathan

I recently received a comment on my post on the Roman goddess Anna Perenna asking whether I knew of any connection between her and the Hindu Annapurna. I have to say I don’t know of any, but the names are … Continue reading →

Posted in Dice, Etymology, Food, Games, Hinduism, Mythology, Names, Philosophy, Religion, Roman | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lode Runner, Lode Runner, Going Faster Miles an Hour

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Nathan

In this post, I intend to address some connections between video games, many of which I haven’t actually played. I do remember playing Lode Runner on the Apple II in my elementary school days, though. You run around mazes and … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Captain N: The Game Master, Cartoons, Comics, Mario, Mega Man, Sims, Television, Video Games, Zelda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Frustration Quest

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Nathan

Yesterday was L. Frank Baum’s birthday, so I figured I should write something Oz-related, but I’ve probably covered just about every possible topic when it comes to Baum’s creation. I was thinking recently, however, about how I usually say The … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Characters, Eric Shanower, Humor, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Music, Oz, Oz Authors, Prejudice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Planet and Son Reunion

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Nathan

Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2 – I loved the first movie, and I was definitely looking forward to this one, expecting humor, space travel, music from the seventies and eighties, and family dynamics among the team. And yes, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Comics, Families, Relationships, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Being a Jerk a Pre-Existing Condition?

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Nathan

You’ve probably heard by now about how the latest Republican health care bill has passed the House of Representatives, and Donald Trump and his cronies had a big celebration over taking health care away from a bunch of Americans. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Economics, Health, Politics, Prejudice, Snobbery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment