Sean Gadus

13 Reasons Why was hugely popular and important YA novel written in 2007 by Jay Asher. In 2017, it received a 13 episode Netflix adaption, which has renewed interest in the story. How did this story change, develop, or grow in its transition to the screen? Were these changes effective, or did they hinder or distinctly change the overall story or characters?

Take us through the changes between the netflix series and the book that inspired it.

With the popularity of online streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon, who sometimes release an entire season worth of content at a time, how does this difference in presentation change how we watch and engage with entertainment. Just a few years ago, tv viewers had to tune in week after week to view the last hit t.v. show, but now, many famous and successful shows are released on Netflix at a season by season basis. For example, House of Cards, Marvel Shows (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage), and Master of None all dropped with their entire season available for viewing from day one of their release. What is the effect on our thoughts and perceptions of a show when we can sit down and view the whole thing in one sitting rather than having to wait week by week for the next episode. What is lost and what is gained in this shift?

It is always exciting when a console or handheld device launches! But there isn’t always great games to play day 1 when a system comes out. With the Nintendo Switch and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launching tomorrow (Zelda is receiving rave reviews from a variety of critics), what are some of the best launch games (on any consoles/handheld) in history?

Super Hero films are here to stay. Each year a variety of super hero films are being released during the course of the year. While the genre "Super hero films" is the predominant label for these films, many super hero films fit very well into other established genres. Guardians of the galaxy fits well into the established Sci-Fi genre. Captain America 2’s cast and director said that the film was influenced by 70 thrillers. The trailer for the new Wolverine film title "Logan" used Johnny Cash’s haunting version of the song ‘Hurt’ to evoke a western feel. The director and star of Logan have gone so far as to dub it a "modern western". Recent trailers for Spider Man homecoming have focused Peter Parker’s high school experience, which might fit in with John Hughes films and other coming of age high school films.

A question that remains is this: What are the advantages and disadvantages of separating films from the label of "Super hero" films and putting them into other genres such as crime, western, sci-fi, and fantasy? Do we gain deeper insight into these super hero films when we examine the other genres that they are a part of.

Does saying that a super hero film like The Dark Knight is a crime film help the viewer better understand the film and thus analyze its themes?

This topic could be taken in many different directions depending the writer’s interest.

Get Ready! Nintendo is about to launch its first mobile game on December 15th. This game is Super Mario Run, a platform specifically built with mobile controls in mind. The game will start out free to play, but at some point, you will need to spend $10 to buy the entire game. This is a extremely different business model than games like Candy Crush and Pokémon Go, which have micro transactions built into the game, which you can spend as much or as little on the game as you want to. These micro transactions will shape how fast and effectively you progress in a mobile game. Super Mario Run’s business model flies in the face of what is the norm in mobile gaming. My question is this: is a $10 charge too much to pay for a mobile game? And is this one time fee a more fair business model for consumers than the Free to Play, Pay to Win model that has dominated mobile?

This would be a good topic to write about as the game is releasing. It highlights a key component of the game at a time when the game will have the attention of the mobile market.

In comics, mentor figures are critical to the development of super heroes. Batman is by far one of the most famous characters in comics and his origins involves the death of his parents. Despite being considered the "Dark Knight" and usually being considered a isolated character, the Batman mythos involves a large amount of mentoring and parenting within its long history. In many comics such as Scott Snyders new 52 Batman and Batman Earth One, Alfred moves beyond a servant figure to acts as a supportive and mentoring parental figure for Bruce Wayne as he struggles with his role as Batman. This relationship remains a critical and long lasting relationship for Batman. Additionally, throughout his history, Batman has mentored a variety of side kicks including the robins (Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne, and Carrie Kelly), Batgirls, and others, acting as a mentor figure, and sometimes a parental figure (in the case of Damian, Bruce is his father). I think this is a rich area for analysis and that it would valuable to examine the parental and mentor relationships within Batman comics, there success and failures, as well as how they impact our hero.

In comic books, character traditionally stay young forever. However, in the past 30 or so years, several important and critically acclaimed stories have focused on aging super hero characters. Stories like the Dark Knight Returns (Batman) and Old Man Logan (Wolverine) have aged their respective characters well into middle age. These stories are considered some of the best for their respective characters (DKR is a landmark title) but how are these characters different than their younger counterparts. What is the impact of aging super heroes, who are traditionally portrayed as eternally young. How does the reader’s perception of these characters change when they grow old or advance in age?