DVJ 2.0

NUMBER 10

Sergeant Dario and Corporal Pomru of the battle ship Wahoo Ortin are Robosoldier pilots.  In fact, Pomru is the cat that created the suit!  As leaders of Spectre Squad, these two unlikely friends fight a never ending battle against a superior foe!

Why number 10?  Well, this was a giant robot comic in the US before giant robots even became popular.  Created by Doug Rice, this series captured the spirit of many a great anime, while giving it a distinctly American flavor.

Who should animate it? Toei Animation.  Similar to their artistic style, we think they would not have any trouble adapting this comic.

Cool Extras: Animated shorts based off the original Dynamo Joe series in the Mars comic book, and 3D CG animations of the mecha used in the series.

NUMBER 9

20 years later, Martin learns that an old nemesis, The Dark Destroyer, has resurfaced.  Concerned that the Destroyer may attack New Earth, Martin assembles a new Atari Force to go looking for him.  Thing is, they have to steal his old ship from the Atari Museum to do it.  Now, not only do they have to find the Dark Destroyer, but avoid Atari Security as well.

Why number 9?  Back in the 80's, Atari was king.  What started off as a promotional gimmick to sell Atari games, became an awesome series with cool characters (all code-named after video games), awesome writing, and lots of fun.  Mention Atari Force to a 30+ gamer, and they will smile!

Who should animate it? BeStock.  If you have been lucky enough to see AWOL, you will notice some similarities in the story.  Plus, their simple (some would say cheep) animation style fits the overall look of the comic.

Cool Extras: Scans of the original "Atari Force" mini series (only available with select games), with the dialogue read by the cast of the series.

NUMBER 8 (BURP)

On his first day of work, he is knocked out by a stun beam.  When he wakes up, he finds himself dumped into the middle of a Third World War.  Even worse, he has been captured by a neutered huntress and her army of DNA enhanced monkeys.

What's a temp guy to do?

Why number 8 (burp)?  As far as I know, it was the first 100% computer generated comic ever made.  Created by Peter B. Gillis and Michael Saenz, Shatter had topical writing, sharp dialogue, and a constantly evolving story line.  That combined with the interesting dot matrix look, really made this title stand out in a sea of bland comic books.

Who should animate it? Satellite.  It would only be right for one of the best CG animation outfits out there to animate the worlds first CG comic.  If you have seen Geneshaft, you know I'm right.

Cool Extras: Music video of the theme "Shatter" performed by the Rolling Stones!

NUMBER 7

Dr. Cross decides to use David as a test subject for Project Stepping Stone, a highly classified genetics program.  Cross tells him that their mission is to help clean up barren and desolate wastelands.  David learns that Cross intends to create an army of "Next Men" and take over the world.  Breaking free of his creator, David begins a journey across America, trying to avoid the US Military and stop Project Stepping Stone. 

Why number 7?  "Next Man" wasn't a typical comic book.  There were no happy endings.  The bad guys almost always won, and the government really messed with Dave's mind.  Plus, it had a reformed Dr. Cross going around eating people.  It's a shame that Roger McKenzie and Vince Argondezzi didn't get to finish their story.  This could have become one of the greatest comics ever.

Who should animate it? Studio Perrot.  Next Man had a very "independent" look, and Studio Perrot has a similar style.  Besides, they have already tackled something similar, a little show called Ninkku.

Cool Extras: Mission briefings on each of the Next Man comics, and interviews with the creators.

NUMBER 6

Why number 6?  Before "Youngblood" there was Elementals.  More than just a superhero comic, Elementals dealt with issues like "the price of fame", child abuse, and human rights.  Despite being super powered, everyone, hero or villain, were real people with real issues.  Creator Bill Willingham even threw in a schizophrenic assassin and a love sick rat man for kicks.

Who should animate it? HBO/Todd Mcfarlane entertainment.  This is a title for grown ups, and you need grown up animation.  The folks who made the animated "Spawn" series are the only ones who would do Elementals justice.

Cool Extras: An "Elementals" music CD.  Bill Willingham constantly referenced song as issue titles, or to emphasize a point.  The CD would have songs like "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors and "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring.

NUMBER 5

STORY: Linda Williams is an Esper, a human with powerful psychic ability.  She was also the leader of an esper team that had gone to Beirut to rescue hostages.  After her team returned to the US, they disbanded.

She has learned that a secret government agency is rounding up Espers to use them as weapons.  Attempting to warn her old teammates, they dismiss her concerns until each one is attacked.  Now, they are all on the run.  Linda must figure out who is behind this before they are all killed.

Why number 5?  Created by James D. Hudnall, and with fantastic art work by Paul Johnson, Interface was a cool follow up to the Espers comic book.  Unlike most comics about espers, James D. Hudnall placed his characters in realistic settings, with real reactions.  He even added little quirks to make them interesting.  Plus, you had some "Alex Ross" level artwork by Paul Johnson to keep things going.

Who should animate it? That's a tough one.  The unique style would be pretty hard to translate.  For my money, it would be Production IG.  They are pretty inventive, and are always willing to be different.  Look at the animation in "Kill Bill".

Cool Extras: A "test your psychic ability" test, along with original art by Paul Johnson.

NUMBER 4
Vampi

STORY: A retelling of the classic "Vampirella" comic story, Vampi is the adventures of one woman who is fighting a war against the scum of the Earth.

Why number 4?  Former member BeBob was and still is a big Vampirella fan, so we almost had to.  Besides, Kevin Lau's artwork is really bitchin', and David Conway's stories are pretty ass kicking in themselves.

Who should animate it? Hands down, Production IG.  Their work on "Blood: The Last Vampire" was like a warm up for Vampi.  Plus, doesn't Vampi look like Motoko Kusnagi from "Ghost in the Shell"?

Cool Extras: A gallery of the models who have "portrayed" Vamperella in "Vampi" gear.  That and a series of 5 minute live action "Vampi" shorts staring Jessica Alba....growl!

NUMBER 3

Deep in the heart of Texas, guerrilla fighter Jory "Lone Wolf" Mills, has been recruited by the resistance to help fight the Soviet Army.  During a recon mission, the resistance find a fully functional US battle suit called "Tiger X".  When the Soviets arrive to destroy it, Jory takes matters into his own hands.

Now, the Texas resistance may have the trump card they need to take back America!

Why number 3?  Ben Dunn was (and still is) a trailblazer in "manga inspired" comics.  Like "Dynamo Joe", it had an anime spirit and American sensibilities.

Who should animate it? Sunrise.  If you have read the comic, you will notice a more than passing resemblance to some of the mecha in "Dougram".  Since they are the kings of giant robot anime, it's a no brainer.

Cool Extras: A series of "News from the Front Lines" shorts and a time line comparison about how the "real world" differs from "Tiger X".

Things are not going their way.  Every time they get close, Paradox manages to turn the tables on them.  It also appears that Nakiko is connected with the killer.

Will Nagawa survive to learn the evil secret hiding in the streets of Megalopolis?

Why number 2?  It was a toss up between Dark Minds and our number one.  You have the fantastic work done by Pat Lee and his Dreamwave comics team.  You also have the anime influenced writing of Adrian Tsang as the perfect compliment.  However, they lost the coin toss.  Sorry guys.

Who should animate it? Production IG and Gonzo.  Besides the obvious "Ghost In the Shell" similarities, this title would require a lot of CG work, hence the need for Gonzo.

Cool Extras: A total behind the scenes look at the making of "Dark Minds", with a trailer for the live action film that we hope will follow.

NUMBER 1
Shuriken

While she investigates, Kyoko learns that her brother has become a member of the Yakuza, and is the one that killed the man.  Now, she must travel to Japan and stop him.

Why number 1?  When I was a young kid of 15 or 16, I met Reggie Byers, the creator/writer/artist of this awesome comic at a Robotech convention.  He and I spent several hours chatting about his work on Robotech, and his dream to animate Shuriken. While I don't have enough money to do it yet, at least this is a start.

Besides, it's an awesome comic.  Reggie's kinetic style, interesting characters, and solid artwork would fit right at home in the anime world.

Who should animate it? Dementia 7 Studios.  Like Reggie Byers and his Victory publication, they are a true independent anime studio.  We have already seen that they can do an animated comic book. With a large enough budget, I bet they could make a kicking 100% CG animated film, and fulfill a lot of dreams!

Cool Extras: A cool interview with creator Reggie Byers, producer Matt Anderson, and animator Arik Renee Avila.  We would also have a soundtrack, animatics, and a series of shorts based off of the ones that appeared in the Shuriken comic.