Let Me Know How It Is

Spotlight: Jack Kirby - The King of Comics

The world of comic books has been home to many influential creators, and maybe the biggest of them all is none other than Jacob Kurtzberg aka Jack Kirby. Kirby worked as an artist, writer, and sometimes editor, where he developed a style and narrative structure that would define the medium. With a career in comics than spanned more than five decades, Kirby touched and excelled at just about every genre imaginable in the pages of comics: Sci-fi, Horror, Crime, Westerns, War, Romance, and especially Superheroes. Kirby's impact can be felt now more than ever; responsible for the creation of virtually the entire Marvel Universe, Kirby's work can been seen more and more translated to live action films and TV where it is reaching its biggest audience yet. Today the panel celebrates "The King of Comics," Jack Kirby.

The Continued Influence of Citizen Kane

Often touted as the greatest movie never made, Citizen Kane opened this week 80 years ago. It was not a commercial success in it's initial release in 1941, but the Orson Welles classic is a tour-de-force of filmmaking that still resonates to this very day. Showcasing an innovative and complex narrative storytelling structure as well as new experimental filmmaking techniques that were cutting edge then and still remain impressive and even unconventional to this very day. Citizen Kane truly caught the world off-guard, and its effect can be felt even in modern movies today. Join us for our conversation about what makes Citizen Kane so Influential.

Favorite Fictional Schools

Summer is over and that means one thing: school starts up again! That's right, sorry kiddos, it's back to school season. Even though summer ending can be a drag, we here at Let Me Know How It Is wanted to remind you that going back to school definitely can have it's pluses. Inspired by this annual sojourn back to learning, the panel wanted to take a look at some of their favorite places for learning from pop culture. Join the conversation today as we look at some of our favorite schools from movies, TV, comics, and animation.

Back to the Past with Samurai Jack

The very nature of animation production grants creators many avenues to create something imaginative, special, and unique, and Gendy Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack stands as a prime example of that. When Samurai Jack premiered on Cartoon Network in 2001 nothing had ever looked quite like it before, or for that matter, ever since. Jack is a genre-blending action show that takes cues from comic books, noir films, 70s TV/cinema, westerns, history, folklore, and many, many other inspirations, and it fuses them all into a cohesive world. Samurai Jack has always maintained a distinct visual style that simultaneously combines bombastic action with a huge emphasis on mood and atmosphere. All the while, the show never ever ignores comedy, charm, or a light heartedness that is just as much a hallmark of the show as its always thrilling fight scenes. So, join the panel as they go back, back to the past to celebrate 20 years of Samurai Jack!

The Suicide Squad

One of our most anticipated films of 2021 is Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn’s first foray into the DC Universe, The Suicide Squad. A no holds barred romp featuring a motley assortment of some of the DCU’s most misfit crooks and criminals who are a thrown into a suicide mission to save the world. Starring Idris Elba, Viola Davis, John Cena, Michael Rooker, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Sean Gunn , Sylvester Stallone, and many more, joining returning cast members Viola Davis, Joel Kinnamen, and the always fantabulous Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, The Suicide Squad is full of colorful characters and James Gunn’s brand of laughs, heart, and explosive action. Join the panel as we share our thoughts on 2021’s The Suicide Squad.

Transformers: The Movie Turns 35

35 years ago, children of the mid-1980s were enthralled by cartoons based around toy lines. They could be found everywhere on TV; weekday mornings, after school, and of course on Saturday mornings. That was Television only though, you didn’t see movies based around toy lines, that is until Transformers: The Movie was released.  An actual animated movie released to theatres that showcased all of our favorite robots in disguise. It shocked and dazzled us all then and it arguably holds up remarkably well today. To celebrate 35 years since its release, the panel looks back at Transformers: The Movie.

San Diego Comic-Con 2021 @Home Reactions

🎵 It's the most wonderful time of the year. 🎵 No it's not Christmas time -- it's Comic Con!!!! (Kind of a Christmas in July, we suppose.) Just like last year, the good promoters and organizers are bringing San Diego Comic-Con to our living rooms - Comic-Con 2021 goes virtual! The panel is here reacting to all the exciting news, and announcements, trailers, and panels that came out of Comic-Con at Home Year Two! Come join the party!

Watching (and Reading) the Detectives

Everyone loves a good mystery. A well crafted "Who Done It?" is among the most exciting kind of story to read or watch; and a huge part of those stories is the Detective, a focal character who learns all the plot details of the case as the audience does. A common practice for the mystery genre, is to take the audience through a brand new case, populated with a whole new slew of supporting players and the detective character acting as the only returning character. Often, over time, we get to peel the layers of these brilliant men and women of mystery and discover more about our favorite sleuths. Today the panel will list their favorite fictional detectives.

Blockbusters

Everyone has heard the term "Hollywood Blockbuster." You have probably seen at least a few dozen by now, but what actually classifies a movie becoming a blockbuster? What is the history? What are some of the traits these films have in common? How has the landscape changed over the years? Finally the panel will make predictions on which upcoming films just might very well hit blockbuster status in the future.

Happy 80th, Captain America

During World War II, comic readers saw many characters address the conflict on the world stage head on. Creators on characters like Superman and Batman pivoted creatively to deal with the war effort in addition to other characters of The Golden Age, including a whole slew of new characters. Among these brand new creations, none was more successful than Captain America. Interestingly, for a character anchored so much in the time period of his creation, Captain America's popularity is one of the most enduring in all of comics. He is certainly one of Marvel's most loved characters, and Chris Evans' portrayal of the character in the MCU has only added to the character’s exposure. It's been 80 years since his creation, and Captain America is still as relevant today as he was in the 1940s. For Cap's 80th year, and just in time for the 4th of July, the panel will celebrate Captain America.

Also stay tuned to the closing segment for our look back at Captain America: The First Avenger as we approach the 10th anniversary of the film's release.