The Clackamas Print Page 7
Wednesday, April 26,1995
FEATURES
M
Wein rd’s pours wide variety
es sparking
full-flavored succes
1
Xv
I
Dark Horse Comics
present the ‘Mask’
by Jon Roberts
Staff Writer
When most people think of
the “Mask,” they think of Jim
Carrey parading around in a
yellow suit with a green mask
on, saying “SSSSSmokin*.”
What people don’t know is
that the Mask has been around,
in one form or another for al-
m o s t
five
years.
and now he has an ongoing se­
ries that is two issues old and
going strong.
The “Mask” was originally
called the “Masque” and pre­
miered in a comic called May­
hem, about five years ago. The
character was basically the same
as the one we all know but he
was a little more violent.
The character re­
ally took off, so
Dark
Horse
changed the
i character’s
name to
r “Mask”
and gave
him his own
comic. The
“Mask” be­
came popu­
lar enough
for Dark
Horse to
give
him a
second
mini-
gers in their ears.
the country. "Falls Road,” an
*' as impossible t
ish Neo-Celtic band,
y eveiXfe-L .
i ^^¿’liaVbe'en getting gc
uring alternative,
Tormed, but we managed to hear views
Before
, folk, acoustic, blue most of them by only staying for
“Creatures of Habit” pla
t h
•untry,; jazz, gospel,i one or two songs each.
jjfpiLin the International Pulp and 1
“Mask”
lues, latin, ethnic "and
The Weye
,er Room was| per Room, providing a pleas,
was a
ixturesin between, the one of the consistently popularj semi sixties sound. Unfortu-
block­
s Balj (formerly the rooms'the entire evening. Aside3 nately, we left early and couldn’t
buster
jail) was a succ^^^^^Mffhe first and last sets, byW^et^^^mfafeZas the room filial
movie, it
oted by various radio;.-. “Doris Daze” and “Fate,” respec- up. „
was
tively, theroomjWaCTackefc£)ne:'^|l|^K^largest crowd we saw in
com i (
ball was presented by Henry of the reasons may have been the - the arena was during the “Five
boo k
ginhard’s and produced by the lineup of largely alternative ■ Fingers of Funk” performance.
from a
dand,jM^te^^o^ati8n,,frp^^^>ands. ,.. Th^ heaWWnk. pop^^pi^^ix of hip*hop and acid-^
small
- m't0 knightlast Saturday, rock band “90 Proof,” thrashed.I; jazzis best described simply as
Oregon
The wide selection of music; , The WeyerhauserRoom turned /unky.
comic book
proved to dravkk 'wide variety of into ajmosh pit. The room fille^^JM^ “La Mayor Salsa,” perhaps
company
people. % Despite the use of the with police and eventesffgt^fyffi- the top Latin band in the city, en-
called Dark Horse
Bord “Ball,” very few people Soon after, aman was dragged gaged hearts, hips and feet, along
The popularity the “Mask”
Comics. They have been pro­
essed up. Most wore jeans and kicking and screaming from the with
“Conjunto
Allegre, for
” which
arena. Music from the arena
ducing
quality comics
al­
kind of decreased, but with the
T-shirts.
'
- front of the pit. At leastTive men could
someone wdnt to take movie, popularity has skyrock­
spilled out into the concourse, and
most a make
decade.
. ’ It. was the sort of affai^^MWro^gSpired to bring him dowi^>^y^^
' ,
vice versa. The best sound was
eted to new heights. Not only is
Dark Horse produces such
^QMHl||ftlthe rooms on the just about anything would go
A person, who was filming comics
Since as
this was
the Wars,
first year
the “Mask” getting a cartoon,
“Star
”
lower level. These roomsT&tjjs The acoustics of some of the' the bandgyhe time tried to get bagk fof the
ball after
a two-year
which features the voice of Jim
“Aliens,
” “Predator
” and many
in close proximity to the s] ■es were not perfect. The ‘ some shots of the arrest. He was break, it was
sort high-quality
of a “test drive comics.
”
other
Carrey, he is also getting a line
ers, providing loud sound.
3S in the arena had the most quickly apprehended, removed to Dark
determine
future is balls
would
of toys.
Horse if
comics
based
out
producing,
people recommended n^ticeabl^distorpop.^Lwafi, from the situation and not permit- be of worth
There is talk of a new
Milwaukie
and has quite a
Each band
member
was guar­
o&^feust put their fin- somewhat better; on the arena ’ ted to film any of the police treat- | following
across
the nation.
“Mask” movie in about a year
floor, but was the best at the top ment.
•
- ?
anteed Dark
$40 Horse
for the also
night,
has with
some a or two, but nothing for sure.
row of seats,.near the center of the
Another popular room was' possible
increase
in pay based
on ­
Only time will tell if fans will
other not
so well-known
com
the Plywood Room, in which we attendance, which picked up as
ics that are also pretty “cool.”
get their wish and be able to see
heardsipi Hr.” the evening continued.
Jim Carrey put on the “Mask”
Watch out for comics such as
“Gravel Pit,” “Glass Chunk,You have to go next year It
again.
“Barb Wire,” “X,” “Sin City”
“Hitting Birth” and “Falls Road ’ is simply one of the “coolest
Dark Horse Comics have
and “Ghost”.
tgJsP
“Haymaker” was described a$jk Portland things to do, and it’s a The “Mask” was one of
burst into the mainstream, and
.peak- alternative country, anS’ Grasel “swell" way to find out all about
they don’t have plans of leav­
these. Now it is a big seller and
by Jay Milton Osborne, III
Pit’J was described as having the the Ideal groups. You will be very
ing anytime soon. Watch out for
it’s going to get bigger with the
Contributing Writer
Dark Horse Comics because
“Mask” cartoon coming out by
Tygres Heart Shakespeare same sort of roots, but with more impressed at the talent found in
they’re here, and if you don’t
the end of the year. The “Mask”
Company has a reputation for tak­
like it, get out of their way.
has had two comic miniseries
ing risks by continually pushing
the artistic envelope in their pro­
ductions. This production of “The
Tempest” is certainly one of the
bolder and broader stretches they
have taken. The play is im­
mensely entertaining, but it is not
at all that it should aspire to be as
a work of Shakespeare.
The island set, which is ap­
propriate to the story line, is ex­
Photo by Jamie Bosworth
pertly crafted by Larry Larson.
Rebecca Lowe and Eleanor O’Brien as Prospera of Milan
In the opening scene, where the
and Miranda in Tygres Heart’s ‘The Tempest.”
tempest’s storm is at full thrust,
the stage director and actors uti­
lize the set design to the fullest.
exact cultural origin of the spir­ ter. Also, Prospera, as portrayed
Unfortunately, in the later its’ costumes, but they appear to by Rebecca Lowe, gives away her
scenes, Glenn Williams’ stage have escaped from “Carnival” in power as a wizard and a witch,
direction focuses too frequently to Rio, or the Mardi Gras in New and thus loses her command of
46
one side of the stage.
Orleans.
the tempest.
In another delightful depar­
By far, the most daring de­
Throughout the performance,
ture from the expected, the exotic parture from the expected is how­ in a character reversal, the spirits
Must be Able to work with
costumes are beautiful and in­ ever the bold gender reversal of dominate the action. At times,
minimum supervision
triguing. Ashley Smith’s Middle the lead character.
they become almost irritatingly
Eastern designs enhance, but
Prospero is transgendered omnipresent, while yelping,
©
never overpower or obscure the into Prospera. Williams decision snarling and growling from all
Must love people.
characters.
to focus on the Earth-Mother comers of the theater.
Perhaps the most interesting qualities of the character dimin­
If Prospera’s character was
4*
costumes were those of the spir­ ishes much of the strength, magic given the strength to command
its. Bits of bright colored tinsel and mystery of the male counter­ the spirits and the magic, the re­ Duties inclube Associate relations ant> recog­
and raffia are explosively com­ part, Prospero. Unfortunately, the sult could be an improvement in
nition, recruitment.
bined with feathers and attached relationship between Prospera clarity.
by arm and leg bands to the near and Miranda suffers from this
❖
This gender-bending version
naked, painted bodies of the spir­ change; after all, a mother-daugh­ of the Tempest will certainly pro­
its.
Call
ter relationship is very different vide you with a new look at
It is very hard to pinpoint the form that of a father and daugh­ Shakespeare.
m Gauthier,Feature
d Patrick Lundstrom,
K
Gender-bending version of
the‘Tempest’: risky departure
CRAZY”