Re: Dan Dare animated series

On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 11:46:48 +0100 Robin Paul <Robin.Paul@tesco.net> 
wrote:

> Has anyone in the UK noticed the Dan Dare CGI animated series on 
Channel 5 on Saturday mornings? It has flaws (such as Dan's ludicrous 
high-pitched voice) but many good points, including very pleasing retro 
designs, many taken pretty directly from the cartoon strip.  The 
animation style is not unlike the "Roughnecks Chronicles". <

Well, that tells me what the RC animation style is like... <g> Yes, 
I've seen it, and it's rather fun. I agree with you about Dan's voice, 
but my biggest complaint about Dan is the characterisation: the show 
has Dan as an irresponsible 1930s-RAF-stereotype-on-crack type -- NOT 
what you'd want in a test pilot and not, IIRC, anything like the way he 
was presented in the original comics.

I like the Anastasia (but then I always did), except that I wish they'd 
had the original bubble canopies rather than the more conventional 
bomber-style design that they changed it to; they've made the 
swing-wing different, too, but it's actually probably a better design 
that way, and fits neatly into the explorer/drive module concept 
(something unique to the show, I think).

The ship designs are fun, but some of them scream out that they were 
done by Foundation Imaging, the company responsible for the early 
series of Babylon 5; the ship used to collect animals from other 
worlds, for instance, is very Earth Alliance in design, and an escort 
of Starfuries would look right at home alongside it, whereas the comic 
designs are much more rounded, being, as they were, streamlined for 
atmospheric as well as space flight.

Lots of fun; now, if only Channel 5 would give it a better timeslot...

Phil, hoping that Comet Minis will finally get off their duffs and 
restart production of their Mini-Metals range, because I want (among 
other things) an Anastasia!
----
"If you let a smile be your umbrella... you'll get wet teeth!"
  -- a forgotten comedian, quoted by me: Phil Atcliffe