For three days in August, Japanese spirits of the dearly departed return to Earth to visit their ancestors during the Obon festival. There are dances and obeisances paid to lost loved ones, graves are visited and paper-lanterns are lit, the dead are made live again through the last bits of their essence in the waking world: our memories.
But what of those with no one left to remember? The beggars. The urchins. The isolated that left the world alone, and drift through the afterlife unfettered by the memory of their corporeal counterparts. Do they drift the streets as they did in life, searching for a glint of recognition in the eyes of passers-by? Do they long for an earthly anchor during this trifid necrolatry? I like to imagine the lost spirits of Japan, flowing through the bustling streets for three nights, finding solace in the remembrance of each other, and perhaps finally gaining a measure of peace.
I love the time like this. When walking through the city you pierce some unseen veil that separates you from the bustling crowds and become invisible. Steps fall in a rhythm counted out by the metronome heart of the city and you suddenly discover the ability to slink through the heaving morass of bodies with cat-like grace. During these quiet moments, when your heart beats in time with the rhythm of the city and suddenly you can move at double speed, even the most introverted among us can’t help but enjoy the cascading, frantic beat of a busy street.
If you’re wondering why there are no new episodes of The Maxx you may blame Viacom who, at some point yesterday, swept through YouTube and removed them. Ah well. There is plenty of strangeness left to fill the void. Witness, and be entertained:
• First up is Paranoia Agent, the television series from anime filmmaker Satoshi Kon. If you have never seen any of his work, do not let the seemingly nonsensical opening throw you off, this is one of the most mature and intelligent series done in the past few years. Beware the boy with the golden bat…
• Ah FLCL, also known as Fooly Cooly, a series that was decidedly nonsensical. There are few ways to describe this short, six episode series, that would give you any impressions of it other than “Whaaaa?” which is, most likely, the same reaction you’ll have after having watched it.
• Musical Interlude! If you are uninterested, now would be a good time to refill your bowl of Cocoa Puffs or use the restroom. Our show will resume momentarily.
• Two episodes of Courage the Cowardly Dog, “Cabaret Courage” and “Freaky Fred”, which follows a long tradition of worthwhile cartoons by appealing to adults as well as children, without frightening/confusing/boring the latter. “Hello, new friend, my name is Fred. I said, my name is Fred; the words you hear are in my head. I say, I said, my name is Fred and I’ve been very NAAAUGHTY.”
• The Real Ghostbusters, the first episode, entitled “Knock Knock”, written, as many of the first two seasons were, by J. Michael Straczynski. Before the series lightened up in the third season, in order to appeal to a wider and younger audience, this show was, at times, genuinely scary and always brilliantly animated. That quality of animation is especially apparent here.
If you have a problem with a pretty pesky poltergeist or other paranormal partycrasher, fear not! You can get a paranormal restraining order filed against whatever particular monster might be buggin’ you.
Keep them away!
Since the dawn of time, mankind has sought the means of keeping away supernatural and paranormal entities. Now, for only $5 each, receive a printed document that bars them from approaching or contacting you.
For $5, you can file a restraining order against zombies (always a problem in the Pittsburgh area), Satan, Aliens, God, or even—gasp!—that most monstrous of all monsters: David Letterman.
Unfortunately, they do not offer restraint orders for Cthulhu. You try serving papers to a Great Old One….Write back and tell me how it feels to be devoured down to the quark level.
In sheer defiance of the World Wide Web Consortium's will, Ectomo was designed using a non-web-standard font. Luckily, it is included in the excellent font pack released by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, which can be freely downloaded in Mac and PC formats here. Ectomo should still look fine without it, though.
If you have a problem with a pretty pesky poltergeist or other paranormal partycrasher, fear not! You can get a paranormal restraining order filed against whatever particular monster might be buggin’ you.
