DMS etches PSA on DVD 4 U
In yet other news C-U Blogfidential has failed to spill in a timely manner, the cool kids behind Dark Maze Studios of Champaign completed their videogame adventure collection with the DVD release of PRESS START ADVENTURES on Friday, February 10. Fleshing out the colorful world inhabited by warriors Zach, Sam, and Lin-ku in the PRESS START live action films, the cartoon series directed by Ed Glaser and animated by writer Kevin Folliard spans three seasons of 13 Webisodes each. The region-free disc features this complete run as well as audio commentaries, bonus specials, and a making-of featurette; one can also visit the Dark Maze Web site for sneak peeks and additional behind-the-scenes interviews while the nifty cover artwork by Andrew Dickman appears below.
Fans received an e-newsletter January 17 mentioning further Dark Maze developments apart from the PSA DVD. Stylized animation series SPACE NINJA, designed by comics artist Alex Mitchell, recently wrapped a 10-episode run just in time for the debut of NINJA THE MISSION FORCE, starring Glaser and Brad Jones as secretly warring ninjas in search of six “avian ninja warrior” figurines granting the possessor “ultimate ninja power.” Inspired by the cut-and-paste action films of Hong Kong producer Godfrey Ho, Glaser splices together minimal original footage with dubbed clips from public domain material like the Brandon Lee/Ernest Borgnine programmer LASER MISSION (1989) seen in Episode One, “Ninja Begininator.” We’ll embed ninja-tastic examples right here on CUBlog this Saturday!
Finally, Dark Maze partner-in-crime Meagan Rachelle launched a new section of the e-newsletter, “Be a Low-Budget Filmmaker,” filled with valuable tips-and-tricks gleaned from their experiences. In her first compilation, Rachelle advises on how to make the most of cheap store-bought costuming. Head back to the Dark Maze home page and sign up if this interests you!
~ Jason Pankoke
