The CCD Podcast: Episode #31 - Famous Pop Culture Beasts In Honor of 'The New World Bestiary' Art Show

We here at CCD love getting behind a great idea, so when we found out that fellow compatriot and contributor to the CCD Podcast Joe Milazzo was hosting another one of his awesome art shows I knew I had to share it with all you guys... but we decided to take it ONE STEP FURTHER and do A WHOLE PODCAST EPISODE on the show's topic!!! Join Jedi Rob Martin, Joe 'Beware The Beast Man' Milazzo, and John LaMacchia as they discuss famous 'Beasts' in Pop Culture. The art show is entitled The New World Bestiary: A Compendium of Creatures Lost & Imagined, so the gang talk about which beasts will be making appearances in the show and counterparts that they have had throughout pop culture history! A very cool podcast, in lieu of a pretty cool art show. Lots of great artists in this one, including CCD's own Tommy Lombardozzi! Oh, and there will be LIVE MUSIC TOO! If you are in the Brooklyn area, please make your way over to St. Vitus Bar in Greenpoint for the show, starting at 6 PM. All info can be found by clicking here to the Facebook Event page and after the jump for the full show flyer...

Bowser's Lair

After my little trip down memory lane the other day when we talked about Dragon's Lair, I found this gem over on Deviant Art. Kidd P does a great job of re-imagining Mario as Dirk the Daring, Princess Toadstool as Daphne, and Bowser as Singe. Great work.

More Dragon's Lair Memories (And Now With More Deaths!!!)

As a little follow up to Mr. Mike D's piece, my own 'Dragon's Lair' memories originate from the Chuck E. Cheese at the Caesar's Bay Bazaar. The game, along with Don Bluth's other very similar but not as famous 'Space Ace' of course wowed everyone. I specifically remember the posters for both games were stylized movie posters...


...there were kids who swore it wasn't for the game, but for a real movie coming out. (Ah jerkface kids.) The game cost TWO goddamn quarters, lasted about 30 seconds and provided nearly zero directions. We ate it up of course.

I came across an arcade version a few years back at the amazing Funspot in Laconia, New Hampshire. So I subjected my friends, some familiar with the game, some not so much, to the beast. The result were...less than stellar.



When the game was released in 1983 the video game industry was collapsing under its own weight. The market was over-saturated with rushed games, cheap clones and poor manufacturing. 'Dragon's Lair' stood out from everything else of the time, and even given its gimmicky qualities was way ahead of its time. The game play paved the way for the now all too common Quick Time Events that are present in modern games. 'Heavy Rain' is obviously the lovechild of Dirk and Daphne. If only the original played as well!!!

I never played any of the other iterations of "Dragon's Lair," but it seemed like it became something of a rule that they all had to be notoriously difficult. The Angry Video Game Nerd did a little look back at the game and specifically spends time with the NES version.



The original arcade version is the one that has really stood the test of time. Currently you can get it for the iPhone/iPad from the App Store. Most recently it was released for download on the PS3. It's on their PSN for $10 and it's a full 1080P HD version. A thing of beauty...and torment.

Remembering Don Bluth's Dragon's Lair

Original Dragon's Lair Arcade Cabinet

I always loved Don Bluth's 'Dragon's Lair' when I was a kid. It was always the coolest game at The Bow Wow which, for all of you guys not from Howard Beach, Queens, was a huge arcade on the corner of 163th Ave and Crossbay Blvd. This place was like heaven on earth, with well over 100 arcade cabinet games to play. They had all the newest titles, but as they all came and went, 'Dragon's Lair' stayed put. The vivid graphics were just so entrancing, they blew the doors off even the best games of the time. Sure, there wasn't much to the game (it wasn't easy but, you were merely controlling the motions of the hero, Dirk the Daring). Dirk was a real hero, bumbling as he may be. And Daphne had some boobies on her, so that didn't hurt to make the game popular amongst the fellas. Throw in a bad ass dragon named Singe and you got yourself a hell of a package.

Dragon's Lair by Tom Whalen

The game was popular on computers of the time, and then they made versions of the game for various systems such as Super Nintendo and X-Box. It also lead to a short lived cartoon series (only 13 episodes) that was pretty much a perfect animated copy of the game itself. I have always loved the styling of Don Bluth's artistry, and the cartoon-y yet awesomeness of the characters is hard to ignore. I hope this little trip down memory lane jars some memories of this great game and cartoon. Do you remember 'Dragon's Lair'? Did you play it in the arcade? Did you watch the cartoon? Let us know in the comment section below.

Dragon's Lair by Tony Washington

Also, check out this cool behind the scenes review of the original 'Dragon's Lair' game by The Choco Bros. This will surely refresh some of your memories if you need it. Great stuff.