Funko Pop! Asia: Journey to the West: Monkey King Patina #115

by PopCorn Princess
May 6, 2021

Funko Pop! Asia: Journey to the West: Monkey King Patina #115 Funko Pop! Vinyl Figure – Shanghai (China) Con Exclusive is now available for pre-order at the links below. The Patina Monkey King pop is a very limited edition and an excellent addition for any Funko collector. Only 3000 were made!

Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, is one of the main characters in Journey to the West and a direct inspiration for creating Goku character from Dragon Ball.

Among his abilities, one is curious: he can transform himself into 72 different animals or objects, but when he adopts the form of a human, his tail remains apparent. Sun Wukong also mastered a technique that allowed him to travel by jumping between clouds and possessed a weapon called Ruyi Jingu Bang. This magic stick can change shape, either shrinking to the size of a needle or growing to enormous proportions.

Journey to the West is a mythological novel by Chinese author Wu Chengen, written around 1570, in the middle of the Ming Dynasty.

The legend of Journey to the West is based on the pilgrimage and pursuit of the monk Xuanzang to India in search of the sacred scriptures of Buddhism and tells the story of the Chinese legend of Sun Wukong (Monkey King).

Set during the Tang Dynasty in China, Journey to the West describes the adventures of a monk and his three disciples: a monkey (Sun Wukong), a pig (Zhu Bajie), and an ogre (Sha Wujing), on their way to India to find and bring back the sacred Buddhist scriptures.

The monkey and the pig provide much of the fun and humor in the novel. The third disciple, the ogre, is a more discreet but reliable figure. He serves as a contrast to the mischief of the monkey and the pig.

The book’s favorite character, the Monkey King, is the most capable disciple who travels with the monk Xuanzang. He is disobedient but loyal, childlike but resourceful, and the pages are filled with his exploits.

Funko Pop! Asia: Journey to the West: Monkey King Patina #115 Funko Pop! Vinyl Figure – Shanghai (China) Con Exclusive

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Avatar: The Last Airbender Comics Reading Order (Updated)

PopCorn Princess 2021-09-04

Related Topics: Avatar, Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Avatar franchise originated with Avatar: The Last Airbender but has expanded far beyond the original animated cartoon over the years.

In addition to the sequel (The Legend of Korra), the series was continued more directly through comics. They’re dedicated to exploring further what happened to Aang and his friends after the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. Later, Korra’s story was also given a sequel in the comics.

I present a simple guide, the comics lists released to date, and the reading order for those who want to venture into this world. Let’s go?

1 – Team Avatar Tales

Before the sequel comics, the series has a few single volumes. Most of these are concise stories, released alongside those of other franchises in free special editions of an event called Free Comic Book Day.

Others are contained in a volume called Team Avatar Tales. The first in chronological order is Relics, which follows Aang, Katara, and Sokka during the first season of the animation. Origami, another short story featured in the collection, is also set during the series, but sometime in the third season.

Other short stories presented, such as Sokka’s Poem and Toph and the Boulder, do not make explicit where they take place, as they are entirely separate from the main plot. Still, leaving them for after the series seems to be the best option.

In addition, Rebound, Shells, and Sisters are also presented, all taking place after the animated series. It is worth noting that Rebound deals with the events of The Promise, so it is essential to read this other comic before it.

2 – Katara and the Pirate’s Silver

In chronological order, Katara and the Pirate’s Silver takes place before some of the stories in Team Avatar Tales. More specifically, it is located after the events of Book 2, chapter 9, Bitter Work.

This was the first comic book released as a single volume, a larger, complete story, unlike the previous tales, and it was not divided into three parts like most of the comics in the franchise.

The protagonist is Katara, who is separated from the rest of the team when they go through a Fire Nation blockade. While avoiding projectiles from his enemies, Appa accidentally throws the girl into the water.

Unable to reunite with the others, the water bender must avoid capture by allying with a group of pirates. But for them to take her outside the blockade, she must prove she is strong enough to take on anyone.

3 – Suki, Alone

Despite being the most recent release, having debuted in July of this year, Suki, Alone is one of the first stories in chronological order.

As the title implies, it is all about Suki, taking place precisely in the run-up to episode 14 of Book 3, The Boiling Rock. Like the Katara comic, this is a single-volume story.

The story’s premise is that having been captured by the Fire Nation, Suki is taken to the most secure prison in the country. There, she must deal with being completely alone, without Team Avatar or the other Kyoshi Warriors.

In the midst of this, she decides to build a new community with the other prisoners. This is no easy task, however, since trust is not something easily found among frightened people. So she must find a way to achieve her goal with more than words of encouragement.

4 – The Promise

The Promise is the comic that started the direct sequel series, being released in 2012. It continues the story of Aang and his friends, beginning shortly after the end of the original aminated series. Here, the main characters are the Avatar and Zuko, the new Fire Lord.

Although the war is over, the two must deal with the tension still present in the world during this time of significant change. Therefore, they take a slightly different approach to solving problems in one of the former Fire Nation colonies before it worsens.

This leads the two characters, who became great friends, to face a dangerous path that could set them against each other again.

To make things even more dramatic, Zuko asks Aang to make him a promise: if he starts to follow his father’s path, Ozai, he wants the Avatar to guarantee that he will stop him at any cost — even if it means killing him. This promise gives this three-part comic its name.

5 – The Search

The second comic book in the series was released in 2013 and also consisted of three parts. This time, the focus is one of the great mysteries left behind from the animated series: searching for what happened to Ursa, Zuko‘s mother.

As a result, the main topic this time is the Fire Nation royal family, including the history of Ursa and Ozai from their youth. After the animation, Azula also appears again, showing a little more of her destiny and revealing that she has been placed in a mental health facility.

Despite the character’s condition, she accompanies Zuko on the search for her mother. Aang, Sokka, and Katara are also helping the search, finally answering what happened to Ursa.

6 – The Rift

Next comes the comic The Rift, from 2014. Again, the story emphasizes the Avatar team and steps in building the universe we see in The Legend of Korra. Like the others, it consists of three parts.

At this point in the story, Aang is already a 14-year-old boy and begins creating Republic City. Toph is also more involved in this chapter. It deals with the clash between being too attached to tradition instead of focusing only on the future without considering the past.

The Avatar team is preparing for the Yangchen Festival, a traditional celebration of the Air Nomads that has not taken place for over 100 years. During this time, Aang begins to receive mysterious messages from the Avatar Yangchen’s spirit, investigating what is happening there.

7 – Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy

Another single-volume comic, Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy, was released earlier this year in February. Again, the story occurs between the main trilogies, specifically after The Rift and before Smoke and Shadow.

In the plot, Toph lives a simple life-transforming earthbenders into metalbenders. Her academy even has the proper infrastructure, but she begins to get bored of the daily tasks. So her former students, Penga, Ho Tun, and The Dark One, start helping her with her workload.

In addition to the earth bender, Suki and Sokka also make appearances in the story.

8 – Smoke and Shadow

This three-part story is once again focused on the Fire Nation. Smoke and Shadow was released between 2015 and 2016 and followed on from the events of the previous comics.

Zuko must deal with a new challenge as Fire Lord: those citizens who still support Ozai. With the help of Aang and Mai, he faces a mysterious group calling itself the New Ozai Society, whose goal is to overthrow the new ruler and restore his father to the throne.

Things become even more complicated with the actions of mysterious evil spirits called Kemurikage, who endanger several children of the Fire Nation.

9 – North and South

Next comes North and South, released between 2016 and 2017. This time, the focus is on Sokka, Katara, their family relationships, and the two Water Tribes.

In the beginning, the brothers return to their tribe, finding a place that has become very different from the small village where they grew up. The two soon meet their father, Hakoda, the current chief of the tribe, also discovering that Malina, a woman from the Northern Water Tribe, has played a prominent role in the changes in their home.

During all these changes, the two must deal with what they mean to them. Also, things get a little more personal with the romantic involvement between Hakoda and Malina.

10- Imbalance

Imbalance follows the previous events in three parts comic. Released between 2018 and 2019, it begins with some tension between folders and non-folders.

The Avatar Team reconvenes, arriving in an industry where they are not well received, due to the growing disputes between those who can use bending and those who are not.

This leads them to try to resolve the conflict, which keeps getting worse and worse. Thus, Avatar needs to find a solution that makes both parties happy.

The basis for many vital conflicts that occur in The Legend of Korra begins to be established here. In addition, the story deals with industrialization, another theme very present in the second animated series.

11- Free Comic Book Day

Like the Avatar: The Last Airbender comics, Korra’s story received some short stories from the Free Comic Book Day celebration.

The first of these, Friends for Life, tells how the protagonist met Naga, her polar bear dog. Thus, the story shows Korra as a child, taking place before the main events of her cartoon.

The other two stories, Lost Pets and Clearing the Air, have some elements that are only shown in the last book of The Legend of Korra and are best read after watching the cartoon.

12 – Turf Wars

The first comic that follows The Legend of Korra events directly is Turf Wars, which begins precisely where the animation ends. Thus, we see Korra and Asami together, exploring the spirit world.

The story was released between 2017 and 2018 and delved into their relationship and the impact the human world and the spirit world have on both sides.

Korra must deal with new threats as she navigates this new relationship and how other people react to it and fulfill her role as Avatar by bridging the conflicts between humans and spirits.

13 – Ruins of the Empire

The second trilogy of The Legend of Korra comics (and last so far) was released between 2019 and 2020. Its story deals with the fall of the empire formed by Kuvira, also following up on the plot presented in Turf Wars.

Here, the future of the Earth Kingdom is threatened by its past as the nation’s first election approaches.

While Kuvira tries to regain her honor, Commander Guan threatens the peace Korra has built by trying to take power for himself. To avoid this, Korra and Kuvira must work together to ensure the future of the Earth Kingdom.

Candyman Franchise: The Origin of Legend Explained

PopCorn Princess 2021-09-05

Related Topics: Candyman

Candyman has arrived in theaters promising to be one of the horror films that will chill audiences in 2021. A spiritual sequel to the cult classic Candyman (1992), the film is produced and written by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta, who explores the original’s mythology more profoundly and intelligently way.

Candyman, the “mirror killer,” is more than just a man. Instead, he is a symbol, a metaphor, and a personification. But of what, exactly? What is the real story behind one of horror cinema’s most classic antagonists?

Learn all about Candyman below, from its origins to the works inspired by Clive Barker‘s short story!

What is The Candyman Story Based On?

The Candyman was based on “The Forbidden” short story published in Fantasy Tales magazine in 1985 by author Clive Barker and months later in the fifth volume of six-volume Books of Blood anthology.

These collections of horror short stories were responsible for propelling the author to success. Many have been adapted for TV and film, but Candyman – or “The Forbidden” is easily the most popular.

Clive Barker is known for his subversive and grotesque horror, and when creating the character, his primary inspiration came from urban legends and myths of the United States.

The character is clearly inspired by the figure of the mysterious killer with a hook for a hand. However, he is also influenced by Bloody Mary and other figures from the grotesque imagination.

The films further explore this notion of urban legends, portraying the character as a figure who gains strength through the faith of the people who believe in his story and power. But, of course, he also can turn people into myths, just like himself.

In both the short story and the movies, the mythology of the Candyman is very peculiar and interesting. To summon the legendary killer, one must speak his name five times. After that, the “conjurer” is tested on his faith in the Candyman myth, and if the person does not believe in him, he is soon killed in a brutal way.

The book is quite different from the movies. Initially, the antagonist’s look was very different, more monstrous-looking. In the book, he is described as a supernatural being with blue skin – whereas, in the movies, he is a black man.

When he approaches, his victims can hear the buzzing sound of bees – which come out of his body from his chest. He has a hook in place of one of his hands and can appear anywhere he wants.

The tale is set in Liverpool (England). It follows an upper-class woman who investigates an urban legend in the poor part of town for academic purposes but becomes obsessed with the dreadful figure.

After seeing Chicago, the director and screenwriter Bernard Rose changed the narrative and its location, adding more fantastic layers to discussing the racial issue with a black protagonist.

What Was the First Candyman Movie?

It is essential to keep in mind that some things were different in the original tale because much of what enshrines Candyman today was the changes it went through to reach the big screen.

The first adaptation took place in 1992 with Candyman, by director and screenwriter Bernard Rose. The filmmaker took it upon himself to bring Barker’s work to the big screen but made changes that enhanced the piece.

At first, Rose changed the plot’s location. Instead of the United Kingdom, Clive Barker’s home country, he set the story in the United States based on his outrage at the brutal murders and social inequality in Chicago.

The filmmaker was inspired by a strange murder case in which the criminal broke into the victim’s house through a hole in the bathroom closet and how housing developments were built facing expensive condominiums in the city – separated only by a train line.

The director even decided to shoot the film in one of these locations, the Cabrini-Green housing developments, notoriously marked by poverty and violence.

Bernard Rose thus further deepened the theme of social inequality in Clive Barker’s tale, but the other trick would only come at the casting stage.

To play the main character, Helen Lyle, names like Alexandra Pigg (Bernard Rose’s wife) and even Sandra Bullock, but who won the role was Virginia Madsen (Sideways, Rebel Angels).

For the villain, the production wanted Eddie Murphy but could not afford the actor.

This is where Tony Todd, who had acted in such films as Platoon (1986) and the remake of Night of the Living Dead (1990), came in.

The actor elevated the physical menace of the entity, with his almost 6 feet tall and a thick, soul-penetrating voice, and brought elegance to the antagonist.

Original Candyman visuals, almost 10 years before Clive Barker's tale hit theaters — Original Candyman visuals, almost 10 years before Clive Barker’s tale hit theaters.

What is The Story of Candyman?

Candyman (1992) was highly praised for its social and racial commentary, and the second factor is courtesy of Tony Todd.

Going beyond the white protagonist dealing with problems outside of his reality, such as racism and poverty, the actor planned a backstory for his character, becoming canon within the franchise.

Tony Todd expanded Candyman mythology by imagining him as a slave's son who was murdered after falling in love with a young white elite girl — Tony Todd expanded Candyman’s mythology by imagining him as a slave’s son murdered after falling in love with a young white elite girl.

Tony Todd expanded the Candyman mythology by imagining him as a slave’s son murdered after falling in love with a young white elite girl.

The legend created by Tony Todd imagines that the figure who would become the Candyman was, during the 19th century, the son of a slave who became wealthy by inventing the shoe machine.

Because of this, his father sent the boy to the best schools, and the result was a brilliant young artist with the manners and dress of the elite. The problem arises when the boy is hired to paint the tycoon’s white daughter but falls in love with her.

When the father discovers the interracial relationship, he becomes so enraged that he gathers an angry mob. The young man is then hunted down and has his right hand – his artistic instrument – cut off with a rusty saw.

Even more sadistic, the mob then rubs fresh honey on his body and throws the young man among the bees to be stung to death.

This is where the name Candyman comes from. His corpse is then burned, and the ashes are scattered throughout the region, serving as the basis for his curse.

How Many Candyman Movies Are There?

The first film was 1992’s Candyman, which became a hit for its performances by Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd, its layered script, its direction by Bernard Rose, and its fantastic soundtrack by Philip Glass. The original film has a 77% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, but the sequels have not had the same luck.

The first sequel came as early as 1995, called Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, and was directed by Bill Condon – the same filmmaker who recently helmed the final two parts of the Twilight saga and the live-action Beauty and the Beast (2015).

The plot takes Candyman out of Chicago and places him in the city of New Orleans. The second film has a score of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Somehow, the third – and last, by a long shot – managed to be even worse. Candyman: Day of the Dead was released directly to home video in 1999, directed by Turi Meyer, of series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Smallville.

The movie follows the assassin tormenting one of his descendants to become a legendary assassin figure, just like him. The result is a film with an incredible 8% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

With the help of producer and co-writer Jordan Peele, known for Run! (2015) and Us (2019), the director and screenwriter Nia DaCosta resurrected the franchise.

The pair ignored the questionable sequels and created a direct sequel to the original, which would bring new characters being tormented by the original Candyman – this time, back in the same Chicago neighborhood, but now marked by gentrification.

This new approach became Candyman, released in theaters in August 2021. The result seems to please: in addition to having an 85% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, beating even the original, the new movie marks the first time that a work by an Afro-American director has debuted at the top of the North American box office.

Interestingly, several Candyman-related projects have been developed, but some never got off the ground. In the 2000s, inspired by the commercial success of Freddy vs. Jason, Miramax even considered producing a crossover movie between Candyman and the characters from the Hellraiser franchise.

Clive Barker, who created both franchises and their characters, was vehemently against the idea since the Hellraiser universe has nothing to do with the concepts demonstrated in Candyman.

Still, it would have been interesting to see a confrontation between the legendary assassin and Pinhead, the leader of the Cenobites in Hellraiser.

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PopCorn Princess

Hey there, I'm Princess. I’m an annual comic con attendee, Star Wars-loving, and collector freak. My mission is simple: To bring cool geeky news and content and share my passion with the rest of the world. (... I secretly wish to save the world as a superheroine...)