The best versions of April O'Neil

The universe of Ninja Turtles rocked my childhood since always, it is one of the first universes of which I was a fan, and still today, it is always a pleasure to see it again. For this article, I wanted to talk about a subject close to my heart, on the main female character of the franchise: April O'Neil, and show you the best versions of her character. This is only my personal opinion, so don't bother coming to tell me if I forgot a particular version.

1987 version (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987)

I will first start with the first animated version of the character, in the animated series of 1987. I admit that when I was a child, I was in love with April, I found her very pretty and I always worried for her when she was captured. In this version, April is a journalist, and with a curious and intrepid side, but who often puts her in trouble. Even if I like this version, and I think in particular with nostalgia today, the criticism that I make of this version is that she is too often shown as a damsel in distress, not strong enough to defend herself and who must always be rescued, and for those who know me, it's not something I like about a female character, but after, it was in the 80s, it was another mentality.

2003 version (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003)

My favorite animated version of the character, that of the 2003 animated series, and also the one that is the most faithful to comics. Originally in comics, April is not a journalist but an assistant to scientist Baxter Stockman, and it is when she discovers that her boss is secretly working with Shredder that she is chased by Stockman's killer robots in the sewers, and is saved by the ninja turtles. Besides, her meeting with the turtles in the 2003 series is for me the best in animated version.

The animated version of 2003 follows this course, but also, this April has a much stronger character, she says what she thinks and even if she has not been trained in combat, she does not hesitate to intervene to help her friends (like when she hits a Shredder's minion on the head with a vase to save Leonardo). In addition, as a scientific assistant, she has computer skills. 

1990 version (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: the movie)

After my favorite animated version, here is my favorite live version, and besides the only good that exists. Judith Hoag starred as April in the 1990 film, the franchise's first live adaptation. In this version, April is a bit of a mix: she is a journalist, but keeps her strong character and does not hesitate to say what she thinks. In addition, Judith is a very good actress, beautiful woman ;), and who knew how to play the character (and she was only 22 when shooting the film!). And her encounter with the turtles in the film is just hilarious, and all the scenes with her and the turtles are perfect. Just the only personal downside: she doesn't meet Shredder in the film.

I have absolutely nothing, personally, against Megan Fox, but the role of April really does not suit her, and especially, her version of the character is ... ouch ... I will say it clearly to the scriptwriters: No, April O'Neil is not a bimbo! You clearly didn't understand anything about the character! 

To this day, Judith Hoag remains the only real incarnation of April O'Neil in a live version.

My Meetings at London Film and Comic Con 2019

Last weekend, with my sister and a friend, I went to London, for the third or fourth time, I don't really know, to attend an event I attended last year: the London Film and Comic Con, to meet some of the guests I absolutely wanted to meet in real life.
it was not easy because there were delays in the photoshoots, which caused a lot of trouble in the programs, and I thought I could not see all my guests in one afternoon, but I managed anyway :D

Here are the actors / actresses I met, in the order in which I saw them:

1. Erin Kellyman

My first encounter was with the adorable Erin Kellyman, a young actress whose best-known role at the moment is that of the badass and warrior Enfys Nest in Solo: a star wars story, and is seen as one of the most founders of the movement that will later give birth to rebellion against the empire. Enfys is a character too little shown unfortunately, too underrated, but who I think should have her own film, she has the potential, and Erin plays perfectly the role of the young woman warrior carrying on her shoulders the responsibility of having to lead a fight against oppression and tyranny. A beautiful character played by a beautiful actress. :)

2. Lana Parrilla

Ah, the beautiful and talented Lana Parrilla. She was announced among the first guests when the event was announced, and she was the first guest I chose. I discovered her in the very good TV series Once Upon a Time, where she plays the Evil Queen of Snow White, in a masterful way and we feel that she likes to play the character. The character quickly became one of my favorites in the series, and I wanted to meet Lana for a while now. I really like my photo with her, because it almost gives the illusion that we are going to start a dance together ;) Lana, a very great woman <3

3. Gemma Whelan

Oh, one of the guests I wanted to meet most! After meeting the evil queen, I went to meet another of my queens: the one and only sovereign of the iron islands, Gemma Whelan, aka Yara Greyjoy <3 Since I discovered the series, Yara has become one of my favorite characters of all, and I am waiting to meet Gemma for several years now. I could have met her at the All Men Must Die convention in Paris last year, but she had canceled for a scheduled shoot. But I waited and never lose hope, and now, I've met my iron queen, and my dream came true. :) <3

4. Jason Momoa

Do I really need to present this great actor, both in size and talent? The one and only, Mr. Jason Momoa himself! Khal Drogo, Aquaman, etc ... everyone knows him now. Jason is one of the actors I wanted to meet most and I admit to being very intimidated when I entered the studio for the photo. I think he liked my metalhead style because he greeted me with a big smile and showed me his fist, closed, in front of me. I guessed right away. Jason and I greeted each other by shocking our fists against each other. I could never forget this moment. Thanks again Mr. Momoa \m/ :D ah and one last thing: Jason was listening to metal music in the studio where he was, we could hear the music from outside, and it seems to me that it was Motörhead ;) So good!!

5. Vladimir Furdik

And to finish the event, an actor that I met last year at the same event, but I wanted to see again because he is an actor and stuntman that I admire a lot and deserves to be more known: Mr. Vladimir Furdik, aka the Lord of the Dead in Game of Thrones: the Night's King! I was very happy to see him again. I do not know if he recognized me, but that's not what mattered to me. For this photo, I asked him if we could do the pose "raise the dead" together, which posed no problem. I wanted to make the move to rise the dead with him, it was so great to do!! I almost felt like a white walker! :)

SKALD - The Viking band from France.

This is no longer a secret, Viking music is one of my favorite music of all time, in the same rank as metal music. Well, since last year, and it is with great pride that I say it, France now has its viking band: SKALD!

As soon as I heard their first song, Run, I immediately fell in love. With their typical instruments of Scandinavian music, their beautiful outfits and their singings mixing power and melody, Skald transports us with them in Scandinavian culture and Nordic mythology, which compose the texts of their songs. Songs like Run, Yggdrasil, Odinn, O Valhalla, Fluga, or Niu, have become my favorites.

On February 20th, in Paris, I had the good fortune to be able to see them in concert for their great premiere, being very well placed in the first rank. For that, I went to Paris in the early afternoon and waited all afternoon in front of the room. Well, the wait has been well worth it. From the first moments of the concert, we are transported into the medieval world and the Vikings, and I enjoyed every second. I was so engrossed in the concert that I did not see the time pass and I wish it would last longer. The group did us the honor to play their entire album. The audience was numerous and seduced, and it was a real triumph for Skald at this concert. And frankly, they deserve it. Skald is a must-see group and deserves their growing success.

After the concert, I could not resist going to the merch, and there too, it was a success of the sales of albums, t-shirts and other goodies. Obviously, I bought a t-shirt, the album, which I then get autographed by the members of the group, and also a photo with them. They were so nice and open-minded, and seeing them smiling and happy of the success of the concert was really great. Once again, a group to see, and I thank them again for this concert that I will never forget.

Proud they are French!

Me with Justine, Pierrick and Mattjö from SKALD! \m/ 

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/ 

10 years later, I still see you

In December 2009, was released a major blockbuster science fiction, a world created and directed by one of my favorite directors, James Cameron. This movie was Avatar, and I liked it so much that I was seeing it at least four times in a movie theater. One character had marked me more than the others, it was the main female character: Neytiri. If I could have imagined how much this character would change my life and help me, in a sense, to become the man I am today ...

2009 was a time of great trouble for me. I was lost, without style and identity, harassed constantly at school because of my shyness, my last name or my taste for fantasy and science fiction (a few times later, I would fall into nervous breakdown, but this is not the subject). Upon discovering the film Avatar and the character of Neytiri, something has awakened in me. I felt for Neytiri, which I had never felt before for a female character. I fell in love with Neytiri, her design, her character and her convictions. She is a strong woman, and that's what made me realize that I myself was not, that I let myself be done by the others. That's why after I went back several times to see Avatar in the cinema, even if I knew the script by heart, I did not care, I wanted to see again the story, the characters, the universe of Avatar, and also Neytiri of course. In addition to feeling connected to Neytiri, I became more and more connected to the Na'vi people, their culture, their music, their communion with their world. I never felt proud to be a human and to be part of a race so violent and immature, and seeing the Na'vi, I sometimes said to myself: "if I could have been one of them...."

But of course, I got a lot of mockery when I said my new passion for the world of Avatar and the interest I carried for Neytiri. I have even been called a zoophile because Neytiri is not human. WTF?! Neytiri is not an animal, she's a woman of an alien species with an intelligence very similar to that of humans, although the Na'vi are wiser and respectful of their environment.

Finally, I did not talk about Avatar anymore and I kept it for myself. After falling into a nervous breakdown, Avatar and Neytiri were a support among others, because I felt (and I still feel) connected to this character and this universe that has a special place in my heart. I don't give a fuck if it sounds strange to some, but when I was in nervous breakdown, I said to myself, "If Neytiri saw me, what would she tell me?"

And today, 10 years later, Neytiri is still in my heart, keeping the place of the very first fictional crush that came into my life, and which reinforced my passion in the universes I already loved, and in those of which I will become a fan in the future. And now, I'm looking forward to the arrival of Avatar 2. James Cameron, I'm counting on you, and Neytiri, see you again soon!

To people who like me have some special characters in their hearts and minds, welcome to you!

Fuck the haters! Fuck the trolls! Fuck the bullies!

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/ 

TITANS: my crossover saga between Disney and the Monsterverse

Crossovers are a type of story that interests me a lot when they are well used. Seeing two worlds that I am a fan to meet and assemble in a way to create an interesting story, see the characters of the two worlds meet, ally or clash, personally, I like that. I have already read several crossovers very well written by their authors, and I told myself one day that I was going to create a crossover between two worlds of which I am a fan: Disney and the Monsterverse.
Why these two universes in particular? Well, I think they can make a story both dark and beautiful. See characters like Disney princesses and their friends meet gigantic monsters like Godzilla or King Kong, and other giant creatures, could be funny to write. I named my crossover TITANS, and the first one I wrote, this year, starting the saga, is called The Queen and the Beast, with as main duo princess / monster: Elsa, the Snow Queen, and Godzilla, the King of the monsters. Why these two in particular? For start, with Elsa, she is a character that I appreciate for her drama. She is a young queen with a unique power, constantly having to be careful not to let doubt and fear dominate her, and suddenly, giant creatures, the titans, arise in the world. Will Elsa let the fear take her by seeing these huge monsters that seem indestructible? For Godzilla, he is a god, one of the most powerful monsters in the universe and suddenly, he meets this young human woman, with ice powers, which intrigues him to the highest point. And finally, I find that the two form a perfect duality: Elsa represents gentleness, hope and benevolence, while Godzilla represents anger, strength and destruction.
On the other hand, I warn, even if the characters of Disney are present, the universe of TITANS is rather dark with uncensored deaths, and showing how two dominant species, the humans and the titans, must share the world already so small and fragile.

Summary of TITANS: The Queen and the Beast:
Two years have passed since the great winter that almost destroyed the kingdom of Arendelle. Today, the young Queen Elsa, supported by her sister Princess Anna, and her friends Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, now reigns righteously over the kingdom become prosperous and promised to a great future. However, a very strange event comes to disturb this tranquillity: the news of sunken merchant ships and villages destroyed along the shores of the kingdom is spreading. Deciding to investigate and put an end to these mysterious waves of disasters, Elsa and Anna will make a discovery that will change their vision of the world forever: huge ancient creatures, the titans, emerge from the depths of the ocean and seem to have declared the war on humanity. For the two young sisters of Arendelle, a fight for the future of their kingdom, but also of the world, begins, as well as an unexpected encounter that will change the life of the young snow queen, but also change the face of the entire world forever.

And the cover (and link of the story):

https://www.wattpad.com/story/161457897-titans-the-queen-and-the-beast-elsa-godzilla

Other TITANS fanfics will follow this one: The Monsters Kingdom (with Moana and Kong as new princess / monster duet, and the events of the story happening at the same time as the events of The Queen and the Beast, and finally, The Wrath of Gods, which will be the sequel to The Queen and the Beast).

Hope you'll enjoy it as I enjoy to write them. ;)

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/ 

The ending of Frozen is not as simple than we think.

I admit that the first time, and although I guessed it would be a happy ending, I was a little disappointed with the end of Frozen as "the power of love solves everything and blablabla". At first, I thought it was too simple as an end, but after thinking, I told myself that finally, love was finally the solution to Elsa's problem, but in the end, nothing is totally solved for her, even at the end. I am going to explain.

First, we need to put the context back: Elsa is the only one of her family to have magical powers, and as a child, she uses them innocently to play, in the eyes of her sister, her parents and the servants, which is normal for a child. But one night, Elsa accidentally hurts Anna, and it is there that Elsa although being child, finds that her power is able to hurt, and it is from this moment that will be born the biggest enemy of Elsa: Fear. Pabbie said it "fear will be your worst enemy."
And unfortunately, Elsa's parents will take the worst possible decision: hiding Elsa's power and isolating her from everything. Elsa being a daughter of a royal family and well educated, will have to obey, persuaded that it is also the right thing to do. Unfortunately, this loneliness will only accentuate Elsa's pain, and therefore, her fear. Elsa grew up all her life believing that she was a danger to everyone around her. And on the day of her coronation, when her power is revealed to all, she is judged and treated as a monster, which again, increases her fear and her conviction of being a mistake of nature, and under the influence of fear, she takes the worst possible decision: to flee, and thus isolates herself even more, thus increasing her pain and fear. Even if in the song Let It Go she looks smiling and agree to stay alone, for me it is only a mask that she puts on to persuade the viewer, but also herself, that it was the right decision to take, while in the depths of her, well hidden, the sadness and the pain are at their paroxysm. During the song, Elsa is not happy, she suffers without showing it, which makes the thing even more tragic.
It's obvious that Elsa's power is tied to her emotions, and as I said, her biggest enemy is fear. Fear is a very strong and influential emotion, which in some situations can make us lose control of ourselves and push us to do things that are inconceivable but that we believe are right. This is the case for Elsa: afraid to be seen as a monster and to be able to hurt, she loses control of these emotions, so her power. And in this case, what is the opposite emotion of fear? Love. With a sincere gesture of love, Elsa manages to save her sister from whom she accidentally cast a spell. Anna thanks her for that, their friends around her are delighted, and for the first time, Elsa feels accepted, protected and understood, taking back control of her emotions, and therefore of her power.
But despite this, the end may be happy, but not so much if we deepen the thing: an emotion can not disappear, which also includes fear. Elsa's fear is not dead, but just buried and could very well be manifested again someday, who knows, maybe when a new enemy arrives in a sequel, who would use Elsa's fear to defeat her. So for me, the end of Frozen is a happy ending but only in appearance, because in the background, the fear is always present, invisible, and waiting for the moment to reappear. and who knows, maybe Elsa is aware of it, but again, without showing it?

That's why the character of Elsa interests me a lot, because in addition to being a tragic character, she must constantly fight against the worst enemy we could imaginable, a timeless and indestructible enemy, a terrifying and invisible entity named Fear.


Mathias, the Killmaster
Fire and Blood \m/

And have a Hell Happy Christmas! \m/

Top 4 favorite "Classic" Disney Princesses

In the old days, I did not expect to make a ranking of my favorite "classic" Disney princesses, but since then they have been increasingly portrayed as strong, independent women, and not like damsels in distress unable to defend themselves, which is already a good point for me. And some of these princesses plainly show that they are not only able to fight, but also to be as strong as men. Here are the three disney "classic" princesses that have most marked my mind:

Mulan

I will start with the one that marked my mind first. The first time I watched Mulan, I do not remember my exact age, but I was a kid that's for sure. And I think I fell in love with Mulan. I found her very beautiful, but also, her courage had marked me. The fact that she took the decision to brave the taboos and to risk her life by taking the armor and sword of her father, and to go in the war to save his life. The scene of departure still gives me chills. Mulan is an incarnation of the word "courage". The few disneys I had watched before Mulan only presented the princesses as damsels in distress, and that did not interest me. And when I saw Mulan, I felt more interest for her 'cause she was showed with a true potential. And despite the trials, the suffering, and the fact that she was almost dead in an avalanche and she was rejected by others after they discovered she was a woman, she did not give up and went to the end. Mulan represents the values of a true knight: bravery, humility, sense of honor and sacrifice. A true warrior in the soul.

Elsa

I must admit, I did not watched Frozen at the cinema when it was released, and the first time I watched it was quite late (one year after its release, I think). Then one day, as everyone was constantly talking about it, I decided to take a look. At first, I did not expect to be marked by any particular character and looked with a neutral eye. Already, visually, the film was very beautiful. And secondly, a character has finally marked me: Elsa, the famous "snow queen." Already, her past: she was born with powers from unknown origin (I wrote a theory about Elsa's origins as I imagined it), and strengthening with age and becoming uncontrollable if her fear grows too much. And the day of her coronation, everything goes awry and her power is revealed to everyone, who sees her as a monster. Elsa then leaves to take refuge in the mountains where she thinks to live alone until the end of her days, wishing not to do any more harm around her. Her story touched me because she is part of the fantastic characters who are misunderstood by all and for whom I have a sincere affection. Elsa, despite her fear, tries to fight her inner demons to regain control, and you have to have courage for that. In one scene, she does not hesitate to use her powers to fight two men who try to kill her, and in the end, it is she who is about to kill them. She is even showing off as having fury in her eyes at that moment, as if her inner demon was taking over for a moment. Even though the end disappointed me a little with the power of love that solves the problem, solution that I found a little too simple, Elsa managed to touch me, because she is a character of a category I appreciate: lonely and dramatic. 

Merida

Strong. Independent. Brave. These are the words that best describe Merida, princess of a kingdom of Scotland in medieval times. Very gifted at the bow, she dreams of being an independent woman in a world dominated by men and does not want to be seen as a simple obedient woman. That's what I like about Merida, it's his rebellious side. In addition, her story with her mother is very touching and makes the character even more endearing.

Moana

As for Frozen, I did not saw Moana at the cinema and watched it quite late (I do not know why I do it all the time with the disney movies). In short, visually, the movie Moana is very very beautiful, I would even say that it surpasses Frozen. And Moana in herself also marked me. Already being little, she is shown to be curious and adventurous, which was already a good point. Then, growing up, her spirit of adventure has only grown, and she does not hesitate to leave her island to face an immense and unknown ocean, to save the world. Other good points: she stands up to men, and even to Maui, who is a demigod, and from their first meeting, she strikes him with an oar and pulls his ear as if he was a bad child. She then goes into the world of monsters and faces Tamatoa, a giant crab hungry for riches (which reminded me a bit of Smaug for this detail, XD). And in the end, she faces the fucking fire demon Te Ka. If that is not a proof of courage.... Moana is a resourceful woman, who learns to become an adventurer, but also a leader for her people, and I can only say: what a woman!

So much for my ranking. So the next time you hear someone say "Ha ha, disney princesses are helpless girls ..." Well, show him/her the movies with these characters, and wait for his/her reaction.

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/