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Pure Imagination

The Secrets of Comics Creation
NOT- -AVAIL-ABL-E.
COPY ISBN
Gr 5 Up—Colorful, clear, and packed with information about comic book creation, this program focuses primarily on the creative process rather than the step-by-step creation of a comic book. Produced in a documentary style, it is mainly comprised of interviews with five artists and creators, such as Kyle Baker (The Bakers) and Joe Station (Scooby Doo) interspersed with video of kids making comic books and images of characters like Dick Tracy and Peanuts. The graphics, music, and narration are fun and consistent with the style of the program, and the production aspects are excellent. The lesson plans (www.mediaboomtown.com/pure-imagination) for grades 5 to 8 expand on the creative process outlined in the film, providing exercises to help students to apply what they have learned. Used in conjunction with the lesson plans, this is a useful curriculum tool.—Ivy Miller, Wyoming Seminary Upper School, Kingston, PA
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , Oct 01, 2010

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