Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Barbie Comics 1995

Barbie 49, January 1995, A Swift Kick, by Lisa Trusiani and Angelo DeCesare. A longer story, with both a plot and a subplot. Barbie is cooking Thanksgiving dinner at her house for the residents of a retirement home.

Barbie 50, February 1995, See You Later, Christmas Gator, by Trusiani and DeCesare. The writers need to take some lessons from Rankin-Bass. Two stories combined, one about Barbie and Skipper visiting friends in Okefenokee, Georgia, over Christmas. The other is about Santa Claus and his elf Charlie trying to get through a tropical storm to Okefenokee. Santa crashes his sleigh in the storm. Santa loads his bags onto the boat that Barbie and Ranger Taylor are in, but then they meet up with crocodiles in the swamp. You’ll have to read the comic book yourself to find out what happens but it's reminiscent of the worst animated Christmas specials out there.

Barbie 51, March 1995, Some Bunny to Love, by Trusiani and DeCesare. Barbie and Skipper find an injured rabbit and take it to the vet at the zoo.

Barbie 52, April 1995, is VERY impressive: well written, timely topics, and the first story is the saddest Skipper story ever created. Crush-ed, by Trusiani and DeCesare. Skipper’s journal with a passage about her crush on a boy named Morgan is read out loud in class. It was written 15 years ago, and it has a bittersweet ending. Such a topic today would have a devastating ending. Hope for Harmony, by Trusiani and DeCesare. Skipper discusses African-American history with a classmate named Andre, who wants to be a rapper.

Barbie 59, November 1995. Bright Idea by Trusiani and DeCesare. Skipper comes up with a way to make a baby’s stroller safer. Learning the Fair Way. Barbie and Skipper teach a young boy and his somewhat chauvinistic father that girls are good competitors.

Barbie 60, December 1995. Vote for Barbie, by Trusiani. First, Skipper dreams that Barbie is elected US President so they move to the White House. Then, Barbie and Skipper visit an old New England inn, and figure out which once First Lady stayed there. So ends Skipper’s adventures in the Marvel Barbie Comic book. She will appear briefly in issues 61 and 62 but the stories aren’t about her.

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