Review: "BOO! 2: A Madea Halloween" is a Typical Inferior Sequel

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017)
Running time:  101 minutes
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual references drug content, language and some horror images
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Tyler Perry
PRODUCERS:  Ozzie Areu, Will Areu, Tyler Perry, and Mark E. Swinton
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Richard Vialet (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Larry Sexton
COMPOSER:  Philip White

HALLOWEEN/COMEDY

Starring:  Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, Yousef Erakat, Diamond White, Lexy Panterra, Andre Hall, Brock O'Hurn, Tito Ortiz, Taja V. Simpson, Inanna Sarkis, Hannah Stocking, Mike Tornabene, Akende Munalula, and Elizabeth Hinkler and Emily Hinkler

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween is a 2017 comedy and Halloween movie from writer-director Tyler Perry.  It is a direct sequel to Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016) and is also the tenth film in the Madea film series.  In Boo 2!, Madea and friends travel to a supposedly haunted campground to rescue a teen relative, but end up running for their lives from the boogeyman.

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween opens on the 18th birthday of Tiffany Simmons (Diamond White).  Tiffany is the daughter of Brian Simmons (Tyler Perry) and his ex-wife, Debrah (Taja V. Simpson).  Tiffany wants to be treated like an adult, which is just fine with Debrah and her new husband, Calvin (Akende Munalula).  However, Brian still sees Tiffany as a baby girl, and he has planned for Tiffany a birthday party that is more appropriate for a child.

Brian's aunt, Mabel “Madea” Simmons (Tyler Perry); Brian's father who is also Madea's brother, Joe Simmons (Tyler Perry); Betty Ann “Aunt Bam” Murphy (Cassi Davis); and Hattie Mae Love (Patrice Lovely) also attend the party.  Unhappy with the party and the guests, Tiffany and her friend, Gabriella (Inanna Sarkis), make plans to attend a late-night Halloween party being thrown by Jonathan (Yousef Erakat) and the brothers of Upsilon Theta fraternity.  However, the party is being thrown at the notorious and supposedly haunted campground at “Lake Derrick.”

Madea overhears Tiffany's Lake Derrick plans and alerts her father, Brian, who decides to let Tiffany attend the party just to teach her lesson.  Madea is unwilling to let it go at that, so she rounds up Joe, Bam, and Hattie to take a trip to Lake Derrick and rescue Tiffany and Gabriella from that Halloween party.  However, it is Madea and company who will find themselves needing to be rescued from a chainsaw wielding maniac, ghostly sisters, and assorted monsters.

I am playing catch-up on my Madea movies, as this film was released almost two-and-a-half years ago, and the (allegedly) last Madea film, A Madea Family Funeral (2019), was released a year ago.  When I reviewed Boo! A Madea Halloween back in 2017, I wrote that the film had “its moments,” and I gave it a grade of “B-.”  Since that review, I have seen the film countless times, and it has become one of my favorite Madea movies and one of my favorite Halloween movies.  If I graded the original film now, I would give it at least an “A-.”

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween actually has its moments.  The first hour of the film has an awkward pace, and that hour is not well-written.  Early on, Boo 2! seems like nothing more than a quickly-produced sequel meant to grab cash from a surprise hit movie.  The final forty minutes of t Boo 2! really picks up, and it gets close to being as funny as the original film.

So if you did not get enough Boo! A Madea Halloween and want a little more, you have Boo 2! A Madea Halloween.  And if you need to see every Madea movie, then, you will want to see Boo 2!  If you don't like Madea, well...

C+
5 of 10

Tuesday, March 10, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.


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A Negromancer COVID-19 May 2020

Welcome to May 2020.  Welcome to Negromancer 2.0.  This is the rebirth of Negromancer, the former movie review website as a new movie review and movie news site.

Support me on Patreon.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 26th to 30th, 2020 - Update #21

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

BLACK AMERICA AND COVID-19 - Crisis or... :

From YahooGMA: (4/28) - Rana Zoe Mungin, a 30-year-old teacher from Brooklyn, died on Monday, April 27th for COVID-19.  She had twice been denied a test for the coronavirus after showing symptoms.  Her family and friends blame racial disparity in the health care system.

From RSNWashPost:  How COVID-19 is a perfect storm for Black Americans.

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:

From YahooNews:  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has added six possible new symptoms of COVID-19.

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooNews: (4/28) - A consumer group has launched a website to keep track of company and corporations that get those COVID-19 "Paycheck Protection Program" (PPP) small business loans.

From YahooNews: (4/28) - The United States has now has 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19.

From YahooFinance:  The COVID-19 pandemic may finally cut the cord to cable TV for Americans.

From YahooNews: (4/26) - COVID-19 is breaking the American food chain.

From YahooNews:  (4/26) - An ingredient in the popular heartburn medicine, "Pepcid," is being studied as a treatment for COVID-19.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Oscar-nominee Adam Driver joins director Jeff Nichols for "Yankee Comandante."

MOVIES - Deadline:  Universal's "Trolls World Tour" (DreamWorks Animation) has earned an estimated $95 million in rental fees during its first 19 days in release on PVOD (premium video on-demand).

From Deadline:  After comments that Universal made in a "Wall Street Journal," the theater chain, AMC, says that it will not carry Univeral's films in its venues.  This is the latest front in the "day-and-date theatrical-VOD" battle.

MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  The Grammy-winning recording duo, Daft Punk, will compose the musical score for Dario Argento's next film, "Black Glasses," his first film in eight years.

POLITICS - From TheDailyBeast:  Fox New has apparently cut ties with MAGA sambos, the vlogging and social media duo, "Diamond & Silk."

STAR TREK - From BleedingCool:  Director Jonathan Frakes, a veteran "Star Trek" actor and director, talks about Season 3 of CBS All Access' "Star Trek: Discovery."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Ryan Murphy teases the return of American Horror Story's "Rubber Man."

TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:  Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gets his wish.  Brad Pitt played him on the April 25th 2020 broadcast of "Saturday Night Live."

From YahooEntertainment:  Dr. Anthony Fauci is pleased with Brad Pitt's portrayal of him on SNL.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Paramount Pictures is pushing back the release dates of the next two "Mission: Impossible" films.  "Mission: Impossible 7" movies from July 23, 2021 to November 19, 2021.  "Mission: Impossible 8" moves form August 5, 2022 to November 4, 2022.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The Indian actor, Irrfan Khan, has died at the age of 53, Wednesday, April 29, 2020.  He is best known to American audiences for his appearances in the films, "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Life of Pi" (both in 2012) and "Jurassic World" (2015).

From Variety:  The actor Gene Dynarski died at the age of 86, February 27, 2020.  Dynarski is best known for appearing twice on "Seinfeld," as "Izzy Mandelbaum, Jr.," and twice on the original "Star Trek," most memorably in the episode, "Mudd's Women."

From Deadline:  Country music vocalist (bass singer,) Harold Reid, has died at the age of 80, April 24, 2020.  Reid was best known for his association with the country, gospel, and vocal group, "The Statler Brothers.

From Deadline:  The former president and longtime member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Jorge Camara, has died at the age of 84, Friday, April 24, 2020 of cancer.  The Hollywood Foreign Press Association hands out the "Golden Globes" awards.

Yen Press Publishes New "Fruits Basket" Digital Manga

Yen Press to Digitally Publish New Fruits Basket Manga Content

Digital Publication of New Chapters of Fruits Basket: The Three Musketeers and Fruits Basket Another

NEW YORK, NY – Adding to the excitement of the highly-anticipated Season 2 of the Fruits Basket anime, Yen Press announced that it will publish new Fruits Basket manga content on digital platforms nearly simultaneous to their Japanese release—ongoing chapters of the spin-off series Fruits Basket: The Three Musketeers and Fruits Basket Another. Both series are written and drawn by Natsuki Takaya, the creator of the original Fruits Basket which stands out as the most iconic work of shojo manga in the English-speaking world.

Fruits Basket: The Three Musketeers Arc 2
The Three Musketeers are back again to celebrate the second season of the Fruits Basket anime! Kill the time between new episodes with the ridiculous antics of Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori! Fruits Basket: The Three Musketeers Arc 2—Start!

Fruits Basket: The Three Musketeers Arc, a comedic Fruits Basket side story featuring fan-favorite characters from the original series, continues with Fruits Basket: The Three Musketeers Arc 2. The first chapter debuts on April 28, 2020 on digital platforms and is priced at $0.99.

Fruits Basket Another
Sawa Mitoma, a nervous, skittish girl who prefers minimal human contact, has just started high school, and it's already not going well...until she meets the "it" boys—the "prince-like" Mutsuki and the sharp-tongued Hajime. But little does she know, they're Sohmas!? It's Fruits Basket...again!

After the release of Fruits Basket: The Three Musketeers Arc 2, Chapter 1, fans won’t have to wait long for more Fruits Basket content. Fruits Basket Another, a Fruits Basket spin-off featuring new characters that include the children of the original cast, continues with Fruits Basket Another, Chapter 13, a satisfying read that combines three parts of Fruits Basket Another into a 64 page chapter. The new chapter debuts simultaneous to the Japanese release of the third part on May 4, 2020 and is priced at $2.99.

Season 2 of the Fruits Basket anime is currently streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll with new episodes every Monday. The original manga series is available in twelve deluxe volumes titled Fruits Basket Collector’s Edition published by Yen Press.

About Yen Press, LLC
­­Yen Press, LLC is a joint venture between Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. Founded in 2006, Yen Press is one of the largest and most prolific publishers of manga and original graphic novels in North America and is also a leading publisher of light novels and Japanese literature through its Yen On imprint. For more information, please visit www.yenpress.com.

https://twitter.com/yenpress

https://www.facebook.com/yenpress/

https://www.instagram.com/yenpress/

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COVID-19 Pandemic Initiates Rules Changes for 93rd Oscars

AWARDS RULES AND CAMPAIGN REGULATIONS APPROVED FOR 93RD OSCARS®

For This Awards Year Only, Streamed Films To Be Eligible for Oscars®

Sound Mixing and Sound Editing Awards Combined into One Sound Category

The Academy’s Board of Governors has approved rules and campaign regulations for the 93rd Academy Awards®.

The devastating COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of all Los Angeles County movie theaters as of Monday, March 16, 2020.  Current Academy Awards rules (under Rule Two, Eligibility) require that a film be shown in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County for a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily.  Until further notice, and for the 93rd Awards year only, films that had a previously planned theatrical release but are initially made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service may qualify in the Best Picture, general entry and specialty categories for the 93rd Academy Awards under these provisions:

•     The film must be made available on the secure Academy Screening Room member-only streaming site within 60 days of the film’s streaming or VOD release;

•     The film must meet all other eligibility requirements.

On a date to be determined by the Academy, and when theaters reopen in accordance with federal, state and local specified guidelines and criteria, this rules exemption will no longer apply.  All films released thereafter will be expected to comply with the standard Academy theatrical qualifying requirements.

“The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theater.  Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering.  Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules.  The Academy supports our members and colleagues during this time of uncertainty.  We recognize the importance of their work being seen and also celebrated, especially now, when audiences appreciate movies more than ever,” said Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson.

For films to more easily meet theatrical exhibition requirements when theaters reopen, the Academy also will expand the number of qualifying theaters beyond Los Angeles County to include venues in additional U.S. metropolitan areas: the City of New York; the Bay Area; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and Atlanta, Georgia.  The Awards and Events Committee will evaluate all matters of rules and eligibility.

Film festivals that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may provide films online through either a transactional pay wall or password-protected entry, which will not affect the films’ eligibility for future Academy Awards qualification.  The Academy will allow an exemption for those films that are released online through an impacted festival’s online platform, provided that proof of inclusion in the festival is submitted.  With these provisions, films will be expected to comply with all other eligibility requirements for the 93rd Academy Awards.

The Board of Governors also announced rules changes in the Sound, Music and International Feature Film categories.

•     The two Sound categories, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing, have been combined into one award for best achievement in Sound that emphasizes the team effort.  The number of Oscar® statuettes remains the same; up to six statuettes may be awarded.  Eligible recipients may include one production sound mixer, two supervising sound editors and three rerecording mixers.

    

•     In the Music (Original Score) category, for a score to be eligible, it must comprise a minimum of 60% original music.  Additionally, for sequels and franchise films, a score must have a minimum of 80% new music.

    
    In a procedural change in the International Feature Film category, all eligible Academy members will now be invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting.  For the first time, film submissions will be made available through the Academy Screening Room streaming platform to those members who opt-in.  These members of the International Feature Film Preliminary Voting committee must meet a minimum viewing requirement in order to be eligible to vote in the category.

The following campaign regulations were also approved:

•     The regulation prohibiting quotes or comments by Academy members not directly associated with the film in any form of advertising in any medium, including online and social media, was eliminated.  Academy governors and Awards and Events Committee members, however, are still prohibited from participating in such activity.

    

•     All screeners will be required to include closed captioning.

    

•     After nominations, film companies will be allowed to send mailings announcing the availability of song and bake-off materials on the Academy’s streaming platform.

    

•     As part of the Academy’s sustainability effort, the 93rd Awards season will be the final year DVD screeners will be allowed to be distributed; these mailings will be discontinued starting in 2021 for the 94th Academy Awards.  Access to the Academy Screening Room will continue to be made available for all eligible releases.  The distribution of physical music CDs, screenplays and hardcopy mailings, including but not limited to paper invites and screening schedules, will also be discontinued next year.  Digital links to materials will be permitted.

Due to the shifting landscape surrounding the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, all matters of rules and eligibility for the 93rd Academy Awards are subject to change based on national guidelines, state-mandated government orders and Academy-determined best practices.

Additional adjustments to Academy rules, eligibility requirements and scheduling may be required.  As previously announced, the 93rd Oscars telecast is scheduled to air Sunday, February 28, 2021, on ABC.  Any updated information about the show will be shared at a later time.

For the complete 93rd Academy Awards rules, visit oscars.org/rules.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 9,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 28, 2020

DC Comics New Comic Books - Tuesday, April 28, 2020:

Batman #89 (3rd Printing)
Featuring the first appearance of Punchline!

Daphne Byrne #4
Daphne gains a new ally as she continues to wrestle with the malevolent forces within her!

The Dreaming #20
The unbelievable finale to Si Spurrier and Bilquis Evely’s epic tale from the Sandman Universe!

Nightwing #70 (2nd Printing)
The Clown Prince of Crime comes to Ric Grayson and Bludhaven in this prelude to The Joker War!

Batman GIANT #4
Classic stories from the world of The Dark Knight, plus an all-new chapter of the original story “Concrete Jungle,” by Mark Russell (Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles) and Ryan Benjamin!

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 19th to 25th, 2020 - Update #26

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooNYT:  COVID-19 may have been spreading throughout the United States much earlier than originally thought.

From Truthout:  The US’s Failed Response to the Pandemic Is Rooted in Anti-Blackness.

From THR:  "Better Call Saul" actor Bob Odenkirk talks about his son, Nate's bout with COVID-19.

From Variety:  Saturday, April 18th's star-studded "One World: Together at Home" concert raised $127 million for health care workers and coronavirus relief.

From YahooEntertainment:  Actor Tom Hanks recalls he and wife, actress-producer Rita Wilson's struggle to recover from COVID-19.

From YahooMoney: (4/17) - American are applying for "Food Stamps" in droves.

COVID-19 OBITS:

From MSN:  Donald Reed Herring, the oldest of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren's three brothers, has died at the age of 86, Tuesday, April 21, 2020 of complications related to COVID-19.

From THR:  American cinematographer, Allen Daviau, has died at the age of 77, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, from complications of COVID-19.  He was a five-time Oscar-nominee for best cinematography - three for his work with Steven Spielberg ("E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "The Color Purple," and "Empire of the Sun") and two for his work with Barry Levinson ("Avalon" and "Bugsy").

From Billboard:  Celebrated jazz saxophonist, Lee Konitz, has died at the age of 92, Wednesday, April 15, 2020 from complications of COVID-19.  Konitz was known for his association with the "cool jazz movement" and for his participation with Miles Davis' "Birth of the Cool" sessions.  In fact, Konitz was the last surviving performer of those sessions.

COVID-19 STIMULUS CHECK NEWS:

From YahooMoney:  What to know about the mailing of COVID-19 stimulus checks.

From YahooFinance:  (4/19) Here is why you aren't able to track your stimulus money.

From YahooNews:  Deceased people are getting stimulus check... and the heirs and spouses may be able to keep them.

From YahooNews:  This article updates information on COVID-19 stimulus checks, including the introduction of a web tool that will let people track their checks.

According to the Washington Post, here is the timetable for when the IRS will start issuing checks to those who will receive their checks by mail:

Taxpayers with income up to $10,000: April 24
Taxpayers with income up to $20,000: May 1
Taxpayers with income up to $40,000: May 15.

The article has information about mailing dates after May 15th.

REGULAR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

ANIMATION - From CartoonBrew:  The new series of Looney Tunes cartoon shorts that were originally announced back in 2018 will debut on HBO Max streaming service when it debuts on May 27th.  They are being packaged as 80 episodes of 11 minutes in length.  Each episode will by comprised of animated shorts of varying lengths.

From CartoonBrew:  This link will let you see one of the shorts, a Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd short entitled "Dynamite Dance."

STREAMING - From Variety:  Warner Media will launch its new streaming servie, "HBO Max," May 27th, 2020.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has decided to release its upcoming theatrical animated feature film, "Scoob!," on VOD (video on demand) and premium digital ownership.  The film had been slated for a May 15th release in theaters.  The film details how Scooby-Doo and Shaggy first met and how they joined Fred, Daphne, and Velma to form "Mystery Inc."

MARVEL - From THR:  Marvel has terminated showrunner deals with Steve Lightfoot (Netflix/Marvel's "The Punisher") and Paul Zbyszewski ("Helstrom").

SEX - From BET:  Comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish explains why she prefers men with small penises.

MOVIES - From GamesRadar:  Director Colin Trevorrow posts the first image from "Jurassic World: Dominion," the third film in the "Jurassic World" franchise.

MOVIES - From THR:  Lionsgate will begin work on a "Hunger Games" sequel film that will be based on the upcomig prequel novel, "The Battle of Songbirds and Snake" (May 19th).

STAR TREK - From Newsarama:  Actor LeVar Burton says that he is in talks to reprise his "Star Trek: The Next Generation" role of "Jordi La Forge" for season two of streamer, CBS All Access' "Star Trek: Picard."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix pays $20 million dollars for "The Starling," which stars Melissa McCarthy and is directed by Ted Melfi.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Apple may be about to make a $200 million+ risk on Martin Scorsese's next film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," which will star Leonard DiCaprio.

SPORTS - From Variety:  Jennifer Lopez and her fiance, former Major League Baseball great, Alex Rodriguez, may be working on a bid to buy the New York Mets baseball team.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Hot off "Harriet," Kasi Lemons will write and direct WWII drama, "The Shadow King."  It focuses on the women soldiers of Ethiopia who fought against a German invasion, but were left out of history.

OBITS:

From THR:   The film, TV, and stage actress, Shirley Knight, has died at the age of Wednesday, April 22, 2020.  She was a two-time best supporting actress Oscar nominee ("The Dark at the Top of the Stairs," and "Sweet Bird of Youth").  She was a three-time Primetime Emmy Award winner, and won a Tony Award for her performance in "Kennedy's Children."

From THR:  The actor, Tom Lester, has died at the age of 81, Monday, April 20, 2020.  Lester is best known for playing the lanky, wide-eyed, easygoing farmhand, Eb Dawson, on the CBS comedy series, "Green Acres" (1965 to 1971).  He was the last surviving regular cast member of the series.  

From Deadline:  The Indian/Bollywood actor, Ranjit Chowdhry, has died at the age of 64, Wednesday, April 15, 2020.  He crossed over into American films and television, beginning in the early 1990s.  He appeared in such American TV series as "The Office" (NBC) and "Prison Break" (Fox).  His most prominent American role was probably in the 2006 Queen Latifah film, "Last Holiday."

From Syfy:   The illustrator, animator, and comic book artist, Gene Deitch, has died at the age of 95, Thursday, April 16, 2020.  He directed the Oscar-winning animated short film, "Munro" (1960,) with the Oscar going to the film's producer.  In 1964, two animated short films Deitch directed earned Oscar nominations.  Deith may be best known for directing and creating the "Tom Terrific" cartoon shorts for the legendary children's TV series, "Captain Kangaroo" (CBS).  Gene's three sons are prominent figures in the Underground Comics movement, especially Kim Deitch.