A+second+look+at+the+triangle

=Mark LaGattuta= =A Second Look at the Triangle=

Manga

Anime -- Games
We all know that when a comic, cartoon, or game reaches critical mass that fans want to enjoy in the other mediums as well. Comics such as X-Men, Spiderman, Superman, and Batman are 4 of the biggest examples. All started as comics but when they reached mainstream success readers wanted a cartoon version. These cartoon medium reached viewers that weren't necessarily familiar with the comic pushing them even farther into the mainstream. The young audience of these franchises soon wanted to play as these main characters from the comics and cartoons in video games and card games and they got their wishes. Eventually as the young audiences grow up and as technology in special effects increased dramatically there was demand for these cartoons to be turned into films.



Then there are Video games like final fantasy 7 that earn a cult following that end up turning into movies.

I kept thinking about these cross medium franchises and how many of them there actually are and then it hit me. This Triangle Theory Applies to much more than I ever thought.

Lets take a look at some of the popular American sports, (Baseball, Football, Basketball). Most Americans have an affection for these sports whether its because it reminds them of their childhood, family memories, or some other reason. These sports all started as games we would play for fun, and then competitively. But they all evolved. Eventually they turned into high paying professional careers and major primetime television. Once these sports reached mainstream giving players the status of celebrities kids began to dream of reaching the major leagues. Soon enough films were being made to capture these aspiring dreams. documentaries were made about the grass roots of these sports. Feature films like Any Given Sunday were made about the lives of these superstars. Movies about these sports are in the high numbers and are perennial appearances in movie theaters around the country.

Examples are:

And the surface has only been scratched. These sports have seen major success in video games as well. I myself am an avid Madden player.

This Triangle of mediums goes further than i had initially thought. It is all around me everyday. It part of our cultural fabric, when we enjoy something we want to enjoy it in as many ways possible.