The Secret City

The Secret City had to be the best drawing show EVER. As amazed as I was by Bob Ross's happy little clouds, his paints and brushes weren't exactly things that kids had lying around the house. Commander Mark used pencils, pens, and markers--all implements easily pilfered from various drawers, counters, and desks in your house.

And the show had a sci-fi theme! Why? Commander Mark used his drawing lessons of aliens, spaceships, planets, futuristic buildings, etc., to teach you concepts like perspective, foreshortening, and cross-hatching. You'd be sitting there watching him draw a cool cartoony landscape, but all of a sudden you were learning about vanishing points. Damn you, Commander Mark and your valuable art lessons disguised as whimsical space illustrations. Well played, my eye-linered friend, ...well played.

The best part about The Secret City was the last five minutes of the show where Commander Mark would use the lessons he taught to add on to a giant mural of the Secret City. Kids who tuned in regularly would get to see him, armed only with his trusty marker and his imagination, build sections of the city on a big brightly colored wall.

Oh man, I wonder how many kids got busted for trying to draw their own "Secret City" on their bedroom walls.

The worst part of the show, however, had to be Commander Mark's gay robot companion, Zebtron. For a show so filled with creativity, I was amazed at how lame Zebtron was. It was just some guy in purple and black striped leotard and a silver helmet. No make-up either! You could see his plain ol' human face! I even think he wore glasses.

The only thing remotely "robotic" about him was his 70s-style robot dance movements (but he wasn't dancing), and his stupid generic robot voice. It was just a nasally monotone voice, you know what I mean--try it, "I am a robot." I'm doing the voice right now.

Zebtron's job was to hold up drawings sent in by kids and make supportive comments about their art. Yeah, that's real encouraging--kids seeking approval from an emotionless robot.

FJ