My relationship with the film "Pleadings" began, technically, in the Fall of '97 when I took a screen writing class and met JimD. JimD may not remember this, but I was reading comics before class began (I think "Preacher"), and he asked me what titles I was reading. He was a former comic enthusiast, and was happy to chat.
I found Jim to be an excellent sounding board for my own projects at the time, and we became quite chummy.
Jim would head off for law school at the end of that year, but we remained in touch.
While Jamie and I languished in Arizona, Jim sent me a copy of a screenplay he'd written. I wasn't entirely surprised he'd asked, as we'd taken the same screen-writing coursework, and I guess he knew I'd been trained to be honest with feedback, as he'd been trained to take or leave what I had to say.
We discussed characters and plot elements with which I agreed and with which I took exception. But I was very excited for Jim. He had a plan, he had a director, and he was ready to begin pre-production. It's a hugely unique situation for anyone to find themselves who claims to be interested in film production. Jim had recruited a long-time pal to come on board to direct, and the two were of a like mind on the project.
Prior to my return to Texas, Jim and Alistair completed shooting the film in Beaumont. I deeply regret not being available for the shoot, but them's the brakes.
As of this writing, the film has been published to DVD. I am unaware of further distribution plans, but hope that this post will remind local readers that I will be watching the film at League HQ on Saturday Evening, Aug. 1. We'll be breaking out the good stuff.
Always looking for good copy, I asked JimD to allow me to interview he and Alistair, via e-mail, on the topic of "Pleadings". Below, you will see our exchange.
At the time of the questionnaire, I had not seen the final cut of Pleadings, but had seen a fairly-final, locked cut about two years ago. I now hold in my hand a clam-shelled, lovely DVD. It includes a furiously written note by Jim D in which threatens me with bodily harm several times. The threats have nothing to do with the film.
I should note: I also wasn't sure if JimD and/ or Alistair would answer the questions. We got both. So, here's two responses per question.
1) Can you discuss a bit about how Alistair and Jim know one another? Had you collaborated previously on a project?
Jim: Alistair and I have known each other since 1989. We both attended the same middle school in Houston, Texas. We had not previously collaborated on a project, but we had always wanted to do so, and Pleadings offered us that opportunity.
Alistair: We've known each other since Junior High. Previous collaborations were limited to very minor music and newspaper related projects.
2) When did Jim begin the script? What was going on in your life at the time?
Jim: I began the script in February of 2002, just after taking the Texas bar exam. The initial idea for the film came on February 9, 2002, the day I graduated from Baylor Law in Waco, Texas. Alistair came up from Houston for the occasion. After the ceremony, but before the night's festivities were to ensure, Alistair, my brother Bert, and I decided we would make a trek to the Branch Davidian compound. (I will never forget that on the way there, our Internet directions led us a stray and we passed the last turn. There was a house that had a large sign on it that said "Don't Ask!" and a mile down from that we stopped to ask a farmer for directions. My brother walked up to him, and before he could say a single word, the farmer said, "You missed the turn."). There was very little there that was recognizable, but there was a memorial garden, a church, and a few structures which must have been lost during the fire. We also saw an old burned out bus (which we learned was not consumed by fire during the stand-off but a number of years later). There was something haunting and cinematic about the bus which prompted Alistair and I to brainstorm about collaborating on a film set in Waco. I had the bar exam in a few weeks, but I began to scribble down ideas at every opportunity. The first draft was probably circulated between Alistair and myself in late 2002 or early 2003, although the draft kept evolving up until the time we shot the film in the summer of 2004.
3) Were the characters there first, or the story?
Jim: Probably the characters. Initial scenes were drafted based on ideas for the characters, and I had a larger set of characters in play than ended up in the film. As scenes began to come together, I merged a few of the characters, which had the effect of making them more complex.
4) How did Alistair become involved? And what was his prior experience in film production?
Jim: Alistair was always involved from that first conversation in February of 2002. I know he studied film at Harvard and had written and created a few short films prior to directing Pleadings. I had previously seen one of his shorts, which was a black and white superhero film about a masked vigilante who felt compelled to venture out into the night to fight crime despite the misgivings of his wife. (You ought to email him and ask him a bit more - his email is [withheld]).
Alistair: First, my prior experience: I had always dabbled in low budget movie making, even when I was a kid I played with video cameras. My main training came at University, though, where I took two intensive filmmaking classes. The first culminated in a class project, a 20 min. documentary on taxidermy. The ten students in my class shot the entire thing themselves (on film), taking sound, crewing, editing, etc. It was a great experience taking a project through from beginning to end. Then, I took a year off, and during that year shot a 10 min. B&W, silent short with friends. When I returned to school and took my second filmmaking class, that culminated in me directing my own 15 min. short, a movie about a failed superhero called "Episode 23: The Masked Avenger Meets his Match" (his match being his girlfriend, who in the film accuses him of neglecting her for his superheroic shenanigans).
I was involved with "Pleadings" from essentially the beginning, when we hatched the idea together in front of a burned out bus on the Branch Davidian complex, Waco. However, for the first two years, I was basically just a script consultant, the script, story, characters, etc. was all Jim. I merely read some drafts and brainstormed over the phone with him. My really serious involvement didn't begin until we decided to shoot the thing in 2004.
5) Dogme95. Your film more or less fits in with what was considered to be a fairly considerable statement during the years when CGI and digital technology were rapidly changing how film and television were created. What attracted you to the approach as statement and aesthetic? What did it bring to the screen that you felt a more traditional approach might not have pulled off?
Jim: We do break a few of the Dogme95 rules, as we have some artificial light and music on the soundtrack. The neat trick about Dogme95 is that it effectively turns a lack of money and resources into an artistic statement. We thought about rigidly conforming to the Dogme95 rules in order to obtain a certification from the official Dogme95 entity, but we learned that such certifications were no longer being offered by the time we were gearing up to begin principal photography. There is definitely an immediacy to the approach which suits the emotional themes in the film.
Let me add also, and you can quote this, that the shooting style Alistair adopted for the film perfectly corresponds to the type of angry and melancholy narrative I had formulated in the script. The rawness and immediacy of the documentary style digital video approach complemented the emotions experienced by the characters. I cannot imagine it shot another way.
Alistair: Well, the Dogme movement was both a blessing and a curse to low budget filmmakers. It was a blessing because it showed that intense emotional stories didn't need to involve any Hollywood trickery - in fact, the best Dogme films demonstrated that on-location shooting, no artificial lighting, and a handheld camera could actually be *more* emotionally intense than a lit set and standard camera setups.
The movement was a curse, however, because it was too easy to see it as a mere excuse. I don't have the money for lighting, so I'll just claim my style is Dogme. So, if the production was big budget, shooting Dogme-style would clearly be a choice, if it was low-budget, the question of shooting Dogme-style might become a necessity, and thence not an aesthetic decision at all.
For my part, it was a little of both. I'd observed that low budget attempts to look Hollywood often came off exceptionally fake. One big problem with the approach is bad lighting. Another big problem is acting - not necessarily even that performances are bad, but if you are constrained to a certain camera set up and a certain lighting situation, you are also constrained to using certain takes. This means you may be forced to accept poorer performances just because they're the ones that fit with your pre-assigned camera movements, etc.
So, the stylistic choice to shoot Dogme was motivated partly by economics, but more so as a strategy for eliciting the most realistic moments from the actors. By shooting the film "documentary style" with very little additional lighting, actors could do very long takes, staying in character, they could move freely around the set, they could allow themselves to be in the moment. Many scenes were shot like this - do the entire scene, with all actors, in one long take. Then I, as camera man, would literally document their interactions using much the same approach a documentary filmmaker would use. In the editing room, however, rather than obscure many of the artifacts of a the hand held camera work (this would be the usual strategy while editing a documentary film), I left many of them in. This stylistic choice was meant to both a) allow me to make choices based more closely on the performances and the energy between the actors (not just camerawork), and b) to create the impression of actual events being observed.
6) You've pulled together a talented cast. There's some interesting stuff in the script for an actor. How did they react upon reading the full script? What sort of questions did they have?
Jim: The cast seemed pleased with the script. We were very, very fortunate to assemble such a talented and versatile cast. We had three rounds of auditions, for which we posted notices on casting email lists and such. The first round was a full day in Houston, followed by a similar day in Beaumont, which culminated in a full day of callbacks in Houston. Some of the actors had questions about the legal issues in the film. But the members of the cast threw themselves into the characters and needed little, if any, instruction on bringing those characters to life.
Alistair: My recollection was that all the actors were enthusiastic. Our leads especially put a lot of work into exploring the motivations and creating backstory for their characters. Some characters which spent relatively little time on screen together, for example, spent a lot of time together off screen in order to build up the rapport the script indicates they have together.
7) A little bit in the way of nuts and bolts: Give us a breakdown of how an independent movie on a shoestring budget secures locations. What was the duration of the shoot?
Jim: The shoot lasted the entire summer of 2004. We were fortunate in that most local businesses were happy to assist us. There is a novelty to shooting a film in Beaumont that no longer exists in Los Angeles or say, Vancouver. That said, I wrote the film with certain locations in mind with an eye toward places that would be more likely to allow us to shoot there. (Moira's apartment in the film was actually my apartment at the time (although only the exterior; the interior was a display unit at another complex). The courtroom was the most difficult location to acquire, but in the end, one of the district court judges allowed us to use his courtroom, where we shot for a full Saturday.
Alistair: Shoot was about 2 months, maybe a totall of 6 or 7 weeks, but not filling everyday. Much of it was shot in spurts (such as the extensive party sequence, shot in a long weekend at a single location). Locations were found either by our production managers, or through friends. All the domestic interiors belong to friends except for Moira's apt., which was a showcase apartment in a friend's complex.
8) With the writer and director both there, what sort of consultation did you go into with the actors? What surprised you once the cameras were rolling?
Jim: I myself did not attend all days of shooting. However, when I was present, I would offer input if asked. Usually on procedural issues or character motivations (although Alistair did allow me to almost direct portions of the law school scene since that was such a familiar thing to me). There were many surprises once the calendars were rolling; Alistair and I were on the same page about actors ad libbing and going with the flow and where the scene takes them. Some directors want firm adherence to the script; we were shooting on video and wanted to see what happened when the cameras began to roll. It was nice to see where the actors took the characters.
Alistair: I think once we were shooting, I was in control. However, I was juggling many tasks at once - in particular trying to direct and operate camera at the same time is exceedingly difficult. Jim was an enormous asset on set as he was able to keep his eye on performances, the appearance of locations, etc. while I was distracted by technical issues. My recollection is that the actors frequently consulted with him about everything from the exact pronunciation of a legal phrase to their emotional motivation in a complex scene during shooting.
9) What surprised you most once the thing was assembled as a rough and/ or final cut?
Jim: I think what surprised me most was the fact that the film was too long when I was worried it would be too short. We had a lot of really great scenes that we had to cut in order to streamline the movie to a more appropriate length.
Alistair: rough cut - yay, we succeeded in telling a story!
In moving from the rough to the final cut, it was remarkable how the storytelling got better as we cut out character development and secondary plot lines. However, I think you can still feel these cut scenes in what's on screen. We basically discovered what was redundant in a way that simply couldn't have been done until after the original screenplay had been shot and edited.
10) My mother-in-law reads this blog. Tell Judy, using your best elevator speech, why she should watch your movie. Failing that: why didn't you write me a lead role in which I get to shoot guns and pitch woo to all the aspiring starlets your casting could handle?
Jim: There is a roll for you in "Pleadings II: Summary Judgment".
We made this film because we wanted to rebel against certain formulas; the familiar exposition through dialogue, the overexposure of NYC and LA, and the general campiness of movies about young adults. This is a darker film which is more serious in tone which requires some thought and post hoc reconstruction. But that's just my writer's pretense. Judy should watch the film because there are some very honest and powerful performances from some actors that she has never heard of.
Alistair: Find us the funding for the next film and we'll definitely give you a part. With guns.
Judy - don't watch "Pleadings," it's too depressing.
A League afterward:
Were the film terrible, I would still be incredibly impressed and proud of JimD and Alistair (and their talented, young cast). Mounting a feature is an incredibly difficult process, and because of the complexity of the task, 99.99% of the features dreamed of go absolutely nowhere.
However, in addition to actually finishing the movie, The League's memory from two years ago offers up high recommendations. The actors are, great, the script and direction is tight, and while no laugh riot of a movie, it's depth makes it engaging viewing.
So congrats to JimD and Alistair. Its been a long time in coming. And special thanks to JimD, the initial inspiration for this blog, an attorney to the stars, and now a fancy movie writer.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Birthdays: Nicole and Judy
Monday is the birthday of League-Pal and former house-mate, Nicole. We all wish Nicole a happy birthday.
Nicole is so nice, we're celebrating twice. Saturday we went out, and we're going to Long John Silver's Monday evening for her B-Day.
It is ALSO the birthday of League-Mother-in-Law, Judy.
Look, I know how these mother-in-law things can go. I hear stories. So I thank my lucky stars each and every day that I got Judy as part of the package.
Happy B-Day, Judy!
More from Troubles, including pictures.
Nicole is so nice, we're celebrating twice. Saturday we went out, and we're going to Long John Silver's Monday evening for her B-Day.
It is ALSO the birthday of League-Mother-in-Law, Judy.
Look, I know how these mother-in-law things can go. I hear stories. So I thank my lucky stars each and every day that I got Judy as part of the package.
Happy B-Day, Judy!
More from Troubles, including pictures.
San Diego ComicCon- Highlights for The League
As I don't attend San Diego ComicCon, I spend a lot of time reading up on the panels.
These days, with YouTube and sites like Newsarama.com incorporating Tweet-line live posting (which archives) on each panel, I can get through an hour of discussion, etc... in about 6 - 10 minutes.
And after reading these reports for the past 7 years or so, someone from SDCC really, really needs to begin handing out a flier with the entry pass on "Are you wasting your time and everyone else's with your question? (ie: Is your question stupid?)"
At any rate, DC and Marvel have finally realized that their clever hints at SDCC and other Cons were giving away entirely too much, so the panels aren't exactly useless, but its hard to say what one would get out of a lot of the discussion.
So, while I can't say I thought I missed much in the way of announcements, here were some tidbits I am excited about:
1) Superman titles are mostly planned out through 2010. That means fairly stable creative teams and a vision for the books, as they've had since Idleson took over as editor.
2) 2010 may also see a Superman event, somewhat how Blackest Night is a DC event right now. I think this makes much more sense than how cross-overs/ events had been handled
4) The re-launched "Adventure Comics" will be where I can see Krypto.
5) DC is building its line around known, workable franchises. Sounds like we may get not just a new "Flash" series, but a "Kid Flash" series. Also, two JSA series (which is fine, that's a huge cast). I won't be shocked to see two JLA titles before all is said and done.
6) Reports about the upcoming animated, direct-to-DVD Green Lantern movie were very positive. Sounds like WB got 4000 people to simultaneously give the GL oath. That's just awesome.
7) Marvel seems to think they own "Marvelman". I'll eat my hat if they didn't just purchase a whole mess of legal trouble, but it's something.
8) Mattel is putting out a "Movie Masters" line, that will include a General Zod figure and Christopher Reeve Superman. If it does well, they will continue the line (hopefully with Ursa, Non, Jor-El, Lara, etc...).
9) Mattel will also be releasing a Power Girl and Question figure. I'm mostly done with non-Superman collectibles, but I'd pick those up. There are also a few other Super-related items I'll be looking for.
10) This shocks even me, and I know they'll fail me, but some of the conversation at the "Smallville" panel sounded promising. Also, Johns is writing a JSA episode. Which is awesome. Please, oh deities of the DCU, give me Jay Garrick and Alan Scott (and Carter and Shayera Hall, if it won't kill you).
11) Ready for Cameron's "Avatar".
12) Marvel is doing some anime cartoons of their properties. Iron Man looks ridiculous but cool.
13) DCU Online is making progress
14) "Boom" having so many darn announcements is just good news.
15) The sequel to Iron Man sounds like it will be the same fun as the first installment
16) I may actually pick up Doom Patrol.
17) Two of my three hopes for a "prop replica" from DC Direct were on display, as "coming at some point". A Batman utility belt (which I will not be able to afford) and Wonder Woman's tiara and bracelets. I eagerly await the pricepoint on the tiara and bracelets.
All in all, looks like another good year. DC and Marvel are changing their editorial tactics to work with the collected format and their older audience. Its an interesting growth in how narrative is managed.
There were plenty of announcements that left me unimpressed, but surprisingly few that made me cringe (in fact, none come immediately to mind outside of the clip I watched of Marvel's anime-animated Wolverine).
Outside of Doom Patrol, Marvelman and a few items from "Boom", I haven't seen any comics which caught my attention, which is odd. It seems my reading is inline with the narrative thrust, at least at DC. I just don't pay too much attention to Marvel these days, and saw no notes about Captain America, etc... that I thought were terribly exciting.
These days, with YouTube and sites like Newsarama.com incorporating Tweet-line live posting (which archives) on each panel, I can get through an hour of discussion, etc... in about 6 - 10 minutes.
And after reading these reports for the past 7 years or so, someone from SDCC really, really needs to begin handing out a flier with the entry pass on "Are you wasting your time and everyone else's with your question? (ie: Is your question stupid?)"
At any rate, DC and Marvel have finally realized that their clever hints at SDCC and other Cons were giving away entirely too much, so the panels aren't exactly useless, but its hard to say what one would get out of a lot of the discussion.
So, while I can't say I thought I missed much in the way of announcements, here were some tidbits I am excited about:
1) Superman titles are mostly planned out through 2010. That means fairly stable creative teams and a vision for the books, as they've had since Idleson took over as editor.
2) 2010 may also see a Superman event, somewhat how Blackest Night is a DC event right now. I think this makes much more sense than how cross-overs/ events had been handled
4) The re-launched "Adventure Comics" will be where I can see Krypto.
5) DC is building its line around known, workable franchises. Sounds like we may get not just a new "Flash" series, but a "Kid Flash" series. Also, two JSA series (which is fine, that's a huge cast). I won't be shocked to see two JLA titles before all is said and done.
6) Reports about the upcoming animated, direct-to-DVD Green Lantern movie were very positive. Sounds like WB got 4000 people to simultaneously give the GL oath. That's just awesome.
7) Marvel seems to think they own "Marvelman". I'll eat my hat if they didn't just purchase a whole mess of legal trouble, but it's something.
8) Mattel is putting out a "Movie Masters" line, that will include a General Zod figure and Christopher Reeve Superman. If it does well, they will continue the line (hopefully with Ursa, Non, Jor-El, Lara, etc...).
9) Mattel will also be releasing a Power Girl and Question figure. I'm mostly done with non-Superman collectibles, but I'd pick those up. There are also a few other Super-related items I'll be looking for.
10) This shocks even me, and I know they'll fail me, but some of the conversation at the "Smallville" panel sounded promising. Also, Johns is writing a JSA episode. Which is awesome. Please, oh deities of the DCU, give me Jay Garrick and Alan Scott (and Carter and Shayera Hall, if it won't kill you).
11) Ready for Cameron's "Avatar".
12) Marvel is doing some anime cartoons of their properties. Iron Man looks ridiculous but cool.
13) DCU Online is making progress
14) "Boom" having so many darn announcements is just good news.
15) The sequel to Iron Man sounds like it will be the same fun as the first installment
16) I may actually pick up Doom Patrol.
17) Two of my three hopes for a "prop replica" from DC Direct were on display, as "coming at some point". A Batman utility belt (which I will not be able to afford) and Wonder Woman's tiara and bracelets. I eagerly await the pricepoint on the tiara and bracelets.
All in all, looks like another good year. DC and Marvel are changing their editorial tactics to work with the collected format and their older audience. Its an interesting growth in how narrative is managed.
There were plenty of announcements that left me unimpressed, but surprisingly few that made me cringe (in fact, none come immediately to mind outside of the clip I watched of Marvel's anime-animated Wolverine).
Outside of Doom Patrol, Marvelman and a few items from "Boom", I haven't seen any comics which caught my attention, which is odd. It seems my reading is inline with the narrative thrust, at least at DC. I just don't pay too much attention to Marvel these days, and saw no notes about Captain America, etc... that I thought were terribly exciting.
A Halloween Party at League HQ?
Hi Leaguers,
I've put up a poll at the official LoM site (in case you're getting your LoM from Facebook or RSS). Jamie and I are trying to decide if we should have our annual Chris-Kwanzaa-Kah party, or if we should consider a Halloween Party.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so it makes it possible for us to throw wide the doors of Haunted League Manor and celebrate the night of ghouls and goblins.
I actually remember buying this copy of Monster Mash at a K-Mart in Michigan when I was little. I thought the Wolfman looked awesome. And I have never known why a "monster band" was made up of chimps.
Our primary concern is that nobody is going to show, of course. And while the Holiday Spectacular is something to get ready for, its also decorations we have up for a while during the Holidays. If we spend a bunch of time making League HQ as spooky as necessary for a Halloween-mitzvah, this is sort of a one-shot-deal.
Anyhow, I'd initially thought: We're going to do a Halloween Party, and I am going to make everyone come as a super-hero! And it'll be a super-party! But now I see that's faulty thinking on Halloween.
Let's get the whole gang together!
While Costumes WILL BE REQUIRED (that includes Sophie, Maxwell), we're looking forward to what Leaguers decide makes for a festive Halloween.
So, if Leaguers can take the ten seconds out of your day to vote in our poll, we'd really appreciate it. This is sort of our bellwether for the likelihood of The League's 2009 Halloween Heckstravaganza.
It'll be a scream
I've put up a poll at the official LoM site (in case you're getting your LoM from Facebook or RSS). Jamie and I are trying to decide if we should have our annual Chris-Kwanzaa-Kah party, or if we should consider a Halloween Party.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so it makes it possible for us to throw wide the doors of Haunted League Manor and celebrate the night of ghouls and goblins.
I actually remember buying this copy of Monster Mash at a K-Mart in Michigan when I was little. I thought the Wolfman looked awesome. And I have never known why a "monster band" was made up of chimps.
Our primary concern is that nobody is going to show, of course. And while the Holiday Spectacular is something to get ready for, its also decorations we have up for a while during the Holidays. If we spend a bunch of time making League HQ as spooky as necessary for a Halloween-mitzvah, this is sort of a one-shot-deal.
Anyhow, I'd initially thought: We're going to do a Halloween Party, and I am going to make everyone come as a super-hero! And it'll be a super-party! But now I see that's faulty thinking on Halloween.
Let's get the whole gang together!
While Costumes WILL BE REQUIRED (that includes Sophie, Maxwell), we're looking forward to what Leaguers decide makes for a festive Halloween.
So, if Leaguers can take the ten seconds out of your day to vote in our poll, we'd really appreciate it. This is sort of our bellwether for the likelihood of The League's 2009 Halloween Heckstravaganza.
It'll be a scream
Friday, July 24, 2009
Coal to Diamond, Marvel does good, Jake Lloyd, Facebook
Can Superman Make Diamonds from Coal?
Thanks to JimD who sent this along:
Legendary question-answer man, Cecil, takes on the old Superman trick of using Super-strength to squeeze coal with so much pressure, it becomes a diamond.
The Straight Dope
While its understandable why one would want to find ways to make diamonds to impress Annette O'Toole (the trick was employed in the Pryor-rich Superman III), this was also done in the comics in the Silver Age. But Superman also used to fly so fast he would travel through time, and regularly destroy landmarks (and super-rebuild them) just to mess with Lois's head. So, you know...
Marvel Does Some Geek Good
Well, this is blowing my mind. In the 1980's, there was a comic on the stands called, alternately, "Marvelman" and "Miracle Man". The character may have the most complicated publishing history in comics, and I highly recommend you read the Wikipedia entry, as its quite fascinating. A knock-off of Captain Marvel for England (as Captain marvel had been a knock-off of Superman from a Mid-Western publisher), the character became caught up in some pretty serious legal disputes in the late 1990's or so, and has been in limbo ever since. This has meant no reprints, and odd stabs from different creators who've claimed they owned bits and pieces of Marvelman to put out product.
Creators with names like Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore have not just made their mark, but had ownership privileges, and its all led to Marvelman gaining a reputation as the best comic many comic readers haven't just never read, but which was impossible to obtain. To actually buy the back issues to read the series is prohibitively expensive.
Or was.
Apparently, Marvel just decided to cut checks to all involved and has purchased the rights to Marvelman.
Here.
This most likely means reprints and new material and a bunch of comic nerds in their early 30's and 20's who are now waiting for announcements about the reprints.
Well done, Marvel! I've only been waiting since about 1995 to read these stories.
Here's Jake Lloyd, the guy who played Anakin Skywalker in "The Phantom Menace"
He turned into a bitter nerd kid. Awesome.
Facebook
By the way, if you aren't a fan yet on Facebook, I'm actually using the thing. There's a bit of what I'd call Bonus Content. Plus, you get comments, etc... from folks who are coming in by way of Facebook.
Anyhow, use that box over there on the left and join up! Facebook is free and mostly not-scary.
Thanks to JimD who sent this along:
Legendary question-answer man, Cecil, takes on the old Superman trick of using Super-strength to squeeze coal with so much pressure, it becomes a diamond.
The Straight Dope
While its understandable why one would want to find ways to make diamonds to impress Annette O'Toole (the trick was employed in the Pryor-rich Superman III), this was also done in the comics in the Silver Age. But Superman also used to fly so fast he would travel through time, and regularly destroy landmarks (and super-rebuild them) just to mess with Lois's head. So, you know...
Marvel Does Some Geek Good
Well, this is blowing my mind. In the 1980's, there was a comic on the stands called, alternately, "Marvelman" and "Miracle Man". The character may have the most complicated publishing history in comics, and I highly recommend you read the Wikipedia entry, as its quite fascinating. A knock-off of Captain Marvel for England (as Captain marvel had been a knock-off of Superman from a Mid-Western publisher), the character became caught up in some pretty serious legal disputes in the late 1990's or so, and has been in limbo ever since. This has meant no reprints, and odd stabs from different creators who've claimed they owned bits and pieces of Marvelman to put out product.
Creators with names like Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore have not just made their mark, but had ownership privileges, and its all led to Marvelman gaining a reputation as the best comic many comic readers haven't just never read, but which was impossible to obtain. To actually buy the back issues to read the series is prohibitively expensive.
Or was.
Apparently, Marvel just decided to cut checks to all involved and has purchased the rights to Marvelman.
Here.
This most likely means reprints and new material and a bunch of comic nerds in their early 30's and 20's who are now waiting for announcements about the reprints.
Well done, Marvel! I've only been waiting since about 1995 to read these stories.
Here's Jake Lloyd, the guy who played Anakin Skywalker in "The Phantom Menace"
He turned into a bitter nerd kid. Awesome.
By the way, if you aren't a fan yet on Facebook, I'm actually using the thing. There's a bit of what I'd call Bonus Content. Plus, you get comments, etc... from folks who are coming in by way of Facebook.
Anyhow, use that box over there on the left and join up! Facebook is free and mostly not-scary.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Maintenance Thursday
Not-Attending Comic-Con (again)
I have a hard time envisioning a future in which I will ever get around to attending the San Diego Comic-Con. This year I sort of thought about it, but the tickets for the full-event sold out before I ever realized they were on sale. And forget about a hotel room...
It looks like folks are having fun out there. DC already had their Superman panel, which is always sort of odd, because the idea is to get people excited about upcoming Superman comics, but without giving away the store.
At least nobody is asking if "Superman is really Superman or Clark Kent" anymore. I think that's sort of been resolved. The answer: That's not been relevant in twenty years.
The League's own JackBart is out there at the Boom! Studios booth promoting his comic, "Poe", and reportedly already landed me a signed copy of Irredeemable and The Muppets.
Jack is signing copies of Poe for me when he gets back.
I guess I'd like to go at some point, just for the spectacle, to say I've had that fan experience, so-on-and-so-forth. But, jeez... that's a lot of money. Not just travel, hotel, etc... but the point of Comic-Con is to also find those items that might not make it to your local shop, discover new material, etc... In short: to spend dough.
It all seems a little counter-productive, in an odd way. Of course, my local comic shop is pretty darn well stocked, so, I'm spoiled. In a lot of ways, I should have done it when we lived in Phoenix and I could have just driven in for a day or two.
But then you also see that DC has, for reasons I care not to think about, approved this statue in their line of "Anime Inspired" takes on their characters, and debuted it at the Con.
Actually, the WW statue might almost be okay in a "300"-meets-Grrl-Power, but the rest of the line looks more like this (that'd be WW's teen counter-part, Wonder Girl, who actually does own pants. Not just underwear and chaps).
Given how long this line has survived, someone is buying it, which means there's going to be quite a bit of this stuff from a lot more folks than DC at the Con. And if it is you who is filling your Ikea shelving with this stuff, know that I am making fun of you. My house is littered with seemingly nerdy stuff, and even I think its ridiculous. Get a girlfriend.
I am sorry
Jamie, i am sorry about the sandwich thing. I just don't really like curry. It's nobody's fault.
Is it any wonder...?
...why I never get bored?
I have a hard time envisioning a future in which I will ever get around to attending the San Diego Comic-Con. This year I sort of thought about it, but the tickets for the full-event sold out before I ever realized they were on sale. And forget about a hotel room...
It looks like folks are having fun out there. DC already had their Superman panel, which is always sort of odd, because the idea is to get people excited about upcoming Superman comics, but without giving away the store.
At least nobody is asking if "Superman is really Superman or Clark Kent" anymore. I think that's sort of been resolved. The answer: That's not been relevant in twenty years.
The League's own JackBart is out there at the Boom! Studios booth promoting his comic, "Poe", and reportedly already landed me a signed copy of Irredeemable and The Muppets.
Jack is signing copies of Poe for me when he gets back.
I guess I'd like to go at some point, just for the spectacle, to say I've had that fan experience, so-on-and-so-forth. But, jeez... that's a lot of money. Not just travel, hotel, etc... but the point of Comic-Con is to also find those items that might not make it to your local shop, discover new material, etc... In short: to spend dough.
It all seems a little counter-productive, in an odd way. Of course, my local comic shop is pretty darn well stocked, so, I'm spoiled. In a lot of ways, I should have done it when we lived in Phoenix and I could have just driven in for a day or two.
But then you also see that DC has, for reasons I care not to think about, approved this statue in their line of "Anime Inspired" takes on their characters, and debuted it at the Con.
Actually, the WW statue might almost be okay in a "300"-meets-Grrl-Power, but the rest of the line looks more like this (that'd be WW's teen counter-part, Wonder Girl, who actually does own pants. Not just underwear and chaps).
Given how long this line has survived, someone is buying it, which means there's going to be quite a bit of this stuff from a lot more folks than DC at the Con. And if it is you who is filling your Ikea shelving with this stuff, know that I am making fun of you. My house is littered with seemingly nerdy stuff, and even I think its ridiculous. Get a girlfriend.
I am sorry
Jamie, i am sorry about the sandwich thing. I just don't really like curry. It's nobody's fault.
Is it any wonder...?
...why I never get bored?
Google + DCU = The League approves
I am assuming that, in honor of the San Diego Comic-Con, Google's theme today has been a DC Comics-based theme.
from left: Batman, Plastic Man, Wonder Woman, Robin, Green Lantern (and yet more Plastic Man)
They've also introduced several comics related themes for iGoogle. I have selected "Superman: New Krypton"
if you are surprised that I giddy, then you don't know me at all
Click here for comic themes!
thanks to: Doug, Randy and NTT for links!
from left: Batman, Plastic Man, Wonder Woman, Robin, Green Lantern (and yet more Plastic Man)
They've also introduced several comics related themes for iGoogle. I have selected "Superman: New Krypton"
if you are surprised that I giddy, then you don't know me at all
Click here for comic themes!
thanks to: Doug, Randy and NTT for links!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Good-Bye to McDonald's
So, today went oddly. Work just sort of blew up, but let's not dwell upon that. But let us agree that at the conclusion of the day's labors, I felt I deserved a break. Today.
Part of my day included the fact that I had not been able to get lunch, and so swung through a McDonald's on I-35 as I departed Waco around 4:00.
I don't get a lot of fast food, but I've had reason to hit Taco Bell of late, and I think I went to McDonald's about a month ago for some reason (I really can't guess why). Anyway, there's this new thing that fast food places are doing, that the voice one hears upon arriving at the drive-thru that welcomes you to the restaurant and offers you their current special (ie: "welcome to McDonald's, would you like to try our McDeathwhich today?"), is NOT the same person who then takes your order. But I strongly, strongly suspect that the day's offering/ promotion is pre-recorded, and there's now an odd layer of "what is happening here?" to the proceedings.
I don't know if there's some team action occuring, if its pre-recorded, if there's someone at McDonald's Central monitoring my order or what... but it's sort of freaky. And I decided today that the McDonald's coffees are sort of a travesty. Just FYI.
But did McDonald's really need to find a way to somehow de-personalize the experience at their restaurants even more? To just jettison the whole illusion of anyone working there giving a damn? That's a bold step, and I almost salute the cold efficiency of the move. Its just one more step before we all bow down before the Robo-Kaiser.
And, in case you were wondering, there is no sight sadder than watching your McLatte being made by a drive-through agent at a McDonald's. You realize how much this task is messing with their day. There's just no real passion in it when they add the three-inch high tower or Redi-Whip you didn't realize was going to adorn your coffee.
Alas, the day wasn't really complete until I was back in town.
As mentioned, I had been on the road, returning from that day-trip to Waco, and just before picking up my Wednesday haul at Ye Olde Comick Shoppe, I stopped at a McDonald's to, ahem, TCB (too much coffee) so as not to be distracted while looking at funny books.
I tell you, Leaguers... I'm a polite guy. When I stop at a gas station or McDonald's to use their facilities, I usually try to buy something so that I'm a paying customer. Even if I just bought a McCafe somewhere up the road. However...
No sooner had I entered the bathroom than I heard someone retching in the stall. For some reason, this McDonald's has a smaller door, so I could see the person standing over the toilet, at which point he hurled. Twice.
I stood there, time slowing to a crawl. I'm not a religious man, but I prayed in that moment:
Dear God, please... he's seen me in here. Please make this guy wash his hands and get cleaned up. I do not want to touch the doorhandle after this fellow.
Amen.
The gentleman then proceeded to open the stall, walk briskly past me (without washing his hands), and wander out the door into the restaurant without washing hands, face, etc...
He was in his official McDonald's uniform.*
I stood there in slack-jawed shock for the better part of a minute.
Not sure of what else to do, The League completed his business, washed his hands, found a way to open the door with his shoe, jam hands in pockets and speed out of the store without touching anything. That was one Diet Coke not sold today, I guess.
And that, Leaguers, marks my final visit to McDonald's.
Anyhoo...
Sometimes we have to look at why a particular prayer goes unanswered, and in this case, I do not believe YHWH's actions were exactly mysterious.
Way to go, McDonald's. It wasn't the deadly food, crippling effect on the American Food Industry, plague of Childhood Obesity or seeming utter lack of respect for the item formerly known as the Hamburger that did it. It was being in the wrong place at the wrong time and that one instruction you seemed to leave out of the employee handbook.
"Thou Shalt, Upon Vomiting Before a Customer, Make a Big Show of Cleaning Up, And NOT Returning To The Kitchen."
or something along those lines. At least that's how my employee handbook wold read.
Indeed, McDonald's, you finally broke me. Our love/hate, on-again/ off-again relationship is done. No tears. I'll be strong enough for both of us.
*To be completely truthful, I can neither confirm nor deny that Johnny Yak went back to work. But I strongly suspect he at least had been working.
Part of my day included the fact that I had not been able to get lunch, and so swung through a McDonald's on I-35 as I departed Waco around 4:00.
I don't get a lot of fast food, but I've had reason to hit Taco Bell of late, and I think I went to McDonald's about a month ago for some reason (I really can't guess why). Anyway, there's this new thing that fast food places are doing, that the voice one hears upon arriving at the drive-thru that welcomes you to the restaurant and offers you their current special (ie: "welcome to McDonald's, would you like to try our McDeathwhich today?"), is NOT the same person who then takes your order. But I strongly, strongly suspect that the day's offering/ promotion is pre-recorded, and there's now an odd layer of "what is happening here?" to the proceedings.
I don't know if there's some team action occuring, if its pre-recorded, if there's someone at McDonald's Central monitoring my order or what... but it's sort of freaky. And I decided today that the McDonald's coffees are sort of a travesty. Just FYI.
But did McDonald's really need to find a way to somehow de-personalize the experience at their restaurants even more? To just jettison the whole illusion of anyone working there giving a damn? That's a bold step, and I almost salute the cold efficiency of the move. Its just one more step before we all bow down before the Robo-Kaiser.
And, in case you were wondering, there is no sight sadder than watching your McLatte being made by a drive-through agent at a McDonald's. You realize how much this task is messing with their day. There's just no real passion in it when they add the three-inch high tower or Redi-Whip you didn't realize was going to adorn your coffee.
Alas, the day wasn't really complete until I was back in town.
As mentioned, I had been on the road, returning from that day-trip to Waco, and just before picking up my Wednesday haul at Ye Olde Comick Shoppe, I stopped at a McDonald's to, ahem, TCB (too much coffee) so as not to be distracted while looking at funny books.
I tell you, Leaguers... I'm a polite guy. When I stop at a gas station or McDonald's to use their facilities, I usually try to buy something so that I'm a paying customer. Even if I just bought a McCafe somewhere up the road. However...
No sooner had I entered the bathroom than I heard someone retching in the stall. For some reason, this McDonald's has a smaller door, so I could see the person standing over the toilet, at which point he hurled. Twice.
I stood there, time slowing to a crawl. I'm not a religious man, but I prayed in that moment:
Dear God, please... he's seen me in here. Please make this guy wash his hands and get cleaned up. I do not want to touch the doorhandle after this fellow.
Amen.
The gentleman then proceeded to open the stall, walk briskly past me (without washing his hands), and wander out the door into the restaurant without washing hands, face, etc...
He was in his official McDonald's uniform.*
I stood there in slack-jawed shock for the better part of a minute.
Not sure of what else to do, The League completed his business, washed his hands, found a way to open the door with his shoe, jam hands in pockets and speed out of the store without touching anything. That was one Diet Coke not sold today, I guess.
And that, Leaguers, marks my final visit to McDonald's.
Anyhoo...
Sometimes we have to look at why a particular prayer goes unanswered, and in this case, I do not believe YHWH's actions were exactly mysterious.
Way to go, McDonald's. It wasn't the deadly food, crippling effect on the American Food Industry, plague of Childhood Obesity or seeming utter lack of respect for the item formerly known as the Hamburger that did it. It was being in the wrong place at the wrong time and that one instruction you seemed to leave out of the employee handbook.
"Thou Shalt, Upon Vomiting Before a Customer, Make a Big Show of Cleaning Up, And NOT Returning To The Kitchen."
or something along those lines. At least that's how my employee handbook wold read.
Indeed, McDonald's, you finally broke me. Our love/hate, on-again/ off-again relationship is done. No tears. I'll be strong enough for both of us.
*To be completely truthful, I can neither confirm nor deny that Johnny Yak went back to work. But I strongly suspect he at least had been working.
So, Final Crisis: Legion of 3-Worlds #5
BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
(gasp)
BWAH-HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
Ohhhh.... mercy!
Man. Geoff Johns. That was great. That's going to go down as one of my favorite comics/ uses of medium/ use of the DCU/ weird-good/ character returns/ whatever-the-hell-that-was in quite a while.
I heart you, DCU.
Bonus Comic Stuff:
Green Lantern and Tales of the Corps... both good reads this week.
I don't really get the faux-exasperated comments I've seen online about people can't believe that there's, basically, bad stuff happening that our heroes will have to problem-solve.
Getting bent out of shape about the budget-busting spin-offs? Sure. Accusations of Zombie-ism? Okay (maybe. I mean, its obvious, right?). And, yeah, there's some nasty, bad stuff... but they are inhuman-alien-space-fascists bent on the annihilation of living things. So... you know. I don't expect them to just rob banks or make giant robots to stomp through town.
So far so good on Blackest Night.
Anyhow, I'm thinking about how this project was managed, versus how other events have been handled, and it sort of hurts one's brain to ponder Countdown as a lead in to Final Crisis as event and how badly mismanaged that one was.
(gasp)
BWAH-HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
Ohhhh.... mercy!
Man. Geoff Johns. That was great. That's going to go down as one of my favorite comics/ uses of medium/ use of the DCU/ weird-good/ character returns/ whatever-the-hell-that-was in quite a while.
I heart you, DCU.
Bonus Comic Stuff:
Green Lantern and Tales of the Corps... both good reads this week.
I don't really get the faux-exasperated comments I've seen online about people can't believe that there's, basically, bad stuff happening that our heroes will have to problem-solve.
Getting bent out of shape about the budget-busting spin-offs? Sure. Accusations of Zombie-ism? Okay (maybe. I mean, its obvious, right?). And, yeah, there's some nasty, bad stuff... but they are inhuman-alien-space-fascists bent on the annihilation of living things. So... you know. I don't expect them to just rob banks or make giant robots to stomp through town.
So far so good on Blackest Night.
Anyhow, I'm thinking about how this project was managed, versus how other events have been handled, and it sort of hurts one's brain to ponder Countdown as a lead in to Final Crisis as event and how badly mismanaged that one was.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Small Post Tuesday
An Important Excursion, Part 2
Jamie took most of the pictures, so if you want to see the trip in some quick snapshots, here's the link to Jamie's write-up.
Poe Comic Out
I neglected to mention it, but the Poe comic, written by Austin's own J. Barton Mitchell was released last week. JackBart (that's what we J. Barton here at The League) has told me repeatedly that "the first issue is a little slow". So, while I didn't find it to be so, the author did.
If only someone could have fixed that! But WHO?
I kid of course. I think it's a "slow boil" sort of thing, so do with that what you will.
Anyhow, go to your local comic retailer (when in Austin, try Austin Books) and ask for it by name! Poe! (It's about Edgar Allen Poe, not pop rock sensation, "Poe". Just FYI.)
Here's a preview at CBR.
JackBart if off to San Diego to do signings at the Boom! Studio booth, where he has promised to get me a signed copy of Irredeemable from Mr. Waid. Which would be nifty.
Dune Report
I'm actually reading Dune and enjoying it. So I'm off to go read more of it. That and comics.
Jamie took most of the pictures, so if you want to see the trip in some quick snapshots, here's the link to Jamie's write-up.
Poe Comic Out
I neglected to mention it, but the Poe comic, written by Austin's own J. Barton Mitchell was released last week. JackBart (that's what we J. Barton here at The League) has told me repeatedly that "the first issue is a little slow". So, while I didn't find it to be so, the author did.
If only someone could have fixed that! But WHO?
I kid of course. I think it's a "slow boil" sort of thing, so do with that what you will.
Anyhow, go to your local comic retailer (when in Austin, try Austin Books) and ask for it by name! Poe! (It's about Edgar Allen Poe, not pop rock sensation, "Poe". Just FYI.)
Here's a preview at CBR.
JackBart if off to San Diego to do signings at the Boom! Studio booth, where he has promised to get me a signed copy of Irredeemable from Mr. Waid. Which would be nifty.
Dune Report
I'm actually reading Dune and enjoying it. So I'm off to go read more of it. That and comics.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Harry Potter and The Teenagers Making The League Uncomfortable
I keed, I keed.
But, there certainly was a lot of teen romance in that movie, wasn't there? And to see it played out by humans who, despite magical powers and soft lighting, slightly resemble actual teens versus what one sees on television was sort of... I dunno. It sort of made me not really feel like I should be there.
To put things in perspective, I saw inexplicable pop phenomena "Twilight" at Doug and Kristen's in Berkeley, and that movie downright made me sad. It's like wish-fulfillment-crack for adolescent girls. Something that I have learned, no woman in my immediate circle seems to truly be immune from at any age (reportedly, The Karebear has even read the entire series). That's a movie that I certainly knew wasn't just NOT aimed at me, but openly challenged me to stand up and tell 13 year old girls that when your paramour admits to wanting to kill, that shouldn't be a huge turn on. I'm just saying.
But, yes, Harry Potter was, indeed, a Harry Potter movie. And I confess that with this 6th installment, my frustration with the limited point of view of the Harry Potter universe increased exponentially. At some point, one begins to wonder "Where the hell are the adults in this, and why do they repeatedly lean on some kid over and over?" At some point, one gets over the formula Rowling painted herself into with focusing on Hogwarts, and wishes to see what the adults, who've already SEEN Voldemort on a rampage, are doing about his attempts at a return. The hints one gets make the supposedly powerful wizarding community seem like the worst sort of surrender monkeys. That, in fact, not a one of them deserves to be saved.
The biggest issue the 6th installment has is that its also a bridging chapter between what came before, and what's going to be the big sham-wow in the 7th book/ 7th and 8th movies. Like, say, Empire Strikes Back, this movie has no real denouement, but sets things up so that, one assumes, we're seeing Harry and Co. go on the offensive (which one suspects adults should be managing, but whatever).
Many of the cuter trappings of earlier films are gone in this installment. No more endless-flavor jellybeans. No more talking paintings or moving staircases. We're much more down to brass tacks. But still find time for the required allowance of Quidditch and completely believable distraction of who is "snogging" with whom and "Butter Beer".
It's not necessarily a bad movie. The acting is very good from most of the young cast. Its beautifully shot, has nifty FX and the pacing is mostly good, considering there's no overarching plot that isn't dragged in from a prior movie. And, in fact, one suspects the movie's structure is entirely necessary, but something about the whole thing just felt oddly perfunctory. One is left with questions that don't need to be left, such as "now, what... Half-Blood Prince... what?" And "now... why weren't Malfoy and Harry both bounced out of school after their altercation?" It can be a bit maddening, and I can only guess what wound up on the cutting room floor to keep the running time at 2.5 hours. But without that information...
I guess at installment 6, I sort of was hoping for a bit more. Such as "The Half-Blood Prince" to mean a damn thing in the context of the film.
On the other hand, it was light-years less creepy and dumb than "Twilight". Which has a sequel coming soon, whose trailer was met with howls of laughter in our theater.
But, there certainly was a lot of teen romance in that movie, wasn't there? And to see it played out by humans who, despite magical powers and soft lighting, slightly resemble actual teens versus what one sees on television was sort of... I dunno. It sort of made me not really feel like I should be there.
To put things in perspective, I saw inexplicable pop phenomena "Twilight" at Doug and Kristen's in Berkeley, and that movie downright made me sad. It's like wish-fulfillment-crack for adolescent girls. Something that I have learned, no woman in my immediate circle seems to truly be immune from at any age (reportedly, The Karebear has even read the entire series). That's a movie that I certainly knew wasn't just NOT aimed at me, but openly challenged me to stand up and tell 13 year old girls that when your paramour admits to wanting to kill, that shouldn't be a huge turn on. I'm just saying.
But, yes, Harry Potter was, indeed, a Harry Potter movie. And I confess that with this 6th installment, my frustration with the limited point of view of the Harry Potter universe increased exponentially. At some point, one begins to wonder "Where the hell are the adults in this, and why do they repeatedly lean on some kid over and over?" At some point, one gets over the formula Rowling painted herself into with focusing on Hogwarts, and wishes to see what the adults, who've already SEEN Voldemort on a rampage, are doing about his attempts at a return. The hints one gets make the supposedly powerful wizarding community seem like the worst sort of surrender monkeys. That, in fact, not a one of them deserves to be saved.
The biggest issue the 6th installment has is that its also a bridging chapter between what came before, and what's going to be the big sham-wow in the 7th book/ 7th and 8th movies. Like, say, Empire Strikes Back, this movie has no real denouement, but sets things up so that, one assumes, we're seeing Harry and Co. go on the offensive (which one suspects adults should be managing, but whatever).
Many of the cuter trappings of earlier films are gone in this installment. No more endless-flavor jellybeans. No more talking paintings or moving staircases. We're much more down to brass tacks. But still find time for the required allowance of Quidditch and completely believable distraction of who is "snogging" with whom and "Butter Beer".
It's not necessarily a bad movie. The acting is very good from most of the young cast. Its beautifully shot, has nifty FX and the pacing is mostly good, considering there's no overarching plot that isn't dragged in from a prior movie. And, in fact, one suspects the movie's structure is entirely necessary, but something about the whole thing just felt oddly perfunctory. One is left with questions that don't need to be left, such as "now, what... Half-Blood Prince... what?" And "now... why weren't Malfoy and Harry both bounced out of school after their altercation?" It can be a bit maddening, and I can only guess what wound up on the cutting room floor to keep the running time at 2.5 hours. But without that information...
I guess at installment 6, I sort of was hoping for a bit more. Such as "The Half-Blood Prince" to mean a damn thing in the context of the film.
On the other hand, it was light-years less creepy and dumb than "Twilight". Which has a sequel coming soon, whose trailer was met with howls of laughter in our theater.
Moonlanding - 40th Anniversary
Firstly, its mind-boggling to me that the moon-landing has become a pet conspiracy of people who cannot fathom achievement. Your belief that "we didn't have the technology in the 1960's" does not, in fact, make it so. NASA sent brave men into space, just as they do today. We might as well have said the same about any explorer who ever stepped out of your personal view.
Secondly, far be it from me to wish for another Cold War, but I cannot imagine an America today in which our citizenry has the will or which would be willing to fund the effort it took to get us to the moon. Not when we firmly believe that every tax dollar spent is wasted if its not spent on us, somehow.
That said, I am of a belief that we'd be better off leaving Earth's orbit for altruistic, and/ or scientific purposes, and not for corporate or commercial purposes. Though I suspect the minute that someone figures out how to exploit the rings of Saturn to build a sharper television, that will be what gets us past the moon and out into the rest of the Solar System. Maybe Bradbury's Martian Chronicles (aka: "The Silver Locusts") had too much of an effect upon me as a youth, and maybe I've had The Prime Directive beat into my head entirely too much over the years, but until our imagination reaches beyond exploitation, I'm not sure we're ready as a species to break free from El Sol's pull and join whatever else is out there, moving between stars.
That said, its the spirit of competition which saw Apollo 8 ring around the Moon, and Apollo 11 touchdown on cosmic dust. I'd like to see that exploratory spirit, free of commercial enterprise, guiding us outward, so that when we can look back at our blue marble, we appreciate what we've got here all the more.
Today, The League salutes not just Collins, Aldrin and Armstrong, but the entire flight crew of Apollo 11, and the armies of nameless engineers, scientists, ground crew, and everyone who made Apollo 11 possible. We've had a unique opportunity as a generation born after Apollo 11, to grow up believing, utterly and completely, that with imagination, determination, intellect and will, humanity has no limitations. And I dream of seeing that again in my lifetime.
And, dammit, if its isn't a little sad Cronkite died so very close to the anniversary of the day he guided us through.
Whip It Trailer Now Online
Hey, here's a trailer for Shauna C.'s flick, "Whip It"
Thanks to, I think, Jeff Shoemaker, for sending me the link
Thanks to, I think, Jeff Shoemaker, for sending me the link
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The League Returns From An Important Excursion (Part 1)
So.
I think Jamie is planning to do a post summing up the trip to The Bay Area/ aka: San Francisco/ Berkeley/ Oakland. I can say that we had a phenomenal time with Doug and Kristen, saw some sights, ate some foods, and generally packed a lot of good times into a very few days.
Jamie is the princess of Berkeley
Ten highlights:
1) Samurai exhibit at Asian culture museum near San Francisco City Hall.
2) Hanging off a trolley and enjoying industrial-age mass transit
3) A too-brief trip to Oakland's farmer's market
4) Finally seeing the 'tween movie sensation "Twilight", with Rifftrax and lots of wine
5) Thai food and "Krazy Thai Koffee" (the secret ingredient is love. And vodka.)
6) Comic Relief in Berkeley
7) King Tut exhibit
8) Mr. Mopps toystore
9) Taking the 1.75 hours you have to kill and getting to meet comic scribe Geoff Johns, one of my three or four favorite comic writers (I have no ranking systems) at Isotope comics
10) Reasonable temperatures
Leaguers may know that when we have an opportunity, The League likes to see comic shops in other towns. Sure, we'll always return to Austin Books, but its also a lot of fun to see what other shops are up to. Berkeley's Comic Relief is known a bit outside of the Bay Area, and Isotope has a great reputation out there in the world.
And, apparently, its a reputation richly reserved. Isotope may not have the square footage of Austin Books, but its a beautiful shop, and the staff was certainly in top form for the Geoff Johns visit. Owner James Sime is a bit of a comic celebrity, a rarity for a retailer, but he's managed a column/ blog or two in his time and made a name with customer service and high profile signings. Isotope has also received a lot of credit for its welcoming interior, which features some dangerously comfortable furniture.
We had tried to get in to see items from King Tut's tomb (but not the sarcophagus itself), around 12:30, but tickets were sold out until 5:30. We bought tickets, toured some terrific galleries at the De Young museum, and while eating hotdogs in the park, pondered our next move.
I had known Geoff Johns was at Isotope, but did not wish to, Sinestro-like, impose my will upon everyone else, and so didn't push on the subject, but we DID have a few hours in there, so...
We arrived just ahead of time, and I lurked a bit, eventually winding up in line with some really nice folks, just 8th in a line that went to the door. The guy in front of me had library-bound his entire Flash run (I had heard of this practice, but never seen it), and the as most folks in line were NOT from out of town, had brought significant items to have signed.
Johns took as much time with each fanboy as they wanted and was happy to chat.
Leaguers, I wish it were not the case, but when faced with Johns, I totally froze. It's not that surprising. I did the same when I met Tina Weymouth and Captain America at Universal Studios, Florida. Johns was gracious and was willing to talk less about Blackest Night and more about Legion and Superman, but I blanked in asking about Adventure Comics and a thousand other things I would have happily asked him about had I not totally clammed up. I did get out a question or two about the upcoming "Secret Origin" series.
I had mentioned, while in line, that I was from Austin. While Johns was signing my purchases, James suddenly presented me with a copy of the Blackest Night #1 variant cover edition for Johns to sign. For free.
That, non-comic nerds, is about the awesomest fanboy moment you're likely to have, short of Green Lantern himself showing up and recruiting you for the Corps.
I did plug Austin Books to Johns, and implored him to come to Austin. I know we'd treat the guy right. And I didn't throw up, which is something entirely likely to happen when I get that excited.
Anyway, thanks to Jamie and Doug for schlepping all the way across the city with me to Isotope. Thanks to Kristen for picking us up. And thanks to Isotope, James and Johns for adding a classic fanboy moment to what was already an outstanding trip.
I think Jamie is planning to do a post summing up the trip to The Bay Area/ aka: San Francisco/ Berkeley/ Oakland. I can say that we had a phenomenal time with Doug and Kristen, saw some sights, ate some foods, and generally packed a lot of good times into a very few days.
Jamie is the princess of Berkeley
Ten highlights:
1) Samurai exhibit at Asian culture museum near San Francisco City Hall.
2) Hanging off a trolley and enjoying industrial-age mass transit
3) A too-brief trip to Oakland's farmer's market
4) Finally seeing the 'tween movie sensation "Twilight", with Rifftrax and lots of wine
5) Thai food and "Krazy Thai Koffee" (the secret ingredient is love. And vodka.)
6) Comic Relief in Berkeley
7) King Tut exhibit
8) Mr. Mopps toystore
9) Taking the 1.75 hours you have to kill and getting to meet comic scribe Geoff Johns, one of my three or four favorite comic writers (I have no ranking systems) at Isotope comics
10) Reasonable temperatures
Leaguers may know that when we have an opportunity, The League likes to see comic shops in other towns. Sure, we'll always return to Austin Books, but its also a lot of fun to see what other shops are up to. Berkeley's Comic Relief is known a bit outside of the Bay Area, and Isotope has a great reputation out there in the world.
And, apparently, its a reputation richly reserved. Isotope may not have the square footage of Austin Books, but its a beautiful shop, and the staff was certainly in top form for the Geoff Johns visit. Owner James Sime is a bit of a comic celebrity, a rarity for a retailer, but he's managed a column/ blog or two in his time and made a name with customer service and high profile signings. Isotope has also received a lot of credit for its welcoming interior, which features some dangerously comfortable furniture.
We had tried to get in to see items from King Tut's tomb (but not the sarcophagus itself), around 12:30, but tickets were sold out until 5:30. We bought tickets, toured some terrific galleries at the De Young museum, and while eating hotdogs in the park, pondered our next move.
I had known Geoff Johns was at Isotope, but did not wish to, Sinestro-like, impose my will upon everyone else, and so didn't push on the subject, but we DID have a few hours in there, so...
We arrived just ahead of time, and I lurked a bit, eventually winding up in line with some really nice folks, just 8th in a line that went to the door. The guy in front of me had library-bound his entire Flash run (I had heard of this practice, but never seen it), and the as most folks in line were NOT from out of town, had brought significant items to have signed.
Johns took as much time with each fanboy as they wanted and was happy to chat.
Leaguers, I wish it were not the case, but when faced with Johns, I totally froze. It's not that surprising. I did the same when I met Tina Weymouth and Captain America at Universal Studios, Florida. Johns was gracious and was willing to talk less about Blackest Night and more about Legion and Superman, but I blanked in asking about Adventure Comics and a thousand other things I would have happily asked him about had I not totally clammed up. I did get out a question or two about the upcoming "Secret Origin" series.
I had mentioned, while in line, that I was from Austin. While Johns was signing my purchases, James suddenly presented me with a copy of the Blackest Night #1 variant cover edition for Johns to sign. For free.
That, non-comic nerds, is about the awesomest fanboy moment you're likely to have, short of Green Lantern himself showing up and recruiting you for the Corps.
I did plug Austin Books to Johns, and implored him to come to Austin. I know we'd treat the guy right. And I didn't throw up, which is something entirely likely to happen when I get that excited.
Anyway, thanks to Jamie and Doug for schlepping all the way across the city with me to Isotope. Thanks to Kristen for picking us up. And thanks to Isotope, James and Johns for adding a classic fanboy moment to what was already an outstanding trip.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
See you on Sunday night (maybe)
Time for The League to kick back, relax and maybe have a few cocktails.
We're headed out.
You guys take care.
We're headed out.
You guys take care.
HSN is really, really ready for the Yuletide
The Home Shopping Network is selling Christmas decorations. It is 07/14. Only 5.3 months until CHRISTMAS.
I bought this toy
Not just because its Ryan Choi, The Atom. But because he's got a weapon that hits people with PROTONS.
I like my Atom with more science than whatever the last run was (or most runs, meaning I kind of like The Atom as utility science guy). Science-ish fiction.
Nice to have a toy based maybe something on the LHC.
His little widget/rod thing is kind of a mace. Maybe a mini-LHC. And, of course, the LHC "is intended to play exceptionally violent and scientific games of sub-atomic curveball billiards, in which protons will barrel round corners and smack into one another at close to light speed. This will cause them to explode, hurling various kinds of mysterious sub-subatomic gubbins in all directions." Just about what you'd expect The Atom to be doing in the comics, really.
So, basically, he's smacking people with protons, as if their face were yet another proton. And that is awesome.
Monday, July 13, 2009
A few Items
Short post, and then probably no post tomorrow night. And then none for a while as Jamie and I head out for San Francisco (don't tell anyone, but we hear there's gold out in Californie! GOLD!!!).
Wolfman Reshoots
So, remember when I was asking last week about where the Wolfman movie was? Ask and ye shall receive.
Sounds like reshoots. Lots and lots of reshoots. Which... well, it explains why the things isn't here now.
1) Sounds like Rick Baker's company is involved. So... I'm sort of surprised that there's any creature design problems.
2) I kind of want to give Joe Johnston credit, because he was responsible for some movies I've enjoyed (Rocketeer, and, uhm...). But his stuff is also mostly painfully formulaic stuff.
So... not exactly sure what went wrong, but if they want to make the creatures more awesome... The League can wait.
I enjoy the original Wolfman movie. Its got its own brand of pathos that all good monster movies are really about. One day I need to spend some time overthinking the movie, and make postulations about how its really about race or the rise of fascism or some such. But its mostly just about a guy who becomes a werewolf-guy, and he really doesn't want to BE a werewolf guy (it totally screws with his love life).
What to do while The League is Gone?
I dunno. Go to Facebook and goof around on The League's Facebook page.
Why not try out that whole "Discussions" tabs.
Surely you people have something to talk about when I'm not here?
Blackest Night - Comic Book Stuff
Rumor has it that DC is giving away a Black Lantern ring as a promotional item this Wednesday. I'll be on a plane instead of grabbing my ring. Why did I agree to fly on a Wednesday again?
Someone get The League a ring.
Maybe if I say "Austin Books" here, Brad will get a Google alert and grab me a ring? Especially if I talk about what a great place Austin Books is and how much I enjoy their down home comicky hospitality and wide array of comics? And how you'd be a damn fool to buy your comics anywhere else?
Well, a man's got to try.
Astronauts
I've been wanting to watch The Right Stuff again lately. Not sure why.
And then I turned around in someone's office at work today and they had a picture of Sam Shepard in their office. Apparently he gave a whole mess of his stuff to the UT Libraries. There's a "Right Stuff" display at the Benson Collection. Huh.
Apollo 13 is a good movie and all, but...
Pals
Thanks to folks we spontaneously got together with this weekend. It was fun. I sort of thought I was going to be watching TV all weekend.
Ya'll Take Care
I'm going to be posting pics to Facebook and stuff while we're gone. So keep up with me there, I think.
I've got the damn Blackberry now, so e-mail me if you have a Superman emergency or whatnot.
Because I can't take the high road
Apparently I was slightly off. Jon of "Jon & Kate" did not head to Tahiti with a stripper. He went to St. Tropez with Kate's plastic surgeon's daughter.
Which... Man.
Here. And, yes, the situation is a mess and I'm ashamed. Blah blah blah. But who called it?
The website sums up exactly how I feel:
Thanks to Randy for keeping me neck deep in my shame.
Wolfman Reshoots
So, remember when I was asking last week about where the Wolfman movie was? Ask and ye shall receive.
Sounds like reshoots. Lots and lots of reshoots. Which... well, it explains why the things isn't here now.
1) Sounds like Rick Baker's company is involved. So... I'm sort of surprised that there's any creature design problems.
2) I kind of want to give Joe Johnston credit, because he was responsible for some movies I've enjoyed (Rocketeer, and, uhm...). But his stuff is also mostly painfully formulaic stuff.
So... not exactly sure what went wrong, but if they want to make the creatures more awesome... The League can wait.
I enjoy the original Wolfman movie. Its got its own brand of pathos that all good monster movies are really about. One day I need to spend some time overthinking the movie, and make postulations about how its really about race or the rise of fascism or some such. But its mostly just about a guy who becomes a werewolf-guy, and he really doesn't want to BE a werewolf guy (it totally screws with his love life).
What to do while The League is Gone?
I dunno. Go to Facebook and goof around on The League's Facebook page.
Why not try out that whole "Discussions" tabs.
Surely you people have something to talk about when I'm not here?
Blackest Night - Comic Book Stuff
Rumor has it that DC is giving away a Black Lantern ring as a promotional item this Wednesday. I'll be on a plane instead of grabbing my ring. Why did I agree to fly on a Wednesday again?
Someone get The League a ring.
Maybe if I say "Austin Books" here, Brad will get a Google alert and grab me a ring? Especially if I talk about what a great place Austin Books is and how much I enjoy their down home comicky hospitality and wide array of comics? And how you'd be a damn fool to buy your comics anywhere else?
Well, a man's got to try.
Astronauts
I've been wanting to watch The Right Stuff again lately. Not sure why.
And then I turned around in someone's office at work today and they had a picture of Sam Shepard in their office. Apparently he gave a whole mess of his stuff to the UT Libraries. There's a "Right Stuff" display at the Benson Collection. Huh.
Apollo 13 is a good movie and all, but...
Pals
Thanks to folks we spontaneously got together with this weekend. It was fun. I sort of thought I was going to be watching TV all weekend.
Ya'll Take Care
I'm going to be posting pics to Facebook and stuff while we're gone. So keep up with me there, I think.
I've got the damn Blackberry now, so e-mail me if you have a Superman emergency or whatnot.
Because I can't take the high road
Apparently I was slightly off. Jon of "Jon & Kate" did not head to Tahiti with a stripper. He went to St. Tropez with Kate's plastic surgeon's daughter.
Which... Man.
Here. And, yes, the situation is a mess and I'm ashamed. Blah blah blah. But who called it?
The website sums up exactly how I feel:
He left the confines of his marriage with a stentorian control freak for the nearest party girl. It’s so predictable and awful that I can’t help but feel an immense schadenfreude that makes me want to dance down the street and wave to strangers.
See you in hell, everyone!
Thanks to Randy for keeping me neck deep in my shame.
Pleadings Watch Party
Hey, Leaguers!
I've recently obtained an official copy of the movie "Pleadings" written by the League's own JimD and Alistair. So, I'm thinking "Austin Area Pleadings Watch Party".
I've seen the movie, and it is hilarious.
Actually, it's really, really not. But why not watch the movie together? I'll make popcorn.
I can't do it any time in the next two weeks (we're in San Francisco, and then I got a thing the next week), so let's look at August 1.
E-mail me or comment if you're interested in attending.
Here's a whole bunch more about Pleadings at Facebook.
I've recently obtained an official copy of the movie "Pleadings" written by the League's own JimD and Alistair. So, I'm thinking "Austin Area Pleadings Watch Party".
I've seen the movie, and it is hilarious.
Actually, it's really, really not. But why not watch the movie together? I'll make popcorn.
I can't do it any time in the next two weeks (we're in San Francisco, and then I got a thing the next week), so let's look at August 1.
E-mail me or comment if you're interested in attending.
Here's a whole bunch more about Pleadings at Facebook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)