To My Readers: Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a good one, folks. May it be filled with popcorn & jellybeans.

Best,
Val

The Significance Of The Marvel Comics Thanksgiving Float

To me, the crucial turning-point in the licensing of superheroes, post-Mego action figures in the 1970s, was the first Marvel Comics float at the Macy's Thanksgiving parade, circa 1987. Watching this short segment on my TV as a comic collecting teenager was a rare and unexpected thrill.

First, a little background. The licensing of superhero characters took a sharp nose-dive after the demise of Mego Toys in the early Eighties. Sure, in the early-to-mid 1980s we had the Secret Wars and Super Powers toy lines. But they were relatively slim pickings, with not a tremendous amount of ancillary products or TV adaptations.


Furthermore -- as an X-Men fan, things were even more slim pickings for me. The Wolverine and Magneto action figures from the Secret Wars line. That was it, the only acknowledgment outside of two "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" cartoons that the X-Men existed outside of the comic books I was dutifully collecting on a weekly basis.

But enter the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the Marvel float. For the first time, I saw an X-Men character "in real life" -- an actor dressed up like Wolverine. This was *huge* for me.

Plus: Emma Frost(!), Luke Cage (!!), and even Robocop (!!!)!

Was Marvel's deal with New World Studios the impetus for this float? Was this, and the float in 1989, the publisher's attempt to stick its big toe into the wider world of media and gauge the popularity of these characters?

Whatever the reasons, by 1990 a whole new golden age of licensing and TV and movies dawned for both Marvel and DC superheroes. Toy Biz in a way became a more successful version of Mego, producing tons and tons of toys, dolls, playsets, and other products starring Marvel characters both popular and obscure.

Fancy a Wolverine figure? (from Radapaw's Wolverine Figure Gallery)

Some might point to the success of the first Batman movie as the beginning of this new "age of superheroes" -- but I think it started with that very first Marvel Thanksgiving float.

Wow, I'm a nerd.

1987 Float


1989 Float

Giant Thanksgiving Balloons

Those giant balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade used to both fascinate and scare me. I used to have nightmares where I'd look out my window and a huge balloon face (perhaps Kermit) was looking in on me.

As of late, I've noticed that a lot of balloons that haven't necessarily "earned" a spot in the parade are being used -- you know, relatively new characters that are basically "debuted" at the parade to advertise something. I think the "Ask Jeeves" balloon was the one that started me questioning the balloon selection process.

Still, am hoping one day that an Occasional Superheroine balloon makes its way through Midtown. :-D

Fred Sanford Comix And Stories

"Where I now see the primary weakness of Final Crisis is that the DC universe itself isn’t vital enough or interesting enough or dependable enough as a starting point or filled with enough creative energy for me to give a crap as it all slips away. It’s hard to take seriously a crisis paired with an adjective, even an alarming one. A greater sense of peril was engendered by one of Fred Sanford’s heart attacks."

-- The Comics Reporter (via The Beat, can't find the direct link)

See, I actually would follow a Sanford & Son comic book event. As long as it didn't involve those last episodes where Lamont came back and was phoning it in.

"The Comic Book Geek" Now Power Broker

"Power Geek" Archetype:
Kevin Smith in "Live Free or Die Hard"

Details Magazine has just released their "Power 40" list, and "The Comic Book Geek" comes in at #13:

"Only one person can make or break a potential blockbuster before it hits theaters, and he doesn't work in Hollywood or control a penny of the multi-million-dollar budget. He lives in his parents' basement and sometimes wears a cape—but the much-mocked comic-book geek possesses the ass studio execs must kiss to hit superhero-movie gold."

I whole-heartedly agree, except for the "living in parents' basement" part. I haven't lived in my mom's basement for a good three years now. :-D

What do you think? Are "comic book geeks" the new power brokers?

I think geeks in general have been power brokers for some time now. Case in point: Bill Gates.

(you can read more about the Details "Power 40" in their December issue, on stands Dec. 2)

Avengers: Shnookies

Is it wrong that the first thing that came to mind when I saw this ad was,

"Avengers: Shnookies."

("shnookies" -- a Valerism for "romantic relations")

superheroes need love, too!

Traveling Music, Please

I'll be on the road on Tuesday November 25.

Will tend to bloggy things when I make my destination that evening.

In the meantime, play nice. :-)

Why Are Really Bad Films Made?

First, take a look at this trailer for Ace Ventura Jr.:



Now, answer me this question: Why Are Really Bad Films Made?

We all know them: stinkers beyond the scope of any sort of hipster smug ironic enjoyment we could possibly glean from them. Son of the Mask, that last Eddie Murphy movie with the big head and the thing, Mr. Magoo with Leslie Nielsen WHY?!!!! Thunderbirds with Bill Paxton--why?!

Why.
Batman and Rob--WHY?! Oh God, why?

I believe this is the culprit:


The Yes Man (or Woman).

When all you surround yourself with are Yes People, you get inbred ideas that suck and which everyone is afraid to assert said suckage of. Case in point: Eddie Murphy. Case in point: whoever is buying up the rights to those Jim Carrey movies.

"Oh, I really think recasting Ace Ventura as a chubby boy with big hair is a bad idea...but my boss is a dick, and I don't want to lose my job. I'll just say it's awesome."

I swear to God, I turned on Alvin and the Chipmunks, saw them sing "Had A Bad Day" while in a tree, and was ready to nuke my TV set. Then there was the scene where Simon ate Theodore's dookie and called it a raisin.

And. Called. It. A. Raisin.

Val Speaking At NYC's Girl Geek Dinner, Dec. 5

I'm honored to have been invited to be a speaker at the first NYC Girl Geek Dinner!

Girl Geek Dinners are held internationally for women in technology and science to talk informally about issues related their fields.

If you are a woman working in the sciences, technology, computing, IT, programming, graphic design, video games, and new media (blogging, etc.), this is a great event to attend.

When: 6:30pm, Friday, December 5th, 2008
Where: The Next Stage, 243 W. 30th Street, 11th Floor (btw 7th and 8th Ave.)
Limited Advance Tickets until 12/3: $5 includes raffle ticket & goodie bag

Click Here For More Details And To Buy Tickets

The Rules: No female, no entry!

Girl Geek Dinners are for the girls! But it doesn’t mean that men can’t attend, they just have to come as the guest of a female.

So if you are a woman in any of the aforementioned fields and want to hang out with your peers, eat some good food, network, and have a great time, feel free to come!

Goodbye To Comics: Two Years Later

The two-year anniversary of "Goodbye to Comics" has come and gone, and I almost missed it.

Still glad I wrote it, happy with its content, format, and method of delivery. I think there are so many things in this world that are vetted and pre-planned within an inch of its life -- even Reality TV -- that it's kind of cool to have something spontaneous, raw, and heart-felt.

Also, I feel very grateful for the friends I've made as a result or indirect result of "GTC." I've had and continue to have many awesome life experiences, both on my own and as the president of Friends of Lulu. I am really, truly blessed and fortunate -- far more fortunate than I feel I have a right to be. I feel unworthy for the blessings not because I think I am a bad person, but because I'm just a person -- one in a thousand fanboys and fangirls with as much passion as I have.

And in terms of the future of my career...I am, as they say, just happy to be nominated. Anything above that is gravy, is awesome, is more than I expected.

Those are all my thoughts on it. Done & done.

more photos of me with those dynamic thumbs:

Val Gets Rid Of Even More Comics

Why did one of these get the boot and the other not?

"Gets rid of" is actually a strong word. More like finding new home for them in one of several different ways.

As I've written before, I do this automatically every couple of months to avoid becoming a packrat -- because I have a packrat tendency.

What's interesting is what gets cut and what remains...

Both Strangers in Paradise and Meatcake have been in my collection for a long time -- why did I finally cut SIP out of the collection but kept Meatcake?

First of all, it's no dig at SIP. But that series seemed to be more relevant to me during a certain period of my life -- while Meatcake's gothic weirdness seems to transcend time for me.

Again, I chucked the Love & Rockets -- but that's partially because Fantagraphics have these awesome new collected editions for it. Ditto for Strangers in Paradise -- if I wanted to get those issues back, I could buy the trade paperbacks.
















singles vs. trades: it's been so long since this issue
of "Love and Rockets" came out, it would seem that
Fantagraphics would benefit more if you just
bought the current collections.

Buying the trade is often a rationale for getting rid of individual issues. Both Mark Millar's Fantastic Four and the new Omega The Unknown limited series got tossed -- because I only had a few issues of each, and would rather just have the trades. Same for the new Lone Ranger.

Then there are 25 cent bin comics that I have a maniacal attachment to. Take Marvel's Robotix, written and drawn by Herb Trimpe. Why in the hell am I holding on this book?


Because it's damn special, that's why. Strangers in Paradise might get reprinted in a dozen different formats, but who will reprint Robotix? Hm?

My point.

Fangirl Fridays: The Knitty Gritty of Comics Today

Hi there,

This is just going to be a jumble of thoughts and links that have come up while surfing this fine Internet-thing --


Bring Out Your Dead?
A commentary on all the DC comic books that have been canceled as of late, plus speculation as to whether the end is near for Jonah Hex and Simon Dark.
This brings me back to what I have posted earlier about how many comics in the future might be put out in mini-series or "volumes" rather than be ongoing. After having the read the last three months worth of Amazing Spider-Man, I definitely see that dynamic in play, though within the banner of one title.
Jonah Hex is a perfectly good title with consistent quality. I think, however, its biggest strength lies in the collected editions.

Did you ever want a list of all the female comic book characters who have *not* been raped?
If roughly 80% of female characters have not been raped, does this debunk the "rape myth" of comics that says female characters are often raped?
I think it's not a question of bean-counting but of how the rapes that do occur are presented in the comic books.
Of course, these sorts of posts run the danger of discounting all concern over the rape of women in comics, since it is "only 20%."


I'm noticing more and more blogs are posting entire old stories that are in public domain, assumed to be in public domain, or that nobody really cares anyway what domain they're in.
I'm enjoying these stories immensely, here are two I've read recently:
"The Head Of The Family"
"The Cadmus Seed"
both by Jack Kirby, whose ability to draw really freaky disturbing shit should not be under-estimated.


I found this Comics Reporter post, "I Can't Even Bring Myself To Open This," rather amusing. It refers to an issue of DC/Wildstorm's X-Files. Having opened up the issue in the comic store, I did note the standard static art resembling various photo stills. This phenomena of so heavily using photo reference reminds me, of all things, of the work of Henry Darger. Darger's story is long and sad, but basically all you have no know for now is that part of his art consisted using the same source material as tracing templates over and over again. So when you look at Darger's art, you keep recognizing the same figures & faces. This is what a lot of comic book TV and movie adaptations look like to me, especially the ones with either uninspired art and/or ultra-strict approval requirements from the studios.

As a contrast, check out Charlie Adlard's work on X-Files for Topps. I think I heard something like his lack of on-model photo-referency art drove 20th Century Fox crazy. But at any rate, what Adlard did was how I think you really should adapt TV to comics. By realizing it ain't TV, it's comics.


Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't highlight John Rogers' thoughts the cancellation of Blue Beetle:

"Wow. It's almost as if basing your entire business model around a series of must-buy big event crossovers in a market with limited purchasing resources hurts your midlist."

and

"Let's put it this way -- stripping out distribution costs and our share of the rent for those nice DC offices in Mahattan, Blue Beetle could have cost fifty cents an issue at its worst sales level, and still paid Rafael and myself more than we made on the run of the book."

At this point, I can't see why any high-level person within the comics industry wouldn't be encouraging the development of their company's digital comics program. Webcomics may not a replacement for paper (well, in about 20 year they might be, at least for mass consumption), but they are going to play a bigger and bigger role in a publisher's total output.

The trends regarding this and other things are all around us. We can spend day after day ignoring them, thinking the clock will turn back. Or we could do our research and prepare, and get ahead of the curve. Even in a recession, those who diligently take the latter approach will find themselves not only better off -- but in a vastly better place once things improve.

And on that note, enjoy the start of your weekend, all!

Robin Riggs Draws IDW's "Sir Apropos Of Nothing"

It was my good fortune to catch up with artist Robin Riggs at the Big Apple Comic Con this past weekend and look at the original art for his new comic from IDW, Sir Apropos Of Nothing.


I've always known Robin as a highly-skilled inker, but only recently discovered that he is an excellent penciller as well. It just goes to show: I think the best inkers are the ones who bring an unique and vibrant style of their own to the pencils they work over, and this is because they are talented illustrators in their own right.


(Now, I understand that some pencillers get a little annoyed when certain inkers "overwhelm" their work with their own style. And some pencillers actually welcome it as the combination can be quite successful. I've never seen Robin's work "take over" the pencils he's working over. But they have always been a tremendous asset, adding depth and refinement.)


Anyway, it's good to see Robin get a chance to pencil as well as ink Sir Apropos Of Nothing (oh, and we should mention that it's written by Mr. Peter David! based on his successful novels featuring the character!). He is a classic illustrator in the mold of David Lloyd and Tim Truman. In some respects, Sir Apropos seems like a love letter to the very best comics from the 80s produced by DC and indie companies like First. This influence extends all the way to the palette used, pastels and a watercolory feel.


It is my hope that unique and well-produced projects like this are supported by the public. IDW produces comics in a variety of genres that, while perhaps not a replacement for DC and Marvel's offerings, are most certainly a very welcome and necessary supplement.

If you feel "left behind" by some of the new comics out there, and want to be introduced to some new worlds and "mythologies," I suggest you give some of IDW's books, like Sir Apropos of Nothing, FX, and Locke & Key, a try.

All The Facebook Ads I've Received In 24 Hours

I found this while doing research for a client. It's a page filled with all the targeted ads my Facebook page has received during a 24-hour period:

1. How Many Triangles?
brain teaser type thing, that's pretty ok

2. Bridgeport Ct Lofts 185k
way over-estimating my income, but ok

3. The Subway On Your iPhone
okay, they've picked up on my geographical info...fine

4. The Oprah Diet
well...it's just one ad. And it's *Oprah*

5. Never Shave Again
laser hair-removal system

6. Cute Cuts For Half Price
hair salon...for when I'm done with the hair removal

7. Lose Three Dress Sizes

8. Rachel's Flat Belly Diet

9. The Supermodel Diet

10. Dr. Oz's Dieting Tip

11. Don't Fit In At Church?
must be my "Eclectic" tag under "Religion" on my profile

12. Rachel Ray's New Program
2nd Rachel Ray diet ad

13. Win 4 Tickets Now
Hockey tickets

14. Oprah's New Diet
again with Oprah and her diets

15. Rachel Ray's Diet
ahhhhhh!!!!!!!

16. Invisalign, $1000 Off
braces

17. Oprah's Top Choice
Acai berry "superfood" ice-cream

18. New York Foodie?
Why no, I'm too busy hating myself as the result of the last handful of ads

19. Straight Teeth, No Braces
apparently I must have some sort of Matt Groening-esque overbite

20. Click To Sell Old Jewelry
Picture of wedding ring accompanying ad.

21. Moving And Storage
For after I sell that wedding ring

22. Many Egg Donors Available
in case my dusty 34-year-old ova don't quite cut it

23. Weight Loss Diet
oh, kill me now

24. OVAL Vodka Recipies
Oh, God, yes!!!!!

So after analyzing the ads Facebook has placed on my home page based on my profile, I have come up with a general picture of the person Facebook sees me as:

To The Piece Of Garbage Who Keeps Leaving Obscene Comments,

You are a sad, ugly, lonely, desperate human being defending sad and ugly things you either know very little about, or more likely know too much about and are trying to cover up.

Not every woman is a whore, though I'm sure that's how you treat them, and in your environment that's how they're treated. Not every woman submits to the advances of their superiors in order to get ahead; perhaps you think they do because that's the way things are from you sit.

Keep being bitter. I patiently await the demise of your way of thinking and the fast-shrinking power your kind holds, much like Madame Defarge did in "A Tale Of Two Cities."

I'm just knitting and watching.

Knit, knit, knit.

Spam I Love: Hasselhoff Romance Photos

The latest Spam I Love to hit my inbox has been an offer for personalized David Hasselhoff romance photos.

They aren't even truly signed by the Hoff, but are instead "in an exact digital copy of David's handwriting and autograph." Maybe they're having KITT do it -- he could do anything, couldn't he?

But what makes up for this are the glamor shots that are offered.

Now I can pretend Hasselhoff is inviting me to dinner, taking my hand and about to show me a night I will never forget.

Then, the Morning After:


And Sexy Surfing Santa for the holidays:

Is "Batman: Cacophony" Too Offensive?

First of all, I'm sure the point was too offend. But consider these two scenes from issue #1:

"Joker Pubic Hair Wig Reference"

"Joker Offers To Be Raped In The Ass"

Now, there is nothing in those two scenes that isn't found in "Family Guy."

But is there any indication at all on the cover that this is a Batman comic with adult material in it?


I think the thing is, DC has largely given up on trying to market/target Batman as a character for children. This might explain why the Batman in the new "Brave and the Bold" cartoon is styled so completely different from his comic book counterparts.

I mean, back when "Batman: The Animated Series" was popular, the style used on that show looked close enough to the basic Batman in the comics that there might have been some danger of kids wanting to actually read them. But "Brave and Bold" Batman is classic 1950s: tiny ears, big smile.

With "The Dark Knight" being so successful, what reason does DC have to keep Batman as a character for kids? The action figure money? Mostly adults are buying that stuff anyway.

But it's a change, to be sure.

Uhura Bra Scene In New Star Trek Trailer

Why is having a shot of Uhura taking off her shirt necessary for the new Star Trek trailer?

Why does the only major female character on that ship have to strip down?

(Well, obviously it's to titillate the audience with sex in hopes of better selling the movie to the public -- but I'm just letting them know I'm calling them out on it!)

see io9 for a complete shot-by-shot breakdown of the trailer.

(And yes, I know there is also a scene of a half-nude Kirk having sex with what looks to be an Orion Animal Woman. My. Point.)

Bias Against Writers In The DCU?

Rokk breaks down LITG's DC rumors better than I could. A good point I failed to elaborate on that Rokk nails, regarding Tony Daniel writing "Battle For The Cowl":

"Now, I love Daniel as an artist, but I have never knew that he was a writer as well. Has Daniel ever written anything before? I have extreme reservations about DiDio tapping a relatively unknown and untested writer in Daniel to handle such a huge event in the Battle for the Cowl that DiDio has stated will outline the future for the Batman universe. I would have thought that DiDio would have wanted a big name writer to handle this important task."

The question here is: did DiDio pick Daniel because he genuinely thought he was the best man for the job, or was it partially out of desperation because he has alienated so many writers? Again, this is not a knock on Daniel's writing ability. And I think it's cool to take chances on new and untested talent -- it keeps things fresh.

But think about it: you have a highly important Batman event, dealing with issues coming off of Grant Morrison's high-profile "Batman RIP." Don't you give it to an established writer? Doesnt DiDio have a Rolodex? Is he hoping that Daniel might be another "Todd McFarlane" and pull in big sales with this writer/artist combo? Though I doubt the reasoning behind the decision was this deep.

A bigger question: is there a bias against comic book writers in the DCU?

The subject of writers and the DCU is starting to remind me of that classic Byrne X-Men cover, with Wolverine/Kitty & the wanted posters in the background:

Dixon: Alienated
Rucka: Non-exclusive
Shooter: Alienated
Morrison: Alienated
Robinson: Status Unconfirmed
Miller: Overpaid
Johns: Overworked

Will DC follow the comic book model of the late 80s/early 90s and focus on the art rather than the story? Will they stop trying to build a stable of comic book writers and look to Hollywood for new talent?

And in such a relatively small field as professional comic book writing, was has been the full extent of the DiDio regime's impact?

"Fatty"

I think all the pressure not to be a "fatty" makes people miserable. And a lot of the time, it's not even people who are significantly obese. In the above examples, the characters are just sorta normal. Normal people living their lives, with ups and downs, times when they eat more and times when they eat less. Sometimes, people eat more because they are really stressed. You know what causes a lot of stress? Being made to feel like you're a "fatty" and need to continually tone up & lose weight.

When I'm 50, I want to be attractive, vibrant, and possessing a reasonably-sized band of fat around my middle. I don't want to be Madonna with ropy arms and a body like a sinewy Velociraptor. I don't want my 50 to be the new 30. I want a Hunter S. Thompson brain in a Ethel Mertz body. Screw it.

Related: "Gut Check"

Acknowledged In Their Own Time?

Looking over a stack of early 1970s DC comics I just bought, I realized that the company had Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, and Wally Wood working for them all at the same time. I wonder what that was like, from the editorial end? I wonder if it was like, "we've got these landmark comic book people working for us right now." Or if the three were even appreciated as such at that point. Or were they looked at as just artists, just employs. It's not like they were working on the top books, though perhaps the intention with New Gods was to be the next big comic? I don't know.


It just goes to show, it's all relative. Who are our Kirbys, Ditkos, and Woods right now, that we don't even quite realize it? Or do we (and the industry) do a pretty good job now in recognizing our true geniuses?

James Robinson Quits Superman And Ending To FC Rewritten???

The skinny according to LITG (please don't just read what I summarize here, but visit the column, as there are a lot of cool stuff this week including "the fake Art Adams"):

1. (yellow rumor light)
DiDio doesn't like the ending to Final Crisis, has Grant Morrison do last-minute rewrites. Morrison not happy. Writers working on spinoff Final Crisis books have to stop work while rewrites take place, because their books will be impacted. Gee, will Grant be up for another event in the future, considering this all went so well?

2. (yellow rumor light)
James Robinson has a fight with DiDio, quits Superman & DCU books.

3. (green rumor light)
DiDio more aggressively courts Hollywood writers to work on DCU books. I would infer that part of the reason for this is that all the regular comic book writers have been alienated.

4. (green rumor light)
In the new Kevin Smith Batman book: "The Joker offers his bottom to be sexually violated by his rescuer, jokes about the colour of his pubic hair, a scene depicting genital torture and no sign of a Mature Readers tag." (emphasis mine).

5. (yellow rumor light)
"Battle of the Cowl" will not be written by Grant Morrison or Judd Winnick as previously thought. Instead -- taking a page from late-80s Marvel/early-90s Image -- it will be both written and drawn by Tony Daniel. See my inference in point #3. Perhaps they can get more artists to just write their books as well. Comic book writers, as you know, are a generally troublesome lot.

As far as I understand, the LITG green rumor light means "sure thing," and the yellow one means "unconfirmed but sort of likely."

If the James Robinson & Final Crisis stuff is true...wow. Just...wow.

I think one commenter on Twitter said it best:
"i cannot put my reaction to the latest LITG into words."

you can also read the Twit after that for more insight.

Stop Bashing Older "Fanboys"

Note: I didn't write the following quote: Evan Dorkin did.

"Average age, I'd say, at a guess, was in the late 30's, early 40's. Older, balding, grizzled, overweight, zombified manboys in t-shirts and faded old clothes, shambling, ghoulish prospectors of dead dreams and junk, panning about with their crumpled want lists and thumb oil-soaked notebooks of who to hit up for what drawing or signature or who to browbeat into a 2-out-of-3 falls Texas Submission Monologue Death Conversation Match. A lot of sports talk. Knicks, Rangers, Nets, Yankees, Mets, local talk, boy talk, men talk. And a lot of cursing. I like cursing, but I shut it down at shows, at least I work at it, especially loud cursing. With a lack of female pheremones in the room, and far, far fewer kids at the show than any I'd seen in years, vulgarity was on the loose. And the volume was set at 11 for the majority of the boisterous contingent, which was amplified by the closeness of the surroundings and the horrible acoustics (I'm not kidding when I say Artist's Alley was a fire hazard, and I'm not talking about attendance). It was a sports bar, a 1986 comics shop, a Creation Con atmosphere. It was a vibe I haven't witnessed in ages, something I quite honestly forgot about. It was dinosaur times, and I like dinosaurs, but there's a reason the fuckers died. This was one disheartening scene, even allowing for my own inherent pessimism and cynicism."

I don't have time to write a big thing about Evan Dorkin's comments on Big Apple Con, but I just want to say: it's getting tired already. Yeah, I think the comic book industry should more aggressively market to teens and women. Yeah, I've been on the receiving end of harassment from one or two individuals from this demographic. But this level of bashing sounds elitist.

"A lot of sports talk. Knicks, Rangers, Nets, Yankees, Mets, local talk, boy talk, men talk."

ZOMG! Sports talk! The barbarians!

"Older, balding, grizzled, overweight, zombified manboys in t-shirts and faded old clothes, shambling, ghoulish prospectors of dead dreams and junk."

Have a heart. I know I'm going to be laughed to oblivion for saying that, that it sounds ridiculous. But have a fucking heart. Some of these older collectors are some of the nicest people I've ever met. I grew up around these people. I'm not ashamed of it. Some have used comics as one of their only bright spots in a life that in every other respect might have been awful. If it makes them happy, let them do it. If they aren't bothering you (other than by the fact of their very existence, offending your delicate sensibilities), stop fucking ragging on them. I can't fucking stand this anymore.

Big Apple Con/The National donated Friends of Lulu a booth this year. We raised a good amount of money for our organization. Most of the people who donated are in the basic demographic Dorkin cites in his post: late 30s/early 40s comic collectors. Big Apple Con's organizer, Michael Carbonaro, used to attend every New York City Chapter meeting of Friends of Lulu.

"It wasn't just one endless freak parade by any means, but the monsters did tend to obscure the fauns and woodlings. Whatever the fuck that means. A backhanded way of saying thanks to the non-nutjobs who stopped by to say hi, we certainly appreciated the breath of fresh air and humanity and the brief staving off of thoughts of suicide or career change."

I want to expand the audience for comic books to younger people, and I believe that not doing so will hurt this industry. I believe that comic companies that get too hung-up on nostalgia are sacrificing long-term viability for short term profit. But there is no call to dehumanize a whole (really frickin' large) segment of the comic buying populace in the process.

It's this elitist attitude that will be as much responsible for "killing" comics as the targets of their criticism. I have no fucking patience for it. It's elitist, it's socio-economic-cultural snobbery.

"This time around, I wanted to go get a job in a deli."

Go! But are you sure you want to work there? Bologna is so low-class.

Bad Boys and Fangirls

Only in the TV series "Smallville" can Doomsday be emo.

I mean, this takes ingenuity.

I heard that Darkseid is going to be a dangerously handsome middle-aged owner of a chain of hotels who seduces Lois and threatens her with a honeymoon in Barbados.

But right now, there are a bunch of fans of the show who think that the "romance" between Chloe and the Doomsday character "Davis Bloom" is hot and "meant to be." So much so that they have created a bunch of YouTube fan vids about it.

This is besides the fact that on the show, Davis has already been proven to be a murderer of women.

In the equation, Jimmy Olsen gets ragged on as an unpalatable suitor for Chloe. Because he's only a decent person.

Fangirls, it's cool to fantasize about the adventure of having a romance with a "bad boy" who is mysterious, pouty, and slightly deranged. But the reality of such relationships usually involve such things as being left with crushing debt, bodily injury, psychological damage, or even an STD. Then you will be on a real-life adventure called Reality.

Wants more Jimmy Olsen fan vids on YouTube:

DC: Out With The New, In With The Old

DC's Bold New Direction, as pictured in the LA Times

"What happens is that if a character doesn’t work, we go, ‘We got a brand new direction to put him in! We’re moving him into something new! We’re going to try something brand new and different!"

--Dan DiDio, bemoaning thinking outside the box and doing new things.

Back in 2007, I predicted that Blue Beetle, Firestorm, and Atom would eventually get axed, and soonish. The only thing I would want to clarify here is the phrase I used, "This is the likely fate for most ethnic reboots." As I said in my previous post: I believe that for the most part the comic book reading public have gotten past the race or ethnicity of a character, as long as the book is good. I honestly believe this. If these were such big "deal breakers," the film "Blade" wouldn't haven been so successful and essentially launched the age of the Marvel Movie.

But --

My concern is internally, within DC.


I swear on a stack of Bibles or in any court of law that while I was at DC, certain segments of editorial believed that "Black books didn't sell." Then the finger would be pointed at books like Batman: Orpheus Rising, starring an African-American character. There was a feeling like if you had one "Black Book," you filled your quota for the entire line. A pitch for another "Black Book"would be unofficially rejected because we "already had one." In a larger sense, there was a tendency to blame these sorts of factors for a book's demise rather than poor marketing or other circumstances. Bad Girls was a "Girl Book" -- girl books don't sell. Batman: Orpheus Rising was a "Black Book" -- Black books didn't sell.

Well, did you make an effort to target the right audience, to reach outside the box with your marketing and PR, or did you let the book die on arrival because you never had faith in it from day one?

(you know, complain to me that I'm being "negative" here all you want -- I don't care, this really happened, and it is damn relevant)

On the other side of the coin, around 2003 (I believe) we received a memo from Time Warner corporate that noted the lack of diversity in our comic books. This document was real, it did exist. Shortly after that, the current reboot of Firestorm was developed. We made up our new roster for JLA very carefully, actually counting the number of males and females, and noting their ethnicity.

We had Faith that this character would impress Time Warner

This mentality never works. You can't get to the point where you go "yay!" when a character like Faith (remember her?) is put on the team, because she is both a woman and Latino and you've "killed" two birds with one stone.

So my concern with the demise of a book like Blue Beetle is that internally, it will be perceived as failing because it was a "Hispanic Book." You can have one idiot -- and I'll bet you $100 (no, make that $500) this has already been said within editorial -- that will comment on the cancellations of Atom, Firestorm, and Blue Beetle and say it was because the characters weren't white. When I do not see that as the case at all!

The Runaways: A diverse cast and a brand new concept
that successfully reached the teen market

It is far more a question of defining and reaching the demographic that would best embrace these books. And, in the case of Blue Beetle, this would be the teen market who embrace The Runaways. Blue Beetle was a perfect book in every way to penetrate this market. But the bigger issue is, I don't think DC is thinking outside the box anymore:

“There’s a reason the characters are still enduring now. You have to identify what made each character survive through the 1940s, the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s…the sensibilities have changed with every decade, but these characters remain pretty much the same. So what is it in the characters that people recognize and identify with? You keep that at the core and change the world around them to make it contemporary and compelling.”

-- Dan Didio, affirming the enduring qualities of the Status Quo

Wow! LOTSH in "Adventure Comics" Again? ZOMG!

When your most exciting new development is a relaunch of Adventure Comics with Legion Of The Superheroes, it's clear what direction the company is taking. Nostalgia sells, I guess -- and it's probably relatively easy to produce. Just have Geoff Johns write every issue, and Alex Ross paint every cover. Bam! You're done.

I thought it was ironic that the new Batman cartoon is made in the style of 1950s DC. And in the first episode, you have Batman team up with the current Blue Beetle. Batman still has his title, because he is "enduring." But Jaime Reyes apparently isn't "enduring." Was he given enough of a chance?

Why Did "Blue Beetle" Fail?

Fans are mourning the end of the cult comic book Blue Beetle, which is ending its run with issue #36. Though sales have not been huge for the title, it had built a loyal fanbase and has been received with critical acclaim. But what went wrong? Why did Blue Beetle fail?

Well, one issue is the idea of a comic book series having to go 100 or 200 issues in order to be considered a "hit." I think this is an outdated concept. I'll go on a limb and suggest that largely, the comic book buying public and the comic creators do not have the attention span anymore to produce the huge, monolith runs that have defined much of the past. I mean, the current numbering on Detective Comics & Amazing Spider-Man may go on, but I don't foresee most of the series that have been launched within the last three years as going on to last 200+ issues.


Instead, what I believe you will have in the future are more mini-series or "volumes" of certain titles. Books with a planned end-point, extended by new mini-series or volumes if the public demands it. Viewed in this way, Blue Beetle was actually a great success. And quite adept at dodging the bullet. The title had rumors of cancellation swirling around it even in its infancy.

Let's go on to the content itself. I've only read the first two volumes of Blue Beetle trades, so my knowledge here is not all-inclusive.

The writing, by Keith Giffen and John Rogers, was generally very good. The characters were very well-delineated and engaging, and it was very successful in making the reader care about their lives and travails. It also had the trademark "Giffen Funny," which is always a plus. I think in later issues, when they got into the New Gods and stuff like that, things got a little dense and confusing at times. I enjoyed most from the series the unique world of Jaime Reyes, and did not like leaving it to engage in Fourth World and "big event" type stuff.


The art was good, but a little inconsistent. Cully Hamner's work was very striking and emblematic, but there were too many fill-ins. Ideally, you want to have the same artist and style on at least the first six or so issues that make up the first trade. Even though the fill-in artists were for the most part quite capable, this lack of consistency can hurt the viability of a young book. And Duncan Rouleau's art really didn't match the established style of the series at all.

Understand, this quibble about consistency of artists is not a mere nitpick; if we are looking at possible reasons why a book is not doing well, this has to be taken into account. My gut feeling when I see too many fill-in artists in a relatively new title? That something is wrong. That the company doesn't care, or has the title lower on their priorities, and/or that sales are poor and the "star" artist was yanked to work on other stuff.

But in general, the quality of the storytelling was quite high, and Jaime Reyes an excellent new character. So what else could have went wrong?


Did naming the book "Blue Beetle" help or hurt it in the end? Does the name cachet bump up sales -- or does such a drastic reboot alienate your core readership? When some hardcore readers saw it was not Ted Kord as BB anymore, but this new guy nobody has heard of before, did they resent it and stay away? Think about it, three reboots: Atom, Firestorm, and Blue Beetle. Relatively short runs. What if you had the same creative teams, the same stories, but slightly different powers and totally different superhero names?

What if Blue Beetle was instead called "Shellshock" or something?

Does "legacy" hurt or help?

When considering this, we should keep in mind that Barry Allen and Hal Jordan were once in similar situations.


Did the fact that the new Blue Beetle was Hispanic hurt the book in any way? I really don't think that was a factor (outside of those Ted Kord fans who wanted to see "their" BB), and I think most readers are open-minded enough at this point to embrace a well-done comic no matter the race or nationality of its characters. It is fairly obvious that BB/Jaime Reyes is one of the best new characters DC has thought up in the last several years, and that his ethnicity has only enhanced and enriched his comic book. In fact, he was so so popular, he was chosen to be the first guest-star in the new "Brave and Bold" cartoon series -- debuting, ironically enough, during the week of Blue Beetle's announced cancellation.

Finally -- is the mass market of comic book readers accepting of any new comic that doesn't involve a Bat, an "S," a spider, or an "X"? Certainly, books like Captain America, Thor, and Green Lantern do well. But what about brand new concepts? Or reboots that stray too far away from the "established" history? How much of a chance do they really have?


Or did books like Blue Beetle have the potential to reach beyond that traditional market and reach teenagers who might not even read comics? And reach women? Or even, if DC had decided to put out more Spanish-language issues, reach whole new relatively untapped (and huge) markets?

My final assessment: I'm not surprised Blue Beetle was canceled. If anything, I'm surprised books like that and Manhunter lasted as long as they did. I expected them to fail not because I thought the books were crappy, but because I'm cynical. However, I do think DC's decision to cancel the book is shortsighted. Why couldn't they have followed through and start a test program where they put Blue Beetle out in both Spanish and English? Or why didn't they follow Marvel's lead and market the title more aggressively to teens, even down to a more digest-sized format?

In this situation, there is only one person who wins:

Interlude

that is all.

Big Apple Con Appearance Update

Due to the huge amount of work I have to finish up today, I will not be able to stop by the Friends of Lulu table today at Big Apple Comic Con for a couple of hours as previously planned.

But I will be there all day tomorrow.

On that note, if you have any original art, comics, or etc to donate to us to give as gifts for donations for Friends of Lulu, please feel free to drop by with it at our table tomorrow (Saturday). I think we're going to have a quarter bin! :-D

In Twenty Years...

In twenty years (provided the planet is ok and we regained some of our financial bearings):

* Leslie Nielsen, Betty White, Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Stiller, Sidney Poitier, Tony Bennett, Roger Moore, Lauren Bacall, and Adam West will all be over 100 years old.

* Burt Reynolds, Jack Nicholson, Sean Connery, Mary Tyler Moore, James Earl Jones, Clint Eastwood, will all be pushing 100 years old.


* Harrison Ford will be over 80 years old, as will George Lucas.

* Bruce Willis will be over 70 years old.

* The Brat Pack will all be in their 60s, including unofficial member Johnny Depp.

* Christian Bale will be in his 50s.


* Dakota Fanning will already be considered "too old."

* Superman will be pushing 90 -- and DC Comics may very well not own the copyright to him anymore.

* A digital "reader" will most likely be perfected in a number of styles to fit a number of needs, including book, comic book, and newspaper.
* Paper books and other reading materials will still be purchased -- by "paper aficionados" (similar to vinyl record collectors).

* All the DVDs you own right now will be obsolete, but if you're lucky you will still have a machine that can play them.

* It will be far more common for Americans to live in other countries; they will look at what country to emigrate to the way they look for what state to live in now. South America will probably be a big choice, especially since it will be likely it will have combined with North America at some point (at least in terms of trading and currency).

* The traditional 9-to-5 office environment will be the exception, not the rule. Company-provided health care will be the exception, not the rule. Independent contractors will be the norm.

* Scientists will have probably found a way to fuck with time-travel by that point. It may not be time-travel as we think of it from the movies we watch; but I have no doubt in my mind that this frontier will be breached.


* The most popular video games will be "virtual lives" where you can "experience" the life of a certain type of person. This will be a complete, 360-degree experience. Celebrities will also be able to license out their lives for others to play.

* Cures/solutions to the major causes of death -- Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, AIDS -- will be found. This will have a dramatic impact on life-expectancy, the ramifications of which won't be fully experienced for another twenty years.

* The wedge driven between the secular and religious sectors of the world will be extremely deep. Even deeper than now. In general, I think we will get increasingly secular, to the point where following traditional religions will be discouraged by the status quo as superstitious and potentially divisive. Paradoxically, this movement will make the religious hold on to their faiths even deeper, making them feel persecuted. I think it will be a situation where there will be a pronounced lack of sensitivity for the beliefs of others on one side, and an inflamed sense of paranoia and defensiveness on the other. Good times.

* Computer animation/imaging will be perfected to the point where for some high-budget blockbuster movies there is really no need to build sets, build props, or even have the actors move a whole lot. More likely, their images and unique movements will be meticulously scanned and inputted into the film. We have a little of this now -- but this will be the norm, and with far better imaging.


* "60" will be the new "30."

* Comic books will be mostly digital and have to incorporate some degree of both movement and sound. "Voice casting" for comic books will be a regular occurrence.

* In general, listening to books will be preferred to reading them by the mass market.

* Movie players/recorders, cable box, computer, video game system, music player, TV will all come in one unit -- the Entertainment Unit. It will be a thin plasma-type screen plus a modestly-sized hard drive/keyboard.


* By the same token, we will have a convenient all-in-one slim phone/music player/movie player/computer/camera/PDA. I realize we sort of have this with the new iPhone, but this will be the norm for everyone, and far more advanced. You could just own this device and not need a laptop.

Wow, I could go on like this all day. How did I get on this futurist kick? I need a separate blog for this.

And by "twenty years" -- with the exception of the celebrity ages -- I mean more like "10-12."

Is Heroes (and TV shows like it) In Trouble?

News of the cancellation (or theoretical cancellation) of ABC's "Pushing Daisies" made me wonder about the fate of other quirky/action/sci-fi/fantasy TV shows. You know the shows I'm talking about -- the ones they push down our throats at every San Diego Comic Con. The ones "fans" are supposed to like. Comic-booky shows. Like "Heroes."

How did "Heroes" make the slide from hottest show to right below "Smallville"? This wasn't supposed to happen.

Let's look at other shows who have failed to make the cut over the last year or so: "Knight Rider," "Bionic Woman," "Journeyman." Christian Slater's "My Own Worst Enemy" was also gifted with Quirky Action -- and it lasted only a handful of episodes this season before getting canned.

Which of the following shows will make it to 2009 and beyond?

Chuck








I know my BF will hate this, but I'm going to say it -- I'd be very surprised if "Chuck" gets another season, and if it does, I'd be very surprised if it fills out that new season before getting axed.

Heroes







The cult show is on the skids, but will NBC invest in it enough to redeem it? Maybe one more season, tops. It's just too expensive to make. Also, the show has a plot with a projected end-point -- which makes it harder to "stretch out" season after season.

Lost








Is this season the last one? If not, maybe one more after this, to wrap things up. See my notes on "Heroes."

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles









Does the big budget of this show warrant another season? Will Fox invest in it, hoping for synergy with the upcoming movie sequel? That might be the only reason they'd renew it for another couple of years.

Fringe










Is anybody following this? It doesn't seem to have attracted the cult following of "The X-Files," but I could be wrong. I don't know if this one will last.

My prediction: most shows won't make it to next year's Fall season. In addition, with the purported ending of such shows as "Smallville," the fad of sci-fi/action/fantasy/quirk genre of TV shows, outside of perhaps cable, will be over.

Instead, look to seeing more period pieces such as "Mad Men". That will be the new fad. And with less sci-fi/fantasy shows being made, that means less advertising money being poured into conventions like SDCC.

In this sort of environment, would debuting TV shows specifically based on comic books work? Or is that what the public really wants -- not "faux" superheroes like Chuck but the Real Thing?

Big Apple Comic Con: Friends of Lulu and Yours Truly

Hey all,

I will be appearing on behalf of Friends of Lulu at Big Apple Comic Con, which is being held this weekend in New York City.

I'll be there doing some set up & a couple of hours of volunteering at the table on Friday evening, then most of Saturday. We will also have reps from the New York Chapter of Friends of Lulu on Saturday.

This is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see in person a real-life comic blogger! Share the magic! Have me sign hastily-printed copies of my actual blog! Ask me about my Cloak and Dagger miniseries for Marvel Comics! (I won't be able to tell you anything, but you can ask me). Waiting for the actual printed comic book to come out is too boring! Come talk to me now!

And support this fine women-in-comics organization, Friends of Lulu. You can join on-site or donate. We'll have tons of literature for you to take! Including a handy-dandy recommended reading list of comics and graphic novels!

Breaking: Occasional "Valerie D'Orazio" Superheroine will be selling off parts of her personal collection of comics, toys, and original art at Big Apple Comic Con to help support Friends of Lulu. Own a piece of comics history! You can't miss this opportunity to own genuine Occasional Superheroine Memorabilia!

Picture from last year's Big Apple Con w/Jamal Igle.

You could be standing where Jamal is in this photo!

If you bring your own camera!

Have comics or original art to donate to the sale? Come on over to the Friends of Lulu table! Help us raise money for projects like a new bi-monthly electronic newsletter! An elegant printed annual for the members! Increased outreach! Comic mentorships for young people! And much much more!

Friends of Lulu would like to thank the fine folks at Big Apple Con (and John Rosas!) for graciously donating to us the table. Come visit Big Apple Con/ The National this weekend! They've got Bond Girls too and Captain Janeway! You'll be sorry you missed it!

Keep Blue Beetle Going And Cancel Titans Instead

Like that will actually happen. More likely, Blue Beetle (which just got canceled) gets rolled into Teen Titans, while Titans limps along until a new "reboot" ("mea culpa, the new book sucked but we've got this awesome direction now, disregard everything else, we've got it right now").

You know, I'm looking up all the comics that inspired me as a kid, and I just bought the Wolfman/Perez "Terror Of Trigon" Teen Titans trade. The stuff is so good it actually hurts. The detail George Perez put into composing even one panel was mind-boggling. I didn't know half the back story in that arc but Marv Wolfman made it so I understood what was going on anyway, and I still cared about the characters. That arc was so special, it was like an event -- but it wasn't an event, they were just regular issues.


I see that a lot with the old trades I buy. The stories seem so special and well-done that they seem like events. But they were monthlies. The comic creators involved -- and most likely the marketing teams -- didn't act like the book was god's gift to humanity, "instant collector's items." They were just doing their job; they were just comics, created to inspire and entertain.

What went wrong? Did the "star" system of comic creators starting in the late 80s/early 90s make people complacent, even lazy? Did the quality of the editors go down? Did some editors become "afraid" to properly edit "star" books and "star" creators (I've see this happen)?


Or is it a case like in the 1990s where books like Titans appeal to the broad base, regardless of quality, and that's good enough? Whereas a critically acclaimed book like Blue Beetle just doesn't pull in the numbers, doesn't appeal to that broad base, and so is canceled? And if that's the case, does the buck stop (literally) not with the editors or the creators but with the public?

Or, taking into account the comparative direct market shares for DC and Marvel, has that already been decided, and is the easy-to-please "lowest common denominator" audience not so much the public as Time Warner itself?

Keep Mad TV On The Air And Cancel SNL Instead!

It was with great sadness that I read of the passing of the sketch comedy show Mad TV. I thought the show was great, and as of late more enjoyable than Saturday Night Live. In fact, when we record both Mad TV and SNL on the DVR, I can only sit through the former in its entirety.

I think a lot of it has to do with Mad TV being less of a cult of personality than SNL. SNL has felt for a long time (and maybe forever) as a place where one potential solo character or catchphrase gets debuted after another -- on purpose, as the driving force of the show. As if the personality of the characters and the performers take center stage, as if the moment we see Will Ferrell on screen should be funny in-and-of-itself -- because it's Will Ferrell!

Now Mrs. Swan will never get her own movie.

By contrast, the actors and actresses on Mad TV are chameleons, more or less egoless personages who sacrifice mugging to the camera and getting their closeup (and movie spinoff) for the greater good of the sketch. On Mad TV, the content of the sketches themselves are what drives the show, with the cult of personality coming second (or third, or never). (There were several recurring characters, like Mrs. Swan and Stuart, but they were not the focus of the show.) In that sense, I see Mad TV being far more the child of SCTV than SNL.

Anyway, sorry to see the show go. Hope the actors still get work on those spoof movies. Saw half the cast on "Meet The Spartans" yesterday and I laughed until I cried (though sometimes I just cried).

Who really loses in all this:


















Secretly glad:

Is This Silk Spectre Watchmen Poster Sexist?

Or is it simply playing with established comic book/pulp themes and tropes?

I think it's playing with established themes and tropes...in their pants!

Did You Like The Watchmen Ending With The Thingies?

(spoilers)

Some people don't like the ending at all. I know some people who hate it, feeling that Watchmen was brilliant right up to that point.

But it worked for me.

Inspired by this article in Newsarama about translating the ending of the original Watchmen graphic novel to the silver screen (or not).

Are There More Or Less New Superheroes Being Created?

Do you think there are more or less (or the same) new superheroes being created now for the Big Two than in the past?

I think there are less, and for two possible reasons:

1. It's seen as a better business strategy to concentrate, for the most part, on building the brands they have. Superman, Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Batman, etc. Solo books launched with brand new superheroes tend to not do as well. The "real-estate" on team books are at a premium -- while you can have one or two new characters, most have to be established. And "third tier" new characters created specifically to round out superhero teams have a very spotty success rate (Vibe, Gilgamesh, or Manitou Raven, anyone? Anyone?).

2. Many comic creators these days are hesitant (loathe?) to "give away" their best ideas if they are not going to have a healthy rights share in them. This is not always the case -- but it is indeed some of the case. An exception to this "rule" would be someone like Dan Slott, who is like a new character factory.


In a broader sense, the playing field for characters might be so swollen as it is (just look at the old Who's Whos and Marvel Universe Handbooks to catch a glimpse of some of it), that there is no pressing need to create superheroes in the frequency of the 1960s or 1980s/90s. Also, there are tons of new characters debuting -- from the other publishers, and from self-publishing.

Personally, while it is far too early in my career to really speculate, I'm 50/50 on the creating new characters thing. I'm fine with creating new characters, and I'm fine with "donating" (though I'm really being paid) some of my "pet" ideas to books and projects where I do not control 100% of the rights. I think it's good to give something back, and to contribute new and viable things back into the pool of ideas that gave me so much pleasure as a young person.

On the other hand, I have several elaborate ideas and projects that I'd want to have more control over. For example, I have a long narrative and whole world built in my vampire novel, with hundreds of new characters. I've worked a long time on building that elaborate world and writing that book, and it is also intensely personal to me. This may not be a property that would be ideal to sell a portion or all of my rights to. This may be something I would want to put out myself. But the caveat is, by putting it out all myself I lack the exposure and market penetration that a major publisher would give me. I mean, through my own self-promotion efforts I might get a lot done, but it just doesn't compare.

I don't think that in terms of expanding the Marvel & DC Universes, full-creator's rights is an ideal set-up. Just having characters in the same book with different rights tiers can be problematic, especially for reprints and adaptations in other media. I've seen the complications first-hand that such arrangements bring.

By the same token, I understand the need of comic creators to own their own characters and control their destinies. I don't think there is an easy or ideal solution, and I think all those solutions will involve some degree of compromise one way or another. But while I think it is OK for the major comic publishers to not produce so many new characters as they did in the past, it's always good to invest in tomorrow's "stars." Remember, characters like Wolverine & Lobo were flukes. And they might already be in those new comics, on the stands right now, waiting to capture the imagination of a new generation...

What superheroes and other characters created in the last couple of years from DC and Marvel do you think are tomorrow's stars?

You Know, I Was In McDonalds Today And I Thought...

...who the @*$%@# thought Ronald McDonald was a good idea? Seriously?




He scares the hell out of me. Ugh. Clowns are bad enough. But even in terms of clowns, he's pretty heinous.

Why not get a new McD mascot? Why not bump Early Bird in prestige and make her the new figurehead? Or Grimace? Everybody likes Grimace.

Or license out the Aqua Teen Hunger Force from Adult Swim. Something.

Can Gina Torres Be Wonder Woman?

Firefly's Gina Torres is beautiful, powerful, and can act. Can she play Wonder Woman?























Can this actor play Batman? He's handsome, buff, and has won several acting awards. Is there any reason why he could not play Batman?















Can this actor play a young Robin?























Can this actor play Nick Fury?























Can this actress play The Wasp?























Could Dean George Tanaka play Superman?























If you are a talented actor or actress, should you be limited to the parts you can play based on your ethnicity or skin color? If we say that Batman can only be played by a Caucasian person, should the same reasoning hold true for Shakespearian characters? If Avery Brooks plays Macbeth, does that spoil the play? I can't see how it would. When I studied Shakespeare abroad, I saw actors of a variety of ethnicities and skin colors play traditionally "white" roles. It didn't make a difference. Shakespeare is timeless. So is the Bible. That's why the best-selling "The Bible Experience" audiobooks, featuring a star-studded cast of African-American actors and actresses, has been received so well. You know who is the voice of God in "The Bible Experience?" Samuel L. Jackson. I can't argue with that choice -- can you?

But what if the new voice for Batman in the cartoons was African-American Phil Morris? Would fans complain? I bet you, some would.

Aren't characters like Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman timeless as well? Shouldn't they be?

I know the typical counter-argument to this: "then we should have Caucasian actors play characters of color as well! Fair's fair!" But hasn't this been going on in Hollywood like forever anyway? White actors play Asians and Native Americans. The guy who played the "Crying Indian" in that famous PSA was Italian. Even in the movie "A Mighty Heart," Angelina Jolie plays Mariane Pearl, a woman of African, Cuban, and Dutch descent. And the biggest case of a white guy playing a person of color:















Seriously. Jesus most likely did not look like Robert Powell, Max von Sydow, or Ted Neeley. Sorry. No offense to Ted Neeley. I loves me some Ted Neeley.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on it. And I still would prefer Beyonce play Wonder Woman than Megan Fox. I understand the arguments against Beyonce's acting ability. But it's not like Megan Fox is Katherine Hepburn.

Blogroll Housekeeping

ye olde blog housekeeping outfit

Hi all,

I'm going over my blogroll over the next couple of days to chuck out dead links, and add new ones -- basic website housekeeping.

If anybody would like to suggest relevant links, yours or someone you admire, that you think should be on the blogroll, please drop me a line and let me know.

Also, I'm helping my friend Jess on her new business blog, Plugged In Business. The blog is just really basic, simple advice for starting/managing your own small business, freelancing, and other work situations that do not involve strict 9-to-5 in an office. Stuff like cost-cutting, bookkeeping, taxes, loans, home office set-up, etc. Feel free to visit & subscribe if it is a topic that is relevant to you. She's a good blogger, and very consistent. Thanks!

Family Guy: "New Brian" = "Poochie" From Simpsons?

Okay, as a whole I liked last night's Family Guy episode, and thought it was a real step up from the last couple of weeks.

I laughed really hard at the end of the episode, but just so I am clear:

I was laughing at a baby killing, dismembering, and then stuffing in a bloody garbage bag the dog who had illicit sex with his teddy bear.

Also -- the episode was a little bit of a rip-off on the "Poochie" episode from Simpsons. Did anybody else pick up on this? Both are grinning glib "hyper-positive" dogs who are forced on the regular cast of a TV show (in Simpsons it was the "Itchy & Scratchy" show).

Waiting For Chip Kidd

A Blog@Newsarama post on Chip Kidd reminded me of a completely unrelated story...

When I first worked at DC, I was sent to travel across town to hand-deliver a package to Chip Kidd. Whether there was any need to have me hand-deliver it was debatable. Some colleagues questioned whether our messenger service, which usually handles such missions, could have done it. Personally, I think it was more a matter of my boss wanting to show Chip Kidd that he had a faithful assistant, a majordomo, a Gal Friday.

Anyway, I'm dressed in a suit and heels and I'm off to transverse New York City and deliver a package to Chip Kidd. When I arrive at the address, I am turned away at the door and told that all packages must go through the freight entrance. The freight entrance is tucked away on the other side of the block, and I had to be lifted to the platform by two workers. They take the package, squint and scrutinize the name, and summarily inform me that Chip Kidd is not at this address.

I'm sweating in my polyester suit, asking the men to check again. They call several people, who assure me that Chip Kidd does not work there. Do I have the wrong address? I go to a pay phone and try to call my boss, who is of course not there. I call people in other departments, frantically dumping quarters in the machine, hoping that someone knows where Chip Kidd is. Finally, somebody tells me that the address I was given was an old location. The new location is of course, all the way back across town.

At this point, my feet in the heels are killing me. I limp to the second location, thinking I could walk it no problem. Now my feet are bleeding. I go to the reception desk and deliver the package. By the time I get back to the office, almost four hours have passed. I think this was the last day I wore formal clothes to work, as well.

Now I think the punchline to this story is that Chip Kidd was actually at DC that day and could have picked up the package himself, though I'm not positive because it has been a while. But what I am certain about is that when he got the package, he didn't care for the contents inside, and in the grand scheme of things it made no difference whether I delivered the package, a messenger delivered the package, or even if the package was delivered at all.

But this is a good lesson for anybody starting in any field, especially publishing/entertainment. If you are an assistant, you will have to do things like this. It is a given. You will be sent on wild goose chases, you will be given tasks to do that seem on the face of it (and might actually be) pointless, you might even have to pick up your boss's laundry. I try to think of it as a zen exercise. If you can get past it and not let it bother you, you are a better worker for it.

A few things I've been asked to do in various assistant jobs early in my career:
* Travel across town to pick up large cans of a specific pesticide for our office plants (being told not to get any on my hands, because it could cause cancer).
* Feed live mammals to giant snakes. This was not a zoo I was working for, mind you, he had the snakes in his office.
* Spend three solid months on an article-clipping project that was eventually flagged as a money-waster -- all the work literally thrown out in the garbage in front of me.
* Make repeated excuses on the phone to my boss's angry wife to explain why he was not there (he was out with his mistress).

It's not the task, it's the discipline required to carry it out.

That said, I regret to say that unlike my "Waiting For Steve Ditko" story, I never caught a glimpse of Chip Kidd.

Beyonce Wants To Be Wonder Woman In New Movie

Pop star Beyonce has met with DC Comics & Warner Bros to discuss playing Wonder Woman in the proposed movie, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"I want to do a superhero movie and what would be better than Wonder Woman? And it would be a very bold choice. A black Wonder Woman would be a powerful thing. It's time for that, right?"

I think Beyonce embodies all the qualities that would make a good film Wonder Woman: she's beautiful, strong, energetic, and likable. And has great hair for that tiara.

Via BBC News

Relatively Mundane Reasons To Hulk-Out

In honor of Lou Ferrigno's 57th birthday, here are a couple of clips from "The Incredible Hulk" TV series featuring David Banner hulking out:

Traffic Jam


Annoying Operator

Turkey: We Want "Batman" Back

As you may or may not be aware, Batman is not only the name of a DC Comics superhero -- it is also the name of a city in Turkey:

Well guess what?

Now the mayor of Batman, Turkey, Hüseyin Kalkan, is planning to sue for royalties owed to the city of Batman by the makers of "Batman." Specifically, he is going to sue "The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan. Because as we all know, Hollywood is where all the money is.

According to Kalkan:

“The royalty of the name ‘Batman’ belongs to us … There is only one Batman in the world. The American producers used the name of our city without informing us...”

While this proposed lawsuit sounds a bit extreme, Kalkan brings up an interesting point. Can or can not people use the Batman name for shops and restaurants and products -- as long as they mean Batman, Turkey?

According to the Hurriyet Daily News:

Şafii Dağ, a former Batman resident, currently living in the Germany city of Wesel, is one of those citizens who cannot use Batman as a title for his business, according to the newspaper. “I named my two restaurants Batman. But six months ago, a team of employees from the production company of the movie Batman made me change the title. Telling them that Batman was the name of my hometown did not change anything,” Dağ said.

Paging Jeff Trexler...

Via io9

Is This Onion Article Funny Or Just Depressing?

Kidnapped Boy Found Safe, Imagines Kidnapped Boy

**WARNING: Extremely disturbing content**

It could have been funny, but like a bad Family Guy sketch, I think they extended it too long and went too far.

Italian Batman

Good times.

From the 1982 Italian porno film "Bathman From The Planet Eros" (that's right -- by the early 1980s, the Italians managed to make a new Batman film and Hollywood didn't)

Ten Alternative Movie Theories: From "Ferris" to "Matrix"

Here are ten movie interpretations I have made over the years that may or may not be accepted by the general populace. (please note that some of these theories contain major spoilers!)

10. The Ferris Bueller Fight Club Theory










In this theory, the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is merely a wish-fulfilling fantasy of sadsack Cameron. Ferris Bueller is an impossibly cool character that can only exist as a figment of Cameron's imagination, everything the neurotic teen wished he could be. This includes banging Sloan Petersen.


9. The Everyone Is Gay In Batman Forever Theory











In this theory, everyone in the movie "Batman Forever" is either gay or bi. Bruce/Dick for sure. Riddler obviously has an obsessive crush on Bruce, and has zero chemistry with either of his hot female sidekicks. Two-Face: totally bi (obviously), as well as Nicole Kidman as Chase Meridian (Tom Cruise connection). Plus: rubber nipples on Bat-Costumes. (note: some people incorrectly peg the movie "Batman and Robin" as also homoerotic. This is not the case. "Batman and Robin" just sucks)


8. The Leon Probably Had Some Inappropriate Feelings For Mathilda (But Would Totally Never Act On Them And It's Not His Fault) Theory










In this theory, probably Leon The Professional did have deep down a few uncomfortable feelings for (barely) teenage Mathilda, but that he would never act on them. Instead, he sublimated those feelings into a more heroic defense of her life against the villainous Stansfield. But of course, like anybody with secret taboo sexual feelings in motion pictures, he had to totally die.


7. The Obi Wan Was Totally Banging Amidala Theory












In this theory, Obi Wan was secretly totally banging Princess Amidala, mostly because Anakin was Hayden Christensen. This is the real reason Anakin goes apeshit at the end of "Episode III." And of course, Luke and Leia are really Obi-spawn.


6. The Lloyd Dobler Unified Field Theory (Also Known As The "Dobler Effect")











In this theory, the characters John Cusack plays in "Grosse Point Blank," "High Fidelity," and "Must Love Dogs," among others, are all really Lloyd Dobler from "Say Anything." Go back and watch them. The same guy. Tell me how they're different from each other. Seriously.


5. The Nothing Really Happened In American Psycho Theory











In this theory, Patrick Bateman never really killed anybody in "American Psycho," but instead was a drug addict and also batshit insane. So nobody died, it was all hallucinations. Congratulations! You just watched the movie for NOTHING!


4. The Mary Poppins Was Totally Banging Bert The Chimney Sweeper Theory












In this theory, prim and proper nanny Mary Poppins was secretly banging Bert the Chimney Sweeper. It's clear through all their interactions that they totally did it and were just not telling anyone. C'mon, don't you know people who are totally doing it and they don't admit it but they slap each other's butts and give each other the wink-wink? Exactly.


3. The Breakfast Club John-Paul Sartre Theory













In this theory, the classic John Hughes movie "The Breakfast Club" is really just a Brat Pack version of the John-Paul Sartre existentialist play "No Exit." In both, a group of people are trapped in a room and forced to talk to each other instead of playing video games or surfing the Internet while watching TV.


2. The Incredibles Is Really Just An Animated Version of Ayn Rand Theory












In this theory, "The Incredibles" is not a family friendly harmless animated movie about a family of superheroes, but an elitist polemic regarding the oppression of the Excellent by the Unwashed Talentless Mob. Why can't Dash play sports in school? Why were the superheroes persecuted and run out of business? What was behind Syndrome's dastardly plot? Commies. Commies who reward mediocrity.


1. The Cigar Is Just A Cigar Matrix Theory










In this theory, "The Matrix" is just a science-fiction movie about some guys on a spaceship and these evil computer guys. That's it. Leave it alone.

Breaking: The New Doctor Who?

...according to Now Magazine.

The proposed new Who, Colin Salmon, is currently appearing in the James Bond flick "Quantum of Solace." He also has appeared on "Doctor Who" as the character Dr. Moon.

These casting rumors are always tenuous, but I hope it happens.

Captain Janeway: "I Didn't Want To Be Sexy"

An interesting quote from Kate Mulgrew, who played Captain Janeway on Star Trek Voyager:

"They were quaking in their boots to put a woman in the (captain's) seat. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out it's about sex. I didn't want her to look like someone they wanted to have sex with. I argued the fact that I didn't want her to have any sex as the first female captain because I was not going to run the risk of walking down the path that leading ladies have taken before -- to become a sexual object."

Women & Hollywood Blog via Trek Web

WB "Rethinking DC Comics Strategy," Dumps "The Graysons"

The potential "Smallville" replacement "The Graysons," focusing on Dick Grayson and his family pre-Batman, has been scrapped, Variety reports. Apparently WB studio had Jeff Robinov had gave his blessing on the series -- only to take it away over the last couple of days. The reason? There is speculation that director Christopher Nolan, who has made it clear he doesn't want a Robin in his Batman movies, might have played a role. But Variety quotes sources as saying that the decision was all Robinov's, not Nolan's.

In particular, insiders claim that Robinov has ordered the WB to "rethink its DC Comics strategy."

From the official Warner Brothers statement:

"The studio has opted not to go forward with the development of 'The Graysons' at this time as the concept doesn't fit the current strategy for the Batman franchise. Warner Bros. Television is currently working on several replacement options for the CW."

How is the WB rethinking this strategy of adapting DC Comics characters for both the big and small screen? Were they afraid that having a Batman-themed (however tenuous the connection) TV show would water-down the movie franchise? Was Robinov afraid of alienating Nolan? And did proposed events in "Batman RIP" -- which might change the status quo of Dick Grayson and Robin forever -- have an impact on the decision?

Or, if WB is aiming for perfect synergy between their movies, TV shows, and other entertainment properties, does "Batman RIP" itself pose a problem?

Stay tuned: same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel. Or not.

story found via Blog@Newsarama

Pop-Culture Wars: Green Lantern Vs. Wonder Woman

The big three of DC have always been: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Officially in licensing and other concerns, and unofficially in the collective consciousness of the comic fan, these characters are the most iconic the company has to offer -- the Trinity, if you will.

However, Green Lantern has also developed a cult following -- the green "ring" T-shirt becoming an accepted part of pop-culture. High sales on the monthly title, plus a rumored major motion picture, may give the character(s) a bigger profile than it has ever had before.

Now, Superman & Batman are pretty untouchable as icons. But is Wonder Woman, despite her inclusion into The Big Three, really more on the same level as Green Lantern, or Flash? And could any of these "second tier" characters replace her, in some sense, as the third most popular DC character in pop-culture?

A vote for "no" -- I would hazard to guess that more non-comic readers would recognize WW than GL.

A vote for "yes" -- If the proposed Green Lantern movie succeeds at the level "Iron Man" did, I think he might get that coveted third spot. Because before the movie, I pegged Iron Man as a solid second-stringer; and now he's not.


And does/should Wonder Woman's gender play a role in this? Does her uniqueness as perhaps the most famous female superhero of all time automatically rocket her into the Big Three? Or does such a view undercut her worth as a superhero, regardless of gender, and ignore her rich history and formidable powers?

Or should there simply be a Big Four?

Vote in the poll to your right on the sidebar:

And if you are a Wonder Woman fan -- please don't get pissed at me! I'm not saying Wonder Woman is not as awesome as Green Lantern! I'm just trying to have a conversation.

Though if I had to "call" it, I'd say it largely depends on which movie gets made first, GL or WW, and how successful it is.

Fishtown Drives Blogger To Drink

Fishtown from IDW will do the following things:

1. Be on at least half the "best graphics novels of 2008" lists (provided the reviewers get to read their copies in time).

2. Be made into a movie.

3. Make Kevin Colden rich; and if not rich, a least reasonably well-off.

4. Put IDW on the map as a serious publisher of original graphic novels, complete with successful book store penetration. Lord knows they already have 30 Days of Night and other successful titles under their belt; but Fishtown is going to put them on the map as a contender to Vertigo and the graphic novel imprints of the major book publishers.

Fishtown is a chilling portrayal of teenage apathy and bloodlust that will no doubt bring to mind Columbine and the movie "Bully." If the story seems similar to these more high-profile cases, only the more sadder that these events seem to be a pattern in the world. The storytelling is raw and unflinching, drawn in a style that brought to mind Dave Gibbons via "Requiem For A Dream". One of the characters even looks like a young Walter Joseph Kovacs.

Were the teens involved in the Fishtown murders products of their environment or merely evil? Colden won't let the reader off the hook with such simplistic answers. Fishtown is a trip through the mundane but no less destructive gates of hell that lurk in the quiet enclaves of working-class America.

And yes, had I not been still in the middle of my workday, I would have grabbed a drink after reading the book. It's that powerful.

On sale now: Fishtown, a 120-page hardcover graphic novel from IDW, $19.95.

Twenty Thoughts On Freelancing

I've been freelancing full-time since August, both online marketing/PR & comic book work. Here are some things I have learned about being a freelancer:

1. Your paycheck may be bigger overall. But remember, you have to put away money for taxes. I knew a guy who'd do freelance work all year and then be shocked that he had to pay so much in taxes, like it was this magical, unfair sum tacked on to life.

2. On the subject of taxes: deductions deductions deductions. Keep your receipts. And an accountant may be worth every penny.

3. You will most likely have to cover your own medical insurance, but don't let that discourage you if freelancing is something you really want to do. There are options: cheaper emergency medical insurance that just covers hospital visits, freelancer union insurance, etc.

4. Line up your gigs at least several weeks in advance, if not a month. Think long-term strategy.

5. Don't depend on any one assignment as being your sole and regular bread-winner. Develop multiple streams of income. I not only have multiple freelance jobs, but I maintain a regular sale of stuff on eBay. The eBay stuff is not a lot, but it's something. Keep revenue coming in.

6. A comic book freelancer told me this once: save your money. Develop a cushion. Because there might be times when you can't find anything, or are down to just one part-time thing and you need some help.

7. Maintain your relationships with your bosses, business prospects, everyone. You are your own PR agency. Network.

8. Don't take every job that is offered to you. Some jobs, after some consideration, might be more trouble than they're worth.

9. Don't be surprised if you end up working more hours as a freelancer than you ever did when you had a nine-to-five.

10. Take a walk outside every once in a while. Set up activities "after work" where you completely leave your work station. Do this every day.

11. Don't let people tell you that you aren't really working just because you work from home. But by the same token, admit when you're slacking off (at least to yourself).

12. Keep detailed documentation on the hours worked and what specific tasks you accomplished.

13. I find that getting ready in the morning and doing my hair/wearing a suit really helps get me in the right mindset to work -- especially for the marketing/PR work. I can't work in pajamas, I can't talk to clients in pajamas. Your mileage might vary on this point.

14. Especially if you're a woman: don't get sucked into doing lots of housework during your freelance workday. Yes, you are working on Internet marketing all day on your laptop in your living room. It's still work. You're not lazy. Scrub the floors another time.

15. Freelance work makes you realize that every hour of your time has a price tag on it. For my marketing/PR work, that starts at $25/hr. Knowing this, you might ask yourself if certain tasks might be outsourced to other places as to better make use of your time. Take laundry. Two weeks' worth of laundry costs me, total, almost six hours at the laundromat and $15. I can take it to be done by other people at the laundromat across the street and it will cost me $25. And they fold way better than I do. But I feel guilty about it; that I really should be doing my own laundry. But then, can I justify spending that big a chunk of my time doing the laundry when I could be working or researching? I still haven't quite figured this one out. I'm very tempted today to just take the laundry in and do it myself. Also, I get skeeved out at the thought of strangers washing my dirty underwear.

16. Just because you are now a freelancer does not mean you automatically have time for dozens of new hobbies and projects that make no money. It's not a holiday.

17. Diversify your skill set. Have at least two types of skills that you can use to get work. Make sure that one of those skills is really basic and elemental and might survive a recession.

18. Freelancing is awesome because I have my cat with me all the time. :-)

19. Sometimes you have to lock down your Internet and just focus on the one site you're using for work, because the Internet is your biggest potential time-waster. The Internet is That Which Eats Your Brain. Because I work with social media with clients, this becomes even more of a challenge. If I'm Twittering for a client on their account, what's the harm in checking my own account? Now I'm flipping between Twitters and have literally 16 tabs open. So all the personal stuff has to be minimized on my computer, or even better, completely clicked off -- at least for the duration of my assignment.

20. Time management -- it will make or break you. This has been the most important lesson.

What Impact Does A Presidency Have On Comics?

Whether if it's just guest-starring in an issue, or influencing the tone of a whole event, the president (and politics) of a certain era has some impact on its comic books (and pop-culture).


George W. Bush's presidency spanned such events as 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the current financial disaster. On top of that has been the highlighting of a divisiveness in this country over lines of ideology and even religion that threaten to tear it apart. You can call it an Identity Crisis, a Civil War, Our Worlds At War, a Secret Invasion, a Countdown. Captain America is dead. The people clamor for a Brand New Day. Long live the new Captain America.


The GWB years were the fuel that fed storylines in The Authority, Superman, The Ultimates. Who can forget President Luthor? The Thunderbolts in a barely-disguised Gitmo facility? And the "Sub-Diego" storyline in Aquaman -- was that before or after Katrina? Ditto for Our Worlds At War and 9/11 and the subsequent battles. Sometimes the comics do better than merely reflect current events -- sometimes they predict them.


Anyway, George W. has had his Final Crisis. What next? How will comic book stories be influenced by an Obama presidency? And how will the industry be influenced?

-->more thoughts on the subject from a personal perspective, written last year

Twitter Me This

Hey all,

just a reminder -- if you want to follow me on Twitter, please use the ohsuperheroine account.

The account under my full name I don't use very often, and when I do it's mostly for marketing business stuff -- unless you find that stuff interesting. (and who knows you might)

My O(Bama) Face

/yay!
//yay!!!!!!!!!!

Breaking: Robin, Nightwing, and Birds of Prey Canceled

Three Bat-Family books -- all heavily identified with writer Chuck Dixon -- have been canceled.

Robin ends at #183, Nightwing at #153, and Birds of Prey at #127.

Was it sales? Could secret Batman RIP plot developments (possibly hinted at by this io9 article) be the culprit?

Probably both.

Though the exact reasons why Dixon so abruptly left DC have never been disclosed, this latest turn of events must have had something to do with it.

Then again, all three titles suffered from multiple sudden changes in creative teams, destabilizing storylines and alienating readers. It might have been that these cancellations were planned all the time, and DC didn't care too much who filled in the gaps -- or that things were so messed-up, a sudden break seemed like the best option.

And as I wrote in a "sales commentary" post on Oct. 20:

"The formula (and I know I have written this before, so please bear with me):

1. Take your second-tier & some of your third-tier books and apply the Top 50 Test on them.

2. Top 50 Test: are these books starring your best, most licensable intellectual property making it to the top 50? If not: overhaul them.

3. Get top writers & artists for each second tier/third tier book. Carefully talent search for these titles. Pick teams that are willing/likely to stay for at least two complete arcs (if not a full year). <---- this part most important. 4. If the title had been hopelessly mired in bad creative decisions/fill-ins, cancel it outright & start from scratch."

While there is no question that starting these titles over again (or creating new, related ones) and slapping a "#1" on each will tremendously spike sales -- will the readers go for it?

Well, if the new books are really good, perhaps. If they are "Titans"/"Green Arrow & Black Canary" good -- perhaps not.

Oooooh, my "Oracle" post earlier today was so ironic!

Anyway, maybe we are looking at the beginning of a whole new DC. Can more changes be on the horizon?

Neil Tennant/David Tennant

Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys: worked at Marvel UK, I believe?

Had such a crush on him in the late 80s. I played my audiotape of "Actually" until it started going blank.

See, not as pretty as David Tennant, but he had character.

Doctor Who: No! Yes! Maybe!

Now Neil Tennant "isn't sure" if he's going to quit playing Doctor Who. Before that, he said that he thought Billie "Rose" Piper should play the Doctor, and before that he announced he was quitting the show.

Well, what really happened was, the Doctor went in the Tardis and traveled to 2011 New Jersey, the site of the latest Chiller Theatre convention. He saw himself signing 8 x 10 glossies next to Michael Shanks and that guy who won the first "Survivor" tournament.

Then he got back in the Tardis, called Steven Moffat, and said: "hey."

Apparently, the same thing happened to Tobey Maguire several months ago.

That said, I'd really pull for a female Doctor Who.

/I like Tennant, but he is too pretty for me.

"Oracle Is My Favorite Character"

A couple of days ago I received another email from a young girl who wants to specifically work at DC Comics. She says that Oracle is her favorite character.

When I was this girl's age, I sent a very similar letter to Marvel. I got back a hand-written letter & was invited to intern. Unfortunately, I was only 12 years old, and could not accept the internship. But I always remembered the time that was taken with me, both to discuss my specific writing submission & to give pointers on how to break into the business. To me, the contact was almost magical. I read and reread that hand-written letter, on Spider-Man stationary, over and over again. I was so so excited, one night I slept with the letter under my pillow.

My responsibility, both as a blogger & as the president of a women in comics organization, is to answer letters like this and give the very best advice I can. What I tell this young lady will definitely have an impact -- maybe small, maybe big.


I would love to write back to this girl and advise her to, when she is of age, apply to DC as an assistant editor or as an intern. I would like to tell her that if she works really hard, she can one day rise up in the ranks. I would like to tell her that working in comics is like working in a family environment, and that it is a lot of fun. And I would like to tell her that the coolest thing about working for DC is that by doing so, she becomes a "custodian" of some of the most noble and iconic characters she loves so much. You know -- like Oracle.

Back in August of 2006, in response to another such letter, I actually sent an email to DC asking them what they suggested I write back. It wasn't even a sarcastic letter -- I was genuinely perplexed as to how to answer this young woman's email as to how to break into editing at DC and what my experiences were:

"I've just had a very nice young woman a little younger than myself (after reading some of my columns) inquire about my experiences at DC Comics as an assistant editor, because she wants to be one too. She wanted advice about getting ahead in DC editorial, what her chances were of success in that field, how it felt like to work there, and any advice on how to apply...

So I have this in my lap. I decided to put it off for a few days. If you, Dan, or anybody else have any advice on how to respond truthfully to her in a way that will help this young woman, please let me know. I feel as if I received an email from myself 6 years ago. What do I tell her? Because I absolutely won't send some sensitive young woman to possibly face what I faced."

Of course, this email was never answered.


And I never answered the young woman's letter either. I was afraid of on one hand not giving her good advice, but on the other saying something negative about DC. But the letter stuck with me, and bothered me, and about three months later I wrote "Goodbye To Comics." Had somebody from DC answered that email and acted like a human being, chances are "GTC" would have never have been written. Cue Nelson Muntz.

These days, what I usually write back to such inquiries is that they try Vertigo or Zuda, or consider Marvel or Archie instead. I also extol the virtues of working in other DC departments like marketing & advertising, and making a "lateral move" into a high-ranking position and/or comic writing gigs (which, in the greater scheme of things, is pretty damn good advice for anyone who wants to work inside the industry).


I think the way I answer those inquiries is pretty fair. I'm pretty supportive of a large chunk of DC, and usually provide a list of some kind people they could write to. But I'm also protective of these young women. That's my job. That's my bottom line. The goal is that eventually, should they actually enter the business, those magical feelings they had when they first spoke to a comic editor or artist will be retained. The goal is, even if they only were in the business for a few years, that their stay was a good one. The goal is, that if they idolize a character like Oracle, that their sojourn in Comics will enhance their appreciation of the character -- not tarnish it.

But really, in another year, or couple years, or six months from now -- but most certainly by the time these girls and teenagers are women -- things will be different. It's not an excuse for us not to be vigilant. But things will be different. It's all cycles. Personally, I'm pulling for the way things were in the 1980s, when female comic writers and artists and editors were plentiful. Maybe even Barbara Gordon will walk again.

Voting Problems!

Wow. So many voting problems where I was, they just about ran out of write-in vote affidavits. Our voting worker apparently had a "problem with the alphabet" -- this was what I was warned when I first got on the line. Apparently he couldn't tell a "G" from an "M". We had an unusual amount of people on our district's line because of "irregularities" -- our district's line was four times longer than all the rest. Among the problems: missing names and switched districts. People who lived in the same apartment had different districts. Piles and piles of write-in votes due to missing names, with some agitated people even wanting to talk to the police. It was so bad that the supervisor would just stand at the door apologizing to people as they left. I've never seen anything like this in all my years of voting. Chaos.

What a mess. I think both sides might have mucked around with the process. I'm not saying that the candidates approve the mucking of the votes. But you have to understand, when you get down to really local branches, there's very little control. I think the past voting clusterfucks like Florida don't happen because of some official dictate from on high. It's the result of highly zealous people on a more local level who justify what they do by their loyalty to their party. I was asked to tear down the opponent's posters when I volunteered at my local Democratic club in the early 1990s. I'm sure the Republicans do this too. "Politics" -- and power -- can make some people stupid and unethical. This is why I'm cynical, and can't throw myself into complete and total support for any one side.

Still, I urge people to vote, even if it's a big pain in the ass to do so.

Here's hoping next year my district hires election workers who know the alphabet. That might really help.

Off To The Polls

I Can't Wait For This Election To End...

I can't wait for this election to end...

Obama's grandmother dies, some hard-line conservatives on message boards suggest it's part of a conspiracy to get sympathy votes.

I CAN'T TAKE THE STUPID ANYMORE!!!!!!

Look, I'm an Obama supporter, but I don't demonize McCain. McCain had and still has some good ideas -- but ran an *awful* campaign, complete with dirty trick robocalls and TV ads. And he didn't properly vet Palin, who he knew was a heartbeat away from the presidency. But I'm keeping a balanced view of it. Obama is not a magic fix for this country, he is not a "messiah" or some infallible mystical being. I just think he's the best of two options right now, and seems like an honestly good guy with some fresh ideas. I think McCain is honestly a good guy too, but got too caught up in wanting to win this thing and made some really bad decisions.

But if you are so ultra-conservative and anti-Obama that you honestly believe he had his grandmother killed in order to win the election through pity-- you are insane. Seriously. I mean -- I can see you saying something like that because you're just bitter and you hate him but you don't really believe it. But if you honestly think in your heart that Obama had the "drip" turned off on his grandmother so it would be timed for the election, you are Crazy.

But to be fair, some of these conservative sites are trying to moderate these comments and aren't tolerating the nastiness. And there are many conservative posters there who are telling the conspiracy theorists to knock it off, because they are making them all look Crazy.

This election has brought out so much Crazy -- from both sides -- I SO cannot wait for it to end. I'm exhausted watching it. Knowing that the end of this election is not the end of the Crazy, but only the beginning of four more years of New Crazy, no matter who wins.

That said, Obama/Biden 08.
(voting tomorrow, then trying to block it all out until Wednesday morning)

Oh Boy I Just Got A New Package Inna Mail...

I sure hope it's that new desk lamp I ordered:

Batman RIP SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Spoilers

(don't blame me)

spoilers.

So according to io9, Robin might be the villain of "Batman RIP."


This particular storyline, like most of Grant Morrison's current superhero projects, grabbed me for an issue or so until my eyes glazed over and I gave up, so I have not been picking up on all the "clues."

But io9 speculates:

"As ridiculous as it sounds, there are a couple of clues that point to this being more than just wild speculation. The first is from the end of the previous chapter, where the reader's attention is drawn (by both the Joker and Batman himself) to the colors red and black; this may be pointed towards Jezebel Jet (a black woman with dyed red hair), but it could also be directed towards Robin, whose costume is red and black, and whom, we were told earlier in the chapter, has not been captured like all of Batman's other sidekicks ("Well, little red Robin's proving to be a more... slippery customer than we expected"). We know from upcoming solicitations for Robin's own comic that 2009 will see "an all-new Robin," and the cover of last month's issue of the Robin comic did say that the end was near... But what kind of end is that, exactly...?"

The blog also notes Chuck Dixon's speedy departure from the monthly Robin title -- was it in protest for the Tim Drake's eventual fate, a fate that would in effect undo the writer's years of work on the character?

But I will say for the record that I never liked Tim Drake. Sorry. I've always felt he was a humorless over-achiever, one who could very well be hiding a darker side to his personality. And from a marketing/licensing/business standpoint, Drake is faaaaaar more expendable than Dick Grayson (who's been around for almost 60 years). Both of those factors make such a theory plausible.


Here's a scenario: taking a page from his own paranoid mentor, Tim could have had a "fail-safe" put in place just in case Bruce went insane and needed to be "taken out." This fail-safe would have been so thorough that Tim himself might have used hypnotic suggestion or some other self-mindfuck to remove all conscious knowledge of the failsafe from his own mind. Of course, I think this is the sort of crazy, controlling shit that Dick Grayson would never have thought of doing. Hence the crucial difference between Dick & Tim. Dick made a good partner for Bruce because he was different from him temperament-wise. But Tim was too similar, and it became a liability.

That said, I have heard no specific rumors pointing in this direction, though it would help explain the Dixon reaction.

And for the numerous Tim Drake fans out there: I'm not saying he's a bad character. I'm just saying after following him since his debut almost 20 years ago, I never warmed up to him. So sue me.


And as for the theory that with Bruce Wayne out of the way, all the Bat-Family has to do is just "move up one" (Dick becomes Batman, Tim becomes Nightwing, Damian becomes Robin, etc.) -- that would just be really pat. Ugh. Whatever happens, I hope that's not the resolution. I hope DC gets their money's worth from Morrison and that the writer thinks up something a little more interesting than that.

Have Family Guy, Simpsons, South Park Jumped the Shark?

Oh, I know I've broached this subject before, but after watching three straight new episodes of South Park, Simpsons and Family Guy I have to ask this again. Have these shows finally jumped the shark? Have they already jumped the shark? Is this just a bad season? Are they paying the writers enough?

These episodes -- and I include the new "Treehouse of Horror" in this -- just left me flat.

First, we have the SP episode where the gang become Peruvian flute players. The only bright moment in this was Craig, the Boring Boy. But even with Craig, it felt like he was just being set up as the new "character" that everyone is supposed to repeat catch phrases from. From the stream-of-consciousness plot with the Gitmo references that seem like they've been done a dozen times before on the show, to the killer guinea pigs, to calling Craig a "dick" at the end of the episode. It felt stale, and the stream-of-consciousness plot seemed something more like what SP criticizes Family Guy for.


Onto yesterday's "Treehouse of Horror." Eh. When the funniest moment is the very fact that they actually did a Peanuts parody (not even the content of the parody itself), something's wrong. The election-booth sketch was too obvious, and strangely ultra-topical for a Simpsons epi. I can't even remember the sketch after that one; that's how good it was. The "Advertising Assassin" segment was horrible. And while I appreciated the water-color backgrounds on the "Great Pumpkin" story, Robot Chicken did this one 100% better.

Last, we have Family Guy's "Home Alone" episode, where Stewie is accidentally left behind while the rest of the gang go on vacation. What a weak installment! And I love Family Guy. I must have laughed four times, and two of those times involved poo or vomit (on the screen, not me). Peter's usual cutaway nonsequiturs were especially unfunny. What's going on, guys?




Is it just that these shows have been on too long?

That said, I've also realized why it has taken me longer to get into King of the Hill, American Dad, and Futurama. They actually have plots. King of the Hill is actually like the "New Yorker" of prime-time cartoons. It's actually deep. I actually have to pace myself watching that show. Hank Hill's stoic face is like that of a Buddha carved on a hillside. The next morning I'm huddled around my coffee still trying to parse the latest episode out.


That said, anyone watching Mad Men? That show is fucking awesome.

Watch on Hulu:
Treehouse of Horror 19
Family Guy, "Baby Not On Board"
King Of the Hill "Lost in My Space"

Watch on the South Park site:
"Pandemic 2: The Startling"