A Collection of Stuff
Here are some things that have amused me recently and/or which I have amused others recently in the participation thereof...
Or something like that.
- First off, here's a first look at Joss Whedon's new web thing, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which stars the Doog himself, and if you squint long enough plays as an homage to Vincent from ArchEnemies.
("Long enough," in this case, means "until sleepy.")
Second off, speaking of the AE, here's a bit of oddly timed pluggery. An undergrad from my alma mater interviewed me last week for a blog she's doing as an independent study. Here it is.
Finally off, here is the greatest, funniest, most insightful, most greatly insightfunal thing ever written about gamers and their message boards.
Till next time, may all you oregano be infinite, may all your pirates be Deppish, and may all your blogs be horrible.
My My
Have I mentioned that I have a MySpace page now?
Yes. Yes, I have.
CHAMP: Memoirs of a Superhero Sidekick
Dan Taylor, writer/creator of Hero Happy Hour, offers up this off-beat superhero blog type thing starring Champ, the White Knight's faithful sidekick.
Read, laugh, repeat.
Will It Float?
http://www.x-entertainment.com/thanksgiving/macyparade/1989/clips/marvelcomicsfloat.wmv
1989. It was a simpler time. Emma Frost was still evil, Luke Cage wore a puffy yellow shirt, Doctor Strange had an explosive lab beneath his mansion, and Doctor Doom danced on a poll to the music of Melba Moore?!?
Maybe Wonder Woman will save them???
Basement Tapes
http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=tbt&article=2296
http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=tbt&article=2300
http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=tbt&article=2308
More links on writing comics. This time, an interesting three part conversation from Matt Fraction and Joe Casey's BASEMENT TAPES column at CBR.
The Tricks of Turning Pro
http://www.yourmomsbasement.com/archives/2005/11/the_tricks_of_t_6.html
I'm working on assembling some links to interesting articles on writing around the net (besides those you can already find at Scryptic). And then there's this.
Genius!
Well worth your ten minutes. And go back and read the older columns as well. Unfortunately, I don't see an index for the column, so you'll just have to click back using the links at the end of each column.
Don't worry. There aren't any "spoilers."
It's Superman!
I recently discovered (but have not yet read) this novel by Tom De Haven. It is the story of Superman as told in a slightly more realistic style. (Like the original version, he debuts in 1938, but unlike the original, he is based out of New York City.)
My understanding is that this series is a mix of pulp cheese and historical fiction. As a fan of Caleb Carr, Cavileer and Clay, and Carter Beats the Devil, I'm hoping I'll enjoy this.
You can buy it on Amazon.
Pixel Gun
David Anderson is a comic book artist and graphic designer living in Seattle. His work has a really cool Toth meets Timm in outer space sort of vibe to it. You can see some more of samples on his website.
Dave and I have been talking about doing a project together. Hopefully I'll have something cool to announce down the road.
Scott Pilgrim
Okay, I admit that I'm behind the curve. Warren Ellis recently told everyone to start reading the Scott Pilgrim books, so I imagine me adding my voice to the, um, OMAC (ONE MAN ARMY CHORUS) that is Ellis probably won't do much good.
But I just started reading the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, by Bryan Lee O'Malley, and they kick serious ass. (That's right. "Serious ass." Not the usual, silly kind.) There are two out now. Here they are:
You can get them from both Amazon.
They are very funny. I laughed outloud many, many times. They are also very smart and cute and clever and so on. I recommend them for teens and up, including girls and people who don't read comics. Good stuff!
Google Earth
From the people who might as well have brought you the internet, I offer you:
Clockwise from top right: my parent's house; my grandmother's house; weird crop formations in Nevada; my apartment.
Terrorists, it's up to you now.
Doctor Who
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho
And speaking of regenerations... I am a huge, huge geek. Just how huge you ask? Well, the new series of Doctor Who premiered earlier this year, and it was--at least by my estimate--the best piece (pieces?) of television of the past, I don't know, three thousand years or so.
For those who don't know, Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi television series of all time. It originally ran in Britain on the BBC from 1963 to 1988, before returning earlier this year. It's the story of an eccentric alien time traveler and his various human companions.
The first thirteeen episode season (or series, as the Brits say) featured Christopher Eccleston as the storied time traveler. BUT the character basically gets reincarnated every time the main actor's contract is up, and the role of the Doctor has been picked up by a new actor, David Tennant.
Why am I so excited? Well, today they released the first production images for the new series on the BBC website. He is wearing a pinstriped suit and a suede longcoat and scruffy old sneakers, and for some reason that makes me giddy like a little girl.
A big, geeky, little girl.
My Avatar Generator
http://www.dookyweb.com/avatars.swf
I did not create the cartoon avatar(s) that appear on this website. At least, I didn't do it on my own. I used a flash-based "avatar generator" like this one.
Play around. Make your own avatar. Send me a link!
Ms. Milsom's English Class
My friend, um, Ms. Milsom has created a website for her students. I mean, I'm a teacher and all, but really...
(If any current, previous, or potential employers in the educational fields read this, please know that I am currently using "sarcasm," a valuable rhetorical skill that I can inpart to students at a very competitive rate.)
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse publishes Sin City, Hellboy, the Star Wars comics, and a lot of other great work. You should all buy every comic that Dark Horse puts out. Ever.
Without exception.
Alias Comics
http://www.aliasenterprises.com
Alias is putting out comics by a few friends/associates of mine. Ryan Scott Ottney, of Scryptic Studios fame, writes Legend of Isis for them. Scott Cohn, who I used to work with YEARS ago, draws Killer Stunts.
Digital Webbing
DW is a great place for writers to meet/recruit talent to collaborate with. If you have money to spend, there are artists lurking, waiting for you. I met Yvel and Joe (the art team for ArchEnemies) through DW, along with a ton of other great people!
Wizard Magazine
I owe Wizard my soul. Sad, but true. I sold my first script through a "contest" that Top Cow Comics sponsored through their magazine.
Are they destorying the industry by promoting lowest common denominator comics at the expense of work that really deserves (and desperately needs) the attention?
No. Of course not. And if I hear you talking crap like that again, I'll gather up all your copies of Hate and Optic Nerve and Maus and rip them up in front of you.
Top Cow Comics
The folks at Top Cow have my undying gratitude. I've told "The Legend of Heroes of Tomorrow" dozens of time on this site alone. No point in repeating it here, except to say that HOT will come out eventually and that I'll be proud to see it under the same banner as Witchblade, The Darkness, and TC's latest, Hunter/Killer.
They also publish The Freshmen. Not that I'm bitter.
They will publish Heroes of Tomorrow, eventually.
DJ Coffman Owes Me Money
DJ Coffman owes me money. I don't say this to embarrass DJ. I don't say this to publically chastise him. Obviously, if I wanted to do either of those two things, I wouldn't do it here!
No, I bring this up mostly to remind myself. DJ Coffman owes me money, and someday I will call in that marker. Perhaps I will want him to pay me back. Perhaps I will simply ask for a favor in return.
Will I ask him to help orchestrate the defection of a freedom-loving Soviet gymnast? Perhaps. Will I ask him to utilize his artistic skills as part of an elaborate jewel heist? Could be. Will I ask him to draw some weird, silly cartoons for my own personal amusement? More than likely, yes.
In all seriousness, DJ is a good artist and a good guy overall. Check out his site, and please buy something! A sad little somersaulting-communist girl's freedom may depend upon it!
Nick Bertozzi
I haven't spoken to Nick Bertozzi in over a decade, I'm guessing. We used to work together (in retail). Since then, he's won a Xeric, I've won a, um, Wizard thing, and we've both moved from Philadelphia to New York City. As I recall, he always thought I was a bit of a punk, and looking back, he was probably right. Anyway, Nick has always been pretty cool and what I've seen of his stuff has been really great.
At some point, I imagine I'll run into Nick at a cocktail party or something. Until then, the least I can do is direct people to his website.
Jason Cheeseman-Meyer
http://www.cheeseman-meyer.com
I was very, very close to picking Jason as the artist on ArchEnemies. I wound up going with Yvel, because Yvel had drawn Aquaman and JLA. And Yvel has been amazing on AE. But I'm sure Jason would have been great as well.
Jason's work is top rate and getting better all the time. Check it out! I hope to work with him at some point in the future.