Some Technical Rundown

I don't know what's going on with Blogger the past day or so, but the long load time is not on our part and is definitely Blogger's issue - it does it behind the scenes, too. Hopefully they will correct it soon. In the meantime, I've nothing to offer you. I am also using OpenDNS, so it's possible the fault lay with it, but again, I'm only experiencing this issue with Blogger.

Thanks to all who have left comments recently! We used to get no fewer than around 10 comments every week - it was pretty hopping! So I'm glad to see more people getting into the spirit of things. Remember that you don't need a Blogger or Google account to make a comment - you can do so anonymously or sign-in using a host of other services, like AIM, LiveJournal, and more. Comments are moderated to control spam, but comments with links back to your personal site or supporting information, etc., are encouraged. You can find out everything you need to know about commenting across The Weirding in the FAQ.

I will be gone until sometime next week (hopefully - this is the plan, anyway - if it's any longer than that, please start asking questions!!!). I have my laptop, so I'll be checking-in regularly, but since I won't be at the desktop, I won't be making many posts. I will be approving comments and so forth.

See you soon and enjoy the archives in the meanwhile!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Secret Warriors - Sneak Peek!

I told you I'm not keeping up with the Marvel Universe any longer - not even trying. Between this major crossover event and that one, with several more already scheduled, one major character after the next is going completely against type and it's become about as interesting as watching the WWE - and specifically tantamount: traditionally "bad" guys are becoming the good guys, while well-established heroes are suddenly "showing their true colors" as villainous arch-enemies of mankind. Not only has it made it difficult to keep track of, it's pretty much rendered the entirety of the Marvel Universe up to this point moot.

I don't think the current crop of creators has the chops to do better than what has come before them, so I'd really rather remember these characters - ahem, "properties" - the way I knew them before all of this nonsense.

That being said, I don't know how all this plays out in the current "continuity," but I guess this is Nick Fury's answer to whatever Norman Osborn is up to - the press release begins, "Nick Fury has assembled the next generation of Marvel super heroes — the sons and daughters of super villains — to fight the new order that Dark Reign has brought to the Marvel Universe!"




























© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Pegg and Frost are Tintin's Thomson and Thompson

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have been chosen to play the bumbling detectives, Thomson and Thompson, of the Tintin graphic novels in Steven Spielberg's upcoming, two movie series. The films are 3D performance-capture flicks co-financed by Sony and Paramount. In the series, the two detectives can only be told apart by the shape of their mustache; of course, Pegg and Frost look nothing alike.

Thomas Sangster had been cast for the lead, but pulled out following the Dreamworks/Paramount split.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Slow Times at Rundown

Well, not really - it's always slow at the first of the months around here because I have an entire website to handle, in addition to a household (which consists of myself and two very spoiled cats) - not to mention we just got through three straight months of holidays, so things will pick back up soon. Actually, this is about the rest of this week through the weekend: I will be gone.

I have an important appointment Thursday morning some ways away. The trip will force me to be away from my home at least until the weekend. I will probably post a few things here and there while away, but more than likely little more than updates (as in, "How are ya? Hope to be home soon, don't pee in the bushes..." - I, it just... I've no idea where that came from). I then have yet another important appointment, yet again many miles from home, this coming Monday. So it's definitely going to be slow for the remainder of the week and into next.

I will be here for part of the time tomorrow, but because of the early mornings ahead, I'm trying to turn in early tonight. I will schedule a few things to release throughout my absence, but posts may be down to one or fewer a day. We'll see how it plays-out.

The upswing is that I will have at least two, major appointments out of the way that have been weighing heavily on my mind and taking time away from me. Also, I'll be working on all sorts of stuff for the site while gone - it's about all I can do without my computer. I will have the laptop, so things won't be completely dead.

Until then, nerds!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Stooges Guitarist Found Dead

Ron Asheton, guitarist for the legendary punk rock outfit, The Stooges, fronted by Iggy Pop, was found dead in his Ann Arbor, Michigan home earlier today. Police do not suspect foul play or drugs, though an autopsy is scheduled; the cause of death appears to be natural. Police made the discovery after an associate contacted them when he had not been able to contact Asheton for several days.

The Stooges were an iconic punk rock group of the late 1960s and early 70s, though they never received much critical or commercial success. Punk rock greats, The Ramones, heavily credit the group as their primary influence and inspiration and their impact on the movement is indisputable. The Stooges are contenders for inclusion into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame this year. The group disbanded in 1974, overshadowed by Iggy Pop's heroin addiction and onstage antics, though they reunited several times throughout the years; The Stooges "officially" reunited (with Iggy Pop) in 2003. The Stooges recorded their final album in 2007.

In an official statement from the band and management, Iggy Pop says, "I am in shock. He was my best friend."

Ron Asheton starred in several low-budget horror flicks in the 1990s and was named the 29^th greatest rock guitarist by Rolling Stone in 2003. He was 60.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Marvel Comics Shipping 01-07-09

Here it is, your weekly rundown of Marvel Comics hitting shelves tomorrow, Wednesday, January 7^th, 2009:

Comics On-Sale:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #582
CABLE #10
DEAD OF NIGHT FEATURING WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #1
ETERNALS #7
ETERNALS #7 X-MEN VARIANT
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #9 (DR)
KIDNAPPED! #3
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: DARK REIGN
MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD: HERO UP! ONE-SHOT HEROES COVER
MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD: HERO UP! ONE-SHOT VILLAIN COVER
MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 #4
NYX: NO WAY HOME #5
OFFICIAL INDEX TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #1
PUNISHER #1 (DR)
PUNISHER #1 MCKONE VARIANT (DR)
SECRET INVASION: WAR OF KINGS ONE-SHOT (WOK)
SPIDER-MAN: FEAR ITSELF ONE-SHOT
SUB-MARINER: THE DEPTHS #4
WAR OF KINGS SAGA
WOLVERINE AND POWER PACK #3
WOLVERINE: SWITCHBACK ONE-SHOT
X-MEN NOIR #1 CALERO 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
X-MEN NOIR #2
X-MEN NOIR #2 CALERO VARIANT
X-MEN: MANIFEST DESTINY #5

Collections On-Sale:
AGENTS OF ATLAS TPB
DAREDEVIL BY FRANK MILLER & KLAUS JANSON VOL. 3 TPB
ESSENTIAL PUNISHER VOL. 3 TPB
INFINITY CRUSADE VOL. 2 TPB
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOL. 1 HC
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOL. 1 HC VARIANT
MARVEL ZOMBIES: DEAD DAYS TPB
SECRET INVASION TPB
THE THREE MUSKETEERS PREMIERE HC
ULTIMATE ORIGINS PREMIERE HC
ULTIMATE ORIGINS PREMIERE HC (DM ONLY)

Posters On-Sale:
DARK AVENGERS BY MIKE DEODATO POSTER
MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD POSTER

*DR= Dark Reign tie-in
*WOK = War of Kings tie-in

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Battlestar Galactica Season 4.5 Teaser

I pride myself on my nerdery, but also my honesty, and regular readers know I am no fan of Battlestar Galactica. I tried - I really did - but it simply did not "take" on me. I found it too dramatic, too heavy - there was absolutely no comedic relief and absolutely no... not even levity, just contrast at all.

You can have contrast in a drama without resorting to comedic relief - there is romance, good-hearted competition (such as that between friends), even a simple, character developmental-based dialogue exchange (so prevalent on Boston Legal). Yet Battlestar Galactica was just one, long, drawn-out, oppressively heavy-handed Drama - with a capital D.

But it has developed a fanbase as rabid as any I have seen. So here you go, BG fanboys: the season 4.5 teaser.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Is Storm the New Black Panther?

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Dark Knight Returns Gets PGA Nom (2008)

The Dark Knight was nominated in the Best Picture category of the Producers' Guild of America awards. The PGA's Best Picture list often matches that of the Oscars', which means the Oscar campaign has picked up even more speed. The other contenders are Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, and Frost/Nixon.

Last year, four of the five nominated by the PGA made it to the Best Picture nominations at the Academy Awards and the winner (No Country for Old Men) also took top honors. Three of those listed are up for Best Motion Picture, Drama at the Golden Globes - but The Dark Knight is not one of them. The winners will be announced just two days after the Academy Award nominations. The WGA and DGA announce their nominees later this week, as well.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Astonishing Tales #1 - Marc Silvestri Variant

ASTONISHING TALES #1 (DEC082362)
ASTONISHING TALES #1 SILVESTRI VARIANT (DEC082363)
Written by C.B. CEBULSKI, DANIEL MERLIN GOODBREY,
CHRIS SEQUERA, & JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by KENNETH ROQUEFORT, LOU KANG, CHEW CHAN,
NICK PITARRA, and JONATHAN HICKMAN
Wraparound Cover by KENNETH ROQUEFORT
Variant Cover by MARC SILVESTRI
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—1/15/09, On-Sale—2/4/09

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Romijn and O'Connell Welcome Twins

Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell are the proud parents of twin girls, named Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip - because "Apple" was taken. The girls were born December 28^th and are both actors' first children. The couple were married in 2007.

Jerry O'Connell starred in the classic, Stand By Me, based on Stephen King's novella, The Body, as a child actor. His later work has included many superhero and sci-fi works, including the mediocre My Secret Identity, Sliders, and several roles in voice-over work on such cartoons as Justice League and Batman.

Rebecca Romijn portrayed Mystique in the X-Men films and can currently be seen in ABC's hit, Ugly Betty.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Miller Polishing Sequels

Frank Miller is polishing scripts and storyboards for the sequels to both 300 and Sin City. Mainstreamers are still declaring The Spirit "the end of his film career" and I still insist in going on record in staunch disagreement. Further, I love to flame, so please allow me for one brief moment, to allay all true fanboys' fears:

Most of the people who are decrying The Spirit a career-ending embarrassment, etc., are 20-something douchebags who are largely unaware of Miller's work outside of 300 and Sin City -- further, they had never even heard of the Spirit until now and certainly aren't familiar with the original material, nor Eisner's work in general. This is a generation which routinely makes movies like Borat, Jackass, and anything with Adam Sandler #1 at the box office; to say they are culturally bereft is like saying Lindsay Lohan needs help.

Maybe I'm a little too defensive here, but I literally grew up on Frank Miller's work and it was a breath of fresh air in a closed room. I agree that the quality of his work has suffered in the last decade, but let's face facts: The man's told the stories he wanted to tell -- all he's doing now is making the money he deserved to be paid the first go-round. I can't fault him that.

But the flip side of this coin is those who keep repeating - far more often, far more vehemently -- how all of his work is sexist, hyper-violent, "man-centric," heavy-handed, and void of any redeeming depth or social value. These people are morons; they should read Elektra: Assassin. They won't get it, but they should read it -- the very fact that they will not understand it should hopefully be enough to shut them up. At the very least, their exposure to the best of his work at the height of his career will be enough to invalidate their baseless dismissal of his canon.

So The Spirit flopped? So what? Frank Miller's earliest sequential work wasn't all that impressive, either -- no one's is. Should he choose to stick with it -- should he get the opportunity to -- he will improve; because he has to: You have to break some eggs to make an omelet, practice makes perfect, et. al.

The sequel to Sin City is slated to start shooting in April. Casting has not started.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Fake Serenity II Trailer

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Frank Miller's Independent Interview

The Independent spoke to comics legend, Frank Miller, on his new career as a director, and though some mainstreamers are predicting it will be his last foray into motion pictures, I beg to differ.

While there isn't much meat in this interview, it sufficiently covers the bases we fans already know - how Miller worked on the Robocop sequels and disliked the process so much that he vowed never to work in Hollow-wood again, until Robert Rodriguez convinced him otherwise. Now Miller loves his seat in the director's chair.

While The Spirit may not be faring so well at the box office, I'm sure it will recoup its expenses throughout its release. And though the critics have fairly soundly panned the flick, I believe everyone has to have their first - and few of us recall our first anything in terms like pleasurable, memorable, or... just plain good.

I have yet to see The Spirit, but I know that its creator, Will Eisner, spoke disdainfully of those who get into the sequential art business as a launching pad to Hollywood, so he may be somewhat pleased that Miller's adaptation of his time-honored classic turned out so poorly. Miller is not one of these, though; he was born to do comics and he blew the doors off the industry once he did.

But Miller's creative direction has deterred from its earlier thrust; increasingly throughout the years, Miller has dropped the pretenses and focused on images. Even I admit it has been to the detriment of his work, but all art is a process and Frank Miller has always had his tongue planted firmly in cheek, regardless of the project. I have the feeling he may have become blinded by his own bullshit somewhat, though; I'm not completely certain he knows where the line is drawn anymore: he seems to be approaching the superhero genre satirically, yet with a barely reserved reverence - it's confusing to the viewer, possibly because the creator himself is confused as to where he is going, what he wants to say, and why.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Nine Characters to Watch in 2009

MSNBC has an article by Newsarama on the nine comic book characters to keep an eye on in 2009. For the most part, this seems to a basic introduction for the mainstream; most of the characters are well-known to us as hot properties right now, either within Comicdom or because they have movies coming out soon, etc. But there are a few surprises.

Dr. Strange - one of my favorite characters - and Scarlet Witch both appear, and relatedly: apparently, Doc is set to give up his Sorcerer Supreme mantle and Scarlet Witch is in the running to take it up. Green Goblin is also on the list, which was news to me, but isn't to anyone who followed Secret Invasion. There were even a couple that I can't necessarily say I'm even familiar with.

An interesting read, but probably not much there rabid fans don't already know or casual fans will care about. The truth is that comic books are just too expensive these days and their lackluster quality cannot justify the price. Further, the companies keep pushing these major crossover events on us - at a rate of 2-3 per year - which no one can afford to keep up with, but come with major upheavals to the entire universe, so we casual fans are constantly left in the dark as to what, exactly, is going on with our favorite characters.

The truth is that, in 2009, I am going to cut back on the number of comics I buy, starting with the titles to which I subscribe. It has become too hard to follow even title characters from the Big Two these days without purchasing several issues/titles each month. Not to mention that most of them just aren't up to the level of quality to justify a cover price equal to a pack of cigarettes, a pound of meat, or a gallon of milk.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Matt Smith is Doctor... Who?

Relative unknown, Matt Smith, is the new Doctor Who.

News of David Tennant's departure from the classic sci-fi TV show have been rampant for several years now, but Tennant made it definite following this season's run. Rumors started flying as to whom would be the new Time Lord, but no one knew for sure.

Smith starred in the TV drama, Party Animals, and has done some stage work, but aside from that, Matt Smith is relatively unknown. His starring turn in Doctor Who will make him a star. Smith is the youngest to take on the role in the show's nearly 50 year run, at 26.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

New Year's Hangover

I don't have a hangover - it's just what it feels like. Yesterday felt like Sunday all day long... today kinda feels like a Saturday. It's been balmy and sunny, right around 60-65º all day long. Yet most people have been inside - my guess is nursing a hangover. Thus the title.

John Travolta's son, who has a history of seizures, apparently fell in the bathtub and struck his head. Jett Travolta, age 16, died from his injuries. Our condolences to the family and friends.

I hate to sandwich that in here, but it's really all I have to say on the matter and it's the most news I have for now. I am working on the Dark Conspiracy stuff - mostly tweaks, editing, and expanding the text, but also adding some of the graphics and getting to the layout I was actually going for (I released the stuff on Christmas just because I said I would). It's really starting to come together and I'm more and more pleased with the results.

Hopefully I'll be back later tonight or tomorrow. Haven't gotten much sleep the past few days.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Late-Night Blogging

I'm actually just getting a few things out because I'm up and my Read It Later has over 20 pages now! I go back through every few weeks and dump a slew of old news on everybody, but it's not because I don't have anything else to talk about, it's because I save stuff to talk about, then there get to be so many things in the folder that I become overwhelmed and refuse to even look at them until I finally breakdown and force myself to.

Usually, I schedule posts I make late at night to post throughout the day, but because I've been up overnight so much these past few weeks, I figure I'll just do it like this for now. I don't know when I will ever get my schedule fixed, so I'm just giving up on it.

Plus I had to take a break from the site stuff for a while. This is my problem: I work on it until I burn myself out, then I don't want to even look at it until I literally have to (usually because I keep telling you I'm going to have this or that and get tired of making excuses), then I have to work overtime to get it all done, and I wind-up burning myself out. For a while, I did pretty well at only working on it for like an hour or two a day, but even though I was making progress as a whole, nothing was really getting done.

Anyway, I obviously want to babble, but just mindlessly. Someone call me.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Umbrella Academy Action Figures

Gerard Way has managed to make quite a name for himself in the comics industry over the past year—racking up an Eisner for Best Limited Series and a Harvey for Best New Series, for his breakthrough miniseries The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite. In tandem with series artist, multiple-Eisner winner Gabriel Bá, Way has created a bizarre world which defies the space-time continuum, and pits a dysfunctional family of super-powered siblings against animated monuments, talking chimpanzees, a secret society of robot assassins, and each other.

Right on the heels of the first issue of Way/Bá’s highly anticipated follow-up series, The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, Dark Horse Deluxe is proud to announce the release of a new figure set depicting the six members of The Umbrella Academy introduced in Apocalypse Suite, as well as a book-and-figure set that includes a hardcover edition of the first collected graphic novel and a 4-inch figure of Vanya, AKA The White Violin, the shunned UA sibling with the sinister set of strings!

The Umbrella Academy Book and Figure Set features a previously unused cover by Gabriel Bá for the special digest-sized hardcover. The included 4-inch figure depicts Vanya as The White Violin, poised to end the world in concert with The Conductor and his evil Orchestra Verdammten! It is scheduled for release in April 2009 at a suggested retail price of $24.99.

The Umbrella Academy Figure Set features the six members of the Academy, sized to scale, with Spaceboy measuring a beastly 5-inches as the largest figure in the set, and The Boy stacking up at a small-but-substantial 2-inches. The Dark Horse Product Development team worked closely with Way and Bá, adding bold shadowing and strange angles to create uncanny likenesses that evoke the characters exactly as they appear in the comic. The final product is as unique and quirky as the story itself, encasing the six siblings in cylindrical 360-degree packaging that displays the team under an umbrella-shaped dome. See these superheroes in all of their splendor when they hit retail stores in May 2009, with a suggested price of $39.99.

“In my six years at Dark Horse, I have never experienced this much cooperation and inspired creativity on a project,” says Rebecca D’Madeiros, Senior Product Development Manager for Dark Horse Comics. “Gerard and Gabriel, the team here at Dark Horse, and the manufacturers have contributed a wealth of ideas for the figures and the unique packaging. It’s been great fun along the way. We are all proud of the outcome: a 6-piece figure set worth displaying on a revolving shelf with spotlights and soundtrack music!”

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Irish Targeted Sex Pistols

According to newly released papers, Irish officials targeted punk rock legends, Sex Pistols, in a 1978 campaign to "protect the country's Catholic morals." The Garda Síochána was looking into their breakthrough album, Never Mind the Bollocks, and whether or not it broke the country's censorship laws (of the time).

Virgin Records eventually successfully defended an obscenity cause (in neighboring Britain), but prior to that, the censorship board decided to be lenient because the maximum penalty was too low to warrant the resources that would have been spent upholding the censorship laws. It would have meant every record store which carried the album risked being fined (£2)!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

RPG Design

These past several weeks have reminded me why more of this material hasn't been published up to now: this is hard work! In most cases, the majority of the work is already done, but I have to pull out all the books and refamiliarize myself with the entire system just to be sure everything is right, etc., and I haven't played some of these games in years.

It is kind of fun, but I'd be lying if I said it was more fun than actual work. For one thing, I know I have little chance of actually playing any of these games anytime soon, so that tempers my excitement right off the bat. For another, formatting these pages is a real pain - especially since so few of the graphics are anywhere near ready for publication. Remembering to leave room for those and working around non-existent pictures is a real hassle.

But I am working hard, so I guess there's something to be said for that. I figure things will still be slow around here through the weekend, so I'm not bothering to worry with anything like that; I'm fully devoted to the gaming thing right this moment, but will be back to normal here once the holidays are over.

I figure everything will settle down, come Monday, but I'll be here throughout the weekend. Sorry that some of you have had to wait several hours for your comments to show up, but they are being published as usual, just a little slower than normal.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Happy New Year, Nerds!

MERRY

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM
THE WEIRDING

(and The Rundown)

© C Harris Lynn, 2008