Now the backlash has begun - joiners... The French have reversed their position on the matter, no longer calling for Polanski's release. "We have a judicial procedure under way, for a serious affair, the rape of a minor, on which the American and Swiss legal systems are doing their job." A spokesman for the French government told reporters. And Cheers alum and former hot chick, Kirstie Alley, has been tweeting up a storm against the celebrated director. But all of them are missing the Big Picture and I'd personally (and sorrowfully) like to point-out what utter fools the Los Angeles District Attorney has made of them:
They say that rape is not about the sex, but the control, and if the details of the encounter are to be believed - and let's not forget that the judge was irrevocably corrupt, which puts everything we know about it into question - then this particular encounter sounds more like a guy who got-off on introducing a young girl to the big, wide world of Sex. Polanski made certain that he was her first in many, many ways - as programs like ABC News have repeatedly pointed out in lurid detail. I've no idea how much control plays into this from any angle, so I can't technically say it was "rape." Regardless, just because I, personally, believe that coercing someone into having sex - regardless of the methods used - is technically "rape" doesn't mean I can change the legal definition of the term.
And BTW, Kirstie, if I do it to a girl, it's called "date rape;" if a girl does it to me, it's called "getting laid." Let's not forget that: if I get a girl drunk and bang her little lights out, I'm a creep; if she does it to me and I get upset, I'm gay.
Of course, I personally believe 13 is too young for anyone to be having sex - and all that "Romeo and Juliet did it" stuff be damned; in the 20th and 21st Centuries, 13 is too young for anyone to be having sex. Even if they're 13-year old boys who have sex with really hot teachers. No, really hot. Oh yeah! Remember that shit? Now, by that same token ("Pfft - what's the problem? Heh. Who's the 'victim' here?"), one could say, "Well, she got to have sex with Roman Polanski!" Except, yeah... that's another one of those double-standards America likes to keep firmly in-place. Either which way it goes, what he did was deplorable and inexcusable; there's no defending what he did.
Except that's not The Point.
The Point here is that Roman Polanski served the time he was supposed to, according to the plea deal made at the time. The Point here is that the judge saw an opportunity to make political headway by changing the terms of said deal midway through - technically speaking (from a Hollywood POV, Ms. Alley), that is breach of contract (actually, it's "Detrimental Reliance"), and gave Polanski every right in the world to GTFO of Dodge.
Roman Polanski did not "flee;" he escaped the tyranny of a corrupt judge.
The Point here is that Roman Polanski's criminal responsibility has been fulfilled. Later, the victim settled a civil suit with him out of court, so his financial responsibility has been fulfilled - and, legally (even morally) speaking, whether or not you agree with his criminal sentence, both he and the victim agree that his compensating her relieves him of any further, punitive actions. The Point here is that this happened 30 years ago and everybody involved agrees that the legal process was crooked and contrived and the matter has been settled! The Point here is that Roman Polanski has once again been beset by a corrupt legal official who is representing the American judicial system, who has now misrepresented the American legal system and American "morality" to the entire rest of the world!
The Point here is that Los Angeles is one of the most crime-ridden cities in the whole world and instead of "taking a bite" out of the vicious megaviolence facing the citizens of L.A., the Los Angeles District Attorney has opted to surf the fucking internet to find out what a 76-year old man who has contributed more to society than 99 out of 100 people in the whole world is doing and where he's going to be! The Point here is that he is only pulling this shit because this 30-year old case is a slam-dunk because people like you, Kirstie Alley, are stupid enough to buy-in to the slack-jawed, Martin Bashir "child rape" mentality: all a D.A. in this country has to do is play the Race Card or the Child Molester label to convict a victim in the court of public opinion.
After that, the legal reality no longer matters.
I love you, Kirstie Alley - I really do - no matter how fat or stupid you get, but you are so far off the mark here that I could cry! Grow the hell up. No one in their right mind is suggesting that sex with children is "okay" or should be decriminalized for famous people; we're just not all gullible enough that we'll swallow whatever comes after "child rape" in a sentence.
You got suckered, pretty lady - you got had, fat actress! I'm really sorry because you're a really cool chick who ought to be doing the cougar-thing and dropping "accidental" muff shots in Variety. Wake up, sweety. This is what it is and it makes all of America look like the Puritanical morons only (by my estimation) 93-95% of us actually are.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Kirstie Alley Hates Roman Polanski
So You Think You Can Flashdance?
Months ago, auditions for FOX' So You Think You Can Dance? were held in Atlanta and contestant #22036 received a Golden Ticket. She was so excited, she fell to the ground and gave the camera one sweet beaver shot. Yes, this chick knew exactly how to pass an audition... were she an actress. Luckily, she still made it through, and gave the nation an eyeful of mound to thank us all for our support.
Now, I actually watched So You Think You Can Dance? last night and I didn't see muffin and this is the first I've heard of the matter. Technically speaking, the FCC has to receive a certain number of complaints before they investigate, and I'm pretty sure this would have been all over everywhere, had that happened, so there is a chance they will not get involved. However, with TiVo and the Web, the FCC changes their policies daily... who knows?
Still, YouTube has already removed the uncensored video and the only copies I could find were censored. In other words, the video might as well not even exist except for those lucky few who TiVoed the program (or recorded it by some other means). Still, it wasn't a live show and there was no real excuse for this to have gotten on TV.
We'll watch this develop and see if the FCC investigates, and what FOX says. I blame Bill O'Reilly, but it may turn out to have been a disgruntled editor. Or a really good director.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Marvel Comics Shipping - 09-30-09
Here we go, guys and girlies - your weekly Rundown of Marvel Comics hitting shelves tomorrow, Wednesday, September 30th, 2009:
Comics On-Sale:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #606 CAMPBELL VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #607
DARK REIGN: LETHAL LEGION #3
DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #5
DARK REIGN: THE SINISTER SPIDER-MAN #4
DARK TOWER: THE FALL OF GILEAD #5
DARK TOWER: THE FALL OF GILEAD #5 SANDOVAL VARIANT
DARK TOWER: THE FALL OF GILEAD #5 SKETCH VARIANT
HULK #15
HULK #15 MCGUINNESS VARIANT
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #55
MARVEL DIVAS #3
MARVEL MYSTERY HANDBOOK: 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #5
MS. MARVEL #45 DJURDJEVIC 70TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT (DR)
NEW MUTANTS #5
PUNISHER ANNUAL #1
PUNISHER ANNUAL #1 REST IN PIECES VARIANT
RUNAWAYS #14
SECRET WARRIORS #8
SHANG-CHI: MASTER OF KUNG FU ONE-SHOT
SON OF HULK #15
SPIDER-MAN: THE CLONE SAGA #1
SPIN ANGELS #2
THOR #603
THUNDERBOLTS #136 (DR)
WOLVERINE WEAPON X #5
WOLVERINE WEAPON X #5 PACHECO COVER
X-FACTOR #49
X-FORCE #19
X-MEN FOREVER #8
Collections On Sale:
AVENGERS/INVADERS HC
BLACK PANTHER: THE DEADLIEST OF THE SPECIES PREMIERE HC
DEADPOOL: SUICIDE KINGS HC
OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z VOL. 10 PREMIERE HC
ULTIMATUM PREMIERE HC
ULTIMATUM: REQUIEM PREMIERE HC
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 2 TPB
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 2 TPB VARIANT
WOLVERINE: WEAPON X FILES TPB
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT TPB
*DR = Dark Reign tie-in
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
98331 Gear's Exclusive Female Force: Stephenie Myer Edition
Forks, WA based 98331 GEAR has teamed up with Bluewater Productions to release a special edition of the highly popular Female Force comic book featuring Stephenie Meyer. "We are very excited for this opportunity to work with such talented artists. At 98331 GEAR we pride ourselves on having high quality, unique items for Twilight fans to purchase," said Staci Chastain, one of the owners. "We carry very few of the mass produced merchandise, opting to carry higher-end versions. Our clientele is finicky and we like that about them. This is why we chose to team up with BlueWater Productions when approached. They offered a totally unique cover to a wildly popular comic book."
The comic, written by Ryan Burton (Flying Saucers vs The Earth) examines Meyer’s rise to popularity, her Twilight saga novels, the launching of the successful movie franchise and her future plans. According to Burton, a very recognizable and iconic vampire will serve as the story’s narrator.
The title is being drawn by Dave MacNeil and the 98331 GEAR cover is painted by Matt Bellisle. The first Exclusive cover for another Forks store, DAZZLED BY TWILIGHT, which was done by Azim.
Chastain continues, “We are very excited about our cover, we feel the artist really took our request to be different to heart in designing it. Already we have people asking when the graphic novels will be available for purchase. And for those of you who want to have something just a bit more exclusive we will also be offering a very limited edition foil cover. There will only be 100 of these EVER made so get your hands on them while you can as they most definitely will not last”.
Meyer, Named USA Today's "Author of the Year" in 2008, is the first author of fiction featured in the Female Force series. Female Force offers a broad examination of strong and influential women who are shaping modern history and culture.
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This is a much nicer cover than the standard edition! We're going to run some preview pages from the Female Force: Stephenie Myers issue this week, so stay tuned for that!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
ROMAN POLANSKI WAS NOT CONVICTED OF 'CHILD RAPE'
Because of all the storming and stuff lately, I'm only getting two channels regularly and one of those is ABC. I watched Martin Bashir on Nightline last night - a truly reprehensible human being, if ever one existed - and he defamed director, Roman Polanski, no fewer than a half-dozen times throughout the broadcast, repeatedly insisting Polanski was "convicted of child rape."
Martin Bashir is just the worst sort of human being, but even after the story ran, in which it was specifically stated that Polanski plead guilty to a single count of sexual contact with a minor, Bashir still slandered the celebrated director by continuing to insist he was convicted of child rape. There is no such charge, first of all.
ABC News is still using the phrase, "child rape," at every turn - and for one, very good reason: they are engaging in typical propaganda. See, many (if not most) Americans are fat, lazy, stupid cretins who have likely never heard of Roman Polanski until now, and this is how they hear about him; they will immediately react sanctimoniously to trigger phrases like "child rape."
But ABC News is not merely being sensational with their continued use of the slanderous phrase; they are intentionally obscuring the guilt of the Los Angeles District Attorney, who illegally used his position of authority to harass and stalk a 76-year old man in another country. The LA D.A. illegally used his authority to "pressure" Swiss authorities into waylaying an elderly man who has already served his sentence for this crime. And, even more specifically, the Los Angeles District Attorney is guilty of violating the Double Jeopardy clause, which states that no victim of the American "justice" system can be tried twice for the same crime. This is literally a spin campaign - propaganda no different from that the Nazis used in WWII to put a "happy face" on the Holocaust.
There is no such charge as child rape; this is a propagandistic phrase ABC News created to slander Roman Polanski. And even though more facts have emerged which prove that the Los Angeles District Attorney - by his own admission - is not at all interested in the actual crime which took place, but in forcing an elderly man to answer to him "in L.A.," ABC News continues to mislead the American public by omitting these key facts.
You can stand on a corner in Los Angeles and buy heroin and crack from a transvestite prostitute, turn around (without moving) and pay a gangbanger to shoot and kill said TV prostitute for ripping you off, then take pictures of a politician having sex with the dead transvestite hooker you just had killed, and sell them to a tabloid to pay the gangbanger, and get beaten half to death by cops who "just want to ask you some questions" about your association with said gangbanger. Any corner in LA. In any given hour, Los Angeles experiences a rash of actual, violent, rapes; drive-bys; armed robberies with automatic weapons; kidnappings; and more - it is a city known worldwide for being a wide-open gangland! Yet the Los Angeles District Attorney is spending all of his resources monitoring movie sites to track a 76-year old man's movements so he can force him to come back to L.A. to face charges for a crime that not only happened 30+ years ago, but for which he has already served time!
Also, Martin Bashir is an awful, loathsome toad, who contributed directly to the death of Michael Jackson. Martin Bashir is the one who "betrayed" Jackson (according to Jackson and his family) with that sensational ABC special in which Jackson first said he "shared his bed with little boys." Bashir repeatedly asked Jackson to repeat the phrase and then repeated that phrase himself, ad infinitum, afterward. He rode the infamy that single smear campaign brought him into a hosting job on Nightline - once a semi-respectable news magazine which is now nothing more than sensationalistic tabloid TV.
When you get down to it, Martin Bashir has a very close connection with celebrities who are alleged to participate in pedophilia. While it is obvious from his orcish appearance that Martin Bashir harbors an unhealthy interest in shady, inhuman sexual practices, it is a matter of fact that he delights in reporting on stories involving underage sex.
Factually speaking, Martin Bashir is interested in sex with children.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Image United Prelude in Four Parts
23 September 2009 (Berkeley, CA) - This October IMAGE UNITED begins with a four-part prelude backup-feature, revealing the secret history of the highly anticipated Image Comics founder crossover in SAVAGE DRAGON #153, WITCHBLADE #131, INVINCIBLE #67 and SPAWN #195!
"These backups are not a preview, this is completely original material not collected in the upcoming mini-series," writer Robert Kirkman said. "The IMAGE UNITED PRELUDE will debut Whilce Portacio's new character, FORTRESS, and set up his role front and center in the overall Image Universe. Plus, there's a surprise that's going to shock an awful lot of fans. It'll be your first hint the crossover isn't limited to the seven characters we've seen."
The IMAGE UNITED prelude will be a four-part adventure featuring participants of IMAGE UNITED, illustrated in the unique jam comics style the crossover is already known for. All four chapters come in addition to the full-length features of each issue, starting with SAVAGE DRAGON #153's set up for the upcoming 'Dragon War,' WITCHBLADE #131's all-new status quo, INVINCIBLE #67's conclusion to the Cory Walker illustrated two-parter, and finally SPAWN #195's series farewell to artist Whilce Portacio.
SAVAGE DRAGON #153 (AUG090362), a 32-page, full-color comic book for $3.50, will be in stores October 7th, 2009. WITCHBLADE #131 (AUG090388), a 32-page, full-color comic book for $2.99, will also be in stores October 7th, 2009. INVINCIBLE #67 (AUG090355), a 32-page, full-color comic book for $2.99, will be in stores October 21st, 2009. SPAWN #195 (JUN090393), a 32-page full color comic book for $2.95, will also be in stores October 21st, 2009.
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Pictured above is (obviously) Savage Dragon. We will feature the covers to the other comics in the Prelude series singly. The only reason we didn't do this for SD is because we needed an anchor and it is first in the series. - MD
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Tawny Kitaen's DUI
Former model and Witchboard actress, and Celebrity Rehab alumnus, Tawny Kitaen, was arrested on suspicion of DUI Saturday afternoon. Kitaen was operating a Range Rover in Newport Beach, California when she was stopped by a police officer who thought she might be under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Kitaen's attorney did not return phonecalls from reporters.
Kitaen discussed her alcohol and drug addictions on the first season of VH1's Celebriy Rehab with Dr. Drew, a show much-loved by The Weirding. We wish Tawny Kitaen all the best in her recovery and hope Dr. Drew is already there.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
LA D.A. Harasses Elderly Artist
The Los Angeles District Attorney waylaid celebrated director and elderly artist, Roman Polanski, on his way to receive a lifetime achievement award in Zurich. According to an unclear extradition policy between Switzerland - famously neutral in all regards - and the United States, Polanksi was detained and awaits a formal extradition request from the US. U.S. authorities were made aware of Mr. Polanski's intent to visit the country and set the arrest in motion prior to his arrival.
In 1978, Roman Polanksi was coerced, under duress, into entering a one-sided plea "deal" to serve 42 days in jail. Polanski plead guilty to one charge of "drugging" and "raping" a 13-year old girl - a girl who drank some wine and had consensual sex with him. The judge overseeing the case - in which Polanski was charged with six counts and faced life in prison - reneged on the deal Polanski was tricked into taking. Polanski understandably fled the country, rather than face life in prison at the hands of a dishonest judge. Unfortunately, American judges come in no other form.
Recently, a judge Espinoza admitted misconduct by the previous judge, but insisted Polanski return to the United States to file for a dismissal of the case - and face further judicial misconduct. Polanski is understandably reticent to do so and his lawyer said they would fight the charges in Switzerland, as Polanksi would be immediately arrested as a "fugitive" once he enters America. Even the victim called the court's order for Polanski to appear in court "a cruel joke." In fact, the victim has repeatedly asked for the charges to be dropped, saying the continued coverage continually harms her, her husband, and her children.
But the US "justice" system - and the Los Angeles District Attorney, in particular - isn't having any of that! Especially not in the day and age of To Catch a Predator. The French authorities stated they were "dumbfounded" by the shady, underhanded dealings between Switzerland and America, and are said to be watching the (mis-)handling of this case closely. Mr. Polanski is, after all, not only a renowned and decorated actor and director, but a French (senior!) citizen.
The organizers of the Zurich Film Festival, who were set to honor Mr. Polanski with a Lifetime Achievement Award, were "shocked and dismayed" by America's misbehavior. A special ceremony is being held so all in attendance can show their "solidarity and admiration" for Polanski. Even the British writer who has been accompanying the celebrated director was "taken aback" by America's deplorable disregard for international law.
Roman Polanski maintains a home in Switzerland, which raises pertinent questions as to why he has not been arrested before. However, Swiss police - working in collusion with the Los Angeles District Attorney's office - said a provisional arrest warrant had been issued "this time." American spokespersons claim previous attempts to apprehend Polanski in similar fashion had proven unfruitful.
Without a doubt, the Los Angeles District Attorney is a shining example of all that is wrong with America and why the rest of the world considers us "assholes." Los Angeles is, by the by, largely regarded as the "Asshole of the World," and this guy is its representation. This is nothing more than classless grandstanding which shows the rest of the world what we American citizens have been dealing with since the Bush Administration: District Attorneys whose power-mad and highly illegal shenanigans have gone unchecked for far too long! They are no longer merely a threat to private, American citizens, but all people, worldwide!
The United States justice system has been repeatedly hijacked by District Attorneys who have far too much power in all spheres of the judicial system. Even when these white-collar criminals have been held responsible for their frequent misdeeds, they are shown preferential treatment because their imprisonment would lead to their deaths at the hands of those they have wronged. In short, they have never faced justice.
The Los Angeles District Attorney should be charged in France, and other countries throughout the world, with any charges that can be brought against him, found guilty in absentia, and ostracized in L.A . - where he will hopefully be brought up on charges of official misconduct and sent to jail. Where they will welcome him with open jumpsuits.
Roman Polanski is a world-renowned artist who has brought the world such cinematic treasures as Rosemary's Baby, Fearless Vampire Killers, and Chinatown; the Los Angeles District Attorney's office helped acquit a gaggle of racist cops of beating and torturing Rodney King, then allowed O.J. Simpson to walk on first-degree murder charges. The Los Angeles District Attorney has nothing to offer society, nor the world, and should be exported to France to face charges of misconduct, as he is certain to receive preferential treatment in America. This is a shocking, disgraceful grab at headlines by a mockery of a human being and a worldwide embarrassment to America!
The Roman Polanksi arrest is the perfect example of the abuses and gross misconduct American District Attorneys have been getting away with for years now.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
GK Back in the Saddle
Garrison Keillor is going ahead with the season premiere of A Prairie Home Companion after suffering a mild stroke on Labor Day. As we reported a few weeks back, Keillor drove himself to the hospital and was checked-in with a minor stroke. He said then he had no plans to postpone the season premiere, which is followed by an annual meatloaf supper and street dance, and he did not!
We here to The Weirding wish GK and all the cast of A Prairie Home Companion the very best and hope he chooses common sense over showbusiness adages - the show can't go on without you, Mr. Keillor, so take care of yourself!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Day Late, Dollar Short
This has not been my week, guys. I apologize and all, but what can I say? If you've caught even 10 seconds of the news the last couple weeks, you know everyone down here has been flash flooded and forced to take inches and inches of Nature's rain... um. Anywho, that stuff causes all sorts of problems with my health (as regular readers are well aware) and gets me behind on everything. (Speaking of which, I am finally having the surgery they have been foisting on me for years now and I was trying to avoid at least until I was like 40 or so.)
Spam has also increased by something like 40907878% (estimated) lately. On dial-up, that is a serious fucking problem; I lose about 1-2 hours each day to spam. On a probably related note, I started getting pop-up ads (between pages) of the SCAN YOUR COMPUTER NOW variety - the kind that launch, no matter what you do -and I don't know if it's from the site I was trying to use (Dictionary.com) or something else. It has taken me 30 minutes (23 exactly) to type this post because it keeps dropping letters and putting them in front of the cursor for some reason. I am running AV which takes approximately 3 hours... i.e., I have been working since @8am and am just now publishing my first post.
This is what it is doing for watever reasonand this just started this morning. I decided to type out these setences just to give yousome idea of what I'm dealing with hee.r n h
I know I'm behind, but I'm doing what I can.
So I ay or may not be hre today, butI will be thinking of you. e
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Joe Quesada Guests on Howard 101's "Geek Time" This Saturday
On Saturday, September 26th, from 2:00-4:00pm ET, Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada is the special guest on Sirius XM’s Geek Time. Airing on Howard 101, one of Howard Stern’s two Sirius XM channels, Geek Time is hosted by pop culture addicts Jon Hein and Ralph Cirella, who’ll grill Marvel’s EiC about everything you want to know! There’s some exciting Marvel Motion Comic news—but what is it? What’s next for Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and all your favorite heroes? And just what does Marvel have in store for 2010? Plus, Geek Time takes YOUR calls at 888-Stern-101 throughout the show—don’t’ miss your chance to interact with Joe Quesada this Saturday exclusively on Howard 101!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
This December: God Complex
22 September 2009 (Berkeley, CA) - This December, POWERS and MICE TEMPLAR co-creator Michael Avon Oeming, his SIX collaborator Dan Berman, and newcomer John Brogila reveal our world's true power remains with our ancient gods when one of their own discovers his GOD COMPLEX!
"In GOD COMPLEX, the Greek Pantheon has survived the centuries, transforming themselves from powerful Gods of the sky to influential men and women of the Earth," Oeming said. "Some of them live normal lives, some run big business, and even more are superheroes. It's an extremely complex world and after hundreds of years of life on Earth, not all the gods are happy about it."
GOD COMPLEX' Apollo has hung up his superhero cape and now lives in hiding from his fellow gods as a mortal named Paul. Yet the Pantheon are so eager to get him back in their ranks they'll do whatever it takes to win him back - even against his will! For Paul, life as a mortal has just gotten... complex.
GOD COMPLEX #1, a 32-page full color comic book for $2.99, will be in-stores December, 2 2009.
Ed. Note: I have no idea if this expands the "United Image" universe, nor how it fits-in; that's why they're doing it, of course: to define the United universe. This sounds like an entirely separate universe of the creators' own, though it may one day be annexed onto the United universe. I think the Image Universe is going to be the original creations by the founders, excepting Maxx and W.I.L.D.Cats (which is now Wildstorm and published by DC, I think) - the "first wave" - Pitt, Spawn, Savage Dragon, Deathblow, Union, et.al.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
The Big Two Restructure, Shake-Up in Industry Expected
Hot on the tail of Disney's announcement that they were buying Marvel came Warner Bros.' announcement that they were restructuring DC Comics into DC Entertainment, a new media group with control of all DC properties, to be lead by Diane Nelson, who handled the Harry Potter account for the parent company. Nelson's job remains liaison, but now she liaises directly with Warner Bros Pictures Group president, Jeff Robinov. Rumor has it that Robinov has put all the projects featuring DC Comics properties to sleep, including the Wonder Woman movie.
The announcement also lead to another stunning move: a play for rights to Marvel properties created by Jack Kirby by his estate, whose representation is none other than Marc Toberoff, the lawyer who successfully sued Warner/DC on behalf of Jerry Seigel's estate. Seigel, who co-created the DC Comics' flagship icon, Superman, had sold the rights to the character for $130. Stan Lee, Kirby's co-creator, had already signed a deal to develop properties for Disney, long before the recent deal with Marvel.
There have been some big changes in the industry recently, but none as big as this: the comic book industry is now as mainstream as it gets. The restructuring of DC into Warner Bros. is simple streamlining; DC has been owned by WB for... ever. Marvel floundered for decades, with many of its attempts at movies and TV shows ending poorly, but Marvel's flagship icon, Spider-Man, did for Marvel what WB/DC's Superman did for that company in the 1970s: Marvel was now a major player. The company was restructured into Marvel Studios.
All the Big Two have done is cut-out the middleman, bringing together all the disconnected clusters which have kept Marvel on the brink of bankruptcy for... ever and DC's properties in perpetual holding-pattern. From a business perspective, it is the right thing to do, but the issue of Creators' Rights may steal the show. DC has won raves for its work with creators, though its online projects - like all of its projects outside the comic book medium - stalled repeatedly; Marvel is making strides in online content, but still has a bad track record when it comes to its treatment of creators. DC's appointing Nelson head of the division may indicate its desire to further such creator-friendly deals, which may be even easier now that Disney - also a company with a mixed record of ethics - is Marvel's parent company.
Image continues to add superheroes to its "United" universe and has re-emerged as the bastion of Creators' Rights and creator-owned properties, which may have it squaring-off against DC for talent. Bluewater, a newcomer, has secured rights to many celebrity-created properties, including William Shatner's TekWar, properties created by Roger Corman, and the Leprechaun franchise. Dark Horse also has an established stable of successful crossover properties and, as the third-largest publisher, cannot be discounted.
In one sense, it's a very exciting time, albeit a scary one. Disney is as corporate as it gets - but will it treat talent as chattel? DC now has Harry Potter money, and clout - it may treat Named creators like gods, but will there be any room for newcomers? No matter how things are handled from here on out, a trickle-down effect will hit the industry. Now that they are new media groups headed by major industry players, the Big Two's potential success may bring new vigor to the industry, turning small comics start-ups into major publishers, or burn-out the glut of media companies that have ridden its coattails the past few years.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Political Power: George W. Bush
Former President, George W. Bush, will define his own legacy in his own words as the featured subject of an upcoming issue of Bluewater Productions’ Political Power biography comic series.
Political Power: George W. Bush, scheduled for release in December, recaps the eight years of the Bush administration using excerpts from Bush’s speeches, interviews and public appearances, his autobiography, and other sources.
Considered by many to be among the United States’ most divisive presidents, Bush’s reign in the White House was riddled with controversy from the start. From questions of the legitimacy of his 2000 election, to his inflexible stance on the ‘war on terror,” his administration’s definitions of torture and freedom, responses to domestic crises like Hurricane Katrina and the declining economy, this issue lets Bush's own words frame his story.
“People have strong feelings about Bush. He’s both vilified and hailed,” said Bluewater president, “So we thought the best way to present a fair approach to his story, was to let the man himself tell it. No editorializing. We will let readers draw their own conclusions.”
The issue, written and drawn by Joshua LaBello, examines Bush’s entire life story, but the crux of the issue centers around his years in the presidency.
LaBello added, “This book is not for the supporters of George W. Bush. Nor is it for those critical of him. It is a documentary of Bush’s time in office for the benefit of future generations. I want my children to read this book, see what happened during those two terms, and form their own opinions, for in the words of President George W. Bush, 'history will judge.'"
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Inclimate Weather
This is one of the many Excuse Posts. I apologize, but we are smack-dab in the center of all this flash flooding and rain. I've been trying to catch-up on my reading, as well as do some maintenance and housework, which I've neglected for far too long for many good (and many more not-so-good) reasons, but mostly because of this weather.
Regular readers know I have a "bad neck," what you might not know is that my neck is really, really bad. Your spinal column is surrounded... or your spine surrounds... there are nerves inside or outside your neckbones and backbone and my backbone is pinching-off that nerve. It resulted in my completely losing use of my right hand a few years back (it was completely paralyzed for months) and has continued to wrack me with pain - which is worse when it rains
I am about to have surgery to (hopefully) correct this, and I won't be fully recovered for at least a month or more. I'm trying to get my affairs in order and all before this happens. It's a good two months away, but I have doctors' appointments basically every couple weeks starting this Friday.
I'll be reading a lot in my downtime, as well as working on the site (which will get its big push on Halloween, as scheduled, but will be updated more frequently following that), but everything's going to be a lot slower through at least Christmas, as time is precious. Plus, there's just no way I can schedule things that far in advance - I don't have the content to schedule! I do, however, have some ideas and am working long hours to try and ensure things remain lively even as I'm recuperating.
For now, I'm just "dealing" with the weather, which makes everything more intense.
If anyone is available to guest-blog through the latter part of November and the first two weeks or so in December, please let me know!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Read Uncanny X-Men!
Would you believe I pulled an all-nighter just to try and catch-up with some of my reading? I did. Couple of things, though:
1. I also completely (re-)organized my entire comic book collection.
2. I always end up doing this. If you were to visit, you'd see notes everywhere which say things like, "1 hr.=Weirding, 1 hr.=Reading List," etc. The theory is, if I spend only one hour a day working on each of the many projects I have going, I would advance all of them a little at a time without getting burned-out, and things would actually get done because this would become part of my daily routine, etc. Yeah, it... it never gets done that way. But there are a lot of notes!
Anyway, I got an absolutely monstrous shipment of comics last week which forced me to lug all of the boxes upstairs to file them and figure out what I've got. I sorted boxes by title (X-Men and Daredevil have their own boxes), then by larger affiliation (New Mutants and X-Force in the same box), then by event (I only have a handful of crossover issues from titles not regularly affiliated with the comics I collect [notably, Marvel Mutants]; they are inserted in most logical, chronological order - which I discuss below), and so forth. Some of the relationships are tenuous, but they make sense to me, and I'm the one who needs to know where to find them, so it works. I haven't taken an inventory yet, but that's the next step.
Now, if I could honestly stick to any of the goals I set, I would do either one box per day or put a daily time limit on it and get it done over several days (like the cards posted all over the house suggest) - but I can't stick to any of the goals I set... so I'm literally just going to put an index card outside each box for every title within, inventory them whenever I get around to it, and move the boxes as they are catalogued. Did I mention this is an issue because 11 of my comics boxes are methodically lining the walls of my living room right this minute? That's what prompted me to hurry up and finish filing my collection:
A friend enjoyed a few of those newfangled oat sodas I've heard so much about, and comics from all eras, titles, financial ranges, characters, et.al., were tightly circled in the middle of the floor, around where I'd been sitting - where they have been since last Thursday or Friday - and I had this very specific, mental image of him losing his impaired balance and falling exactly right - so that he managed to completely destroy 4-5 boxes of comics and still severely damage the other six or seven.
I swear to Crom, the boxes were placed so as to not just facilitate such a tragedy, but openly encourage it! It was as though I'd lined them up like Dominoes and placed a short stack of $100+ comics in slippery, mylar bags exactly where you needed to step to get to anything else in the room (since boxes and bagged books blocked all other pathways). And this is the kind of guy who, in his "drunken stupor" really might decide to "just go with it" and make a great, big splash - then jump-up and say "Taa-daa," etc. (Which would be kinda funny in most other situations.)
What? Oh, X-Men!
Yes, I spent the whole night reading last year's run of Uncanny X-Men (#501-513) and while it starts off incredibly shaky, the Dodsons give an impressive short run early-on, allowing for a very smooth hand-off back to Land. While Land's work is exceptional, his over-reliance on stylization results in lackluster sequences, most notable in combat exchanges. It is very clear that he drew many panels from posed photographs. His work on the latter half of the cycle shows improvement in pacing, but a lot of that credit is owed Matt Fraction, who takes over full scripting duties from Ed Brubaker at this same time.
The whole Jack Benny camera-mugging in the low 500s was really creepy, because they were not only breaking the fourth wall, they were inexplicably smiling like that chick at the end of C.L.O.N.U.S.! I mean, WTF was that all about? Anyway, once Fraction and Land take over, even the cutaway bon mots further the story. Fraction does a concise rundown of each character's information the first time s/he enters the book, including the character's current mood. It is startlingly effective, though Fraction uses it mostly to blur the chronology. The Uncanny X-Men reads fast because Fraction's brevity is so precise, and this action in the story compensates for the lack of it in Land's sequences.
I also liked that Uncanny X-Men directly incorporated its Annual into the continuity - as Annuals usually contain stand-alone stories unrelated to the current storylines (in the 80s-90s, this was usually because they tied-in to over-arcing storylines running through several Annuals from different titles); Uncanny X-Men Annual #2 examines the story from Emma Frost's POV, which forms a bridge between the title issues in sequence. It provides the wealth of background detail Fraction's concise and clever captions cannot communicate. You can read the title right through without losing the story, but the Annual provides the depth, elaborating on all the interplay and connecting the storylines.
SPOILERS
And the storylines are completely recycled - several of them have been recycled many times over! I had a foreboding that it would be this way, for some reason. I really hope some of these storylines are being presented so they can be concluded; how many times do they have to face Dark Phoenix? Seen it, done it - four or five times now - did it with her daughter, did it with her son, and did it with the original Dark Phoenix so many times, there's nothing left of her but a lock of hair! THEY KILLED THE WOMAN DOWN TO A TUFT OF HAIR, YET SHE STILL COMES BACK - all Dark and shit. Every few years, every writer. Over it.
The siege on the base was absolutely awe-inspiring! In all my years of reading Uncanny X-Men, I've never once been literally scared by the Baddies! Fraction planned the attack in great detail, and those chicks waltzed right into the team's new digs and put them all in check within a matter of minutes - long enough to accomplish their goal! Of course, the muties just plain wrecked them in the long run, but the X-Men still took a wallop! Great read.
Anyway, I am loving the current incarnation of Uncanny X-Men and strongly recommend it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Marvel Comics Shipping 09-23-09
Your weekly Rundown of Marvel Comics hitting shelves this Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009:
Comics On-Sale:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #602 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #606
ANITA BLAKE, THE LAUGHING CORPSE - NECROMANCER #5
ASTONISHING X-MEN/AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: THE GAUNTLET SKETCHBOOK
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #28
DARK REIGN: MADE MEN ONE-SHOT (MDCU)
DARK REIGN: THE LIST - X-MEN ONE-SHOT
DARK REIGN: THE LIST - X-MEN ONE-SHOT HERO VARIANT
DARK X-MEN: THE CONFESSION ONE-SHOT
DEADPOOL #13 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
ENDER'S SHADOW: COMMAND SCHOOL #1
FANTASTIC FORCE #4
FANTASTIC FOUR #571
FANTASTIC FOUR #571 EAGLESHAM INVISIBLE WOMAN VARIANT
FANTASTIC FOUR #571 SHS VARIANT
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #18
HALO: HELLJUMPER #3
IMMORTAL WEAPONS #3
INCREDIBLE HERCULES #135
INCREDIBLE HERCULES #135 SHS VARIANT
INCREDIBLE HULK #602
INCREDIBLE HULK #602 SHS VARIANT
MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #4
MS. MARVEL #45 (DR)
NEW AVENGERS #57
NEW AVENGERS #57 SHS VARIANT
NOVA #29
RIFTWAR #4
SPIDER-MAN MAGAZINE #8
SPIDER-WOMAN #1 (MDCU)
SPIDER-WOMAN #1 ROSS COVER (MDCU)
ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
UNCANNY X-MEN #514 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
UNCANNY X-MEN #515
WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS #19
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #40
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #40 BIANCHI VARIANT
WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN GIANT-SIZE #1
WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN GIANT-SIZE #1 MCGUINNESS VARIANT
WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN GIANT-SIZE #1 RIVERA VARIANT
Collections On Sale:
ASTONISHING X-MEN BY JOSS WHEDON & JOHN CASSADAY OMNIBUS HC
FANTASTIC FOUR: THE MASTER OF DOOM PREMIERE HC
GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC CLASSIC COVER (DM ONLY)
GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC JELENA KEVIC DJURDJEVIC COVER
INCREDIBLE HERCULES: DARK REIGN PREMIERE HC
MARVEL ADVENTURES THOR AND THE AVENGERS DIGEST
MARVEL APES: THE EVOLUTION STARTS HERE TPB
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOL. 6 HC
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOL. 6 HC VARIANT
PET AVENGERS CLASSIC TPB
SAVAGE SHE-HULK TPB
THOR BY DAN JURGENS & JOHN ROMITA JR. VOL. 1 TPB
X-MEN ORIGINS HC
*DR = Dark Reign tie-in
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Comics Day
It may seem to some that everyday is Comics Day around here, but it really isn't. In fact, things have been so out-of-wack on just everything, from every angle, this year that I haven't had a Comics Day. But I got a huge shipment of back issues and stuff in last week and I literally had to pull my entire collection (excepting the "sell" boxes) in order to figure out what I have, what I need, if anything's missing, etc., and they're all setting in the floor.
I messed with this off and on all weekend, but I'm still nowhere near finished, so I'm going to do that. I'm also going to pull several titles and actually read them... I was trying to grab first issues and collectibles (which is good), as well as some of the crossovers (whenever characters I collect appear in other comics, et.al.), and still get my regular series. Needless to say, it's very easy to get in over your head this way and I honestly haven't been reading half of what I was buying. I'm going to sit down and read some of this stuff, then decide on my purchases the way informed consumers do.
I'll post more today - may even review a few titles - and will be around.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Google Set to Infringe, Yet Again
I had to stop by briefly to let y'all know I am closely following the Google book deal and will be examining it in more detail over to The Cyberculturalist. I was all for the idea at first - the free exchange of information and all - but Google has literally... their attitude is that of a sneaker pimp's! Time and again, large companies have specifically asked them, "What about Point 1? How about question B?" and, time and again, Google has come up with a slick dodge instead of a solid answer.
Now the DOJ is in it, claiming Google could assume rights to works whose copyright holders are unknown or hard to find. I don't know how they could do that, because those terms generally mean the work is now in the public domain, regardless of when it was last published. It's stuff like this that have me scratching my head and biting my tongue. Tho jutht thit thtill... Thorry.
Ahem: Sorry.
So just sit still while I sift through it all, because there's no way in Hell I want Google claiming ownership of any works produced by anyone outside of Google. Furthermore, Google employees and the company itself should be working on nothing but search and search-related matters, because Google is a search engine.
This hulking monopoly is laying claim to every, single piece of information known to Man. That's so not being "melodramatic." If the DOJ is correct in their allegation, then we're going to have to stop Google, period.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Lose the Ugly!
LG is running a contest everyone over 18 should enter:
Lose the Ugly runs from September 11th through November 6th. At that time, five lucky winner will receive the new LG Bliss phone, while 50 second-place winners will receive a $50 gift card to buy whatever they want!! Again, you must be 18 to enter.
The rules are incredibly simple: send in a picture or video of whatever you consider ugly and want to lose. The Gallery of the Utterly Ugly will showcase all the Ugly you and other contestants post. to the LG Bliss Facebook Fan Page. Only one entrant per Facebook account (and I wouldn't try to cheat - Facebook is known to delete fake accounts). What image(s) you choose to include is up to you, but nothing violent, pornographic, nor anything similar will be accepted. Again, this is a legitimate contest and Common Sense Rules apply (use your inside voices!).
Do something creative - something clever, but not too obvious. You can enter pictures and video of hideous clothes, like that sweater your aunt made you for Christmas, or that Walkman in your garage. Photos of people are not allowed - no matter how ugly they may be.
The LG Bliss is a cutting-edge phone that only five people will win, but 50 lucky folks will get a $50 gift card to use anywhere! You really have nothing to lose by entering the LG Bliss Lose the Ugly contest on Facebook. So what are you doing, still reading this!? Head on over there and get to posting some of that Ugly you need to lose! You can also check the sidebar for more information.
Aaaarrr! 'Tis Talk Like a Pirate Day
Batten down ye'r hatches, maties! 'Tis "International Talk Like a Pirate Day!" No matter whar ye are, ye should be talkin' like a pirate all the day long. If ye can't keep it going, ye'll be keelhauled and marooned. Arr!
That is all.
(Arr.)
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Pearl Forrester is Coming to Bluewater!
Pehl, best known as a writer and character Pearl Forrester from the cult show Mystery Science Theater 3000, is penning an original limited series comic entitled Jailbait.
Written as a tongue-in-cheek B-movie serial, Jailbait follows the adventures of an all-female undercover organization looking to hunt down predatory perverts by any means necessary and prevent children from becoming targets. It has been described as To Catch a Predator meets Charlie's Angels meets Ed Wood’s The Violent Years.
“The story may be firmly rooted in satire and Mary Jo’s unique humor will be keep you laughing, but it has a serious message about keeping kids safe from predators, both online and off-,” said Bluewater president and title creator Darren G. Davis. “In each issue, we will provide information on important resources parents and children need to know; phone numbers of organizations and law enforcement.”
Slated for a first-quarter 2010 release, this four-issue mini-series pairs Pehl with artist Alejandro Figueroa (Watchmen spoof Whatmen?) and cover artist Azim Akberal.
“There’s a great story there to be told, and I hope to do it with honesty, accuracy and humor, and well-rounded characterizations.” Said Pehl, who is currently a writer/producer for the direct-to-DVD comedy series, Cinematic Titanic, which takes on bad movies in the same spirit as MST3K.
Pehl has also written for numerous magazines and newspapers, and has appeared in several anthologies, including Life's A Stitch: The Best of Contemporary Women's Humor, and Travelers' Tales: The Thong Also Rises. In addition, her commentaries have aired on NPR's All Things Considered and Weekend America.
And yes, in case it has been nagging you for 4 years, her name was the answer to 2 across in the April 18, 2005 issue of the TV Guide crossword puzzle.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Stuck in a Rut? - Nostalgia in RPG
I'm a big Gnome Stew reader (well, I read it as much as I get to read anything online these days) and quite often, a topic is broached or a comment is made which I wish to discuss. This time, it was the latter. Usually, I reply directly, but on this particular occasion, I felt my response was too lengthy and... "ranty," so I wanted to explore it here:
There are two things which prompted this post:
As for the first part, I decided I would finally go ahead and setup a small music studio in my home, now that I have the room. This is, of course, easier said than done, but it's not like I think I live in Paisley Park or anything; I just need some mics, egg crates for the walls, musical instruments, and computers. I have all these things.
Anyway, the reason I'm doing this is because I grew-up playing music and I miss it just... just too much. The problem is that I haven't actively played in over five years and I haven't really tried to write anything in longer than that! Plus, now that I'm several hours away from Memphis, I don't know any local musicians and the ones I once knew are either too old (you know, have families, jobs, et.al. which preclude their playing) or too busy with their own projects to work with me. So, I decided to do it all on my own (not the first time I've done this, as the website attests).
I knew on the front-end that it was going to be a lot of hard work. Did I mention I don't play the guitar? Technically, I can "play" it, but it's a terrible thing to behold, and while I'm not too worried about "selling" anything, I'd rather I didn't become a complete laughingstock! (I know, too late...) Anyway, the idea is not original: I figure I can create songs through a series of samples and loops, and an over-reliance on percussion. So, I'll create some basic musicscapes of loops and rhythms, then add... just whatever - noises, screams, quips, etc. - anything which furthers or further establishes the music, then lay drum tracks behind all of this. For animators, think background to foreground - only, in reverse (the "musicscape" becomes the backing because almost everything is percussion, so the drum tracks become the "foreground," whereas, were I merely the drummer of a traditional band, the drums and bass are the background). If this sounds confusing, just think old Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Mindless Self Indulgence, Ministry, et.al. - that kind of thing. Like I said, it's not original; it's been done half to death, in fact, by many artists whose abilities simply awe me.
The problem is, I've never done anything even remotely like this! I grew-up playing in bands and that's where I shine. I'm doing the best I can here, and am enjoying it, but I have had a lot of bouts of "Maybe I'm just not creative enough to do this." Maybe I can't grasp this rather radical approach to, or form of, music; maybe I can't train myself to think this way; maybe this is all just a big mistake - a waste of my time and... just a really bad idea?
There are only two options here:
1. Stop the project
2. Shut up and get on with it.
Luckily, when it comes to RPG, #2 is always the right answer! I have a reputation to uphold when it comes to music; a lot of people expect a whole lot from me, musically, and I have a solid track record in the field. If I fuck this up, any musical "career" or goals are, at 35 years old, just over and done with; in a very real sense, this is my one shot at a "comeback" (even though I do underground music and am not famous, nor do I wish to be - just go with me here, okay?). That's just not the case in roleplaying.
A more direct analogy is the RPG stuff I publish here: no matter how good or bad it is, every time I publish something, I run the risk of making myself look like a jackass. This is true in both music (especially the music I do) and RPG because of the rabidly dedicated, as well as the just plain rabid, fanbases. But these are also very public forms and forums, and anytime you do anything in a public forum, you run the risk of embarrassing yourself. Also, we artists - writers, musicians, visual artists, whatever - sometimes become so enamored with a project or piece that we don't recognize its weaknesses, or that it is simply not... good.
In RPG, you may run a shoddy campaign or two, and you're certain to run many forgettable ones, but the handful of gems you're just as certain to have will always be the ones for which you are remembered. Because RPG is a hobby, not a performance art (I know, some players should learn that - but I digress...), and most participants enjoy gaming, plain and simple - they think of it like sex: even when it's really bad... it's pretty good.
As for nostalgia, that one's a lot shorter (thankfully): the late 1980s to early '90s were the hobby's heyday. That's as direct as can be. I believe there is a tinge of nostalgia there, but in reality, most of the best games, just plain ever, were published during that time. Since then, the industry burned itself out (by burning all of us with floods of shite product) and has gone back underground, where it began. Unfortunately, there have been no great games published since then; in general, if you want to play a great game, you're almost certain to reach for one published during this era.
I recently learned that, in D&D 4e, the players make lists of magical items and artifacts they want to get and the DM is required to "work them" into the campaign - and with a quickness! That's just downright antithetical to the form; that is - purely, plainly, and simply - the "dumbing-down" of RPG; that is an unabashed and pathetic cry for attention (read: sales) in the age of WoW.
Is it nostalgic that this makes me sad?
Probably, but the more important point is that RPG systems are no longer linearly demarcated; many "classic" games have been given remakes in recent years, and the major changes were to the system. In general, these changes were made to make the game more "accessible" to... fucking twits from the Web! Online people - chatroom "gamers" and virtual MMORPGers (or whatever the acronym is) - not actual tabletop gamers, like me. In this fashion, D&D 4e is no longer the "logical extension" of the previous versions - it's a completely different game!
Formerly, when a game got a new edition, it meant some of the system kinks had been ironed-out and new "official" rules for handling the situation(s) were available, certain areas had been expanded, and so on. Nowadays, it means the game has been "streamlined" for "faster and easier playing action" and so forth and so on, ad nauseam. What all of that really means is that the game has been cast aside and reworked into a unit ("product") meant to appeal to "The Internet Generation." And the Internet Generation is not going to play it because it's nothing more than a rip-off of the MMORPG they normally play.
I know I'm the one who called for an end to the community's secularity, and persnickety Nerdery, and so forth - but I don't mean we should just sell the fuck out! RPG is a distinct, unique, hobby - a particular form of gaming that shouldn't be abbreviated or adjuncted to any other form. And there is more than enough material out there on literally every, single aspect of RPG that can be used to inject as much "originality" into your game as your troupe can stand.
It's one thing to pick-up an old campaign, and it's certainly acceptable to "adopt" certain aspects of another game or campaign, but I advise against "cloning" or imitating anything. And I'll leave you with a very pointed, personal experience I had at a con, lo, so many years ago:
This cat was GM-ing a pick-up Shadowrun session in our room. Fellow con-goers understand: they had no place to crash, we had a room, so we wound up playing Shadowrun even though most of us didn't care for it. All told, it was actually a very fun and memorable game, but there was one, single episode which nearly ruined it all for me:
The GM blatantly ripped-off a very popular and well-established (now) sci-fi movie: he literally "cloned" an obstacle from a motion picture every gamer ever has seen at least 40 times and we were all wracking our brains, trying to figure out "the twist" he'd put on this particular concept... except there was none! The other guy in our room - one of this GM's regular players - stated that his character did exactly what the character in the movie does - and breezed through the obstacle in no time, flat. And it was cheap. And I'm not certain whether those guys had just recently seen the flick in question or it was a ploy to make us feel kinda stupid, but either way, it sucked.
Nothing "cloned" is worth a shit - q.v., Star Wars.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Rehab on Tuesdays
The word "Rehab" has been a feature on the pop-culture landscape the last several years - what with so many celebrities needing it. So it's only fitting that the cynical Sin City have a party called "Rehab" at - of all places - the Hard Rock Cafe. And it's only fitting that it should be the focus of a show on the new TruTV!
truTV's Rehab is not your usual reality show - in fact, TruTV likes to set themselves apart by saying their line-up is "Actuality, not 'Reality'" - and their shows certainly live-up to that. Rehab is not at all your typical reality show; while a lot of party footage takes center stage, the show is more about the staff, how they handle party-goers (especially the big-spenders) and ensure a party atmosphere while maintaining control. With the economy and a flurry of competitive pool parties cropping-up all around them, the Rehab cast (which includes several new staffers, still learning the ropes) has a lot on their collective plate this season.
Personally, I could never party on camera. I'm just being honest. I'm not a puker or anything, I'm just a bit unpredictable when I drink and I would hate for that to be caught on tape! In fact, Rehab is sometimes too real for me; I "see myself" in too many revelers who make party fouls and become the focus of the episode, whether or not they meant to... and/or meant to do whatever it was that got them there. Frankly, seeing people do stupid things on Rehab all too often reminds me of just how embarrassed I would be had more of my drunken moments been caught on tape.
And, by the by, it would take a lot of drinks to convince me to get in the pool at a pool party... just saying.
Hero Up This Saturday Morning!
The Final Days of Forgetless
16 September 2009 (Berkeley, CA) - This December Image Comics presents the last night of New York's most dangerous night club, FORGETLESS, courtesy of writer Nick Spencer and artists W. Scott Forbes, Marley Zarcone & Jorge Coehlo.
"FORGETLESS is akin to Rashomon in a night club, just with a lot more bullets," Spencer said. "In a way, FORGETLESS may be the first action-thriller perfect for fans of the films Go! and Igby Goes Down, especially with how Scott, Marley & Jorge's styles each combine different aspects of indie and blockbuster action comics. FORGETLESS will certainly be a night to remember."
In FORGETLESS Sonia and Sara, two struggling models turned professional killers, want to make sure their favorite night club goes out with a bang. The club's final night features differing perspectives at the pen of Forbes, Zarcone & Coehlo, revealing there's much more going on than anyone could ever expect.
Image Comics Vice-President Jim Valentino added, "Having worked with Nick on his EXISTENCE 2.0 and upcoming 3.0 series, I was very interested in seeing what he came up with next. Considering this combined with his extremely impressive roster of artists has me highly looking forward to what FORGETLESS has to offer."
FORGETLESS #1 (of 5), a 32-page full color comic book for $3.50, will be in stores December 9th, 2009.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Agenda
Hey guys, give me a few here and I'll start posting. It's going to be this way until at least Halloween. The Weirding is a really small site right now, but anyone who remember us from the GeoCities days knows we have... just a buttload of content, it's just never been formatted well.
I'm a collector - of comic books, roleplaying games, search engines - and I'm sure you know what I mean by that. I'm also a bit of a "perfectionist" when it comes to communications - and that's why I never did more musically, haven't done more artistically, and on down the line; far too often, I've been unable to do what I want to do, and instead of putting out a product that "has promise" or whatever, I've just sat on it. And then had backpacks stolen, lost stuff during any of my 23490u494 moves, and et.al.
Anyway, for going on four years now, The Weirding has managed to roll-out new material on Halloween and this year will be no different in that regard. However, this year, I'm rolling-out a lot - I mean a whole lot - of content just all over the boards, from Champions to Chill to Dark Conspiracy, and I might even get some Cyberpunk in while I'm at it! The artwork, little of which is actually ready for Web presentation at this point, will most likely not be added on this run, largely because I don't have access to the programs I use (because they don't run on Win98), and because they simply take too much time; I wouldn't make deadline if I included the artwork. But that's not true across the boards; some content will include artwork.
I'm just tired of making excuses for not having more of this up, I need to be focused on promoting the site and all that instead of constantly producing new material y'all have yet to even see, and a lot of this stuff just needs to be (re-)formatted to go live. I know that some of you can appreciate just how much work I put into everything here and you'll understand.
Anyway, there's plenty of stuff to talk about, I'm just pressed for time right this minute. If you're eager to check things out, I invite you to start in the Champions department. There's still a lot of content I've yet to get posted, and I have some bang-up art for this particular department, but I think I've gotten the navigation more together, that everything works (more or less), and that the Champions area gives you some idea of what you can expect.
I realize a lot of pages and areas look amateurish - that's because I'm an amateur - and I welcome your comments, suggestions, and criticisms, but I have a good idea which pages/areas need work and I'm on it. I'd just rather go ahead and post amateurish work than more excuses.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Marvel Comics Shipping 09-16-09
Here it is, guys - your weekly Rundown of Marvel Comics shipping this Wednesday, September 16th, 2009:
Comics On-Sale:
AGENTS OF ATLAS #11
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #601 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #605
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS: ANTI-VENOM - NEW WAYS TO LIVE #1
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #3 WRAPAROUND COVER
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #3 CASSADAY VARIANT
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #3 YU VARIANT
DARK AVENGERS #9
DARK REIGN: THE LIST - DAREDEVIL ONE-SHOT
DARK REIGN: THE LIST - DAREDEVIL ONE-SHOT HERO VARIANT
DARK WOLVERINE #78
DARK WOLVERINE #78 YOUNG GUN VARIANT
DEADPOOL #12 2ND PRINTING VARIANT (DR)
DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #2 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #3
DOMINIC FORTUNE #2
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #18 (DR)
M.O.D.O.K: REIGN DELAY ONE-SHOT (MDCU)
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN
MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #3
MIGHTY AVENGERS #29
PUNISHER #9
PUNISHER #9 REST IN PIECES VARIANT
PUNISHER NOIR #2
PUNISHER NOIR #2 CALERO VARIANT
THOR ANNUAL #1
ULTIMATE COMICS ARMOR WARS #1
ULTIMATE COMICS ARMOR WARS #1 KURTH VARIANT
ULTIMATE COMICS ARMOR WARS #1 SPECIAL VARIANT
UNCANNY X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #3
VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1
VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1 ROSS COVER
VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1 FINCH VARIANT
VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1 YU SKETCH VARIANT
WAR MACHINE #9
WAR MACHINE #9 70TH FRAME VARIANT
X-FACTOR #48
X-MEN LEGACY ANNUAL #1
Collections On-Sale:
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE MAN WITH NO FACE TPB
DEADPOOL VOL. 2: DARK REIGN PREMIERE HC
HAUNT OF HORROR TPB
HERCULES: PRINCE OF POWER PREMIERE HC
HERCULES: PRINCE OF POWER PREMIERE HC (DM ONLY)
HULK: PLANET SKAAR HC
HULK: SKAAR - SON OF HULK TPB
SECRET WARRIORS VOL. 1: NICK FURY, AGENT OF NOTHING PREMIERE HC
THOR: BALDER THE BRAVE PREMIERE HC
THOR: BALDER THE BRAVE PREMIERE HC (DM ONLY)
Posters On-Sale:
THE TORCH BY ALEX ROSS POSTER
*DR = Dark Reign tie-in
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
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