Comicon 2009

Even though I spent a lot of time working (on scripts) at the show, I did venture out into the throng a few times, and a good time was had by all. The Heroes carnival, which happened to be directly across the street from my hotel, was fun and almost always jammed with kids (and parents)... it felt like a small measure of "innocence" in an otherwise sexed up media world.

Since all days of the show were sold out long in advance, there really weren't any "better" or "worse" times to browse... though I will say 9:00AM Friday was amazing. The halls were virtually empty that early and I was able to see a few of the monster booths sans the massive crush.

However, I was turned away from the Sunday Smallville panel because it had filled up immediately and I couldn't locate any (ahem) bigshots to sneak me in. Even the "but I worked on the first three seasons" card didn't work. How soon they forget... oh well. In an amusing coincidence, I was going out to dinner with friends when I got a message from my pal Kelly Souders at Sville inviting me to dinner with their cast and crew. As it turns out, my dinner and theirs were at the same restaurant (!) so two birds and all that...

As usual there have been some postmortem evaluations moaning about the crowds, deriding the "geeks" and all the rest. I guess people have to write about something, but if you don't like that, why go? It's not like any of the news that erupts from the convention doesn't make it on-line instantaneously anyway. And it's not like you haven't been warned that the show is crowded.

The Heroes panel was well attended and the roars from the crowd much appreciated. I've just resumed my part-time consulting duties (the rest of the staff is well into the season) and as usual I am impressed by what's come before and hope to help out with what's coming after...

Ultimately, my only complaints about Comicon this year are that the hotel was pretty darn expensive, and the traffic getting out of town Sunday night was insane. But I knew all THAT going in too, so what the hey...

Harvey Frand

Very sad news... Harvey Frand, the line producer for Battlestar Galactica, passed away yesterday. Harvey kept the production train on the tracks and was hugely responsible for physically making the show. He was also a gentleman, and a gentle man... truly one of a kind. He will be missed.

Basil Wolverton

There's a great article in today's (7/23) New York Times about the wonderful artist Basil Wolverton, whose inspired, lunatic illustrations certainly impacted a young "me" back in the day. There is a gallery show in NYC of Wolverton's drawings and if I had the time I would consider a trip just to take them in.

In a side note, I was lucky enough "as a youth" to actually chat with Mr. Wolverton. He lived in Vancouver Washington, just across the Columbia River from my hometown of Portland, and a relative had met him and mentioned my fascination with all things comics. Imagine my delight when I got a call from Wolverton one evening (this must have been around 1970), where we discussed his art and, as I recall, the details of various wrestlers working the Portland circuit back in the day.

There are several elegant collections of Wolverton's work available, including his truly frightening and apocalyptic Bible series, and they're all worth checking out. Fantagraphics.com is a great place to start. Me, I'm hoping that Marvel eventually gives the deluxe hardcover treatment to Powerhouse Pepper, Wolverton's short-lived (five issues) comic book series from the 1940's.

Bear and BSG In San Diego

For those brave enough to risk the congestion of ComicCon, remember to check out the three, count 'em, three Battlestar concerts taking place at the San Diego House Of Blues, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday night's show is being hosted by Edward James Olmos, Friday is Eddie + Grace Park, and Saturday will be Grace's turn. If you enjoyed BSG's music, you will love this concert!

Updates...

Nothing much to update, I've been in head-down, finish some scripts mode for quite some time now, and that's not going to change anytime soon. I'm guessing there will be news on at least one of the feature projects soon, but until it's officially unleashed, I still can't talk. To quote Plan 9 From Outer Space, "I'm muzzled by Army brass!!" Actually, I'm not, but you get the picture.

But on other fronts, I am told that the fine program Heroes will be doing a presentation at this year's San Diego Con, and with any luck I'll be sitting in the crowd with friends and fans enjoying the festivities. The convention is always a fun, though my time there will be circumvented by the realities of the workaday world. (Not complaining, just explaining...) But definitely come by the Heroes adventure if you get a chance...

Sanford/Baltar...

The seductive powers of the Cylon are awesome indeed...

http://crooksandliars.com/bluegal/open-thread-199

What's New...

I'm still in hunker-down writing mode, but I occasionally come up for air (like a mole peeking out of his hole) and here's what I've dragged back to my undisclosed location recently...

NEW SPINAL TAP... "Back From The Dead." For reasons only the great ones understand, the Spinal Tap folks have re-recorded their first album with some new (and some familiar) arrangements, tossed in a couple of jazz improvs and a few new tracks, and sent it out in a cool CD jacket with pop-up dolls of the band. I like it, but I'm not tossing the original CD out. Of course I don't toss ANYTHING out...

NEW (old) REM... "Reckoning." Their second album has been given the ultra-deluxe edition treatment, which basically means a live show circa the era has been included. Being an old geez, I like their old stuff more than their new stuff so this is welcome...

NEW (old) FRIDAY THE 13th PART III in 3-D. Just out on Blu-Ray, it's not exactly classic cinema (in fact it's probably one of the least interesting Fridays, and we're not talking about a high bar in the first place), but the 3-D actually seems to work, more or less, on a larger screen.

NEW (old) DR. STRANGELOVE on Blu-Ray. Brilliant movie, and this is an exquisite transfer. I love wide-screen black and white. General Ripper's glint never looked more demonic...

Ketchup...

It's been awhile since my last post... times flies when you're working like a madman! There have been some cool developments on the "active project" front but until it's all official, "move along, nothing to see here."

What else?

- Everyone should watch VIRTUALITY, the sci-fi series pilot by Ron Moore and Michael Taylor. It's on Fox FRIDAY NIGHT, June 26, and though I haven't seen it yet, given the pedigree I'm betting it's pretty darn good.

- San Diego Con is almost upon us (already), and barring disaster I hope to walk the halls again. I haven't missed a show since 1983, which is a little scary. At this point I'm not doing anything "official," but if that changes I'll post it. Otherwise I'll just be enjoying sunny San Diego and an insanely crowded convention center. Incidentally, if you haven't already picked up tickets, you may be out of luck... the entire show sold out a few weeks ago. However, I read an interview with one of the convention coordinators who said tickets sometimes become available closer to the show as folks/businesses cancel, plans change, etc.

Battlestar UNDER The Stars...

I don't get out much these days, but this I refuse to miss. Battlestar composer Bear McCreary's bringing an orchestra to perform music from the series in a lovely outdoor venue, and the best part in these economically dicey times? It's free!

7:00 PM, Saturday night, June 13, in downtown Los Angeles. Details below:

http://www.grandperformances.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/season_schedule.show_detail/s_id/312

Ash Saves Obama...

I'm guessing that when Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell collectively created the Evil Dead series and the character of Ash, not even their devious minds could have foreseen this:

http://www.dynamiteentertainment.com/htmlfiles/p-C725130125354.html

MGM HD

I've been checking out the programming on the MGM HD channel recently, intrigued by the eclectic selection. I find myself really enjoying black and white films in high def (Casablanca on Blu-Ray is amazing). I am constantly amazed at the level of detail that was captured on film, but never really savored until now because of the degradation involved in transfers, television broadcast signals, etc. Even movies like Revenge of the Zombies (John Carradine!) or Curse Of The Faceless Man are visual treats. You can see nicks and scratches on the cheap props, the bad make-up, scratches on the vintage cars... just an incredible amount of detail.

MGM HD also has a show called "From The Vaults" that basically cobbles together interviews and "making of's" from DVD releases and voila,, 1/2 hour show. These are fun too, still they distill what can often be many hours of supplemental material into a brief, easily digestible chunk. And the rest of the stuff is still available on the DVDs if one is inclined to dig deeper.

But the fact that Curse Of The Faceless Man is available in high def pleases me no end.

Hitler Goes To Springsteen...

First he was upset because Battlestar was ending, now he's confronted by the challenge of getting good tickets to the Boss. What's a murderous dictator to do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGJpu5AiYoE

Mega Shark V.S. Giant Octopus

You know, I've long felt that movie titles have been getting too oblique. "No Country for Old Men", "There Will Be Blood", I mean, that's all very nice but you're not selling the sizzle, gents.

No such problem with Mega Shark V.S. Giant Octopus, a straight to DVD release from the fine folks at Asylum Pictures. I guess this might constitute a spoiler, but there is a mega shark AND a giant octopus in this movie.

Unfortunately, there's not a LOT of them. However, there are many scenes of stars Deborah Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas sitting in various submarine looking contraptions looking for/studying/tracking and discussing mega sharks and giant octopuses. And there are two, count 'em, two sequences involving different Naval Captains making lamentably poor command decisions regarding the creatures. If there's a Navy Captain Professional Organization (you know, their La Raza), they might want to lodge a protest. Because according to this movie, military procedure is to fire a few shots at marauding mega-sharks, declare without any proof that the thing is "dead," then get shaky and fearful when it isn't. Not exactly inspiring, especially when it happens twice. And talk about career ending. A mega-shark bites your aircraft carrier in two, I'm guessing that call to join the Joint Chiefs may never come...

Finally, mega-sharks are clearly not very bright, because they like to attack and eat jumbo jets (in flight!), oil platforms, aircraft carriers and the Golden Gate bridge. I am dubious of the nutritional value in any of these "kills," though this dietary faux-pas may explain why the species eventually went extinct...

Mark, CNN, Battlestar, Optimism?!

Check the link for a nice little CNN piece on how science fiction deals with technology. Yours truly offers a few comments on BSG's take on tech and "etc."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/05/29/jetpack/index.html

(thanx for Jake for the tip!)

Dinotopia, Light, Concrete, Battlestar...

James Gurney, creator of Dinotopia and former next-door neighbor, has put up a photo of the "crest" from my first apartment complex after moving to Los Angeles. "The Golden Palms." I wish I could say this had me waxing nostalgic, but truth be told, that place was a real dump. And moving out was one of the sweeter moments of my L.A. sojourn... in the hour it took to load up the rental truck, we were "decorated" by a tagger!

Other memories include catching a tenant selling guns out of the trunk of his car, the night a biker gang decided to party in the courtyard, death threats against a very good friend after he caught a gang member stealing a barbecue (!), and several blood-soaked evenings when "things got out of hand" between assorted tenants. I remember fondly the night I walked up the driveway past puddles of blood to find a drunken tenant being restrained by ambulance attendants... he had severed a vein after punching through his ex-wife's front window. Ahh, memories...

http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/05/gp-golden-palms.html

Criminal Neglect...

I was getting pretty good at this blogging thing, but the real world went and smacked me with a ton of work and suddenly blogging is down with "re-grouting the bathroom fixtures" on my daily to-do list. How does a week go by without a single entry? One answer: "easy." When I finally come up for air, I may need a couple sessions with IN TREATMENT'S "Dr. Paul" to straighten myself out.

Speaking of which, I have indeed recently discovered the HBO series IN TREATMENT and find it quite compelling. There's something dreamy and soothing about a show that is essentially all talk. I find myself drifting off at night to emotional tumult about the past, father issues, struggles with cancer and aging... but the tone of the show is so congenial, it's like listening to muzak versions of the Dead Kennedys. This is not a put down, by the way... I think the writing and acting is all top notch. I just find it perversely relaxing...

Oh well. Once I finish the "major project" currently on my plate, hopefully I can get back into the groove of things...

Earthquake!

So there we were, enjoying a lovely Sunday dinner and "silent auction" in support of Homeless Healthcare for Los Angeles, when another rumbler hit. Seems like all I have to do is leave my bunker and the heavens decide to unleash (last time there was a quake, I was trying to watch Gran Torino at a local theater!). Since we were outside in a garden setting surrounded by high rise office buildings, someone wondered if we should duck under our plastic banquet tables. If the quake started taking down fifty story buildings, it seemed unlikely that the tables would offer much protection...

Perhaps most intriguingly, the speakers didn't even feel the shaker and just kept going... a few more Manhattans and I might have been in the same boat!

City Hall...

I hope Springsteen covers "I Fought The Law" again, because hey baby, it fits! Long time readers of this blog will remember my outrage over a traffic ticket I received for illegally using my cell phone... except I wasn't illegally using it, I had an earpiece in, and the cop refused to acknowledge it. Before you could say "ATTICA, ATTICA", I determined to fight this to my last breath. Or, in this case, with a brief written statement challenging the ticket...

Long story short... actually, it's a short story already... I won! There was no explanation offered (or copious apology from the miscreant police officer), but evidently my terse explanation was enough to warm the heart of the Judicial Officer.

And now, the joy of breathing FREE AIR once more...

I Wanna Be Springsteen-adated...

Many fans are suggesting the current Springsteen tour is one of the best runs ever, and I've gotta agree. There's a crazy, anything goes spirit to the shows, totally infectious and uplifting and all that good rock and roll stuff.

Most fun (for me), Springsteen has been doing a lot of wild cover songs in a "stump the band" segment. Some really cool, never before played tunes. For a taste, check out Springsteen's official site. Right now, they've got a frustratingly edited video of the band doing "Expressway To Your Heart," but you never know what's coming next. Other covers this tour included the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated", the Clash's "London Calling", the Troggs' "Wild Thing", Johnny Rivers' "Seventh Son", "Hang on Sloopy" (!) -- the hits just coming!

The videos don't stay up for long, so you need to check back to the site fairly frequently for a full dose of Springsteen-iana. Clearly they are recording every show from the tour, so here's hoping there's another official "live record" to commemorate this stand...

http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html

New Smithereens - TOMMY Can You Hear Me?

The great band The Smithereens have been releasing new CDs at a remarkable clip the last couple of years, and this latest is another stellar effort. After issuing two CDs of Beatles covers (as well as lead singer Pat DiNizio's tribute to Buddy Holly earlier this year), the Smithereens have tackled The Who is fine form. The new CD won't take the place of the original "Tommy", but it's a worthy adjunct. And a fantastic piece of work from drummer Dennis Diken, who does some amazing stuff here.

Oh, and there's a really cool cover by artist Bill Stout...

I understand the boys are working on an original CD for release this Fall, but until then, this will do...