BATTLESTAR IS NUMBER 12!!

Apparently a bunch o' TV critics got together and picked their favorite shows from Jan to June 2007. BATTLESTAR came in #12, tied with those wacky kids at ENTOURAGE. We're actually in some pretty esteemed company...

Go to...

http://tvweek.com/news/

...and look for the 2007 Best Critics Poll!

New Release: ALIENS OMNIBUS

Long before I was involved with BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, SMALLVILLE or PERVERSIONS OF SCIENCE (look it up on the IMBD.com database), I wrote a bunch of comics spinning off from the second, James Cameron ALIENS movie. Dark Horse Comics has just reissued all 14 issues of the three mini-series I did, along with the very first short story from DARK HORSE PRESENTS, in a nice, full color collection called ALIENS OMNIBUS. These were some of the most successful comics I ever wrote, with the 14 issues collectively selling several million copies.

These are the "remastered" versions, with the names of the characters changed from the original release. "Billie" was originally "Newt", etc. Unfortunately, after ALIENS 3 came out, some of the story points in my tales were, umm, mooted by the deaths of several main characters from the Cameron ALIENS movie, so Dark Horse re-lettered the stories in the 90's to put the books back into continuity with the movie franchise. Doesn't really change the story, just a piece of trivia for you ALIENS buffs...

I also did three PREDATOR comic series "in the day" that I'm hopeful will also get the OMNIBUS treatment. There's quite a story behind that bunch of comics, too, but I'll save that for if and when they're released...

Here's a link if you have a mind to pick a copy up...

Things I've Seen In L.A...

I've been down in Southern California for a lot of years now, and in that time I've seen some "things." Some fun, some not so fun. Here are a couple:

FUN: Driving home from the studio the other day, I passed Jay Leno into some 1930-ish classic car, and Ed Begley Jr. behind the wheel of an all electric Rav. It's a weird world when you have more star sightings sitting in traffic than you do at a movie studio. Aaron Douglas popped by the BSG offices the other day, but kibitzing with the cast of your own show doesn't really count as a sighting...

NOT SO FUN: I was waiting in traffic on La Brea Avenue awhile back (going South toward the 10 freeway, to place the scene for L.A. natives) when I noticed the tell-tale flash of police lights up ahead. Usually this means an accident and a still longer wait, but this time it was evidentally a police action involving some sort of "problem" Because as I sat in the crush of cars, an African American man charged down the middle of the street, weaving between cars, laughing and swinging a Samurai sword as a couple of LAPD officers (toting shotguns) made chase. The odd thing is how L.A. motorists more or less took the event in stride. I watched the guy approach, bounce off my side mirror, then continued to follow his progressio in the rear view as he continued down the street, swinging and laughing that sword as the cops and their shotguns made chase...

So You Wanna Be A Writer...

The fine folks at the San Diego Comicon asked if I'd be up for a seminar-ish sort of session on the wonderful world of writing, and fool-heartedly, I agreed. The session is scheduled for 11:30AM on Thursday 7/26...

I've done this sort of thing before, but this time I want to try something a little different. Rather than pontificate on topics that intrigue me (Fletcher Hanks? Elvis Costello? SEP/IRAs?), I want this session to address your writing questions and concerns.

So, umm -- what are they? Do you want tips on how to get a job in television? Are you curious what a BATTLESTAR outline looks like? Want a rundown on the process involved in taking a TV script from idea to production to what finally goes on air? Are you curious about agents? Managers? Want to discuss the typical structure of a TV episode VS a feature? We can talk comics, too. Would you like to see samples of comic scripts, TV scripts, movie scripts?

Or rather than nuts and bolts, do you want to talk about scene construction? How to develop a story? "Where do you get your ideas?"

Pick your poison!

So talk to me. I'll publish the best suggestions in comments and take your thoughts into account when facing the music down San Diego way...

ADDED 7/7 -- thanks for the suggestions, both in comments and via e-mail!

My San Diego ComiCon Schedule

I suppose things can change, but at the moment I'm scheduled for three appearances at this year's big San Diego convention. They are:

Thursday, I'll be discussing all things "writing," answering questions about breaking into the business, breaking out of the business (infinitely easier, trust me), pencil VS pen, Final Draft VS Scriptware, Thor VS Hulk, whatever.

Friday, I'll be on a panel with Stan Lee and various other luminaries discussing writing movies based on comic books. I know Stan has been waiting to hear my thoughts on the process, maybe he'll finally be able to make the leap and get one of his characters on the silver screen...

Saturday, it's "Spotlight On" -- ME. Hosted by my pal Jeff Gelb, you will learn more than you ever needed to know about my bumpy career ride through Tinseltown and comics.

That's what I've got scheduled at the moment, I will add additional details (times, room #'s, etc.) as they become available...

Battlestar Galactica/Crossroads 2: Fan Reaction

Looks like we blew somebody's mind...

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

My Aim Is True - Costello Redux Redux Redux...

I think I've purchased MY AIM IS TRUE 20 times since it first came out, in every media from vinyl (domestic and import) to 8 track to cassette to multiple CD reissues, but this next bite of the apple sounds pretty cool. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of MY AIM IS TRUE, Elvis Costello's reissuing the album yet again, but this time it's a 2 CD set with a ton of previously unreleased demos (not even available on the Rhino reissues), and a complete live show from 1977. Here's hoping he reissues his entire catalog yet again and gives us a choice live show from each era, especially "Trust" and "Imperial Bedroom."

Check out the Billboard article for a complete track listing. The CDs will be out in September...

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/
article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003601084

Stephen King Hearts Battlestar Galactica

And we heart him right back. Discussing "pop dope" in his latest Entertainment Weekly column, as in the pop culture fix you just gotta have, Mr. King says BSG is the "good stuff." Check out the full quote in the magazine, or head over to Galactica Sitrep for an excerpt.

http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2007/06/
quarter-pounder-of-soul.html

Elvis Costello Item Of Interest

Haven't posted for awhile, mostly because I've been up to my eyeballs in deadlines, but the world just keeps on turning regardless... and in turning, the world has spit up:

Elvis Costello. He has a new "album" available only via i-tunes, a combo of album tracks, interview segments and at least six new versions of old songs, including "Motel Matches." I downloaded it and checked out a couple tracks, but haven't had time to fully sample the wares. But new Elvis is almost always good Elvis.

Superman/Batman - Enemies Among Us

My first six-issue Superman/Batman arc has been collected in a nifty hardback edition that is either out now, or due out Wednesday. Scheduling issues led to some, err, "gaps" in the release of the regular book, but here's the whole shebang in one easy-to-read package. Complete with an ALL NEW afterword by, well, me. Available at fine comic shops everywhere, or through the link below...

Superman/Batman Vol. 5: The Enemies Among Us

Fletcher Hanks - The Interview

Not with Hanks himself, he's long dead, but with Paul Karasik, the editor/compiler of "I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets." Yes, yet another post about this nifty collection of Fletcher Hanks masterworks, but it's JUST THAT DARN GOOD.

Incidentally, the Comics Reporter site offers a lot of interesting coverage of the funny book world, it's well worth checking out the whole place...

http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/
cr_sunday_interview_paul_karasik/

My Name Is Bruce -- Ain't It Cool?

A nice review of MY NAME IS BRUCE from someone who attended last week's Cinevegas screening...

Just to note, the "Guan-Di" monster is still a work in progress (there will be FX, though not enough to destroy his cheesy grandeur).

http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/
33023#comment_1571145

Top Ten TV Drama Moments - BSG #1!

Variety's just listed their top ten dramatic moments of the last season, and the pulse-pounding finale to CROSSROADS PART 2, written by yours truly, topped the list. Who I am to argue? For the full list, check out the link --

http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117966878.html?nav=edrama07

Star Trek Vanguard: Agent Verheiden, Reporting!

I just got a copy of a new Star Trek novel, "Star Trek Vanguard: Reap The Whirlwind" from the author, David Mack. Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but David very kindly name-checked me and former BSG writer Anne Cofell-Saunders, making us agents on a mission to smuggle someone off Starbase 47. Hopefully I die a horrible and unfortunate death, like the character named after me in the ALIEN VS PREDATOR movie.

Anyhow, you name a character after me and that's worth a link! A tip of the Verheiden lid to Mr. Mack, and if anyone would care to post a review, the comments section awaits!

Star Trek: Vanguard #3: Reap the Whirlwind (Star Trek)

I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets!

Just got my comp copy of the book of the year, a full color collection of comics by the incredible (and long dead) Fletcher Hanks. Fifteen of the best F.H. masterpieces, all from the late 30's/early 40's, plus a comic strip "afterword" by compiler Paul Karasik that details the ultimate fate of the rather tragic (and nasty) Mr. Hanks. Best find is a black and white nature study by Hanks, which shows the guy might actually have had some tiny amount of talent.

If you're in the mood for some thoroughly surreal primitive comic book work, run, don't walk to the link and order you up some Fletcher Hanks goodness. You've got science fiction, jungle adventures, and a logging (!) thriller starring Big Red McLane. Find out why idiots like me and Paul K. killed themselves to collect every single Hanks tale, scanning them for this volume!

I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets: The Comics of Fletcher Hanks

My Name Is Bruce Gets Palmed

I made a quick dash to Las Vegas Saturday night (6/9) to check out the sold out screening of MY NAME IS BRUCE at the Cinevegas Film Festival, over at the Palms Casino. The movie is still a work in progress (temp score, temp sound, no FX yet) but I think the audience still got it. Bruce DA MAN Campbell himself was there to introduce the epic and to conduct a Q & A post screening. Other MNIB luminaries on hand included Mike Richardson (head honcho from Dark Horse Entertainment) and our Director of Photography Gary Kout. We're still looking at trying to get this baby together and into theaters around October, then out on DVD.

Oddest question of the night came from a woman in the audience who was surprised to discover Bruce was making movies; she only knew him from his "cowboy show" (BRISCO COUNTY). One wiseacre wondered why there wasn't any full frontal nudity in MNIB, and there were a couple questions about the budget. Bruce was in full D.I.Y. mode, though, when it came to questions about diving into the film biz. With digital video cheap to shoot and You Tube as a distribution portal, there's no reason a fledgling filmmaker can't just go out there and do their thing...

Battlestar Galactica - Cinerama Style

There was a wonderful BSG panel/party/get-together at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood last night (Wednesday), hosted by Lucy Lawless. Lots of fans and journalists braved the... uhh... well, very nice weather to attend. So I'm not sure much bravery was actually involved! After a panel and some clips from the upcoming RAZOR movie, there was excellent conversation in the Arclight's upstairs bar area.

As always, I was impressed with the passion of the BSG fans, who asked some great questions. I also started to get a little blue when people kept noting that this season would be BSG's last hurrah. We have such a great cast and crew it's just a little sad to think this too must end. But so it goes in television, life and "etc."

Hopefully there will be more events as we plow ahead with season four, meanwhile, David Eick is right, the next season is really going to kick butt. Prepare yourselves!

Varied and Sundry

There are a few events on the horizon, so here's a quick recap:

Wednesday 6/6, the Cinerama Dome will host a special Battlestar Galactica event, featuring a panel discussion and some scenes from our upcoming (and now officially final) season. I'll be next door at Amoeba Records looking for new CDs and... ha ha, just kidding, I'll be there with many/most of the other writers. Looking forward to a fun evening!

MY NAME IS BRUCE is being screened at 11:00PM Saturday 6/9 at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, part of their Cinevegas Film Festival. As mentioned before, I'm frankly not sure where we're at, completion-wise, but hey -- Bruce Campbell. Monsters. The project reached a Zen level of completion right there.

Finally, and so totally unrelated it hurts, thanks to the internets I discovered an audience recording of the Elvis Costello/House Of Blues show from 5/2/07 (of course, I wholly frown on such activities and if anyone dares to send me Mp3s of other shows on the tour, I will listen to them with a stern look on my face), which just confirms my opinion that he did the best live version of the song "Riot Act" ever...

More Teen Titans

Just a couple more comments, after getting a few e-mails and digesting some comments elsewhere:

1) I'm not sure why so many folks are assuming we won't be using the "top tier" Titans. I'm not ready to list the characters we ARE using (other than Nightwing), but you won't be disappointed. There's also a lot of discussion about possible "rights issues." There were internal conversations re: which characters we'll be using, but last time I checked, Time/Warner still owned DC Comics, meaning it's all in the family.

2) The Hollywood Reporter article says I wrote the TIMECOP and MASK comics. I did do some TIMECOP comic book stories, but also wrote the movie and created the television series. I did not, however, write any MASK comics, just worked on the movie. I realize these details are insignificant to most readers, but what the heck, it's my blog.

More as news develops...

Teen Titans - The Movie

As pointed out in today's Hollywood Reporter, yours truly will be writing a live action Teen Titans movie for Warner Brothers and Aviva Goldsman's company, Weed Road. And I wish there were an emoticon big enough to express how thrilled I am to be involved in the project! I'm not a fan of super-early spoilers, but I will say the script involves the Nightwing character and will be exploring the Titans at an interesting (and universal) crossroads in their lives...

Sorry for the brevity, things are (as might be expected) pretty busy at the moment, but I'll keep posting as developments ensue...

My Name Is Bruce - Las Vegas Style

Cinevegas, a Las Vegas based film festival, will be showing a cut (probably not final) of MY NAME IS BRUCE. Chances are I'll be there, incognito, checking out the audience reaction. It's all happening at the Palms Casino in Vegas, and Bruce plays June 9 at 11:00 PM. Google Cinevegas for the details -- be there or be not there...

San Diego ComiCon And Me

The annual San Diego ComicCon/pop culture blow out is coming up fast (7/26-7/29), and as I mentioned a few months ago on this very blog, I'm a guest of the convention this year. Not quite sure what that entails yet, though I suspect I'll be doing a few panels, buying some old comics and saying hello to a lot of friends.

Tom Spurgeon at http://www.comicsreporter.com has an exhaustive guide to attending the show, and it's worth a quick look. Last year's attendance was well over 100,000, so simply getting into the hall can be an experience. I can recall seeing a line at least a half-mile long of people trying to buy tickets on a Saturday. Also, virtually every hotel in the city is sold out (though rooms do pop up as people cancel/change plans), so casually driving down for the weekend sans reservations is pretty much no longer an option.

Some ask if the show is more exhausting that enthralling these days. I think it depends on your expectations. If you're looking for a sedate four days to relax and rejuvenate, then you have come to exactly the WRONG place. But if you have an interest in pop culture, then prepare to be overwhelmed. Me, I still enjoy it. I've been to every show since 1983 and there have been a LOT of changes, but for fans of comics/anime/science fiction/television/movies/toys and much much more, it's mecca...

Paul Chadwick, Apa Five, Talent

My friend Paul Chadwick, creator of the comic character CONCRETE and erstwhile roommate back in the 80's, has posted a great cover from an early issue of Apa-Five. "Apa" stands for amatuer press association, and A-5 was a group I started when I was... in Junior High School. A demonstration that Paul "had it" way back when...

http://concrete.blogs.com/paul_chadwicks_weblog/
2007/05/humble_beginnin.html#comment-70865440

Misery Love Comedy - Ivan Brunetti

MISERY LOVE COMEDY is a beautifully designed hardcover collecting the first three issues of Ivan Brunetti's legendary SCHIZO comic book, with some extra added bonus material tossed in. For those requiring an introduction to the wonderful world of Brunetti, this is the place.

But if you're the type who hears "comic book" and thinks ARCHIE or SUPERMAN, then this is definitely NOT for you. Brunetti's compiled some of the darkest, nastiest and yet somehow funny semi-biographical material to ever come out of the independent comic movement. This guy makes Robert Crumb look like a puritan prude. The cruel self-annihilation is punctuated with pages of scatalogical comic strip "parodies" that will either make you choke with laughter or seek psychological help. And when I say "nasty," I don't mean in the "poo-poo" potty mouth sense. We're talking heavy duty, raunchy, busted-at-the-Canadian-border type material. The indicia says the book should be filed under "erotica/hate literature", and I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a joke or a genuine recommendation.

Now SCHIZO #4, released a few months ago, is a whole 'nother story. Published in giant Life Magazine size, the long awaited next chapter in Ivan's comics ouvre is practically family friendly (well, practically...), and offers some beautifully illustrated strips owing more to PEANUTS than DeSade. It's also worth seeking out...

Both are available from Fantagraphics Books, or at liberated comic shops...

Cartoons? Who Doesn't Like Cartoons?

Just added another blog to my recommended list. Jerry Beck's informational and entertaining cartoon page is an amazing resource, packed with obscure (and not so obscure) info on cartoons far and wide. Beck is involved in the upcoming, long waited POPEYE release (the early, wonderful, black and white Fleischer cartoons), a noble effort if there ever was one! Check it out --

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/

Who Woulda Thought?

Headline from "The Programming Insider", an online newsletter that appraises television ratings:

"Slow Start for National Bingo Night"

I understand viewership is down on the "Watching Paint Dry" channel as well...

The Last Ten Seconds Of Every Star Trek TNG

Looks like somebody had a little time on their hands. Here's a compendium of the last ten seconds of every episode of Star Trek The Next Generation.

Copy, paste and "engage." (You'll get it after you watch a few of these.)

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/05/18/last-10-seconds-of-every-sttng-episode

Thanks to Heidi at PW's "The Beat."

More New Stuff... Pat DiNizio & The Knack!

Pat DiNizio, lead singer of the Smithereens and a friend, has just put out a limited edition, 2 CD + 1 DVD set called REVOLUTIONS. This long (long!) in the making solo effort is another great rocker from Pat, with one CD of full band songs, a second with acoustic versions of the same tunes, and finally a DVD on the entire music-making process.

Unfortunately, this baby's limited to 300 signed copies and I believe Pat sold out the run months ago, but check out Pat's site (www.patdinizio.com) for more info and insights. I'm hoping that an enterprising label steps up and put out the full-band tracks anyhow, like what happened with Pat's last 3CD self-produced effort, "This Is Pat DiNizio". The limited edition 3 CD set was cut down to one disc and released by the fine folks at Fuel Records...

For that matter, it would be nice if some enterprising label culled the best tracks from Pat's self-released 21 CD (that's right, twenty-one CDs!) Smithereens box set from a few years back. Featuring demos, live shows and acoustic tracks, now THAT was a compilation for you!

In other news, THE KNACK has a new live performance DVD out, part of a series of DVDs from the World Cafe Live folks. This one's a recent show with great sound and a nice, if limited, selection of songs. There's also an interview with the band. Coming up from World Cafe is a DVD performance by another MV fave, Marshall Crenshaw. Always great to have more of this stuff find its way to market...

No News Is...

Haven't posted for awhile, I've been in hunker-down mode writing "my" first BSG ep for season four, along with attending all the varied/sundry other duties that erupt when prodution kicks in.

CD and DVD wise, there's nothing much to report. Jason Falkner, of JELLYFISH renown, has a new CD out in Japan (!) called "I'm Okay, You're Okay" that on first sampling appears to be in the garoovy power pop mode of previous Falkner ventures. (Incidentally, the tunes he produced for PUFFY AMIYUMI are well worth seeking out, especially "Planet Tokyo").

And on the SQUEEZE front, there is yet another single-disc greatest hits CD collection, "Essential Squeeze", this time with a couple of previously unreleased tracks. And (just in the UK so far, so it's region 2) there's a new Squeeze DVD, also "Essential", with 24 videos and a complete concert from the early 80's. I'd offer a review, but I haven't had a chance to sample the wares quite yet...

Also, I'm told somebody threw a bottle at Neil Finn (!) during CROWDED HOUSE'S first concert since reuniting, this at the Coachilla festival in California. Wow. Nice crowd. As a lifetime member of the CROWDED HOUSE fanclub I have it on good authority that a series of less volatile venues have been chosen for the rest of the tour, coming this Summer.

Finally, umm, wassup with Elvis Costello doing Lexus ads?!

BSG Season Four - The Last?

Here's some official reaction to the hurly-burly over whether or not season four will be the end of Battlestar Galactica. Straight from executive producer David Eick:

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=2&id=41457

Bruce Campbell's Next Old Spice Ad - "Hungry Like The Wolf!"

Thanks to "anonymous" for the link, here's a sneak preview of Bruce Campbell's next Old Spice ad, which evidently debuts this weekend. It's just as insane as the last one!

http://bruce-campbell.blogspot.com/2007/05/
site-exclusive-new-bruce-campbell-old.html

Rrrrowf!

Battlestar Galactica - Season Four

Couple of people have written asking me to comment on Edward James Olmos' interview at last night's Saturn Awards re: this being BSG's last season.

First, I'm presently in Vancouver B.C. attending to the pre-production on the first episodes of next season, so as far as I'm concerned, we're just gearing UP. And the stories we have so far for the season are really, really interesting/fun/dark/exciting/cool. As far as anything else goes, I'm just trying to make the best show(s) possible and I'll leave it to others discuss "the future." I got enough on my hands with the present!

MY NAME IS BRUCE - New Review!

A nice piece from the Corvallis (Oregon) Gazette Times on the movie, with a new interview with Mr. Campbell himself. The piece includes a fresh photo of Bruce slugging down hooch in his dilapidated trailer. Poor guy, you'd think a big movie star like him would have swankier digs!

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2007/05/10/entertainment/
cover/cov04_bruce.txt

Squeeze The Demos

As in, demo recordings by the British pop band Squeeze. Lead singer/songwriter Glenn Tilbrook's website (www.glenntilbrook.com) is offering the first of five promised CDs featuring the original four-track demos for their best albums. First up, 18 songs that were pared down and eventually became "East Side Story", Squeeze's best effort in my opinion.

In his liner notes, Tilbrook says "wanna hear my demos?" is one of the scariest phrases in the musical lexicon, but these are actually pretty good, and for fans, it's intriguing to hear how a song like "Someone Else's Bed" morphed from a semi-acoustic tune into the much harder version on the studio release.

Tilbrook and his writing partner Chris Difford have both released several solo CDs since Squeeze broke up, and they're all worth getting. In better news, the band has reunited for some dates this Summer, which I hope implies a new Squeeze release "soon."

Battlestar Only SECOND Best?!

Nice piece in this week's Entertainment Weekly ranking the 25 best sci-fi movies/TV shows of the last 25 years. BSG comes in second only to the first MATRIX movie. Me, I would have swapped THE MATRIX with BLADERUNNER, but they're both great and either way, it's nice to see BSG get a hat tip three seasons in!

EW's cover features HEROES, another great show. Check it out!

ELVIS COSTELLO - Live! And Not Live!

If you get a chance to catch Elvis Costello and the Imposters on their current tour, and you're a fan of his earlier work, prepare yourself for two hours of bliss. Touring to promote a couple of greatest hits compilations on Universal, Elvis has dipped back into the catalog and is delivering a hardcore rock and roll show that reminds me of seeing him in 1979... except he's got a lot more songs now. With virtually no between-song patter, his 5/2 show at the L.A. House Of Blues was a non-stop onslaught of hits, semi-hits and fantastic album tracks. High points: one of the best versions of "Riot Act" ever, a great "Uncomplicated", and a funky rendition of "Alison" (the one acoustic performance in the whole show) where he obviously forgot the words and sang the same section twice.

The two new comps are nicely put together, but with the exception of a couple alternate/live tracks, if you have his albums, you've got all this music. FWIW, Amazon is selling a boxed brick with every Costello album from "My Aim Is True" through "Blood and Chocolate", with the "Rock And Roll Music" comp tossed in as an extra bonus. No new music, but the packaging is nice and it's supposedly a "limited to Amazon" edition, whatever that means. My ears are shot so I have no idea if these are remastered yet again.

Let's see, how many times have I bought these albums? Just on CD, I have the original Columbia releases, then Rykodisc, then Rhino's double CD editions, the Japanese "mini-LP sleeve" discs, and now Universal's release. That doesn't count oddball stuff (audiophile gold discs, anyone?), all the vinyl versions (domestic + import), 100 + vinyl/cassette/CD singles, cassette tapes for the car, DVDs and that eight-track of "My Aim Is True." I'm sure I'll be buying the direct download to the brain that's coming in the year 2525... because he's JUST THAT GOOD.

ARK the motion picture

Well, it's out in a official press release, so I guess I can finally start talking about this. The fine folks at Columbia, along with producers Neal Moritz and Mike Richardson, have picked up the rights to my comic series ARK, which did indeed see print (you cynics!) in four consecutive issues of DARK HORSE PRESENTS. Don't bother to dig up those issues, though, if you're looking for some clue toward the project itself, since it's morphed a bit since those early days. I've been asked to keep a lid on the details, but suffice to say it's a big science fiction story.

There are more MV surprises to come, but this one is big enough for the time being, I think. Check out the article for more info!

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964154.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

New Stuff? Keep Watching The Trades!

Keep your eyes peeled on the trades (i.e., Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Cat Lover, High Times) over the next couple days for word of a new, exciting MV project. That has NOTHING to do with Bruce Campbell, Fletcher Hanks or the Rubinoos, but it's still pretty cool in my obviously biased opinion. Since I don't intend to scoop myself, there will be more info blog-wise once word hits the streets...

Vince Colletta - Inker Not So Extraordinary

This is real inside baseball stuff for only the most devoted of comic book fans, but... Vince Colletta was a fairly famous inker who worked mostly for Marvel from the 60's to the late 80's. Colletta did occasional good work, mostly (to my eye) on THOR and some romance titles, but he was far better known for being... not so good. In fact, there are many cases where Colletta erased or skipped over some of the detail provided by the penciller (often the great Jack Kirby) to make his life easier.

He was also an "interesting" (those quotes are intentional) guy. For those curious about the legendary Jim Shooter years at Marvel Comics and Mr. Colletta's view on Shooter's dismissal, check out the piece below...

http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2007/04/vinnie-collettas-exit-interview.html

MY NAME IS BRUCE 2? Bruce speaks:

Cut and paste the URL below to find a new interview with the incredible Mr. C. on theatrical plans for MY NAME IS BRUCE, MY NAME IS BRUCE 2 - THE QUICKENING, and a host of other projects. I was personally stunned to see that plans to turn our movie-within-a-movie epic CAVE ALIEN into a genu-wine feature is off the table for the time being. After I spent the entire morning writing the script! Sheesh...

http://iesb.net/index.php?option=com_ezine&task=read&page=1&category=2&article=2391

Update-a-rama

I know what you're thinking, an update? Come on, Mark, how about some more Rubinoos news?

Actually, the problem is that while much is happening, there's not much to "update" at the moment. But it's been awhile since I posted, so what the hey.

Regarding the upcoming EVIL DEAD comic book adaptation, artist John Bolton tells me the art for the four issue series is now complete, so hopefully we'll see a publication schedule on this puppy soon. I can't say it enough, John's painted artwork on this story is absolutely amazing...

Meanwhile, we continue to forge ahead on Season 4 of Battlestar Galactica, which is looking awfully exciting from this biased observer's POV. One of the joys of working on a show like BSG is exploring new territory with our cast of characters, and trust me, we're exploring!

More news as it develops. And check out the brand new DETROIT COBRAS CD, it's killer!

Still MORE Rubinoos!

As in "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Rubinoos But Were Afraid To Ask." Yes, really, that's the title. It's a brand new, 3CD mini-box set of Rubinoos greatness, featuring a great selection of tracks and rarities from across their lengthy career, an informative booklet and as an extra super bonus, a fantastic live show from the Hammersmith Odeon circa 1979. With perhaps the best cover version of the Archies doing "Sugar Sugar" that I've heard yet! If the idea of a "Sugar Sugar" cover makes you duck for cover, then this is not the band for you, but for everyone else -- well worth the price of admission!

Varied And Sundry...

* Superman/Batman #34, featuring the redesigned Metal Men, is out. The first of a three issue arc where the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight go up against the Metallic... uhhh... Men-Guys. (Ran out of alliteration ideas there.) Story by yours truly, art by Pat Lee, published by DC Comics, check it out!

* Superman/Batman "The Enemies Among Us" Hardcover, collecting the first six issue arc, is due for release on May 9 and will include a new afterword by yours truly discussing the writing process, my fascination/obsession with silver age DC Comics and the glory that is "Zook."

* I did a Battlestar Galactica-focused interview for the British magazine TV ZONE that should appear in a month or two. Meanwhile, work continues at rocket speed on BSG season four, and that is the extent of my "spoilers."

* The Bruce Campbell epic MY NAME IS BRUCE will be screened during the Cannes film festival (no, not in competition!) as we continue to plot for a theatrical release.

More MY NAME IS BRUCE Early Reviewin'

Another early review of MY NAME IS BRUCE is up at Ain't It Cool News --

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/32324

Just want to point out (as this reviewer did, but it never hurts to repeat it!) that the print screened in Ashland Oregon was an interim, TEMP version. The Guan-Di creature/monster thing seen in that rough version is going to be seriously augmented before the film's actually release. So fear not, Bruce fans, Mr. C. will be challenged by a monster well worth his hero's attentions!

Bands I Like: The Rubinoos!

They had a modest hit in the late 70's with a cover of "I Think We're Alone Now", and not much after that, but the Rubinoos are still one of the better power pop outfits still playing. Albeit with one of the sillier names. I'm pretty sure I saw them open for Elvis Costello during their '70's heyday, but the ol' memory gets hazy after all these years.

All I really know is, they keep banging out great tunes. "Crimes Against Music" is a recent, great collection of cover songs, great because they cover the sort of songs I'd probably choose in a similar situation. So we get Rubinoos/power pop versions of "Little Willy" by Sweet, "Pump It Up" by Costello, "Brandy" by the Looking Glass, and many more. They also recently released a live album, "Live In Japan", that's equally great. Check them out on Amazon, all their CDs are worth a listen!

Super Early MY NAME IS BRUCE Review

Bruce sneaked a rough version of MNIB at the Ashland (Oregon) Film Festival last night (4/13), and the, uhh, review is already pouring in. Here's somebody with fast fingers and some positive thoughts!

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review.php?ID=27535

The version screened was still rough, with temp music, temp FX and temp sound, so the final release will be classier yet! Prepare yourselves for the glory of Bruce!

More MY NAME IS BRUCE...

Answering John's questions from the comments section:

"Do you have a cameo?"

Yes, I do make an appearance in MNIB, though tragically truncated (at least in the current cut). And after I struggled so mightily to find my motivation...

"And what about DVD extras? The "Bubba Ho Tep" extras are the better than the movie."

I know they shot a "Making of" documentary, because I did an interview for it when I visited the set in sunny Medford, Oregon. It's listed on the IMDB website as "Heart Of Dorkness", which pretty much says it all. As far as other extras, well, we'll just have to wait and see. My abortive cameo would make fine viewing, for instance...

On Pete Best and Old Acquaintances...

Caught the following on my buddy John's BEATLES site...

"I see that Pete Best has said he wants to meet with Paul, bury the hatchet and talk about old times. I always thought it was odd that the Beatles never had any contact with Pete after they sacked him (they did run into him backstage at a gig or two right after, but no words were exchanged)."

Having worked in an industry where writers can be replaced without cause (often without notice), I know how I'd feel if I'd been sacked from the Beatles. So I think I can see why Paul hasn't been exactly been rushing for a sitdown with his former drummer. I mean, what would be the conversation? Pete: "You know, before you FIRED ME, we sure were having a great time." Paul: "Well, yeah, but hey, wasn't Hamburg fun?" Pete: "Oh yeah, playing that rat-hole was a thrill, but I'm sure it was nothing like playing Ed Sullivan and all those other amazing gigs!" Paul: "Oh, well, it wasn't all peaches and cream you know." Pete: "Sure! Fending off thousands of screaming girls, making millions, enjoying the adulation of an entire generation, it must have been hell, SIR Paul, hell on Earth!" Imagine the frozen smile on Macca's face as he checks his watch, wondering why he even scheduled twenty minutes for this inquisition...

Of course, it's possible that Pete's far more emotionally mature than yours truly and he's totally over the firing, blissful and sanguine with the way his life turned out. I mean, he WAS a member of the Beatles, albeit for a short time, and that's something. If true, if Pete's really made peace with all that, then I suggest he missed his true calling as an anger management counselor...

MY NAME IS BRUCE - Update!

I just attended a private screening of the latest cut of MY NAME IS BRUCE, the soon-to-be released feature length epic starring Bruce Campbell and written by, well, moi. There were laughs, there were gasps, there were... more laughs. Some new footage has been added, including the sure-to-be number one hit, "Song of Guan-Di, the Chinese Demon." You probably think I'm kidding, but I'm not...

Anyhow, the project is proceeding right along, and we're hoping to get this baby before your lovin' eyes come Fall. As more details fall into place, keep your eyes glued to "FMVOF" for the latest!

Fletcher Hanks ANIMATED

I've been reporting on the genius of 40's comic book artist (and, according to his surviving son, mean S.O.B.) Fletcher Hanks for some time now. His crude, surreal comic strips will soon be gracing bookshelves nationwide ("I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets!" from Fantagraphic Books), but here's something to hold you over until the book hits the streets. That's right, a Clutch Cargo-esque animated cartoon, taken directly from a Fletcher Hanks STARDUST tale. Watch it until your eyes bleed!

http://fantasticanimation.blogspot.com/2007/01/fletcher-hanks-stardust-vs-mad-giant.html

Added at 6:00 PM --

Since posting the above, I've had a chance to compare the cartoon to the actual STARDUST strip, and to my slight disappointment, rewrites have ensued. I'm not quite sure why, since the original, unvarnished STARDUST is insane enough for a dozen cartoons, but there you go. It's still worth a look to check out the mastery of Mr. Hanks' graphical artistry, but it's not pure Hanks.

Battlestar Galactica Season Three MARATHON

A few folks have been asking when they can catch up on Battlestar episodes they missed and/or episodes they want to see again. The answer lies at the link below. (Hint: Sci-Fi's running a three day BSG marathon in May.)

http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-battlestargalacticaseason3marathon,0,3234855.story?coll=zap-news-headlines

Elvis Presley - Writing For The King

Boy, do we live in wonderful times. "Writing For The King" by Ken Sharp is an amazing book out of Europe that features interviews with 130 of the songwriters who supplied tunes for Elvis Presley, discussing their working method, the process of working with Elvis, and much more. Also in the book, two CDs -- one featuring a pile of live Elvis doing 23 of the songs in the book, and then a second disc with 26 of the original songwriter demos (!). Fascinating stuff, especially when you compare Presley's versions to the demos.

It's not cheap, Amazon lists it for $161.00, but their new/used dealers have it for around $100. Pricey indeed, but hey, it's a sweet slice of Presleyiana...

Superman/Batman #33 - Part LAST

The climax of the six issue "Enemies Among Us" storyline is out, on the stands, printed, finished. The link below takes you to the DC site and an oddly truncated version of the cover; the actual cover is much cooler. It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here!

http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=6612

A mere $2.99 at shops everywhere. Check it out!

BATTLESTAR, STARBUCK and SECRETS

Good article at the Los Angeles Times on the extreme secrecy employed re: Starbuck's demise. And the difficulty of actually keeping storylines secret in this internet age. Check it out:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-starbuck4apr04,1,334914.story?coll=la-headlines-entnewsstrong

Hat-tip to former-writer's-assistant now BSG staff-writer Seamus Kevin Fahey for the heads up!

Popeye! The DVD!

Finally, some of the best cartoons ever made are coming to legitimate DVD. Bootlegs and collections of the later (and far inferior) cartoons are all over the place, but at long last the first sixty Popeye cartoons, the cool black and white ones and the incredible color featurettes like Ali Baba have been remastered for official release.

I have fond memories of these cartoons. When I was growing up, KPTV in Portland Oregon used to fill out their "afternoon movie" time slot with a classic Popeye short, and after while I'd make a point of tuning in toward the end of whatever movie was showing just to see if they had a Popeye. The animation in these early toons is really a marvel; the characters huff and puff and really feel "alive", unlike so much modern animation. And Popeye himself is an ad-libbin' fiend, muttering caustic comments under his breath as he takes on his nemesis Bluto.

Anyhow, the straight dope is available at the link. July! Popeye!

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/classic/popeye-dvd

Battlestar Galactica Crossroads 2 INTERVIEW

I chatted with the fine folks at WIZARD earlier this week and you can read the result in all its glorious confusion at:

http://www.wizarduniverse.com/television/bsg/004103906.cfm

There is some discussion of the creative process involved in writing BSG, and in writing CROSSROADS specifically.

Battlestar Galactica Sitrep = Good Site!

I know I have a link to the site on this very blog, but still, let me once again recommend Battlestar Galactica Sitrep for anyone looking for a handy compilation of reviews, commentary and etc. It's a nice round-up of the latest and greatest...

http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/

Battlestar Galactica Crossroads Trivia #2

From the "it's a small world" department. Mark Sheppard, who did such a wonderful job as attorney Romo Lampkin in the last three episodes of BSG season three, is a well-known character actor. But did you know his father was Morgan Sheppard, who has appeared in movies ranging from THE PRESTIGE to THE KEEP, and also appeared in the first broadcast episode of ABC's TIMECOP television series, which was produced by... moi?

Well now you do!

Battlestar Galactica - Crossroads 2 - Afterword

So hopefully you've seen the show, if not, there are no real spoilers ahead, but a few production tidbits...

We really went the extra mile to protect the surprises at the end from being leaked, to the extent of actually writing and publishing fake scripted scenes. This isn't to fool cast and crew as much as to keep the big secrets from hitting the internet months in advance. That said, the "false" scenes were actually good enough to fool some people intimiately associated with the show. To those folks, I now say: "sorry." (Maybe one of these days someone will post/publish the fake scenes, they're actually not bad!)

The final-final revelation was scripted a couple of different ways, but the Vipers in space version was the most fun. However, the original version would have been a REAL mind-frak. When there's a little more distance and most folks have had a chance to see the show, I'll try to elaborate.

Finally, a lot of material was mixed and matched between Crossroads 1 and Crossroads 2 in the editing process, meaning I wrote some scenes that wound up in Part 1, and Michael Taylor wrote some that landed in Part 2. Welcome to the crazy world of television! It's really is a gigantic, collective effort doing these shows, from Ron Moore and David Eick on down, including cast, crew, editors, Gary Hutzel and the FX guys (how about that final shot?!), composer Bear McCreary (boy, did I like what he did for Crossroads!), et al.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - CROSSROADS 2

Okay, this is it, the last reminder.

Sunday night on the Sci-Fi Channel, 10:00PM, get ready for the big season three finale. It's a show that will challenge everything you thought you knew about Battlestar's cast of characters. Old friends find themselves at odds, a father and a son face off over the soul of the fleet -- and that's just the beginning! Then things get really interesting, and Battlestar Galactica goes to places you probably never imagined. Figuritively AND literally -- so make sure you watch to the very end!

The show runs an extra FIVE MINUTES so adjust your Tivos and DVRs accordingly. I am not responsible for the emergency room visits that will incur from fans kicking themselves in the behinds because they missed the last few minutes!

And if you still crave MORE BSG news, Ron Moore has an interview up at Salon where he discusses the season and the upcoming Battlestar two-parter involving the good ship Pegasus. Check out the interview at:

http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2007/03/24/battlestar?source=newsletter

Battlestar Galactica - Crossroads 1 - MV Podcast!

Here's the link to the first of my Canadian podcasts, this one dealing with Crossroads Part 1.

http://podcast.chumcity.net/specialty/spacecast
/2007/03/Hypaspace_podcast_Mar24.mp3

I'm having problems making a direct link work, so you'll need to cut and paste all the above to reach the podcast site. BTW, thanks to my pal Mark Askwith at Space Channel for making all this happen!

Also, re: questions I've been getting in comments about Crossroads 2, the BSG "movie" and "et al", I would rather wait until after Sunday's show runs before diving into anything. Then I'll be much more comfortable discussing plot-related stuff and the rest.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Season Four - 22!

That's right, Sci-Fi just announced that the fourth season of BSG will offer up 22 glorious episodes, not the original 13. Obviously the staff is thrilled and already hard at work making season four the best one yet. We're well into the stories for season four and trust me, you haven't seen anything yet...

The NEW Cars - Music I Shouldn't Like, But Do!

I always a fan of The Cars, especially their first self-titled album, which is one of those pristine 70's classics right up there with "My Aim Is True" by Elvis Costello, "Are We Not Men" by Devo, etc. I lost track of them a few records in, but evidently one member died a few years ago and Ric Ocasek, the singer/songwriter who seemed to lead the band, went off to a solo career.

So two of the surviving members team up with Todd Rundgren (!) and form "The NEW Cars", a touring band that covers all the great old Cars material, plus a few tunes from Rundgren's solo and Utopia past. Their first release is a 15 track live, 3 track "new in studio" album where Todd mostly imitates Ocasek during one of their few gigs. (I believe one of the members of the band was injured soon after the launch, aborting most of the subsequent tour.)

Anyway, this is usually the sort of disposable, clearly done-for-the-green reunion that would set my teeth on edge. The rhythm section from Creedence Clearwater Revival tours as 'Creedence Clearwater Revisited" and actually had the cajones to release a live set with some guy imitating John Fogerty. That particular release wound up on my "interesting curiosity" shelf.

But the New Cars is actually awfully darn good. I love live material, anyway, and the sound here is heavy and chunky and sounds great on the car stereo, and you get most of the biggest original Cars hits. I even like the new stuff, including one clever song called "Not Tonight" that definitely seems to have the Rundgren whimsy. So what can I say? Worth a listen if you like the Car, Rundgren, live shows, etc...

Battlestar Galactica - Crossroads 2

So we're coming into the home stretch, with the big season finale THIS SUNDAY. Crossroads Part 1 set the table, now prepare yourselves as a events smash the dinnerware to the floor and stomp it into tiny shards.

I will be posting a couple more times as we near the big date. I'm thrilled with the way these episodes came together and I suspect more than a few jaws will be cracking the pavement before the show wraps.

Just remember, it's going to run FIVE MINUTES LONGER than most shows, so set your recorders accordingly. CROSSROADS PART 2, written by yours truly, directed by Michael Rymer, starring one of the best casts on television! That's SUNDAY MARCH 25 at 10:00PM on the Sci-Fi Channel!

Battlestar Galactica: The Toys

Once season three is over, stage your own dramatic scenes with your personal Battlestar action figures. And try to remember that this is all about having good, clean fun, even though the mind boggles at what could be achieved with the Number Six and Baltar figures...

Photos of the prototypes available at the link:

http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/toyfare/003419573.cfm

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #34 - Preview

So yes, the series has been plagued by delays and artistic change-ups, but here's the good news:

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #33, the climax of the enormous six issue "ENEMIES AMONG US" story, is done, at the printer, fini, shipping ASAP! Art by Joe Benitez! Story by me! Aliens, explosions, blackrocks, all kinds of action and adventure. There's even an extra page (23 as opposed to the usual 22).

Meanwhile, SUPERMAN/BATMAN #34, which launches a new storyline involving the Man O' Steel, the Man O' Not-Steel and a bunch of METAL MEN who are various alloys EXCEPT Steel. Art by Pat Lee, the first issue is by yours truly, then the next two are from a plot by moi, script by Marc Guggenheim. Click the link below for a preview of the artwork from the first issue!

http://comics.ign.com/articles/752/752905p1.html

Ssuperheroes, aliens, robots, a surprise villain and (wha?) it's actually ON TIME. Check it out!

Battlestar Galactica - Crossroads Part One

SPOILER FREE!

The trial of Gaius Baltar begins in earnest, but that's just the beginning. I don't think it's understating things to say the next two episodes of BSG will launch the show in a new, intriguing and controversial direction. If you think you know the answers, you're probably asking the wrong questions...

That's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Written by Michael Taylor, directed by Michael Rymer, it's SUNDAY NIGHT at 10:00PM on the Sci-Fi Channel!

Battlestar Spoilers?

To all those asking me to comment on the spoilers re: Battlestar? FORGET IT. Ignore them. Watch the show, enjoy it, let the surprises wash over you like a sweet cool breeze...

Oh, okay. One spoiler. GAETA LIVES. Happy?

Battlestar Babble' - Canadian Edition

If you happen to reside in Canada and can pick up the Space Channel's podcasts re: Battlestar Galactica, I will be providing some commentary on CROSSROADS 1 and 2 as we come closer to the airdate. There will be no grand revelations, but maybe a little chatter about working methods and "etc."

Keep your eyes peeled on the Space website for more info and details, "ehh?"

MY NAME IS BRUCE - SNEAK PREVIEW

Thanks to anonymous, who posted the following info down in the comments section:

"Hi. I just wanted to let you know that Bruce Campbell will be attending the sneak preview of My Name is Bruce at the Ashland Independent Film Festival in Ashland, Oregon on April 13, 2007. Also showing at that day are Bubba Ho-Tep, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness."

There you go! All you Ashland Deadites, prepare yourself for an onslaught of Brucemania. Google the Festival for times and etc. And to tease you just a little more, here is another line of AUTHENTIC dialogue from the feature film, "My Name Is Bruce":

BRUCE: "My God, I can smell her chapstick!"

The Host = Cool Monster

So an evil American scientist (Scott Wilson) tells his Korean aide to flush a bunch of poisonous chemicals down the drain. Guess what happens next? If you picked "a Government investigation fines the scientist for polluting", WRONG. Nope, that idiot Wilson's lack of respect for the environment produces a bizarre, sea-going, elephant-sized man-eating monster that proceeds to rampage across Korea.

Incidentally, that's not a spoiler. One of the fun things about THE HOST is that the filmmakers don't do the usual dance of hiding the creature in shadow for two acts, then bringing it on full force in the climax. One of the best scenes in THE HOST comes early, when folks trying to enjoy a Summer day on the river are suddenly beseiged by this thing. The first shot of the creature loping toward our featured characters is simultaneously spine-tingling and audacious.

When the creature drags a couple of youngsters down to its lair, the story becomes one of survival, and a family fighting an insensitive government to save their own. There's more on the story's mind than just the monsters, and that's fun. Definitely worth checking out!

Richard Jeni - RIP

Sad news this weekend, it appears comedian Richard Jeni committed suicide at age 49. I met Jeni once or twice during my involvement with THE MASK, and remember him as an energetic, nice guy.

Looking back, I recall a lot of folks thought Jeni would be the break-out star from the movie, but for whatever reason that didn't really happen. But he had a great career in stand-up, with multiple HBO specials under his belt. And he was really funny.

Elayne Boozler has a nice piece on Jeni over at the Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elayne-boosler/remembering-comedian-rich_b_43155.html, including some of his best laugh lines. My favorite, "The way I see it, we're all flying on the Hindenburg, why fight over the window seats?" Yep...

SKIDOO! SKIDOO!

Mark Evanier has been extolling the virtues of Otto Preminger's tour de force SKIDOO for months now, pleading with Paramount to release this 1968 masterpiece to DVD. Check Mark's latest comments (with a link to 3 minutes of SKIDOO madness) here:

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2007_03_10.html#013073

The clip only teases the madness that follows. A very cranky Jackie Gleason plays "Harry", a hit man for the mob, Carol Channing is his wife and Groucho Marx plays a rather elderly "God." The plot of the movie is impossible to describe, but I think it's supposed to be a comedy. Either way, we're talking about a movie where Jackie Gleason's character drops acid in prison and has an extended surreal "trip" involving Mickey Rooney, followed by the skeletal Channing stripping to her bra and panties to entice some goons. Between that, there are song and dance numbers, a murder and more thoroughly bizarre events.

In other words, yes. IT'S THAT GOOD. Apparently the Preminger estate has no interest in seeing Skidoo back in circulation, but this crime against art must be rectified.

Skidoo Skidoo!

300 The Movie

I managed to attend the premiere of "300" last Monday, a gala affair at Grauman's (or is it Mann's?) Chinese Theater and, afterward, the Hotel Roosevelt across the street.

First, a review of the movie. I liked it. Wildly stylized, it felt like every line was bellowed as opposed to spoken, but hey, we're talking Spartans here. Gerard Butler as the King was very good, but the star of this show was definitely the CGI and the "look." I'm not usually that impressed with showy FX shots, but "300" really pushes into some impressive territory. There's a shot of a storm lashing an armada of enemy ships that is truly mind-boggling in complexity. And I can't help suspecting there was a little CG augmentation involved in the physiques of the cast... either that, or someone went through a half dozen crunch machines to nail down those six pack abs.

Now, the review of the premiere itself. Again, I liked it! ***1/2. I sat behind Mr. Fantastic (the actor from the FF movies) and a couple seats down from Hellboy. The projection was great, the sound was screamingly loud, there was free popcorn, all was good. The after-party also gets a thumbs up. Criteria? Free hard liquor? Check. Tasty buffet? Check. Decorations in the spirit of the film? Check. Did I mention free hard liquor? Check, check and double check!

Funniest line heard at the party: in the film, the 300 Spartans seem to be alone in their war against the Persians and bring nothing but swords, shields, capes and leather briefs to the fight. In other words, you never see anyone lugging crates of food or water or ANY supplies. However, at one point the King is munching on an apple as he exhorts his troops. The line: "So where do you think he kept that apple all that time?"

Matt Roush from TV Guide on BSG's Future

Click the link for an nice piece by Matt Roush of TV GUIDE on last three episodes of season three... no real spoilers, but a great tease!

http://community.tvguide.com/thread.jspa?threadID=800010219

Battlestar Galactica SUNDAY - The Son Also Rises

I know I'm beating the drum pretty hard here, but I'm really proud of the next three episodes of BSG and it would be great if a few more eyeballs wandered over to watch them. Sunday night on the Sci-Fi Channel at 10:00, you'll meet new character Romo Lampkin as the stage is set for the trial of Gaius Baltar. But if you think the trial is the only issue facing the fleet, think again. There's continuing fallout from the events in Maelstrom, shifting loyalities inside Galactica and plenty of your classic BSG tumult.

Meanwhile, the rag-tag BSG writing staff is cracking season four, and you better stitch your socks to your ankles, cause we're planning some stories that'll blow them right off.

BUT... that's later. Right now, remember SUNDAY NIGHT, 10:00 PM, Sci-Fi Channel, BE THERE.

Battlestar Galactica Gets LONGER

I'm told that the big third season finale, CROSSROADS Part 2 (written by yours truly, directed by Michael Rymer) will run five minutes longer than most episodes, so if you're TiVoing or recording the show, better make sure to adjust your clock accordingly. Trust me, if you miss the last five minutes, you will be missing some rather profound and significant plot points.

Meanwhile, this Sunday's episode, "The Son Also Rises", introduces a new character into the BSG pantheon as the trial of Gaius Baltar begins in earnest. You think Maelstrom was big, well, prepare yourself... the rocket sled is just picking up speed.

SUNDAY nights at 10:00PM on the Sci-Fi Channel!

People I Like: Bob Greenberger

Just added another site to my list to the right. Check out the blog written by Bob Greenberger, a friend, former editor and all around good guy. Bob hired me for my first regular, monthly comic book (THE PHANTOM for DC Comics), which allowed me to quit my very unsatisfying day job at the Los Angeles Times and start... well, my career. But please don't hold that against him, he didn't know what he was unleashing, honest! Since those days, Bob's worked for both DC and Marvel, and both companies were lucky to have him.

Bob's now a freelance writer on various projects, and his thoughts on the business and the world at large are all worth reading. He sure gets to travel more than I do! So consider this a tip of the Verheiden cap in Mr. G's direction...

Battlestar Galactica Sunday - MAELSTROM

Okay, people, prepare yourselves, because this episode is going to rock your world and kick off the last four episodes of BSG/season three. The less you know going in the better, but if you think you've guessed where we're going -- guess again!

Written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle. There will be Vipers, action, drama... and a lot more. SUNDAY NIGHT on the SCI-FI CHANNEL, 10:00 PM. Check it out!

EVIL DEAD The Comic - UPDATE

I visited the lovely Dark Horse offices in Milwaukie Oregon last week, where I got to see the almost finished artwork for our EVIL DEAD adaptation/expansion. I know I've posted this before, but artist John Bolton is absolutely pulling out all the stops on this baby. Every page is a full color painting, and John's renderings of the demonic goings-ons are absolutely horrific.

Remember, this isn't just a straight adaptation, but an authorized "expansion" of the first movie, with new scenes. For instance: for those familiar with the film, there's a sequense where the Scotty character runs from the shack, only to return battered and broken. Well, for the first time you're going to see exactly what happened to poor Scotty in the woods. And it isn't pretty!

Finally, for those comic fans who are concerned about scheduling, 3 1/2 issues of the 4 issue series are in-house, done, finished, complete! So when this series is finally solicited, you're going to get four slabs of on-time, monthly hell-on-Earthness. Beautiful art, Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead and timeliness! Is this a great world or what?

A Question Re: MY NAME IS BRUCE

Anonymous asks the following in the comment section:

"I'm really looking forward to this film. But can you confirm that the "Ash" character & the "Evil Dead" movies are ever mentioned in this film? I've found your previous statements ambiguous when it comes to that topic. Can you clear it up once & for all for the fans? Thanks for your time!"

First of all, ambiguity is our friend. That said, I can flat out say, without fear of contradiction, that "Evil Dead" is name-checked in MNIB, but in ways no sane person could anticipate. I hesitate to get more specific because we gotta leave a few surprises for when the movie finally comes out, right? Right!

A Minor MY NAME IS BRUCE Update

Like the headline says, I don't want to oversell this "news", but I've seen a new cut of the movie with temp music and sound fx, and guess what -- it's still funny! Actually, the music and fx add a lot to the insanity, which was already there. In spades, my friends, in spades...

Meanwhile, "stuff" continues behind the scenes as we get MNIB into optimum release shape. And there has been some fun, very early talk about a... gulp... will this jinx us? "Sequel."

So far there have only been a few photos released to whet your appetite for this epic, but hey, I'm the writer. To hell with the visuals!! Here is some actual, genuine, non-sequitur dialogue that you'll be hearing in the upcoming Dark Horse Indie Epic, MY NAME IS BRUCE:

BRUCE: "I don't care if you're the king of Kiss-My-Assia, I want some answers, chop chop!!"

More to come... IF YOU CAN TAKE IT...

Battlestar Galactica: DIRTY HANDS

Tonight on Battlestar Galactica, "Dirty Hands." And if you think it's about a soap shortage in the fleet, you're wrong! Chief Tyrol finds himself navigating difficult waters when he discovers an injustice in the fleet. Written by Jane Espensen and Anne Cofell-Saunders, it's an exploration of a little seen corner of the BSG universe, and a powerful story about how everyone in the fleet has given up so much to survive.

I suspect we'll be competed against the Oscars on the east coast, but hey, "Babel" is going to win Best Picture, so don't bother sticking around for that snoozefest, come over to Sci-Fi! Sunday night at 10:00 PM, the Sci-Fi Channel, be there!

Star Trek Funny

Courtesy of my pal John (check out his Beatles blog!), a pretty funny take on the original Star Trek to the tune of "White Rabbit."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUA35XQxxw8

The Amazing Fletcher Hanks

Paul Karasik and Fantagraphics are going to be releasing a book collecting the best work of early comics artist Fletcher Hanks sometime this Spring, and the world will never be the same. Hanks wrote and drew about 60 stories from 1938 -1941, and they remain unique and utterly original. I became obsessed with Hanks a few years ago and finally managed to collect every single one of his stories, and now I will be able to share with you, since many of the stories in the Hanks volume were scanned by yours truly.

Here's a quick interview with Paul about the book along with a representative sample of Fletcher Hanks art. Prepare to discover a true comics genius!

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6405736.html?nid=2789

Meet The Press For Idiots

From the Conan O'Brian show, a slightly revised version of the venerable news program. Come watch "Meet the Press For Idiots."

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/02/20/conan-meet-the-press-for-idiots/

Battlestar Galactica - "A Day In The Life"

This Sunday on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Admiral Adama reflects back on his life, both in the service and before, and we get an idea of why his son Lee was so cranky when they were first thrown together on Galactica. Meanwhile, Tyrol and Cally find themselves in a dire, life-threatening situation. To quote the great tag-line from the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, "Who will survive, and what will be left of them?" Actually, I'm not sure that quote really fits their situation, but...

Who cares! Written by yours truly, directed by Rod Hardy, "Day In The Life" debuts SUNDAY NIGHT on the SCI-FI CHANNEL at 10:00 PM! Check it out!

Graham Parker - 103 Degrees In June

I've been a fan of GP's since seeing him live (with Rachel Sweet opening!) at a $2.00 show in Portland Oregon... ahh, those were the days. That same year (1978), I saw Springsteen (twice!), Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Robert Gordon, the Boomtown Rats, the Fabulous Poodles, Elvis Costello and probably a half dozen more. At $2.00 a show, you just couldn't go wrong.

And I didn't go wrong with Mr. Parker, who was still touring with the Rumour back then and cranked out a fantastic set. Parker's had a bunch of career ups and downs since, but he's still fighting the good fight, performing and recording. "103 Degrees In June" is a soundboard recording of GP and his new backing band, The Figgs, live circa June 2005. You get your classic catalog oldies and hard rocking newies and everything in between, and as usual, it's absolutely worth your time and $$$.

This edition is limited to 2000 copies, signed and numbered by Mr. P. himself, and available through the Bloodshot Records website:

http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/album/grahamparker/282

So support Parker and pick up a copy!

Hannibal Rising - Spoilers!

Reviews haven't exactly been kind to the latest chapter in the Hannibal Lecter saga, and I'm afraid I'll be doing a little piling on. From "Manhunter" to "Silence of the Lambs" and even into "Hannibal", there was always a sense that Mr. Lecter was a complicated, conflicted fellow, a maze of psychological influences. So it's a little disappointing that Thomas Harris, the creator of Lecter, has chosen to reduce to Lecter's need to kill down to one incredibly superficial, "quid-pro-quo" piece of emotional history. Basically, young Hannibal was forced to watch impotently as nasty World War 2 profiteers ate his beloved little Sister. And so from this terrible moment "Hannibal The Cannibal" was born.

Even basing Lecter's entire emotional life around this one event would be okay if something interesting came out of it, but "Hannibal Rising" is essentially a tedious version of "Death Wish," with a cannabalistic killer as hero. There is something so perverse about making Lecter our rooting interest that I want to give points just for that. Unfortunately, "Hannibal Rising" eschews the creepiness of "Manhunter," the intelligence of "Silence" and the over-the-top madness of "Hannibal," aspiring apparently to be little more than just another horror movie. And as that, it's pretty much a dud.

Worse than that, moments are just plain risable. The young Hannibal has all the preternatural skulking ability of Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. In one scene, he's able to figure out the exact POV of an oncoming assailant and set up a diversion, a diversion the bad guy would have spotted if he'd moved just one inch to the right as he peeked around a corner. At another moment, learning his Chinese stepmother is being held captive on a houseboat (don't ask), Lecter rushes to a bridge at the exact moment the boat is going past and jumps on board... how the hell he knew WHICH bridge, or even which river, given the paucity of info received, is just another of those unanswered mysteries. It's one thing to suggest Lecter is capable of great deductive reasoning, but in this movie he's just one lucky Super-cannibal, appearing where he needs to appear to keep the story moving.

It's too bad, because Hannibal Lecter really is one of the great villains... maybe it's time to let the ol' cannibal rest awhile.

Battlestar Galactica Renewed For Season Four

It's official, the url below will take you to the Los Angeles Times article. I'm just back from a lovely weekend in Las Vegas, where season four was discussed and Manhattans were consumed. By me, anyhow.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-galactica12feb12,1,7910575.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews&ctrack=1&cset=true

More details to come, but there you go. BSG is BACK, baby!

Battlestar Galactica Sunday - "The Woman, King"

We're back with a new episode this weekend, "The Woman, King", written by Michael Angeli. For those of you wondering if Doc Cottle's the only physician in the fleet, you will wonder no more. Plus, to steal a refrain from "The Sound Of Music", "what do you do with a problem like Doc Baltar?" Remember, that's SUNDAY night at 10:00PM on the Sci-Fi Channel. Consider it your patriotic duty to watch!

The Smokehouse

Mark Evanier has a nice rememberance of times spent at the Smokehouse restaurant in Burbank, which was evidently a hotbed of animation writers/artists back in the day. The restaurant is literally across the street from Warner Brothers and designed to handle large parties... so if you ever want to see a lot of TV writers in the same place, visit the Smokehouse on a Monday in late May or early June, when all the shows are coming together and the showrunners take everyone out for their first lunch.

I've been there for several of these events, including a couple awkward times when writers who have been fired from one show and moved on find themselves in close proximity to their previous employers. In the words of John Stewart, "awwwwk-waaarrrrd."

But the food isn't bad and there's a full bar, an absolute necessity when you're dealing with writers. Mr. Evanier's article can be seen at:

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2007_02_08.html#012896

Battlestar Galactica - Day In The Life Video

There's a nice video-blog piece on the location used for the Adama home on Caprica up at the Sci-Fi Channel website. This sequence appears in "A Day In The Life", written by yours truly, and due up Sunday after next. In "Day" you will meet Bill Adama's ex-wife and learn some interesting new tidbits about the Admiral...

You'll notice narrator Colin reveling in the sunshine on the location day... weather's always hit or miss in lovely, albeit sometimes/often wet Vancouver. While scouting the house, there was much discussion about what to do if it happened to rain on the shoot day... it can get pretty complicated, logistically, especially since there's a large koi pond in the background. If it rains and you can see the pond, you're going to see rain drops splashing. If it stops raining for a different set up, well, then somebody has to start throwing some rain down into the pond so the shots match. Meaning you either bring a rain machine, just in case, or tent over the pond so there IS no chance of rain, or... shoot away from the pond. Which kind of defeats the purpose of finding a very cool house with a very nice pond in the first place...

Fortunately, nature cooperated this time and as you'll see, they got a pretty day on a very lovely location. Anyhow, the link is:

http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/video/
index.php?cat=videoBlog&vid=60346

Enjoy!

Star Trek Remastered - Doomsday Machine

I was always a fan of the original STAR TREK series more than the later extrapolations (a situation some might find ironic, given my current employer), down to buying all the original episodes on DVD and being able to trade quips about iconic dialogue. My fave episode was probably "The Doomsday Machine", partly because it was such a great sci-fi conceit (a "doomsday device" set loose by some unknown civilization that continues to rampage long after the original creators died), it was all set in space (no Greeks/Lincolns/alligator-head men), and Kirk does some cool deductive reasoning to solve the problem.

So now they're remastering the original episodes, rejittering the original effects and improving the music. I haven't actually seen one of these new episodes yet, but from the photos that have been appearing on Ain't It Cool News (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31496) the people in charge are doing a pretty incredible job. I'm not really a stickler when it comes to maintaining every flub and flaw from the older show, as long as the repairs are in sync with the original intent. And these fixes sure seem to be that...

Very First TV Appearance of Spider-Man And Thor!

Via "The Comics Reporter" (www.comicsreporter.com), a link to:

http://newtoons.frederator.com/post/3128

The very first television appearance of the Amazing Spider-Man AND Marvel's Thor, and they're both in the same frame! Copy and paste the link to check out a frame grab from an episode of "Naked City." It's actually very cool to see copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 and Journey Into Mystery #83 hanging from clothes-pins (!) in some street vendor's booth. At today's prices, we're looking at $70,000+ worth of funny books there. Available back in the day for less than a quarter!

Videoscope: Good Mag, Annoying Omission

I've been subscribing to "Videoscope" magazine for years now, and I enjoy the interviews and the sci-fi/horror genre focus. The new issue, Winter 2007, features interviews with actors Irwin Keyes (Wheezy Joe from "Intolerable Cruelty") and Clancy Brown, reviews, a look at the first "Stepfather" movie and much more. In fact, with the death of "Psychotronic", "Videoscope" is probably the best mass-market mag covering obscure horror still going.

All good, right? So what annoys me? For some reason, the reviews do not include the name of the screenwriter in the brief header listing each film's credits. We get the director and the top few actors, but the writer? Nowhere to be found.

Now, the reviews occasionally-to-often mention the writer(s) in the body of the piece -- but not always. And so you can end up with something like their review of the new "Omen" remake which opens with the following: "How suspenseful can a horror film be when it's a scene for scene remake of an earlier, well known film -- especially when both have the same screenwriter and many scenes sport identical dialogue?" But nowhere in the review is that rather important crew member (David Seltzer) actually mentioned by name.

In a review of "Calvaire: The Ordeal", the director/co-writer is commended, but the other "co-writer" goes unnamed. "The Covenant: Brotherhood Of Evil" evidently wrote itself, along with "Desolation Sound", "Disorder"... okay, enough of the alphabetical rundown, now I'm officially depressed.

What IS it about not mentioning the writers? I mean, Videoscope is a magazine written by, *gasp*, writers. The writer of each review gets a credit at the bottom of his piece. The articles are carefully by-lined. So why not offer the same consideration to the folks who actually come up the ideas for the movies being reviewed?

I've written to Videoscope about this in the past, but this isn't a crusade and leaving the writing credits off the reviews isn't the end of the world. Hence this blog article's title reading "annoying" as opposed to "blight on humanity!" I fully intend to keep reading and supporting the magazine. But somehow, someday, it sure would be nice if they would rethink their review headers...

Wonder Woman, Whedon, "Intrigue."

According to Joss Whedon himself, he's officially off the WONDER WOMAN project at Warner Bros. And according to an article at...

http://icv2.com/articles/home/10016.html

...Warners has premptively picked up a Wonder Woman "spec script", ostensibly to ward off possible legal action. Have to admit, that piece of the puzzle leaves me baffled. Warner Bros./DC Comics OWNS Wonder Woman, so if anyone was trespassing on someone's rights, it was the guys who wrote the spec. So I suspect there's more going on than meets the eye, like someone actually liked the spec take and figured, what the hell, it might kick-start a new push. But with no inside info whatsoever, I'm just guessing like everyone else...

But it wouldn't be the first time I've heard of something like this going down. A writer named Peter Briggs wrote a spec ALIEN VS PREDATOR script way back when Fox was first mulling the crossover (early/mid '90s), and the studio wound up buying that script. The spec was eventually tossed, along with several other takes, when Paul Anderson did his writer/director thing. But I'm sure the check for the spec still cleared...

And in a final piece of Kevin Bacon-ism, Anderson went and named one of the characters in the first AVP movie after... me! (I die, so don't expect to see me in any sequels...) Even though I never actually wrote an ALIEN VS PREDATOR comic book, I did write the first three ALIENS arcs and the three PREDATOR series for Dark Horse. And to be honest, I was flattered by the name check, if only to hear people screaming "Verheiden!! Verheiden!!!!" on the big screen.

At Last The Super Bowl...

Ahh, yes, finally the big day has come. Two mighty teams meet on the field of battle in an epic competition of...

Sorry... who's playing, again? I guess I'm one of those un-American fiends who has never enjoyed football and couldn't care less about Super Bowl Sunday, except to note that it's a great day to hit the malls or have a nice, peaceful dinner out, since so many folks are glued to the tube. Me, I'm listening to the "dynamic guitar sounds of the Clee-Shays" (Sundazed CD 11049) and working on various projects until the game starts, then we're off to some desolate restaurant for some family fun.

Oddly, while I have no problem with people who DO enjoy football, there are a lot of people who are stunned insensible to discover someone has no interest in the sport. As your classic "big guy", I was always relgated to tackle or some other blunt-instrument position back in High School, so maybe that colored my experience a little. Anyhow, for those devoted to the sport, knock yourselves out!

There's no new BATTLESTAR this evening because of the game, but two repeats for those who may have fallen behind. At 11:00 PM, "Rapture" and at midnight, "Taking a Break From All Your Worries." Prime TiVo material, or a nice break after the interminable Super Bowl wrap-ups, analysis-es, post-mortems and "etc."

New Bruce Campbell/Old Spice Ad!

Another version of Mr. Campbell Old Spice ad aired on the DAILY SHOW last night (Thursday 2/1). This one features a different take and it's much shorter, with a trimmed down "old Spice ship" painting in the background. Bruce has to rush to get his truncated message across in the time alotted, but it's basically the same screwy doubletalk about "experience." The longer version is better and funnier, but hell, it's still Bruce!

What's New? Not Much.

That headline isn't quite true, there's all sorts of stuff percolating, just nothing that I can report quite yet. As mentioned in my interview over at Comic Book Resources, I've started work writing a pilot for the SPIKE network, details to come. It's pretty cool, in my not-so-humble opinion, but it's too early to do anything but say "I'm starting!"

Several other things are bobbing out on the horizon, but nothing's nailed down enough for comment. MY NAME IS BRUCE is still in process, looking at a release this Summer or Fall. No news re: a BSG renewal, at least as far as I know this evening. There isn't even a new episode BSG to push this weekend, just repeats while we await the dispersal of Super Bowl fever.

A number of other writer-based blogs offer tips to the novice scribe, and maybe this is a good place to offer one of mine: never count on (or boast about) anything until the check clears. (I used to think a signed contract was the breaking point, but I've had projects come apart even at THAT stage, so...) Because there are so many slips twixt the cup and the lip...