Former Libertas writer "Dirty Harry" has decided to step out from behind his Internet pseudonym and take his chances that it won't hurt his career in Hollywood. He announced on his new web site, Dirty Harry's Place, that his real name is John Nolte.
Of course, nobody will ever tell him to his face that he won't get a job because of his views. They just won't call. I forget who said it (it may have been DH!), but I believe the quote was, "It's just that they won't work with Nazis. And they think you're a Nazi."
Within both the movie industry and the comics industry (just as in academia), there are so many artists and creators who keep mum about their party affiliation because of the obnoxious attitudes of others in the industry that surely anyone who is creative would be a liberal.
Don't believe me? Here's an actual conversation from this year's "Free Comic Book Day". I will protect the identities of those talking, but they are prominent self-publishers:
Person 1: I'm thinking about taking a permanent hiatus from [current comic strip] and doing a different strip where I can be more political.
Person 2: Really?
Person 1: 'Cuz remember that storyline where [character] was doing a podcast? I got thousands of angry e-mails from longtime readers who didn't like it.
Person 2: That's amazing. I would think anyone who liked comics would be a Democrat.
The two then proceeded to loudly remark about FCBD also being the fifth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished", with much chortling... and no concern that anyone within earshot would have a dissenting view.
I'm biting my tongue to keep from mentioning that the mission of the people on the ship (overthrowing Saddam and defeating Iraq's official military) WAS accomplished and that everything in Bush's speech that day talked about the long slow progress to come (not that either one can remember a lick of the speech, they just remember the banner). Why? Because then I'll just look like the one loudmouth who is disruptive of the serenity of the comic book event, and I don't want to be "the right-winger who ruined Free Comic Book Day and shouldn't be invited back because he's always obnoxious." For all I know, one of them will tell the shopkeep that if I'm at the next FCBD they won't be because they hated being confronted. It won't matter that it was their rude introduction of politics to the proceedings that started it, or that I know others in the room who were probably equally offended.
"I would think anyone who liked comics would be a Democrat." That says so much.
The only reason I'm openly conservative is that I gave up any hope of working for my favorite comic company, the New York-based DC Comics, years ago. When I first tried to seriously break into the industry in 2003, I was advised by some who were in the know to stop posting anything political on Chuck Dixon's web site because it's read by people at DC and I'd be a marked man. It may not entirely make me persona non grata, but it couldn't help. So I kept a tight rein on my thoughts. Those were a tough couple of years. Around the time that Sue Dibny was killed off and Ralph "Elongated Man" Dibny pretty much ruined, I was far more interested in doing my own comic book, Metro Med (which is being republished this week...more on that in a few). At least when you're self-employed, you know your views agree with the boss' views.
So as long as I have your attention: We're winning in Iraq, Obama's more ignorant than George W. Bush ever was, we should have been drilling for oil in that tiny portion of the Arctic Mosquito Preserve 15 years ago, and John McCain is the lousy candidate who I will support anyway this November. I'm not going to guard my tongue anymore...though aside from this post I'll keep my political thoughts confined to "TheHutch.com."
Best of luck, Dirty Harry.
With all of the black leather uniforms instead of the varying unique costumes, people are worrying that the new G.I. Joe movie team are looking too Matrix-y. Or, in the brash wording of the Internet, "too gay".
Because, you know, all the distinctive costuming on the old show wouldn't look gay at all.
Of course, they're luckier than the members of Cobra, who have to wear silicone.
Known for being a semi regular host on SNL (even hosting the first one), and a humerous voice to the US counterculture, he will be missed.
Winston, a man whose name has been on pretty much any good SFX done in the last 30+ years, has passed away. His production company has been involved in scads of great films, from Alien to Zathura. He has been taken from us too soon and he will be missed.
UPDATE:
Don't miss Ain't It Cool News' tribute, with many of Stan's friends in the industry sending in their thoughts. It's only fitting, given the ridiculously small obits Winston is getting in the mainstream press. I'm sorry, but news companies have obits prepared for any celeb of a certain age, notoriety or with ill health, and such a Hollywood giant deserves better than a paltry three paragraphs.
I have been in seclusion for the last month. Sorry to have been away so long.
Things are up. I will talk more about it publicly shortly. It's big news. Biggest news for me in three years.
I hope to see you in a few weeks in Chicago.
I recently started a new blog with the purpose of promoting recognition of comics as a valid art form. Somewhat inspired by my recent reading of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, but mostly inspired by the look on many of my friends' faces when they find out I'm into comics (most of my real-life friends are not comics fans). I'm still planning on updating my regular blog, though I've been neglecting it the past month or so.
While I attempt to sound somewhat professional and educated in this new endeavor, I admit that I'm an amateur in this field -- but I think this discussion is worth having, and I'd like to get some participation going on. The blog is in its early stages still, but there is a bit of a reasoning in the order in which I've posted the first four times, so you might as well jump on board now! (Plus, the more I can sense a strong-ish following, the more motivated I will be to post regularly.) I think a lot of the Monitor Duty readers/contributors would have some great things to contribute. I actually have been wondering how Kistler will respond.
By far the most controversial post is the "What is Art?" topic. It's been interesting seeing how people react to my rather broad definition.
Anyways, I'll stop rambling now and present to you the Zap! Pow! Zoom! Initiative.
I've just heard that Harvey Korman passed away. Harvey was a comedic genius and brought much joy to my childhood. I've loved him in everything from Blazing Saddles to The Carol Burnett Show to his short-lived "The Nutt House" tv series.
Oooooh...he was even on that slice of nerd heaven, "The Star Wars Christmas Special"!
R.I.P. Now go do that voodoo that you do so well, Mr. Hedley Lamarr.
Until the premiere of Season Three of the Venture Brothers at AdultSwim.Com.
But first...
A taste of things to come...
A great movie trailer from when I was 18. I'm not saying it's a great movie, but this is a great trailer!
I finally saw the first Phantasm when I was in my mid-twenties. Man, it sucked and it didn't make any sense, though it did feature some genuinely well-done thrills. I can't imagine why it's such a phenomenon. It's probably the kind of movie made for groups of teens to watch while making out at drive-ins or when you're totally baked (neither of which I'd have any knowledge of).
I was going to write an Indiana Jones review filled with spoilers -- but I've changed my mind.
Instead I'll say: George, it wasn't worth 15 years of waiting for you to get your way on those plot points...
But I loved that last scene. Yes, I did.
And the whole sand-trap revelation scene. (Not that it was surprising, but it was well executed.)
45 minutes of great stuff, though, puts it on par with Temple of Doom.
I'm going back to Raiders now, thank you!
Does getting the reference "Bizarro World" render one unfit for commenting on current events?
Give it a listen. If you want to jump ahead (but why, when Steyn is on?), go to 24:00 in the podcast.
Of course, sports and comics should be able to coexist.
Finally, a superhero everyone can hate...
I had no idea they were even redoing Andromeda Strain, let alone that it was being done by Ridley Scott and Tony Scott and starring Andre Braugher, Ricky Schroder and Daniel Dae Kim! Man, this sounds good.
I saw the original movie and it was...okay. Frankly, it's computer graphics were so crude that they were laughable at a point where the story called for intense drama. (There's a scene where computer-guided lasers are shooting at a guy climbing a ladder, and it's so crude that it makes Crazy Climber look like Super Mario Galaxies.
The trailer:
And a clip just premiered today:
When I was a child there was a program on CBS called Space Rangers. It was science fiction, live action and on primetime. I think it was at 8 PM on a week night. I was but in elementary school at the time, and it was not yet that I was in the Fifth Grade when the show started, last six whole episodes, and was canceled. I do not know if the show was bad or if it was merely not given a chance. I still don't know. At that age few have good judgment on the quality of television-writing. The DVD release is horrifically prohibitively expensive for a six-episode batch. That rules out watching it willfully these days. Yet:
Tonight the Ion television network (a micro-network that is smaller than the CW, but is the size Fox, the WB or UPN once was, I reckon; it was once known as Pax and then i Network) as part of their RHI Movie Weekend time block, is playing all six episodes as one entry from 7 PM to 11 PM EDT.
Space Rangers
7:00 PM, 4 hrs
Sat 05/24/2008
WZPX 43Special/Sci-Fi/Other
NR, English, Made for TV, 1993
Back-to-back episodes of the complete "Space Rangers" series follow a ragtag team of lawmen patrolling the outer reaches of the galaxy in 2104. As if being stuck as far from home as possible wasn't bad enough, the squad has to deal with problems ranging from inferior equipment to bureaucratic meddling. Cast & Credits: Jeff Kaake ,Linda Hunt ,Jack McGee ,Marjorie Monaghan ,Danny Quinn
I presume that this particular program is all six episodes poorly edited into one four-hour movie with few breaks. There will be advertisements. But based on the opening credits I reckon it is all one bit. The credits for each episode was presented at he beginning of this 7 PM broadcast. It's hard to say if the movie will present the complete contents of all six episodes. It's hard to say what the individual links of the respective episodes are, let alone how they fit into a four-hour block, or if they would fit into one with commercials included.
Unfortunately I probably will not be able to see the whole thing tonight; I lost the VCR remote and so I cannot record it. Fortunately these RHI presentations come back as reruns time and again.
Someday I'll properly be able to review some semblance of the show, but as old as I am I do not think I'll give Space Rangers the benefit of the doubt.
Robert Asprin, editor and author of the Thieves World series, and the Myth adventure series, passed away yesterday.
He will be Mythed, um I mean, Missed.
Here's an awesome movie idea from the scribe of "Batman Begins" and it may actually make it to the big screen: "Super Max", in which Green Arrow is imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit and must then escape from a facility designed for holding super criminals... and it includes a list of B and C-level villains that comic fans will recognize (though none are in their costumes).
I'm not a big Green Arrow fan, but this sounds like an awesome idea for a movie. And maybe that's the key to this: instead of an overwrought and formulaic two hour origin tale, the origin and establishing of Green Arrow is done in the first few minutes, and by 10 minutes in he's already been captured for the murders. The rest of the movie is focused on an exciting plot that would be a good story no matter who the main character is.
(Hat tip to Condiment King!)
Metropolis, IL, is holding a contest to pick their Superman for their annual festival.
So, I write this long post finally venting about PvP always always always being late...
...and Scott posts that his dad ripped him a new one about always being late ON THAT VERY SAME DAY! Scott's making an extra effort to get organized, and acquainting himself with some new hardware which may make it easier to draw, and he is trying hard to work ahead.
Bad timing on my part, I guess.
UPDATED: In case you're wondering why I called that post "FAIL!!!", it was a reference to this animated GIF that I like of Luke Skywalker kicking a guy and totally missing him. Unfortunately, I cannot find the original GIF no matter how hard I try (images are tough to search for unless they're tagged or described in text, and most aren't). But check out 1:45 in the following video:
Scott Kurtz decided that PvP would go to a Monday through Friday comic in order for him to do justice to the title and keep it on time.
It is now 10:15PM central time and still no Monday PvP.
Look, I'm not some Scott Kurtz hater. (And I'm amazed how many haters there are. Mention his name in any crowd and someone will call him a donkey opening.) I mean, anyone who works so hard to keep his comic going for ten years, who develops a gargantuan following and is supportive of his friends deserves some respect.
Time for the inevitable "however". If I have one criticism of Scott, it's that he never, ever has managed to work one day ahead of schedule. He's got a comic book, TPBs, a book about webcomics, a cartoon, an upcoming DVD of that cartoon, shirts, skull plushes, other merchandise, podcasts, MMORPG guilds, Blank Label Comics, HalfPixel, convention appearances, comic store appearances and who knows how many other ventures. It's a FULL SCHEDULE. I understand that. I'm amazed he can get anything done, frankly. All of it, however, is based on one thing: his daily web comic. And ever since he started doing more than just drawing the web comic, it has meant that that day's comic gets launched in the afternoon, the evening, that night, or retroactively the next day.
I know, it's that whole "how dare we demand something he gives away free" thing. But it's not free! Look, his web site makes an exorbitant amount of money in advertising based on our checking the web site for that day's comic. We're stopping by in order to see one thing: the webcomic. It would be nice if that comic was actually there.
Now, I could follow the conspiracy rule established by leftists ever since Bush took office ("Any possible conspiracy theory that would result in profit automatically means that theory is the truth.") and conclude that Scott has realized that if a cartoon was on his web site in the morning we wouldn't return to his web site five more times looking to see if it's up yet, and thus his hit count would plummet and he'd lose money.
I said that just to see how easily some people will now tout that theory as the absolutely true reason that Scott Kurtz posts comics late. It couldn't possibly be that he's a well-meaning guy who has a bad habit of never getting caught up on his comic and working a day or two ahead of time.
So, Scott, should you ever see this, here is my advice. Take a week off and have another week of guest strips. Not because you need to go to a big con. Not because you're sick, or your dog is sick. No...use it just to draw and get a week ahead of yourself. We're your fans, and if you took some time to fix the biggest flaw in your strip, we'd love you for it. Besides, if all the guest strips were as funny as this one, it would be well worth it.
Signed... the guy who never worked ahead of schedule on anything.
There is nothing sacred or original in DC Comics anymore.
I'd like to use this post as an opportunity to announce my formal decision to cease all future purchases of DC Comics mainstream titles and stories. I've been turned off by a lot of the poor writing in Flash and JLA the last few years anyway, but this is the clincher that has turned me from apathy to a definite "anti-DC" stance.
Ever since Superman died and resurrected, this card has been played far too often in comic bookdom, especially in DC continuity. It was okay when Supes did it. I even thought Hal's death (as Parallax) and resurrection (as Spectre) was really clever. But now it's Steel. And then it's Hal back as Green Lantern. For a while, the only sacred deaths that meant anything anymore, that were to remain untouched, were Jason Todd and Barry Allen. Eventually even Jason came back by "punching through time," a gimmick that, I'm convinced, only existed as a means to boost sales -- because it was too lame to come off as any notion of a good idea for a story.
Only Barry remained. The man who risked everything to save a thousand worlds. The man whose death was almost as magnificent as his well-written "life" was. But they just couldn't leave him be.
Damn you, DC. Damn you, Grant Morrison, for taking one of my all-time favorite stories and cheapening it by undoing it. This silly gimmick is causing death to mean nothing anymore -- for who is afraid of dying when they can inevitably come back to life? Don't even get me started on the reintroduction of the multiverse. What was that whole "Crisis" for, anyway?
No more. I will no more spend my money and invest my interest in stories that simply recycle themselves and don't go anywhere anymore. If DC's writers and executives don't know how to take a character and actually DEVELOP him rather than hitting the reset button over and over again, then they don't know how to make me pull out my wallet. How can I be true to a character whose writers aren't true to him?
Elseworlds-type one-shots and minis are still potential purchases as they are untouchable by the bastardized mainstream of DC continuity, but if I ever get back into regular comics reading, I'm afraid you'll only find me picking up Marvel titles (not that they haven't played the resurrection card at all, but it has been much less frequent).
DC Comics, you have officially lost a customer.
Still not excited about the new Star Trek prequel, but that's a cool image.
Thomas Denton of the comics blog Say It Backwards, has launched a two-part charity auction with the proceeds going to the Candlelighters organization... and these auctions have a boatload of goodness donated from all levels of comicdom... from original David Mack artwork to a Transmetropolitan page to a commission by me - and that's just the first round. Second round promises bigger stuff!
Check it out, it's all for a good cause!
SiB's Charity Auction
Wow. Never let it be said that Scott Kurtz doesn't know how to write a powerful moment. Jade Fontaine and Brent Sienna have tied the knot. No interruptions, no plot twists, no fleeing the ceremony. They're married.
Weird.
I distinctly remember Kurtz swearing ages ago that he would never have Brent and Jade get married because that would ruin it.
I guess he changed his mind.
Or he decided to ruin it.
I was at Jimmy Jams in Rochester, MN, today, along with Tom Nguyen, Gordon Purcell, Bob Lipski, Brian Bastian and Zach Miller. I sold three copies of Job Wanted; grossed $9. Then I went over to Gordon's table and saw two amazing comic pages with Batman, Elongated Man and Detective Chimp. Spent a lot more than $9 adding those to my collection.
I also got this from Bob Lipski for all of you Killer Moth fans:
I'll post my Iron Man review tomorrow. Short version: most painless $8 I've paid for a movie in ages. SO worth it...and if you go, you sit through all the credits, understand?
First off: I should have a review of Iron Man tomorrow, if my day pans out. Plans are to spend Free Comic Book Day appearing at Jimmy Jams alongside my buddies Tom Nguyen and Gordon Purcell, then head out with everybody who's willing to see the movie on Saturday night. (Tommy and Gordy are heading off to another convention for Sunday, so they'll miss out.)
I'm trying to avoid the reviews until I can make up my own mind, though I've encountered a few. "Dirty Harry" gives it 3 stars and some high praise, though he says that the film becomes a bit ideologically unfocused after 40 minutes. I've also been hearing nothing but good things about Robert Downey Jr's performance, about his age and personal history lending well towards personifying Tony Stark.
Here's looking forward to tomorrow!
Here's the opening to a Wonder Woman clone, called Wonder Ghong Zu (princess)...
and guess who this is supposed to be...
Rather than strike fear, I can see criminals laughing to death at that color scheme!
Take Country singer Brad Paisley's recent single "Letter to Me", add some selective clips from all 6 Star Wars movies, do some creative editing and you wind up with an entertaining video.
I've been thinking about the origin of the Penguin. No particular reason, but when a friend advised me to come up with some new material to pitch to DC (what with so many of my traditional faves being kaput or inaccessible) I started thinking of characters I'd like to update. The origin of Oswald Cobblepot is one I'd love to retell and expand upon, since I think I could do a very credible story of a put-upon kid forced to carry an umbrella by his mother.
In case you don't know, Oswald's dad died of pneumonia from being caught in the rain unprotected, so his mom ordered him to always have an umbrella handy. This naturally makes him a laughing stock with the other kids, and thus his resentments begin to build etc. etc.
I had the story pretty well roughed out. And then I realized...
These days, he could just put a collapsible umbrella in his pocket and no one would laugh. His origin has been utterly ruined by technology. Oh, granted, Oswald is like 40-50 years old and so they didn't have them quite yet in his childhood, but he'll be getting there as the timeline continues to slide.
And now it's a music video!
MicroCon is this Sunday at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul.
For the first time in several years, I'll be an attendee instead of a guest. It's been a while since I published my last book, and competition for space at MicroCon is fierce. I've been honored that they have invited me back year after year, and have felt like I was skating on their largess. I think I'll actually have more fun this weekend because the pressure's off... especially the pressure on my butt in those chairs for six hours! It'll be great to stop in, stay as long as I want, see all my friends, scout out some talent, and then vamoose.
By this October, I'll have a new book printed and more in the works, and hopefully they'll invite me back as a guest for FallCon.
I know I say this every time, but the guys who run this con are simply some of the nicest people in comics. It's a thrill to go, it's a treat to be a guest, and I hope you all make an effort to get out here for at least one MicroCon or FallCon.
(Did I just say "new book printed"? Yes, I did. I guess I haven't really mentioned it here yet. And I still won't. However, plans are to have this book ready by Wizard World Chicago. So...more soon!)
This is getting silly.
I told you how I found out you can get MST3K's Giant Gila Monster for a special low price on a single disk from Rhino. Then I updated you that it was no longer available... and as a result, I was selling my Volume 10 in order to buy 10.2.
Now they tell me that I can add it to my order and it will be sent to me whenever a new shipment is in. (Now they tell me...after I placed my order for the whole volume!)
Learn from my mistakes, people. Get Gila while you can!
Season 3 of the Venture Brothers!
Coming in June!
(Like that G.I. Joe parody at the end!)
Oddly enough, I was taking a break from re-watching "Hellboy" out in the kitchen and Dirty Harry tipped me to the following:
Guillermo del Toro, director of the Hellboy movies as well as Pan's Labyrinth, just signed on to direct "The Hobbit" and a sequel. Previous talk of splitting up The Hobbit into two parts have either been thrown out or were rumor; the sequel will cover the timespan between Hobbit and LOTR.
Hellboy, by the way, is a terrific film. I don't read the comic book, but the movie made me think that I should... and considering what a DC-drone I am, that's a great compliment. Story-wise, the movie could be better, but it's a superb cast (of Ron Perlman, all I can say is "perfect"), the special effects aren't too annoyingly CGI-ish, and the movie has style and artistry to spare. More importantly, the characters have time to work out their relationships (Hellboy fighting with his "Dad", chafing at the arrival of the new guy, struggling with his self-hatred and the barriers in his relationship with Liz, etc...), and all too often big blockbusters won't waste time on those kinds of elements. (I should know, I just suffered through re-watching Spider-Man 3, which bungles its character arcs badly.) Surprisingly, there is a pantload of character development for such an action-packed movie. As I recall, the Hellboy film was a success but not the colossal blockbuster fans would have liked. Here's hoping the sequel does well.
A follow-up to my post about "Giant Gila Monster": Unfortunately, the limited printing of disks has been sold and it's now out of print.
I've decided to sell my Out Of Print MST3K Volume 10 and collect the 80 Bajillion bucks it's going for, and use that money to buy the 10.2 for $40. The Godzilla movie is funny...but it's no Giant Gila Monster, which is an out-and-out smörgåsbord of hilarity.
I'll let you all know when I sell it and where, in case you're interested.
Libertas' Dirty Harry brings it to our attention that the frog legs entrepreneur who pursues Kermit the Frog cross-country was actually a decorated World War II hero. Charles Durning lied about his age in order to storm the beaches of Normandy at 17, survived several deadly confrontations to get patched up and back out onto the battlefield again, was captured and imprisoned...and lived on to become a cherished character actor.
Something to remember the next time you see him prancing around in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas.
I have been anxiously awaiting the chance to buy the single DVD disk of "Giant Gila Monster" from the Mystery Science Theater 3000 series. See, what happened was that after their 10th box set was released, there was a rights issue regarding the Godzilla movie contained therein. Rhino pulled the title, removed Godzilla from the collection, threw Giant Gila Monster in its place (thus making the giant lizard on the cover relevant again) and re-released it as MST3K Volume 10.2. But for those of us who don't want to purchase the 10th volume all over again, we were told that you could also purchase Gila Monster separately. After months of waiting, I googled it only to find that it is only available direct from Rhino, and for a limited time, and I may have missed it. Wah. (I was looking forward to hearing one of my favorite riffs again: "Looks like Larry Miller's traveling hot tub.")
My hunting tonight also revealed some great news: after 7 years, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Movie has finally been put back in print.
Oh, and TV's Frank has a new job on a web-based mini TV series called "The Writer's Room". It's about the writers for a late night show hosted by Kevin Pollak. One of the running gags is that Kevin calls the writers on a speakerphone and bores them with his impressions. Here's one of the five episodes: