Saturday, November 7, 2009

Midnight Rant: Judging Art Before It's Finished- Movie Edition

I'm sick of movie news websites that decide they love or despise a movie while it's still in pre-production. We don't do this with music, paintings, books or even comic books. Why movies?

Long production, pre-release hype, and other known works are all factors of course.

What else? What makes movies so open to pre-release judgement?


Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Alan Moore Named Official White House Biographer for Obama

From The Onion:


Let's just hope it's one of his coherent efforts- as opposed to snake-god worshipping, drug-induced, twisted shakespearian/lovecraftian nonsense that we often get from Moore.



Science Saturday: June 12, 2010

*This is an article that will appear in King of Pain # 2. It sheds light on a few historical and cultural happenings in our comic book world. It's also a chance to have exposition that is lengthy and (best of all) guilt free.




Excerpts from the transcript of the “The Phil Lecture Radio Show” (or “Science Saturday”) from June 12th 2010.


00 min. 03 sec.

Phil Lecture (commentator): Welcome to “Science Saturday.” I’m Phil Lecture. Our first guest was born S-Gene positive, endowed with strong intellectual capabilities. You could call him a certified genius. He has been working on “Project M” for 12 years and with it’s recent de-classification, he’s here to let us know the details of the project and talk about his new book, “Olympus Reborn: Our World And The Gods That Inhabit It” which is on shelves now. Welcome Dr. Simon Lenelle.


Dr. Lenelle: Thank you Phil.


Phil Lecture: Doctor Lenelle, from reading your book I can attest that you have some fantastic information to share with us. First of all, how did your research come about?


Dr. Lenelle: Well, it started 13 years ago when the first extra terrestrial visitor of the modern age landed in Vermont. His name was Mythee and he was a political refugee from the planet Grazzm. It’s a long story really, a lot of it has been told in recent headlines, so in brief: The United States quickly took guardianship of Mythee and made all information concerning him classified to all but top-level personnel. He appeared and acted quite peaceful, however, every time Mythee saw a Super he reacted in an excited manner. It didn’t take long for government psychologists to realize that he actually knew who had powers and who didn’t. I was called in because of my security status and familiarity with S-Gene research. We began to study the Grazzm dialect and Mythee started to learn English which he adapted to quite gracefully- but it took a few years. As we communicated it became clear that he was a historian. He had been guarding his planet’s historical records when his current government found them unfavorable to their agenda. As the Grazzm government tried to re-write the records, Mythee attempted to oppose them, but eventually fled. He actually knew of Earth and felt he could keep a vault of accurate historical records here. We’ve been helping him to do just that. It has been a classified process until three weeks ago when the security levels were lifted by President Clan. I had anticipated this clearance and finished my book to coincide with the de-classification to help people understand a little bit about what we learned.


Phil: Why isn’t your book about Mythee himself? That seems to be the real curiosity to people right now. Why did you instead choose to focus on the origins of the S-Gene?


Lenelle: I would love to have told Mythee’s story, but, (I think its okay to announce this) he is actually writing his own book, in English! It’s an exciting time for my colleagues and I include Mythee as a peer and a colleague. His intellect is remarkable.


Phil: So you’re using what we know of his story as a jumping-off point to educate people on the S- Gene?


Lenelle: Exactly, and to inform them of its peculiar manifestation on our planet, which are, the so-called Supers. But it would’ve been difficult to discuss my theory without acknowledging where I obtained much of my data- Mythee’s history books were filled with his race’s scientific findings. Their histories differed from ours because they contained specific formulas and proofs in their historical texts rather than just the scientific publications. These records helped me to arrive at what seems to be the most reasonable explanation of the S-Gene explosion.


Phil: I guess it’s about time we heard your Theory huh?


Lenelle: Well, it’s less of a theory and more like documented history- albeit alien history! To state it simply, some members of the Grazzm race visited Earth during our pre- historic age. They left behind a satellite. By coincidence a NASA shuttle stumbled across it soon after we found Mythee. He helped us to recognize the inscriptions on the side of the satellite as an ancient form of his dialect. The satellite itself was leaking radiation, very slowly. Through his historical records, we were able to formulate the effect this radiation was having on our planet. As it turns out small doses of Grazzm radiation have brought about large consequences, namely mutations, in our species. It has caused the S-Gene manifestion in human beings!


Phil: Radiation from a leftover alien satellite- hmm. So tell me Doctor, why were the aliens here in the first place?


Lenelle: They came to terra-form our planet. They were going to use a virus like micro-organic substance to alter plant and animal life. In this way the atmosphere and all living things would become suitable to their living conditions, by way of controlled mutation.


Phil: And Mythee helped you learn all of this?


Lenelle: Yes, with his histories.


Phil: Where would this “terra-forming” have left human beings had it actually taken place?


Lenelle: We don’t know for sure, maybe we wouldn’t have evolved! But we discovered in our research…


Cut to 17 min. 05 sec.

Phil: …and I also read, you actually believe that the so-called Greek God’s of myth were, not so much myth, but manifestations of the S-Gene effect?


Lenelle: Yes, I talk about it very briefly in the book. This one’s a little harder to prove with current revealed documents. Some of my proofs are still classified but the Clan Administration has given me approval to speak of the theory itself. Yes, the Greek God’s were most likely the result of an S-gene breakout. They were essentially supers that formed tribes and squabbled and loved and fought and did all the things we read about. More on that can be said when certain classifications are, hopefully, lifted.


Cut to 35 min. 47 sec. (as pertaining to Mr. Kyle Kapowski)

Phil: Let’s take a call from Greg in Baltimore. Greg you’re on the air.


Caller (Greg): Hi Phil. Great show today. I was wondering, I know the doctor helped develop the S-gene tests. The police recently gave one to my brother. It turned out to be negative, but I was wondering if you could tell me how it works? My family always thought he might be a super, but the test was said otherwise. I wanted to know, is it really a foolproof test? And what are its origins? I’ll take my answer off the air- thank you.


Lenelle: Well Greg, I hope your brother’s run-in with the police was a pleasant one.


Lenelle and Phil: (chuckling)


Lenelle: To answer your question though Greg, the test is accurate. About 15 years ago, myself, and a colleague, Dr. Moon, isolated the so called “S-genes”. It’s a series of genes really, plural. We developed a fluorescence which will bind with the genes in question. It does this everywhere in the body…


Phil: The fluorescence is taken in pill form correct?


Lenelle: Right. It is taken orally and activates fully in about one hour. We then shine a light on the epedermic areas of the body. The light is designed to isolate the fluorescent bindings on the subjects DNA. If it glows neon-blue, you’re a “super.” If not, we don’t see anything. It’s highly unlikely that the test would give false results.


Phil: And as I understand, only Government agencies are allowed to administer the test. Why is that? Why can’t the common man find out for himself?


Lenelle: I deal with that in the book Phil. The chapter entitled “1999 and Government Sanctions” discusses this in depth. It really is for the best. As a federal employee with inside information I can say without a doubt that this needs to be regulated.


Phil: hmm... (long pause) Well, thank you for your time. We have been speaking with Doctor Simon Lenelle, author of...


Cut

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

King of Pain # 2 Teaser

Ooh... What's going on here?

*Art by Sam Rodriguez

Friday, October 9, 2009

A "New" Beatles Song

I've been a Beatles fan as far back as I can remember. I have the White Album, Abbey Road, Magical Mystery Tour, and Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band memorized through and through.

Somehow I didn't know this song existed until a few days ago.



It first appeared on the Yellow Submarine album; which I had a recording of as a kid, but somehow this song didn't make it to my copy of the tape.

So bonus! I get to enjoy a "new" song by one of my favorite bands.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Zombies: A Distaste and Dichotomy

I am sick of zombies. Sorry fanboys. I don't pick up any of the thirty-seven-million zombie comics that come out each month. (I do buy the Walking Dead trades for my little brother, but I haven't read them past volume two or so.)

As a matter of fact I have a maxim for my superhero world: "No Nazis, zombies, or gratuitous resurrections." (Hold me to it people!)

You're breaking all my rules!

Zombies seem cliche, boring, and generally overused.

One might say, "Nicholas how can you hate zombies for being cliche when superheroes have definitely worn out their welcome?"

A couple of things:

Firstly, hats off to the talented people who have popularized zombies. I'm talking about George A Romero, Danny Boyle, Robert Kirkman, Edgar Wright, and Capcom. I have enjoyed many works of art that happen to include the flesh-eating undead.

Secondly, this is my opinion and mine only. I'm burned out on zombies, but I haven't reached that threshold with superheroes. Perhaps it has something to do with their mythic qualities. I see Superman and co. as more than twentieth century antiques. I see men in capes as an extension of the "monomyth." Superheroes, to me, are a part of the transcendent hero's journey that all human beings share in some way or another.

Zombies on the other hand, I just don't get.

Until last weekend.

I was talking about some script ideas and character development with my brother Christopher. Afterwards he made a remark that is so simple and true— yet somehow I had missed it before.

"Zombies justify our need for violence."

You see it's okay to kill zombies. THEY NEED TO BE KILLED right? So (dichotomy time) when I was playing Resident Evil 4 (and loving every minute of it); and my wife said to me "Honey, this is so violent." My reply was always, "But the zombies need to be killed darling. Somebody has to do it!"

I was justifying my need for violence.
Okay zombies, I get your appeal.

But I'm still burned out.


In the FACE!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Ain't-It-Cool-News Reviewed My Comics - Sweet!

Matt Adler from AICN was nice enough to give my comics a read. His review was thoughtful and fair- which is great for an amateur writer like me.

Hell, "fair" is great if anybody can get it on this planet. Other than said fairness, the review also happened to be positive.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42557#11

Thanks Mr. Adler.

*Also, I had changed this "cantankerous" line before reading the article. Promise.