We just completed a long-overdue aspect of nine-year-old Caroline’s education by finishing up showing her the only three “Star Wars” films that really matter: Eps 4, 5 and 6. She actually sobbed copiously when Vader died. You know, we spend so much time bitching about Lucas doing this, that and the other think that sometimes we forget the power these films can pack, especially for younger viewers.
Then we asked her the obvious question. Which of the three was her favorite?
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Originally published September 20, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1192
There are those inside, and outside, of the industry, who view every superhero story as some sort of passionless, bloodless corporate creation. The conventional wisdom spouted is that those who involve themselves in such endeavors are mindless hacks: Heartless, soulless automotons who don’t care about anything except satisfying the monetary cravings of upper management’s insatiable need for making money.
How could anyone (it is often asked) actually like the day-to-day involvement with spandex clad fantasy figures? It’s a circular, self-contained argument: No one working in comics could really want to be working on corporate-owned superheroes; therefore, anyone working in that atmosphere must be working there against his will and is either to be pitied or held in contempt.
This is bull. It’s the conventional wisdom, but it’s bull nonetheless.
Kathleen has been much more diligent in cleaning out sock puppet commenters than I have been; and she usually gets to them first. This is, on the whole, a good thing as she is much nicer than I am. But rest assured, if I find sock puppets commenting before any other admin does, woe be unto them, the day of wrath is come and their foot shall slip in due time.
Now go see if that groundhog sees his shadow or not. Won’t affect what I do, of course.
Hello,
This is Kathleen on Peter’s web log. As many of you know I am an administrator here on Peter’s site.
Among my any duties are dealing with things in the filter. I try to get to it about once a day and clear it out. Approving those things that just got stuck for some reason and getting rid of comments that don’t have anything to do with anything (Insert a chorus of Spam Spam Spam) here.
Now I have been noticing something that has been going on recently and I am watching it. Peter allows just about everyone to comment on things and allows for differing points of view to express their opinions. However, creating sock puppets to bolster your point/comments is not cricket here. You know who you are and I am asking in my most polite indoor voice to knock it off.
Thank you
Kath the Wife David
And to make this more palatable, I am going to open this thread to Ask the Wife and Ask Caroline questions if you have any. Caroline is excited about this so keep it polite and if your question doesn’t get answered, please understand that either she didn’t really have an answer or it is something I don’t want her to answer for whatever reason.
Originally published September 13, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1191
For the past two weeks, we’ve been bringing you installments of an unused Space Cases script written by Bill Mumy and Peter. The ship’s crew has seen a vision of their imminent destruction and Davenport is dealing with it poorly. Rosie, on the other hand, is facing a crisis of her own.
On the one hand, I’m incredibly depressed that tonight is the finale of “Chuck.” On the other hand, I feel as if I should be grateful that we had the show for as long as we did. And the great thing about that is that it happened because fans took one of the favorite tactics of boycotters and censors, turned it around, and accomplished something positive with it.
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Originally published September 6, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1190
Last time, we presented Part 1 of Peter David and Bill Mumy’s unfilmed script for an episode of Space Cases. As we left the crew of the Christa, they were attempting to discover the source of a scene showing the ship’s (and presumably the crew’s) demise.
Originally published August 30, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1189
Gather round, kiddies—it’s another ripping installment of:
Useless Stories
As I write this, I’m in sunny Montreal, where Space Cases is being prepped for its second season (set to begin in October). In that spirit, I’ve decided to show you a script that was written for the first season but—for a variety of reasons—didn’t get used. Written by Space Cases co-creator Bill Mumy and me, it shows the crew of the Christa learning one of the oldest lessons around: that the saying “May you live in interesting times” is the deadliest curse in the universe.
Originally published August 23, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1188
A great personal tragedy had just struck at the household of Bill Mumy.
Mumy and I were up in his office, working on a script for Space Cases, when Bill’s 6-year-old son, Seth, appeared at the door. Tears were rolling down his face as he sobbed out the heartrending news, “George the Third is dead and Ming ate him!”
Bill was promptly consoling. I, of course, said the same thing that you doubtless said upon being presented with that declaration. Namely: “Huh?”
Newt Gingrich declared last night, when asked about his ex-wife’s recent interview, “I’m tired of the elite media protecting Barack Obama by attacking Republicans.”
Funny. He didn’t have any problem with the elite media dog-piling on Bill Clinton during the time that he, Gingrich, was involved with the impeachment.
PAD
The guy who walked into the showing of “The Artist” that Kath and I were attending, stood there for four minutes, and then asked in a loud voice, “Is this Mission Impossible?”
Well, it turns out there are people who are more oblivious than he was. I’m talking about the moviegoers who demanded their ticket money back because they went to see “The Artist” and were irate to discover it was a silent film.
No. I’m not kidding.
Perhaps any theater that has moviegoers wanting refunds for that reason should give them a complimentary DVD of “Clueless.”
PAD
(The following is a very cut-down version of what will be a much longer “But I Digress” in an upcoming issue of “Comic Buyer’s Guide.)
The denizens of the Internet are, for the most part, screaming foul and bloody murder and (of course) shouting for boycotts of any and all who are in support of SOPA and PIPA. Because when you want to show that you’re a firm advocate of free expression and unimpeded distribution of information, naturally the best way to do that is to try and financially punish and shun anyone who disagrees with you.
Now I don’t pretend to understand all the ramifications of SOPA. I’ve read a lot about it. Read position papers on both sides. I’m fairly convinced that, yes, SOPA goes too far in its current language. It should not be passed in its present form, and–if it does go forward–will likely be scaled down to something more manageable.
But oddly enough, I can’t find it within me to work up much outrage over it. I suppose I should. I’m a freedom of expression guy.
And yet, here’s what I keep coming back to…
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Originally published August 16, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1187
It was about six or seven years ago, when I was first probing the possibility that I might become a full-time writer.
It was not a decision that I was making lightly. After all, I had a secure “day job” at Marvel as the direct-sales manager. There was no particular reason to go anywhere—no reason except that writing the comics seemed to be developing into a more fulfilling job than selling them. And, if I became a freelance writer, it meant no more commuting, no more staying late at the office. I could spend more time with the kids. Yes, there seemed to be any number of practical reasons to try my hand at being a full-time writer.
Nevertheless, I had a great deal of trepidation.
No, I”m not talking about “The Devil Within.” I’m talking about the actual process of going TO movies thanks to audience cluelessness.
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Originally published August 9, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1186
Independence Day is one of those rare beasts. It’s a “Yet” film.
It’s the kind of movie where people don’t ask you if you’ve seen it, or if you plan to see it. They say, “Have you seen Independence Day yet?” Of if you’re simply asked, “Have you seen Independence Day,” the inevitable response is, “No, I haven’t seen it yet.”
But you will see it. It’s a given. It’s a mandate. It’s a fact of life. Death, taxes, and Independence Day.
Originally published August 2, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1185
Thank you:
As is the case, I suspect, with many of the writers presently working in the industry, there is a fanboy within me who’s always bubbling away just below the surface. And the point at which he really comes slopping over comes when I have the opportunity to work with artists who drew the comics I read when I was a fan.
GOP candidates insisted that no, no, they had nothing against gays, and were all for gay rights…as long as it didn’t entail actually giving them any. Santorum, as you might have surmised, encapsulated the hypocrisy with this nugget in last night’s debate:
“But just because you don’t agree with someone’s desire to change the law doesn’t mean you don’t like them or you hate them or you want to discriminate against them.”
Here’s the thing: people in opposition to gay rights are the ones desiring to change the law, and have done so. What else was DOMA (signed into law, to my eternal shame, by a Democrat) except institutionalizing discrimination? You want to defend marriage? Outlaw divorce. Or the Kardashians. But insisting that marriage can only be defined as a man and a woman? I’m sorry, I missed where in the Constitution that that’s anyone’s goddamn business, much less the government’s. I find it interesting that, for instance, defenders of the Second Amendment are quick to say that any infringement on their rights to buy an Uzi opens the door for the government to come in and confiscate all their guns. But nobody seems to wrap their noggins around the concept that allowing the government to dictate that people can’t marry someone of the same gender can easily be precedent for the government to dictate who can’t marry who based on psychological testing. Or who can’t have children, or how many children you can have. In some parts of this country there are still judges declaring that blacks can’t marry whites, and yet we’re okay with the government creating laws saying men can’t marry men and women marry women? Really?
But no, it’s the GAYS who want to change the law. No. They don’t. They want to have access to the rights that the Constitution already guarantees them and that their opponents are trying to take FROM them. That’s not abuse of a process. That’s simply justice.
PAD
Originally published July 26, 1996, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1184
Finishing up stuff from my sojourn to London…
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