Month: November 2008

I know this is the time of year when we’re supposed to be giving thanks and dwelling on the nobility of the human soul.

But as a lead-up to the holidays, a young man committed suicide on webcam while people watched, commented and lampooned him for twelve hours before someone thought to get help for him. And Black Friday kicked off at one Walmart with shoppers smashing through a door and trampling a holiday employee to death, actually stepping over his prone body to get to the bargains.

It’s as if either people don’t understand the things they’re witnessing, or simply don’t care. And I’m not sure which is worse.

PAD

A new artist for X-Factor (no, Larry’s not coming back), the Angel draws closer to what she needs to dispatch Moloch, and Apropos makes his comic debut with a nod to the Dark Tower. Whad’ja think?

PAD

As two of our favorite series, “Eli Stone” and “Pushing Daisies” are vanishing as well. (We never warmed to “Dirty, Sexy Money,” although it has inspired me to do an issue of X-Factor called “Dirty, Sexy Monet” at some point in the near future.)

What’s really killer is that both ES and PD have entered their sophomore seasons more focused, more intriguing, more character rich and plot layered than in their launch years. The types of shows that appeal to hipper, younger audiences–the type that sponsors despise because of the greater likelihood that such viewers will record such programs and whiz past the commercials. It’s starting to seem that the valued 18-40 audience that networks supposedly covet is becoming a liability because they’re least likely to watch ads for products.

Personally I’d love to see a second life for both progams on HBO or Showtime or AMC, where ratings aren’t such an issue (“Mad Men” continues despite ratings that would have gotten “Eli Stone” canceled before its third episode.)

PAD

I was at the gym and, to my surprise, my cell phone rang in the locker room. Normally I don’t even get signal in there. The phone number was not one I recognized. I answered it.

The news I then received stunned me.

Continue Reading “Terrible news” →

I received the following e-mail from Katherine Keller, the EIC of Sequential Tart:

Back in 2007 I did a fundraiser for the CBLDF where I pledged
to donate $1000 if I could get proof of 40 donations of at least
$25.

I got a flurry after you posted it on your website.

I’m doing it again.

Details as to why at the link:

http://kadymae.livejournal.com/719901.html

Well, “on” might be questionable; I doubt we’re actually visible on camera. But Kath and I were in the audience for tonight’s edition of “The Colbert Report.”

And boy, did we hit the jackpot. Not only was Colbert’s “The Word” in rare form (Colbert forgot to say “And that’s the Word,” at the end, so he said it at the beginning of the next segment; you might be able to hear my laugh), but the guest tonight is Paul Simon. Simon did two songs, including a duet of “Sounds of Silence” with Colbert. Beautiful stuff. I’ll tell you, this has been some year, with my musical experience ranging from Billy Joel and Paul McCartney seen from upper mezzanine seats with 50,000 people to Paul Simon singing with Colbert seen from about twenty feet away with just over a hundred people.

Be sure to tune in.

PAD

I’ve known about it for a couple months but didn’t say anything because I’m not big on making with the bad news.

I have to admit, I’m shocked. Shocked. The market has always been so supportive of books with female leads, and She-Hulk has never had a title canceled out from under her before, so I could never have seen this coming.

PAD