Anyone who watched the episode of “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien” last night (and I’m warning you right now, I’ll delete any comment to the effect of “Gee, was that on? Why didn’t you give us a heads up?” just on principle) watched an example of Dwayne McDuffie’s social conscience in action.

More after the break.
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Because now the news media gets to obsess over an even MORE pointless citizenship story than his place of birth.

In Superman #900, in a back-up story, Superman renounces his American citizenship.

And news media from coast to coast went completely bat guano.

Why do I have a feeling that, when President Obama said the news media needed to focus on important matters rather than silliness, the media going nuts over the decisions of a fictional character in a nine page backup story wasn’t what he had in mind?

PAD

UPDATED April 30th, 8:44 AM:
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I want to make it clear that when I’m talking about overreaction or matters of more importance, I’m not taking issue with the fan reaction. In fact, most of the fan reaction I’ve seen has been in response not to the story, but to the media’s coverage of the story.
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Fans will spend days, even weeks dissecting the latest developments, and that’s SOP. But you don’t see Fox, CNN, Entertainment Weekly and the Associated Press weighing in on whether Utopia is a good idea or is Cyclops just being a paranoid dick.
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Furthermore, some members of the media are using it as an excuse to tee off on Obama, liberals, and even comics fans themselves. Witness Cal Thomas of the ever reliable Fox News who declared, “Construed? Would comic book readers have heard of such a word? This storyline sounds as if it was written by an acolyte of the Obama administration.” I don’t which is more appalling. The notion that comics fans, some of the most literate people around, are challenged by any words that are polysyllabic. Or the implication that fans of the Obama administration being intelligent is somehow a bad thing, presumably because presidents and their supporters should always be monosyllabic.
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Hey. Cal Thomas. On behalf of comics fans everywhere: Go defenestrate yourself.

I’m no good at putting these kinds of things together. So I toss the idea out there, in case no one has done it already: Intercut the little girl and reaction shots from “Adventures in Babysitting” with footage from the trailer for “Thor.”

PAD

As a final reminder, tonight is my next episode of “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien.” Airing at 7:30 PM Eastern Time on Cartoon Network, it’s entitled, “Prisoner 775 is Missing.” I should mention that the basic concept for the story was something that the late, great Dwayne McDuffie came up with. He wanted to use science fiction for its classic purpose: As a metaphor to comment on social issues. After it airs, I’ll be putting up specifics of how the episode came about.

PAD

Originally published March 10, 1995, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1112

Some random, assorted thoughts:

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To be specific, Josepha Sherman, a Connecticut-based writer, hasn’t been heard from in some months and various friends are becoming concerned. Her e-mailbox is overflowing and bouncing back mail, no phone numbers for her work, and she hasn’t posted on her Facebook page since last October. If anyone has direct contact with her, please have her check in with me or any of her other friends immediately.

Thanks.

PAD

UPDATED Thursday, 1:23 PM: After seeing some of the nutbar reactions that the birth certificate has launched, I’ve come to believe that if Obama had been delivered via C-section, there are people who would declare that that makes him ineligible to be president because the Constitution says “natural born” and anything except a vaginal birth is not natural.

Not sure what the point was. Because I’m sure you can clock with an egg-timer how long you’ll see the following two talking points:

1) Why did he wait so long?

2) How do we know it’s not a forgery?

The people who think the whole birther thing is idiotic don’t require it to be convinced, those who are birthers, or just seize upon any pretense to get Obama out, will never be convinced. And conservatives who aren’t birthers but hate Obama and/or liberals will just claim that this is a non-issue that the liberal media has invented.

PAD

Updated 5:56 PM: Having now seen Obama’s actual press conference, I had two further thoughts.

First, I think Obama wanted to speak to broader issues but, as he said in his comments, just wanting to do that wouldn’t have gotten network attention. Discussing national security wouldn’t have gotten the networks to break in; the birth certificate, thanks to idiots like Trump and Fox, is news. Releasing his birth certificate had the same effect as the old gag of writing “SEX” at the top of fliers in high school and then below that, “Okay, now that we’ve got your attention, the AV club will be meeting on Tuesday.”

Second, it was evocative of the sequence in “The American President” toward the end when the president addresses non-issues like his girl friend and flag burning and talks about the need for serious people and serious discussions. Go to youtube if you don’t believe me.

American President

My novelet, “Bronsky’s Dates With Death,” will be running in the July/August issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.”

Also, second reminder: My next episode of “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien” entitled “Prisoner 775 is Missing” airs this Friday, 7:30 PM ET.

PAD

Updated: I am told that the issue of F&SF has a street day of June 28th, although in some parts of the country it may be on sale a week earlier.

Second update: “Prisoner 775 is Missing” will repeat air on Saturday on Cartoon Network at 7 AM ET.

The latest (and possibly last) “New Frontier” novel is out. You can get some details at the interview below.

New Frontier Interview

PAD

Originally published March 3, 1995, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1112

Well, my column in issue #1100 caused a bit of a stir.

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This coming Friday, 7:30 PM EST on Cartoon Network, is my next episode of “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien,” entitled “Prisoner 775 is Missing.”

PAD

Kath, Caroline and I are attending ConGlomeration, a science fiction convention in Louisville. (I’ve been here since yesterday. Today we visited the factory where they make Louisville Slugger bats. Outstanding.)

The convention chairman announced at opening ceremonies that this may well be the last ConGlomeration. Diminishing attendance and support is putting them into a position where they may not be able to survive.

The problem is this: The last time I attended a convention where they announced it was the last one, it was Crescent Con in New Orleans. Two weeks later, Katrina hit, obliterating the convention hotel, a lovely sushi restaurant, and the surrounding neighborhood.

And there have been tornado warnings on TV this evening.

So if you want to prevent disaster befalling Louisville, and you live anywhere within distance, come on out to the convention tomorrow or Sunday. Lives, not to mention Major League Baseball, may depend on it.

PAD

Originally published February 24, 1995, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1110

Went out to the Left Coast again last week. I wasn’t out there long enough to do one of my journals, but there was some interesting and curious stuff that went on, so I’ll tell you about it after the fact.

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Elisabeth Sladen, who portrayed Sarah Jane Smith–arguably the most popular “Doctor Who” companion of all time (certainly the only one ever to get her own ongoing TV series)–passed away today of cancer.

People tend to say that one Doctor or another was “their” Doctor, but Sarah Jane was always my companion. She was the one accompanying the Doctor when I first encountered him, and she was the standard against which all the others were measured. I just adored Sarah Jane and always hoped to have a chance to meet the woman who incarnated her. Never had the chance. I hear tell she was wonderful with the fans at conventions. She will be missed. To quote the Doctor’s last line in “School Reunion,” “Good-bye…my Sarah Jane.”

PAD

At least this one I had answers to.

Caroline’s female cat, Fig, is about eight months old. This morning Caroline came down to my office and said, “I’m worried about Fig.” I said, “Why?” She said, “Fig is making weird yowling sounds and lying on the floor with her front down and her butt in the air. Why is her butt in the air?”

One fifteen minute introduction to the concept of “in heat” later…

PAD

My eldest daughter, Shana, turns thirty today. Those of you who remember my carrying her around in an infant backpack at conventions can feel suitably old now.

PAD

Originally published February 17, 1995, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1109

I go to movies for any number of reasons—indeed, probably for the same reasons that you go.

Because it’s got someone in it I like.

Because the director or (in very rare instances) the writer is someone whose work I enjoy.

Because the subject matter is of interest.

Because the trailer looked good. (Here’s a general rule of thumb: If the trailer’s entertaining, you have a 50/50 shot at a good film. If the trailer’s lousy, you have almost zero chance of a worthwhile movie.)

Because it got good word of mouth.

Because someone I know is in it.

Because it’s there.

Because the kids wanted to see it.

Up until recently, that was pretty much all of them. But now I’ve got a brand new reason.

Social observation. Going to a film in order to watch, not the movie, but the audience reaction.

And it was because of the latter two reasons that I actually found myself at a local box office saying five words that I never thought I’d hear myself say:

“Two for Dumb and Dumber.”

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By the time you’re raising your fourth child, you’d think that you’d be prepared for any question your child might toss at you.

Out of the blue today, Caroline–all of age eight–said, “Daddy? If a girl kicks a boy in the nuts, is that cliche or just awkward?”

I had no answer for that.

PAD

Originally published February 10, 1995, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1108

Long ago, in a industry far, far away…

COMIC WARS

Chapter 6:

“Return of the Jepi”

…As the

Distributor

Alliance witnessed the

creation of the Death World and the

imminent collapse of the direct market, there

was—unbeknownst to anyone—something new waiting in the

wings. The Last of the Jepi Knights, young Loot Streetwalker, was

being trained by Jepi Master Coda in the ways of the Sales Force, not realizing

his imminent call to arms…                                                                                                                          .

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When Republican Senator Jon Kyl asserted that ninety percent of Planned Parenthood’s activities centered around abortion, rather than the more accurate three percent, his office asserted that his statement was “not intended to be a factual statement.” My question is: How did they say that with a straight face? Did they really think that would justify such outrageous distortions to any but the most devoted, blindered right wing excuse-nik?

If Obama’s people claimed that the President had said something that was “not intended to be a factual statement,” it would define his presidency the way that, “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is” defined Clinton’s.

Last I checked, something not intended to be a factual statement is typically referred to as a “lie.” This does, however, serve as a convenient excuse for any horndog who’s willing to say whatever it takes to nail a girl. “You said you loved me!” “Yes, but that was not intended to be a factual statement.”

PAD