Month: June 2002

Things are kind of hectic as Gwen graduates high school today, my sister and her family are coming over, and the house looks like a bomb hit it, so we’re in the midst of getting the joint cleaned up.

However I thought I’d mention that the Captain Marvel scripts are all printed up, signed, and I’m in the process of folding them and stuffing the envelopes. My GOD is it slow going. But thanks to the US post office, the deadline of the end of the month has made getting them out an absolute financial imperative. I start bringing them to the Post Office as of Monday, and all of them will be out within the week.

PAD

Actually, in trying to anticipate horrible things Israel might do in retaliation as the bombings continue unabated (despite pleas from some Palestinian organizations to knock it the hëll off), I’ve come up with something even worse than the notion of rounding up ten random Palestinians for every dead Israeli. One that doesn’t have the widespread carnage of the Chicago Way, but is even more lethal in its own manner. I call it “The Unforgiven Way.”

At one point in the film, Clint Eastwood warns citizens in a town who might take a shot at him, “Any of you sons of bìŧçhëš takes a shot at me, I’ll kill you…and your wife, and all your children and family, and burn your dámņëd house down.” It’s overkill (no pun intended) but he’s making his point quite well: Screw with him and your loved ones will suffer the consequences.

At the moment, families of suicide bombers are supposedly four-square behind their loved ones blowing themselves to bits. But suppose, just suppose, Ariel Sharon made the following declaration:

“Any bomber who blows himself up with the intention of killing Israelis…once we’ve identified his remains, we will kill his or her spouse…and children…and parents, and grandparents, and cousins and whatever extended family we can find. So be aware that in killing yourself, you’re killing everyone whom you’ve ever loved and who ever loved you.”

Just imagine the consequences. Just imagine the families, with their own lives suddenly on the line, turning in their more radical offspring in order to save their own necks.

Do I want to see innocent Palestinians die? No, of course not. Nor do I want to see innocent Israelis die, considering I have a number of relatives who are innocent Israelis. But sooner or later, someone in Israel is going to start thinking outside the box. The results will not be pretty.

PAD

Here’s a little challenge.

The sequel to “Knight Life” is tentatively titled “Dead of Knight.” It takes place some years after “Knight Life,” focusing on the presidency of King Arthur, how the threat of terrorists impacts upon it, and–just to keep it real–a search for the Holy Grail and a head-to-head conflict with an individual even more ancient than Arthur.

Now…my noble editor, Ginjer Buchanan, isn’t blown away by the title. She says it sounds like a vampire novel. So…any suggestions? Ideally with the word “Knight” in it?

PAD

You know…when I wrote that open letter to Joe Quesada and Bill Jemas in CBG, it was a desperation ploy that I figured had a 50/50 chance of getting me fired off “Captain Marvel.” I never in my wildest imaginings thought it would evolve/mutate into the current status. There’s an update in Newsarama over on Comicon.com.

I set out to accomplish two things: Keep the price down and get attention for the book. Both of those have been accomplished. I took some hits doing so, but hey, I knew the job was dangerous when I took it. What amuses me most are the fans who seem to think that the success of CM in this three-way competition is somehow a given. I don’t assume that at all. Think of the average retailer placing his orders. Over here, you’ve got the solo writing debut of Bill Jemas, whose name is attached to some of Marvel’s hottest-selling titles in a decade. Then you’ve got the launch of a new “Ultimate” book, and those titles have been a thumping success. And lastly, you’ve got Peter David, whose titles sell in the bottom of the top 100 (if there) relaunching a series that got wildly positive reviews and *still* didn’t sell particularly well.

With those givens, where are *you* going to put your ordering dollars?

There’s a fine line between being pessimistic and being realistic. I endeavor to aim for the latter; it just comes out as the former.

Good news is, within the next week I’ll be shipping out the Captain Marvel sample script pages. With over 500 requests, it’s just taken some time to get them copied and signed and stuffed back into envelopes. God bless the post office for giving me a deadline: Postage goes up end of the month, so they’ve *got* to be shipped out by then.

PAD

Well, this is a hoot. According to the following link, William Shatner is going to undertake the sort of role that has heretofore been left to everyone from Vampira to Elvira: He’s going to introduce a series of horror flicks, in this case for the Sci-Fi Channel. Apparently they’re all from the low-budget vaults of Charlie Band’s Full Moon Productions. The reason it’s pertinent to this particular board is that at least one of them is going to be by yours truly: “Oblivion,” the science fiction western spoof that represents one of the few films Band actually spent some serious money on. I hear tell “Trancers” will also be represented, and if the fourth and fifth entries in the series are there, then those will be mine as well. Although the only “horror” in the Trancers films I wrote was the budget slashing that caused them not to film the majority of the action scenes, and wildly scale down those that were filmed.

Supposedly Shatner will be interviewing people in conjunction with the films. I can’t wait to see who he talks to for “Oblivion.” It’d be a hoot if it were George Takei, wouldn’t it?

PAD

First off, Happy Father’s Day to all concerned.

Second, on the off-chance that people actually read this website to find out about my writing endeavors, I thought I’d mention that not only is KNIGHT LIFE out in the stores even as we speak, but it got a starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. This is the second original fantasy novel of mine to be singled out for that higher level of recognition from PW (the first being SIR APROPOS OF NOTHING), so I’m on kind of a roll.

Here’s what PW had to say, in part: “Arthurian legend gets another kick in the pants with this rollicking rewrite of bestseller David’s first novel, originally published in 1987. Extensively updated and lovingly revised, this hilarious romp in today’s New York features a cast of zany characters, zippy dialogue and enough action and plot twists to satisfy most satirical fantasy fans.” The rest of the review goes on to summarize the book, but hey…go check it out for yourselves.

PAD

Well, as of this moment in time it’s pouring rain, which is not gonna make my drive to Molloy College in Rockville Center any fun this evening (the Southern State Parkway tends to flood.) But I’ve gotta be there, because tonight is the final dress rehearsal for the show “Checking Out,” in which I play a neurotic Jewish (typecasting, I know) psychiatrist who–along with his two siblings–endeavors to talk his theatrically inclined father not to “check out” of life prematurely. The play was written back in the mid-70s by playwright/actor Allen Swift as a vehicle for himself as the father. And everyone who’s my age, get this: among Swift’s acting credits is voice work on such forgotten cheesy gems of our collective childhood as “Diver Dan” (he was the voice of Dan, Baron Barracuda, Triggerfish, et al), “King Leonardo,” etc. Yes, all those shows that we loved as kids and would be mortified to let our own kids see now since we would NEVER hear the end of it. (“Oh my God, Dad, this makes ‘Power Rangers’ look like ‘Masterpiece Theater.'”)

For those local to the area and want to see dates and times, or just interested in seeing a pub shot from the play (I’m on the left), go here.

PAD