Year: 2002

The Neil Gaiman/Todd McFarlane trial is currently under way in Wisconsin. Detailed coverage is being provided in such venues as comicon.com, http://www.newsarama.com, and http://www.icv2.com.

In short, McFarlane painted himself as the champion of creative rights, and was since revealed to be–predictably–the champion of his creative rights, but that’s pretty much it. Todd has made no secret of the pride he takes in burning bridges, and that apparently includes bridges constructed with the aid of (in this case) Neil Gaiman. Neil’s contributions to SPAWN not only gave Todd such characters as “Angela,” but it also gave him something even more important: Creative cred. The feeling in the comic industry was that if Neil was, metaphorically speaking, getting in bed with McFarlane, then McFarlane really had something to offer. Turns out he did: What he had to offer was further proof that power tends to corrupt.

Frankly, the current situation worries me. The jury consists of six people who know nothing about comics, McFarlane, Gaiman, or copyright law. I know that’s how our judicial system works, but really–would you want your next coronary bypass to be performed by half a dozen check out clerks at the local Shop ‘N Bag? Six strangers can’t understand that McFarlane lies. That he’s proud of lying. That he boasts about lying (saying he creates “ghost Todds” for interviews.) That he lied on the stand about Tony Twist…and got away with it. Not since John Gotti has anyone been so cloaked in teflon; it’s impressive and amazing to watch in a way. It’s like watching a factory fire…except the factory is magically holding up fine and the rest of the neighborhood is going up.

Neil is in the right and Todd is in the wrong. I’m worried, though, that a jury will be taken in by Todd McFarlane. Why wouldn’t they be? Neil Gaiman was.

PAD

“Buffy” continues to go from strength to strength this season. I’ve already enjoyed the first two episodes about twice as much as the first ten episodes of the previous season (not counting the musical.) That final image of Spike on the cross will be seared (no pun intended) into the minds of all Buffy fans.

However…I find that I’m starting to have some confusion about Anya and the whole soul thing.

The rationale that the series has used for Buffy’s methodical extinction of demons is that they don’t have souls. Least that’s how I’ve always understood it. They’re not “real” life. Which means, by that criteria, that Buffy should be able to snap Anya’s neck and give it no thought whatsoever because she’s now a souless creature like the rest of them. Anya even said specifically that she was once a magic user who was transformed into a demon, giving us to believe she has mortal roots.

So here’s the thing: When Anya first lost her demonic abilities/status in season 3, does that mean she reacquired *her* soul? If so, why wasn’t she as tortured as Angel and Spike are. She certainly inflicted enough torment. Instead she never seem perturbed by it at all; indeed, she looked back upon her demon days with nostalgia. So does that mean that she actually *never* had a soul even when she was human? In that case, what the hëll *was* she? And certainly Xander’s actions become even more understandable. We know demons can love; Dru even said it. “We can love quite well.” But without a soul, there’s no spiritual core to the relationship. Xander would have sensed on some level that the marriage was doomed, because Anya wasn’t truly human. She was just this…this thing in the shape of a human. But if she *does* have a soul, then that calls into question the entire notion of souless demons.

Joss? A little help?

PAD

… I have to. Here’s a small shot of what the Teen Titans in the new series look like, and you can read all about it here.

You know one of the reasons it took me so long to get a website together? Because, believe it or not, I really, really don’t like blowing my own horn. I don’t like saying “I did this” or “I did that” because it seems boastful and bragging on some level.

I came to realize, however, that keeping one’s mouth shut in this day and age simply means that you get ignored. So I thought I’d supplement the recent announcement of the new Teen Titans animated series by mentioning that I helped get it sold in the first place.

Six months ago I was contacted by Paul Levitz at DC who asked if I’d be interested in working with development folks at Kids WB and Warners Animation on a Teen Titans animated series. Why me? Because although the concept was to go back to the Wolfman/Perez era of characters, they decided they wanted it to have the sensibilities of YOUNG JUSTICE (because, really, the characters from the Wolfman/Perez days were far more “Titans” than “Teens.”)

So I re-read as much of the Wolfman/Perez and Wolfman/whoever-else “Titans” that I could find, had meetings with various folks, and wrote a bible. I then did a couple of revises on the bible, got the okay to write the pilot, did so, and did a revise on that. I also wrote a stripped down summary of the series’ premise for a market research session they were going to be holding with some young viewers.

I hewed to DC continuity where I could, but also made a variety of changes for assorted reasons. I won’t go into detail as to what because I don’t *recall* signing a confidentiality agreement, but if I did and just forgot about it, I wouldn’t want to violate it. Anyway, my initial work on the project was strong enough to help get the series green lit.

Was I annoyed that no mention of my participation was made in the press release? Nah. I mean, it’s not as if I was singled out to be omitted; they didn’t mention other development folks either. I’m not listing them here simply because I’m not sure if they’d want their names bandied about, although I should note that one of whom gave me some absolutely kickin’ Samurai Jack action figures. Furthermore, I haven’t seen much of the project for a few months; I’ve no idea how much of what I contributed remains. For instance, I didn’t have them set in some future period as implied by the press release. That wasn’t part of the mandate I was given.

Bottom line, I got paid a nice buncha money for the work, and it also led to my involvement in developing another animated series for another DC hero…and no, I’m not going to say which one until we hear whether that’s a go or not. Although it’d be cool if it did go forward, since then I’d be two for two.

PAD

If you’re within commuting distance, or any distance, of Manhattan, and you do not attend the annual New York is Book Country fair, then you should be making every endeavor to do so in the future. Yesterday’s was predictably crowded, but also just as predictably chock-a-block with all manner of interesting things to see and folks to talk with. It’s the only event where I actively seek autographs. At the NBM table we encountered Peter Krupp and Bill Plympton. Heading in the media celebrity direction, we got children’s books signed by Julie Andrews and John Lithgow. Also ran into the board moderator and one of the denizens of the “Peter David Speaks” folder from AOL, although we got permanently separated when Kath and I went over to say hi to Frank Miller at the DC booth. No Marvel booth, which was a shame. Not a *surprise*, mind you, but a shame.

PAD

Okay, last night’s FIREFLY was a bit more like it. More engaging than last week’s episode (ironic considering that one was by Joss Whedon whereas last night’s was Tim Minear), we’re starting to get more of a feeling of the universe they’re living in. None of the characters are really singing to me yet, with the exception of Kaylee (but only because of the actress and also she reminds me of Willow) and the prostitute–and I have to admit, it totally fractures me that she’s the one who is treated with the most respect wherever the crew goes. Then again, I have to admit I side with George Carlin who questions the illegality of the world’s oldest profession: “Selling is legal. Sex is legal. How can selling sex be illegal?” Personally, I have trouble with the notion of being pro-choice and anti-prostitution. How can you say that a woman doesn’t have a right to sell her body if she’s so inclined…but that she does have the right to expunge an unwanted embryo from it?

I also think it’s bold not to have aliens anywhere in the series, particularly considering alien characters always come across as far more interesting than the humans…and considering most of the humans we’ve seen thus far still come across as pretty flat, that would make the deficiencies all the more apparent. People still seem to be drawing parallels between the loopy sister and Drusilla, but I don’t know that that’s fair. Individuals with visions who are thought to be nuts goes all the way back to Cassandra, so what’s wrong with re-exploring the same source material? And her fascination with the stars was one of the show’s more engaging moments.

Now let’s just hope the ratings support the show. JOHN DOE, by the way, is turning out to be some truly riveting TV. In fact, Friday’s become a cool TV night when you have FIREFLY at 8, JOHN DOE at 9, and then MONK at 10 on the USA channel.

PAD

The other night I attended Ariel’s “Meet the Teachers” night–or, as we call it, Run Around the School Night, because you go from class to class in imitation of your kid’s schedule…except you spend about eight minutes per class as the teacher tries to cram in a description of the entire year’s curriculum.

The English class did not bode well, though. There was a big sign at the front of the class encouraging “INDEPENDANT THOUGHT.” Nothing like seeing a word spelled incorrectly in 30 point type at the front of an English class. The best, though, was the student essay up on the wall in the back in which the 6th grade student wrote how he was choking on some food until his older brother intervened. He wrote, “First my brother punched me in the stomach, and then he gave me the Hemlock maneuver.” Ah yes, the Hemlock maneuver. The good news is, there’s a 100% success rate in stopping choking. The bad news is…

PAD