Month: July 2004

With Marvel having canceled “Thanos,” I find myself breathing a sigh of relief at a close call.

See, now that the book’s going away, I feel it’s okay to say that Jim Starlin–upon leaving the title–recommended that I take the series over. Since he’d left “Dreadstar” in my hands and was pleased with the results, he felt safe in turning “Thanos” over to me.

But Marvel went with Keith, and even at the time, I had zero problem with that. Keith is a comics master who should be doing far more in the industry than he is, and you know I mean that since I hand-picked him for “Captain Marvel #25.”

And now I’m REALLY relieved they went with him, because with the book going away, the fan response is, “Ðámņ, they canceled ‘Thanos’! Whereas if I had been put on the book and the exact same thing happened–which it likely would have–you just know the response would have been, “Boy, Peter David sure can’t keep a book going.”

PAD

I’m getting bombarded with e-mails from people telling me Bruce Jones is now exclusive with DC (in addition to the postings here.) So please, for heaven’s sake, stop letting me know.

No, no one from Marvel has contacted me, no, they haven’t asked me to write “Hulk,” no, I doubt very much they will. Would I take it if offered? Well, after passing up Kerry’s offer and forcing him to go with his second choice, I have a hole in my schedule, but I really don’t know because there’s no reason for me to give it any thought.

PAD

I finally caught up with Michael Moore’s…you know, I’m not sure that “documentary” is the right word since Moore’s bias is so clear. Maybe “fucumentary” might be more appropriate.

It’s a staggering piece of work. Even with the understanding that Moore is out to get Bush, nevertheless the most dámņìņg moments come from simple facts: The refusal of a single Senator to join with the Black caucus in protesting the disenfranchisement of black voters in Florida; the entanglement of Bush family business interests with bin Laden and Saudi Arabia business interests; the contradictory statements of Bush’s own people (their assurances in early 2000 that Saddam is not a threat as opposed to their later proclamations that he is); the extended, agonizing, deer-in-the-headlights look on Bush’s face during seven minutes of non-action at a Florida Kindergarten; the children in Iraq post bombing, with arms blown off, legs blown off…a little boy screaming as medics desperately try to sew pieces of his face together. An elderly Iraqi woman screaming that God has foresaken them, that her house and all her neighbor’s houses were destroyed, that she’s been to five funerals in the previous week.

Everyone of voting age should see this film.

PAD

Little did we suspect when we acquired tickets for the July 4 Mets/Yankees game that we’d be walking into the first potential sweep by the Mets of their high-salaried rivals…and on Steinbrenner’s birthday, yet.

However Caroline was running a slight fever this morning, so Kathleen insisted that Ariel and I go and she would stay home with the munchkin. With two tickets available, our dauntless webmaster Glenn and his mildly interested wife, Brandy, accompanied us.

If the word “suck” did not exist, people would have been mute.

Mets fans outnumbered Yankees fans by about four to one, yet somehow it was the ultimate exercise in free speech. Yankee fans would chant “LET’S go YANkees” and Mets fans would rebut, “YAN-KEES SUCK!” Neither group tried to overshout the other or yell at the same time. They took turns. Bizarre…almost as bizarre as the strange woman five rows away who was missing several prominent teeth and kept dissing the Mets while waving a Phillies cap in people’s faces (leading me to take an educated guess as to where her teeth went.)

It was a wild ride, ending in a 6-5 Mets win. Both Keith DeCandido (a Yankees fan) and Bob Greenberger (a Mets fan) were also in attendance. We never spotted them, but didn’t have to. Glenn simply called Keith on his cell phone and the moment he answered, we started shouting “Yankees SUCK!” into the phone.

A good, if wholly immature time, was had by all.

PAD

A reminder to check out and support your local comic book store (we’ve already swung by Fourth World in Smithtown, the best comic book store in Long Island.)

PAD

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’ve written the Sunday afternoon showcase for the Shore Leave convention next weekend in Maryland. The full title is “And now for something completely Tolkien: Monty Sauron’s Flying Nazgul.” Basically it’s LOTR as told through Monty Python-esque sketches.

The script calls for a number of video sequences, some of which I filmed at Motor City Con a couple months ago, and some of which were drawn from other sources (both Python and LOTR). Lew G. Aide, the video wizard who works with the convention, sent me a DVD of all the completed material, and I have to say, I was laughing so hard tears were rolling down my face. And I was the one who wrote it or instructed him in what I wanted, so I’m tougher to impress. If the quality of the cast performances are on par with the video–and based on past performances, I have every reason to believe the will be–this show is going to be an instant legend in fan circles.

It’s going to be July 11 in the afternoon at the Hunt Valley Inn in Hunt Valley, MD. If you’re already planning to attend Shore Leave but weren’t going to stay for the show…stay. If you weren’t planning to come at all, come for the day. By early appearances, it should be worth it.

PAD

Travis Clark brought to my attention the following item from CNN:

“Under Iraqi law Saddam remains president of Iraq because he was overthrown in an illegal invasion, Hughes said. Therefore, he said, Saddam still has immunity from prosecution.”

And I’m thinking, Gee…that’s an interesting point. Of course, it could turn on the definition of “illegal invasion,” but what if the Iraqi judges say it’s valid? What if he says that they really DON’T have the authority to try him?

Well, he could still be tried at the Hague for crimes against humanity.

Now here’s where it gets really interesting: If Torturegate is discovered to go all the way up to Bush, the argument could be made that he, too, is party to war crimes, and is also answerable to the world court.

You see where this is going, right?

Bush and Saddam sharing a cell at the Hague.

I should write that. Be an interesting fiction piece.

PAD