Year: 2005

I’m working with the CBLDF (no big shock there) and IDW to produce some nifty “Fallen Angel” premiums that will debut at the Wizard World Texas convention.

First up is an exclusive CBLDF preview edition of Fallen Angel #1. This preview runs the entire first issue weeks before it hits the stands and is strictly limited to 100 signed and numbered copies. In addition to the preview comic, IDW has created a special Fallen Angel signature print and a limited edition run of the original script to Fallen Angel #1.

If you’re going to be out there and want to snag yourself a copy, I hope to see you there.

If any copies are left over after the convention, I’ll be sure to let you folks know in case anyone’s interested in mail order.

PAD

I mean, naturally Bush is now going to select an arch conservative for the bench. And I personally don’t believe for a second that he nominated Miers in order to make his subsequent pick more palatable. More palatable to whom? The conservative base? They were going to love him anyway. The liberal base? That wasn’t going to happen no matter what. Miers or no Miers, the Democrats were still going to object.

Not that it will make any difference.

You know what the main problem the Democrats have right now is? No sense of blood lust. If a Democratic president were hemorrhaging support and mired in as many failures as Bush currently is, the GOP would be massing like sharks around a wounded dolphin, and then they would be tearing in from all directions. The Democrats still sound and feel like exactly what they are: The party out of power. The GOP is already making noises about eliminating the judicial filibuster. The Democrats should be right in their face, shouting, “Do it! C’mon, do it, you sum’bìŧçhëš. Get rid of the filibuster, I double dog dare you. Because if you do, then sooner or later–probably sooner–the balance of power will be reversed, we’ll be in charge, and we’re going to make you eat whatever changes you make now to benefit yourselves, you hypocritical, smug, power-hungry jáçkáššëš.”

‘Cause if the situation were reversed, that’s what the GOP would be doing.

Because the GOP fights fire with fire, while the Democrats fight fire with popcorn, and they’d be well-advised to get with the program and make the most of the opportunities that the sanctimonious smugness of Bush and company are handing them before it all slips away again.

PAD

Back from Necro, which was a fun regional SF convention with a distinct literary bent. Spent time chatting with Tim Zahn and his wife, Anna, and verbally fencing on panels with Lloyd Kaufman of “Troma” films, who I think believed I was a stick in the mud or something; I’m not sure. At any rate, the fans were great, the programming was very entertaining, and I sure hope the town of Tampa doesn’t go the way of the last town where I attended a regional SF con: Crescent Cit Con in New Orleans.

Good to be home. Kath deftly handled several small crises while I was away, probably better than I would have had I been here. And this evening Caroline–who’d had trouble going to sleep the past few days–clambered up into my lap and promptly corked off with her hand resting atop mine.

The girls go trick or treating tomorrow. They’re going as the Muppet Wizard of Oz, with Caroline as Dorothy and Ariel as Miss Piggy dressed as Glinda.

PAD

So Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination, rather than going down in flames and scorching the Bush Administration has a result.

The thing is, I don’t know how to feel about it. I mean, my instinct is to figure that if this is someone whom conservatives feel isn’t conservative enough, that’s good enough to gain my full support. Because Bush’s alternative is to…what? Nominate someone aggressive and openly conservative who’s a guaranteed lock to overturn Roe V. Wade? How is that better?

On the other hand, I bridle at the naked cronyism and the fact that I have an old-fashioned notion that a SC judge should have a demonstrably high-quality legal mind experienced in complex judicial matters, and there’s no indication that Miers is qualified as being anything other than a Bush pal…and we saw how well that worked out with Bush’s head of FEMA.

PAD

I’m reposting an entry from further down because we’re coming up on the deadline for the bus and we haven’t got near enough participants. I’m suspecting this’ll be one of those things where fifty people come up to me at the convention and say, “Oh, if only we’d known about it!” but of course they didn’t bother to read the Necronomicon website (and please, don’t confuse it with the convention that had OJ). I’ll be keeping this posting at the top of the site for the next week to give everyone a chance to see it, although further blog entries will be made.

The following is an excerpt from the website for Necronomicon http://stonehill.org/necro.htm, a convention in Tampa, FL that I’ll be attending October 28-30:

Calling all fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Peter David or (best of all) both. Want to go on a little adventure to kick off Necronomicon. Check this action: The beautiful San Marco Theater in Jacksonville is going to be screening two of the most acclaimed “Buffy” episodes ever at 11 PM Friday, October 28: “Hush,” followed by the karaoke version of “Once More With Feeling.” Organized by none other than Peter’s daughter, Shana, the showing will not only feature Rocky Horror-esque audience participation, but extras including a trivia competition with nifty prizes courtesy of IDW, the publishers of the “Angel” and “Spike” comics.

Now Peter’s going either way, but we’ve come up with a plan if enough hardy souls are interested in going along…”

If you’re going to be attending Necro, and are interested in participating in a small adventure, check out the website and read up on it. And if you’re a Buffy fan, be sure to relay this information to other fans as well.

Hope to see you there.

PAD

So on the spur of the moment, we wound up driving into the city to take in a Broadway show or two. I had promised Ariel I’d take her to see “Fiddler” with Harvey Fierstein and Rosie O’Donnell in the leads, and the hope was that Kath would take Caroline to see her very first show which would be, with any luck, “Lion King.”

Well, no luck there, although it was a long shot at best. We then went for our fallback, which was “Beauty and the Beast.” That they had tickets for, and I’ll let Kath talk about that in her own blog as I’m sure she will.

Ariel and I had no trouble scoring tickets for “Fiddler.” I had no sure idea of what to expect from it. I know that Danny Strong and Adam Busch (Jonathan and Warren from BtVS) went to take in a production of it. The moment that Harvey opened his mouth and growled, “A Fiddler on the Roof,” Adam turned to Danny and said, “Let’s go.” Danny insisted they stay put (interestingly, two of Tevye’s daughters realized that 2/3 of the evil trio was sitting front row. They made eye contact in a fairly subtle manner and there was some serious unspoken flirting going on that naturally the audience didn’t notice since–when Harvey’s on stage–all eyes are on him.

Harvey didn’t make me want to sprint out of the theater, and I liked him better in the role than I did Alfred Molina, who played the role when I saw it as if he had a train to catch. But the problem is that I didn’t feel as if I was seeing Tevye, so much as I was seeing Harvey playing Tevye. His up and down vocal variations were great for “Hairspray,” but here I was wishing he’d pick a voice–preferably in the lower register, since that was the most effective–and stick with it. Rosie, on the other hand, was a delight. Running her family like a drill sergeant, but still capable of displaying tenderness. She missed her calling; she would have made a terrific Jewish mother.

PAD

I’m getting a lot of people asking me if “House of M” impacts on “The Other” and, if not, why not. I answered this extensively elsewhere and am basically reproducing it here so I don’t have to keep saying it. And I stress that this is merely my thoughts on the matter, not Marvel editorial.

Continue Reading “The timing of “The Other”” →