Author: Glenn Hauman

Just came back from Boston, where I went up to see Gwen participate in “Gender Bender” night in Harvard Square’s midnight showing of “Rocky Horror.” Usually Gwen works lights for the life show that unfolds in front of the movie screen (as is SOP). However, “Gender Bender” night entails folks of opposite genders playing the various roles, and Gwen was tapped to do “Eddie.” Naturally, when thinking of casting a role made famous by Meatloaf, you’d want to get slim, diminuitive Gwen. Especially when you’ve got a guy playing Columbia who’s six feet tall and built like a linebacker. Not only was gender casting reversed but, of necessity, choreography was reversed as well, so the audience was treated to the sight of Columbia picking up Eddie and swinging “him” around.

I was interested to see how the audience participation has been updated. Fans are always coming up with new things. For instance, now when the narrator first shows us the picture of Doctor Scott in his wheelchair, fans shout–a la South Park–“Timmy!” Or during the noted “Brad! Janet! Rocky! Doctor Scott!” sequence, an audience member might call out “Pop! Six! Squish! Uh uh! Cicero! Lipshitz!” from the film “Chicago.”

Also was surprised by the number of nubile young woman anxious to bare their breasts as part of the preshow. I thought I was watching “Co-Eds Go Wild!”

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Ariel made her middle school stage debut last night in the school production of “Grease.” One of the very few sixth graders cast in a major speaking role, she played “Jan,” the chubby Pink Lady with eyes for “Rump,” the mooning champ of Rydell High. The audience just adored her. However she was mortified when, during the big high school hop sequence, she did a kick too aggressively and sent her left shoe hurtling into the audience. “The hop” indeed as she did the rest of the choreography with one shoe on while the errant footware was recovered and returned.

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Joy supreme. A thread in which I won’t be accused of being sexist, man-hating, copycatting, etc. Brand new “Angel.” Pacing was a bit too leisurely, but that’s minor. Still one of the best shows on the air.

Continue Reading “OH THANK GOD…A NEW ANGEL TO DISCUSS” →

I informed DC about the discussion over “Dangerous Curves” (a phrase I still like, by the way) and referred them to this site in case they were interested in possible alternatives. “Femme Noir” strikes Dan Didio’s fancy at the moment, although there’s no certainty yet what they’ll go with.

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It used to be nice and simple. I’d click on the bookmark and it would take me right into my AOL folder on the Comics and Animation Forum.

Then AOL “improved” it.

Since then, getting to my AOL folder is the most cumbersome task I undertake in the course of a day. Each step of the way takes four, five, six tries before it works properly. Otherwise I just get a blank screen and have to backtrack and start over.

Perhaps they’ve arranged it this way to “force” me to upgrade. I don’t do well with “forced.” What it might force me to do is dump AOL altogether because it’s getting just that irritating.

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Just to remind everyone there’s an actual book…here’s the Brian Stelfreeze cover for issue #2.

Has anyone been reading this series? What a fun book. I picked up the first three issues at the recommendation of John Ordover, who told me it reads like something I’d’ve written. Considering one of the characters has a superhero identity called “Archetype,” which was a short story of mine that appeared in F&SF several years ago, I’d agree. But that aside, it’s a fun concept: It’s about a nuclear family where the father is a costumed superhero…and the family doesn’t know…and the mother is a vampire hunter…and the family doesn’t know…and the eldest daughter spends time in another dimension as a sword and sorcery princess…and the family doesn’t know…and the youngest son is overseeing an alien invasion of the earth…and the family doesn’t know. And as of issue #3, the storylines start to intersect.

It’s a CrossGen title under the Code 6 imprint.

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