Author: Peter David

In Which Doctor Pooh helps a Stowaway and Learns Something about the Nature of the Universe…

Continue Reading “The TARDIS at Pooh Corner – Chapter 3” →

Well, we can’t say we didn’t see the events of tonight’s “Buffy” coming as Willow goes totally nova.

What’s interesting is how much sense it all makes if one takes the long view, on two levels. First, Willow has a history of using magic for immediate gratification, as a quick fix so she doesn’t have to deal with long, drawn out processes…be it emotional coping or even, in the current case, judicial proceedings. Second, Willow’s very first major use of magic was when she restored Angel’s soul back at the end of the second season. Keep in mind, what she did at the time was, technically speaking, *not* a positive thing even though it served a higher purpose. It was repeatedly referred to as “cursing” Angel. And Giles said it himself: That if Willow embarked on that course, she might be opening a dark door that she would not be able to close. Well, that sure as hëll turned out to be the case.

Excellent use also of what was essentially an in-joke for long time viewers: Willow’s singsong “Bored now” required knowledge of either “The Wish” or “Dopplegangland” from third season to appreciate. My work on “Captain Marvel” precipitated lengthy discussions about the use of in-references, and some people seem to feel that things which harken back to moments from years gone by are somehow a bad thing. This, I think, indisputably proves how such uses can be extremely powerful. To a newcomer, her blase “Bored now” was simply a throwaway comment. To the long-time fan, it was of course the chilling complaint that Vamp Willow would utter just before she committed some sort of fatal mayhem.

This has been an almost unremittingly depressing season. It seems odd to call this episode a bright spot. I suppose it is, mostly due to Alyson Hannigan’s frightening and tour-de-force turn to the dark side. It definitely did not leave me bored now.

PAD

In Which Doctor Pooh and Jeannie Robin Encounter a Friend, a Foe, and The Genesis of the Heffalumps…

Continue Reading “The TARDIS at Pooh Corner – Chapter 2” →

So I was interviewed for a documentary last night. I was approached by a fellow with the frankly unfortunate name of Constantine Valhouli, whom I can only assume is a comic fan now because he got the crap kicked out of him as a kid. Referred to me by Catherine Gruenwald (widow of the late, great Mark Gruenwald) and working in conjunction with comic historian Peter Sanderson, they’re putting together a documentary about the history of comics. It’s an endeavor to look at an artform that is all too often relegated to the status of juvenile pastime by the general public. They hauled some camera equipment to my office and we chatted for an hour and a half about comics in general, and my work on such titles as HULK in specific. Interviews have already been completed with Colleen Doran and Jim Valentino. They said Colleen said flattering things about me. Considering I thought she couldn’t stand me, that was nice to hear. Maybe she can stand me now. Not everyone can. Every so often I still worry about Kathleen coming to her senses and running screaming into the night. Thank God for that homing beacon I installed in her while she was sleeping…

Peter Sanderson also pointed out to me that Spider-Man, as depicted in the movie, is portrayed in terms of origin and powers almost exactly the way that I played “Spider-Man 2099.” Genetic manipulation rather than radioactive blood. Biological webspinners. Bristles on his fingertips (the talons on 2099’s were larger than the microscopic versions in the movie, but even so, 2099 had extensions on his fingers whereas the modern day one crawls walls through an enhanced version of static electricity, according to the Handbook). In 2099, his inner warning system consisted of what I called accelerated vision which enabled him to see all manner of attack and react to it before it got to him, which is the movie version…as opposed to the comics where his spider sense is sort of an all purpose ESP.

Coincidence? Well, let’s see if Peter Parker acquires fangs in the next film.

PAD

In Which We meet Doctor Pooh and his Companion and they take the TARDIS for adventuring.

Continue Reading “The TARDIS at Pooh Corner – Introduction and Chapter 1” →

There are some major omissions in my movie-viewing history, and one of them is “Apocalypse Now.” Never saw it in its first release, never got around to renting the video. I mean, c’mon, who’s ever really in the mood to rent a 2 3/4 hour war movie? But the Redux version showed up on Saturday night on Showtime and so Kathleen and I plunked down to watch it.

Sure didn’t feel like 3 and a half hours. Only problem was, I was constantly distracted by considerations that original viewers didn’t have to deal with. There’s the “My God, he’s so young” upon seeing Martin Sheen, who looked a lot like Charlie Sheen back then but sounded the way he does now. Not to mention the incredibly youthful Harrison Ford, Robert Duvall, etc. Then there’s the, “Oh, I remember this parody” phenomenon. “Hot Shots” sent up Sheen’s voice over and cruise down the river, “Xena” riffed on Sheen’s mud-covered face coming up out of the water, and there’s the immortal “Buffy” episode with Principal Snyder in the Brando role and Xander as Sheen. After Brando said the line about Sheen being an errand boy, I kept waiting for Sheen to grimace and say, “I’m getting a cramp.”

Great movie, but boy, do you bring a lot of baggage to it if you’ve never seen it before.

PAD

First off, thanks to all of you who’ve had such nice things to say about the site.

Second, re: BID archives: we’ve found the vast majority of BIDs from 3/01/91 (CBG #902) in electronic format. Before we start digging for the earlier 26 columns, I figured I might as well ask here to see if anybody already took the time to place any of them into some sort of electronic format– if you did, please let me know via e-mail. (Yes, that includes if you got them out of the trade paperback, as we’re still looking for those files too.)

Third, thanks to the work of one such archiver, Allyn Gibson, we’ll soon be reprinting the lo-o-o-ong out of print The TARDIS at Pooh Corner here, probably in the next day or three. Watch the skies.