Originally published September 5, 1997, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1242
Assorted thoughts and incidents picked up from this summer’s convention trail, during which I set an all time personal best (or most exhausted) with a series of conventions including Chicago Comic Con, Orlando MegaCon, San Diego, Shore Leave (Maryland), Stellar Occasion (Texas), RebelCon (Massachusetts), Heroes Con (North Carolina). Or, to put it succinctly, this is how I spent my summer vacation…
Since Peter is in Peru and Caroline is in Jacksonville, I thought I would do another edition of ask the wife.
Usual rules apply and if I say I can’t answer something please don’t badger me over it.
So whatcha wanna know?
Originally published August 29, 1997, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1241
I really, really, really wanted to like the Spawn movie.
Originally published August 22, 1997, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1240
So… we were talking about myths.
At this point, Star Trek has reached nearly mythic status. One of the tests for that (and I may have discussed this in an earlier column; if so please forgive me, but I’ve been doing this gig for a lot of years and I’m bound to repeat sooner or later) is that discussions of key elements can be held without qualifiers.
For instance, if one were to ask, say, “Who was Napoleon Solo?” (to pick a contemporaneous program) the answer one would get (if one were rewarded with something other than a blank stare or a half-hearted guess such as “Han Solo’s brother?”) would be something along the lines of, “He was a character on a TV series called The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. There’s possible variants, sure, but that’s the most likely answer, I’d think.
But if you were to ask, “Who was James T. Kirk?” the reply you’d likely get would be, “Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise.” There would be no qualifier, no further clarification, and no acknowledgement that one is discussing a television show. To rank as myth, a concept, characters or stories must take on a life of its own, its origins either lost in antiquity or simply irrelevant.
Originally published August 15, 1997, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1239
Okay, so we were discussing myths, mythic archetypes, etc.
There are two things which fans seem to get all heated up about. The first is originality, i.e., “rip offs.” And the second is “continuity.”
With another Comic Con for San Diego rolling toward us, here’s a list of all my scheduled appearances.
And for anyone for whom this is his or her first convention, here’s the Fan Pro Bill of Rights to bring you up to speed for suggested rules of the road.
Thursday, 10-11 AM: Marvel booth signing, #2329
Thursday: 11:45-12:45 Stan Lee’s World of Heroes— The legendary Stan Lee introduces his new YouTube channel that tells the stories of heroes, villains, and the fans who love them. In this epic panel, Stan, Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Adrianne Curry (America’s Next Top Model), Peter David (The Hulk), Jace Hall (The Jace Hall Show), and Bonnie Burton (Star Wars Craft book) talk about their new shows, debut new episodes and trailers, answer questions from fans, and provide a few Stan Lee surprises. Room 6BCF
Thursday: 4:30-5:30 Marvel: Next Big Thing— The Marvel Universe is where the biggest comic stories happen-so wouldn’t you like to be the first to know what Marvel has planned? Get the latest news on Marvel’s plan for their biggest heroes and villains, with some surprises along the way! Editor Sana Amanat, editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, Marvel talent scout C. B. Cebulski, and others answer all your burning questions while giving you a sneak peek at the future of Marvel. Room 6DE
Saturday: 10:00-11:00 After Earth— Enter the world of After Earth with an in-depth panel that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the universe of the upcoming film and comic book. With the film now in post-production and set to hit theaters next June, screenwriter Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) and director of photography Peter Suschitzky (The Empire Strikes Back) will discuss the making of the film. They will be joined by comic book artist Beni Lobel (Spanish horror comic anthology Cthulu; G.I. Joe comic books; Torchwood: Web of Lies motion comic), and writers Robert Greenberger (Iron Man, Batman, and Hellboy novels) and Michael Friedman (Star Trek and X-Men novels) — the creators of the comic book After Earth: Innocence, which will introduce Kitai and Cypher Raige (played by Jaden and Will Smith in the After Earth film). Also joining the panel is Eisner Award winner Peter David (Star Trek novels and comic books; The Incredible Hulk), who is writing the After Earth prequel novel and also created the After Earth bible with Greenberger and Friedman.Room 6A
Saturday, 4 PM—4:00-5:00 Writing for Comics, Part 1— Peter David (Hulk, X-Factor,Young Justice), Josh Fialkov (I, Vampire, Last of the Greats, Echo) and former Marvel and IDW editor and comics writer Andy Schmidt (X-Men, G.I. Joe, 5 Days to Die) present an honest and informative discussion on the art of writing for comics. Topics include process, enhancing creativity, and keeping your work honest. Want to write comics? This is the place to start! Hosted by Comics Experience. (This is part 1 of a 2-part panel that continues tonight at 7:00.) Room 11AB
Saturday 5-6—Signing at Marvel booth #2329
Sunday, 1:00-2:00 Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two— Warren Spector (Disney Epic Mickey), Marv Wolfman (Crisis on Infinite Earths), and Peter David (The Incredible Hulk) discuss the highly anticipated Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two video game set for release November 18. The panel will explore how the team mapped out the story for this innovative new title, as well as unveil the first details surrounding the Disney Epic Mickey 2 graphic novel, releasing exclusively in Europe in conjunction with the game’s arrival in stores. The panel will also present a special never-before-seen sequence from the upcoming release. Additionally, Becky Cline (director, archives for The Walt Disney Company) will be on hand to discuss the reemergence and historical significance of Walt Disney’s very first cartoon star, Oswald The Lucky Rabbit, who is prominently featured in the game. Join Warren, Marv, Peter, and Becky for this session. Room 25ABC
Sunday, 3-4: Signing at Marvel booth, #2329
Originally published August 8, 1997, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1238
Let’s start off today’s symposium with a letter from Jim H. in Durham, N.C. Jim, writing of a recent film he saw, says:
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