Life Between Panels

Tourist in my own city

2008-05-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

For the first two years of my existence in Atlanta, I have been a faithful user of public transportation; mostly due to lack of a car. However, I have recently lucked up on a vehicle, and have been taking advantage of it's services despite rising gas prices. My one opposition? The fact that I only know the city by the Marta buses and trains I used to ride.

I've been spending the last few days running in circles as soon as I hit downtown. LOL. I only have a cursory knowledge of the area, and all its one way and side streets. It was cool getting lost the first few times, because that's how you discover new interesting things. However, it gets old when it's raining and you are stuck in traffic with a million cars on your ass and won't let you get in the fucking right lane that you need in to make the appropriate turn so it doesn't take you 20 years to arrive home and you still have time to cook dinner, go to the gym, and buy that damn belt you've been putting off.

Shit.

Hopefully, this weekend will be more enjoyable. I might just end up a Sunday driver, pulling out the chassie only for weekends and special occasions, like old people scared to cross their threshold for various illness they make up in their heads to impress friends and close relatives.

Jessica Biel in

2007-09-26T08:32:00.001-07:00

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program

2007-09-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

I've been very neglectfull of my blog since I started working on my final portfolio for school. The portfolio is looking good, and almost finish. Almost. Of course, a portfolio is never finished, only abandoned until yoru next great idea.

Be Nice Challenge

2007-08-15T09:13:00.001-07:00

I'm stealing this one from the Crunk & Disorderly folks, but um, I think it goes well enough with my theme to claim.

The Winna gets a cookie by the way.

James Jean Or "Today's Eyegasm kids..."

2007-08-13T08:33:00.002-07:00

Just some work by James Jean, a guy who paints comic book covers. I'm amazed at his process, and craftsmanship.

"Shazam!" Or "Golmer Pyle's favorite comic book get's a movie."

2007-08-13T08:33:00.001-07:00

Despite being in development for well-over a year, I thought it was still important to give the Shazam! movie some shine.

For those with no clue who this Superman look-a-like is, I'll provide a brief synopsis:

Captain Marvel, was created to tap the adolescent fantasy of being Superman. By speaking the name of the wizard, Shazam, child reporter (& orphan), Billy Batson was transformed by a bolt of lightning into the white caped superheroe we know today. He was imbued with the powers of 7 Gods: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. Oh, and the names of all these Gods spelled out Shazam. I know Solomon wasn't a God, but what can you do, it was the 40's.

Despite being what some have labeled a retarded Superman, the character actually outsold Superman in the 40's. Further, Captain Marvel's spinoff characters, Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel Jr., inspired Supergirl and Superboy respectively. Captain Marvel Jr. was Elvis's favorite comic, and the inspiration for his hairstyle.

Oh, and Captain Marvel was flying back when Superman could only leap tall buildings.

Tired of being disgraced by a ripoff of their original character, the owners of Superman, DC Comics, sued the owner of Captain Marvel at the time, Fawcett, and eventually won the rights to the character. In the meantime the character was stuck in limbo, another company by the name of Marvel Comics created their own Captain Marvel character, and took all the rights to use the name in any titles or advertising.

So now, anything starring the original Captain Marvel has the name "Shazam!" tagged on the cover.

Ok, enough of that stuff. The movie is scheduled for release next year, with the script focusing on young Billy Batson's strained friendship after receiving super powers. You know, it's that whole "how will our friendship survive now that we aren't on the same level" thing. It's rumored that Jake Gyllenhall may play Captain Marvel, but talks are currently surrounding The Rock, and Brandon Molale. Actor, Fred MacMurray, was the original inspiration for the character. Personally, I'm leaning towards The Rock. Dakota Fanning can play Billy Batson for all I care ;).

Here's some Youtube goodness on the character:

Captain Marvel Vs. Superman

Some Captain Marvel 70's Nostalgia

And some photoshop coloring on the comic today

We3 Movie In Development Or "The Incredible Journey Meets The Terminator"

2007-08-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Angry Films, a production company who's last comic adaptation was The League of Extraordinary Gentlement, are in discussion to work on a lesser known comic property, WE3. There was interest in the property by New Line Cinema, originally reported by Variety, but I guess that fell through.

Murphy also told us about a comic-based project that Angry Films is developing and hoping to get a director on soon, that being their movie based on Grant Morrison's mini-series WE3. "He wrote the comic and the script and it's the most insane mash-up in the history of movies if we pull it off. It's 'The Incredible Journey' meets 'Terminator.' Basically, the animals have been experimented on by the government and they're put into these combat suits, and then they escape and want to go home, and the government's like, 'They're heavily armed. Get them!' It's very cool.

Yeah, it may seem a little weird, but if done right, how can cyborg animal assassins not be cool? I myself, have not read the original comic, but I am a big fan of the writer, Grant Morrison. There's something about British writers, probably the access to strong liquor. Anyway, here's a review by a fellow blogger here. He's a bit wordy, but does a good job.

Marvel Movies In Development Or "Your Pocket's have fair warning now."

2007-08-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Marvel Entertainment, the parent company of Marvel Comics, has many of it's properties in development. Including a Spider-Man Musical, with musical score courtesy of Bono of U2.

Taken from Superherohype.

Licensed Marvel Character Feature Film Line-Up
Wolverine, Fox - Director engaged (Gavin Hood)
Punisher 2, Lionsgate - Director (Lexi Alexander) and lead actor engaged (Ray Stevenson)

Film Projects Being Developed by Marvel - partial list
Iron Man, Marvel - Completed principal photography; May 2, 2008 release
The Incredible Hulk, Marvel - Commenced principal photography; June 13, 2008 release
Ant-Man, Marvel - Writer (Edward Wright, Joe Cornish) and director (Edgar Wright) engaged
Captain America, Marvel - Writer engaged (David Self)
Nick Fury, Marvel - Writer engaged (Andrew Marlowe)
Thor, Marvel - Writer engaged (Mark Protosevich)
The Avengers, Marvel - Writer engaged (Zak Penn)

Marvel Character Animated TV Projects"Spider-Man," Sony - In development; US distribution agreement with Kids' WB
"Wolverine and the X-Men," First Serve Toonz (India) - 26, 30 minute episodes in development
"Iron Man," Method Films (France) 26, 30 minute episodes in development

Marvel Character Animated Direct-to-DVD Projects
Doctor Strange, Lionsgate - August 14, 2007 release
Teen Avengers, Lionsgate - Targeted July 2008 release
Hulk Smash, Lionsgate - Targeted October 2008 release

Marvel Character Live Stage Projects
"Spider-Man the Musical," Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment - In development/opening date to be determined; Julie Taymor director; music & lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge

Marvel 2008 Video Game Releases (Release dates controlled by Publishing partner)"Iron Man," Sega - Targeted 2008
"The Incredible Hulk," Sega - Targeted 2008

Shoes that Transform Or "Damn I'm late on this one."

2007-08-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

Apparently Nike has designed a pair of shoes that Transform either into Optimus Prime, or Megatron. Who knew?

Well, I guess Nappy Afro did.

They don't look too comfy, but I'm sure they're great fun, and add to your cross training performance.

Notice that Megatron is sporting his own shoe.

Holy Head Cheese Batman, Joker's on the Loose Or "Batman Begins...His marketing scheme"

2007-08-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins, Warner Bros. and DC Comics has started a huge teaser viral campaign promoting it. Using the main villain, The Joker, fans during the San Diego Comicon were "recruited" to join The Joker's gang through a website whysoserious. Fans who showed up outside the convention center were dressed in the classic Joker Gang make-up, got to chase Batman & Robin, and have their pictures uploaded to the whysoserious site, which now has the official address of rent-a-clown.

A personal account of the event can be found here.

Next, the number 1-800-395-9646 was written across the sky, where fans were further lead on a wild goose chase. You go through random clues to get a movie teaser. I'm a spoil sport, so here it is.

Finally, here's a teaser trailer to the movie.

Sidebar Or "That Simpson's spread got me open."

2007-07-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Who knew I'd also find this in August's issue of Harper's Bazaar. Generally I shy away from this mag despite it's great writing. But um, yeah, they own me on some real shallow shit this month.

And despite the fact that room looks like a nursery for Maddox and the other Jolie-Pitt kids/Blanket & Jermajesty Jackson/ Madonna's African Baby, I like it. I like it a lot.

I want this lifestyle.

I want this room.

I want his wifey. LOL.

"...wait 'til I get my money right." (c) Kanye

Alvin & The Chipmunks Movie Or "I see my childhood crumbling..."

2007-07-30T05:30:00.002-07:00

Alvin! Simon! Theodore! Doot! Doot! Do Do Do Doot!

Who knew a tape wound a little too tightly could make such pleasant sounds for Rugrats? Being apart of what I'm guessing is the second generation of Chipmunks fans,
this 80's cartoon made my weekday (or was it Saturday) mornings.

And now there is going to be a live-action movie. Just in time for Christmas. Who was naughty?

Most people have bulked at yet another movie where Hollywood is raping our childhood to make a quick buck; but at the sametime, I won't complain if it's done right (yeah, like that's going to happen?)

In any event, here's a list of the top 10 things wrong with the movie poster taken from VH1's Infamous Best Week Ever

10. WHY ARE THE CHIPMUNKS SO GANGSTA?!?!?!
9. Alvin has no eyes, and might very well murder your first born.
8. NO, REALLY, DOES ANYONE HERE REMEMBER ALVIN LOOKING LIKE EMINEM‘S BALLSACK? If I were walking down a dark street, and Alvin and his thuggy friends were walking towards me… I WOULD CROSS THE STREET. And they are animated chipmunks.
7. Jason Lee’s mutant eye-brow. I’ve never seen a bigger cock(ed brow) in my life!
6. The tag line “They’re Back and Bigger Than Ever” is worrisome… how big are these little Thug-munks going to be? Look, at a foot tall, they can still be sort of adorable, but anything over 4 feet will induce the sort of childhood nightmares not seen since Follow That Bird. Perhaps they had to adjust Chipmunk size because of the tall and lankified Jason Lee? Where is Danny Devito when you need him?
5. Theodore’s childhood squirrel-besity problem.
4. Chipmink CGI’d claws are freaking me out.
3. Fine, fine, make the Chipmunks as gangsta-fly as you want… But Simon’s 1990’s hat/glasses/hoodie combination are making me want to jump-jump right now.
2. Simon was supposed to be the nerd! They could have made a tall, slender, hipster chipmunk that would have had dork girls swooning! Instead, they’ve given us DJ Jazzy Sizz-imon.
1. From the looks of it, seems producers are trying to “spruce up” the Chipmunks to a new generation of fans… and that worries us. Will they even sound like the helium-drunk critters we remember from yesteryear? Or will they have deeper man-munk voices now? What are kids going to do with helium balloons at birthday parties — use them for heroin consumption? Is the Lollipop League dead and gone for good?

Here's the trailer:

More Simpson's Movie Goodness Or "Margerie, dear, that dress is to die for."

2007-07-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Simpson's Massive Marketing Machine Does not stop. Good for Fox, selling out royally, and making sure they get every shillings worth out of this late summer blockbuster.

Taken from www.notcot.com

Harper’s Bazaar August 007 ~ “The Simpsons go to Paris with Linda Evangelista” “Models”: The Simpsons, Linda Evangelista, and various designers with Illustrations by Julius Preite. Marge lets down her hair for Versace. Lisa gives up her pearls for Alber Elbaz. Homer dresses as Karl Lagerfeld. Selma & Patty in Viktor & Rolf. Maggie rides around in Jean Paul Gaultier’s Birkin Bag. Quite possibly the most incredible fashion spread i’ve seen (ok maybe tied with the Marie Antoinette Vogue spread?). To see the spread, see the pics below, and for some great animated versus reality pics of the dresses and designers, check out Oh No They Didn’t’s LJ. Wow. I am breathless… just go see more images already (and click any pic to see larger).

A Neil Gaiman Quote On Writing or "How Writers are like magicians"

2007-07-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

Neil Gaiman, a well-known fantasy and science-fiction author, had this to say about writers at the San Diego Comicon Convention:

“What I really, really admire and care about most are those writers who can make me go, ‘Oh my god, he’s going to cut that poor woman in half,’” he said. “The writers who make me forget that there is anybody behind the curtain, the ones who make me just go, ‘I want to know what happens next.’ Beautiful writing is part of it; I love beautiful writing but I really want to be able to wander into the story in such a way that I can’t find my way out unless I keep reading until the end.”

Taken from Newsarama.

Here's the trailer for his most recent movie adaptation, Stardust, a story of a star that falls to Earth, that happens to be a woman. Calamity and hilarity ensues. It stars Claire Danes, Michelle PFeifer, Rupert Everett, Sienna Miller, & Peter O'Toole.

My Pop Culture Life or "The Create A Character Phenomena"

2007-07-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, me and my bro would stay up late watching the adult humor of the Tracy Ullman show, just to see if they would feature 5 minutes of Simpsons action. The crudely drawn cursing cartoon was the type of Sunday night bedtime story we craved, and if there wasn't one that night, we felt cheated for watching 30 minutes of jokes that flew over our young heads.

Then they got their own show, got bashed as America's badass cartoon, then grew to be one of televisions most beloved shows (that needs a mercy killing) with over 400 episodes. And now, the Movie.

I've been relatively happy with most of the marketing for the picture, from the appearance of all the character actors on Bravo's The Actor's Studio giving interviews in character, and the whole Kwik-E-Mart 7-Eleven switcharoo was genius. However, this whole create a character thing to me seems like nothing new. In fact, people have been doing it for awhile for South Park, M&M's Candies, The Sims, and Second Life.

However, I must admit, as a franchise (or brand even?), The Simpsons do have a unique reason for doing this. We know the Simpsons not only for the main characters, but for the community of Springfield as well (just don't make Springfield a spin-off).

They've also managed to take the whole create a character thing up a notch, by allowing users to upload photos of themselves to be Simpsonized. This site is separate and done in conjunction with Burger King, one of a number of cross promotions for this movie.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my pop culture dopplegangers.

My life as a chocolate candy

An of course, A derelict of South Park http://images.southparkstudios.com/games/create/

Have fun ya'll, and link me to your clones!

5 Favorite Blogs

2007-07-23T15:11:00.001-07:00

1. www.frederiksamuel.com/blog
I enjoy this one for the ads he showcases from around the world. Some good. Some bad. All interesting.

2. www.thirdwwayblog.com
Another advertising blog that tells you what works, what doesn't, etc.

3. Crunk & Disorderly (crunktastical.blogspot.com)
I'm really into pop culture, and this blog dedicated to the gossip of black celebs never let's me down in the humor department.

4. AmericanCopywriter.typepad.com
Another advertsing blog! *sigh*

5. http://gamesadistic.blogspot.com/
I read this for the writing. Basically the creator is a video game junky that reviews old wack video games with a snarktastical sense of humor.

Childhood Obsessions Or "How comics and cartoons inspired me to be a writer."

2007-07-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Transformers The Movie. Not the live-action Michael Bay version with seizure-inducing special effects, but the 1986 classic. I was too young to realize it was a disasterpiece that only grossed $6 million. I didn’t appreciate the voice talents of Leonard Nimoy, or Orson Welles. My 5 year-old mind was too enthralled by the storyline that carried over from the cartoon I watched daily. The death of Optimus Prime, and the rise of Rodimus Prime, were moments that left my

Over time my investment in Transformers, He-Man, She-Ra, Silverhawks, Vultron, and even um… Jem, had matured into a love of character development and continuity. It inspired me create my own superheroes, with elaborate back-stories full of plot holes. Little did I realize at the time, I was writing.

This continued as I began collecting comics. Soon I became a fan of not only the characters, but the writers of the characters as well. Funny book writers don’t get a lot of shine, but you try writing a good story about a man who runs around in tights and isn’t gay. I even adopted their styles in my English assignments. Who knew copying the language style used on X-Men would get me a few A’s?

I tried my hand at some fan-fiction, coming up with more science fiction type concepts, superheroes, etc., but I came to a different realization. It didn’t matter the context or situation, the only thing I cared about were the characters, their development, or what their story said about life, politics, the world, or the people around me. Someone’s ability to fly, destroy New York with a careless thought, or a leap a tall building in a single bound wasn’t as spectacular or relatable (since at this point I’d given up my dream of being a superhero). Actually, the emotions and changes the character experience due to these abilities were infinitely more interesting. Sure Doc Octopus is holding up a bank, but will our hero make it back to his date before she walks out of his life forever? I guess it’s called growing up. I guess that’s why Heroes is so enjoyable when you barely see them use their abilities.

This might also explain why I fell in love with the human characters this time around while watching Transformers. After the shock opener of the US military being utterly demolished by the might of a near-invulnerable shape-shifting alien, if you peel back the enormous, engulfing storyline of intergalactic conflict, government conspiracy, and human evolution, you there is the heart and meat of the story. It is nothing more than the story of a boy and his first car; something everyone can relate to.

Vibrate

2007-07-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Fans of science fiction may be familiar with the idea of separate realities that exist parallel to our own. These worlds vibrate on a different frequency, and therefore we are unable to touch feel, or embrace whatever lies beyond our reality. We can only experience things on this side of the fabric of space and time, which seems like a grandmother’s quilt, suffocatingly warm and comfortable, but may be more sheer and silky, and fluid than one would originally imagine.

And maybe in the sheer, silky, fluidness of things, a person like me feels as if I am bouncing back and forth, reverberating in non-concentric circles, unable to direct a pattern of proper placement. So what is the major malfunction in the works? Why is it so hard to tap into that which is already there, that which should be within in grasp, but is just out of touch? Well, I guess if I knew the answer, I wouldn’t be asking the question? Or maybe the biggest fear is that the answer really does lie within me, that I’m a jackass, and the maestro of my own demise.

I continue spinning. But where does the top stop? On it’s side like a stray animal in heavy traffic? Propped against a wall through sheer luck, like a derelict that discovers rich relatives to bum off.Or will I finally come to a new era of existence?