A&D is the way my fellow classmates refer to the high school we attended, The High School of Art and Design in New York City. A&D is without a doubt the greatest high school on earth.
Really.
I know for a fact that my high school is the greatest high school in the history of the world. If you went there, you would think so also. Oh, before I forget, fuck the High School of Music and Art. They were our rivals as were those mofos from the High School of Performing Arts as well as the High School of Fashion industries can all kiss my ass.
School pride… yeahhhhhh!
All of the high schools I’ve mentioned are in New York City. None of them are as good as A&D but clearly they have something to offer. All of the schools I’ve mentioned are magnet schools for the arts. Remember that movie Fame?
Fame was the story of the High School of Performing Arts, or as they referred to it in the film, P.A. I have to admit I really liked the film but P.A. can still kiss my ass.
School pride… yeahhhhhh!
I won’t bore you with the list of bad ass comic book and other artists that graduated from A&D but it’s as impressive as shit. Check out this linkif you care to know just how A&D rolls.
I’m not writing this just to brag about A&D and put down our rivals, I’m writing this because the arts in this country are under serious attack. The GOP is threatening to pull funding from art programs like the National Endowment Of the Arts and the first thing cut in any high school budget are the music and art programs.
What kind of goddamn country would this be without art? What kind of comics will there be in a generation if comic artists don’t have places like A&D to attend? Like I said, all of the high schools I mentioned are in New York City.
New York leads the world in the arts. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
America needs and quite frankly wants the arts. The mega popular show, America’s Got Talent, had two – that’s two – artists in the finals.
If the comic book and related industries just turn a blind eye to the assault on the arts then we will get what we deserve. That’s work that sucks and leads to a continuing declining fan base and the death of comics.
Lastly, I’m sure you know I did not mean all the rude things I said about the rivals of A&D. They are great schools and I have nothing but respect for them. In case anyone is wondering I did my undergrad work at The Pratt Institute and I’d just like to say, fuck Cooper Union, the School of Visual Arts, Parsons and a special fuckyou to Art Center.
Family Guy’s tenth season saw the family travel through time and space, from revisiting the very first episode to crossing the Atlantic Ocean. They met famous folk like Ryan Reynolds and Robin Williams and had the usual assortment of antics.
Family Guy Season 10, containing all 14 episodes, is coming out on DVD and thanks to our friends at 20th Century Home Entertainment, we have three copies to give away.
You must live in the United States or Canada to be eligible to participate. To enter to win, tell us which era or location the family should visit this coming season – no repeats. We want your best ideas no later than 11:59 p.m., Monday, September 24. Prize winners will be selected on the 25th and prizes will be shipped directly from 20th Century Home Entertainment. The decision of ComicMix’s judges will be final.
A mysterious creature is on a vendetta to track down the men who wronged him, and there’s only one left, a man he calls…the Doctor? Quite a start for this western-themed outing, the first for the show since 1966’s The Gunfighters. Spoiler alerts are in full effect, mind the fellows with the guns, and let’s mosey into this town and see what’s going on…
A TOWN CALLED MERCY by Toby Whithouse directed by Saul Metzstein
A western town in 1870 has been barricaded behind a field that prevents food delivery. The being behind it, known only as The Gunslinger, had demanded the town turn over an alien only referred to as “The Doctor”. So when The Doctor arrives in the town, the welcome is a bit…cold. He learns quickly that he is not the one being searched for – another alien came to this town some years ago, and has been their savior and protector from a number of deiseases and natural disasters. Alas, it turns out he’s being chased for a very good reason – he was a scientist on his home world, one who converted many of his own people into cyborg warriors to win a massive war. When they were “decommissioned”, one survived, and he is the one placing the town under a one-man siege. The Doctor is in a strange position – can he bring himself to hand over a war criminal to meet his just demise?
An episode quite heavy with drama and portent, one far more about The Doctor’s life and past than the ostensible bad guy of the story. Once again, we get a look at how The Doctor has grown darker when he doesn’t have any friends about him. Matt Smith is doing a very good job of playing a man far older than his looks, and carrying a heavy load of acts.
GUEST STAR REPORT
Ben Browder (Isaac) may be known to you. He played John Crichton on Farscape, Cameron Mitchell on Stargate SG-1, and Sam Brody on Party of Five. He even got to do another genre western – he played Bat Lash on the Justice League cartoon.
Adrian Scarborough (Kahler Jex) has most recently been seen in the remake of Upstairs Downstairs, and a long list of work in British film and television, but fans of Mark Gatiss’ friends The League of Gentlemen will recognize him as the surgeon turned children’s clown Mister Jolly in in Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s project Psychoville.
Garrick Hagon (Undertaker) is one of less than 30 actors who have appeared in both the original and new series of Doctor Who. He first appeared in The Mutants back in 1972. He’s had a long career in both film and TV. And oh, yeah, he played the most famous character to be almost entirely cut out of Star Wars – he was Biggs Darklighter, Luke’s best friend, who said Luke was “never going to get out of here”. His big scene on Tatooine was cut out, and has yet to be restored – it only exists in a couple photos from an early storybook adaptation of the film near its release. Some footage in the rebel base was restored in a recent special edition, but there’s still a sense of “Who is this guy” to the whole thing.
Toby Whithouse (Writer) is an old hand on the series, having written four episodes for the new series before this (and one for Torchwood), and is also the creator of Being Human, another popular genre series, and one sharing a number of castmembers with Who.
Saul Metzstein (Director) did the previous episode, and will be back with two more episodes in the second half of the season.
THE MONSTER FILES – One could argue that there is a monster in this episode, though not of the most commonly accepted variety. The Kahler are described by The Doctor as one of the most ingenious races in the galaxy. Considering the work he did improving the lifestyle of the town of Mercy, that certainly appears to be so. Alas, that ability to build things carries over to engines of war, and when one is in the middle of a war, one becomes short-sighted, not considering the long-term results of one’s choices.
The Gunslinger is a more obvious monster, but one doing things for a more just reason, if a bit personal. We’ve seen no end of cyborgs on Doctor Who – from the obvious example of the Cybermen, there’s The Captain from The Pirate Planet, the Toclafane, the converted final members of the human race in Last of the Time Lords, and even monsters like the Loch Ness Monster (Terror of the Zygons) and the Peking Homunculus (Talons of Weng-Chiang) qualify.
BACKGROUND BITS AND BOBS – Trivia and production details
UNDER WESTERN SKIIIIES – This episode is steeped in history in a very real way. It was filmed at both “Mini Hollywood” and “Texas Hollywood”, a pair of combination movie sets and tourist attractions in the Andalusia area of Spain. Mini Hollywood was designed and filmed for Sergio Leone’s classic For a Few Dollars More. When it was later used for The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, it was bought by the extras and made into a tourist attraction. The two site have been used for dozens of classic films, including a staggering list of “Spaghetti Westerns”, like the aforementioned Leone films.
This isn’t the first time the show has used standing sets. The Fires of Pompeii was filmed in Italy on the same sets as HBO’s series Rome.
IT’S WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE – The face mark of the Kahler are unique, and as individual as a fingerprint. This is similar to the spot patters of the Tenctonese on the short-lived Fox series Alien Nation.
“Has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?” We learned only last week that The Doctor still has a Christmas list.
“I speak horse; his name’s Susan, and he wants you to respect his life choices” Once again, subtly slipping the non-traditional gender roles into the series without making a big thing of it. Even as a gag, it gets across an important point. Oh, I’m sure some will complain te topic’s not being taken seriously enough, but some people have made never being happy their career.
“You’re a mother, aren’t you? There’s kindness in your eyes. And sadness.” Jex sees a lot in The Doctor’s eyes later, but he’s not the first to sense Amy’s emotions. Vincent Van Gogh sensed that Amy had “lost someone”, even though at the time she wasn’t even aware of it.
BIG BAD WOLF REPORT
“I’ve matured – I’m twelve hundred years old now” The Doctor’s age has accelerated greatly in the last couple of seasons. He jumped from nine to eleven hundred years old in the period he was traveling alone when he came back to see the Ponds in The Impossible Astronaut, and now, in between visits to see them, has aged another hundred. Assuming he’s not just pulling numbers out of his Stetson, he’s spending a LOT more time alone than we’d ever seen before. The tenth incarnation traveled alone for quite a bit in between the four specials of the last Tennant season, and he got quite arrogant, almost swaggering in his demeanor. Last episode we saw him cast judgment on Solomon, and he almost does the same here to Kahler Jex.
“Looking at you is like looking into a mirror, almost” Jex makes The Doctor confront his own choices, the people whose deaths he’s been responsible for, and the ones he’s killed personally. The episode is about how one atones for those choices, and whether or not that atonement balances things out. There was a similar comparison at the end of The God Complex when the minotaur draws a similarity between himself and The Doctor.
“See, this is what happens when you travel alone for too long.” When he starts pushing Jex towards the border of the town, you expect it’s because he’s hoping the people of Mercy to stop him, to realize that they need to project their friend, and you realize no, he really is just handing him over to the Gunslinger.
We’ve seen a lot of discussion on the effect The Doctor’s companions have on him, even more so than the other way around. Donna Noble cogently pointed out that “Sometimes you need someone to stop you”. The periods we’ve seen him alone in recent seasons have resulted in a much more hard man. Matt Smith said he’s certainly become a “darker” character of late, and the choices made in the past two episodes are examples of that.
“That’s how it started, Jex turned someone into a weapon.” Which is exactly what Mad Dalek Caan accused The Doctor of doing to his Companions. And the longer he is without a Companion, well…someone has to be the weapon. Note that The Doctor is wearing, drawing, and is ready to use a gun, something he abhorred only a short time before. That’s not a mistake, it’s very deliberate writing.
NEXT TIME ON DOCTOR WHO – Little boxes, on the roadside, little boxes made of…well we don’t quite know. The return of UNIT, and The Power of Three, coming in a week’s time.
One great thing about Dragon*Con is that sometimes it inspires me to check out new shows or genre fiction, and sometimes it inspires me to re-visit a past favorite. After this year’s Battlestar Galactica panel I had a super-cravi ng to go back and watch the show again; thanks to Netflix I’ve been re-living the intensity that is BSG.
What I love about the show, as someone pointed out in the panel (BSG – Bright Shiny Futures Are Overrated) is that it uses the harsh situation that the few remaining members of the human race find themselves in to explore numerous complex themes that resonate with real world conflicts and historical events. Along with plenty of action and drama, it’s an intellectual show that challenges viewers to think about the choices being made, and highlights the complexity and imperfections of the main characters as they constantly make difficult decisions that will affect the whole of humanity. It’s also sometimes exceedingly grim – so much so that the first time I was watching it, I found that I had to take a break for awhile about half-way through the series and go watch something a little less bleak. But that is a testament to the way the show tries to confront the cruel realities that must be faced in times of war; and is balanced by the way it also celebrates the kindness and heroism that can be drawn out by the same intense situations.
Another thing that’s great about the series is that since it appears at first to be set in a far, far distant (though not technologically unrecognizable) future, it’s aged well. Also, in tune with the recurring theme that “all of this has happened before; and all of this will happen again,” the stories and interactions follow cycles of our own human interactions that we can identify with, so they do not seem not dated, and the themes are still relevant. If you haven’t seen it, I definitely recommend giving it a try. Even if you have, you may not have known (as I didn’t, the first time I watched) about the tie-in material like Razor and the webseries, so you could always check those out as well. In the meantime, here are a few words from some of the stars of the show, who I got to talk to while at Dragon*Con (although I sadly missed getting to chat with Katee Sackhoff).
While discussing film projects, James Callis (a.k.a. Dr. Gaius Baltar, who looks and sounds uncannily similar to his character in person, but is thankfully much nicer) shared with me the interesting tidbit that his favorite TV or film character – not one he wants to play, per se, but one he loves – is Frank-n-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (as played by Tim Curry). I can’t deny that he’s a fascinating character! And Callis’ favorite part of the con? “Meeting all of you guys.”
Jamie Bamber (a.k.a. Captain Lee “Apollo” Adama), who was wearing a fantastic “My Other Ride is a Viper” shirt, told me he’s currently involved in a new series based on Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s novel Monday Mornings(also starring Ving Rhames and Alfred Molina). The show will be produced by Gupta and David E. Kelley and is centered around the Monday morning morbidity meetings at a Portland hospital, where the doctors reflect on what went wrong the previous week. Bamber says, “I’ve seen the pilot, and it’s really the best start to something that I’ve ever done.” High praise, considering how awesome Battlestar Galactica was! And Bamber’s favorite part of the con is “catching up with old friends, like the Battlestar Galactica group and everyone.”
Michael Trucco (a.k.a. Sam Anders), who is super tall in person, let me know that next on his agenda is at least six episodes of season eight of How I Met Your Mother… “and I can say that my character takes a turn that’s… ‘ironically comical.’“ As for what he loves about Dragon*Con, that’s pretty much everything, i.e. “the panels and the Walk of Fame, as well as the interactions with the fans.”
Richard Hatch, (a.k.a. Tom Zarek, and also Captain Apollo on the original 1978/80 series) and I chatted about a number of upcoming events in his life, including (alert, alert!) a Battlestar Galactica con from May 23-26, 2013 in Houston, Texas, with actors from both the original series and the new series. And we just re-launched battlestargalactica.com, which is sort of like a Facebook for fans.” Also he recommends fans check out whothefrak.com. “We’re developing it into a reality show with me and some industry friends. I’m also hosting a cruise to the Mediterranean next year, and will be teaching my seminars and everything during the cruise.”
There’s also an album out called “From Apollo to Tom Zarek: The Battlestar Galactica Memoirs,” regarding his career in both of the series’.”And I’m also working on a big epic sci-fi series that’s in development called TheGreat War of Magellan, for which we are developing a game and a novel.” Whew! Busy times in the life of Richard Hatch! But he still has time for the fans, and at Dragon*Con, says “I love the Battlestar party and the steampunk ball and the panels.”
Thanks to the stars of BSG for their time and awesomeness! And that’s it it for this year’s Dragon*Con experience, but stay tuned, because Baltimore Comic Con, which is next up, was just as fun!
Until next week, Servo Lectio!
TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Michael Davis Goes Back To High School
WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold and Archie’s Sex Change
Two hundred and twenty five years ago today, the final draft of the Constitution of the United States was adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The First Amendment of the Constitution states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
We mention this because earlier today, comic book artist Molly Crabapple (that’s her artwork above, previously published in The Nation) peaceably assembled on the streets of New York City for the anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Apparently, the NYPD insisted everyone get on the pavement, and once they were on the pavement they were arrested.
Molly live-tweeted her arrest on her Twitter account. Warren Ellis started the hashtag #FreeMollyCrabapple, which rapidly became a trending topic on Twitter, and was covered by numerous news outlets. And this evening, Ms. Crabapple was released.
We’re sure she’ll have much more to say later. For now, we’re just happy she’s out.
Here’s a sneak peek at the upcoming Lance Star: Sky Ranger weekly web strip from New Pulp creators Bobby Nash and James Burns, the same team that brought you the Lance Star: Sky Ranger comic book “One Shot!” “We’re still early in the process of creating the strips so it’s not quite ready to show off,” says writer Bobby Nash. Nash also added that he couldn’t resist a good tease when he released the image above.
Keep watching All Pulp and www.lance-star.com for more details as they become available.
Sitting around brainstorming a movie sounds like a great way to spend a few days. According to Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, they fell into their fever-pitch pace after years rewriting episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As a result, they concocted the screenplay for Cabin in the Woods over little more than a weekend. And just the hit series turned tropes and stereotypes on its head; this fright fest also explored, celebrated and inverted the conventions of countless horror films, making for a fresh, funny, original thriller.
You have to pay attention to the film because its smart and do not be lulled by expectations, as is evident from the opening sequences as Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins appear to be going to work at some high tech underground bunker and then we swiftly cut away to your central casting collection of college kids clearly marked for gruesome deaths. As they drive away and a cameo from Nathan Fillion turns up, this is evidently a very different kind of film.
Unfortunately, after it was financed and filmed, the movie languished, a victim of the MGM bankruptcy until it was rescued by Lionsgate which finally released it this spring. Unfortunately, their marketing department didn’t adequately tell the world and most missed it. Thankfully, the home video edition is coming out this week and is well worth your time and attention.
The quintet is made up of comely Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Jesse Williams, Chris Hemsworth, and Fran Kranz. Williams was already a regular on Grey’s Anatomy, Hutchison was an Australian star, and Kranz was known for Whedon’s Dollhouse, but this was a pre-Thor Hemsworth and seeing this, it’s hard to see anything godly in his studly athlete. Yet, he impressed Whedon during filming and he recommended him to Marvel, which proved wise. Still, the five friends go to cabin for a vacation and as one would expect, horrible things happen and secrets are uncovered.
All along, they are monitored and manipulated by the guys in the underground bunker, overseen by Whedon stalwart Amy Acker. There are hints that their work ethic may smack of Office Space but their mission is a serious one and as we shift into the final act, we’re treated to an assortment of nightmares and monsters that echo every horror movie you’ve seen since birth. The CGI effects ran rampant throughout as several of the quintet defy the odds and survive. Worse, they find the bunker and go exploring to learn why they were targeted and some surprise news spells survival or global. Just when you think you know what’s happening, they cleverly toss in a twist, be it a story point, a visual, or some stunt casting to keep you alert.
It’s tremendous fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously at all, which is just fine with me. The movie looks fabulous with the screen transfer and it sounds nifty, too.
The Special Features some engaging commentary from Whedon and Goddard as we learn about the travails of shooting in Canada. They appear in awe of how game Hutchison was for her various spotlight moments and talked about everything from writing to special effects and time sitting around the sets waiting for something to happen. Whedon apparently shot second unit work which meant he did more than script and produce.
The remaining pieces on both the Blu-ray and DVD are pretty much what you have come to expect these days, including “We Are Not Who We Are: Making The Cabin in the Woods” (28:33) which covers the basic behind the scenes info; “The Secret Secret Stash” (13:07) featuring “Marty’s Stash” with Kranz talking about his stoner character, and “Hi, My name is Joss and I’ll be your guide”; the Wonder-Con Q&A with Joss and Drew (27:30), ‘nuff said; “An Army of Nightmares: Make-Up & Animatronic Effects” (12:10) is about the cool effects; “Primal Terror: Visual Effects” (12:07) focuses on the developmental aspects of the effects; “It’s Not What You Think: The Cabin in the Woods” Bonus View Mode (Blu-ray exclusive). You can also access online the “It’s Not What You Think: The Cabin in the Woods Bonus View Mode”, which is sort of interesting but offers little new.
Kudos to Lionsgate for giving this a spiffy lenticular sleeve, showing some TLC the film deserved.
Airship 27 Productions announces the release of their newest pulp anthology title, SINBAD – The New Voyages.
The greatest seafaring adventurer of all times returns to the high seas, Sinbad the Sailor!
Born of countless legends and myths, this fearless rogue sets sail across the seven seas aboard his ship, the Blue Nymph, accompanied by an international crew of colorful, larger-than-life characters. Chief among these are the irascible Omar, a veteran seamen and trusted first mate, the blond Viking giant, Ralf Gunarson, the sophisticated archer from Gaul, Henri Delacrois and the mysterious, lovely and deadly female samurai, Tishimi Osara. All of them banded together to follow their famous captain on perilous new voyages across the world’s oceans.
“This was another opportunity for us to explore another classic pulp genre,” Managing Editor Ron Fortier explained. “Fantasy high adventure was a popular setting in many of the more exotic themed pulp titles of the 1930s. Doing one starring Sinbad seemed a natural choice for us.”
Writers Nancy Hansen, I.A. Watson and Derrick Ferguson offer up three classic Sinbad tales to rival those of legend while adding a familiar sensibility from the cult favorite Sinbad movies of FX master, Ray Harryhausen. SINBAD – The New Voyages will enthrall and entertain all lovers of fantasy adventure in a brand new way; featuring cover art by Bryan Fowler and twelve black and white illustrations by Ralf van der Hoeven.
“From inception to realization, this was one of the fastest titles we’ve ever put together,” Fortier added. “In fact we received so many submissions that we had enough to fill two books. You can expect volume two to sail over the horizon soon. And we couldn’t be happier.”
So pack up your you traveling bags, bid ado to your loved ones and get ready to sail with the tide as Sinbad El Ari takes the tiller and the Blue Nymph sets sails once more; its destination worlds of wonder, mystery and high adventure.
AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS – Pulp Fiction For A New Generation!
Lance Star: Sky Ranger “One Shot!” artist James Burns has released his latest comic book story, Speechless. Speechless is the true story of an artist and designer who had a brush with thyroid cancer, and the fear and frustration he experienced when he loses his voice as a result of an operation.
SPEECHLESS – Written and Illustrated by James Burns, Speechless is a 40 page comic book in glorious black & white and can be purchased here for $2.99.
Speechless is not Burns’ first autobiographical book. His first comic, Detached, follows James’ experience as a visual artist who was suddenly confronted by the very real fear of blindness after suffering a detached retina. It’s not a medical story so much as a psychological one, involving fear, death, faith, and hope. Detached is a very personal story, but one that James was uniquely qualified to tell.
DETACHED – Written and Illustrated by James Burns, Detached is a 28 page comic book in glorious black & white and can be purchased here for $3.00.
You can also see sample pages from Speechless and Detached at www.lance-star.com.
Pulp’s own Spirit Breaker, Sgt. Janus is answering reader’s questions over at the Sgt. Janus blog. If you’ve ever wanted to ask a pulp hero a question, here’s your chance. The good Sgt. will answer one question each day so head on over to the blog and post your question today.
You may ask the sergeant almost anything, of any topic, but he begs your kind indulgence by asking questions of a serious nature only and none whatsoever pertaining to the events told of in the final story in SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER entitled “The Unfinished Record.” He regrets that stricture, but hopes that you may understand and sympathize.
So, have at it, Spirit-Breaker fans – compose your inquiries and let’s hear them!
Tell him that All Pulp sent ya!
All content (c)Jim Beard 2012. Please pick up a copy of SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER at Amazon.
A&D is the way my fellow classmates refer to the high school we attended, The High School of Art and Design in New York City. A&D is without a doubt the greatest high school on earth.
