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‘Star Trek’ when Sulu was black and Uhura was white

  • News
  • October 26, 2008

As an occasional Star Trek author, there are days when I have cursed Paramount’s licensing department for saying that you can’t do this with that character, or saying that Klingons aren’t warlike, or that Federation officers never disobey orders, or any other sort of restriction that seems arbitrary and picky that wrecks a perfectly good story idea.

But without them, you can get some truly strange occurences– like this Peter Pan comic book and record set for kids. The first story, "A Mirror Of Futility", drawn by Neal Adams or a very close fascimile, has Lieutenant Uhura as a white woman and Lieutenant Sulu as a black man– and he’s wearing the wrong color shirt to boot.

And it’s not a random fluke, either– because in the second story drawn by the late great John Buscema, "The Time Stealer", it happens again. (It also features an appearance by someone who looks very close to Conan, but that’s another story.)

And the line "Shutting down… engines now, Captain." We’ve apparently gone from Sulu to Yoda.

One has to wonder what George Takei and Nichelle Nichols thought of it…

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FEARNet Launches new Web Series

  • News
  • October 25, 2008

dark-path-chronicles-341x182-9664204Original webisodes from existing television series has been around for a few years now but increasingly, we’re finding stories about original series being trotted out from major networks, as we’ve reported, or other entertainment sites.  The latest begins on November 6 over at FEARnet, Comcast’s horror channel and site.

The Dark Path Chronicles is being described as a music-themed vampire series. Helmed by Mary Lambert, the series will feature music by up and coming Goth bands like Zombi, Junius, Jesu, Watch Me Burn, and Prophet 7:13.  It’s said to involve a young vampire and the teenage girl he meets and they will explore a parallel reality.

Lambert is known to most the director of Pet Semetary but she’s also directed music videos featuring Madonna and Janet Jackson.

The website will have a second season of its Street of Fear reality series. Ten new creepy streets will be profiles complete with ghost stories including Mt. Misery Road in Huntington NY, where a Woman in White was supposedly burned alive in a hospital fire and still haunts the area.

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Review: ‘I Remember The Future’

i-remember-the-future2-5160581For more than a decade, writer Michael A. Burstein has been publishing tales of speculative fiction in the anthology magazine [[[Analog]]]. Several of these stories have been nominated for various Hugo and Nebula awards, including Best Short Story, Best Novella and Best Novelette. In 1999, his short story “[[[Reality Check]]]” was nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. “[[[TeleAbsence]]]” won the 1995 Analytical Laboratory Award for Best Short Story and “[[[Sanctuary]]]” won the 2005 Analytical Laboratory Award for Best Novella.

These works and more have now been collected into one large volume from Apex Publishing entitled I Remember the Future: The Award-Nominated Stories of Michael A. Burstein. The book will be published on November 1, but you can pre-order at Amazon.com  if you so wish.

The stories collected here cover a wide range of topics and emotions. There’s the murder mystery involving a killer who targets students while they’re online. There’s the deeply emotional tale concerning the dying wish of the last living holocaust survivor. There is the “[[[Broken Symmetry]]]” series, a trilogy of short stories concerning the consequences that occur when a breach opens between two parallel universes and the events that grow out of it.

Even if you’ve read these works before, this collection offers you new insight into old favorites. Every single story has an afterword by Burstein as he explains what went into it and what may evolve from it in the future. He also discusses changes made in editing, such as when he presents an alternate ending to “Kaddish for the Last Survivor.”

Along with these tales are two brand new stories. There is “[[[Empty Spaces]]]”, a continuation of the aforementioned trilogy, and the titular tale “I Remember the Future”, which gives us a present tense narration from a retired writer who fears that humanity has forgotten how to truly dream.

These stories are all heartfelt and entertaining and each one appeals to a different taste and preference. If you enjoy science fiction, pick it up. If you don’t normally go for sci-fi, hey, still pick this up. These stories are, at their core, about people and the world we all deal with. And who can’t find something to enjoy about that?

Alan “Sizzler” Kistler has been recognized by mainstream media outlets such as the New York Daily News as a comic book historian, and can be seen in the “Special Features” sections of the Adventures of Aquaman and Justice League: New Frontier DVDs. His personal website can be found at: http://KistlerUniverse.com. One of these days he’d love to write for DC, Marvel or Doctor Who.

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ComicMix Radio: Palin In Four Colors

  • News
  • October 25, 2008

sarahp-9686685It seemed like it had to happen. The life and career of Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin comes to comics, but with a twist ending. We’ve got the story, plus:

  • Tomorrow is a bug day in Bedrock
  • More Terminator coming from Dynamic
  • Darwin Cooke explains just why Parker is so damn cool

Do your civic duty and Press the Button!
 

 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-2103419 or RSS!

 

‘The Starlost’ Comes to DVD November 4

  • News
  • October 25, 2008

Fans of Harlan Ellison know that when he’s not happy, we hear about it.  It might involve his invoking the name Cordwainer Bird on a screenplay or writing about the horrendous experience or, in some cases, both.

Ellison was involved in the creation of The Starlost, a science fiction series for CTV in Canada and the experience was so bad, it has become legendary.  Now, VCI Entertainment is releasing the 16 episodes on four DVDs in a $49.95 box set due out November 4. Extras include The Starlost Sales Pitch: “This is a long-lost piece that was sent to the networks to sell Starlost for syndication. It stars Keir Dullea and Executive Producer Douglas Trumball. It’s only been seen by a few, this is a rare gem.”

Created in 1973 and starring 2001’s Dullea, the producers kept misunderstanding what science fiction was all about or let their budget limitations hamper their imaginations.  VCI describes the premise this way:

“After an Earth-destroying threat endangers the planet, Mankind builds a gigantic Earthship Ark spacecraft to save the last of humanity. After an accident takes place and kills the crew, the airlocks connecting the ship’s domes are sealed. Cut off from the outside world, many communities simply forgot that they were on a spacecraft. As the centuries pass, each culture evolves in an enclosed society, each a world unto itself that is fifty miles in diameter. Unbeknownst to the ARK’s inhabitants, they are drifting through deep space on a collision course with a sun. In 2790 A.D., a young man named Devon, a resident of a biosphere called Cypress Corners, discovers that his world is much larger than he was taught to believe and uncovers the Ark’s fate. Devon and friends Rachel (Gay Rowan) and Garth (Robin Ward) must learn all they can about the Ark if they are to save it and the colonists aboard.”

It aired in America on NBC stations, usually Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. before prime time programming began. The series featured guest appearances from John Colicos (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek), Barry Morse (Space: 1999), and Walter Koenig.

Ellison’s experiences were so bad that he quit the series during production and insisted his pseudonym be used on the adulterated pilot episode, robbing the producers of his name value. The writer had the last laugh, though, when he won the Writers Guild of America’s Award for Best Original Screenplay in March 1974. By then, the series had been canceled. Edward Bryant used the original screenplay as the basis of Phoenix Without Ashes, a novelization that came out in 1975 long after the series was forgotten. The book contained a lengthy piece from Ellison about his experience which has become a textbook example of how not to make a television series.

Bova also got his revenge when he wrote the satirical novel The Starcrossed, which was also released in 1975.

Horror Review: [[[Dance of the Dead]]]

  • Uncategorized
  • October 25, 2008

dance-boxDance of the Dead Synopsis

On the night of the big high school prom, the dead rise to eat the living, and the only people who can stop them are the losers who couldn’t get dates to the dance. Filled with a plethora of high school stereotypes, the group takes on a town for of brain hungry zombies and vow to save what’s left of the town from the adjacent power plant that seems to be the cause of the recent resurrections.

Lowdown

Those in the mood for a great zombie flick should pick this one up. Other critics have been quoted saying this film “makes [[[Carrie]]] look like [[[Pretty in Pink]]]”, though if you were to truly classify it, it’s much more like [[[Shaun of the Dead]]] meets [[[Breakfast Club]]]. Any fan of film who has seen dozens upon dozens of zombie movies knows the feeling of “how much ass they would kick if zombies were real”. Well, this movie does it for you, bringing out the Sci-Fi nerd in all of us as a group of high school freaks and geeks take on a town full of zombies.

The group is filled with just about everybody you would need in a zombie uprising: the Jackass-style bad boy, the heroic yet sassy wiseass, the ditzy cheerleader, the know-it-all class president, the stoner rock band, the militant gym teacher, and of course the pack of nerds. Each member has their fifteen minutes as a hero, and then dies off or becomes second banana to the main love story between the wiseass and the class president. That’s right: the zombie comedy has a romantic twist, and you’ll enjoy it.

The actors in the film do a pretty good job of playing the high school outcasts. Though there are a few “[[[90210]]] moments” where a few supposed teens look to be in their late twenties or early thirties rather than high school ages, but they all play their parts well. There were a few moments when the wiseass of the group was doing his schtick, and didn’t come across as very funny, but he was the hero, so we let it slide. The hardest thing is trying not to think of the preexisting characters that a few of the nerds are trying to portray. One actor feels like he watched [[[Napoleon Dynamite]]] a few dozen times before squeezing into his role, and it only distracts from the zombie kickassery.

dance-promoThough the movie takes itself about as serious as anything produced by Troma in the last 30 years, there is a bit of story inconsistency throughout the film. Strictly looking at this like a zombie movie, the fact that certain zombies are the infamously slow-moving Romero creatures, while others are literally jumping from the grave and chasing down teens is a bit hard to swallow. At least in Shaun, all zombies were lurching monsters, which they used to their advantage. Outside of this, the movie is loads of fun to enjoy.

The camp factor is just off the charts for this film, which, thankfully, is what they were going for. Fans of the genre get everything from zombies driving cars, to a zombie sex scene, and even the ever loved line “BRAAINS!” Of course, the most important rule taken from the film is that zombies are intoxicated by rock music. That’s right, next time you are plagued by zombies, just throw on some Zeppelin and you can waltz right out of danger. This film has got “cult classic” written on it from the get-go. This is the kind of movie that friends in a dorm room will gather around and enjoy years from now, which could be a good or a bad thing.

The special effects are on the better side of most other flicks in the genre. There’s lots of ripped flesh, and some nice effects with eyes going cloudy. Probably the most expensive scene is in a graveyard when the undead literally leap out of the graves. This was pretty well done, and the movie as a whole doesn’t skimp on any of the effects or attempt things that are outside of the budget.

This movie is certainly worth a watch, and probably worth buying if you are a fan of the genre. I expect good things to come out of this team after this, and if the end of the film is any indicator, that could be very possible. You may not be scared more than once or twice, but you will laugh out loud in the times you didn’t.

Scare Factor: 3/5

Overall Rating: 8/10

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Review: ‘The Vertigo Encyclopedia’

vertigo-encyclopedia2-6407578The Vertigo Encyclopedia
By Alex Irvine
DK Publishing, September 2008, $29.99

There are few ways to produce a traditional encyclopedia, usually beginning with an alphabetical listing.  Most come with illustrations and are written in an academic style with little in the way of adjectives let alone opinions.  Graphic presentation may be the key difference between one publisher and another.  The role of illustrations grew in importance largely when Microsoft introduced [[[Encarta]]].

Leave it to [[[Vertigo]]] to show how things can be done in another way entirely.  The DC Comics imprint was a natural evolution from a line of titles, largely edited by Karen Berger, in the late 1980s as writers such as Alan Moore, Jamie Delano and Grant Morrison began taking fresh looks at the occult and many of DC’s more offbeat creations.

Once the line was on its own, it quickly found its voice and thanks to DC’s design department, the covers certainly looked less like standard DC fare and more like paperback books.  The subject matter also moved away from just looking into the shadowy corners of the DC Universe but pioneered a lot of creator owned material that began in the realm of the occult but also examined super-heroes, families, and even the search for God.  The line has now become its own mini-publishing empire with comic books, original graphic novels and the just canceled Minx line of black and white digests for tweens.

DK’s [[[Vertigo Encyclopedia]]] examines the line’s output from its inception through today and as written by Alex Irvine, makes some of the tougher to comprehend titles, more easily digestible.  Irvine is an accomplished novelist and major fan of the Vertigo line and his enthusiasm surprisingly comes through on many of the entries. The writing is clear and detailed and the significant titles that deserve the most space (Sandman, Preacher, Transmetropolitan) get it complete with significant events identified.

(more…)

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‘Lost’ Secrets Unearthed

  • News
  • October 25, 2008

lost-1-1766559While the networks are busy slugging out the fall television season with competing series both new and old, the viewers are left without a shepherd to guide them towards true quality programming. In 2009, that shepherd returns, and its name is Lost.

ABC’s award-winning smash-hit Lost has gained an unbelievable following in its four short years. It’s often a show of balance as some mysteries get solved ("What’s in the hatch?") and some never do ("What’s the frickin’ monster?"). Despite some of the rockier terrain that seasons two and three trekked through, fans have stuck through the turbulent times by having faith that their loyalty would be rewarded.

When Lost returns early next year, the shape of that reward will come into sharper focus. Season five marks the penultimate year for the series, as showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse previously inked a deal with ABC to end Lost after six seasons. Since that move, each episode instantly gains a higher sense of importance for both the show’s mythology and its fans’ patience. Nary an hour can be wasted with so many pressing questions to be answered, and with Lost officially on the downhill end of the slope, Lindelof and Cuse promise that the series will shift away from generating mysteries and into "answer mode."

There’s still some months before the new season, but information about the plot, characters and more are slowly find their way onto the internet. We’ve done some digging around and compiled the following list of points regarding what you can expect from Lost in the future. Be warned, however, as there are some spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution…

(more…)

Scary Monsters, Super Freaks. by Martha Thomases

  • News
  • October 25, 2008

Halloween is Friday. Before the American Marketing/Advertising Complex discovered that All Soul’s Eve was a terrific occasion to sell home decorations and slutty costumes, it was the National Holiday of Greenwich Village and the Vast Homosexual Conspiracy. Before that, it was a chance for kids to dress up and beg for candy from the neighbors.

What about the true meaning of the holiday? What about its spiritual roots?

Originally, Halloween was All Hallows Eve, the night before All Saint’s Day.  According to Barbara Walker, Christians appropriated the holiday from the Celts, who celebrated Sanhain, the feast of the dead. She says:

“The pagan idea used to be that crucial joints between the seasons opened cracks in the fabric of space-time, allowing contact between the ghostworld and the mortal ones.”

In other words, it was the time when ghosts came out and scared the living. These days, ghosts seem like the least scary things around. In fact, there’s a lot of ghosts I’d enjoy seeing again. But this stuff scares me:

• I was working at DC in 1990 when the new Robin costume was introduced. That was a few years after Miller’s girl Robin in The Dark Knight Returns. The new version of the new costume was its enhanced safety features, including a full-length Kevlar cape and covered legs. Then I see this.  I guess she’s not as frightened by bullets as she is by the possibility that someone might not see her ta-tas or nay-nays.

• Comic book companies used to have one mammoth super-hero cross-over in the summer, to amuse the kids at camp. Now, DC alone has Final Crisis, Trinity, Batman: RIP, Reign in Hell, and some Green Lantern thing about other colors of lanterns. At this rate, the Event That Will Change Things Forever will last forever. That’s pretty much existentialism but without the good wine and unfiltered cigarettes. That’s scary. (more…)

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