You may have seen the piece in Variety that America’s leading fanboy with a late night talk show Stephen Colbert is joining the team that is adapting Roger Zelaznyâs âThe Chronicles of Amberâ for television as an executive producer of the potential series under his Spartina production banner, joining with Skybound Entertainment and Vincent Newman…
One of the interesting facets of talking about writing is the contradictions you find in the craft. For example: All your characters are you. All your characters are not you. All of your characters are you. Every character you write must have some of you in it. All of them. Not just the ones you…
When I get asked by earnest neophytes how to break into comics, my pat answer is “With a pick and a crowbar through the roof in the middle of a moonless night.” Somewhat less than helpful, I know. The truth is that I don’t know how to break into comics. I don’t think most of…
As I mentioned in a previous column, I’ve been on a Rex Stout/Nero Wolfe reading/re-reading jag as of late and have been enjoying it greatly. As other commentators have noted, the pleasure in the Nero Wolfe novels is not so much the plots, which have been noted as serviceable, but in the characters, especially the…
The toughest part of the story, inevitably, is the beginning. How do you get the narrative ball rolling? How do you get somebody’s attention so that they want, maybe need, to hear what happens next?
Patron saint and sinner of Munden’s Bar Del Close would have been 76 today. If you want to read about who Del was and why he was important to comics and comedians, Mike Gold has a great recollection here while reviewing a biography of the man. If you want to see why he’s the patron…
Well as careers go, here’s a good one. Start off writing a fanzine and wind up working with and for Del Close and Monty Python and, specifically, John Cleese. Then you get to write all kinds of books about your labors. Long-time comics journalist and frequent ComicMix commenter Kim Howard Johnson has a new book…
Last weekend, New York City had its annual Del Close marathon. I’m sure our esteemed editor Mike Gold and my fellow columnist John Ostrander were somewhere about, if only in spirit. I was home doing housework, lounging about and occasionally glancing at the Olympics. Which can be tough, by the way, if you’ve got a…
Way back in the dark ages, Stuart Gordon directed a play for his Organic Theater written by ComicMix’s own John Ostrander and our pal William J. Norris called Bloody Bess. It starred Dennis Franz, Joe Mantegna and Meshach Taylor along with writer Norris – writer Ostrander was pressed into service once when he wasn’t performing…
Well, it’s about time. Author Kim Howard Johnson, former comics newsman (the late, lamented Comics Scene), occasional comic book writer (Superman: True Brit, with John Cleese and John Byrne), and frequent ComicMix commenter, has written the definitive biography of his mentor, collaborator and friend, comedy legend Del Close. It’s called The Funniest One In The…
Having learned nothing from my last list of favorite films other than how to start a few fights, I’ve decided to go at it again, this time with a list of my favorite Christmas films. T’is the season to really annoy people, after all. A few words as I begin. This is my list of…
Thirty-two years ago, at 11:30 PM Eastern Time, the National Broadcasting Company aired this live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bG4ScgDwKk …and with that, a revolution was born. NBC’s Saturday Night premiered with George Carlin as the host, Janis Ian and Billy Preston as musical guests, Jim Henson’s Muppets, and Not Ready For Prime Time Players Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi,…
