Tagged: Star Wars

Kim 2008, by John Ostrander

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  • March 6, 2008
 
kim-and-nettie-in-hammock-copy-8808789This week’s marks eleven years since the passing of my late wife, Kimberly Yale. The best way to remember people, I’ve found, is through stories – stories you know or stories you’ve heard. Story is what I do. So here are some of the stories by which I remember Kim.
 
Kim and I had known each other quite a while before we started dating or became a couple. In point of fact, before Kim and I started dating, I had given up on the ritual. It simply had gotten too painful. I was well into my thirties at that point and none of my relationships had lasted more than six months. The common variable in that equation seemed to be me so I just assumed I was never going to find someone. I had not gone on a date for maybe eighteen months prior to Kim’s and my starting up.
 
In fact, Kim had earlier been one of those who had shot down whatever overture I was making. I had gotten back from a business trip to England and picked up a Doctor Who tchotke or two that I thought she would like. I called her up, said I was coming over to her apartment, and headed over in vague hopes of maybe possibly something might happen. Kim and I were more acquaintances than anything else at this point.
 

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Other People’s Sandboxes, by John Ostrander

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  • February 28, 2008
 
This column has its roots in Mike Gold’s column this week. While it’s not necessary to read Uncle Whizzy’s Wazoo this week,  it is recommended – as it is every week. Loves my UWW on Monday!
 
I’ve spent a lot of my writing career in other people’s sandboxes and, in general, have had a great time. Sometimes I wonder if I haven’t spent a little too much time in those sandboxes. My career might have been better served with a few more original creations such as GrimJack (and I’m working on some that will appear here on ComicMix eventually) but, as they say, hindsight is 20/20. Hindsight also often sounds as if one is looking out one’s butt – which certainly explains many of the utterings we hear from political pundits these days. However, that’s a different topic for another time.
 
Brother Gold’s column this week was about whether or not a strip or a character or a series should continue after its creator’s death (or their choice to discontinue work on said property). His point was that in many cases we would not have some very fine stories using those properties were that not the case. Nor would we have had some very notable careers. For example, Frank Miller first made his name taking over the very moribund Daredevil book at Marvel and making it the most talked about book in the industry. Alan Moore was known to those us who could get their hands on 2000 AD and/or Warrior (and thus first saw Miracleman, a Captain Marvel rip-off character that he performed surgery on and made into something very new) but his first big American title was when he took over Swamp Thing and re-invented not only the character but its whole mythology.
 

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Happy Birthday, Alan Rickman and C-3PO

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British actors Anthony Kingsley Daniels and Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman were both born today in 1946.

Daniels is famous for creating the memorable Star Wars ‘droid, C-3PO, and although Rickman is an accomplished thespian, his recent portrayal of Snape in the Harry Potter films earned him an entirely new generation of fans.

One interesting note about Daniels: He was the only Star Wars cast member to voice his character in all three National Public Radio dramatizations of the trilogy.

 

Stranger Bedfellows, by John Ostrander

  • News
  • February 21, 2008

 

ann_coulter_origin-6149618Forget whether or not Barack Obama is “black enough.” The newest wrinkle in the Presidential Campaign That Never Ended is whether or not John McCain is “conservative enough.” Evidently, according to two of the biggest conservative blowhards on the air – Rush “Dr. Feelgood” Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, She-Wolf of the Neo-Cons – the answer is “no.”
 
Limbaugh has been on a rampage about McCain, tearing the presumed Republican nominee a new asshole almost daily over issues like immigration and McCain’s voting against tax-cuts. Rush jokingly says he would endorse Barack Obama over McCain as Obama was “a blank canvas upon which anyone can project their fantasies and desires.” (Why am I not amazed that Limbaugh finds a black man to be a “blank canvas?” And you’re going to project your “fantasies and desires” on him? Oh, Rush – how Mandingo of you! Heavens, I feel all flushed! I swear I may have to swoon!)
 
Coulter has gone so far as to declare, on Fox’s Hannity and Colmes, she would campaign for Hilary Clinton rather than support McCain. That, if it came down to Hilary Clinton or John McCain, she would vote for Hilary Clinton as being more truly conservative. And on her site, she continues to champion “her Hilary.”
 

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Mike Richardson Announced as Stumptown Fest Guest of Honor

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  • February 20, 2008

The Stumptown Comics Fest, an annual celebration of comics and cartooning art in Portland, Oregon, recently announced that it has chosen Dark Horse Comics founder and head-honch Mike Richardson to be its special Guest of Honor at this year’s event.

Festival organizers chose the accomplished (and extremely tall) Richardson for many reasons, some of which are detailed in the events official press release announcing Richardson’s selection:

Under his direction, Dark Horse has gone from a tiny startup during the black-and-white boom of the ‘80s to the biggest independent comics publisher in the nation, featuring such talents as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, and the late comics legend Will Eisner, and revolutionizing the industry’s approach to licensed properties through innovative Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Conan, and Aliens/Predator stories.

The Fifth Annual fest will be held on April 26th-27th, 2008, at the Doubletree Hotel Lloyd Center in Portland. To find out more info on the Stumptown Comic Fest, a great event showcasing some exceptional art and artists, check out its official site. 

ComicMix at Toy Fair ’08: A Bulk of ‘Incredible Hulk’

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  • February 17, 2008

Hulk and Iron Man have had their share of dust-ups throughout Marvel history, from the days of the old gray armor to the recent "World War Hulk" story arc. More often than not, though, the Green Goliath whips Tony Stark’s pampered playboy butt.

With both characters expecting big things from live-action films this year, Toy Fair 2008 was shaping up to be another battle of epic proportions — at least on the licensing front.

Unfortunately, this battle between the two Marvel heavyweights ended up more lop-sided than most, with Incredible Hulk products popping up in just about every other booth at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center while the guy in the metal suit was yesterday’s news.

Along with yo-yos and radio-controlled planes (Why would Hulk have a plane? Because he can, puny human.) the big green guy was also spotted on puzzles, bop-bags and — my personal favorite — a puffy backpack that allows you to walk around all day with hulk’s massive arms wrapped around your neck in a gamma-fueled sleeper hold. 

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Star Trek My Eye!, by John Ostrander

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  • February 14, 2008
 
I spent part of last Tuesday getting a laser shot into my right eye. And how was your Tuesday?
 
It was for purely medicinal reasons. I have glaucoma; it’s a disease, can be hereditary, by which the fluid in the eyeball doesn’t drain out well. This increases pressure within the eyeball which erodes the optic nerve which can and does lead to blindness. Usually, you get it when you’re older but I think I was still in my twenties when I was diagnosed with it. It can be controlled with medication or sometimes with surgery.
 
And, yes, marijuana has a medical use here. Whether or not it would be of any help in my case and worth all the hassle that would come with it, I don’t know.
 
My case is advanced and I know I’ve lost some vision (my heat vision is shot all to hell and don’t get me started on my X-ray vision). In the past few months, I’ve started to develop an allergic reaction to my eye meds. It can happen. That can result in meds having to be dropped, eyeball pressure going up, and blindness coming sooner. 
 
So we go to plan B: surgical solutions. The most extreme one of these, and one I will face at some point, is having new surgical drains inserted in my eyes. Laser work, however, is less expensive and less intrusive and that’s what we’re trying now.
 

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ComicMix Radio: The New Star Wars!

Take a good look at the comic shown here. According to Diamond, Marvel’s Captain Marvel #3 has sold out before it even hits your comic stores tomorrow … and ComicMix Radio knows why!

Plus —

  • The Writer’s Strike seems just about over, so here come the new shows!
  • Star Wars in the theaters – and it’s all new!
  • Soon, it’s Trinity every week from DC
  • A Valentine treat for Indiana Jones fans!

As ComicMix starts Year Two, Press The Button and then hurry back on Thursday for details on how we are revving up the party by giving you some very hard-to-find comics… ABSOLUTELY FREE!

 

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The Sci-Fi Currency Exchange Rate

  • News
  • February 9, 2008

We’re not quite sure what they’re putting in the water coolers over at io9, but it’s producing some bizarre  (yet strangely attractive) reading material. Case in point: This feature on the rate of exchange for various forms of currency in the science-fiction world.

Galactic Standard Credits, the money used by the Republic and the Imperial regime in Star Wars. It’s a remarkably stable currency, having expeirenced no inflation whatsoever over a 4,000 year period. Eat your heart out, Allen Greenspan!

Exchange rate: I’m guessing about $0.50 to the GSC. Luke Skywalker got just 2,000 credits for his worn-out land speeder, which is also what Han Solo charged for passage to Alderaan. A hyperspace-capable starship costs a bit more than 10,000 GSCs.

So what did we learn? Well, apparently I got ripped off when I bought my Hyundai for the same price as a pair of landspeeders. sigh

 

Remembering Archie Goodwin

  • News
  • February 9, 2008

Blog@ guest columnist Tim O’Shea notes that March 1 will be the anniversary of the passing of comics legend Archie Goodwin, and writes at length about the editor and his legacy.

While editor-in-chief of Marvel from 1976 to 1978, he was credited in the late 1970s with securing the publishing rights for Star Wars. Given how successful Marvel is these days–making movies out of their own characters and such–securing Star Wars may not seem like that big of a deal. But back in a 2000 interview with CBR, Jim Shooter said: “If we hadn’t done Star Wars … well, we would have gone out of business. Star Wars single-handedly saved Marvel… ”

 

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