Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Going On

A week ago, Jenna came to visit. Wait, maybe it was more than a week ago...time goes so fast! Anyway, whenever it was, she came to visit and it was great! However, the first words out of her mouth when she saw me were, "So, you never finished your comic-con story."

OK, maybe they weren't the first words out of her mouth, but it was pretty close.

Here's the sad thing: it's mostly written, it's just not finished. Still.

Here's the bad thing: it may never be finished because I can barely remember what happened last week, let alone February.

Here's the good thing: I actually don't feel all that guilty about it.

Maybe that's only a good thing for me... Oh well.

I'm going to blame the weather. We keep getting small glimpses of Spring, but it still refuses to be sprung! IT'S MID-APRIL, PEOPLE! WHY IS IT 40 DEGREES OUT?

I am so sick of my boots and winter coat, that I want to vomit every time I look at them.

This is also a bad thing for you, because I find that my creativity level is directly tied to the changing seasons. Just look at the number of posts in the summer compared to the number in the winter. With every springy day, I get a surge of optimism and the Muses descend from on high to whisper in my ear. Maybe that's it. Maybe Muses can't survive temperatures below 56 degrees. Mid-50's, that's all I'm asking for!! That shouldn't be too difficult for MID-APRIL!

I guess what I'm saying is that you're not getting a very good post until the weather decides to cooperate. Which is why this post is so lacking in good grammar or even good content.

I suck.

Quickly, let me tell you that I'm taking a class called Acting With the Camera, which is incredible. I have been seriously doubting my life choices lately, and was considering moving away from NYC. Now, I am convinced that I want to stay. I'm not finished here yet. (Of course if I can't find an apartment in my budget before July 1, I might have a serious problem, but let's talk about that another time; I'm trying to be optimistic.)

Also, there may be the slightest possibility that I may possibly have the prospect of a guy in my life. Now, before the gasps and cheers begin, let me say that we are JUST FRIENDS right now. We were friends at AMDA, and we've recently gotten back in contact. Nothing to get crazy over.

Seriously.

Finally, while my writing has suffered, my video making has not. I present you with another creation which I made in about 4 hours on Sunday. I usually don't do these in one sitting, but this one just wouldn't let go of me until I finished it.

It's about Nightwing (Dick Grayson) who used to be the first Robin. The song is Going On by Gnarls Barkley. Enjoy.


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Accelerate

Please don't throw things. I know I promised to give you the end of my comic-con story, and part of it is already written...I just have to finish it.

Well, you see, I had a birthday, and my Mom came to visit and we did all this fun stuff, and then I had to work a lot because Annette and Deirdre were at trade shows buying new stuff for the store, and then...I really have no excuse. I didn't realize just how hard maintaining this blog would be! And maybe that's poor grammar, but it is 1:42 AM, and I am still not over tonight's episode of the Biggest Loser. (I mean, my GOD! HOW IN THE WORLD DID MANDI GAIN 2 POUNDS??? I've never really liked Mandi because she cries all the time, but I have to say that I was very impressed with the way she sacrificed herself for her sister. It was incredibly inspiring. Of course, the whole show is inspiring, what with Mike giving up the year supply of groceries he won to Aubrey who has a bushel of children and used to need food stamps to feed them. Aubrey is, of course, Mandi's sister, and she always puts others ahead of herself. So much so, that she asked to be voted off this week in place of her sister and had worked out a plan to make this happen, and thought that Mandi was down with the plan, and then Mandi turned around and said, "Let me act like the big sister for once" and threw herself on the sword, and made me start bawling like a baby. Sorry. Tangent. But you can see that it is on my mind still, which is why I'm rambling on and not getting to the point.)

At the end of the day, I haven't finished the comic-con post, but I do have a new video for you instead. It's another Flash video using the song Accelerate by REM. Enjoy. (Oh, and I've posted the lyrics at the bottom, in case you are curious.)
Jules


Sinking fast, the weight chained to my feet
No time to argue with belief
I'm not alone, a thousand others dropping
Faster than me
What put me here?
Nothing to hold on to
Nowhere to brake

Where is the ripcord, the trapdoor, the key?
Where is the cartoon escape-hatch for me?
No time to question the choices I make
I've got to follow another direction

The last thing I remember was climbing up the stairs
I threw the window open in challenge and despair
I don't know what I needed
I needed time
I needed to escape
I saw the future turn
Upside-down and hesitate.

Where is the ripcord, the trapdoor, the key?
Where is the cartoon escape-hatch for me?
No time to question the choices I make
I've got to follow another direction
Accelerate.

The vista I see now is changing
Uncertainty is suffocating
Our hope has never felt so great and
Lit up down
A pounding pulse
To make it go
Make it slow down,
Go.

Where is the ripcord, the trapdoor, the key?
Where is the cartoon escape-hatch for me?
No time to question the choices I make
I've got to follow another direction.

The city's burning, it's like it's ready to explode
Accelerate to make it slow
Make it go
Accelerate to make it slow
Make it go
I'm incomplete
I'm incomplete
I'm incomplete.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

NYCC - A Sad Story

IF I had talked to Geoff Johns, I am confident I would have been successful. I know this because I looked darn hot all three days. Hot enough, in fact, to make the nerds come out in force to chat me up. Seriously. Everywhere I went, guys were trying to strike up a conversation. One guy took a picture with me. Another gave me his card. A third took a picture OF me. Well, to be fair, he had a press badge, but STILL!

There was Chris, Andrew, the guy on Friday who gave me his card which was actually his work card which didn't have his name on it and I can't remember if he told me his name, the guy who sat next to me when I was eating lunch and tried to start a conversation about Bruce Timm, the guy who sat diagonally from me at a different lunch and tried to catch my eye, and many more. Now, this could just be a case of there being a much higher ratio of men to women. But there WERE other women there. Why did none of THEM want to be my friend. Come on girls, where's your sense of female solidarity? I was there ALL ALONE.

Not that I actually minded these guys making conversation with me. I like talking about comic books, and I don't get to do it very often. At least not when the other person understands what I'm talking about. But with each of these guys there was that underlying feeling of pressure-to-take-the-next-step. They each got this look on their face while we spoke, this look of "is she really talking to me about comic books? What do I do? Dude, ask her out, ask her OUT!". Andrew wanted to know what panel I was going to next, as though he was planning on following me.

Here's the sad thing (are you ready? It's sad. Just warning you.): I can talk effortlessly with these guys that I'm not remotely interested in, but put Geoff Johns in front of me and I go all non-verbal.

I think I said something along the lines of "Grfblt". Good thing I was several feet away from him at the time, so I don't think he heard it. Of course, it's entirely possible that Geoff Johns is actually Superman, and therefore did hear it. (How else does he write every comic book in the world, and tv shows, and movies, and still finds time to come to conventions so fans can drool all over him? When does he sleep??!)

Gah. And here I was going to talk about something other than Geoff Johns.

Let's do that in the next post.

Also, look for more pictures, including a few with me in them!

Monday, February 9, 2009

NYCC - A Love Story

He has a boyish charm, and a penchant for baseball caps with the Green Lantern logo on them. He is a weaver of stories, a master of the comic book realm. He is the writer of Green Lantern, Justice Society of America, Superman: Action Comics, Flash: Rebirth, and many more.

He is Geoff Johns.




Our love affair is one that shall stand the test of time. Or it would, if I had actually had the courage to speak to him.

Day 1 -
Julia finally has a break between panels to get a bite to eat. She finds the food court, grabs a salad and some coffee (she has two more panels to go, and is afraid she won't make it through them). As she searches for a seat, she passes a table where two men are sitting. Not an unusual occurrence at Comic Con, and at first she gives them only a cursory glance. A comic double-take follows, for she has just recognized Dan DiDio, the executive editor of DC comics.



Hint: He's not the one in the Green Lantern costume.

Several thoughts pass through her mind...What's he doing sitting out here with the rest of us shlubs? Who is he sitting with? Should I stop and say 'hello'? Too late, I'm already past him.
For while these thoughts were happening, her feet had continued to move. She swung around and grabbed a table where she could keep her eye on him. It was then that she saw with whom Dan was sitting: Geoff Johns.

A chorus of angels let out a note of pure joy, and a beam of light struck Geoff Johns, giving him an aura of glowing golden sparkly-ness.

Julia's breath caught in her throat.

My love,
she thought longingly.

But it was not to be.

For Geoff Johns was deep in conversation, looking relaxed, beer in hand, glad for this moment of peace amidst the madness that is New York Comic Con.

Julia could not deprive him of that peace. Besides, what would she say?

"I love you," seemed a bit forward. She would have to work up to that.

To be continued...
(And I promise to talk about the other things I did, besides stalking Geoff Johns*)

*You really have to say his full name to get the full effect. Just saying "Geoff" sounds weird.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

NYCC Day 1

I love comic books.



More to come. Very tired. Have to get up early tomorrow.

Goodnight.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Videos

This post is for my youtube subscribers who want to see the videos that were taken down. To my regular readers, please excuse the interruption.


Take It Easy - Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman



Holding Out For the Justice League


Thanks, hope you like them.
ParkerPoyer

They Killed WHO?

I understand that there will be signings and things to buy (or, in my case, look at enviously) but I'm really going for the panels.

DC comics has a podcast which is mostly made up of recordings of their past panels. I have listened to them so often, I practically have them memorized. They just sound like so much FUN! There's lot's of joking, gentle ribbing, and the occasional slip where Dan DiDio reveals something that was supposed to be kept under wraps. Like the fact that Fringe is going to be a comic book as well as a freaky-looking television show. (I haven't watched it, anyone know what it's about?) Dan is the executive editor for DC, a real character, and a genuine New Yorker. He's sort of famous for blowing some big secrets, though, like the ending of 52.

You may be asking why, if they record these and put them up on the internet where I can listen anytime I like, I feel the need to be there in person.

For one thing, it's the energy and excitement of it all. It's the same reason that all those people stood out in the freezing cold to watch a ginormous screen during the inauguration. They didn't care if they could see Obama or not, they just wanted to be there, part of history.
This is a much more shallow and silly version of that feeling, but you get the idea.

(Can I just sidetrack for a moment to say that I still get a tingly feeling whenever I hear the name 'Obama'. Ooooooh! There it is again!)

For another thing (there's a rule that says there must be more than one thing), the panels are mostly about fans asking questions of the creators, and I have some questions.

My first question: DID YOU REALLY JUST KILL BATMAN?????!!!!!!!! OH NO YOU DI'INT! I WILL OWN YOU! I WILL KILL YOU DEAD!

Did I mention that they killed Bruce Wayne AKA Batman?

wtf

i have lost the will to live and capatalize
and punctuate
see what they ve done
they turned me into e e cummings

Do you know what's even worse than the fact that they killed Batman?

I missed it.

The comic where it occurred (Final Crisis #6) sold out the same day. Comics come out on Wednesdays, and I sometimes go then, but sometimes I wait. Tragically, I waited.
When I arrived on Friday that week to pick up my comics, my guy (I think his name is Tom, but don't hold me to that) informed me that I had missed it.

"It sold out?" I asked incredulously.
"Yep. Do you know what happened?"
"No. And DON'T tell me!"
"You're gonna see it somewhere. It's big."
"I don't care. I want to read it for myself." (Even as I said this, I had a sneaking suspicion that I knew exactly what had happened to make this book sell out within hours. The Batman RIP storyline had come to a close and on the last page it told me to read Final Crisis #6 for the final fate of Batman)
"You'll have to wait for the reprint." Tom (maybe) said with a shrug.
"That's ok."
"You sure you don't want to know?"
"Yes."
"OK, OK, I won't tell you. It was awesome, though."
I grumbled unitelligibly, then paid for the comics I was buying.

When I got home, I cautiously went online to see when I might expect the reprint. I managed to find out without being spoiled.
It was supposed to come out last week along with Final Crisis #7. But it didn't. If it had, I might have been spared.
But alas, this time when I went to find out why it hadn't shipped when it was supposed to, I saw the beginning of an article:


  • IGN.com talks Batman with Mike Marts

    January 28, 2009 — Batman's Death and the BATTLE FOR THE ... Full story



  • DAMMIT!


    I'm sorry. I don't mean to curse at you, but DAMMIT!

    I don't think it'll take, this whole death thing. Really. I don't think it's gonna stick. I mean, come on. It's BATMAN.

    The next storyline is Battle for the Cowl, which, I gather is a story involving all former and current Robins and some other odd characters all vying to be the next Batman. Someone will probably take over for a while, maybe even a whole year, before the sales start ticking down and some executive will say, "Bring Bruce Wayne back."
    "But sir," the assistant will say, "Grant Morrison killed him off in Final-"
    "I don't care. Dig him up. Find some mystic hoodoo thingy, or have Robin wake up and find Bruce Wayne in the shower and realize it was all just a horrible dream."
    "In the shower, sir?"
    "DO IT!"

    And then he'll be back, and all will be right with the world.

    I hope.

    See you next time,
    Jules