At least for the time being.
So without further adieu please go HERE

If you are going let me know! Huzzaaahhh!

This summer seems like it might be the best summer for going to the movies yet.

Sure I’ve said that every year since Spider Man came out, but you can’t hold that against me can you?

Last year I was convinced that it was going to be the most epic of all years for movies.

Comic movies like Kick Ass, the Losers, Iron Man2. Nostalgic movies like Karate (see Kung fu) Kid, A-team and a host of others flooded the screens.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t one that I walked away from feeling I had seen something better than what’s currently on TV.

But THIS summer! This summer HAS TO BE GOOD or I’m done trying to go to the theater (that’s a lie) for over the top entertainment.

Here are the ones I WILL see.

Battle: Los Angeles (March 11)
Sucker Punch (March 25)
Thor (May 6)
Pirates of the Caribbean (May 20)
Hangover 2 (May 26)
X Men First Class (June 3)
Super 8 (June 10)
Green Lantern (June 17) YOU SHOULD SEE THIS ONE!
Harry Potter (July 15)
Captain America (July 22)
Cowboys vs. Aliens (July 29)

That does it for my summer viewing. When I was thinking of it in my head it didn’t sound like THAT many.
Crap.
I need to take out a loan just to see these things!

What about you?

Dwayne McDuffie died today.
If you don’t know Mr. Mcduffie click here.
He was a prolific comic book, animation writer, as well as being an outspoken advocate for artists rights in the increasingly artist unfriendly waters of the entertainment biz (more on that in a moment).

I had met him once. My first trip to the Animation Writers Guild Hamburger Hamlet meet up in Hollywood. I was taking an extension course at UCLA on writing for animation at the time and our instructor thought it would be a good idea to come to a meeting, make contacts, eat hamburgers and basically geek out with the rest of the animation writers.
I went, not expecting anything really. I thought I’d just sit quietly at the table, maybe crack a few jokes to those classmates around me.
What I didn’t expect is that Dwayne Mcduffie would sit down across the table from me.
I’ve enjoyed Dwayne’s work on JLU the series IMMENSELY. I’ve dug his work in the Justice League comic that was going on at the time, and actually later, as I combed through his credits I had a huge amount of gratitude for what he’s accomplished in comics and television.
We struck up a conversation and argued for A LONG time about international copyright law and the rights of artists in relation to Corporations. It was obviously a PASSIONATE subject for Mr. Mcduffie. So much so that I thought that I might have just pissed him off to a degree that he’d pull rank as a successful writer/producer and brush me under the rug, ignore me with some snooty superiority that people in Hollywood sometimes get accused of.
That wasn’t the case.
After our lengthy discussion on Copyright law, we turned our attention to our love of Dr. Who, Concert DVD’s and a host of other interesting conversations.
It’s in moments like those that you realize the fabric of a man. Someone that holds beliefs, passionately so, but not enough to dehumanize you for not feeling the same.
I had always hoped that I’d get the chance to work for him. To be able to recount our argument with a laugh.
Sadly that isn’t going to be the case and I find myself instead asking God to grant some peace to a family and a legion of friends that are so hurt at the moment.
Rest In Peace Mr. McDuffie, you will be missed.

To my darling wife and eternal girlfriend

Go here.

You see, I’ve read all the Twilight series. I didn’t particularly like them. Mildly entertaining. But I read them. So I know from which I talk. You’d do better by reading a bevy of other books or just watch Buffy and Angel to see the Vampire/human love thing done right. Honestly.

But that fact that Twilight is going to inform the remake of Highlander? That just seems sacrilegious.

It could be that I have such a visceral reaction to this because the FIRST movie had a HUGE influence on me as a youngster. Because of that I implore those that haven’t seen it TO SEE IT.

Sure it’s dated a bit, but man, the story is so out of the ordinary amazing, you’ll see why it spawned endless sequels and a long running TV show.

Also, could you really top Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert in a movie that has a soundtrack by Queen and score by Michael Kamen?

I say thee nay.

I’m not a fan of remakes. I AM a fan of sequel reboots (though Highlander has not been successful in that arena AT ALL).

In my opinion that’s what they SHOULD do. A sequel reboot  done right dangit!

I’m rambling. But with the new Teen Wolf taking a page from the Twilight Saga I fear that we are about to be inundated with emo teen supernatural everything and it makes me loathe the future of media.

Yesterday i took a half of a personal day to head over to Warner Animation studio and try to lend my creative juices to figuring out how to end the last part of GL Season 1.

Man, what a job! I’d love to get paid to sit around and argue about the “logic” and “science” of superheros and everything that goes with them.

It’s energizing! I’ve heard people say that when you do what you love it gives you energy and boy howdy I’m here to tell you THAT is the truth.

The only thing that spoiled a bit of the creative high was my car “check engine” light popping on during my drive home.

Booooo!

Episode numero Dos!

So I’m going in to breakdown the second episode that I’ll be writing for the Green Lantern animated series.

couple of things…

1) I hope everything goes well and people respond as favorably as they did to my last one.

2) Did I mention it’s the second episode of Green Lantern that I’ll be writing?

3) Where is the time?!

There are potentially OTHER projects that are floating around in my world that I am fearful might drop in my lap at the same time (what a great fear!). Projects that will not only net me some money (hooray!) but also a leg up into the industry that I’ve been struggling to be a part of for years (double yay!).

God grant me the serenity (no not the ship…not this time), the wisdom, and the ability to be creative, humble and a joy to work for.

I was listening to the Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie today, as he was responding to a Police officer who was taking him to task for the increased cost of health care that he was going to need to pay.

Christie in his usual way, was honest and straightforward with the guy. He basically told him that “it (the cost increase) stinks” BUT, that he should feel lucky that he has a job when near 10% of the population doesn’t.

Harsh, but…true.

I only bring this up, not to raise any political hackles, but for my own sake.

Gratitude.

A lot of cool things have been happening to me lately by way of my writing career (Green Lantern being the foremost), but I still maintain a 9-5 job, and this job, at times can drive me absolutely bananas.

One minute I’m making photo copies, the next I’m getting lunch for my employer, or the next minute I’m getting an office wide email from HR telling us how we SHOULD be dressing and what websites we can’t go to, etc. Every point of which I’m in violation of ALL THE TIME.

And I’m ANNOYED that someone has expectations of me at the workplace.

How crazy is that? I’m annoyed that the people that pay me money want me to act and dress a certain way. Am I really that spoiled?

Answer: Yes.

Sometimes you have to take a step back and realize how BLESSED you are. At least I did today.

I have a job, and before this,  I was unemployed for near 2 years - so when did I decide that it was okay to be mad at the people that are helping me put food in my mouth?

If my employer wants me to wear a hula skirt and perform in a noon time morale building Beiber sing off, I’ll do it (at least in this economy).

Not to say you don’t have the right to be angry, or raise a stink when your employer does something to diminish you, or make you go beyond the bounds of your job description. Not at all.

But before I get high and mighty about the “annoyances” of the job, I need to take a breath and realize that I am affluent to a large part of the world. That I’m lucky that it’s 75 degrees outside in January. That I have my health, a beautiful wife, a 50 inch screen TV and a host of other things.

I was talking with my buddy the other day, reading a bit of G.K. Chesterton to him. This quote has been stuck in my head for the entire day that speaks to my feelings on gratitude.

“All that we call spirit and art and ecstasy only means that for one awful instant we remember that we forget.”

We remember that we forget…that we are blessed!