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‘Sup?

It’s been a busy past couple of months. Between work and my brother’s wedding I haven’t had much time to sit and relax. But here, I’ve forced myself.

First up, the picture that accompanies this post, that’s me at my brothers wedding. Well, in the bathroom taking a selfie. I really loved my look and glad I pulled it off. Their wedding was absolutely stunning, and being that I was in Arizona for a few days I got to spend plenty of time with them soaking up the 85 degree weather (it was 30s to 40s in NY at that time).

The best part is no matter what I love writing. I can write anything and just have an enjoyable time. I’ve written non-stop since I was a kid. It’s a powerful feeling.

Some other things I’ve gotten around to in my online absence are buying Hamilton tickets, seeing Captain America: Civil War, twice. In addition, I’ve attended a ton of family parties and have written up a handful of articles. Oh, and I’ve bought a ton of new comics, especially a lot of trades. Still tackling that pile. I bagged and boarded nearly 100 comics yesterday, but still have to organize them in my long box.

Today I learned one of my favorite television shows was canceled. I really enjoyed Marvel’s Agent Carter. The Peggy Carter character was one of the most refreshing and wonderful characters on TV. Was the show flawed? Yes. But they were forgivable flaws. Perhaps the Marvel fanbase can do what it does best and revive the show, like they did with Agent Coulson.

Since coming back from my brother’s wedding I’ve had a difficult time getting back to the gym. With the weather in New York finally shaping up, I haven’t wanted to spend the time indoors (I am so guilty of just taking my laptop outside to work).

Oh yeah… I updated my Linkedin. I still have loads of tinkering to do with it, and undo the damage I did in my youth, but I must remember one thing at a time.

Happy Spring, everybody!

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Is the end nigh for superhero movies?

Director Steven Spielberg has been quite vocal in the past about the marketable quality of superhero movies. He’s back in the headlines saying the end is nigh for them,  that they will go the way of the Western, and I have to wonder about the accuracy of that statement as someone who is invested and writes about the entertainment industry.

I decided my blog would be the best place for this post, and not the websites I write for, on the account that this is more on a personal level then an Op-Ed. I’m also speaking without sources or research. This is purely heart and mind speaking.

So, Mr. Spielberg, with one of the most well-decorated film careers in history, I can’t say I agree with you. But I respect your thoughts on this. There is something similar I believe in.

I do think we will get an over-saturated market on superhero movies. If you look back in the history of comics you will find snags in sales. After WW2, comic book sales were at an all time low. Here we are in 2015, in a post-war era, and comic books, and their movie counterparts couldn’t be doing much better. It is smooth sailing.

Westerns may not be around that much any longer. But there is still deep-seated appreciation in the art. Cowboys are still popular in media. And modern films draw allusions to Westerns and those of the spaghetti variety constantly. Westerns aren’t dead, they just ceased to be as we had known them.

The next few years are jam packed with superhero movies, and more and more keep joining the roster. Comic book fans are excited. There are new demographics of fans rushing into theaters and comic book shops to ingest all that they can, and what they are discovering are beautiful, well-thought out stories. We eventually will tire of the superhero movie, we will find fault in the repetitiveness of these kinds of heroes and villains stories, we will, but we won’t stop loving it. The ticket sales may slump and movie companies may be more wary on green-lighting a new project, but the fans will be there.

Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix proved something to me. It reinvented the story. While I had been feeling tired over Avengers: Age of Ultron, flipping the script on Daredevil put the spotlight on the storytelling. As long as the story told is the root and heart of the film or TV show, superhero film and media will survive.

Spielberg is half-right, or half-wrong, however you want to spell it out. Early on in the production of comic book adapted films, most of them were terrible. Years later, the formula was revisited. People care about these characters and the obstacles they endure, because they are similar to their own battles. While we may not be donning spandex suits, it’s uplifting to see our media represent questions of morality. What is good and what is evil?

Superhero movies will always come back. They will hit snags as people will tire, but the narrative is ever-changing, and they will be back. Remember, only Kryptonite can kill Superman.

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No Summer Break

I thought I would take a few minutes from my busy Monday to relay on some happenings. All day today I’ve been editing articles, researching for my own and working on setting up interviews with some cool industry creators. There are so many things I want to do- for both my comic book sites and The Outcask (craft beer), it’s just a matter if I could grow a few more hands and decide I don’t actually need sleep to live.

But I do, most unfortunately.

It’s also strange for me to be doing so much work during the day. I’m a nighthawk when it comes to getting things done. For one thing it is a lot quieter at night and my focus is zeroed in on whatever I’m working in. During the day, especially a day like today where I could only describe it as perfect, I’m charging through the workload with tenacity.

At the end of the month my brother is coming in for a week. He’ll be here for my birthday which is a present in itself. I miss that dude! I’m definitely working on getting a lot things done before he comes in so that my week is free. We are already heading into mid-August, so I’m feeling the crunch.

Last week I spontaneously stayed over my friends apartment in Queens. We went to a bar down the street and left a little after 3 in the morning. We lallygagged our way back under the train trestle where we laughed at our voices with the echo. When we got back to her building we climbed up top of the roof and the result is the picture I chose to accompany this post. I’ve been thinking about that night a lot and it’s been helpful to alleviate some of the stress I’ve been under lately.

I think tonight I may open up a notebook and start scribbling a comic idea that I had when I took the Smithsonian and edX’s Superhero history course. I miss learning everyday. I try to, but sometimes the day just gets so cluttered with other things and I don’t get a chance to sit down and read about something new. I’ll work on that. Our coursework was learning about the history of comics and then to create our own alongside the themes and principles we learned about. I really like the idea I had, and want to flesh it out. For the past several years I’ve done all my writings on the computer, but I realized how much I love the feeling of paper and physically turning pages and scribbling in margins…. There’s a very romantic feeling to handwriting something for me.

One of my favorite quotes is that if you fall in love with a writer you will never die.

I’ll leave that as my last thought as I want to tie up this post and run away from the spider that just crawled up the back of my laptop.

 

 

 

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Writer Tip

As a writer I am constantly researching. If you looked through my Google history you would be appalled. And sometimes the subject matters writers research raise red flags. I’ve known peers and colleagues who have gotten a knock on their door from the FBI.

The great thing about Google is it has a whole bunch of hidden features. These features help maximize your search results. The first time I learned about them was in college, when I worked on a few investigative pieces.

I came across a handy little guide that I wanted to share so you too can find all your search engine needs.

Check out this page and have fun with the newfound tricks! You don’t have to be a writer to enjoy them! There are plenty more tricks you can learn beyond that, but we’ll start you on the basics.

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Updates

As you see below I have posted a picture of my bio. This bio is taken from the Geek Chic Elite, where I have been contributing articles to for a few weeks now. Since NaNo has been over my mind has been teeming with article and story ideas. I look forward to writing and have been getting really grumpy when I am pulled away from it.

This isn’t the only thing I have been working on. I attended NY Winter Con a week ago and made a really awesome contact there. You will be seeing updates from me soon on that front but for now I will keep it as a secret!

Hope you are all doing well during this crazy holiday season!

My GCE Bio
My GCE Bio
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My Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer Review

This was written as a word vomit so please excuse the lack of structure.

Watch the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron here.

 

My thoughts as I can process them right now on the Avengers Age of Ultron trailer:

– Opening crowd scene (where Ultron says ‘screaming’) looks like it’s taking place in France due to the French flag and European styled license plates in surrounding screens. Scarlet Witch and Quiksilver are in the front

– The scene where Natasha, Thor, Bruce, and Steve are sitting in what is probably a quinjet. They look shaken, notably Tony is missing. Bruce has no shoes and doesn’t have a shirt on but is wrapped in a sweater or blanket

– “You’re all puppets” we see ultron a bit damaged and staggering to walk. Off to his sides looks like workout equipment. He is probably in the Avengers Tower. The Avengers could have just finished doing a battle and thought they were successful. In the scenes where everyone is in formalwear and getting up from their seats/turning to look at probably Ultron there is alcohol everywhere. They were probably celebrating a job well done when Ultron ‘comes back to life.’

– Also in that scene who is the girl next to Thor? Maria Hill and Rhodey are there too to the right of the screen

– Natasha looks like she is escorting Bruce out in that scene as well. Perhaps Bruce is having difficulty controlling himself

– When the creepy cover of that cheery song from Pinocchio starts we see Iron Man and then also a large stone building in the mountains (probably Europe) it then looks as if Cap is inside said building searching for something. Maybe Cap was on his search for TWS and Iron Man went to go and retrieve him?

– Next scene is police (probably in Europe as well) Notice the ‘Walk Tall’ store in the background. That is a Marvel Easter egg (Skottie Young/Rocket Raccoon)

– Who is that in the yellow rolling onto what looks like a bed?

– Bruce stumbling shirtless/barefoot in the forest, perhaps right before that scene he is in, in the beginning of the trailer where he is also shirtless/barefoot and looking psyched out

– Cut to Natasha alone in an empty room and then a few scenes later ballerinas – Red Room/Nat backstory anyone?

– Hospital gurney rolling down oldish looking hospital and old looking medical tools – possibly part of Cap’s flashbacks?

– the ultron bots climbing out of water. Tired/ragged Avengers looking out in rubble. Note: Tony is missing.

– ‘This is the end’ Tony looks like he messed up something big time next to yellow robot (is this an ultron bot? is this the same thing that rolled onto the bed? is this something he made that turned against him?)

– Fury looking like a crusty old sea man haha (not my original thought)

– Witch screaming amidst rubble in probably Europe

– Hulkbuster vs. Hulk – could this be why Tony is apart from the group in many of these scenes and also why Bruce looks so freaked out? also probably taking place in England ‘apartments to let’ is a british thing, correct?

– After Nat dropping out of a quinjet on a motorcycle we see Quicksilver vs. Cap and probably an Ultron bot in what looks like a train. Trains are very bad for Cap (see Captain America the first avenger)

– Next scene is Witch and then we’re cut to warships and then a Cap flashback. We see ‘USO’ in the background and what looks like the silhouettes of Bucky and Peggy walk by

– Who is that guy with the beard turning to look up?

– Next we see Cap on motorcycle which looks like it may be somewhere in Asia

– Why is Thor naked and angry in water?

– Next wee see the Hulk and Nat pressing palms together. AWW trust! Perhaps because Tony is going against the team (and thus also starting to branch out for the Civil War storyline). This is also an important scene because of how the Hulk almost killed Nat in the first Avengers

– Ballerina scene (see Red Room) Am I also the only one who thinks that looks like Hawkeye on the piano? How can he even hear music?!

– Next we see tanks firing into the air and Hawkeye running in a snowy forest, perhaps same forest we saw Bruce stumbling through shirtless. Why are there explosions in the trees? I mean if you’re trying to kill someone running through a forest wouldn’t you shoot the bottom of the trees so it also takes the tree down and that could possibly kill who you are trying to kill?

– Thor is pissed and puts Tony in a chokehold. Very reminiscent of Loki doing the same to him. Plus shows that Tony is at odds with the rest of the Avengers

– Nat looking petrified and alone in a dark room

– cut to Hulk and Hulkbuster fighting again

– But there might be also an going fight between Cap, Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver…looks like this may be in Europe again as well (probably France with the mountains in the back)

– Cap is lying on the ground and his shield is split in TWO. Death of Cap maybe?!

– And then last peak is of Ultron fully operational and being menacing… and a puppet master.

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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Bring Suicide Out of the Darkness!

I am participating in the Bring Suicide Out of the Darkness Community Walk on Long Island on November 2! You can help me raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention by donating and if you’re in the area also participate in the walk!

Funds raised goes to research of mental illnesses, resources, and educating the public about mental health!

 

And please remember there is help!

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Gerard Way at Irving Plaza

Gerard Way is now on his first solo tour (complimented by the/his band The Hormones). He is playing medium sized venues compared to the stadiums he and his former band My Chemical Romance once sold out.

He has also been my role model, hero, and favorite musician since I was about 12 years old.

I firmly believe that there are a select bunch of people on this earth that you share a kinetic, same wavelength kind of vibe with. Gerard Way is one of those people for me, and probably at the top of that list. I’ve seen him in My Chemical Romance over half a dozen times. But nothing, nothing could have prepared me for seeing him at Irving Plaza on October 20, 2014.

I was going to this concert alone and decided to head into the city at around 9 in the morning. I got to the venue at around 10:30 a.m., due to my poor navigational skills. There were about 15 people in front of me already, and it was pretty cold. I first made friends with the girl and her father in front of me. They had trekked all the way from Quebec for this show, and it was her first time seeing Gerard Way (she had never seen MCR in concert before).

I made fast friends also with the high school aged girls behind me. We each took turns to get food and bathroom breaks throughout the day. I was lucky to have met such great people who ‘save your place.’ I brought a deck of cards and we played a couple rounds of Memory. Most of us on the line were dressed in black and we were targeted for the peculiar event of a lady walking by us showing us her phone- which had a picture of Jesus on the crucifix. It was strange.

About two hours before we would be let into the venue security split the lines between regular pass holders and fast pass. I had the fast pass. I was bumped up in the line and made some new friends while waiting. No tux, no bev guys!

Then doors opened, bags searched, and a flood of footsteps up the flight of stairs to the show room. I landed a barricade spot, off to the right. It was another hour of waiting, joking with the people around me, singing to the songs playing over the loud speaker -many of them popular when I was a middle schooler.

The opening band, The Eeries, played for about a half hour. They were good, passionate musicians. Their songs were a bit predictable in structure -wherein I caught onto the lyrics in the middle of the song and I was able to sing along. A half hour turnover of the stage and at nine Gerard Way took the stage.

Way played the whole album and three additional songs (one being an encore). He is a spectacular musician because he doesn’t just perform with his voice, he performs with his soul. It stems out to his fingertips and toes. He convulses with his music. And when he steps on to the edge of the stage, extends his shaking fingers out to you, you can swear in the brief moment your eyes lock you’re psychically linked. His eyes are psychotically electrifying. Way has a wild look. He believes in you so very, very much and he needs you to scream and sing as loud and with as much heart as you can.

I am the most alive in that moment.

There are also times when he looks away from the crowd for a second, microphone still hanging in his grasp, and he breaks out into a smile. It’s one of those beaming smiling you can’t control, it manifested itself wide and natural on his face. And in the next second he is back to his stage persona, belting out lyrics, that smiled wiped off his face a long time ago.

Way kept in his enlightened socially progressive between song banter. He talked about being a feminist, transgender rights, and just being in control of yourself and doing what you want. He is too good to me.

After the concert we briefly waited to see if he would come out and visit us at the barricade in the venue. After it became apparent this night he wouldn’t be making that stop, I exited the venue and got on line to wait for him to come out the stage door. I chatted briefly with James Dewees who is such a chill guy. The line got moved to one side and I dashed over to take my chance at a spot. At around 11:45 p.m. he came out and started signing. We weren’t allowed to take pictures due to time, just one autograph and an elevator speech. He also gave us hugs.

I got the opportunity to tell him what his presence in my life for the past 10 years has meant to me. I told him I couldn’t be me without him. He responded by saying ‘Thanks, I like to hear things like that!’ He looked so tired but generally happy to be meeting with us. Despite his grand stage persona he seemed pretty shy. He will forever have my respect for just standing out there for a long time meeting with us. How many artists can you say actually do that?

I walked down the street to the corner in a daze. I hailed a taxi, gave him my destination, and broke into tears.

Gerard Way is my hero. I want to do things in my life that would make him proud because he makes me happy to be alive.

This was an unbelievable night. Thank you. A million times.

 

 

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Weta Workshop at NYCC

I highlighted my experience with the Weta Workshop booth at New York Comic Con in my previous post, but I wanted to especially elaborate on the conversation I had.

Since I did do a quick write-up on one of my other blogs, I’m pretty much going to re-write that here and just edit out the choppiness and haste of the piece.

This conversation happened on Sunday, the last day of NYCC. My friend and I were just exploring the Weta booth which had great figures and props on display. One of the Weta guys, I assume he does something in the design work for them, came over to us and started a lovely conversation. He had on what looked like dwarf ears and you can tell from his New Zealand accent he traveled a great way to be here.

This gentleman explained to us how he had been working with Weta since the early planning stages for Lord of the Rings. He’s essentially worked there since about 1996/1997. He continued on with the conversation about Tauriel’s role in the Hobbit films. As you may or may not know, she is not a written character in the book, merely an invention of Peter Jackson and his writers.

So, this Weta guy begins telling us how many people have came up and told him how they felt about Tauriel [negative comments from book purists, positive from pretty much anyone else]. In the Hobbit it is mentioned that Thranduil has guards. The guy posed this question to me: couldn’t these guards be male and female?

I agreed with him on that one.

Next he talked about the running pool the crew has on whether or not Tauriel survives in The Battle of the Five Armies. It’s apparently been kept up in secret pertaining to her fate. I inquired as to what he thinks and why and he said he believes she dies as an impetus for Legolas to become involved in the eventual forming of the Fellowship.

I don’t like this reason. The problem with it is that it is a very tired trope we see all the time. It is poor female writing, especially for a character like Tauriel who is the embodiment of tough and boundary pushing. Constantly female characters are killed to further a male characters storyline. Constantly.

Anyway, we shifted the conversation back to the reception of Tauriel. The guy told me that Evangeline Lily, who plays Tauriel, was quite upset the first few weeks after hearing the backlash her character was getting. That must be so hard to hear, especially when Tauriel is an incredibly driven and intricate character and was delicately woven into the existing story as to not disrupt any main plot points. But, he also said she was one of the best actors on set. She did almost all of her own stunt work and was a joy to be around on set. He said he was reminded of Miranda Otto who kicked so much ass while filming the LOTR.

We closed out the conversation with him reminiscing about his time working on all of these movies. He definitely had a great sadness behind his eyes. At least Weta is a design company that is seemingly doing well, not like other studios that are paid feebly and shut down after the movie is out and made its bank (which is what happened to the studio responsible for creating Life of Pi’s visual effects).

All in all it was an enlightening and entertaining conversation.

 

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NYCC is upon us!

Today is the first day of New York Comic Con. I am attending tomorrow (Friday) through Sunday. But, in preparation for my long weekend of fun, I am checking off my lists to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

One of these steps is taking a look at the New York Comic Con Harassment Policy. It is so, super important that NYCC implemented a solid policy and it is one of the better things they’ve done this year.

There are whole blogs dedicated to exposing the assault that many cosplayers face, especially female. NYCC has made it very clear that assault of any kind will not be tolerated through their harassment policy. They teamed up with The Mary Sue, a geek culture website with a niche for female readers, to create this years policy. The one thing that stood out to me that is very, very important is:

 

NYCC

 

If it’s difficult to read the main point of the above says ‘Cosplay is not consent.’

I definitely feel safer knowing I can wear what I want and if I feel someone is not treating me respectfully I can contact them through the NYCC App or a NYCC crew or security member. Just because someone has a costume on does not give you special privileges to their body. You do not get to touch someone because they are wearing a costume. Taking pictures without someone’s consent is also really weird.

I can’t wait for tomorrow and the rest of this weekend. It has been a few years since I’ve been to NYCC and I am looking to have a safe and amazing time. Remember everyone is entitled to having a great time and don’t be the one who ruins someones day. It really is as simple as that.