Sunday, January 11, 2009
What the Zuda?!
Actually, the prize is nothing so grandiose... although I've been waiting for my mandate to rule the universe for a while now. Getting slightly impatient. I guess the mail is slow.
The powers that be Zuda handpick competitors from all the submissions they receive. The winner gets a year contract to continue their comic on the Zuda site at a rate of 1 page /week (paid of course)... Total 60 pages of comic goodness. Not bad. They sometimes also pick Instant Winners from the submissions. we were not so lucky, although we did make it into the January Competition!!! Woohooo!
An over-written, slow, but good-looking little stab at moderate fame and fortune called, get this... Hold you're breath for the cheesy goodness... Legacy of the Wanderer. Hoo boy... And I'm the one who came up with that! Ah well... certainly not my favorite of my own work (Those who know me know that I hate everything I do anyway), but it was an attempt at something. Next one will be better. I promise.
It's not doing that well in the competition, but what the hey! Its in there. AND we're doing okay, even without any 'marketing'... This doesn't count as marketing does it? I mean a readership of between 0 and 10... really.
Stay tuned for more updates.. and other stuff.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Yawn... So, where was I?
I was going to link it to his site, but... Maybe that would be going too far.
Anyway.... Last few months. I worked at Eidos Montreal for a while. On the new Deus Ex. Was hoping to get some Thief project too. Apparently my face is persona (more accurately faci or faca or face, whatever) non grata. Not a nibble. That Invisible Man syndrome coming back to bite me in the ass again. I may get some more time on Deus Ex in the new year.
Working on a graphic novel/comic with a friend of mine. Actually we're planning on a few of them.... Gives me something to do I guess. Our first attempt may be entered in an online competition very soon. Winners get a 1 year online publishing deal. Stay tuned.
Other writing... sigh. I'm not sure I want to discuss it. I'm trying to avoid any subject that might tempt me into throwing myself under a bus.
Well... so far this post looks like more of a diary entry than the incisive look at human foibles that you've become accustomed to from the Torch.
Did any of you buy that? If so, I've got a comic to sell you... or some half-finished short stories... or a barely used typewriter. (I know... but typewriter works better for this joke)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
I Love the Sound of Leaf-Blowing in the Morning... Right.
Yes, it's rant time again. Turns out people and their habits REALLY get on my nerves. Who knew?
By the way, this rant is brought to you courtesy of the pinhead who decided 7:30 was a good time to blow some stuff off his property onto someone else's property, so that the whole thing could start over again. Truth be told... it could have been at anytime during the day, night, or century and I'd still feel the same.
Wow... I guess nature is just not 'clean' enough for these people. And then to not even put out the physical effort of... oh, PICKING UP A F$%#ING RAKE!!!... No, instead, I'll just start up this noisy, smelly, gas-powered (yeah, some are electric... so what?) pollution-omatic machine and start blowing crap all over the place.
Here's what I think you should do with your Leaf-blower in a few easy steps:
1. Start blower
2. Bend over
3. Stick blower where the sun don't shine
4. Start blowing like there's no tomorrow...
Hopefully after step 4 the rest of us won't have to worry about you and your noisy toys any more.
Of course, not being a property-owner, how can I truly relate to the shame of 'messy lawn' or the dreaded 'bits 'o stuff on my drive-way'? How will I ever live down the country club members having seen a leaf on my front porch?
Geez... I'm so pissed I did even look for a pic.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Middle of the Road
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of ** whew... take a breath** the Crystal Skull. That's a mouthful. Who comes up with these titles?
Some background - The first movie of the franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark (note... no 'Indiana Jones and the' in the title), may well be at THE top of my all time favourite movies list... if I had such a list. The next two, while I don't think are quite as good, stayed true to the spirit of the genre and the character. This one... not so much.
Why? Hard to put my finger on it. The previous movies (especially Raiders) struck the right balance of pulp, b-movie, action, comedy, and slap-dashedness (add anything else you can think of to the list). The action sequences were perfectly interspersed with witty, tongue-firmly-in-cheek dialogue, so that you wouldn't get a crease in your butt from the edge of your seat... Maybe they were formulaic, but it was a formula that worked.
I think Kingdom missed the mark. Basically... it was too clean. Too 'polished'? I know... It sounds weird. Maybe all the CG did it. Maybe the subject matter (sorry, no spoilers). I know that the changes they made in the Indy character... I didn't like those at all. Yeah, yeah... he's supposed to be older and all that crap... I still don't buy it. Not in an archetype like Indiana Jones, especially one that draws on an established pulp tradition.
Honestly... the writing wasn't all that hot either. Most of the time, the wry wit that Indy is supposed to spout... fell right on its face. Barely a chuckle. The action sequences... TOO over-the-top. There's a fine line between suspension of disbelief and suspension of brain activity.
I think they (writers, producer, director) may have fallen into the trap of trying to please today's audience too much and of sticking to what made the Indy franchise too little. I know... some of you are saying... 'Today's audience rules! Who else should they make movies for, idiot?'
I say F&%$ today's audience. 85% of people are mediocre... Doesn't mean you cater to them. If you do that you end up with a country/planet run by the mediocre, for the medio... Oh... right.
What it comes down to is... Indiana Jones and the Kingdom...etc... is a thoroughly OK movie. Only I was expecting something more than just OK.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tubin'
Friday, May 9, 2008
Runnin' Away Won't Save Ya!!!!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Spring!... Back in the Saddle.
This is always one of the best times of the year for me. Don't know why. Call it casting off the shackles of winter... Self-imposed shackles really, but whatever. I went for about 2h15 yesterday. A surprisingly comfortable ride. Felt strong. Felt fit. Felt altogether unlike myself :). AND, surprise of all surprises, I was NOT the victim of perpetual headwind-itis. This is the phenomenon where no matter how far you ride, no matter what circular/out-and-back/whatever route you take, the wind seems to be in your face. Incredible! Yesterday... headwinds only on the way home. Not so bad. I'll be going out again today. Maybe a short run in there...
What this means is less time for writing. Actually, that's not technically true. I'll just have to plan my time better... GYm/pool in the early morning... writing in mid-morn until the day warms up... riding in the afternoon... p'raps more wordsmithing in the eve. Yeah THAT'S it... a regimen!
Of course, we all know what's going to happen. While in the winter I had the entire day to waste and procrastinate and stay away from the keyboard, now I'll actually have an excuse, and less total time to account for in the end. YAY!