Tagged: creators

FORTIER TAKES ON ‘ARCHIE MEETS NERO WOLFE’!

  • News
  • December 21, 2012

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier

ARCHIE MEETS NERO WOLFE
By Robert Goldsborough
A Mysteriouspress.com Book
221 pages
If you are a lover of books, then the passing of a favorite writer brings on a great deal of sadness; especially if that writer had been the author of a well loved series.  Such was the case for thousands of mystery lovers when Rex Stout passed away in 1975.  For all intents and purposes this also brought about the demise of his beloved characters, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.
The following eleven years saw most of Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries reprinted countless times in various editions; all of them treasured by his fans.  Still the thrill of joining these familiar figures on new cases seemed to be a lost cause.  Then, in 1994, journalist Robert Goldsborough wrote “Murder in E Minor,” a brand new Nero Wolfe mystery much to the delight of the majority of Stout fans.  Note, I say majority.  In matters such as these, there will always be the vocal purists who see new stories as sacrilegious and prefer such fictional heroes end their careers with the death of their creators.  We are clearly not of that attitude.  We thoroughly enjoyed Goldsborough’s efforts and felt he had captured Archie’s voice perfectly.  He would go on to write six additional titles in the series ending them in 1994 with “The Missing Chapter.” 
At which point, annoyed by the criticism of that minority we mentioned, Goldsborough went on to create his own original mystery series featuring a Chicago reporter of the past named Snap Malek.  Several of these have won prestigious genre literary awards.  Still, when looking at our Nero Wolfe titles on our bookshelf, we regularly hoped that some day he would return to that familiar brownstone on West Thirty-Fifth Street in which dwells the rotund detective and his handsome legman, Archie Goodwin.  That he has done so in such a spectacular fashion is a cause for unabashed celebration.
Not only has Goldsborough answered our pleas, but he has gone beyond our wildest dreams in offering up the story Rex Stout never did; the tale of Archie’s first meeting with Nero Wolfe.  Painstakingly culling through Stout’s canon, Goldsborough took the slim nuggets seeded throughout the dozens of books and short stories and meticulously put them together in a working timeline.  From these morsels he then went on to craft a truly complete and traditional Nero Wolfe mystery only with a major difference; we finally are allowed to witness the first ever meeting between these two remarkable characters. Let us assure you, it was worth the wait.  Reading “Archie Meets Nero Wolfe,” had us remembering our teenage high school days when we first picked up our first Wolfe paperback.  This book is in essence a joyous family reunion.
It should be noted that the very first Nero Wolfe mystery, “Fer-De-Lance,” appeared in 1934 during the days of the Great Depression.  Goldsborough deftly sets his story in the same era wonderfully researching his background for authentic slang, clothing, automobiles and the city itself so the reader is transported back into that time. 
Now the book’s actual mystery plot resolves around a rich hotelier’s eight year old son being kidnapped.  The man hires the famous Nero Wolfe to save the boy.  Wolfe, as is his habit, then recruits his regular group of private investigators; all of whom are quite familiar to any fan of the series.  Only this time there’s a new face in the crowd, an eager beaver fresh of the bus from Ohio who has connected himself with operative Del Bascomb.  His name is Archie Goodwin and he is very, very eager to show Wolfe how capable he is.  As ever Goldsborough delivers a true by-the-rules puzzle astute readers will relish in trying to solve before Wolfe’s traditional in-house gathering at the finale.  But the true heart of this book is the fun in watching a young, brash, would be private-eye encounter the man who is going to be his mentor and closest friend.  Goldsborough again captures Archie’s voice brilliantly and in doing so takes us on the ride we’ve all been waiting for a long, long time.
Mystery fans, if you or a loved one is a Nero Wolfe fan, you could not give them a better Christmas gift this year than, “Archie Meets Nero Wolfe.”  Then watch the smiles on their faces when they unwrap this truly great book.  Tell them Santa sent you.

WEIRD WESTERN COMIC IN THE WORKS-WELCOME TO PARIAH, MISSOURI

  • News
  • December 13, 2012

Pariah, Missouri: The Graphic Novel Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Local Man Uses Kickstarter to Realize His Hollywood Dreams


Ventura, California – December 7, 2012 – Doing something creative that you love is a challenge.  Finding an audience for your work and getting paid for it is even harder.   Andres Salazar understands those struggles.  Andres is a stand-up comedian,  has directed and produced short films, written screenplays even sells his paintings at craft fairs.  Most recently Andres has turned to the crowdfunding website, Kickstarter.com to find an audience and realize his dream of being a creator.

His latest project is a graphic novel titled Pariah, Missouri–a supernatural story set in pre-civil war.  He wrote it originally as a television pilot script in hopes to get attention from the cable networks.  “I pitched it as Deadwood meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but nowadays you gotta have the script, a cast and director attached and half of it shot before they will look at you, and that’s only if you have an agent, manager and have previously worked on three shows,” says Andres. 

So instead of beating his head against Hollywood’s doors, he turned to other mediums to tell the tale.  “When I conceived Pariah, I wanted something that I could tell graphically since comics have been my love as a kid.  It’s much cheaper of course to generate a comic and this is a good way to build a fan-base and that is always something that Hollywood wants to see,” says Andres.  Turning an hour drama script into a comic book is not without it’s challenges.  An artist needed to be found so Andres turned to sites such as Deviantart.com to find affordable and dependable artists. 

“That was a challenge.  I mean, I could have drawn it myself, but comic book art takes an incredible amount of time, plus there is value in adding others creative juices to the mix.  I was lucky to find a great artist like Jose,” says Andres.  Jose Luis Pescador is no stranger to the comic book world.  He studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and has worked on a number of independent graphic novels and has shown fine art in galleries across the country. 

His super-team was assembled, but Andres still needed funding.  Enter Kickstarter.com  Kickstarter is a new phenomenon in what is dubbed crowdfunding which gives creators a chance realize their ambitions by asking others to “back” their project.  From films, music albums to food, Kickstarter generates hundreds of projects daily in the hopes that they meet their funding goal.  If the goal is achieved, backers then receive rewards according to their pledge amount.

Having worked for Howard Chaykin as an assistant, Andres learned much of the business from his mentor.  Andres also wrote and directed SAG short film After Cheri and stated , “We are very excited about our Kickstarter for Pariah, Missouri!  It will be an exciting story for the next 30 days to see how we progress through the campaign.  I will be posting videos and updates often so backers really get a sense of the “behind the scenes” of what it takes to make a comic book.  Please check us out.”

For a 23 page preview of Pariah, Missouri- go HERE.

To see the Pariah, Missouri Kickstarter campaign to go: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andresjsalazar/pariah-missouri-the-graphic-novel

###

If you’d like more information about the Pariah, MO graphic novel or to schedule interviews with Andres

Salazar please email andresjsalazar@gmail.com or call 805-746-6884

  • News
  • December 13, 2012

Pariah, Missouri: The Graphic Novel Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Local Man Uses Kickstarter to Realize His Hollywood Dreams

Ventura, California – December 7, 2012 – Doing something creative that you love is a challenge.  Finding an audience for your work and getting paid for it is even harder.   Andres Salazar understands those struggles.  Andres is a stand-up comedian,  has directed and produced short films, written screenplays even sells his paintings at craft fairs.  Most recently Andres has turned to the crowdfunding website, Kickstarter.com to find an audience and realize his dream of being a creator.

His latest project is a graphic novel titled Pariah, Missouri–a supernatural story set in pre-civil war.  He wrote it originally as a television pilot script in hopes to get attention from the cable networks.  “I pitched it as Deadwood meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but nowadays you gotta have the script, a cast and director attached and half of it shot before they will look at you, and that’s only if you have an agent, manager and have previously worked on three shows,” says Andres. 

So instead of beating his head against Hollywood’s doors, he turned to other mediums to tell the tale.  “When I conceived Pariah, I wanted something that I could tell graphically since comics have been my love as a kid.  It’s much cheaper of course to generate a comic and this is a good way to build a fan-base and that is always something that Hollywood wants to see,” says Andres.  Turning an hour drama script into a comic book is not without it’s challenges.  An artist needed to be found so Andres turned to sites such as Deviantart.com to find affordable and dependable artists. 

“That was a challenge.  I mean, I could have drawn it myself, but comic book art takes an incredible amount of time, plus there is value in adding others creative juices to the mix.  I was lucky to find a great artist like Jose,” says Andres.  Jose Luis Pescador is no stranger to the comic book world.  He studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and has worked on a number of independent graphic novels and has shown fine art in galleries across the country. 

His super-team was assembled, but Andres still needed funding.  Enter Kickstarter.com  Kickstarter is a new phenomenon in what is dubbed crowdfunding which gives creators a chance realize their ambitions by asking others to “back” their project.  From films, music albums to food, Kickstarter generates hundreds of projects daily in the hopes that they meet their funding goal.  If the goal is achieved, backers then receive rewards according to their pledge amount.

Having worked for Howard Chaykin as an assistant, Andres learned much of the business from his mentor.  Andres also wrote and directed SAG short film After Cheri and stated , “We are very excited about our Kickstarter for Pariah, Missouri!  It will be an exciting story for the next 30 days to see how we progress through the campaign.  I will be posting videos and updates often so backers really get a sense of the “behind the scenes” of what it takes to make a comic book.  Please check us out.”

To see the Pariah, Missouri Kickstarter campaign to go: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andresjsalazar/pariah-missouri-the-graphic-novel

###

If you’d like more information about the Pariah, MO graphic novel or to schedule interviews with Andres

Salazar please email andresjsalazar@gmail.com or call 805-746-6884

Emily S. Whitten: Making Art and Words of Wisdom

It’s Friday night and I’m standing on the crowded floor of a packed concert with friends when suddenly, it hits me: the perfect little plot point to tie together two parts of the first storyline for the new comic I’m working on. Naturally I immediately have to make some notes before I forget the idea. Five minutes later I’m back to the show, but kind of wishing I could be in two places at once so I could enjoy the rest of the show and be working on the new idea at the same time. Too bad reality doesn’t work that way.

Instead, we all have our own little difficulties and stumbling blocks to get over when it comes to creating art – like procrastination, or writer’s block, or fear of failure, or what-have-you – and I’d just been hit by one of mine, which is definitely distraction. Or, to put a more positive spin on it, the way my brain seems to like multitasking all the time. Sometimes it can be a good thing – like when I haven’t worked on a story in a bit and suddenly an idea comes to me out of nowhere. But other times, the distractions come at all the wrong times, like when I’m in the middle of working on the story and something else comes along; or when I have a great idea but no good way to preserve it or to start working on it right away. (Thank goodness for the notepad-type apps on smartphones, at least, which have helped a little with that problem!)

Creating is a funny process. Sure, there are some universal fundamentals to it, but everyone does it differently. Some writers are prolific, while others take years to write one novel. Some comics artists want a detailed script from a writer, while others like a loose framework they can play with. Some people like to get feedback as they go; but others don’t want anyone else’s eyes on their work until they think it’s perfect.

No matter how different each person’s process may be, though, everyone has to face their own hurdles as they create, because, let’s face it – it’s not easy. Sure, sometimes it may feel easy – you’re barreling through a story or a page of art and everything is flowing out like it’s never going to stop; but then it does, or you get stuck on one paragraph or frame of artwork for a ridiculous amount of time; or you look up at your clock at three in the morning and wonder if everything you just made was terrible. Or maybe none of these things happen to you; but I guarantee something in your process feels like a struggle from time to time.

At times like that, I find it helps me to be painfully aware of my shortcomings, so that I can remind myself of ways to overcome them. The reminders may be deceptively simple – e.g. don’t get distracted; that other thing will still be there when you’ve run out of words to write about this idea; you need to stop doing everything else and get back to the story – but just by owning the flaws and actively calling my brain to attention to overcome them, I have a much easier time actually doing so.

I think this same concept can be applied all the way through the process – from the very beginnings of your creation through to the part where you’re hoping to share it with the world (presumably in a profitable way). And since all of us experience the process of creation and sharing that creation in different ways, I thought it would be neat to see what some successful folks in the comics industry might offer as their best advice for successful writing or making art; giving us a window into what these creators find most important to keep in mind throughout the process (or possibly what they’ve learned by overcoming their own challenges), and providing us with some helpful thoughts, reminders, or encouragements as we work on our own art.

Thanks to the handiness of Twitter, through which I solicited advice, these contributions are all coincidentally in the form of handy, bite-sized little mantras that we can memorize, put up on a Post-it somewhere, etc. as needed to help keep us all on track as we make good art amidst the busy whirlwind of life. So without further ado, here they are!

@VictorGischler: Know yourself. Look inward and identify in which direction your enthusiasm lies. Also coffee. Lots of coffee.

@GailSimone: No one looks back and says, “I wish I’d taken fewer chances.”

@Reilly_Brown: Have a clear goal in mind from the start. “Success” is if the audience gets your point.

@MikeSHenderson: Keep challenging your weaknesses, and never stop acting like a professional.

@AletheaKontis: My Best Advice = Shut Up & Write.

@FredVanLente: There can always be one more draft. Have fun. Be a good person before a good artist.

@Janet_K_Lee: Sit your butt in the chair is #1. #2 Be fearless. Always try to learn and try something new.

@PaoloMRivera: I always tell everyone to sculpt. As for writing, just make people care. That may not be advice, but that’s the goal.

@JimMcCann: Allow yourself to fail every once in a while. Then make it better. :)

@kabalounge (Georges Jeanty): Make sure you are telling the story and not just trying to show off your artistic skills.

@MOWheatley (Mark Wheatley): Write. Draw. Do it again. Do it a lot. Keep doing it. Do it some more. Then do it again.

@brubaker (Ed Brubaker): My advice would just be keep doing it. You can’t control success.

@BenMcCool: Work hard, often & with abundant passion. Also, resist urge to drunkenly hassle editors. [ESW note: This is very wise.]

@jpalmiotti (Jimmy Palmiotti): Don’t listen to others’ BS, and stay focused.

@DennisCalero: Write and draw as much as you can and take it seriously.

@SkottieYoung: Do it a lot then do it more after that. Then, you know, keeping doing it.

@jerhaun (Jeremy Haun): Honestly @skottieyoung has it right. It’s all about being the guy that just doesn’t quit.

@GeneHa: @skottieyoung Exactly. Dave Sim said everyone has approximately 10K bad drawings in them. Keep drawing until most are outta your system. Also look for people who draw things differently than you do. Why does it still work, or even work better?

@PatrickZircher: Marry money. [ESW note: Hee!] Also, read any interview in which a mature comic pro talks about the work itself.

@JeffParker: Keep it short, be extremely clear to the extreme. Directness is harder than it looks.

@PaulTobin: Don’t stop. Choose what you love, not what you think will sell.

Also, study what you love. Understand why. Give your voice freedom.

@DavidGallaher: Always keep making stuff.

@PeterDavid_PAD: Buy my book on the subject.

@JoeKellyMOA: Do what you do every day. Intentionally do bad drafts so you get to good ones. Know when to take a nap. Go out for inspiration.

@LForLloyd (David Lloyd): There are really good books recommended by professionals here, but practice makes perfect, too… : )

@JamalIgle: Be yourself. Cliché, I know, but I’ve had more success when I listened to my gut. Your voice is precious; hone it, shape it, no one can take it away from you.

@DeanHaspiel: Live. Love. Make. Don’t hate. Be true. Show up. Commune. Commit. Deliver. Repeat.

@ColleenCoover: Read comics from before you were born. Don’t keep trying to redo stuff if it’s not perfect. Learn from mistakes and move on.

@FrankTieri: Also, get used to hearing “no” a lot. Even after you break in.

Excellent words of advice from great creators, all of whom share their work and wisdom on Twitter (so I’ve provided their usernames in case anyone is wondering where to follow them). I hope you all find them as helpful as I do!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this column, and until next time, Servo Lectio!

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Michael Davis

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold

 

RICHARD STARK’S PARKER GOES SOFT!

  • News
  • December 8, 2012
New softcover cover by Darwyn Cooke

Softcover that is.

IDW’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke is now available in softcover.

The Hunter, the first book in the Parker series, is the story of a man who hits New York head-on like a shotgun blast to the chest. Betrayed by the woman he loved and double-crossed by his partner in crime, Parker makes his way cross-country with only one thought burning in his mind-to coldly exact his revenge and reclaim what was taken from him!

HC art by Darwyn Cooke

Richard Stark (AKA Donald Westlake) was a master writer of crime fiction and Parker is arguably his greatest Creation-having been featured in more than a dozen novels and several well-regarded films (including Point Blank with Lee Marvin and Payback with Mel Gibson), and an upcoming one starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez that will be released this fall.

Master storyteller Darwyn Cooke has won nearly every award available to comics creators. His DC: The New Frontier was turned into an Emmy-nominated animated feature. The Hunter is the first in a series of Parker graphic novels that Cooke is adapting, the first two earning the comics Auteur more Eisner and Harvey awards for his already crowded mantle.

Parker: The Hunter is now available in 6×9 softcover.

160 pages
Full Color
Retail price: $17.99

Read a free preview of IDW’s Parker: The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke here.

The Point Radio: ARROW’s Aim Is Still True


As ARROW  hits the halfway mark of the TV season, fans and critics alike say it keeps getting better. We go backstage with the creators and cast to find out how they got this far, and what lies ahead for new characters including one played by fan favorite John Barrowman. Plus How about Captain Kirk, Ron Burgundy or Spock doing your voice mail message? It can happen if you hurry.

Take us ANYWHERE! The Point Radio App is now in the iTunes App store – and it’s FREE! Just search under “pop culture The Point”. The Point Radio  – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or on any other  mobile device with the Tune In Radio app – and follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

LEADING NEW PULP PUBLISHER LICENSES PIONEERING INDEPENDENT COMIC PUBLISHER’S CHARACTERS!

  • Uncategorized
  • December 5, 2012

Two Companies known for independent creations and innovative storytelling in two different media combine their ideas and creators together for one fantastic series of books!  Pro Se Productions, a leader in New Pulp and Action/Adventure Fiction, and Heroic Publishing, a force in independent comics since the mid-1980s, have announced that beginning in 2013, new adventures as well as adaptations of past comic books featuring Heroic flagship characters Liberty Girl, Flare, and Eternity Smith will be written and published by Pro Se!
Tommy Hancock, Partner and Editor in Chief of Pro Se stated, “Pro Se is always interested in crafting new tales of concepts that deserve them and the universe that Heroic Publishing has created more than qualifies.   Eternity Smith is a character that has always occupied a space in my comic collection, and one of those that I’ve always wanted to take a crack at writing.   Thanks to the effort of Pro Se Submissions Editor Barry Reese and the man behind Heroic, Dennis Mallonee, that dream is coming true.   Not only with Eternity Smith, but with two stellar heroines from Heroic:-Flare and the Liberty Girl!”
Liberty Girl, a World War II heroine ripped from her glory days and rocketed forward in time to today, where she’s needed more than ever!   Flare, fashion model and brightly shining super heroine!  Eternity Smith, time-tossed scientific genius fighting against a future full of horror!  These legendary characters from Heroic will be featured in prose novels and anthologies, both adapting past comic work into prose as well as new stories, written by some of today’s newest and best talents in New Pulp!
“Some writers,” Hancock said, “have already been attached to specific projects.  Others have been approached.  There will also be opportunities for open calls as well, to bring in writers who have an interest in these characters.   And after the first year, there exists the possibility of bringing even more Heroic characters into HEROIC PROSE!, the Pro Se/Heroic line , such as the Champions and other popular characters.”
The first Heroic Prose book is scheduled for early 2013, an adaptation of the first Liberty Girl comic book by noted author Barry Reese.  Hancock will be helming an adaptation of as well as new tales of Eternity Smith.  Other titles will be announced as they become reality for 2013 and beyond.

Pro Se Productions-www.prosepulp.com

Heroic Publishing- www.heroicmultiverse.com

Karen Berger leaving Vertigo

  • News
  • December 3, 2012

Karen BergerThe longest running employee at DC Comics is going away– Karen Berger is leaving Vertigo, a move that is not surprising (given the recent cancellation of Hellblazer, the longest running Vertigo title) but still astonishing. She’ll be staying on until 2013, making it an even 20 years at the imprint made for her. Here’s the press release:

Karen Berger, Executive Editor & Senior Vice President of DC Entertainment’s Vertigo brand, has announced she is stepping down from her post after nearly 20 years at the helm of the award-winning literary imprint. She will remain on through March 2013 where she will be assisting in the transition to a new leadership team which includes veteran staffers whom she has mentored over the years.

Karen is responsible for shepherding critically-acclaimed and best-selling publishing titles including perennial favorites: [[[THE SANDMAN]]], HELLBLAZER, V FOR VENDETTA, [[[FABLES]]], [[[PREACHER]]], THE INVISIBLES, 100 BULLETS, [[[Y – THE LAST MAN]]] and [[[AMERICAN VAMPIRE]]]. Vertigo has published nearly 300 new literary properties during the last 20 years. Berger notes she is ready for a professional change and is looking forward to pursuing exciting new opportunities.

“I’ve been incredibly proud to have provided a home where writers and artists could create progressive and provocative stories that broadened the scope of comics, attracting a new and diverse readership to graphic storytelling,” said Berger. “I’d like to thank all the many immensely talented creators who have helped make Vertigo into a daring and distinctive imprint and I’m grateful to everyone at DC Entertainment and the retail community for their support and commitment to Vertigo all these years. It’s been quite an honor.”

DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson stated, “We are extremely grateful for Karen’s commitment and dedication to Vertigo, its books and its incredibly talented team of staff and creators. In Vertigo she leaves a legacy to which we remain committed and on which we intend to build for the future. She will always be a deeply valued and respected member of the DC family.”

DC Entertainment is planning a celebration next year – to help salute Karen, her 33 years with the company and her many accomplishments, befitting her legendary status within DCE and across the publishing and comics industries.

Expect to hear a lot more about this in the next few days.

The Point Radio: Howie Mandel’s Got Holiday Game

It’s a Christmas tradition at a lot of holiday parties. You might call it “Secret Santa” or “White Elephant” but now it’s getting super-sized and coming to NBC for five consecutive nights. Howie Mandel joins us to talk about what TAKE IT ALL will mean to the landscape of primetime television, plus Neil Gaiman hits radio and WALKING DEAD fans can keep the fear going with a new iOS game.

Take us ANYWHERE! The Point Radio App is now in the iTunes App store – and it’s FREE! Just search under “pop culture The Point”. The Point Radio  – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or on any other  mobile device with the Tune In Radio app – and follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

John Ostrander: No Man’s Land Redux

One of the interesting developments in the past few years in comics, for me, is that stuff you’ve done earlier in your career gets bundled together and re-packaged. That can be especially nice if you have some sort of royalty arrangement (or incentive or participation or whatever they’re calling it now) because you know that means that at some point the company will issue you a check. That’s like found money; any writing you did was done long ago and you were paid for it already.

That’s not to say the money is unearned. In my view, if the company is getting a second bite of that apple, so should the creators who did the work. Seems fair to me, although the companies have a history of not being fair. And they also usually give a copy or two or three of the volume for your own library. That’s good because I rarely can find my original copies of the work.

Recently, I got copies of the last two volumes of the gathered Batman epic No Man’s Land. Our resident legend here at ComicMix, Denny O’Neil, was editor on the books at that time and asked me to do the Catwoman issues tying into the saga. I really enjoyed working with the character and would’ve enjoyed playing with her more but the book was cancelled at the end of that series. Catwoman, however, has more than nine lives and has gotten her own title back at least twice since then.

I have to admit, however, that I wasn’t too crazy about the whole No Man’s Land concept at the time. The main idea was that Gotham City, following an earthquake and a virus outbreak just seemed in general to be too toxic to reclaim so the federal government declared it a … wait for it … No Man’s Land. The citizens were ordered to get out and those who chose to stay (or were unable to leave) were kept in when the bridges and tunnels to the city were blown up. Any attempt to escape (or get in, as I recall) was prohibited and that was enforced by the Army. Very Escape From New York (a really fun movie, by the way; is Batman the comics’ Snake Plisken?).

At the time I found the premise too far fetched for my tastes. Okay, the main character dresses up like a bat to run around to strike terror into villainous and cowardly criminals but, yes, I found the central premise of No Man’s Land a little over the top for me. Gotham City was a major city in DCU’s USA. No federal government, in my opinion, would just abandon it like that; there would be howls of outrage throughout the country. Every city, every state, would fear that the same would happen to them. It simply wouldn’t be allowed. No U.S. government would be that cruel. It wasn’t politically feasible in my view (and I come from Chicago and, believe me, I’ve seen lots of outlandish governmental behavior that turned out to be very politically feasible.).

And what’s happened since No Man’s Land first came out? Let’s start with Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans and poor people stuck in the city and the horror stories of living in the Superbowl and a federal government’s response that was inept and way too slow in responding. There were people then who argued that New Orleans should be abandoned. The devastation was too great and, besides, it was a wicked, sinful city and the hurricane was God’s punishment yadda yadda yadda. New Orleans still struggles in the aftermath.

Let’s look at Hurricane Sandy. Better federal response this time but, again, the devastation was so widespread and so pervasive that it will take years for the area to recover fully, if it ever does.

Let’s look at Washington, D.C. right now. A fiscal cliff looms, one that was created by government, and one that government should be able to solve. As I write this, the two sides have gotten entrenched in their respective positions and each side is waiting to see who blinks first. A quicker resolution would help the Christmas buying season and, oh, might also keep the U.S. credit rating from being lowered again, but I’m not betting they’re going to get it done by the January 1st deadline.

No Man’s Land no longer seems that farfetched to me. I may still have a quibble or two with certain plot elements but the central premise? No, that’s become all too believable Maestro O’Neil, I tender my apologies. “I was wrong and you was right,” as usual. I should never doubt you or underestimate just how perverse reality can get.

My, this crow is tasty!

MONDAY: Mindy Newell

 

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