Tagged: Harlan Ellison

Writers strike: Battlestar Galactica day

Writers strike: Battlestar Galactica day

  • News
  • December 6, 2007

On Fan Day at the Universal Studio pickets, people came from as far away as Houston to walk the lines in solidarity with the writers of Battlestar Galactica. We think that’s worth celebrating, and that it shows who the momentum really is with in the battle of writers vs. studios.

Here’s a video of the day’s events, with appearances from writer/executive producer Ron Moore, writer/professional Blanche DuBois impersonator Harlan Ellison, and the Tick:

I’m not sure which concept scares the studios more: that the studios might have to open their books so people can see the funny accounting, or that when writers go back to work, they’re going to be so emboldened by the reaction to the strike that they start ignoring studio notes.

Speaking Ill Of The Dead, by Mike Gold

Speaking Ill Of The Dead, by Mike Gold

  • News
  • December 3, 2007

As we were driving back east from two weeks in Detroit, Columbus, Chicago and Toledo – next time, I’m getting a campaign bus – we heard the news of Evel Knievel’s death. No, this blather isn’t about him, although I do think that saying you’re going to take your motorcycle and jump over 50 school buses loaded with nuns and orphans and then strapping rockets to the bike is cheating. Nope, this blather is about Irwin Allen, noted dead movie and television producer/director/writer and former cover story in Modern Asshole magazine.

Allen was best known for his disaster movies, “disaster” in the sense that the plots involved some sort of serious event (The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure). His connection to Knievel? When I was at DC Comics back in 1976, he called me in a fit of pique about his upcoming movie, Viva Knievel! It seems he heard we were doing a big ol’ comic book teaming Superman up with Muhammad Ali, and he thought a Batman vs. Evel Knievel companion volume was a lovely idea.

I didn’t, and as it turned out somebody quoted my arguments to him. Irwin was more than mildly annoyed. He called to try to talk me out of it, not that the decision to make or not make such a comic book was anywhere near my capabilities at the time. His technique was rather unique: instead of sweet-talking me or convincing me of the error of my ways, he used invective and attack. He wanted to know where some 26 year-old pissant got off sabotaging (honest) a big Hollywood macher like him. He started screaming an unending list of curse words that would have impressed George Carlin. He threatened my unborn children, promised to destroy my career (coming short of “you’ll never have lunch in this town again,” as I was in New York City) and I think there was something in there about my mother and an orangutan.

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Ellison, Fantagraphics settle

Ellison, Fantagraphics settle

  • News
  • August 17, 2007

The world is a bit nicer today, as the acrimonious lawsuit between Harlan Ellison and Fantagraphics has not only been settled,but the terms of the settlement have been released.  Both parties agreed that "ad hominem, personal attacks" will cease as long as each is alive (or, in the case of Fantagraphics, in business). 

In addition, Fantagraphics agreed to remove Harlan’s name from the cover of future editions of Comics Journal Library 6: The Writers, as well as his interview, and to remove passages from the book Comics as Art: We Told You So, as well as removing those paragraphs from its website.  At the same time, Ellison’s website will remove allegations that Groth embezzled funds, anad which "likened him to a child molester."  A rebuttal statement will be on his site for at least 30 days.

Fantagraphics may not solicit any further donations of art for its Defense Fund, but may market those pieces which have already been donated.

Ellison will receive two copies of all Fantagraphics publications or any of its imprints which contain material he wrote.

Each party is responsible for its own legal fees.

 

STUFF REVIEW: Arf, Arf, Arf

STUFF REVIEW: Arf, Arf, Arf

Craig Yoe is not the most unusual man I’ve ever met. However, this is a statement that reveals more about me than it does about him, and since this is a review of his work I’ll try to stop scaring people.

Craig Yoe runs this place called Yoe! Studios, which is really just one single studio filled with talented people, a lot of energy, and great fun. They do all kinds of stuff: they create the Big Boy Comics (yes, they’re still being published), they do those astonishingly packaged comics figurines that Dark Horse sells and they do design work and create toys and sundry chachkis for such clients as Kraft, Warner Bros. and Microsoft. They hand out Yoe! Studio whoopee cushions and thongs at important business trade shows. He used to run the Muppet Workshop. He actually looks like the Kelly Freas drawing, slightly dispelling the myth that if you don’t look like Corporate America, you won’t fit into Corporate America.

Craig Yoe is also a major, long-time comics fan, among the best and brightest Ohio has had to offer comics, which is saying a lot (the tip of the iceberg: Jerry Siegel, Tony Isabella, Maggie Thompson, Mike W. Barr, Harlan Ellison, ComicMix’s own Martha Thomases and Mike Raub). But, to no one’s surprise, his tastes are as unusual as he is.

For the past couple years, he’s been foisting his line art fantasies on the general public with his Arf series, published by Fantagraphics. There are three such books out right now – in order, Modern Arf, Arf Museum, and Arf Forum. No matter how hardcore a comics enthusiast you might be, there’s a lot of weird stuff in these volumes that you should see, that you would want to see.

His roster of reprinted talent includes (in alphabetical order): Ernie Bushmiller, Charlie Chaplin, Robert Crumb, Salvadore Dali, Dan DeCarlo, Jack Davis, Rudolph Dirks, Max Ernst, Jimmy Hatlo, Hugh Hefner, Reamer Keller, George Herriman, Frank King, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Patrick McDonnell, Pablo Picasso, Artie Spiegelman, Mort Walker, and Wally Wood. That’s a really eclectic group of cartoonists; and, yes, I meant cartoonists. You might not have perceived some of the above as such.

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Harlan Ellison, Fantagraphics Kiss And Make Up

Harlan Ellison, Fantagraphics Kiss And Make Up

  • News
  • June 30, 2007

According to Dirk Deppey at The Comics Journal’s ¡Journalista! website, and Dirk should know, the Harlan Ellison vs. Fantagraphics Books lawsuit has been "resolved."

Deppey received the following e-mail from his boss, Gary Groth:

THE LITIGATION BETWEEN THE PARTIES HAS BEEN RESOLVED.

THE PARTIES ARE NOT AT LIBERTY TO DISCUSS THE TERMS OF THE RESOLUTION AT THIS TIME.

Congratuations to all involved.

For background, our interview with Harlan, and our interview with Gary.

More as it develops. If.

Bookstore owner burning his own books

Bookstore owner burning his own books

AP via CNN: Tom Wayne has amassed thousands of books in a warehouse during the 10 years he has run his used book store, Prospero’s Books.

His collection ranges from best sellers, such as Tom Clancy’s "The Hunt for Red October" and Tom Wolfe’s "Bonfire of the Vanities," to obscure titles, like a bound report from the Fourth Pan-American Conference held in Buenos Aires in 1910. But when he wanted to thin out the collection, he found he couldn’t even give away books to libraries or thrift shops; they said they were full.

So on Sunday, Wayne began burning his books in protest of what he sees as society’s diminishing support for the printed word.

"This is the funeral pyre for thought in America today," Wayne told spectators outside his bookstore as he lit the first batch of books…. He said he envisions monthly bonfires until his supply — estimated at 20,000 books — is exhausted.

And it hasn’t been all that healthy for things adapted from books either, as we see that ABC has shelved six completed episodes of a series called Masters Of Science Fiction, adapting stories from Robert Heinlein, John Kessel, Harlan Ellison, with Stephen Hawking as host and narrator. All this so we can get things like America’s Bingo Night and Dancing With The Stars.

Groth vs Ellison: The Fantagraphics side

Groth vs Ellison: The Fantagraphics side

At New York’s Book Expo America today, Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth took time out from a busy schedule with booksellers, rights agents and talent to talk to ComicMix‘s Martha Thomases and Mike Gold briefly about the upcoming arbitration session to settle Harlan Ellison’s lawsuit. We asked why he wasn’t able to go to Los Angeles for the May 29 session, as originally scheduled. "I’m a single father.  My son turns 13 tomorrow," he said.  "I just couldn’t go to Los Angeles then to New York in three days." Fantagraphics is headquartered in Seattle.

Does he hope the arbitration process will work?

"Yes, I obviously have some hope or I wouldn’t spend the money or take the time to fly down."

Is the process binding?

"It’s binding if we agree on an arrangement we can both sign off on. I don’t know what that would look like. It won’t involve any money damages, because there is no money. That was a condition of our agreement to participate.

At the booth, Fantagraphics was distributing postcards urging interested parties to view the court documents at http://www.fantagraphics.com/support-html.

Groth was in New York promoting a wide variety of Fantagraphics projects, including the Pogo series we mentioned previously and their boxed-set tribute to Bill Mauldin’s classic World War II feature, Willie and Joe. The latter is scheduled for February.

Ellison / Fantagraphics mediation delayed

Ellison / Fantagraphics mediation delayed

As previously reported, the scheduled mediation in the civil case between Harlan Ellison and Fantagraphics Press, originally scheduled for May 29 in the 9th Circuit Court in Santa Monica California, has been delayed until June 28.  "As to the postponement of the court-mandated mediation hearing that was scheduled for the 29 of May, which did not transpire, I am disappointed. Very disappointed.  Very, very disappointed."

John Carmichael, Harlan’s lawyer, explained that he received a call from Fantagraphics lawyer,, A. J. Thomas, saying that  Gary had a prior commitment that he either didn’t know about or tell his lawyer about at the time.  Carmichael had hoped the mediator would have time in the first week of June, but she only had June 23-28. She explained that it is her policy to only re-schedule once.  The reason Gary could not be in California on May 29 was his commitment to be at Book Expo in New York City, which begins June 1.  "I’m focused on getting the case settled, and if not, winning the case," he said.

Does he expect this to be resolved in one session?

"I don’t know," Carmichael replied.  "The Ninth Circuit has a very detailed sophisticated mediation program where they have court-appointed mediation lawyers.  This woman is flying down from San Francisco.  The parties are in separate rooms, they’re together at the beginning and make a statement, so each side feels heard, and then she separates them and they go into separate rooms and she shuttles between them.  It’s a great process.  It’s a great way to solve the problem."

Let us hope.

Happy birthday, Harlan Ellison

Happy birthday, Harlan Ellison

Seventy -three years ago today, as was foretold in prophecy, a child was born, a child destined to answer the question of what happens to an enfant terrible when he’s no longer an enfant.

Happy birthday, Cousin Harlan. (Yes, we’re cousins, at least, as is Neil Gaiman. Ariel David calls him Unky Harlan and calls me Unky Glenn, therefore we’re cousins-in-law at least.) Now if we could only figure out what to get you for your birthday… you wouldn’t want these extra tickets to the Star Wars convention, do you?

(Check out the ComicMix interview with Cousin Harlan – part one and part two.)

Ellison and Groth to mediate?

Ellison and Groth to mediate?

Back on April 1st, we ran a little piece entitled "Ellison, Groth sign historic peace accord". Because of the date, many readers thought we were engaging in an April Fool’s joke and making the whole thing up.

Now columnist Rich Johnston reports: "I understand that both Fantagraphics and Harlan Ellison were asked if they would participate in mediation over their current legal confrontation and that both have, at this time, gladly agreed. This will occur on May 29th at the Federal District Court Of Appeals in California. It will be attended by Ellison, Groth and their respective legal representatives. Given the good will from both sides regarding this approach, maybe we could indeed see peace in our time."

Don’t worry. We only use our predictive powers for good. We tried using our powers to find out the ending of Lost, but there the future is truly unwritten, as are the scripts.

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