Tagged: Job

John Ostrander returns to writing Amanda Waller– online!

John Ostrander returns to writing Amanda Waller– online!

Amanda Waller as depicted in Justice League Un...

Image via Wikipedia

John Ostrander, who created Amanda Waller 25 years ago in Legends and wrote for many years in [[[Suicide Squad]]], has started writing a blog at http://drwaller.net/ detailing her day-to-day life and challenges with her job.

However, a quick read shows that it might not be the Amanda Waller we’re quite familiar with. I mean, the attitude is certainly there, and we do see a couple of names we recognize in the blog, but it seems that she went to the same astrophysics school that recently gave Jane Foster her doctorate in the [[[Thor]]] movie.

So is this yet another part the alternate universe of Flashpoint, or is it part of the Green Lantern movie? Who cares, it’s John Ostrander writing the Wall again! Go read it.

Chicago’s new mayor isn’t the fake one we actually wanted.

Listen up, you mutha-cluckers… Chicago has a new boss in town. Why does this matter to you? Because I said so. Why did I say so? Because the Second City is known for a few big things: The Chicago Style Hot Dog, Deep Dish Pizza, Da ’85 Bears, and maybe just an eensy-bit of good old fashioned corruption. But now it can be known for one more big thing. Our new mayor? Former White House chief-of-staff Rahm “The R-Bomb” Emanuel. When our current boss mayor, Richard Daley announced he’d retire this year from his post… Emanuel left his job in Washington to take his home city by the horns. But it’s been a long journey to get there. He took 54% of the vote, despite having his Chicago residency being challenged. He beat out the former city chief of staff, the former city clerk, and a former U.S. Senator for the title. But if you ask me? He didn’t beat one important candidate, his psuedo-self. In a paradoxical sub-dimension high atop City Hall, in a secret greenhouse known only to our beloved Mayor Daley… and @MayorEmanuel, the dimensional doppelganger of Chicago.

What’s that you say? You’ve not heard? @MayorEmanuel is the twitterverse’s Rahm Emanuel clone. The account started shortly after the “real” Rahm declared his intention to run. And boy did things escalate from there. @MayorEmanuel’s story unfolded over the months, and became an epic yarn with a full cast of characters. It began as a string of foul-mouthery perhaps poking a jovial jab towards the obvious; Rahm is known for his temper, his drive, and his competitive nature. He raised 11 million dollars to take his campaign to the streets of Chicago. He shook hands and kissed babies. We can only assume he attended secret cabal meetings, and struck backroom deals that we kindly city-folk won’t find out until they hit the nightly news a few years after his mayoral run ends… if it ends. His twitter counterpart followed the whole ride, as only a comedic four-letter-word-dropping twitter clone could do. And as the race for mayor drew closer to the vote, so did the drama.

Twitter to many is just that little corner of the interwebs where we drop a snarky one liner, or tell people where we are at. It might be a place for celebrities to tell us how normal they are, shopping for soup and whatnot, or how not-normal they are, like other Chicago Celebutaunt Kanye West. @MayorEmanuel used twitter to create a piece of short fiction (OR IS IT!?) that was truly original. A few bloggers followed the best of the posts and relayed just how awe-inspiring they were. And important people took notice. The “real” Rahm made and attempt to bribe his twitter-sibling with a donation to charity, to “out” himself. Smartly the anonymous fingers behind the 140 character-at-a-time hasn’t shown his face. Perhaps he escaped down the aforementioned time well in his tweets.

Give a gander at the saga, and kick yourself for not living here (that is, if you don’t…) and living through this live alt-meta-super fiction happening. In the mean time, the real Rahm is prepping his mayoral suit, and perhaps, setting aside a bit of our future city tax dollars towards a special “find @MayorEmanuel and break his hands” task force. I think I’ve said too much. All Hail Rahm! All Hail Rahm!

Barbie Changes Careers… Again

Barbie Changes Careers… Again

In her 50+ year career, Barbie has had her fair share of jobs. In addition to your standard blue collar fare like McDonald’s Cashier, Babysitter, and Yoga Instructor… she’s also had time at the top as well, working as an Air Force Fighter Pilot, Olympic Gymnast, Surgeon, and an Ambassador for World Peace. But it would seem the leggy blonde just hasn’t found the perfect career just yet, so Barbie turned to the internet to select her newest career choices.

Thanks in part to your votes, America, in 2010 she’ll be giving a go at TV journalism as a News Anchor. And since the economy has made paying for her dream home a real burden, she’ll be giving a shot at telecommuting with her new found PHP, C++, and Java-scripting skills as a Computer Engineer as well.

We know Barbie will go far in her new job(s), as her previous experience as an American Idol Contestant, Candidate for President of the United States, WNBA Basketball Player, and Astronaut have no doubt provided her with a wealth of life experience and knowledge. We here at Comixmic want to congratulate her for her amazing work ethic.

Just one tip, if we may be so bold… Make sure to update your firmware before installing the ethernet cable into the proxy server, but make sure your TCP/IP settings are properly configured within your DHCP. And if all else fails, just text Ken.

‘Sarah Jane’ to Return Sept. 29

‘Sarah Jane’ to Return Sept. 29

The BBC has released details on the new season of The Sarah Jane Adventures which will debut in the United Kingdom on September 29 and run through December 15.

Starring the Doctor’s former companion, Elisabeth Sladen, the second season is largely unchanged from the first and barely reflects on her appearance in Doctor Who’s fourth season finale.

(more…)

Happy Birthday: The Creeper

Happy Birthday: The Creeper

Jack Ryder’s parentage certainly predicted his future—his father was the publisher of a successful union dispatch, while his mother suffered paranoid schizophrenia and died in an institution while Jack was still a child.

Growing up, Ryder followed in his father’s footsteps and became a television news reporter. Unfortunately, Ryder had a big mouth. Normally that would be an asset, but Ryder didn’t know when to shut up, and it cost him his job.

The network didn’t fire him, but they did demote him to working network security, a job Ryder found beneath him. He got his chance to prove himself again when mobsters kidnapped a scientist named Dr. Emil Yatz. Ryder guessed that Yatz would be held at the mob boss’ mansion. The boss was holding a masquerade party that night, so Ryder cobbled together a bizarre costume and snuck in.

He found Yatz, but was seriously injured in the process, and to save him Yatz injected Ryder with the serum he’d created. The scientist also hid the device the mobsters were after by concealing half of it inside Ryder’s wound, which then healed thanks to the serum’s effects.

The device can make matter appear and disappear instantly, allowing a soldier to walk into a place in civilian clothes and then have a uniform and full weapons with the touch of a button. In Ryder’s case it let him make his strange new costume appear and disappear. Ryder used his bizarre appearance, the strength and agility the serum granted him, his unhinged disregard for personal safety, and a disquieting laugh to bring the mobsters to justice.

They dubbed him "The Creeper," and so a new—and truly bizarre—superhero was born.

Alan Smithee does Mickey Mantle

Alan Smithee does Mickey Mantle

Publishers Weekly is reporting that the actor who recorded the audiobook of 7: The Mickey Mantle Novel is refusing to use his real name. Instead, he’s listed as Alan Smithee, the pseudonym used by writers and directors who want their names removed from movie credits. 

The audiobook is based on the novel by Peter Golenbock that helped lead to Judith Regan’s firing. 

The unnamed actor was the fourth to be approached for the job from Phoenix Audio, the company fronted by Michael Viner. The two first choices turned it down; John Larroquette began to record, and then decided he couldn’t do it, either.  According to Henrietta Tiefenthaler, head of production for Phoenix, “I think it was his agent’s idea to do it anonymously.

The book is being published by Lyon Press. The audiobook will run nine disks, with a 2,000 copy first printing.  The novel, released last month, had a 250,000 copy first printing, and Nielsen BookScan shows it has sold more than 3,000 copies so far.