Tagged: Mike Gold

Michael Davis: It’s Not Personal, It’s Business

davis-art-130924-150x120-5128234I ran this on my Michael Davis World website. I was writing another version for ComicMix because the response was so strong. Then like an idiot (which I’ve been more often than not) I realized I should just run what I wrote as is.

So…

The following email was sent to my Linked-In mailbox:

Hey Davis, I’m a comic creator trying to break into the industry was hoping you could help a brotha out with that my big fan of your work and bring back The Crush!

I am one hundred percent sure the writer wrote and sent this email with positive intentions and respect. But as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

This certainly did.

Here’s a hard and cold fact, many young African Americans are under the impression that being black gives them a pass on professionalism. The case can be made that my less than professional attitude in my public persona gave this young man leave to address me in such a way.

Err, nope.

My public persona is my real life persona. In real life I have a certain swagger and attitude that I portray to the world. That’s just who I am. In anyone’s life there is a time and a place for everything in my professional dealings there is never and I repeat never a time not to be professional.

There is no other way to say this; anyone who thinks they “know” you because you project a certain image to the world is most likely in for a rude awakening. Even worst-they may never get that rude awakening because emails and any other inquiries will simply be ignored.

I don’t do that.

Any chance I get to enlighten someone as to the error of their ways I do so, up to a point. I’m not wasting any time on someone I give advice to and they keep defending that ghetto bullshit way of thinking.

The following is my reply to the young man. As of yet I’ve heard nothing back from him in the two week since I’ve sent this:

I say this with love, my brother. “Hey Davis” is not a level I operate on. That is not just unprofessional, it’s disrespectful. The rest of your email was poorly worded as well.

Now considering you sent this to a Linked-In, a professional networking site, you are very lucky my executive assistant didn’t see this first. If he had your access to me through this site or anywhere else would have been terminated.

That said, I sense your enthusiasm and as such I’m going to give you a pass.

If you would like to send me another email which states clearly what it is you do (artist, writer) what it is you would like to talk to me about (portfolio, writing samples) and what sort of advice you are seeking (craft critique, career opportunities) I will see rather or not I can help you in any way-IF you have the talent and motivation that warrants my help. If your work is in presented in the same manner as your email then we have nothing to talk about.

I hope this response is received by you as what it is, a reality check. This is in no way a put down.

‘Who wrote this letter? Stevie Wonder?” That’s a put down.

I took time out of my day to write this. This is not a form letter; this is I writing to you with respect for your enthusiasm and a desire to see you succeed. If you think that’s something anyone in a position to help you will do then you have a seriously unrealistic view of the entertainment industry and you are not ready for a professional career within it.

Calling me “Davis” is just ghetto. If you were my boy and we were back in my hood South Jamaica or Rockaway Queens you could call me “Davis” all day long. You’re not my boy. I don’t know you…yet

You know what they call me when I walk into a meeting? Michael, Mr. Davis or Dr. Davis depending on whom I’m meeting and why I’m meeting with them.

“Davis.” Come on man!

There’s a saying, “you get one chance to make a first impression. “Well, I just gave you another. What you do with it is up to you my friend.

Again, I say this with love.

I hope I hear back from the young man and I hope if I can, to help him. That’s my plan but its up to him and like I said earlier, the best laid plans…

WEDNESDAY: Mike Gold

THURSDAY MORNING: Dennis O’Neil

THURSDAY AFTERNOON: The Debut Of… The Tweeks!

 

Emily S. Whitten: John DiMaggio’s I Know That Voice

whitten-art-130924-150x144-8383146At Dragon Con a few weeks ago, I was delighted to catch up with voice actor John DiMaggio (a.k.a. Bender from Futurama) once again. John was at the con for several voice actor and Futurama panels, and also to continue spreading the word about his new voice actor documentary, I Know That Voice, which I interviewed him and the other producers about during San Diego Comic-Con.  John was actually selling limited collector’s edition/advance copies of the documentary at the con, so not only did I check in with him on further documentary news, but I also snagged a copy of the film! Read on for our short I Know That Voice follow-up interview, and my review of the documentary!

What has the reception to the I Know That Voice documentary been at Dragon Con, and have you sold some of the advance copies?

It’s been really wonderful. People know about it; people are excited about it. I’ve been able to sell some copies; I wish I could sell more, but there are only a certain amount that we are going to sell that’ll be collectors’ items. But we’re working on a distribution deal right now, with a company called Go Digital, and another company called In Demand. This is all in negotiation; but In Demand wants to release it for a month on cable stations, to expose it, and they’ll plug it. And then we’re going to release it digitally on all the VoD (Video on Demand) platforms, like iTunes, Amazon, Hulu – everything. So that will be in December of this year. We’re getting it out there! People are going to be able to see it!

Will we be seeing any extras on the DVD?

Right now, our special con edition of the film is just that – it’s just the film, with no chapters, and no special anything to it; but yes, there are absolutely going to be extras on the final DVD. It will have all sorts of bonus features. It will have chapters; it will have extra interviews with some of the people that we interviewed – I mean, we had over 150 interviews, so we couldn’t, naturally, fit all of that into the documentary. So we’ve got extra stuff – extra clips from a whole bunch of people that we’ve interviewed. Also, we have our Comic-Con panel at San Diego, where we talked about it – which was great. So we have that on video for everybody. When I get back to Los Angeles after Dragon Con, we’re going to do a commentary reel; so Tommy Reid and Larry Shapiro, the producer and director, and I, are going to do that. There might be some outtakes, I’m not sure. Lots of stuff!

That sounds great! Any other details you’d like to share?

Well – the reason I got these special con editions done was because I personally felt that we were dangling this in front of everybody for so long; and the thing is that we only had a tenth or a twentieth of the movie done when we originally did the trailer, and that was awhile ago. We announced it, and people were like, “Okay! Well where is it?” and we were like, “Well…we’re making it. Sorry!” So now we have it, and I wanted to get it to the people that really want it; the fans.  I wanted to do it. I really felt the need to let everybody know that it’s done. And here it is!

And of course we’re still going to honor our pre-order, on our VIP list on the website. I have enough copies for them; but we’re also going to have the final DVD done within the next month and a half; so if they want to wait, they can get the first dibs on that. If they want, I have these con copies, and I can get them to them. If they are on the preorder list, they can let us know. When I get back to L.A., what we’ll probably do is send out a newsletter or set up a PayPal site or something like that, and we’ll post that on the site and on the Facebook page. But we want everybody to know. And it’s funny, because Larry was saying to me, “John, they’re going to want special features! They’re going to want all this stuff.” And yeah, they are going to want it. But what they want is the film, mostly.

Well, and I’m going to buy the final copy, too.

See that’s the thing; people will keep buying it. If they like it, they’re going to buy the final one. And either is okay. I just needed proof that this thing was done, for the fans, and for me, too. But everything is all a go for the final product to come out soon; and it’s really exciting. I’m just hoping that the fans respond; and I think that they have here, and that they will continue to. When people know about it and hear about it, they’re thrilled; and that’s all I can ask.

•     •     •     •     •

Review – I Know That Voice

Voice actors are a fascinating contradiction in the entertainment industry. They are simultaneously loved by millions and recognized by few. Whereas passing an on-screen actor on the street is cause enough for most people to snap pictures or call a friend to share who they just spotted, those same people could be standing next to one of their favorite “voices” at a grocery store and never realize it. They could have a whole conversation with voice actor John DiMaggio and not know that they were talking to one of the lead actors of their favorite animated show – unless, of course, DiMaggio suddenly told them to “Bite my shiny metal ass!” in the voice of Bender from Futurama. Then they might fall over in happy shock.

Despite the anonymity of the industry, the men and women who give voice to thousands of animated characters are some of the most talented, versatile, and hard-working  members of the entertainment industry. This is what executive producer DiMaggio, producer and director Larry Shapiro, and producer Tommy Reid wanted to showcase in their upcoming documentary, I Know That Voice. DiMaggio says, “I wanted to honor these people. I wanted to show that my peers are…an incredibly talented bunch… I wanted to show them as champions of the industry.”

To do this, the documentary’s producers interviewed over 150 voice actors, casting and voice directors, creators, producers, voice teachers, and other luminaries about their experiences in the animation industry. These interviews are used in the film to explore every aspect of the voice acting profession, including its history; starting out in the business; taking on “legacy voices” first created by other voice actors; developing new characters; and the traits that delineate voice acting from on-screen acting, such as possessing the skills of musicality, physicality, and versatility. The documentary also explores the experience of celebrity for a group of extraordinarily talented people primarily known for voices that may not even sound like their own.

It’s not often that I watch a documentary with a constant smile and a frequent sense of wonder and delight – but that is what happened while watching I Know That Voice, which runs the gamut from serious discussions to whimsical humor. In large part, this is due to the main focus of the film, the actors themselves. As a whole, the titans of this industry come across as uniformly intelligent and clever, well-spoken, hard-working, dedicated, talented, wickedly funny, and warm and humble people. In discussing their work, they show a great respect for the industry and their peers, reverence for inspirations such as Mel Blanc and Daws Butler, and appreciation for the part they get to play in bringing animated characters to life for their fans.

This attitude is mirrored by the creators and directors who are also featured, and who clearly appreciate the talent inherent in successful voice actors. Emmy-winning voice director Ginny McSwain asks in her interview, “Does anybody realize how brilliant these actors are? Because they have to get every cryptic expression that you would do on camera, on a mic. They’re storytellers. That’s their gift.” Another director opines that these people are “the best method actors” in Hollywood; and I wouldn’t disagree.

Amongst those best-of-the-best featured in this film are legends like June Foray, Stan Freberg, and Mel Blanc (via archival footage and an interview with his son, Noel Blanc). Then there are beloved voices that I first encountered during my childhood and adolescence, like Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, Maurice LaMarche, Nancy Cartwright, Jim Cummings, and Billy West. And voices I’ve become better acquainted with as an adult, like Grey DeLisle, John DiMaggio, and Nolan North. If those names don’t ring a bell, I could instead say: Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha; Tosh the Goofy Gopher; Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and a ton of other Looney Tunes characters; Yakko Warner, Pinky, and Raphael; Wakko Warner, Roger Rabbit, and Ironhide; The Brain, Calculon, and Kif Kroker; Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum, and Chuckie Finster; Darkwing Duck, Monterey Jack, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, too; Ren, Stimpy, Doug Funnie, Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, and Dr. Zoidberg; Azula, Vicky, and Catwoman; Bender Bending Rodriguez, Marcus Fenix, and Jake the Dog; and Superboy, The Kraang, and Deadpool.

If that seems like a dizzying list of characters, it’s only a tiny fraction of what each of those actors has voiced; and only a small selection of the large and talented group featured in this documentary. And seeing these amazing people break down how to do the difficult voice of Porky Pig, or what elements went into creating the beloved voice of Dr. Zoidberg, is a real treat; as is getting to see the faces behind the voices we know and love. We also get to see glimpses of the industry through the eyes of the working actor in the studio, which is fascinating to witness.

I Know That Voice is highly entertaining, as well as educational. For those who are fans of the industry, the documentary offers the rare opportunity to see all of your favorite voice actors discuss their craft in a comprehensive manner and do some of their most popular voices. For those unfamiliar with this aspect of the entertainment industry, this is an excellent introduction – and if you’re not a fan of these people at the beginning of the documentary, you will be by the end. For they are indeed champions of the industry, and it’s a joy to see a documentary like this celebrating them and exploring their craft.

Until next time, Servo Lectio!

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Michael Davis

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold

 

Mike Gold: This’ll Kill You

gold-art-120918-150x198-3943664I believe a person has the right to commit suicide. No matter who says what, suicide might very well be our only inalienable right. Sixteen religious leaders, your entire family, all of your friends and all of your enemies can get together, kidnap you and hold an “intervention” (that’s sort of a pop-psych séance), and when all is said and done, you can still jump off a cliff.

But even I would admit that holding a suicide-themed contest is gauche. And, hey, I’m a punk rock fan.

Our friends over at DC Comics (who are now looking up “friend” in their online dictionaries) decided to run a new talent contest. According to their own web page “Harley Quinn is no stranger to a little breaking and entering for a good time and now, she’s going to help one talented artist break into comics with DC Entertainment’s Open Talent Search. That’s right, we’re looking for someone to draw one page of Harley Quinn #0 alongside some of comic’s most amazing talents, including Amanda Conner, Paul Pope, Bruce Timm, and a few other surprises, maybe even you!… If you think you’ve got what it takes to be published in this special issue, then put on your working hat and start drawing now, because an opportunity like this doesn’t come along very often.”

And, from that same page, here’s part of what they want you to draw: Page 15, Panel 4 – “Harley sitting naked in a bathtub with toasters, blow dryers, blenders, appliances all dangling above the bathtub and she has a cord that will release them all. We are watching the moment before the inevitable death. Her expression is one of “oh well, guess that’s it for me” and she has resigned herself to the moment that is going to happen.”

Actually, being familiar with both the character and the issue’s creators, I get the gag. Maybe that’s because the concepts of suicide and death doesn’t horrify me. Or maybe I’ve just got the same perverted sense of humor as writer Jimmy Palmiotti, artist Amanda Conner, and Co-Publisher Dan DiDio. But if you don’t frequent the Comic Book Donut Shop, it’s possible you just might not get it.

Here’s a couple thousand people who don’t get it: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association and National Alliance on Mental Illness released a joint statement saying this whole thing sucks. To wit: “We believe that instead of making light of suicide, DC Comics could have used this opportunity to host a contest looking for artists to depict a hopeful message that there is help for those in crisis. This would have been a positive message to send, especially to young readers.”

Young readers? Really? Drop by a comic book shop sometimes, you cloistered shrinks.

The fact that the contest was announced a few days before the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Week probably didn’t help one bit. The story achieved national attention. You’d think Harley Quinn had just covered Ice-T’s “Cop Killer.”

DC Comics issued the typical mealy-mouthed apology “to anyone who was offended” (I hate that phrase; it sounds like being offended was the object’s fault and not the culprit’s), and Jimmy offered a much more sincere and explanatory apology, which was the right thing to do.

There are a lot of things one can’t rationally discuss in the commercial world without provoking kneejerk overreaction. After a lifetime in youth crisis intervention work, I can safely express the informed opinion that just about everybody who would have read Harley Quinn and then offed themselves already was a basket case waiting to take the pipe. You cannot bring down our mass media to the lowest common denominator.

However, given the fact that we live in a world where parents of a teenage suicide would sue a rock band for being responsible for their kid’s death despite the fact that literally tens of millions of others routinely and safely listened to that same song, DC’s move was unwise.

This column first appeared Monday at www.MichaelDavisWorld, a wonderful place where people speak their minds and everybody but Martha Thomases swears a lot.

Mike Gold performs the weekly two-hour Weird Sounds Inside The Gold Mind ass-kicking rock, blues and blather radio show on The Point, www.getthepointradio.com, every Sunday at 7:00 PM Eastern, rebroadcast three times during the week – check the website above for times and on-demand streaming information. Mike Gold is cool. No, wait. That’s fezes. Fezes are cool. Until the end of the year.

THURSDAY MORNING: Dennis O’Neil

THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Martin Pasko

 

Michael Davis: The Possible Dream

davis-art-130917-150x61-9036800So here’s the deal.

Over a year ago Missy Geppi and the Geppi Entertainment Museum in Baltimore honored me by asking me to curate a show showcasing African American pop culture in comics and related media.

The show, Milestones: African Americans in Comics, Pop Culture and Beyond, has been pushed back and now opens December 6th The response from artists, filmmakers and designers have been fantastic. That’s one of the reasons the show has been pushed back.

The other reason?

Trust me, you wouldn’t believe it if I told you. That said, I’m blown away by some of the work I’ve seen but I’m not satisfied.

Let me be crystal clear, I’ve seen wonderful work from established artists and great work from up and coming artists but this show, my show has to feature something more.

Again, let me be even clearer, if the show went up as is it would be fantastic. But fantastic is not what I’m going for.

What am I going for?

A dream.

Really.

I’m dreaming of a show that just doesn’t showcase established African American artisans in pop culture, I want to see new artists that have a dream of becoming part of the comics and related industries. I also want to see non-black artists who have worked on or been influence by black pop culture.

That means you don’t have to be black to have a piece in the show.

But… You have to come correct. That means your work must have a real appreciation and genuine respect for black culture.

That means be Eminem, not Vanilla Ice.

So, to recap, if you’re an African American artist with something to say or just someone who has be inspired by the African American experience and you think you have what it takes to be part of a history making show that celebrates black pop culture we would like to see your work.

Do you have to be a professional? Good question, here’s the answer, if you just got out of art school, if you are just getting into art school, if you were kicked out of art school or if you tried but didn’t get into art school we want to see your work.

I’m looking for new artists so if you’ve never even thought of and can’t even spell “art school” but you have talent I’m looking for you.

Get it?

I don’t care if you are a 65-year-old shut-in or 16-year-old Hanna Montana fan if you think you can hang with the big boys (and girls) this is your chance to be seen by the world.

The deadline is October 14.

Here’s the website to present your work: http://milestonestheshow.com

Here’s an email to answer any questions: info@milestonestheshow.com

Finally, here’s hoping my co-curator Tatiana El-Khouri, our creative adviser John Jennings, and I make some young artist’s dream come true.

Oh and if you are a fan of Hanna Montana, keep that to yourself. I mean really.

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold

THURSDAY MORNING: Dennis O’Neil

 

Marc Alan Fishman: Life Is A Pitch

Marc Alan Fishman: Life Is A Pitch

This past weekend, the Unshaven Comics crew split our duties (heh heh). Kyle traveled to Cincinnati, where he single handedly crushed records, and declared himself Lord of the Sale. Matt and I (along with our pretty, and amazing, and totally-not-looking-over-my-shoulder-as-I-write-this wives) returned to Charm City for the Baltimore Comic Con. Again we took in the sites, the fine food, and the amazing fans. But of all the new memories made on this sojourn across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland… it was the impromptu brainstorming session that will stick out as the best part of the trip.

As our wives listened to their iPods, or slept, Matt and I did what we always do. We talked extensively about the Bears, about toys, about movies we loved… and then we started brainstorming about The Samurnauts. I know, I know. I talk about them a lot. But you know what? I love my creations with Unshaven Comics. One of the honest-to-Rao best moments of my weekend was hearing Mike Gold say to another publisher “I really love what those guys (Unshaven) are doing.” And the best part? I didn’t even have to bribe Mike to say it. I know as we’re all “co-workers” or whatever here on ComicMix, but facts are facts. Mike Gold’s résumé in comics,= and his discerning tastes are that of legend. And to be given a nod of approval from an editor like that? Well, it made my beard tingle. But I digress.

So, somewhere between Ohio and Pennsylvania, Matt and I turned the radio down, and started spit-balling. “You know we should do?” “What?” “Take that joke commission of Lucador Samuranuts and actually, you know, do it.” What proceeded after that, was several hundred miles worth of ideation. From a single jokey-dare to a fully fleshed out idea complete with Aztec gods, nomadic kung-fu monkey masters, and a five-on-five tag team tornado match to save the world. The best part? We weren’t done.

“Well, that’s cool. But you know what we could never do… Disconauts. Like… The Samurnauts of the 70’s.” “Yeah, I know. But like… if we did…. maybe they’d each have their own vehicle.” “Yeah, and those vehicles would be like M.A.S.K., right?” And so on, and so forth. Suffice to say, by the time we reached Baltimore, we’d created two completely new mini-series ready to be outlined, sketched, and built.

I related this all to Mike at our goodbye dinner where Mike and I dominated the conversation of our four top, letting Marc Hempel and my wife smile and eat their crab. No sooner did I finish telling him about our Luchadornauts did a smile creep across his face. And as he’s prone to do, he launched into a story of his own. He related to me the time he and John Ostrander took a walk around a lake close to his house, and came up with the pitch for Wasteland. And it was there, in a beautiful restaurant in the suburbs of Baltimore, with a crab cake the size of my face plated before me… did I find that first true connection with Mike Gold that did not relate specifically to good BBQ or amazing conversation. Here was a guy who with his good friend, found a camaraderie not just in opinions and shared experiences… but in an idea and creativity.

Since we were kids, Matt and I founded our friendship on just that. The spark of creation more than anything else… binds us as brothers-from-other-mothers. And just like icing on a cake, cream filling in an Oreo, or crab cakes bound with bits of smaller crab (bless you, Baltimore), Kyle joined our menagerie and completed our circle. We creators of sequential fiction are a curious sort. And my generation – the one bred by toy commercials and Nintendo – was onslaught by our elders to never have to be creative again. Why create when TV, comics, toys, movies, and then the truly evil Internet, is right there awaiting your procrastination. But there, on the road surrounded by small mountains, rest stops, and snoring wives… I was reminded of who I am, and why I do what I do.

SUNDAY: John Ostrander

MONDAY: Mindy Newell

 

Emily S. Whitten, Jim Butcher and The Dresden Files

whitten-130910-144x225-4721771As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a big fan of The Dresden Files, so it was awesome to get to sit down and chat with author Jim Butcher about the series while at Dragon Con last weekend!

The Dresden Files, as you may know, is a series about the wizard Harry Dresden, and follows his adventures and investigations into supernatural disturbances in modern-day Chicago, which he recounts through a first person narrative. It’s also, oh-by-the-way, a ton of fun, and weaves a lot of lore, myth, and legend from all cultures into modern adventure stories with a wizard who’s more gunfighter than Gandalf (even if he fights with a staff much of the time). As the series has progressed, it’s also gotten more complex and nuanced, with some great plot twists and character developments along the way. I definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn’t yet read it.

The series is pretty far along and we’re currently waiting on book fifteen, so if you have no idea what I’m talking about, I recommend you check out the series or at least the Wikipedia page before reading this interview; unless you’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind possibly being confused or definitely encountering spoilers. Because, fair warning, there are spoilers ahead!

Have we all been sufficiently warned? Yes? Then onward to the interview!

I’m a big fan of The Dresden Files, and I’ve read all of the books, so let’s just begin by talking about the series. There are fourteen novels to date. Book fourteen is Cold Days, which sets up the upcoming book. In Cold Days, Harry is the Winter Knight, and Sarissa ends up as the new Summer Lady, and Molly, in an unexpected turn of events, is the new Winter Lady. And Harry’s lost all of his stuff – even his mini model of Chicago!

Yeah, it all burned up in his apartment.

So he’s got no place to go, he’s living on Demonreach, he’s upset about what’s happened with Molly, who he’s tried to protect; he and Murphy have this interesting dynamic changing from what they’ve had, and something deeper is going on…so that’s where we leave it. Tell me when we will be seeing book fifteen, and what we should expect from it?

Book fifteen is called Skin Game. It will be out either late this year or early next year, depending on how quickly the publisher wants to rush it through production. The basic premise of the book is that Harry Dresden is still stuck working for Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, and there are people she owes debts to…

In  Skin Game, Harry’s been out on Spooky Island, on Demonreach, and has been staying there for about a year, because he’s got this thing in his head that’s going tick-tick-tick, and it’s going to kill him eventually. And Demonreach is able to keep it from completely crippling him. So he’s been staying there, and he thinks that his friends have kind of abandoned him, and he finds out that Mab has been intercepting all his communications and making sure they think he’s fine and needs to be left alone.

And then Mab shows up and says, “Okay, well – here’s the thing, is, I’ve got this job for you to do. I’ve got a debt to pay off, and you’re going to have to go do it. And if you don’t do it, well, you know, I can’t make you do anything, because that was kind of part of the deal, that I can’t compel you to do this; but if you don’t, then the thing in your head is going to kill you in the next three days. So I’ll let you make up your own mind.”

Hah, wow! Faeries always do that, in The Dresden Files; they follow the rules but trick you anyway.

Exactly. She’s playing by the rules, technically, which is the only way to do it, if you’re a faerie. So she’s informed him, “Well, you can either do this or not.” And Harry’s like, “Fine, I’ll do the job, whatever it is.” And he finds out that the job is, Mab is going to loan him out to Nicodemus Archleone, the head of the Denarians.

Ahh, and he’s shown up several times, and he’s really awful, to make an understatement.

Yes, he has, and yes – he’s one of the worst villains in the series. And he’s off to pull a heist. And he’s putting a crew together to pull a heist with, and he needs Harry to be on the crew. So Harry basically gets signed up with the Evil League of Evil, with all these different villains from around the world, some of whom have appeared before. So now he’s off to rob the treasure vault of Hades, Lord of the Underworld. So that’s the plotline. Harry’s got to be working with these people…and he immediately arranges to bring somebody along to watch his back while he’s there, because he doesn’t really feel like turning on these guys, and so he rounds up Murphy to come cover his back for him.

Oh, so Murphy’s going even deeper into the supernatural, right from the start of this story.

Yeah – but Harry’s point is, “I need somebody who can see things. I don’t need somebody who can fight supernatural things; I can do that. I need somebody who can notice things.” And Murphy’s the sharp one; so he grabs her.

Yeah, Harry is a little bit dim sometimes.

He can be.

You’ve written him that way.

But he turns to Mab at one point and he says, “You’ve got to understand, Nicodemus is going to betray me. He is gonna stab me in the back and try and kill me; that’s who he is.” And Mab says, “Of course he is.” She says, “I expect superior and more creative treachery from you. Oh, and by the way, make sure you do what I said you would do. You have to fulfill that first. But as soon as that’s fulfilled, do whatever you want.” And Harry’s like, “I can’t believe you’re going to have me do this.” And Mab’s like, “I would have loved a game like this when I was your age, come on!”

And Harry’s like, “I just want to take a nap, and a hot shower.”

Yeah, exactly. Really, that’s kind of where he’s at, yeah.

Okay, so now where does Molly fit into this book? Are we going to see her? Molly’s a favorite of mine, and obviously what happened to her in the last book was a big detour from what we thought was going on, and has a lot of impact.

Right; well Harry gets to find out that Molly hasn’t told her parents anything. She’s just carried on, and kept showing up to Sunday dinner and so on. So her parents don’t know about the whole Winter Lady thing, and they’ve got no idea anything’s wrong. So that’s a lot of fun.

So we get to see more of Michael and all of the family?

Yeah, we’ll get the Carpenters in it for some stage time there. But yeah, she’s been off doing Winter Lady stuff, and catching up on about 150 years of Maeve’s backlog; because not only was Maeve crazy, but she wasn’t doing the job; and that was really the problem as far as Mab was concerned. Crazy, psychotic, murdering people? Okay, that’s fine – but is she getting the work done? So Molly’s been doing that; and Molly’s the only one who can take care of the thing in Harry’s head – Demonreach told him that Molly could help (in Cold Days). Which is why Mab has made sure that Harry couldn’t communicate with Molly. So she’ll have to show up to help him with that.

So that’s where we’re going in the next book – tell me, what’s the plan for the rest of the series?

We’re going to have twenty-ish of the books like we’ve had so far; these casebooks that happen as one-by-one stories; and then I’m going to cap the whole thing off with a big ol’ apocalyptic trilogy at the end.

So there’ll be a great trilogy at the end.

Well, big. I don’t know if it will be great!

Well, I think the books have kept getting better as you’ve gone along; and I always admire someone who can write a big series and keep it all straight.

I have help with that!

That’s to be expected! So we’ve got Harry and Murphy off on this adventure; Mab is kind of pulling some strings; Molly is dealing with her family, and possibly going to come in. What about the Outsiders, and the Nemesis and all that?

We’ll get back to them in the future. At the moment they’re not as huge an issue. Harry needs to survive the next three days, and then he can start dealing with some of the other things. At the moment he’s got enough on his plate with Nicodemus being in his face.

It’s kind of like on The X-Files, where we got some monster of the week episodes, and then some about the overarching conspiracy. It’s kind of nice to break it up like that.

Yeah, you can’t do huge-huge-huge all the time, because that’s no fun.

Okay, so let’s talk about Harry’s love life for a minute…

Oh, gosh. Yeah. Harry’s love life was something that I never really planned when I was writing out the whole series.

Well, going back to the very beginning; there was a whole lot of…almost uncomfortable…male gaze in the first few books. As a female reader, I love the books, I love the adventure, I would keep reading for the adventure; but the scenes where we stopped and spent five minutes talking in extreme detail about the women Harry meets, and learning that every one of them is model-beautiful… I was a little put off by that at first; and I think one of the reasons I wasn’t entirely put off is because when Murphy is introduced she’s treated differently, which was refreshing, and also made me think maybe she was going to stick around for awhile. You’ve gone away from that some…

Well, to a degree.

So has your perspective on that changed?

Well, I think the main thing is, I’m not a 25-year-old guy anymore. Which was how old I was when I wrote Storm Front. I don’t want to sound weird or anything, but you haven’t had the experience of being a guy in his twenties, where basically you don’t really know what’s going on, from the time you’re fourteen or fifteen until about the time you hit twenty-five, and then you sort of emerge from the testosterone haze, and it’s like, “Maybe there’s something in life other than boobs.” And that’s the – car insurance rates go down when you’re twenty-five for a reason. You know, I don’t think these two things are unrelated. But yeah, I mean it’s just one of those things that has been a change of perspective on my part. I just have to write the story that I write, and I don’t worry too much about basically anything except writing the story.

Well that’s fair. In the beginning, when you had Susan and some of the other female characters, and Murphy – did you realize that you were approaching Murphy differently, and introducing her without as much of the sexual component? Was that a purposeful thing?

Nope; I was just doing what I was doing.

Okay; so let’s jump over to the current relationships; now that we’ve talked about Susan and the other earlier women…

Yes, and poor Susan; she died horribly. Although there were so many people who were like, “Oh, I just can’t stand Susan.”

Well, maybe because of the way she was introduced – but several people have died horribly in your books!

True, and perfectly wonderful people have died horribly, too, so, you know, that…kind of happens.

True! So now…we’ve got Harry, and we’ve got Murphy, and we’ve got Molly…and we’ve got some relationship issues. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Right – Harry and Murphy have at least kind of admitted that there might be something there; which is way better than Harry would ever consider doing with Molly. Because he still remembers Molly when she was little, so, even though their age difference is not entirely huge, it’s huge enough that he’s weirded, anyway. She is no longer weirded by the concept at all, but he is. So Harry and Murphy have finally admitted there might be something there; but both of them are just very avoidant, and so they’ve had trouble actually expressing that, except in moments of adrenaline.

Yes. Now with Molly being the Winter Lady, and Harry being the Winter Knight – I root for Harry and Murphy because it just seems so right; you’ve written it in such a way that it makes sense – but I did wonder towards the end of the last book, now that they’re both in the Winter Court, and there’s this magical connection beyond the connections they already have; how is that going to play out?

Yeah, awkwardly. It will continue to be awkward; because it’s Harry Dresden, how could his life not be awkward?

True! Now, there’s a character that I absolutely adore, and I don’t know if we’re going to see again – Ivy. Will we be seeing her?

She won’t be in this book; she’s not gone from the series permanently, but not in this one.

Great; and anything else you want to share with the fans?

Well…here comes the next one! And I’ve still got plenty more after that. The stories are already planned out.

Well I look forward to reading them, and thank you so much.

•     •     •     •     •

Thank you, Jim, for your time and a delightful interview; and Dragon Con, for setting that up for us! Hope you all enjoyed it, ComicMixers!

And until next time, Servo Lectio!

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Michael Davis

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold

 

Mike Gold’s Big Fanboy Geek Out

Gold Art 130904Sometimes writing this type of column requires the skills of an experienced curmudgeon – which, lucky for me, is how I got the job. But only a child with a weak bladder pisses over everything he likes, and I am not a child. I am an adult. With a weak bladder, but hey, I’m staring Medicare in the face.

Unlike some of my ilk, I still read comic books – not exclusively, but I read a lot of ‘em. I read a few out of curiosity and a few others just to see what my friends are up to. But I focus on the comics I actually enjoy (hence my annual “Top Nine” list). With comics characters and adaptations proliferating all across the media, the same is true with comics-based movies and teevee shows. And what’s making my little fanboy heart go pitter-patter? Spoiler Alert: look at the artwork up by the headline.

I have enjoyed Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since its debut in Strange Tales #135. This comic book came out in the early summer of 1965. An endless sea of masterful writers and artists succeeded Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (for the record, Kirby plotted those early stories) and the most significant, the most interesting, the most awe-inspiring, was from a relative newcomer named Jim Steranko. He imbued the property with so much raw energy and skill that the property is still running off of the momentum he provided some almost a half century ago.

I love the way S.H.I.E.L.D’s been handled in the movies. It’s so… Marvelesque. It’s been handled by people who get it. So it should come as no surprise that my fanboy anticipation is entirely invested in the new teevee series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Of course I can be disappointed. This sort of thing has happened before. The right people get it wrong. But given how S.H.I.E.L.D. has been handled by Marvel’s movie division and the fact that Joss Whedon is the show’s overseer and Clark Gregg unsplatters himself from the movie storyline to reappear as Agent Coulson in this new series, I have every right to expect a solidly entertaining experience.

On Tuesday, September 24, nearly three weeks from today, I’ll find out.

And then I can move on to Doctor Who’s anniversary.

After all these years, it’s still fun to be a fanboy. I’ll grow up to be that old geezer at the assisted living center, completely not acting his age.

I’m looking forward to it.

THURSDAY MORNING: Dennis O’Neil

THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Martin Pasko

 

Emily S. Whitten: Warehouse 13 Interviews – The Final Season

Whitten Art 130827I love Warehouse 13. It’s clever, it’s fun, it’s steampunky, it’s got tons of awesome historical references, and it’s full of great characters and relationships. Sadly, it’s now coming into its last, and shortened, six-episode season – but that’s not slowing the cast and crew down one bit! I got to talk with some of them at SDCC, and they shared both some retrospective thoughts on past seasons, and a bit of what we can expect to see in the final season! So read on for details!

Aaron Ashmore (actor, Steve Jinks)

Hi Aaron! Tell us what you can about the new season.

We’ve got a great way to wrap it up; and if you have been watching Season 4, Paracelsus has taken over the Warehouse, so we obviously have to deal with that. There’s also an issue with Claudia and her having a sister, and that’s a big thing that takes up a big part of the six episodes. And then our finale is the best; I was told that they wrote ten episodes, but only got six, so in the last episode, they basically jammed five episodes into one. So it’s a really compact, really cool finale. I’ve read it; we got to read all of them, which is not usually the case with TV; so we know how everything’s ending, and it’s really good. But I’m not going to tell you guys how it ends.

Are we going to see Claudia’s evil sister Claire on screen? Are you going to get to interact?

Yes, we do get to see that storyline unfold, and it’s definitely interesting. It’s not maybe exactly what people think it’s going to be. As per usual, there are always a couple of layers to it.

There’s been a lot of relationship upheaval in the last season. Is it going to be a happier time again this season?

I think like any family – and that’s really what the dynamic is – there are always tough times, but absolutely I think we will wrap up with everything being well; but we have to get through a lot of stuff to get there. So by the end, I think, yes, families usually work it out and we will; but there’s definitely some stuff to get through.

What’s your favorite artifact you’d like to see come back, or would want to own?

I would like the metronome that brought me back to life. It’s my favorite one because it let me come back to the show, which I was very grateful for, but I also think it was very interesting because we got to really see how using an artifact in the longer term affected everyone. And there’s I guess the astrolabe, where you get to see the long-term effects as well. But I don’t know, it’s kind of cool, a little metronome; I can put it on my fireplace or something like that.

What have been some favorite moments from the last five years?

It was one of my first scenes. I got on set, and I was with Saul and Allison and Eddie, and basically everybody was having so much fun, and they were improvising so much, and just riffing off of each other; and I was like, “holy…this is going to be a blast. Because these people are so into and passionate about what they do.” Because sometimes you go to set and people are just like, “Meeeeh.” but everybody was so into it, and that was probably one of my favorite moments, because I was like, “Oh wow, I think I’m going to actually get to be on a show that I’m going to really enjoy doing, and that everybody is so engaged in,” and that’s just not always the case; it’s really not. So…you know, it’s always funny when Eddie takes his shirt off, that’s always a bit of a giggle, and he enjoys that. But pretty much the whole thing. We really do have a good time together. And it’s sad that it’s coming to an end, but the show got 64 episodes, and I got about 30, and as a show, to go to four or five seasons is pretty good.

Are we going to see new characters even with the condensed season?

Yes; though not really long-term reoccurring characters. We definitely will see some characters from previous seasons. And of course Mrs. Frederic; and Abigail will come back. There are a couple of other ones that I don’t really want to say, because it’s maybe more of a surprise.

Is there anything about the Warehouse and its history that you’ve wanted to ask that hasn’t been answered?

These guys have been really good about explaining when something happens in the show; there is usually an amazing explanation, or at least something that makes sense. So not really, because they’ve painted such a beautiful picture of the place and how everything works.

Is there anything you’d like to see more of for Steve?

I really liked, and would like to see more of Steve’s romantic side if the show kept going. I think it was really cool last year that they touched on that, and showed his ex, and really showed how…I mean, Jinks is a little cranky sometimes, a little sarcastic, and I think that episode sort of showed where that was coming from. If you’re trying to have a relationship with somebody, and any little thing that they say, you can tell when they’re lying – even normal people get jealous and have all these emotions. So I think that really showed, in a way, how that shaped him. I thought that was an interesting thing. I’d like to see a little more romance with him. Maybe we will, maybe we won’t; I don’t want to give too much away, but I think for coming in halfway through the show, they really fleshed out a pretty interesting character and gave him a lot of dynamics. Some of the Buddhist stuff I’d like to see a little more. There was an episode where Steve was focusing this portal thing that Leena used to do, and Steve’s kind of Buddhist side came into play a little bit. Just little things like that, seeing different parts of his personality being used in the Warehouse for different things, that would be really cool to see in the future – in my mind, as I’m writing fiction after the show ends – I’ll probably put that in there.

They had talked about a spin-off at one point, with H.G. Wells. What would you like to see as a spin-off?

I think the H.G. spin-off would have been awesome. I think that’s the perfect character, very popular and such an interesting character. It could have been a period piece, and I think that would be cool. But, you know, Claudia’s the caretaker, so maybe a flash-forward, even. So you could do something that jumps forward a few years. There are tons of different things that you can do. But I really liked the H.G. idea, I thought that would have a great one.

Allison Scagliotti (actress, Claudia Donovan)

What can you tell us about the evil older sister thing?

When we last left Artie and Claudia having that argument at the end of Season 4, we learned that Artie was keeping the fact that she’s still alive from Claudia. So that affects the Claudia and Artie relationship in that their father-daughter dynamic is being tested. Claudia is an adult now. She’s saying, “You don’t need to protect me, you don’t need to shelter me.” But at the same time, you learn as an adult that there are some things you can’t fix. And it was very important with this storyline for Claudia to encounter that. She’s had, in the past, the advantage of the Warehouse, when saving her brother Joshua, and bringing Steve back to life; and she really needed to put on her big girl pants and recognize that some things you just can’t fix. But we have this amazing actress, Chryssie Whitehead, who’s playing my sister; and we have so much in common, we’ve bonded so much already, I hope this isn’t too much of a spoiler, but we get to sing together – we get to do another coffeehouse performance in Season 5 – so I’m really excited to play through this very full arc in the final six episodes.

What has been the biggest challenge over the past five years?

The biggest challenge is just keeping it fresh. Because even though it’s a dream job, it’s still a job. To come to set and work long hours and sometimes be staring at a green screen instead of real action happening, is challenging. You’ve got to keep your imagination on point and flexible. But it’s been a real joy and a workout as an actor to just sort of let go and give over to it.

Are there any aspects of the Warehouse and the show that you would like to see explored in the last few episodes? Or that we will see explored?

Yes. And I’m not going to tell you too much more, but the phrase that Saul came up with that I think is perfect is “Unexpected by inevitable.” The finale of the show does such wonderful things to honor what we’ve brought to life about the Warehouse, and preserves its legacy, so you feel like this mythology is really eternal.

What is your favorite artifact?

My favorite artifact is the one that I will be taking home with me when the series wraps, and that is the metronome that saved Steve.

You’re going to have to fight for it, because Aaron wants it too.

Aaron wants it? Oh, no no no, he’s not getting it. I have dibs. Sorry, Aaron, love you, but; I’m the one who plays music on a daily basis; I’ll actually use it.

Did you Sharpie the bottom of it?

That’s a good idea. I’m going to do that. First thing I do when I get back to Toronto on Sunday night.

Have you read all of the scripts for the final season?

Yes, I waited until we had all of them. Because we’re shooting a couple of them out of order. And then I just read them straight through; like marathoning the show.

Are you happy with Claudia’s arc?

So happy. I am so incredibly satisfied with Claudia’s resolution and potentially not resolution. I think the fans will love it; I loved it; I cried when I read the finale; I think we all did. It’s just satisfying. It’s exactly what I wanted to see happen for my character. It feels very triumphant, almost.

Any final season hints you can give us?

Sure; we have a telenovela episode; maybe I tap dance at some point; we go to a Renaissance Faire. And Eddie’s already said it on camera, so I might as well say it here: “Pyka,” question mark? I don’t know…

Do you have a favorite historical figure, where you’d like to see an artifact of theirs show up on the show?

Some feminist artifact from Susan B. Anthony. Or Woody Guthrie’s guitar has got to be an artifact, right? I mean, talk about telling the stories of the people. I’m sure Woody Guthrie’s guitar could probably bring about a whole movement. That would be cool.

What were some of the biggest surprises in the last few seasons?

You know, I was really surprised when, in Season 2, they threw the possibility of caretaker at me. I did not see that coming from miles away. But as unexpected as that was, I like how unexpected that was. You have this sort of street rat computer hacker, who has the potential to be Mrs. Frederic. It’s cool. Overwhelming but great.

Are you going to wear the suits when you become “Mrs. Frederic?”

We’re still deciding, actually! If that happens – what will it look like? Because it will probably be in the future. I don’t know; watch and see what happens!

Would you like to see a spin-off with Claudia?

Oh, man; I don’t know if you could build a spin-off about the caretaker. Because what’s so great about the caretaker is how mysterious she is. I think it would be a little tough to hang a show on someone where the great thing about the character is how much you don’t know and probably shouldn’t know.

What kind of spin-off would you want to see?

Well there was talk for awhile of Warehouse 12, and going back and centering a show around H.G. Wells. You know what, oddly enough, I would want to see Artie’s origin story. I would love to see Artie’s early years. Like his first year at the Warehouse. I think that would be so cool. Come on, you’d watch that, right?

(Emily note: Yes, yes I would!)

Jack Kenny (executive producer)

What can you tell us about the new season? I know you can’t spoil everything…

Ah, no, what do I care? Eddie will tweet everything anyway! I will tell you that it’s going to be a jam-packed season, and I think we’re going to make the fans incredibly happy. Every character gets fun stuff to do. Every character, especially in the finale, learns something new about themselves; about another character. They all find some really cool resolutions in their lives, and yet we can still move on.

Pete and Steve go to a Renaissance Faire chasing an artifact; Pete, Myka, and Artie fall into a telenovela in an episode; we have a big bad coming back; we meet Claudia’s sister; we find out why she’s a fairly dangerous woman; and we have some really cool resolution with that.

Do we find out more about Artie’s history with that as well?

Yes, we see flashbacks to how it happened when he first met Claudia, and how that all happened. It’s so moving and touching, and it was a beautiful scene between him and the little girl. And we get some resolution with Claudia and her sister. And Allison’s gotten so close with the actress who plays her sister; they’re like besties – it’s really fun.

And then the finale; you know, we had come up with ten stories before they said we only had six. So when we found out, I went to SyFy and said, “How about we do five, with five big penultimate episodes, and then six is a clip show?” And they said, “What do you mean a clip show?” I said, “Clips you’ve never seen.” So we get to see the culmination of five amazing episodes, with scenes you’ve never seen before. Really big stuff. Stuff that could make an entire episode. I don’t want to spoil it, but every cool story you think we could do, we’re doing. And everybody finds a little resolution; and it’s incredibly emotional, and incredibly moving, and there’s a nice resolution to the whole show, and you get the sense that it always goes on. And everybody learns something cool about somebody else. It’s a really fun, great end. I’m directing it at the end of the summer, and I’m very excited about it.

So we started a fight over there – because Allison and Aaron both want to take home the metronome. Which artifact would you take home?

Well, I have Magellan’s astrolabe at home. I stole Magellan’s astrolabe, because that’s the coolest one for me. Really mostly because the prop is so cool. They made this amazing brass astrolabe. It’s really cool. They do amazing props. But I’m not as…to me, it’s what the artifacts do that’s the coolest. Like I was just trying to remember, like the episode where they fell into a video game – I don’t even remember what caused that. But the fact that they were in a video game was cool. Like the noir episode, too. It doesn’t really matter how they end up there; what’s fun is that they’re there. So to me, what’s fun is the world the artifacts create and hurl them into. That, to me, is what’s exciting and fun about the show. We get to go to all these amazing places.

Once the show ends, could you conceivably do more? Like a movie of the week, or a spin-off?

Yes – we could do that. Like I said, the end will have great satisfaction for everyone; and yet, not an absolute. It will be very satisfying and very moving and sad, but not absolute.

Does the story dictate the artifacts, or do the artifacts dictate the story?

It’s “A.” The story dictates the artifacts. Because to me, the hard part is the story. I’ve been saying, “Hitler’s microphone,” for years; but we can’t find a story that makes it work. You find a story about a radio disc jockey who’d wreaking havoc in a city, then it could be like, “maybe that’s Hilter’s microphone he’s talking into.” So it’s the story that drives you to the artifact. Where do we want to throw them? What’s the fun place we want them to disappear into next? Sometimes we’ll do a story that’s just about characters. Like doing an episode where Pete and Myka essentially run into doppelgangers of themselves. Not real doppelgangers, but a Secret Service couple that they had worked with before; and we just wanted to do a story where they see themselves in another two people; and I don’t remember what the artifact was. Because sometimes it’s the story that’s interesting. It was an artifact that caused you to drown in salt water as you were standing there, so the water’s coming out of you. It’s a really cool effect. Robert Duncan McNeill came and directed it. He’s a wonderful guy. I love Robbie.

Were you inspired by other shows for the finale?

Not really. We didn’t want to do anything sad. We didn’t want people to die. We don’t kill anybody. I think what we wanted to do is, honestly, we wanted to do something fun for the fans. It’s their last show; the actors will go off and work on other things; but this won’t exist again for the fans. I wanted the fans to go, “Oh my God, that’s so great. I’m so glad that happened. Yeah, I’m sad that it’s over, but boy do I feel like I got what I needed from that.”

What about a spin-off series?

I want to do the H.G. series, desperately. We had three great outlines for that.

Can you tell us what were some of the biggest challenges over the last five years?

Producing a television show is always a challenge. It’s always exhausting. I think the biggest challenge for me was, I’m so in love with this show that I wanted to be on set every minute. I actually have this big director’s chair with a desk on it, so I could sit there and work, and re-write scripts and do notes and stuff, and watch the monitor, and then run in and pitch jokes, and pitch story changes, and give emotional beats, and then go back and sit in the chair again, and the challenge for me was just trying to do all of that at once. Because I just love it so much. Like most show-runners don’t go to the set that much – certainly not all the time; and I just live on the set, because I just love this cast so much, and we have such good energy together – we come up with such great stuff together, that it was important to me to be with them a lot.

What were your favorite episodes?

I really love every episode so much. “The Greatest Gift,” the Christmas episode that was an It’s A Wonderful Life take-off, was a fav. Because I loved seeing the family that didn’t know they were a family become a family. That was, to me, the show in a nutshell; that these people are such a family, they can’t not be a family. Even when they’ve gone off like that, they come back together, and they work together. And that is, to me, the crux of the show. I loved the introduction of H.G. Wells, and the introduction of Steve, and of Claudia. Whenever you introduce a new character, it’s so much fun. I loved meeting Pete’s mom. That was one of my favorite moments of the show, was when Pete turned and said, “Mom!” I love surprising people, in a good way. And in a scary way. Leena’s death, to me, was incredibly moving. When Pete and Myka found her; or when she turned, to save Artie; any moment that has to do with these people loving each other. Seeing Pete so incredibly torn about whether he should believe Paracelsus that he could save Myka. That, to me, was the perfect example of who Pete is. He’s an adult, and he’s a ten-year-old boy, who’s scared that the person he loves is going to die. So “I’ll do whatever I have to do.” You know. I love this show.

Eddie McClintock (actor, Pete Lattimer)

What can you tell us about the upcoming season?

I can say, one word: Pyka. That’s all I can say there. As for the season, it’s just more of what everybody’s come to expect from the show. When I found out that these would be the last six episodes of the show, I said, “So what are you going to do? Are you going to kill us all? Are you going to blow us up?” And Jack was like, “Nah, we’ve done all that.” And Jack, because he’s such an amazing writer of relationships, and of the human condition; I think that he’s ended the show in a perfect way. I think that if you have a sentimental bone in your body, you’ll be pretty strung out by it.

What artifact would you like to take home?

I’ve already gotten dibs on a Farnsworth and a Tesla. …’Cause I can fetch like $1500 bucks apiece for those on eBay.

What have been some challenges over the last several seasons?

I think the biggest challenge that comes to mind is leaving my family; for the last year, I was in Toronto for nine months. I have two sons, a six and a seven-year-old, and it’s hard. Leaving my wife and my boys? They get to visit sometimes, but the boys are in school now. If it weren’t for Skype, it would be impossible. I will just put the Skype on, and not even necessarily talk to anybody. Lynn would just turn it on, and put it in the room, so I can hear them playing, and getting ready for bed, or having dinner, so it felt kind of like I was in the room. That was the biggest challenge.

Other than that, I mean, what challenge could it be? I run around with a ray gun, I get paid to pretend that I’m saving the world; my mom is a Starfleet captain – who’s on a new show now, called Orange is the New Black. We’ve had a lot of great guest stars – sci-fi icons. It’s been amazing – I mean, I’m from Ohio; I wrestled in college; I was destined to be the funniest ditch-digger in my home town. You know, my high school football coach took me out in the hall and said, “You know, college isn’t for everyone.” So I was not voted most likely to end up where I’ve ended up. So the fact that I have been so fortunate – I owe a lot to Jack, and Syfy, and my cast.

Can you tell us about a typical day on set; and have you ever pranked anyone on set?

For me, I show up, I turn on the news in my trailer, I get makeup and hair, have some breakfast. A lot of times before work I go to the gym; I have this trainer, he’s about 230 pounds – I have like, a 34-inch waist; he weighs 230, and his waist is 32. He kicks my butt every morning; because they make me take my shirt off; and I don’t want my one-pack to fall over. So I work out, go in, and after hair and makeup I block. Blocking is where we read the scene and decide where we’re going to go; and as we go there, someone from the camera department puts tape down so the cameras can know where we’re going to go, and anticipate where we’re going and move in unison. After that I finish hair and makeup and go back and shoot it; and then in between takes, I screw around on the computer, I talk to my friends, I tweet, and…I mean, it’s a vacation. It’s all a vacation. As far as pranks are concerned? It’s all one giant prank to me. If I’m not giving somebody a wet willy or a wedgie…

Have they ever gotten you?

Well, Jack is the king of cunning. He’s very cunning. And he likes to make sure that I don’t think that I’m too cool for school. So he smacks me down emotionally a lot.

What have been your favorite episodes to work on?

This season in particular, what comes to mind is the noir episode. So much fun, and to work with Enrico Colantoni and Missi Pyle was great. And the pirate episode – I thought it really embodied what, for me, a Warehouse 13 episode is. It was this great adventure, and the effects weren’t too sloppy. The Spine of the Saracen episode, too. It was the first time in my career that I’d had the opportunity to play that emotion; and so I kind of walked away from that going, “Okay, maybe I can do this.” There’ve been so many. I’m proud of the show.

Tell us, if there was an Eddie McClintock artifact – what would it be, and what would it do?

Ooh, that’s a good one. Um, Eddie McClintock’s binky. The binky would help me to be a better father. I know it’s not exciting; but as a parent, I’m always wondering, “Oh my God, am I doing this right? Am I ruining my kid’s life?” If there was something that would help me be the perfect dad, that’d be great. But there’s always a downside to an artifact, so I guess it would be, I don’t know, a lifetime filled with poopy diapers.

•     •     •     •     •

… And on that note, thanks to the Warehouse 13 cast and crew for some great interviews, and until next time, Servo Lectio!

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Michael Davis and Cowards

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold and Going Batty

 

Michael Davis: March

Michael Davis: March

A young black kid recently asked my reaction to the graphic novel March: Book One. Before I could answer the young man who asked chimed in with this little gem of insight, “I can’t believe there are no creators of color on that book!”

I looked at that young motherfucker like he was a flying monkey.

I’m sincerely sorry about the above language as I was going to try and write this essay without resorting to my trademark swear words.

I tried, really I did, but I was so pissed at the lack of knowledge and history from this guy, hence, I looked at that young motherfucker like he was a flying monkey.

“No people of color? What do you call John Lewis?” I asked fighting the urge to ask if his wings hurt when tucked into his pants. I won’t bore you (or enrage myself more than I am now) with this simian’s stupid response.

From that asinine response it was clear he had no idea John Lewis was a real person and it was his life story being told. He had no clue John Lewis was more than a little responsible for his stupid ass being able to ask me such a stupid question in the first place.

What did I care that the co-writer and artist were both white? He wanted to know.

“Those are some bad ass white boys,” I told him. Translation: Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell are two very talented people.

I’m aware there is some in the black creator community who feel the entire book should have had a black creative team. I don’t share that opinion. John Lewis is a civil rights icon. His fight is what allowed those talented white boys to work with him in the first place.

If the year were 1964 all three creators would have faced real threats if they appeared with each other to promote the books at say a North Carolina comic book convention if they existed then. Jim Crow was still in full effect back in the day.

Hell, Jim Crow is in full effect now in North Carolina. Gov. Patrick McCrory just signed into law a sweeping voter reform bill that imposes Jim Crow like restrictions on guess whom?

Black and poor people.

Yep.

It’s 2013 and instead of John Lewis being able to sit back and look at his contributions as a shining accomplishment of the Civil Rights movement, instead of him being able to tell his story to a new generation of young brown and black brothers and sisters as a cautionary tale he instead has to continue to fight the same fight he’s been fighting since before that flying monkey was born.

So, my reaction to March: Book One?  The book was wonderfully written, the art was incredible and I can’t wait until book two. While I do wait, I’ll pray the second part of the series will be a cautionary tale and not a primer of what’s happening today.

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold

THURSDAY MORNING: Dennis O’Neil

 

Emily S. Whitten: Hi-Yo, Dragon Con! Away!

Whitten Art 130820It seems like just yesterday I was getting back from San Diego Comic-Con…and now in less than two weeks, heeeeere comes Dragon Con! Another adventure!

Believe it or not, I still have some things to report from SDCC (yeah, I got a little behind, oops), but even though I’m still catching up from the last con, I’m super looking forward to Dragon Con! Why?

Well, for one thing, Dragon Con is my favorite con for costuming, outside of the Discworld cons. Not only do I get a kick out of costuming myself (as I’ve mentioned here before), but I also love looking at all of the amaaaaaazing costumes other people put together. From a Cylon with a real glowing spine, to an Archchancellor Ridcully with an actual flask in the tip of his pointy hat, to a pair of female “Spy vs. Spy” spies chasing each other around, any and every costume you can think of might make an appearance at the con, and the detail and creativity of many of the costumes just blows my mind.

The humor of a lot of them makes me happy, as well – from a group of gender-bent Disney princesses (complete with beards), to a couple of Spaceballs “combing” the bar-area floor with an actual giant comb, there are a lot of funny costumes to see. And then, of course, there’s one of the coolest costumes I ever saw at the con, which was done by my own roommate and friend Erica – a working Portal shirt with “portals” on the front and back, through which you could “see” to the other side. You never know what costume you’ll see next, and I love that.

I’m also super-excited, as always, about the awesome guests. Dragon Con is a great cross-section of the comics and genre TV and movie worlds, with guests from all over the spectrum. Also, of the cons I’ve been to, it’s the most comparable in its mix of guests to SDCC; but despite the huge crowds (57,000 people are expected to travel to Atlanta for Dragon Con this year), has a much more laid-back and less chaotic feel. Not to mention that with the Walk of Fame, you can often walk right up to your favorite celebrity to say hello (and buy a photo or an autograph, if that’s your thing). This year, I’m looking forward to seeing guests from Smallville, Once Upon a Time, Arrow, and Battlestar Galactica, among others. I’m also looking forward to seeing one of my favorite parts of any con, the animation and voice actor panels. Dragon Con has a lot of great voice actors coming this year, and those panels are always a blast. W00t!

Although this will be my third Dragon Con, there may be some folks out there for whom this is their first – and even for those who have been before, there are some new things to take note of this year. For that reason, I checked in with Dan Carroll of Dragon Con to see what he could tell me about this year’s con and how to enjoy it. Here’s what he said.

What are your top three tips to help new Dragon Con attendees get the most out of their experience?

1) Use the App! (Which you can get for Android or iPhone.)

2) Dad advice: Drink plenty of fluids! Eat your Meals! Sleep and Shower!

3) Have a plan for Dragon Con and find your way around as quickly as possible. Be flexible in your plan because you can’t see everything.

How does Dragon Con differ from other cons?

Dragon Cong brings together gaming, film, TV, comics, live music, a film festival, an art show, and the largest parade in Atlanta for a 24-hour-a-day event over four days in five four-star hotels and a great exhibition space.

What’s new and different this year, that veteran (and new) attendees should know about?

We have upgraded our vendor facilities by moving them to the AmericasMart showroom and convention space. This move allowed us to add nearly sixty new dealers or exhibitors. The space in the Marriott where vending was, is now home to the Walk of Fame where we have space for twenty additional signing tables.

Our big celebrations this year are about anniversaries. The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who has brought a great range of Doctor Who and Torchwood guests, the 30th Anniversary of Fraggle Rock is being celebrated with two Fraggle actors and puppets performing in our Puppetry Track. The 20th Anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is showcased with many of the original cast members and a lot of Star Trek luminaries including William Shatner and George Takei.

(Emily adds: It is also the 20th Anniversary of Animaniacs, as I’ve mentioned before, and Pinky and the Brain (Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche) will be on hand for that!)

What tools are available specifically for Dragon Con fun?

As I mentioned before, the App is a great place to start. Each hotel has an information desk that provides excellent advice and guidance to the Dragon Con member. Other great tools are the Daily Dragon for updated information and Dragon Con TV for some serious belly laughs.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s con? What do you recommend as a must-see activity?

I am looking forward to the new guests at Dragon Con such as Lee Majors and Lindsey Wagner. I am also looking forward to seeing my friends and reporters from around the country whom I only get to see at Dragon Con.

What’s the best costume you’ve ever seen at Dragon Con?

I think the most striking I have ever seen is a 12 foot tall Galactus. My favorite is probably when I see my favorite comic book character, Marvel Girl Jean Grey in her 1960s mini dress and white go-go boots.

Anything else you’d like to share about the con?

The easiest thing about talking about Dragon Con is that there is so much to talk about, which leaves me knowing that I am always leaving so much out. With 38 “tracks” of programming, each dedicated to an aspect of fandom, there is too much going to on to convey in a few sentences, so I invite everyone to come to Dragon Con and experience this amazing event for yourselves!

•     •     •     •     •

Well there you have it, folks! Some tips and info for new and veteran attendees, which will hopefully help everyone have as great a time at Dragon Con as I plan to have! And if you see me at the con, be sure to say hi!

Until next time, Servo Lectio!

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Michael Davis on March

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold on Rock’n’Blues