Sony Crackles with Movie Excitement

Sony is offering a lineup of movies on the Crackle.com website (which featured its Sony TV movie ANGEL OF DEATH).

From Variety:

In addition to "Spider-Man 2," new pics added to Crackle's free ad-supported service, include "Groundhog Day," "Stripes," "A Few Good Men," "1941," "El Mariachi," "Big Fish," "The Fan," "LaBamba," "The People vs. Larry Flynt," "Johnny Mnemonic," and several installments of the "Godzilla" franchise.

Move makes nearly 100 films available on the dot com, with the latest additions specifically targeting younger males.

"These are the movies that matter for guys 18-34 and this is the next step in creating our direct to consumer network," said Eric Berger, senior VP, digital networks for Sony Pictures Television, which oversees the site.

The Cinemactive game is being added to original series that included Ed Brubacker's thriller "Angel of Death," starring Zoe Bell and Lucy Lawless, and "Starv-ing," with David Faustino.

Hmmm... can I watch on my PSP?

Astonishing Isn't It?

The latest issue of ASTONISHING ADVENTURES (#6) is available now.

Go Here.

Read "Passover" by me. Illustrated by Susan Burghart.

Also take a look at yet another "Auslander" tale by Sullivan (Prolific little shit)

No Explanation Required: Vampire Girl v. Frankenstein Girl

H/T to Kid Schlocko for finding this.

Fox's Atomic Implosion

If you've been reading THE BEAT or VARIETY you've heard that Fox Studios has shut down its genre film and comic division FOX ATOMIC leaving SCREEN GEMS to be the only lower- budget genre division at a studio (SONY).

And this is a good thing. Here's why:

"Fox would rather make ‘Wolverine' than a Fox Atomic film," the executive says. "They don't need a $50 million earner. It's not worth their time."

A similar sentiment was echoed when Relativity snatched up Rogue back in the fall for what was considered a bargain price. At the time, an insider to the deal said that Universal's parent company General Electric would rather sell low, pocket the cash and move Rogue's overhead off its books. After all, while the division reliably turned a profit, it barely made a dent in GE's bottom line."

$50M is not worth their time. Wow.

Studios are too big as it is. They say they have to trim the overhead. Okay - so have indie suppliers create profitable genre product out-of-house and have the studios concentrate on what they're good at - distribution to theaters and television.

On the other end of the spectrum, people are always (rightfully) asking: "Well, this internet thing is good but can you run a business? Is there enough profit there?"

The answer is yes. Because for the most part you're doing a lot of the distribution and marketing functions yourself. Your overhead is low, your distribution points are many, your revenue is varied (ads, merchandise, seminars, speaking engagements, consultancy, multimedia licensing). So while you can't run a "studio" via the web (yet) - you can run a small operation that pays for everything in your own backyard.

Gee, making a living making media. Who'd a thunk it?

Saturday morning Linkslutting for New Media

Scott Kirsner has a wikispaces page up he calls Power Tools. He's collecting a list of all of the best web applications, sites and so forth that you can use to build your audience.

Found these three links from my Screendaily.com newsletter:

Why Hollywood has not Itunes for movies.

Indie films suffer drop off in film sales.

(Does anyone else see a correlation here? And pardon my reverse snobbery but I have a hard time seeing Graham King as an "indie." The man gets backing from the studios, etc... Is Weinstein still an indie?)

Amazon launches an HD service for downloads.

Add This to the New Media Logpile

Netflix shows profits as more budget-conscious Americans are embracing low-cost movie rentals over higher-priced theater tickets, a trend that helped Netflix to again deliver better-than-expected earnings.

The company says its download service, which it offers free to higher-tier subscribers, is gaining traction. Earlier this month, it announced deals to stream back episodes of Comedy Central's popular "South Park" animated series, and Nickelodeon shows such as "SpongeBob SquarePants."

But the company also noted the growing competition from cheap DVD rental kiosks.

"We're seeing a major shifting in the landscape between the content providers, different distribution models and the competitive environment," Janney Montgomery Scott analyst Tony Wible said.

Analysts asked about plans for a new pricing tier of streaming-only service, without the discs. Netflix said Thursday it's not a top priority at the moment.

Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities, said the transition away from DVDs will take years, but added that Netflix is smart to start weaning its customers off the plastic discs.

D2N (Direct-to-Netflix) on the horizon?

New Media Stuff to Dissect...

G. I. Joe Resolute: look at the release plan for this one. Holding off on the last chapter until it premieres on Adult Swim.

Felicia Day makes $2.20 per DVD for THE GUILD. (She doesn't. Especially not with that boring key art.)

ANGEL OF DEATH viewer numbers. (= the win)

Blake Snyder's stumping for High Concept. (as he should)

Social Nets and web video are changing our behavior (and DNA. No, really)

Movie makers appeal to crowd for money. (Q: what if guys with...oh say, an actual track record and audience got hold of this model?)

Parker: The Hunter adaptation by Darwyn Cooke

The genius preview is here.

This one is in the must-buy category.

Primeval Premieres Stateside!

I've made no secret about my love for the ITV television series PRIMEVAL. It's one of those shows that has fun with its template mixing dinos with time travel and action-adventure. Well, those of us stateside are finally going to get in on the fun of series 3 when it premieres Saturday, May 16, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

From the BBC America press release:

From the creators of Walking with Dinosaurs comes a new U.S. premiere season of monster hit Primeval. Fans can look forward to new cast members, horrifying monsters, stunning special effects and a rare location shoot in London’s British Museum as well as a U.S. feature film in the works for 2010. New cast members include Jason Flemying, recently returned from playing Brad Pitt’s father in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Laila Rouass, best known as Amber Gates in Footballers Wive$. The new season also brings an unusual new monster designed entirely by a Primeval fan.

At the start of the new season, Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall, French Film, Dorian Gray) is still reeling from Stephen’s death and the extent of his wife Helen’s (Juliet Aubrey, (Still Crazy, The Constant Gardener) betrayal. As he fights to re-focus his embattled team, the anomalies continue to present an unrelenting series of threats. If the team thought the Mammoth was a tough nemesis, then the Giganotosaurus is truly epic. Bigger and badder than a T-Rex, the dino-hunters are faced with the one predator they fear the most.

In addition, creatures steeped in ancient folklore begin to appear as it becomes clear that the origins of myths and legends are linked with the mysterious anomalies. From a Pristichampus, a creature which bares a striking resemblance to the ancient Egyptian crocodile demon, Ammut, to a Dracorex being hunted by a deranged Knight who’s convinced it’s a dragon he must slay, it seems everyone wants a bite of the action.

As deadlier creatures from the past and future continue to rampage through the anomalies, the cloak of secrecy behind which the team has been working is in jeopardy. Questions are being asked and the conspiracy spreads its net wide. If something is not done quickly, the team’s future is threatened—not to mention the future of humankind itself.

Marketing 101: The "Qualifier" No-No

I am revising a company's website copy - repositioning them in the market - and I keep running into qualifiers. Qualifiers are those words or phrases that kneecap a success by making it "not-so-great."

"It's the best show featuring a monkey."

"It's the direct-to-video hit comedy."

Notice how in both those statements the phrases take "the win" down a peg? You don't ever want to do that. Ever.

Because people are out there who are going to (try and) take you down a peg anyway.
Why help them out?

When you're pitching, remove the qualifiers...
[It's this little movie we did...]
When you're writing, remove the qualifiers...
[He kind of loves her...]
When you're designing your key art, remove the qualifiers...
[If I see another grey, formless piece of crap key art I'm gonna kill the slowest of the bunch of ya]

Because when you apply qualifiers to your work it says you don't believe in your work, it says that it's half-ass work and it says you're half-ass. NOT to be taken seriously.

Life's too short to be half-assed. Especially in this business.

Apparently There's a List...

About How To Survive a Pulp Movie.

Gee, who'd a thunk it?

Interplanetary

Pulp filmmaking at its best - see?



Blog here.

Website here.

This is Earth. Signing off.

Government Comics

Two words that you never thought would go together, but it may surprise you to know that the US Government has published comics. Will Eisner (creator of THE SPIRIT) used to create many of them on all sorts of subjects. (I'll let you discover some of the other greats hidden in these files. It'll surprise you)

Well, you can now find them here. Available as PDF downloads.

Remember When VHS Destroyed the Movie Biz?

I have another column up over at The wrap.com...

In the midst of my stuttering writing style take away the fact that things have changed before and they will change again...and again.

Have You Checked This Out?

Mind-bending trailer here.

Website here.

Monday Catch Up...

Just to give you a rundown of what you have to look forward to(and stuff you should get):

-- Just finished skimming Wayne Skiver's GUNS OF THE BLACK BAT (Age of Adventure). It's on my buy list.

-- Pulp Legionnaires already know that something big is coming from me in May. Look for the press release in a couple weeks.

-- Finishing my revised treatment for this company.

-- I am writing a review of EVIL AT PEMBERLEY HOUSE by Philip J. Farmer and Win Eckert.

-- I am red-inking my 2nd draft of the movie I'm making with this joker.

-- I am finishing some work for a client this week. Beware.

-- I am waaay behind on releasing something with this guy here. I need to speed up or get a couple of interns. Probably both.

Big question of the week:

Who reading this wants to read new pulp** on their Kindle or iPhone with
a print edition available later?

Speak up. This is stuff I need to know.

** New Pulp is defined as new fiction written in the pulp tradition, but with new characters, settings and motivations.

The Green Hornet Strikes Again!

Deep Deep Down...(Theme from Danger: Diabolik)

Simpler is Better

As demonstrated by this series of Pulp 'Girlie' magazines of yesteryear courtesy of Golden Age Comic Book Stories.

In Trouble?

Call on Jim Anthony - Super-Detective!

Details here.

From Ron Fortier and his pals at Airship 27.

No Explanation Required: Filipino Superheroine Super Gee

Well, actually maybe there is some explanation required. Go here.

Found via Video 48.

And Bikini Machines

(NSFW - seriously - NSFW)

The Fantastic Art of Tom Chantrell

Courtesy of Uranium Cafe.

(including more images)

Pulp: Your Escape from Reality

From Io9:

"We are seeing the trend toward escapism across the board in all areas of publishing right now due to the faltering economy. People really want to focus on something other than the nonstop woes of the world. The escapist nature of SF and fantasy gives readers a doorway into a world very different from their own."

Well, duh...

Yet Another Example of Distribution Changing Content

From our friends at Content Agenda:

Only a few years ago, bigger guns, badder enemies and louder explosives mattered most in video games.

Now, small is beautiful, and Apple Inc.'s iPhone is largely responsible.

The surprising emergence of the iPhone and its phone-less sibling, the iPod Touch, as hand-held game consoles has started to change the dynamics of the $40-billion game software industry. In addition to making titles for the iPhones, publishers are studying the thousands of games already available, figuring out what works and applying those lessons to more traditional games.

After years of building large, graphics-intensive blockbusters that come out every few years, developers are starting to make shorter, less expensive games that are released in more frequent installments. They're also making iPhone versions of major franchises that tie into the version for the console or computer.

And as these things become simpler and more integrated it will change how people create those games they are playing. Groups will network together to create their own games, their own books, their own comics and their own movies.

The common wisdom of Hollywood blockbusters has always been to "develop" their movies so it hits the widest group possible... but now, thanks to devices like the iphone and the netbook and the "cloud" of online apps and storage -- the common wisdom is changing. Especially as more and more individuals are able to create their own professional looking content.

As a young man I remember APA's (Amateur Press Associations). They were groups of fans who created content, copied it on a Xerox and sent it to a central mailer who bound all of the members' content together in books and distributed them back to the membership. This of course was before Al Gore invented the internet, but the same networking and "niche-interest" principles apply. The APA's were each distinct and exclusive. Dedicated to their own interests and driving each other creatively.

Now apply that to today's media - Youtube, Lulu.com, Createspace, Goanimate.com, and so on...

Add into it that I can send emails out to people right now and connect with them to finance various media projects. I can consult with a variety of 'experts' all over the world with the time and tools to complete those projects for a percentage of the profits.

I can house and edit and score all of my movie footage online.

Just as television changed watching movies (edited for running time and content; the "TV movie" ) so too will iphones, netbooks, and Facebook change how we not only watch those movies...

But how we make them.

Pimpin' Freshmyn...

One of the good things about working at a graphic design firm is that occasionally I get to help my friends out with their projects.

This short film by Jody Lindke was screened at the USC Norris screenings and at the DGA. As I understand it both the screening and the poster were a hit.

FRESHMYN is about a freshman girl who's debating on whether or not to lose her virginity during finals. She feels vulnerable, confused and frustrated. Yes, it's a comedy...

(Leopard print boy shorts = comedy. Always)

But this poster shows how much you can communicate visually (crossed arms = vulnerable; Title treatment screams "College"; Pink = feminine; Torso = sexy; film strip emphasizes the story and the character's shyness)

The text itself was designed to emphasize what the character is focusing on in the movie and not just impart "information." In this case, it draws your eyes right to the heart of the matter.

The team put this cohesive image together, and reworked it a little bit to strengthen the focus. Then it was approved and printed right here in the office. If this had been a full campaign we would have also designed a DVD casewrap, sell sheet, web banner, and some digital assets (an email blast or email-able press kit).***

(No, I don't know the reason for the title's spelling. You'll have to see the movie)

*** If your movie needs key art or a full marketing campaign then send me an email and we can discuss pricing. My email is in my Blogger profile or you can go here.

Serve It Up!

Johnnie To is one of the Hong Kong filmmakers whose work is extremely popular in his homeland and is critically regarded elsewhere. His work is seen here primarily through the medium of DVD and Cable and the occasional action film festival release or "special screening."

He doesn't get the respect he richly deserves here in the states - at least not on par with the likes of Woo or Yuen or others - but he has a unique style and perspective he brings to genre material. Check out this movie and others in his filmography.

You'll be glad you did.

Happy Easter Sunday - The Pulp Version

Courtesy of Starlet Showcase...

Hey Brother! Can You Spare Some Pulp?

Hi Gang --

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, right? I have gone and monetized the blog with a DONATE NOW button from our friends at PayPal. I've held off for four years, but the time had come. I love writing this blog. It is part of me, and I hope part of you too... that nasty icky part that gets caught deep in your nethers, but a part nonetheless.

So, if you like what you see here on Pulp 2.0 and you want to see more of it - then please donate! Every little bit helps.
(Sign up for the Pulp Legion Electrogram - it will make any donation you make well worth it. You will be in on the ground floor of several pulp somethings that are really cool, you'll learn all the behind-the-scenes drama and intrigue that goes into making a Pulp Movie, and I pack every issue with enough linkage that will have you downloading and reading for weeks. Hint: This next issue will be "cine-magical" to say the least.)

Oh, and to those Legionaires in the know - That big "thing" I told you I was working on? Yes, it will be that big and I'm going to break it up into "3 big things" in order to do it justice.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about - Subscribe! The subscription widget is over in the sidebar. If you're reading this via Google Reader - click the link and go over and sign up.

You'll be glad you did.

Spring Cleanin' Comin at Ya!

Yes, Indeed - after the upcoming Tax-pocalypse on Tuesday, I'll begin the process of spring cleaning here at Pulp 2.0. I have already drafted the services of ahem, a maid...

Spring cleaning means I'll need your help in figuring out the best features on this blog and what you want to see more of...

[Of course, if you haven't subscribed to the Pulp Legion Electrogram! --my own little homespun "fanzine" filled with pulpy media goodness -- then you're already missing out on some really good stuff you won't see anywhere else. ]

One aspect to this blog that I am slowly changing is the branding and merchandising... I will leave that little bit of bait to lay in the water a bit longer, but get your checkbooks and Paypal accounts warmed up.

So take a moment and comment on what you'd like to see more of, what you want to see less of, and where we could take this blog thingee. You're only helping yourself.

[And thanks to everyone who commented on the new AMC channel, BMC. I am loading that little bullet into the gun]

I'm holding two press announcements for next week and one for the end of the month as I get a few more things in place... running a multimedia empire from your kitchen table is difficult.

But worth it.

New Home of the B's...

AMC has launched a new section of their website:

Welcome to BMC

Bikinis! Monsters! Motorcycles! Welcome to BMC, your new go-to site for B-movies by the likes of John Carpenter (Dark Star) and Roger Corman (Saga of the Viking Women). Now online and in full screen, watch unsung classics like Asylum by Psycho screenwriter Robert Bloch or Corridors of Blood with the inimitable Christopher Lee. Want to see international icons before they made it big? Check out Raquel Welch in A Swingin' Summer or kung fu king Sonny Chiba in Terror Beneath the Sea. Looking for the unexpected? How about The Ruthless Four, a spaghetti Western starring Klaus Kinski. Whether it's hotrod culture (Dragstrip Girls) or beefcake epics (Hercules Unchained), BMC has got you covered.

Edit to add: Don't the Neptune men uniforms look like early versions of the Phantom costume below? Just sayin...

This is What the New Phantom Looks Like...

Thoughts?

And I suppose we should post a comparison...

I'm Having This Tattooed on My ...

Soul.

You should too. It's the pulp way.

H/T to Kung Fu Monkey.

(where you can download the image)

This Looks Like Fun

Use All of the Chicken...

If you want to make money in these rough times. DirecTV is doing just that:

THE TRIO CABLER won praise from TV critics a few years ago by showcasing acclaimed but short-lived series under the banner "Brilliant but Canceled." In essence, it marked a resourceful way for a channel with a meager budget to make its dollars go further by using every part of the chicken.

Now DirecTV's 101 Network is doing much the same with a bonus, offering all the episodes of axed programs -- including those that never saw the light of day -- billed as "The Complete Series." The satcaster's digging through TV's dearly departed began with the 2000 drama "Wonderland" and has expanded to include three recent Warner Bros. programs: "Smith," which begins this week, with four of its seven episodes never having aired on CBS; "The Nine," with 13 hours, four not shown by ABC; and "Eyes," which shot 12 episodes, though ABC aired just five of them.

We can only hope that this idea takes off and migrates further onto the internet.

BACK IN THE 1990s, late programming guru Brandon Tartikoff advised development execs that "Every show should be somebody's favorite show" -- a maxim that has evolved now that episodes can be bought and downloaded, creating a relatively new facility to translate cult followings into incremental revenue.

Because seriously, I want GLOBAL FREQUENCY to have an airing...and let me put this out into the universe -- this is a web serial I would want to see ala ANGEL OF DEATH. Perfect format on the perfect distribution platform for that show.

A New Pulp Legion Electrogram

Will be winging its way through the internet to you soon!

If you haven't signed up for it yet, you may still do so by going to my sidebar and scrolling down to the subscription form.

It's free and I don't do anything with the email address info except inform you of all sorts of cool stuff, pass along information and advice.

From the electro-mailbag for last issue:

Keep re-reading this. Good stuff, Bill. -- JOD

This is excellent!

I am looking forward to going through all the links you've put in here, and really looking forward to what's next. Thanks for putting this together. -- Kevin Byrne

Remember the Pulp Legion Electrogram has exclusive content you won't see here on this blog. Don't miss out on the fun...

Got Pulp?

And yet another wonderful day with a client that doesn't understand why she needs to pulp up her horror movie's marketing. She is dead set on keeping this movie's marketing star-based (even though the lead hasn't been a "star" since the early 80's) instead of going with the movie's horror concept which is far more entertaining and marketable.

Me: This (person) doesn't sell the movie. Especially on DVD.
Her: Sure she does...
Me: No, she doesn't. The concept is sell-able if we amp up the pulp.
Her: "Amp up the pulp?" What's the pulp?
Me: Well, the way you want to do it is to position this movie is as a "heart-wrenching drama about a woman dealing with a horrific disease."
Her: And that's not "pulp?"
Me: No, pulp is a woman dealing with the horror that something alive is inside her and taking over.
Her: Oh.

We <3 Angry Robots !

This Sunday: NIGHTMARE MAN and THE GRAVEDANCERS

Directors Rolfe Kanefsky (NIGHTMARE MAN) and Mike Mendez (THE GRAVEDANCERS) are celebrating the new double feature DVD release of their After Dark Horrorfest films together for the first time!

The meet/signing will be on:

Sunday, April 5th from 1-3 p.m. at

Spudic's Movie Empire
5910 Van Nuys Blvd.,
Van Nuys, CA
(just north of Oxnard)

Joining Rolfe and Mike will be stars Blythe Metz and Jack Sway from NIGHTMARE MAN, NIGHTMARE producer Esther Goodstein and THE GRAVEDANCERS writer Brad Keene.

There will be signings of the mini-posters and many rare and unreleased DVD's for sale from the Kanefsky library including TOMORROW BY MIDNIGHT, BLONDE AND BLONDER, THE HAZING, PRETTY COOL, PRETTY COOL TOO, MOOD BOOBS, JACQUELINE HYDE, special editions of ALIEN EROTICA: Director's Cut with bonus disc, THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE, special edition of CORPSES, ALIEN EROTICA 2, and many more.

Amost 20Q : Mysterious Adventures

I’ve started a new feature here at Pulp 2.0 called “Almost 20Q” named of course after the infamous regular column in Playboy magazine. To inaugurate this bit of journalistic buffoonery and “behind-the-scenes” madness, I have decided to put the spotlight on Matt Crap (honest, that’s his name) and Scott Godlewski aka Scotty God -- two creative pulpsters who decided to take the bull by the balls and publish their own comic Mysterious Adventure Magazine.

I was first made aware of this book thanks to one of my pulpy agents Rolf, who is able to sniff out all sorts of things across the web. You can see his work here.


1. What is is about the Silver age and pulp that attracts you guys?

MC: I really like the "flash bang" aspect of Silver Age stuff. Everything is loud and in your face, very unapologetically upbeat and sometimes even campy. As far as pulp, that's a whole different animal. Pulp to me, is a lot like Punk, it means different things to different people. I like that my idea of a perfect "pulp comic" is a gritty drawing of a guy in a fedora walking through the rain and this guy's idea of a "pulp comic" is some weird sci-fi story with aliens rayguns...that's good biz.

SG: I like the hero beating up the bad guy. Not that comics today aren't good, but there's something great about the larger than life hero punching the problem until it's solved and only taking one episode to do it. I guess I miss that compressed storytelling style.

2. Who are your favorite artists (living or dead) who you count as influences?

MC: I know eveybody goes straight to Kirby (and I'd be lying if I said he didn't/doesn't effect me) but more indirectly through other guys. My top influences would be Erik Larsen, Bruce Timm, Mike Mignola, and Ron Frenz. I'm constantly amazed with their output or spirit.

SG: Jim Lee got me looking at comic books, but the guys I really pay attention to these days are Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Mark Schultz, Kevin Nowlan, and Darwyn Cooke.

3. Why publish yourself?

SG: Control and convenience. I really wanted to have a new book for the Phoenix Comicon in 2009 and doing it ourselves was the only way to guarantee we could have it in time.

MC: Who else is gonna do it?

4. We've all heard the horror stories - give us a self-publishing horror story.

MC: That's a tough one. The positives have far outweighed the negative. Honestly one specific horrific situation doesn't come to mind. Don't get me wrong, if Scotty reminded me, I'm sure I could go off on it.

SG: There weren't any real horrifying moments. Wearing the hat of publisher in addition to creator is a bit stressful, especially when working with other creators. We got lucky, though, that everyone on the book was so cool.

5. What were you thinking when you embarked on this pulpy publishing adventure?

MC: Besides the primal drive to create, I would say that I was sick of not contributing to the industry or scene or whatever you wanna call it. I wanted something that I helped make out there in the world for other people to see. I know while we were doing it, I kept referring to MAM as a 40 page business card. Almost as a way of diminishing the importance of it being successful as a storytelling device and more like a job application. But I think that was a way of distancing myself from being as emotionally invested in the project than I really was. When really it was my main focus for a number of months.

SG: I wanted to make a cool, cheap book that could be picked up cold and be enjoyed by anyone. Unfortunately, the cheap part isn't as possible as I would like.


6. What are your long-term goals with your characters?

MC: That's actually the kicker. I had originally intended the characters I had created to be pretty disposable. I was trying to take small excerpts from existing story ideas, that could stand alone, and present them without a past or future. The problem was that the process helped flesh out those ideas even more and now the continuation of those ideas won't stop. As far as actual plans…

SG: Make lots and lots of money on licensing and media deals. And do whatever the hell I like, story-wise.


7. Who do you want to work with?

MC: As gay as this sounds, I wanna work with Scotty. He's a goddamned genius, case closed. I'd be buying his stuff even if I didn't know him. He's one of those guys who has the drive, vision, skill, and talent to write his own ticket. I'd put money on Godlewski tearing it up at one of the BigTwo (or both) later in his career. I wanna work with Ben some more too. I didn't think he'd be able to do it, he was the last guy added to the project, and he absolutely floored me with his content. But other than being a kiss ass, I'd love to work with Ryan Dunlavey, Scott Wegener, or Ryan Ottley to name a few.

SG: Other than Matt and the fine folks already working on the book? I think Chuck Dixon would craft a killer Flying Phantom story. And if Joe Kubert drew it, I'd die a very happy man.


8. What's your working methodology ?

MC: I don't know if I have enough stories under my belt to describe a standard method. Scott and I worked differently then Joe and I and I'm sure I was a different kind of pain in the ass to Scott than I was to Ben. It's all relative.

SG: When writing, I break the story down by page, working out the beats and pacing. Then I script it out in full before designing layouts. I draw out a final thumbnail at 50% of the board size and then enlarge and transfer it to the art board. Using a lightbox to transfer the layout saves me the time of trying to replicate the composition on the larger board. Then I pencil and ink.


9. What pulps influenced you the most?

MC: Sadly for me I think most of the influence is gleaned from how pulp effects other mediums. I know I'll kick myself later, but as far as a direct influence, I don't have one to give.

SG: I have to be honest and say that I've only recently started actually reading any pulp novels. I've always had an idea of what they were like from seeing the cool covers and reading about them. And I've come to discover that they're just as cool as I thought they would be.

10. What else are you interested in? Movies, animation, house building ?

MC: I love movies. Horror movies to be specific. Good horror, bad horror, big budget, no budget. I think it's a genre that's riddled with expectations while having no real expectations to speak of. A horror movie isn't expected to be brilliant or Oscar worthy so you have a real feeling of "anything can happen" and some rules of fiction can be bent or downright disregarded.

SG: I'm a big movie fan, though my wife will tell you that I hate almost all of them.

11. How has the internet changed how you do business?

MC: This book would not exist without the internet. I've never met in person with Scotty, Ben, Joe, Matt, or Danny. But I made a comic book with Scotty, Ben, Joe, Matt, and Danny. I don't think any of us live in the same state as the others. Without looking it up (forgive me fellas) AZ, OR, MA, MN, CA, and Danny across the pond in the UK.


SG: It makes business possible. We know all of the guys contributing to the book through deviantART. Our printer, Ka-Blam, sells our book online through IndyPlanet. The internet makes self-publishing an option for anyone willing to put in the work.


12. Raygun or jetpack?

MC: I've always wanted to fly, but ever since the Rocketeer, I've been worried about burning the back of my legs. So i guess I'd go raygun...actually screw my legs, I wouldn't need them, I'd have a jetpack.

SG: Raygun. I don't like heights.


13. Domino mask or cowl and cape?

MC: Gotta go domino mask

SG: Domino mask.


14. Lone adventurer or Team leader?

MC: Lone adventurer

SG: Working in a vacuum stinks, but I don't think of myself as a leader. So I choose C.

15. Underwater or underground secret headquarters?

MC: Underground

SG: Underground. I also don't like the water.

16. Favorite movie serials...

MC: From the few that I've actually seen? I really dug the Lone Ranger when I was a kid and always like Sherlock Holmes stuff. If it counts, the Fleischer Superman cartoon STILL gets me all nostalgic.

SG: My dad used to have some VHS tapes of the first Batman serial. I always thought those were cool. I've got the Captain Marvel series on my Netflix queue. Indiana Jones counts, right?

17. Moment you understood that comics and art was what you wanted to do?

MC: I wish I could nail that down to one moment in time, but I don't remember. I think I finally resolved to that fact when I realized I couldn't draw a whole cartoon on my own.

SG: The moment I realized that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started as a comic book.

18. What's a typical work day like?

MC: Go to work, work at a hump job, come home to do the whole "wife and kids" thing, and fit in as much nerdity as possible in the gaps.

SG: I work a day job from 8-5, come home and spend time with my wife and son, and then draw or write until I can no longer see straight.

19. What more is coming from the guys at Mysterious Adventures?

MC: Without giving away anything specific...more Flying Phantom, superhero vigilantism, more mythology, more folklore, more fun.

SG: Hopefully a lot. We're collecting stuff for the Summer issue now. There's a nice Cloak story in that one. There may be other Flying Phantom and Green Ghost stories in future issues. We'll see.

Buy their pulp here.

This is How Comic BOOKS Used to Look...

Courtesy of Golden Age Comic Book Stories...











Now call me crazy, but wouldn't it be cool if web- comics looked kind of like this instead of all the 4-panel gag cartoons or the "manga-esque" or "big foot" material?

That Sound You Hear is the Beat of the Future...

From Content Agenda:

Sales of low-cost netbooks are growing strongly, in contrast to the rest of the market according to analysts.

A report by NPD analysts DisplaySearch predicts that in the coming year netbook sales will grow by 65 per cent, compared to growth in notebook sales of just three per cent.

Cheap access to all sorts of entertainment media and information.
A global connection to like-minded individuals.
The ability to set up and monetize your activities.

“Telecom providers in almost every geographic region are providing subsidized mini-notes, lowering the street price by bundling it with a data plan,„ said Jacobs.

“In emerging economies, internet service providers have revived micro-finance models to also facilitate adoption of mini-notes, while 39 OEMs in 29 countries have partnered with Intel, via their Classmate program, to ship approximately one million units in 2008 and are expected to ship two million units in 2009.„

If this isn't a "pulp generation" - fast, cheap and connected - then I don't know what is...

Be in a Frenzy...

Jill Golick reminds us that Script Frenzy has started...

If you need and excuse to bang out a first draft this is it. Structured in a similar manner to NaNoWriMo (sp?) it aims to get as many people as possible over the hump of writing the first draft of a script.

So go sign up... and write.

Perfection is Overrated...

So yesterday I completed my first draft of FLY BY NIGHT and sent it off to the producer, sat back, relaxed and got some sleep.

And it's funny because there were several folks around me who said "Huzzah" and so forth and that's great and all (and we really love them for it)...

But let's be honest for a moment.

A first draft is just priming the pump for what will be the real job. As they all say, "Writing isn't the problem, its the rewriting that's the bitch."

But so many folks have problems just getting that first draft out of their system. Their level of expectation for a first draft is soooooo high that they either get bogged down in the writing process and grind to a halt never completing that first draft - or- they never begin it in the first place. They have this insane idea it has to be perfect from the starting gate.

Poppycock.

Part of the reason you do a first draft is to get all of your bad ideas, bad dialogue, bad character choices and... crap out of your system and onto the page. There in the light of day, in harsh Black & White are all your bad decisions (along with a healthy dose of good ones) staring you in the face.

The good news is now that you can see them - and see how an early bad decision affects the rest of the script - you can deal with them. You can fix the structure by moving a few things around in their "proper order." You can rethink your dialogue and your characters perspective and your world.

Now that you see them - they are fixable.

And what's really fun is that there are now options you can see too: Traps you can lay. Surprises you can spring on your audience. New directions. Layering.

You can't see those options if you don't get that idea / treatment / first draft out on the page. It doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to get done... it needs to be fixable.

and the more you just do it and get it out of your system -- the more you write, then rewrite -- then the better you get at all stages of the game.