What I heard (and it's long!)
Feb. 28th, 2008 08:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stinglikeabeeI'm not sorry to say this, but CNN is absolutely shit. Ever since Fox News came on, CNN's dumped its formerly formidable news coverage in favour of shitty opinion programs masquerading as journalism. Nancy Grace, for fuck's sake. What the hell makes her deserving of air time? Speculating on live television on whether Britney Spears is mentally deficient? Damn, it makes me depressed.
I know this is probably old news for those who have cable, but I don't and it disgusts me. Not only that, I remember the days when CNN actually had journalism credibility. When I wanted to be the next Christiane Amanpour and put my life out in a war zone in order to broadcast the unseemly truth. God, but MSNBC was a welcome respite. Even when it's as sloppy and concentrated on US-centric news read by pouty female newscasters who think it's the height of hilarity to put on a horrid accent and impersonate the French premier, it's still miles better than the drivel put out by CNN. Anyway, enough with the evils of cable news rant.
The first thing I did at the Wondercon was to head for the Robert A. Heinlein blood drive. I don't think I've ever read any of the writer's work, but that wasn't why I went. When you have something that could be of use to others, you oughta share it as best you can. Too bad the volunteers I quizzed at the convention center had no idea where it was. Sigh. It took a while to get a hang of the layout of the building - the room is on the middle floor, behind the elevators, and tucked away from sight. You get in, fill out a form with your particulars, and someone measures your vitals. Only I was disqualified because my iron was 2% too low to donate. I didn't mind giving anyway, but the lady writing it down warned with the amount they'd take, I'd be too weak to even walk. As I left one of the volunteers called me back and said I'd forgotten something. Brushing away the fact that I hadn't actually donated anything, she handed me a bag with goodies anyway. There's a Will Eisner reader, a Robert A Heinlein pin, a Comicon headwrap thing, some posters, and a Vanishing Bugs Bunny figure Sal picked from the 2007 SDCC. Pretty cool, but wished I was able to do something for it.
There was a lot of time between the panels I wanted to attend so I hit the exhibitors in Hall A. First up was DC Comics. There's always some free schlock I immediately covet for no apparent reason at their booths. This time I picked up cute Tiny Titans tattoos and Jann Jones handed me two sets of the cuties. There were more pins and posters as well, but nothing else interesting. Secondly I headed out to Greenlightjobs.com and spoke with a manager at the website. Greenlightjobs.com advertises job postings, specifically in the animation and entertainment industry. In case Sal decides to come down to LA and work, I thought to ask around and see what advice the pros could offer.
That's the great part about Wondercon; everyone seems to be genuinely enthused about the comic or animation industry. My fellow conventiongoers were fledgling artists or animators who wanted to find out how to capture the jobs of their dreams. Or writers who were interested in telling a good yarn. Instead of SDCC where it's all about freebies and movies and games.
Artist Terry Dodson explained his influences at his panel, which included Rockwell, Bruce Timm, and Adam Hughes. I like those who profess to be influenced by a great range of ideas, instead of just one narrow genre. Isn't it weird when a young'un says 'My influence is Jhonen Vasquez' and proceeds to draw exactly like him? Makes sense, right? Dodson also explained how he breaksdown the artwork: a layout on the script first. Basically he doodles on the pages and then follows through. Unless it's something more elaborate, then it's through storyboards.
He did mention he covered up Wonderwoman - her costume had become skimpier and skimpier. He explained that it had gotten to the point where her blue shorts were up her butt and her boobs were popping out everywhere. As someone (a man as well) pointed out in the audience, how does she even bend? When Dodson worked on the Wonder Woman monthly, he raised the red part of her costume over the cleavage, and lengthened the blue shorts about 2 inches over her thighs. His words: make her 'sexy, not sex'. Wise man.
The next panel was for Darwyn Cooke. I'm a big fan of the man's work, but when I was questioned why I couldn't remember. Or when I started to buy his books. I couldn't pick apart his artwork or his stories and say exactly what it is that I liked other than it's good storytelling. His artwork isn't obtrusive, or too stylised to take away from the plot or action. I'm definitely biased towards the retro style, but there are those who ape that style without much thought. What makes his work different?
He gives the example of Alex Ross painting a man smiling and the universal smiley face. Which is more recognisable? 'The simpler the image, the broader the audience.' Not only that, Cooke knows his audience, knows there's a demand for something that isn't a testosterone punch-kick-fight fest. So even when there was doubt as to how well his New Frontier would fare, he pressed on to tell the stories he wanted to tell. Unfortunately, I hadn't read any of it (was saving myself to be blown away by the movie). But listening to the audience questions on what will be included or why a certain piece wasn't included, I felt more than missed out. They were really protective of New Frontier, and not the normal 'How dare you do this to my favourite character? etc'. I couldn't describe it, but perhaps people already see the work as a milestone.
An audience member did ask about the 'controversy' the 'different' Wonder Woman in New Frontier caused. Huh? It turns out the Rubenesque Wonder Woman was a big change in a time where DC published skinny, skinny women covers. There was talk of her being a 'tough sell', too. I remember being a little taken aback at this Wonder Woman, but thinking it was her mother Hippolyta instead. So she's a little curvy. Let's move on.
The next topic of discussion was The Spirit, originally created by Will Eisner. Cooke spoke of having Eisner on his back, of the constant awareness. I can't even begin to imagine how it must have been to have the shadow of a comic giant on what you do. Cooke's run on the Spirit is what got me into Eisner in the first place, so it works. Someone asked about the Pork & Beans issue, where the story of a fop villain makes a sudden turn and exposes his character. Another asked about P'Gell, the femme fatale, and the backstory Cooke had given her. Again there was trepidation about creating such a history for a character already established. He quoted Dan Didio, DC executive editor, saying he had 'more reverence for these characters than we do'. Sounded like a dickish thing Didio would say, and he had to add further to the comment which goes something like, it's good the company is willing to do all these radical changes. Or whatever, I was miles away, having had my worse suspicions about Didio proven true.
Cooke did wonder why people asked about him working on Captain Marvel. I'd definitely love to see that, as there's a 50s sensibility to the character (even though Marvel was created in the 30s). But he noted having seen Paul Dini in a Captain Marvel suit, 'it marks you'. Yikes.
Of course, Frank Miller's version of The Spirit came up. I nearly cried when I found out at comicon he'd be directing the film adaptation. Anyone's who's read All Star Batman & Robin will understand the reaction. Seriously, WTF? Is Spirit going to go all Sin City and punch whores whores whores? Ack, I can't think about it anymore; it makes me weepy. Anyway, Cooke said he'd seen only what little the rest of us have seen and that it will be a 'kickass movie'. Is it politeness, or genuine hope?
The last thing I have on my notes is the idea that Bruce Wayne is 'damaged goods'. Well, yeah. Parents were murdered in front of his eyes as a child. He grew up with a butler as his only family. He became obsessed with tracking his parents' killer. And took to dressing up like a giant rodent... surely this is not healthy. But someone actually said to Cooke 'Bruce Wayne is the sanest man on the planet'. Good god, if that's true then...
Let's not think about it.
After this panel was the raucous DC Nation, headed up by Dan Didio. There's a secret Green Arrow book by James Robinson that can't be talked about. The upcoming issue of DC Universe 0 is priced at $0.50 a pop. The ghost detectives Ralph & Sue Dibny to be appearing soon. And a very mean moment when Didio asked 'Who thinks Blue Beetle is back forever?' Poor Boostle fans.
Some schmuck asked Didio about the Tiny Titans, saying he came in late and would like to buy every goddamn issue if he could. Somehow this turned into Didio saying the original title of this very cute Johnny DC title as 'Goddamn Tiny Titans' and to stay tune for a potential Swamp Thing/Goddamn Tiny Titans crossover. Good heavens. Plus, we learned that whenever someone says 'Beast Boy puppy' Jann Jones squees. Very cute.
I did ask (only because no one else did!) about whether Spoiler was indeed Stephanie Brown. Didio had this look on his face like, shit almost made through without someone asking this goddamn question. He passed it on to Sergio Aragones, who then pretended to answer in Spanish. Good times :D
The last question of the panel, unfortunately, was someone asking about the collection of Superman Red & Blue. There were muffled groans from the audience that the last question was wasted. Just ew.
The rest of the night was spent pounding the pavement. Whenever I get to someplace new, I make it a point to start walking. Obviously it's tough in a place like LA where it's so spread out. I just walked around, keeping a note of where it's safe and where it's not. There have been times where I unwittingly walked into very dangerous territory (during a gang turf war in the inland empire, a drug bust in downtown LA etc) but thank god it's only happened during the day time. Still, said the guy who sat beside me for dinner, I've got guts to do so.
Farmer Brown is a Cajun/Creole restaurant, and a packed one at that. It took nearly an hour to seat me since I didn't make reservations, but I seriously had hankering for soul food. There was a nice bloke who joined me at the bar, and we talked about food more than his job. He was a systems and software engineer, and traveled all over the country. But when he stopped by the city, he made it a point to eat at Farmer Brown's. I pointed out the gumbo was thin and that I was expecting something else. He raised an eyebrow and asked what I ordered. I had sweet potato fries, gumbo, and had just ordered the southern greens. I admitted soul food was my weakness, especially the hearty mac and cheese, and the blackeyed peas cooked with a ham hock. The last dish hardly ever was made with the ham, I grumbled, and that was the best part. Haha, I totally forgot I was trying to go vegan then. The nice bloke was surprised and laughingly called me a 'sister'. We spent the rest of the meal time chatting some more about our favourite southern foods. He was the real deal, from Louisiana, and talked about the best biscuits ever - soft, puffy, and buttery. Gahhhh. I swear, I will find a way to get my lame ass to New Orleans for food if it takes forever.
And my greens? Too salty and no pot likka. What is this, commie Russia?
I know this is probably old news for those who have cable, but I don't and it disgusts me. Not only that, I remember the days when CNN actually had journalism credibility. When I wanted to be the next Christiane Amanpour and put my life out in a war zone in order to broadcast the unseemly truth. God, but MSNBC was a welcome respite. Even when it's as sloppy and concentrated on US-centric news read by pouty female newscasters who think it's the height of hilarity to put on a horrid accent and impersonate the French premier, it's still miles better than the drivel put out by CNN. Anyway, enough with the evils of cable news rant.
The first thing I did at the Wondercon was to head for the Robert A. Heinlein blood drive. I don't think I've ever read any of the writer's work, but that wasn't why I went. When you have something that could be of use to others, you oughta share it as best you can. Too bad the volunteers I quizzed at the convention center had no idea where it was. Sigh. It took a while to get a hang of the layout of the building - the room is on the middle floor, behind the elevators, and tucked away from sight. You get in, fill out a form with your particulars, and someone measures your vitals. Only I was disqualified because my iron was 2% too low to donate. I didn't mind giving anyway, but the lady writing it down warned with the amount they'd take, I'd be too weak to even walk. As I left one of the volunteers called me back and said I'd forgotten something. Brushing away the fact that I hadn't actually donated anything, she handed me a bag with goodies anyway. There's a Will Eisner reader, a Robert A Heinlein pin, a Comicon headwrap thing, some posters, and a Vanishing Bugs Bunny figure Sal picked from the 2007 SDCC. Pretty cool, but wished I was able to do something for it.
There was a lot of time between the panels I wanted to attend so I hit the exhibitors in Hall A. First up was DC Comics. There's always some free schlock I immediately covet for no apparent reason at their booths. This time I picked up cute Tiny Titans tattoos and Jann Jones handed me two sets of the cuties. There were more pins and posters as well, but nothing else interesting. Secondly I headed out to Greenlightjobs.com and spoke with a manager at the website. Greenlightjobs.com advertises job postings, specifically in the animation and entertainment industry. In case Sal decides to come down to LA and work, I thought to ask around and see what advice the pros could offer.
That's the great part about Wondercon; everyone seems to be genuinely enthused about the comic or animation industry. My fellow conventiongoers were fledgling artists or animators who wanted to find out how to capture the jobs of their dreams. Or writers who were interested in telling a good yarn. Instead of SDCC where it's all about freebies and movies and games.
Artist Terry Dodson explained his influences at his panel, which included Rockwell, Bruce Timm, and Adam Hughes. I like those who profess to be influenced by a great range of ideas, instead of just one narrow genre. Isn't it weird when a young'un says 'My influence is Jhonen Vasquez' and proceeds to draw exactly like him? Makes sense, right? Dodson also explained how he breaksdown the artwork: a layout on the script first. Basically he doodles on the pages and then follows through. Unless it's something more elaborate, then it's through storyboards.
He did mention he covered up Wonderwoman - her costume had become skimpier and skimpier. He explained that it had gotten to the point where her blue shorts were up her butt and her boobs were popping out everywhere. As someone (a man as well) pointed out in the audience, how does she even bend? When Dodson worked on the Wonder Woman monthly, he raised the red part of her costume over the cleavage, and lengthened the blue shorts about 2 inches over her thighs. His words: make her 'sexy, not sex'. Wise man.
The next panel was for Darwyn Cooke. I'm a big fan of the man's work, but when I was questioned why I couldn't remember. Or when I started to buy his books. I couldn't pick apart his artwork or his stories and say exactly what it is that I liked other than it's good storytelling. His artwork isn't obtrusive, or too stylised to take away from the plot or action. I'm definitely biased towards the retro style, but there are those who ape that style without much thought. What makes his work different?
He gives the example of Alex Ross painting a man smiling and the universal smiley face. Which is more recognisable? 'The simpler the image, the broader the audience.' Not only that, Cooke knows his audience, knows there's a demand for something that isn't a testosterone punch-kick-fight fest. So even when there was doubt as to how well his New Frontier would fare, he pressed on to tell the stories he wanted to tell. Unfortunately, I hadn't read any of it (was saving myself to be blown away by the movie). But listening to the audience questions on what will be included or why a certain piece wasn't included, I felt more than missed out. They were really protective of New Frontier, and not the normal 'How dare you do this to my favourite character? etc'. I couldn't describe it, but perhaps people already see the work as a milestone.
An audience member did ask about the 'controversy' the 'different' Wonder Woman in New Frontier caused. Huh? It turns out the Rubenesque Wonder Woman was a big change in a time where DC published skinny, skinny women covers. There was talk of her being a 'tough sell', too. I remember being a little taken aback at this Wonder Woman, but thinking it was her mother Hippolyta instead. So she's a little curvy. Let's move on.
The next topic of discussion was The Spirit, originally created by Will Eisner. Cooke spoke of having Eisner on his back, of the constant awareness. I can't even begin to imagine how it must have been to have the shadow of a comic giant on what you do. Cooke's run on the Spirit is what got me into Eisner in the first place, so it works. Someone asked about the Pork & Beans issue, where the story of a fop villain makes a sudden turn and exposes his character. Another asked about P'Gell, the femme fatale, and the backstory Cooke had given her. Again there was trepidation about creating such a history for a character already established. He quoted Dan Didio, DC executive editor, saying he had 'more reverence for these characters than we do'. Sounded like a dickish thing Didio would say, and he had to add further to the comment which goes something like, it's good the company is willing to do all these radical changes. Or whatever, I was miles away, having had my worse suspicions about Didio proven true.
Cooke did wonder why people asked about him working on Captain Marvel. I'd definitely love to see that, as there's a 50s sensibility to the character (even though Marvel was created in the 30s). But he noted having seen Paul Dini in a Captain Marvel suit, 'it marks you'. Yikes.
Of course, Frank Miller's version of The Spirit came up. I nearly cried when I found out at comicon he'd be directing the film adaptation. Anyone's who's read All Star Batman & Robin will understand the reaction. Seriously, WTF? Is Spirit going to go all Sin City and punch whores whores whores? Ack, I can't think about it anymore; it makes me weepy. Anyway, Cooke said he'd seen only what little the rest of us have seen and that it will be a 'kickass movie'. Is it politeness, or genuine hope?
The last thing I have on my notes is the idea that Bruce Wayne is 'damaged goods'. Well, yeah. Parents were murdered in front of his eyes as a child. He grew up with a butler as his only family. He became obsessed with tracking his parents' killer. And took to dressing up like a giant rodent... surely this is not healthy. But someone actually said to Cooke 'Bruce Wayne is the sanest man on the planet'. Good god, if that's true then...
Let's not think about it.
After this panel was the raucous DC Nation, headed up by Dan Didio. There's a secret Green Arrow book by James Robinson that can't be talked about. The upcoming issue of DC Universe 0 is priced at $0.50 a pop. The ghost detectives Ralph & Sue Dibny to be appearing soon. And a very mean moment when Didio asked 'Who thinks Blue Beetle is back forever?' Poor Boostle fans.
Some schmuck asked Didio about the Tiny Titans, saying he came in late and would like to buy every goddamn issue if he could. Somehow this turned into Didio saying the original title of this very cute Johnny DC title as 'Goddamn Tiny Titans' and to stay tune for a potential Swamp Thing/Goddamn Tiny Titans crossover. Good heavens. Plus, we learned that whenever someone says 'Beast Boy puppy' Jann Jones squees. Very cute.
I did ask (only because no one else did!) about whether Spoiler was indeed Stephanie Brown. Didio had this look on his face like, shit almost made through without someone asking this goddamn question. He passed it on to Sergio Aragones, who then pretended to answer in Spanish. Good times :D
The last question of the panel, unfortunately, was someone asking about the collection of Superman Red & Blue. There were muffled groans from the audience that the last question was wasted. Just ew.
The rest of the night was spent pounding the pavement. Whenever I get to someplace new, I make it a point to start walking. Obviously it's tough in a place like LA where it's so spread out. I just walked around, keeping a note of where it's safe and where it's not. There have been times where I unwittingly walked into very dangerous territory (during a gang turf war in the inland empire, a drug bust in downtown LA etc) but thank god it's only happened during the day time. Still, said the guy who sat beside me for dinner, I've got guts to do so.
Farmer Brown is a Cajun/Creole restaurant, and a packed one at that. It took nearly an hour to seat me since I didn't make reservations, but I seriously had hankering for soul food. There was a nice bloke who joined me at the bar, and we talked about food more than his job. He was a systems and software engineer, and traveled all over the country. But when he stopped by the city, he made it a point to eat at Farmer Brown's. I pointed out the gumbo was thin and that I was expecting something else. He raised an eyebrow and asked what I ordered. I had sweet potato fries, gumbo, and had just ordered the southern greens. I admitted soul food was my weakness, especially the hearty mac and cheese, and the blackeyed peas cooked with a ham hock. The last dish hardly ever was made with the ham, I grumbled, and that was the best part. Haha, I totally forgot I was trying to go vegan then. The nice bloke was surprised and laughingly called me a 'sister'. We spent the rest of the meal time chatting some more about our favourite southern foods. He was the real deal, from Louisiana, and talked about the best biscuits ever - soft, puffy, and buttery. Gahhhh. I swear, I will find a way to get my lame ass to New Orleans for food if it takes forever.
And my greens? Too salty and no pot likka. What is this, commie Russia?
no subject
Date: 2008-02-29 06:26 pm (UTC)Your travelogue is entertaining, thanks for sharing. I'll have to try out Farmer Brown.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-29 07:56 pm (UTC)Heh, I didn't think anyone would read this travelogue since it's mostly about comics and for my benefit. But thanks for enjoying!