Writer's Block.....and Deery

It's true. I've been off the writing bicycle for so long that I've forgotten how to ride. As I sort this out and drown my sorrows in ink and strangeness, please enjoy a sneak preview of something positively retarded that I'll be posting a review of soon.



-jared
"currently manning the Writer's Blockade"

Atomic Robo, Behind the Comic

I posted this on a forum a while back, but still struck me as kind of neat so I'm sharing. Mostly because the few webcomic heads out there might dig it, trivia-wise.

If you read the comic 8-bit Theater (nuklearpower.com...that sprite comic with characters and visuals from Final Fantasy Uno) and have for a while, you'll know that Brian the creator is/was a huge City of Heroes fan. That was the game that swallowed my soul and free time earlier this year. Anyway, years ago he posted pictures of his character, Atomic Robot doing all sorts of things in City of Heroes and generally was the reason I heard about this game in the first place.

Now, his character on City of Heroes is getting his own comic. It kind of raises a weird copyright question. If I build and design my character to exist within someone else's game, do I have ownership or not? Is there some clause in the agreements that gives me copyright of whatever I create? It's kind of weird territory as one's log in name is, in some circles, a real character. A real character that eventually gets his own comic series.

There use to be more Atomic Robo stuff online, but now that the comic book is out, they've revamped the sites to not have any of the City of Heroes screen captures that used to be there.
I just did a bit of digging through the archives and found one of what I was looking for:

http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=040601

That was from June 2004. And now, Red 5 comics is launching "Atomic Robo" the comic. Like, yesterday.
http://www.red5comics.com/?p=60

And art!
http://www.nuklearpower.com/images/bw_color_animate.gif
http://www.mechapolis.com/?p=156

This may be one of the first times someone has created a character in City of Heroes and, 3 years later, is getting their own adventures published in comic book form. Obviously the character has evolved, but it's still fun to know I'm playing an online MMRPORG (or whatever) game that inspired something like this. Because the world needs more robots that fight nazis...and this gives people addicted to games hope. Well, creative people that is. You other losers are screwed.
-jared

Edit: In drama news, Brian of Nuklear Power might have actually done this for his friend Michael Buonauro who committed suicide back in 2004. Check out the comments under that old Atomic Robo page in that first link. Interesting, right? I'd post a link to his live journal but it's since been deleted. The creepy thing about the live journal was that he posted in it just before he killed himself. Final post:
"Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda,"
Spooky but, well, yeah. I'll say no more.

Back to the Future: Aqua Teen Hunger Force

:warning: This post contains a naughty word. You know you love it.

If you know what the Aqua Teen Hunger Force is, then I probably don't need to tell you that I'm a fan. I'm not sure what it is about the show that made me an addict. I think it has something to do with being incredible cute and horrible at the same time. I don't know. As to why I bring it up:
If you know me and have been to my house (sorry, I keep harkening back to a time when only 4 people read the site) then you most likely know about my "Tape of Blood". I've always called incredibly inspirational songs "blood songs" because they motivate me...viscerally. While going to film school in New York I expanded the idea and started making a video tape that contained the best moments from my favorite films, videos, or interviews. I've neglected it over the past couple years but someone exposed me to a newish film that's got an opening that earned a space on the magical tape almost immediately:

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters.
I'm not going to lie and say it's an awesome movie. It is, however, a rather awesome episode of ATHF that's gloriously long. I guess what I'm saying is that some movies based off tv shows twist the concept into something grander (Think Charlie's Angels....or how the new Simpsons movie has the Simpson family saving the world or some such craziness). While the movie isn't too different from a regular episode (which is awesome for us fans) the opening is something of legend. Let me walk you through it; I think I have no choice.
:pause:
You're sitting in a dark theater. The trailers are done and the theater darkens as the movie begins. A familiar scene unfolds...

While they don't sing "Let's all go to the Movies" it's pretty much the same thing. It's pretty straight forward and kind of cute. Halfway through their song they're interrupted.

OH My.


Who doesn't approve of a death metal hate ballad sung by items from the snack bar telling us what we can and can't do in the theater? Allow me to share the lyrics, sung by the band Mastodon:

Don't talk, watch!
Don't talk, watch!
You came here. Watch it.
Don't like it? Walk out.
We still have all your ****ing money.

Do not nudge, kick or jiggle the seat in front of you.
I'm sitting there!
I am everywhere at once
and I will cut you up.

If you make out here,
I will cut your lips and tongue
from your head
with a linoleum knife.

Do not explain the plot.
If you don't understand, then you should not be here.
Your money is our money
and we will spend it on drugs.

Do not crinkle your food wrappers loudly.
Be considerate to others,
or I will bite your torso
and give you a disease.

Did you bring your baby?
Babies don't watch this.
Take the seed outside. Leave it in the streets.
Run over it after the show.

If I see you videotaping this movie,
Satan will rain down your throat with hot acid
and dissolve your testicles
and turn your guts into snakes.

This is copyrighted movie for Time Warner.
If I find that you've sold it on eBay,
I will break into your house
and tear your wife in half.


O_O

Just had to share. Talk to you later, boys and girls.
-jared

Edit: I love this day and age. Check it out for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMb9Z43oK3k

From Humble Origins?

I love the fact that my movie collection is a mysterious pile of stuff my rental store decided they needed to throw away. When I picked it up it was literally giant garbage bags of old movies that most of us hadn't heard of. So when I spend a weekend painting and watching bad films, I always stumble across something new.
The year is 1969. A certain body builder gets a role in a movie. The problem is that his English is non-existent. Either that, or it was really, really bad. Point is the star of this movie was the only character dubbed into English. If you've figured out who it is, you get a gold star. Here's the box:


Also known as "Hercules with Muscles", this tribute to late 1960's bodybuilding, Hercules movies, and bad comedies about life in New York was AMAAAAAAAAAAZING. Mostly because while it has Arnold in almost every scene, it has someone else entirely doing the voice. To put that in context, just image that George Bush started talking like Bugs Bunny. It's sort of an improvement but it's all too unsettling. If that makes any sense at all.
-jared

Edit: Review forthcoming. Because more people need to know about the time Arnold wrestled with a man in a bear costume.