Governor Rell Never Fails to Disappoint

Posted by Bob Greenberger on July 3, 2009

Yesterday, Connecticut governor Jodi M. Rell vetoed seven bills including an omnibus health care bill that included the bone marrow testing item I had testified in favor for.

The state has been without a budget since the fiscal year began on Wednesday since the detached Governor and the state legislature are seemingly miles apart on how to deal with the budget. The Governor wants cuts everywhere but none that will effectively deal with the projected $9 billion deficit projected over the next two years.

The state legislature wants a budget that sharply raises fees and taxes along with cuts.

In an effort to appear fiscally responsible, Rell vetoed each of the seven bills yesterday noting how they will wind up costing us money we don’t have “Each of these bills is problematic in some fundamental way,” Rell said in today’s Hartford Courant. “Some — like the ‘menu bill’ — are attempts to legislate what should be common sense, and would impose burdens on the people of Connecticut and add costs for businesses and agencies in the midst of a deep recession.” The menu bill would have required nutritional information be included in chain food restaurants. While the state was recognized as the third fittest (or third least obese) this week, she felt this was an unnecessary act. And a bill that would have required the state to apply for federal stimulus funds to create “green jobs,” and promote “green energy” seems not only cost-efficient but forward-thinking.

“Does it come as a surprise to anyone that a vegetable salad is healthier and more nutritious than a bacon cheeseburger?” Rell asked. “There has been a growing and troubling tendency by some to legislate nearly every aspect of our lives and society, including personal responsibility. Such legislation always comes at a cost to the taxpayer and to individual freedom.”

Closer to home, the veto included the health care bill which would have obligated health insurance companies to cover various medical treatments, including hearing aids for children, prosthetic devices, bone marrow testing, wigs for certain patients who suffer hair loss, and ostomy supplies.

I want to thank everyone for the lobbying effort last month but clearly the governor is disinterested. I am deeply disappointed in the specific bill being rejected but the larger issue appears to be our governor playing chicken with every aspect of our lives in order to appear prudent when she is instead showing a distinct lack of leadership during a time of fiscal concern.

A Very Busy July

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 30, 2009

So, what have been doing since we last chatted?

A great deal of data manipulation as I do the extensive research required for my long-term assignment for DC Comics. I’m basically taking word files, stripping out data and altering the formatting, saving the file as a text file and then importing it into Excel and then going line by line to add additional annotations. It’s long and laborious and the repetition is no doubt causing aches and pains. On the other hand, I am slightly better than half done and once the files are all converted, I can then begin the next phase.

What’s it all about? We’ll be talking about that once DC makes its formal announcement, most likely this fall. When’s it coming out? Sometime in 2010.  What’s my role? Clearly, researcher and yes, later to be a writer.

Beyond that, I’ve also been doing work on my myriad short assignments. Yesterday, Westfield Comics posted my latest essay on a project, this time, the first volume in the Phantom comic strips collection coming from Hermes Press. Additionally, I have been doing more work with my old pal Jordan Gorfinkel, packaging in house comic strips for Microsoft and pitching new projects.

I have several small pieces to write this month, measured against the long-term work so time has to be allotted for everything. There’s one book jacket copy for Marvel, two articles for Marvel Spotlight, and the Green Hornet short story. There’s additional work to do on the Art of Howard Chaykin before I can do the actual writing and an 8000-word essay on Batmania for an anthology.

And of course, there’s San Diego for networking, socializing and business.

The variety is great and if I actually balance this all, I will make it through July in one piece and face a far calmer August.

The Remaking of ‘Pelham 1-2-3′

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 26, 2009

Thanks to the miracle of something called HBO, I got to watch a lot of movies I never saw in the theater. Back in the 1970s I thought this was absolutely revolutionary since I got to see older films as well as stuff I couldn’t afford or missed. Among them, I adored The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, largely thanks to the performances of Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. I recall being surprised at seeing Jerry Stiller as a supporting character in a drama since I was more familiar with him as a comedian.

The movie was tense and gripping with lovely subtle performances in addition to a mood and atmosphere created by director Joseph Sargent, who actually did better television work than feature films (including one gripping episode of Star Trek).

Once I saw the cast for the remake, I was sold on seeing the film and finally managed to catch it last night. Tony Scott brought the film up to date, using modern technology for the subway system and the passengers and that’s fine. He also totally changed the backgrounds of the characters, adding some new layers to the drama and again that was fine.

In all, the movie works independent from the novel and the original feature. Where it falls down, though, is in creating that atmosphere of tension. Quick cuts and visual pyrotechnics do not replace for lighting, shaded performances and editing to create the feel.  Sure there’s tension, especially watching the SWAT team sweat it out mere yards from the subway car, but it pales in comparison.

The film also suffers from some storytelling problems. There’s a police escort bringing the $10 million ransom from Brooklyn to Grand Central Station. Motorcycle cops surround the car and they leap frog one another to block the side streets and keep the path clear. Of course, a cab gets in their way and later an ambulance comes barreling into the car. I wonder, why didn’t New York’s finest dispatch cars or officers to stand in every intersection between points A and B rather than rely on a motorcade?

Also, when the subway car leaves GCT and heads for Coney Island, it seems to be taking the scenic route through Queens as we watch the train barrel past Shea Stadium after Roosevelt Avenue, heading for Long Island, not Brooklyn. Dumb.

John Travolta plays a good bad guy. In fact, I think he does a better job as a heavy than as a protagonist (especially based on the accompanying trailer for his forthcoming comedy Old Dogs). He is riveting as he bullies Denzel Washington into talking about himself, into discussing morals and religion.

Denzel, ah Denzel. He is perhaps one of the greater underrated actors working right now and I saw that because I just don’t see him in enough good movies. He is a sympathetic everyman that has you rooting for him in every film he makes. His Walter Garber is a guy whop looks after his family, does his job and rises to the occasion when circumstances call for it. He’s not showy and doesn’t flaunt authority but is a cool professional who has a secret that comes out during the progress of the story. Paired with Travolta, they play nicely with one another especially since they do not come face to face until the final third of the film.

At first, it seemed as if James Gandolfini’s Mayor is a bit player to be mocked but in later scenes he actually starts piecing things together that others miss and contributes a key story point and then has a wonderful final scene with Denzel.

The rest of the cast is filled with unfamiliar actors, most of whom get little or nothing to do and it makes me miss the better ensemble of the original, with Martin Balsam and Hector Elizondo. Still, it’s nice to see a thoughtful, character-driven thriller during a summer where I find myself strangle unmotivated by the other offerings.

A New Project Announced

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 21, 2009

Yesterday at WizardWorld Philadelphia, Nick Barrucci announced The Art of Howard Chaykin, a hardcover book that will examine the creator’s work and career. Yours truly will be writing the project, which is due for Christmas.

Nick and I have known and liked one another since I met him during my tumultuous year at Marvel. He’s been a huckster, publisher, collectibles mogul and many other things but right now he’s mostly putting out one line after another of comics and books with some really nifty talent associated with the company.

For the last two or three years, we’ve talked about my doing something with the company. We’d see each other at a con, chat for an hour, and I’d do some follow up but the stars never aligned until he surprised me with this opportunity while we had our annual sit down at the New York Comic-Con in the winter.

Now, Howard and I have known one another dating back to the early 1980s. We’ve had some mutual respect for one another although beyond covers and pin-ups, we’ve never done too much work together. He graciously agreed to draw the first cover of Suicide Squad for me, which he knocked out in Andy Helfer’s office in a matter of hours and then gifted me with the original art.

I am pleased he approved of me as the writer.

Howard and I have shared some e-emails and then had a lengthy phone interview which will form the core of the book. I’ve been collecting the information for the checklist with some European fans that have done most of the legwork already.

This should be a good book, one that Howard can be proud of. I’m certainly enjoying working on it.

Farewell to ‘The Unusuals’

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 18, 2009

Last night ABC aired the final episode of The Unusuals, a midseason replacement they had high hopes for but the ratings weren’t there and the series became a One Season Wonder.

Deb and I came late the series, along with the other new cop show Southland, thanks to the miracle of the DVR. As a result, we watched both at the same time, adjusting to the tones and new sets of characters. In the end, we found ourselves preferring the canceled series over the one coming back next year (although being placed opposite Ugly Betty and Dollhouse means there’s no way to record all three).

The Unusuals is just another example of something quirky, fresh, and different failing while something tried and true and far more somber succeeded. Coming from producer John Wells, Southland is very much in the ER mold of flawed, depressing characters that have little beyond their jobs.  It’s got a feature film look and feel and while the performances and characters are solid, none are truly original or breakout interesting. The complications in their lives are fine, but nothing compelling. The cases they cover, both the uniformed officers and the detectives, are somewhat mundane with the freshest angle being the frustration from the cops over the hierarchy’s favoritism for the rich and elite over the rest of Los Angeles.

On the other hand, the cops at the NYC precinct are a collection bordering on the caricature side but also more likely to be truer to life. The POV character, Casey Shraeger is played by Amber Tamblyn who is in her mid-20s but still has a babyface so sometimes it’s hard to take her gravitas seriously. But she’s paired with Jeremy Renner who has a world-weary look to his face and his experience balances her out. Each set of detective partners is unique in its own way with visually unusual pairings and everyone has issues. There’s the broke cop, the safety freak, the guy denying his brain tumor, and so on. Some of the personal storylines were too far-fetched, notably the cop who reinvented himself in NY after being a convicted criminal in Texas. Still, there are terrific, tender moments for most of the cast and those in relationships actually seem to be happy with one another. Some of the cases are laugh out loud silly but also fresh and different which one wants after watching cop shows the last four decades.

Last night’s series finale was actually very touching on several levels with one case providing contrasting comic relief. A great balance and as the credits rolled, we felt sad to see them go after just 10 episodes.

Still, the tried and true won out once more over the daring and different. There’s nothing wrong with Southland, really, and were we to watch more next fall, we’d be entertained. But if it were canceled today, we wouldn’t have that same feeling.

I’m Still Here

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 16, 2009

It’s really weird. I blog, I tweet, I update regularly at Facebook and thought I was doing a fairly good job at getting the word out that I remain regularly employed with a variety of freelance projects  coming out.

And yet…and yet, the following item ran last night at Rich Johnston’s far better read Bleeding Cool:

“Bob Greenberger was a senior editor, working for DC Comics’ Collected Edition department. At the beginning of 2006, Bob was reportedly let go over an error with the Golden Age Hawkman Archive. There was much renting of cloth at the time from some appreciative archive collectors.

“But while Bob has worked for DC’s Licensed Publishing division as well as their Creative Services department since, I understand he is finally returning to the DC universe proper. Something many will be happy to hear.”

“According to Bob Greenberger’s LinkedIn profile he ‘begins work on a long-term assignment for DC Comics’ Editorial Department.’ The nature of the project is unknown. But it’s good to be back, Bob.”

I’m now receiving e-mails from folk I haven’t talked to in ages, congratulating me. It’s like I came back from the dead as opposed to being mentioned on a popular website.

To clarify, I am not on staff at DC but am doing my first freelance work for the Editorial department since leaving the company in 2006. I’ve regularly done with for the company and maintain good relations with everyone over there. In fact, I spent the day there yesterday, discussing my project, when it’ll be announced, when it’ll be released and so on. Everyone has been enthusiastic which is heartening.

Stay tuned.

My Week

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 13, 2009

Well, this first week on the new project hasn’t got worked according to plan.

Monday, I took care of lots of little things and really tried to clear the decks so I could begin in earnest on Wednesday. So far so good.

Tuesday was the much anticipated day off. Instead of doing nothing whatsoever related to work, I wound up watching and reviewing Noble Son for ComicMix and reading a film script for a conference call to discuss some marketing ideas on Wednesday. I did read a stack of comics and begin a new book so it wasn’t all work-related, and I paced myself so it felt leisurely and relaxed.

Starting Wednesday, I was going to devote the first hour to spec work and then move on to beginning the next long-term assignment. The conference call on the spec work wound up taking over 90 minutes, far longer than anticipated. Then, Deb patiently walked me through how to take MS Works files and carefully strip out some markings, replace other markings and prep the file to be poured into Excel so I can add my own notes and make it sortable. I then spent the rest of the day playing with the first file. Rather than go up and read some more, I tinkered with the second file to see if I could make it work. No, some of the formatting was different and I got stymied.

Thursday, I wound up writing a book review for ComicMix and never quite got to the spec work because of a work phone call. Deb showed me how to alter the file and I then spent all day making the line-by-line alterations and with over 800 lines to review, you can imagine how long that took. I then tried to convert the third file to see if the lessons stuck but after 90 minutes it was clear the answer was no. By then it was 6:30 and I had a 7 p.m. meeting so I wolfed down dinner and ran.

Friday morning was a case of tunnel vision. I did some work on the media tie-in comic proposal and some work on an article for Marvel Spotlight. Then, it took three more tries before I finally got the third file to do what I wanted. At this rate, all the allotted R&D time will be shot and then some which was not the plan.  Instead, I may need to rethink my approach, something I will do on the weekend trip to New Hampshire for my niece’s baby shower. I did manage to finish the third file but by then it was after 6 so the hope of knocking off at 5 and reading before dinner went out the window.

Monday, I spend the day at meetings in the city on the project so Tuesday can regroup and start fresh.

So that’s where I’ve been.

Rallying Support in Connecticut

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 10, 2009

The bill, HB5021, featuring the bone marrow legislation is now on Governor Jodi Rell’s Desk for her signature.

It got lumped in a with a few other bills but we are told if she gets enough emails and calls she will sign it into law. I’m told by Danny Lemos, who has been championing this for three years, that we have until Monday, June 15th to make this happen.

We could use your help by calling (800-406-1527) or writing (Governor.Rell@ct.gov), urging her signature.

Thanks.

Done and Moving Ahead

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 8, 2009

On Saturday, I received notes back from John Wells on the Superman entry, made the changes and closed the file. I have now effectively completed my work on the Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Of course, there are still graphics to pick, changes to make once the line edits and copy edits are done, plus proofreading the galleys, but the bulk of the work is finished. No question, April 30 was an impossible deadline but to research and write the J-Z entries from, more or less, March 1 though June 6 is a pretty good accomplishment.

I’m taking care of little odds and ends, clearing the decks for a real day off. A weekday with nothing scheduled, nothing looming over me. I’m targeting Tuesday and hope to sit and read, maybe watch a movie on disc, and just unwind.

Then, on Wednesday I will try a new schedule. After seeking some advice, I am devoting the first work hour each day to spec stuff, to actually get back to my own projects in the hopes they sell. There are several vying for attention and will begin, I think, with a collaborative project I have so far leant my name to but have not really delved into the material to date.

I also will swing into the next big project, taking June and July to do the basic research before beginning the writing. I suspect the publisher will announce this in late July and we can chat more about it then.

In addition, I need a plot for the media tie-in comic, have an essay to write and the Green Hornet short story to do as well. Some proposals are out there and need following up to see if anyone wants them and if not, try something new.

Not having the self-imposed pressure to complete Superman will be an adjustment but one I will be happy to make.

Remembering Relay

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 7, 2009

Yesterday was a bittersweet day as I awoke thinking about Robbie and his final weeks. Given the distance of time, his diagnosis of new leukemia in July and passing in August now seems incredibly swift.

Fortunately, having our nephew Tim and his pals come to install a new roof provided a wonderful distraction from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (They did a lovely job, thank you, and we’re good for the next three decades.)

Deb and I then paid a visit to the annual Relay for Life over at the high school. Several of his friends formed a team in his honor and we went to join them for the Luminary ceremony.  It felt smaller than last year and whereas I couldn’t go five feet without running into someone I knew, this year, it took a little longer.

It also felt odd since Robbie’s participation in the event last summer was the last time he was out with his friends, done with his chemo and thinking he was on the mend. He rocked out at karaoke, and was surrounded with a large circle of friends.

This year was vastly different. Circumstances kept some away and emotions kept others far from the school. Those who were there walked and had fun but as we gathered for the ceremony, and the lights faded, it was a somber affair.  The high school’s acapella group sang and then there were remarks reminding us why we were all there, to honor those who did not survive and those who did; to raise funds to aid research that has prolonged lives and cured others. We were then called to the track in groups: those who lost spouses, parents, siblings, children, and so on. We snapped our glow sticks to life and took our place then when the track was filled, there was a silent lap as the group sang again.

Tears were shed, not just by us, but from his friends, too. I sometimes forget how hard it has been on them and while we keep in touch, coming to the house or seeing us must be a hard reminder for them.

On Friday night, some of Robbie’s convention friends elsewhere in the state formed Robbie’s Rubber Duckies, and their proud mom Susan Olesen reports, they “raised more than $1,500 for Relay for Life (not counting operating expenses).  Most of them stayed the night, despite horrific rain and a tent that at one point had 2″ of water in it (thankfully, I’d brought towels and quickly learned how to swab a tent).   Rina did a great job trying to organize everything, and I think she learned a lot about fundraising, organizing, and who your real friends are.  It was our first time at Relay, and at times was quite touching.  It was quite a sight to see.”

Relay is a great way to give back and to honor those afflicted with any form of cancer. I loved seeing the team t-shirts, banners, signs, and large groups who have turned this into a real part of their lives.