Thinking About Hollywood and Comic-Con

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 27, 2010

Today’s New York Times’ business section has a piece on Hollywood courting fans at Comic-Con International; examine the buzz generated and whether or not it translates to actual box office success. It certainly did for District 9; it certainly did not for The Watchmen.

It got me to thinking about the con and its reputation as the Mecca of all things cool and the seal of geek cred being sought by an increasing number of sources.

On the one hand, you have a captive audience of people who want to be in the know, want to see what’s cool and like being considered a taste maker. On the other, you have rabid clusters of fans devoted to maybe only one property, taking up valuable space and memberships from people who want the full experience. Perhaps separate pricing and admission policies should reflect the Hollywood-only attendees.

Additionally, the numbers have skewed out of proportion. It used to be, a few thousand people would see a presentation out of a total registration of maybe 50,000, meaning some 10 percent or more was generating the noise. With 150,000 people streaming through the con and the largest hall accommodating only 6000 people, the buzz is ascribed to a mere 4 percent of the attendees. Everyone else is shut out of the presentation, which tends not to be simulcast to other rooms. We have to wait for footage to hit the Internet.

For those 6000 people, they line up hours in advance for that special event, losing out on actually seeing the rest of the show. The Twilight crowd apparently camped out overnight last year, which shows how extreme things can get.

The article also avoided any mention of the growing number of television series that are courting the same buzz. New series, such as CBS’ revival of Hawaii Five-O, and already hot shows, such as Fox’s Glee, will be on hand. Which raises an entirely different question: why are they there? Shows that need their diehard fans to remain on the air (yes, I’m talking to you, Chuck) make sense but most others don’t.

Comic-con used to be a celebration of comic books and comics strips, some animation, and the adaptations of these properties into movies and television series. The parameters have increasingly expanded as Hollywood studios now use the convention as their personal playhouse, showing off their newest and shiniest objects regardless of their appropriateness to the core of the show.

Certainly, movies based on comics, such as next year’s Green Lantern, should be showcased. But studios and networks should be concentrating on finding acceptance or rejection of their other genre offerings. After Disney showed off some test footage for Tron: Legacy, the reaction was positive enough to help the studio decide to green light the film and a year later, they returned to show the progress, continuing a relationship. That is a connection all too rarely being made today. We want to be surprised and we want to root for the underdog concepts, and that’s happening with far less frequency.

The first film to get promoted at San Diego was something no one had heard of and needed some promotion, despite it not opening for another ten months. It had a retail poster sell out its 1000 copy run and the comics professionals adapting it were the featured speakers. Star Wars set the stage for what has evolved into a Las Vegas-sized megaevent but along the way, we lost much of the cool factor, that sense of discovering something worth waiting for ahead of the mass audience.

The con organizers probably has little control over which films and shows get promoted in Hall H, and it’s a shame, since comics and all their wonders have been totally eclipsed. The publishers, the talent, and the characters are no longer the draw as fleeting glimpses of actors and teaser footage has replaced them.

Project Updates

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 25, 2010

There’s been a bit of activity involving several of my projects so let me fill you in.

As I was delivering the proofread pages to the front and back matter for The Essential Superman Encyclopedia, my wonderful editor, Chris Cerasi, informed me that DelRey had moved the publication date from August to October. I’m not entirely sure when this was decided or what led to the decision but if it allowed us to update the information to be current with the end of the current era of stories, then I’m cool with that. Additionally, it means DelRey intends to push the project somewhat aggressively at the New York Comic-Con in October and I’m very excited at the possibilities. For those eagerly awaiting it, the two month delay will be aggravating but trust me, well worth it.

Yesterday, I received the galleys to my short story, “Go Go Gone” for the Green Hornet Chronicles, due out this month from Moonstone. As you might imagine, that pretty much means the book won’t be out this month but is imminent. Ruben Procopio provided a nice spot illustration for the story so it’ll look good.

Earlier this week I received my contributor copies to Moonstone’s Captain Midnight Chronicles and it was lovely to see this in print at long last, considering I wrote the story in June 2007. Go order it and see for yourself.

And then there was the recent bad news…

My Star Trek one-shot, featuring Captain Rachel Garrett, will not be seeing print. Scott Dunbier, my editor at IDW, was extremely apologetic but a number of business factors – not creative issues – led to the project being cut from the 2010 schedule. I was really looking forward to this one since it shone a fresh light on the Nausicaans and was hoping to see exciting artwork from George Freeman. Maybe some other lifetime.

Next up may well be ReDeus if enough people help us over at Kickstarter. See the countdown clock on the right? We have until June 30….

Old Timers’ Day

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 21, 2010

As I wrote over at ComicMix, Ðìçk Giordano was a terrific teacher, mentor, and boss.

Clearly, I was not alone in these sentiments and people have been filling the web with accolades and anecdotes.

Today, many of those who worked with him gathered for a Memorial. DC Comics has always hosted lovely memorials for recently departed staff, beginning, I believe when the underrated E. Nelson Bridwell died. It’s a nice reputation to have even if it is a little on the morbid side.

Still, as Mike Carlin quipped, today was Old Timers’ Day. The conference center at the Time-Life Building filled with people who entered the field in the 1970s and 1980s with 40 year old Glenn Hauman being the youngest person in attendance to have worked at DC while Ðìçk was still on staff.Joe Giella, the oldest person in the room to have worked with Ðìçk told me how happy he was to be in attendance. Joe Giella, the oldest person in the room to have worked with Ðìçk told me how happy he was to be in attendance.

We milled about hugging and kissing and glad-handing before things began. Suddenly, there was a reunion of the Blue Devil team of Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn and Paris Cullins. In a different area stood the Doctor Fate team of Martin Pasko and Walt Simonson. A gaggle of former Ðìçk assistants stood in unison: Josef Rubinstein, Bob Wiacek, Terry Austin, and Klaus Janson. Howard Chaykin flew the furthest to be in attendance.

In a generous touch, Marvel staffers were invited and only a few managed to attend including Mark Beasley who was the editor who saw to it Ðìçk and Roy Thomas completed the adaptation of Dracula started in the 1970s.

Around 3, we were asked to take our seats and we had humorous opening remarks from Mike Carlin and Karen Berger, the most senior staffers who had worked with Ðìçk. After their remarks, Jenette Kahn and Paul Levitz took their turns.

For the next 90 minutes we were reminded of Ðìçk’s foibles such as never leaving a tie unstained during a meal; and his habits: a sweet rob roy straight up (which Karen described as a vile drink). We were reminded of his generous nature to one and all, how he made you feel like a peer and treated everyone the same way. He led by example and would make you a better editor, writer or artist with simple comments and observations.

Denny O’Neil read a poem and explained how Ðìçk was similar to Buddha while Walt Simonson reminisced over one job he had with Ðìçk. Alisa Kwitney, Stuart Moore, Patty Jeres, Richard Bruning, Mishkin, and Charlie Boatner also contributed observations.

Much of his family was there with daughter Dawn acknowledging that everything we knew about Ðìçk, was true on the homefront as well. Ðìçk was a doting, beloved father who showed his children the way.

I can’t tell who had the better story: Neal Adams with an anecdote from the days when he and Ðìçk partnered at Continuity Associates or the tale from Terry Austin that involved knowing observations of former publisher Carmine Infantino and then-production manager Sol Harrison. During the latter tale, it was amusing to see Paul and Jenette nod their heads in knowing amusement.

At its end, there was additional milling about as latecomers were greeted. Andy Helfer showed off baby pictures (who’d have thunk it that he’d ever be a dad?). Nick Barrucci and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez offered their own private observations of Ðìçk.

Once all was said and done, Paul Kupperberg, Martin Pasko, Paul Levitz, and I went out for a quiet dinner as we told more Ðìçk stories and caught up with one another. We picked up where we left off when we all used to be on staff and it was a delightful way to cap off a day.

Ðìçk’s legacy lives on in all the lives he touched, all the careers he helped shape and guide. So many of us saw him as the ideal boss, the terrific executive who wore a suit but was really one of us on in the inside. He loved comics and was proud of his profession, sharing that enthusiasm with one and all. With luck, we will all have the chance to pass on those skills to those who have followed in his wake.

What’s Been Going On

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 12, 2010

The lack of work has also left me with a lack of interesting things to be promoting and chatting about. I never meant the blog to be so silent for so long.

So, let’s see what’s been going on.

I just received the final galleys to The Essential Superman Encyclopedia for letters N-Z and I have to have them reviewed by Friday which should not be a problem.

In other good news, the person I ghost wrote a book for finally responded with a huge thumb’s up. He’d like some additional fresh quotes, so I need to work on that as well.

The biggest news is that Deb is back to work. When her previous company reduced her hours to part-time in September, she began seeking opportunities and then really stepped up the hunt when the company folded in January. And despite speaking to countless headhunters and contacts, she found her new role through a former colleague, proving once more that your network needs to be strong. She begins work on Monday and it starts with three weeks of intensive training up in New Hampshire, which also means she’ll be back in Fairfield before Kate arrives for two well-deserved weeks of R&R.

The free time allowed me to enjoy my brother Neil’s visit this week. Among our activities was brining him to Citi Field for a Mets game. Since Deb and I were there last season, they added additional touches to make the place feel less of a shrine to the Brooklyn Dodgers and more the home field of the New York Metropolitans. The original Home Run Big Apple resides in a prominent outdoor spot and the newly opened Hall of Fame has plenty of nifty stuff to gawk at. The $20 seats were high but behind home plate affording us a great view of the field. The home game streak was snapped that afternoon and we have not been at a winning home game since April 2007, making me wonder if we should ever go again.

I’ve also been a little more active than usual on the political front, lending my services to two different local campaigns which is an eye-opening experience. Lots of moving parts to a campaign and a lot of time, effort, and thought has to go into almost every decision. This year’s campaign is different in Connecticut because the state has suffered with budget deficits for some time now and all the incumbents are facing uphill battles because of discontentment with the status quo. Couple that with a free-for-all for the governor’s office and you have a volatile season that won’t be clarified until the August primaries.

Freelance Update

Posted by Bob Greenberger on June 1, 2010

It’s been fairly quiet around here, hence the lack of more frequent posts. But now that the three-day weekend has come and gone, things are getting back into routine so I figured I’d update you on where things are.

Captain Midnight Chronicles: Moonstone’s Joe Gentile tells me the book is at the printers and running just a wee bit late. I hope it is out in time for Shore Leave. Somehow I never saw the edited manuscript or was given galleys for proofreading.

Green Hornet Chronicles: This should be headed to the printer very shortly and is also running behind schedule but I’m in very good company and look forward to this one.

Essential Superman Encyclopedia: All pages have been proofread and are being designed. John Wells has been providing a ton of visual research to Chris Cerasi so I know it’s going to be a very handsome volume. This remains on track for August on sale (the same month as Batman: The Brave & Bold #20).

Gotham City 14 Miles: This is from Sequart Research & Literacy Organization, edited by my pal Jim Beard. I wrote an essay for the collection which is being solicited in the August Previews and should be on sale in October. I’m joined in this anthology by fellow scribes Paul Kupperberg, Peter Sanderson, Tim Callahan, Becky Beard, Bill Walko, Jennifer K. Stuller, Michael D. Hamersky, Chuck Dixon Michael Miller, Mike Johnson, Rob Weiner and my former WWN boss, Jeff Rovin. Jim describes my piece this way: “Bob’s essay covers the genesis of the show and the explosion – and quirky substance – of Batmania. From the show’s popularity to the spinoff products and beyond, he characterizes this particular form of insanity that gripped the country – the world! — from 1966 to 1968.”Howard Chaykin Retrospective: The book remains unscheduled by Dynamic Forces but Howard and I spoke on Friday, allowing me to bring things up to date since I submitted the manuscript back in October. Now it is in their hands for book production and I’ll keep you posted on its progress.

Ghost Writing: This book has been in the hands of the “author” since early April and I continue to patiently await feedback. Still scheduled to come out in 2011.

And that’s it for official book projects. I continue to write the twice-monthly For Your Consideration column over at Westfield Comics. This month I chat about Ðìçk Briefer’s Frankenstein and Women of Marvel Omnibus. Additionally, there’s the twice-weekly column over at Fairfield Patch, but being town-centric, its of interest only to those living in Fairfield (it certainly generates plenty of comment).

ReDeus is down to its final 28 days of fundraising and given the paucity of support, Aaron Rosenberg, Steven Savile, and I are talking about what to do with this next.

The spec writing and pitching continues. Just saw some nifty designs for a graphic album pitch that gets me excited so with luck this will sell.

I continue to do work with Avalanche Comics Entertainment and we have one project under contract with plenty of other leads being vigorously pursued.