Go Out and Vote in CT Today

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 10, 2010

Over at the Fairfield Patch, I wrote a column about the importance of getting out the vote. To me, it is a duty incumbent upon all eligible adults and why we get such low turnout never makes sense. We have a chance to select who we want our respective parties to run as candidates for state and federal offices. Whoever wins in November, will be charged with directing our state’s future and since the recent past has been fairly poor, we can make a fresh start.

I’m supporting Ned Lamont for Governor along with Mary Glassman for Lt. Governor. I hope Democrats will join me in voting for them today.

Lamont is a businessman, who has also been a Selectman in Greenwich, a university professor, and a long-time resident who brings a variety of experiences to the job. I am desperately hoping he wins in November so he can do for the state what Michael Bloomberg has done for the city of New York. Lamont has concrete ideas and plans for making the state more business friendly, for retaining our children when they are ready to enter the workforce and for revamping how we spend our money. He and his opponent, Dan Malloy, have many similar ideas, but their sharp differences can be found in their plans. Among them are Ned’s plans to revamp the state’s broken nursing home system and his strong belief in wind turbine technology helping solve some of our energy needs (Malloy says he believes ion the technology, but not on Long Island Sound, virtually eliminating the entire state’s coast line).

I’ve made my support tangible, hosting phone banking at the house along with a barbecue for fellow supporters, attended by Ned’s wife Annie, and his delightful daughters Emily and Lindsay.

Glassman is a longtime First Selectman from Simsbury which gives her the day to day knowledge of dealing with the state and helps balance the top of the ticket.  During the campaign season, I’ve enjoyed talking issues with her and feel she could make an excellent Lt. Governor.

There’s something smug about Dan that personally rubs me the wrong way. Yes, he ran Stamford for 14 years which gives him some idea of what it will take to run the state, but he’s also too much the insider for my taste plus he ran an ineffective campaign costing him the governor’s mansion in 2006. I also disliked watching his campaign staff strong arm Fairfield delegates during the state primary. Dan also went negative first, lowering the discourse. Sadly, every other candidate has also gone negative in vicious or embarrassing ways. The sole exception may be Secretary of the State candidate Gerry Garcia, who also had the single most creative piece of campaign lit mailed out this season. I’ve enjoyed his campaign and his thoughts on the role and he earned my support some months back.

Lamont and Garcia, if elected, will bring some fresh perspective and some fresh energy to Hartford, which, frankly, could use a swift kick in the pants.

Regardless of your personal feelings, if you live in Connecticut, get out and vote today.

A New Book in the House

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 9, 2010

The joys of my freelance career include being able to mesh my writing and history interests. Most recently, I did several essays for my pal Bill Fawcett for his latest anthology. The mailman just dropped off my contributor’s copy to How to Lose World War II: Bad Mistakes of the Good War. It focuses entirely on the European Theater of Operations with a projected companion volume covering the Pacific.

I wrote about things like intelligence errors and the mismanaged training of Luftwaffe pilots.

The book officially goes on sale tomorrow and Amazon has it listed right here.

Thoughts on Doctor Who Season Five

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 8, 2010

This morning I completed watching the fifth season of the current Doctor Who series and wanted to sum up my thoughts as we all eagerly await the Christmas special. By now I will presume those who want to see the show has and therefore won’t be tiptoeing around plot points.

Steven Moffat and Matthew Smith came to the series together, marking a major creative turning point for the eternal franchise but as with any fresh beginning there are new things to be learned and time required for things to fall into place. Moffat is no stranger to The Doctor but stepping into Russell T Davies shoes had to be somewhat daunting. He needed to rebuild the show with a fresh status quo by introducing the eleventh incarnation of The Doctor, find him a companion and tell some mind-bending stories without losing his sizable international audience. He first wanted a more middle-aged actor to play the Time Lord but once he auditioned 27-year old Matthew Smith, he was besotted and hired on the youngest man to ever play the role.

Right there that changed the tone and what could be done. We were told all along that the new companion, Amy Pond, would actually spark something between them and we could see the Doctor in love, something he’s resisted across all the incarnations. And it would certainly set this Doctor apart from his predecessor who managed to love Rove Tyler from afar and was left saddened by what might have been.

Karen Gillan has captured out hearts as Amy, the girl who waited. She was cute as a button; ready for adventures beyond Scotland, and thought the Doctor was potentially more interesting than her love, Rory (Arthur Darvill). Early on she even threw herself at the Doctor, who reacted more with an innocent’s surprise than anything else. That played poorly and was actually a sign of the growing pains any new endeavor will experience.

Smith has a likable personality and the physicality required of the Time Lord these days but all too often he flitted about, gibbering asides that recalled David Tenant. He needed to define himself differently and every now and then there was a flash of the darkness within, the danger inherent in crossing the Doctor.

Moffat had a set of beloved toys to play with and he did so with abandon, but also, with a little too much enthusiasm. As a result, across thirteen episodes comprising actually ten stories, we have the return of the Daleks, now in five collectible colors. I suppose it was irresistible to pit the new Doctor against his ages-old foes but they felt overdone, which meant they felt really tired when one menaced the gang in the thirteenth episode.

One of the strongest episodes of the recent past was the stand-alone with the Weeping Angels. Moffat brought them back, too, to much lesser effect. Having them back so soon diminishes the chilling residual feeling their debut left the audience. It was also just an okay and far from suspenseful two-parter. Better used is the return of Dr. River Song (Alex Kingston) and she breathed some life into relatively dull moments.

Much like the Bad Wolf thread, Moffat seemed obligated to have something to tie the season together and gave us the crack in the wall. Around midway, we saw the Doctor reach through the gap and retrieve a piece of the TARDIS, upping the importance of solving this problem. And just like that, Moffat built things up in a hurry so the two-part finale was the strongest story of the season. It showed he had mastered his characters and his milieu, giving us a fresh End of the Universe epic that never lost sight of the emotional impact the events would have.

Amy endured a lot, without cracking. She welcomed her fiancé Rory into her personal adventure and then had to watch him vanish from reality. Her memories of him flooded back after a delightful episode spotlighting her and Vincent Van Gogh.

And in the end, the thread for season five was all about memory and its amazing power. It meant Amy, the girl whose memories of her parents were robbed by the crack in her wall, received some cosmic justice when the restored reality returned them to her life along with Rory. And then, with a series of visual cues, she finally remembered The Doctor back into existence –- aided by Rory, whose memories of the man seemed quite strong, too. His arrival, in black tie no less, during their wedding was a perfect way to bring a close to the first season.

Overall, it began unevenly, and ended quite strongly. Now, Moffat has to make his mark by adding some new threats of his own. The alien vampires were a good start but he needs a real memorable opponent for the new Doctor, a way for this one to stand head and shoulders beside his previous incarnations.

I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Withdrawing from Dragon*Con

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 5, 2010

I love going to conventions. I love interacting with fans and fellow professionals, participating in panel discussions devoted to interesting topics. Browsing the dealers room and art show can be eye-opening experiences as are the masquerades and other events.

As a result, if invited, I tend to say yes. These shows usually cover my expenses since I appear on programming and it’s a good way to do some self-promotion.

There are selective others that Deb and I are interested in enough to attend on our own, although I try and offer my services for programming in exchange for admission so we all get some out of the arrangement. But, travel, hotels, and meals can add up.

Last year, we decided to splurge and head to Dragon*Con in Atlanta where we not only had a wonderful time, but got to visit with the Georgia-branch of my extended family. We had hoped to return this year, but my lack of productive, paying work this year has forced us to reconsider this expense.

Yesterday, I made the formal decision not to go to the show. Unless something changes, the next convention appearance will be a lot closer to home: New York Comic-Con in October.

The Waiting Game

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 1, 2010

With Comic-Con International now a week in the past, I am hopeful that everyone is getting back to their desks, sifting through messages and e-mail and returning to work. Ideally, that will mean that some of the long-simmering proposals will actually get read and either approved or passed on, allowing me to shop them elsewhere.

I tend towards decisiveness and can get impatient waiting for feedback from others. If I’m busy enough, I can ignore the gnawing voice in the back of my mind should a single proposal be out in the ether. For the last four months, I now have many proposals out in the ether and the voices multiple in my mind without enough day-to-day writing work to effectively ignore them.

I’ve been on the other side of the desk and know full well how busy people get, how some have excellent time management skills and others could use lessons. So, really, the only ones that bother me the most are the ones who go radio silent, never responding to gentle follow-up e-mails or phone calls. If the editor expresses interest in seeing a pitch, the least they could do is acknowledge receipt and a time frame for response.

One particular pitch has sat on a desk since April and both e-mail and phone calls have gone unanswered. The person also received a promotion during this period so I dropped a quick note of congratulations, without mentioning the pitch. Still nothing. Tomorrow, I will try someone else because clearly, this editor has no interest in the project or me.

Another frustration can be editors who ask to see something then can’t find it and ask to see it again. And again. On June 1, I sent a pitch over to an editor who sounded very enthusiastic. He acknowledged receipt and said he would discuss it with his superior that week. On June 30, when I asked if there was any news, he told me he had to wait for his superior to get back from vacation. On July 30, I asked if that person came back from vacation yet. Apparently he had, but the editor then went on vacation so now everyone is back in the office. Then he asked me to forward the materials again to be certain he had the right version.

This is all typical and not at all personal, but with multiple projects floating out there, the delays and lapses in communication grow exponentially, driving me to distraction.

Much of the above explains the reason my posting has dropped in frequency. There hasn’t been as much to talk about as usual. With luck, now that the major cons are over, this will change.

Thoughts on Comic-Con International

Posted by Bob Greenberger on July 27, 2010

While I am a social creature who thrives in the atmosphere at Comic-Con International, I needed to be practical and chose not to attend this year.

Last year was the first time since 2001, and since I was fulltime freelance, it made sense to see if I could be out there and generate some work.  I had a wonderful time and did follow-up in person on numerous existing assignments, but I did not come home with new assignments.

On a cost-effective basis, the con was a bust and certainly helped convince me not to go back this year.

Last year, I would return to the hotel room and surf the net, learning of all the news and announcements that I missed since I was not at the panels and certainly couldn’t dream of getting into Hall H where all the media madness was located.

This year, I scanned the websites at the beginning and close of business each day and it frankly felt the exact same way. The instantaneous coverage actually allowed me to keep tabs on more programming than I would have been able to attend had I arrived as a mere fan.

Several sites have begun their wrap-up coverage and in reviewing what was announced and not announced, it most definitely appears this was the year Hollywood eclipsed the comic book publishers. Most of the biggest headlines were generated by movies based on comics but the big two, DC Entertainment and Marvel Comics, wisely chose to avoid the media scrum and this year doled out most of their significant news in the days leading up to the con. Review the lists and you will see the news was spread from print to digital to games to media when in the past we cared about new titles or exclusive creators or big events.

Take a look at the summary from Newsarama and you will realize most of this was either leaked at Bleeding Cool or formally announced. What was fresh news from the publishers was of far less importance. And the biggest DC news was never announced – although the Los Angeles Times coverage hinted that the decision to relocate all or some of the New York operation was a done deal so the staff just needs to be informed.

We used to call it the San Diego Comic-Con then Comic-Con International and while comics remains in the title, their value has been diminished. Yes, we wouldn’t have half the media programming if there were no movies based on the comic book characters or the geeks who read them but the comic books, of all genres and from all publishers, have been overshadowed.

For those exhibiting at the show, it seems to have become more and more of an onerous chore, trying to get noticed given the constantly raised bar. More creators mean more demands on publishers’ time, now that they have to split their focus between producers, media contacts, and the people who actual create the comics. The Preview Night has extended the marathon to a fifth day, sucking even more of the potential fun out of being there.

In addition to gaining attention for their projects, everyone now feels compelled to offer convention exclusive covers or promo items or limited edition variants of merchandise. This ratchets up the stress among fans who now feel they have to find the booths with the coolest, most in demand, items and get them before they sellout. No sooner do they accomplish their shopping than they disappear on to an hours-long line for someone’s autograph or a chance to attend one of the major programming events.

There’s stress all around, the convention has grown too big to truly enjoy. This is certainly not lost on Reed Exhibitions who is growing the New York Comic-Con into the east coast equivalent of San Diego. They need to maximize the sizzle without diminishing the fun and it’ll be tricky.

As a result, the smaller regional shows such as Emerald City Con are now the places pros most want to be. They can exhale a bit, actually chat with the fans, and not be crushed in the process.

Of course, what will happen when Emerald City or Baltimore or Heroes Con gets too big? Where can a fan or a pro go for some old fashioned fun, talking comics and interacting with one another?

The Value of Closure

Posted by Bob Greenberger on July 26, 2010

My brother called yesterday, asking me about the ending to Inception. He felt cheated, desiring a real ending, not something ambiguous. To me, the ending perfectly fit in with the theme and tone of the movie and I was more delighted than bothered by it.

That got me to thinking about endings, especially when they are a long time coming. Lost ended in May with bringing things full circle as Jack closed his eyes and the story ended. As documented elsewhere, the six seasons clearly made things up as they went along, and couldn’t possibly tidy everything up by the final episode. Instead, they addressed many of the largest issues and provided us with a focus on the core characters and their relationships, making the ending pretty close to satisfying.

On the other hand, the final season of the superb Sopranos built up to a climax that never came. From a creative standpoint, David Chase had every right to conclude the series as he imagined it, but the viewers wanted closure. We were robbed of knowing of Tony was going to finish his meal in peace or be gunned down in front of his family. Given how the diner was stocked with shooters from earlier episodes, we were led to believe the latter would occur but we’ll never know.

It was pretty clear that the ratings would prevent ABC from renewing FlashForward for a second season and the producers could have easily wrapped things up. Instead, we were left with a cliffhanger that would never be resolved. Its dwindling fanbase were left frustrated.

How a series goes dark can be memorable (the final episode of Newhart), wistful (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Wonder Years), or satisfying (the original Fugitive). Many dramatic series and comedies wrap things up with a tidy bow, others flash forward to give you a sense of where the characters go next. In the SF genre, one of the best conclusions was Star Trek: The Next Generation as Picard finally allows himself to accept his crew as friends and family, sitting in for a game of poker.

The closure we often don’t get in life is all the more necessary in our entertainment, making us feel the investment in time or money spent was well used. Inception’s ambiguity, though, doesn’t close the story but continues to let us ponder its themes as we leave the theater, a rare bonus.

Turning 52 Wasn’t so Bad

Posted by Bob Greenberger on July 25, 2010

In thinking about turning 52 yesterday, I began the day concluding that I am most definitely now into the second half of my life. How far into the second half remains to be seen but it’s one of the few times I have thought of my own mortality.

The heat and humidity of the day sapped whatever energy there was to celebrate but it was not a bad day.

Things began well when I walked into Democratic Headquarters, to be serenaded by a dozen colleagues. The HQ is air conditioned, the coffee was hot and the munchkins were tasty so the kick off event – featuring Congressman Jim Himes – went well.

Deb insisted I show up at her drop-in knitting group because people wanted to see me so I showed up. Dominic, the group’s ring leader, presented me with a couple of bottles of Manhattan Special soda, which will go down well with vanilla ice cream.

I returned home to a deluge of greetings from Facebook. My morning routine includes wishing others on my friends list a Happy Birthday and yesterday was my turn with easily 10% of the list sending notes throughout the day. All my worlds collided as family, friends, colleagues, fans, and the like all chimed in and I was deeply touched.

Deb and Kate spent part of the day prepping parts of the birthday feast but the heat slowed everything down. At one point, I ran out for an errand and used my coupon from Dunkin’ Donuts for a Coolatta which helped. Being Kate’s final day with us, I knew she wanted to rewatch Horesefeathers, so we settled on the couch and did just that. Soon after, Deb appeared, announcing she was melting and suggested we go to Starbucks with knitting and reading. That proved a wonderful respite but it also meant coming home after 7 to complete the meal. This also allowed us to watch the final innings of the Mets extra-inning loss to the Dodgers.

The ribs had been baked and marinated, the cake was baked and needed to be assembled and preparations were moving along nicely. As the corns went on the grill, it became apparent that we had just run out of propane. I ran out to Home Depot but they had just closed to had to get a new tank from Stop & Shop but we struggled to get the fitting right. By then it was after 8, we were exhausted, hungry, and not up for delays. Instead, we tossed the ribs in the broiler, microwaved the corn and beans and shortly thereafter finally sat down to our meal. Which was wonderful.

I then opened presents and cards followed by a freshly made Black Forest Cake.

All in all, not the single best birthday I’ve ever had, but certainly a very good one, surrounded by family. Onward to the 53rd year.

Available Now

Posted by Bob Greenberger on July 20, 2010

As of today, interested readers can discover the joys of media tie-in writing and its rich history in TIED IN: The Business, History and Craft of Media Tie-In Writing.

The book was a lively collaboration among members of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. We strongly believe in our organization and having our stock-in-trade treated with the same respect as other genre writers. Everyone volunteered for a chapter and I wound up writing one of the shorter pieces, a look at the media properties adapted by the pulp magazines. While the pulps gave us so many lively characters such as The Shadow and Doc Savage, they were stingy when it came to adapting figures from other media.

The book is live on Amazon and on Smashwords to be followed in a few weeks at the iBookstore and Barnes & Noble. The trade paperback edition, published through Amazon CreateSpace (and linked to our Kindle edition on the Amazon site), will be available in a couple of weeks.

This was a labor of love for those of who wrote chapters and for those who proofread, designed, and formatted the book.  Any money earned by the book will go towards furthering the organization’s efforts. Speaking of which, the annual Scribe Awards will be handed out late Friday afternoon at Comic-Con International so you should go check it out.

Is the RSVP an Endangered Species?

Posted by Bob Greenberger on July 13, 2010

I recently hosted an event at my home and was asked to provide 25 people. It was suggested that to achieve that number, I had to invite twice as many so invited somewhere on the order of 52 people.

As the event date drew closer, a significant portion of those who received e-mail and/or phone call invitations had yet to respond. I made a second round of inquiries and a few people finally weighed in.

Just 48 hours before the event, a third and final round of contacts went out and still more finally got around to responding.  After all, I needed to supply food and drink and needed something close to an accurate headcount. My fear was too many who had failed to reply would arrive and I’d be caught short.

By the time the event started, an even dozen had yet to reply to my calls or e-mails. That, coupled with a few last minute cancellations and no shows, meant I had fewer than 20 people there and I felt like a failure.

At the same time, I’m planning a more family-centric gathering and we mailed out invitations. A smaller percentage has yet to reply but the silence after several weeks is disturbing.

What troubles me even more is that when I mentioned the above incidents to others, they all nodded and told me their own horror stories. That gets me to wondering what is so difficult about a simply acknowledgement of the invitation with a yes or a no? Sure, things happen and people suddenly become available or needed elsewhere – I get that. But the utter silence or lack of comprehension that an RSVP helps the host plan a successful gathering amazes me.

Are phone calls or written invitations not good enough? Must we resort to more electronic methods such as Evite? In our household we’re divided over that as a proper tool for parties so choose not to use it. Even there, I noticed, people can’t be bothered for a simple click.

Just what will it take to get a proper, timely response?