What I've been up since since I haven't been posting here:
Getting into trouble at Scryptic Studios with The Legend of Isis writer Ryan Scott Ottney over a script (or is it spelled with a y in context for that site? or perhaps an X&Y, in honor of Coldplay's 2005 masterpiece?) for a three-page contest in which I skewered Kong (as the public did) and used a character from my current comics project The Astrals, conceived in April of last year, fleshed out in June, and then finally realized in January-February 2006 (the first 22-page script, anyway, and full concept, finally), roughly paralleling my comics odyssey itself in that time. Yeah, I'm trying to break into comics. Ryan's a good guy. He didn't strike me with omega beams. He's actually since gotten me into my first published gig, for a four page script from another contest concerning his Isis property, for a FANthology. More details as they come.
Speaking of details, my comics odyssey actually began in 2004, with Top Cow's Common Grounds (named for what appears to be a defunct series), in which prospective creators submitted eight page scripts and descriptions for a chance at a publishing deal for a whole series. The guy that won that? Someone named Drew Melbourne. I came across Drew's name again. At Scryptic. His book from that win, Future Heroes, will be released later this year. In the meantime, he's also gotten ArchEnemies at Dark Horse to look forward to, and sooner. That's comics logic, folks. And he had to struggle and wait for his opportunities, too, and work on his stuff. That's what writers do (heck, what anyone does). That's what I've been doing, and what I'll be keeping you appraised of, both with updates on this FANthology, Astrals, and other efforts.
I'm also a published poet (under real name Tony Laplume), thanks to Poetry.com, which I think I'm happy about. One volume down, another (Best of 2005, they say) to go, plus an audio recording, and another publisher, much the same kind, has contacted me, too. Plus I'm compiling a collection of my own, from thoughts recorded in a notebook over the past year (I also lost poetry in a computer fiasco I may have mentioned here before, so this will be new work rather than a collection of prior work, stuff that might have already been published, because that's how it's turned out, okay?). I'll be seeing what I can do with that, as well as what I might be able to do with Colinaude, my Angry Avenger, and/or assorted shorter works. Timothy Wells, a pal of mine via Lower Decks, is celebrating his indy book The Patron Saints, which I was around to consult on. You can find out more about that at his site, Patronage Pending, where he has an advertisement (among other things) for a book signing Feb. 13 at Mama Buzz Café, 2318 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, if anyone's around those parts who reads things in these parts. It's a good story, seriously. I compel you to check it out!
So I've been talking wrestling elsewhere, which is part of the reason I haven't been around here that much lately, because this had become such a depot for those insane thoughts. The WrestleMania Anthology I mentioned as having gotten, yeah, I've been watching from that, as well as from Alias Season One and The Flash Complete Series collections. It was fun to rediscover WrestleMania 2000, which is the first one (and thus far only) WrestleMania I've seen on premiere night. The Vinnie Mac chair shot still works. Chyna in this era was a find. I'd forgotten that for a brief period she really was worth her hype. It was also weird to see Tazz in action as a wrestler again, weird to think he never went anywhere, and weirder to think how casual it is to have him as ring commentator with Michael Cole.
Watching the very first one, I finally got a taste of Bruno Sammartino, the legend from the 70's, via his appearance at his son David's side and his brief appearance in action at the end. This guy really did have the magaic. So I had to see him ina ction. The only way I could think to do that was to purchase Superstar Billy Graham's DVD. Maybe not the best showcase, but it was still worth it, to experience wrestling history. I've made comments in the past about Bruno's attitude, how he's wrong to turn his back, that he's making an issue out of nothing, that what he doesn't like has always been there. Except maybe it hasn't. Maybe he simply objects to the inclusion of so much nonwrestling into a wrestling program. He would not be alone in that opinion. I guess I can respect that. I can also respect the fact that this is a guy who should have been just a little more prominent in that first WrestleMania, and not just an afterthought. He even wrestles in a battle royal in a later year. But the focus is always on Hogan. Ironically, the angle used to promote Graham's DVD (and book) is that he came twenty years too soon. I'll bet Bruno would argue twenty years to never. I can admire his focus. I just wish he noticed that wrestlers still do wrestle, and that wrestling itself is possibly better now than even he knew it, when you let the wrestlers get around to it. Bret Hart came around. I hope Bruno can, too.
And that'll be it for now. Also, for those keeping score at home, another new image for the Monk!
