And I've always liked Wikipedia...
I think I've found something more bruising to my ego than any fumbling attempts I've ever made at dating girls: Getting feedback from Hollywood studios. As many readers know, "Sky High" has been the bane of my existence, the Disney film having some amazing coincidental elements to its script when compared to certain comic books, and even 5 years after it came and went, I still hear about it. You'd think it was "Star Wars" for the impression it's made on studios. Anyway, the latest attempt to bring ps238 to some kind of media project resulted in a rejection (which isn't unusual thus far) because bore too much resemblance to (here's where it gets odd):
1. "Sky High"
2. "The Incredibles"
3. "Kick Ass"
So it's too much like a Disney movie where the plot gets ruined in the trailer, a CGI superhero movie that borrows as much from James Bond as it does the Fantastic Four, and a hyper-violent film where a little girl kills and maims people while the star is himself maimed and bludgeoned repeatedly as they fight a mafia crime boss? The kicker was that they came to this conclusion after reading about ps238 on Wikipedia. This was after they received a pitch book and comics, which apparently were mistaken for gift wrap or an oddly assembled set of decorative napkins.
And keep in mind this is before they even tried asking if they could change stuff, like stuff they didn't like. I'm a flexible guy, especially in this economy; I think the only thing I might have objected to was involving Uwe Boll.
I realize I'm not alone in this kind of experience. I recommend reading Brian Michael Bendis' "Fortune and Glory," where he and a friend try to sell his true-crime comics about Elliot Ness to several producers, one of which is convinced Ness is fictional and another who wants to cast Ness as an 18-year-old. And if, on the odd chance, any of those producers are reading this, a friend of mine who works for a studio borrowed my copy and said he and his pals were able to ID each producer by name just based on the dialogue. At least you guys are making an impression. :)
I'd also like to say I'm not bitter about the ongoing saga, my mind is just boggled. Scripts and concepts are rejected every day for multiple reasons, ranging from flaws in writing to similar projects in the works to a decision maker having a bad cup of joe from Starbucks. I'll keep plugging away, throwing new ideas out there as written or graphic works that I think are fun, and hope that they keep a roof over our heads. If someone somewhere decides to adapt one of 'em and run with it, that'll be icing on the cake.
But onto more positive news, like nuclear war. A spoiler-riffic article about the upcoming "Fallout: New Vegas" popped up at Eurogamer. Without getting into the specifics on plot, it sounds like they listened to the fans on this one. Not only are they making it possible to ally with factions and to have your actions impact on several groups as you interact with them, they're including modifications that the fans have made or asked for. In addition to truly oddball weapons (like a rapid-fire gun that shoots grenades), they're putting in an optional "hardcore" mode. In such a mode, Stimpaks (the primary source of "health" in the game) work on you over time, not instantly, and they can't repair crippled limbs (you need a doctor for that). Ammo has weight and you have to bring water along if you want to last long in the desert. I think I'm going to want Obsidian to do any further Fallout installments, assuming I ever stop playing the one they're putting out.
"Lost" continues to intrigue, and the creators have promised that not every question will be answered (which would be par for the course), but I hope they address why and when Smoke-Guy does and doesn't use his abilities. He seems awfully selective about flexing the ol' supernatural muscle at times... but it ain't over yet, so I'll be patient and then probably read a fan site that has a better grip on the plot than I do. Enough I do and ado, here's something we hope you'll really like:
- A language warning on this result for XKCD's survey of what people would name colors. Some of the results are terrifically funny, especially the one that starts "day 3, sanity lost..."
- What the world needs more of is good ol' fashioned cartoon violence. In this animated cartoon, 'Pop,' a fox and a chicken happen upon a field of champagne bottles and just do what comes natural.
- Note to self, when designing future t-shirts, come up with something that works like this.
- Terry Pratchett isn't too fond of calling Doctor Who sci-fi, but he still enjoys it.
- With all the bad news we hear about every week, it's always a relief to see happiness over the simple things still abounds.
- I may have missed out on "Star Wars Day" (May the 4th be with you), but I did notice it was Zombie Awareness Month.
- I'll be ready for "Star Wars Day" next year, provided I can find the time to do some appropriate crafting. That AT-AT stroller looks pretty easy, right?
- Firefly's favorite pilot, "Wash," is apparently a Fraggle.
- Let's wind things up with physics and destruction: Take it Down XP is a game of balance, descending blocks, workman safety, and not letting things crush neighboring structures.