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The Rant Shack
(Wherein We Rant)
Mike Says:
(01/15/04)
Hey, it's 2004, and I haven't ranted yet. I'm overdue!
Let me just get the Nice Guy stuff out of the way by saying that things are really starting to cook...and the stress is beginning. We're facing actual printing deadlines! I'm SO happy to have the first issue script of the Nice Guy comic done. Went through a couple of rewrites with that one. The first version was a lot of fun, but I ended up not thinking it was really a good FIRST issue. It was about all three guys, and the book is, you'll notice, titled "The Nice Guy", not "The Nice Guys". I thought people who aren't educated as you fine folk might get confused. I figured we needed something more like a TV show pilot, so that's what I wrote. And, at least for now, that's the title of the first issue story. "Pilot". I think it's a pretty good intro to Jeff and the whole nice guy syndrome, plus it introduces the guys, Becki (and the pain and horror of that relationship), as well as a couple of members of Jeff's family...his mom and his younger sister, Beth. I just know, in advance, that MY Mom and sister are going to read this and think it's based on them. Wonder if there's any chance I can talk them out of that in advance of the book's publication? Probably not. Think a disclaimer at the top of the splash page saying "These neurotic relatives are not based on any actual relatives" would be distracting?
So over half the book is penciled and inked, and most of those pages are colored (and grayscaled down) by J'amal. Tim's hoping to wrap up the total art real soon here, so we can get on to thinking about issue #2 (oh no...that means I have to write one!). We've got a printer, and we've already been in contact with Diamond to get our deadlines for making into Previews to sell this summer. We're planning on having a good stack to peddle at the San Diego Con, too. We're hoping to have some Nice Guy merchandise to give way and sell there, too.
We're starting to kick our online marketing into gear more. As you may have noted mentioned elsewhere, we're now listed on Onlinecomics.net, which is already getting us some good traffic and generating some fan mail. I've started posting us on some other boards, too, most notably Comixpedia. We're hoping for a little shampoo effect (and they told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on...) off of these. The best way to get the word out is for faithful readers like YOU (yes, you...there in the back!) to keep e-mailing your pals and turning them on to the Nice. We SO appreciate it, yes we do.
And onto non-Nice Guy stuff...
O'CONNELL PREDICTS "RETURN OF THE KING" WILL WIN BEST PICTURE, SHOWS SELF TO BE HUGE NERD
I never thought I'd have another film experience like the Star Wars trilogy in my lifetime, one where people lined up around the block for the final film to say goodbye to something they just loved and don't want to let go of. Peter Jackson kicks George Lucas's monkey ASS! Loved the film, a perfect ending. Speaking of endings, I've divided people now into "one of us" and "one of them". "Us" are the people that loved that the film took its time ending, because we'd all been on such a long journey together, we deserved a long goodbye. "Them" are the whiners I keep running into who say, "God, I kept looking at my watch wondering when it's going to END!" Blasphemers! Philistines! Hosers! Back off my Rings love! I can't wait for the director's cut, because I want another freaking HOUR of the film! Go watch your Mrs. Doubtfire and lament the lack of new Home Alone movies, you infidel humps!
Again, huge nerd. I'm aware of the problem.
FIREFLY RISES AGAIN
Since, based on the ratings, most ALL of you didn't get around to watching Joss Whedon's FIREFLY when it was on Fox, you now have a second chance to discover one of the most original and entertaining shows in years, thanks to the glory of DVD. The whole series (which is sadly only 13 episodes thanks to #$%@ Fox) can now be bought in a nifty package with lots of fun extra features.
In case you've never had a network totally bugger a show you loved, Firefly stands as a fine example. Fox bought this show, and Joss Whedon (my creative hero, one of the best storytellers on TV) made a two-hour pilot for it. They saw it and suddenly decided they didn't want a two-hour pilot. They told him, and co-creator Tim Minear, that if they were going to buy it, they wanted to see a script for another opening episode. A new one. And they wanted it be Monday morning or the deal was off. This was on Friday afternoon. So the guys cranked out a script for the episode called "The Train Job" over that weekend, and Fox bought the show. "Train Job" was great. But it wasn't the pilot. They decided not to show the pilot and show "Train Job" instead to start the series, which is confusing because you jump right in not knowing who any of these 9 main characters are or what their stories are. Then Fox decided it would be REAL fun to start airing all the episodes out of order, creating even more confusion. And then there was preempting, bad marketing, yada yada... Soon enough, they decided to cancel the show. And what was the LAST thing they aired of it? The pilot. Razzum frazzum Fox Grazzum...
There were a group of us here in San Diego that absolutely loved this show, and were quite pissed when it got the ax. We never thought we'd get to see it on DVD, but to our surprise, there it was. And guess what? The pre-orders for it on Amazon.com sold out in the first 24 hours. Looks like we weren't the ONLY ones that loved it.
And now, best yet, the dream-come-true for any orphan of a cancelled show. It looks like it's going to be a big-screen movie. We know the screenplay is done, but the official word isn't down on whether it's a total green light. But it's looking good.
So if you're looking for something really unique, very funny, often touching, quite action-packed, and if the idea of guys with six-shooters in a space show doesn't throw you off too much, I highly advise you pick yourself up a copy. You even get to watch them in order the way they were MEANT to be seen, and get to see the 3 unaired episodes. And let me know what you think. Tim was a late convert, and he loves it now. And you KNOW you want to be like Tim...
Hitler, Saddam, Fox. Not necessarily in that order.
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...ADAM SANDLER?!
I just remembered (and chastised myself...bad me! Bad!) that I haven't bought myself a copy of Punch Drunk Love on DVD yet. I'm a freak fan for the films of P.T. Anderson, and I couldn't believe he was doing one with Adam Sandler. I saw it on the big screen. And I loved this movie. Adam Sandler (yes, Mr. ZABADOOOO!) actually puts in an Oscar-worthy performance. I kid ye nay. When it first came out, there was even some buzz about that. For about three weeks, I think. Then 8 Crazy Nights came out. And everyone went, "Oh, wait, now I remember. It's SANDLER". No awards forthcoming for him or the film, I'm sure, but I'm officially here to hip you to it. Check it out.
OSAMA BELOW WHOLESALE
So I'm over at Rottentomotoes.com (the only place to ever look for film reviews), and I'm looking at some new films, and I find the one called "Osama". On Rottentomatoes, you go to the page for the film, and you get to see the poster, the links for the different reviews, and, at the bottom, there's a spot for the site's sponsors. They have a handy plug-in thing that prefills the movie title into ads. Like if you're on the page for "Return of the King", you'll see an link ad below that says, "Shop for RETURN OF THE KING products on Buy.com".
So I'm looking at the bottom of this particular page, and it says:
Find OSAMA at Overstock.com
I found him!! I found him!! Rumsfeld!! Quick!! I found him! He's hiding between the crates of Matrix: Reloaded DVDs and the pallets of Judy Bloom novels! Have Delta Force log on quick and get him! You can use my credit card if you need to!
Only slightly more disturbing was the follow-up:
Buy and sell OSAMA on E-bay.com
Hmm... No, I've got to keep my money on those Space 1999 collectors plates I'm bidding on.
SPEAKING OF RUMSFELD...
Funniest thing you may not be watching? "Kid Notorious" on Comedy Central. Wear Depends. Funniest thing I've seen on TV since Albert and the others boys accidentally burned down the blind school on Little House. It's based on real life movie mogul and folk hero Robert Evans. This is the guy (as you'll be reminded regularly during this animated series) who produced little films like Chinatown and Urban Cowboy to name a few. In this (maybe...) fictionalized account of his life, he hangs out with pals Donald Rumsfeld and Slash (and the voice of Slash is done by Slash himself. That's Slash of Guns n Roses for you too-young or too-old people), among others (like a midget named "Midget" and his cat Puss Puss). Over-the-top Hollywood-insider funny. A must see.
TERROR ALERT: PART OF THIS NUTRITIOUS BREAKFAST
Seems people are finding the current terror alert color system a little confusing. I found something that's a little easier to identify with:
The terror alert level has been dropped to Count Chocula. If it rises to Frankenberry again, all villagers are advised to light torches and storm the castle on the hill. But please continue on with your normal lives, shop, and attend sporting events. Thank you.
Found that at The G Spot. Those wacky Canadians.
HEY, KOOL-AID!
Know what I was trying to figure out today? What scares me more...Howard Stern fans, Jim Rome fans, or Kevin Smith fans. It occurred to me that any of them would commit ritual suicide or mass murder if their leader even suggested it. Not that I have a problem with any of said leaders...especially not Kevin Smith (hey, wait...I AM one of the Kevin Smith fans! One of US...one of US...). But I've noticed that their fans are the closest things to cultists you see this side of Jonestown. I wonder if I'll ever get that famous and powerful?
Nice Guy fans! Bring me offerings of gold! And supermodels! Bring me supermodels! Oh, and pick Tim up an Enchirito while you're out, too, would you?
I wonder if Rome's "Clones" are going to come kick my ass now? Jim, do me a favor, will you? Tell them that, "Michael O'Connell is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life..."
RANDOM "TENACIOUS D" NICE GUY MOMENT
If Tim's pen be silver...
Then Mike's keyboard be goooooold...
AND I AM SO OUT
Until next time, then, Nice Fans. And mark your calendars, too, for the special one-day-early Nice Guy February 14th update...the Valentine's Day edition. Let's see, will I have time to upload that day? Let me check my schedule, anything else in the way... Nope, not a thing.
But I'm not bitter. #%$& no!!!
Michael
The
Nice Guy
“Pilot”
Now on Sale!
ITEM!
New strip added in the Comics! section: "Kneeeel Before Zod"
ITEM!
New update in The Rant Shack...with the news on the A-1 Comics Van Fundraiser...and the shocking Tim Watts finger news...
ITEM!
Update to the Photos page with A-1 Comics shots! Sorry, no shots of Tim's finger...
ITEM!
Always find out the latest NG News in the What's Cookin' Section
ITEM!
Look for new material on the 1st and 15th of every month!
And now available for purchase! "Serenity", the film continuation of Firefly! Order yours now!
Want to see more? How about watching the first 9 minutes of the film for free? Click below!
