Ten Things for the Weekend #2

I’m typing this surrounded by boxes, because we’ve sold this place and bought a house, and now things will start to happen very quickly. So my Richard E. Grant Shalka stand up scares me every time I walk into the lounge, and I’m finding perverse enjoyment in finding stuff under the bed and in cupboards that I have no idea why I kept. It’s time to say goodbye to the last few things on vinyl and VHS. (But not unreleased Doctor Who on VHS, because it has to take its place in the cabinet that’s slowly changing from VHS to DVD, and… okay, by now you’ll either be nodding or screaming.)

Anyway, today’s Ten Things:

2: Similarly, here’s a Star Trek fan community doing the same thing. Great stuff. If there’s a Doctor Who or SF fan group doing this too, I’d be happy to blog your links midweek.

3: Yesterday, I had a chat with two of the chaps behind Graphic.ly, a digital comics platform that’s going to be right at the cutting edge of how the game changes in the next year or so. They aim to build a community around selling digital comics, with the cooperation of all the publishers, online and on loads of different platforms. I like the sound of their approach, their non-exclusivity, and their price point (no, I can’t say). Quite soon, I’ll be able to say on here that I’ve got a new comic out, and link to where you can immediately download it, legally, with loads of extras and reader/creator interaction. I think, particularly when a new superhero movie comes out, this is one of the ways we’ll start getting ‘passing trade’ interested in comics again. Right now, they’re asking fans to sign up to beta test their system. I’ll pimp them again when they launch full on, but I get the feeling that then everyone will have heard about them.

4: I’ve been asked to point out to British Science Fiction Association members (of which I am one) that the deadline for their awards nominations is a minute to midnight tonight (Saturday). I have a personal interest in this one (not a nomination, as far as I know, though ‘One of Our Bastards is Missing’ could always make a rush for the finishing line), about which I shall tell you when the time comes.

5: Blowing my own trumpet, I heard this week that the forthcoming Black Widow: Deadly Origin Premiere Hardcover, out in March, will actually have a bunch of extras, including some documents of mine. It should make a really nice package, all in all.

6: And staying on the subject of comics, my friend Alan J. Porter wants to tell the world that his Cars (as in the Pixar movie) comic from Boom! Studios is now an ongoing. The initial miniseries was a big hit with Small God-Daughter, who has been known to take several different versions of Lightning McQueen to bed with her at the same time. Isn’t it good to hear about new quality comics for kids?

7: Whotopia is a well-designed, if slightly slow to download (at this time of day at least) free Canadian online Doctor Who fanzine, with a lot of solid content (James Moran interviewed, and a guy who makes action scenes with Who figures). The file would make a nice printout, if you want to kill trees for the hell of it.

8: The Pack is a forthcoming web series (I guess that means online filmed drama?) written by Teresa Jusino of this parish (who’s been part of our whole ‘everyone here gets media outreach’ explosion in the last couple of months). Teresa says: ‘Girl meets boy. Boy accidentally bites girl during sex and turns her into a werewolf. Wackiness ensues.’ It’s set to go out this summer.

9: I’ve mentioned a couple of times that I’m a great fan of the Comic Book Queers Podcast. It’s just four or five friends, chatting about comics, but in the ‘get to the point, let’s not forget there’s an audience out there’ way of only the best podcasts. It’s Very Not Safe For Work, in that the language used would shock your Granny, everyone she ever met and even that chap she once met in Clacton who regarded himself as a bit of a sexual adventurer. But what shines through is the Queers’ unabashed enthusiasm, which breaks through their cynical facade every time, for the world of superhero comics. Everything that happens to their favourite characters is breathlessly delivered and received, the most exciting news. They love and they hate, they don’t often go ‘meh’. Their kind words about Captain Britain and MI-13 (particularly their love for Spitfire and Faiza) warms my heart. Their regular impersonations of Emma Frost (I don’t think she’s ever said ‘quite so’ in the comics, but it’s her catchphrase here) and their bitchy, publicity-hungry Dazzler have to be heard by a wider audience. I’ve started to adore Evil Jeff (who, I just found out, is so called because they also know a Good Jeff) and appreciate the friendship and care this lot show to each other, and to the comics they enjoy. It’s the absolute opposite of cliched, self-hating internet comics fans, and you really should give it a go.

10: And finally, last but certainly not least, hearty congratulations to Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer on announcing their engagement. I think everyone should get married, irrespective of what gender they want to get married to, or in what way they want to tie the knot. You, are you married? Well, why not? Go on, get married!

Later today, we’re off to talk mortgages (the wife’s coming along, so I can safely sit there thinking about Batman), and then Caroline’s going to get her hair done in a beehive, to play a private party with Jon Lane and Boogie Me, the rhythm and blues orchestra she sings with. Hopefully at some point there may be cricket, and I can watch it while packing more boxes. Until next time, Cheerio!