And So It Goes...

Well, it’s all coming to a close. Just as Captain America has passed, so too do I leave this summer behind and go on to new things. Tomorrow I fly back to Utah for a few days before heading off to school. Another summer gone, and certainly one of my favorites so far. Today was my last day at Marvel this summer, but hopefully I’ll be back again.
Today was a busy last day, but a good one. My supervisors gave me whatever they could before I left, particularly time consuming projects like scanning. I did a lot of scanning today, but hey, that's fine with me. Secret Wars was the name of the game today. Unbeknownst to me, Secret Wars was one of the first, if not THE first, big crossover event, which are now ubiquitous in the comics industry. Just look at all the tie ins for Secret Invasion or Final Crisis. It's amazing that there are any books that aren't connected to these major events. Just like any genre, when an original idea works, it becomes a part of the regular process, and then you have to think up new ideas. Just take a look at the old Superhero comics, and you'll have small changes like 2 page spreads and removing thought balloons have completely changed the face of the Superhero comic.
I was also able to squeeze in a few proofs today as well. More essentials (which take up a fair amount of time in the office) and Ultimate Power among others. While I love the Ultimate universe, sometimes it just turns into "______ vs. _______" , which is fine, but lacks a lot of substance.
I had a great time working at Marvel this summer. I would love to work even closer to the editorial process of the monthly comics, and the Trades department was an awesome place to be introduced to the company. Both my supervisors were great guys and wonderful to work with, and both said they'd pass on recommendations for me inside and outside the office. I really had a unique chance this summer to reflect on comics from many different angles. The fan in me indulged himself in the shear variety of merchandise and product available, reading whatever I could get my hands on. The inside look I got at my favorite publisher, while not comprehensive, was incredibly enlightening. Simply by being there you learn about the process and the environment in ways that you just can't from the outside. Finally, I've been able to do some reading on literature and comics in particular, giving me a much better understanding of comics in general. I also wrote a comic this summer! How about that? Really, it was one of the most incredible things that has ever happened to me, and while this summer had it's share of heartache, it was time of growth and learning in any number of ways.
I also had lunch with my cousin Peter today. It was great to get in touch with him and just talk. It's something I haven't done much with my cousins, and it was a lot of fun. I'm glad I saw him before I left town tomorrow. I'm also glad I shipped stuff home, or my bags would have been WAY over the weight limit.
Well, though the summer draws to a close, it is only the beginning for Exelcsior! Be on the lookout for more exciting updates and opinions. It's my life. Don't you want to read it?

Until next post true believers,

'Nuff said

Oh Bad Movies, Will You Ever Learn?

Hopefully, they won't, or I wouldn't have as much fun laughing at them. I will start by introducing to the coolest thing I have found in a long, long time. The Antimatter Multiverse is home to dvd releases of some of the worst Science Fiction and Superhero movies and TV specials ever made. I mean ever. How about the Nick Fury moving starring David Hasselhoff? Turkish Star Wars? The infamous Star Wars Holiday Special? They're all here for about $12.00! Oh, so tempting. At the very least, reading the descriptions of the movies and looking at the pictures and trailers is amazing. Oh, definitely check out Superman: The Musical from 1975. It is real, and it is ridiculous. Really, it's a good thing Marvel stepped up their movie making. They have alot to answer for.
While I always appreciate the blasts from the past, lets not forget that bad movies are still being made today! Let's talk about one I just saw last night: Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I want to say right off the bat, that the reason I think this was an awful movie, is because it was a good Saturday Morning Cartoon show. It basically followed the formula for what a Saturday Morning Cartoon (SMC) needs, and turned three or four episodes into a movie. Basically, you have a series of self contained adventures, and though they all piggy back on each other, they each have a seperate issue that needs to be resolved. So, introduce the problem, fight for a while and fix it, and then make sure everything is exactly the same as it was at the beginning of the adventure. Repeat this a few times, and you have a movie right? Nope. Sorry guys. Really, this movie should have gone straight to DVD. Now, I'll admit that I thought the animation was great, and the action sequences were really cool. Star Wars lends itself very well to animation, but the structure of the movie really brought it down.
However, I also want to say that I'm not trying to defend the movie that much. The dialogue was stupid, I mean, even for a new Star Wars movie, and most of all the plot was anything but engaging. I don't about the Hutts. I really don't. Let's not forget Anakin suddenly being someone who Yoda, yes, Yoda, would entrust a prepubescent girl to.
Finally, if we thought the days of stereotypical Star Wars aliens were over, this film has shown that they've just begun, thanks to Ziro, the big gay Hutt. This was just astonishing. I mean, with Jar Jar you can sort of fudge it and say, "That's just the way he acts", but a big, purple and pink hutt, wearing feathers, who talks with a lisp? Hoo boy, someone's gonna get mad about this one, and they have every right too.
Well, I have one day of work left. Yesterday was really busy. It seemed like I had 2 or 3 things I had to do at the same time all day long. This is good, of course, but also stressful, since everything we do is on a schedule, and so things need to get done. I did a lot of proofs yesterday, some good, some not so good. NYX was great. It's amazing how even though we've had the X-Men around for years, you can still do a great story about mutants that doesn't feel old. Another of the four proofs I did was a gigantic Punisher book. I only got halfway through it, and that was moving at top speed. Seriously, this thing was easily over 600 pages. The Punisher is another interesting character. He's certainly moved across the spectrum of anti-hero to superhero to just-plain-killing people, all with a variety of success. Still, I feel like you don't read the Punisher because you agree with him, you just want to see him kill guys and be hardcore. Really, he shouldn't be a Superhero. It just doesn't work.
I transcribed the biographies of few European comic book creators yesterday, and it's interesting to see the subtle differences in the industry in different parts of the world. Outside of England, most European comics seem to be focused around Science Fiction and Fantasy. At least that's what it seems like. It's just a testament to capitalism that Superheroes have defined comics for us here in the States, and not necessarily around the world. Well folks, talk to you soon.

Exciting New Product!

Well, though I promised a full blown post, I did manage to get my script online, so head on over to the Rogue Gallery and check it out. Hope you enjoy!

Adventures in New York!

My last day with Lacey was a big one. After making into New York and getting on the wrong subway line (lousy express trains) we went back to the natural history museum. There was a lot we didn't get to see on Friday. When we got off the subway, it was raining so hard, that water was pouring down the steps out! We made a mad dash to the museum, and only got a little soaked. Once again, the museum was great fun, and we got to see a cool IMax show called Sea Monsters about prehistoric sea creatures. It was pretty sweet. We followed that up with a trip to the Statue of Liberty, with a truncated NY Bakery Tour afterward. It was a great day, and the short rain was no real hindrance. We finished off the night with "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in 3D which, actually, was pretty fun. I mean, we weren't expecting anything magical, but we got a fun action movie with stuff flying at our faces. Also, I've decided that Bruce Campbell and Brendan Fraser should do a buddy picture where they fight monsters. It would be amazing.
Well, I figure I ought to give you an update on work, since it's been a little while since I've done so. As I've stated before, the proofs seem to come in waves. Some days I don't have many, some days I have almost nothing but. I find it interesting that I tend to only see proofs of a book at one stage. Rarely do I make a dummy book and then check over the proof afterwards. Usually it's just one or the other. The last few days I was lucky enough to see a book twice in the proofing process. I actually got to help put the dummy book together, then go through pagination and the initial check. Yesterday, I was able to proof it! This means that in the intervening period, the dummy book (or at least a copy of it) was sent to the printers, and they sent back the proof. Little had changed, but after over 500 pages of a proof, it can be hard to see differences some times!
Yesterday was a mostly proof day, which I prefer really. It gives me the chance to see a lot of different material and compare and contrast. I did proofs for a Marvel Essential book containing comics from the 60's, and two contemporary pieces, an adaptation of the Lords of Avalon series done in a manga style, and several of the Marvel Adventures books, which are marvel characters geared towards a younger audience. I was interested to see that the older comics have a lot of similarites with the Marvel Adventures books. They feature heavier narration, very action based stories that don't much more than an issue to complete, and more straightforward characterization. Now, I don't mean to say that the older comics didn't have their complexities and nuances, because they did, and Stan Lee does a great job of adding depth to somewhat two-dimensional characters, but I find it interesting that to make a comic for younger kids, they end up like the comics of old. It shows to me how comics have evolved out of the constriction of the Comics Code Authority, and the medium (and the superhero genre) have evolved as well.
There is a surprising amount of research that goes into the making of trade paperbacks, particularly for the older comics that are being collected. For just about every book, there are spreadsheets put together with research notes on issues, characters, etc. They aren't comprehensive, but they point out anything significant and/or that would be important for construction of the book.
I really enjoy meeting people at the office when I have to "run" covers. Basically I have to get a lot of signatures, and some of the editors and other staff are pretty cool about saying hi and getting to know you. It can be intimidating some times, and not everyone has time to talk, but meeting people is an important thing in this business. Speaking of that, tomorrow is the Joe Quesada lunch for the interns. Joe Q is the Editor-In-Chief at Marvel, and we get pizza and get to ask him questions for two hours! I'm still trying to think of the exact things I would ask him. I know I'd like to ask him something about writing, maybe "What are the most common mistakes new writers make?" or "What do you look for when you look at a submitted script?" But I also really want to ask if Stephen Colbert will be elected president in the Marvel universe. So tempting!

The Oldening

It's official folks! I'm 23 now. The big two-three. Yeah, it's not that exciting, but I had a great birthday. Lacey has been here since Wednesday, and we've been having a great time in the big city. Thursday night we saw August: Osage County, the winner of many Tony awards and a Pulitzer prize. It lived up to the hype. It was an amazing crafted show, and brilliantly mixed comedy and drama in one of the most enjoyable family conflicts I've ever seen. Absolutely worth the money.
Yesterday, my Birthday, was also a ton of fun. Nathan's grandma made an awesome cake, and Lacey set up the sun room with balloons and a banner, the whole shebang! Not to mention I got a lot of fun stuff. Lacey gave me the absolute Kingdom Come and some sweet little Star Wars guys. Eric Huberty managed to get a me X-Men #1 from the early 90's signed by Jim Lee himself! Whoa! A bunch of people at school this summer got together and took some awesome Birthday themed pictures, which were totally sweet! And let's not forget a Mighty Muggs Venom from the Handler camp! Later in the afternoon Lacey and I visited the American Museum of National History and the Guggenheim, both basically for free (the Guggenheim was pay what you wish, but we decided to give them a little money). Both were a lot of fun, and we decided we need to go back for more time at the Natural History museum. There is a lot of sweet stuff there. We finished off our night at the Hard Rock cafe for some burgers and headed on home. It was a great day!
The olympics have started, but I haven't seen anything yet. Olympic fever! Speaking of the Olympics, they're in china. Have any issues? Discuss!