Gotham

The premiere of the new show Gotham is upon us.  As a San Diego resident, I keep seeing trolleys plastered with advertising left over from SDCC.  I think it’s great.  There are still Agents of SHIELD trolleys from last year.  It feels like SDCC never ended.

I digress.

What I like about Gotham is that it is a series and not a movie.  It will allow for character development over time.  After all, these are stories worth waiting for. 

I’m starting to think that DC Comics is better off with television shows, leaving Marvel to the movies.  Just a thought, of course.  However it makes sense given that Warner Bros and DC are loathe to allow humor in their films, which makes their blockbusters dark.  Television has some great dramas, and Gotham will no doubt join them.  And while Guardians of the Galaxy would no doubt provide as many laughs per half hour as Big Bang Theory, the Marvel movies demonstrate ability to pack in action, drama, humor, and good storytelling into a two hour feature film.

DC can stay dark and gritty in the small screen world, and is fine.  Play to your strengths.

So welcome, Gotham. We’re ready for a long relationship with you.

Back to School Time

I love back to school season. It used to be one day, usually the Tuesday after Labor Day, but now it is a whole season, with local schools now starting as early as early August. 

I love buying school supplies, even as an adult. It inspires me.

This season calls to mind Tom Hanks in You’ve Got Mail, when he reflects on sending Meg Ryan a “freshly sharpened bouquet of pencils.” 

As a writer, I think I love school supplies because I value the ability to write with pen and paper instead of on a computer.  Being able to purchase insane amounts of pens, pencils, paper and notebooks for less than $5.  This year I bought a folder featuring Star Lord, Rocket, and Groot from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

It’s a great time of year.

Marvel is Already Winning the Box Office War Against DC

Here is a very interesting article from HitFix: http://m.hitfix.com/motion-captured/why-dcs-serious-superman-may-give-marvel-the-big-screen-edge

I have always been a Batman fan. I saw the 1989 version in the theater when I was 9.  I watched Christopher Reeves as Superman (and I adored watching him with Richard Pryor in Superman III)

My brother in law is a die-hard Marvel fan, to the extent that he has Captain America tattooed to his calf.  Recently, he and my sister initiated me into the world of Marvel. 

I’m hooked.

I spent most of my time at the Marvel booth at SDCC. It was fun. The people working there were nice.  The fans were great.

So reading this article about the Warner Bros “no jokes” policy is saddening.  As much as I enjoy Batman and Superman, their movies don’t hold a candle to Marvel.  I am not looming forward to Batman vs Superman nearly as much as I am Avengers: Age of Ultron. I loved Guardians of the Galaxy.  I want to love the DC movies. Truly, I do.  But they just can’t be the same if they remain as dark as they have been in recent years. (Even the Tim Burton movies were funny at times…and nipples on the Batsuit is the longest running joke of all…) No one is suggesting a return to the 1960s campy Batman, but even that Batman is making a comeback.

Warner Bros and DC: Please wake up! Jokes are needed in your franchises. Lighten up.  As Joker said, “Why so sad?”

SDCC Day 2: Celeb Sightings in the Exhibit Hall

I met Michael Rooker. It was a complete accident. I was in the right place at the right time (ie at the Marvel Booth) and he was signing and I was pulled from the crowd to meet him.  He was awesome.

Rooker is playing the nemesis Yondu in the new Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy. You might know him as Merle from The Walking Dead.

You never know who you might run into on the Exhibit Hall floor.  I apologize in advance for not having pictures.  But sometimes you don’t know that you’re about to see someone famous.

Today’s list includes the cast from the upcoming Agents of Shield spinoff, Agent Carter; Lou Ferigno of Hulk fame, Hulk Hogan, Mike Tyson (who has a cartoon coming out…), and M. Night Shyamalan.

You never know who you’ll see. And that’s why you have to pay attention at all times!