Scholarship ... with cool nerd flavoring

My pretty professor wife has a smarty-pants essay in this cool collection.  All you professor types should demand it for your university library.

CANDY

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TINA

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Pulp Boy ... the Movie?

The REAL reason Gischler wants you to support the PULP BOY film Kickstarter campaign

A couple of weeks ago, I made all you fine Blogpocalypse readers (BOTH of you) aware that the producer of the PULP BOY film (screenplay co-written by yours truly) was trying to raise funds to shoot this thing. Some very kind folks have pledged money, but ... well ... to be honest, we're not even close. So I thought I should tell you the REAL reason I hope this Kickstarter campaign is successful. As you know, I am a HUGE Disney nerd. And as you might also know, Kickstarter campaigns offer "rewards" for pledging -- sort of a thank you for helping out. So click on THIS LINK and scroll down through the rewards to see the REAL reason I'm hoping this happens. Yes, I'm talking about the "VICTOR GISCHLER FAN" pack.

Note: In case you don't know how Kickstarter works, you pledge money to support a creative project. (Like a film.) But if the funding goal isn't reached, then nobody pays anything. So no real risk.

THANK YOU

As was just announced this past weekend at Wondercon, my run on Adjectiveless X-MEN (Or X-MEN Team-up as it's known in some circles) will come to an end with #29. The amazing Brian Wood takes the helm with #30. I want to thank readers and the editors at Marvel for one hell of a thrill ride. The editors told me months ago that a creative shakeup was coming, so I've had plenty of time to get some other projects in the works ... but more about that later. Right now, I just want to say that it's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege. I grew up on Marvel Comics, and during this X-Men run I've gotten to play with some of Marvel's bestest and most funnest toys -- Spider-Man, The Thing, Dr. Doom, Skull the Slayer (still want that Skully ongoing!) Dracula, Deadpool and obviously the X-MEN themselves. So, yeah, pretty nifty for me.

Thanks.

THE DEPUTY for Cheap!

Hey, people of the known world. THE DEPUTY has been available on Kindle for months for 6.99, but now my publisher has set the price at 1.99. THAT'S TOO CHEAP. IT WILL SEND THE ECONOMY INTO CRISIS. SO buy it HERE. (I don't know how long this will last. HURRY!)

PULP BOY on Kickstarter

Folks, as many of you already know I've co-written (with Anthony Neil Smith) a feature screenplay called PULP BOY, a funny romp about washed up sci-fi writer Emerson LaSalle. Producer/director Jake Dickey has come close to funding a few times, but it just never worked out. And in this economy you have to have some brass ones to even ask for money when there's just none to be had out there. Now Jake has decided to give kickstarter a try. He's got a lot of people working for love on this project and others working for reduced rates, and this has allowed him to cut the budget to the bone ... but it's still an uphill battle. If you have some cash to spare (and how much would you pay at the theater or a movie anyway?) then I hope you'll click THIS LINK to kickstarter and support all of Jake's hard work in planning and casting this film. Almost as important ... spread the word. Stick this link anywhere you think people who care about this sort of thing might see it. And remember, Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing sort of deal, so if the project doesn't make it, you won't be charged a dime.

Big fat bags of cash are welcome, but so is a quick five bucks. Thanks.

Aya

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X-MEN #26 -- with Deadpool guest appearance

Run into your local comic shop tomorrow and yell "GIMME DAT FUNNY BOOK!"

IN HARM'S WAY

Last night I tried -- and failed -- to stay up late and watch Otto Preminger's 1965 masterpiece In Harm's Way. As Navy pictures go, it's tops and it's depection of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is one of the best in all of cinema -- much better than that Michael Bay abortion Pearl Harbor. Alas, I am old, I am old I wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled, and I just couldn't stay up that late. A pity as I almost always try to catch this flick when it's on.

Whenever I watch this film, I'm always remindned of something: John Wayne could act. Oh, I don't mean we're all clamoring to see him in Hamlet or Waiting for Godot. I simply mean that given Wayne is most comfortable (and believable) in a certain type of role, he really can act. His depiction of seasoned Navy Captain Rock Torrey in IN HARM'S WAY is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. We believe his mature attaction to Patricia Neal, his contempt (at first) for his smarmy, estranged son as well as his obligatory manly concern that the good old US of A triumph over the enemy. It would be easy to reduce Wayne to his ability to swagger about spouting the word Pilgrim, but that is the stuff of Las Vegas stand-up acts, not the legacy of Wayne himself.

Preminger is at the height of his powers in this film and an excellent supporting cast (including Kirk Douglas) doesn't hurt. If you do not like this film I will fight you.