Little Red Laser Dot

You know how they say some things once you see them cannot be "unseen".  Well its a real thing my friends.  Over the years I have witnessed a lot of scenes that have broken my heart.  I've witnessed people I've thought I knew doing or saying things that I would have thought entirely out of character.  There have been a lot of changes that just can't be undone.

Nothing can compare to the haunting memory of the little red laser dot though.

One Ornery Saint

Ushered in with Haley's Comet, ushered out the same way.  My favorite American saint and I'm sure many of yours as well.

Best known with a soup strainer on his upper lip, but when he worked the riverboats his face was smooth as a boy's.

Never a man for "The glass is half full or the glass is half empty"; his motto leaned more toward "There is not enough water for your people are dying of thirst, you pirates and thieves!"

There is never enough "water".  The people are always starving for a man like Sam to tell them when they're running around bare ass naked, whether they like it or not.

M to the B-Rady

Do you know this man?

Well probably not personally since he's been dead for over a century now.  So if you say, "Yeah, hey, that's Matt!" you are probably a vampire and should be staked.

Though you may not know this man's face, you know the faces of hundreds of figures from the mid-to-late-nineteenth century because of the portraits that this man photographed of them.  The whole "baseball trading card line up" of civil war officers and generals comes to us because this man dragged a horse and wagon up and down the lines and battlefields of the civil war.

All the most horrendous photos of smoked out fields and pockmarked ditches littered with the bodies of the dead were captured by him and then exposed in the darkroom inside that rickety wagon.  When you think of all the volatile chemicals that go into photography this man was really taking his life into his own hands.  Not to mention the cannons, rifle, and musket fire.

Some would say that Mathew Brady was the first photojournalist for exposing people far away from the front to images of actual warfare.  Others would say he was the first muckraker for exposing an ugly underbelly of society that some people would never want to have to look at.

Interestingly, newspapers had no way of reproducing Brady's images in print.  So the newspapers would get copies of the photographic prints and then a carving artist would have to carve out a woodblock of the photograph to reproduce in the newspapers.

Kind of like duplicating mimeograph images on a blog site.

"Trying to loosen my load...
Got a World of Troubles on My Mind.."

"Take It Easy"
Music and lyrics by
Jackson Browne and Glen Frey.

Hey; they can't all be terribly original.

Though Our Shoes Are Worn

Every day we shuffle along.  Though our backs are sore, or stooped, or twinge.
Every day we plod along a little farther.
Even though we may see others sprinting in the other direction.
Our shoes are now all worn out. 
Our feet are sore, blistered, calloused.
Our destination gets more hazy every day.
You would think it would become clearer as we move closer.
Hazier, and hazier still, it goes against logic.
Another burst of reserve and forward again we shuffle.
Every day, every hour, every hard won mile on a dusty road.
Never knowing if we will reach our goal or pass into oblivion along the way.
I don't think these shoes have much longer to go.

Wizard Dump

Things are coming to a head.  Make no mistake.

A few short years ago, the names of the major national fan based conventions started dwindling.  In their place I started hearing about "Comic-Con" here and "Wizard World" there.
  

These are not fan based conventions.  These are market based trade shows.  They draw big names for two reasons.  First, the media is convinced that they represent a direct conduit to geek-based culture and so over-saturate every one of these big Cons with media attention and publicity.  People like Chris Hardwick, gushing about; "Oh you were at Comic-Con.  I was at Comic-Con too." Secondly, being a purely "for profit" venture, they have the draconian business model to be able to spend extreme amounts of money on advertising, hiring special guests, and offering big cash prizes at costume competitions. 

How do they do this?  Volume my friends, they do it through volume.  A popular fan based convention, other than Dragon Con which is the exception to the rule, may be taxed at 10 or 15 thousand guests. A modest Wizard trade show funnels 50,000 people through some convention center like steers in a stock pen.  Secondly, the booth fees for a vendor hoping to trade at one of these mega shows makes the rent on a retail space at the Mall of America seem thrifty by comparison.

They also have plenty of money left over in their budgets to play dirty tricks on the local guys.

I recently was made aware of a particular sad and heinous example of Wizard's pernicious influence right here in Minnesota.  The letter I received is reprinted below: 

WIZARD STRIKES AGAIN

Seems the "New Wizard" is Same as the old Wizard

Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, MN (August 12, 2013) - The New York based Wizard World convention organization has once again decided to reach out and attempt to bully a long standing regional convention group. This time it's the Twin Cities based (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN) all volunteer, not for profit Midwest Comic Book Association that is Wizards target.

Oddly enough the MCBA, an all volunteer, not for profit group was initially excited to hear the rumors that Wizard was coming to town. For 25 years they've been dedicated to providing promotions, service and support to the comic book industry and the creators/retailers who make their living in it. They viewed Wizards arrival and high industry profile as an opportunity to grow the community and looked forward to working with them in a support capacity as well. The more the merrier. Unbeknownst to the MCBA, Wizard evidently has other plans.

Every year for the past 25 years the MCBA has sponsored two public events. One is the SpringCon show, a two day show traditionally held in May and a one day show called FallCon in October. So out of all of the dates available to Wizard, they choose to schedule their premier event in the Twin Cities on May 3 & 4, 2014. Just two weeks ahead of the weekend SpringCon which is held May 17 & 18, 2014). Seems like the "new Wizard" is just like the old Wizard.

Recently, Nick Postiglione, one of the lead MCBA volunteers recently spoke with Peter Katz, Senior VP of Business Affairs& Development for Wizard who informed him "we had no idea that we were scheduling so close to the MCBAs event" and further continued that the proposed space (the Minneapolis Convention Center) "Only had the first weekend in May available to us". The MCBA SpringCon dates for 2014 have been posted for quite some time on numerous industry websites and the MCBA website as well. In addition, one quick phone call inquiry to a space rental employee about space availability at the Minneapolis Convention Center put the lie to his availability statement. Evidently, the first week in May was specifically and strategically chosen.

Another interesting tidbit casually mentioned by Postiglione "About a year ago, we were approached by Wizard to see if we were for sale or absorption" he continued "I told them that given the fundamental structural differences in our respective organizations, that probably wouldn't be possible. But we'd be happy to help their efforts in establishing a presence here. I just had no idea that they actually intended to land right on top of us. It's an unfortunate situation, a huge disappointment for many of our volunteers, and ultimately a missed opportunity for the various communities we serve as well."

There you have it. A group that has donated over 30 tons of food to the food shelves, over $100,000.00 to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the MN Lupus Foundation and the MN Literacy council, as well as promoting retailer and creator events and other regional events is about to be bullied about by the corporate Wizard World convention machine. Again, seems like the "new Wizard" is just like the old Wizard.

Most people in the comic book world are acutely aware of Wizards history of predatory convention and comic book industry practices. Wizards will claim it is not so and that the "new Wizard" is a "much different organization" than that of years past. This is simply not true. This situation perpetrated by Wizard is a willful and purposeful attempt to corner a market and squash the local competition regardless of the negative effects it would have on the regional community and highlights, once again, Wizards self serving, predatory instincts.

To be sure, we live and work in a free market system based on competitive principles. Competition generally serves us well. But, given the unique nature of the comic book industry, the situation is definitely unique and traditionally acts as such. It's a multi layered community composed of many different, and ever evolving, wildly diverse creative and financial elements. Minneapolis St. Paul is the 15th largest media market in the United States and should easily be able to handle two events of this type. However, that's not in question here. What is in question is Wizards ethics.

It's all about timing and making a proactive choice to help build a community or deciding to simply show up, bully the locals and pillage what others have built. The question is obvious "Is there a difference between having the right to do something as opposed to doing what's right?" Evidently everyone, except Wizard, knows the answer to that question is "Yes!"

While this issue may or may not be concerned with your specific geographical area or affect the way your participate in the world of comic books right now, make no mistake, it is your community here that is under assault and this is your call to action! Vote with your dollars and your heart when choosing what events to support and attend. Please e-mail or call Peter Katz at Wizard and let him know where you stand regarding this type of predatory market behavior. Your community needs you to be heard!

Based on what the MCBA has stated in public, if Wizard did the right thing regarding their event dates, they would welcome them with open supportive arms and continue to help build a bigger, better, healthier comic book community for all of us.

FW - The Super Anti Wizard Guy

###

Special thanks to the peacemakers at the MCBA who provided the information used in this press release.

Peter Katz - Wizard World - peter@wizardworld.com- (646) 801-5572

What does this mean in the long run?

"Because the economy is tight, I can only afford one convention this year. I'll make it "Wizard World (insert city here)". 

Small independent presses and individual artists and creators cannot afford the booth fees at this kind of convention.  Local conventions cannot afford the kind of marketing and advertising that Wizard can choke television, the internet, and airwaves with.

It won't be long before Wizard World is the only convention left in town.  Stadium shows where fans crowd in four hour long lines for the latest Pokemon trading cards and the latest issue of "Archie" or "Nancy and Sluggo".  "Attention: Now featuring (Insert name of boy band of the day) superhero adventure comics.  Pre-autographed copies now available at the loading dock 'mezzanine'."  National fandom will find itself "Wal-martized".

Do you have the flop sweats yet?

Woodsy the Owl Bear

Take a trip down memory dungeon crawl with me.  Today's fearful exhibition; the owl bear.  Yes, the owl bear, the wandering monster with the second biggest "huh, what?" factor of anything in the classic dungeons and dragons pantheon.  Yes, second only the the displacer beast for overall, "What was someone thinking when they came up with this monster?"

(As an aside, there was an early dungeon module that actually makes the displacer beast make sense.  It's actually a kind of clever science fiction monster smack dab in the middle of the dungeons and dragons fantasy realms.  No such explanation exists for owl bears.)

All the brains of an owl, all the aroma of a bear.  Don't let him hug you.  Don't let him peck you.  Don't let him hack up your bones and armor in a big nasty pellet. 

Shoot first, macrame later!

Breaking news.  Folklorian historians have discovered today a new trouble that's been lurking about Pandora's Box for some time.  Historians refuse to speculate whether it was hiding deep in the box the whole time. Opinions are split as to whether it was present since the box was originally opened hiding its identity or whether it is a new trouble somehow recently generated by Pandora's box.  Folklorian scientists were understandably shocked this weekend when they discovered "The Internet" crawling out of Pandora's Box and sunning itself on the lid.

In recent years I have noticed that more and more the internet is being used for trolls to fling their poison from the refuge of "virtual" anonymity.  More and more on various social networking sites I have read blogs, comments on blogs, and just general posts filled with hatred.  Hatred toward gays, hatred toward women, hatred toward minorities.  Hatred in politics, hatred in religion, hatred toward science and a myriad of other foaming vitriolic barks.

Understand something as you post from behind your moniker of "Snuffalupigus-with-a-boob-job" or whatever other witty internet persona.  You are not some internet Robin Hood standing up for the rights of your imaginary victimization just because a few virtual presences agree "That's exactly right."  You are a troll shouting obscenities from behind a rock to a chorus of "Here! Here!" from some pebbles nearby.

We all want to be heard.  Often we lose the signal in all the noise.  We miss the message below because of disturbed ripples on the surface.

Was waiting this morning to think of something very profound to say.  Took the dogs for a walk.  Weeded a flower bead.  Nothing.

Then along came a grey squirrel with a nasty old green bathroom poof, bounding majestically across the yard.  Yes the weather is still sunny and warm, but Mr. Squirrel is already thinking of the long hard winter that may be ahead.  That and being prepared if he decides to take a shower in his nest during that winter.  Here's to you, Mr. Squirrel.  Here's to all your relatives that my dog Atticus will try to torment.

Atticus Tyrannis

After my last post to this blog kind of took a peculiarly maudlin swerve the other night, I told my wife I was thinking of not blogging anymore.

After all, too many of us blog these days.  Often as not, it isn't anything that earth shatteringly interesting anyway.  This I will be the first to confess.

Since then, I have to say, I have been thinking a lot about the blog.  To paraphrase something a good friend of mine said when we were both much more involved in poetry slams; "When you're out of the Blog, all you can think about is getting back into the Blog." (I just substituted blog for "slam" as I am sure you've guessed already).

I picked up my pen again this morning and sketched a little something that looks like it might belong in a storybook by A. A. Milne.  My little blogging monster has come home with his handkerchief tied with a stick.  I wonder what a blog monster would have wrapped in an old handkerchief tied to a stick.  We may never know.

There was a Dr. Who companion known as Joe Grant, played by Katy Manning.  She was kind of frivolous.  Kind of bumbling.  When I first started watching Dr. Who all those years ago I was first introduced to the first few seasons of Tom Baker.  Then the last couple of seasons of John Pertwee.

Joe Grant fell right at the end of Pertwee, and right before Tom Baker's incarnation of the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.  Deft, inquisitive and engaging Sarah Jane.  The Doctor Who companion considered by many fans who started with the original series to be "the companion" for Doctor Who.  The Golden Years of Elizabeth Sladen and Tom Baker.

I admit that when I was growing up, me and other fans of Doctor Who I knew kind of considered Joe to be kind of the "Lieutenant Broccoli" of Doctor Who.  It seemed that her only purpose was to be there for Doctor Who and Unit to rescue, making some jokingly wonder how she wound up as part of Unit at all.  To many she lost even more "geek cred" when Katy Manning agreed after she was no longer with the show to pose nude with a mock-up Dalek.  I wish there was a particular term for when someone participates in self parody where it seems the joke was more on an individual than going along with them.

Fast forward.  It has been a hard last couple of years for fans of the original series as far as companions are concerned.  Elizabeth Sladen's successful series reprising Sarah Jane in the Sarah Jane Chronicles was cut short when she succumbed to her battle with cancer at only 65 back in 2011.  Nicholas Courtney, who played Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart from Troughton through Baker and beyond also passed away in 2011.  Caroline John, the actress who played Joe Grant's predecessor, the cool headed Cambridge scientist Elizabeth Shaw passed away in 2012 at 71.

Even Mary Tamm, who played the original Romana, the rogue time lord with the ice queen persona passed away in July of this year.  She was only 62 when she died.  As a tragic footnote her 60 year old husband died of a heart attack in their home just a few hours after delivering the eulogy at his wife's funeral.

So you're a huge geek.  Here are your geek heroes and icons.  In just three short years the actors that portrayed the supporting cast of the "Golden Years of your Geekdom" are obituaries.

Some wag on his blog suggested Katy Manning should be getting nervous.  The actress who played Joe Grant is the only one left alive from that time period.  I am starting to feel more respect for Joe Grant.

They say that the Doctor never says good bye.  He almost never returns to visit one of his old companions once their journey is completed.  But even the Raggedy Man has to pay the price of Time.  And the price of Time, as those of us in the mundane world know, is saying good bye.

Goodbye to heroes, good bye to matinee and serial idols.  Good bye to best friends, lovers and family.  Neil Gaiman tweeted just yesterday something about his wife asking him how many women he'd made love with who are dead now.  It made me immediately think if I could think of anyone who had already died who I'd been in a relationship with, however briefly.

Lord I don't think I could stand to live 900 years and have to play the Good bye game so long and so hard.

Still Got to Go Back and Check the Sources

Didn't Tan Geranium Dreams do the sound track for the movie "Blade Runner" with George Harrison?

No, that was Get in the Van, Jealous.

Tan Geranium Dreams did the sound track to "Risky Business", along with Bob Smeageler.

Bob Smeageler, I loved his Silver Bullhead Band.

This excerpt brought to you from thirty years in the future if Wikipedia crowd-sourcing becomes fundamentally the only source of information retrieval.

Verify your information.  Read a book.  Buy some vinyl.