LONELYPOND PRESENTS

Wishing you health, happiness and prosperity in this Year of The Metal Tiger.

Aside from that, in an Olympic mood — waiting for curling + snowboarding while watching women’s hockey. Blink Kitty Love has a new post up about their favorite Canadian musicians + Winter Olympic sports.

Getting through Chuck, Season 2 in between sports and LOVING IT. GuestStar-A-Palooza — so far, I think my favorite is Dominic Monaghan in Chuck vs. The Third Dimension — I have never seen Lost so this is just a straight forward nod to good comedy. Gayle was surprised to be reminded that he was one of the hobbits.

Missing working on my new Twitter fiction, The Lady Lost or Turning That Corner Wasn’t The Brightest Idea I Ever Had, but too many other things going on and I really want to get back to it when I can get into a good writing zone.

Loved Phonogram: The Singles Club #7 (5 page preview or review) and am mulling over some art, interpretation and communication thoughts which might steep into something worth sharing. I am currently at the fulcrum of art is an individual understanding/effort/experience but communication makes us a community. And sometimes, you just howl. There will be a Phonogram: Singles Club book with all seven issues collected; it’s worth the read.

But right now, Olympics….I’ll catch up with FT links sometime. Snow delayed mail delivery so there’s a pile to go through. Which is always kind of fun.

Good night, happy New Year and thanks for stopping by.

Well, this is the question that’s been bugging me. Where’s the new Blink Kitty Love? What’s the band up to?* It’s been a month.

Yes, it’s been a month, but I think the whole Streamy push tired me out…Yes, it would be GREAT to be nominated for a Streamy and I really do think that Blink Kitty Love deserves consideration in both the Best Animated Series and Best Experimental Series categories, but I find that the energy required to promote something drains the energy required to create something.

Did you look outside, there’s winter (and snow).

I’m learning how to draw tigers for my two week Chinese New Year artistic meditation — very exciting; I love focusing on one animal a year. Here’s the collection so far and the current year.

Meanwhile, there’s been the The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe set, which I am helping with but the designer is an amazing artist who has a vision in his head and doesn’t want anybody else raising a brush near it. I respect that but it is also draining in its own way.

More exciting is that I’ve been discussing (early for me) Merchant of Venice (#merven) with a really cool artist who is planning to do the logo so I’ve been getting up to speed on that (and trying to coordinate a conversation — scheduling is one of the more annoying things to do while also being one of the more important).

So I’ve been drawing less, tweeting less, blogging less and stressing more. Which is just the low point of a natural cycle so it’s time to swing back the other way.

I did remember to catch Smallville: Absolute Justice. Their viewing numbers must be a huge increase over other weeks since I think everyone I know who has ever loved a comic book watched it. Smallville has caught a lot of interest now, so we’ll see where it goes. There were some great moments in Justice - Dr. Fate putting the mask on tops the list, a moment of heroism that made you catch your breath, and the newsreel footage was excellent. It was nice to see heroes without the shades of murky grey that Smallville likes to muck everything up with. I hope this can continue without the presence of Geoff Johns’ writing. But WAY TOO MANY COMMERCIAL BREAKS, CW. You abused your audience’s tolerance there. There are other ways to make transitions.

Looking forward to The Lightning Thief opening next weekend. Finally got the books back from my mom because Gayle saw the movie trailer and said do you have the books?

What I have been reading is the Hopeless Savages collections. Finally ordered the second and it’s better than I remember (I have all the original issues but I need to sort my comics out and find them). I was initially turned off by Bryan Lee O’Malley’s art, so different from the first series, but decided to give it another go now that I’ve had the “fall in love with Scott Pilgrim (or maybe Kim Pine) experience.” I recommend both series; there need to be more comics like that. Read ‘em.

*The band continues chatting on their Twitter feed and their blog so you can still continue the Blink Kitty Love love while we’re all hibernating (warning: food cravings may occur). And I do have some live footage I’m planning to experiment with (warning: food cravings may occur) soon.

Stay warm, darn it.

Well, I would like to comment articulately on how smallVille’s current season is developing but since they moved it to FRIDAY nights I keep remembering on Thursday it exists and then forgetting on Friday and doing things like watching WizTober instead. So I missed the Wonder Twins. Darn.

New favorite t-shirt (because I know you like to keep track of these things.)

Speaking of all things Wizard…Wizards of Waverly Place still knocking out the solid comedy. Harper moving in should be an interesting turn.

Now, the Sonny With A Chance will Chad and Sonny divulge their feelings on a talk show episode tipped the way too many flashbacks alarm.

Exactly the opposite on the funny meter was the latest Jonas (but I think I mentioned that before) which I have just discovered has been picked up for a second season. They’re getting a new show runner but I hope they don’t ditch that much — Gayle really likes the one camera style and I think they’ve really grown into the humor as the season progressed.

Speaking of growing into humor, have been on a Big Bang Theory kick, watching Seasons 1 + 2 on DVD. And this past week’s once again ratcheted up the funny. When Sheldon’s radio interview was being helped along by helium, Gayle and I were both laughing so hard it was impossible to hear anything that was being said. I do miss Leslie Winkle as a fountain of dread mischief…sure Kripke’s funny, but how about a Winkle and Cooper revenge tag team to take him down.

Still haven’t watched Shanghai Surprise. Need to change up my Netflix queue and drop the TV shows and concentrate on movies.

Oh, should probably drop in a Nick update. Nick Cannon very entertaining as The Chairman, liked iCarly’s iHave My Principals episode — always good to see Tim Russ. True Jackson seems to be focusing on the teens, which is ok, but I do like the craziness Max and Amanda bring with them.

Comics are grim, especially with Black Lanterns all over the DC Universe but Groo is back (To the fray!) and so is Giffen (Ambush Bug and Doom Patrol) so there is some light.

I think that catches up w/ the reviews. Still missing Warehouse 13.

Well, if you’re looking for interesting things I’ve read in the FT, so am I. I have a week + 1 in a pile and I haven’t had a chance to get through them.

What I have been reading…comic books (see previous entry) and Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistlestop Cafe. I had forgotten all the details and characters and eras Fannie Flagg worked into her marvel of a town and humanity tour. If you haven’t read it yet, do!

And on the comic note: DC’s Wednesday Comics finishes off with a flair. Hawkman + (surprisingly Supergirl) get my votes for best use of format. More in depth review later. Start the next one off with Hawkman/Supergirl team up, give Aquaman his own page, the Legion of course, The Question, and hmmmm, I’ll have to think about the rest.

In the can I pick ‘em or what category: Movie You May Have Missed have done me a huge favor and reminded me what the title is of the time travel movie I had forgotten the title of soon after I read its excellent review (at the time, I was reading the Wall Street Journal). I kept trying to make it Pi, a totally different movie, but no, it’s Primer. Here’s their review.

And continuing, The Web Files is still turning out excellent, entertaining and informative episodes. Picked up some pointers from their interview (and am trying out Tube Mogul for Blink Kitty Love) with Tim Street of French Maid TV, yes, French Maid TV and am looking forward to the launch of first episode of the bringing back the 80’s w/ a sci fi flair, The Cabonauts (The Web Files #15).

TV reviews: still missing Warehouse 13, the upcoming 3 part Wizards of Waverly place, Chronicles of Moises looks like fun, not that thrilled with iCarly, True Jackson solid, buy the Jonas DVD because “Cold Shoulder” has the funniest music video bit ever in honor of Scandanavia. Speaking of The Jonas Brothers, have you seen “Bounce?” So this is what rock stars really do to stave off boredom.

Anything else…hmmm, there’s a new Blink Kitty Love in the universe, it’s Monday so Big Bang Theory Night (yes, Penny + Leonard dating does work + it is funny; not so sure about Sheldon + Raj working together).

And on a social conscience note, remember to vote. It matters. And here’s hoping that the Yes votes on Proposition #71 in Washington and the No votes on Question 1 in Maine prevail. You can make a difference. I did not participate in the latest March on Washington, but one of my Twitter peeps sent out an “Every right for every resident” quote and I think that sums it up well.

And I just remembered — spent the weekend w/ Madonna - or at least Madonna references. Rolling Stone has been mysteriously arriving for the past month and this is the first week I enjoyed reading it. Nice Madonna interview. And then she popped up in the 80’s in NYC photo gallery accompanying an interview w/ Village Voice photo columnist Amy Arbus. So now, I’ve convinced Gayle that we need to watch Shanghai Surprise — did you know George Harrison did the music.

Picked up two months (7 weeks worth) this week so going to give you a quick summary of the ones I’ve read so far (whole pile of Wednesday Comics waiting, yippee!), in order of excellence.

Adventure Comics (#1-3) — yes, top o’ the list and in the back of the book, Long Live The Legion. And it’s a Legion that includes every character from my wish list, I think — Dawnstar, Wildfire, XS — plus the usual favorites of the core three, Violet + Lightning Lass. Nice little snippets of story; I’m intrigued. And picking up my comics a lot sooner next time. The front of book story involving Superboy is also hitting all the right points — he mostly interacts w/ Krypto at the moment, but the competing list of things Superman and Lex Luthor have done manages to be both humorous + suspenseful. Good job.

Mangalicious Tick (#2,3) — not as funny as I was hoping but I am getting involved with the characters and the story — or maybe I’m just strangely attracted by ninjas…SPOON.

Captain America Reborn (#3) — great to see Namor; I think if they reboot the Fantastic Four movie franchise, they should find a way to involve him. Not sure I’m going to keep reading Cap after the mini series, but it is well written.

Question — back up story in Detective Comics (#856, 857, Annual #11) I wasn’t thrilled with the art in the first one, but I really like the Renee Montoya character. The shorter, snappier back of the book stories seem to be turning out well. Nice work, DC and the creative teams involved.

Nomad (#1-2) Nicely voiced title character, but I think the brainwashing of the high school student body by smooth talkers angle is laid on with too heavy a hand. Great to see The Falcon though. Always liked him.

Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers (#4) — started out fun, totally tanked. Pets never really became anything more than differing styles of dialogue. Lockjaw will always rock, but I won’t be picking up the sequel.

Batwoman (Detective Comics #856, 857 and left out of Annual #11)…ok, the slamming fight scenes covered up for a few issues that people in non fighting poses are ugly or blocky or just don’t look right…there’s no flow without masks and/or hallucinogens and/or cover of darkness. And it’s a shame too because Maggie Sawyer dashed in for an appearance and it’s always good to see her. But especially contrasted with the Question, Batwoman aka Kate Kane seems to be both acting and looking childishly pouty. I don’t like it.

What I’m adding to my pull list: Keith Giffen’s take on The Doom Patrol with the added bonus of the Metal Men back up feature. We can hope it reaches Justice League Europe levels of excellent fun.

Some fun sites + serious thoughts I’ve run across in my internet ramblings recently.

Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues in a wordle. I like to limit my political controversy + ranting exposure to election periods, but it looks like we’re in for a full four years. So perhaps it’s time to pay attention to some of what the Founding Fathers have left us. I suggest a strong dose of tranquility for everyone. And throw in some tolerance, darn it, even though it’s not listed.

Jimmy Carter is a courageous man and a former president setting a great example for everyone. His suggestion that racism may be part of the irrational healthcare debate is a point to consider. I am very tired of people thinking politics and government is a place to pick sides and behave like ill mannered sports fans.

Fun stuff, as promised: Warehouse 13 — watch, darn it. Here’s a spoiler free review of the last two episodes from the folks at io9. SyFy’s having an all day marathon next Tuesday, September 22nd, starting w/ the pilot at 9 a.m. At least watch Duped at 5 p.m. Incredible directing, solid writing, excellent performances, real suspense and just a touch of disco fun. Claudia is becoming one of my favorite TV characters ever so I’m really hoping she isn’t the quisling. Warehouse 13 has already been picked up for a second season + it would be GREAT if they don’t fall into the Eureka trap and have a complete tonal change for the second go round. I can take some more suspense, but PLEASE leave in the quirk and the fun. And if Claudia actually is developing a minor Myka crush, bonus points.

Here’s a fun commuter trains of thought graphic my friend Denise linked to on Facebook.

And a lovely piece of music for a slightly overcast day that bestows mellow happiness and memories of Fred Astaire.

And because, it’s fun + wacky…introducing a potential new celebrity: The Spork, who may or not get his/her/its own shirt this weekend.

Oh, and I have a bunch of FT links in my head + scattered across my desk that need to be cleared out, but for right now, props to Sarah Hemming for an excellent review of Judgement Day and an interesting interview with Rupert Goold.

Hope to catch up some more on the weekend (+ watch Adventureland, which is sitting in its red NetFlix envelope on top of the TV). The Informant looks funny — Matt Damon earned a spot on my favorite funny movie cameo list with Eurotrip , but I’m saving up for SPX next weekend.

Peter Aspden on Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing + how maybe not making a choice (as an artist) can impact + amplify your effect.

Paul Levitz is back on the Legion — YES. Levitz is stepping down as president + publisher and DC is revamping under the Warner Brothers aegis to take on the mega muscle that will be Disney/Marvel.

Great article on Winston Churchill + the fighting spirit.

Saw Ellen MacArthur on Top Gear; superfast sailor; fastest lap in their old Stars in Ordinary Cars derby. Here’s her blog; want to track down her book.

What the heck, @nicolaz + her partner @kelleyeskridge have started an editing business, @sterlingediting. (Yes, I love Twitter; it’s where I, @lonelypond, win friends + influence people; you have been previously warned; and if you influence or amuse me or annoy me in that grit making a pearl happen fashion, hey, you may very well get a mention right here.) I wish them well in their new endeavour. It is the best of feelings to collaborate on something you love with someone you love (oh, no, verging on sentiment — gak* — definition 4 my favorite. Must sleep more — refer previous entry)

Back to FT and other links (but what about the Legion you say? That’s not British. That’s a glitch not a tangent or even a segue. Caught me, but true love supersedes all.)

I actually find myself in sympathetic agreement with the usually too fluffy, but in a pleasant way, for me Susie Boyt as she struggles with going on holiday and running into a “novelist’s self help manual”.

Profile of Gustav Metzger, artist determined to push the world to survive.

Need to read this book judged by it’s cover.

And a review of Twitterville the book. (I prefer Twitterverse myself, but I’ve yet to write that book.)

And that should tide you over while I get some sun, listen to Radio Blink Kitty Love, lunch, work on that other book, and have a Thursday. Enjoy yours.

I was writing behind the scene posts, linking to fun FT articles, getting rejected by the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, writing a kick ass Merchant of Venice blurb (yes, I, Michelle Denise Norton, have decided to take on yet another infamous Shakespearean speech. Stayed tuned for round by round updates), buying a shirt, listening to Radio FlashCatFlash, Radio blinkkittylove, searching the web, remembering the 80’s, Twittering, and doing and thinking about a galaxy of other things. Here’s the highlights:

Merchant of Venice blurb for the season brochure (then I stop thinking about it for several months):

Merchant of Venice follows Portia, another of Shakespeare’s inimitable heroines, as she makes her way through an obstacle course of money and marriage. One of Shakespeare’s most misunderstood comedies? Or the cruelest? See for yourself.

An excerpt from my Blink Kitty Love Animator’s Journal:

So many people cite Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, the team at Disney as early animation influences; not me. With Blink Kitty Love, you put Rocky and Bullwinkle, Scooby Doo and Josie and the Pussycats in a blender, press mince and here we are, having a blast + burning a hole in our Wacom tablet.

Read the rest at the Blink Kitty Love blog.

El Tigre won 4 Daytime Emmys…congratulations + to celebrate, here’s a fan made mashup trailer of High School Musical 3 + El Tigre.

FT’s Vanessa Friedman on the fashion industry making itself accessible to the film industry.

Peter Aspden on The Beatles, their digitally remastered back catalogue + a lack of originality in contemporary musical endeavors.

The Herge (creator of Tintin) museum. Read up now; Steven Spielberg + Peter Jackson Tintin movie coming to a theatre near you Christmas 2011.

And I think that’s enough for tonight *yawn*..wait, you must watch Warehouse 13. It’s smart, funny, well acted, sharply written, surprising and suspenseful…yes, many science fiction stories have the same seeds, but W-13 lets them grow in interesting + intricate ways. Last week’s Alice in Wonderland take was amazing — you can probably catch it next Tuesday at 7.

And yes, it would be nice if Claudia turned out to be gay…

And on that note, a shout out to the Outer Alliance (@nicolaz is a member + my source for this) and the GLBT Bookshelf (@yuricon the source for this one); people are banding together to get lgbt speculative fiction + writing out there. Click through if you’re interested in finding out how/why.

Good night; sleep well.

Just picked up a stack of comics (and it was a stack, thanks largely to the weekly Wednesday Comics — which at $3.99 per week also ups my summer comic expenses.) So since there’s a stack of them, chock full o’ comic variety but only partly full o’ comic goodness, I think a page by page review is in order.

Batman: Story disjointed; colors too dark.

Kamadi: art style matches the story, but giving me a Phantom/Prince Valiant/Tarzan craving.

Superman: more of a downer every week so sad.

Deadman: I love this character; I have no idea what’s going on + I’m interested.

Green Lantern: rocks…this + The Flash/Iris Allen page (see below) are the reasons I keep buying these. Good crisp story, excellent + sharp art, outstanding performance from Kurt Busiek and Joe Quinones.

Metamorpho: hasn’t made sense yet.

Teen Titans: not clicking for me; don’t know if it’s the art or the storytelling, but I’m skimming right through.

Strange Adventures: Strange…but intriguing and the art style works for the alien planet.

Supergirl: pointless, cartoony, maybe fun?

Metal Men: I think it would be more engaging if I were a Metal Men fan + familiar with the personalities.

Wonder Woman: art makes the story barely decipherable. Fail.

Sgt. Rock: solid but SLOW.

The Flash/Iris West: I’m intrigued, worried, involved, surprised and glad it’s a weekly. Excellent job Team Allen.

Demon/Catwoman: twisty, getting more involved with each installment…I like both characters so I’m looking forward to the next turn.

Hawkman: brutal…art + story well done but dark.

And that’s your page by page.

And because I know you’re as excited about this as I am (and if you’re not, you might be the reason ABC Family didn’t pick up Season 2 immediately so I think I’m ignoring you) — a snazzy new Middleman site exists. Now, let’s get us some snazzy new content.

DVDs (July 28th) and a comic are coming and a panel at San Diego Comic Con where the cast will read the script of the scuttled 13th episode. I have a show, but you, yes you, go and take video.