tyger_raven

I'd been meaning to go see this film ever since Christmas. I'd heard some buzz that it was dark but very good, and I love dark but very good films. I also had a feeling that it was getting the Oscar buzz, and I really want to see more of the Oscar nominated films this year in order to better judge for myself which films deserve the Oscar.

In a word, Black Swan was 100% dark but very good. At first, I wasn't sure I'd like it. I knew this was set in the world of Ballet, but it wasn't until I'd say 15 minutes into the film that it started grabbing my attention. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a young dancer determined to win the title role in her ballet company's production of Swan Lake. But, she faces a major obstacle in that the director thinks she's perfect for the role of the White Swan, pure and innoent, but he feels she lacks the abandon and ability to portray the dark twin, the Black Swan. When Nina becomes determined to convince the director that he's wrong about her, her life begins to mimic the story of the White Swan and the Black Swan.

This movie has strong Oscar potential for a number of things, it's an artistic film instead of a blockbuster, it has a strong cast of actors who are known for their blockbuster roles but take the independant films for their ability to break the stereotype, and it has a director who's both a fan and critic favorite. However, this film deserves the Oscar buzz and (hopefully) the nominations it will get. Aronofsky has provided a film that's dark, but relatable. Portman delivers a performance that shows she's more than just a pretty face, and the entire cast work together like an ensemble cast should to provide a very thought-provoking picture with a cautionary tale.

This film also does something else that I'm fond of in movies. It provides strong hints to a bigger story but leaves a majority of it open to the interpretation of the viewer. This is one of those films that had I gone to see it with friends, we would have wanted to discuss it for a few hours later. That to me is a good film. So many films that come out today are either horrible leaving a bad taste in my mouth or just all right- a type of film that while I don't necessarily hate it, I can't say that I particularly liked it either. When a film comes along that makes me think, I tend to like it because it gets me out of my head for a little bit and yet gives me something to think about at the same time.

As far as the dark side of the film goes, it definitely isn't for everyone and is by far not appropriate for anyone under the age of 16 at least. Some of the images of this film are enough to make even an adult used to violence in movies cringe. Also, if you are one of those that can't handle physical pain, even when it's someone else's pain, then you might need to be prepared to close your eyes a lot. It's hard for me to describe these dark images without spoiling the movie, but I will say that these images aren't there for shock value, they serve to explain the mindframe of the characters. As far as sex goes, while there is no nudity, there are definitely some sexual situations.

If you're a fan of movies such as Requiem for a Dream, I would definitely recommend this picture. With a solid story, good directing, and outstanding performances, especially Natalie Portman in the lead role, Black Swan is definitely going into my best of the year list. Only problem I'm faced with now is, do I include it as the best of 2010, since it made it's debut in 2010, or do I include it in 2011 because that's when I saw it?

Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom #3

Written by Joe Hill
Art by Gabriel Rodriguez
Colors by Jay Fotos
Letters by Robbie Robbins
Edited by Chris Ryall
Published by IDW Publishing

Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom #3 is halfway through the fourth story in the Locke & Key series and the story hasn't lost steam yet. In order to give this issue it's due, I need to give a little non-spoilery (I hope) summary of the story. Locke & Key is about three siblings, two boys and one sister,who move to Lovecraft, Massachusetts, after a family tragedy. Their new residence is a mansion with the interesting name of Keyhouse, but Keyhouse is no ordinary mansion. Which is a good thing because the sinister forces that resulted in their family's misfortune has followed them and threatens to destroy them all.

In the first three stories, the reader is introduced to not only the most awesome mansion ever imagined, but also to the characters of Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke. These are not cookie cutter stereotypical children. Tyler is the most complex teenage boy saddled with caring for an alcoholic mother and two emotionally scarred younger siblings you'll ever meet. Kinsey, as the middle child, has learned to cope with her tragic and bizarre life by cutting off from her emotions making her a sometimes carefree and sometimes quite wreckless. But, it's truly the youngest of the three, Bode, that I'm the most impressed with. Bode is, I think about Eight, but he's unlike any eight-year old I've ever known. It is through Bode that we gain insight into the world of Locke & Key. Bode is the one that brings out thought provoking insight as his innocent but keen mind tries to make sense of the events around him.

My love for this series as a whole rests in the fact that Joe Hill has created a story, brilliantly brought to life by the art team of Gabriel Rodriguez, Jay Fotos, and Robbie Robbins, that makes me wish I had come up with something so brilliant. At first I was a little weary about Keys to the Kingdom because the story is set up as a series of little stand alone stories, which is a departure from the three stories that came before it. However, with each issue, I'm seeing kernels of the big picture while more time is spent focusing on the character devolopment, which I truly love. The first issue focused mostly on Bode, while the second issue was more of a Kinsey issue. So, while this issue gave each sibling a chance to shine, this was a good Tyler issue as we see the lengths that Tyler is willing to go to try and get some normalcy back in his life. Kinsey learns a lesson about trust, and Bode finds another piece of the mystery of Keyhouse and decides to share his family secrets with a friend which doesn't make Tyler happy.

If you're the type of person who has been turned off of comics because of superheroes but enjoy mysterious tales full of excitement, thrills and a lot of the supernatural, then by all means, give Locke & Key a try. The first three stories, Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, Locke & Key: Head Games and Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows are all collected into three nice hardbound volumes that can be purchased for less than $20 at Amazon, and all three retail for $25 in comic stores. Go ahead, give Welcome to Lovecraft a try, and I challenge you to try and resist picking up the next two books. You'll be hooked, I guarantee it.

**Due to the nature of the story, I would feel remiss to not mention that this is definitely for mature readers only.

Maybe I've been listening to the stories too much, or maybe it's just me being cautious. I have an issue with talking about work, even on my journal where I'm planning on locking this entry. But, because I'd rather err on the side of caution (even though I wasn't planning on mentioning anything that would infer slander or giving away secrets, and I wouldn't even mention the name of the firm I work for). Yet, my hesitancy to speak out in any way that might get me in trouble, I'll just say this. Things were hectic today, and I let my frustration about some circumstances that I have no control over get the best of me for a few minutes. But, I say the day was more of a success because I reined in that frustration and didn't let it affect my work.

So, after my pity party of this past weekend, I want to focus on more positive things and let the things that I have no control over (mostly past mistakes) go. Easier said than done especially since I've been doing a lot of those "they who don't learn from their mistakes are destined to repeat them" kinds of mistakes lately. Still, baby steps and Rome wasn't built in a day. I'm going to keep reminding myself to focus on the good and let go of the bad.

I've got something awesome to discuss, DC comics is putting out a Red Lantern comic written by Peter Milligan. This has got me all kinds of excited because I've wanted to see more of the Rainbow Lanterns ever since Geoff Johns first introduced them in the Pages of Green Lanter. And who better to write a kickass Red Lanterns book than Peter Milligan. Let me share my story of why I'm happy to hear about a Peter Milligan-helmed Red Lantern comic.

I had never even heard of Peter Milligan back in 2001 when Marvel announced the new take on X-Force that would eventually become X-Statix. When looking at the concept, I was ready to dismiss this new relaunch, and nothing about what I read sounded appealing to me. But, my comic store guy believed that I could be convinced to give it a shot. He even loaned me his copies of "Enigma" a vertigo series written by Peter Milligan and drawn by Duncan Fegredo that came out in 1993. At first, I read one issue, deemed it confusing and terribly drawn, and put it aside. But, my comic guy insisted that I had to give it a shot. I was so glad I did. By the third issue, I couldn't put it down. I was transfixed because this was a story that was so complex and had so many elements that just seemed to speak to me. This was definitely a case where the strength of the writing far outweighed the art, though when you read the story, you come to realize that the there is no other artist or style that this book could have been drawn in. The writing and the art were married to make a truly inspirational piece of literature.

I thought if any writer could get me to love a story so much that I overlooked a type of comic book art that I didn't like, he must be an excellent writer. So, I got on board with X-Force 116, and boy was I glad I did. Milligan's X-Force was brilliant. He didn't have the run of the mill standard superhero. His wasn't just a retold story where Hero A has to fight Villain X and even though they proclaim that nothing will ever be the same again, it's just words because at the end the story brings the characters right back to where they started from. Milligan's X-Force was unique, visionary, and pushed the envelopes for what a hero in a hero-obsessed world would look like.

Even though X-Statix wasn't as strong as the stories that Milligan wrote for X-Force, I was still enjoying the book and was saddened when the book died an early death. Since then, I've felt that most of what I've read by Milligan read like the writer had lost his way. But, for some reason that I can't explain, I have faith that this new Red Lantern series can bring Milligan back to the type of writing that I've loved and missed. I just can't wait for this series to begin and will be keeping my eye out for any further news I find about this book. 2011 might just be the year for Rage, in a good way.

Yep, it's Wednesday, and that can mean only one thing, other than Idol results (Yay for the final two contestants! America actually got it right!), Wednesday can only mean new comics. So, I'm going to talk about the ones I've read as well as list the ones I picked up. And because I know there's people who don't want to read my ramblings about comics, I'll put it behind a cut.

( Read On )

Finally, I haven't done one of these in a while, but thanks to yep_i_am_dennis I now know what color my rainbow is. Enjoy.

I try to keep my thoughts about the comics I read to a minimum because I have people who don't read comics on my flist, and because honestly, I feel I ramble and become that comic book guy way too often. However, there were a couple of things I wanted to bring up about the comics I read this week.

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I just put together the entries for day two and day three of the con and back dated them, which was for my benefit.

So, Wondercon 2010 rocked! It was awesome to be able to attend the con knowing that I finally got my comic out. I'm still getting used to talking about my book because I don't want people to say, "Oh, great, here comes Kenne again talking about that book!" But, I know I have to talk about it a lot because it's the only way I can get any sort of promotion.

I haven't talked to Desmond today (yesterday?), but I beleive I sold between 30 and 35 copies this weekend. It's not Superstar numbers, but considering that it's a zero issue and I'm an unknown, I'd say 30 to 35 is pretty darn good. It means that there's now 30 or more people who have my book, can read it, and talk about my book to their friends.

I heard from a couple of people who had purchased the book. They both said that it was interesting and made them want to read more. And, as I knew would be the case, a lot of people were excited about the artwork. Sean's art is amazing, and just as I thought would be the case, it was a big draw for people.

Now comes the next step, which is finishing up the script for issue one, so I can send it to Sean so he can get started on penciling. One of the things we're considering is looking for an inker to ink his pencils so we can get the issue done quicker. But, no matter what, I know the book will get done, and I'm going to refrain from giving a potential release date until I have a more clear picture of how long it's going to take. I'm really motivated now to get the book written and finished, and I'm pretty sure that Sean feels the same way.

I mentioned in a previous post that the thing I'm always looking out for feedback, and sometimes that feedback just isn't going to come. But, I found something very interesting today. I did a google search for my name (this is something I do quite a lot), and found THIS . Scroll down the comments, and you'll find a mention of Night Patrol! I was giddy because it was a mention of someone anticipating my comic's debut at WonderCon. She even said that the premise sounded like a mixture of seanan_mcguire's October Daye novels and Fables from Vertigo. That just gave me a good feeling. I don't know if the poster who said this managed to find us at the con and get a copy of the book, but now that I know who it is and how to find her, I plan on contacting her to make sure she gets a copy. It's just too cool for words to know that someone showed an interest in my book.

Okay, giddyness is starting to fade as sleepyness kicks in. Tomorrow (today?), I'm going to work on the script with the intention of getting these last few pages finished, send them off to Sean, and start on issue two.

As always, please let me know if you'd like to purchase a copy of Night Patrol.

- Wow, today was a real test of endurance for me. I woke up with a horrible headache, which was probably a hangover headache even though I only had two cocktails last night. Of course, anytime I drink on an empty stomache, one drink might as well be three or four because I get intoxicated quicker.

- Still, even though I felt bad, I had to return to the con. Today was my Prism signing, and I've been looking forward to that all weekend.

- I arrived at the Con a little later, but since I didn't have anything to do except for the signing, I felt I could afford to be late. Plus, I knew that Desmond, Rich or someone would call me if they needed my help.

- I got to the Con sometime around 1 pm. I was volunteering at the Prism booth at 2 with my signing to start at 3. As I suspected, the Whatever... booth was well-manned, but I hung out there until I had to go to the Prism booth.

- My time at the Prism booth was okay except for me feeling like crap. I met a couple of people, and I got a couple more sales of Night Patrol. I think any self-publisher or small-time creator will agree that when it comes to selling your work, you have to accept that any sale is a big sale because it's going to be near impossible to make a lot of sales simply because you're an unknown in a market that's flooded with both big-names and unknowns. So, I was happy that I think I sold about 35 copies of Night Patrol this weekend. Now comes the part that I hate, which is the wait while I try to remind myself that I can't expect much feedback. I so would love to be able to do a google search and find people reviewing my work, but that's probably not going to happen.

- Still, I had a fun time, and aside from being super tired, the weekend was a success despite the rocky start. I had told myself that if I sold 20 copies, then it would be a good con. Selling between 30 and 35 is AWESOME!!

For my flisters, if all my blathering about Night Patrol has you curious and you'd like to purchase a copy, just let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

- After last night's epiphany about why I was in such a funk even though my comic came out this weekend, I had a much better day.

- I arrived at the Con somewhere around 10:30 or so. My friend (and publisher) was in a panel, so I had agreed to man the booth while he was gone. That meant being at the booth alone (since all my other friends and people at the booth, except one, wanted to support Desmond by attending the panel). It went much better. I made a few sales, but I also felt that I was able to entice people who might remember my book the next time they see it and decide to give it a whirl this time.

- Desmond went from the panel to signing at the Prism booth, so I got to spend a bit of time at the booth by myself. I was concerned that it was unfair to Desmond if I spent all the sales time on my book, so I was happy that I managed to make a couple of sales of his stuff in addition to what issues of Night Patrol I sold.

- The afternoon was cool. I think perhaps the best part of the day came when I watched as a friend of mine came up to the booth and asked for me. She had been looking forward to getting to the con all day, and I was the first person she was looking for. Where other con-goers might say "I'm looking for Spike or The Bionic Woman", here's my friend treating me like I was the only "celebrity" at the con worth looking for. We had a good conversation. She brought a couple friends who were interested in Night Patrol after I explained it to them and walked away with a copy. Her friend even declined a personal signature because she wanted only mine on the book to make it more valuable when I hit it big.

- And, I got to end the day with being one of the first people in San Francisco to see the first episode of the new Doctor Who. It was so awesome, totally rocked my world, and made me so excited about this season of Who.

- Following Who, I attended a queer mixer at a local bar. It was cool, got to meet a few people, and as often as I had the chance, I shared my love for Night Patrol. I even got a couple people who said they'd be back the next day to pick up a copy.

The only thing I really needed to do differently about today is that I need to take better care of myself. I was a little sleep-deprived, but what really took a toll on me is that I didn't eat at all today, except for a couple little taquitos from 7/11 this morning, and I need to remember to hydrate myself more.

Today was the first day that I've ever attended a con where I could say these words, "And I have a comic out today, too." Honestly, it still feels really weird to me. I was mostly freaked all day, and I can't really say why. Here's a little account of my day in bullet form because it's easier to read that way.

- I stayed up late last night working on a pitch package that it was suggested by my friend and publisher, Desmond Miller, to put together to pitch Night Patrol to other publishers. Since it was taking more time than I'd have preferred, I was still working on it today.

- I swear, anything that could have gone wrong with doing my story pitch did. My computer and printer kept having communication issues, and just when I had it all figured out, my printer ran out of black ink. I took the black ink cartridge out and just went with the color cartridge.

- Then, just after I started printing again, I realized that I had some things I needed to fix, then do the printing all over again.

- Printing took all morning, and I still had to grab lunch then swing by Whatever... to pick things up for the booth.

- Needless to say, I think it was about 2 before I arrived. I felt like a hobo because I was carrying a large garbage bag filled with Blackest Night Lantern Rings for the store to sell at the con. I found the booth, dropped off the rings, and took a stroll. I needed to center myself. And I realized that I was scared as all poopikins that I wasn't going to be able to sell my book.

- I made it back to the booth in time to relieve Desmond and the others for a booth that our friend Brian Andersen was going to be on. While they were gone, I got the chance to share Night Patrol with the con goers with much mixed response. I sold a couple, mostly to friends, but at least I got to get a feel for being behind a table at a con selling my book.

- Shorly after they returned, I went off to see the guys at the Prism booth. These guys are going to be some of my biggest assetts besides my local comic store and good friends as far as getting Night Patrol sold. For the unitiated, Prism is a conglomeration of Queer comic fans and creators who basically do promotion and education about all the comics out there created by queer writers and artists. I'm doing my signing over there on Sunday, so it was nice to meet up with a few of the guys who run the Prism booth. I know a few of them already, so it was nice to catch up.

- The rest of the con was just mostly sitting around at the table, trying to convince people to give Night Patrol a chance, and talk with the other guys at my table who are also creators. It's nice to be around fellow creators because you can relate with each other and inspire each other.

- And, I will admit that I was so discombobulated today. I think a good part of that comes from my real struggle with feeling like anything I do is worth the time and effort I put into it. I was really nervous about talking with anyone about Night Patrol because I can't help but feel that people will look at it, read it, go "Eh," and then toss it aside. I want to reach people, I want to entertain them, and I want them to feel that they got their money's worth.

- I was informed that I sold 14 copies today, and coming from a debut comic that is completely independently created with no big names attached, I know that's really good. Now if I could just get that little critique in my head to shut up, maybe I could feel happy.

- I'm going to end this with a mantra that I'm taking with me tomorrow to help me enjoy the process, motivate me to sell, sell, sell, and to remind myself that I should enjoy myself. That mantra is this: "Today, I have become a comic book creator. I am no longer just a person who has ideas and would some day like to do a comic. From here on out, even if I never wrote another thing, I can always say that I have produced a comic, Night Patrol #0 is now out in the lands of comic books, and that can never be taken away from me!"

Details behind the story can be found HERE.

Lousy Fairies Studio and Slumberland Press are proud to announce the release of Night Patrol. Night Patrol is an urban fantasy meets crime noir adventure about two fairy detectives who act as emissaries and investigators between the SFPD and the fairy realm of Terra Fata. Issue Zero, which introduces the revenant Neil Hunter and the changeling Jon Smithee, as well as the pixie with an attitude, Prianna, will make it's debut at WonderCon 2010, April 2-4, in San Francisco.

Night Patrol writer, Kenne Morrison, will be available for signings at the Whatever... booth (#215)throughout the weekend (specific times to be announced when they become available) as well as the Prism booth (#715) on Sunday afternoon between 3-5 pm. Night Patrol #0 is written by Kenne Morrison, Art by Sean Freitas, Cover Colors by Jessica Gabriela Contreras Rondón, and letters by Desmond Miller. Following the convention, Night Patrol will be available for sale online at www.slumberlandpress.com, and in the following location: Whatever..., 548 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, in the heart of the Castro at Castro and 18th Streets.