Archive for March, 2007

Taking a chance on Comic-Con

Auto Date Saturday, March 31st, 2007
Sent my paperwork the other day to see if I can repeat the successful WonderCon panel at Comic-Con, which is owned by the same people but in Southern instead of Northern California. I’d love the chance to do it a second time, not just to give a great opportunity to the many who go to Comic-Con that don’t venture north, but for me to try to apply what I learned from what went well and what could have been improved from our first presentationI’ve got a good set of pros that have volunteered, though only two cross over from the original lineup. That’s to be expected, as the big companies have a larger prescence at Comic-Con and these folks are beholden to their bosses. Some people who were in that situation said to put them on the possible speakers list barring possible limitations, a couple others were so swamped they just said they’d rather not give any hint of being able to commit. And I respect that. I even could end up with a panel totally suggested by the Con, which is nearly what happened at WonderCon (though I knew most of the people selected, I only requested one of them, the others were at the initial suggestion of the Con).But I also know it is highly competitive to get slots, so we’ll see if it actually happens. I promise to keep you posted if it does, so you can plan early.

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Saw ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN finally

Auto Date Sunday, March 18th, 2007
Did a PPV viewing of this movie this past week after hearing my sister and her family rented it. I saw a screening of the original ICE AGE, but was not able to make it out to the sequel one nor did they ever send a screener.This movie was OK. It was far less about the destination than about the side journeys on the journey (which turned out to be the funniest parts, the actual journey itself wasn’t all that exciting and the climax goes by quick). And let’s put it this way, this clearly wasn’t the Great Flood that put an end to some of the Ice Age species — we wouldn’t have been able to have had an all ages film otherwise.Skrat, the little nut-hunter who captured everyone’s interest in the side film, has his own runner plot that barely interesects the film’s main line going throughout. It’s also in a way used as as transition between scenes of the main movie. Generally it drove me nuts (pun so intended), and the gag wore thin at points, but they do finally come together at the end of the movie in a way I’m not quite sure pays off but at least Skrat doesn’t exist in isolation the whole film.

I very much enjoyed the Queen Latifah mammoth character who thought she was a possum and her Possum Brothers.

My biggest problem was that it felt like I’d seen lots of the movie before… between trailers, behind the scenes, and stuff like that I may very well have.

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Back from Wondercon!

Auto Date Wednesday, March 7th, 2007

am back from WonderCon in San Francisco, where I had a great time! First a BIG thank you to the near full house that came to the animation production process panel. I’ve never played to a room with that many people (with that much capacity, yes, but not that many people), and it’s been a couple of years since I moderated anything, so I know I have room to grow as a moderator. Not that I needed to do much with all the hard work of great guests like Adam Beechen, Stan Berkowitz, Dwayne McDuffie, and Greg Weisman. Those guys could have easily done this without me so I feel honored to have shared the stage with them. Though from what I later learned, this had a different structure and feel than the animation panels they’ve done in past years which are usually more how to get into the business oriented.In between shopping at the convention floor (mostly at the SLG Publishing booth, though I brought home an Eowyn figurine from RETURN OF THE KING I’d had a hard time finding to add to my collection of female heroes), moderating the above panel, and attending several others, I also had some sights and people to see. I had dinner with a friend of mine since fifth grade when our Dads had tour of duty in Hawaii, and we hadn’t seen each other in 13 years, though we only got a couple hours as he had to prepare for other guests coming in for the rest of the weekend. Still grateful to have had it though. Even with the ability to keep up in email and IM, sometimes it’s good to be reminded people are not phosphors.

Saturday morning brought a ride by historic cable car on Powell-Hyde to Fisherman’s Wharf, walking the Wharf area, eating lunch at one of the Wharf’s oldest restaraunts, and and then going back to the hotel by historic streetcar (different from cable car) which had the start of the line right cross the street from the restaurant. I liked the cable car better. And after Greg Weisman’s spotlight panel ended Saturday at 5 (he went on right after our group one) I got back to our hotel to find the Chinese New Year parade starting right outside it, so I watched most of that but briefly had to duck out for dinner at the Subway down the block.

Sunday morning I’d blocked out getting up early to make a tour trip to Muir Woods, something many members of my family have done and it felt so perfect to do. Dad tells me a story of when he and Grandpa and Great-Grandpa all came up here once when he was a boy. At that time (and apparently don’t now, I looked around for one) they kept a visitor’s log. All three of them signed in their names… John Muir, John Muir, John Muir. Unfortunately Dad broke the pattern with two girls, and I have often wondered why my name or my sister’s didn’t turn out to be Johnna.

I spent a lot of time thinking about my Grandpa Porter — John Porter Muir — who passed away on Valentine’s Day 2000 when it turned out his heart wasn’t strong enough for a pacemaker implant. He loved nature and also was an incredible and award-winning woodworker, mainly ducks but other birds and things from bowling pins and other deadwood. I would have loved to have been there with him; I still miss him very much. I won’t go into detail about what happened once we returned from the Woods except to say things went from great to exceptionally worse… up to and including a near two hour flight delay from SFO home.

The one souvenir I brought home I wish I hadn’t was a sinus infection. It came on suddenly Saturday night, and I theorize was a byproduct of watching the Chinese New Year parade and being exposed to more smoke and pyrotechnics than I’d anticipated. Smoke irritants and I are far from friends, which I also learned the hard way at Gathering of the Gargoyles 2005 going to a convention in a casino. Though it could have been starting as far back as the very windy Saturday morning walking the Fisherman’s Wharf area. I’m home from work today and waiting to go to a late afternoon appointment with my doctor to follow up, especially since one of my ears failed to pop on the plane. (Ow…) Note I still went on to Muir Woods despite that. I figure, if I tackled Yosemite all day with Christy Marx years ago with a sinus infection worse that this, I could do a few hours at Muir Woods.

And for any of you who keep up with Mark Evanier at his site, let’s just say I can sympathize with his complaining about his flight… I was on the same one (but boarded before he did). Especially about a plane that had been delayed for an hour and a half due to ramp technical issues in Vancouver where it originated. Upside #1 for me… lots of opportunity to get sleep in the airport (I got home at 1:30 am Monday so I needed it)! Upside #2 for me… I actually got to chat with Mark Evanier at baggage claim, something I’ve never had the courage to do at all the other pro gatherings we’re both at. Nice guy who speaks his mind.

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