Year of an Indie Writer: Week 21

Boy are there a ton of anniversaries this week.

Thursday alone saw the 24th anniversary of Chicago's Night and Day album, the 35th anniversary of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the 40th anniversary of KISS's Dynasty album. I reviewed the KISS album, but wanted to re-watch Temple of Doom before I review it. That post will be coming next week.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade's 30th anniversary was yesterday. Same thing: want to re-watch it and review it. This movie kicks of the Summer of 1989 at 30 series that'll run throughout the summer as I re-watch and revisit the incredible films of 1989.

Today is forty years since Alien was released.

Lots of fun to experience these things again and, in some cases, share them with the family for the first time.

Podcast of the Week

Same one: Blockbuster. The last of the six episodes dropped on Tuesday and it is incredible. I updated the review I wrote when I first heard twice, once to include Episode 5 and again for Episode 6. It is one of my favorite things of 2019. I listened to the last episode on Tuesday morning on the way to work and prompted donated money when I got there. Give it a listen and see what you think.

Later, when I tweeted how much I loved it, the folks a Blockbuster picked it up and included none other than Mark Hamill. That moment of thrill I experienced when I thought Hamill might actually read something I wrote was fantastic. He liked my separate tweet about it.

Made my day.

TV Show of the Week

Elementary returned for its last 13-episode season. I have loved this show from day one. If we can agree that Jeremy Brett is the epitome of the traditional Sherlock Holmes, then Johnny Lee Miller's Holmes is my favorite non-traditional version. He has been allowed to have Sherlock grow over these past seven years. That's made all the difference. I will sincerely miss this show when it goes for its final bow. (see what I did there?)

The Summer Writing Session Starts

Monday marks the opening of Summer 2019. Labor Day is 97 days later. This is perhaps my favorite writing time because of the clear bookends.

What are you going to write this summer?

I have to finish the proofing and editing for the fourth Calvin Carter story, Brides of Death, but I aim to try something new. Something different. I don't know what it is yet, but I intend to have fun writing.

Memorial Day

Lest we forget, here in the United States, Monday is Memorial Day, and it is dedicated to all the soldiers over our history who have given their last full measure of devotion to our country. They will forever have our gratitude.

Podcast Review: Fatman Beyond (AKA FatMan on Batman)

"Our Batman, who art in Gotham, cowl be thy mane."

Those were the first words I heard from podcaster Kevin Smith back in 2012. You might note I used the word "podcaster" to describe him. Well, for me, that's the more accurate description. The irony of my relationship with Kevin Smith is I've never seen one of his films, yet I listen eagerly to all his podcasts. Heck, I've even gone and seen him live in a truly inspirational show.

But it all began with Batman

The Origin Story

If you read yesterday's post about how I discovered The Ralph Report, then you know I discovered Kevin Smith because of a podcast interview he had with Mark Hamill back in 2012. That podcast was the original "Fat Man on Batman." When I first learned of this podcast, I was ecstatic. A whole podcast just on Batman? And with a celebrity who could snag interviews with other celebrities? How fun would this be?

Turns out, way more fun than you could possibly imagine.

On the original incarnation, Smith would interview his guests, paying particular attention to how that person arrived in the Bat-universe. To be honest, those are my favorite parts. How did Mark Hamill become the voice of the Joker? But not the audition part. All the other stuff he experienced growing up, loving the things we all love, and making his way to acting, Star Wars, and finally auditioning for the part. Ditto for other guests those early episodes: Tara Strong, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and others. I remember recovering from a stomach bug on a vacation in 2012 listening to Batman himself, Kevin Conroy, talk about his early acting days. As soon as I discovered Fat Man on Batman, it shot to the top of my favorite podcast list.

What makes Smith a great interviewer is his fandom. He's not even two years younger than I am, so his life with Batman and comics mirrors my own. He asks the questions I want answered because we're both Bronze Age Boys. His optimistic enthusiasm for all things geek is infectious. He puts good back into the world.

One episode in particular was really special. Episode 51 had Paul Dini as a guest. Along the way, the pair stumble on what they bill as the greatest Batman TV series you never saw. It was spectacular. I've listened at least a half dozen times, partly to soak in all the details of this would-have-been-awesome TV show, but also to get a glimpse of two writers creating on the spot. I'm always fascinated about how writers create their stories and this discussion was spectacular.

Change Is Inevitable

Over the years, Smith expanded the types of interviews he did. Not content with just Batman, he interviewed Marvel's Kevin Feige, Andrew Kreisberg from The Flash TV show, Geoff Johns, and Brad Meltzer among others.

One guest, however, stayed.

Enter Marc Bernardin

Writer Marc Bernardin is another name I didn't recognize when he showed up on the podcast, but I should have. As a subscriber of Entertainment Weekly since forever, I never put two and two together to realize he wrote for the magazine. By the time he landed on the podcast, he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter. As Smith constantly says, Marc's the one who brings gravitas to the show.

From a one-man show, the podcast evolved to a two-man show not limited to Gotham City. It became a look at many things geek related, be it movies, TV, or comic books. The chemistry between the two soon developed. Kevin follows a guideline I tend to adhere to: if you love it, talk about it. If you don't, either say nothing or not a lot. Marc is more critical, but he has a phenomenal way of drilling down a story to its core, usually in a way I or Kevin or however many listeners never before saw. He tells you what a story is "about" in such a way that is at once so obvious yet it makes you wonder why you didn't see it on your own. He also has a way of weaving together say, pieces of a trailer, into an predicted story about a movie coming out. I remember quite clearly his vision of Rogue One before the film's premier. As good as Rogue One ended up being, the story Marc wove would have been awesome.

The Name Change

Somewhere along the way, DC Comics finally forced Kevin to change the name of his podcast. Plus Kevin had a heart attack, forcing him to change his diet. He got thin, and even if the corporate giant didn't mandate the change, he might've changed the name anyway. Still keeping with the Batman theme, it is now called Fatman Beyond.

But whatever name it goes by, this podcast by Kevin Smith and Marc Barnardin is a must-listen experience. It's one of my favorites, and whenever there's a new episode, that installment vaults to the top of the list. Just last week, they spent nearly 2.5 hours talking about Endgame, Game of Thrones, and other awesome content in the world of geek culture.

Highly recommended.

Tune in Tomorrow...

...for a go-to podcast for film-related interviews.

The Gospel of Creativity with Kevin Smith

(The news of Kevin Smith's near fatal heart attack stunned me yesterday. He's a little under two years younger than I am. His heartfelt post about his near-death experience moved me to verify with my family if they knew how much they meant to me if I were to pass in an instant. I have grown to love and admire Smith's brand of optimistic fandom. The world needs more of what he's offering.

This is a piece I wrote in August 2015 after seeing Smith live. It was an event.

In his tweet, Smith wrote that he didn't want his life to end, but if it did, "I can't complain. It was a gift."

Kevin, your work has been a gift to us. Thank you, and get well soon.)

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I went to "church" on Wednesday night and the preacher was Kevin Smith.

Some of you will probably stop reading right now. Kevin Smith? The independent director of films like "Clerks," "Chasing Amy," and "Jersey Girl"? The guy who has a few dozen podcasts and fills them with talk of film and comics and humor all laced with profanities? Yup, that's the one.

I'm unique in the world of Kevin Smith fandom. I've never seen any of his films. I know him as a podcast personality. Three years ago, while listening to the podcast from SF Signal, there was mention of "...a Batman podcast by filmmaker Kevin Smith where he talks to Mark Hamill." All I heard was "Batman" and "Mark Hamill." The definitive voice of the Joker as far as I was concerned. I listened and fell in love with Fatman on Batman podcast. I've written about it more than once. (here, here, here, and here). Add in Hollywood Babble-On and  I have some great content for the week that includes the wonderfully talented Ralph Garman. 

Cut to a few weeks ago and word came down that Kevin Smith was going to be live in Houston. I knew I had to get tickets. A couple of friends and I met at the Improv Wednesday night. We got there at 7pm for the 8pm show. It started at 8:30...and didn't stop until 12:10am! No breaks. What followed in between was one part comedy show, one part great stories, and a huge, heaping helping of a motivational speaker who preached the gospel of creativity so well that if I hadn't already started my own company and published two books would've had me going home to write a business plan.

The format was Q&A and Smith joked that he might be able to get through five, maybe six questions. I thought he was joking. He wasn't. What is great about podcast--not just Smith's--is that there is no ticking clock or commercials butting up against the host to curtail discussion. There have been many times when an interview goes multiple parts. I love it because you can really dig deep and ask questions we listeners want to know. I assumed that in a live setting, some of that would actually be trimmed.

I assumed wrong. For each question asked, Smith gave the audience member his full attention. The answers were in depth and, dare I say it, reminiscent of Garrison Keillor in that whatever rabbit trail Smith traveled, he always came back around to the question asked. And the rabbit trails were so fun. A year or so younger than me, Smith basically loved the same things i loved as a kid: Batman, comics, and Star Wars. He has made a name for himself just being himself. He just has twenty something years in the film industry to bolster his heritage.

What really struck me was his passion for independent creativity. One of the questions involved a podcast. Smith paused to give an impassioned tangent about the power one individual can have in this world through podcasting. He used podcasting as a real-world example but basically said that any art can save lives. He talked so well and deeply that I wasn't the only one who picked up on his motivational style. Heck, there were so many good nuggets that I flipped over the comment cards and started taking notes. Yeah, I know: I’m odd, but when you hear words of wisdom from a guy who’s been in the fray, you take notice. Among the things I took away, in case you can’t read my scribble, are these:

• There’s too much ‘Why’ in the world. Go for “Why not?”
• Find something that’s yours.
• Don’t be afraid of your thing not working.
• Put some ‘secret sauce’ in your project, something that just for you.
• Ask yourself: What would make your bliss?
• Smith made “Clerks” because he kept looking for a movie like it and realized it was never going to be made unless he made it. (Of all the things I’ve heard Smith say, this one resonates most with me.)

There were others, but those are the highlights. Oh, and he talked extensively about “Tusk,” the movie he made last year. He told about its genesis (via a podcast), how his daughter had a part (as a convenience store clerk), and how Johnny Depp got involved merely by Smith taking a chance and asking a question.

I absolutely loved the show and the message of independent creativity. I’m already doing the independent publishing thing (new western short story and new Benjamin Wade novel coming next month). Now, I just have to go watch some Kevin Smith films.