tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009387887692091752024-03-12T21:08:19.574-04:00Joshua Jabcuga's BlogJoshua Jabcugahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16739743919468434208noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-600938788769209175.post-32125696947393653112010-11-07T01:16:00.002-05:002010-11-07T01:16:49.680-05:00www.JoshuaJabcuga.comThe new and official Joshua Jabcuga website has gone "live"!<br />
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Please visit us and/or direct all inquires over at our new(er) home:<br />
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www.JoshuaJabcuga.com<br />
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P.S. Don't forget to bookmark the new site. Also, follow us on Twitter at : @Jabcuga<br />
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Thanks,<br />
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The ManagementJoshua Jabcugahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16739743919468434208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-600938788769209175.post-3331262480157639992010-09-08T20:56:00.000-04:002010-09-08T20:56:01.915-04:00Interview with Danny Trejo, star of MACHETE<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;">Interviewed by Joshua Jabcuga in July, 2005 for MPShoot.com</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;">"Every evening I follow my master/<br />
Lead me down to the praying ground/<br />
No sir I can't seem to go no faster<br />
I'll be taking the long way around" <br />
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<b>Lyrics to "Long Way Around" from LIVING WITH THE LAW by Chris Whitley. </b><br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> The first movie that I really sat up and took notice of you in was Michael Mann's HEAT, my personal all-time favorite movie. <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> Yeah. <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> In a film filled with icons such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, actors like Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, you more than stood your own ground and put in an amazing performance. And from there it really seems like your career has been on this nonstop upward trajectory. You've worked with Robert Rodriquez, Rob Zombie, Michael Mann, of course. What are some of your own personal highlights? <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> RUNAWAY TRAIN, the first movie I did, 1985, I just walked on a movie set, I was actually a drug counselor. And I walked on the movie set to help somebody and somebody asked me if I wanted to be in a movie. And I said, "What do I have to do?" They said, "You wanna be an extra?" And I said, "An extra <i>what</i>?" And they asked me if I could act like a convict. And considering I spent about eleven years in the pen, I said, yeah, I'd give it a shot. The rest is history.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Cp8Q4vrpq6proq095rmGMwhNGq5owJjnPINiB9TnwROODfGW_5fFOtZruj8PlCh3tY7xTT5B_VDY0mWlUnjw8-pct_Tnv7sBuKKIYnfeHB6HKd58DvEc-OpDN1Keq_DCng_kF5Qajmk/s1600/poster_machete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Cp8Q4vrpq6proq095rmGMwhNGq5owJjnPINiB9TnwROODfGW_5fFOtZruj8PlCh3tY7xTT5B_VDY0mWlUnjw8-pct_Tnv7sBuKKIYnfeHB6HKd58DvEc-OpDN1Keq_DCng_kF5Qajmk/s640/poster_machete.jpg" width="425" /><a name='more'></a></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> How do you approach scripts? Do you see yourself as a character actor? <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> You know what, I don't even read 'em anymore. My people read 'em for me and they say, "Hey, this is a good one," and then I just look at the character. Then I read 'em, you know, but if I started trying to read every script I got, I'd be reading forever. I just ... I like making movies, you know what I mean. After THE DEVIL'S REJECTS I produced a movie called NICE GUYS. And I got Jason Mewes ("Jay" from Kevin Smith's JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK) in it. (He laughs.) <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> As far as working with Robert Rodriguez, what about SIN CITY 2? Any chance that you'll be involved? <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> If there's a SIN CITY 2, I will be in it. Do you hear that Robert? (He laughs.) (Robert Rodriguez is the co-director, along with Frank Miller, of SIN CITY.) <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> As far as influences on your craft, have you studied anyone? You've worked with some of the masters like Pacino and De Niro. <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> (nodding head) Yeah. You know what? It's like ... it's like, I tried to get a little bit out of everybody. You know what I mean? It's like acting kinda depends on the character, you know, what kind of character, happy guy, sad guy, bad guy, mean guy, convict. You just gotta take it from there. And I love to do it. I can't think of anything, you know, that I'd rather be doing. <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> Do you have criteria for choosing the scripts, other than the money of course? <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> The money. (He laughs.) And they kinda choose them for me. And then they give 'em to me, and then I read 'em, and "Yeah, that's a good one." You know, I just like something that's appealing. You know, something that's gonna look good on screen, 'cause you get a lot of scripts that don't make sense. And I don't even see those. I've got a production company called 4.0 Productions. Trejo 4.0 Productions. My son got a 4.0 exit exam from high school and I said, "Shit! That's it right there." Trejo 4.0 Productions and we've got a couple of pretty good ones coming up. I'm getting ready to do one called JACK'S LAW that I'm producing. And we're also going to do one called DOCTOR OCTOBER, that's a horror movie, you know. <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> You've really become larger than life. For example, in Mann's HEAT, your character's name was, in fact, "Trejo." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>Danny Trejo:</b> Yeah, yeah. <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> You've also been a character in a video game. <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> Yeah, that was a cool one, too. I'm in two. I'm in GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY and then I'm in that DEF JAM. And I was really buffed up in that, too.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis60oeaBKTMHz4fQUCwQRFJT9XI9XHlX3kXqM_M832ebO0rsUy-gBUqCA8eHi65yg_d5-7O0cl9nI4e3wPLDksP8C359WnOiRWshKTPS69d7NdH0aHdMAGg7NwpRJHYCaadPNhtcARThI/s1600/view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;"><i></i></span><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis60oeaBKTMHz4fQUCwQRFJT9XI9XHlX3kXqM_M832ebO0rsUy-gBUqCA8eHi65yg_d5-7O0cl9nI4e3wPLDksP8C359WnOiRWshKTPS69d7NdH0aHdMAGg7NwpRJHYCaadPNhtcARThI/s320/view.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> How do you handle all of that? Is it a trip? Do you see yourself as quote-unquote Danny Trejo? <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> I always see myself as Danny Trejo. Other people see me as something, but ... my wife, Debbie, and my kids, they kinda keep me -- <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> Balanced? <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> Yeah. Pretty well grounded, you know what I mean? I still take out the trash at home and do all that shit. <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> And as far as positive influences ... you mentioned being in prison. What put you on this path to finding yourself? Was it the break into the movie business? <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> I'll tell you straight out. I stopped drinking and I stopped using drugs. Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous. Hello to all my friends over in "Cry-Help" in Burbank, and Jack Bernstein, who is the executive director there. He's a really good friend of mine who always helps me get people into detox. I was a drug counselor before I started in this movie career. In 1985 I worked for Western Pacific Rehab in Glendale. Basically, I still consider myself a drug counselor. <br />
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<b>Joshua Jabcuga:</b> Is it tough being in the movie business, with all the stories you hear, you know, Hollywood being Hollywood? <br />
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<b>Danny Trejo:</b> No. You know what? I mean, you can buy into this shit and really think you're somebody, but the reality is it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. <br />
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<i>This article is dedicated to my father, James J. Jabcuga, hero, teacher, leader, friend.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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</span>Joshua Jabcugahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16739743919468434208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-600938788769209175.post-40177457600284906212008-08-17T20:20:00.006-04:002010-09-08T21:20:55.890-04:00Vampire Weekend: A 2008 Comic-Con International Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's a piece I originally wrote for </span><a href="http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/entertainment/2008-comic-con-wrap-up/#more-3685" style="font-weight: bold;">www.Bookgasm.com</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">. Below is the article in its entirety. It was published in August 2008.</span><br />
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At what point did the Comic-Con International in San Diego jump the shark? I’m not complaining, just asking. It’s a glorious affair, one where the geek elite and the Hollywood prima donnas make nice with one another. Here, the fanboy is god, and fandom is the religion. As attendance balloons each and every year, San Diego bursts at the seams with the sheer thought of that almighty tourist dollar. And literally, the city streets swell to capacity with studio execs, publicists, starving artists, autograph hounds, cosplay freaks, collectors and kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span> <br />
<div style="font-weight: bold;"><span id="more-3685"></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;">For the first time ever, the event sold out in advance of all of its four days. You’re talking 125,000 people, all looking to get their hands on that Mattel Toys exclusive, all looking to get into that semi-secret advance screening of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014E29VY?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B0014E29VY&creative=373489&camp=211189" id="lnx0" name="evtst|a|B0014E29VY" target="new">TROPIC THUNDER</a>, all looking to be first in line for the WATCHMEN panel. If any of this sounds absurd to you, you have no idea. It’s not like a comic book coming to life. It’s more like the entirety of the Marvel and DC Universes rising from their pencil-and-ink and multicolored pages, invading a breezy West Coast metropolis for a long weekend. It’s geek jihad, and don’t be fooled: Millions are at stake — and with film franchises taking front and center over the past decade, maybe billions in the long run. Yes, <i>billions</i>, Dr. Evil.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">A day or so after the last Klingon-attired attendee left town, an earthquake was reported not too far off in Los Angeles. Several weeks prior to this, as an advance sell-out became inevitable, there were rumblings of a different sort: perhaps the Con had outgrown its nest and it was time to fly the coop. While San Diego has a lot going for it, a loss like this would hit where it counts. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;">The Comic-Con has a contract with the San Diego Convention Center until 2011, with the promise from the facility of expansion and renovation. Clearly the Comic-Con would call the shots, but there is still a warm and fuzzy feeling between the city and the event that suggests the honeymoon is far from over. You get the sense that no one, on either side, would want to see the relationship end. Still, the possibility of wooing away the grand dame of geek spectacles has to have some cities already chomping at the bit like an malnourished rancor monster, like a city trying to court a future Super Bowl or — perhaps more apropos — WWE Wrestlemania.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Has the event gotten too big for its britches? Yes. Will a larger-waistlined venue provide the solution? No. There’s already far too much too see, way too many people vying to get the first glimpse, and too few days to accomplish any of these things. The answer may be in redefining what the Comic-Con represents, or what its purpose will be. A more accurate name might be Pop-Culture-Con. Yep, comics are still at the root of all things Comic-Con, but any time I attend an event and see porn queen Tera Patrick hawking video games, I start to ask myself if I stumbled into the wrong room. (Although it certainly does put a new twist on the term “<i>game </i>room,” doesn’t it?)</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">This year, more than any previous, left me with the sense that event organizers were doing their best to take stock and categorize exactly what it is they had on their hands, that being the different media and their respective fanbases. UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture was on hand to autograph his action figure. There were people standing in that line who’d never cracked open a comic book in their life. And that’s okay. Maybe one would lead to the other. </span> <br />
<div style="font-weight: bold;">A growing percentage of the crowd seemed to be there just for anime and manga. That, too, is okay. Again, maybe one medium could attract fans from the other, and the two could cross-pollinate among their ranks. But to say the event is just comics these days is like saying Disney is only about the Mickey Mouse Club. Comic-Con offers everything to fans, just shy of a trip on Space Mountain. There are times your head is pounding, like after listening to a poorly produced mash-up tape, where musical genres step all over one another, from an amateur DJ trying a little too hard to be ironic. Thankfully, much of the four-day event is like a silly symphony that creates a one-of-a-kind melody only possible when all the diverse elements are present, either in or out of sync: comics, film, anime, games and fans.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Since BOOKGASM celebrates books, first and foremost, let me provide some snapshots of the Comic-Con from the literary lens. There are plenty of other places to look online (or in print, soon enough) if you’re seeking detailed reports from the set of the big-screen adaptation of video game <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017AORTM?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B0017AORTM&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|B0017AORTM" target="new">MAX PAYNE</a> or photos from the REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA panel (yes, Paris Hilton was on hand; no, I don’t have any pics).<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">I’m not some type of biblio-snob or holier-than-thou artsy type. I’m anything but. Bitter, yes; sore feet, indeed; but really, I’m just frustrated that I wasn’t able to take everything in that was offered up by Comic-Con programmers. The weekend offers up so much for every type of fan, and despite the fact that the Hollywood glitz and glamour seems to get the most mainstream coverage, there are still tons of things for the discerning fan of books — comics or otherwise. I just wish I had enough time and energy to see all of it (that most certainly includes you, Ms. Hilton, and Mr. Payne, sure, why not, I dug that game and its John Woo-esque bullet-time feature back during the glory days of the PS2).<br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</b><span style="font-weight: bold;">I’m convinced that the biggest draw at the Con that was non-comics-related and non-WATCHMEN-related was this Stephenie Meyer chick. For those of you living in the dark, she is the author of the insanely popular #1 </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000225WAY?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B000225WAY&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|B000225WAY" style="font-weight: bold;" target="new">NEW YORK TIMES</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> best-selling vampire book series </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316015849?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0316015849&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|0316015849" style="font-weight: bold;" target="new">TWILIGHT</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">. Summit Pictures is bringing the book to the </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018CERHQ?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B0018CERHQ&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|B0018CERHQ" style="font-weight: bold;" target="new">silver screen</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> later this year, and at its booth, you could get your photo taken with cardboard cutouts of the book/film characters. </span> </div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Wait, there’s more. You could also spin a wheel for a chance to win swag like collector cards, temporary tattoos and T-shirts. You would have thought they were giving away printed money, because man, oh, man, were people ever going bat shit over this. There was a constant queue of giddy teens, tweens and their “TwiHard”-moms, unabashedly waiting their turn.<br />
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<br />
</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">I haven’t read any of the books — the latest of which is the fourth, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/031606792X?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=031606792X&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|031606792X" target="new">BREAKING DAWN</a> — and I hate to generalize, but seeing the line over the course of a few days, all I could think of was, “Cool! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0545010225?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0545010225&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|0545010225" target="new">HARRY POTTER</a> for Goth kids!” It was a little creepy, though, seeing the moms in line with them — not to keep their kids company per se, but for their own crack at the wheel. Mama’s gotta win her some trading cards! But who am I to judge? I write comic books featuring Cuban drug lords on the rise and giant pterodactyl-vampire bats (not to be mistaken, these are two separate projects … but how cool would that be if they occupied the same pages?). I could only hope for the kind of audience that Meyer packs in.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">And let’s not forget the sneak peek of the movie footage that would be playing to cavernous Hall H, which holds 6,000 people, every seat in the house spoken for. The film’s director and cast would be appearing along with Meyer. There was a nervous kind of buzz for this tantamount to 6,000 girls preparing to lose their virginity on prom night (nope, no sign of Paris Hilton here). I opted to skip this panel, but there was no denying that the TwiHards or members of Team Edward or whatever bootleg T-shirt seemed to be in demand were out in full (moon) force. I did get a strong vibe that only a very small percentage of the TWILIGHT crowd had ever read a comic book, or were even aware that they were attending Comic-Con. To them it was the Twilight-Con, but that’s cool all the same. There’s plenty of opportunity for crossover with these audiences, and that can only help but make both media stronger.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">One side note of interest: A very reputable book dealer was present selling autographed copies of books, ranging from F. Paul Wilson to Clive Barker. Said dealer had a copy of Meyer’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316068047?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0316068047&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|0316068047" target="new">THE HOST</a> for $50. For a signed, first-printing set of the first three entries into the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316031844?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0316031844&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|0316031844" target="new">TWILIGHT saga</a>? Add a couple of zeroes and one comma. (Anyone see Paris Hilton? We need a loan over here).<br />
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</b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Who watches the Watchmen? If Thursday belonged to Stephenie Meyer, Friday belonged to Alan Moore (well, not really, since the reclusive and bearded mystery man has disavowed any connection to the Hollywood adaptation of what some consider the greatest graphic novel of all-time). </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0930289234?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0930289234&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|0930289234" style="font-weight: bold;" target="new">WATCHMEN</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> fans set their doomsday clocks as early as 6:30 a.m. to be in line for a panel that would begin at 11:55 a.m. You read that right: They waited in line all day just to see some footage and possibly to get a little Q&A action with the director and cast. Did you really come all this way just to stand in line, man?</span><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span> <br />
<div style="font-weight: bold;">Judging by the subsequent reaction of the masses, Moore has little to worry about. While the finished product will tell the ultimate tale of whether Sir Alan has a right to be pissy (yes, even for those of us who didn’t care to wait in line with 5,999 other fans all day), it seems if anyone should be scared of Hollywood soiling their beloved source material, it’s fans of Will Eisner’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AVCFJ2?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B001AVCFJ2&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|B001AVCFJ2" target="new">THE SPIRIT</a>. Early glimpses at that film gave the impression that comics legend Frank Miller, directing his first feature all by his lonesome, is turning in SIN CITY 2, and the essence — or the spirit, if you will — of Eisner’s creation is nowhere to be found. The appearance of Samuel L. Jackson is only icing on the crap cupcake. Only time will tell if The Spirit lives on, or if ol’ Willie will be turning in his grave.<br />
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</b><span style="font-weight: bold;">We can’t forget </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000V86OKG?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B000V86OKG&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|B000V86OKG" style="font-weight: bold;" target="new">DEXTER</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">. The </span><a href="http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/thrillers/dexter-in-the-dark/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="new">book series</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> by author Jeff Lindsay — and now the popular Showtime (and CBS) series — proved to be a big attraction. I understand the character has a growing army of dearly devoted fans, but I didn’t predict that there would be such an intense following at Comic-Con, of all places. There is no DEXTER comic book to speak of … yet. </span> </div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Some wise marketing and PR department called this one ahead of time, though. Whoever that was deserves a raise. Advertising in town for DEXTER covered signs and buses, second only to banners for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016Q8V9Y?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B0016Q8V9Y&creative=373489&camp=211189" id="lnx2" name="evtst|a|B0016Q8V9Y" target="new">THE MUMMY: THE TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR</a>. And many fans got left out in the cold as the DEXTER panel filled the not-quite-big-enough Room 6CDEF to capacity. Many were disappointed as they were turned away, and wondered why the panel wasn’t being held in a room that could accommodate the excess serial-killer-with-a-heart-of-gold fans.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Who knew DEXTER had this many fans at the Con? In its own way, this was a stroke of marketing genius. After all, the hottest ticket in town is usually the one that you just can’t get your hands on, which plants the seed in your head that, “Hey!, I must be missing out on something cool here.” And that’s called building killer buzz, folks.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"></div><div style="font-weight: bold;">On Saturday, I was able to speak briefly with author Joe Hill, he of <a href="http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/horror/heart-shaped-box/" target="new">HEART-SHAPED BOX</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1600102379?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=1600102379&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|1600102379" target="new">LOCKE & KEY</a> fame (and in the interest of full disclosure, LOCKE is published by IDW Publishing, the same company for which I wrote <a href="http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/thrillers/quickgasm-82907/" target="new">SCARFACE: DEVIL IN DISGUISE</a> and <a href="http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/thrillers/the-mummy-xangos-ax/" target="new">THE MUMMY: THE RISE & FALL OF XANGO’S AX</a>). He seemed genuinely surprised and delighted by the crowd that had lined up for his panel/reading/Q&A. He told me beforehand that he was going to try something a little different for a Comic-Con type panel and audience. He would be doing a reading from three different works, the first from a chapbook that Subterranean Press released, the second from his work-in-progress sophomore novel and the third a hilarious and charming “reading” from LOCKE & KEY, complete with blown-up cardboard panels from the comic-book series.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Joe was enthusiastic, down-to-earth, intensely bright and, with references to Neil Gaiman’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1401210856?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=1401210856&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|1401210856" target="new">THE SANDMAN</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IG3YG8?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B000IG3YG8&creative=373489&camp=211189" id="lnx4" name="evtst|a|B000IG3YG8" target="new">ROM: SPACEKNIGHT</a>, clearly a fanboy in his element. The Q&A that followed was insightful and engaging. He revealed that LOCKE & KEY would be going monthly, but that he doesn’t care to map out too much of his story ahead of time, as he feels that would be cheating the characters and the readers. He was a bit torn by small presses like Cemetery Dance and Subterranean Press, as he feels sometimes the product they release is a bit on the pricey side, but felt as if it provided a good opportunity for up-and-coming talent to build a career, while giving fans an alternative to the brand names at the brick-and-mortar stores. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Hill never once referred to his famous parents directly by name, only implying that, well, they were famous writers. Of course, one look at the guy and there was no hiding what his <i>nom de plume</i> had managed to do for a few years: He’s Stephen and Tabitha King’s kid. I thought by now since the secret was out, everyone pretty much knew this, but many in attendance were unaware, which means Hill is gaining fans based on the merit of his own work, and that’s precisely what he wanted.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Looking at him, his tone and his mannerisms, your brain couldn’t help but scream, “Yeah, 1982! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0790744295?tag=hitchmagazine-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0790744295&creative=373489&camp=211189" name="evtst|a|0790744295" target="new">CREEPSHOW</a>!” Yeah, the resemblance was <i>that</i> uncanny. And he may be every bit as talented as his parents. There’s no telling where his craft will take him, but if his debut novel and short stories like “Pop Art” are any indication, the Hill name will be dominating bookshelves for years to come. He’s already that scary good.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">And the future brings with it a changing of the old guard. After the Hill panel, as I was walking aimlessly about the convention room floor, I heard someone in front of me yell, “Please step aside for Mr. Ray Bradbury.” There, in front of me, being pushed in his wheelchair down the aisle, was the one and only Bradbury. He looked to be in poor health, and recent years have not been kind to his body. Everyone there, regardless of who or what brought them to the Comic-Con, seemed to recognize who this legendary writer was as they respectfully made way for him.<br />
</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"></div><div style="font-weight: bold;">I’ve never met the man, and this was the first time I’d seen him in the flesh. Part of me felt like I was seeing my grandfather for the first and last time. He waved graciously to the polite onlookers as he passed by, some greeting him with applause and snapping photos. Bradbury, one of the last of a dying breed, has inspired countless writers and readers alike. There was an aura about him like that of a holy man. I suppressed a sudden urge to reach out and touch him on the arm, as if somehow I could manage to tap into some of his talent.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">And as Bradbury passed me by, a mere arm’s length away, it dawned on me that he was the embodiment of everything that Comic-Con stands for: the power of good storytelling, regardless of the medium. It’s timeless and unifying. And I realize now that even though his posture was bent and the muscles in his face were droopy and contorted, there was a spark in his eyes that revealed the smile of a man who possessed immortality: the restless imagination of a 12-year-old boy.<br />
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</div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Bradbury’s supreme talent will be his own vessel of escape. And isn’t that why all of us became readers in the first place? For the mind-expanding, soul-altering, pure escapism? For the timeless and magical truth? It’s the gospel according to Ray. This is Comic-Con. Here, the fanboy is god, and fandom is the religion.<br />
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<i>—Joshua Jabcuga</i></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><i><a href="http://jabcuga.blogspot.com/" target="new">Joshua Jabcuga</a> is the author of the graphic novels SCARFACE: DEVIL IN DISGUISE and THE MUMMY: THE RISE & FALL OF XANGO’S AX</i>.</div>Joshua Jabcugahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16739743919468434208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-600938788769209175.post-10549160227700803912008-07-28T18:57:00.013-04:002010-09-08T21:12:11.758-04:00San Diego Comic Con 2008 Photos!<span style="font-weight: bold;">At the IDW Comics booth...giving my best Brendan Fraser poser impression. Unlike Brendan, I have no problem with you running this shot.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Xaugt4PNX1Gkg3Qbf_Fp-_L7MbRTDFR2jb0rWGtZhAyNBy3MQl-0kfgl9iYheTalUFcmK0Rb_AWRAF9n10js9TO25o845GcX54t45yQ0AukRh80y6Kar9Qmw7OxER8BzxcS26WFjX4/s1600-h/CONMUMMYBANNER.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228213105079315106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Xaugt4PNX1Gkg3Qbf_Fp-_L7MbRTDFR2jb0rWGtZhAyNBy3MQl-0kfgl9iYheTalUFcmK0Rb_AWRAF9n10js9TO25o845GcX54t45yQ0AukRh80y6Kar9Qmw7OxER8BzxcS26WFjX4/s400/CONMUMMYBANNER.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Kick him in the nads!"</span>: Here I am offering the "Michael Jordan of Mixed Martial Arts," former <span style="font-weight: bold;">UFC Champ Randy "The Natural" Couture</span> tips on his striking game. Randy will be starring in the upcoming Mummy franchise spin-off, <span style="font-weight: bold;">THE SCORPION KING 2: Rise of a Warrior.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Beam me up Scotty!"</span> Me signing with <span style="font-weight: bold;">respected STAR TREK scribe, comic book historian, scholar (and good friend) Scott Tipton</span>. That look of glee on his face? He just beat up some retailer in order to complete his Fing Fang Foom action figure assortment.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30ZyWYC7KOyd5dqC6tKBJ152hRS-jXc0s3jPVDWckVokQr4Fvw3tXlwVXZ1x1GiJ_OC1v_1duZk4bYY-YnL2xsa2USC8ekA7ooftnpRTdL2c0DY99-LeQVVeWzaJ3j1YQkVqrFUMyYmc/s1600-h/CONSCOTTTIPTON.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228216077542721986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30ZyWYC7KOyd5dqC6tKBJ152hRS-jXc0s3jPVDWckVokQr4Fvw3tXlwVXZ1x1GiJ_OC1v_1duZk4bYY-YnL2xsa2USC8ekA7ooftnpRTdL2c0DY99-LeQVVeWzaJ3j1YQkVqrFUMyYmc/s400/CONSCOTTTIPTON.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">"This photo was not staged":</span> Here I am signing with <span style="font-weight: bold;">uber popular</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brian Lynch (writer for SPIKE, ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL, and his own EVERYBODY'S DEAD, among other projects)</span>, who has just as many fans on Ebay as at the comic book shops. This is the first time I had the pleasure of meeting him, and yep, he's just as personable and funny in person as everyone says he is. That's I<span style="font-weight: bold;">DW Comics EIC/Publisher Chris Ryall to the left of me,</span> telling me how much he really enjoyed reading issue #4 of THE MUMMY: THE RISE & FALL OF XANGO'S AX (trade paperback available now, featuring art by spectacular Stephen Mooney). Brian's feeling pretty lost because he never got the memo about "matching shirt day." No worries, Brian. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I hear over in the U.K. you're bigger than THE BEATLES and Ed Sullivan AND Jesus.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieedX32HB9_FWGYKuYMS5qfQidYjJTRftjVVuBkceKF3l_PjfMS8Pic9LffSB7R8AGy-nYrFj0yJ1ageYD9JOocT8kEdHsKtrbFL68wl7h0ZzJtZX_PijwtIQ2EbuOoScFKff6h8ENjQ8/s1600-h/CONBRIANLYNCH.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228217455837383890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieedX32HB9_FWGYKuYMS5qfQidYjJTRftjVVuBkceKF3l_PjfMS8Pic9LffSB7R8AGy-nYrFj0yJ1ageYD9JOocT8kEdHsKtrbFL68wl7h0ZzJtZX_PijwtIQ2EbuOoScFKff6h8ENjQ8/s400/CONBRIANLYNCH.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Mummy meets Mankind!</span> Not only was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mick Foley (aka Cactus Jack, aka Mankind, aka Dude Love) a WWE World Champion, he's also a NY Times Bestselling Author.</span> I'd settle for either of those distinctions. Sure as hell beats digging ditches for a living. Ironically, both Mick Foley and Randy Couture showed up at the IDW party the night before. True dat!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdGwBQ7GYXDQLLZyuhqwZYWuJcl0O8ZNf-HznzGysv8j3j-JwzwUTQle3Y9qTiaN8xDamgoSttzCLzSjPQVxucqE-YlUNcYkS_3LXsWygeHl3_XOW5EVJyedMVj67pB2ZmWTZ_MOF-WA/s1600-h/CONMICKFOLEY.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228222289657495026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdGwBQ7GYXDQLLZyuhqwZYWuJcl0O8ZNf-HznzGysv8j3j-JwzwUTQle3Y9qTiaN8xDamgoSttzCLzSjPQVxucqE-YlUNcYkS_3LXsWygeHl3_XOW5EVJyedMVj67pB2ZmWTZ_MOF-WA/s400/CONMICKFOLEY.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coming soon to Disney World: Captain Jack Sparrow vs. Scarface</span>...now that would be one hell of an amusement park ride. I'd love to say he bought a copy of SCARFACE: DEVIL IN DISGUISE, but, you know, he's a pirate, so I think he stole it. Along with my wife's ring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMtZ_V-yNwY5-BC9Q5XkU-UjOQgYj8i1ndrm2hwpSd72r7TFp_PJBx3k6SlYb8WwzBnZ-To0vxpGEozoviozeeciJxXZbYMSLCEeJDXuJ84sJTxKBktEwvH7OJpgjpLMuymBwp-C1SFQ/s1600-h/CONSPARROWSCARFACE.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228226629196519346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMtZ_V-yNwY5-BC9Q5XkU-UjOQgYj8i1ndrm2hwpSd72r7TFp_PJBx3k6SlYb8WwzBnZ-To0vxpGEozoviozeeciJxXZbYMSLCEeJDXuJ84sJTxKBktEwvH7OJpgjpLMuymBwp-C1SFQ/s400/CONSPARROWSCARFACE.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a></div>Joshua Jabcugahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16739743919468434208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-600938788769209175.post-80252212372025073412008-07-21T19:24:00.004-04:002008-07-21T19:28:27.399-04:00Comic-Con Signing Schedule<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_vqVcSFYOR0rNpp5NFfMBxYKc70VU6J38yM3_8SG-8CAGgC8Ot4swf4WXGtX8MO0xFHny0W2xlmhwiqUcj6RVUIhzH4-QJDCSbMakpo1s0tG7rbgLA9aO9mHNLULB1-n1yX8bmEkI3w/s1600-h/Friday.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_vqVcSFYOR0rNpp5NFfMBxYKc70VU6J38yM3_8SG-8CAGgC8Ot4swf4WXGtX8MO0xFHny0W2xlmhwiqUcj6RVUIhzH4-QJDCSbMakpo1s0tG7rbgLA9aO9mHNLULB1-n1yX8bmEkI3w/s400/Friday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225612388735390226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU_rKqb5WnfA5hwU7jVTka_Y6bOzMzsI1pgcfW7OmmffPLpgEgnjlpbncxDWBC3DNJLRlyqhNIH16cv2PtaRwQZpHny9rUQ_1sxZXXFulqIu2lWh7Sv8xWQ8Hx8y2Kf0ksWCpFqCJHR4/s1600-h/Saturday.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU_rKqb5WnfA5hwU7jVTka_Y6bOzMzsI1pgcfW7OmmffPLpgEgnjlpbncxDWBC3DNJLRlyqhNIH16cv2PtaRwQZpHny9rUQ_1sxZXXFulqIu2lWh7Sv8xWQ8Hx8y2Kf0ksWCpFqCJHR4/s400/Saturday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225612505735957570" border="0" /></a>Stop by and say hello!<br />Friday (4-5pm) and Saturday (2-3pm).Joshua Jabcugahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16739743919468434208noreply@blogger.com0