The Captain & Shelly - Kabuki Style!

Recently, I commissioned my friend Kabuki Katze to create a piece of artwork depicting my characters Captain Satellite and Shelly Ericson with a touch more skill than I can manage. I have rhapsodized about Kabuki's pure awesomeness in the past, but here we have another example of it.



(Click that image for a much larger version of the pic at deviantArt!)

Isn't that nice? Comic book nerds among my readers may note the authentic-type details like the 12 cent price tag, the modified Comics Code seal, and the ragged edges. 'Twas Kabuki herself who elected to do the picture as a mock comic book cover - I merely pointed her in the right general direction. That direction, by the way, was the layout of DC Comics' covers from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s. The Captain's world is actually the 1990s, but that decade as it would have been imagined through the prism of the Fifties and Sixties.

Yes, there are some variations from my original designs. I like to give artists freedom to interpret my basic sketches into something a little more developed. One amusing sidenote is the headband that Shelly wears. This has become a staple of her design, and it all owes to an early misinterpretation of my shaky artwork. It worked out for the best, I'd say.

Thank you, Kabuki, for your amazing work in bringing my characters to life!

March Hiatus

When I decided to pursue this blog, I promised myself that I would always try to put forth at least a token effort in whatever I posted here. Too often in past blogs, it has been easy to just phone in an entry or two. I don't want to do that anymore.

As a consequence of this resolve, I am taking a break from posting to OWARI for a week or three. I don't feel like recent entries have been poor by any means, but it's been a chore at times getting them ready. Plus, there is a very important other project that keeps getting short shrift. I'd like to change that. There's also the pesky matter of "real life", and the demands it sometimes places on time. Who knew, right?

There are some things cooking though. Check it out :

* a look at a collection of DC Comics Presents

* the music of Andrea True

* my finally (?) finishing that piece on SUPER ROBOT RED BARON

* an Amazon screenshot that is intensely confusing

* some fun stuff from special guest stars!

OWARI will be coming back around before you know it. But for now, it rests.

My World : Devil Dynamite

Noted villain Devil Dynamite makes no bones about the fact that he considers Captain Satellite his biggest rival. In fact, he styles himself as the Captain's "evil opposite". His more outlandish claim is that he is actually Captain Satellite's counterpart from a parallel universe. Of course, if that is the case, it does beg the question of why he isn't in his own universe. Or is he just spinning a yarn to hide his true origin?


Devil Dynamite is the Captain Satellite mythos "evil opposite" character, a theme I have used a lot in my time. His name is derived from a completely insane martial arts movie which involves a silver-suited superhero fighting Chinese hopping vampires, among about a dozen or so other elements. Yes, that film is just as wonderful as you might think.

Tokyo Tower

Suddenly, without warning, I link you to the Official Tokyo Tower English Site. It is kind of amazing. You can also take a peep at the Japanese site. It has a LOT more stuff, if you care to wade through it.

The Wikipedia page (yes, yes, sure) on Tokyo Tower has some more background. And I'm proud to say that I once wrote a scene that took place at Tokyo Tower. I doubt my vision had a whole lot to do with reality, but that's not always what's important.

Ye Olde Internet

I thought I should add a few words about "If The Internet Had Existed 75 Years Ago", and appending them to the entry itself seemed like it would disrupt the flow of it.

Long-time readers of my work may recall seeing this piece on my LiveJournal several years ago under the title "If The Internet Had Existed 70 Years Ago". Got to keep up with the time, y'know. In fact, the sharp-eyed among you may have already noticed that the new version was posted at the exact five year anniversary of the original. I live for things like that.

The simple origin of this bit of nonsense was that it struck me as a fun way to satirize Internet discourse. I chose the time period in question simply because the pop culture references were quite antique, yet still recent enough that some people might recognize them. I didn't hold a lot of hope that many would get my joke. It was just something I did to humor myself.

As you can see, that entry garnered a lot of positive feedback when it was new. I was so pleased with it that I later converted it into a print article for OWARI #12. I've been waiting for the right time to publish it on the blog, and its anniversary became that moment.

The piece has been revised a little since that original LJ post. I don't expect it to receive nearly as much notice as it did the first time around, but it's one of my works that truly deserves to find as wide an audience as possible.

When Three Was Two

One of the sublime joys of "greatest hits" CD compilations is that they often come with a retrospective of the musical act in question. Some of these are low-key, while some are bit...effusive at times. You don't need to oversell to convince someone of the importance of, say, Bob Dylan. The Thompson Twins, on the other hand, are a trifle more challenging.

The author of the liner notes to Thompson Twins Greatest Hits (1996) stepped up his game for this assignment. I wonder if he perhaps laid it on too thick? Some choice samples of his thoughts on the Thompson Twins:

...without question, the most creative, the most clever, the most adventurous, and the most human of the synth-pop league.

..it was the Thompson Twins who (some would say) single-handedly pushed [pop music] over the edge, formulating a new dimension in sound.

By being themselves, the Thompson Twins created a safe haven for those of us who didn't necessarily fit into society's so-called set of rules and regulations.

What do you think, class?

If The Internet Had Existed 75 Years Ago

RENFIELD4EVA! - I was wondering if I could get some honest feedback on my Boris Karloff/Bela Lugosi RPS. NO FLAEMZ PLZ!
Frank Meriwell's Brother - WOAH! I'd rank it right up there with that AU N/C fic where King Kong made it back to Skull Island with the girl. It's just that good!
AnnDarrowFan - C'mon now dude, that Kong story lacked credibility on the most basic level. Do you honestly think that crack pilots could miss a gorilla that size? And then that the gorilla could do a perfect swan dive off the Empire State Building into the ocean *with* Ann in his paw? I mean, the whole thing was TOTALLY unbelievable. Anyway, I haven't read the Karloff/Lugosi story yet, but I will try to next week.

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emo surrealist - I was listening to some of my Al Jolson records today. Man, I'm so disappointed in him. He used to be one of my favorites, but he hasn't released anything in awhile. What's up with that?
Kid Katzenjammer - Jolson is just another example of an artist who lost something when he became too popular. He's a sellout and I'm ashamed to say I was once a fan.

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scruffy urchin - I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!! Billy wanted to go to the store and asked me to tag along with him. While we were there, Billy swiped an apple and Old Man Clancy spotted him. He yelled at us, so we ran! Billy got away, but I got caught! I didn't even do anything and now Old Man Clancy says I have to pay him a dollar for all the apples that have gone missing in his shop! WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GET THAT KIND OF MONEY?????
I_AM_DRACULA - Bummer! I'll tell you what I was thinking though. We could set up a thread where people could donate money to you via Paypal to help out. In fact, I took the liberty of sending you three whole cents just a minute ago. ;)

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Jor-L - Hi fellas, my name is Jerry and my pal Joe and I have gotten together to create an exciting new adventure character. It's top secret stuff right now, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in hearing more about our idea.
The Major - Greetings Jerry, and welcome to the board. You might find this hard to believe, but I have just started my own publishing company. It is devoted to the new type of magazine called "comic books." The difference in my periodicals is that they will feature ALL NEW material. I am a published author in addition to being a veteran, so I have an "eye" for talent. Please drop an e-mail to me (my addy is in my profile) because I would like to discuss this new character. Who knows? Perhaps you and Joe have created "the next big thing!"

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LoneRanger803 - OK, wrestling question this time. Who do you think would win in a fight between Frank Gotch and Strangler Lewis?
Man O' Bronze - Gotta give it to Gotch. He would own Lewis, no doubt.
Ask Me About Physical Culture - You forgot George Hackenschmidt and Stanislaus Zbyszko.
emo surrealist - Um, you know, my old man says wrestling is fixed.
LoneRanger803 - DON'T BE A H8R!!!!!!1!!!111!!

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Morlock Man - You know what I liked? The movie METROPOLIS. What a great film!
The Scientifictioneer - OMG WTF YOU LIKE THAT OLD SKOOL SH!T??????

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TalkiesAreTheDevil - Guys, you will *not* believe this! First, they throw talking into our movies and RUIN them! NOW, I am hearing word that filmmakers are thinking of making more and more films in COLOR! Ugh! Don't they understand that this will destroy the purity and integrity of film? Color will make everything look unnaturally bright and unrealistic and will distract from the stories and performances. Everyone will get so hung up on the latest color techniques that we will lose sight of what we all LOVE about going to the movies. I have set up an online petition against color films and I hope everyone here will sign it! Save the classics!
Chaney Rulez! - ...The hell is up with those guys? I signed, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Color = Fad. Bank on it.

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TheHorrorInsider - Through my special sources, I just found what are apparently early still photos from the next Dracula film. Check the link.
RENFIELD4EVA! - Oh no...no. He's so UGLY. The bald head, the pointy ears. What are they thinking? Dracula is supposed to hew to a very specific design and this isn't it. I am SO afraid of this one now.
Varney The Vampire - Uh, guys? Those are pictures from the first filmed version of DRACULA, the 1922 NOSFERATU. That's Max Schreck as Count Orlock. It's definitely not from any new Dracula film.
I_AM_DRACULA - Varney's right, that's definitely NOSFERATU there.
TheHorrorInsider - Sorry guys.
scruffy urchin - But TheHorrorInsider is never wrong.

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Colin Clive Is God - I just got back from a screening of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (phear me, for I am 1337). All I can say - ELSA LANCHESTER IS HAWT!
Im-Ho-Tep Rising - Man, true. I saw it and she is definitely teh sex.

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The Shadow Is Love - Anyone pick up the new issue of THE SHADOW yet?
Hugo Danner - I did, and I was very disappointed. I have every issue since the very first one and this was, without a doubt, the least involving issue by a WIDE margin. IMHO, Maxwell Grant is losing it. If this keeps up, I may have to drop the title. I don't care if there is talk of adapting it into a radio series.

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Franz Gruber - Hey everyone, n00b here! I live in Germany and I am a big genre fan. I get to see all the latest stuff because my dad is friends with our country's leader. What do you guys think of Adolf Hitler?
EVERYONE - GODWIN'S LAW!