Capitalist Fiction

Simpson, Homer J.

2009-03-28T13:33:00.000-04:00

Apparently, it's important that you put in the right information on backend Web page coding. Or your videos get cut off midway through.

All current (and hopefully future) cybercomics videos will now play correctly. Unless they don't. Doh.

Jungle Warfare Pt. 3

2009-03-23T00:24:00.000-04:00

My intentions were good, as the signposts say on the road to perdition. Not that the sin of untimely updates is mine alone. Or cause for eternal fire. Sounding very metaphysic, I suppose. Must be some leftover dreck from the abysmal Battesnore Galactic series end.

In any regard, my own contribution to the subgenre of silly narrative is this 3rd chapter of Jungle Warfare. Long time readers of this short running blog will remember that this is the spy-centric entry in my Cybercomics collection. These "digitally enhanced" comics from the mid-nineties crackled with limited animation, looping sound effects, and earnest effort by all involved as we tried to figure out a new avenue for income and storytelling. Herein, Marvel Comics master spook, Nick Fury, is on edge as his team tries to keep the malfunctioning Gamega bomb out of the hands of the belligerent and mercenary Tyrannicals. Ah, when the words "terrorist" and "weapons of mass destruction" had such innocent meaning.

Do pay attention, 007: click on SHIELD in the scrolling menu up top, then pick a chapter from the page that appears below.

Jungle Warfare Pt. 2

2009-03-23T00:19:00.000-04:00

More fun with Nick Fury and cold war era espionage, infused with eighties-nineties action movie sensibilities. It's part 2 of Jungle Warfare, the SHIELD-tastic entry in my Cybercomics contribution. Marvel's top spy and his jumpsuited operatives have retrieved the MacGuffin, a blow-em-all-to-hell nasty called the Gamega bomb. But as such things go, they're not the only ones with a taste for high-yield, government sanctioned explosives. And so the confrontation begins.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: click on SHIELD in the scrolling menu up top, then pick a chapter from the page that appears below.

Abominable Humor

2009-03-23T00:18:00.000-04:00

It's immediately classic, but the explanation at the end makes it even more so.

Jungle Warfare

2009-02-14T23:39:00.000-05:00

A special Valentine's gift. For what says true love better than a box of pulpy espionage adventure, with a chewy thermonuclear center?

Returning to the ancient world of cybercomics, I'm releasing the first chapter of my Nick Fury adventure in that format. It's a fast-paced romp through the Panama jungle. Nicholas J., for those of you who have lived lives outside the comic book page, is Marvel's swaggering super-spy. And head of a global spook shop called S.H.I.E.L.D. (The letters of which have stood for way too many convoluted attempts to make sense out of the name.)

Fury and SHIELD were some of my favorite characters and situations to play with when I was still actively writing comics. If for no other reason than the fact that I was a long time 007 fan, and now I had a chance to play out James Bond scenarios on a grand, gritty scale. I think this remains my favorite of the cybercomics — Spidey runs a close second. It's got a strong MacGuffin, fun set pieces, and a natural sounding selection of tough guy quips.

To get in on the action: click on SHIELD in the scrolling menu up top, then pick a chapter from the page that appears below.

(Photo, of course, if of The Hoff.)

No matter where you've been, it's who you are

2009-02-11T02:26:00.000-05:00

Making a cup of tea, I was reminded of my grandfather. My mother's father. Sitting with him, I'm just a little kid, at the kitchen table at his house on Charles Mary Lane. After pouring the water, he'd let the tea steep. (As you do with tea, no revelation there.) Then just use his strong, worked fingers to squeeze the hot teabag out.

And for no conscious reason I've ever thought about, it just seems the most natural thing to do the same. My far weaker, less accomplished fingers don't complain.

A measure of brilliance

2009-02-11T02:19:00.000-05:00

We're in the continuing process of tweaking the "family room." It's come a long way from the L toy catch all it was for a long time. It's almost like a whole new room has been discovered in the house.

As we were measuring some stuff out, L volunteered to help and put the tape measure to work. The long stretches he called out close to the mark. But on the shorter distances, he was reporting back, "That's 7 fingers." "That's 2 fingers." "That's about 4 fingers." Instead of correcting him, I had to ask, "Why fingers?"

So he tells me. "Because they're shorter than feet."

I should have known that much! Simply put, I am extraordinarily lucky.

The last one out turn off the lights

2009-02-11T01:56:00.000-05:00

I think this is an image I'll return to many times over the next months and years. As the economy tanks. As uncertainty nips at our collective heels. As our leaders talk and talk.

Granted, it's just a whatever Tuesday night. Hardly a major bargain day. But it was a fairly desolate vibe in both Toys R Us and Costco. Picking up necessaries, like on-sale Xbox cards, and bulk paper goods. Just an odd vibe empty scene. And in the toy store especially, COLD. Like they'd turned down the heat to save a few bucks. Which they probably did.

It's the little things that worry.

But at least I've got video games and TP.

What don't you understand?

2009-02-11T01:50:00.000-05:00

At dinner the other night, J and I are joshing and pretending to not understand each other.

L puts his hand up, indicating the conversation has clearly hit a wall. And announces, quite matter of fact, "Dad doesn't speak 'Mom'."

Protection Racket Pt. 4

2008-12-21T02:40:00.000-05:00

The thrilling (?) conclusion to my Daredevil "cybercomic" is now available for your clicking pleasure. Consider it an Xmas present. This brings Protection Racket to a close, as Daredevil and Bullseye duke it out for the right to fat Willie Fisk's life.

To enjoy: click on Daredevil in the scrolling menu up top, then pick a chapter from the page that appears below. It's so simple, even a blind man can do it. Helps if you have hypersenses.

Next up: I live out my James Bond fetish via the secret agent adventures of Nick Fury and SHIELD.

The Cookie Fun Club

2008-12-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

I was recently informed of the Cookie Fun Club. This is apparently *the* social grouping of the season. So far, it consists of L, who created it, and his classmate pals Alex and Kyle. Their common bond? "We like cookies, and we like to have fun." Meetings take place in the after school Rosco program, with future gatherings planned for the treehouse in the warmer weather. Some of which have already happened, in that beautiful space of imagination or kid confusion.

All of which goes to demo that no matter how much you try and keep tabs, or how much you think you know, there's a whole 'nother set of characters and interactions happening. You can't influence it all — maybe even at all. All you can hope for is that your influence encourages better choices. And that it all might be as sweet and just slightly heart-breaking as the Cookie Fun Club.

Protection Racket Pt. 3

2008-12-14T23:32:00.000-05:00

Part 3 in the Daredevil Cybercomic is now available for your viewing pleasure. Doing far better on getting these out on a timely manner than I probably ever did with my real comic deadlines! Standard rules apply: click on Daredevil in the scrolling menu up top, and then choose a chapter from the chapters page that appears below.

I'm not sure if I've overcome my long-standing interest in collecting toys. Or if those are just REALLY awful "action figures." (Because what self-respecting collector wants to have a hermetically sealed closet full of dolls?)

Tis The Season

2008-12-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

"Holiday hooligans mug a mall mom in this heartwarming tale of Christmas and murder." This was my "big" Super-8 student film at NYU, still in my proscenium arch phase: lock the camera down, don't move it, film the action from well outside. Pretty staid, and as a silent film particularly interminable. It's a long wind up to the gag, and if that was the best I had the film instructor probably figured I'd D.O.R. before long.

Although I haven't changed up most of these old flicks, this one had some work done in the past to dress it up as a Xmas gift for my mom. I added some much needed dissolves to soften the awkward jump cuts, brought in titles to dress it up, and added music to keep the lagging pace at a minimum. Ho-ho-hope you get a chuckle.

Your Police State's Here. Where You Want It?

2008-12-10T02:19:00.001-05:00

Even in the big city, there's still time for, "Here's something you don't see everyday." Like this portable prison guard tower. Flashing blue lights. A little house for one or two of NY's finest up top. Or maybe a sniper, why not? Camera's on every side to watch and record the rabble. A panopticon on wheels.

I thought it might the sort of thing that is common at big public gatherings, ala Time Square. And since I don't do big public, I'd just missed out on this. But from the "Wazzat?" reactions of many New Yorkers passing by, it was clear they hadn't seen it's like either.

Maybe it's all in our best interests. I'm sure that's it.

Protection Racket Pt. 2

2008-12-07T01:10:00.000-05:00

Part 2 in the Daredevil Cybercomic is now up and running. As before, click on Daredevil in the scrolling menu up top, and then choose a chapter from the chapters page that appears below.

(No, that's not me in the picture. Although I do have an Adam West quality shot of me as Batman.)

Hello December

2008-12-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

I don't care what science says. (Sounds like a Sarah Palin campaign slogan, you betcha.) Winter begins on December 1.

L named this snowy guy "Sweepy." I've been writing for 25 years and I couldn't have nailed that better.

Protection Racket

2008-11-30T23:27:00.000-05:00

Daredevil: Protection Racket was the first of the cybercomics I would pitch to then "cyber-editor" Suzanne Gaffney. As I relate in the overview in that section, I'd actually gone in looking for some coding work on Marvel's Web biz, and she quite kindly re-directed me to taking a pass at things as a writer. (This was a far more important gesture than she probably ever realized. I had unconsciously shut my own door on that possibility due to rejection-weariness, born out of of shifts in the then unreceptive marketplace.)

Suzanne was positive about the idea, but was non-commital about a start for some time. We kept in touch, but I'd about given up on actually getting a green light on the gig, or any of the additional stories I'd pitched. Then I ran into her at a comic book types party one night, and amidst the noise and the music and the beer, she let on that she was actually leaving Marvel. I figured I'd give it one last go, and asked about the cyber-stories. "What the hell," she shouted over the din. And like that gave the go-ahead for both the Daredevil tale, and a Nick Fury/SHIELD story that was to follow. Whether it was "Toss 'em a bone!" or "I'm outta here, what do I care?" it worked out well for me. (An especially important point in the narcissistic nineties!)

Circumstance forces hornhead to become bodyguard for his arch-nemesis, Wilson Fisk, the heavyset Kingpin of NYC. I'll be releasing one chapter a week between now and Xmas. Check back directly in the cybercomics section. (You'll need to click on Daredevil in the scrolling menu up top, and then choose a chapter from the chapters page that appears below.) or look for a note in this very same blog-space.

Welcome to the Web, Cybercomics...Hope You Survive

2008-11-30T12:24:00.000-05:00

Near as I can tell (and being nearsighted, it's not like I see very far, anyway) the idea of Web Comics has mostly resolved to focus on various forms of comic page readers. Some simple and fast — "just gimme the damn jpeg!" Some quite elegant, with the ability to change panel focus, and zoom in on word balloons (not bubbles, kids) for readability. Some almost hysterically elaborate, with animated page turns and other homages to the "real world."

I'm sure there are exceptions. But the idea of "interactive comics" was one I was pitching back in the early nineties, and I'd have thought there would have been more advancement to the idea. (Hmm, note to self: "Get on it.") Of course, the question was always, "What does that mean, exactly?" The phrase was a great door opener. "Oh, interactive comics! Sounds good. Let's talk some more..." It *sounds* like something you can almost get your head around and grok. But where it takes you is probably some strange hybrid of interactive fiction and comic narrative that no one's quite cracked yet. Or maybe someone did, and the reaction was a collective, "Eh."

Long preamble to some projects I was involved with back in the later nineties. Marvel Comic's first trip onto the Interwebs involved a series of "cybercomics." Mostly linear, but with a mild case of interactivity in the sense you had to click-to-advance. And the panels/page would reconfigure to reveal the next part of the story. In retrospect, they were most like those stilted Marvel animations of the late sixties. ("Doctor Bruce Banner, belted by gamma rays, turns into the Hulk...") They were a big push for a short time, and then ceased production and vanished from the Web.

Point being, I've cleaned 'em up some and re-present 'em for clicks-and-giggles.

First up is Blade, a one-shot tie in to the first Wesley Snipes "Look, I've got a career again — oops, no I don't!" vampire rave. Multi-part adventures featuring Daredevil, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man and the X-Men to follow.

The Sounds of Evil

2008-11-30T02:17:00.002-05:00

I set this loose about Halloween, close enough to almost be on top of the game for a change. My very own Harvest of Evil stories.

As in I wrote 'em, I voiced 'em. In service to a self-serving goal, natch. A set of spooky comics I was involved with from back in the eighties got an interesting promotional push. This was in the form of a haunted cassette tape distributed to comic book stores and fans. For free, no less. Of course, many store owners and readers may have thought that was the extent of the whole thing — a free tape they could use for a party remix. And completely miss the point that it was tied in to a set of freaky funny books. Oh well, too late to worry about it now.

I was always a fan of the fearfully overdramatic scary stories on the ol' Disney Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House LP. So here was my chance to pretend I was right down there with the Thing in the Basement. You get your kicks where you can, right?

Originally posted 11/30/2008 at 2:17 AM

SCTV Is On The Air

2008-11-29T19:59:00.002-05:00

Seriously, where is Johnny LaRue when you need him?

Oh, I had such plans. There was going to be this grand statement out on the Web. Way back before there were whole sections devoted to the Internets in brick and mortar Barnes and Noble. Back when the only Amazon was some tiny river down South. I'd showcase my early experiments in "multimedia." I'd put up a whole catalog of my comic book authorship. Descriptions and insight on every issue. Such the trailblazer I'd be.

Sadly, I missed the 15 minutes during which anyone might have cared about that exercise in navel gazing.

Procrastination and detours may have saved me from myself. This saner, seasoned, but no more reason-for-being version will serve as a way-station showcasing professional work, and a Internets shoebox for some old oddities digitally revived.

Or just a place to post links to Youtube clips of Monster Chiller Horror Theater...

Originally posted 11/29/2008 at 7:59 PM