Groonkly Bits

Last week, members of Panel & Pixel shared their love of a documentary that aired on BBC. The show, “In Search of Steve Ditko,” featured documentarian Jonathan Ross revealing his geekish tendencies and showing lots of love for artist Steve Ditko.

Ditko was Stan Lee’s co-conspirator on a little Marvel book you may have heard about: Spiderman.

In his journey, Ross talks to several old geeks, the wonderful Alan Moore, the lovely Neil Gaiman, and Mr Excelsior himself, Stan Lee. That particular interview is the first time I’ve ever seen Stan “The Man” Lee at a loss for words. Many a comics geek who ever followed marvel know that’s a rare bird indeed.

If the universe is fair, I’ve managed to understand the wylie meta video search site Trooker.com and you’ll be able to sit back and watch all 54 minutes of the, oddly intriguing and a bit mystifying, search for the legendary Steve Ditko, uninterrupted.

(BTW it’s not my documentary as the Trooker embed claims. It’s Jonathan Ross’. When I figure out how to be smarter than Trooker, I’ll have that title fixed and sent to the pound.)

UPDATE: The Law has come down hard and destroyed any chances you have of seeing this wonderful thing. Be sure to thank them for their generosity.

UPDATE 9/25/09: YouTube saves the day.

No Comments | In: Comics, Hero of the week | tags: interview, jonathan ross, marvel, stan lee, steve ditko. | #

That’s the kind of hypocrisy that a lot of us adapt. We can remember what filthy little beasts we were when we were younger and we prefer to suppress that.
—LOST GIRLS Alan Moore on parents wanting to “protect” their children from their own sexual thoughts

No Comments | In: Quotes | | #

Roughly a year ago, Neil Gaiman posted a Simple Will that artists of all kinds may feel free to use in order to protect their intellectual estates. As I strive to become more professional, or just paid, for my artistic endeavours, I begin to wonder what to do with my non-shared scribblings. Do i leave them for my Mom or Dad? Do I pass them on to friends? Do I release them into the internets to be thankfully ignored by the netizen masses?

Since I am not published(yet). Is anything I make creatively worth the bother to protect legally?

These little thoughts creep into small cracks of my mindspace and take up far too much energies. Gaiman shared and, being and actual, factual professional writer of words, talked in great detail on the ways not protecting your work can cause untold problems for those that survive you.

It’s a PDF file, which you can, and should, if you’re a creative person, download here:

http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/SIMPLEWILL.pdf

As Les says, your options are:

1) Recopy the document ENTIRELY by hand, date it, and sign it at the end. No witnesses required.

2) Type the document, date it, sign it IN FRONT OF at least two witnesses, who are not family or named in the Will, and have each witness sign IN FRONT OF YOU and the other witnesses. Better yet, go to a lawyer with this form and discuss your choices!

Giving Neil Gaiman’s full blog post a read would not be out of the question. In fact, I recommend it.

I’m fairly certain I don’t have any property that’s worth all the worrying I give it. I am sure that if you want specific effects to go to even more specific people, having a will of any kind will make sure your wishes are carried out to the fullest of your intentions.

I’ve learned this time and time again: it never hurts to have a backup plan.

No Comments | In: Hero of the week | | #

What mythical beast are you?

You’re a gryphon. You’re very powerful without needing to brag about it. Creativity is one of your strong suits. Your outward personality may change drastically according to your mood, which is not always a good thing. You’re a loyal guardian when you choose to be and you’re aligned towards *good*. Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

No Comments | In: Quizworld | | #

“A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this. He had nothing to do with this. Suck it, Jesus. This award is my God now.“
–Kathy Griffin

By the by, there’s a video of her on Larry King and they play the speech.

Wonderful.

No Comments | In: Quotes | | #

These guys became my personal heroes for showing their love of Brad Bird‘s RATATOUILLE.

All the days are done now. My Dragon Con 2007 set is complete. I didn’t take half as many pictures last year. I’ll have to rectify that next year. At least I think there will be a next year.

*Crossing my fingers as I type*

The Ratatouille are My Heroes

No Comments | In: Groonk: In Absence of Words, Hero of the week | | #

GRRR! ARRGH!!

It’s not a sexy lady. It’s not even a sexy leggy lady. Hell, it ain’t even a good photo. But the contents of said photo warmed my heart for days.

Joss Whedon fans know what I’m talking about.

Day 3 of my Geek Homecoming ordeal is ready for viewing.

No Comments | In: Groonk: In Absence of Words | | #

If I learned anything from Con last weekend, it’s that that Niles writer guy, the one that writes all that horror stuff, is a pretty decent guy. So decent, in fact, that I’m gonna give his most famous book 30 DAYS OF NIGHT another go. Maybe this time I will get hooked by it like everyone else.

My Dragon Con set.

No Comments | In: Groonk: In Absence of Words | | #

You’re curious now aren’t you? Don’t lie.

See the entire Geek Homecoming set.

No Comments | In: Groonk: In Absence of Words, Holidays | | #

“The best thing about Dragon Con is you can like Buffy or alcohol…I like alcohol myself.”
–Average Drunk Smelly Geek who’s Name I didn’t bother to get

Dragon Con 2007 is over. I had to return to the real world and I’m still a bit pissed about that. There are things I forgot to set up before I left for Geek Homecoming this year. The main forget is I decided to call Dragon Con “Geek Homecoming” in honor of the oft quoted(by me and random professional geeks) Nerd Prom aka San Diego Comic Con.

The other forget was I had plans on integrating my twitter with the Groonkly Bits blog and the splash page. It was to be a live when I think on it micro blog of my experience. I’m quickly becoming an old bastard. Having words and/or pictures around to remind me of things is becoming more and more neccessary. That bit of noise did not happen but I did Twitter. Goddamn, did I Twitter. Start here and work your way backwards through the timestream if it suits you.

Do people still come here? Am I talking to myself? Those questions I’ll answer another day with Google Analytics. For now I’ll have an imaginary audience in my mind. And in my mind you all look like [insert hot talented female actress here*].

Flickr was doing, odd things or so I thought, so I didn’t bother to futurephone much of anything. I *did* manage to take enough photos with the good camera to satisfy my attacks of senility. Those will find a home here as soon as work and studies are caught up.

These things failed because the fire under my ass wasn’t much more than a pilot light for the last, oh we’ll just say, 6 months of my life. Doing something new, seeing new people, or having my mind challenged by other thoughts usually re-ignites the old energy. This year’s Geek Homecoming did not fail me. My mind burns with so much passion that it could cook a pizza in under a minute. We’re talking exothermic combustion here; not that 21st century crutch known as The Microwave.

I must strike the new things while my energy rides high. If you come here on purpose you must continue to be patient. Check here once a week at least. Send me all your spare mojo. Keep my creatice juices boiling.

Maybe this will be the time I remember that “The future (really is) now.”

(*Today’s actress in question is: Martha Jones aka Freema Agyeman.)

No Comments | In: Quotes, Too Many Thoughts | | #