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February 27, 2005
Working Overtime
The skills you learn along the way will always come in handy, even though it may be years in between times you need them.
On Thursday night, for example, I had the pleasure of chatting with Brad Meltzer about his favorite moments in Identity Crisis for the forthcoming hardcover collection. Since Brad wanted to do this by phone and evening worked best for him I settled at my home office desk and pulled out a tape recorder and phone tap, the same equipment I used to conduct countless interviews for Starlog and other publications. We chatted and I got to ask questions and steer the end of the conversation.
On Friday, I used my other tool, the ear piece similar to those worn by people at the UN, and transcribed the tape. Sadly, despite testing it out in advance, there was a bad hum on the line, ruining some of Brad’s comments. Fortunately, he’ll be editing the document and can put back in all the pithy comments we missed.
Saturday morning, at 9 a.m., I was back at the desk, this time entering a chat room with Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb. 6 a.m. California time was what worked best for both of them since it was the weekend and each had errands to attend to. Still, the weekend was when both had time free to chat. It was Jim’s idea we hold the conversation in the chat room so they could be a little silly, the conversation could flow and then I could cut, paste and edit the transcript into something readable. Sure enough, they were both a little slow to get into the flow of the conversation but we were at it for 1:40 and in the end, we covered everything we needed to. I worked until noon editing and reshaping the conversation since Jeph tended to write one line, hit send, write another and Jim seemed to be about a question behind as he carefully considered each point raised. The edited conversation flows well and should make for fine reading when this sees print.
Having worked all morning, and missing out on joining Deb and Rob on his first college visit, I treated myself and went to see Closer. Despite the nominations and buzz, Deb wasn’t interested in this bleak drama about relationships. I liked it a lot, fascinated that director Mike Nichols could entertain me in two entirely different ways in the same week (after all, he also directed Spamalot which I just saw the other day). It felt like a stage play brought to the screen and it’s interesting that you really don’t get to see any character on their own. This works when examining their different relationships with one another but fails to make any one character stand tall. Julia Roberts’ Anna has one failed marriage as the film opens and I’m left wondering was it her or the first husband, what makes her tick, what draws her to such different men in Jude Law and Clive Owen. It’s one of the first times I’ve seen Roberts in something where I said, “she’s playing an adult woman, not a romantic girl.” Some of that is of course in contrast with Natalie Portman since there’s some 15 years between them.
I was much more satisfied with the equally serious Million Dollar Baby which Deb and I saw Friday night. The story has well defined characters, that which is left unexplained isn’t necessary to fully appreciating the film and is filled with lovely human touches. I can see why all three leads got nominated.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 06:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 23, 2005
On Broadway
When I first heard about Spamalot, I had trepidations. After all, many movies have not survived the transition to the stage or television and the unique humor of Monty Python requires a deft touch. Then, I heard how all five surviving Pythons gathered after reading the Eric Idle script and more or less worked on making it better, lending their support. And then I heard the cast: Tim Curry. David Hyde Pierce. Hank Azaria. Directed by Mike Nichols. OK, then, this might have promise.
The promise was made good and then some.
I joined a gaggle of colleagues last night to see a preview performance (hedging our bets a bit) and we uniformly adored it, most of us complaining about sore muscles from laughing so hard.
As you might be aware, Spamalot adapts the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. All your favorite bits are there: the Knights who say Ni, the killer bunny, the insulting Frenchman, Bring out yer dead!”, and so on. What you might not be aware of is that the rest of the musical also deftly mixes a valentine to Broadway along with a thorough skewering of its current conventions. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s works get the most slings and arrows of outrageous parody but other standards of musical theatre get their comeuppance as well.
The leads were uniformly wonderful. In the second act, Pierce has a showstopper of a number, the subject involving their need to get to Broadway and put on a musical and they can’t do it without finding a Jew. While some of deep religious faith might be offended, none happened to be in the audience last night.
Many of the typical Python touches were present including animation, oversized cutouts of artwork that acted as scenery or clues. The singing and dancing was swell and we saw some of the fastest costume changes in memory that left us breathless. It wasn’t perfect mind you: some of the leads had trouble staying in synch with the others and not every joke made you guffaw. Curry flubbed a line (referring to Chicago, where they opened, rather than New York) but recovered very nicely.
Afterwards, Robbie and Peter David stood by the stage door hoping for autographs. Peter had with him an oversized killer bunny that he hoped would receive attention and signatures. Sure enough, all three leads came out and lingered a bit, signing and posing for some photos. And the rabbit amused all three and its vicious pink tongue now bears all three names. Robbie was thrilled to also get signatures, especially since he was familiar with the work of all three prior to the show.
He kept telling me what a wonderful day it was and thanking me.
Said day included spending the working hours at DC, making copies, doing homework, visiting with people. We dined at the TimeWarner cafeteria, overlooking Central Park since Deb insisted we take a look at the Gates while they were still there. While to some it was art, to me it was nothing at all. I was not awestruck nor was I moved. Christo’s work and goals elude me.
For dinner, we met up with our posse at Virgil’s for some fine barbecue. Our party included ringmaster Glenn Hauman, his delightful wife Brandy, David & Kara Mack, Peter & Kathleen David, the rarely seen Lisa Sullivan and the Golds: Mike, his wife Lynda and stepdaughter. Much laughter was had there, putting us in a fine mood for a fine night.
(Totally off topic, after watching bits of the press conference at the restaurant and reading detailed reports in the paper this morning, I have a message for Barry Bonds: You’re full of shit and get over yourself.)
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:00 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
February 21, 2005
The Lost Weekend
I could feel the cold descend upon me starting Wednesday. I was fuzzy but functional Thursday and Friday but could feel it getting worse. The good news is, I recognized this and spent the majority of Thursday scanning, turning the scans into text and formatting the text for my next big project. I now have a 98% ready manuscript ahead of time so that’s something.
Managed to see friends on Long Island as planned for Saturday but I wasn’t up to driving. Deb did it all for which I’m thankful. Still, it was nice getting around.
Sunday, though, I gave in to the cold and was more or less a lump on the couch. Did manage to catch up on a bunch of magazines and watched House of Sand and Fog. It was a very strong drama with terrific performances from all the main cast. I was fascinated by the story structure but found some of the narrative lacking (like what did Jennifer Connelly’s character do for money?).
This morning we awoke to maybe 4-5 inches of snow which I had to shovel, cold or not, since we have a funeral to attend. Sadly, the mother of one of Robbie’s longtime friends passed away. Perhaps in the afternoon I can attempt some writing, after finishing the shoveling.
It appears that after anticipating the weekend with lots of potential, I look at it now as lost opportunities (with the exception of scoring Opening Day Mets tickets, continuing an unbroken tradition since 1989).
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 17, 2005
Star Trek Fiction Balloting
I regularly participate in the discussions over at David Henderson’s Star Trek Books BBS. It’s a fun bunch of people and passionate about the Star Trek fiction.
Their annual balloting has gone up at a neighboring site for 2004’s Best Star Trek Fiction. All books and eBooks are eligible for voting so it’s no surprise to see my 2004 efforts listed. However, there are but five sequences from thousands of pages of stories that were selected for the Best Scene Award. My proposal moment between Deanna Troi and Will Riker at the end of Star Trek: A Time to Hate made the cut.
It truly is a honor just to be nominated.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 08:59 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 16, 2005
Renaissance Woman
A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from David Samuel Barr, inquiring if the character in Star Trek: A Time to Love, An Haslam An, might have been named after Annie Haslam. Annie was the lead singer in the symphonic rock band Renaissance and sure enough, he was correct. At the time I was writing that chapter, I had their music playing and when I needed a name, I adapted hers. (Renaissance was an oddity in the 1970s; never making the Top 40 play list, usually relegated to the Progressive Rock FM stations. I liked them a lot and still do. )
This thrilled David since he is a music industry veteran and befriended Annie some years back. We got to talking, he paid me a visit and handed off to her autographed copies of Love and Star Trek: A Time to Hate.
Annie loved hearing about this and was coming to New York soon so a lunch was arranged…which happened today.
Now, here’s where it gets weird.
Annie called and left a voicemail a week or so back saying she had met someone I worked with, couldn’t remember his name, but thought it was hysterical.
Meantime, yesterday I had a few minutes so returned some overdue calls including one to my old pal, inker Scott Hanna. I helped get Scott his first DC work and subsequently had the pleasure of working with him, on Doom Patrol. Scott explained that his wife, the delightful Pam Ptak, has gotten quite successful at fashion design and was recently asked by…do you see it coming?…Annie to design a dress for her to wear at a special function. When Annie first arrived to meet Pam, she saw Scott’s studio with lots of hanging comic art and commented she just got acquainted with someone in the business, who also writes Star Trek books.
Scott, on the first try, knew it was I.
And as he relates this story to me, he says, Annie is due in ten minutes to meet with Pam and look over the designs.
Weird.
Annie and David arrived at DC for lunch today. She’s had a pretty interesting career, having gone solo after Renaissance broke up in 1987, beat breast cancer, and taken up painting (for details feel free to check out her own site. ) She handed me a few of her solo CDs and then pulled out a copy of Doom Patrol: Crawling from the Wreckage which she had Scott sign yesterday and I added my name today. Over fine Indian food, we discussed music, comics, science fiction conventions, the foulness of regulated radio playlists, everything happening for a reason and more. It was a wonderful time.
I recounted the one and only time I saw Renaissance live: Passover 1975, they shared a bill with Electric Light Orchestra at the Westbury Music Fair. My best friend Jeff joined us for Seder and we bolted early to make the concert. Since it was the only time they toured together, Annie recalled the venue, which was neat.
Our world is sometimes very small and comforting. Other times, it’s downright bizarre. Today melded the two and it was wonderful.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 05:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Pitchers and Catchers
It’s the middle of February and despite what the groundhog did or did not see, we have creditable evidence that spring is here.
Pitchers and catchers report this week.
The Yankees, clearly needing the help, got a head start and began workouts yesterday. My Mets, a better rebuilt team than last year’s disappointment, report today.
Despite the addition of Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez there remain question marks starting with team chemistry. Without Al Leiter and John Franco, who will emerge as a clubhouse and on field leader? Can rookie manager Willie Randolph manage the oversized egos of a few players?
Beyond that, we have Kaz Matsui adjusting to a new position, second base, and a bullpen that was certainly overworked last year and may not have restocked deep enough for both Martinez and Victor Zambrano, who is still recovering from arm troubles.
Still, pitchers and catchers report this week.
The temperature in New York is in the 50s today as it was yesterday, bringing out longing for ball games. On the drive back from Baltimore on Sunday, I desperately wanted to listen to a ballgame on the radio while Deb and Robbie napped. No such luck.
And Major League Baseball is distracted by the questionable allegations in Jose Canseco’s book. There’s no doubt he and others have been taking steroids. There’s no doubt that some players will continue to cheat, using them this season. But some of his claims are ludicrous. Then, there’s Jason Giambi who miraculously had a key clause removed form his contract, protecting his salary in case he got caught. Now that he’s caught, he’s not even being a man about it, which will no doubt cast a pall over the Yanks’ spring training camp. And as usual, Bud Selig is tightlipped and ham-fisted in his management of the game.
Still, pitchers and catchers report this week.
(The other sure sign of spring is the release this week of Sports Illustrated’s anticipated swimsuit issue. While a feast for the eyes, I’m sure not a single model in the mag can hit a curveball.)
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 14, 2005
Back from Baltimore
Farpoint was a successful and fun convention. Many of us thought it looked it a little sparsely attended but the con committee seemed happy with the turnout so who am I to question things?
Maybe it’s the time of year. Instead of two dealer’s rooms, there was one. My line-up of film previews was somewhat lackluster with the best of ’05 films being readied for showcasing at ShoWest so Farpoint was too early to benefit.
Interestingly, this was the first con in a long time where I wasn’t asked for a single autograph. How fleeting is fame….
The panels went well, the Bob & Howie Show had a very intelligent, well-mannered discussion over Enterprise’s cancellation.
On the other hand, the way things worked out, there just didn’t feel like there was enough time to sit and visit with the usual people at the con. We waved and hugged, exchanged a few words here or there but the long-ranging discussions just didn’t happen.
Kate was there, along with her pal Rachel, who said she felt quite at home at Farpoint, her first genre con. They showed off their ballroom dance skills during Ten Forward, the first chance I had to see Kate in action. Quite impressive. Maybe we should have invested in dance classes all those years ago. The two also got dragooned into helping Kathleen David’s Masquerade presentation, which helped her win Third Place in Contest of Champions and Best Presentation.
Robbie took second place in Fantasy with a variation on his Captain Canada outfit. He did it for a good but has something more serious planned for the next show which is a better use of his time and skills.
Peter David, Mike Friedman and I screened Peter’s choice for this summer’s edition of Mystery Trekkie Theatre. Joined by Alan Chafin and Keith DeCandido, we laughed ourselves silly, screaming comments at the screen. When I described it to Robbie he commented, “shooting fish in a barrel again, huh?” Yep. (The Hunt Valley Inn is already sold out for Shore Leave. You have been warned.)
The pleasant surprise of the weekend was how smooth our trip there and back was. We clocked in about 5 hours getting down there on a Friday night but set a new record by returning yesterday in a mere 4 hours.
With Katie and her fellow Boogie Knights now performing at Lunacon (March 19-20) and I-Con (April 9-10), I have adjusted my schedule and will be present at both.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:51 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 10, 2005
Pulse Interview
The lovely and talented Jen Contino has an interview with me about the Will Eisner biography over at The Pulse . Check it out.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 09, 2005
On Star Trek
People have been wondering when I was going to comment on the recent cancellation of Enterprise. With Farpoint this weekend, I know it’s going to come up so I’ve giving the topic a lot of thought. Since word was released, I have been reading comments from actors, producers and lots and lots of fans. Having digested most of it, let me weigh in.
Star Trek was unique when it debuted in 1966. Up until then, science fiction on TV had been juvenile fare like Space Patrol or adult anthologies like The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits. Gene Roddenberry cannily used the anthology’s ability to tell compelling, topical stories about the human condition and added recurring characters for easier audience identification. He found something that worked and spun it into something new but familiar – a tried and true Hollywood practice -- so “Wagon Train to the stars” was the high concept that NBC understood and accepted.
Gene was wise to bring in science fiction writers that first and second season, since after all, they knew science fiction better than he did. They had distinctive voices and once he (or Gene Coon or D.C. Fontana) got through polishing them for TV, they were still fresh prime time dramas. The best stories were commentary on the issues of the day as well as being optimistic at a time when the country needed it. To me, one of the best things about the original series is that it said we’d make it to the future, be better than we are today, but it won’t be easy. We saw Earth as a proud member of the United Federation of Planets but heard about the Eugenics Wars and World War III so there was strife in the years to come. But we’d make it.
In the 1980s, Star Trek: The Next Generation was also unique when it debuted. Science fiction hadn’t done well on prime time for a while and Paramount decided to test the waters with first run syndication. Gene was brought back and the thing he wisely did was jump ahead 87 or so years. There would be enough familiar elements for the fans but still enough new things to avoid being a retread. And again, the optimism was there since we now had forged peace with the Klingons as seen by Worf’s weekly presence. It took a while for the behind-the-scenes nonsense to die down and for them to get a firm handle on the stories and once that happened, the show blossomed.
The success of first run syndication opened up new markets for producers, and science fiction as a genre benefited the most. All of this success led to cable channels buying SF properties for series and that success helped launch the inevitable Sci-Fi Channel. And their success has allowed them to buy even more new series. As it is, Friday nights this season means at least 4 hours of prime time SF for fans to watch. These Sci-Fi shows have been pulling in better ratings and reviews than UPN’s Enterprise. Given the economics, it makes perfect sense to pull the plug and announce it early enough so they can produce a final episode and satisfy the fan base still loyal to the show.
So, what happened to Star Trek? Is it because, as some execs put it, there’s been too much product for too long? Casual fans seem to have rejected Enterprise and stayed away from Nemesis. Producers and even some actors say it’s been because there have been so many episodes shot that it’s hard to come up with something new to do or say. To which I agree, given the current producers’ insistence on maintain the status quo through the last few movies or looking backwards with Enterprise. It may be the initial message of optimism that fueled both TOS and TNG has been off to the side for too long. And it could be that with the natural evolution of television production, too few fresh voices have been allowed to comment on society and the human condition in favor of stories by committee. (Although kudos go to Paramount’s open submissions policy these last 20 years, allowing many people to get their first credit writing for one series or another.)
Has the fan base been dwindling, hurting the franchises? Maybe. A perfect example is my beloved Shore Leave convention. Put on by the Star Trek Association of Towson (MD), it has always been a Star Trek convention. However, in the last handful of years, they’ve added guests from other shows and movies. A quick look at this year’s line-up shows actors from Battlestar Galactica and Stargate SG-1 crowding out the traditional Trek mainstays. While I’m thrilled to see Trek guest stars Joanna Cassidy, Chase Masterson and William Windom coming, they aren’t the draws a George Takei or Jonathan Frakes have been in years past.
Sales on the merchandise, especially the novels, is said to be down from the past. Too much material? Maybe. On the other hand, the novel quality has gone up markedly since the Pocket Books program launched in 1979. And for fans of TOS, DS9 or Voyager, it’s the only place to get new stories.
So, as Stephen Whitfield asked so long ago, wither Star Trek? Commercially, it’s too important for Paramount to let lie fallow forever. The fan base, while probably smaller than in years past, remains a desirable demographic and too vocal a community to allow no new filmed entertainment. However, after the franchise takes its justly deserved rest, it will need to come back carefully. Fresh thinking will need to be applied to the core concepts of Gene Roddenberry’s original series. If “The Human Adventure is only Beginning” as promised at the end of the first feature film, then surely there are plenty more adventures and experiences in the future of that universe. It’s how those stories are told and presented that will determine the franchise’s ultimate acceptance or rejection by the audience.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:56 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 08, 2005
Farpoint Schedule
This coming weekend, clan Greenberger will be appearing at Farpoint. It’s a scaled down version of Shore Leave but is always fun. It’ll be fun to share a con with David Gerrold, something we haven’t done in a long, long time.
For those attending or interested in coming, here’s our schedule:
SATURDAY
10-11
I’ll be showing an assortment of movie and TV previews, chatting about comics, Star Trek, movies and whatever else we want to cover, all in a mere hour.
11-12
The fabulous Boogie Knights will be performing. Kate joined their merry band 18 months ago and this will be a treat to watch/
Noon
Growing Up In Fandom - Have you ever wondered what it is like to grow up in the world of Sci-fi? Well we have done that very thing. Come see and hear what it is like to grow up a geek and to have been around geeks all our lives. Robbie Greenberger (M), Katie Greenberger, Ariel David, Ian Bonds
1 p.m.
Not In My Universe, You Don’t! – Authors discuss the workings of shared novels and writing in someone else’s universe, and how they manage to keep their friendships intact. Bob Greenberger (M), Michael Jan Friedman, Keith RA Decandido, Peter David
8 p.m.
Masquerade – Robbie is like to have an entry and I’ll be a judge once again.
Sunday
10-11
The Bob & Howie Show – long ago, Shore Leave paired us up to fill a programming gap. We’ve been on the schedule at cons ever since. Over the course of an hour we’ll read amusing clippings, talk television, baseball, kids, dogs and, yes, Star Trek.
11-Noon
From Medium to Hard – How does a comic book writer make the transition to novels? How does a short story writer deal with writing screenplays? Writers share their trials and tribulations. Bob Greenberger (M), Michael Jan Friedman, Richard White
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:08 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 04, 2005
Going Bats
It's 12:40 a.m. and I really should be going to bed. However, I just completed something and am feeling pretty good about it.
Around mid-day on Thursday, our Licensing Department called in something of a panic. They are working on a 1000 question Batman Trivia Game and their freelance writer had personal upheavals and stopped after 600 questions. The day before deadline.
Any chance I could help out? Once I got my supervisor's permission to burn the midnight oil, we agreed I'd tackle 200 questions and deliver them in the morning. It seems all 1000 questions need to be approved, proofread and out of house before the weekend.
I tapped my long-distance pal John Wells to handle the other 200. He gleefully got home after work and set to it. We agreed he'd concentrate on 1965-1985 material while I handled stuff before and after. Fortunately, we both had the writer's 600 questions to get a feel for what he had covered. And as I prepared to leave work, Michael Burstein threw many questions at me, most of which found their way into the manuscript.
Well, pretty much from 8 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. I researched and wrote my 200 questions. At some point, John sent me his first 50 for a look see and that was nice and encouraging.
And it's done. DC will make its deadline, I got to have a little fun and remind myself what it's like to handle a crash project.
I'm also reminded of the Trivia Mania book I produced as Xavier Einstein back in 1984, shortly after joining DC. That was 1001 questions and it took me weeks to research and write but of course, the resources available to me 21 years ago pale in comparison with today.
And now to bed.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 12:41 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
February 02, 2005
Young Love
The latest online edition of Binghamton University's journal just went live and there's a feature on couples who met while attending college. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see us then and now. Please note, Deb has aged rather nicely, while I added a beard and bit too much weight.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 12:45 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack