I started writing a play ...
… because I was angry, because I remain angry and frustrated after the latest mass shooting in the United States where children were killed, angry and frustrated with politicians, pundits and advocates who maintain an unflappable defense of the 2nd Amendment. Even more infuriating is the indignation they display when anyone even whispers the suggestion of gun reform of any kind as a method of reducing gun violence. Their failure to perceive or even acknowledge that accessibility to firearms is a contributing factor within the culture of American gun violence is egregiously neglectful and dishonorable to their positions of public service. It’s infinitely infuriating to see so many senators, congressfolks, governors who are in positions wherein they could work together to solve a problem … and so many of them simply don’t want to.
Anyway … I could go on for pages venting my frustrations here but I don’t want to because I’d rather write about fun things and giving my energy to politicians who don’t deserve it is a waste. At least writing a play is a more creative use of that energy, so that’s where I’m going to try to send it. When I get a good draft finished I might post it here. So stay tuned for that.
On to other things …
The season finale of Severance was excellent! Banger of a first season through and through. Very excited for Season 2!
Among the many things on my pull list this week …
SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #23
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Werther Dell’Edera
Colorist: Miquel Muerto
Letters: AndWorld Design
Edited by: Ramiro Portnoy & Eric Harburn
Designer: Michelle Ankley
Publisher: Boom! Studios
I’ve been reading this book since the beginning and it’s been excellent the entire time.
LEGION OF X #1
Writer: Si Spurrier
Artist: Jan Bazaldua
Colorist: Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Design: Tom Muller w/ Jay Bowen
Editorial: Anita Okoye, Sarah Brunstad & Jordan D. White
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The latest addition from the Office of X. I will read anything that Si Spurrier writes. I think he’s very clever and inventive and anytime his name is on a book I’m instantly intrigued.
SAGA #59
Art by Fiona Staples
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Letters + Design: Fonografiks
Publisher: Image Comics
Because Saga is Saga and it sets the standard.
Those are the highlights among many others. I’ll take any and all recommendations if any of you want to drop what you’re reading in the comments of this post. I’m always looking for more things to read. They might go into the backlog, but I’ll get to them.
Furthermore on the comics side of things, one of the things I’ve really been enjoying lately is working my way through Jim Zub’s YouTube channel and all the various tutorials and interviews he has there. His interview with Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing was particularly fun and enlightening. It was fun to listen to them talk about their long, winding road toward finally writing for Marvel Comics, how they work as a writing duo, and the perseverance they’ve had to maintain over the course of their careers.
There are some writers in comics who have an inherent quality when they talk about working in the industry that helps me believe that I could also achieve a career in comics. Scott Snyder is one. I’ve been taking his Comics Writing 101 course through his Substack (Best Jackett Press), which has been very educational, but there’s a groundedness to the way he talks about writing comics and a belief that anyone can do the work and become a writer of some professional caliber that I find comforting and inspiring.
After watching several of Jim Zub’s videos, I would also count Jim as one of those writers who inspires a similar kind of belief. And I don’t know about you, but most days I need some of that external inspiration to supplement what I meagerly maintain.
The latest trailer for THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER dropped and I am very excited! I am eager to see Natalie Portman as Jane Foster: The Mighty Thor and Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher. Can’t wait!
And lastly, part of my weekend will be diving into the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+. Ewan McGregor was one of the brightest spots in the rather dim prequel trilogy so I’m happy he gets to return to the role. I actually rather like Hayden Christensen as an actor. He just had rather horrendous dialogue and poor direction in the prequels, so I hope this series will help show more of his range and a better iteration of Darth Vader.
That’s my nerdcast for today, along with a short rant up front, I hope that wasn’t too much.
I hope you enjoy what you’re reading here. Comment as you wish. Share liberally if you are so inclined. I’m going to share some creative work as we go along so stay tuned for that. That short play I mentioned earlier, that’ll be coming through here. In researching Substack, I discovered several people who serialize their fiction writing so one of my ambitions with starting my own was to publish some short works for theatre.
I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. Take care of yourselves and each other. Share something fun you’re reading, watching or creating here in the comments or with the people around you.
P.S.: I promised dog pictures and I haven’t shared any recently, so here you go with two sleeping goobers …
Thanks for reading, everybody.
See you next time.
Scott