Mama Mia

Apparently I know a lot more Abba songs than I originally thought I knew. A certain number of the bands that I like to listen to nowadays cover them with constant proficiency…

This movie was a strange romp through musical-land that left me staring in blank horror at times and snickering through my sleeve at other times. A lot of the songs felt forced, like the scene was designed deliberately to fit the music that was about to flow into it—but for the most part it was fun an amusing.

This movie definitely kept my attention to the end.

Also, Pierce Brosnan singing felt really strange.

My editor, Djen, believes that it would have been a much better movie if the main character’s mother and her friends had been played instead by drag queens. I don’t know that I entirely agree, but it would have definitely lend a better handle onto the surreal quality of the story.

The Typo Demon Strikes Back

Writing is an ongoing process, even published works. I may use a critique group and a copy editor, but things still tend to slip through without my noticing. As well as it may be, minor typos and errors slipping through seems to be the bane of my existence.

I recently found some typos in Mill Avenue Vexations Volume 8—and for a few minutes I was in a tizzy. I know that I do my best to quality control the manuscripts, but still minor errors make it through my vetting process.

The strange benefit is that only one-hundred copies of the printed version are indelibly marked with this error. The online versions and manuscripts on my computer are already fixed. And the next time I go to print with them (i.e. special editions) I can use the updated manuscript, and viola, error is gone.

Here’s to a cleaner, less errors lurking, future.

The Art of Vexations

I had an idea recently to write some sort of script that upon visiting www.millvexations.com would create a tiny 100px-120px banner below the primary image telling visitors about a particular artist. Especially if they had visited by clicking on an advertisement somewhere…

Example, Katie de Sousa has done an extremely lovely image of Vex Harrow that I have been thinking of using for advertisements on various networks to bring in eyeball traffic. Those who take a gander at the illustration will discover that it’s indeed eye-catching.

It would probably enhance the overall usefulness of the site and shine a light on these wonderful artists who do work for Mill Avenue Vexations.

Consider this still on the drawing board for the moment…but an idea that I really do want to implement.

The Dark Knight

Went out to see the movie this weekend—the last one—and for once it wasn't just me and my editor seated in a mostly-empty theatre, there were actually people with us. And all in all, they were fairly quiet.

The new Batman movie series is really well built. It's set upon the dour, ever-grim dark hero that we came to know and love with every reiteration of the comics and cartoons. Escaping from a Disney affected Fisher Price "no edges" comic book super heroes. Of all things unacceptable for Batman.

The Dark Knight was good.

It was long. It had some issues with breathless timing and it seemed like it went on forever—but it did an excellent job of dragging out the very nascent pleasures of Bruce Wayne, Batman, and the Joker.

There were explosions, mayhem, sorrow—twists, traps, and terrible revelations. Even the stupid sappy over-narration that comes along with comic books. Gotham is decidedly a little more like New York this time and a little less like Chicago (as from Batman Begins and it's elevated trains.)

I would go on about the various elements that made it an interesting movie. From the emergent hilarity of the Joker and the transformation of Twoface…but I'm not quite ready for spoilers.

What I am annoyed about is how Heath Leger found his death in a bottle of pills. We lose more amazing entertainers to their vices. I'd like to call a moratorium on that for the next ten years.

Vex Harrow - American Gothic Daily Style

Just saw this one today. Created by Aggie and posted about over at her newsblog. Hint: there's a large version to be seen there.

Which, isn't just a blog, it's a comic! It has werewolves and witches and all the things that make me tingle. So I've been reading it for a while now. Thou should really go check out American Gothic Daily.

There's a couple other webcomix that I read, but they'll have to wait to get plugs from me because they're not cool enough yet to make me fan art.

I wholeheartedly endorse reading her comic and giving her love. She's certainly done a fine thing for me.

Join Best Friends to Ask the Obamas to Adopt a Family Dog

Too cute to pass up. With elections on our doorstep and the terrible mud-slinging starting, there is at least some ways to get a wedge into the political system and find some sort of cuddly interest. Here it is.

Best Friends Petition to ask the Ombama family to adopt a family dog instead of buying one from a retail store or a puppy mill.

Pet overpopulation in the United States is a strange and unruly problem. It falls outside the gaze of the everyday American because it's not as direct and potent as crime, or the Iraq war, rising fuel costs, and myriad other concerns that bleat and blare in our fast-tracked lives.

But, it is in the lest noticed of our responsibilities that true character can be found.

(via PETS 911)

Seasons by Kyt Dotson and Sanjana Baijnath Now Online

I figured that I would show off my newest setup on the web. I did post these each individually a while back, but now I have made sure that they have an actual home on the web. There is a news item on the Vexations blog about this subject.

The series consists of four stories--very short stories. Each one is written in the second person and sits next to an image depicting the season. Autumn, Winter, Springtime, and Summer. The stories are a cycle, they have no beginning and no end, but if read in the order of the seasons tell an entire narrative.

The beautiful artwork is painted by Sanjana Baijnath; the text written by Kyt Dotson. One of the images has even become famous, and a print is available for those who want to buy them: Vex Harrow Autumn.

It was a great deal of fun to create, the artwork is gorgeous; if you haven't read it before go check it out now.

Mill Avenue Vexations Seasons.

Circle Dark Suspends Operations

Well, that's the chops in the deep-down-dark world of Internet publishing. I suppose that this means current rights to my "Step On It" story have switched back to me... But it also means that nobody can read it for the time being. I posted as much about this on Mill Avenue Vexations, but it's hard to put my finger on how it makes me feel.

Even though first-publication is already over, I am going to keep casting about looking for placement in the strange dark universe of gothic fiction.

I guess this means I should take down my advertisement for Twilight & Thorns. Ah, so sad.

I do like them, they did pay me considerably more than I expected to receive from any venue for my work.

More news to come. I am commissioning artwork for Vexations and things go on. Take a wander over to the site and see what's going on... Next year has a line up of four (4) booklets already!