Wonder Woman's New Look

Even icons need the occasional update and I like this one! J. Michael Straczynski has taken over the DC comic and plans some changes. You can see some in the pic on the left.
I love Wonder Woman because she kicks serious butt! Like the girlie version of Superman. Of course she is also totally hot!
I always felt like, if Supes wasn't around, that leadership of Earth's heroes would fall to WW. Sure, Batman would have a lot of say, but he's more of an advisor, not the leader that Kal-el and Diana can be!
So, I am in favor of the new threads! What about you?

Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger just looks fantastic. The images we have see thus far and the cast all have me feeling like this movie will really be something special.
I am hoping for a cross between "Saving Private Ryan" and "Iron Man".
Chris Evans will be a great Cap and Hugo Weaving will be awesome as the Red Skull. The whole cast sounds perfect.

Cap means so much to me and I suspect that a lot of people feel the same way. Such an iconic character as well as the embodiment of a hero. He is the guy who never gives up and always does the right thing. A natural leader, a bad ass fighter and an indomitable spirit. I absolutely can't wait for this movie.

The Dawn Treader

A new Narnia Movie! I was afraid that "Prince Caspian" had killed the series for good, but it looks like we get to see "Voyage of the Dawn Treader". That's pretty exciting!

Check out the trailer. It looks fantastic!

It's set for release this Christmas Season

The Chronicles of Narnia, for those of you who don't know, are an epic fantasy series written by C.S. Lewis. I read them all as a kid and I still read them as an adult.

Oh yeah, just for the record - I actually liked "Prince Caspian. "

Predators

Hell yeah! Robert Rodriguez is directing a new Predator movie entitled "Predators"

I have not always loved Robert's movies, but I LOVE Predator movies. I can't wait!

Check out the trailer

Jonah Hex bombs...

The Jonah Hex movie officially "bombed" on opening weekend drawing in around $5 million. I didn't know that $5mil was a "bomb" that's just what I read online (so it must be true, right?).
I am guessing if a movie costs millions to make, then the studios would like to make tens of millions off of tickets, merchandise etc.
I'll be honest, I am a bit surprised. I figured Hex would have a ready-made audience. The comic has always been pretty popular. I guess it goes to show us that not every comic book can be made into a movie.
Of course, I think the marketing was a bit light and the subject matter a bit dark for a summer blockbuster season. Looking at the other movies out right now, I can understand how Karate Kid, The A-team and Toy Story would all ouot compete Jonah.
I won't second guess the marketing, release dates too much though. I literally know nothing about that end of the movie making biz. I will say this though - Hex is a great character and the comic is very well done and has been for years. I can't wait to see the movie (but on opening weekend, my kids and I also chose Toy Story 3 - hence my conclusion about competition). As soon as I catch the film, I'll let you know how it is.
I could be reasonably happy staring at Megan Fox for 2 hours so I suspect I will have positive things to say about it.

Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern - First Look

Well, for anyone who hasn't heard, Ryan Reynolds has been cast to play Green Lantern in an upcoming film set for release in June 2011.

The movie has been given a decent sized budget and is getting lots of buzz.

One disclaimer, the image to the left is a fan-created image (impressive!). The actual costume is still in discussion and there is some thought that it might be totally CGI. The thinking has been that since the costume should look alien and come from the ring, then it might look more like a manifestation of his power.

I don't know...we'll just have to see. As long as it looks like an interstellar cop (which is what the Corp represents, right?) then it should be cool.

I have always loved the Green Lantern mix of superhero and science fiction! I love cross genre stuff and GL was cross genre before either of the genres was really established.

Best Movie Martial Artist

Who is the best movie martial artist ever?

Obviously, GGE has a preference (pictured to the left). There are several notable martial artists in movies. Some criteria - either in a TV show or in multiple moves. I am listing some actors who only played martial artists. Mainly, it's anyone I thought should be on the list. So...let's go






Here are some options (ranked in order of awesomeness by GGE):

• Bruce Lee - obviously The Dragon is my pick for the best and greatest of all time
• Jet Li
• Chuck Norris
• Jackie Chan
• Brandon Lee
• Ray Parks (I love this guy. Darth Maul, The Headless Horsemen, Snake eyes, Toad)
• Jean Claude Van Damme (He only beats Jason on on martial arts ability - not acting)
• Jason Statham (great actor - love his movies, but lower on the martial artist list)
• Hong Kong Phooey (he rocks)
• David Carradine (Not really a martial artist, but how awesome was Kung fu?)

Honorable Mentions:

• Ralph "Karate Kid" Maccio (hurts me to even list him)
• Mr. Miyagi
• Keanu Reeves (Neo was cool)
• Uma Thurman (really just an actresss)
• Steven Seagal (what a joke)

The Brethren Trilogy

Consider this a public service.

First of all, I have been reading "The Brethren Trilogy" and it is awesome! It is written by Robyn Young and I love this series so much.

Here is where Iwill help you out though - if you go to Amazon and browse for "The Brethren Trilogy" you will find four books. I know...wtf?

I can now clear this up for you and keep you from agonizing over this the way I did.



So, the trilogy is

1. Brethren
2. Crusade
3. Requiem...only Requiem was published as "The Fall of the Templars" in the United States. Everywhere else it is "Requiem"

So, mystery solved. Now go read this trilogy. It is really, really good!

Abby Sunderland

I don't know how many of you have been following Abby Sunderland's attempt to circumnavigate the world at the age of 16. A couple of days ago, the world lost contact with Abby and her emergency beacons were activated and there was about 40 hours when the worst was feared. Abby has been rescued now, having taken some damage to her 40 yacht, "Wild Eyes" but she is alive and well.
Abby's parents have, of course, taken a lot of flack for letting a 16 year old try such a feat. I felt the same, initially, but as I have read Abby's blog everyday, I have begun to change my mind. This is a seriously brave girl with the soul of an adventurer. As I think about great explorers and adventurers in human history, I realize that there is always an element of risk in living a life less ordinary.
It would have been terribly tragic if something had happened to Abby, but what a testament to human spirit. I think Abby and her family are amazing. Her brother has also circumnavigated the world.

"The Dangers of life are infinite, and among them is safety" - Goethe

We are not all that safe just driving down the road. I think Abby's attempt to do something remarkable is to be commended. I am both terrified and hopeful that she might try this again. One thing is for certain though, I think we need more people like Abby who are willing to cast caution to the wind and push the envelope of what is "possible"

Hank, the Idea Monkey

Finally Revealed, the source of GGE's ideas!

Yes, that is a picture of Green, of Green Gates as he converses with Hank, the "Idea Monkey" for new ideas that Green Gates can use. GGE often quizzes Hank for new ideas and we run most of our current plans past the Idea Monkey before sharing them with the public.

Don't worry, Hank is fine with sharing his knowledge. As you can see from the pic, all he asks in return is a small bottle of gatorade.


Here is another pic of Hank sharing his ideas with Green and his brother. Hank is an endless fount of knowledge and wisdom and is highly sought after in entertainment circles. He started his career as a stockbroker in NY city, but found the indigenous people to be too uncivilized for his tastes. He's retired to Chattanooga, TN, voted one of the "top 25 places to retire" by Money Magazine. (Money, not Monkey - Hank asked that I point that out)

Hank lives in Chattanooga at the Warner Park Zoo. Feel free to visit him to ask about Chattanooga, stock advice or just to let him serve as your own personal muse. Now the world knows where GGE gets its fresh, original, snappy ideas.

GGE to work with Southpaw Smith

GGE has announced a partnership with Scott Claringbold, creator of "Southpaw Smith" to bring you the next chapter in Southpaw's war on crime.
Southpaw Smith was first seen in 2008 in Claringbold's "Southpaw Smith: Round One".

Southpaw is a former boxer and ex-detective from London. After surviving exposure to an experimental test serum that creates metahuman super soldiers (in those few lucky enough to survive the process) Southpaw was approached by a shadow ops group known as "The Organisation". After turning down the Organisation, Southpaw's girlfriend was killed leaving Southpaw to wage a one man war on The Organisation and its global operations.
Now, Scott Claringbold and GGE are teaming up to bring you the next Southpaw Smith adventure to be published through Granton City Press.

Scott Claringbold, besides being the creator of Southpaw, is also the creator of Rabid, a character who starred in his own self-titled (and sadly short-lived) comic series written by Claringbold and drawn by Marc Olivent.

Look for more on Southpaw as the project develops.

A Dream Given Form...

"The Babylon Project was a dream given form..."

The opening words in Bablyon 5. I have been watching the whole series start to finish (having never watched it - I consider it remedial sci-fi at this point - and it is AWESOME, btw).

As I watched it today though, I thought about that. A dream given form. Someone dreamed up this space station (fictitious). They had to picture what it would do. How it would work. What it's purpose was (the last best hope for peace, a port of call, a home away from home). Then, they had to make that dream a reality through financing woes, construction difficulties and all that stuff.

The point is, first they had a dream. They worked out the dream and they decided what success looked like before building a space station.

So, what does success look like for me? A shelf of books that people like that I have had some part in crafting. A comic book or two that people enjoy. Maybe a movie. Maybe an animated movie. Some action figures. Some  t-shirts. Maybe a roleplaying tie-in with some of our properties. This is what success looks like to GGE. Now we have to build it. We have to knock over the first domino. Maybe that is the contract with Wild Child Publishing. Maybe it is the Danger Guild comic. Maybe it is our new partnership with Granton City Press. Maybe it is something I was writing tonight.

What does success look like for you? Picture it. Make it real. Then start assembling it.

And if you've never watched B5. Go to hulu.com and check it out.

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day. It's a great time to reflect on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. It's also a great time to celebrate and enjoy the day off with the family!
We are fortunate to live in a free country and many have given their lives to keep it that way. I certainly enjoy my freedom to write whatever I want to write without fear of censorship.

Have a great day!

Dangerous Kitchen

I wandered across a cool new blog today. This one is not about sci-fi or fantasy or any of my favorite entertainment subjects. This one is about marketing. I know...how boring is that? Along with loving all things sci-fi, I also like to write and create and I hope to continue to grow so that it will behoove me to understand how to connect with people.
So, I periodically read about marketing (not selling...big difference from sales. My kind of connection marketing means you don't need someone in sales).
The blog is done by a marketing firm named Dangerous Kitchen.
It's definitely a well written blog. Not dry or boring. Short entries so it gets added to my RSS feed easily enough without being too much of a distraction.
I definitely find it worthwhile. Maybe you will too.

Prince of Persia

Went and saw Prince of Persia last night and I have to say it is highly recommended. Really beautiful sets, costumes and action. If you like the swashbuckling feel of the video games, then you will find it well captured in the movie. Also, it had a good deal of leaping, flipping and climbing that was remniscient of Assassin's Creed (and I think this is a good thing).
I was a little surprised by the lack of Persians, meaning no actors of Middle Eastern descent that I could see, but I understand Hollywood going for star power I suppose. Jake Gyllenhaall did a good job as Prince Dastan.
The magic in the movie is well done. It was a good adventure story with cool bad villains. The bad guy was a little bit "evil for evil's sake" meaning I can't see him going to sleep at night thinking he is doing the right thing. Usually the best bad guys think they are in the right.
Am I knocking the movie? Not at all. Go see it. If you are a fan of sword and sorcery movies, action adventure movies or just really cool settings then you will enjoy Prince of Persia.

Stephen Zimmer

I'm pretty careful about following too many blogs. I don't have a ton of time to read them all during the day, even with the wonderful RSS reader that serves them up in bite-sized pieces for me to enjoy.
One that I do like to check up on regulary is Stephen Zimmer.
Stephen is an author (this may not surprise you since most of the peope I talk about are authors, artists, musicians or some sort of world-changers - why is that? Walk with the wise and you will become wise...but I digress)
Stephen has written a cool little series available from Seventh Star Press. And has just started releasing his second series.
You don't have to read the book on my word (though it is cool) but his blog is a fun one to follow. I met Stephen at Con Nooga in Chattanooga, TN and what impressed me was his enthusiasm. This guy loves what he is doing. He is really into the worlds he creates and if you talk to him, or read his blog, you'll find that his enthusiasm is pretty infectious.
So not only is it fun to go along for the ride, it is also motivational for any of us who hope to put art in front of people.
Stephen understands that creation is part of the equation, but the other part is production. You have to ship stuff. You have to put it out there and let people see it. He's good at both. And he writes about it weekly on his blog.

Green's noodle at work

Had a great discussion with Green of GreenGates today. He was telling me about his inspiration for a new story. It is a bit of a mash-up of some horror cliches, with a heavy dose of homage to some heavy duty classics, a bit based in reality all tied together with our signature characterization, intermittent humor, cutting dialogue and immersive imagery.
Why am I so excited? Because it is just plain fun to create. It's even more fun to ship products, but in order to get to that part you have to do the "push ups" first.
So, the working title is "Stitch" and it is a send up of both Frankenstein and Golem.
You won't find it on the GGE website yet. It's still too fresh, but we'll get it up there as it develops.

The Coming of the Horseclans

First off, let me apologize if my posting as been erratic. I try to maintain a "nearly daily" posting schedule. I do a good job during the week as I have a set hour a day (at least) to write. Weekends are tougher. Friends ply me with adult beverages, grilled food and late night conversations and I lose track of time. Then again, I should not complain about having good friends with free flowing beer budgets. I had to post today though to talk about my new aquisition.

I'm reading my new used copy of "The Coming of the Horseclans". I ordered the book the day Frank Frazetta died because I had this books when I was young and I mistakenly thought Frank drew the covers. I wanted the books again to stare at the covers and reflect on what an awesome artist Frazetta was.
Well, I was wrong about the cover artist. Turns out that it was Ken Kelly. It made me feel better though when I read that Ken Kelly was a student of Frank Frazetta.
So anyway, I got in my new copy of "The Coming of the Horseclans" and immediately decided that I needed to re-read the series. The author is Robert Adams and he was a career soldier before becoming a writer. His background appeals to me, but also how much time and energy he devoted to crafting the world of the Horseclans makes me want to explore his creation. For anyone who doesn't know anything about the Horseclans, here is a brief summary (you can get tons of detail on the wiki site).

It's set in post apocalyptic America but all technology is gone. Some people (Horseclans nomads) have gained the ability to mindspeak (telepathy - I probably didn't have to tell you what mindspeak was) with Horses and giant Cats (called Prairie Cats). The Horseclan Nomads fight "The Dirtmen" (farmers). The heroes of the books are those cursed with "Undying" and the are immortal (like the dudes in "Highlander").

So, I love the book. It is a self-described "lusty" tale, so it can get a bit bawdy (no complains from me). It has a real pulp fiction feel, like early Conan, but with a good mix of Sword and sorcery, post apocalyptic stuff, super powers and tons of action. I wonder if it could get published today, or if it would be viewed as a bit too pulp fiction-like. I don't know, but I am really enjoying re-reading it and I will be buying the rest of the series (1st editions if I can find them so I can stare at Ken Kelly art). I'll keep you posted and since I never finished the series back in the 70's, I'll let you know if it "jumps the shark".

Later
JG

Granton City Press

I may have posted about Granton City Press before, but eve if I have, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Why would you do that? It's an awesome world of pulp style adventure sprung from the creative mind of Calvin Daniels and there are some awesome heroes and stories coming out of there.
I have already pre-ordered my autographed copy of Black Wolf: Pulp Hero #1 (there are still 4 of those left of you want one)
The site is cool. The artwork is awesome. The writing is good. The music is even a sweet, edgy dark little tune (and I usually hate music on websites).
Maybe what I like most is that Calvin has created a shared world concept and protects the continuity of the world. Reading their stuff is like getting in on the Marvel Universe at the beginning.

Go on over and tell them Joel sent you. Calvin and his coauthors are great folks and the stories are just plain cool!

News on The Forsaken

Good news! Got a contract on "The Forsaken" (GGE's Western Goth tale). I signed said contract and fired it right back. Now we start the process of deciding how much polishing is required and setting release dates and all that jazz.
It's with Wild Child Publishing, which is great for me. I admire them a ton. Primarily in the Ebook business, which appeals to my sense of "green" but if sales are high enough, there is a print option in the contract. I'll provide some mored details soon (along with my fervent hopes that you will buy and read the book).
I am always nervous for all of those things that can happen between contract and publishing, but I will do everything I can to please our new publisher and get "The Forsaken" out as soon as possible.