Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    

Oh my, so many, many posts to go through... serves me right for not
logging on in a week.

Neil - So many belated congratulations on the Hugo. Many authors this
year may have deserved it, but it is definitely in it's rightful place.
:)

John - after seeing the surprisingly large number of great comic book
adaptations these past couple years, I agree that Constantine COULD be
rewritten as an American, and come out the other side relatively
intact. Several of the other comic-to-movie screenplays have changed
important things about the characters and still worked out all right in
the end. But this is Hpollywood and, like you said, they aren't likely
to ask anyone who could pull it off properly.

I've been following the Constantine project closely for about a year
and it's obvious that it's already in the wrong hands. The first
official script started off with an fast paced car chase between
Constantine and his enemies, which is immediately disheartening since
he has driven a grand total of once in the comic, and then only
reluctantly. That script was courtesy of whichever scriptwriter Nic
Cage had picked, since he was, at the time, producing and starring in
the film. There are few actors I can imagine who more wrong for the
part of Constantine than Keanu Reaves, but Nic is one of them.

Anyway, off the Hellblazer soapbox; I ran across a story on Chud.com
(the best movie website out there!) about an upcoming DVD of
Buckethead, the lead guitar player for the "New" Guns'N'Roses (ugh)

Included on the DVD is the music video Ballad of Buckethead, directed
by none other than Dave Mckean! Here's a link to the info
http://www.chud.com/chudvd/news/sep06buckethead.php3
  

    
Email from Christy:

May write more later, but gotta get this in now:

Neil --
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just checked the journal for the first time since Friday, and I knew when
I saw the long bunch of carriage returns.  I almost shrieked in delight,
and would have jumped up and nearly squeezed you to pieces if you'd been
standing in my office.  (I'd been wondering on and off since late Sunday
night.)  I can't say I'm _too_ surprised, but I'm very excited for you,
Neil.  Good job.  You're just amazing, and you deserve it.

A Pleased Christy,
who's a little late but with good reason
  

    
Email from Davey:

Christy (and anyone else interested) - Cheryl Morgan has also posted Hugo
night photos at EMERALD CITY starting at www.emcit.com/ph_cj09.shtml,
including a few of Our Hero [tm] in The Suit. -- Davey
  

    
I'm sorry, that can't possibly be Neil Gaiman. That man is in a suit.

Neil, you look dashing and somewhat sinister. Megan says you look like
a Beatle. 
  

    
oh my golly neds, unca neil! you look dapper! and a bit like Richard
Richard Mayhew Dick, ready to go off and work in an office and such.
And only the teeniest tiniest bit like an undertaker, and I mean that
in the very best way.
  

    
Oh... oh my. That's going in the scrapbook somewhere.

At least it's a black suit; if Neil had worn say, a paisley tie, I
think my world might have collapsed in on itself.
  

    <scribbled by dfowlkes Tue 3 Jul 12 10:14>
  

    
heeheeheeheeheeheheheh, hrm...

Neil, you've got a bit of a "deer caught in headlights" look going
there in that pic. 
  

    
Shawn -- I have an extremely old Constantine script knocking around
here somewhere. The big revelation was that the evil serial killing
demon, when he takes his dark glasses off, has mouths instead of eyes,
which seemed a bit off.

Dan -- I met Buckethead once at Golden Apple -- I think it was the Mr
Punch tour. He came down to say Hi to Dave McKean. Seemed a very nice
young man. He was playing as Buckethead long before the Guns and Roses
thing.

You know, in retrospect, the suit might not have been a good idea. I
was pretty sick, it turned out, and I could have hidden it better from
the cameras with leather jacket, shades and stubble...
  

    
OK, so I am two days late, but may those of you celebrating High Holy
Days have a blessed New Year, and finish well.

Neil--you look wonderful, and if you hadn't said how sick you were, I
would have thought it was your normal pallor  ;-)

Saw Janah again yesterday.  The first time was no fluke--they really
are that good.

Saw Courtney for about 2 minutes this morning.  He's off to Sandwich
for a few days to work with an amazing glassmaker.  Now they're talking
about furniture.

I have *got* to win the lotto.

Mary, who has to stop staying up 'til 4:00 a.m.  *Has* to!  
  

    
Martha - Cool. World Fantasy it is, then. I will be easily findable there,
behind an enchanted hedge of necklaces in the Abandon All Budgets, Ye Who
Enter Here room.

(Memo to self: get that banner done, the one that says "Honor your Inner
Magpie!")

Neil - I hope you are feeling much better, and I'm glad to hear you've got a
bit of time at home to enjoy the end of the summer garden bounty and all
that.

The caption under the picture of Neil and the other denizens of the front
row cracks me up. (  http://www.emcit.com/ph_cj10.shtml   ) OK, I'm easily
amused; just put Langford into the equation and I'm a happy gigglebeast.

My copy of the Emperor Heliogabalus thingie has gone walkies, and I am
forlorn, but it's probably just being read by the dust rhinos under the
couch in the Velvet Room, and will be returned as soon as they are done with
it.

Oh, Neil, Juan says, "Feel better!" too, and also "Congrats!"
  

    
Email from Christy:

Happy belated Rosh Hashanah, everyone!
 
Hey, Maure, congrats on the move!  Now there's the unpacking to do, but
at least that isn't as time-sensitive.  I hope you went to the Irish
festival!  I wish *I* could!
 
Now that the Barking Mad Chicagoans are neighbors, who knows what their
combined power will unleash upon the world....  <eg>
 
Mike --
> Thinking about who ought to play Constantine is difficult, but then 
what isn't?
I hear tell that falling off a log isn't.  Also, pie.  And A-B-C.
 
Ooh, they're showing the new A&E movie of _The Lathe of Heaven_ tonight
-- AND I DON'T GET A&E!!!!!  Rrrr...
 
Neil, you are a gem!  Thanks so much; I'll do that this week.  It's only
been one month, BTW (does that still qualify as reasonable?); the "two"  
went with the "unanswered e-mails."  In any case, I suspect a process
crashed somewhere....
 
Speaking of crashing, I hope you're able to get a lot of rest this week.  
It's amazing how, sometimes, even one real, bona fide day off can save
you time down the line -- and of all people, you've earned it.  So, sleep
well, get your family to bring you hot tea, sleep some more, repeat as
needed.  I send you my warmest cyber-hugs and a kiss on the cheek (though
real ones from family are much better).  <squeeze>
 
Meg -- That tea group sounds pretty cool; I've got a few friends around
here that would love something like that.  How was your first outing with
them?
 
There's a nice place above the Irish bookshop in Bethlehem, PA where one
can go for tea and pasties.  Don't know if they're as good as Mabel's,
though.  ;)  (Halfway through AG now, BTW.)
 
Rocky -- I knew you had good taste!  I have _The Stone_, as well as the
follow-up album, _Ether_.  That one's *way* trippy.  I think they're both
out of print, but they crop up on eBay every so often.  After that, I
think they stopped out to do the family thing, but I'll let you know if I
hear anything new, if you'll do the same for me!  :D
 
Strong Bad is a character at the Homestar Runner animated site.  I think
I got at least one person hooked on it last time I mentioned it here.  
>;)
 
Davey -- Wow!  Thanks for the links, and the info.  (So the WFA awards
are on my dad's birthday!)  In addition to Neil (aww, he's so cuuute!),
it was cool to put a few faces to names I keep seeing.  (Ellen Datlow
looks like any number of musicians I've seen in Takoma Park; she
definitely adds a splash of color to all the dark suits!)  Cool shot of
Locus's Hugo, too!
 
I enjoyed Cheryl Morgan's amusing account of the Hugos (though I did feel
bad that Our Hero was so sick).  I _wish_ I could have seen Neil's face
when his award was announced -- that must have been PRICELESS!!!  LOL!
 
Hey, Michaela, are you still lurking here?  In my catch-up game last
night, I was reading posts from January, and you popped up a couple of
times.  Did you actually make it to Edinburgh?  (Or if she's not reading:  
Did she, Neil?)  I hope so!
 
Well, looky here, I've stayed up until that late hour when creatures like
Neil and Mary-the-Roane emerge from the shadows.  But I'm too tired to
finish reading posts, so I'm just going to send this and throw in any
additional comments tomorrow.  <yawn> G'night, all!
 
Christy,
who thinks this is gonna look funny when her message is posted sometime 
tomorrow morning.  <g>
  

    

Christy - They had another album after "The Stone?"  Damn, I really
missed out. Ok, tell you what, I'll tape "The Lathe of Heaven" for you
in exchange for a copy of "Ether."  
  

    
Ellen Datlow is very colorful, and very funny. I was in a line at a
mass signing at WHC, and she and Kelly Link were yelling "Girl with the
kitty shoes! Kitty shoe girl! Kitty shoe girl!" at me, which I didn't
notice, but my sister did, and we had a little conversation about my
shoes. I didn't know she was going to be there, or I'd have brought as
many of my Datlow/Windling books as I could carry. 

If you want kitty shoes, or want to see them, scroll down here:
http://www.instepdrmartens.com/tredairsandals.htm
I have the white and black ones.
  

    
Davey: Yes, actually, I was thinking of the World Fantasy Award, too. 
For the same reasons you mentioned.  When are nominations released?  

Neil: This is what comes of having books that no one knows where to
shelve. ;-)  

Shawn: I refused to think of the suit as anything but black, because I
think my brain would have imploded if it were anything else.

Maure: I am insanely jealous that Kelly Link and Ellen Datlow sang to
you!  I'm completely ass over teakettle about Kelly Link's writing.  Of
course, those shoes *do* deserve a serenade or two.
  

    
Christy - The tea outing was fantastic! Its a group of friends I
already know pretty well, so the new part was the tea shop. I had the
most delicious crumpet and scone, and some amazing first-blush
Darjeeling. So wonderful!

Maure - Color me jealous, I've been wanting those shoes for a while
now, in red and black. They are fantastic!

-- meg, who just spent a weekend watching Her Hideousness charm the
pants off of her friends.
  

    
The first time I met Maure, much squealing was done over those shoes. 
Aren't they faboo?
  

    
Email from Christy:

ATTENTION EVERYONE... The double post is NOT my fault!  Not that the
sentiment didn't bear repeating, but just so you know.  <g>
  
More in a few....
  
Christy

[Note from jonl: Christy's referring to responses 1349 and 1377. 
Evidently an email duplicated by a hyperactive Exchange server!]
  

    
Maure: Just reread and realized that my brain had done it's wonky
magic, and transmuted "yelling" into "singing."  Dunno why.  Oh well. 
Hollering in a friendly way at you is still an excellent thing, when it
comes from Kelly Link and Ellen Datlow.
  

    <scribbled>
  

    
Take two:

<snap!>

btw... is anybody from NoCal--or anywhere else, for that
matter--trekking down for the signing on Sunday?

I'll be there with 'Walker, and Kari (Thingie from Vegas).  And I'm
pretty sure Adriana's planning to come.
  

    
Okay.  So today's not a good day for concentration.

Kindly mentally substitute "its" for "it's" in (1394).
  

    
Apropos of nothing but my fangirldom for The Fellowship of the Ring...

This is simply not to be missed.

Trusssst me.

http://www.tolkiencollector.com/bbaggins.mov 
  

    
Burning Man. Since some of you went - and Buffy since we've been
talking a bit about it...

Saw the first episode of Season 2 on DVD the other night. TechnoPagan
Jenny Callender spent her summer at Burning Man and talked
enthusiastically to Rupert Giles about the nudity and mud wrestling and
spell casting and dancing in the nude under the moonlight etc ending
"You just would have --- hated it with a passion!" 
  

    
Ooh, I'll be at World Fantasy too. I'll be the
stripey-tights-wearing-chick in the "Abandon All Budgets, Ye Who Enter
Here room" either pouting and and stamping feet, or darting my eyes
about hoping no one notices that the credit card is very nearly maxed
out. As it is, I'm begging favours to pay for the airline ticket there
and back. Should be an interesting vacation for me.

Maure - I need the red ones! (my ratties will fear me, but then, they
fear everything)

Dodge - Huh, I seem to have missed that episode... and the boy and I
are taking our time getting through Season 1, so I guess it'll be a few
more weeks before I get to that episode. But I'm very curious now.

Eep. Have been feeling ick all weekend. Too patient with people I
shouldn't have been patient with, and then lost my cool with someone I
shouldn't have needed patience for in the first place. Top this all
with bunches of little things going completely splooey on me for the
past 4 days, and unwinding at a movie night that turned into a movie
that I had already seen several times... and didn't feel like seeing
again just then... Damnit, Death Guild tonight better be relaxing, or
at the very least swirly! :)

squeaks, whose apartment is covered in dust.