Random comments about Pretty Vacant, a comic book series written by me -- with the occasional word on sports, pop culture and life itself. Please e-mail cjmaker@yahoo.com if interested in purchasing a copy.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Game Is On! – A “Sherlock” Overview
It only took 123 years, but Sherlock Holmes has finally been brought up to date! “Sherlock” has its American debut tonight on various PBS stations throughout the country. When it was originally shown in England on BBC1 this past summer, “Sherlock” was a big hit and was immediately granted a second series for 2011!
“Sherlock” is a contemporary take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery stories, starring the incredibly brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch as the self-proscribed consulting detective. Martin Freeman is equally impressive as the Afghanistan war hero/action junkie Doctor John Watson. “Doctor Who” writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss created the concept for the BBC/PBS co-production.
What makes “Sherlock” special is how it combines today’s entertainment needs with the essence of Conan Doyle’s stories. It doesn’t go overboard with the action like the big budget Warner Brothers’ movie of 2009, nor does it focus squarely on the fog and attire of the Victorian Era like so many Sherlock Holmes movies of the past.
Cumberbatch’s Sherlock may be highly adept at using mobile phones and has swapped out his pipe for nicotine patches, but he still has the lightning fast leaps of logic that has made Holmes so endearing to mystery fans. Freeman’s Watson may have ditched the bowler hat for a Heckler & Koch and now posts Sherlock’s adventures on a blog, but he is still the best friend a genius can have.
As expected from writers of “Doctor Who”, “Sherlock” crackles with witty dialogue and smart characterization. 221b Baker Street, Lestrade, Mycroft, Mrs. Hudson and Moriarty are all back, but now there is a running joke about people believing Sherlock and John are gay as well as all the actual running that is done in every episode. IMHO the best part of the first episode has to do with the duo outrunning a London taxi cab simply due to Sherlock’s superior knowledge of the city! If that’s not enough, there is always the wonderful theme music that opens each episode.
Moffat does a stunning job adapting Conan Doyle’s first Holmes tale, A Study In Scarlet, into the show’s first episode, A Study In Pink. Who can solve serial suicides of four different people with the same MO and no apparent clues as to why they are actually murders? Sherlock of course, since we regular people just lower the IQ of the entire street!
It just seems ridiculous for me to keep saying this could be it for NBC’s “Chuck”, because the show about a computer geek becoming the USA’s most important intelligence asset just keeps being picked up! This season's added order now brings the episode count to 78, with just another full season to reach the magic number for syndication: 100! Will “Chuck” get a season five? I say it’s now even odds.
Season Four started off with a bang, as the search for Chuck’s mom has taken the gang all over the world. The old gang is back, some as cool (Casey, Sarah) and others as goofy (Jeff, Lester) as ever! The big changes in characterization seem to be with Chuck (balancing his geekiness and competence) and Morgan (balancing his bravery and stupidity to save the day).
The new characters are just as fun! I have liked the rotating “Greta” operatives so far and wait with giddy anticipation for Summer Glau’s turn as the CIA Buy More contact. Linda Hamilton as Mary Bartowski is scary good, being motherly one second and deadly the next. Yet my favorite new character this season has to be Casey’s daughter, Alex. She’s just the cool girl-next-door type who happens to have an NSA assassin as a dad!
The old characters have grown as well. Having learned their lesson last year, the producer’s have given us plenty of Charah moments. While sometimes it may seem like overkill, I do like how Chuck and Sarah’s relationship has evolved from asset/bodyguard to a more 50/50 partnership. Morgan is no longer the annoying tag-along friend but the new manager of the Buy More. Best of all, my fears for Casey have been alleviated with Chuck Vs. The Couch Lock, easily the preeminent Casey-centric episode of “Chuck”!
The original storyline with Chuck’s mom and Volkov Industries was to be 13 episodes. Who knows what the writers will follow up with the other 11? NBC is betting we will want to find out. They have my money!
I almost forgot to mention Awesome and Ellie’s baby-to-be. I’m glad I remembered. I hope they nickname her Awesomilia!
My Favorite Episode (so far): Chuck Vs. The Couch Lock, because even when he's totally paralyzed, Colonel Casey is still the man!
My Favorite Line (so far): “Put some clothes on!”
My Coolest Moment (so far): Morgan helping Casey overcome a paralysis drug by informing the good Colonel that he and Alex are dating (with highly effective and completely hysterical results)! Honorable Mention goes to the catfight on the catwalk between Sarah and model-by-day, weapons-dealer-by-night Sofia.
Charah Scene (so far): Chuck pretending to be asleep while Sarah admits to herself she would probably say yes if he proposed. Awww!
two separate blog posts, but I decided to make it one since I realized that I basically argue the same position for both. Even though Major League Soccer and Comic-Con have little in common, it’s extraordinary to me that they have the same cause and effect.
Feeling that its then 14-team American soccer league needed broader appeal, MLS enacted the designated player rule (nicknamed the Beckham rule) in 2007. And as good fortune would have it, David Beckham was in fact the first player to be signed under this rule with the Los Angeles Galaxy in a head-turning $250 million compensation package deal!
Having the world’s most famous footballer playing in LA did wonders for the Galaxy and MLS! Attendance and profits are up, awareness is global and international soccer stars worldwide such as Sweden’s Freddy Ljungberg, Mexico’s Rafa Marquez and France’s Thierry Henry now play in MLS.
There have been detractors to the Beckham rule. American soccer purists worry that MLS might be spending its way to extinction, like the old NASL before it. European fans complain the Galaxy style of play is still subpar to the best teams in the English Premier League or Spain’s La Liga. Worst of all, certain die-hard Galaxy fans point out that Beckham isn’t even the best player on the team and resent Beckham’s part-time status!
While the Galaxy and other teams pay handsomely for its designated players, MLS does have a cap on player salaries, minimizing expenses while maximizing revenue. Yes, American soccer does lack in skills and tactics, but as England, Slovenia and Algeria all saw in this year’s World Cup, no country’s athletes are in better shape than America’s. I do agree that American world-class midfielder Landon Donovan is the Galaxy’s best player, but I would argue that Beckham is more important. And ultimately, nothing is more important to Galaxy fans than the ability to score more goals than the opposing team, even if a goal came from Beckham earlier this month. A gorgeous goal it was too:
I would also like to point out (for lack of a better term) the Galaxy’s “Babe Factor”. The Galaxy are not only the most popular team in MLS, they have a sizeable female following as well. This has made the team sexy: overtly (with Beckham's large female following) and subtlely (with the Galaxy's style of play). This perceived "sexiness" has even been picked up on by England, making a Galaxy match an event for Brit Week, LA’s celebration of all things British, including English celebrities like Karen Gillan (Doctor Who’s Amy Pond):
Despite the problems with the Beckham rule, its benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Designated players have given MLS an international presence and improved play. Can it keep finding splashy international players while developing good home-grown players in this country? Balance is the key. It’s a fine line, but MLS continues to balance its needs to have a pleasing brand of soccer with its product on the field!
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After the success of the “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” panel during Comic-Con 1998, Hollywood has tapped into the gold mine of fandom. Over ten years later, Hollywood is the massive presence at the largest convention in America.
Hollywood has given Comic-Con a huge shot in the arm. Comic-Con now garners world-wide attention and the show has sold out for the past four years. Even people who don’t care about comic books are keenly aware of Comic-Con. 130,000 people now come yearly to see film previews, television show panels, artists at work, collectible merchants and the occasional comic book studio or dealer.
There has been criticism of Comic-Con over the years: Too much attention is given to Hollywood. San Diego is too small a venue for the country’s largest convention. Worst of all, long time conventioneers complain the Comic-Con isn’t really about comic books anymore!
While San Diego is not a large or distinguished city in the USA, San Diego works in Comic-Con’s favor. For one, it is not Los Angeles, Anaheim or Las Vegas. San Diego has a sleepy charm all its own. Don’t reward Hollywood for usurping Comic-Con by moving it closer to Hollywood! It can get crowded at Comic-Con, but the limited space at the San Diego Convention Center keeps Comic-Con from overloading the show with too many film and television exhibitors. I do agree that Comic-Con really isn’t about comic books anymore, but I would argue that if you have a good comic book to sell (like my own Pretty Vacant), you will still do well at the show!
I would like to point out (for lack of a better term) Comic-Con’s “Babe Factor”. Thanks to Hollywood, Comic-Con shed its reputation as a nerdy guy show a long time ago and now has a sizeable female following. It doesn't matter if the increase is due to comics, anime or films, women are attending. Comic-Con is a place that truly has something for everyone. The trick is to tap into all resources available with your product. Pretty Vacant definitely has eye candy for the guys, but I am glad women have gotten behind the main character Gigi. Finally, it’s a wonderful con when a lady fan will cosplay (like my con-pal Liz), buy your book and insist you put your arm around her when both of you take a picture!
Despite all the problems that are associated with Comic-Con, the benefits still outweigh the drawbacks. Comic-Con still treats comic professionals well while trying to cater to Hollywood’s whims. Even Comic-Con purists realize that change is necessary. Balance is the key. Hopefully it can maintain a good balance between the core comic book base and the Hollywood glitz!
