Bloggy-blogging

Video of Dig Comics Q&A panel from Comic-Con

The illegal bootlegger and hardened criminal DaneInLA has posted two more videos to his YouTube account. The two videos capture the entire Q&A panel that immediately followed the screening of Dig Comics at Comic-Con International: Independent Film Festival this past weekend.

So now thanks to modern technology, it’s almost like you were there! Except with poor sound quality and a small yet erratic earthquake no one else but you seems to notice.

The panel consisted of Miguel Cima (host/writer/director), Scott Shaw! (animator and interviewee) and myself (associate producer). Also seen is producer and editor Dirk Van Fleet.

And in case you missed it, here’s the introduction from the panel with a special appearance by Edward James Olmos:

Dig Comics wins Best Documentary at Comic-Con Film Festival

Yesterday’s Comic-Con Film Festival Awards were passed out. Dig Comics won for Best Documentary!

ScreenCrave.com live-blogged the awards show and has a picture of host/creator/writer Miguel Cima giving his acceptance speech. Behind him is Tiina Teal (who played the challenging role of Miguel’s “actual girlfriend” in the movie) and my cybernetic eye.

Greater LA WalkMS 2009

MSwalk09-feetI just got back from a nice long weekend vacation to the Sequoia National Park. Absolutely stunning and wonderfully relaxing. Just what we needed.

While walking along trails weaving around mammoth trees thousands of years old, I was sometimes reminded of the last time Nahleen and I did some heavy walking. 

It’s been about a month since the WalkMS event for Greater Los Angeles. We walked the same path as last year, but the Rose Bowl was much hotter. And of course, the current financial End Times made fundraising more challenging. Despite that, our team still managed to raise $10,000. And where people couldn’t donate, they were inspired to support us in other ways, either by walking with us, walking at local events in their neighborhood, talking about MS to others, or sending encouraging thoughts our way. Everything made a difference.

Like last year, the money we raise will go directly to fighting multiple sclerosis and providing resources to making daily life easier for those with MS.

Once again our friend Rose Kwasnicki and her camera was there with us. Here’s some choice moments.

(Oh and yes, those are Nahleen’s feet at the top picture.)

 

MSwalk09-teamHere is us with the rest of TeamMS. Lots of people came back from last year and we also had some new faces! Great team and great group of people! Kelly Garver (center with the black shirt) was a great captain. Zena Leigh returned with her husband Conor Logan of The Logan. 

Of course, we weren’t the only people there. 

MSwalk09-crowdHey, down in front! There’s always that guy.

MSwalk09-vipBecause of our mighty fundraising efforts from last year, Nahleen and I were given special VIP passes. This gave us access to a special tent with refreshments, food and, most valuable of all, shade. 

It also made us frighteningly cheery.

MSwalk09-coreynahleenvip… although everyone around us was pretty much ambivalent.

Once we composed ourselves, we were back to the task at hand. Walking!

MSwalk09-nahleenteamwalkWe sure look happy and energetic. Nothing can stop us!

MSwalk09-teambreakOK… so maybe we took a little break. But it wasn’t our fault. It would never have happened if it wasn’t for all that walking. And the hot hotness. And not the sexy kind of hot hotness, but the temperature kind where you get unsexy hot. For further proof, there’s this:

MSwalk09-coreyhot

But we got back on our feet and made it to the finish line!

MSwalk09-nahleenfinishHere’s Nahleen at the finish line getting her Medallion of Walkery! 

Exhausting yet inspiring. Thank you to everyone who participated in some way. And congratulations to those who walked. Each foot step is bringing us closer to putting multiple sclerosis in its place, and giving hope and strength to those who live with it still.

Tumbling After

Saw a screening of Tumbling After Saturday afternoon. It’s a feature film produced by Yuri Lowenthal (who also wrote the screenplay) and Tara Platt’s Monkey Kingdom Productions. It was delightfully creepy, weird and unpredictable with Mark Swenson and Kim Rowe as Jack and Jill, respectively. Here’s the trailer:

They’re working on a DVD release, so hopefully you’ll be able to see this yourself soon.

Why Chornobyl?

On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant had a little oopsie.

Four hundred times the radioactivity that was dropped on Hiroshima exploded less than 2 miles south of Pripyat, a city of 50,000 people. So, imagine Biloxi, Mississippi. Or Ames, Iowa. Or Sheboygan, Wisconsin*. 36 hours later, the city was evacuated. So was Chernobyl, located 9 miles south. So was every village and town within a 19-mile radius.

Ten years following the disaster, author Svetlana Aleksievich conducted a series of interviews with survivors and published it as Voices From Chernobyl.

Nearly ten years after that, director Cindy Marie Jenkins began adapting the book for the stage. Last year, I served as associate producer for a demo of her adaptation Voices From Chornobyl, which has been used to promote a series of anniversary readings this month to commemorate the anniversary of the Chernobyl Disaster.

Earlier this year, Cindy and several of her amazing actors (Aaron Lyons,  Enci, Kappa Victoria Wood, and Shawn MacAulay) were interviewed to explain “Why Chornobyl”. I had nothing to do with this project (although I suppose I was at an early meeting where we discussed having something like this made, so sure, I’ll take credit for it, thanks!), but I think it’s a great companion to what I worked on and is an excellent reminder of why something that happened over 20 years ago is still worthy of our attention. Lysandra Petersson created the following:

During the month of April, the rights to perform the play Voices From Chornobyl are free to anyone who donates at least 75% of their proceeds to a Chornobyl Charity. See the VFC site for more details.

* Yes, I snuck in Sheboygan, one of my favorite goofy words, into something that’s supposed to be serious. I am a disrespectful and heartless punk.

Earth Hour ’09 in LA – not what it was cracked up to be

We shot this a couple of days ago during Earth Hour 2009, which was Saturday night, March 29, at 8:30 PM local time.

Once you hit play, click the HQ for the high quality version.

I want you to Dig Comics

“When most people think of comic books, they think of a bunch of lowbrow entertainment for duller minds. Fact is, this art form is the most exciting and vibrant medium happening now. And don’t think just superheroes. Any genre you may fancy – comedy, horror, drama, documentary, the surreal, spiritual, historical, political – anything you want is out there being created by a community of incredibly talented and underappreciated writers and artists. Check out what you’ve been missing!” – DigComics.com

Dig Comics is a documentary about one man’s quest to get America to Dig Comics! (Heck, even if you’re outside of America, he wants you to Dig Comics!) We talked to people on the street to see why they didn’t read comics and to see if we could get them interested. We talked to comic book creators like Jeph Loeb (A Superman For All Seasons, “Heroes,” “Lost”), Dame Darcy (Meatcake) and Scott Shaw! (Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew, “Flintstones”) and retailers to find out what went wrong with an American art form that was all the rage in the 1940s and then nearly vanished, to see if there’s a chance for it to thrive again today. 

Above is the trailer for the documentary. I served as associate producer. It includes fun animation by Scott Shaw! and Russell Calabrese. We’re looking to spread the word about this documentary and about comics in general. We want to see if we can get you to Dig Comics!

A Certain Kind of Beauty doc raises MS awareness

The kind folks at Film Truth Productions released a powerfully honest documentary last year called A Certain Kind of Beauty. It follows the struggle of Martha’s Vineyard resident Dan Aronie as he fights with multiple sclerosis over a six-year period.

The entire documentary is now viewable online for free thanks to a partnership with SnagFilms. I’m supposed to be able to embed a player here but WordPress is notoriously resistant to embed codes. So, you can go right here to see it.

As a reminder, my wife Nahleen (who has MS) and I are participating in the Los Angeles Walk MS.

Quick links:

WalkMS 2009 approaches – and you can help defeat MS!

Quick links:

You might remember that last year, Nahleen and I participated in the WalkMS event for Greater Los Angeles. Our team raised over $17,000 in the fight to wipe out multiple sclerosis forever. The entire event raised over $1 million. The money we raised went far in finding a cure and creating programs that help people with MS live their lives day to day. For that, I thank you deeply.

In case you missed it, I put together a video of our day at last year’s WalkMS.

But all of that good news doesn’t mean the fight is over.

Every hour of every day, someone is still diagnosed with MS. And every hour of every day, those with MS still struggle with a myriad of symptoms, from fatigue and cognitive problems, to muscle weakness and speech problems, to paralysis. That’s why I registered for the MS Walk and that’s why I’m asking you to support my fund raising efforts with a tax-deductible donation. 

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of MS but they can’t do it without our help. It’s faster and easier than ever to support this cause that’s so important to me. Simply click on the link at the bottom of this message. If you prefer, you can send your contribution to the address listed below. 

Any amount, great or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of people with MS. I appreciate your support and look forward to letting you know how I do.

Thank you!

P.S. If you would like more information about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, how proceeds from the MS Walk are used, or the other ways you can get involved in the fight against MS, please visit nationalmssociety.org.

Click here to visit my personal page.

Click here to view the team page for TeamMS-GLA.

New Year – New Underwear

Old Man 2008 has withered away, giving way to Bouncing Baby 2009.

Change is in the air. Hope is waiting in the wings.

But fear still lurks in the shadowy future. Fear of evil-doers is passé. Now we’re back to the old chestnut of financial fears both real and imagined.

Never has so much hung in the balance. (With the possible exception of the last time that it did.)

So, what to do?

I can only do so much on my own, so probably more of the same. Just better than the last (on the good days).

So that’s my New Years Resolution*: more of the 3 L’s – Listen, Learn, Laugh.

Not always in that order.

Thank you for being there! Happy New Year!

(* I reserve the right to break my resolutions at any time, guilt-free.)

(I also reserve the right to not explain the title of this post.)