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Title: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on April 23, 2007, 01:29:59 PM It's no secret that there are a number of Warren Ellis fans here, nor is it unusual for me to post about Ellis' latest projects here (and there certainly hasn't been any shortage of his work these days). While I could have just lumped this into the Nextwave topic, something about this project just seemed to call for a topic of its own. Maybe it's the way he's referring to it as "The New Transmetropolitan" (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=109981) in that it's "another big political-sf graphic novel" (there's a fairly decent Newsarama interview regarding the book if you follow that link).
Maybe it's his general description of the book's concept: Quote You are never going into space. You will never own a jet pack. Your car will never fly. HIV will not be cured in your lifetime. Cancer will not be cured in your lifetime. The common cold will not be cured in your lifetime. Don't these things bother you? Suicide is the third biggest killer of teenagers in the United States. In 1999 more people in America died from suicide than from homicide. Do you think about this? As anyone who ever read MyDeathSpace.com for any period of time know, the leading cause of death in America is automobile accident. This is generally interpolated into a number placed under the heading "accidental death." When the operation of cars is the leading cause of loss of life I'm not entirely sure how it comes under the term "accidental death." It wasn't a fucking accident, it was done by someone with a car. It's 2007 and we don't know how to operate cars without killing people. It's not a fucking accident if it was caused by someone getting into a one-ton metal bullet that cannot be operated with complete control at all times. In Europe in 2004, 13000 kids – persons under the age of fourteen -- died due to poor water. It’s 2007 and the society does not yet understand how to operate water. Are you thinking about this now? People keep asking me what DOKTOR SLEEPLESS is about. This is what it's about. Someone stole your future. Don't you ever wonder who? And maybe it helps that Avatar Press seems to have gotten a good unknown artist on the book named Ivan Rodriguez. (http://www.newsarama.com/Avatar/Sleepless/DocSleepless1.jpg) Whatever the reasons, I'll be picking this book up come July. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Johny Cee on April 23, 2007, 02:14:42 PM Yah, more heavy-handed allegory shoved down our throats by someone with a barely cogent grasp of history, economics, politics, etc! Preferably set in a future custom designed to prove our author's views as correct!
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on April 23, 2007, 02:18:38 PM Motherfuck me. That's awesome.
I love this sort of shit. Allegory from Ellis is just fine, even if I disagree. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on April 23, 2007, 02:50:29 PM I'm going to be buying two copies of each issue. it seems appropriate to bag them for my eventual kid.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on April 23, 2007, 03:03:29 PM I'm going to be buying two copies of each issue. it seems appropriate to bag them for my eventual kid. You're in luck: Quote NRAMA: The publisher, Avatar Press, is always one for variant covers and. One of those will be an "antique" cover by Crecy artist Raul Caseres. Can you describe what we can expect with those? WE: Well, I've had countless arguments with Avatar over the years about this, and it boils down to: people buy variants. A lot. And if people stopped buying them, Avatar would stop doing them, but right now they contribute significantly to Avatar's bottom line. So, since there were going to be variants, I took charge of them. Three themes, then: the standard cover, the Antique cover, and the Fake Warning Sign cover. Doktor Sleepless harks back to the paleo-future where Scientists were Mad, and I wanted a cover skein that reflected that. So Raul was tasked with producing covers that looked like woodcuts, in the mode of Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein illustrations, that recalled the late 19th century through to the days of Tesla and James Whale movies -- the days of The New Alchemy, when electricians were wizards and heroes. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on April 23, 2007, 03:23:03 PM I saw that. Now I have to order 4 copies. One of each cover and one to read. This will be exciting. I haven't collected a comic book since the original run of XMen Unlimited.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on April 23, 2007, 04:23:15 PM Ellis suggests filling out one of these for your local comic shop owner:
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/465289887_2f4ad28d40_o.gif) Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Johny Cee on April 23, 2007, 04:49:03 PM Motherfuck me. That's awesome. I love this sort of shit. Allegory from Ellis is just fine, even if I disagree. My first harsh reply aside..... If the story is good enough, I'll tend to look past the allegory. In Ellis' case, I was amused by his Authority books, and Transmetropolitan was entertaining enough though I never finished the series. The Authority books entertained me as much from the irony. The liberal democracies are bumbling and corrupt, but the heros leverage their power to dictate demands on the world as to what is right. In a book where (both modern and classical definition) liberal values are mentioned, you have the heros moving into being an enlightened autocracy. Delicious. You can make a book or comic dealing with serious issues without turning it into a rhetorical farce. Gaiman? The Top Ten books? Cook and religion? As to the blurb.... It looks as if it was written by someone with no or limited understanding of statistics, and who's attempting to play the game of word/idea definition games that I grew tired off after my first late night college b.s. session. It's a bunch of strawmen flung together to make it's author look deep. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on April 23, 2007, 04:53:34 PM The ending of Transmet was probably the most amazing thing ever.
Of course, I finished it a mere days before HST died. So uh, yea. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: HaemishM on April 23, 2007, 05:23:47 PM The ending of Transmet was probably the most amazing thing ever. QFT. If you didn't read the end, you really should have. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on April 23, 2007, 05:28:09 PM Ellis suggests filling out one of these for your local comic shop owner: (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/465289887_2f4ad28d40_o.gif) I did. 2 Regular, 1 Antique, and 1 Warning Sign will be mine each month. It's especially nice since Atomic Comics didn't know about it and I was the first preorder at any store so I get first dibs every month. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on April 28, 2007, 05:47:12 PM The new previews has the codes to preorder Dr. Sleepless. One of the versions is $5.99 and comes with a signed poster. Also, the No Warning Cover is 1 in 15.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on April 29, 2007, 12:39:19 AM That's one of the reasons why I don't tend to bother with variant covers. If DCBS offers the 5.99 version though, I'll likely pick it up (their July pre-orders I think will be up in within a week).
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Margalis on April 30, 2007, 01:50:11 AM From what I've heard The Authority is generally considered to be better after Ellis left.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on May 01, 2007, 12:20:44 AM From what I've heard The Authority is generally considered to be better after Ellis left. I've never been much of a fan of The Authority under any of it's writers. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 02, 2007, 03:48:29 PM Advanced orders for the month of August are up now at most retailers. DCBService lists a Doktor Sleepless "Science Bastard" T-Shirt (not pictured), a Shot Glass (says limited to 500 units and only listed as a $2.70 item, not sure if that's accuarate but ordered one just in case), and the first issue of Ellis' other Avatar press series Black Summer (7 issue mini, and there's also supposed to be a #0 issue which I might have missed ordering).
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on June 02, 2007, 03:53:28 PM Hm. Are they in the new Previews? How do I order these things? I suck at comic books.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 02, 2007, 03:54:50 PM Hm. Are they in the new Previews? How do I order these things? I suck at comic books. Should be in the new Previews, yeah. If you don't want to order from DCBS, I'd try calling up the shop that you ordered the comics from and see if they can put in an order for you. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on June 02, 2007, 03:55:48 PM What is DCBS? Heh.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 02, 2007, 04:06:04 PM DCBservice.com is the online comic shop I tend to order from due to being to lazy to travel to the closest comic shop (I'd have to go to either San Mateo or Mountain View for that). If nothing else, it's handy for browsing the advanced orders before going down to your local comic shop.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on June 04, 2007, 07:49:33 AM Did I mention yet that I got the domain sciencebastard.com?
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 05, 2007, 01:47:58 AM Now I just hope this book is actually good (of course even Ellis' worst stuff is better than 90% of the comics out there). With Marvel and DC already laying down the foundations for their next world shattering crossovers (the buildup for Marvel's 2008 crossover is rumored to start in an upcoming issue of New Avengers, and I've heard mentions of DC's "Final Crisis" in 2008 which Countdown is supposed to be leading up to) there's been a pretty big drought of good stuff out lately.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: HaemishM on June 05, 2007, 08:09:00 AM There's been good stuff, just on the periphery. About the only really good Marvel stuff has been the X-Factor and X-Men books. The DC flagship team books, Justice League and Justice Society have been outstanding. Countdown has really been flat, though, and the Avengers books have been routinely awful.
Ellis' work has been a highlight. His NewUniversal kicks ass. I lok forward to Doktor Sleepless. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 05, 2007, 01:21:42 PM There's been good stuff, just on the periphery. About the only really good Marvel stuff has been the X-Factor and X-Men books. The DC flagship team books, Justice League and Justice Society have been outstanding. Countdown has really been flat, though, and the Avengers books have been routinely awful. Ellis' work has been a highlight. His NewUniversal kicks ass. I lok forward to Doktor Sleepless. X-Factor has been good, Astonishing has suffered from delays so Marvel could put the artist on another project for a while, and Uncanny's recent story went on for about 6 months too long. I love Justice Society, but while JLA is well written, I think the pace has been a little slow. I haven't even read the last couple issues of Countdown. But there's not a lot out there that's really new. Certainly nothing worth talking about anyway. I could talk about X-Factor or JSA every month, but chances are that if someone isn't interested enough to have checked it out by now, they probably never will be. There's just not a lot of new and interesting things going on in comics right now. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: HaemishM on June 06, 2007, 09:23:59 AM The Uncanny Fall of the Shi'ar storyline did go on a bit long, especially to have ended how it did. Is Brubaker continuing to write it after this story? If not, I don't have a lot of hope for the X-Men titles. They are so damn disjointed as a team, with members coming and going every issue or two. I thought the whole "No more mutants" thing was supposed to cut down on the confusion.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 06, 2007, 11:02:51 AM The Uncanny Fall of the Shi'ar storyline did go on a bit long, especially to have ended how it did. Is Brubaker continuing to write it after this story? If not, I don't have a lot of hope for the X-Men titles. They are so damn disjointed as a team, with members coming and going every issue or two. I thought the whole "No more mutants" thing was supposed to cut down on the confusion. I'm pretty sure Brubaker is continuing to write Uncanny. We'll see if the Endangered Species storyline set to run through a lot of the books adds any sort of direction to the line. As for the "No more mutants" thing, we've already seen Iceman, Polaris, Quicksilver, and Xavier get back powers :roll: Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on June 15, 2007, 02:35:48 PM Should we make a seperate thread to talk about Black Summer (which might be awesome, #0 was... not what I expected).
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 15, 2007, 02:48:11 PM Should we make a seperate thread to talk about Black Summer (which might be awesome, #0 was... not what I expected). Either way. I'm not opposed to talking about it in this topic given the month long gaps between issues of most comics. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Llava on June 16, 2007, 01:09:21 AM Those of us in the Phoenix area:
Ellis will be doing a signing at an Atomic Comics here on July 30th. He's promoting the indy books, so you have to have a copy of either Black Summer or Doktor Sleepless to get in, and he will sign one additional thing because they expect it to be crazy. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 16, 2007, 01:26:55 AM Those of us in the Phoenix area: Ellis will be doing a signing at an Atomic Comics here on July 30th. He's promoting the indy books, so you have to have a copy of either Black Summer or Doktor Sleepless to get in, and he will sign one additional thing because they expect it to be crazy. That also happens to be the day after Comic-con ends (which Ellis will also be attending). Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on June 16, 2007, 02:08:55 AM Those of us in the Phoenix area: Ellis will be doing a signing at an Atomic Comics here on July 30th. He's promoting the indy books, so you have to have a copy of either Black Summer or Doktor Sleepless to get in, and he will sign one additional thing because they expect it to be crazy. Yep. I shall be going. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 19, 2007, 10:56:18 PM Finally found some pictures:
(http://images.tfaw.com/covers_tfaw/400/ju/jun073279h.jpg) (http://www.bobscomics.com/CoversAug07/DOKT1glass.jpg) Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on June 20, 2007, 10:48:40 AM Yea, I've got 3 shotglasses and a shirt on order. They were in the latest previews.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Llava on June 22, 2007, 12:08:34 AM Black Summer's first issue was quite good. I recommend checking it out.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 22, 2007, 02:08:45 AM Black Summer's first issue was quite good. I recommend checking it out. I assume you're talking about the #0 issue (as #1 comes out in August I believe). It's got my interest so far, but at only 8 pages of story in this issue, I don't have much to say about it yet. I'm guessing they'll have to recap a lot of this in issue #1 for people who missed this preview. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Llava on June 22, 2007, 08:04:24 AM Black Summer's first issue was quite good. I recommend checking it out. I assume you're talking about the #0 issue (as #1 comes out in August I believe). Yeah. I decided to say first because "zeroeth" is a weird word. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on June 23, 2007, 01:15:16 AM Black Summer's first issue was quite good. I recommend checking it out. I assume you're talking about the #0 issue (as #1 comes out in August I believe). Yeah. I decided to say first because "zeroeth" is a weird word. The #0 issue is just one of those awkward concepts that miraculously survived the 90's. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 06, 2007, 02:39:54 PM Comic shops should be taking advance orders for September now. In others words, Issue #3 is now available for order, as is another T-Shirt.
(http://www.dcbservice.com/images/large/JUL073324.jpg) Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 18, 2007, 10:00:06 AM First chapter of Ellis' new novel Crooked Little Vein is available to read here. (http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/books/a-plus/Chapter_One_Crooked_Little_Vein._V31846486_.pdf)
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 23, 2007, 03:18:48 PM (http://images.comicbookresources.com/litg/2007/0723/FApreview01.jpg)
According to LITG, this will be announced at Ellis' comic-con panel on Saturday night. (http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=13) Also, Doktor Sleepless #1 and Black Summer #1 should be in stores on Wednesday. Ellis' novel Crooked Little Vein is due for release tomorrow I believe. Edit: Ellis' 48 page graphic novel Crecy is also being relesed on Wednesday: Quote An original graphic novel from Warren Ellis and his Apparat line of books! A highly trained but under equipped army invades another country due to that country's perceived threat to home security. The army conducts shock-and-awe raids designed to terrify the populace. This army is soon driven to ground, and vastly outnumbered. The English army has to stand and fight, in Crecy, France. On 26 August 1346, modern warfare changed forever. This is the story of England's greatest battle. Featuring the stunningly detailed art of Raulo Caceres. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 24, 2007, 07:00:02 AM I want Freak Angels pretty fiercely. Simply based on the logo.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 28, 2007, 02:14:17 AM Read Doktor Sleepless as well as Black Summer #1. Haven't discussed Doktor Sleepless here in particular because it's just one of those books where you're going to have a lot of questions about what's going on for at least the first few issues. I imagine that I won't have much to say on the series until 3 or 4 issues in. I'm liking it, but the plot and the characters haven't entirely taken shape yet. At least not to an extent where I can carry on any sort of discussion of it.
In fact, the biggest reason I'm posting this in this thread is because it seemed like the best thread to post the announcement that Ellis will be taking over on Astonishing X-men after Whedon leaves (http://www.newsarama.com/Comic-Con_07/Marvel/AXMEllis.html). Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 28, 2007, 04:07:15 AM Still don't want to read x-men. Regular superheroes are just goddamn boring.
I liked the end of Doktor Sleepless. Also, my copy of his new book came in. Gonna start that tonight. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: HaemishM on July 28, 2007, 01:30:31 PM Ellis on Astonishing? Could be good, but if they don't get the book out more regularly, it's still going to suffer from the same problem. Great stories that take too long to get anywhere and feel completely out of place from the rest of the universe.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 28, 2007, 07:34:07 PM Ellis is working on like 5 books right now.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 29, 2007, 02:05:13 AM Ellis is working on like 5 books right now. That's an understatement actually. Doktor Sleepless Fell (infrequently released) Thunderbolts Black Summer (limited) Newuniversal Freak Angels (presumably) Astonishing X-men Desolation Jones (also infrequent) Sometimes (like with Planetary) Ellis just doesn't seem to worry much about keeping a monthly schedule. Fell and Desolation Jones both seem to be like that. They just come out whenever they come out. I think Doktor Sleepless is supposed to be monthly but will also have gaps between some of the story arcs. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 29, 2007, 04:32:30 AM Assuming Crooked Little Vein doesn't end badly, this will be one of the best books I've read in the last few years. It's really edited down to pure Columbian coke. It's incredible. It's everything writers wish they could write with all the fat taken out they wish they could take out.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 29, 2007, 06:08:56 AM Finished the book. There were three GLARING typos.
Other than that, fantastic in every way. Edit: I'd also like to point out something I noticed. It's very stream of thought. It's meant to be read in one sitting, there's no doubt. Ellis probably could have written it in one sitting if he wasn't the kind of guy I'd expect to take epic shits and eat a lot of bad food and drink a lot of bad drinks (he is, afterall, British). There's a good deal of fashionista-type descriptions in the books, and I assume they are there for one of two reasons - he is friends with Xeni Jardin, who I find to be reprehensible and one of the more annoying famous people to arise out of the blogosphere, fully armored - or, because he's just into that shit. I'd like to think it's the first reason, but it's mostly the second reason. That whole group's culture I suppose. It's an astoundingly good book though and easily recommended to people as it makes for solid summer reading. It would have made a better comic. Well. A better comic than Fell at least. I will probably be getting this book signed instead of Doktor Sleepless #1, since I wasn't able to acquire a copy of the No Warning cover and his signing is on Monday. I'll also be getting a copy of Black Summer signed. I'll probably have at least one friend with me to have some other shit signed, maybe. Autographs simply don't have the appeal they used to have with me, but Ellis turned me back onto comics, so I suppose it's something that must be done. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 30, 2007, 08:26:48 PM Well.
Man. I met Warren Ellis tonight. He's kinda a dick. A lot of the magic of his books goes away if you try talking to the guy. I mean, I can understand hating book signings, but it's part of the motherfucking job. Man, I'm just angry. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 30, 2007, 08:32:42 PM Well. Man. I met Warren Ellis tonight. He's kinda a dick. A lot of the magic of his books goes away if you try talking to the guy. I mean, I can understand hating book signings, but it's part of the motherfucking job. Man, I'm just angry. Well he did have to drive all the way out to Arizona right after Comic-Con. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: HaemishM on July 30, 2007, 09:13:35 PM Well. Man. I met Warren Ellis tonight. He's kinda a dick. You've read his writing. What did you expect? I'd be amazed if he was anything less than a complete douchebag, no matter what the situation. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 31, 2007, 07:16:08 AM Had he been a complete douchebag and been funny, I'd have fully expected it. He was nothing but a douchebag. At an event that was, I *think* supposed to make people like him more.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Llava on July 31, 2007, 09:13:37 AM What?
He was the nicest guy in the world to me. Showed up for the signing half an hour early, immediately went down the line saying "Hello children!" and shaking hands, apologized for the storm, seemed like he couldn't be happier to be there. In fact, when I was talking to the artist for Doktor Sleepless (and he was sketching a face on the cover of my comic) Warren was saying "Ignore him, come over here and talk to me." Something must've happened between when I was there and when you got there that put him in a bad mood or something. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 31, 2007, 09:40:56 AM I showed up halfway through the signing. He was a grumpy sack of ass.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Samwise on July 31, 2007, 11:03:02 AM After half a day (or however long) of talking to the unwashed masses with no breaks, and in a dry climate to boot (nothing like dry air to make prolonged periods of talking the most painful thing on earth), I'd be a grumpy sack of ass too. Just speculating here, but I've done things along those lines (sitting at a table while an endless stream of people file past and ask me silly questions), and I always feel like choking a motherfucker by the end of it.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 31, 2007, 12:07:26 PM Maybe you don't get it.
He was paid to be nice. Motherfucker needs to do his job. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: HaemishM on July 31, 2007, 01:32:49 PM No, he's paid to write. Writers have no more obligation to be nice, even at signings, than anyone else at their job. It's not like he's a CSR, who is supposed to coddle the unwashed masses. He's a guy who scribbles words on paper. Showing up at book signings is a consequence of marketing, not an opportunity to be nice.
Be thankful. Hemingway probably would have shot you in the leg. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 31, 2007, 01:35:49 PM See. You've nailed it without even getting it.
Hemingway would have shot me, yes, I'm ok with that. I would have been ok with Ellis being a big nasty loudmath bastard. If he'd called me a prick and spit in my book, I'd have been happy. Instead he was just a quiet jerk. Quote Showing up at book signings is a consequence of marketing, not an opportunity to be nice. You're wrong, it is part of the job. Don't be a tard. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: HaemishM on July 31, 2007, 01:42:11 PM It's a part of the job you have to do as a writer, it's not a part you have to enjoy or be nice at. I went to one book signing, for Anne Rice in my stupider days (before I finished Queen of the Damned). She was pretty uninspiring, completely unengaged with what I was doing. And I realized, she'd just worked her way through the long ass line of people in front of me, none of whom she knew, all hoping to have some sort of connection with her. And in the end, most of us were there to get her to sign a book so the value of the book would go up through some magic energy transfer contained in her signature.
I've never gotten an autograph since. I'm not against autographs, per se, but it's just silly. There's likely 1, maybe 2 people at any signing you'll ever have enough of a connection with to remember 10 years later when you're on the shitter. Everyone else is just faces of people who like the sort of thing you write. And when you write the way Ellis does, with the subject matter he writes about, expecting him to be nice is a stretch. Or to be a raging douchebag, because in the end, if you aren't a reporter doing a story, a hot chick with bodacious jublees, or the Comic Book Guy giving him shit about how he killed off Spider Jerusalem, he really isn't ever going to remember you even to raise his blood pressure. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 31, 2007, 02:04:37 PM The guy is a human being. Just take a look at his website. In the last week and a half or so the guy has been stuck in traffic for 10 hours to get to an event that got canceled, flew out to the US to spend 5 days at Comic-Con (which involved multiple signings, press events, and a 2 hour Q&A among other things), had to ride all the way out to Arizona for a signing, and now is heading back to LAX. You just happened to catch the guy halfway through the last event of a couple weeks of conventions and signings.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 31, 2007, 04:20:18 PM I don't care if he got raped by 6 gorillas and a flight attendant named Dykepants Woolbreath.
Me thinking he's a dick is what happens if he gives up halfway through the event. He seems to do this shit like ONCE A YEAR. In other words, no excuse. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 31, 2007, 04:41:13 PM So specifics on how he came across as a dick would be helpful. Otherwise you're just coming across like you're upset because he was too tired to keep everyone entertained while he was signing their shit.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 31, 2007, 04:44:26 PM I put my three things down on the table. Handed him Crooked Little Vein and said, "I finished it just the other night." to which he immediately responded "I don't like bags" - I hadn't gotten to the comics, so I hadn't taken them out of the bags. So then, I was like "Oh, ok, cool." Took them out of the bags. And then I was like "So, it was pretty damn good" to which he said "Ok."
That's the entirety of the conversation we had short of him asking my name when he signed Crooked Little Vein, which was after all of that. He didn't even look up the whole time. His tone was that of someone who just didn't want to be there and wanted you to know that, rather than someone who was doing their ONE non-comicon book signing. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Teleku on July 31, 2007, 06:30:56 PM Maybe it was just your wonderfull personality that makes everybody on the internet love you so much.
:-) Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 31, 2007, 06:31:49 PM Maybe it was just your wonderfull personality that makes everybody on the internet love you so much. :-) I'm nice to people I have an interest in being around. Also, I wasn't being paid to be there. I didn't have to buy nice. In fact, arguably, I bought the books, I PAID to be there. Next time that fucker is just getting a CD full of scans and he can sign the top of the CD. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Llava on July 31, 2007, 07:47:42 PM Hm, I know they checked my comics to see if they were bagged before I got up there. Maybe he's racist towards bags?
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: UnSub on July 31, 2007, 10:03:46 PM From what I've heard The Authority is generally considered to be better after Ellis left. You can't believe everything you read on Millar's site. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: UnSub on July 31, 2007, 10:04:49 PM I showed up halfway through the signing. He was a grumpy sack of ass. You showed up late. He noticed. He got passive aggressive on your ass for being tardy. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on July 31, 2007, 10:13:08 PM News from the Q&A session at Comic-Con (http://www.comicsalliance.com/2007/07/29/warren-ellis-addresses-his-children-at-comic-con/):
Quote "I'm doing a long-form comic for the Web starting this Autumn." It's called FreakAngels and Avatar will be releasing it totally free online. Ellis said, "I've written two hundred pages and I still have no idea what it's about ... it's retro-punk, it's near-future steampunk" and involves characters who are "living in a post-flood London that they might possibly have had something to do with." Paul Duffield is the artist for the title, and there will be five new pages posted each week, totally free to readers. Why not hit freakangels.com now and sign up for a subscription? The second exclusive Comic-Con announcement from Avatar was that his Ignition City will be the publisher's second ongoing monthly series penned by the author. No further details were available, save for the fact that it will "probably" launch early next year. If you're wondering what the first ongoing series Ellis is writing for Avatar, get thee to a comics shop, for Doktor Sleepless #1 was released this very week. In response to a question regarding Marvel's Comic-Con announcement that Ellis will be taking over the reins on Astonishing X-Men after Joss Whedon wraps up his run, Ellis said, "they've announced this very early. My first issue isn't out until this time next year. I'm still waiting on notes from the office before I can start writing." It wasn't all comics talk though, as Ellis also provided some exclusive information on Dead Channel, the tv series he's been developing of an unnamed American network. The basis premise of the show involves a tv network executive who's got SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) software installed on his home computer. One night, it turns out he's the guy who receives communication from aliens. He receives a transmission of an .avi file that amounts to alien tv programming. Instead of calling a government agency or the folks at SETI, he calls the network lawyers who, by morning, have found a loophole in the SETI user agreement and the executive decides to air it as a reality tv show. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a winner to me ... but then, anything that (presumably) skewers reality tv programming and is written by Warren Ellis is OK in my book. We'll need patience and luck to see the show, however, since Ellis is currently writing the bible (an detailed outline of the plot for the first six episodes) for the show. If the network likes that, he says, "we live in hope" that they'll shoot the (already written) pilot next year. A couple of quick notes on existing projects: Ellis mentioned that the script for Planetary #27 was finished and sent on to artist John Cassaday two months ago. Ellis says "I think he's broken ground on it." In response to a question about my personal favorite of his current titles, Ellis said that "when Desolation Jones returns, it will be monthly." Regarding Jack Cross, Ellis had this to say, beginning by musing, "how can I say this politely?" and going on to state that "I'm not doing any more issues of Jack Cross with DC." When the curious fan asked why that was, Ellis dispensed with politeness, answering, "cause they fucked it up, that's why." Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Samwise on July 31, 2007, 10:59:07 PM In fact, arguably, I bought the books, I PAID to be there. I'd say you pretty much deserve what you got if that was your attitude. "I bought your goddamned book! Now make me laugh, monkeyboy!" Yeah. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on July 31, 2007, 11:05:55 PM In fact, arguably, I bought the books, I PAID to be there. I'd say you pretty much deserve what you got if that was your attitude. "I bought your goddamned book! Now make me laugh, monkeyboy!" Yeah. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Samwise on July 31, 2007, 11:28:53 PM I can't speak from personal experience, since not all that many people admire me, but my understanding is that this is in fact fairly common. His failure to perform to your expectations doesn't automatically make him an asshole. Just saying.
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/bill_nye.png) Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on August 10, 2007, 10:27:39 PM Just read Crecy. It's maybe not the best told story around, as it's pretty much just one character takling throughout the whole book but... damn, some of the stuff in this book is funnier than shit which is odd given that this book is about one of the major turning points in how war is waged.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on September 07, 2007, 11:40:43 PM 2nd issue is out. Enjoyed it. Won't say more until I know that schild has read it.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on September 08, 2007, 06:19:36 AM Picking it up today :)
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on September 08, 2007, 12:04:27 PM I need to not buy regular comics. I need to wait for TPB versions. Collections and such. That shit was too short and too unfulfilling.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on September 08, 2007, 12:52:56 PM I need to not buy regular comics. I need to wait for TPB versions. Collections and such. That shit was too short and too unfulfilling. It helps if you buy multiple comics. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on September 08, 2007, 12:57:16 PM I need to not buy regular comics. I need to wait for TPB versions. Collections and such. That shit was too short and too unfulfilling. It helps if you buy multiple comics. I see this as a waste of money. I'm just gonna hold out for TPBs from now on. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Phildo on September 08, 2007, 05:06:30 PM Welcome to my world.
In related news, I was in a drawing to win my weight in comics today, but I lost. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on September 08, 2007, 05:07:16 PM Welcome to my world. In related news, I was in a drawing to win my weight in comics today, but I lost. That would have been a lot of shitty comics. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Phildo on September 08, 2007, 05:34:05 PM What makes you think I wouldn't have called you and asked for a list of everything good in the last ten years?
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on September 09, 2007, 01:48:45 AM Welcome to my world. In related news, I was in a drawing to win my weight in comics today, but I lost. Did the winner get to pick the comics or was it a few long boxes of comics from the '90s glut that would serve better use if it was shredded up and used as cheap insulation? Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Phildo on September 09, 2007, 10:37:23 AM I'm pretty sure he got to pick. The place is actually pretty cool, keeps getting voted best in Orlando.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: WindupAtheist on September 10, 2007, 12:30:06 AM Quote You are never going into space. You will never own a jet pack. Your car will never fly. HIV will not be cured in your lifetime. Cancer will not be cured in your lifetime. The common cold will not be cured in your lifetime. Don't these things bother you? No. Fuck off. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on September 10, 2007, 01:43:36 AM Quote You are never going into space. You will never own a jet pack. Your car will never fly. HIV will not be cured in your lifetime. Cancer will not be cured in your lifetime. The common cold will not be cured in your lifetime. Don't these things bother you? No. Fuck off. You will never own a lightsaber. You will never have a pair of gay droids. UO will never be popular again. There will never be another good Star Wars movie in your lifetime. Wound-up Nutsacks will never be cured in your lifetime. You will never be taken seriously outside of the movie thread due to your UO and Star Wars love in your lifetime. Don't these things bother you? Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Teleku on September 10, 2007, 09:13:36 AM So, how is this comic so far? Awesome, a let down, ok with potential to get really good.....? I like Ellis overall, but that line WUA quoted actually made me pretty hesitant to bother reading it as well. I hate it when he goes off on his whinny "the world sucks" tangents. If its a whole comic devoted to that...
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Llava on September 10, 2007, 09:42:33 AM So far it's taken more of an "appreciate what you have" angle.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: WindupAtheist on September 11, 2007, 06:29:47 PM You will never own a lightsaber. You will never have a pair of gay droids. UO will never be popular again. There will never be another good Star Wars movie in your lifetime. Wound-up Nutsacks will never be cured in your lifetime. You will never be taken seriously outside of the movie thread due to your UO and Star Wars love in your lifetime. Don't these things bother you? No. Fuck off. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on October 25, 2007, 04:40:04 PM So, how is this comic so far? Awesome, a let down, ok with potential to get really good.....? I like Ellis overall, but that line WUA quoted actually made me pretty hesitant to bother reading it as well. I hate it when he goes off on his whinny "the world sucks" tangents. If its a whole comic devoted to that... Hard to tell how the comic is so far. I mean I enjoy it. Issue #3 just came out yesterday and I think it was the best issue so far (by a good margin in fact, which says a lot), but it's hard to tell if anything that is being revealed is real or just a red herring. That's part of the fun of it I suppose, but the problem with dragging any sort of mystery out for too long is that there's a high potential for disappointment once things do start getting revealed. 3 issues in and we're left with some fairly big questions about who the main character actually is, which can make it harder for readers to have any sort of emontional investment in what happens to him. Until a few more issues come out an this book starts getting collected in TPB's, I'd suggest to anyone picking this up, that how much they enjoy it is going to be largely based on their faith in Warren Ellis to give a successful payoff to what he's building up. After a bit of a slow burn though, the last few pages of this issue suggest that things will be picking up a bit (and damned if Ivan Rodriguez's art here doesn't remind me of the Tales of Terror books that Eclipse put out back in the day). Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: UnSub on October 28, 2007, 08:41:55 PM Until a few more issues come out an this book starts getting collected in TPB's, I'd suggest to anyone picking this up, that how much they enjoy it is going to be largely based on their faith in Warren Ellis to give a successful payoff to what he's building up. I have faith in Ellis to tell a good story. I don't have any faith in him delivering that story on time after something new, bright and shiney attracts his attention. As such, I'm waiting for TPB. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on January 03, 2008, 09:36:12 PM Until a few more issues come out an this book starts getting collected in TPB's, I'd suggest to anyone picking this up, that how much they enjoy it is going to be largely based on their faith in Warren Ellis to give a successful payoff to what he's building up. I have faith in Ellis to tell a good story. I don't have any faith in him delivering that story on time after something new, bright and shiney attracts his attention. As such, I'm waiting for TPB. Never a truer word spoken. Doktor Sleepless #4 has yet to ship (issue #3 came out over two months ago), Thunderbolts has been running late, Fell only comes out once in a great while, Desolation Jones is pretty much put on hold, FreakAngels never materialized, etc.., but that isn't stopping Ellis from promoting his new upcoming books like Gravel or Anna Mercury. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Llava on January 04, 2008, 09:48:05 PM So far, Black Summer is far superior to Sleepless. I still haven't gotten into any of the Sleepless characters or really figured out what the arc is going to be. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for every issue of Black Summer, though.
Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: schild on January 05, 2008, 02:18:19 AM I like the characters in Black Summer more.
I like the writing in Sleepless MUCH more. Sigh. I can't win. I really just wanted Freak Angels too. Title: Re: Doktor Sleepless Post by: Velorath on January 09, 2008, 01:41:08 PM Issue #4 of Sleepless did actually manage to come out last week by the by. I don't really have much to say about it at the moment, as it's one of those issues where a lot happens, but we haven't really been given the... context I suppose would be the best way to put it... to really understand the significance of most of it.
I will comment on Thunderbolts #118, which to me was a great fucking book. Sure Ellis flushed just about everything I loved about the Thunderbolts down the toilet when he took over with issue #110. Most of the characters from the previous run had pretty much run their course though, so I didn't mind too much. I mean you can only have so many issues of the same characters with the same self-doubts over whether or not they can make it as super-heroes, and when the book restarted as New Thunderbolts, things never really clicked the way they did in Vol. 1 (I'd love for Nicieza to do a Zemo and Fixer book though). Since Ellis has taken over, he's doing his best to destroy the team. Gone are mainstays like Atlas and Mach IV, and in their place are villains like Venom (the symbiote is currently attached to the guy who used to be the Scorpion), and Bullseye. The Green Goblin leads the team (with the least trustworthy longtime Thunderbolt Moonstone as the field leader). To top it off, the team has also been saddled with one of the crappiest things to come out of Civil War, with Penance (formerly Speedball) on the team. Their mission statement has been to track down unregistered Superheroes and arrest them, but mostly that's just allowed them to get their asses handed to them repeatedly by z-listers and has been pushing the team down the fast track to implosion. I recap all this because Caged Angels, Ellis' second arc on the book, is bringing that implosion on quicker than I'm sure most people were expecting (hastened along in the book by 4 telepaths who allowed themselves to be captured in order do just that). While Dr. Samson explains to Penance how stupid Marvel's transformation of his character has been, Norman Osborne is having a breakdown and reverting to his Goblin persona, Swordsman has bribed a bunch of the guards at the facility and is about to go on the attack, Bullseye is still presumably completely paralyzed after the events of the last arc, and Venom... well, I'll just say that this issue right here is about the first time I ever thought of Venom as an actual scary character (that "I want to eat your brains" shit he used to spew always struck me as more cartoonish). The whole thing is a gloriously intentional trainwreck, with Songbird and Radioactive Man (I have trouble even typing that name due to its use in the Simpsons btw) continuing to be the only characters available to actually root for. At this point Songbird has to be wishing that she joined the Avengers when she had the chance (although with Bendis still writing them, maybe not). Good stuff, although like with most of Ellis' books, it is hurt by delays. |