NEW YORK COMIC CON DAY 3: Back from the edge of the Apoclypse

Jeremy Bastian draws in my copy of his Cursed Pirate Girl hardcover

There are a tone of photos over at the Tumblr page so be sure to jump over there and take a look.

Weirdly there is little to report. Actually there is good news, the expected crowd problems for today were no where to be found. Actually all of the things I had been complaining about during the previous two posts were gone. The crowds largely moved (except by the food court and the women's bathrooms) and were actually even lovelier than before.  These are the people who should be going to the show.

Finally Comic Con was the way it should be.

I spent much of the day wandering around with Randi. She had me pick up Jeremy Bastain's Cursed Pirate Girl hard cover (see above). I have no idea how it is but both she and Bastain insist I'll love it. I love the small drawing he did inside it.

We also spent time Elayne Riggs wife of comic artist Robin Riggs (who was off being wined and dined by his publisher). After a bit I stopped listening and spoke briefly with Peter David who was seated next to Elayne.  I inquired about an After Earth sequel which he was scheduled to write. He said the first film had failed and the sequel was dead.He did direct me to the novels he had written in the universe so I picked them up. )As you may or may not know I had seen David speak in June and he talked about what the film might have been and where he planned to take the sequel. It all sounded great and I was sad to learn there would be no more stories.

After lunch at the Skylight Diner (see the Tumblr account for pictures of Gandalf in the diner) we went back to the Javits Center. Randi's return time at the con was brief (her husband was coming back from a rescue mission involving Bully and band of rogue penguins) and I said good bye before heading up to the press lounge.

In the lounge I ran into Mondocurry who was charging his phone.We talked for a bit before Hubert and Alec came in with their editor at Flixist Matthew Razak. We all talked for a bit before heading off in our separate ways.

Ian Fischer, Maria Cabardo and Patrick Meaney talk movies and art

I headed down to the MAKING MOVIES ABOUT MAKING COMICS panel. Run by Heidi MacDonald The panel was Ian Fischer (director of RUDE DUDE about Steve Rude), Maria Cabardo (director of BETTER THINGS:THE LIFE AND CHOICES OF JEFFERY CATHERINE JONES) and Patrick Meaney (Director of WARREN ELLIS:CAPTURED GHOSTS and several others). I had gone there because I had been in contact with Maria about her film (expect more posts on how to help fund it, how to see it, reviews and perhaps an interview).

Beginning with Patrick, Heidi had each filmmaker talk about their films and showed clips. They began by showing a clip from the just completed film on Image Comics, which showed what happened when Todd MacFarland and his fellow writers quit Marvel to form the company. It was a funny story told by the men who lived it. Next they showed a clip from a short documentary on Chris Claremont and his time on the X-Men (it's being shown this Monday-tomorrow- at the Columbia Library at 7pm in room 523). After that they showed a clip of Patrick's work in progress on Neil Gaiman. The film was done by following Neil around on his book tour. It featured a bit with Neil welcoming us to his underground lair which he was going to use for world domination and promising to show us his octopus tank, world map and room with buttons. It was a charming piece and makes me want to see the film.

Maria was next and she talked about how she wanted to do something else, some thing other than the graphic design with which she earns her living, so she decided to make a film. She then decided that she wanted to make a film about art and someone she always wanted to meet, Jeffrey Jones. Talking artist Michael Kaluta into allowing her to interview him so she could cut it into a trailer to get Jones involved in the project, she filmed for an hour and then cut it into something which she showed to Jones who agreed to do it. She then went out to try and get the project going. Maria persevered and despite being told that art is irrelevant by an Oscar winning documentary producer and being told that a documentary on comics, art and transgender issues would have no audience by dis. Three clips were shown, the last of which being Jones talking about art and how history will decide what is good art floored me. Its a beautiful piece and captured what Maria said she was going for, namely a documentary about how artists work, feel and do. It was  then I knew she really nailed it and I can't wait to see the full film. (I suspect the clip means a great deal to her as well since I could see her in the dark reacting to Jones's words.) (http://www.macabfilms.com/) The film is coming out from Kino Lorber on DVD in 2014 and can be downloaded from their website.

Last up was Ian who talked about his long battle to make RUDE DUDE about artist Steve Rude. Rude was his hero and making the film was an eye opener as just as filming started Rude moved from comics to fine art. The film also dropped him into Rude's world which is a dark place since the artist is bipolar. He learned very clearly that one should never meet their heroes. Based on the trailer it looks to be one hell of a film. (www.rudedudedoc.com or www.ianfischer.com) The film is free for the next 24 hours (less ab little) and will be available at Amazon soon).  Ian also spoke of his upcoming SUPERHERO NATION which involved over 120 interviews.

The Q&A was brief  with some of the best answers coming from a question about interviewing. I don't remember what exactly was asked- I think it was something about difficult interviewees- but Patrick related how one person refused to talk since he could never be paid enough. Maria spoke of going to visit someone and having to drive in a blizzard to get there. Not wanting to go back into the cold to get the notes she left in the car she tried to fake it but messed up and had to be saved by her crew who started interviewing the subject. She also told the story of how she finished the interview with Moebius but he wanted to still talk so she and her cameraman went off and her sound guy continued the interview. Ian talked about how for SUPERHERO NATION he realized that asking everyone the same questions got the same answers and how pre-interviewing made things go much faster.

There was more (when asked if someone should go the independent route 2 of 3 said no and then softened saying that if you do go that way know what it entails, long hours, loneliness) but I'm beginning to fade after another long day.

Tomorrow is the final day so expect more pictures, more reports and a summing up.