King's Chronicles

On Bullying...

2012-09-27T09:12:29Z

Okay, this one goes out to any kid who was ever tripped in a school hallway, punched on a bus, threatened in a school yard, humiliated on line, or called a variety of hateful names that I don’t need to specify here. I guess that’s pretty much everybody. For what it’s worth you have my sympathy gang, because while some of the details may be different, I have been exactly where many of you are right now.

As a kid, I was bullied in every level of my school experience, from the grade school jackass who sat behind me on the bus every day for the express purpose of slapping my ears, to the dick stoners in high school who routinely beat me up for not getting high. And don’t get me started on the parade of Star-Bellied Sneetches that made up my college comedy club. It seems every school year brought a series of new shots to my soul, new disappointments I had to choke down and the miserable feeling that just as in years before, I had to gather what was left of my broken spirit and try to survive until June. And I’m not even talking about girls here – I’ll save the dating horror stories for later.

The thing is, somewhere deep inside of me, I had this crazy, impossible little feeling that things might somehow work out all right for me. Even when things were at their worst, I forced myself to trust that feeling. It felt like a little light inside me, and sometimes I was even angry it was there. Why such a pathetic, weak little flicker? I wanted a confident, inextinguishable bonfire. But that weak little flicker is all most of us get at first, and in time, the more we trust it, the brighter it shines. Some days that flicker was all I had to keep me going. And when I felt especially hurt or frustrated, or just so damn lost and lonely, I’d take my sketch book and draw up some little character (in my case a rat) doing something funny, or I’d write a story about idiot gangsters, or superheroes, or I’d find an animation festival playing cartoons by Chuck Jones, John Hubley, Tex Avery or the early Disney crew and watch them over and over. And the more I did things like that, the more I felt, “I’m happy here. I think I want to do this all the time.” And so my refuge eventually became my career. Granted, the ways I dealt with my teen-age trials were not the same way everyone else does, but each person finds their way through the maze of life on their own path. Maybe yours is drama, or mechanics, or sports or taxidermy or whatever. I’m pretty sure everyone has a true path, and you may even need to wander down a few and double back before you find yours. But if you make the effort, you will find it.

So if you’re reading this and you’ve enjoyed one of my comics, or a game I worked on, or a cartoon I had some hand in, I want you to do me a favor. Should you find yourself feeling like the world is set against you and there’s no way to find peace other than by hurting yourself or someone else, calm down, take a breath, and trust that little feeling inside you that things will be okay. And if you’ve searched for it and can’t find it, tell a relative, friend, doctor or caretaker how you feel. Emotional pain clouds reality, and the reality is you matter to a lot more people than you might think. Don’t let the insults shouted by cruel peers drown out the words “I want to help” that are spoken by your true friends. School years are brief compared to the rest of your life. Yeah, they may seem like an eternity, but more than likely, the confident, happy and successful man or woman you will be a decade from now will look back on those frustrating, stupid teen years, laugh and say “What the hell, huh?”

Forgive me if I’ve gone a bit preachy. Years ago I used to write those morality speeches at the end of He-Man episodes and I tend to rattle on. Stay well, kids.

The Batman games

2012-08-03T19:23:25Z

So here's what's what with the Batman games as far as they relate to me:

The last talk I had with Warner Interactive about future games was while I was doing promotion for Arkham City last September. Naturally as there was such a rush of interest about Arkham City, everyone was asking me about a third game, and frankly, I had been wondering about that myself. When I asked about the possibility of working on a third game I was told that as Rocksteady had just finished wrapping the second one, it would be a while before everyone was ready to sit down and discuss future plans. That said, it was intimated that for future games, Warner and Rocksteady might not be looking as much to freelance writers, the message being, that if I had something else interesting coming my way, I might want to take it.

When I later read their subsequent announcements about the Harley Quinn's Revenge game expansion and the rumored Arkham prequel/JLA game, I figured they had filled their writer needs. I had long before taken WI's advice and booked my schedule with a number of other projects, leaving me unavailable to take on anything new until 2013. It was fun working with Warners and Rocksteady on the first two Arkham games and I am grateful to them both for a tremendous experience. Rocksteady has a great crew of artists and storytellers, and it was exciting and enlightening for me to be part of that team. If we wind up working together again at some point, that would be cool, too.

Cartoon Network address

2012-07-26T05:33:48Z

Just posting this again for people who want to contact Cartoon Network by mail.

Mr. Stuart Snyder
President
Cartoon Network
1050 Techwood Drive NW
Atlanta GA 30318

And yes, CN ONLY responds to written letters. For the most part, e-mails are deleted unread.

Thoughts on Comic Con 2012

2012-07-17T00:59:10Z

I had a real good time in San Diego this year. Entire con was very mellow and low key for me. I had no big announcements, though I did do some business and lay the groundwork for some exciting stuff to come next year. Mainly I just took it easy.

One of the reasons it went so well was that this time I wised up and made dinner plans and restaurant reservations well in advance. Each night I had a table waiting at a nice place, with nice folks to join me. It was great dining with Chip Kidd, Bruce Timm, Flint Dille, Spike Brandt, Tony Cervone, Charles & Rachel Kochman, Alan Burnett, Bill and Kayre Morrison and Sergio Aragones (among many others) over the nights I was in town.

Wednesday, as soon as the doors to the dealer's room opened, I went right to the publishers' tables and stocked up on everything I had been putting off buying for the last couple months - the Carl Barks "Only A poor Old Man" collection, volume three of Floyd Gottfredson's "Mickey Mouse" strips, the collected cartoons of Flannery O'Connor (!) and many others. That way I could retire to my hotel rooms for days at a time and do nothing but read (which I did).

I noticed a surprisingly less number of superhero costumes this year and a surprising increase in Princess costumes -- for men. This year I counted two Supermen, one Batman, and at least twenty guys in full-on tiaras and royal gowns. Anything goes during comic con, I guess. Saw about five Harley Quinns (all girls, I think) and everyone else was the dorky bunny-head kid from "Adventure Time."

I spent most of an afternoon at Trickster, the alternative display and social space founded by Scott Morse and a group of Pixar artists. The setting was nice and relaxed and it was great chatting again with current and former Pixar creators like Jeff Pigeon, Ken Mitcherony and Ronnie Del Carmen.

I played the ukelele a lot. Always good.

I was initially denied a Polly Pocket Harley Quinn doll by the Mattel booth wardens (they refused to sell them to pros, even creator pros), though our podcast wizard Ezra came through like gangbusters and scored me a set.

Best moment of all was seeing my love Misty take part in Mark Evanier's Cartoon Voice panel alongside such talents as Gregg Berger, Fred Tatasciore, Dee Bradley Baker, Audrey Wasilewski and Rob Paulson. Congratulations, love. I couldn't be happier.

I may have missed a few things, but I'll fill them in on our weekly Radio Rashy podcast. I actually had such a good time this year I'm considering not going back next year, and letting the memory of this last one linger a while.

Comic Con 2012 Schedule

2012-07-02T07:37:16Z

It's almost San Diego Comic Con time. I'm not a guest and I'm doing no signings this year. However, I WILL be sitting in on two very cool panels:

FRIDAY, JULY 13th

10:00-11:00 Remembering Jerry Robinson and Joe Simon— Jerry Robinson was a key artist on Batman in the 1940s, the co-creator of The Joker, and later an accomplished newspaper strip artist and political cartoonist. Joe Simon was half of the legendary team of Simon and [Jack] Kirby, the co-creator of Captain America and other Simon-Kirby classics, and later the creator/editor of Sick magazine. We've recently lost both of these legendary figures in comics, so let's pause to remember them along with Paul Levitz, Michael Uslan, Anthony Tollin, Marv Wolfman, Paul Dini, Batton Lash, and moderator Mark Evanier. Room 9
Tags: Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Comics | Tributes

SUNDAY, JULY 15th

10:00-11:00 The Annual Jack Kirby Tribute Panel— There might not be comic book industry were it not for Jack Kirby...and if you don't know who that is, you really don't belong at this convention. Each year, his friends and co-workers gather to talk about Jack and his work and to marvel (no pun intended) at the length and breadth of his influence, not just on comics but on TV, movies, and all the arts. This year, the dais will include Herb Trimpe (Incredible Hulk), Stan Goldberg (Marvel colorist), Paul Dini (Batman), and Charles Hatfield (Hand of Fire), all chatting with moderator Mark Evanier (Kirby: King of Comics). Room 5AB
Tags: Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Comics | Superheroes | Tributes

Other than that, I'm purely a fan this year, getting sketches for my magic girls sketchbook, hanging out at Trickster, seeing old friends, and maybe talking a bit of business. See you there.

On the subject of Tower Prep...

2012-02-13T02:00:41Z

First off, let me say how grateful I am to the hundreds of Tower Prep fans who have contacted me in the year since the series finished its original run on Cartoon Network. I'm thrilled that the show was enjoyed by so many and I also am sorry that Cartoon Network has chosen not to renew it. Many people have asked me about petitions, e-mail campaigns and the like to keep the show going. I'm not sure what attention they would be paid at this point, though of all of the options, an e-mail campaign would have the least effect. Actual posted (stamped and mailed)letters are what most networks respond to. I once heard Seth McFarlane say that after Family Guy was cancelled the first time, Fox was ready to reconsider after they received something like only 200 letters. I'm not saying the same thing could happen with Cartoon Network, but a show of letters from kid viewers, and, just as important, parents who have watched and enjoyed the show with their kids, might show the Network that the series is missed. This is especially important now that Tower Prep has started showing around the world and is making fans in Australia, Africa and South America, among other countries.

Anyway, lots of people have asked where they can send their letters, so I have included the address below. As always, the letters should be polite and never hurtful. After all, these are the nice folks who took a chance on producing the show in the first place. Let 'em know you like it, you miss it, and who knows? Let's see what happens.

Mr. Stuart Snyder
President
Cartoon Network
1050 Techwood Drive NW
Atlanta GA 30318

Thanks, guys. Hugs from Sr. Guapo and me.

Paul

Halloween cartoon party

2011-10-30T19:41:21Z

A few of my favorite creepy cartoons. Enjoy.

Donald Duck at his assholiest. A Disney classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skdVouumMk4

Fox & Crow - not exactly a horror cartoon, but it has some freaky magic in it, and I loves me the freaky magicians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDtEngKKs5s

Jasper in the Haunted House. Yeah, it's "of it's day," meaning racist, but the music and animation is great. If offended, accept my apologies and give it a pass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onhqu36AEPY

UPA's "Tell-Tale Heart." Just brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJb150JRqpQ

Primus - The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Can't have too much Satan this time of year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9uk9IcoQ0w

It mystifies me why H-B never sold a Mr. & Mrs. J. Evil Scientist series. Maybe because they were a too obvious rip-off of the Chas. Addams New Yorker cartoons. Anyway, as a kid I liked them. Here they are with Snagglepuss, not exactly a Halloween icon, but kinda creepy for other reasons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vv7kI81pek

Betty Boop's Halloween Party. Surprisingly, kind of tame for Betty, but still fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyLINozyD14

Bugs Bunny, with June Foray returning as a slightly different Witch Hazel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCg8OiCjNWI&feature=related

Tim Burton's "Vincent." I've loved this since I first saw it, what, almost 30 years ago? Man, where does the time go?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD8uQzu0IL0

Happy Halloween!

October 18th

2011-10-12T04:32:57Z

Yes!

Remember that date, October 18th, 2011.

Just one week from today!

Lots of cool stuff written by me being released that day. Here's the run-down:

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY

This is the big one, kids. The new game I developed and wrote with the team at Rocksteady. More Gotham, more bad guys, MORE BATMAN! Even if you've been following all the advance press on the game, I guarantee you are still in for loads of surprises. If you liked 2009's Arkham Asylum, you will definitely want this. Available at game stores, toy stores, big box stores (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target) amazon.com and just about everyplace else.

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY - THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

Wanna learn how Gotham became a walled-in mega-prison? This book has the complete story. Contains all five print issues and five digital-only chapters from the comic book prequel to the Arkham City game. Available at amazon.com, select game, toy and book stores, Barnes & Noble on line only, and at your local comic book store.

BATMAN: YEAR ONE DVD

No, I didn't work on the ultra-cool animated adaptation of the classic Batman story, though I DID script a fifteen minute bonus CATWOMAN short included in the package. I just saw the finished piece for the first time last night. It's quite amazing.

Whew! That's it for October, but look for a new Jingle Belle issue, GIFT WRAPPED, out December 7th from Top Cow! What better way to celebrate Pearl Harbor Day than with a return visit from everyone's favorite flirty Christmas elf?

Me, being a jerk

2011-08-15T18:19:54Z

Sigh.

Once again I find I have to be a total asshole and post the following article. It's hurtful, rude and at times very insensitive, but recent circumstances demand it. Still, pretty much every writer I know has felt this way at one time, and,if you are an aspiring screenwriter who someday sells their work, I guarantee at some time you will feel this way, too.

So, without further apologies:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2009/09/i_will_not_read.php

My schedule for Comic-Con 2011

2011-07-08T00:52:30Z

The San Diego Comic Con is in two weeks. It's really in and out for me this year. I don't have a booth, nor will I be signing anywhere. That said, I do have two panels on Thursday:

3:00-4:00 Classic Warner Bros./Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Going Blu-ray— Animation historian Jerry Beck and Warner Archives' George Feltenstein lead a panel of renowned animation and restoration experts, including Spike Brandt (The Looney Tunes Show), Tony Cervone (The Looney Tunes Show), and Paul Dini (Lost, Tower Prep), in presenting and discussing selected vintage cartoons from Warner Home Video's fall 2011 Blu-ray release of the newly remastered Tom and Jerry Golden Collection and Looney Tunes Platinum Collections. Room 32AB
Tags: Animation | Kids

5:00-6:00 Batman: Arkham City— Get the inside scoop on Batman: Arkham City, the highly anticipated follow-up to Batman: Arkham Asylum, one of the top-selling games of 2009 and the Guinness World Record holder for the Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever. Be among the first to see and hear new details about the next chapter in Batman's gritty, immersive world -- including some surprise game and character reveals -- from panelists Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series), DC Comics co-publisher Jim Lee, writer Paul Dini (Lost, Tower Prep), and game director Sefton Hill (Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City). Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Tags: Comics | Games | Superheroes

That's it. See you in Funnybookland.

Zatanna

2011-06-10T04:59:40Z

A few folks have asked me about the future of the Zatanna book at DC. I don't know what plans DC has for it after this August, though I can confirm my last issue is the current one, #13. Hope you all enjoyed my run, I know I have.

Great Toy Store

2011-01-13T02:03:32Z

Every now and then you look back at some treasured place from your youth and discover it either no longer exists, or worse, has been changed so thoroughly it no longer has any resemblance to what you once loved. That was almost the case with Mr. Mopps, the great Berkeley neighborhood toy store. I went to Mr. Mopps once a month when I was a kid, and every other week when I hit my 20's. By then I was working at Skywalker Ranch where my Yogi Bear-like raids on the Lucasfilm toy bays were met with curiously sour humor. Fortunately there was Mopps, just a hop across the bay to fulfill my action figure addiction. Mr. Mopps was on the way out last year, but happily rescued by a nice young couple who look like they really should be running a toy store. Next trip to the Bay Area, I am sooo there. And yes, they have an awesome kids book section.

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2010/10/15/berkeley-couple-buys-mr-mopps-toy-store/

Radio Rashy is on the air!!!

2010-12-24T08:10:42Z

Big news this Christmas Eve as Misty and I unveil RADIO RASHY, the new on-line home of the Almost Live with Paul & Misty podcasts. At Radio Rashy you can hear the latest weekly podcst, listen to archived episodes and tune in for special mystery broadcasts with special guests. More new features are planned for 2011, so check in every week!

Here's the link: http://www.radiorashy.com/

Merry Christmas!

Polly fun

2010-10-26T22:19:13Z

This year's Halloween message.

http://is.gd/gl3Oz

Tonight's entertainment

2010-10-17T00:15:39Z

Pretty happy today.

Tower Prep premieres tonight and again this coming Tuesday. I know, that doesn't make sense, so let's just say it runs tonight at 9 on Cartoon Network and again on Tuesday at 8.

Getting some good initial press. Hope it keeps up: http://tinyurl.com/2azrdjg

Now off to watch the show with a house full of school kids. I'm anxious to know what their reactions will be beyond "Ian is hot."

On second thought, given how tight-lipped teens can be, I'll settle for "Ian is hot."

New Paul & Misty podcast

2010-09-24T22:37:42Z

And we're off to Texas in our latest podcast. Beautiful Texas, home of the javelina, the mountain lion, and the giant tarantula under your bed. Also, how to pronounce a certain magicians name, tips for dealing with wild pigs, and where to buy a decent soprano ukulele in the Trans-Pecos. All this, plus listener twestions, right here:

http://tinyurl.com/34geclr

Ahh-ha!

School's in...

2010-09-23T03:45:02Z

Presenting the Tower Prep orientation video, with a few words of welcome from Headmaster.

http://tinyurl.com/2cb9hoj

New stuff...

2010-09-21T19:53:31Z

The big news:

Three cheers to my beloved Misty Lee who is now the first female resident medium in the Magic Castle's 50 year history! Well done, love!

Also:

A new podcast is up detailing this year's Comic Con.

http://www.dinicartoons.com/forum/showthread.php?p=814#post814

Finally:

Tower Prep momentum is building. There's a cool overview at Salon.com ranking us among such new series
as No Ordinary Family, The Event and my new favorite, Boardwalk Empire. Good company indeed.

http://tinyurl.com/28a3e3m

They're back...sort of

2010-09-18T21:28:02Z

The Paul & Misty podcasts are making their return, albeit slowly. We have a brand-new podcast site in the works, with new artwork, new features, new everything. Only thing is, it'll take us a while to get it up and running. Shouldn't be too long. To tide you over, here's a link to a podcast that we recorded in April, meant to use then, and now we offer as a quaint, out of date curiosity. New and better more current stuff is coming, we promise.

http://tinyurl.com/242rs7o

Tower announcements

2010-09-17T06:17:12Z

The word went out officially today. TOWER PREP will premiere on Cartoon Network Tuesday, October 19th at 8:00 PM.

Here's more news, including a preview:

http://tinyurl.com/2fzkgf8

Back from Atlanta....

2010-09-08T01:58:52Z

It was a good trip, mostly. Saw lots of friends and cool people at Dragon Con: Peter & Kathleen David, Tom Kenny, Scott Adsit, Ken Plume, Robert Montjoy, Andy Floyd, Stephanie Gladden and John Miller and a zillion others that escape me, so forgive me for all my unintentional omissions.

Showed a Tower Prep preview that went over so well I had to reshow it a couple times. Hope that bodes well for the series. Cartoon Network has a new promo running. Not the same one I showed, but not bad:

http://tinyurl.com/232jgme

Finally got to meet the Venture Bros. team and did some geeking out of my own. I love that show.

Took Misty to the Wren's Nest, the home of Joel Chandler Harris. Heard wonderful tales from the Storyteller on duty that day.

Still did not make it to the aquarium or the zoo. Maybe next time.

This weekend in Atlanta...

2010-09-01T18:41:15Z

As far as comic conventions go, San Diego is always the big circus but Dragon Con is more like a weekend with family and friends. (Ironic, as family and friends will be house sitting for us while we're there). It's always fun to get back to Atlanta, and I'm looking forward to visiting with the artists and writers I missed at San Diego.

Misty will be hosting a big event on Monday, Dragon Con's Got Talent. Should be a hoot. I know Misty has a few tricks up her sleeve and I'm anxious to see what the talented con goers will be doing.

I'm also appearing on some panels:

Title: Lost: It's Over...what did it all mean?
Description: Join in a fandom discussion of Lost and what it all meant.
Time: Fri 07:00 pm Location: M106 - M107 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

I worked on the show for two years and I have absolutely no idea what it meant. Let's swap theories and be mystified together.

Title: Paul Dini Presents Tower Prep!
Description: Paul Dini talks about his newest project on Cartoon Network, TOWER PREP. See what prizes and surprises are in store.
Time: Sat 11:30 am Location: International North - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

This is my newest project, a live thriller series about four rebellious kids trying to uncover the truth about a mysterious prep school. Who's prepping them, and for what? The series premieres in October, but you can see a special preview created especially for the con. Cartoon Network is also sending in exclusive prizes and posters. You won't want to miss this!

Title: Legends of the Dark Knight
Description: No, not the book, but the legendary creators who've left their mark on the Dark Knight.
Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: Hanover F - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

This one features me, Neal Adams, Tim Sale and a bunch of other awesome folks. I've been looking forward to this. Should be a lot of bat-fun.

If you can't make the panels, I'm sure I'll have a signing table someplace. If you miss me either of those places, then the tiki bar at Trader Vic's is a good bet.

See you there!

SDCC 2010

2010-07-13T04:25:49Z

Here's the list of what I've got going on this year at the San Diego Comic Con. The hyperbole comes from the Con's website, not from me:

FRIDAY, JULY 23

1:45-2:45 Batman: The Return— As the Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne rages on, follow the Bat-Signal to this panel and uncover clues about the future of the Dark Knight from some of the A-list talent behind the publishing line. If you think you know where this story's headed -- Think again! Hear it here from group editor Mike Marts, Paul Dini (Batman: Streets of Gotham), David Finch (Batman), Grant Morrison (Batman & Robin), Dustin Nguyen (Batman: Streets of Gotham), and others. Room 6DE

SUNDAY, JULY 25

11:15-12:15 Cartoon Network: Tower Prep with Firebreather Sneak— Executive producer and series creator Paul Dini (Lost, Batman Beyond) and executive producer Glen Morgan (Bionic Woman) offer fans an exclusive first look at Cartoon Network's newest live-action mystery series Tower Prep. Meet the series stars Drew Van Acker (The Lake), Elise Gatien (Bionic Woman), Ryan Pinkston (Punk'd), and Dyana Liu (Parenthood). Fans will also get an exclusive look at Firebreather, Cartoon Network's first world premiere original CGI movie event based on the comic book series with creator and co-executive producer Phil Hester (The Wretch), co-executive producer Andy Kuhn (Freedom Ring), and writer/director Peter Chung (Aeon Flux). Room 6DE

We'll be showing some very cool stuff at the Tower presentation. Definitely worth checking out.

No booth for me this year and as I'm not a guest, no scheduled signings either. Still I should be prowling the main floor off and on, so if you see me trying to make my way through the crowd, toss some Stormtroopers out of the way and say hello.

First look...

2010-06-26T02:26:33Z

A teaser for Tower Prep, coming this September...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXH1_tO1Glk&feature=related

A bunch o' junk...

2010-05-20T06:38:17Z

Lots of new stuff on the comics shelves today, including STREETS OF GOTHAM #12, written by me, Derek and Dustin, the STREETS hardcover collecting the FACES OF EVIL Catwoman and Hush stories from Batman and Tec, along with the first four issues of STREETS, and last but not least, ZATANNA #1. This one has been a long time in coming, and I think it looks real sweet. Stephane Roux and Karl Story did an amazing job on the artwork, and if you dug Zee's appearances in B:TAS, JLU and ZATANNA - EVERYDAY MAGIC, you will probably like this, too.

***

TOWER PREP is looking real sharp. I can't wait to run a whole episode for a live crowd. Maybe that'll happen over the summer sometime. I'll check with CN and see what their promo plans are.

***

Saw IRON MAN 2 on a double bill with BABIES. Misty and I took my mom to the movies for Mother's Day, and she said she'd see IRON MAN if we sat through BABIES first. Have to admit, I mostly slept through BABIES. Turns out mom only so-so liked BABIES herself. She really loved IRON MAN, as did I. Once again Robert Downey Jr's charm and smarm win the day. Mom says Bruce Wayne would be a lot easier to take if he loosened up and had fun sometime, like Tony Stark.

***

Speaking of movies, in about a month the new Toy Story movie will open, and I'll see it and I will most likely like it, and it will make tons of money and probably win the best animated film Oscar, and all that's well and good.

Except, except...

I have this one nagging problem with the Toy Story movies, and #3 will probably not address it any more than it was addressed in the previous two films before it. In Toy story #1, Woody tells some toys they will have to "break the rules" in order to rescue Buzz. So they come to life in front of the bully kid and throw a big scare into him and that helps rescue Buzz and after a few more twists and turns all ends happily.

Except...

I keep wondering about those "rules." Who sets the rules? Is there some all powerful toy king or god who has decreed toys can't come to life in front of people? Is this toy god Santa or Geppetto or some other enchanted toymaker? And what are the consequences if toys break these rules and communicate openly with humans? Do Men In Black action figures show up and mindwipe the humans? Are the toys sent to toy prison or melted down or restuffed into other toys? And the biggie, if toys routinely watch their fellow toys being abused and destroyed, why do they not mount a toy rebellion against mankind and take the planet for themselves? There are certainly more of them than there are of us, and I'm sure if a workable alliance could be devised, quite a number of household appliances would join in as well. All the toys need do is capture the kids, hold them in a secure place and demand the surrender of humankind. That's the Toy Story movie I'd like to see.

I'm probably the only one, though.

***

Here's another pointless thing I'm cranky about. I went to Las Vegas last week and dang it, I really miss those coin-dispensing slot machines. They still have slots, but now they give out tickets instead of coins. Gone is that trilling jingle of the nickel slots paying out, and the rich, heavy "plabb, plabb, plabb" sound of dollar coins hitting the metal tray. There was also that little burst of anxiety in your stomach when you realized there were no dollar coin trays or plastic buckets nearby in which to collect your hoard, and you had to quickly dart over to another machine to get one. And you had to be quick, lest some varmint jumped your claim. Damn, when I hauled a few hundred coins in stacked racks all the way across the casino to the cashier, I had the feeling I really worked for my money. All that latter day gold rush feel is gone.

Yeah, the machines are still there, and in most cases more elaborate than ever. I almost broke off and stole the molded figure of Jeannie on her magic carpet off the top of the I Dream of Jeannie machine, I wanted it so much. Our fandom favorites are there too, with Star Wars machines in the shape of R2-D2, and Indiana Jones Sankara stones machines. Just as we when we were kids and teens, Lucasfilm stands by us in our adult years to relieve us of our disposable incomes.

***

What else, anything? LOST ends this Sunday. I haven't watched the show much since I stopped working on it around the middle of season two. Still, I'm interested to see what kind of a rabbit they pull out of their hat at the end. I knew what the rabbit was once, it's probably been many rabbits since then.

***

Still working on ARKHAM II. That's really all I can say about that.

***

Not sure about Comic Con this year. I'll go if we do a TOWER presentation, otherwise I might skip. I have to skip it at least once or twice a decade so I can look forward to it again.

***

Oh, and lastly, Misty and I have new podcasts recorded and coming soon. Should have them up on the Dinicartoons site in about a week.