tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71214878246857787112024-02-19T04:42:50.826-08:00From the AshesBob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-73097000281360700042011-07-11T20:58:00.001-07:002011-07-11T21:01:13.609-07:00FROM THE ASHES reading at BOOK COURTMichele and I did a reading (I'd say performance, but that seems a little grandiose) of a small section of FROM THE ASHES at Brooklyn's Book Court, a lovely independent bookshop. <br /><br /><object width="400" height="224" ><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/10150703467505524" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/10150703467505524" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="224"></embed></object><br /><br />You can't see it here, but she wore her TRASH shirt, proving I didn't make it up.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-65724616754497919952010-03-25T11:26:00.000-07:002010-03-25T11:30:07.995-07:00FTA Does WTF!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=596953"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoykXaJVZ8O8bePrn2QC41jPkaZSfu7UM85lCRIf2lbKFTcRWR-1bz4vGu-r6iNRnl4OAKDY3QiPojOWBHOtXdj6Inl45Hgi9GlN4veqxNVCqaZGH1CqpxeAgLZNUE24zK-pxjOgD-18I/s320/screen-capture-10.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452640251917977474" border="0" /></a><br />I have known, on and off (though mostly off), the brilliant comedian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Maron">Marc Maron</a> since 1999. Prior to our actual meeting I had been aware of him because I’d enjoyed him as host of Comedy Central’s (or was it still the Comedy Channel at that point?) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286392/"><em>Short Attention Span Theater</em></a>. He had a febrile intelligence that popped off the screen. I enjoyed his stand-up specials and whenever I’d see him turn up as a guest on talk shows.<br /><br />I then saw him in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0438278/">Jonah Kaplan</a>’s very funny short film <a href="http://www.atom.com/funny_videos/stalker_guilt/"><em>Stalker Guilt Syndrome</em></a>. I’d met Jonah through our mutual friend Dean Haspiel and told him how much I enjoyed the short, particularly Maron’s performance. Shortly after that I was having dinner at Olive Tree (not fucking Olive Garden, thank you very much), my favorite eatery downtown. Downstairs at Olive Tree, is the <a href="http://www.comedycellar.com/">Comedy Cellar</a>, an intimate spot to see stand-up. I spotted Maron seated at the table in the back where the comics who perform get their meals, so I introduced myself, telling him I’d just seen the short. Maron kind of frowned and said something like, “Oh yeah? Whudja think of it?” I told him I’d enjoyed it very much. I even got a copy from Jonah to add to my video library.<br /><br />I guess Marc felt comfortable that I wasn’t going to stalk him (with or without guilt) because we exchanged info and started getting together from time to time. When I mentioned my burgeoning friendship with Marc to Jonah he said, “Yeah, good luck with that.” <em>Hmmm</em>.<br /><br />In Marc’s company I got to know some of the ins and outs of the business of stand-up. I’d always been a fan of good stand-up but was now getting an inside look at how tough a career it was. I respected him and the craft even more. Marc was workshopping a one-man show back then (<em>The Jerusalem Syndrome</em>, which also became a great <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-Syndrome-Life-Reluctant-Messiah/dp/0767908104">book</a>). Michele and I attended several versions of it at <a href="http://www.westbethent.com/">The Westbeth Theater</a> downtown. I think I was always the loudest laugher and the darker the material the heartier I laughed. I think Marc’s always had a soft spot for the guy (I’m guessing it’s almost always a guy) in the audience who is the only one to laugh at one of his uncomfortably truthful observations. Michele would look back and forth between me laughing and Marc performing and she’d afterwards tell me she thought Marc and I might be too alike in worldview. I dunno.<br /><br />Then 9/11 came along, and swept up in the maelstrom of post-event trauma, our burgeoning friendship took a hiatus. Then a couple of years ago—maybe 2008—I’m at the urinal in the men’s room of the Comedy Cellar. Mid-leak a gravelly voice behind me says, “Is that Bob Fingerman?” I look over my shoulder and it’s Marc. We haven’t seen each other since maybe June or July 2001. I shake off and as I’m washing up—Marc having taken my place at the urinal—we catch up briefly:<br /><br />Bob: How’ve you been?<br />Marc: Bad. Bad divorce. You down here or up there?<br />Bob: I’m up there. Dinner with a friend.<br />Marc: When I finish my set I’ll stop by.<br /><br />And he did and we got back on track. None of this comes up in the conversation Marc and I had on the podcast. I don’t want to say any more. This is preamble. Backstory. Since he started the <a href="http://wtfpod.com/"><em>WTF with Marc Maron</em></a> podcast, Marc has hosted some of the greatest talents in contemporary comedy (not to mention authors, his parents and other interesting characters) and engaged them in something rarely heard these days: bona fide conversation. I was thrilled and honored to be a guest at the Cat Ranch and appear on my favorite podcast. Marc has a genius for keeping it real and real funny. <a href="http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=596953">DOWNLOAD AND ENJOY!!!</a><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bobfingerman.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/cat-ranch.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-643 aligncenter" title="Marc & Bob in the Cat Ranch" src="http://www.bobfingerman.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/cat-ranch-300x224.jpg" alt="Marc & Bob in the Cat Ranch" width="300" height="224" /></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">In the Cat Ranch</p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bobfingerman.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/marc-and-bob.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-648" title="Marc and Bob " src="http://www.bobfingerman.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/marc-and-bob-300x224.jpg" alt="Marc and Bob " width="300" height="224" /></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">It had been raining but when the show was over the sun came out. Hallelujah!</p>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-42998801359834539282010-03-17T15:17:00.001-07:002010-03-17T15:34:00.459-07:00Some New Interviews and So Forth...<a href="http://www.heebmagazine.com/blog/view/2848"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Heeb</span></a> magazine (R.I.P. the print edition, but at least it lives on online) interview, by Stacey Brook.<br /><br />And the Meltdown Comics' <a href="http://coolsvillecomics.com/?p=222">Meltcast audio interview</a> (interview conducted by Chris Rosa and Caleb Monroe).<br /><br />Coming soon: my conversation with Marc Maron on his awesome (and popular) podcast, <span style="font-style: italic;">WTF with Marc Maron</span>. I'll write more about that as the date it goes up nears.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-29410350790046921022010-03-08T16:14:00.000-08:002010-03-09T10:05:02.864-08:00FUTURAMA MEETS FROM THE ASHESMichele and I had the great good fortune to attend a studio voice record session for one of the forthcoming episodes of the greatest show ever, <span style="font-style: italic;">FUTURAMA</span>, courtesy of being invited by my friend, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_LaMarr">Phil LaMarr</a>. Phil is an amazingly gifted comic actor who recently filled the very large boots of Laurence Fishburne by stepping into the role of Cowboy Curtis in the recent live run of The Pee-Wee Herman Show in Los Angeles. On <span style="font-style: italic;">FUTURAMA</span> Phil breathes tropical life into Hermes Conrad, Planet Express's resident bureaucrat (and paperwork enthusiast), among others. Phil was kind enough to provide a blurb for the trade of FROM THE ASHES, and between sessions his mega-talented cast mate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_LaMarche">Maurice LaMarche</a> (Kif Kroker, Morbo, Hedonismbot, etc.) gifted us with a few spontaneous reads of Phil's quote in his <span style="font-style: italic;">FUTURAMA</span> announcer voice. I got one of them on tape:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx7q3HErRJBI_Epzl-n7OJ-YmvMm51lB0AuLDr6Lp38B6LnBj-R0V9h26luMB8D0hn-aFzVPr0ntWfUJQruEw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />These guys are my heroes. I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender_%28Futurama%29">Bender Bending Rodríguez</a> is my favorite cartoon character of all time, and that is mainly due to the unfathomably great voicework of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Di_Maggio">John DiMaggio</a>, who was also in this session. I can take to the grave that I made him laugh. Plus, as the voice of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Fenix#Marcus_Fenix">Marcus Phenix</a> in <span style="font-style: italic;">Gears of War</span>, John gave me tips on how to finally beat the climactic boss battle. How cool is that?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uSe2FUyiTd2sX1ModG07YPzkM1fGBsmvBDlR8GZayu2yXom34xoBqfIjIBrsuWocUTYuwuYa3n22MHot2HZHrDYuI-DjfD6XK3SIKiKYdaXGe0hfujUielAwjeTwK8Oh_3xnAWd0Nm4/s1600-h/IMG_4701.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uSe2FUyiTd2sX1ModG07YPzkM1fGBsmvBDlR8GZayu2yXom34xoBqfIjIBrsuWocUTYuwuYa3n22MHot2HZHrDYuI-DjfD6XK3SIKiKYdaXGe0hfujUielAwjeTwK8Oh_3xnAWd0Nm4/s320/IMG_4701.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446426806973048450" border="0" /></a>Phil LaMarr, me, Billy West.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJRgXcTH1u-y3ttwVv_PzN0CRjF2SLsv2y2eqIjFxFi2vNYYAhedJTVKjLloOI0ACK2jEEcwI2sel2McNARNMrrECMsphsmraDybBEz-Urr5pynwfukC5FVn8c7VSo-85GsQsc_x-r1A/s1600-h/IMG_4702.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJRgXcTH1u-y3ttwVv_PzN0CRjF2SLsv2y2eqIjFxFi2vNYYAhedJTVKjLloOI0ACK2jEEcwI2sel2McNARNMrrECMsphsmraDybBEz-Urr5pynwfukC5FVn8c7VSo-85GsQsc_x-r1A/s320/IMG_4702.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446426793749195426" border="0" /></a>Me and John DiMaggio.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bMSI54GArY4E78d4Ue6gzbNyoR5dok-IzeDERacEXSHPivjimeS0hHvmHGZFnss1FCfhVdLvMvoG5llP__qdefuBiXDAfPVDzqWe8k8yA2C8Y8sJIeD-2N3EJN9hFNcG1VtecZgTBuk/s1600-h/IMG_4680.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bMSI54GArY4E78d4Ue6gzbNyoR5dok-IzeDERacEXSHPivjimeS0hHvmHGZFnss1FCfhVdLvMvoG5llP__qdefuBiXDAfPVDzqWe8k8yA2C8Y8sJIeD-2N3EJN9hFNcG1VtecZgTBuk/s320/IMG_4680.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446426781492150802" border="0" /></a>Me, Billy West and Maurice LaMarche.<br /></div><br />And I'd be remiss if I didn't cap this by saying I was in the presence of the God of Cartoon Voicedom himself, the great <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_West">Billy West</a>. Astonishing. Witnessing him seamlessly and without pause slipping from character to character (Philip J. Fry to Professor Hubert Farnsworth to Dr. John Zoidberg in nanoseconds) was a thing of beauty. He's a genius. I felt like a too-old/too-healthy version of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make-a-Wish_Foundation">Make-a-Wish Foundation</a> kid. I was in Heaven. These are my gods, people. And I walked among them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdukTM1FXVGpuw64O3ktkccwqNY8eEw88VP8patlZt2KT0IZIZHDNRlqvPdrznjGYEZspOWdmrpX90cOWsuzlayZseMI_yq-cKRgnpaXJ3_m-p8EZ7GMr1gumOMyBWsfEDuIBmbA-mRf4/s1600-h/IMG_4698.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdukTM1FXVGpuw64O3ktkccwqNY8eEw88VP8patlZt2KT0IZIZHDNRlqvPdrznjGYEZspOWdmrpX90cOWsuzlayZseMI_yq-cKRgnpaXJ3_m-p8EZ7GMr1gumOMyBWsfEDuIBmbA-mRf4/s320/IMG_4698.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446429763821134866" border="0" /></a>Billy giving <span style="font-style: italic;">FROM THE ASHES</span> the West Bump!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdr_5fne8yGC0obieT2dT9yWuK7Ua_G2WAnINbJHRu56nnkJA9OdlmVw_d6f5UxDpb9fNIo2ibI0y2_W00Xrji-hr4R3bkNoYeP6BpYQTQH9T6v52pqHaj4bRGPAfLdTU7Jp4a2cmF4fU/s1600-h/IMG_4693.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdr_5fne8yGC0obieT2dT9yWuK7Ua_G2WAnINbJHRu56nnkJA9OdlmVw_d6f5UxDpb9fNIo2ibI0y2_W00Xrji-hr4R3bkNoYeP6BpYQTQH9T6v52pqHaj4bRGPAfLdTU7Jp4a2cmF4fU/s320/IMG_4693.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446428684128878274" border="0" /></a>John DiMaggio giving me gaming tips for the final boss battle in <span style="font-style: italic;">Gears of War</span> (the crossbow and the Lancer... I'll try that).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoXYCr6MtbdnJzm5uqohwSq6DATJbBDduTSt_7W48aGTpIcCB7TDHQLxZg2Cx4uFchTxgq_A4qvXVx75EOIY_VJCxiUNBVKrUAeOpcy-fQ4XRySKRJHuvgLAobg2cGRfk85T5ktCEWz8/s1600-h/IMG_4691.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoXYCr6MtbdnJzm5uqohwSq6DATJbBDduTSt_7W48aGTpIcCB7TDHQLxZg2Cx4uFchTxgq_A4qvXVx75EOIY_VJCxiUNBVKrUAeOpcy-fQ4XRySKRJHuvgLAobg2cGRfk85T5ktCEWz8/s320/IMG_4691.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446429101491752690" border="0" /></a>Me, Michele and John DiMaggio.<br /></div>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-68139527047704933072010-02-19T14:33:00.000-08:002010-03-03T16:31:43.785-08:00FTA TRADE GETTING SOME NICE REVIEWS & PRESS<a href="http://blog.newsarama.com/2010/02/16/review-bob-fingermans-from-the-ashes/">Newsarama (review)</a>, <a href="http://blog.newsarama.com/2010/02/24/interview-bob-fingerman/">Newsarama (interview)</a>, <a href="http://www.destroythecyb.org/blog/from-the-ashes-a-speculative-memoir-3776.htm">Destroy the Cyb</a>, <a href="http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/02/from-the-ashes/">Wired</a>. <a href="http://www.suvudu.com/2010/03/bob-fingerman-on-his-mutant-memoir-from-the-ashes.html">Suvudu</a>. <a href="http://www.mapcidy.com/that%E2%80%99s-right-i-said-comics-%E2%80%93-issue-5">Mapcidy</a>.<br /><br />For whatever reason the link the <span style="font-style: italic;">Publishers Weekly</span> is not working, so here's what they had to say:<br /><br />From the Ashes Bob Fingerman. IDW, $19.99 paper (176p) ISBN 978-1-60010-600-2<br /><br />This “speculative memoir” chronicles the misadventures of writer/artist Fingerman and his wife, Michele, in a postapocalyptic Manhattan. Despite being bombed out and irradiated, New York City is still rife with assorted factions representing the worst of humanity, only now those groups are writ large and lawless since the restraints of conventional civilization no longer exist. While a far cry from the all-out horror of a Mad Max–style landscape, Fingerman's wasteland is overrun with homophobic religious zealots, insane right-wing politicos and cannibalistic foodies, while the last bastions of human decency prove to be a plethora of mutants and zombies (or “reanimated Americans,” as they prefer to be called). Bob and Michele wander through all of this with a wry acceptance familiar to anyone who's ever lived in New York City, serving as the heart of an end-of-the-world narrative that wrings a wealth of humor from its potentially bleak scenario while making pointed observations about the idiocy of humanity and how it's likely never to change. A fun read, spiced with highly appealing artwork, this one's a solid winner. Plus it gets extra geek credit for inside jokes involving Zardoz and cannibal cinema auteur Ruggero Deodato. (Mar.)Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-86369566008301207932010-01-18T13:44:00.000-08:002010-01-18T13:57:01.424-08:00TV-STYLE COMMERCIAL FOR FTA TRADE<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzlYWCMo3YYkLaKAtgzSD88v8NmqgSqZHxmqM2YjiQDxrMSr6zFtauV-i_-afwO4H_0YKC_8bQKC4S_iw5MEA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-3021227519170049302009-12-26T14:26:00.000-08:002009-12-27T22:04:23.839-08:00FROM THE ASHES TRADE ON AMAZON FOR 32% OFF!Hey all! Got some extra dosh to spend for Xmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Then please spend some of it (very little, really) on the spiffy trade of<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> FROM THE ASHES</span>. It boasts over twenty five pages of bonus material (thumbnails, prep art, sketches and character design stuff, cover gallery and more), plus a foreword by comedian Marc Maron (whose podcast, <a href="http://wtfpod.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">WTF</span></a>, was #3 comedy podcast of 2009 on iTunes). I'm really proud of this book, so if you were waiting for the trade to finally read it, now's the time to order it!And if you already bought the comics, this is the sweet-ass edition you've really wanted all along. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Bob-Fingerman/dp/1600106005/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261865836&sr=1-6"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">BUY IT! </span></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIESY6Gxcads2fFrBVecqCkAR38os7U1_HhlvwT0Tq0C4CJRVax-KigCctil-NwBXlHxvyTxntCkP9ACNcEeBQ-bKwlTTeovWksyfBeS1C2Gf0krKRDj49OafVYQcCtfpyWB1bTOAu_Ho/s1600-h/FTA-TPB.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIESY6Gxcads2fFrBVecqCkAR38os7U1_HhlvwT0Tq0C4CJRVax-KigCctil-NwBXlHxvyTxntCkP9ACNcEeBQ-bKwlTTeovWksyfBeS1C2Gf0krKRDj49OafVYQcCtfpyWB1bTOAu_Ho/s320/FTA-TPB.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420163843000832674" border="0" /></a>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-51826266244796232142009-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:002009-10-25T21:45:01.381-07:00SLOW DEATHI did a panel today at the <a href="http://www.doomsdayfilmfest.com/">Doomsday Film Festival & Symposium</a>. It was a nice opportunity to share some thoughts on the apocalypse and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">From the Ashes </span>with some like-minded people. Also on the panel were <a href="http://www.johnjosephadams.com/">John Joseph Adams</a> (editor of the exemplary anthologies <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.johnjosephadams.com/the-living-dead/">The Living Dead</a> and <a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.johnjosephadams.com/wastelands/">Wastelands</a>), Jimmy Aquino (of the podcast <a href="http://jimmyaquino.typepad.com/comicnewsinsider/">Comics News Insider</a>), cartoonist <a href="http://hilaryflorido.blogspot.com/">Hillary Florido</a>, Justin Taylor (editor of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Reader-Justin-Taylor/dp/1560259590"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Apocalypse Reader</span></a>) and moderated by Matthew Hawkins. At one point in the proceedings, an audience member asked for some recommendations of apocalyptic comics and I was reminded of this fine anthology collecting many stories from the underground comic of the same name:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskCE1MTqEQ9a5WM9LMQHXuM7NeON5-EUtFsK5LzMSMoXBIknGb4oRYar7FJhFI6qbZrK0SUe4xM7QqizTDWZPsj2WsYAD4pxmjGqiJTzksP-gtro0bUhsHRZBWNc6fags9WBkFPT_XVY/s1600-h/SlowDeath.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskCE1MTqEQ9a5WM9LMQHXuM7NeON5-EUtFsK5LzMSMoXBIknGb4oRYar7FJhFI6qbZrK0SUe4xM7QqizTDWZPsj2WsYAD4pxmjGqiJTzksP-gtro0bUhsHRZBWNc6fags9WBkFPT_XVY/s320/SlowDeath.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396751028454340546" border="0" /></a>This gnarly (sometimes <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> gnarly) comic really delved into the post-apocalyptic setting with gusto, like a filthy EC Comic. It boasts some of the best UG artists around (Corben, Crumb, Irons, Holmes, to name but a few). Jaxon's contributions always unsettled me a bit (his style is so, well, ugly... but effective). Jaxon did introduce me to the term "bent-head" as a pejorative for mutants. I've always loved the cover by <a href="http://www.corbenstudios.com/">Richard Corben</a>, who is one of my art gods.<br /><br />Anyway, this book is highly recommended. Unfortunately it's long out of print and the cheapest copies online seem to be north of thirty bucks.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-8949057224061522972009-10-19T02:07:00.000-07:002009-10-19T02:13:10.020-07:00SupernaturalI really like the TV series <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Supernatural</span></a>. Even though I prefer my fictional apocalypses to be man-made (as opposed to big "A" biblical-style), here's a nice still from the recent episode "The End."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-dyhRahrge4HaJyVrdypGalVjPNE6P0ihJaZAD56Qusl6OLzJOw0nWL4VN5dvt7XVSmX1xgQp9qla-hK4ryDtx2WEQUo3KPLLrsB8Jq8t4k2VXivH0TACRjThKjnzyHq1WRNadDgmZ0/s1600-h/supernatural_05_04.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-dyhRahrge4HaJyVrdypGalVjPNE6P0ihJaZAD56Qusl6OLzJOw0nWL4VN5dvt7XVSmX1xgQp9qla-hK4ryDtx2WEQUo3KPLLrsB8Jq8t4k2VXivH0TACRjThKjnzyHq1WRNadDgmZ0/s320/supernatural_05_04.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394236184671493874" border="0" /></a>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-67434932167095949892009-09-30T20:16:00.000-07:002009-09-30T20:35:58.759-07:00THE HUFFPO PIECE THAT ALMOST WAS...<span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The following was supposed to run in a slightly different draft on Huffington Post a couple of months ago, but I guess the editor either changed her mind or it was forgotten. The opener is a little dated (does anyone even remember the "Earth 2100" ABC News special?), but the rest is still valid. Does it belong on this blog? Well, it’s sort of apocalyptic, so why not?</span><br /><br />Recently ABC aired a special called “<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Earth2100/">Earth 2100</a>”, which featured a “graphic novel”<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >‡</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> in which the protagonist—an old woman named Lucy—looks back on her life from 100 years in the future. In animatics bolstered by news footage and expert testimony (scientists, journalists and the like), we watch the world turn to shit over the course of the two-hour presentation. But at about the half-hour mark, any sympathy I might have mustered for fictional Lucy went down the drain. Why? Because at this point, after already witnessing the world spiraling into ruin for the first 18 years of her life, Lucy and her equally fictional boyfriend hook up, get married (after two months) and have a kid of their own. Yes, Lucy, eyewitness to humanity’s folly, decides it’s a good idea to bring another child into the world she’s watched deteriorate since her own birth precisely because there are already too many goddamned people on the planet.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">One of the luxuries—if you could call it that—of not having kids is I don’t even have to pretend to be optimistic about the future. I marvel at people who have kids, because they either 1) actually believe everything is going to be all right for them and their offspring, or 2) don’t really think or care about the future as long as things are comfortable in the here and now, or 3) are totally freaking out about how bad the future looks while maintaining a brave front for their kids, or 4) have a healthy awareness of the present situation and hope for the best as they do what little they can to make the world a slightly better place.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >¥</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> By all evidence, things are not going to be getting better any time soon, if ever. As long as the greening of this planet is going to cost more green than it makes, it won’t be up for serious consideration. Sure, politicians make lip service to change while looking pinched and thoughtful, but really nothing is happening. Not at the speed that is needed</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, what are these parents seeing that I’m not? Are their glasses that rose-colored or are do they just think if they clap hard enough Tinkerbell will live?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bill Hicks once said, “I'm tired of this back-slapping ‘isn’t humanity neat?’ bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are.” The Matrix regurgitated that thought when Agent Smith contemptuously sneered, “Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with its surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply, and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet.” We all want to be Neo, but Agent Smith was the one with whom I found myself in agreement. In 1964, when I was born, the world population was 3.276 billion. It is now roughly 6.788 billion. It’s more than doubled in 45 years. That is horrifying and unsustainable. Too many being born, not enough dying.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Even Obama, with his two young daughters’ futures at stake, is proffering less than half-measures for a brighter tomorrow. He wants American cars by 2016 to get 35.5 miles a gallon. Big whoop. <a href="http://www.greencarcongress.com/2004/11/average_fuel_co.html">Average fuel consumption in Europe is 47% better than here</a>. The Fiat 500 gets 50 mpg, and Fiat has the lowest carbon emissions of any manufacturer in Europe. Maybe they’ll bring some of that here with their partnership with Chrysler, but I won’t hold my breath (though that might not be a bad idea). The VW Jetta TDI gets 44.9 mpg. Those models aren’t for export to the USA. The technology exists, so why isn’t it mandated from on high that all new cars built/sold here get equal or better mileage? Since the government has already bailed out all of three US auto manufacturers shouldn’t we, as stockholders, demand that they do better? C’mon, Obama, have the audacity of audacity. Push them around; show them who’s boss. They shouldn’t even be making cars any more. Retool the factories and have them build wind turbines or some other green technology.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The thing that sickens me to my marrow is that there are solutions for all the world’s human-induced woes but none of them are being pursued with any vigor whatsoever. I read articles all the time about implementable ideas that could make life better. Vertical farming comes to mind. Build upward instead of outward. You could have farms in every major city, which would 1) create jobs (how cool would it be to have urban farmers?), 2) grow food in cities and thereby 3) cut back on truck farming? You cut back on having to deliver food to urban centers and that would cut back on gas usage and pollution.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">As long as corporations put profit ahead of everything else, we are screwed. So, what I’m saying is screwed we are, because that tune ain’t apt to change. Nothing I’ve seen persuades me in the least that this course will be averted or (ha!) reversed. Humans, by and large, are greedy, willfully ignorant beasts with very little foresight. I’m not saying we’re doomed today or tomorrow or the day after that, but I’m glad I’ll [hopefully] be dead before it all becomes too unbearable.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But maybe I’m kidding myself. C’mon, everyone: clap harder for Tinkerbell. For fuck’s sake, clap as hard as you can! </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> ________________________________ </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >‡</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yeah, I know; Charlie Gibson could barely bring himself to say it, mumbling instead about it being a "graphics [sic] novel." Okay, ABC, way to embrace a "new" term, but let's call a spade a hoe, okay: it was a cartoon. That said, it was a very handsome cartoon designed by some very talented friends and acquaintances of mine, so kudos to them for getting a sweet gig and doing solid work. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >¥</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There are actually a lot more eithers and ors, but I can't list them all. Suffice it to say that given my wiring, I don't see how I could bring a kid into a world this precarious. And </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I’m not even addressing religion, terrorism, nuclear weapons, etc. This would be an epic not an essay, then.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> We're Coming up on seven billion. That’s the amount in Harry Harrison’s nightmare overpopulation novel, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_Room%21_Make_Room%21"><span style="font-style: italic;">Make Room! Make Room! </span></a>Yeesh. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-61177892714572994152009-08-27T01:02:00.000-07:002009-08-27T01:43:01.507-07:00Homage or Rip-off?<p class="MsoNormal">Recently I finally had the pleasure of seeing one of my Holy Grail movies, namely 1959’s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053454/"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The World, The Flesh And The Devil</span></a>, starring Harry Belafonte, Inger Stevens and Mel Ferrer. It’s a post-apocalyptic movie loosely based on what is considered the first modern post-apocalyptic novel, M.P. Shiel’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Purple_Cloud"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Purple Cloud</span></a> (1901). It’s a very interesting meditation on race, relations between the sexes and the end of the world as we know it. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000896/">Belafonte</a> is a commanding presence as a Pennsylvania mining safety inspector who gets trapped in a mine during what appears, at first, to be a routine cave-in, only to emerge five days later to discover he’s the last man on earth. Or is he? He travels by stolen car to nearby New York City, having to walk through the Lincoln Tunnel because it’s too clogged with empty cars to drive into (one wonders if Stephen King’s<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stand">The Stand</a> </span>was influenced by this powerful image). </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As I watched, a frisson of familiarity tickled the back of my brain. <span style="font-style: italic;">I’ve seen some of this before</span>, the tickle said. <span style="font-style: italic;">Recently, too</span>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnRP4RWE7DFoLcFS4Ape-YcuVb-8L0wrhznskaFL8jx52Aa0PL7BRIqar9c_KCh_L42VKQjC2YGqHSHPoIoZlOOkp1KVtfUMZhDmfttA1FridZmZBQzDUxxeRg-QrQwmsSU0P-MR0VHQ/s1600-h/IAmLegend.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnRP4RWE7DFoLcFS4Ape-YcuVb-8L0wrhznskaFL8jx52Aa0PL7BRIqar9c_KCh_L42VKQjC2YGqHSHPoIoZlOOkp1KVtfUMZhDmfttA1FridZmZBQzDUxxeRg-QrQwmsSU0P-MR0VHQ/s320/IAmLegend.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374555841664483842" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Richard Matheson’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Legend"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I am Legend</span> </a>is one of my all-time favorite novels. Ever. I reread it every few years and it’s always good. Three movies have been based on it: the most faithful, but low-budgeted Vincent Price vehicle<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058700/">The Last Man on Earth</a></span> (1964), the groovy, Chuck Heston-driven, albino-afroed <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067525/"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Omega Man</span></a> (1971) and most recently, the ironically least faithful, Will Smith-starrer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480249/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I am Legend</span></a> (2007). I won’t even get into the nitty gritty of why the Will Smith version falls the farthest from Matheson’s source material, because that’s not germane to this essay.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What is relevant is how much of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The World, The Flesh And The Devil</span> was plagiarized (or do I want to be open-minded and polite and say paid homage) in 2007’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I am Legend</span>.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The World, The Flesh And The Devil</span> (heretofore to be referred to as <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">TWTFATD</span>), Belafonte, slowly going mad from loneliness, makes friends with mannequins: </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYOv4H5ekr-wxH8WYGREioLpskR-UkchtYlUQlp_SiOEj-uzXIktWRwRc_SCN2Prq8Psk5-6tXH8hgLK9nrpxeQJGEBt4IL2hs4ObzZlWlUa2Ns02us_IqYAeRtjHJsRdHZp_4ye0l58/s1600-h/TWTFTD-Belafonte-and-Mannequin-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYOv4H5ekr-wxH8WYGREioLpskR-UkchtYlUQlp_SiOEj-uzXIktWRwRc_SCN2Prq8Psk5-6tXH8hgLK9nrpxeQJGEBt4IL2hs4ObzZlWlUa2Ns02us_IqYAeRtjHJsRdHZp_4ye0l58/s320/TWTFTD-Belafonte-and-Mannequin-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374553458658780690" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I am Legend</span> (ibid. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">IAL</span>), Smith, slowly going mad from loneliness, makes friends with mannequins:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLTMi_M4y5XaaY3uJTAZuIPwpiSevdn5Ijepls4Oc5uZAmcGGi9qai9x2yTk1IcGB_wMTbos_aW2lxdK_qmJvcvGwsOaFMZ9kwBaEJhuHBvSBtmdst5N2BSdXK50nSOJcd5CxnzDwBys/s1600-h/IAL-Smith-and-Mannequin-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLTMi_M4y5XaaY3uJTAZuIPwpiSevdn5Ijepls4Oc5uZAmcGGi9qai9x2yTk1IcGB_wMTbos_aW2lxdK_qmJvcvGwsOaFMZ9kwBaEJhuHBvSBtmdst5N2BSdXK50nSOJcd5CxnzDwBys/s320/IAL-Smith-and-Mannequin-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374553455836625394" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">TWTFATD</span>, Belafonte broadcasts to the world in hopes of finding other survivors:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEVpDycQprDlcu2-Au3wWuIuYeOZfB0ZLzJk1HK3C4j6kRuJHc5uxsY2gOGojVkwmqwJKx0QoQ69kJLtIawDmUGBlvNLnvQIDf2npeLuJHoqdohoRTb95UDHbRS_curYQ0Ir6JDGYOC4/s1600-h/TWTFTD-Belfonte-Broadcasting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEVpDycQprDlcu2-Au3wWuIuYeOZfB0ZLzJk1HK3C4j6kRuJHc5uxsY2gOGojVkwmqwJKx0QoQ69kJLtIawDmUGBlvNLnvQIDf2npeLuJHoqdohoRTb95UDHbRS_curYQ0Ir6JDGYOC4/s320/TWTFTD-Belfonte-Broadcasting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374553618776310210" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">IAL</span>, Smith broadcasts to the world in hopes of finding other survivors:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y09fuibayWfrecfalNl7GLY0SL5P-W4Z-oBw2qMdWBl_GdqITpWqcXmj8cPCxS_gbuDa6y4a0a5F06TXdESO00loicnxwKB5KHrEzrXu72au-F6N1jUA7ind2FnjVSMcUb0-73somqs/s1600-h/IAL-Smith-Broadcasting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y09fuibayWfrecfalNl7GLY0SL5P-W4Z-oBw2qMdWBl_GdqITpWqcXmj8cPCxS_gbuDa6y4a0a5F06TXdESO00loicnxwKB5KHrEzrXu72au-F6N1jUA7ind2FnjVSMcUb0-73somqs/s320/IAL-Smith-Broadcasting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374553422491776082" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">TWTFATD</span>, Belfonte runs through an impressive shot of a totally abandoned Times Square carrying a rifle:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharpIq0hEyN5JPB1ks73lGiupjd_ZIx5b5BUItJdqa9RuYDuoq9FaIusxnBSXt7rjFPfPrBtkoQsbj-OxDzu6P3emI6j7Z_n1uVIV82BCoJtSZd2WFggl6oALkgV5Nr41u45n3i6pKMTI/s1600-h/TWTFTD-Times-Sq-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharpIq0hEyN5JPB1ks73lGiupjd_ZIx5b5BUItJdqa9RuYDuoq9FaIusxnBSXt7rjFPfPrBtkoQsbj-OxDzu6P3emI6j7Z_n1uVIV82BCoJtSZd2WFggl6oALkgV5Nr41u45n3i6pKMTI/s320/TWTFTD-Times-Sq-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374553440942613442" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">IAL</span>, Smith runs through an impressive shot of a totally abandoned Times Square carrying a rifle:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9LYLDqdgxuM1WxOig_UK79FdX8TmSekcp6LyvMVapVgvlK2biUay5dF3YbNmQN55l3ZCVwKrg8cLXWucAiNGmW-hR79BOqlf0VlFZCz8jk4X2dBRYf9ahKSrof76E0vopk_kwiRBqf4/s1600-h/IAL-Times-Sq-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9LYLDqdgxuM1WxOig_UK79FdX8TmSekcp6LyvMVapVgvlK2biUay5dF3YbNmQN55l3ZCVwKrg8cLXWucAiNGmW-hR79BOqlf0VlFZCz8jk4X2dBRYf9ahKSrof76E0vopk_kwiRBqf4/s320/IAL-Times-Sq-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374553622673021330" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the book <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I am Legend</span>, the lead character does none of the above (particularly not the final one because it's set in California), so the movie version seems to have cherry-picked this striking imagery from <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">TWTFATD</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m just saying.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><!--EndFragment--></p>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-21401823216962149322009-06-19T12:17:00.000-07:002009-06-19T12:18:19.412-07:00FROM THE ASHES #2 TEASER TRAILER<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d4VUMOdu1ss&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d4VUMOdu1ss&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-81812531404661655082009-05-27T10:56:00.000-07:002009-05-27T10:58:18.083-07:00SUICIDE GIRLS INTERVIEWNice, longish <a href="http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Bob+Fingerman%3A+Finding+Humor+After+the+Apocalypse/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">interview conducted by Alex Dueben on Suicide Girls</span></a>. Thank, Alex! And thank you Suicide Girls. Long may your tattoos and piercings reign.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-51919332325120985232009-05-21T22:35:00.000-07:002009-05-21T22:36:56.384-07:00Audio Interview on InkstudsNice, lengthy interview with Robin McConnell and Colin Upton on <a href="http://inkstuds.com/?p=2042"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inkstuds</span></a>.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-74413255266629686732009-05-20T21:59:00.001-07:002009-05-20T22:00:34.656-07:00Audio Interview on The Pull List<a href="http://pulllist.blogspot.com/2009/05/episode-78-from-ashes-1-lockjaw-pet.html">Check it out</a>. And then check out their archives. Thanks, Craig and Sean.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-41285303045340103012009-05-18T14:24:00.001-07:002009-05-18T14:24:50.180-07:00Newsarama Review<a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.newsarama.com/comics/050918-BestShots.html">Newsarama</a> takes on FTA#1.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-42966486165421696882009-05-13T13:03:00.000-07:002009-05-13T13:08:36.388-07:00More FTA Press<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/comics/050913-Ashes-Fingerman.html">Newsarama</a>. <a href="http://www.fangoriaonline.com/features/comic-screams/12-comics-news/2419-creator-talks-from-the-ashes-comic.html">Fangoria</a>. <a href="http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/05/talking-comics-with-tim-bob-fingerman/">Robot 6</a>.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-82319821318673069892009-05-11T23:59:00.000-07:002009-05-12T00:00:04.089-07:00Page-Turning Preview of FTA #1<div><embed src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" menu="false" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" flashvars="mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true&documentId=090508211708-15a34d98bdbe4ab7ac1f46b53f678660&docName=fromtheashes_1&username=ryall&loadingInfoText=From%20the%20Ashes%20%231&et=1242111518523&er=56" style="width:420px;height:319px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:420px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://issuu.com/ryall/docs/fromtheashes_1?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true" target="_blank">Open publication</a> - Free <a href="http://issuu.com" target="_blank">publishing</a> - <a href="http://issuu.com/search?q=idw" target="_blank">More idw</a></div></div>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-75734276091998634032009-05-11T20:27:00.000-07:002009-05-11T20:46:18.799-07:00FTA #1 TEASER TRAILER<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyqtWXaTodwvc0MchBk1s_IHNUww8DZ7JAk8THKo7j7a-MhUDUPXC4JXlCBDOry4mdOAMJj5UZ18XVXRren0Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-31012923845898491882009-05-06T12:53:00.000-07:002009-05-06T12:55:10.186-07:00Links to FTA PressI wrote a piece for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-fingerman/from-the-ashes-of-new-yor_b_197168.html">The Huffington Post</a> and there's a preview on <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/05/from_the_ashes.html#">New York Magazine</a>'s website. Check 'em out!Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-10044887400554330822009-04-30T20:51:00.000-07:002009-04-30T20:54:13.030-07:00Free Preview on THE BEATCheck it out. First seven pages of FTA and a nice write-up from comics doyen Heidi MacDonald on her Publishers Weekly blog <a href="http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2009/04/30/exclusive-preview-from-the-ashes-1/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE BEAT</span></a>.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-70974861817479611802009-04-28T16:32:00.000-07:002009-04-28T16:40:21.802-07:00Cover Thumbnails!Here are cover thumbnails for the first three issues. The covers will be posted shortly (with permission from <a href="http://store.idwpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=1685">IDW</a>).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RoDy_7qt4ME3RKq13W_jLMR4lCsfX3LEivNb__w86jLgEHSRqMsJ5brPKPo6z6LFrpUF0Xk3Nijrzt16bkGn2cWFTS1TrdSS5t2z-xHWfMUh323v72w5mR2xyZVHTk8GodrnJfza7co/s1600-h/cover-thumbs-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RoDy_7qt4ME3RKq13W_jLMR4lCsfX3LEivNb__w86jLgEHSRqMsJ5brPKPo6z6LFrpUF0Xk3Nijrzt16bkGn2cWFTS1TrdSS5t2z-xHWfMUh323v72w5mR2xyZVHTk8GodrnJfza7co/s320/cover-thumbs-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329890652810355330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-gMZDu2NloLrUFAh0yOY6LOqRYfdmPH7V5Tw6hTw4Cgp9aRfv9rzJ5M4qwUpH1qMuhHFpRcH5Clw1ZOl3kh1rTgTpnHGu3SqiubdTcrnmVtTW_u2venznZfSSsl_es_EaxmJsn8WPwY/s1600-h/cover-thumbs-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-gMZDu2NloLrUFAh0yOY6LOqRYfdmPH7V5Tw6hTw4Cgp9aRfv9rzJ5M4qwUpH1qMuhHFpRcH5Clw1ZOl3kh1rTgTpnHGu3SqiubdTcrnmVtTW_u2venznZfSSsl_es_EaxmJsn8WPwY/s320/cover-thumbs-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329890652678524546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrqp1e_gbZSKthwFJDETVF-NznUidKJJ3gnS1XuQ-Mi7hOZl3wUzJ7wuZNQHJWxU905RAmBu6SFvbhk1eVi6qwuYYh5ssSu3l-XN9BrNYbbgYGmaOnQ3l17v7CDrWiUo9e5EJswLJyFU/s1600-h/cover-thumb-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrqp1e_gbZSKthwFJDETVF-NznUidKJJ3gnS1XuQ-Mi7hOZl3wUzJ7wuZNQHJWxU905RAmBu6SFvbhk1eVi6qwuYYh5ssSu3l-XN9BrNYbbgYGmaOnQ3l17v7CDrWiUo9e5EJswLJyFU/s320/cover-thumb-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329890651457545714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Fis1_BGnCV1gyLyknPNOJn26T5EJClNuMEtZLw9Kj5sMTmt_bX5YXByPZLWr0M9boi2mCBn0s1HEoqZJHod1L6rgny2PoAetUDCOQt5D862X6aTRdrXoyOCn7baNnWYycW0NxoKuD6A/s1600-h/cover-thumbs-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Fis1_BGnCV1gyLyknPNOJn26T5EJClNuMEtZLw9Kj5sMTmt_bX5YXByPZLWr0M9boi2mCBn0s1HEoqZJHod1L6rgny2PoAetUDCOQt5D862X6aTRdrXoyOCn7baNnWYycW0NxoKuD6A/s320/cover-thumbs-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329890650858319842" border="0" /></a>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-18701023644038682372009-04-10T12:41:00.000-07:002009-04-17T23:34:14.983-07:00FINISHED!As of five-something in the morning I have finished <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">From the Ashes</span>. It's <span style="font-style: italic;">done</span>. I still have three covers to deliver, but the book is done—<span style="font-style: italic;">all <span style="font-weight: bold;">144-pages</span> of it! </span>I'm really proud of it and can't wait for it to start coming out. Fortunately, the wait will be short. First issue hits the shelves on May 13th, 2009, so be sure to visit your local comic shop and buy it.Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-90177901719375493742009-03-31T23:54:00.000-07:002009-03-31T23:55:53.850-07:00More to Read...Add this to my "to read" pile. Looks like a great collection.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46QJ2ehEStNQrISZLCnvK0uKmSPY71OvS3FbNrgnHOr3CLrccKRz1DAM4vK2m5Qao-nD6S6lLEm-PzLaJxO6nk_l3j67A2CAvFdQHMcZwHjSkNtwcaXhAiCAPkGUrZk3DRKKpzzOzG3k/s1600-h/41RbuDOk+iL._SL500_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46QJ2ehEStNQrISZLCnvK0uKmSPY71OvS3FbNrgnHOr3CLrccKRz1DAM4vK2m5Qao-nD6S6lLEm-PzLaJxO6nk_l3j67A2CAvFdQHMcZwHjSkNtwcaXhAiCAPkGUrZk3DRKKpzzOzG3k/s320/41RbuDOk+iL._SL500_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319613075335402482" border="0" /></a>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121487824685778711.post-6024448938201172392009-03-29T14:23:00.000-07:002009-03-29T15:27:45.313-07:00Robot Holocaust: A DepreciationIn the canon of post-apocalypse movies, few turds float as high and proud as this personal favorite, 1986’s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093872/"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Robot Holocaust</span></a>. I first became aware of this truly independent piece of cinema courtesy of<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.mst3k.com/">Mystery Science Theater 3000</a></span>. Though the show hadn’t really come into its own (it was a first season entry), the fodder for their barbs was of such high/low caliber I sought out an un-Mystied version.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvs0TOD3bCN7J4gI-KHYGuLA2WVwDiVuxxdSNo9HnH4S54Q8aEi3Pc6wWqWjjrOU3kzza4jDcy48dnE9XTK4jlB9VmxzU9KF0yYcfrffjlsq58whTYhjs0AswCLDEb2XCzghSwA7FZx88/s1600-h/merry-band.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvs0TOD3bCN7J4gI-KHYGuLA2WVwDiVuxxdSNo9HnH4S54Q8aEi3Pc6wWqWjjrOU3kzza4jDcy48dnE9XTK4jlB9VmxzU9KF0yYcfrffjlsq58whTYhjs0AswCLDEb2XCzghSwA7FZx88/s320/merry-band.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318730374274812546" border="0" /></a><br />The plot has something to do with air being a precious commodity and the control thereof is in the hands of “Dark One” and his flunkies (the buxom, lisping, Teutonic totty Valaria and her robot henchman who looks like a mash-up of a Roman centurion and a crawfish). A slave revolt is outsourced to bland nomadic hero, Neo (years before <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Matrix</span>) and his ad hoc unmerry band of misfits, including his robot sidekick, Torque, a bleating “homage” to C-3PO. There’s also a man-hating Amazon, a mute barbarian and Deeja, the busty daughter of the slave rebellion’s actual leader, Jorn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuh0xRA2blfgZFob7MCneGDdLp7duBBLn5wKgOHlnV1-INLxSYsl6NlFFRmvEF2dT-yxAtP8LbNCXNYA2YhboSxlJ610IPqeLpZWyUR3WFFgWrmKIJyIDKmpQ3GtR5biVnwoyWbwuz0-Q/s1600-h/that-fucking-robot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuh0xRA2blfgZFob7MCneGDdLp7duBBLn5wKgOHlnV1-INLxSYsl6NlFFRmvEF2dT-yxAtP8LbNCXNYA2YhboSxlJ610IPqeLpZWyUR3WFFgWrmKIJyIDKmpQ3GtR5biVnwoyWbwuz0-Q/s320/that-fucking-robot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318730388331810914" border="0" /></a><br />Everyone in this movie seems sedated; bland, robotic and unemotional (except, ironically, the annoying robot). In the end, when Deeja encounters her father, Jorn, who has been turned into some avocado-like blob with just his head remaining, her emotional spectrum runs from bland horror to bland acceptance. But then again, even as he pleads for her to kill him, Jorn seems pretty sanguine about his vegetal predicament.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLy6ewwIHVyYpao-4iAwOFWCsb3lv8pwzFn84lKxLObQajD6TKB3rQSZrcGOk0DQ9nrjRkW07co7zl3uGWlpCPg2D9VkUQt2edZEUXKBwuRHCRFVuW8TISGrmfHzSLFsiDvHH9pdPDgY/s1600-h/avocado-cu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLy6ewwIHVyYpao-4iAwOFWCsb3lv8pwzFn84lKxLObQajD6TKB3rQSZrcGOk0DQ9nrjRkW07co7zl3uGWlpCPg2D9VkUQt2edZEUXKBwuRHCRFVuW8TISGrmfHzSLFsiDvHH9pdPDgY/s320/avocado-cu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318731305521623202" border="0" /></a><br />Made by gay porn auteur (no, I’m not kidding), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Kincaid">Tim Kinkaid</a>, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Robot Holocaust </span>takes place in the futuristic wastelands of New York City, which seem in rather good shape despite the ominous intonations of the narrator. The skyline, seen often in backgrounds, is pristine (as the Twin Towers were still standing, it’s actually in better shape than it is now). The “ruins” consist mainly of collapsed rusty structures along the Hudson River and the ubiquitous (at least in cheapjack PA movies) remains of the <a href="http://www.rioc.com/renwick.htm">smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island</a> . Some of the wasteland sequence also takes place in verdant Central Park. They must have shot this entire movie without permits. Oh for a DVD with commentary track!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CV2fQafz8xO4_oFFYtwSXNkAxjkCfiz3mGECcsW67wOmv8N6Lzq_rPkYmTd7yJ87dm7XkCmJMDxq410bfPPe3_OgQRx9Yqg2IwJdTeGPo2vcr8Krz0xJnTsF_KsbJXeyhk1XaZJTj8Q/s1600-h/more-wastelands.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CV2fQafz8xO4_oFFYtwSXNkAxjkCfiz3mGECcsW67wOmv8N6Lzq_rPkYmTd7yJ87dm7XkCmJMDxq410bfPPe3_OgQRx9Yqg2IwJdTeGPo2vcr8Krz0xJnTsF_KsbJXeyhk1XaZJTj8Q/s320/more-wastelands.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318730383733094818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh3HahRg_AgFgEJ6tfobzyIwxj-cu-4o-Q2NvxbjJ6XRl31sIpMVtcyHiONYX32LRbibT1jseDDVSv2pBKjFLmljvxv8Zt-Wy-5gMxeOXFXf-iFTrBIt9KrlrCMrr-HpUZsqxsyKpMGc/s1600-h/the-wastelands.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh3HahRg_AgFgEJ6tfobzyIwxj-cu-4o-Q2NvxbjJ6XRl31sIpMVtcyHiONYX32LRbibT1jseDDVSv2pBKjFLmljvxv8Zt-Wy-5gMxeOXFXf-iFTrBIt9KrlrCMrr-HpUZsqxsyKpMGc/s320/the-wastelands.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318730383810499474" border="0" /></a><br />I love this movie. Some people will casually throw around the name Ed Wood when describing a bad movie, but few ever live up to that comparison. I’ve had several friends sit through this epic with me and all have been awed by its awesomeness. If you can track down a copy (sadly only on old VHS), treat yourself to some fine post-apocalyptic entertainment. Or watch some paint dry. Your choice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmqFUhnkuyAcCRdE5jW5tUGu-y7irAMbZJmRIT59gscTEDaxtxmMImFpf3oQEJHU_Axdtd4Z0HcFaw78AevNA5PA6muNWZRCCJgmopp9bkED0Xcna1Gc3M6LvmNvHeuYPbT6I4nlps0o/s1600-h/valaria-robot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmqFUhnkuyAcCRdE5jW5tUGu-y7irAMbZJmRIT59gscTEDaxtxmMImFpf3oQEJHU_Axdtd4Z0HcFaw78AevNA5PA6muNWZRCCJgmopp9bkED0Xcna1Gc3M6LvmNvHeuYPbT6I4nlps0o/s320/valaria-robot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318730649408677058" border="0" /></a>BONUS: The brief nudity left out of the MST3K version:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUP2DDh83ohW2aLATUA5koiA5Kx0eUHjoOMtkEEsed9TqkjNzEe5Je8FE1wHpeeoHSR1qDJlCOvSwyIUZe29KlzA4JL5EFJNyHhH02lzpMmeKKSF9yNVPi1TNC9Qz5ODuH9o8BIGdp1o/s1600-h/valaria-tits.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUP2DDh83ohW2aLATUA5koiA5Kx0eUHjoOMtkEEsed9TqkjNzEe5Je8FE1wHpeeoHSR1qDJlCOvSwyIUZe29KlzA4JL5EFJNyHhH02lzpMmeKKSF9yNVPi1TNC9Qz5ODuH9o8BIGdp1o/s320/valaria-tits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318733414685641186" border="0" /></a>Bob Fingermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985924051708608925noreply@blogger.com0