Behind the Times

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

2010-09-26T16:31:00.000-04:00

Hi, for the last time from this locale.

Having been blogging here erratically since 2006 and having only 314 page views to show for it, I am relocating the blog to a more convenient place.

You can now find the blog at http://behindthetimes.superhumantimes.com/.

The new location places it under the same domain as the website, which makes it easier for me to manage both and, in the unlikely event anyone shows up to read about the show, easier to find. (I have no illusions of attracting a wider audience; I just want to fail in a more organized manner.)

I'm keeping this account active so that my prehistoric entries about the show, and the remembrances of my friends Robbie G., Jim C., Tucker, and Shalla, will be here for the curious. If there's a way to import them to the new blog, I might, but for now, this is fine.

Let me close by saying that this move should not imply that I have any complaint with Blogger. I have enjoyed using it and, were I doing personal blogging only, would eagerly use it again. (Who knows? I still might.) I just heard the Daleks in my head chanting, "Con-so-li-date, Con-so-li-date," and they made sense.

Months of nothing, then two entries in one day, and one of 'em's the last one. Perhaps it's the start of a Renaissance. Or the end of one.

Either way, join me, won't you?

-- L.

Long Time, No Shows -- Razmig Likes Us!

2010-09-26T11:37:00.001-04:00

Hi.

No, there are no new Times stories finished yet, but I wanted to make public an email which Prometheus Grand Poobah Steve Wilson forwarded to me on September 23. (Note: Any typos have been corrected, and references to specific stories clarified where necessary, by me.]

I just wanted to drop you a line and say that I have greatly enjoyed listening to SuperHuman Times. I have listened to all the episodes twice now. I have really enjoyed listening to them each and every single time. I really disliked the [alien] in “Close Encounters,” episode four. The actor portrayed him so brilliantly. The family dynamics in “Risk Management” was just so great. I found myself laughing at the byplay between mother and daughters. Until the very end, I honestly thought the book’s owner had somehow stolen it himself. Talk about an episode chalk full of surprises. I didn’t like ["Dashing"’s] Trevor Desmond until the very end when he made up for all his narcissistic ways by helping Chip out after Chip helped him. In episode five’s closing credits, Lance Woods said that there were two more episodes coming to close out season one. I hope that’s still true. I can’t wait to take a listen to those if that still is the case. Thanks again to you and your fellow Prometheans for the series.

Sincerely,

Razmig Der Torossian

Okay, okay. We'll keep at it. Thanks to Razmig, and to anyone else who's still with us, for hanging on this long. We'll do our best to make it worth the wait.

-- L.

Our Girl Shalla, 1996-2010

2010-06-18T21:37:00.000-04:00

Hi.

Since I've shared the misadventures of our superhuman dog, Shalla, here in the past, I thought it appropriate to interrupt our regularly scheduled plugging (or non-plugging, as we have nothing to plug -- yet) for some sad news.

This evening, after watching her health decline rapidly in recent days, we said goodbye to our dear girl. She was 14.

Shalla was diagnosed with diabetes last fall. Since then, her state has varied from steady to shaky. During the last few days, she acted disoriented, wandering in and out of room after room on legs that were growing more unsteady by the day. Watching her struggle to pick herself up from a lie-down was painful. Tonight, when we came home, she lay on the living room floor, her breathing shallow, barely responsive to our calls. Cindy carried her out as the three of us went to the car and up the street to the animal hospital. There, her regular vet checked her out and confirmed that a) she was dehydrated, which we suspected, despite having lots of water, b) she really wasn’t “with us” anymore, as we suspected from her behavior, and c) there was nothing else to do. We agreed; the tell-tale sign for us was that, for the first time in more than 11 years of vet visits, she wasn’t shaking all over.

When they brought Shalla in after prepping her, our 10-year-old son Greg said a tearful goodbye, as did we all, but couldn’t stay for The End, so Cindy took him outside (she would have stayed otherwise). He was very brave to stay that long, and we told him so. I remained for the procedure until she was gone, and thanked our vet and the staff for everything they’d done for Shalla and our other dog, Tucker, over the years. (I also told them that, eventually, we’d be back. I can’t imagine this house without a dog. Well, after I recover financially from this one.)

I cursed Shalla often for her many fights with Tucker, but I’m glad we didn’t get rid of her. When she was top dog around here, without “competition”, she was a sweetheart, and I’m glad we had a few years with just her around to experience that. It makes saying goodbye a lot harder, but that’s okay. It should be hard, even if it’s for the best.

Besides, if there’s a doggie heaven, you can bet Shalla has it all to herself. She'll be fine.

G’night, sweet pea. Sleep well.

Coming Soon...

2010-05-29T23:11:00.000-04:00

No kidding: A major announcement regarding the new Times stories, one I that I hope will surprise and amuse you.

Til then, thanks for hanging around.

-- L.

Two Years Later...

2010-05-25T20:27:00.001-04:00

Hi.

Actually, it was two years ago on Monday that the last chapter of "Dashing" -- and, for the time being, of Times -- hit the web, but I was too busy with other things to mark the occasion until now.

Believe it or not, Steve Wilson and the Prometheus gang are still recording the new stories in between, you know, living and working, so I hope you'll hear them before the sun burns out.

And if they don't get 'em done soon, I'm gonna record them myself. All the parts. Even the women.

I'm not kidding.

Stay tuned. This may get even more interesting. Hell, how can it not?

-- L.

2010-04-24T09:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks for waiting.
-- L.

Exiting 2009

2009-12-31T18:31:00.000-05:00

Hi.

Well, so much for keeping this on a weekly basis. I tried but the holidays got the better of me, and, frankly, there hasn't been anything new to report. More than a year after the last story aired (a year and a half now, I think), there are still no new SuperHuman Times stories online.

They're still in production -- really! -- but Prometheus leader Steve Wilson has had other things demanding his attention, all of which are legitimate. Still, it's been pretty demoralizing writing about what must seem to the outside world like a non-existent "product".

However, people have continued to ask me about the new stuff, and if I have one thing to be grateful for in 2009, that's it. So in gratitude, I thank all of you for your ongoing interest. It keeps me from pulling the plug on this enterprise, which I've wanted to do MANY times in the last 18 months. I truly hope what we TRY to get online in 2010 won't disappoint you.

For now, though, enjoy your countdowns to 2010, as well as the year that follows. And thanks again.

-- L.

Dinosaurs (Me and Some Others)

2009-11-01T14:57:00.004-05:00

Hi.

What did you do on your Halloween morning? I put on a suit and ran around a park with dinosaurs in pursuit of a new Facebook profile/SuperHuman Times publicity pic.

Okay, some particulars: the shots were taken in Dinosaur Land, a nifty little park 2 hours out of Baltimore in Virginia’s gorgeous Shenandoah Valley. (I used to travel through the area when appearing at Rovacon with the Boogie Knights, but that was long ago and far away. Thankfully, it’s still much prettier in the fall than I am year-round.) This is a small park with only one key attraction: more than 40 life-sized (more or less) papier-mâché dinosaurs and a few monsters (giant octopus, giant cobra, King Kong, and others). Greg, our 9-year-old, loves dinos, and we waited through three weeks of bad weather for a Saturday that was right for taking him, and Halloween was it.

Unnecessary Legal Note (which I add because I’m a decent guy): The fact that we shot these pics unaccosted at Dinosaur Land does not constitute the park’s endorsement of SuperHuman Times. It just means that we were the first people in the park that morning and were able to get away with this.

After exposing Greg to such things as the Dinosaur ride at Disney World, and other sophisticated Audio-Animatronic attractions,
we weren’t sure how much he’d enjoy something so kitschy.

But he loved it, as you can see.

So, other than entertaining our son, why did I put my long-suffering wife -- who took those shots, by the way; thanks, Cindy -- through the embarrassment of playing dress-up? Simply, I wanted something a little more, how shall I say it, “me” than the “Bond shot” I’ve been using everywhere, including here. Not that anyone was ever fooled into thinking I was sophisticated and urbane. I just wanted to try a different direction .

Less 007, more CIA.

I refer, of course, to James’s US counterpart, Felix Leiter, specifically as portrayed by Cec Linder in my favorite Bond flick, Goldfinger. Of course, this Felix is renowned for being the most obvious Company operative in movie history, but I'll take him over the cipher who played him in The Living Daylights anytime. (And there's no way I could pull off the 2 cool Felixes, Jeffrey Wright and David Hedison. "Obvious" I can do.)

I was also influenced to some extent by Mark “Deep Throat” Felt, the FBI agent who helped Woodward & Bernstein bring down the Nixon administration. Isn’t this a great shot? It’s on the cover of his book.

I had a retro-looking suit already, but even in this era when Mad Men has made ‘60s-era clothes hep again, it was hard finding a snap-brim hat in the color I wanted. And while these pics may make the rig look a little more like Kolchak than Leiter, they’re enough to make someone wonder, “WTF is that about?” And maybe check out the show. I just hope they won’t be too disappointed when dinos don’t show up.

Of course, by the time the new stories are ready – they’re still in the studio, along with several other Prometheus Radio Theatre projects -- dinos may evolve back into existence. By then, I may be out of what is clearly turning into a pretty sad, delusional midlife.

Thanks for your patience, with me and with the wait for the new episodes.

-- L.

Behind the Times: Why Bother? Blame Elliott Lewis.

2009-10-23T21:32:00.001-04:00

Hi.

First, let me apologize for my absence last week. I wasn’t felled by the flu, swinish or otherwise, nor was I writing new scripts, because I’ve resolved not to start another run of Times until the current new stories are done. I simply had nothing new to blog about. The new Times episodes are still in the studio, and I’m still waiting to hear them, just like you are.

Well, maybe not like you. I’ve got a little more invested in them. And while I’m looking forward to their eventual premieres, I have to tell you, I’ve been a little disheartened of late by the wait. And that there’s no way to tell if anyone has discovered the show through our earlier episodes. And that this blog seems to be an exercise in vanity (then, again, what blog isn’t?) rather than a useful promotional tool, judging by the number of responses my teasers on Wizard Universe and Newsarama have/haven't been generating.

As much as I love writing these podcasts, and writing about them, I actually found myself wondering, “Why bother?”

And this week, I was reminded of a reason.

This shouldn’t surprise you, but I listen to Sirius/XM’s Radio Classics channel quite a bit, sometimes for pure entertainment (Jack Benny is STILL The God of Comedy) and sometimes to listen to how they created dramatic shows back in the Golden Age; you know, for pointers. One of the biggest names in radio at that time was Elliott Lewis – producer, director, actor, he did damn near everything, and he did it beautifully. If you ever get a chance, check out his work as a director/actor on Suspense, or as Frankie Remley on the Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show. Two totally different venues; he excelled in both. (Frankie will make you weep.)

So, that was back in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Jump forward to the ‘80s, specifically 1984. I was not long out of college with aspirations of starting a scriptwriting career. (Stop laughing; you had dreams of grandeur once, too!) At the same time, a friend of mine wanted to go into business as a literary agent and asked if she could represent me. What the hell? Sure! So, I gave her a script for a show I knew was open to agented submissions, a show that remains one of my favorites to this day: Remington Steele.

Quick aside here: If you’ve listened to the Times story “Dashing”, you may already know that Steele played a big role in its development. But I had no idea how much of an impact this show really had on Times until… okay, back to the ‘80s.

Anyway, my friend submitted my script to MTM, the producers of Steele, and in a few weeks, she received it back with a letter, which I share with you here. (I’ve blocked her name out to protect her privacy, and to spare her the embarrassment of being identified as “Mister”. And I apologize for the scan quality. She kept the original; this is from a photocopy.)

Another quick aside: the story I submitted involved Steele’s shady past and an old mentor. I had no idea that they were going to bring in Efrem Zimbalist Jr. to play his mentor later that season, in a story that was nothing like mine, so no chance for a plagiarism lawsuit. ANYWAY…

When I read the rejection letter, I was only a little disappointed. I didn't even care about the misplaced apostrophe in my name. That last sentence -- complimenting the writing and the plotting with the encouragement to boot – really made me feel good. Like I might actually have a chance in this racket.

See who wrote it? Remington Steele’s Executive Story Consultant -- Elliott Lewis.

As it turned out, my friend and I ended up having a falling-out some time later, so there were no more submissions to Steele. Or, for that matter, to many other professional venues. What can I say? Video store-clerking, television ratings administrative fun, and the glamorous world of comic-book distribution & marketing were calling. And they paid.

Fast-forward to (finally) the 21st Century. Imagine me listening to Radio Classics for the first time while developing Times and hearing Elliott Lewis’s name, his performances, his credits, his reputation…and then realizing that this was the pro who liked my writing back in 1984. And the fact that he was a radio star of the first magnitude makes it even more special when I think of it today.

I wish Elliott Lewis hadn’t died in 1990. I would have enjoyed meeting him, showing him that letter, telling him about what we’re trying to do with Times, and thanking him. Since I can’t do that, I’ll thank you for bearing with me through this appreciation, and through the long wait for new Times.

In the meantime, if you have Radio Classics on Sirius or XM, listen to the master for yourself, or buy some of his work, and much more, here. You listen to those while we work on ours, which won’t be as good as anything Lewis did… but we’re trying.

-- L.

The Music Behind the Madness

2009-10-10T21:45:00.002-04:00

Hi.

Well, not much news this week. SuperHuman Times is still being recorded, and other Prometheus projects are in the works, too. (You can hear all about it from Promethean God Steve Wilson in his update, posted just days ago here.)

In the meantime, I am bracing for the inevitable call from Steve asking me if I’ve chosen the stock music for whatever the first Times show will be. It’s an interesting arrangement we have. He directs the actors, but lets me choose the music for each episode. Most of the time, he goes with my picks, because he knows I’m a nut for movie soundtracks and understand how pieces can be used to complement dialogue and establish mood. It’s pretty challenging, but it’s usually fun, and we’ve experienced some great results with the Times shows. So, this week, I thought I’d pay a little homage to our various musical sources, not just for SuperHuman Times, but also for other Prometheus shows, because -- speaking as a listener -- the music in those has been pretty impressive, too.

We use two basic types of music: original compositions and royalty-free stock music. Times is almost exclusively scored with stock music, but The Arbiter Chronicles and many other Prometheus programs are scored with original material.

On the original side of the street, the work of two composers has been prevalent:

• Scott Farquhar, a friend for many years, is one of the most gifted composers and teachers I know. He wrote many of the pieces heard in Prometheus’ shows from (I believe) the first Arbiter episode up to the most recent season finale. He is also an accomplished local stage actor and has played numerous roles in Prometheus show, from midshipman Carson on Arbiter to two great heels in Times – billionaire Everett Mackenzie in “Risk Management” and spoiled actor Trevor Desmond in “Dashing”. Scott has moved beyond Prometheus to other musical enterprises in the past year, but we’re still pals, and I don’t think he’ll mind if I tell you that you can find out more about him and his music here. I suggest you do so.

• The other composer Prometheus works with is a gentleman Steve discovered online named Kevin Macleod. I know nothing about Kevin personally, but I know that I like his music. A lot! It’s solid material that fits every mood you could want to evoke, and he charges relatively little for his services (but if you use any of his work, be generous). Check him out here, or listen to his music during episodes 2-6 of the Arbiter finale, “Contents Under Pressure” . (If you want to hear some of Scott Farquhar’s parting music, and hear the entire story, start here.)

As for the stock music, we (I) have been using two key sources for scoring Times:

• Elite Video’s Movie Mania – Not bad for a bunch of tunes conjured by a synthesizer (as all of these are, to be fair). They cover virtually every scoring need and have the dubious distinction of being the collection that provides the theme to SuperHuman Times. Expensive, like most pro royalty-free stock, but worth it.

• DownloadRoyaltyFreeMusic.org – Another great place to get a wide variety of tunes. It may not look like much, having just recently consolidated its numerous packages into one convenient “box set” (127 CDs worth of cues in one place for $75 – not bad). They also have occasional specials where you can download selected sub-collections at low prices. I’ve bought several of their collections this way and I recommend them highly, especially the Cinema Magic series, which had great action cues for “Dashing”

So that’s our orchestra, to date. Bear in mind that we are a troupe of limited resources (read: we have real jobs, real salaries, and real expenses to deal with before we get around to making these things), so don’t be surprised if you recognize a specific piece of music from one episode/series to another. It’s a grand old tradition that dates back to radio’s earliest days. Who are we to deny that?

You’ll be hearing more of this music with dialogue very soon. Promise. Please stay tuned. Thanks!

-- L.

Thanks, Rod

2009-10-02T21:10:00.002-04:00

Hi. Settle in; this is a long one, but the subject deserves the attention.

Fifty years ago on this date, Rod Serling led TV viewers into the Twilight Zone for the very first time.

Unlocking the door to that realm wasn’t easy, even with his formidable key of imagination. The odds were against the show succeeding beyond its first season. (These days, it would be canned after two weeks much less 26.) Even with Serling’s Emmy Award-winning reputation for creating some of TV’s finest hours, CBS, the network, the public – they just didn’t quite get what he wanted to do. Then, Serling’s “The Time Element” was broadcast as part of Desilu Playhouse. It could been a TZ story. The audience response to it was highly positive, and that helped Serling open the door to five years of wonder (and, for him, brain-breaking work writing most of the show’s stories and overseeing the whole universe).

Anyway, there was a great interview between Serling and Mike Wallace from the night before TZ premiered. Bear in mind that, at this point, Serling had written some of the greatest teleplays in what would become The Golden Age of Television. He was considered an "artist". (Many TV writers were at the time; times change, huh?)

The full text is transcribed at RodSerling.com, and you can actually see it on the TZ DVD box sets, but I want to share these particular excerpts:

***

Mike Wallace: Herbert Brodkin, a TV producer associated with some of your earlier plays, has said this about you. He said, "Rod is either going to stay commercial or become a discerning artist, but not both." Now, has it ever occurred to you that you're selling yourself short by taking on a series which, by your own admission, is going to be a series primarily designed to entertain?

Rod Serling: ... I presume Herb means that inherently you cannot be commercial and artistic. You cannot be commercial and quality. You cannot be commercial concurrent with, have a preoccupation with the level of storytelling that you want to achieve. And this I have to reject. ... I don't think calling something commercial tags it with a kind of an odious suggestion that it stinks, that it's something raunchy to be ashamed of. ... The essence of my argument, Mike, is that as long as you are not ashamed of anything you write if you're a writer, as long as you're not ashamed of anything you perform if you're an actor, and I'm not ashamed of doing a television series. ... I think innate in what Herb says is the suggestion made by many people that you can't have public acceptance and still be artistic. And, as I said, I have to reject that.

***

Did you get that? You can be an artist AND make a buck without "selling out." Serling proved it.

In doing so, he didn’t just raise the bar; he created an altogether different one that others would try – are STILL trying -- to reach. Very few have. Even Serling missed it a few times with some clunkers. (“Cavendish is Coming”, anyone?) But he believed in what he was doing, he didn’t underestimate the intelligence of his audience, and he had their respect and affection right up to his sudden death in 1975. TZ earned him a decent five-year run and, although he didn’t know it at the time, one of the highest pedestals in pop culture history.

But most relevant to our discussion here: Rod Serling inspired boobs like me to create and share their own pocket universes with a mass audience on the Internet. Well, I know my audience doesn’t have much mass, but I still don’t underestimate your intelligence. (Especially if you actually listen to the show.)

I’ll close with a Serling closing from my all-time favorite TZ, “Walking Distance”. Whenever Martin Sloan goes back to the Homewood of his youth, I go back to the Wildwood, NJ, of mine -- and I still can't read this without choking up.

***

“Martin Sloan, age thirty-six, vice-president in charge of media. Successful in most things but not in the one effort that all men try at some time in their lives—trying to go home again. And also like all men perhaps there'll be an occasion, maybe a summer night sometime, when he'll look up from what he's doing and listen to the distant music of a calliope, and hear the voices and the laughter of the people and the places of his past. And perhaps across his mind there'll flit a little errant wish, that a man might not have to become old, never outgrow the parks and the merry-go-rounds of his youth. And he'll smile then too because he'll know it is just an errant wish, some wisp of memory not too important really, some laughing ghosts that cross a man's mind, that are a part of the Twilight Zone.”

***

This may be the first thing I ever heard on TV that made me say to myself, “I wish I’d written that.”

I still do.

Thanks, Rod. I won't even come close to "Walking Distance", but I’ll keep walking anyway. I'm enjoying the trip too much to stop now.

-- L.

OMG, We’re IN THE STUDIO!

2009-09-26T16:29:00.005-04:00

Hi.

I’m pleased to announce that recording has begun on the latest run of SuperHuman Times scripts!

I feel as if I should follow this announcement with something Dave Barry often wrote when relating unbelievable tales: “WE ARE NOT MAKING THIS UP!”

I got this happy news last night from show director/Prometheus Radio Theatre brain trust Steve Wilson. He’s going about the recording process in a very systematic way. See, in addition to the six Times scripts, he has a host of others (including the remaining chapters of his audiobook, Peace Lord of the Red Planet) that need to be recorded. So, rather than assembling the cast of each and recording each script whole-cloth , he’s calling in individual members of our company – and, where dramatically necessary, small groups – and recording only their parts. Kinda like the way animated cartoon voices are recorded, but without the benefits of Paul Frees, Mel Blanc, and June Foray.

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but when you consider that all of us are doing this stuff in our spare time and have to be corralled into the studio according to our real-world schedules… well, it’s a minor Herculean feat. I bow to Mr. Wilson for pulling it off (even as the view count from my Wizard Universe “Pimp My Stuff” post about his interview continues to climb… I suspect shenanigans, but I’d like to think the interview is encouraging people to check out Times and Prometheus’ other offerings).

After recording all of us (yep, that means I’m on the mike for one story), he’ll edit everything together. Well, he and his brave producer/my dedicated wife. Since she won’t notice, I’m already making plans to be out of the house during her editing periods, depending upon how frustrated the tech demands of my scripts make her. I may take our son along, or at least our dog. We’ll try to return for the holidays.

With luck, SuperHuman Times will return by then, too.

Right now, I’m satisfied… and trying desperately not to start plotting the next round of scripts.

Thanks for reading, listening, and waiting.

-- L.

No Blog=More Clicks? WTF?!

2009-09-18T19:42:00.000-04:00

Hi.

So, every week after posting the latest news and wit-drenched insights about SuperHuman Times here, I always hit the Pimp My Stuff message board at wizarduniverse.com to promote it. It's a well-traveled forum run by the good folks at Wizard Entertainment, the brains behind Wizard and ToyFare magazines, as well as the Wizard World Comic-Cons. It's a lively place, and since it's got the only comic fan-centric board with a forum where you can promote damn near anything, I figure it's perfect for promoting Times to an audience I'd really like to reach.

I don't know if the show's garnered any listeners from this, but the postings have been getting noticed. The first one, from May 2008 -- when "Dashing" began; can you remember back that far? -- has been viewed 155 times to date. But that's over a two-year period, so that's an average of, charitably, one per week, so it's not that impressive. But I'm gratified by the fact that 155 people have taken the time to check it out.

Now, a more recent one, from September 4 of this year, has been viewed 40 times in two weeks. Okay, that's nice. About three views per day. Again, gratifying that my latest ravings have attracted some attention.

But now I'm just baffled...

Last week's posting -- which promoted the fact that I would not be posting so that I could hawk Prometheus poobah/Times director Steve Wilson's interview on The Blowhard Experiment -- has generated more than 60 views in one week.

Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful to everyone who's been checking out the plugs. I just hope they've clicked through to the blog and, more importantly, to the podcasts. And I'm not jealous of what may be implied as Steve's appeal versus my own... on my own blog, MY OWN BLOG.

No, really, I'm fine.

It just reminds me of a time when Steve and I entered separately into a national screenwriting competition without realizing it. I made it to the quarterfinals before I was eliminated. I mentioned this to Steve months later... and he told me he'd made it one step farther to the semifinals before he, too was eliminated. And it's been that way between us ever since. He always ends up one step ahead of me. I'm used to it.

But come on, when a plug for a blog entry where I write very little (and Steve talks a lot) gets, on average, one of the highest responses to date, ya gotta wonder if I should just knock this off.

Then I remember that first 155. And the 40 from last week. And all the others from the Steve-less weeks inbetween. And you're mine, all mine! (Cue villainous laugh, because these entries should always have something to do with SuperHuman Times, which has, you know, villains as well as heroes. I'll stop reaching now.)

Someone's reading. Hopefully, someone's listening.

If it's you, on either count or both, thanks a lot.

-- L.

Birthdays, Blowhards, and Steve Wilson

2009-09-14T19:50:00.001-04:00

Hi.

With your permission, I'm going to forego my usual weekly post this go-round for a few reasons:

1) I don't have a lot to write about this week because we still have no new shows;

2) Today is my birthday, so I feel like relaxing a little; and

3) I'd rather let Prometheus Radio Theatre's own big cheese, Steve Wilson, do the talking in this online interview recorded last week on The Blowhard Experiment. (I kid you not.)

To be frank, Steve doesn't plug SuperHuman Times in the interview (that's why I do this stuff instead of him, and I AM available for interviews... uh-huh, I figured you'd say that), but if you want a better idea of what Prometheus is about, check it out if you have an hour to waste.

Uh, that is, kill.

Uh, I mean become informed. And enlightened.

Then go relive some old Times. I would consider it a wonderful birthday gift if you did.

Thanks for listening.

-- L.

Defining Times

2009-09-04T22:35:00.002-04:00

Hi.

I thought about taking the holiday weekend off from blogging, mainly because I still have nothing to report on the Times front. But my discipline (or arrogance) deludes me into thinking that someone would notice if I didn’t show up this week, so here I am.

At this writing, Prometheus is taking a month off from ‘casting to get some new stuff in the can, presumably including the six new Times scripts. In the meantime, I’m still tweaking the website, which is still a modest web page.

For the Extras on what will be the Podcasts Plus page, I’m considering adding a Times glossary of characters, locations, and key events thus far as a downloadable PDF. I figure it’ll generate one of two responses from anyone who happens across it:

One, “Wow, this guy’s really created a neat little universe here. I should listen to the stories and check it out.”

Or, more likely, “This f*****’s delusional.”

If nothing else, a glossary would act as an ongoing series bible that I could refer to from time to time when I need to figure out when a story should occur in the overall history of the series. Yes, there’s a beginning and an ending to all of this. (I revealed how it all ends in the ’06 interview I had about the show with Steve Wilson before “True North” aired. Feel free to listen to it here if you can’t bear the suspense.) The podcasts make up the juicy center. At least, I hope you find it juicy. Well, entertaining.

Back to the glossary idea. One reason I hesitate to put it together is because it’d be just words. True, this is a medium where you are supposed to supply the images to this audio comic-book of ours, but for a faux-print publication it would be fun to see how folks with artistic talent would interpret characters and scenes. If I had the money, I’d try to commission some comics pros to listen to an episode or two and render some key players. I'd love to pay someone like Phil Noto to draw a Dash Tarragon-style movie poster for "Dashing", or Thomas Boatwright to depict Knuckles Macnee from "Servant Problem", and I know of several artists I'd love to see draw Nataliya Tzone. That might grab the attention of comic readers, an audience I'd love to expand.

Alas, home ownership, child-rearing, and the reality that they'd be too busy to do it make that kind of thing impossible. Maybe Greg will study art in college and draw stuff for me in exchange for his tuition. By that time, the new stories should hit the web. If you’re still alive, let me know if you think they were worth the wait.

Have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend. And if you like the idea of a glossary, let me know here or via email.

-- L.

Here’s How We “Role”, Yo

2009-08-28T21:39:00.000-04:00

Hi.

I’m pleased to report that, shortly after last week’s entry here, Prometheus' grand poobah, Steve Wilson, emailed me his casting picks for the next season of SuperHuman Times. Nobody’s been officially asked if they'll do it yet, but no one’s turned him down, so that’s a good sign. Right?

“Excited” doesn’t begin to describe how I felt when I read his choices. Over the years, I have considered my scripts to be a foundation upon which the directors and casts put up the walls and décor with their suggestions and performances. (One cast completely reworked the ending of one of my plays and it was much better as a result.) I’ve found this to be much healthier than getting all artsy and possessive about the damn stories. Anyway, assuming everyone wants to play this season, it should be a lot of fun. Some folks who usually assay supporting roles in shows like The Arbiter Chronicles will get a shot at leads, and we’ll have some Prometheus actors who have never done Times before. I hope they’ll have fun recording it, and I hope you’ll find their work fun to hear.

This season should be especially challenging for the actors because I went out of my way to write scripts that don’t necessarily take place in America or have American characters. One script, “No Good Deed”, is set in England and has all English and German characters. Another, “Flight Risk”, has a central character in Arizona who’s a transplanted Iranian. How come? The Times Universe (Microverse?) was just getting kind of homogenous (Nataliya Tzone’s Roma heritage aside) and I wanted to tell stories of people with different backgrounds. I’m sure the actors will just love me for that when they try to deliver the required accents to Steve’s satisfaction. (He’s directing again, thank God.)

And I have been drafted for a supporting role in one of the stories, “Print the Legend” -- the two-parter based on “The Hot Property”, the graphic novel script that started me down this lonely road. I won’t say anymore about my part right now, but if you recall Paul Frees’s voice for The Thing in the old Fantastic Four cartoons, that’s the kind of voice I’ll be going for. (You’ll guess who I’m playing if you read the GN script, I guarantee it.)

And while all that’s going on, I’m renovating the Times website. Again. I’ll probably wait until next week to relaunch it so I have something to write about here. Til then, thanks for listening, and reading.

-- L.

PS: While you’re waiting for Times, be sure to stop by the Prometheus site and listen to Steve Wilson’s readings of his fiction. His latest one, Peace Lord of the Red Planet, is underway now. To me, it has the flavor of the John Carter of Mars stories and a Twilight Zone episode called “Execution”, in that both have men getting plucked out of their time, as does this. But despite that similarity, this is clearly in Steve’s voice (written and audible) and, like his other works, is filled with fascinating characters and plenty of (sometimes political) ideas you may or may not agree with (to paraphrase from Frasier, “He’s a Libertarian; we’ve decided to find it charming”), but he expresses them in an entertaining way that even a bleeding heart liberal like me can enjoy the story.

Okay, Steve, there’s your unsolicited plug, now where’s my show?

The "New Fall Season" is Coming, and (I Think) We're in It!

2009-08-21T20:13:00.009-04:00

Hi.

What can I say? Still no word on when the next run of SuperHuman Times episodes will begin. I guess this is a good thing in that, rather than being a “summer replacement”, we’re being moved up to the regular “fall premiere” line-up. At least, that's what I'm assuming... we'll stay hopeful for the purpose of our discussion.

Remember before cable and FiOS – I can see 2/3 of the people reading this already heading for the door with a click and a groan – when the fall was a big deal for TV watchers? When the then-big three would roll out their new shows with lots of fanfare all summer long, and TV Guide would be as big as a digest-sized phone book? And the big fall preview specials with the stars touting the new shows? And the jingles?

Some from the '60s and '70s are still running through my head – “This fall, NBC has it all.” “This is the place to be, on ABC.” Strange that I can’t think of any from CBS, and we watched it a lot, too.

As an aside, to the surprise of everyone who’s ever known me, of all the fall season hype I watched as a kid, I NEVER saw THIS one until today, and I can't think of a more appropriate place to show it, seeing as it influenced me to write stuff like Times:

If the DVDs of this series ever come out in my lifetime, this BETTER be included. Now back to my show…

Most of the shows the networks debuted in September were gone the next year (not after two episodes, as is the case these days), but after three months of reruns, you were ready for ANY new stuff. We don’t have that kind of desperation now, thanks to the proliferation of cable channels and on-demand technology. There just isn't that much electricity in the fall generated between TV networks and their audiences. I miss that, but only a little.

Just because I’m a little nostalgic, I'm not complaining. TV overall is much better now in terms of variety and programming (scripted, not reality). I love being able to watch Penn & Teller: Bullshit during the summer and Dexter at my leisure. Still, the fall was, for kids in my era, a special time, when the drudgery of going back to school was offset by the new season.

So forgive me if I’m not terribly disappointed that Prometheus didn’t get around to putting Times on over the summer. As far as my deluded little mind goes, it's part of the new fall season now, and that’s exciting. For me, anyway. Hope you’ll think so, too.

(If not, I’ll talk Steve Wilson into dressing up as Robin while I dress as Batman and we’ll make a video introducing the year’s podcast line-up. That’ll get you excited. If you’re a shut-in.)

-- L.

A Multimedia Cavalcade (with Guest Stars, Kind of)

2009-08-14T23:08:00.003-04:00

Hi.

Still no news to report vis a vis when we'll be hearing new SuperHuman Times episodes. Believe me, if anyone were reading this blog, I'd be just as eager to hear the new stuff as you are. It's no secret that one of my semi-flexible laws is to never be in the Prometheus studio when Steve Wilson records an episode (unless I'm in it), so I usually don't hear the final product until just before it's posted. I'm especially curious to hear how the two Dunbar episodes turn out -- and who ends up playing him -- seeing as he was the first Times character. I'll keep you posted as things develop.

In the meantime, I'm mulling over attending a unique fan show in the Baltimore area, specifically Aberdeen. The Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention will be held there in two weeks, and they have a pretty good line-up of older actors whose TV shows and movies I grew up on. We're talking actors like Lee Meriwether (Time Tunnel, the '66 Batman movie, Barnaby Jones), Celeste Holm (All About Eve and countless other classics), and Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters).

But my main reason for going would be to meet one of my favorite character actors, Bob Hastings. If you're elderly (in your 40s) like me, you remember him from TV shows like McHale's Navy (where he played Lt. Carpenter opposite Joe Flynn's Capt. Binghamton), movies like The Poseidon Adventure (where he played the New Year's emcee -- I can hear you now, "Oh, yeah, THAT guy!"), soaps like General Hospital (I never watched it but I understand he was on there for a long time), and animated shows like the '90s Batman (where he voiced Commissioner Gordon). He also did quite a bit of radio during his career, including Archie Andrews (yep, based on the comic), X Minus One, and many others. That, plus the opportunity to see groups performing old radio scripts live, make this show a real temptation. If I go, I'll take photos and slap 'em up here.

I love character actors. Utility infielders like Hastings can always get work playing anything, yet when audiences see them, it's like seeing an old friend on stage or on the screen, one you know will turn in a good performance, even if the rest of the cast/production stinks. We have our share of those in Prometheus, actors who voice everything from superheroes to aliens. Their voices may always carry familiar elements in any incarnation, but you're glad to hear them. Listen to enough of The Arbiter Chronicles and you'll hear exactly what I mean. We have our share of Bob Hastingses, and I'm sure glad many of them are working on Times.

In closing, we move from radio to video, but it's comics-related, so the transition works: If you're into comics, you probably have a favorite comic shop staffed by a bunch of good folks who you think would make a great cast in a sitcom. Well, the folks at Zeus Comics in Dallas TX took that idea and ran with it. The result is their new web series, The Variants, and if you like comics, comic shops -- heck, if you just like a well-written, well-performed, and truly funny video series -- this is for you. They're clearly having a blast making it, which means you'll have a blast watching it. Can't wait to see the next episode!

Wonder if it'll get posted before the next Times does...

-- L.

Beginnings & Endings

2009-08-07T22:03:00.009-04:00

Hi.

Well, preproduction on the next series of Times episodes continues. I think it’s a foregone conclusion that there will be no “summer” run, as I’d hoped. I never intended to lead you astray, and I hope you’ll forgive me and stay tuned when the episodes hit this fall.

Until then, I offer something that I hope will engage you: the very first SuperHuman Times script – for the SuperHuman Times graphic novel, "The Hot Property.". I’ve posted it on the Times web page, so you can download it as a PDF right here, right now.

There are three reasons behind my making this script available:
1) I want to have something legitimately Times-related “out here” while the shows are in production (branding, you see; it's a marketing thing);
2) all of the characters in the “The Hot Property” will appear in various episodes of the podcast in this run, and you may find it entertaining to compare the characters from the 2005 script to the way they’re portrayed in the new shows;
3) someday, if you get a kick out of this and let me know, I may post the Times radio scripts, too.

I think I mentioned this before, but if you're wondering why SuperHuman Times became a series of radio dramas instead of a series of graphic novels, the answer is easy: I can't draw. Used to, but can't anymore, even with a computer. Want proof?

The image at right would have been the cover to the "True North" online comic. It took me about a month to do in Adobe Illustrator and, as you can see, it's not a tough composition -- for an artist. If it took that long to do this, it would have taken me a few years to render Malvolio Nacht's attack. Thankfully, Steve Wilson offered me a spot in the Prometheus line-up, so this is all you'll see from my poison(ed) pen in terms of images. I'll leave those to your imagination. It draws faster and better than I ever will.

Enjoy reading "The Hot Property" – and, eventually, hearing the voices that came from it.

-- L.

Keep up with the Times here!

***
In Memoriam: The ‘80s were a special time for me. They were my 20s. In your 20s, all things are possible. You’re young enough to start pursuing your dreams (in my case, scriptwriting, which brought me here; so much for my 20s) and, even though you’re an adult, you haven’t been out of your teens that long, so you can sit through movies about teenagers and still empathize with the characters. That’s why I enjoyed John Hughes’s movies with young actors so much when they came out. I knew kids who acted and talked like they did. (We were a TV generation. Parents taught us how to talk; sitcoms taught us how to talk back.) Hughes’s kids were all believable on some level (even Ferris). That’s what made his movies so much fun to watch, and that’s why I wanted to mark his passing this week. Thanks for making my 20s a little more fun, John. Can’t wait to see if your movies do the same for my son 11 years from now.

If I Write It, Will They Read (or Listen)?

2009-07-31T20:54:00.007-04:00

Hi.

While we all wait for the return of SuperHuman Times, I thought I might do something unusual.

Write. For the hell of it. Here.

If you've read past entries, you may already think I've been doing that -- talking about podcasts one minute and pets the next, that kind of thing. All over the map. But I think for the most part I've used this to push the show the way I wanted to.

The problem -- for me, anyway -- is the amount of time between entries. Makes me crazy when I visit someone's website or blog and discover that they haven't updated it after a couple of weeks/months/eons.

So I've made a late-year resolution: I'm going to try and post something here at least once a week. And to try and make it at least vaguely relevant to the show. Both will make me feel like I'm not wasting my time and yours.

Part of that will include maintaining the delusion that someone's out there reading all this stuff (and, more importantly, listening to the show). I know one or two friends have kept up with it, but it would be nice to get an audience of some kind for the series. I'm kicking around different promotional ideas to get the word out, ranging from program book ads at comic conventions ($$) to YouTube audio ads (free, but a tech challenge for me). But demands of the real world keep getting in the way.

Still, I look at some of my former work colleagues who have gone on to better things writing-wise -- despite their real-world obligations -- and wonder if it's too late, if I'll ever write anything good enough for anyone else to deem it worth reading/listening to...

Then I remember meeting the Apollo astronauts, and that a long time ago, we went to the Moon. And that anything is possible.

But since I stink at the science and math required to send people to the Moon (in addition to most sci/math), I'd better stick to writing.

Here.

For the hell of it.

Later. Promise.

-- L.

In Which Lance Meets and Talks to Men Who Flew to the Moon (Without Sounding Stupid)

2009-07-19T20:21:00.020-04:00

Hi.

We interrupt the usual plugs to relate a not entirely unrelated story from real life.

As you know, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Apollo was a big deal when I was growing up, not just because it was the pinnacle of the Space Age, but because my dad worked as a Purchasing Agent for Westinghouse Electronics at that time, contributing to a variety of government projects – including the camera that went with the lunar module Eagle and sent back the now historic (and now beautifully restored) video of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon. I still remember watching that event with my family, and how proud my mom and I were that Dad was able to play a role in history, even a tiny one. I’m pretty sure it was the highlight of his 41 years at Westinghouse.

So when the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum announced that Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean would be on hand there today to sign their new books, there was no way I was gonna miss it, and no way that Cindy would let me miss it. So we piled into the car, met my best pal and fellow Space Ager John Weber at the nearest Metro station (accompanied by the just-released Bill Conti soundtrack of The Right Stuff) and trained in to DC.

Just to give you a thumbnail of our itinerary, so you can fully appreciate what it took to get there on time for the signing (like you care):
8:45: Arrive at Air & Space.
10:00 Air & Space opens.
10:00-11:00: Stand in line, buy the astronauts’ books.
11:00-12:15: Stand in another line to get them signed.
12:15: As we get within one family away from the signing table, Buzz, Mike, and Alan decide to take their break.
12:16: I mutter something, then realize these guys are pushing 80 and shut up. 12:45: Buzz, Mike, and Alan return and we’re moving again and…

Briefly, it was wonderful. All three were as nice as anyone could be in a room teeming with literally thousands of admirers (what you can see at right is just at the table; the lines wound and stretched back to the main entrance hall).

And I accomplished my main objective: When I met Aldrin, I briefly recounted my father’s connection to his mission and told him something I’ve always wanted to tell the astronauts on that flight: Thank you for taking my dad to the moon with you.

Immediately, Aldrin says (and I’m paraphrasing), “Don’t tell Alan, but when he went up, he aimed that camera into the Sun.” If you know anything about ‘70s-era video tech, you know what that kind of move did to a video camera on Earth. Imagine doing it without the natural scrim of an atmosphere. Ow!

Okay, my story was good, but Aldrin’s was better!

I also told Michael Collins my dad’s story and also mentioned how nice it was to see him, because – although Neil Armstrong is notoriously spotlight-averse except for anniversaries like this one – we rarely see him that much either. I mean, he’s important! He’s the bus driver! So it was a real kick for me to meet him, and he clearly appreciated my enthusiasm, and everyone else’s.

I did not mention the camera incident to Alan Bean, but I did tell him how much I enjoyed his paintings, and what an honor it was to meet him. He was charming and gracious enough to extend his hand for a shake before I departed.

From left: Bean, Collins, & Aldrin

Cindy got all of this on video. I may post it if the audio quality is good enough. And Greg took some damn fine stills for a 9-year-old kid (including a portrait of me with John in line at the museum). He doesn’t really understand why we were going nuts for these guys who were as old as his grandpa, but someday, he will.

All in all, a pretty good day. Or, as John and I said while waiting on line, “We choose to stand in the line not because it is easy, but because it is hard.”

Now, to cap off the evening, I am, at this moment, watching the museum’s annual John Glenn Lecture – featuring Aldrin, Collins, and – damn him for not coming to the museum today – Armstrong and mission director Chris Kraft as this year’s speakers. It’s in the museum’s IMAX theatre, where they just screened the restored moonwalk footage. Oooooh, ahhhhhh!

So, what, if anything, does all this have to do with SuperHuman Times?

Well, let’s not get into the debate about politics vs. science, whether we ever needed to go to the Moon in the first place, whether we ever need to return to the Moon or on to Mars. The Apollo missions taught us something that everyone can value: all things are truly possible. And at this point in our nation's history, I think we need something to remind us of that.

Plus, it gives me hope that we’ll hear the new Times episodes very soon… even if it’s on the radios of our flying cars.

-- L.

Next Times: The Teaser PR

2009-06-15T20:06:00.005-04:00

Hi.

Well, there's an announcement about the coming Times episodes on Wizard World, and since I wrote it, it must be official. (And since the TOPIC LINE IS MISSPELLED, you can tell I'm pretty excited about this. Idiot.)
You can read it there, or below. Either way, rejoice and enjoy. And gaze upon the new logo (yes, ANOTHER one) while you're at it.
-- L.

Prometheus Radio Theatre has announced that SuperHuman Times -- the anthology podcast series following the everyday lives of superhumans and humans -- will return for a new season this summer with five new stories, all of which can be downloaded for free from the Prometheus website or via free subscription to iTunes.

SuperHuman Times is named for a national magazine in a superhuman-filled, present-day Earth where, following the mysterious exile of the world’s deadliest supervillain from the planet and a resulting drop in super-crime, superhuman heroes and criminals are now trying to find new lives among the humans they once protected. Or threatened.

“The series returns following a very busy year for Prometheus Radio Theatre,” said SuperHuman Times creator/writer Lance Woods. “Prometheus followed last year’s Times run with the huge, six-part season finale to its flagship series, The Arbiter Chronicles, after which they took a long, much-needed rest. During that time, our listeners made it clear that they were eager for more Times tales. . As we head back into the studio rejuvenated, we hope that those listeners, and new listeners just discovering SuperHuman Times, will continue to enjoy what’s been called ‘The Coolest Comic Book You’ll Ever Hear.’”

The next season of SuperHuman Times includes:

● Once Upon a Times: SuperHuman Times reporter Kevin Dunbar is sent on an assignment to find an elusive superhuman his publisher encountered during his own reporting days – and ends up going back 40 years to uncover the surprising origins of his magazine.

● No Good Deed: A researcher who’s desperate to test his revolutionary serum on a human subject gets advice from an unexpected volunteer: a dying ex-supercriminal.

● Unfinished Business: Sorceress Nataliya Tzone and her gifted daughters Violeta and Nicoleta (introduced in the first-season story Risk Management) return for a tale in which an old family friend begs Nataliya to violate a personal code to help him contact the dead in order to perfect a flawed military weapon he created with her missing husband … and she refuses.

● Flight Risk: A retired superhuman flight instructor is recruited by the government to observe a student who’s suspected of being a potential assassin how to fly, but is forced to act when he inadvertently places the assassin’s intended target in even greater danger.

● Print the Legend: Dunbar's back for a two-part mystery-romance set at a comic-book convention, where he meets a beautiful artist who harbors an unusual family secret, helps a superhuman friend investigate a suspicious book deal, and becomes a murder suspect when a superhuman he wrote unflattering things about turns up dead.

Each episode will run approximately 30 minutes. Please note that the release order of these episodes is subject to change.

For more information and free podcasts:
http://www.PrometheusRadioTheatre.com

For more information about SuperHuman Times:
http://www.superhumantimes.com
http://myspace/superhumantimes.com

Based in Elkridge, Maryland, PROMETHEUS RADIO THEATRE began performing radio drama at Science Fiction conventions in 2000. Its flagship series, THE ARBITER CHRONICLES — which follows the adventures of four young midshipmen and their shipmates in a space navy of the far future — has earned thousands of regular listeners via podcast and live performances (often with celebrity guest stars), and has sought to reach new audiences, the versatile troupe has earned an equally strong following for its ongoing series of folk tales. The troupe’s work has earned it the prestigious Mark Time Award Silver Medal in 2003 and the Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama (Long Form) in 2007.

LANCE WOODS has been writing since age 5 and won’t stop. He has had two comedy-thrillers — “Breeding Will Tell” and “Murder Case” — successfully produced by the Baltimore Playwrights Festival, and has written & directed numerous stage shows for the Cheap Treks comedy troupe. He counts Neil Simon, William Goldman, James L. Brooks, and Rod Serling among his writing heroes. He, his wife, and young son live in a situation comedy format outside of Baltimore. SuperHuman Times © & ™ by Lance Woods. All Rights Reserved. Audio Productions © & ™ by Prometheus Radio Theatre. All Rights Reserved.

Memories of Treks, Cheap & Otherwise

2009-06-06T17:19:00.007-04:00

Hi.

Aside from a new graphic that I just posted on the web page, nothing truly newsworthy to report, but I’ve been watching some stuff on TV and it made me want to share some thoughts with anyone who might be following this blog, the show, and its origins.

Not long ago, we bought the Blu-rays of what I consider to be the three best Star Trek movies ever made, namely II, III, and IV – or, as I refer to them, the Holy Trinity. If you’re into old Trek and haven’t picked them up yet (and you have a Blu-ray player, of course), I highly recommend the box set of them . The visual effects look stellar (well, okay, there’s some FX masking in a few shots in III, but it doesn’t ruin the overall film) and the stories hold up quite well. All of the extras from the films’ last DVD releases are intact, plus there are a few new hi-def extras on each one. (No offense to Nick Meyer, but I suggest skipping the “tribute” to Ricardo Montalban on II. It’s just Meyer talking about Montalban in 1080i. For about five uninterrupted minutes. No clips from “Space Seed” or any of Montalban’s old movies. Just Nick sitting and talking. Next!)

Anyway, I watched II and III yesterday, and the memories attached to them overwhelmed me. Not just the usual ones you’d associate with watching a movie you first saw many years ago – which friends were with you, where you first saw it, that kind of thing – but memories associated with how I and a bunch of my best friends had the time of our lives systematically ridiculing these and so many other films and TV shows on convention stages for a decade.

I refer to the moron squad we called Cheap Treks (1987-1997), and I mention it because it played an important role in how my overall writing developed and, consequently, how SuperHuman Times came to be. In fact, if it weren’t for a horrible onstage spoof of Star Trek III, you might not be hearing the show at all.

See, Cheap Treks came into being after Dave Keefer (playing Scotty) and I (playing Kirk for what would be the first of many times) took part in an abominable parody of III in 1986 that caused us to look at each other after wards and say, “We could do better than this.” (This was also how we started the Boogie Knights four years earlier, only with filksinging; Dave was always suckering me into such things – thankfully.)

Anyway, back to ’86: The only things that made this show tolerable for us were 1) the Cole Porter musical score (yes, this was a musical; no, we could not sing); and 2) the fact that the director – the late and much-missed Marion McChesney – gave us permission to experiment during rehearsals. And we did. Hell, we didn’t just throw in an ad-lib or two, we ran amuck, and the audience loved it. If I can find the show tape and can finesse the quality, I really should put the Scotty rant that Dave came up with on YouTube. I remember him reciting it for me the first time as he drove us to a rehearsal. My God, that’s still funny.

BUT, what does all this geezing have to do with SuperHuman Times?

Well, like I said, the next year, Dave and I began Cheap Treks with our Trek IV parody, “Live Long and Thanks for All the Fish”. It, and all the shows that followed, were terrific exercise grounds for me as a writer and, when summoned, as an actor. Remember, I was still in my 20s, when I still believed the All Things Are Possible, like my becoming a professional scriptwriter. And having convention stages to play on allowed me to try writing different types of shows, experiment with verbal and visual gags, play with timing, and, basically, figure out what a given audience would let me get away with. It also gave me and my pals a chance to put on what I humbly submit were some of the best and most elaborate spoofs – no, that's a disservice; by the time it ended, we were doing plays -- to grace any convention stage (and I’m not just talking about the ones I wrote or co-wrote). To this day, it’s hard to watch the Trek films – and a host of other things, from the original Star Wars trilogy to Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera to Dragnet – without reciting the lines we wrote/made up on the fly. And that cumulative experience has guided me in every “serious” writing project since – including (FINALLY, the point) SuperHuman Times.

“But Lance,” you’re asking, if you’ve read this far, “you said something about how we might not be hearing the show at all if it weren’t for that godawful Trek III spoof in 1986…”

True enough. Here’s why. While I was playing Kirk, I met a very twisted and talented young man who essayed the role of David Marcus, the Admiral’s son. Like Dave and myself, he ran with every opportunity to make the show better for us and, more importantly, for the audience. A prime example of this can be found in his offstage death scene, which he used to (successfully) knock me off guard on stage during the performance and bring down the house. I knew he was a farceur to be reckoned with and, if you’ve heard Prometheus Radio Theatre’s Planet of Dark Shadows, you know I was right.

His name? Steve Wilson, master of Prometheus and he whose whim allows SuperHuman Times to have a home. Being incurable parodists, our paths probably would have crossed and entwined eventually beyond that show, but I want to think that SOMETHING good came out of that Cole Porter show, so it may as well be our friendship. And, oh yeah, Cheap Treks.

Thanks, Steve, Dave, et al for the writing lessons. And a great ride.

-- L.

Cheap Treks' first class picture from Shore Leave 1987: "Live Long & Thanks for All the Fish", featuring a few names you may recognize from Prometheus productions.
Back, L/R: Paul Balze, Steve Wilson, Sharon Palmer, Dan Coggins, me, David Keefer, Barb Helfer, Eric Burch
Front , L/R: Chuck Coates, Alan Chafin, John Scheeler, Winchell Chung
Yes, we often took liberties with the costumes -- like Spock's mohawk -- which I'll go into some other time.

The Times They are a-Stayin'

2009-05-31T17:29:00.003-04:00

Hi.

I am delighted/relieved to report that, to my astonishment, my six new Times scripts were requested on Friday night.

They will go into production with a host of other Prometheus scripts/projects throughout the summer.

Once the crash cart arrives and the medics restart my heart, I will keep you posted as to the episodes' progress.

Whew.

-- L.

Update: "I Swear to You We're Not Finished Yet..."

2009-05-28T20:29:00.004-04:00

Greetings.

This week marks a year since the final episode of "Dashing" played, and it's got me feeling a little restless.

I'm sitting on six fresh scripts, with no word on if/when they'll start heading for the studio, so I'm a little anxious.

I've also received no indication that they won't be produced, so Ive no reason to despair.

But in case they're not -- and if they aren't, I can't blame Herr Wilson, because his family would be justified to want him out of the studio and back in their lives -- I've started exploring options for getting them "out there" for a very egocentric reason.

Even if Prometheus is done with Times, I'm not. I still have stories to tell. I just have to figure out the best way to tell them. Maybe it's vanity. Maybe it's a midlife thing. Maybe it's both. But I'm working on it and, if you're still out there, I'll let you know what happens.

And if you are out there, thanks.

-- L.

PS: Yes, the title of this entry is from Star Trek III, branding me as both a geezer and a geek.

Happy New Year to All

2008-12-30T20:05:00.003-05:00

Just the annual pause from the hype to wish anyone who might actually read this blog health and prosperity in 2009.

And -- once the new episodes are done -- may you spend 2009 listening to SuperHuman Times (which won't bring me wealth or prosperity, but will bring me immense personal satisfaction after all the work we've put into these things).

-- L.

All Hail the Arbiters!

2008-11-29T18:54:00.007-05:00

Hi.

Just wanted to plug a big event from my benefactors at Prometheus Radio Theatre: the final episode of "Contents Under Pressure," the six-part series finale of The Arbiter Chronicles has been posted, and is available for free download from the Prometheus site, or via iTunes subscription!

I celebrate this for two reasons. First, without ruining your enjoyment of it one iota, it's a solid finish that marks a genuine passage into a new age for the survivors, uh, characters. Everyone involved delivers a terrific performance. Its creator, Steve Wilson, wisely left himself enough latitude to return to the Arbiter Universe in the future with more stories, at his leisure. I think you will want him to do so.

But not right away. Why?

That's the second reason I celebrate this event. With the deck clear of Arbiter, the return of SuperHuman Times is imminent! Imminent, I tell you! I'll keep you posted as "Once Upon a Times" comes together. As much as I enjoy listening to and chatting up Arbiter, I've missed hearing my stories brought to life by my gifted friends. I hope you have, too.

Stay tuned. (Can't wait? Relive old Times here now!)

-- L.

PS: The photo above is of some of the gang shortly after the troupe won its 2003 Mark Time Award Silver Medal. You've heard many of them in Times episodes. In case you care, the batting order, from left, bouncing between "rows", is: Eli Senter, Steve Wilson, Beatrice Kondo, Renee Wilson, Renfield, Scott Farquhar, the Head of Cindy Woods, John Weber, Cindy Shockey, June Swords and, in the front, Ethan Wilson. I grabbed this from the website and am using it without permission, because I took it, so there!

Progress Report/Quick Plug (for Comics!)

2008-11-17T20:30:00.005-05:00

Hi.

I've messed with the website and moved some of that content to the blog. What other mischief can I get into?

Well, I turned in my first new Times script in many, many months to Steve Wilson last week. I'm pretty jazzed about it, mainly because it's the first one to feature Dunbar from "The Hot Property," the original Times graphic novel script. He was my first character, so I'm very curious as to who Steve picks to record him. I'll keep you posted.

While you're waiting for that and the rest of the Times scripts to go from stockpile to studio, take a few minutes to check this out: Ape Entertainment's Super Human Resources. The first issue hits in early '08 and the previews are hilarious, with very sharp writing and art. (Now if we could just figure out a way to do a crossover between a comic and a podcast...) I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of this book. And I'm relieved that we don't spell "superhuman" the same way. Neither of us needs the brand confusion. Although if we gotta be confused with something, I hope it's something as promising as this.

Want something a little darker that's also hysterically funny? Give Cemetery Blues a try. If you know your Disney animators -- specifically the fabled Nine Old Men -- you may see hints of Ward Kimball's character designs for the Haunted Mansion in the art. And the dialogue is some of the funniest I've ever read in an all-out monster romp. Their miniseries came out this summer, so this recommendation is long overdue. But thankfully, you can get the trade paperback from any comic shop that knows what it's doing.

Need to find a comic shop? You can do it here.

-- L.

SuperHuman Times: The Stories Thus Far

2008-10-06T19:54:00.027-04:00

Established 10/6/2008

NOTE: If you got here from the SuperHuman Times web page,
you're in the right place. Welcome!

Yeah, it's a sneaky way to get you to check out the "Behind the Times" blog as well, but you'll also get what you came for: story summaries and cast/credits for the episodes we've produced so far. Once you do, we hope that you'll click on the story/episode links to hear them, then check out our other fine podcasts at

Hopefully you'll want to read more about the show here, click on the story/episode links to hear them, then check out our other fine podcasts at
NOTE: All Prometheus podcasts are presented in high-definition imagination -- yours!
Enjoy!

True North (Series Pilot)
An all-too-human office drone learns about his late parents’ super-heroic pasts – and a few surprising things about his own.
Cast: John Scheeler, Marty Gear, Cindy Woods, Renfield, Eli Senter, Cindy Shockey, Paul Balzé, Steve Wilson, Renee Wilson, Ethan Wilson and John Weber as Malvolio Nacht

Risk Management (3 parts) 1 2 3
The world’s greatest sorceress faces three challenges: protecting a valuable magical tome during a high-profile museum exhibition; grooming her two daughters to take over the family security firm; and dating – after a 20-year lull.
Cast: Renee Wilson, Heather Mikkelsen, Paige Strehlen-Senter, Eli Senter, Steve Wilson, Scott Farquhar

Servant Problem
The former butler of a dying super-villain receives a gift from his ex-employer that arrives at the worst possible time. Comic mayhem ensues.
Cast: John Weber, Heather Scheeler, Eli Senter, Lance Woods, Steve Wilson and Sandy Zier-Teitler as Mrs. Jensen

Close Encounters
A romance novelist who’s built her career creating dream men for her readers finally meets the man of her own dreams – literally.
Cast: Heather Scheeler, John Scheeler, Maureen Connolly, Renfield, Ethan Wilson, Cindy Woods

Dashing (3 parts) 1 2 3
An arrogant action-movie star with superhuman healing powers is targeted by a mysterious assassin and his only hope of uncovering the killer rests with a meek special effects technician who believes he's Dash Tarragon, the debonair superspy the actor plays onscreen.
Cast: Scott Farquhar, John Weber, Cindy Woods, June Swords, Marty Gear, Renfield

Series Announcer: June Swords

Created & Written by Lance Woods
Directed by Steven H. Wilson

MORE TO COME! HONEST!

Back to SuperHuman Times web page.

No New Times Yet, BUT...

2008-09-25T21:00:00.006-04:00

Hi.

Well, I'm writing new SuperHuman Times episodes in hopes that Steve Wilson and Prometheus Radio Theatre will still be standing after the mind-blowing finale to The Arbiter Chronicles (starting this week). But while you're patiently waiting on me, I have great news.

When you get around to listening to Steve's words (while breathlessly awaiting mine), you can do so at the all-new Prometheus website, which you can find here. (NOTE: Although we're still very much with the good folks at libsyn, this site replaces the previous one we had with them.)

If you haven’t checked it out already, please do so before we settle in and mess up the nice, new space. And while you’re there, listen to the new Arbiter episode. Or enjoy some old Times.

Thanks.

-- L.

In This Episode: Nobody Dies! -- UPDATED WITH PICS!

2008-09-05T22:10:00.005-04:00

Hi.

I’ve been at kind of a writing lull for the last couple of weeks. I’m in the middle of a Times episode, but I’ve written myself into a corner that I didn’t expect to hit, and I’m trying to figure the way out. This is actually a good situation because it forces a writer to be inventive and examine new ways to resolve a story. So I’m doing that as I write this.

I also thought, after blogging so much about death recently -- our dear Tucker, my pal Robbie – that I’d turn a little non-Times space over to some good news for a change. It’s especially good because September 10 will be the first anniversary of Tucker’s passing. We still miss him terribly, we still fight back tears, but recent events have reminded us how much we love the “sister” he left behind.

Shalla (named for the Silver Surfer’s lost girlfriend, by me) is our terrier mix. We adopted her a year after we adopted Tucker so he'd have company. But she hates other dogs. ALL other dogs. we didn't know this until we got her home, though She and Tucker rarely got along; I often feel guilty for bringing her into the house and stressing him out. But on her own, she’s a sweetie. She’s three years younger than Tucker, based on her shelter records.

This makes her about 12-13, or 69-70 in human years. She’s an old lady, but as anyone who’s been at the other end of her leash can tell you, she’s strong. Strong enough to show her displeasure at being crated last year by walking the crate out of the living room, around a corner, and down the hall, until she hit a wall.

The crate started in front of the couch, here. Move it left about four feet and forward about six to eight feet and you'll end up...

Here, where Shalla ended up. (This is where, and how, we found her.)

Here's a detail of where she shoved her snoot through the bars to move forward. One of these bars ultimately fell off. She is STILL that strong.

So, she tore what’s called a cruciate ligament in a rear leg that day and, astonishingly, healed very nicely without so much as a limp.

This year, though – and we have no idea how – she tore the same ligament in the other rear leg. This time, it was a complete tear, one that required surgery last week. We were very concerned for several reasons:

1. Shalla hates going to the vet hospital. She’s been there numerous times for exams and boarding, but she shakes like a leaf and is ready to tunnel through the foundation during every visit. This isn't very helpful to the doctors or techs who have to deal with her (never-realized) bite potential.

2. The surgery was $$$$, and we had to wonder if it was worth going through much financial strain – or worth the stress of surgery and recovery -- for a dog her age. (The attending surgeon dispelled that idea quickly, proclaiming her amazingly fit for a dog of her years.)

3. The surgery was routine, but with the anniversary of Tucker’s death approaching, we feared something might happen – like Shalla working herself into shock on the table – that would take her from us.

I am pleased/relieved to report that Shalla has been home for a week now and is progressing nicely. She’s actually walking on her repaired limb tentatively, but with growing confidence. We still have to walk her out in the yard on a leash for bathroom breaks. However, unlike Tucker during his hip replacement surgeries, Shalla is encouraged to walk on the leg when we go out. The max is five minutes, but she’s usually back in the house of her own desire in about one minute. Best of all, after going without an appetite or food for about a week, she’s finally eating meals and biscuits again, a sure sign that we’ve dodged another canine apocalypse for now.

Like I said, some good news for a change. I think Tucker would approve. Then he'd ask me why I wasn’t getting back to work on the script.

So, if you will excuse me, my dog and I will return to my corner.

-- L.

We Interrupt This Interruption for a Bit of Fun

2008-08-17T10:50:00.006-04:00

In desperate need of relief from my selfish mourning rage (see last post), I've been watching the just-released two-disc set of Filmation's DC Super Heroes cartoons from 1967 -- 18 cartoons that initially ran between the Superman cartoons that aired on CBS on Saturday mornings and later in syndication.

Historical note to youngsters: in my day, there were no 24/7 kids/cartoon channels like Nick and CN; we ruled the TV ONLY on Saturdays from roughly 8 AM-1 PM, and maybe for a few hours on Sunday mornings, and that was it. If Whitey hadn't taken all the satellite dishes from the much smarter Native Americans, we'd still be getting TV signals for the three main broadcast networks via aerials atop our covered wagons. It's all true! Google it!

(And, yes, I am sure they had some formative influence along with the old '60s Marvel cartoons and the West/Ward Batman series on me that ultimately led me to come up with SuperHuman Times, so there is some relevance to this blog.)

Anyway, the set contains cartoons featuring pre-Paul Dini/Bruce Timm renditions of the JLA, Green Lantern (Hal), the Atom, Hawkman and the Teen Titans. They HAD to have inspired them to become artists so they could create something better.

Among the highlights (for me, anyway):

* The limited animation makes the first season of The Flintstones look like The Clone Wars.

* The menu screen shows stills of Hanna-Barbera's Birdman instead of Hawkman. (At least he earned his own DVD set.)

* Green Lantern is voiced by the animated Fantastic Four's own Reed Richards, radio star Gerald Mohr, and his first cartoon has Paul Frees (the animated FF's Ben Grimm) voicing every other character.

* When Paul Frees doesn't voice all but the central character of every cartoon, Ted Knight does.

* The opening music in the JLA cartoons sounds like they're taking the stage in Vegas instead of preparing to fight evil.

* There are too many "WTF?!" moments in every episode to describe here.

Check it out here if you get a chance. For all their flaws, I treasure them more than ever because they couldn't have come out at a better time.

-- L.

PS: Check out the documentary about Filmation founder Lou Scheimer on disk 2. You may not come away with more respect for the cartoons, but the man responsible for them has class.

We Interrupt This Program to Remember Robbie Greenberger

2008-08-15T21:17:00.002-04:00

Yeah, it’s one of those times I have to veer away from the main purpose of this blog (hyping the show) to attend to some personal business.

There’s no other way to start an entry like this, so: last night, a good friend of mine passed away.

Robbie Greenberger – son of Bob & Deb Greenberger, brother of Katie Greenberger – had been diagnosed with leukemia in January. His fight wasn’t a long one, but it was a powerful one, all documented by his dad on his blog. I’m probably getting my chronology wrong, but I think he’d just completed his first semester (year?) at Towson University when he was diagnosed. So he was young. Too young for this.

I’m sure I’m wrong about this, but I can’t bring myself to check for his obit to confirm his age and brief life path. All I know is that the little months-old baby I first met when he wore Superman sleepers, a swell kid who grew into an ace convention masquerade ninja, was snatched too soon.

And having him taken from his family, and from us, so soon really pisses me off. So much so that I can’t even restrain my rage long enough to go to the funeral home’s online condolence book to leave the message I know I should leave.

I’m mad that someone as young and vital as Robbie had to be chosen by The Machine to suffer this fate. I’m mad that his parents and sister have to live the rest of their lives with an unimaginable void that will surely shrink in time, but can never close. And, selfishly, I’m REALLY pissed off that I’ll never get to have breakfast with him again, because the last time I did was one of the most fun times I’ve ever spent around Clan Greenberger. (And we’ve had a busload or two.)

That was back in 2003. Bob and the brood were guesting at a local s-f convention that I couldn’t attend because I was watching Greg at home while Cindy ran the convention art show that weekend. Still, they wanted to get together with us for breakfast at a neutrally located IHOP, so we did. When people you’ve been friends with since ’82 still want to eat with you in public, you go, NQA.

So we arrived, there were hugs and kisses and pancakes and bacon, and Robbie just fell in love with Greg. They sat across the table from each other and played constantly while Bob, Deb and Katie grilled me about the latest that was going on in our lives and beyond. I wish I’d taken a camera, because the boys were distracting -- and hilarious.

But what also stands out about that breakfast was the fact that I’d ordered a large orange juice. And that Greg was having such a great time, he wrapped his little 3-year-old hands around my tumbler at one point and chugged about half of it down. It was the first and only time he ever drank orange juice, and I always wondered if Robbie loosened him up enough to give it a shot. I don’t know if I ever thanked him for that, but I know we mentioned that breakfast to each other on occasion when we intersected at later conventions.

If Greg ever does drink OJ again, I’ll think of Robbie because of the fun he had with him that day. And if he doesn’t, I’ll think of Robbie because we’ll never have another chance to have breakfast with him and test the theory. Maybe we never would have. As Robbie grew older, our time together grew shorter as we – especially he – had other things calling to him. Like the entourage of girls he acquired at the last convention where we crossed paths. It was something to see. I’m not sure, but I think that was the con where Katie, an accomplished ballroom dancer, hauled Robbie’s skinny ass out on the floor to teach him a few steps during the convention’s Saturday night dance. And he went! They were a unique pair of siblings. But they were born of unique parents, so no big surprise.

And none of them deserved this. I know, I know, his fight is done, he’s at peace, and that’s a good thing, but this family holds a special place in my heart for numerous reasons, so I’m mad again at their having to endure this pain. It’s a waste of energy and emotion, and if Bob, Deb and/or Katie ever read this, I hope they’ll forgive me, but this kind of rage has no place in a condolence book or a private email.

Maybe I’ll be able to contact them in a few days, but for right now… I just don’t have the words. None that can help them, anyway.

So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pour myself a tumbler of orange juice and drink a toast to a fine young man, a great kid, and a wonderful friend. (Greg's not here, so I'll get to finish it.)

Later, Robbie.

-- L.

Whither Season Two?

2008-07-18T23:41:00.010-04:00

Okay. So if you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’re wondering what’s going on with Season Two of SuperHuman Times. Or you couldn't get in to any screenings of The Dark Knight.

When we last left our everyday heroes and villains, we’d completed four episodes of the planned six-episode season. But that last episode was released nearly two months ago. Wha’ hoppen?

The answer can be summed up in five words: The Arbiter Chronicles Season Finale.

Briefly, Steve Wilson’s been busting his artistic and technical balls to create a mammoth showstopper that will blow away everyone who hears it. Understandably, this means Times episodes must wait until his deck is clear.

When will that be, you may ask? Well, it could be as late as this fall, in which case the last two episodes I’ve written for Season Two will become early episodes in Season Three – yes, Virginia, we will be making more of these.

Just to give you a quick review/preview of what to expect, we have a nifty, dark supervillain-centric tale coming up, as well as a return case starring the ladies of Tzone Defense Security, and one – possibly two – tales from the notebook of Times reporter Kevin Dunbar, the first character I created for the series and one to whom I’m eager to introduce you, along with Mnemonica the memory lady, Rei Shinozaki (a comic-book artist with a secret), soldier/scientist Rhett Corsair and many others.

During this hiatus, I’m also thinking of adding a couple of minor improvements to the Times website, including – maybe – PDFs of our production scripts that let you see the blueprints we follow for each story. Let me know if you’d be interested in something like that and I’ll spend more money with Go Daddy to make it happen.

So that, in a proverbial nutshell, is where things stand. I will keep you posted as events warrant. In the meantime, I learned tonight that Prometheus Radio Theatre scored MULTIPLE submissions -- not nominations; if we're lucky, that comes later -- in the 2008 Parsec Awards (after winning one trophy last year). Funny thing is, we have no idea who actually submitted us for consideration. We'll find out if we actually win anything at Dragon Con. But for now, at least somebody out there likes us -- and if it’s you, thanks!

If it's not, use this time to hit libsyn and listen to our previous stories so that you, too, can keep up with the Times!

-- L.

"Dashing" is Up & Running Now!

2008-05-02T21:12:00.003-04:00

What else can I say but "woo-hoo"

After 25 years since I first came up with the story -- and five months since we opened Season Two with "Close Encounters" -- part one of "Dashing", our three-part,superhuman-murder mystery-Bond movie, is finally online at libsyn & iTunes!

Personally, I think it sounds great, and not just because the Mrs. edited it. Steve directed it nimbly with one of our best casts, and they all sound like they're actually having fun. (They laid down their tracks in one very long day, so you can truly appreciate their acting talents here.)

When you get a chance, please get over to libsyn and check it out. If you like this first episode, you won't want to miss episodes 2 & 3 in the weeks ahead.

And, oh yeah: Steve's letting me host all three episodes.

Check it out anyway.

-- L.

So, Where’s Season Two Already?! / Hello, Minneapolis!

2008-03-13T20:37:00.005-04:00

Oi! Where’s the much-ballyhooed Season Two of SuperHuman Times?

Good question. That’s why I thought it was time to post a good answer. I hope this will do.

That answer, in a word, is time. Bear in mind that, as much as we love doing audio theatre, everyone involved with Prometheus has day jobs. That leaves only select evenings and weekends for us to produce these shows. Not a lot of time, but we all treasure it.

And when we do get the time to make them, the Times episodes take a back seat to the group’s flagship show, The Arbiter Chronicles, of which I’ve written much in the past. There are big doin’s afoot in Steve Wilson’s Arbiter-verse, and he’s channeling his Herculean efforts into getting the next story, “Foundation and Desire,” into the can so that he can share them with his large and eager audience. It was recorded in a marathon session on Super Bowl Sunday and is set to air – four months of evenings and weekends later – in early April. See what I mean about time? Anyway, keep checking libsyn.com for it. You won’t be disappointed.

After that comes the next Times, “Dashing,” the three-parter I’ve been crowing about for damn near a year. I can’t wait to find out who Steve casts in it, and I hope you’ll hang around to hear them.

In the meantime: I recently learned that the Times pilot, “True North,” will be airing on March 16 on Great Northern Audio's Sound Affects, KFAI-FM’s “audio playground” hosted by Jerry Stearns of the Twin Cities (where Prometheus won its Mark Time Award in 2003). If anyone reading this discovered Times through Sound Affects, please email me and let me know you’re out there. And, of course, let me know if you want to hear more stories. We certainly have more to tell.

Time permitting, that is.

-- L.

Live at a Comic Convention Near You...?

2008-02-01T21:44:00.000-05:00

Hi. Hope you had a good holiday. We adopted a Wii. Surprisingly, I haven't abandoned writing to perfect my fencing technique against Sonic or Mario.

In fact, over the holidays, I finished "No Good Deed" (formerly "Penance"), which completes Season Two of Times. Now, I've embarked on another script after a discussion that Steve Wilson and I had during a recent recording session. (Planet of Dark Shadows. Star Trek meets Dark Shadows. Pure, delightful farce. Look for it on libsyn; it should be posted in the next few weeks.)

Anyway, between takes, Steve brought the possibility of mounting live Times performances at comic-book conventions. He's staged live performances of The Arbiter Chronicles at s-f cons in the past, but never really entertained the notion of doing live Times shows whenever I brought it up. (I'm not surprised. It's a huge undertaking for a small troupe.) Nevertheless, since I have always wanted to get comic fans to check us out, I was still receptive to the idea.

Which brings me to what I'm working on now: our "roadshow," a script with a cast and effects that can be easily transported from village to village. I thought about adapting an existing script, but then worked up a long-dormant idea that I could actually set at a comic con and provide opportunities for willing creators to get in on the fun in guest roles.

And that's where I am right now. I'm not divulging the nature of the show, but I think Steve, the Prometheus crew and any audience that sees it will enjoy it.

I hope you'll be among them. I'll let you know how it goes.

-- L.

A Holiday Breather

2007-12-22T21:35:00.002-05:00

Hi.

Last night, I finished polishing what will be the next-to-last Times episode of Season 2, "No Good Deed" (formerly "Penance"). I like how it's shaping up, but it needs more work, and I think a little time away from the page will help.

Besides, stepping back from it now will allow me to actually enjoy some of the holiday. Hope your life is allowing you to do the same, and that you're looking forward to the next Season 2 story in the New Year (Prometheus willing).

Have a great holiday!

-- L

Season Two Begins!

2007-11-23T22:42:00.001-05:00

Hi.

Just a quick note to officially announce the launch of SuperHuman Times' second season with the posting of the opener, "Close Encounters," on libsyn.

I may have mentioned it before, but this one's about a romance novelist who finds the man of her dreams. But, like her fictional heroines, she eventually discovers he has a deep, dark secret -- and discovers that she has an even bigger one.

Once you click on the above link and listen to it, let us know what you think of the episode, either via the libsyn comment blocks, or here.

And even if you don't comment, if you just dropped in to listen: thanks!

-- L.

Of Ads and Doctors

2007-11-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

Hi.

At this writing, the SuperHuman Times ad that's been running on Comic World News has been clicked 97 times. Now that may not sound like a great response to you after a month online, but it's just three clicks shy of my target of 100. I'm fighting the temptation to go to the site and click for the sake of driving it home, but I won't. I'm sure most of the early clickers were Prometheus folks anyway, so it's already contaminated. But they all can't be in that 97, so I'm hoping new people found us and liked us. (Are you one of them? Let me know, please!)

In the meantime, I've been writing scripts, and I realized something that the Times Universe has in common with the real world: both have a helluva lot of doctors. Not that I have anything against doctors. They're vital to our society and they're excellent vessels for exposition. But I've written seven stories (so far) and five of them (so far) have doctors somewhere!

I reviewed the stories I've written so far (past and upcoming) to confirm this and, by God, look at this:

- "True North": pivotal scene takes place in a bombed hospital (dead doctors count);
- "Servant Problem": the guy who comes to claim Knuckles' body is a doctor;
- "Close Encounters": one of the main characters "was" a psychiatrist (you'll get it when you hear it);
- "Dashing": there's an ER (the doctors are alive in this one);
- "Penance": the main character's a medical researcher.

I think that's all the doctors I have for now. I promise to try and do better. Maybe I can have someone blow up a big law firm for a little variety.

-- L.

UPDATE, 11/10: Overnight, the ad hit 100. If you're here now as a result of seeing the ad, thanks. Now, go listen to the show!

Away from the Keyboard

2007-10-20T08:28:00.000-04:00

Just a quick break from the "business" of writing Times stories to share a couple of photos and stories from recent travels.

Late in September, we journeyed to the Promised Land -- Wildwood, NJ -- to take our human son, Greg, on some rides and say goodbye to Tucker, our canine son. He (Tucker) loved chasing roller coasters on the beach, so we took some of his fur (in lieu of his ashes; I couldn't bear to open his urn and "rob the grave") with us to the beach and let the winds take him. We were all a little misty, but like all funerals, it was a necessary ritual.

Anyway, when we were done, Cindy caught a shot of me making like Lawrence of Arabia on the beach. (Wildwood has one of the largest beaches anywhere; it truly can be like crossing the Sun's Anvil to get from boardwalk to ocean. The photo doesn't do it justice. We'll get a better one next time.)

As for the other shot -- well, Greg's never seen Lawrence, so he didn't really get into the spirit, but we have so few photos together, this was something of an event.

Speaking of events, this brings me to my second recent diversion from writing: On Wednesday, Cindy & I spent the day in New York, shopping at Toys R Us and M&Ms World, getting The World's Most Expensive Turkey Sandwich for lunch at the Roxy Deli (yum!), and -- the reason for the whole trip -- seeing the afternoon matinee of Curtains with David Hyde Pierce. Given my passion for Frasier -- and the fact that the show also stars Edward "Gil Chesterton" Hibbert -- seeing this was an imperative. Having missed an earlier opportunity to see the show due to a last-minute dental emergency, I was thrilled and relieved to finally see the thing. If you like old-fashioned, breezy musicals (it's the last score by Kander & Ebb and features a great book by Peter Stone and Rupert Holmes) with a great ensemble, you MUST see this show.

We didn't have time to get autographs at the stage door before catching our train, but Cindy did oblige me with this photo to prove I'd really made it to the play. I consider the excursion nothing less than a monumental achievement, given the way The Machine likes to throw wrenches into my plans -- or, as it did last spring, into my teeth -- from time to time.

We now return to our regularly scheduled writing and plugging.
-- L.

So... Y'see Our Ad?

2007-10-08T20:25:00.000-04:00

Hi.

This weekend, I booked the first-ever SuperHuman Times web ad. (Designed it, too.)

It's running now and will be up for a month on the leaderboard of the Comic World News forum.

I picked CWN for a number of reasons: price, ad size, a very helpful webmaster... but most importantly, the forum is the home of the Bruisers board -- Kurt Busiek's Astro City forum. And if you know anything about Times, you know how influential that comic was in its creation.

So if you're here because you saw the ad -- and hopefully, checked out the podcasts -- let me know, OK?

Thanks.

-- L.

PROMETHEUS TAKES A PARSEC AWARD!!!

2007-09-04T19:51:00.000-04:00

I'm proud to announce that Prometheus Radio Theatre -- the people who bring "The Arbiter Chronicles" and "SuperHuman Times" and other audio treats to podcasting life -- won a Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama (Long Form) at this past weekend's Dragon Con in Atlanta!

Needless to say, I am proud of my talented friends.

To hear some samples of our work that were submitted to the judges for consideration, check out the Prometheus MySpace page, and leave your congratulations for our visionary leader, Steve Wilson (who is no doubt right now clearing off a well-earned space on his mantel beside Prometheus' Mark Time Silver Medal from 2003).

-- L.

Well, SOMEONE'S Listening to Us!

2007-08-01T21:26:00.000-04:00

Hi.

For the first time in months, I checked out the official timeskeeper@superhumantimes.com emailbox that's hosted at Go Daddy. It's the official contact address for the show, but I rarely go there because, except for spam, there's usually nothing worth reading. (I know, I know, you all listen to the show, but you don't get around to emailing me about it, that's okay, I understand.)

Seems that, on July 13, someone proved me wrong, because this was waiting for me tonight:

"I just wanted to drop a quick line to let y'all know that I have been greatly enjoying SuperHuman Times. Actually, I've been putting them on CD for a coworker of mine who is less computer savvy, and he too has been enjoying what he's heard so far. Thanks for the shows, and I hope to see more in the future!"
-Misha [I'll withhold the last name for privacy purposes]

Needless to say, our first official "fan mail" has me looking forward to our new fall season even more. Hopefully, once I place my long worked-on ad on some comics sites, we'll get some more feedback like this.

Just wanted to share the thrill with you all. Carry on.

-- L.

Where in the World is SuperHuman Times?

2007-07-23T20:35:00.001-04:00

Hi.

The most literal answer to the title question is "still on hiatus." Steve Wilson and the Prometheus crew are taking their collective, well-earned rest after launching this series AND continuing The Arbiter Chronicles AND spinning a few more audio folk tales. Don't worry, they'll be back -- and as far as I know, they'll be bringing the Times back with them.

Which leads me to the second answer to the title question, and what may be the dumbest entry I ever make in this blog, but if anyone ever starts listening to the things – and reading these things – I’d like to have it here.

The other day, I realized that I never specify in my scripts where, exactly, the SuperHuman Times stories take place. I deliberately wanted to give it a sense of its own world, its own reality. But as I kept writing, the stories evoked memories of various real cities where I thought they might “fit.”

So, for the benefit of anyone else who cares about such things, here’s where the episodes so far, and a few that are upcoming, are set, at least in my head. NOTE: If you’re inclined to conjure up your own locales in your head as you listen to each story, please do. That’s why audio theatre is called “theatre of the mind,” after all.

The stories thus far:

“True North” - Baltimore. (I gave the pilot the home field advantage. In fact, my parents are buried in the same cemetery as Curtis’ parents.)

“Risk Management” – Chicago. (Although the museum in which much of the story is set is based on a presentation area in the Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Had the pleasure of watching one of my comic industry colleagues deliver a great lecture there in 2006 and fell in love with the location. I can still see the pedestal with the spellbook standing in the middle of the hall...)

“Servant Problem” – Long Island (the tony neighborhoods).

In upcoming stories, we’ll continue our travels (and again, these are places where they're set in my head, not necessarily mentioned in the scripts):

“Dashing” – Hollywood. This will be bloody obvious.

“Close Encounters” – Boston.

“The Hot Property” – New York to Atlanta.

Plus, at least one major character to emerge from this twisted micro-universe will be from the Jersey Shore. (Everyone who knows me had to see that coming at some point.) And another will come from Kansas. She hasn’t told me what she’ll be doing yet, but it’s just a matter of time.

But I have it on good authority we’ll be producing these and other stories for some time to come, and I hope you’ll join us for them. If you haven’t yet, please do by clicking here. If you have: thanks for listening, and for stopping by.

-- L.

Times Marches On...

2007-07-02T20:40:00.001-04:00

Hi. Thought I'd take a breather to update you on the latest goings-on here at the keyboard.

First off, "Dashing" -- the much-talked-up (by me) three-part Times story -- is done and on the launchpad, waiting for Steve Wilson and the Prometheus cabal to find time to do it. But it's summer. We're all on various stages of vacation. But if anyone reading this is a writer of any kind, you know that just doesn't happen with our ilk. You can't switch off your imagination. at least, I can't.

Which is why I've just cranked out the first draft revision of the next Times, a one-shot tentatively titled "Man of My Dreams." It's a fun little story about a romance novelist who thinks she's found the perfect man, until two problems rock her world: he's not who he appears to be... and neither is she. If you dig the old Alfred Hitchcock Presents series, I hope you'll check this out whenever it goes up. It's got a "twist" at the end that even I didn't see coming until I wrote the script.

And working on that got me so revved up that I almost instantly started writing the next script, another one-shot tentatively titled "Penance." It's in the early stages, but here's my pitch: a desperate researcher seeking a way to test a new cancer drug on a human subject discovers that a patient dying in his hospital is a former supervillainess known for conducting sadistic genetic experiments. In exchange for not revealing her identity to authorities who have been seeking her for years, the researcher coerces her into being his guinea pig and consulting on his work -- but she makes him promise to help her die if the drug fails to restore her health. Needless to say, the stakes turn out to be much, much higher -- but I haven't even outlined this one yet, so there's also a chance they'll just shake hands and go their separate ways, the end.

If that happens, I'll jump in front of a bus, 'cause living will be pointless. Wish me luck.

-- L.

P.S.: While you're waiting for these new Times, be sure to visit Prometheus' libsyn page and check out their latest three-parter from their flagship show, The Arbiter Chronicles. It's called "Divergence," and has one of the most original and entertaining premises I've ever encountered. Plus, The Mrs. edited all of it and has a featured role, so I love it.

That is, I love it; you should, too!

Good News/Sad News

2007-06-01T20:39:00.000-04:00

Hi. It’s been one of those weeks, so please bear with me.

Let me start with the good news: The new Times episode, “Servant Problem,” is now online! You can access it via Ye Website here. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Please excuse me if I’m not more enthused about the debut of a new episode. I’m really quite proud of it, writing-wise. But the release comes on the heels of the sad news, a tragedy that struck our circle of friends earlier this week.

A very dear friend, Jim Childs -- that's him in the photo above -- died suddenly early on Tuesday morning, and we said goodbye to him tonight.

Jim was a big, friendly bear of a guy, a true sweetheart. He and his wife, Betsy (my wife’s best friend since childhood), were a perfect match. They both loved movies, comic books and all the other geeky things that are shared by… well, practically anyone who associates with our ilk. And he, like Betsy, loved dogs, especially Dalmatians. But he was just as good with our two mongrels, and they clearly enjoyed his company, too. Just like we all did.

I have a lot of memories of Jim, but my fondest one is of the time he backhanded my wife, Cindy.

I guess I should explain.

A couple of years ago, for a Superman-themed show at a convention, we made a video spoof of the classic ‘50s Superman series. Jim – a passionate Supes fan – played Clark Kent, and it’s hard to imagine anyone having such a good time not taking himself seriously in the least. Whether he was in the gray suit or the baggy Superman costume, he took his lines and ran with them. It shows in his performance. And his “flying” was superb. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’d bet that his energy helped all of us enjoy those few days of shooting in mid-autumn a lot more. (I hope Steve Wilson, who wrote it, and Lew Aide, the video director, will load the thing on YouTube. If they do, I’ll post the link. DC and Viacom legal be damned; it’s a parody, and a great one.)

Anyway, I believe I was talking about how cool it was when Jim belted my wife.

There’s a scene in which Clark (Jim) and Lois (played by Cindy) are arguing over the fact that she’s reported in the Daily Planet that Superman can be killed by Kryptonite. (At least that’s how I recall it, but screw my memory, I’m in mourning.) Clark ain’t happy about it. Lois contends it’s factual, so it’s news. At this point, Clark tells her, “News, huh? I’ll show you news,” and SWACK-O!, knocks her out of the frame, accompanied by the sound effect of bowling pins going down.

I never laughed so hard at anything in one of our shows in my life. Neither had Cindy. The very idea of Clark – much less Jim -- ever doing something like that made the gag work beautifully. To her credit, Cindy took the hit like a pro, too. (No, I haven’t tried this at home.) It was just one of many elements that made the whole video one of the coolest things to work on. But without Jim as our jovial anchor, it simply wouldn’t have been as good, or as much fun.

Here's another photo of Jim in costume from the video. If you think it looks ridiculous, he'd be proud. But aside from his warm handshakes and big, big hugs, I think this is how I will always remember him. This is the friend I will miss. I guess that makes me Superman’s Pal -- one of many during his time among us.

Be sure to tell George Reeves the backhand story, Jim. He’ll love it -- and you, I’m sure -- as much as we do.

-- L.

Hey! Who Asked About Us at Balticon? Was It You?

2007-05-28T06:01:00.001-04:00

Hi.

I wasn't able to make it to this year's edition of Balticon, the Baltimore-Washington area's premier s-f blowout, but through the generosity of one of my partners-in-crime (yes, you, Sharon Van Blarcom, thank you!), a bunch of Times lanyards and fliers did make the show, as did the show's biggest supporter, my wife Cindy, as she was producing a live gig there for the Prometheus bunch.

So Cindy gets home from the con last night, and she tells me that:
- Out of the 125 or so Times lanyards I gave Sharon on Friday, five were left;
- There were "a few" Times fliers left for the flier table;
- One person remarked that the concept was one he hadn't heard of before for superhero stories; and
- Someone we didn't know at all actually asked Steve Wilson, "When's the next SuperHuman Times episode coming on?"

Figures that the cons I miss are the ones where people talk about the show.

Anyway, if you took a lanyard/flier/both at Balticon, and/or were curious enough to hit the website or MySpace page for more information: Welcome! And in case you were the one who asked: the next episode, "Servant Problem," should hit the 'net in a few short weeks (and I'm overestimating because I want to help Steve maintain his rep as a miracle worker; he's probably already finished it).

Next: I'm set on finishing a one-shot by July 4th, followed by a vacation in August, then proceeding to the next multi-parter -- one I've been waiting to write literally since the beginning of Times.

Hope your summer's just as much fun, and that you'll spend part of it listening to our show.

-- L.

Yay! "Servant Problem" Begins Production!

2007-05-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

Hi.

Thursday night, we started production on the third Times story, the one-shot titled "Servant Problem." If you like old-fashioned screwball comedies like "My Man Godfrey" and "Bringing Up Baby" (ask your parents or grandparents if you don't know those movies), you'll enjoy this when it's done.

I don't say this because I wrote it, but because after hearing John Weber record the lead role of Cabot -- a butler with a rather large problem courtesy of his former employer -- I have every confidence that it will play better on audio than it does on the page. Of course, the fact that he has a hell of a supporting cast will just make it more entertaining.

(Okay, there is one ham in our cast who chews the scenery like it's penny candy when his supervillain character is visited by Cabot in prison, but I'll let you judge that performance on its own merits/flaws.)

When it’s ready (which should be pretty soon), you’ll hear about it here. And, of course, here (where you'll find our pilot, "True North" and the three-parter, "Risk Management") and on MySpace.

Be there, and be sure to tell your friends: Fun Times are ahead!

-- L.

HOLY CRAP! "RISK MANAGEMENT" IS DONE!

2007-04-08T14:23:00.000-04:00

Hi.

I just listened to the third and final installment of our second SuperHuman Times story, "Risk Management." (You haven't heard it? Don't you read my MySpace bulletins? Shame!) With that, all three episodes are now available for free download. You can grab them via the podcast page of the Times website.

And with that, we did something I never thought we'd actually do.
We moved forward with SuperHuman Times.
We moved beyond the pilot, "True North," and we actually took our second step into the Times universe.
Wow.

Not that I ever doubted the ability of Steve Wilson and the Prometheus crew to pull all this together, but given the other commitments everyone was facing -- both with respect to producing other Prometheus shows, and with respect to dealing with real life (we don't do this for a living, ya know) -- I think it's pretty impressive. At least, I'm impressed by them. I've had so many ideas and best-laid plans crash and burn for so many different reasons over the years that seeing all this happen is a real thrill.

Hopefully, Steve and the gang will be ready for what I throw at them next because, between the podcasts of "True North" and "Risk Management," I finished two more scripts -- a one-shot and another three-parter (the latter of which Steve's probably gonna roll up and jam down my windpipe for its technical challenges).

But that's my problem. That and figuring out which voices in my head get to tell their story next. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

-- L.

"Risk Management" is Online NOW!

2007-03-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

Hi.
Since my last post had the next Times story in production, it's only fitting that I fell behind with this blog long enough for it to be close to finished, which it is.

"Risk Management" Parts 1 & 2 are now available for FREE download from libsyn.com! I'm pretty excited because it means we're actually taking the series beyond "True North."

Here are the links:
Part 1
Part 2

You also get some nifty commentary and celebrity interviews (Ron Glass!) from Prometheus Radio Theatre founder Steve Wilson ... mainly because I wrote short scripts. Hey, I'm learning here.

But our fine cast does quite well with the few words I gave them, especially Renee Wilson as Nataliya Tzone. (Yep, Cindy was right; see last post.) Guys, when you hear her talking to the professor in Part 2, you'll wish it were you sitting across that desk from her.

You can also subscribe to Prometheus' podcasts for FREE and automatically receive them via iTunes.

However you get them, I hope you like them. Let me know one way or the other, here or at MySpace .

Thanks.
-- L.

"Risk Management" Production Underway!

2007-03-09T19:30:00.000-05:00

Hi.

At long last, the second Times story, the three-part Risk Management," began production this past Wednesday in the opulent studios of Prometheus Radio Theatre. My sources (it helps when the series producer is your wife) tell me that all of the principal dialogue was recorded in one evening, and that everyone had fun performing it.

Although she praised the entire cast, Cindy had particular kudos for Renee Wilson (lovely and talented wife of Prometheus god Steve Wilson), who mastered a tricky Roma accent for her lead role as Nataliya Tzone (pron. like "tsar"), the Times Universe's most powerful sorceress/security expert. I think it's especially nice of Cindy to say something like that, considering she knows I created Nataliya for her. But, Steve wanted Cindy for Beyondra in "True North"; what's a guy to do?

I haven't heard any of the recorded dialogue at this writing, but Cindy's assessment already has me thinking we have another good show coming up. Now if only we could get people to listen to it... if only we could get them to stop reading or writing blogs for just a little while... except this one, of course.

More as production, and promotion, continue.

-- L.

The Times Comes to MySpace

2007-03-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

Just a note to inform anyone who might be reading this that, in addition to Ye Blog and the website, you can now find me begging for listeners somewhere else: MySpace.

Stop by and make friends with me at http://www.myspace.com/superhumantimes. Bring your friends along. At this writing, I have only the mercy friend from MySpace on my page, so there's plenty of room. Or space. MySpace.

Yeah, yeah, I should go write things now.

-- L.

Post-Farpoint

2007-02-19T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hi.

Well, I set out fliers and lanyards at Farpoint last weekend. As always, the con was well-managed and intimate, and the fellow podcasters I mentioned in the last post were extremely interesting. Their command of the technology and the scope of what they're doing absolutely staggered me. I felt supremely outclassed (not because of any attitudes toward me on their parts).

Nevertheless, I put out the fliers and the lanyards. For a good chunk of the weekend, most of the lanyards were being worn by friends. and those were seen by strangers, and they were curious, and they wanted their own. They stopped by and I gave them a lanyard and a flier, and I told them about the show. Hope it helps get us a few more downloads.

Next? Well, I have lanyards left, so I'm hoping to hit a couple of more conventions, preferably some with a bigger comic-reading contingent. The Baltimore Comic Con is a given, but I'd also like to see if I can get anything going at Wizard World Philadelphia in June or Dragon Con in Atlanta in September. Money will probably be the biggest hurdle to attempting that kind of mini-campaign, though. Ads on the con's websites may be all I can do.

But I have all these people screaming in my head, telling me their stories. I'd like for someone to hear them. And, maybe, read this, too, someday.

-- L.

Farpoint: Preparations & Plugs

2007-02-12T20:38:00.000-05:00

Things are usually hectic around here before Farpoint because Cindy's getting ready for the convention's Art Show (which she runs), while we simultaneously celebrate our son Greg's birthday (he's 7 years old today, and seems to add a year every February around this time). This year is even more hectic because I've been making the promotional materials for the podcast.

One of the linchpins of the whole "campaign" arrived today: the lanyards. Gorgeous yellow lanyards with the logos of the show and Prometheus on them. They cost a good chunk of change. I'm giving them away to spread the word about the show. I'm an idiot. I'm also desperate. Between those, the fliers, the stickers and the podcast panels, the word should be adequately spread. We'll know one way or the other if it works if listenership to the pilot increases after the con.

No matter how the lanyards fare, I urge you to check out www.lowcostlanyards.com if you have similar needs. Warning: The lanyards are made in China, so if you need them in a hurry or have political leanings against doing business with that nation (I didn't know that's where they were being made until they shipped), go elsewhere. Otherwise, their sales reps (located in this country) are first-rate, so on that basis I recommend their service highly.

Speaking of the con, let me toss in a couple of courtesy plugs here for some fellow podcasters I'll be hanging with this weekend. I've just been introduced to their work and it's worth sharing.

- Jared Axelrod is the highly impressive master of The Voice of Free Planet X on libsyn.com, which also hosts Prometheus' shows. To call what he presents dramatic readings would be an understatement and disservice. Using words and music and precious little time, he creates -- no, becomes -- complete characters and worlds. I've heard only two stories from his site so far -- "What Mechanics Do" and "Saturn Swallows Its Children Whole" (performed by his equally talented partner in crime JR Blackwell, of Voices of Tomorrow). I get to open the podcasting panel with him at 10:00 on Saturday morning. I doubt I'll be as impressive. Hell, I doubt I'll be awake.

- Tee Morris is an accomplished podcaster, writer and actor whose talents are constantly on display at his nifty website, TeeMorris.com. When I heard the prologue from one of his major works, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana, it conjured images of Captain Blood as if it were painted by the Brothers Hildebrandt. Your visions may differ, but the important thing is: it conjures images, which is always the sign of a good storyteller. I'll be staffing the podcasters' table with Tee on Saturday morning, but if you go, you'll probably see him there throughout the weekend. Steve tells me he's a tireless self-promoter in the best possible way. Stop by and find out.

One last Farpoint-related callout: my thanks to my pal Marc B. Lee for singling me out to potential attendees as a convention guest (or, to use his questionable estimation, "writer extraordinaire"). I knew I had a purpose in life.

While I try to figure out what it is, I'll go back to work. Lanyards, lanyards, lanyards...

-- L.

Back to the Present

2007-02-04T20:21:00.000-05:00

Hi. This post officially brings us back into "real time."

I'll explain: If you look at the prior three posts, each one starts with a parenthetical stating "(Originally posted on...)" That's because my first posts to this blog were on Blogger before it was absorbed by Google. What you're reading now, after trials and tribulations I'd rather not go into, is the "Google Edition" of the blog. Unlike the preceding posts, today really is February 4, 2007, and that's when this is being posted. Welcome back.

That said, you haven't missed much. I'm preparing for the Farpoint convention in nearby Cockeysville, MD, which will be held two weeks from now. (Well, two weeks from this moment, it will be over; you know what I mean.) In addition to ordering 250 lanyards with the Times and Prometheus Radio Theatre logos, I've worked up a sign to promote them at our podcasting table (which we're sharing with several esteemed fellow podcasters), printed a ton of color fliers to introduce the series, cranked out some business cards to pass out, and created a couple of stickers to slap onto my photojournalist vest (I don't think they're gonna work out, but I can't afford embroidery, so I try). I don't expect the masses will storm "True North" to check it out after they get their lanyards and read their fliers, but ya have to start somewhere.

In the meantime, I've been informed that good ol' Mr. Wilson is going to submit "True North" to this year's Mark Time Awards. As you may recall, Prometheus took a Silver Medal in this competition with the three-part Arbiter Chronicles episode, "A Man Walks into a Bar." If you've never heard it, check it out, along with the other Arbiter episodes. I hope you'll be as impressed by my friends as I am.

As for Times, I'll let you know what happens. Better yet, if you pick up a lanyard or a flier and you visited the site to get here, you let me know, okay? I'll be here.

-- LW

Yup. Still Here. Still Writing.

2007-02-03T23:12:00.000-05:00

(Originally posted on January 20, 2007)

Howdy.

A friend of mine recently told me on good authority that people were actually reading this blog, and that it might be wise/nice to update it once in a while, even if nothing special was happening with the series.

Well, I did promise a "behind-the-scenes" perspective on the show, even if it is just my own. So, in that vein, here's what I've been up to since the last post:

"Risk Management" - The second story of the series, a three-parter, goes into the studio this month. We're hoping to post it in March.

"Dashing" - I'm in the middle of writing this one, another three-parter. Part One's done, and the wife likes it, so that's a good sign. I have to start Part Two after having taken a few weeks off for holiday recuperation and home improvements. With luck, this will hit during the summer months. Since it's a riff on Bond movies, that would be appropriate.

I'm also putting the finishing touches on the outline of what I think will be the fourth and final story of Season 1, "Servant Problem." I want this two-parter to be a lot of fun for whoever ends up acting in it, because I want it to have the feel of a 1930s screwball comedy. With superhumans.

And on top of that, I came up with two stories for what I hope will be future seasons. Both are love stories of different kinds. I don't know which one I'll attempt first, but when an idea hits, I always try to flesh it out immediately, so I can come back to it later with a lot of the initial details already worked out. But it's usually rolling through my head while I'm working on other stories.

It's just that I started this whole thing with ideas for about 15 stories. Now I have more than 20, I think.

When you figure that the Prometheus gang is also working on The Arbiter Chronicles and its series of folk tales, and we're going to try and post the Times episodes on a quarterly schedule, that translates into requiring about five years to tell all the stories I want to tell (Steve and the gang willing).

Two of my all-time favorite shows -- The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Twilight Zone -- each ran for five years. If we could attain that goal, we'd be in good company.

But first, I have to write the episodes. And plug the hell out of them. (I'm trying to find good comic-book venues for online ads, ideal conventions for program book ad/flier placement, etc. Any suggestions?) And in between all of this, I'll update you as to what's going on. I hope to have much to report.

Thanks for reading, and listening. Back to work.

-- LW

At Long Last, News!

2007-02-03T23:08:00.000-05:00

(Originally posted on December 20, 2006)

Greetings!

I wanted to take a moment to let you know a few items of potential interest:

1) Prometheus Radio Theatre has given the green light to a full season of SuperHuman Times! We are shooting for producing multi-part stories on a quarterly basis, with the next one hitting in March. "True North," the pilot, counts as the first story of the season. Following that...

2) The next story, "Risk Management," will start production after the holidays. This will be a three-parter featuring the Tzones, a family of sorceresses led by the most powerful sorceress on the planet. After the Big Shakeout, she started her own security firm. Now, she's planning to hand the reins of the firm over to her two gifted daughters... if they don't screw up their latest assignment. It was fun to write, and I'm hoping it'll be fun for the actors to play and for you to hear. And following that...

3) "Dashing," the season's third story, is currently in the outline-to-script stage. If you've seen my profile photo, you know I have a James Bond complex that manifested itself long before midlife. That's served me well for this story, which follows an action movie star with the ability to heal rapidly as he's forced to swap places with an amnesiac who thinks he's the superspy character the actor plays. I really hope you'll like it because it took more than 20 years to get it to production. But that's a story for later. Hopefully, this will hit in the summer.

That will, hopefully, be followed by one more story in the fall and -- if I can talk Steve Wilson and the Prometheus gang into letting me do it -- a holiday quickie. But we'll see.

Anyway, we're chugging along, and I hope you'll stay aboard for the ride.

-- LW

Let the Good (I Hope) Times Roll!

2007-02-03T23:02:00.000-05:00

(Originally posted on November 18, 2006)

Hello, and welcome to just what the web needs: another blog.

But this is a special blog, at least to me.

My name is Lance Woods, and I'm the creator of SuperHuman Times, the latest radio series from the Mark Time Award-winning Prometheus Radio Theatre. That's me in the formal straight jacket.

This blog presumes three things:
1) that you have some idea of what SuperHuman Times is about (if not, click here); and/or
2) that you may have actually listened to our pilot episode, "True North" (if not, click here); and/or
3) either or both of these things interested you enough to check out this blog.

"True North" was posted on libsyn.com and iTunes on November 3. As with any pilot, we've been monitoring the number of downloads closely to determine whether we should try to make it a full-fledged series. I'm pleased to report that audience response (in terms of downloads) has been very encouraging, so we plan to proceed with more Times stories on a (hopefully) quarterly basis.

I'll use the Comments pages for each episode on libsyn to post information or background material about them. That way, people can learn more about the stories without burdening themselves with this place. This is more of a journal where I'll express additional thoughts about each story, the series, the cast, the characters and other things that have to do with the series.

Don't expect any behind-the-scenes dirt, though; I'm cursed with nice friends. Sorry. I have no plans to write "All About Steve" (Wilson, that is, the founder and driving force of Prometheus who approached me about turning this would-be comic book into an audio series; thanks for the opportunity, Steve).

I also don't expect to be posting on here with any great frequency. I have to write the bloody episodes, y'know.

Then again, I am a writer, so don't be surprised if I hang out here anyway. And if you're hanging out here -- more importantly, if you're hanging out here because you've heard SuperHuman Times -- please say so. I'd enjoy reading something other than my own words on this blog.

-- LW