We Interrupt This Interruption for a Bit of Fun

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

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?

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!

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!

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...?

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

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!

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

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

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.