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

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)

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

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

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'

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..."

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

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!

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!)

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

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.