ALL THIS FOR A LOUSY SIGNATURE -

Harlan really packed them in last night at his THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF 'Vic & Blood' signing at the new Barnes & Nobles store located at the Farmer's Market. He spoke at length for about an hour and a half about various things- mostly it was a Q & A- but the way Harlan circumvents around getting to an answer is simply staggering - cause he branches off into many seperate stories to explain every nuance of the main story and then somehow verbally ties it all together and it' absolutely riveting.

Anyway to make this short because I'm about due to leave in a hour and half flight to Vegas- with someone of Ellison's stature and talent- it's nice when he gets the recognition that he so richly deserves such as the media coverage on this new and not so new 'graphic novel' (as he mildly puts it - 'they're just fucking comic books for cripessakes, we don't need this fancy schmancy catagory for these things.). The book has been the pick of the week on Entertainment Weekly and has mentioned on Extra and Entertainment Tonight- so Harlan's on a high right now. But yet- there have been few signings where maybe there were a total of ten people who showed up- such as a Tower Records signing he did for a computer game. So whenever exposure happens in his favor- boom- all these book collectors come out of the woodwork and persist on bringing twenty or so books to sign- and that just slays me. I've got to wait at least 45 minutes to an hour and I'm like the tenth person in line. I already bought my book through my comic book shop and I'm just there to get his signature on it. But these pariahs, these old book sellers or collectors or whatever, have to plunk down these 'unearthed' rare editions in front of him to sign and have to make 'small talk' with the guy and I've got to get home packing for my trip to Vegas.
And on top of that, they want them all personized and little messages- well you know Harlan usually says about it- he doesn't write anything for free and a signature from him is a priviledge. You buy a book, not his personification- I wish these people would get a clue or something.

Oh well, whatever- I'm in rush to get out of here.

~

Coat

BLOG NAZI SAYS "NO BLOG FOR YOU"

And you know what that means. Too much screwing around on the messageboards talking about Vegas. Now I'm leaving to get my >"Vic & Blood" strong>graphic novel signed by Harlan Ellison.

And when I get home, I'm packing.

~

Coat

LET THE FLEAS RAPE THE FOLIAGE

Trying to get a handle on all this nuttiness.

I've noticed that time after time that everytime I have something plan, like say a trip or something- it's always sheer pandemonium getting from Point A to Point B.

Work gets affected. It never fails. Everytime something is set in concrete- a whole barrage of paper work comes crashing in at exactly the last second- and here I was sitting on my desk all last week with hardly jackshit to do, and I simply just sat here looking up websites and goofing off on message boards. Why couldn't that week be this this week? No pressure. No worries. There has to be a retainable answer as to how the fates deal this hand.

Part of this trip to Vegas- is to seek a different work environment. Oliver is doing a stupendous job on the lettering and with this fuel in mind, I want to do the final edit of what actually will be seen in the word balloons- 'cause it's great that Oliver is putting some great accentuations in the dialogue itself- of which I've never dreamt would be possible. It's a whole new dimension of perspective for me as what is evident on the three sample pages he sent by mail.

MAS called me after eleven last night and was uncertain if I would approve the Deposit Man having his trenchcoat a little darker color than I pictured. I told him,
'Dude- do what you want- you have free reign over the material just as long as you don't deviate from the original concept. He says I'm too easy to work with- I retorted- dude, even if the piece does looks like a turd poking it's head out, I'll have no choice but to accept it- due to time constraints. We also debated on the pros and cons of Frank Miller's DK2 until I had to cut him short so I could go to bed and get up the next morning

Well- tomorrow I'll have to send in my second payment in order to secure that table at the Las Vegas Comic Con.

I watched a real cornball British show last night. Just as I thought it couldn't get any worse than Doctor Who or Blake's 7- I picked up a tape set of Sphafire and Steel for 4 bucks at the Shrine- just something used in 1981 to keep David McCullum and Joanna Lumley from collecting unemployment checks, so they had to resort to portraying elemental time travellers from...

well, maybe more tomorrow...

~

Coat

IF AESOP DIDN'T GIVE A FIG, THEN WHY SHOULD NEUTON?

I just realized- after I got through with the Shrine early last Sunday- I figure what the sense of wasting the rest of the day at home and just go out and get blitzed. And so I did. Drank a pitcher of beer all by my lonesome and then realized I had forgotten to go on line and finish up a topic of debate concerning Los Angeles dating woes with a member of Dan Evans' Ska8e Jesus forum. I tried to do the best that I could considering the circimstances- i.e; pouring your heart out ...while inebriated (again, I might add). And I totally forgot what I wrote down.

Well I would like to check out what the responses were, but the trouble is ...that I can't. No time. Since yesterday, my department is down two people for personal reasons. Talk about bad timing- a shitload of work comes pouring in and it's all got to be due by week's end. Everytime a holiday comes around the corner- the wrath of accountants and journal keepers rear their ugly heads to make life miserable for us off lot MIS-fits.

Well, at least some good news made my way- Harlan Ellison is signing his new collected version of " Vic & Blood " in collaboration with Richard Corbin at the new Barnes & Nobles down at the Grove in Farmer's Market.

~

Coat

THE POWER OF CARY COATNEY COMPELS YOU!!(Repeat, then rinse)

Every month when I go down and wait in line for the Shrine Auditorium doors to open, there's nothing more exhilarating than getting involved with the geek chats that go on between other patrons who get up at 6 or 7 in the morning and wait along with you. This jewish guy, I mean, really hardcore jewish guy, complete with yulmake had everyone in stitches about his incessant rants about how awful the Hulk movie was along with his basis of knowledge as it pertained to the entertainment industry in general- which was nilch. First off, he kept talking about all these test screenings he's been invited to, and was giving false info on the actual release dates- I should know- I had a Hollywood Reporter to read in line that had a whole bunch of release dates of upcoming films. For example, he kept referring to 'Cabin Fever' opening up on this weekend facing off against MGM's Jeepers Creepers 2- which is not the case. The actual release date is Sept 12, one week before Underworld. I hate when people mouth off on things that they think they know and don't have the proof to back it up.

Other than that, as evident as what yesterday's convention was trying to demonstrate- September should be a good month for movies just when you think the influx of action and special effects laden products are about to wind down- out crop a whole slew of horror themed movies. Like I mentioned before Jeepers Creepers 2 opens Friday which I will save until I get back from my dad's house in Vegas. I felt the first one showed promise- at least in the first half it generated some halfway decent scares- but quickly fell apart with the typical ho hum Stan Winston creature designed path- but at the least the premise looks promising with the school bus stranded in the middle of a corn field where that scarecrow looking creature can pluck them off one by one.

There were some good CGI effect shots in 'The Order ' which looks like a high tech version of The Exorcist with Heath Ledger. A t-shirt was given away of which I'm wearing today and makes me look as though I'm leading a crusade during King Richard's time. Some old non-English people were harrassing me on the streets of Burbank today on my way to the local Ralph's just to jam up me for change and were pointing at my t-shirt with the large golden crucifix thinking I was some servant to their deity. I laughed and flipped each and every one of them the bird and proceeded on my way. A 'survial' kit was also given away which was nothing more than a cloth pouch that contained a crumb of dried up bread and a piece of rock salt. It has detrimental weight to the movie's plot.

Next up on Sept 12th, is Robert Rodriguez's third installment of the El Marachi installment called 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico'. With Salma Hayek on the movie poster taped to the wall of my office- Sony will have no argument from me on standing in line opening weekend.

And the one I'm most anxious to see is, technically the last weekend of the summer so why not close things off with a bang, is the werewolf vs vampire action flick, Underworld which emphasizes the weakness in all men's knees for the dire need to see Kate Beckingsale in tight leather costume and kicking ass.

More useless shit tomorrow.

~

Coat