Monthly Archives: February 2008

I'm on a deadline so I'm only about 30% watching the returns for today's primary elections. But it seems to me like the big losers are Mitt Romney and an awful lot of pollsters. Many of the latter missed by so far, they oughta do the decent thing and get into some other line of work…preferably something where being able to predict is not important. Like, maybe, making those announcements at the airport about when my flight is going to board.

Also, it seems to me like John McCain is showing an awful lot of his strength in states which he's not going to win in November, no matter what. In fact, everyone on TV is making way too big a deal about how a strong performance by a candidate in a given state is a good sign for him or her to prevail there in the general election. News flash: In the general election, they let people of other parties vote, too…maybe not in Florida but in most states.

Back to my deadline. Oh, yeah: I was only on the picket line for a brief time today before I got called to go tend to a minor emergency (nothing you'd want to know about) but the mood out there was good and also very, very curious about where we stand.

Okay, now back to my deadline.

We have here an excerpt from Steve Martin's intriguing new book on his life and old comedy act. I discussed the book in this posting but now you can read a key section over at this website…and should if you're at all interested in comedy.

And what you should really do is watch the video they have there (the link's on that page) of one of Martin's early appearances on The Tonight Show. He's very funny…though not as funny as Johnny Carson's jacket. Thanx to Jeff Abraham for telling me about all this.

I haven't plugged Shokus Internet Radio lately but the show they have on tomorrow sounds so good, I have to alert you. The genial Stu Shostak is welcoming Alan Young and Connie Hines to the capacious Shokus Broadcasting Corporation facilities. Mr. Young and Ms. Hines starred, of course, in that wonderful TV series about the talking horse and both have plenty to talk about besides that. Connie Hines, for instance, was a contestant on a famous (make that "infamous") TV game show called Dotto. The reason we say it's infamous is that it was one of the programs that was revealed to have been rigged. I don't think Connie has ever spoken in public about her experiences then but she's agreed to chat with Stu about them days.

Alan Young, of course, has a long history as one of our great comic actors. Mister Ed was just one of the things he's done and I hope there'll be time for him to discuss some of his other endeavors…such as his cartoon voice work speaking for Uncle Scrooge and his extensive career on the legit stage. Anyway, whatever they talk about, it oughta be a great show.

Now, here's the part where I tell you how to listen to it. This is not a podcast. This is Internet Radio, people. You have to listen when it's on. Tomorrow (Wednesday) it's on from 4 PM to 6 PM Pacific Time, which is 7 PM to 9 PM on the opposite side of America. And remember it's live so you can call in and ask questions…Stu will be giving out the number. The show then reruns in the same time slot for most of the coming week.

To listen in, go to the Shokus Internet Radio website and follow the directions. Most people log in, start the audio feed, then they minimize that window and go on doing whatever they're doing at their computers — playing games and browsing porn, mostly. But while they do, they'll be listening to a great show. And remember, Shokus Internet Radio is broadcasting 24/7 and there's always something interesting on it…occasionally even me.

Shelly Goldstein (or as we call her, Chanteuse Extraordinaire) is recording a CD this Saturday evening at the Gardenia, a fun supper club/saloon up in Hollywood. The show is called "One Fine Day: The Groovy Girls of the Sixties" and it features Shelly singing the hits of Carole King, Dusty Springfield, Laura Nyro, Mama Cass, Lulu, Lesley Gore and others of that era. She was going to have the place packed with friends but most of them are writers and the Writers Guild is summoning us all down to the Shrine Auditorium for a meeting earlier that evening. There have been many casualties of the strike but this is the last straw for some of us. Taking away someone's income is one thing but taking away some of Shelly's audience? Unforgivable.

I'm still going to try to be there for some of it. If you're not going to the Shrine and would like to be there for all of it, you'll have a very good time. The Gardenia is at 7066 Santa Monica Blvd., near La Brea. Dinner seatings start at 7 PM, Shelly warbles at 9:00 with the aid of her musical director Scott Harlan, guest performer Ray Jessel and even some back-up singers. Reservations are a must and can be gotten at (323) 467-7444. Don't be surprised if you aren't the most famous person in the house…or even close to it.

And if you'd like a little sampling of how well the Chanteuse Extraordinaire sings, here's a YouTube delight.

In the meantime, I also want to plug the current Tony's Poll polling. My longtime comrade Tony Isabella is asking all to vote on who in the comic book/strip universe they'd favor to be President of the United States. Go over there and vote and while you're in the comic strip category, let's stuff the ballot box for Pogo Possum. He'd be so much better than anyone we've had in my lifetime at least…and let's face it. You've voted for less realistic candidates than that.

By the way: Shelly and Tony have never met but they're both short, they're both fine writers and one of them looks great in a black cocktail dress with a pearl necklace. You can finish the joke yourself.

The Writers Guild is convening an "informational meeting" for Saturday evening at the Shrine Auditorium. Officially, the purpose of this gathering is to pass on info as to where negotiations stand…but leave us be honest. The main reason for announcing this kaffeeklatsch is to say to the AMPTP, "Hey, we're bringing the whole membership in…and on a Saturday evening, no less. It would be in your best interest for us to have a deal by then which we can enthusiastically recommend to the membership."

Could the deal be closed that evening? My understanding is no. The announcement says, "Neither the Negotiating Committee, nor the West Board or the East Council, will take action on the contract until after the membership meetings." I haven't seen an announcement yet on when the membership meeting for WGA East will take place. In any case, we'll know better where we stand after the meeting…and the Guild leadership will have a better sense of our unity and concerns.

Meanwhile, the rumor mill is spinning like a campaign consultant after a presidential debate. Tales abound of important screenwriters and showrunners uniting to pressure the Guild to take the current offer, whatever it is. There's a simple test as to whether these reports are true. If at the Saturday evening meeting, a number of important screenwriters and showrunners get up at the microphones and make direct or even veiled threats to go back to work regardless, then the rumors are true. If no such threats are made, the stories are not true and were never true.

I tend to believe the latter, at least until I see some names attached to these threats. So far, all I'm hearing for real is that some prominent folks think that from what they've heard, the deal is good enough to grab. That's not the same thing, especially when/if it's all coming from writers who are largely unaffected by minimums. My "sense of the Guild" is that while we're all eager to get this sucker behind us, we recognize that we're dealing with powerful forces who are out to wrong not only us but all the unions in town. If it takes time to get a settlement we can live with, it takes time.

Another rumor is that the negotiators have stumbled past the major stumbling blocks and that the only obstacle to a deal is the precise contract language. This may or may not be true…but the precise contract language is no small obstacle. Big companies have been known to agree to some pretty generous terms, figuring they can adjust the numbers or even renege outright by massaging the precise contract language.

I once had an offer that included a provision whereby I'd get 20% of the profits. This was back in the days when I was young and foolish…a term I often use to pretend that the foolish part of my life has ended. Anyway, I was impressed by the 20% until my agent said, "Yeah, but the definition of profits is so tight, it might as well be replaced by a sentence that says 'there will never be any.' They could offer you 200% of the profits and you'd still never see a nickel."

So whether they've agreed on the broad strokes of a deal or not, the thing needs to be committed to paper and scrutinized by lawyers before it's a contract. One hopes they're nearing that stage and that the looming Saturday meeting will hasten the process. One does hope.

And that's about it for rumors I've heard. I'm going to go out and vote and picket, not necessarily in that order.

Todd Klein provides a brief but solid lesson on the way comic books used to be colored, back in pre-computer days.

I don't like any English Muffins except the Thomas's brand.

If you take the Amtrak train down to the Comic-Con International in San Diego, the nearest stop is the one on Kettner, not the one in Old Town. Basically, you want to go to the end of the line. So sorry.

Brian Carroll writes…

Just wanted to let you know that parking at San Diego isn't much of a problem anymore now that there's these huge lots behind the baseball stadium. They only charge like $5 or $6 a day. True, you have to move your car at night, but two years ago I stayed at the W Hotel and moved my car to a lot near there every night and ended up spending just $10 a day in all. Much cheaper than the $26 or more a day at some of the hotel lots.

Good to know. And I wanted to also mention that a number of people I know in L.A. have discovered the joy of approaching Comic-Con as a day trip by train. They catch the Pacific Surfliner down at Union Station or wherever, and it's about a 2.5 hour trip each way. You can get off at the Amtrak Station in Old Town, at the main station in San Diego, which is a brief walk or cab ride to the convention center. For real fun and a slight sense of danger, get one of those kids with the pedal cabs to drive you to and fro. Matter of fact, I've been thinking of seeing if the con will let me bring one in to chauffeur me around the exhibit hall.

Wednesday morning at 9 AM Pacific Standard Time, many of my friends will being dialing and mousing like crazy as hotel reservations open up for this year's Comic-Con International, July 24-28. It's like a big, frustrating game of Musical Chairs since there will be a lot more people wanting rooms than there will be rooms. I hear that for a number of reasons — mainly more hotels opening up and the existing ones having fewer competing conventions — the situation will be much easier beginning in '09. That will be small comfort to those who will spend much of this Wednesday morn trying and failing to secure lodging for this year.

Do not write me and ask if I can help. I cannot help except to tell you that even after the initial ration of hotel rooms is gone, there will be more added. A year or two ago, I was given a long explanation of how the entire process works but there's no way I can replicate it here. Suffice it to say that just because they run out of rooms on Wednesday at 9:03 doesn't mean they won't have rooms available in a few weeks or a few months.

Also, the convention's hotel booking agency only has access to some percentage of the rooms at some hotels in San Diego. You may still be able to find something on your own, especially if you look some distance away from the Convention Center. Last year, a few friends of mine found shelter at a hotel about 10-15 minutes from all the action. Even taking a cab to and from the con each day, it was cheaper than what they would have had to pay to be nearby. Others have reported on successfully using the city's trolley service to commute from outlying motels, and a friend of mine likes to stay in San Clemente and use Amtrak to get to the convention each day. (Parking spaces at the convention are about as easy to find as copies of Groo that Sergio hasn't autographed.)

Yes, I know the convention is "too big," whatever that means. It's probably one of those valid complaints that there's no point in making because it's not going to get any smaller and, as a chum of mine points out, if they made it any smaller, they'd probably eliminate the parts of it that we love. For good or ill, the convention is the size it is and with that comes the problems of lodging and parking and crowds. Take solace in the fact that membership is now limited — in fact, it will sell out well before the convention dates — so the beast can grow no larger. If you accept its size instead of fighting it and moaning and wishing we were back to 3000 attendees at the old El Cortez, you can have a very good time down there. I certainly do.

Then again, I already have my hotel room.