Columns

Does the Dark Knight Celebrate Christmas? Five Yuletide Batman Adventures

December 15th, 2015

Does Batman celebrate Christmas? That’s a loaded question, as the holiday has both its original religious intent commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and the modern, commercialized deification of consumerism and Santa Claus.

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Relegated to Legend: The Stories We Lose in a New 'Star Wars' Timeline

December 15th, 2015

So what's the difference between Star Wars and Game of Thrones? Well, if you've never read the books, you'll say, "Game of Thrones kills everyone and generally leaves you feeling worse about people. Star Wars is a happier universe where the only people who die are wise mentors and faceless goons, and it ends with an enthusiastic celebration involving adorable furry creatures."

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A Guide: How To Start A Podcast (and Why You Should)

December 14th, 2015

Next year I’ll have been podcasting for three years. I’ve hosted, edited and produced over eighty podcasts, and been interviewed on or guest-hosted a few more.

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What Works & What Doesn't: 'Shaun of the Dead'

December 14th, 2015

Welcome back to What Works & What Doesn't, an ongoing series about the craft of screenwriting.

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How Backstory Almost Totally Fucked Up the Star Wars Franchise: A Lesson for Writers

December 11th, 2015

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… It must have seemed like such a good idea at the time. The opening crawl, reminding us of events we hadn’t yet witnessed. The cheeky addition of Episode 4 to the title, as though we had managed to somehow miss parts 1 through 3. The subtitle A New Hope, hinting at decades of past desperation. The insertion of that now iconic phrase, right at the beginning of the film.

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Forgotten Authors: Why John Steakley's 'Armor' and 'Vampire$' are Worth Remembering

December 11th, 2015

John Steakley only published two relatively obscure novels in his life. The first, published in 1984, was Armor, and while taking clear inspiration from Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers, it presupposed the space marine subgenre by a few years. Vampire$, published in 1990, was the second, and has a bit more of a reputation for being adapted into the dud that is John Carpenter's Vampires (1998).

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Gather 'Round For Tales From Marvel's Holiday Specials

December 10th, 2015

What's that up on the house top? Why it's some Marvel Holiday Specials. Yes, in the spirit of the holidays, Marvel cranked out some special comic books, featuring all of your favorite characters in short, holiday-themed tales.  Consider me your personal Rudolph, guiding you through the hazy winter of the Marvel Holiday Specials. My nose is red (drunken bar fight), and kids were real jerks to me, so I'm pretty well-qualified.

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Gift Ideas: A Book For Every Family Member

December 10th, 2015

The holidays are swiftly approaching, and gift buying time is running dangerously low. If you haven’t marked everyone off of your to-buy list, I have a one stop solution for you: your local, independent bookstore. Most have cards and unique gifts, but let’s not forget the books themselves! Books are my favorite gift to give (as well as receive) because we could all use more of them. We never tire of stories and knowledge.

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Winter Break Breakdown: The Argument Against Submitting During the Holidays

December 9th, 2015

Between last September and November, several regular writing clients of mine either closed their doors or cleaned out their freelance staff, leaving me to scramble for new contracts during December. This did not go well. Instead, the experience became a lesson in why submitting during the holidays is not a great idea, and how to survive if you have to do it anyway.   

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5 Books that Inspired Fallout

December 9th, 2015

Fallout 4 came out a couple of weeks ago, and while it's perhaps a bit of a departure from previous entries, it's still a fun game about traipsing around the wasteland and fighting mutants. Now whether you're an old fan of the franchise or you just picked up your first Fallout game last week, you already know: There's nothing quite like it out there. The mix of post-apocalyptic exploration, charming retro-futurism, and horrifying creatures is unique to the game. 

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