Folks!  Welcome back!  To say this has been the busiest August imaginable is an understatement, possibly more’s been going on the past few weeks than the rest of the year thus far combined.  The summer convention season is over, we’re into autumn and it’s a straight run between now and Eirtakon.  Seatbelts: on.

Nom-Con happened in the Burlington Hotel this year in leafy Dublin 4, on the second last weekend of August.  Not far from the previous home of the D4 Hotels and a significantly different venue layout.  In those terms it was the most compacted convention I’ve been to since the first Eirtakon – everything was within a minute’s walk of the main entrance, one room beside the next.  So it was impossible to get lost, really!  Makes a nice change from getting lost in hotel corridoors.

Andrew Partridge, of Kazé and basically the living breathing heart of the anime industry in the UK, gave his annual state of the industry address.  I unfortunately missed it, but his realistic account of ‘we’re all done for, the industry is tanked’ sounds lamentably accurate – difficulties with license costs, distribution issues, illegal downloading and slow turnaround times are affecting the industry as badly as they were 5 years ago with no easy end in sight.  What I like about conventions is it gives fans an opportunity to buy the merch, DVDs and manga that is otherwise unavailable to them.  It makes a small difference but I always hope it adds up to something more.

Everything at Nom-Con ran on time, the hotel staff were very accommodating, there was a good number of events and there was a very positive atmosphere from all the attendees.  Their system of handwriting sales dockets for every paying attendee didn’t make any sense to me, especially given the lanyards could have just been numbered instead.  I’m sure there was a reason for it though.  Moving venue isn’t easy and so much as getting the doors open without the hinges falling off can be a miracle, never mind packing the place with events.

I think at Eirtakon, we sit back and watch the summer events unfold.  I’ve seen various committee members at Q-Con, Nom-Con and Arcadecon and I know plenty were at Brocon and a few gaming-specific conventions over the last few months.  It gives plenty of food for thought and ideas often form while perusing a trade hall, or sitting in on a screening.  We had a meeting the first week of September and there were enough ideas flying around to keep us occupied until January!

Myself and our Social Media Officer (and unofficial secretary, insofar as nobody has yet bestowed the title upon him) spent a few hours last Friday tacking together the timetable for Eirtakon 2012.  At this stage it’s no more than 75% complete; we have most of the major events laid down and about half of the panels/workshops/etc.  We’re looking at over 80 individual events this year, not including screenings.  A fair increase on last year and plenty of new and exciting events still to be announced.

Increasingly, Eirtakon is moving towards including attendees as much as possible in our schedule.  I think it’s pretty cool, the fans make it what it is!  Probably about half of what’s planned for this year is being run by the committee; everything else is up to the fans.  We supply the venue and the logistics and attendees supply their knowledge and expertise.  This is only possible because people are more willing than ever to get stuck in and help out (and getting up on stage for an hour is a lot of fun); even 5 years ago there wasn’t an appetite for that in Ireland.  It’s nice to see that kind of progress.

Let’s give out a few secrets, shall we?  Go on then!  As well as the return of Cosplay Blind Date and Eirtafortunes for Saturday evening, we’re going to host our own version of Blockbusters on Sunday!  We’re also looking into the possibility of a few musical guests, along with confirmed panels for retro gaming, Gundam model making, a sewing workshop, origami, an attendee-chosen film, corset making, a new tabletop games area and an all-new expanded Fair-takon!  We’re also going to be incorporating a collection of retro consoles for free play and maybe even a tournament or two, but I’ve said enough for now!

We’re getting a lot of inquiries from local press types about coming to Eirtakon to conduct interviews, cover the event for their newspaper and so on.  It’s very encouraging to see that level of interest build every year and we’re starting to see some international press express interest in coming over, which I find amazing!  I’m not sure where it will end but we’re aiming for the top with national coverage someday.

Like I said, for us it’s a straight run to November 9^th.  We have weekly committee meetings, tech discussions with The Helix and a hundred and one different bits and pieces to pull together over the next few weeks.  A lot of late nights and tight deadlines looming.  I can’t wait!

Until next time,
Mark

Wow, what a month it’s been; I don’t think July could have been busier!  We had Arcade Con in Dublin, Brocon in Limerick, MCM Expo in Manchester and a host of other events across the UK.  Just goes to show that despite a lot of manga/anime distribution companies going to the wall in recent years, the community is flourishing!

I’m tipping a hat to the Arcade Con organisers, despite only being in its second year they managed to run everything smoothly and without any major hiccups.  Hosting a weekend long convention is difficult enough but running it well is even harder!  You can have the best ideas with some amazing events planned but if you can’t get the stage show started on time, or you have no idea how to use the PA equipment, then there’s almost no point in organising anything to begin with.  So my respect to the Arcade Con crew.

It’s difficult but you need to run everything to the highest standards.  Remember, people paid into your event and gave up their weekend to be there, so they deserve the best service.  Running 2 hours behind schedule or cancelling shows for no apparent reason isn’t going to be good enough.  I’m looking forward to seeing what Arcade Con come up with for year 3.

At casa del Eirtakon, we’re into twice monthly meetings and constant contact via email and our forum.  We announced our cosplay guests a few weeks ago as Parle Productions, who are making their first trip to Ireland!  We can’t wait to have them over.

Soon we’ll be in talks with our venue The Helix to discuss staff requirements, opening times, food, tech equipment, timetables and a lot more in between.  It’s really absolutely vital to be in constant close contact with the venue in the months before an event – if they don’t know what to expect, how can they cater for you?

One positive aspect of meetings with venue organisers is that it can help give a sense of perspective and clarity for the weekend.  When bogged down by a hundred and one things flying about constantly, to spend a few hours in the venue itself chatting to the managers can really help clear your head.  It’s also a good way to mentally plan layouts and figure out crowd control & queue management.

Something that often confuses me is conventions having issues with counting attendees.  I’ve heard of numbers getting mixed up, tickers not working, somebody losing a piece of paper with number counts on it, files crashing and even tickets simply not being counted!  All these problems, and how they arise, confuse me.  A dedicated front desk manager should handle all of this with a plan laid out well in advance.  Getting a bit dry here but stick with me, it’s worth the read!

When Eirtakon started out we printed tickets that we hand numbered on the back, however more recently we’ve been using Tyvek wristbands.  Tyvek wristbands are made of plastic and, despite feeling like rice paper, are incredibly durable and hard wearing.  They’re also sequentially numbered!  Simply note the lowest and highest numbers in the batch and distribute them to attendees.  If you have 1000 Sunday tickets, starting at 10 and ending at 1010, and you’re at 900, then you can safely assume you’ve sold 890 Sunday tickets.  Double check and count how many are left to the end of the batch.

Keep a laptop at reception where the front desk manager notes sales every hour (two columns – one cumulative and one since the previous hour) based off the wristband numbers.  That way you know how many you’ve sold and roughly how many are in the venue at every hour.  If there’s a fire limit this can be tightened to only allow a certain amount to be sold.  Always keep an off-site backup (i.e. backup the file onto a USB stick every hour)!  It’s a simple enough system but if you slip up at any stage, some number-based mayhem will likely ensue.

But Mark!  What if my attendee badge of choice isn’t numbered?  Simple!  Get a marker and start writing on the back from 1!  Keeping count of numbers is pretty important for a variety of reasons and if you follow the above, you should have a very accurate set of numbers.  Some conventions (none in Ireland or the UK that I know of, mind) count turnstile numbers, i.e. if you buy a weekend pass then they count you 3 times.  That seems like a white lie to me.  If you sell a ticket then it’s 1 ticket, not 3, and that’s as far as Eirtakon takes it.

So what are we looking forward to?  Well!  We have Nom-Con on the weekend of August 24^th and it will take a natural disaster to keep me away!  Eirtakon is announcing plenty of competitions and more guests over the coming weeks, along with info on traders, new events, returning old events and plenty more.  August will fly by and we’re coming to a boil – see you in a few weeks!

Until next time,
Mark

Listen up!  Where were you, when the mighty Q-Con was on?  If you weren’t there, you missed out and I can only feel sorry for you.  As far as I’m concerned, Q-Con is the big daddy of conventions in Ireland and a lesson in how to do things right.  19 years going and stronger than ever.

Q-Con is a bit of a different beast than a purely anime convention, of course.  It was originally a gaming convention and started to incorporate anime 8, maybe 9 years ago (someone will have to correct me on that!), and in recent times that has taken off like a rocket.  I was last at Q-Con in 2010 and by a vague estimate, I’d say about 30% of the attendees that year were there for the anime side of things.  This year it must easily have been a 50-50 split.  Between the cosplay competitions, special events like Anime Blockbuster and a weekend-long screening schedule, there’s a careful balance going on at Q-Con that they seem to get right every year.

What I admire about Q-Con is its constant evolution.  Not content with booking out the entirety of the students union, they expanded to an adjacent building solely for tabletop gaming and have plans to take over more buildings next year.  I get the feeling that in ten years the whole of Queen’s University will be taken over for Q-Con.  The way I see it if you’re not evolving and expanding, responding to your attendee’s wants and pushing boundaries then you’re barking up the wrong tree.  It’s always a good idea to start totally fresh every year, building from the ground up and avoiding rehashing the previous year’s convention as much as possible.  I figure Q-Con think along the same lines and it shows in the variety and quality of everything they do.

With that in mind I’m very excited by some of the new ideas and directions coming out of the Eirtakon committee this year.  This is the time of the year when ideas become plans and thoughts become reality, and there are a lot of cool new ideas floating around right now.  I think a fair portion of the venue layout will be totally reworked over the coming months to accommodate for the increased number of events and activities.  I can see this year being more diverse than ever, encompassing a more cultural bent as well as expanded gaming areas and better use of The Space and The Theatre rooms.  It will be a lot of work but everyone is up for it.

Watch out for a lot of announcements over the coming weeks from Eirtakon – guests, traders, a new website, competitions and plenty more in the pipeline almost ready for action.  Our Social Media Officer Chris has been working hard on the new site the last few weeks and it looks quite fantastic, I can’t wait to see it launched.  The current website, while certainly functional, is getting quite old looking and the information layout has always been a bit messy.  The new design takes care of that and an improved pre-reg system sorts out a big current headache we have.

Back in Dublin, some of you may have been lucky enough to grab tickets for the premiere of Children Who Chase Lost Voices at the Lighthouse Cinema, which had a special appearance by the film’s director Makoto Shinkai.  I was somehow distracted and didn’t book myself a ticket in time, but from what I heard everyone had a great time and Makoto Shinkai was a pleasure to have in Ireland.  Who knows, maybe it’s the start of regularly inviting anime directors to Ireland for premieres?  I don’t know if it will happen but I would absolutely love to see it.

Speaking of Dublin, things are hotting up with ArcadeCon and Nom-Con having both announced their timetables in the last few days.  You can check out ArcadeCon’s here, and Nom-Con’s here.  Both look, well, excellent.  I’m still waiting to see the screening schedules but there’s clearly plenty to see and do at both conventions.  I’m not sure if I’ll be able to attend both conventions, and let’s not forget about Brocon in Limerick in a few weeks, but I’ll certainly try my best and I encourage everyone else to as well!  If you can only afford one, check out both timetables and see which tickles your fancy most.

So as you can tell it’s pretty busy in the anime community in Ireland right now – we’ve just had the mighty Q-Con and with Brocon, ArcadeCon and Nom-Con all happening over the next few weeks there’s little time to breathe from one event to another.  Eirtakon is kicking into full swing and before we know it November will be upon us.  It’s also been a year since I started writing Eirtaku in the Wild!  A bit scary and a bit crazy but that’s how it goes!

Until next time,
Mark

With a chance Facebook comment I was lucky enough to come across a review copy for this new comic. What a find, ehh gad! And here was me longing for the days when Facebook was a mere place for nerds who liked to throw sheep at one another or poke each other. Once I even threw an Obama at someone and the retort was a Hilary Clinton. I’d like to think I won.

This is a pretty fantastic comic. It is made up of 10 individual stories, most of which will have something for all tastes of comic fans. The, mostly Irish, comic is set to be released to much fanfare this week at the Kapow Comic Convention in London and will be available to buy in Dublin City Comics on Bolton Street, Dublin and from the Lightning Strike website. For anyone wanting a digital copy you’ll be able to get it from iTunes once it’s launched officially. The stories cover a wide range of tastes, from humour to horror, comedy, revenge, fantasy, superheroes and many more besides. We are presented stories of steampunk time travel (A Clockwork Universe), a rather funny gender changing Superhero (Hybrid), a nightmarish run-in with a clown (Nightmare Scenario), a bumbling heroic robot (Queller), a reality fixer (Reality Watch), and the story of a winged monkey (Monkey of Oz) amongst others.

As said above there are 10 individual stories and it would neither be fair nor very interesting to go through them all in depth but I will give you my personal highlights.

The comic opens with Brian Ború. Of course, historical themes and storylines in comics are nothing new but what makes this story stand out from the crowd is the veiled violence and the suspense of the story. The colours too are not what you’d normally expect from this genre but they really work really well here and give the panels that extra lift needed to jump off the page at you.

Canon Law is probably the best of the bunch. The artistry is really fantastic to say the least. It’s a dark brooding story of revenge and murder and I cannot wait to read more about the character.

Nightmare Scenario is another one that’ll have you coming back to read more. The simplicity of it is the best quality. A child is harrassed by nightmares of a clown and needs help in the dreamworld to get away from his nemises. It’s a really fantasic little story and hopefully the helper will be making more appearances as this story grows in future issues.

The final story, Reality Watch, finds us joining up with a, what I’ve coined (for want of a better term), a reality fixer who investigates instances when reality malfunctions. It’s his job to apprehend the ones behind the reality change and restore things to the status quo. The possibilities with this story are limitless and I’m really looking forward to the storylines that the writers come up with next.

There are other stories too, there’s a wonderfully cliche-rich Superhero caper called Company Man, filled with sexual innuendo and Batman-like words such as Fwaassh/Fwak-A-Tha/Vreeeee. And to top off the list of ten, Draculwing. A story of a warrior locked in battle with the lord of the underworld.

Draculwing though could do with changing the font of the text, I found it almost impossible to read. Monkey of Oz was a bit strange too. I don’t remember the story of Oz so a bit of backstory would have helped out a lot.

Overall then it’s really great to see so many talented Irish writers and artists coming together and putting out a comic that will have something for all tastes. A high standard has been set too, we can only hope that issue 2 will be just as good and that it’ll be picked up by comic fans upon release. Normally, the comic world is so full of trivial meaningless rivalaries that it can tend to turn in on itself, much like the Irish music scene…or just about any Irish scene (why do we hate each other so much) that it would be quite normal for each comic to go at it alone. What Lightening Strike has done in coming together to put this out is something we should all take note of and take inspiration from.

Lightning Strike has landed, Fwak-A-Tha.

A story like JOHN CARTER is one that is meant for cinema. It’s telling that it has taken over twenty years for it to reach screens and has seen a host of actors take up the mantle, only for it to fall to one side or collapse under the demands of the stars themselves. Of course, the story itself is timeless. This year marks the centenary of its first publication and, more than anything, proves that time doesn’t diminish a brilliant story. However, it’s the retelling of it that can.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows the eponymous character, played by Taylor Kitsch, as he is transported from Civil War-era Arizona to the wastelands of Mars, or as it’s known to the locals, Barsoom. The red planet is host to three warring civilisations – the scientific Helium, the warlike Zodanga and the alien Tharks – each with their own leader, vying for supremacy over the other. Into the planetary civil war comes John Carter. Thanks to the gravitational changes on Mars, he’s  endowed with super-strength and the ability to jump higher than any man or Thark is capable of. Parallel to this, a shape-shifting Mark Strong is working in the background to bring about the destruction of Mars and Earth, also. The plot is rich with grand old themes such as redemption, noble savages and planetary romances. Indeed, the film itself is a space opera in every sense of the word. The acting throughout JOHN CARTER is over-the-top; but it wouldn’t work if it was played with reigned-in performances. The chin-stroking, insidious Strong – here known as a Thern – is every bit the villain of the piece. There’s no glimmer of humanity or misguided ideals – he’s just plain evil. And that’s why JOHN CARTER works and, in certain aspects, doesn’t work. The characters are archetypes in one form or another – Taylor Kitsch is playing a role Harrison Ford would have done in the 80′s. Dominic West, playing the prince Sab Than, is a mindless warlord that’s driven by unseen forces. Likewise, Ciaran Hinds plays the well-meaning but gormless leader of the Helium and Lynn Collins is the sassy female counterpart. Regardless of how identifiable the characters may be, the story does have setbacks. While the plot itself is easy enough to follow, the pacing does become bogged down and it does get hard to follow scenes. It’s not the fault of the screenwriters, mind. If they had changed the plot and story to make it more accessible and plausible to audiences, it wouldn’t have been the story that was there – it simply would have been inspired by it. The film goes to great lengths to honour the original story and its themes – and that really is commendable.

This is Andrew Stanton‘s first live-action film, although JOHN CARTER is very much in his oeuvre. Having previously directed WALL-E and FINDING NEMO, he’s no stranger to using CGI films and using the vast technology that’s available to the modern director. Unlike George Lucas, however, he hasn’t made soulless characters in the computer-generated Tharks. The actors (Willem Dafoe and Samantha Morton) imbue them with real heart. True, they’re completely unrecognisable and bare no resemblance to their characters at all. Nevertheless, you really do pull for the Tharks and buy into their struggle. Preferring huge desert landscapes more than closed-in green-scene sets, Stanton is using reality far better than one would have initially expected, given his background. As mentioned earlier, the acting has thrown out subtlety in favour of lavish, operatic performances that can be construed as hammy. In spite of this, it doesn’t feel like it’s disingenuous. The film really is evocative of the great sci-fi films of the 1980′s, such as NEVER-ENDING STORY, WILLOW and yes, STAR WARS. From John Carter bravely fighting the Tharks alone to Michael Giacchino‘s magnificent score, Stanton is riffing heavily on these films and doing it well. You’d almost sit and wonder what it would be like if he was given a chance at the STAR WARS prequels.

JOHN CARTER is not without flaws. Of course it has flaws. Considering how long it took to get this to the screen, it’s any wonder it was made at all. It wasn’t just a case of technology catching up with it. The right director had to be found for it and the right actor had to play the title character. Taylor Kitsch doesn’t have much in the way of experience in holding up a film. Seeing as how he was relegated to a filler-role in the depressingly awful X-MEN: ORIGINS, he’s never been given a chance to shine in his own right. This isn’t really the film for him to do it, though. Yes, he may be the title character and he does a very good job of it, but the film is about so much more. It’s about the spectacle and the rush of excitement that is gone from modern sci-fi films. Very often nowadays, sci-fi films are laden with dark messages of foreboding, of society reaching technological singularities with dire consequences and so on. It’s not that these are bad films or anything – quite the opposite. But the wonder and suspension of sci-fi has gone out of modern cinema. The only film that’s come close to capturing it has been the STAR TREK remake. JOHN CARTER is pure escapism, of leaving this world behind – and walking on Mars. History will be kind to JOHN CARTER.

DROP-D RATING: 8.5 / 10

Folks!  It’s been a while since we chimed in and I hope you’re as revitalised as I am.  We have a few plans being put into the pipeline and recently we had Akumakon, Ireland’s first anime or gaming convention of 2012!  Luckily, I was on hand to check it out and if you missed it, well, where were you?

Akumakon has the snazzy distinction of being the first anime convention of the year in the UK and Ireland, and is the second in Europe behind Desucon in Finland!  On top of that, it’s in Galway, and I really, really like Galway.  People are sick of hearing how much I like Galway whenever it’s mentioned, so best not to get me started.  Akumakon is in its second year and has made a big step up – there was a visible increase in the level of organisation compared to last year (by that I mean everyone seemed less stressed), there was a good array of talks and events on and the traders hall was filled out.  Everyone was in a great mood and it was fantastic to see so many people from all over the country making their way to Galway for this.  I don’t know about numbers but to me it definitely felt bigger than 2011.

An unexpected highlight for me was the Saturday night festivities.  I was aware of the events that would be on but until they were happening it didn’t really occur to me how great they’d be.  I caught the burlesque show and the fire breathing so I unfortunately missed out on the Yu-Gi-Oh! drinking game and possibly one or two other events, but I think I made the right sacrifice – both shows went off perfectly and for me really made the convention.  Wa Café catered the whole weekend and every time I eat there I’m convinced they might just be the best Japanese restaurant in the country.  I had to leave around 1pm on Sunday so unfortunately missed out on an impromptu dance class and the closing ceremony, but I was left with the impression of an enthusiastic committee doing some great work.  If you missed it this year, put it in your diary for 2013, you won’t be disappointed.

I do need to leave a quick note for you all, and it’s not a nice one.  Replay Games were trading at Akumakon and they were blatantly selling bootleg anime DVDs and figurines.  This is the kind of dirt that’s played a part in so many anime distribution companies going to the wall over the past few years; if you see Replay Games or any trader at any anime convention selling knockoff goods, inform a committee member!  I’ve seen Replay Games try this act before and it looks like they haven’t changed.  Avoid.

On a somewhat related note, I’m sure many of you heard that Bandai Entertainment over in America is effectively shutting up shop and will no longer be producing or distributing any physical media.  Given their track record of releasing some of the best anime of the last 20 years (including Cowboy Bebop and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), it’s a huge blow and leaves a gulf in the market that shows no immediate signs of being filled.  Luckily their existing anime back catalogue will continue to be manufactured until the licenses expire, however if you were keeping up with the Gurren Lagann manga… oh well!  It’s another sad tale in physical distribution.

But hey, let’s look to the future!  There’s a surprise that’s burning its way through my skull and wants to shout it out over the rooftops, but I’ve promised myself and others that I’ll keep shut.  Suffice to say I’ll fill you all in next time but keep an eye out on the Eirtakon (and Nom-Con! Or am I giving away too much?) Facebook page for a fantastic announcement very soon.

There’s been a small bit of work going on at camp Eirtakon recently.  Behind the scenes we’ve been looking into guests, getting the new committee member settled in and confirming the venue for this year.  Work is starting soon on new events, booking guests, taking feedback from 2011 onboard and the dozens of other tasks that make up a convention.

On a public level, we have just launched our early bird pre-reg!  For €25 you can grab a weekend pass and a t-shirt.  The early bird will be open until the end of May when it switches to general pre-reg for €30 with a t-shirt.  On the door prices will be €30 for a weekend and €20 for a day pass.  So we’ve nudged the prices up a little bit but the things we can do with the extra income will make your head spin, I promise!

Alright!  Keep your eyes open on the anime channels for one hell of an announcement real soon – it could be the highlight of the year.  I shall say no more!

Until then,
Mark

Once upon a time, there was a writer/artist. He was a key player in revitalising a stale, stagnant industry, legitimising it in the eyes of those who didn’t follow it. He refused to be controlled by big corporations, walking out and setting up his own company and willingly lending his name to those who followed in his footsteps, giving a new generation of creators a chance they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. When working within the corporations, he had two definitive runs in two companies with two different characters, dragging them both into the present and setting the creative bar for those who followed.

His name was Frank Miller. A hugely respected comic creator, as a writer and an artist. His run on Daredevil may never be topped. I’m a fan of a lot of his work, is what I’m trying to say. And he recently published the following blog post.

“Everybody’s been too damn polite about this nonsense:

The “Occupy” movement, whether displaying itself on Wall Street or in the streets of Oakland (which has, with unspeakable cowardice, embraced it) is anything but an exercise of our blessed First Amendment. “Occupy” is nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed by Woodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness. These clowns can do nothing but harm America.

“Occupy” is nothing short of a clumsy, poorly-expressed attempt at anarchy, to the extent that the “movement” – HAH! Some “movement”, except if the word “bowel” is attached – is anything more than an ugly fashion statement by a bunch of iPhone, iPad wielding spoiled brats who should stop getting in the way of working people and find jobs for themselves.

This is no popular uprising. This is garbage. And goodness knows they’re spewing their garbage – both politically and physically – every which way they can find.

Wake up, pond scum. America is at war against a ruthless enemy.

Maybe, between bouts of self-pity and all the other tasty tidbits of narcissism you’ve been served up in your sheltered, comfy little worlds, you’ve heard terms like al-Qaeda and Islamicism.

And this enemy of mine — not of yours, apparently – must be getting a dark chuckle, if not an outright horselaugh – out of your vain, childish, self-destructive spectacle.

In the name of decency, go home to your parents, you losers. Go back to your mommas’ basements and play with your Lords Of Warcraft.

Or better yet, enlist for the real thing. Maybe our military could whip some of you into shape.

They might not let you babies keep your iPhones, though. Try to soldier on.

Schmucks.”

In summary:

By posting this rant, he has destroyed the last of his artistic integrity and spat in the face of everything he once did. The man who once took out full page ads in his books, protesting corporate control, has turned on those who are simply doing the same thing. He has also revealed his own racism (already well-known by comic fans) and lack of research.

So, let’s start from the start, and see what he has to say. “Louts, thieves and rapists.” Louts, debatably. Thieves, well, thieves often strike in the midst of large crowds, but actually the number of thefts reported are quite low (one shop which WAS smashed up was protected by protesters, so there’s that.) But let’s be fair to Miller. These protests involve hundreds of thousands of people, all over the world. Not all of them are going to be squeaky clean. However, those who are there specifically to cause violence and chaos are demonstrably in the minority.

He also rants about hippies, often a target for his rage in his work. The best example I can think of would be Robin’s parents in TDKR. Both hippies, spending their time doing drugs and often forgetting they even have a child. A product of his upbringing, and he does make (debatably) valid points about the pointlessness of the hippy movement elsewhere in his work.

He goes on ‘the “movement” is… [no]thing more than an ugly fashion statement by a bunch of iPhone, iPad wielding spoiled brats who should stop getting in the way of working people and find jobs for themselves.’ And here he has a point. It is difficult to take someone seriously when they’re tweeting about not being able to pay their rent from an ipad, and it does raise awkward questions about class. There is a difference between a kid freshly out of college who’s living with their parents and a guy who was laid off and can’t feed his family. But unless you’re going to go through everyone’s backpack and calculate the cost of everything in there, it’s a pointless exercise.
I myself am currently living way below my means. Within the past year, the most expensive things I bought a laptop and phone, both of which I need to work, and nothing else. I have not supported musicians I would like to support, I have not bought any books or comics, and generally put aside as much money as I can. Why? Because I need money, and I’m not the only one. These protests are, again demonstrably, a mix of people, from a variety of social backgrounds, classes and political views. The political views are primarily liberal, but not exclusively. You could have anarchists, conservatives, libertarians, or centrists taking part, it’s impossible to get an accurate read on them. Are there rapists and thieves and louts among their number? Well, for such massive numbers, there probably are, but they are in the overwhelming minority. Most of the violence is caused by police over-reaction. An Iraq war veteran was hospitalised with a fractured skull courtesy of riot police (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/scott-olsen-iraq-war-veteran-injured_n_1034003.html) And there were plenty of homeless protesters, with many being given blankets and safe places to stay, which is more than they received prior to the protests.

And you also have those who are annoyed by the implication, intentional or otherwise, that the 99% are poor, below the poverty line, living in the ghetto. Understandably, no one wants to be lumped in with social undesirables. Yes, at times OWS has gone overboard in its statements about class equality, but these are the mistakes of a new movement, taking it’s first steps. With time, it will learn and improve upon itself. Walking before running.

His further statement, that it is nothing more than “ a fashion statement” is reductive in the extreme. He simply refuses to believe there may be people out there who genuinely believe in the cause, and are simply going along with the crowd. There may be some doing so, but the majority do believe in what they’re doing. Otherwise, why go back after the police storm their camps and kick them out?

Miller goes on to imply that the OWS has only taken place in New York and Oakdale. A simple google search shows that, actually, it’s all over the world. The Guardian has a map that shows different locations, with details of crowd numbers and length.

For those who don’t want to follow the link, there have been protests in Galway, Cork, Dublin, Birmingham, Dundee, Reykjavik, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Las Palmas, Kansas, Toronto, Athens and Cairo and numerous other cities around the world. It is NOT an exclusively American movement. The largest protests are in America, certainly, but it’s a universal problem, being tackled by countries all over the world.

‘Wake up, pond scum. America is at war against a ruthless enemy.” Against who, Miller? Against who? Corrupt businesses, the military-industrial complex, the scourge of tooth decay? ‘Al-Qaeda and Islamicism.’ Dynamic entry! Islam outta nowhere!

Now, let’s ignore Islam for the moment (I’ll explain in a second), and look at Al-Qaeda. Miller lives in New York, and has for a while, so it’s understandable that he is not a fan of Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda, by the by, is in major trouble, in a variety of ways. Recruitment levels are low, so they’ve resorted to ads on porn sites. They’ve also reached out to rappers to try to reach the masses.  Still dangerous, don’t get me wrong, but support has turned against Al-Qaeda in many Islamic nations. I’m ignoring his views on Islam because as far as he is concerned, Islam and Al-Qaeda are the same thing. In Holy Terror, he draws no line between Islam and Al-Qaeda. They are one and the same. If we extend his logic, all Christians are members of the Ku Klux Klan. This is the world as he sees it, you’re either with America, right or wrong, or you’re against it. Whether it’s flying planes into buildings, or protesting at an unfair system.

I’m going to skip the next part, since it’s more of the same . ‘Maybe our military could whip some of you into shape.” Tell that to Scott Olsen, Frank. I’m sure he’d love to hear that coming from someone who has never joined the army, or served in any sort of capacity and who, frankly, knows nothing about what he’s talking about. Of course, Miller is from a generation where a spell in the army would fix any problem, I deal with such people every day. Most of the people I hear this from actually did serve. If Miller wants to defend America so badly, why didn’t he join and fight, rather than produce a critically mauled “piece of propaganda” (as he himself describes it) that was delayed until a full decade after the event he’s trying to commemorate? He has gone on record to say that he knows nothing of Islam: “I can tell you squat about Islam. I don’t know anything about it. But I know a goddamn lot about Al-Qaeda and I want them all to burn in hell.”

His statements are not thought-out analysis. They are crude, abusive insults aimed at those he deems the enemy, or worse, traitors. He is fully entitled to his opinion, but one would hope he would at the very least make an effort. But he has every right to say what’s on his mind. Just as we have the right to read his opinions and feel… offended, saddened and even betrayed. And we similarly have the right to challenge his statements and opinions.

And now the New York protests have been shut down, with reports that the police used tear gas with no reason (later stated to be pepper spray). No warning was given, they simply began stomping on tents and herding journalists away. If you’re going to conduct a lawful eviction, of course you do it in the dead of night with a complete media blackout. And it was blacked out. Helicopters were barred from flying overhead, journalists were arrested and others were blocked from entering. No doubt Frank was in the thick of it, stomping on one of the homeless there for support, or one of the teenagers who tied themselves to a tree. Of course, that would require him to actually do something besides piss and moan on a blog, so probably not.

For an account of what happened, see http://occupywallst.org/article/nypd-raiding-liberty-square/. But the good news is, they were able to win a (temporary) restraining order, allowing them to re-camp there. And it has also given those in charge a chance to regroup and prevent any undesirables from taking part the next time, which can only be a good thing. For more up to date information, and a blow by blow account of the clear-out (with pictures of some of the injured), https://twitter.com/#!/JoshHarkinson.

Frank, Sin City was black and white. The real world isn’t.

And so, Smallville has come to an end. It ran ten years, proving that Superman is still relevant to the general public. Ten years of Clark Kent, but no Superman.

Over the course of Smallville, we’ve had clones, time travel, alternative universes, alien gods, prophecies, a well-written Green Arrow, a crime-fighting Lex Luthor and cross-dressing superheroes. We did not get Superman. Throughout its run, the future was teased at. Visions of Lex Luthor being elected President, a red cape fluttering against a vast expanse of stars, Clark wearing glasses, but never a definitive look at Welling in the suit.

We had a Justice League, two Injustice Leagues, the Legion of Doom, the Justice Society of America, Supergirl and Superboy, the Legion of Super-heroes, and a man with gigantic wings, on fire, grabbing a girl as she plummets to certain death. But Clark Kent in tights? That’s just stupid.

What’s interesting about Smallville is how it changed so massively throughout its run. The early seasons stand in stark contrast with the later seasons. In the first few seasons, the science-fiction elements were toned down in favour of teen drama and simplistic plots, where meteor rocks caused shenanigans, since teen drama with a touch of the supernatural was the flavour of the time. Then, stuff like Battlestar Galactica and the new Star Trek proved that people would follow heavy sci-fi. And so, Smallville went from “Will Lana say yes if I ask her out?” to “My robot dad gave a girl superpowers and is trying to brainwash me to conquer the world and establish a new Kryptonian empire!” And it… worked. Mostly.

The biggest weakness, and the greatest strength, of Smallville was the fact it had a definite end. Clark would put on the cape and fly. The producers said this when they were promoting season one. So, although we know how it ends, it also gives us a certain time limit. The show then ran for a decade, far longer than anyone expected, which is why we learned so much in the first few seasons, and then comparatively little in later seasons about Clark’s future. And, since we have a definite end, we have a definite character arc. Clark goes from shy, nerdy guy to Superman. Which is awkward, since we need conflict and suspense. And so additional heroes were introduced, and since they were, on the whole, lesser known to the general public than Superman, more could be done with them. Seriously, how many people know who Superman is, even if it just a basic knowledge? How many people know who Oliver Queen or Bart Allen are?

Over time, this led to Clark becoming a bit character in his own show, who existed as a plot device. While we were TOLD he was a great fighter, leader, and generally a pretty super man, we never see it. Instead, we see Green Arrow, Lois Lane, and all these other characters do these amazing things, apparently due to his influence, even though we never see him doing anything to really inspire the masses. Given how the finale ends, apparently all Clark needs to do is exist, and occasionally give a motivational speech, to make people better. Which, frankly, is rather stupid. He becomes Superman, let’s see him do something super. Flying? Three different characters in the past season have flown. Saving Lois Lane from certain death? Plenty of other characters do that, as well as him, including Hawkman, who did it while on fire and flying, which is pretty metal. Fighting crime? Once again, while he is certainly not just sitting around doing nothing, there is very little to differentiate him from the other heroes. What makes him different, or better, than the others? Very little, besides being Superman. Particularly given how well Green Arrow was handled.

Smallville worked best when it embraced the goofy, silly side, and ran with it. This is a show that had a group of witches possessing teenage girls and having wacky adventures. But it seems almost ashamed of its roots, refusing to put the heroes in costumes, instead shoving them into long jackets and hoodies. With the exception of Green Arrow, none of the costumes look decent. And then, out of nowhere, you have this.

Oddly, the realistic costumes are almost as ridiculous. The more realistic you try to make a superhero, the more ridiculous they get. While some heroes are better suited to realism (Nolan’s Batfilms are the obvious example), Superman is one of the many that is not particularly realistic. He flies, he shoots lasers from his eyes, his breath is an arctic wind, and he wears his underpants on the outside. This is not a bad thing, as Batman: The Brave and The Bold has proven several times over.

Frank Miller once described what he wanted from a Superman comic: “I don’t want to see the sweat stains on his armpits. I want to see him fly.” Yet here, the heroes are running around in hoodies, which has a certain charm, until you see them beside superheroes who look exactly they do in the comics. There’s no continuity, no connection, between the two styles.

In later seasons, Clark was reduced to a bit character. He simply existed for something to happen to. We were told he was doing heroic things, but rarely saw them. Instead, we had Supergirl flying around saving people in costume. And Green Arrow, easily the best character on the show. Can’t forget him. Nobody in charge could take Clark seriously. While it was understandable in earlier seasons, by the end, it’s just bad writing. He comes up with stupid, stupid plans, and blunders around ineffectively and complains and whines and is completely passive. Every choice he makes is either forced on him by an outside force, or else he makes the wrong choice and it all goes to hell. Because he CANNOT become Superman just yet. And when Lex Luthor, supposedly the bad guy, points out all his flaws, he’s right. In the Finale, he says: “what killed me is that you didn’t even want it. You fought it — you hid from it!” It takes massive threats to spur Clark to action, not simply because it’s the right thing to do. This is understandable in the earlier seasons, as I have said, but after ten years? A plot that forces the main character to not develop does not make for interesting television.

Had it been cancelled, I dunno, with season 7, just to pick any season, and continued with “Metropolis,” featuring a young Superman as opposed to an older Clark Kent, it would have been a lot better. Instead, things happened that we would never see an end to, such as Doomsday. In the comics, his first appearance involved him digging his way out from underground and killing Superman. In Smallville, we see him getting buried. Unfortunately, the viewers who don’t read the comics (which are many, and I’ll have more on that in a second) don’t know what this setting up. The viewers, however, do know something about Superman, no matter how basic their knowledge is, and they want to see him doing something super. They want action and adventure, which is understandable, so the show went through some insane twists and turns trying to give the audience what it wanted without compromising the core of the show, whether they wanted to do that one thing (putting Clark in the suit) or not. It worked in some ways, but in others? Everything has to happen in such a way that it can, conceivably, happen at a later point. Doomsday is buried underground. Lex loses his memories. The League is never outright referred to as the Justice League, just as the League. It’s dishonest, and setting the actual end seven years later just makes it worse. Everything it’s been teasing at has already happened, and we don’t get to see it. This Clark Kent is, by the nature of the story, forced to be passive, allowing things to happen to him, rather than taking them into his own hands.

And the oddest thing is the sheer number of oblique references to comic book mythology. Taking Abslute Justice as our benchmark of nerdy references and compare it to the best selling Superman comic of that year, the comparison is startling. 2.6 and 2.94 million viewers (a season high) watched Ma Hunkel getting arrested and the JSA fighting crime, while 92,000 people bought Blackest Night: Superman. The series finale got approximately three million viewers. The first issue of the last comic event to feature Darkseid, Final Crisis, sold 159,036 copies. And then, in season 10, we have the actual Legion of Doom appearing, then being sent off to bother the heroes in the future, with no context for the casual viewer. They appear, they’re given orders, and then they’re never seen or mentioned again.

Name all seven and win a prize!

Now, with the ending, the internet has erupted with fans angry that we never see Welling in the suit. We see some dodgy cgi of a guy in the distance with the cape and the suit, we hear the music swelling, we see Welling ripping his shirt open to reveal the S, but never a good, clear look at Welling in the suit.

And, oddly, that’s the one thing Smallville got right. It’s not a Superman show, for all it wants to be, and for all it should be (debatably). It’s a Clark Kent show. We don’t need to see him in the suit, because we always knew he would be in the suit. Personally, I thought the ending was perfect.

Ultimately, for all it got right, it got even more wrong. Lex was set up as a sympathetic villain, but he is right in everything he says, forced to be the villain by the plot. Clark is, in turn, forced to ineffectual and pointless by the plot. It couldn’t decide on whether it should appeal to the die-hard fanboys, or the casual viewers. But it was not as bad as it was made out to be. It was heavily flawed, due to its very nature. While we know that the hero will always win and fight another day, this particular story was too well-known, too ingrained in the public mind to really change it. Which is a reflection on the current state of comics. Batman will always be Bruce Wayne, even though Grant Morrison has demonstrated that you can have someone else in the suit for an extended period of time, Spider-Man will always have trouble paying the rent and be a loser, despite JMS developing him into a confident, respected hero. And Superman always fights Lex Luthor, whether they grow up together in the fields of Kansas, or if Kal-El crashes on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain.