PeterDavid.net

Rome, GA: The sexual hang-up capital of the country

Don't believe me? Check out the following link, the most scathing local commentary on the Gordon Lee case yet to see print:

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=archivedetails&pnpid=680&om=1&ArchiveID=1317993&requesttimeout=100

Oh, the idiocy...the idiocy...

The majority of Star Trek fans are everything that the philosophy of IDIC could possibly want. But every so often, the exact sort of intolerance that is antithetical to the world of Trek rears its head. Witness the following letter to author Andy Mangels, and Andy's scathingly witty reply. Obviously, as the creator of the bi-sexed Burgoyne in "New Frontier," I've found the letter particularly interesting. Although the letter is reprinted with Andy's permission, I've taken the liberty of mercifully omitting the author's name.

Dear Mr. Mangels,
> Thank you for writing stories that reside in the Star Trek Universe. I have
> enjoyed quite a few of your offerings in the past and am a very loyal fan of
> the series ever since it originally aired.
> While trying to catch up on a huge backlog of Star Trek reading, I finally
> got around to reading your Enterprise novel, ‘The Good That Men Do’. I
> really enjoyed the novel, as it very nicely intertwined various broadcasts of the
> series and added a few twists. However, I am very disappointed in your
> creation of a gay couple, Trip Tucker’s brother Albert, into the story near the
> very end. It soiled an ‘up to that point’ excellent read and was totally
> unnecessary.
> This is the first time that I have ever felt the need to comment on anything
> written in the Star Trek genre. But please keep your activism out of the
> Star Trek Universe.
> Sincerely,
(NAME WITHELD BY PAD)
>
>
(ANDY'S RESPONSE)

Thanks for your support in the past, and glad you've enjoyed some of our
writing. I suspect that will now change.

I've forwarded your email to my HETEROSEXUAL co-writer, Michael A. Martin,
who created and wrote the scenes with the gay couple in question, without ANY
prompting from me. I'll let him respond to your bigotry.

Meanwhile, you can thank me - the faggot with the agenda - for writing the
scene with Trip praying early on, and the scene where he discusses church and
faith in God with Phuong. Not the first faith-based scenes I've written for
Trek, and won't be the last. I just don't believe that God condones hatred.

It's sad and pathetic that fans of a series based on the principal "Infinite
Diversity in Infinite Combinations" — and who regularly read and enjoy books
wherein characters of DIFFERENT SPECIES engage in romantic relationships — get
their bigotry hats on when faced with gay characters.

I don't doubt that people who express ideas exactly like yours were similarly
objecting to Uhura and Kirk kissing, but thankfully, such anti-black bigotry
has been beaten back mostly. I look forward to the day when people who hate
others for loving are as unwelcome as a fart in church.

Best,
Andy Mangels

The return of rickets

Yes, rickets, the bone disease that was ever so popular in the unenlightened 19th century is now making its triumphant return in the 21st to the coddled children of America.

Studies are being launched to see just how pervasive these increased incidents of softening bones and increased bone fractures are in children. The three causes: kids not drinking enough milk, not getting enough sun, and not enough exercise.

Is anyone surprised about this?

Parents keep their kids out of the sun because of all the fears that that UV rays will cause skin cancer. More and more schools are doing away with recess because of fears over lawsuits or having to deal with behavior that they can't control. Good old fashioned running around and playing is replaced with carefully controlled play dates. Little kids are constantly chugging down fruit juices rather than milk. Half the peak bone mass happens during adolescence, a time when today's teens aren't exercising or drinking milk or going outside, but instead sitting cloistered in front of computers or vegging out listening to iTunes and drinking soda.

This isn't a rant over how kids today are no good. It's how parenting and schooling that skids between sloppiness and overprotectiveness is once again not getting the job done.

PAD

OUT THIS WEEK: THE SCREAM #1

"The Scream," a four issue limited series, has been in the hopper for three years now (and thus was one of the series that Marvel allowed me to grandfather into my exclusive deal; I just didn't announce that at the time because Dark Horse wanted to wait to announce it.)

Apparently issue #1 has deftly slid in under the radar, judging by the number of people going, "What's 'The Scream'?" I've no idea if anybody bought it, but if you did, whad'ja think?

PAD

Open request to Showtime and the producers of "Dexter"

Could you guys produce replicas of the bowling shirt Dexter wears?

I'd pay serious money for an official shirt with that "Bowl Until you Bleed" logo on the back.

PAD

Out this week: She-Hulk #23; in the stores: "Before Dishonor"

The second issue of my stint on "She-Hulk." Plus it's been a few weeks since my new STTNG, "Before Dishonor," hit the stands, so here's the place for folks to comment.

PAD

Happy Thanksgiving

Drive carefully, eat sensibly.

If you can only do one of those, do the first one.

PAD

With friends like these

A potential death blow has been dealt to the Clinton campaign: George W. Bush has stated that he feels that--of the entire Democratic slate--she has the most experience when it comes to the presidency.

The Obama camp is reportedly thrilled about the vote of confidence, feeling it's the best thing that could happen to their man. They probably figure that a Bush endorsement of Hillary is like having Morton's salt endorse slugs.

PAD

Happy Days are here again

I walked with the WGA picket line outside Viacom last Thursday. It rained steadily, as it did the previous time I walked it. Fortunately I had interesting company to chat with; trooped alongside Ron Howard for an hour chatting about his upcoming project, a film version of "Frost/Nixon," the Broadway show dramatizing the David Frost/Richard Nixon interviews.

Considering I spent the previous weekend hanging with Henry Winkler, all I have to do is run into Ralph and Potsie.

PAD

OUT THIS WEEK AND LAST WEEK: X-FACTOR #25, FALLEN ANGEL #21

Part 3 of "Messiah Complex," and a one-off in which we actually show Bete Noire shaping the world. Whad'ja think?

PAD

Resumption of formal talks

The WGA and the producers have announced that formal negotiations will recommence beginning the 26th.

In honor of formal negotiations, I will probably start wearing a tuxedo to the picket lines. Why a tuxedo? Because my evening gown would look ridiculous during the daytime.

PAD

Big Apple Convention tomorrow

In case anyone's interested, and even if they're not, I will be attending the Big Apple convention tomorrow. It'll be a pretty short stint; I'm coming in to participate on a 1:30 panel with Andy Schmidt about breaking into comics. I'm not set up to sign or anything, although if you come up to me with book in hand and waving a pen, I won't throw it back in your face.

PAD

We're number one

As the link below indicates, Dark Tower is Amazon's number one pick for graphic novel for 2007. The collected edition is just out in the stores and, remember kids, the holidays are coming up.

And work is moving along briskly on the next five issue series, due out early in 2008.

Best Books of 2007: Top 10 Editors' Picks: Comics & Graphic Novels

PAD

I walk the line...I walk the line...

Reported for WGA picket duty today outside Fox at 47th and Sixth Avenue. I've never walked a picket line in my life, so circling a half block radius for four straight hours (minus ten minutes when the sainted Margaret Clark, one of my Pocket Book editors across the street, provided bathroom relief for me) was a new experience to put it mildly.

A ton of celebrities such as Robin Williams and Alec Baldwin showed up to express solidarity...on previous days. No one turned out for us today, so that kinda sucked.

At one point a guy with a microphone, identifying himself as being from Sirius Satellite radio, pulled myself and another writer, a distinguished looking older fellow named Michael St. Germain, aside and asked if he could interview us. We shrugged and said sure. He had a list of questions and the first couple seemed straightforward enough. But St. Germain was looking at him suspiciously and suddenly said, "You're from Howard Stern, aren't you." The guy nodded. That immediately flipped a switch in my mind, so that--moments later--when the questions turned skewed ("If UPS makes a delivery to your home, are you forbidden from signing for it since you're not allowed to write?") I was able to roll with it rather than say, "Huh?" So that was lucky.

Met several staffers from the Colbert Report, which was also cool.

Will be back at it next week. I hope this doesn't drag on, but suspect it will.

PAD

Caroline's new obsession

Four year old Caroline was down in my office yesterday, and she came running up to me waving a DVD box. "Daddy...I found TREASURE!" she informed me and handed me her discovery: A set of Rankin-Bass Christmas specials, most prominently being "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer." Caroline had become intrigued by Rudolph, you see, because the Build-A-Bear catalogue had arrived here the other day and she'd become enchanted by their Christmas offering of a plush version of the R-B Rudolph (not to mention Clarice.) She thrust the DVD box at me and said firmly, "See Rudolph, please?"

I shrugged and said, "Sure." She hadn't watched much TV that day and it would keep her entertained while I continued work on the "Iron Man" novelization.

She watched it. Then she watched it again. And a third time. She would have watched it a fourth time if we'd let her.

In the meantime last night Kath swung by our local DVD shop and picked up "Ratatouille," a collection of all the Pixar shorts, and "Shrek III," all DVDs we'd been planning to get for a while.

This morning Caroline came downstairs and announced she wanted to watch "Rudolph." I pointed out all the new DVDs we'd acquired. "I want to see Rudolph" she said firmly. As of this writing she's on her second (and I swear last) viewing for today.

And I have to say, it sure brings back memories. I still remember being utterly terrified as a kid of the Abominable Snowman, even though the character design is truly ludicrous. Hell, I even remember the commercials with elves riding on electric shavers. Still, I have a feeling that I'm going to be well and truly sick of this special by Christmastime.

PAD

Gordon Lee case

The following is a CBLDF press release detailing what is--in my opinion--the depths to which the prosecution in this case will stoop to perpetuate it:

The case against Gordon Lee took another in an ongoing series of bizarre turns this afternoon when statements made by State prosecutor John Tully during opening arguments led to a mistrial.

Lee and his legal team, paid for by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, appeared in court this morning for jury selection and returned in the afternoon to begin the actual trial. Before the jury was brought in to begin the trial, lead counsel Alan Begner argued an oral motion in limine asking the judge to instruct prosecutors that they could not admit statements from their witnesses alluding to Lee's character and previous legal actions Lee has been party to. Prosecutors assured the court that they had instructed their witnesses not to address Lee's previous conviction for selling adult comics to an adult. Then during opening statements in front of the jury, prosecutor Tully said witnesses will testify that Gordon was defensive and that Gordon had told police, "I've been through this before," a clear reversal of his earlier statement to the judge that prosecutors would not be entering such statements into the record.

When Tully made his statement, defense counsel stared at each other in disbelief before Begner leapt up to demand a mistrial. Judge Larry Salmon put his head in his hands and called a 15 minute recess.

Upon returning to the courtroom, as a result of Tully's statement, Salmon declared a mistrial, because the statements alluding to the prior incident contaminated the jury beyond repair for a fair trial.

"This is a victory, but we wish it was over," said CBLDF lead counsel Alan Begner. "We believe that prosecutors induced this mistrial on purpose, because we had a jury that looked more defense oriented. We're prepared to quickly file a motion to argue that no new trial should be scheduled because this mistrial was intentional and constitutes prosecutorial misconduct."

Begner adds, "Time and again we've been here and have been told to go home because of the prosecutors' actions. Meanwhile, it's Gordon who suffers. It's been three years since this case began, and for three years Gordon has had this hanging over his head. Today his good name is still not cleared."

Lee's trial comes after three years of legal action arising from the Halloween 2004 distribution of Alternative Comics #2, a Free Comic Book Day sampler which featured an excerpt from the critically acclaimed graphic novel The Salon that depicted Pablo Picasso in the nude, and was allegedly handed to a minor. The CBLDF has spent over $80,000 on Lee's defense since taking the case in early 2005, and expects costs to reach six figures by the end of the trial. The case has been ready for trial three times – the first, in April of 2006, when prosecutors dismissed and re-filed the charges because their facts were wrong; the second last August when the judge's illness led to a rescheduling; and today when statements made by the prosecutor led to a mistrial.

"Never in the Fund's history have we seen prosecutorial conduct of this nature," says CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein. "We're dumbfounded by prosecutors assuring the court that they weren't going to do something, and then doing exactly that thing five minutes later. Every step of the way they have been adding further expense to Lee's defense, first by changing their facts, then by entering new indictment after new indictment, and today by contaminating the jury. Nobody, especially a small retailer, can bear this kind of expense on their own. Today's action is clear evidence of why the Fund needs to be around to protect comics."

The next step for the case is uncertain, but could see trial again in 2008.

United Fan Con--the Final word

We had a great time.

There's just no other way to say it. Kathleen, Caroline, Ariel, Ariel's friend Marina and I, after all the sturm and drang, had a great ol' time at UFC. A decent number of appreciative fans (hard to determine exactly how many, but it seemed like a few hundred), smoothly run programming (I mean, yeah, the Saturday night banquet started fifteen minutes late, big deal), hanging out with old friends such as the peerless Bill and Eileen Mumy, Grace Lee Whitney and Tracy Scoggins, and making new friends such as BSG's Nicki Clyne, Dr. Who's Wendy Padbury, and--'eeeeyyyy--Henry Winkler.

Bob Greenberger braved near hurricane winds to come up Saturday afternoon to hang out, which was great. Pocket Books was kind enough to send me one hundred copies of my brand spanking new Trek novel, "Before Dishonor," which I gave out free to the first hundred people who came by my table. At the evening cabaret I read the first chapter of "Tigerheart," Wendy did a reading of Doctor Who's long-lost diary which was hysterical (I totally forgot to ask her if she wrote it because it was marvelous) and Mumy did a terrific half-hour set that he himself described as "schizoid," a fair description of a set that includes heart-felt ballads, a song about the nightmarish blending of Will Robinson into Lennier, and ending with an audience singalong of "Fishheads." Bill then continued the set out into the lobby, seated at a piano, dueting on some Barnes and Barnes songs with a hardcore B&B fan and even singing the theme to "Space Cases."

Sold a bunch of stuff, made a decent amount of money, so that was good too. My sister Beth and her family came up as well on Saturday, so Caroline had an opportunity to hang out with her little cousins. Henry gave a terrific speech on Sunday: I missed the first half because I was signing, but Mumy said it was fantastic and inspirational (Kath took the above picture of myself, Henry and Bill afterwards.)

If they have the con next year and invite us up, yes, I'd be there.

PAD

Democrats blow it again

Displaying a staggering lack of sense of humor, the South Carolina Democratic party voted 13-3 to keep Stephen Colbert off the ballot. Their claim was that they were concerned Colbert would make the entire thing come across as a big joke.

Okay...first of all...the Democrats ARE a joke, and I say that as a Democrat. Second, lack of voter turnout in this country is a huge problem. Colbert would have fired up interest in the electoral process. Third, I think their REAL fear was that he would win.

PAD