Another quick one this week, folks. Memorial Day Weekend snuck up on me.
(I’d like to say that I’m spending time with family, but nope — I’ll be working. I’m appearing as a panelist at ConQuest 49, just up the road in Kansas City. If you’re in the neighborhood, drop in and say hi — in between panels, I’ll be sitting in some quiet corner, hunched over a laptop, in all likelihood.)
For those of you who have contacted me about getting a look at the new rules doc, I expect to be sending that along next week.
In related news: I hate Styles in Microsoft Word. Just sayin’.
Also (as some of you who follow me on Twitter probably already saw): I am thankful as hell for Dropbox’s RESTORE function. I was an idiot. The ability to restore to a previously-saved version of the file saved me from myself. (Accidentally overwrote a critical file. Had a bit of a panic attack as a result. Things are better now.)
Like I said — quick one this week. Back to work. I hope you all have a nice weekend!
Taking a brief moment to check back in with you fine folks — it’s been a very busy week: Not only have I been continuing to put the new D6Plus version of the rules together for the people who’ve asked to see them, but my oldest daughter has flown in from the coast to visit us (hitting between Mother’s Day and my upcoming birthday)! So I’m bouncing back and forth between “editorial mode” and “dad mode.” :)
Have any of you taken a look at those series on DramaFever that I mentioned last time? I’m curious to hear your impression. Also — if you have any other suggestions for material for our “Inspirography” — films, series, books, comics, music, what-have-you — by all means, drop me a line. There’s an appendix in the rulebook where I’m listing stuff (plus I’m always looking for new inspiration).
In the realm of old inspiration — I was pleased to discover that Robert Urich’s final TV series, The Lazarus Man, has been finally released on DVD. I barely remember it — a guy wearing a Confederate uniform claws his way out of a shallow grave, and can’t remember who he is, so searches for his identity, having adventures on the way — but I remember enjoying it. I haven’t picked it up yet (I put myself on a purchasing moratorium in the weeks leading up to my birthday, having previously “scooped” gift plans from family members), but I hope it’s as good as I remember.
I’ll leave you with another glimpse of interior art from the rulebook — I don’t think I’ve shown you this one before. Talk to you again next week.
A Blind Swordsman.
再见,
Gareth-Michael Skarka
Lawrence, Kansas
18 May, 2018
A bunch of Star Trek related news hit this week, as you might expect from the 50th anniversary year.
And on a related note: Wow, Paramount is blowing this anniversary, aren’t they? Compare what they’re doing with how the BBC handled the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. Paramount is doing (as far as I can tell) a single retrospective TV special later this Fall, a new installment in the JJ-Abrams-Reboot film series (with no ‘anniversary’ implications) and they’re not even launching the new series until NEXT YEAR. What the fuck, Paramount? Did the calendar sneak up on you?
Speaking of the new series, CBS showed a teaser during their Upfront presentation to advertisers this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXpPweAooeE
Not much there, but what is there is interesting — especially “New Crews.” Plural. That lends some credence to the rumor that this show is going to be an “American Horror Story”/”True Detective”/”Fargo”-esque anthology series, where each season is a different story with a different set of characters. I’m looking forward to finding out more about it as 2017 approaches.
Axanar Productions definitely crossed the line. Not in their acquisition of a studio space, which they admit will be used for for-profit ventures outside of their film (shady, but not line-crossing, IMO), but in paying themselves 5-figure salaries. Plus, the producers are, bluntly, jerks, who have basically been swaggering around clothing themselves in borrowed glory — practically daring Paramount to sue.
I’m glad to see the lawsuit dropped (although I’ll wait until an official announcement from Paramount — how wild would it be if JJ Abrams said this in order to force their hands, because he saw the PR hurting the forthcoming Abrams-produced film?) — because of the chilling effect this was having on other fan films.
Star Trek Continues (my favorite), does it right: Registered as a non-profit, books available for audit on-demand, volunteer labor, and not trying to present themselves as a source of new, modern-day Trek, but specifically emulating the look, feel, and sound of the 1966 original. Their 6th episode, “Come Not Between Dragons” debuts later this month.
UPDATE: A Buzzfeed reporter tweeted an official response from CBS/Paramount, confirming the dropping of the case, and the additional news that they’re working on a set of fan film guidelines:
And, lastly: This morning the second trailer for the new J.J. Abrams-reboot Trek film, Star Trek Beyond, was released:
I think I’m going to have to view the reboot films the way that I view pizza outside of the Northeast. The stuff you get may be perfectly tasty for what it is, but it’s not actually pizza.
I actually was excited by the potential unlocked by the first film, but then they blew it with “Star Trek Into Darkness.” I don’t have high hopes for this one. Looks like a generally acceptable blow-em-up-real-good space opera spectacle, though.
Throughout my life, I’ve been a fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek — but I have to admit, that right now, I am far more excited about what’s coming for Star Wars than I am for anything Trek-related. I’d love it if CBS/Paramount would take a page from Lucasfilm’s post-Disney-acquisition playbook, at least as far as transmedia brand management goes, but I’m not holding my breath.
A bunch of Star Trek related news hit this week, as you might expect from the 50th anniversary year.
