Tag: AWC

Len Wein – Soldier of Victory

On November 28, 2017

This evening my wife, author Shannon Muir, and I will be attending the 2017 Animation Writers Caucus Annual Meeting and Award Presentation at the offices of the Writers Guild of America in Los Angeles. Events like these have always been special to us because at first it was a chance to meet our creative and literary heroes we have looked up to, then becoming fellow animation writers, and in some special cases becoming close friends.

At these annual meetings we honor a writer who has truly added to the animation industry as a writer and creator. This year our presentation must also be a memorial as the award is being given posthumously to writer extraordinaire and friend Len Wein.The outside world knows him best as the creator of Wolverine and Swamp Thing, but he is so much more especially to a little boy who had to sit for hours in a hospital lobby while his grandparents were being taken care of upstairs.

The hospital chaplain took pity on the little boy who had nothing to do on those old vinyl couches than his homework and so gave me two comic books, Superman and The Flash. They were great, and that gift meant a lot to me, but it wasn’t until I wandered into the hospital gift shop that my life was changed forever.

Along side the magazines the small shop had a few very small comic books for sell. One of which, with the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA logo on the top and text at the bottom that read “33 Super-Stars in One Epic Adventure!” with dozens of those heroes jumping of the front and back cover, had my full attention. I convinced my mother to give me the 95 cents to purchase this copy of DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #11.

Opening those four-color pages I found myself tumbling into a wonderful world of super heroes. Yes, I knew of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman from television and cartoons, but there were so many many more. Here I learned not only about the Justice League but also the Justice Society of America, and that there was an Infinite number of parallel earths where more heroes resided.

I was definitely hooked and the DC Universe was my playground from then on.

This digest turned out to be a reprint of JUSTICE LEAGE OF AMERICA #100, 101, and 102, about our heroes on a quest to find seven more heroes lost to the ages.

This great story, that put a boy on a quest to discover all the heroes of the golden age of comics, was written by the great comic book author Len Wein. I would soon be reading many more.

(An interested side note is that Len also edited the Blue Ribbon Digest that it was reprinted in.)

I was not the only one influenced by this comic; fellow comic book writer Gail Simone also marks this story as what began her path into comics.

I learned just the other day that Len himself fell in love with comics as a child while he was in the hospital as well. Though for him it was for medical treatment, but he has stated that those comics and super heroes got him through it.

Now that little boy who sat quietly in the hospital lobby wants to pay his respect to the man who sent towards a career as a comic book and animation writer. I honor you Len for all the stories you have brought to the world, and for being a friend.

Thank you.

Kevin Paul Shaw BrodenFour Names of Professional Creativity

Post San Diego Comic Con 2013 – #Mission818

By kevinpsb4

On July 22, 2013

In Uncategorized

Well, I’m back from ComicCon and survived being one in 130,000 people on the convention floor.

I won’t tell you how many conventions I’ve been too, and have only missed one in all that time, but what I can say is this may have been one of the most productive cons so far.

Over the next week I plan on writing short blogs about different parts of the con that I experienced. I hope it’s worth the reading.

Shannon and I road the Amtrak Train “Surfliner” down to San Diego and back home again each day. (We didn’t go for Sunday. We needed the rest.) It was a relaxing way to do it, and actually get some writing done. On Saturday we met someone at our hometown train station that was also going to Con, and saw again when we got back late that night. It turned out we had other connections, and this chance meeting may lead into some positive networking with companies down the road. We can only try.

Each day was crowded with people, and sometimes that can be frustrating when you’re trying to keep up with your partner salmon swimming up stream, but it is still fun.

The TV news kept going on about the costumes (or cosplay), but there was so much more to it than that. Though there were some really great costumes. The ones that really got to me were the families. Not just a group of people together, but families. A family that was dressed as Superman/Wonder Woman and Supergirl/Superboy. Another family that was the main pantheon of Star Wars characters. Do what you’re children love, and your children will do what you love.

As stated in my last blog we were going to avoid Hall H and Ballroom 20. However we did make one attempt to get into 20, Steven Moffat was there about the TV series SHERLOCK. The line which began at ground level near went up a long set of stairs and then Disneyland Lined back and forth. We spent 40 minutes in the line, but once the actual program began we knew we’d never make it inside. A friend of ours spent 3 hours in line for the same panel and still never got in.

We never even contemplated going to see DOCTOR WHO in Hall H. Not only getting in line itself can be bad, but also a lot of people decided to camp out in line or in the Hall itself once inside. The simple concept is that you go into see one panel even if you’re not interest in it and stay there until you see the panel you want. Sometimes if you sit in an earlier panel you might discover something new that interests you. Sounds like a good plan, but then you decide to do it for Hall H. Waiting 3 hours might be okay for some, but would you be willing to camp in the Hall our outside the convention center all night long? Well a lot of people did. Not me; no way!

Even avoiding the masses, we did end up in some very good panels. We sat in on one about writing for television and the experience in the “writer’s room.” It was fun that one of our friends was on the panel, would be even more fun if we were friends with the rest of the panel. We got in but the line beyond use couldn’t, this was a much smaller room.

Shannon really got a lot out of a panel on Digital Comics in Schools and Libraries. She’ll be writing her own blogs about that.

There were also a couple of spotlight panels that we attended. Those were cool to hear the people we look up to talk about their careers in their own words. I’ll be writing about one of those later. Of course it was also great to meet people on the floor, in artists alley, they we’ve worked with in the past.

We also attended the Writers’ Guild of America gathering, but could only stay for about half an hour, as we had to get to the train station.

It doesn’t sounds like a whole lot, but the little things are what matters. Each a small part of my #Mission818

We really had a good time.

More Con Blogs to follow.

Comic Strip for Writers Strike

By kevinpsb4

On December 14, 2007

In Uncategorized

As a member of the Animation Writers Caucus, I am considered an associate member of the Writers Guild of America.

This allows me to watch this strike from slightly to outside the battle arena. As a non-voting member of the Guild, I have no influence on the outcome of this strike. But the outcome of this strike will have an influence on my future and my standing as a member.

Yes, I’ve been on the picket lines, which has been fun and encouraging, as nearly everyone who drove past honked their horns with positive, supportive, enthusiasm. (I say nearly everyone because I did see a few faces and downward pointed thumbs from people who are clearly not happy with what we are doing. And I respect that.)

But I do feel guilty for not being there more frequently along side my fellow writers, so I try to contribute where possible.

The Guild is providing a news letter for the picketers called Writers: On the Line, and I am drawing comic strips to be included in it.

That was for Issue #3, I plan to do more. Though truthfully we would all like to think that there wouldn’t be a need for too many more of these newsletters.

As I said, I can’t always be involved, but along with the comic strip, maybe there is something I can write here in support of my friends. These will be my own opinions on such matters, and I will try not to rehash what far better bloggers have already said.

Best,

Kevin