Adrian Faulkner's Blog, page 136

Why Affleck As Batman Might Not Be A Bad Thing

So it turns out that Ben Affleck is going to be Batman in the new Zack Snyder Batman / Superman movie. And as a result the internet has let out a collective WHAT?! But personally I’ve been proven wrong about casting before and as a result had a little think about this. And you know what? I think he could surprise us all and deliver something outstanding.

Let me explain my reasoning, but in order to do that we need to back up a little, back to the time that The Dark Knight was in pre-production...

Batman & Morrison’s View On The Ending Of The Killing Joke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wQ2x0OKBjU

So there’s been some interesting discussion about the classic Batman graphic novel, The Killing Joke. In a podcast with Kevin Smith, comic book writer Grant Morrison said that he always saw the end as Batman killing The Joker, and puts forward convincing arguments for his reasoning.

The internet is now alight with discussion as to whether this is “true” or not, fans going so far as to unearth the original script for any indication as to the validity of...

31 Days of Geocaching Downfall Meme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J1AA6XbaKw

This will probably make no sense to you unless you are a Geocacher and are aware of the current 31 days of Geocaching challenge running through August. It uses the well-used meme of taking the scene of Hitler ranting from the brilliant film, Downfall, and changing the subtitles. May not be everyone’s taste (and it is very sweary!) but as someone trying to complete the 31 day challenge, it’s really amused me today.

The Most Amazing TMNT Fan Art Ever

http://deadpea.deviantart.com/

Nope it’s not concept art for a movie or from a new comic, but this fan art for the last stand of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is just amazing. I love art like this, that take something from popular culture and treats it with reverence and respect. It’s by an artist from Portugal who goes by the name of Deadpea. Be sure to check out some of their other amazing pictures, they’re just as awesome! With thanks to Andrew for pointing it out to me!

The Secret Story Of Toys

http://vimeo.com/70131687

Throughout my years as a pop culture journalist I’ve seen a lot of toys. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting some of the studios where these things are made and even the most cynical could not come out of those places without a new found respect for the hard work and artistry that goes into making them.

This short film highlights just some of the early process that goes into making your favourite action figure. There’s a lot more that goes into it after this from creatio...

Adventures In Writing Productivity

So the week before last I completed my new plot process and was quite happy about it. I’d been worried that a more structured approach would kill the fun for me and, in using it, basically kill the novel for me.

So I used it on a test novel, taking an idea, fleshing it out, building it up, sweating out the middle bit where the front and end have to connect and coming up with something that felt like a real plot.

This had come about because the middle of the novel I’m currently working on just s...

The Caching Trip That Never Happened

I’ve decided that I’m very much a country person. Having been confined to pavement and tarmac these past few months has found me longing for the footpath, stile and corn field more than you can imagine.

As I blogged about previously, my Doctor forbid me to go Geocaching. This was a massive blow because I felt ready and to be told that no, I couldn’t felt like a step backwards. The legs are so badly damaged that even a scratch would have difficulty healing, and would in turn lead to a high risk...

New Fantasy Faction Article On Writing Groups

http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/writing-groups-part-one

My latest article for Fantasy Faction went live last week and is the first in a two-parter looking at writing groups. In this first part I chat to Laura Lam and Terry Jackman about their experiences and how writing groups are helpful to them. Be sure to check it out

When Do You Get To Call Yourself A Writer?

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about when you get to call yourself a writer. It’s an issue I really sympathise with because for a long time I was one of those people.

You see, you decide to take your writing seriously. You may have been writing for pleasure or you may have even had something published in a newsletter or magazine but there are these… titans whose name you dream of being listed alongside. Calling yourself a writer somehow seems to disrespect that idea. No, a ‘writer’ is...

Ding Dong The Dino’s Dead

For the last couple of days I’ve been wondering whether I still have the time to raid in World of Warcraft and write as well. I’m behind schedule, I have a mountain of work to do and I’m starting to question whether the extra time gained by giving up my Tuesday and Thursday evenings would resolve my problems. Probably not.

Some of this stems from the fact that as a casual raiding guild we’ve not really had an easy time of it in the Mists of Pandaria expansion. We seemed to do quite well in Cat...