Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 283

February 9, 2018: More Dark Matter swag!

Last year, following news of Dark Matter’s cancellation, we thought it would be nice to do something for all the fans that help make DM one of Syfy’s most-watched shows!  The original plan was to give you all a satisfying ending but, alas, Syfy never bothered getting back to us regarding our humble request for a movie so, interpreting that as a no, we struck the sets but set aside some of the costumes, props, and assorted other goodies.  Then, we asked you all to send in your letters telling us what the show meant to you.  Over the past couple of months, the gang in the production offices have been reading all the letters, selecting some of the memorable missives, and rewarding fans with mementos from Dark Matter’s short-lived three year run.

Last week, fans worldwide started receiving Dark Matter swag…

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Truly, we have the best fans.

Continue to keep us posted, please!

Well, yesterday I delivered a first draft of that sci-fi pilot script I’ve been working on.  I expect I’ll receive notes sometime next week, turn a second draft around for the week following, then deliver to the network and, after that, it’ll be smoooooooth sailing.

Also next week, I have a sit-down with an executive presently entertaining two of my pitches – one a military SF series, the other an SF series in the vein of Dark Matter.  Hoping to get the band back together!

Speaking of which, today I had lunch with former Dark Matter Playback Operator Greg Whiteside.  Over the course of a burger, a meatball focaccia sandwich, some burrata, roasted hen of the woods mushrooms, and some baccala fritti, we discussed old times, petty politics, Panama, real estate ventures, and the importance of playback as a storytelling tool in science fiction.

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February 8, 2017: Melissa O’Neil news and Stargate concept art!

Well, this is nice…

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Melissa O’Neil to Co-Star in Nathan Fillion’s ABC Light Drama Series: The Rookie

Congratulations to Melissa!

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Well, this is cool.  I was going through one of my old disk drives and came across a SLEW (note the capitalization) of Stargate concept art by Production Designer James Robbins.

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Really beautiful stuff.

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February 7, 2018: Best Comic Book Covers of the Week!

After watching Logan last night, I’m all about the comics today.  Incidentally, I usually hate kids in movies, but this character – like Kick-Ass‘s Hit-Girl was an exception.  A gleefully murderous exception.

Anyway, onto my picks…

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Clue (cover art by Nelson Daniel)

Love the fact that the color palette here offers a quick character reference guide for those familiar with the game.  There’s Mr. Green and Professor Plum (who bears a passing resemblance to Edgar Allan Poe), Mrs. White, Miss Scarlet, and, of course, Colonel Mustard.  Mrs. Peacock looking a little monotone front center left, but can’t place the woman in the back.  Miss Peach?  She was after my time.

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Extremity (cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer)

Boy, this crew is GUNNED UP!  Love the design work on the characters, of course, but the weapons in particular.  They put Dark Matter’s Bubba to shame!

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Green Lanterns #40 (cover art by Will Conard, Ivan Nunes)

The nerd superhero action figure collector in me has to give it up to this amazing cover.

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Hawkeye #15 (cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco)

Have two superheroes ever looked cooler?

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Mother Panic/Batman Special #1 (cover art by Frank Quitely)

Frank Quitely follows up last week’s strange Milkman cover with this equally bizarre Bat Minister offering.  WHAT is going on here???  I need to know!

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Rise of the Black Panther #2 (cover art by Brian Stelfreeze)

I’ve really been enjoying the color and composition of these Brian Stelfreeze Black Panther covers.

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Superman #40 (cover art by Viktor Bogdanovic, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, Wil Quintana, Michael Spicer)

Father-son time!

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Swamp Thing Winter Special #1 (cover art by Jason Fabok, Kelley Jones, Peter Steigerwald)

This Swamp Thing cover delivers a real Cthulu vibe.

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X-Men Gold #21 (cover art by Mike Deodato Jr.)

I grew up reading The X-Men and have a fairly basic grasp of their world, but the sheer number of X-titles and characters out there makes picking up a new X-Men comic book an incredibly daunting prospect.  But then, every so often, along comes a cover like this that stirs that old school nostalgia.

So, what do you think?  Pick a favorite.

February 6, 2018: More Dark Matter Swag!

Well, isn’t this nice?  The Dark Matter swag deliveries continue…

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Apparel!

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Props!

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Varied treasures!

The latter assortment found its way to Tom Gardiner who tirelessly covers genre film & television for SciFiSingularity and ThreeIfBySpace, but is particularly noted for having been blacklisted by Syfy shortly after he had the audacity to criticize their cancellation of Dark Matter.

Hey, if you want a screener of Jeepers Creepers 3, you’re gonna have to play ball, baby!

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Whoa!  Hang on!  Sorry.  I just received this official letter from the Galactic Authority.  If you’ve received any Raza-related merchandise, please redirect to the above address.  I thank you for your understanding.

Congratulations to Rebekah!  You’re the winner of the one-of-a-kind (for now) Suji t-shirt.  Please be sure to wear it to all special events, public ceremonies, and court appearances to help spread the word about the difficulties of bathing senior pugs.

February 5, 2018: Right down the ole garbage shoot!

Akemi walked back into the apartment and announced: “I threw the garbage down the garbage shooter.”

“Garbage chute,”I corrected her.

“Garbage shooter,”she corrected herself.

“No,”I said. “Garbage shoot.  Not shooter.”

“Ah,”she said, realization dawning.  “Garbage shoot because it shoots the garbage downstairs.  I’M the garbage shooter.”

“No,”I said, my frustration mounting.  “It’s garbage chute.  C-H-U-T-E.  Not garbage shoot.  S-H-O-O-T.”

She paused to consider.  Then: “How do you say when a soccer player kicks the ball at the net?”

“He shoots – ”

“So like I shoot the garbage downstairs – ”

“No, but – ”

“Shoots.  Shoots.”

“C-H-U-T…” But she was no longer listening, focused as she was on miming the various shots she was taking on some imaginary net.

Anyways, Akemi wanted me to display for you this (presently) one-of-a-kind Suji t-shirt she had custom-made as a test sample.

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If anyone would like this unisex medium black tee with a 17 inch width, 26.25 inch length, and 12 inch sleeve center back in 100% cotton, just leave a note in the comment section and I’ll have Suji randomly pick someone by tomorrow’s blog entry.

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Bonne chance!

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February 4, 2018: Super Bowl LII Preview!

Has it really come to this?  Patriots vs. Eagles?  Well, I suppose it could be worse. Say, if the New England Patriots were playing the New York Yankees but, even then, not that much worse.  And to top it all off, those seeking some sort of consolation in the million dollar Super Bowl ads are going to be in for a disappointment because, from what I’ve seen, they’re a mediocre offering that run the gamut from bland to annoyingly earnest to painfully weird.  Pricey, sure.  Star-studded, yeah.  But memorable?  Not a one.  Of course, there’s always the possibility that they’re holding back on the really great ads and only released these middling twenty-five prior to the game in order to lower expectations.  If this is their plan, then step one has been brilliantly executed.  Kudos.

As for the game itself, it pits the hated New England Patriots against the much loathed Philadelphia Eagles.

THE MATCH-UP

In New England, you have a team that has excelled on the basis of talent, great coaching, occasional cheating, and calls that, curiously, always seem to go their way in crucial game moments.  Be it a phantom holding call that kills an opponent’s drive, a suspect encroachment call that keeps a Patriots drive alive, ill-timed whistles, non-calls, the particular and timely enforcement of persnickety rules, or simply a game-wide reluctance to penalize the Pats while having no compunction about flagging their opponents.  Hell, there are times when the officials can barely contain their enthusiasm for the team.  It’s no wonder that a recent poll crowned the Patriots the NFL’s Most Hated Team.

The Philadelphia Eagles, on the other hand, have arguably the worst fans who have demonstrated historically bad behavior over the past, oh, 50 years.  Whether it’s harassing rival fans, cheering a career-ending injury, throwing batteries at their own players (“Those D ones”),  punching horses, or booing Santa Claus and pelting him with snowballs, they don’t engender much sympathy or support outside of Philly.  As for the Eagles themselves – well, I personally find it tough to root for an organization that once promoted a convicted dogfighter and dogkiller as their starting quarterback.

Quite the dilemma.  But, of course, your mileage may vary.

THE WINNER

Netflix!  Which is what I’ll be watching instead tonight.

February 3, 2018: Spreading the Dark Matter love!

Reports have begun to filter in of Dark Matter fans finally receiving surprises in the mail c/o Prodigy Pictures!

This was the request that went out last fall…

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And, after sorting through well over 1 000 letters, the production office commenced deliveries.

So, what’d we get?

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Cast-signed Blu-rays.

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Signed Dark Matter crew sweatshirts.

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Dark Matter props!

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Dark Matter set dec!  In this case, one of the contraptions featured in Baines’ Workshop (Episode 302, “It Doesn’t Have To Be Like This”).

And there’s certainly more on the way so, if and when you receive something, post it!

Well, as expected, I have a first draft of that pilot script from the new SF series I’ve been developing.  And, yep, as expected, it clocks in at a robust 63 full pages.  And that just won’t do.  Tonight, I take a break.  Then, tomorrow, the revising begins!

February 2, 2018: Am I there yet?

Al…most…there!  Bottom of 58 with approximately two more pages to go in the fifth and final act.  I’ll sleep on it tonight, then tackle the final scene, roll right into the tag and, by this time tomorrow, I’ll be done.  Mission 60% Accomplished! Three or four more days of rethinking, revising, rewriting, self-doubt, punch-ups and polishes, and I should have a draft I’ll be comfortable enough to send out for notes.

One of the things I’ll miss most about not being in production on a show will be my very active lunch schedule.  For instance, the other day…

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It was lunch with Ivon Bartok and Alex Mallari Jr.  Check it out.  FOUR has hair!

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Then, today, we had lunch with Ivon, Robbie David, and director Bruce McDonald.

I feel that the only way to maintain my active social life will be to hire all of my lunch companions when I get my next show off the ground.

Hey!  Happy Groundhog Day!

Finally, Akemi was over the moon the other after a complete stranger complimented her purple hair.  So, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t feature it as part of today’s blog entry:

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Hey, I hear Prodigy Pictures is finally getting around to delivering those awesome Dark Matter-related items.  If you received something, let me know!

February 1, 2018: Taking a trip down Stargate memory lane!

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been going through some old blog posts, taking a trip down Stargate memory lane, and sharing some of the BTS pics on twitter.  Here are a few of the highlights…

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Me, ten years ago, plotting world domination…and Atlantis’s fourth season.

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This awesome Asgard fan art adorned the production office.

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Wraith trivia.  Todd’s distinct facial tattoo was a tribute to Kiss lead guitarist Ace Frehley who was purportedly a fan of the show.

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Hey!  Hey YOU!

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Carl Binder is awesome, but even awesome are the misdirect titles I put up on the board for the back half of the season.

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I honestly think he was creepier than the alien he was standing in for.

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Elyse Levesque and Brian J. Smith.

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Prepping Radek’s space walk with David Nykl.

Check out more pics, including concept art and designs, by following me on twitter: @BaronDestructo

Today, I continued work on that SF pilot script.  On the one hand, I’m at the top of page 53!  On the other hand, I’m just starting Act 5.  Going to need to give this draft a good edit before delivery.

Also today, I pitched by take on that Korean drama series as well as the anime series.  Apparently, it’s very early in the process, so I shouldn’t expect a response for a month or two.  I DID feel very good about the pitches though.  Of course, as I told my manager today, I also felt very good about the Saints’ chances against the Minnesota Vikings.

January 31, 2018: Best Comic Book Covers of the Week!

In what’s become a weekly Wednesday tradition, here are my favorites…

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Elephantmen #80 (cover art by Boo Crook)

Brings all the feels, no?

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The Flash Annual #1 (cover art by Hi-Fi, Howard Porter)

I became a fan of the Flash during Mark Waid’s magnificent run on the series, so this intriguing cover pushes all the right nostalgic buttons.

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Deathstroke Annual #1 (cover art by Ryan Sook)

Black and white with a touch of gold.  Nice.  Love the asymmetrical composition.

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Old Man Logan #34 (cover art by Mike Deodato Jr.)

Simply bad-ass this cover featuring Logan, Mariko (I believe), and a slew of ninjas.  Old school!

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JLA/Doom Patrol Special #1 (cover art by Frank Quitely)

Milk Man making his super human deliveries.  Probably my favorite cover of the week compliments of the ever whimsical Frank Quitely (that my auto-correct insists on changing to Quietly.  Frank, forgive me).

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Falcon #4 (cover art by Jay Anacieto)

Shades of Dante’s descent into Hell except, in this case, our hero aint going of his own volition.  Stellar horror.

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Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack #5 (cover art by Rahzzah)

Artist Rahzzah makes another of his weekly appearances, this time with a portrait of future Kurt Russell as Future Snake Plissken.  Zoom in on that weathered face, those wizened eyes, to really appreciate the artistry.

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Beauty #19 (cover art by Nick Filardi, Jeremy Haun, Baldemar Rivas)

The eerie elegance of the Beauty cover art is downright mesmerizing.

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The Beautiful Death #5 (cover art by Mathieu Bablet)

Another artist who has made multiple appearances on this weekly feature is Mathieu Bablet with his gorgeous post-apocalyptic cityscapes.

So, which one is your favorite?