Chris Dee's Blog: Chris Dee's Cat-Tales Blog, page 19
February 26, 2013
Gallery Spotlight: In the Shadow of the Bat
Since the binge on Cosplay Appreciation Day, I took a break from spotlighting some of the stunning photography and costumes featured in our Fan Galleries on the Cat-Tales website, but it’s time to remedy that. Because some expansion is now underway: new artists coming in, new pieces coming in from old artists, and as a tease of the goodies to come – a pair of cosplay pics from DragonCon 2012 that simply must be seen…
Catwoman: In The Shadow of the Bat
Selina has never had a good relationship with “Pheromones” aka “The Imposter” aka “That thing in the Batman costume” aka AzBat, and it pretty much started with that colossally bad first encounter. In Armchair Detective, Selina relives it almost word-for-word as she races home at the news that Bruce is injured “like some poetic Twilight Zone hell where you’re trapped in the worst night of your life for all eternity.”
Although several readers prefer the flashback from Blueprints, when Fate – or perhaps Karma – very kindly reversed that first meeting for her. Now living at the manor, as at home in the Batcave as Bruce himself, it is she who is lookng down from a catwalk – into the Batmobile hangar where Jean Paul Valley is doing the Bat-clan a favor, picking up a delivery of jet fuel.
February 14, 2013
Wayne Rises… February 14
Cat-Tales 66: Wayne Rises released as ebook on Valentine’s Day, 2013
It’s been a long time coming, but the events of Wayne Rises brought a moment to the Cat-Tales Universe that readers have been waiting for, so having this one packaged and ready for download was the best Valentine’s Day gift I could come up with.
Ebook is provided in mobi format for Kindle and epub, the universal ebook format. High-quality pdf for easy printing. Have your Cat-Tales to go.
Shall I compare thee to a Gotham Night?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
The last didn’t mean much while war raged between the Rogues and the Mobs, but now that Falcone’s fallen, Bane is done and the Rogues Gallery is up the river, a Gotham night is really quite temperate. All we have to contend with is some Hollywood wunderkind making a movie about a jewel thief, this upstart Falstaff talking trash about the Wayne Foundation, and a couple fundraisers and–Kitten? Kitten where are you going?
It’s Cat-Tales 66: Wayne Rises. Complete and downloadable as ebook or print-ready pdf. What’s past is prologue.
February 13, 2013
Countdown to Valentine’s Day in Gotham
The countdown to Valentine’s Day in Gotham continues–or as Jervis says, “the march to Half-Priced Chocolate Day Eve continues, as marches to all festive days are wont to do, don’t you know.”
To that end, a look back at two of the very best Valentines from years past, featuring two of our favorite couples Batman & Catwoman and Joker & Harley.
I Can’t Stay Long by Dustin Nguyen 2010
This quintessential Cat-Tales Batman (note the lip-twitch) and purrfectly Balent-clad purple Catwoman is from Dustin Nguyen’s DeviantART gallery, featured just days before Valentine’s Day in 2010.
Reservations for 8:30. No one told the Pirate King.
Also from 2010, our favorite Poser artist from the CT gallery thought about doing a calendar with a Gotham scene for each month. This would have been February. Poor Harley.
See Related:
Gallery Spotlight: Bat Romance
Valentine’s Day in Gotham
February 12, 2013
Q&A: Rewrites, Flashbacks and Firsts
I opened up my Tumblr to take some questions about Life, the Universe and Everything, and the first round gave me a chance to talk about some of the pivotal moments in Cat-Tales, from the decision to tell Selina’s origin story Cattitude to the famous “Clips episode” Do No Harm – to stories like Red Cape, Big City and Deja Vu All Over Again that weren’t flashback-intensive but revealed some of the most important moments from the past slowly and incrementally. And oh yes, if I could do it all over again, what would I change?
Gallery Spotlight: Bat Romance
It’s hard to believe I didn’t spotlight this already, it’s only The Cutest Goddamn Chibi BatmanTM in the annals of fan art. But hey, we lucked out, because I haven’t spotlighted it, and Valentine’s Day is coming. So enjoy…
It’s Batman and Catwoman in
Bat Romance by Anya Uribe
Related: Valentines Day in Gotham
January 30, 2013
RISE
The new chapter is here.
Now then…
Gregorian Falstaff and his for-lack-of-a-better-word “plan” has run its course.
The identity of the cat burglar has been revealed, and the perpetrator has been dispatched.
The Wayne Foundation Elemental Fete is concluded.
Still.
Seems like we’re forgetting something.
Read Wayne Rises: Chapter 9 – RISE on the Cat-Tales website or mobile-friendly mirror Cat-Tales.mobi
January 28, 2013
Ah, Falstaff, We hardly knew ye…
“A 15-years younger, redheaded, goateed, slightly taller and considerably more pear-shaped Oswald Cobblepot.”
I’ve been dropping little hints that the final chapter of Wayne Rises is almost upon us. In the spirit of looking back, let’s remember this chap who came to Gotham city, built his building taller than Wayne, parked in his Lamborghini and talked trash about the Wayne Foundation.
He will be missed.
January 12, 2013
Showcasing Selina’s Preserve: The Catitat
Last month’s Pinterest board of Catwoman Loot proved to be quite popular, so this time, we’ve got another terrific collection visuals celebrating another facet of Selina’s world: the private Big Cats preserve that all that loot pays for.
Cat-Tales Readers know The Catitat as Selina’s private preserve, built and maintained with the proceeds of Catwoman’s thefts, it is home to Nirvana, her favorite ocelot, Shimbala, the largest tiger in captivity, Myk and Brii the caracals, and countless others. Here, it will be home to the most beautiful pictures of Big Cats that I can find. Click here.
CT readers first heard about the Catitat way back in Cat-Tales #2 Normal, where they met Nirvana the ocelot but it wasn’t until Polishing Silver: The Journal of Alfred Pennyworth that we got our first real look inside the cabin. The Superman of an alternate universe was impressed into service to do some landscaping in String Theory, which gave our Selina an idea when he wanted her to take in some tigers from a Justice League mission in The New Black, and repercussions from that continued into Riddle Me-Tropolis. Trophies revealed some surprising details from the preserve’s history – details neither Bruce nor Selina were aware of before the readers found out (A Cat-Tales first!)
Those are the most significant references that I can think of. Tweet me if you have more to add.
January 8, 2013
Liberté, égalité, fraternité – NOT
One of the first things we learned in Wayne Rises was that Hollywood isn’t any better than the tabloids when it comes to depicting Catwoman’s social background, let alone her social politics. As Selina herself put it “I’m not A Tale of Two Cities, I’m The Philadelphia Story. ‘The prettiest sight in this pretty world is the privileged class enjoying its privileges.’“
And yet, the allusions to France and french things continued throughout the tale. More than once we were reminded of Selina’s first lover – and partner in crime – François de Poulignac, along with his wine Chateau de Poulignac, french food, french fashion, french cinema–and oh yes, some perfectly grisly burglaries that had been taking place in Paris. Nobody seems to have remembered those – except Batman.
How does it all connect to Falstaff, his plot against the Wayne Tech and the cat burglar who’s been robbing the guests during each and every one of the charity balls benefiting the Wayne Foundation? The answers are here at last in Wayne Rises Chapter 8: Appeler un Chat un Chat
December 31, 2012
Midnight Toast
New Years Eve, Gotham City
