Will Pfeifer's Blog, page 52

Advance Team Tuesday: Telstar!

This week, I thought I'd offer something a little different. Sticking with the sci-fi motif, here's a bit of music that didn't exactly inspired the graphic novel "The Advance Team" but definitely would fit right if played during a few of the more lighthearted, nonviolent moments.

It's "Telstar," the 1962 hit by the Tornadoes that was inspired by the launching of the communications satellite by the same name. It was produced, of course, by the legendary Joe Meek, and was the first song by a British band to hit the top spot on the U.S. charts, beating a certain quartet of mop tops by more than a year.

I've always liked its retro/otherwordly sound, which, much like some of the songs of Phil Spector (whom Meek was constantly compared with) manages to sound both operatic and intimate at the same time. And, unlike Spector's classic singles, it does so without any voices.

A lot of newspapers would joke about doing it, but only the New York Post would actually run this headline

Offered without comment:

Advance Team Tuesdays: The rock 'n' roll thing to do

Here's a glimpse at German Torres' rough for the very first page of the "Advance Team" graphic novel, which starts out, as my freshman English prof used to say, en media res, meaning right smack dab in the middle of the action.

Rock 'n' roll, a sniper rifle and our hero, front and center, still wearing that goofy pizza delivery hat. What more can we do to entice you into the story?

And one more question: Why is everyone shouting out a single number? Is it an alien code? Some sort of complex conspiracy? The mystery deepens!*

* Actually, of course, it doesn't deepen. Those are just guides for the word balloons.

Advance Team Tuesdays: A cosmic moment

Here, with no set-up or explanantion offered, is a short but cosmic moment from early in "The Advance Team." All I'll say is that (a) it happens to our hero, Zack McKinley, (b) its importance isn't explained until later, and (c) German Torres did a beautiful job translating my vague ramblings into some suitably mind-bending visuals.
All will be explained next spring. Assuming, of course, you buy the book.

Advance Team Tuesday: More influences

Here. in no particular order, are five things that proved to be an influence during the writing of "The Advance Team." Make of them what you will..

"Elektra Assassin" by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz


The movie "The Manchurian Candidate" (the original, not the remake)


Iggy and the Stooges

"The Illuminatus! Trilogy" by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson


The "Twilight Zone" episode "Will the Real Martin Please Stand Up?"

A quick look at the new season of 'Curb'

Here's the trailer for the upcoming season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," featuring Jeff, Funkahuser, Leon, Susie and guest appearances by Paul F. Tompkins, Robert Smigel, Michael J. Fox and others. No sign of Cheryl, but she's coming back, right? It just wouldn't be "Curb" without Cheryl...



I can't wait until July 10.

Advance Team Tuesday: This week -- Pizza delivery action, just as you demanded it!

A few weeks ago in this space, I mentioned that part of The Advance Team was inspired by the fact that two of my college roommates delivered pizza for Domino's, and that led to the profession of our hero, Zack McKinley.
Well, because nobody demanded it, here's a scene of Zack delivering a pizza to a very special customer -- or could there be more to this scene than meets the eye?
Spoiler alert: There's more.

Jerry Lewis' most memorable telethon moment

With the recent news that, after 45 years, Jerry Lewis will be retiring from hosting the annual Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, I felt it was only fitting to look back at what remains the telethon's greatest moment. It happened way back in 1976, involves three showbiz icons and, by all accounts, was a complete surprise to Jerry...

Advance Team Tuesday: The AWAY Team? What the heck is that?

Back in the early days of its development, "The Advance Team" was called "The Away Team," before my editor, Steven Padnick, wisely suggested the change. (When you read the book, you'll see it fits the story a lot better.)
But, before we changed it, artist German Torres delivered a set of thumbnail roughs for the first several pages, and the double-page splash has the original title looming ominously over the city of Cleveland....
Nice, eh? Wait 'til you see the final version next year.

Advance Team Tuesday: A closer look at that cover

Sure, you've seen this striking cover for "The Advance Team" graphic novel by artist German Torres before, but did you really look at it? (Probably not, I'm guessing, because you've only seen it on this blog). In the unlikely event that you devoted some serious study to it, here are five questions you might have...
1. What's that PX logo on our hero Zack McKinley's cap? Does it have something to do with the impending alien invasion ... or is it somehow connected to the pizza delivery profession. (If I were you, I'd be leaning towards "B.")
2. Who are those five mysterious figures reflected in his glasses? (You'll have to wait for the answer to that one.)
3. How'd he lose that tooth? Simple dentistry... or something more sinister? (Here's an ominous hint -- there's no dentist character in the comic!)
4. What's that logo on the badge on his coat? (All I can say is that it's not pizza-related.)
5. Finally, how did our hero afford such an expensive looking rifle on a mere pizza delivery person's salary? Was it the lucrative tips he rakes in (probably not) or was that rifle given to him (probably) and, if so, by whom?
For answers to these and other pressing questions, well, I guess you'll have to buy the book. That's the whole point of these Tuesday posts, you know. I thought it was pretty obvious by now.