August 8, 2012: Conversations with Akemi! Days of Stargate Atlantis past! Common Ground! That live Q&A! Mailbag!

Akemi: What do you call the ghost who doesn’t wear a sheet?  He’s all wrapped up?

Me: A mummy.  And a mummy isn’t a ghost.  In Ancient Egypt -

Akemi: Dracula’s friend?

Me: In some movies, yes, I suppose they were friends…sort of.

Akemi: And Dracula’s from Europe?

Me: Yes.  And he isn’t a ghost either.  Close.  He’s undead.

Akemi: What about Canadian ghosts?

Me: I can’t think of one.

Akemi: Chucky?

Me: I think Chucky’s American.  And he’s not a ghost either.  He’s a possessed doll.

Akemi: Ogopogo?

Me: Well, yes, Ogopogo is Canadian – a Canadian lake monster.  But not a ghost.

Akemi: And not scary.

Me: As opposed to a mummy?

Akemi: Mummy is scary.

Me: What’s it going to do?  Wrap you in bandages?

Akemi: Not bandages.  Covered in toilet paper.  Very scary.

Our look back on Stargate: Atlantis’s third season continues with…

 COMMON GROUND (307)

Landing a staff position on an established series is a tough proposition. Sometimes, it has less to do with talent and more to do with a writer’s ability/inability to “get” the show.  And it’s even made all that much more difficult if it’s a long-running series laden with backstory and mythology.  But it has been done.  On Stargate, all that was needed was the proper calling card (in the form of a strong spec script that opened the door to a pitching opportunity) and proof (in the form of a great pitch followed by an equally great script).  Damian did it with The Other Guys.  Carl did it with Before I Sleep.  And Ken Cuperus did it with Common Ground.

Of course, the truth is, no freelancer comes into a show cold and writes a perfect script.  Ken came up with a fantastic idea that, like most every other script on the show, was spun and broken by the writing department.  Then, it was up to Ken to deliver a solid outline and first draft (which he did, earning himself that staff position) at which point Brad – the episode’s producer – did his pass on the script.  The result? A fan favorite that introduces the villainous (though no less charming) Todd and his on-again-off-again uneasy alliance with Sheppard.  It also explores the fascinating idea of reverse-feeding that will prove fodder for future stories like Reunion and Broken Ties.

Todd’s facial tattoo look familiar?  Well it should if you’re a fan of Kiss. The tattoo was inspired by the similar make-up design sported by band member Ace Frehley who, we learned, was a big fan of the show.

So, that live Q&A I was planning to do with you all.  When’s good for you?  I was thinking maybe Tuesday, August 14th – 6:00 p.m. PST, 9:00 p.m. EST.

Hey, remember the mailbag?

Sylvia writes: “@Akemi – sorry to hear you fell. If your right wrist hurts, please be sure to get an xray. You want to be sure it is not broken or even slightly fractured.”

Answer: The wrist felt a little sore this morning so we ended up going to the clinic.  The doctor checked it out (specifically looking for a potential fracture) but it was all good.  She suggested antibiotic cream and clean bandages.  But Akemi wasn’t so sure.  After consulting some Japanese websites, she’s been going with vaseline, saran wrap, and bandages.  I know.  Sounds crazy.  But I ended up doing some online research of my own and discovered that “moisture wound healing” has been found to reduce scarring and speed healing.  Yes, vaseline, saran wrap, and bandages.

mike mcginnis writes: “when are you going to do the live q&a in the comments?”

Answer: Damn.  Thanks for reminding me.  See above.

dasNdanger writes: “So, Akemi, if you’d be so kind, can you please explain Japanese bowing etiquette for me? It may be many years too late, but I’d sure like to know how to stop the bowing exchange once it starts!”

Answer: Here ya go!

Alisa Russell writes: “What I was planning to use for my older son to learn Japanese this year has fallen through so I have some questions for either you and/or Akemi. What would be the best methods for learning the language?”

Answer: I highly recommend the Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur (I used the latter) CD series.  Each half hour lesson sharpens both pronunciation and listening skills.  It’s the next best thing to actually living in Japan.

Ryan Nixon writes: “Did you give away all the SGA scripts at Comic Con? Or are there more?”

Answer: Yes, there are more.  Vote in our next Stargate-related poll for a chance to win!

Tagged: Atlantis, Common Ground, SGA, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis, Todd the Wraith