Well, it looks like Adult Swim is launching an online streaming video service called “Friday Night Fix.” Shows will be streamed between 11pm and 6am (eastern) on Friday nights starting September 16th. Here’s the current playlist from their site:

• Friday, Sept. 16: Stroker & Hoop, Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., Sealab 2021, Space Ghost Coast to Coast
• Friday, Sept. 23: Stroker & Hoop, Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., Sealab 2021, Space Ghost Coast to Coast
• Friday, Sept. 30: The Boondocks, Stroker & Hoop, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., Sealab 2021, Space Ghost Coast to Coast
• Friday, Oct. 7: The Boondocks, Stroker & Hoop, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., Sealab 2021, Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Hmmm…probably too early for any new Venture Bros. At least, that’s what it seems like after reading the production journal of Jackson Publick (aka Christopher McCulloch… aka one of the writers from The Tick animated series).

Four decades back on Sept. 8th, 1966, the sci-fi genre got a new weapon in its arsenal of entertainment options when Star Trek premiered on U.S. televisions. Well, maybe not a terrifying weapon at the time… more like a slingshot because it wasn’t really a runaway hit in the rankings during its original 3-year run.

But that little show developed into a nice franchise.

So, here’s to Captains Kirk, Picard, Sisko, and Janeway (okay, I’ll throw in Archer, too)… to Klingons, Ferengi, Vulcans, and Trill (and those cute little Tribbles)… to warp drives, transporters, phasers, and tricorders (and many a holodeck escapade)… to USS Enterprise, USS Defiant, USS Excelsior, and USS Voyager. To light-years of imagination…

Extreme Tech has an article up discussing how much real science there is in science fiction. It covers some fun stuff like nanotechnology, teleportation, inter-stellar travel… the fun stuff in sci-fi.

(Link source: SF Signal)

Sci Fi Wire is reporting (from their Hollywood insider source… Variety) that 30 Days of Night has a director. David Slade, known for directing… well, he doesn’t have a big resume. He directed Hard Candy, a psychological drama/thriller that was one of the 2005 Sundance films, and he also directed a Stone Temple Pilots video.

Interesting note… the article mentions that (according to Variety) no screenwriter has yet been hired. The last news I’d read mentioned Stuart Beattie was working on the screenplay. Beattie has done writing on Collateral, Spy Hunter, and other films including an as-yet-untitled Pang Brothers horror flick being produced by Raimi and Tapert’s Ghost House Pictures, which is also producing 30 Days of Night. IMDB Pro still has him listed on the project. But it could just be they haven’t officially hired him yet. Or they could be working with another screenwriter and just haven’t announced anything yet. Or any of numerous scenarios invovled in the great Hollywood shuffle.

Also, the IMDB Pro listing for 30 Days of Night has it listed as on the fast track for a 2006 release.

I’m sure people are reading the news all over the place about Marvel changing its name, but in case you missed it, CBR has the full press release here. So now, instead of Marvel Enterprises, we have Marvel Entertainment. The release is a lot of blah blah blah business and financing talk, but there are some interesting little tidbits. Like this little bit:

The ten Marvel characters in the arrangement are Captain America, The Avengers, Nick Fury, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Cloak & Dagger, Dr. Strange, Hawkeye, Power Pack, and Shang-Chi. Each film is expected to have a budget of up to $165 million dollars and a rating no more restrictive than PG-13. Although the financing allows for the production of animated films, Marvel currently intends to use the financing to make only live-action films.

Hmmm… PG-13? Let’s see… Doctor Strange and Nick Fury had titles in the Marvel Edge line (for “edgier” comics… comics on the edge… toein’ the line) and were later joined by Black Panther in the Marvel Knights line. Then you also have Fury in the Marvel MAX imprint (for adult readers) along with Shang-Chi. I know the Hollywood system likes to keep the rating of a movie down to reach the largest audience possible, but it gives me a good chuckle to see how much effort was put into showing how edgy and adult these books are (“look, we’re for mature readers!”)… and then agree to make PG movies out of them.

And this bit was also interesting in the release:

Paramount, a unit of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIAB), will distribute the film slate, with the first theatrical release expected for summer 2008.

I’m wondering how this impacts the Woo-ping Yuen (fight choreographer/action director for movies like The Matrix, Kung Fu Hustle, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Iron Monkey and Kill Bill) directed The Hands of Shang-Chi. Ya know? That Shang-Chi movie supposedly being produced and distributed by Dreamworks.

And Cloak & Dagger will be interesting to see how it plays out. As long as people don’t confuse it for the 1984 Universal Pictures’ flick, Cloak & Dagger (interestingly enough, it was directed by a fella with the intriguing name of Richard Franklin).

Anyways, Marvel “Entertainment” now has creative control of their movies and the money to make them. It’ll be interesting to watch and see what they do with it.

Well, it looks like Ed broke down and finally gave in to the siren call of the blogosphere. What’s that? Who’s Ed? Ed’s the man behind the Digital Webbing website (and its wonderful comic book talent classifieds) and the Digital Webbing Presents comic (an anthology that’s still going strong after 3 years). Digital Webbing Presents is the place where a few stories I’ve worked on have shown up. Arazel & Xarenia, Dungeon Bears, Bob the Battleship, Yin Yang, and a couple other pieces I edited. And… it’s the book where Spook’d first made its debut.

He’s a good guy that’s helped many a creator get their foot in the door of the comics industry, so give his blog a peek and see what he’s up to.

From a recent interview with Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, and Wes Craven’s Red Eye):

How about something a little lighter for you the next time, like a comic-book character?

RM: Ah yes, Thundercats was on this morning! I would love to play Cheetara. I haven’t heard anything about an actual movie, but let me know! I’m so into graphic novels lately. I should look for one. Some of them are quite romantic. They make these really beautiful comic novels, and they’re so dark and twisted.

The girl has a Teen Choice award for Best Liplock, reads dark and twisted graphic novels, wants to run around a movie set in spandex, and has been previously quoted as saying:

“I want to try a lot of things that I haven’t tried. You know, I did a thriller [Red-Eye] after this, because it was so different and it was a genre I hadn’t worked in yet. Then I did a beautiful family ensemble drama. And next? I don’t know. I might go off to do a small independent in New York. I’m not sure. The quality of material is important, but, basically, I’m open to anything. I like to stay open to anything.”

Thunder… Thunder… Thundercats… nah, she’s just too cute to go there.

Thanks to Tom Spurgeon for the link.

Creative Screenwriting magazine has information up on their website about their free podcasts, which feature Q&A sessions with writers and directors (from the magazine’s LA screenings). Currently, they have Q&A podcasts for their screenings of Four Brothers, Fantastic Four, and The Island.

So, I’m here working on developing a bunch of characters (hashing out personalities, character flaws, appearance, mannerisms, and quick bio/history), and I look up and see it’s 3:30am. I should really go get some sleep, but there’s one little problem… I don’t even feel tired. It’s not an unusual feeling for me. I grew up dealing with that being a very energetic/hyperactive child.

But tonight, this total lack of sleepiness got me thinking. What are some good ways to start building up that sleeping momentum? I tend to fall asleep in class, but there aren’t really any classes in session this late at night. Drowsiness-inducing meds don’t work on me too well. So, I’m listing out some things I’ve done in the past to get to sleep at night.

Read the PFE. Military folk will know about this one. For the non-military folk, the PFE was this study guide for the Promotion Fitness Exam. Basically, a promotion test came in two parts–job skills and general military knowledge (contained in the PFE book). It was written like an instruction manual (lots of passive voice and written in a tone addressing the lowest level of intellect in the military that might read it). Back when I was studying for those tests, this book put me asleep faster than anything.
Workout madness. I remember going out for a run once at two in the morning in the middle of winter… when living up in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve also hit the weight room (whether it be one located at apartment complexes I used to live at or located in a gym I belonged to that was open 24 hours a day) late at night/early morning. And way back in high school, I even spent a good 45 minutes to an hour one night driving the blocking sled up-and-down my school’s football practice field.
Sugar bomb. When I was younger and not really worried about how calories impacted my body (I was one of those lucky bastard kids that could eat all day long and not gain a pound), I would load up on sugary stuff to get to sleep. Pastries, candies, ice cream, chocolage pudding pies, and all that fun stuff. Sure, I’d be wired for about a half hour, but when that sugar low hit, I’d be asleep in no time.
Don’t drink all this at home. I don’t really recommend trying this one. It worked at the time (some of my earlier days in the military), but that was mostly because I had too much stuff racing through my mind that kept me up at night. So, I drowned those thoughts out (pretty much spent every night for a long time at clubs drinking until 1-2am).
Slow things down with movies! Especially if I sit back in a nice comfy recliner with a warm blanket and put on a movie that moved to a slower pace (usually movies I’ve already seen before). Stuff like Tremors, 2001, and Dead Poet’s Society.
The ceiling stare. Stare at a single point on the ceiling and stare at it without blinking while counting backwards from 100 to 0. Repeat as necessary.

And apparently, just thinking about all these different things makes you sleepy… so I’m off to bed.

Topics covered in the last 24 hours for various writing projects:

• Projectile physics (particularly from high calibre sniper rifles)
• Eye shadow
• Endurance running
• Commercial jet schematics
• John Harvard
• State bestiality laws
• Momentum
• Inertia
• Costume fabrics
• Counter-mobility
• Swimming pool accessories
• Chihuahuas
• Psychological effects of electrical and chemical stimulation
• Documentaries
• Weight capacities of various everyday objects and structures (elevators, cars, streets, foundations, boats, etc)
• Cereal icons

Good thing I started that speed reading course a couple months ago. ^_^