Nothing Ever Ends: The Philosophy of Watchmen (HBO) - Wisecrack Edition

This 'Watchmen' Scene REALLY Happened

Check out this video from the Young Turks. Inspired by the TV show's depiction of the historical event of the Race Riot in Tulsa Oaklahoma, they do a good job discussing the event and why it's still important 100 years later.  If you don't think that it still matters today, then ask yourself why the Holocaust still matters? If it does, then so does the massacre at Tulsa.

James Sturm Boycotts 'The Avengers' Film over Marvel's Treatment of Jack Kirby - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

I realize that many people don't see how comic books affect our culture but today Comics Alliance posted a truly great article about how James Sturm is calling a boycott of the Avengers Film because of how Marvel/Disney refuses to share some of the profits with Jack Kirby's heirs derived from characters either created or co-created (the bulk of the Avengers) by Kirby. Last summer a judge sided with Marvel/DC and it's clear that what Marvel has done is not illegal but I agree with Sturm that it's not quite as ethical. I mean would Captain America not share the profits with Kirby's heirs if he ran Disney? I think he would.

Sturm again:

"What makes this situation especially hard to stomach is that Marvel's media empire was built on the backs of characters whose defining trait as superheroes is the willingness to fight for what is right. It takes a lot of corporate moxie to put Thor and Captain America on the big screen and have them battle for honor and justice when behind the scenes the parent company acts like a cold-blooded supervillain. As Stan Lee famously wrote, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/02/08/cartoonist-james-sturm-boycotts-the-avengers-movie-over-marvel/#ixzz1lrVpd85L

This also comes right in long with the controversy between Alan Moore and DC Comics over the right to tell and profit more stories based on the Watchmen characters.
To be completely honest, I'm still gonna see the movie when it drops in May.

James Sturm Boycotts 'The Avengers' Film over Marvel's Treatment of Jack Kirby - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

J. Michael Straczynski: 'I Would Have Absolutely Zero Right To Complain' About Unauthorized 'Babylon 5' Prequels - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

Today, Comics Alliance has also published an Article about J. Michael Straczynski's further comments today regarding his role in DC's plans in publishing more Watchmen stories. He answer the really great question of would he feel any different than Alan Moore does if Warner Brothers tried to redo, reboot, or mess with Babylon 5 without his blessing or involvement. Good reading

J. Michael Straczynski: 'I Would Have Absolutely Zero Right To Complain' About Unauthorized 'Babylon 5' Prequels - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

Related articles

• Before Watchmen, DC Comics Publishing Prequels to Watchmen Series (laughingsquid.com)
• More (but Not Moore) Watchmen on the Way (omnivoracious.com)
• Before Watchmen: Not Interested. Here's Why (alldaycomics.com)
• DC Comics unveils full list of Watchmen prequels [Watchmen] (io9.com)
• Watchmen Prequel Announcement of the Day (geeks.thedailywh.at)

Parting Shot: Image Comics Publisher Calls Watchmen Prequels 'A Dirty Deal' - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

This comment has changed my opinion on Alan Moore's resistance to having DC publishing the characters in Watchmen in new stories without his input.

Mr Stephenson makes a good point. I did not realize that Gibbons and Moore had a deal and DC did not honor it!

Parting Shot: Image Comics Publisher Calls Watchmen Prequels 'A Dirty Deal' - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

Alan Moore And 'Before Watchmen' Creators Comment On The Ethics Of 'Watchmen' Prequel - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

Image via Wikipedia

One of the big stories today was that DC Comics will be presenting a group of miniseries that will be prequels to the epic The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Comics Alliance has done an excellent job reporting on the fall-out of this news. It's important because it brings up issues about how creators own their stories and who has the right to interpret and re-interpret another's work. And who gets paid! Of course Mr Moore claims its about principle and not about money but I think J. Michael Straczynski's comments best explain the issues.

J. Michael Straczynski, via Comic Book Resources:

We are all being very meticulous in how we tie in the events of our stories with the original "Watchmen." The first time we all met secretly in New York to discuss all this, we kept copies of "Watchmen" close at hand and whenever a question was raised about what happened to whom and when, we'd flip through looking for the slightest clue. I joked at the time that it looked like Saturday afternoon Bible Study.

I was very careful to stay within the parameters of what Alan created for Dr. Manhattan. But at the same time, you need the elbow room to create a story worth telling, which means something new has to be created. In this case, it came through looking at what Alan had done and asking the next logical question within that framework. As one example: it's always bothered me that someone as brilliant and precise about time as Jon could just blithely walk into the intrinsic field test chamber as the time-lock closed. He'd know better than that. But since it did happen, you now have to say, "Okay, that being the case, how did it happen? Is there something we don't know? Or more to the point, was there something he didn't know?"


Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/02/01/alan-moore-dave-gibbons-before-watchmen-creators-quotes-ethics-prequel/#ixzz1lCW1hTZX

Alan Moore And 'Before Watchmen' Creators Comment On The Ethics Of 'Watchmen' Prequel - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

Related articles

• DC Comics unveils full list of Watchmen prequels [Watchmen] (io9.com)
• DC Comics Announces WATCHMEN Prequel Comics (collider.com)
• WATCHMEN Prequel Officially Announced by DC Entertainment (geektyrant.com)
• DC to launch Watchmen prequel series (cbc.ca)
• Before Watchmen, DC Comics Publishing Prequels to Watchmen Series (laughingsquid.com)

Economist Paul Krugman Endorses 'Watchmen' Alien Invasion Plan for Fiscal Recovery - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

For years people have wondered what would it take for people to put aside their differences and get along. Historically as well as in fiction, treaties and alliance are often forged to fight common enemies. I liked the Movie and Comic book series Watchmen but I don't really think a proposed alien invasion would unite humanity. I think some people would sell each other out and/or not lift a finger to help others. But that hasn't stopped people from imagining that it would help us get our act together.

Every Watchmen fan remembers the plot of Adrian Veidt a.k.a. Ozymandias: Save the world from the imminent threat of nuclear war by creating the even bigger threat of an alien invasion, and forcing the people of the world to unite against a greater enemy. Yesterday, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman sounded very similar to a modern-day Ozymandias during his appearance on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS show, where he suggested that a fake alien invasion -- and the government spending it would create -- would fix the economic slump within 18 months.

Think about World War II -- that was actually negative social product spending and yet it brought us out... If we discovered that space aliens were planning to attack and we needed a massive build-up to counter the space alien threat, and inflation and budget deficits took secondary place to that, this slump would be over in 18 months. And then if we discovered, "whoops, we made a mistake," we'd [still] be better... There was a Twilight Zone episode like this, in which scientists fake an alien threat in order to achieve world peace. Well, this time we need it to get some fiscal stimulus.

Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/08/15/watchmen-paul-krugman-alien-invasion/#ixzz1VA2F1lL5

Economist Paul Krugman Endorses 'Watchmen' Alien Invasion Plan for Fiscal Recovery - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

Related articles

• Paul Krugman calls for the threat of Alien Invasion to fix the Global Economy (politics.ie)
• Paul Krugman: Fake Alien Invasion Would End Economic Slump (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
• Paul Krugman. Fareed Zakaria. Space aliens. Bizarre... (shortformblog.tumblr.com)
• Paul Krugman: Invasion By Space Aliens Would Bolster The Economy (alan.com)

Who Watches the Watchponies? - Topless Robot

I could not resist. I don't know what is more funny: This video or the following intro from the post on Topless Robot!!

Rob's Journal. May 10th, 2011: Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This internet is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The information superhighways are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the online vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the camwhores and trolls will look up and shout "STOP RUNNING THE GODDAMN MY LITTLE PONY VIDEOS!"

... and I'll whisper "no." (Infinite thanks to Henri for the tip)

Who Watches the Watchponies? - Topless Robot

Humorous Parodies

I came across a very clever parody. I laughed a long time. I'm sure it's a joke because it's Watchmen animated series intro with the look and feel of TMNT, Cops, and the Extreme Ghostbusters shows of the eighties....cheesy theme music included...and I have never seen it. If it had aired in the United States I would know about it! Take a look it is very funny!

Watchman: TV ad "Countdown Midnight"

Science of "Watchmen"

Here is a video from YouTube that shows the Physics Consultant on the film talk about Dr. Manhattan's powers and the theoretical science beneath the fiction. Very, Very interesting!

New Watchmen Motion Comic on DVD

A few weeks ago, I posted an article about "motion" Comics. It's where comic book art is animated. I am planning to attend the Wondercon Convention this Saturday and I'm planning to see if i can get the Watchmen graphic novel, but this DVD would be another cool way to experience the story. It Comes out 03-03-09 I admit that Warner Brothers and Fox are attempting to milk us for all they can. That being said...I can't wait for the movie, the motion comic, and the animated companion movie called The Black Freighter on 03-24-09. Also I wanna see Watchmen in IMAX. Looks like a movie that must be seen in IMAX.

More Genius Viral Marketing: Watchmen

Here is a great video put together as a Public Service Announcement set in the same world where the movie Watchmen takes place.