Hello subscribers! Today I’m re-launching my email newsletter under a new platform (Substack) and with a simpler format. With this new format, I should be able to send out news on a more frequent basis.
The 25 Best Films of the Decade
This week, I posted a supercut video counting down my favorite films of the decade. It’s available now on Vimeo, you can check it out here:
Orson Welles: Warrior of the Worlds update
Thank you to so many of you who pledged and shared my recent Kickstarter campaign for the Orson Welles: Warrior of the Worlds comic project. Although we failed to reach the funding goal for the original format, we are currently working hard at re-structuring some aspects of the project in order to keep it going. There are several different activities ongoing, and I’ll keep you posted. Also, now that the campaign is over, we have a new home base website to track the project, you can bookmark it at www.OrsonWellesComic.com - and in an upcoming email newsletter, I’ll provide a look back at the original campaign, the pros/cons of the experience, the lessons learned, and potential pathways forward.
Recommendations
I’ve been heads-down on a number of projects lately so I haven’t been able to watch or read as much as I’d like to, but at the moment, I’m thoroughly enjoying three sources of entertainment:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Season 3 is fantastic. It’s crisp, swift, and a return to stellar form. I had been a little disappointed in season 2, which wandered a bit from the core spine of Midge’s journey as an entertainer. Season 3 sees Midge expanding her abilities and range, while also continuing to demonstrate the incredible talents of Tony Shalhoub. He can pivot from morose, to witty, to detached, to totally-present in-the-moment zen, in a millisecond, without seeming disjointed. Every minute he is onscreen is a delight. The entire cast is wonderful.
For All Mankind seems to be existing under the radar for most cultural observers. Apple TV’s launch doesn’t feel like it’s making a big impact, but that shouldn’t stop you from checking out this series. It’s about an alternate timeline in which the USSR beats the USA to the moon, and NASA must evolve on the fly into a new mission. For fans of astronaut stories like Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff, this is an amazing show, led by BattleStar Galactica showrunner Ronald D. Moore. Do check it out!
I’m only about 45 pages into Recursion by Blake Crouch, but it’s a contemporary sci-fi novel that feels strikingly plausible and is told in a lean prose style with a narrative speed that’s quick and packed into small chapters. Lots of fun so far.
Looking Ahead to 2020
I’ve got a lot in the pipeline for 2020.
My first published comic series - coming to stores! We should have an announcement soon for a book that will be listed in the PREVIEWS catalog in the Summer of 2020.
New short documentary!
More progress on Orson Welles: Warrior of the Worlds
And more comics too!
Happy Star Wars day!
Today marks the release of Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker. I’ve got my tickets for prime-time tonight and am ready to see where this trilogy goes for its concluding chapter.
May the force be with you!