Monthly Archives: July 2005
Photo with Neil Gaiman
When I went to the Neil Gaiman book signing last week, the first question I was asked after walking into the bookshop was whether I had a ticket. I was quite taken aback – I didn’t realise that one needed a ticket to be there. It turned out that one didn’t, but they were handing out tickets to allow people to browse the shop while ensuring a place in the queue. The other thing I was told was, “no photos”. This was fine with me – the thought of getting a photo with Mr Gaiman had not even entered my head, and I certainly hadn’t brought a camera.
It turns out that despite this injunction, there is a photo of me with Neil Gaiman. Mal from my local comic store, Impact Comics, took a photo while I was getting my books signed and chatting with Neil about fountain pens. I only discovered this when, yesterday afternoon, I looked at the Impact Comics website, seeking info about Stikfas, and the first thing I noticed was a photo of yours truly on the front page. I was highly impressed and surprised, and naturally I asked and received a higher resolution copy of it. Apparently the photo made it to the site as it captured the feel of the day and the way that Mr Gaiman interacted with his fans. I was just thankful they took the photo with me and not with some other random fans – thanks guys!
While I’m at it, I’d just like to comment that Impact Comics is a top shop and its proprietors, Kam and Mal, are top blokes. Very early on after moving to Canberra, I discovered that Impact Records was a wonderful store right near my work. they had great music, comics, DVDs, posters, books – a bit of everything. They could order in CDs that I couldn’t find on Amazon or anywhere else, for example, The Leningrad Cowboy’s Total Balalaika Show (which my parents couldn’t find anywhere in Eurpore, not even in Finland from where the Cowboys hail). I had rekindled my interest in comics in late uni (thanks Joel A) and so quickly set up a standing order with the good people at the comics counter at Impact.
However, Impact Records closed down late last year – ’twas a sad event (apart from a chance to buy up trade paperbacks and other collected volumes of comics at half price). But fortunately, the two main guys behind the comics counter soon started their own store – and it’s great. While Impact Comics has not quite attained to the glory that was Impact Records, they are getting there, despite being less than one year old and a fledgling small business at that. If you’re in Canberra and interested in comics, I heartily reccomend it.
Work
I currently hate the magpie sitting on a rail outside my office window.
It’s never done anything to me, but looking at it I realise that it can jump around, fly away and do pretty much whatever the hell it likes, while I’m stuck here at my desk in front of a computer. Even having internet access and being able to write this, or listen to music, or go for a walk and grab a coke or a coffee – none of those things currently make up for the fact that I envy the life position of a stupid magpie right at this moment.
It’s really quite a depressing thought. I don’t like myself for it, but there you have it.
Update: and it turns around and looks at me from time to time, which makes the situation worse for some indiscernable reason.
Insomnia
The one advantage to still being awake at 2:30am is that it gives one more time to read Umberto Eco. And an opportunity to respond to email when you’ve been otherwise busy in the evening. Sorry, the TWO advantages to insomnia are the reading of more Umberto Eco and more time to respond to email. And an excuse to drink more coffee during long meetings the following day. The THREE advantages… Amongst the advantages are such diverse elements as…
Hmmm, Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition?
Sin City
I’ve been a big fan of the Sin City comics for quite some time, so I was delighted last year when I discovered that a Sin City movie was in production, and even more delighted when I found out that it was going to stay true to the comics and had a huge all-star cast attached.
And then we finally got to see it last week, and only three and a half months after it was released in the US. In the meantime, I had to studiously avoid watching copies downloaded over the internet and keep myself going by re-reading the comics. And in the end, both Tegan and I found that it was well worth it when we finally got to see it on the big screen.
Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is an interesting bloke.
I had suspected this, based on interviews with him that I have read on the net, and because he is so popular in several areas of pop subculture – comics, novels and film. However, what really convinced me was when he told me that his fountain pen had a flexible nib; that he had believed that such pens were no longer produced after the 1920s until he was in a pen shop in Bologna, Italy where the owner told him that they still made them until the 1950s and that he had one in stock, which Neil promptly bought. Incidentally, he used that pen to sign a copy of his novel American Gods for me. He also explained the primary benefit of flexible nibs, viz that they release more ink the harder you push the nib onto the paper.
I was hooked.
Some context may help here: Neil Gaiman is someone I had heard of a long time ago, as he was the author of the Sandman comics and he collaborated with Terry Pratchett on the novel, Good Omens, although I had not read any of his work. Last year, when Impact Records in Canberra (a sad passing) closed down, I bought a hardcover copy of Volume 1 of the Sandman graphic novels at half price, which promptly went into storage ready for moving house. I pulled it out earlier this year after we moved to Dickson and read it in January or February. It was great. Very interesting, intriguing and just off beat enough for my tastes. So, when I heard that Mr Gaiman would be in Canberra on Tuesday 19 July for a book signing at a local SF/Fantasy specialist book store followed by a talk at the ANU, I decided that I may as well go along to get my one book by him signed.
Even an hour before the event I was wavering about whether or not to go – in the end, I decided to go deciding that I would regret it if I did not. As my tale above indicates, I was glad I did. Further, I hadn’t intended at all to go to the event at the ANU, however after that conversation and some encouragement from others I met while queuing for the book signing I decided to go to that as well. Tegan came along as well, despite being exhausted, reasoning that, like me, she would later regret it if she didn’t go – even though she had read nothing at all of Neil Gaiman’s work. She came away with a strong conviction that she would enjoy his books and was immensely glad that she went.
At the ANU, Neil Gaiman showed excerpts of an upcoming film that he worked on, called MirrorMask. He said that the design brief was to make a movie in the vein of Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal. MirrorMask looks fantastic and we can’t wait to see it. Mr Gaiman was also witty, uproariously hilarious and (again) came across as an intensely interesting person. Tegan and I will definitely be tracking down and reading more of his work.
In the meantime, I’m off to look for a fountain pen with a flexible nib and think I have discovered that the Namiki corporation of Japan still manufactures one.