Comic-Con 2009: Interview with the Winner Twins

Posted on July 26, 2009 at 11:56 pm

One of the highlights of Comic-Con was the time I spent with Brianna and Brittany Winner, 14-year-old identical twins who are cuter than a box of kittens and more fun, too.

When the girls were in fourth grade, they became discouraged because their learning disabilities made reading and writing difficult. They told their parents they thought they were stupid. But their parents knew that the girls were exceptionally intelligent and imaginative. Their father suggested something almost unimaginable — that the girls who found reading and writing such a challenge should write a novel. Once they completed the first chapter, they were excited to see what would happen next and had the confidence to finish the book. They have since finished a sequel, a comic book supplement, and a soundtrack CD. And they say that the best part has been the way it has brought their family closer together and given them an opportunity to speak to more than 45,000 students about overcoming challenges and achieving their dreams.

The books are about a “super-hero with no super-powers,” a brilliant scientist who discovers that accelerated evolution is producing predators who are about to put the entire human race at risk. He uses science to develop tools to help him understand and defeat the creatures. The books ae vivid and exciting, grounded in reality (it opens at the White House), rich in fantasy, but focused on character. The girls say that they want them to be fun to write so that they will be fun to read. They sometimes disagree with each other about what to write, but say that it is only temporary and makes the books better. They bring a creative energy to everything they do, including two books (so far), a comic book, a CD, and even their attire and the strings of pearls in their hair.

The girls are bright, creative, and enthusiastic, but what makes spending time with them so much fun is their endearing curiosity and courtesy. They are fully engaged in everything that goes on around them and deeply committed to helping others through their new non-profit and their work to encourage other kids. As exciting as their book series is, the next installment I am most looking forward to is what they will do next.

To arrange for the twins to make a no-charge visit to your school or other group, contact Ilene at 714.396.7685 or at ilene@strandprophecy.com.

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Festivals Interview

Comic-Con #2

Posted on July 25, 2009 at 3:09 pm

There may be red carpets and glamor and great big movie stars in great big movies, but at it’s big, beating, heart, Comic-Con is still about passionate fans of the popular arts, whether of the most arcane and all-but forgotten radio programs or comic strips to the most mainstream and squeal-worthy, like the next installment of the “Twilight” or “Iron Man” sagas.

I’ve said it before. Comic-Con is the Iowa caucuses of popular culture. For a while, there was some attempt to tie in the movies, television shows, books, games, and music on display here to comics. There was almost always some element of fantasy or action. But now even a suburban sitcom has come here to give its first previews. The Comic-Con audience is fearless — they never care what anyone else has said about something or whether it is cool or not. They are happy to decide what is cool and pass it on to the mainstream. By the time the kids who were too cool to talk to them in high school have caught on to whatever is approved here, this crowd will have moved on to something else.

Or by the time others have moved on, they will remain faithful. One of the most endearing aspects of Comic-Con is seeing the audience enthusiasm for people whose work has been overlooked or forgotten by the mainstream. It was a thrill to see a packed ballroom cheering for Stan Freberg, who talked about his experiences doing voices with Mel Blanc for more than 400 cartoons, helping to create “Beany and Cecil,” and revolutionizing advertising with his cheeky commercials for Pizza Rolls and Contadina.

One of yesterday’s highlights was a “Coraline” panel with author Neil Gaiman, writer/director Henry Selick, voice talent Teri Hatcher and Keith David, and some of the other people who worked on the movie. They brought some of the figures used in the film and the detail and sheer beauty were astonishing.

I’ll be posting more pictures later, plus my interviews with the Winner twins, two of the stars of the forthcoming “Boondock Saints 2,” and more, so stay tuned.

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Festivals

Comic-Con 2009 #1

Posted on July 24, 2009 at 10:45 am

“I really like your fangs!”
This is not a comment I had ever anticipated I’d be making, but at Comic-Con it seemed perfectly natural. As did her response:
“Thanks! We make them ourselves!”
Comic-Con 2009 025.jpg
Some things are different at this 40th anniversary Con. This is the first time there has been an iPhone app to help attendees navigate their way through the hundreds of events and exhibitors. And it has come a long way expanded its range and its audience from the couple of hundred who came to a hotel to swap comics four decades ago. It now includes all of the “popular arts,” movies, music, games, books, and television. James Cameron is here with “Avatar,” probably the most eagerly anticipated appearance, with the “Twilight” cast a close second.
My favorite moment so far was my interview with the Winner Twins, the 14-year-old identical twin novelists. I’ll be writing more about them later. I also attended panels on “Robot Chicken” with Seth Green and Cartoon Network’s “Chowder” and “Flapjack” with their writers and casts. Stay tuned!

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Festivals

Comic-Con 2009

Posted on July 22, 2009 at 8:00 am

The 40th anniversary of Comic-Con is this week and I am thrilled to be attending. It long ago expanded its range from the original gathering of comics fans and now includes sneak peeks at everything that is going to be cool in the popular arts over the next year or two. We will see previews of the big movies (including “iron Man 2” and “Toy Story 3”) and get a chance to hear from the performers and creators. Joss Whedon will be there. So will Tim Burton. I’m hoping to get to interview one of my favorite actors, Eric McCormack. And, yes, many Klingons and Han Solos and Harry Potters. Last year’s most popular costume was the Joker. Any predictions on what this one’s will be?
I will be tweeting and posting blog updates. Take a look at the schedule and let me know if there’s anything you think I should not miss.

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Festivals

Silverdocs 2009

Posted on June 14, 2009 at 3:03 pm

Silverdocs is now the biggest documentary film festival in the United States. It opens tomorrow in Silver Spring, Maryland, with an outstanding line-up of documentaries — old, new, long, short, funny, sad, domestic and international. Some of the highlights include a tribute to Albert Maysles (of “Salesman,” “Grey Gardens,” and “Gimme Shelter”), opening night film “More than a Game” about an Akron, Ohio basketball team featuring future superstar LeBron James, and films about a facial hair competition, the Washington D.C. “mayor for life” Marion Berry, a prison rodeo, being struck by lightning, an environmental struggle between indigenous people and multi-national oil companies in Ecuador, Vogue’s monumental September issue, and the acknowledged worst movie ever made (followed by a screening of the film itself, “Troll 2”).

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Documentary Festivals