Beth and I went and saw the movie RED (Retired & Extremely Dangerous)this weekend based on the graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. I had read the graphic novel long before I saw the movie. Later, I saw the trailer for the film and could see that it wasn’t much like the graphic novel.
That’s not really a bad thing.
For me, this ended up being a win/win situation in the fact I enjoyed both the graphic novel and the film for different reasons. The graphic novel was dark and as rough as a gravel face massage. It was brutal, well paced and a full throttle revenge story. I like that a lot.
The film had a great cast, was beautifully shot, silly enough to be fun and serious enough to be interesting. In a way, I would say the filmmakers took the graphic novel and enhanced it with the humor. I liked that. Here I had a case of getting my cake and eating it too. The book satisfied my straight revenge story tastes and the film added humor that so many comic books today so sorely need. It was like seeing A DC Comic book and then a DC Comic book come to life and done right with a sense of humor. It had 93-year-old Ernie Borgnine in it and you just can’t top that!
My wife, Beth, who doesn’t read comics, has no interest in pop culture, (She can’t tell you a thing about Twilight, True Blood, and has never seen any of the Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings or Harry Potter movies… now you see why I married her. She’s my kinda gal) enjoyed the movie a lot. She liked the humor, the action that pushed the razor sharp envelope without too much blood, she enjoyed the sweet and slightly twisted romance of the characters and she also like the respect that it showed to folks over the age of 55. So the movie appealed to both of us from the polar opposite ends of pop culture. (I’ve never seen a lot of the movies that I mentioned either, but my reasons are of choice and I do know enough about them to make that personal choice.)
My tip is to go see the movie and have a little fun. Fun is a good thing to have in your life. Not everything has be a “Walk across the U.S.” showing your arrogance or having every character in your MARVELous universe turn into a zombie. Pulp Fictionwas a good movie, but isn’t it about time it quit being the influence of every comic book writer under the age of 45?
Besides, in RED you get to see Richard Dreyfuss get hit in the face a few times. Who can resist that?
Not me.
Mid-Ohio Con 2010
This coming weekend (November 6th & 7th) I will once again be a guest of the fabulous Mid-Ohio Con in Columbus, Ohio. I’ll be there signing comics, books and telling even bigger lies than I did last year. Mid-Ohio Con is one of the most enjoyable and friendliest run comic book conventions in the United States. You feel like family and the guest list is always filled with the top creators, (Like me… Harharh!) interesting panels, and incredible deals on comic books, toys and other gems of pop culture.
Last year I came back with some supreme deals on graphic novels, trade paperbacks and hard to find, odd-ball comics. You need to be liberated from your money like me. You need to fill your home with more stuff, like me. Hey, what I’m trying to say is that you need to be more like ME!
Make sure you come to the con and look me up. Please bring some of the books that I’ve written so I can sign them and become all swollen with self-importance like the tick I am. Do an old stump-jumper a favor.
I hope to see you there. Tell me Beau sent ya.
Special Advance Look At Wynonna Earp: The Yeti Wars Graphic Novel!
December 2010, IDW Publishing will be releasing my new original graphic novel, Wynonna Earp: The Yeti Wars. Written and created by me, the living ego, with art by Enrique Villagran and colors by Kris Carter. Over 107 pages of Yeti vs. Bigfoot, Silicon Valley Vampires, Immortal Russian thugs, A southern fried mad scientist that splices animals and humans together, and the snow storm of the century. Covert U.S. Marshal, Wynonna Earp has to do battle with all of the above with the help of her elite Black Badge team of U.S. Marshals.
Here’s the deal, All you have to do is email me beau@flyingfistranch.com and ask me to send you a PDF file of the first chapter of the graphic novel, (Lettered, in full color and ready to roll.)and I’ll email it off to you asap. This will not only give you a taste of what the graphic novel is all about, but it’ll also put a smile on your face. All I ask is that you spread the word to your friends, through your blog, columns, articles, TV show, radio show, newspaper, or just tell your mom about Wynonna Earp: The Yeti Wars. I don’t have any big time Marvel or DC Comics promotion department at my disposal, I don’t have a fancy TV show about brain eating Zombies with a network pimping me, but I do have you, my readers & friends, and when all the dust settles in the world of comic books, there’s nobody more important than YOU!
Again, just email me at beau@flyingfistranch.com and I’ll get that first chapter of Wynonna Earp: The Yeti Wars out to you. Spread the word and let me know what you think. I’d be tickled a manlier color than pink if you did.
I won’t be using or sharing your email address with anyone or stealing your identity, Hell, I’m Beau Smith, why would I wanna be you?
Thank you, amigos.
Busted Knuckles Babe of the Week: Andrea Roth
Actress
Speaking of Wynonna Earp. In my beer soaked little brain, I always imagined that if there were a Wynonna Earp movie or TV show that the lively actress, Andrea Roth would play my covert U.S. Marshal that hunts down paranormal fugitives. She has proven that she can play tough, sexy, roles with a keen sense of humor and I just think Roth would be perfect to fill the boots of Wynonna Earp. See what you guys think…or even better…after you read the special advance preview of Wynonna Earp: The Yeti Wars, let me know who you’ve like to see play Wynonna Earp in a film or a TV show. I’d love to hear about it.
Busted Knuckles Manly Cover of the Month: Black Panther #5
Marvel Comics
1977
Yeeeeah…in 1977 more than the clothes and music were weird as you can see in this Jack Kirby cover toBlack Panther #5, but hey! It’s got a Yeti on it so it’s gotta be fun. I hope you enjoy the madness.
The Roundup
Okay, before I sign off, I wanna give you a quick manly recommendation on a DVD you MUST see—The Killing Machine starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren . It truly is a bone breaking, spine snapping, shotgun blast of a movie. If you loved action movies from the 1980’s and 90’s when politically correct was just a gleam in sissy film reviewers eyes, then The Killing Machine is the testosterone that you need slathered on you.
It’s even got the great Bo Svenson in it….
Buy it, rent it, watch it. Let me know what you think.
Your amigo,
Beau Smith
The Flying Fist Ranch