Blogflog & GP comic media release flog

[dwg.livejournal.com]

URL: http://blog.laurellkhamilton.org/2006/10/comic-event.html
DATE: Tuesday 17 October 2007
BLOGGED BY: Jon

Blog 'n' stuff in bold - me, not so much.

Laurell isn't going to be doing this, but Stacie M. Ritchie will be doing a signing.
see this press release for more info.

Thanks, Jon, for that useless piece of information. No, really. I can see that you're so very speshul. Laurell, he's such a catch - I SO JELLUS. TOTALLY.

For anyone wondering who the hell Stacie M. Ritchie is, the press release gives a little more detail by saying that she's the one that adapted GP to the comic.

From the press release:

The multi-million selling novels, Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter are coming to comic books in October 2006 and Fantasy Books is celebrating the event with a book signing by acclaimed comic book author Stacie M. Ritchie.

I am instantly suspicious when people start using the term "acclaimed" for something. Doesn't matter if it's movies, books or music - the term gets tacked on when someone has had like, one hit and they're milking it for all its worth. Sometimes, it's worth it, most of the time it's really not.

For the curious - I also get a kick out of reading the wanky quotes of wanktastic praise printed all over books, because some of them are hilarious.

"We are very fortunate to have Stacie visiting our store for a book signing of Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures comic book." said Tony Favello, co-owner. "Stacie's husband is a regular customer and we immediately thought to contact her for this event"

So...let me get this straight: Y'all are only inviting this woman to sign comics because her husband is a regular in the store?

Just...stop and think about that for a second.

Now, how fucking insulted would you be if you were Stacie M. Ritchie? You've slaved away and dumbed down adapted GP for a comic book, you've probably had to liaise with editors and LKH to get approval on whatever changes you made, and in the end, you're not even considered for the launch/signing but wait - your hubby goes there all the time, so it's totally cool.

WTF?

So you're not getting LKH, or even the Dabel Artist Guy. You're getting Some Chick that was invited as an afterthought because her husband just so happens to shop where the signing will be. YEOUCH. Sucks to be Stacie.

Everyone's going all-out to make sure this launch is a shiny, happy, huge affair. Totally. /sarcasm.

Really, if Team LKH can't put any effort into promoting the comic, why the hell should I A) care, and B) hand over my precious One Ring monies for it?

"This is my first adaptation of a book. I am scripting the comic directly from the novel, and we're sticking to the text as closely as possible" said Stacie. "My editor, Sean J. Jordan, has given me a lot of guidance -- and he insists that we stay true to Ms. Hamilton's vision of the story instead of trying to create our own."

I now live in PH34R should Ms Ritchie get around to adapting NiC onward. Specially if they still insist on the adaption being close to the original text.

On the upside, the Dabel Artist Dude need only draw one panel for the sex scenes, and just use that over and over, with different colouring on the dudes.

Christ on a cracker, the press release for our University Press anthology looks way more professional than this.

Comments

[scarbie.livejournal.com]

Stacie's husband is a regular customer and we immediately thought to contact her for this event.

Wow, that is pretty bogus. So if her husband wasn't a regular inviting her for the book signing would have been out the window, right?

On the upside, the Dabel Artist Dude need only draw one panel for the sex scenes, and just use that over and over, with different colouring on the dudes.

*ROFL* That is so sad but true

Christ on a cracker, the press release for our University Press anthology looks way more professional than this.

Instead of it being for "immediate release" they should've looked it over.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda torn about poor ol' Stacie here.

On the one hand, she probably put in a lot of hard work trying to translate the story and keep it true to LKH's original vision.

On the other, omgwtf? You're translating LKH into English. I did that with my GP recap. It's not that difficult to do.

And for all that she still gets snubbed by the store? AIII, sucks to be her.

On further thought, I'm now a little annoyed that they wanted to "stay true to LKH's vision" instead of letting them do their own interpretation. So long as the essence remains true to the original, sure, go for it - I'm fine for that. But don't tie the artist's hands by saying it has to be exactly like how the author intended. Let them have some freedom and creativity, you never know, they might come up with something better.

[icequeen3.livejournal.com]

"But don't tie the artist's hands by saying it has to be exactly like how the author intended. Let them have some freedom and creativity, you never know, they might come up with something better."

maybe that is what LKH and co are afraid of

[dwg.livejournal.com]

could it be? We've found their kryptonite???

[dwg.livejournal.com]

*nods* What the hell kinda statement is that? Just...YEOUCH! I hope the other co-owner is a little more personable than Mr Favello.

[catskin.livejournal.com]

Another relevant, important announcement from Jon, I see.

I take it Laurell has declined to attend in case she sees how many people aren't there?

[ladyravana.livejournal.com]

I take it Laurell has declined to attend in case she sees how many people aren't there?

*snerks* And with sales going down and fewer people showing up, you would think she would get a clue...

But that might actually give me a glimmer of hope that she's catching on to the fact that she's not doing so hot. :p

But maybe I'm just optimistic and she'll be as deluded as she is now until her profits plummet well below the red margin. But that's just me.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

Jon's got his finger on the pulse, man. He's so hip to the jive with these earth-shattering tidbits from Laurell's Universe - I can't wait for his next piece of news.

I was more thinking that after Laurell bitching about interruptions and trying to get the book finished, she'd want to stay home and get things sorted out rather than go off and sign comic books. But I like your theory better. She could be afraid to go out because her adoring fans just can't be bothered any more.

[catskin.livejournal.com]

I like the idea that maybe, just maybe, she's staying home to *shockhorror* edit the Whorelequin, maybe even work in some character development, a little plot here and there to spice up the sex...

... Yeah, I like that idea a lot. *sighs wistfully*

[edda.livejournal.com]

Whorelequin

FOR THE WIN!

[catskin.livejournal.com]

lol, I'd love to say I came up with it myself, but I'm sure someone else said it first elsewhere. Still, it is what it should be called.

[sadlikeknives.livejournal.com]

acclaimed comic book author Stacie M. Ritchie

This is utter nonsense. I read a lot of comic books and I've never heard of this woman. So I decided to find out what I was missing. I googled her and nothing came up but stuff about the Anita Blake comic. I tried her name on Amazon...and nothing came up but the Anita Blake comic.

You can't be fucking 'acclaimed' if you've only ever done one thing* that hasn't even come out yet!!

*In fairness, she might have done something that wasn't collected in trades, but again, if it wasn't collected in trades, it can't have been that good/popular.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

And thus my "I CALL BULLSHIT!" on the "acclaim" thing. Srsly, WTF? Resume padding much? Or all the eggs in one basket?

[dwg.livejournal.com]

The art is enough to put me right off - I don't mind flicking through it and mocking it in the store, but oh lord, putting words to it? Like, actual proper words to try and tell a narrative?

Yeah, no.

I need to hunt down an online version of this, so I can re-write the dialogue in a snarky manner for the mocking.

[rantingmule.livejournal.com]

If you ever find scans of the comic, throw 'em my way! XD

[alex-ogre.livejournal.com]

Can someone explain why Anita seems to have no pigment in her skin except on the one cover shot?

[rantingmule.livejournal.com]

Oh awesome, thankyou!!!

*begins reading...and...urf.*

OH MY GOD THEY RUINED JC. I weep. :(