Hee hee hee. This joke occurred to me on the train ride into work. It reflects the story about how the special effects for Back to the Future came to be. The movie didn’t have the budget for spectacular special effects, but they went to ILM (Industrial Light and Magic – George Lucas special effects studio) and said they needed something for this effect. And they came up with the quick flash that has become this iconic sequence.

Likewise, transformers have a very iconic transformation sequence. The sound, the motion, all of it. And I wanted to do something like that for the page.

So I started dreaming up what I could do that would be signature to the series. Ideas are flying through my head on this 40 minute train ride, and throughout the day at the office, and even on the ride home. I have these ambitious ideas of what to do with the page, and when I sit down I decide – I’m kinna hungry.

So I made some dinner, sat down at the computer to get started, and thought to myself, “That transformation sequence is going to be a lot of work, and this page has to go live in a few hours. How about instead I do something kind of cheesy and silly and not spectacular? And so I did. And I thought it was pretty funny.

Hope you enjoy it as well.

###

NATO is in town this weekend, and they have been arresting protestors since Tuesday. The office has encouraged all employees to work from home on Monday, and avoid downtown like the plague. However, I’m kind of hoping there will be some funny stories and pictures online from this weekend. I’ll let you know.

But if you’re in the Chicago area, be safe this weekend.

So Charlie and the creator (ie: photo Trevor) have finally met, and Charlie has a plan. Sounds like this sort of thing may have happened before. But who cares? We’re so far into breaking the 4th wall at this point it’s kind of nuts.

The point is, we now have an explanation for why the tear appeared and chased Trevor (like how the portal chased Ash in Evil Dead 2), and we now have a plan to defeat the Gnome King and get this comic back.

Stay tuned to see what happens next!

###

Since I’ve been doing so many cons and appearances lately, I have no buffer left. Going to try to work my butt off to get a comic done for Friday – and spend this weekend working to get the next week or so’s worth of content started – but it’s going to be an uphill battle.

Just wanted to set expectations in case I do miss an update. I hate to miss updates (and I never miss deadlines for editors), so I’m going to do my best here!

Hope you guys are enjoying the story.

FRIDAY
My good friend and fellow creator Russell Lissau (The Batman Strikes, Strawberry Shortcake) picked me up at home, and we quickly headed over to Laura Harper’s to pick up some additional copies of Reading with Pictures for the show this weekend. After that, we were on the road to our destination.

The road trip was tons of fun, as it’s always great to catch up with friends – even though I’ve seen Russ just about every weekend since April.

Eventually we arrived in Fort Wayne and parked at the hotel. We checked in, then headed out to grab dinner at a local restaurant called Don Hall’s Gas House. The place was packed, but Russ and I were able to grab a booth towards the back.

Prime Rib was the dish they were best known for, so Russ and I ordered our fill and supplemented them with some homemade onion rings and asparagus.

Enjoying an adult beverage at the Gas House

Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel and met up with fellow friend and creator Steve Horton (Amala’s Blade) and all headed to the pre-con party at a local pub. Unfortunately all they had was beer (I’m not a beer drinker), but they had some great company and Russ and Steve found some brews they could enjoy. After some fun socializing with the other creators attending the show, we paid our tab and headed back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.

SATURDAY
Steve, Russ, and I got up early and headed over to the hotel restaurant for some delicious breakfast, then to the convention center to set up our tables. We were positioned at the tail end of the main isle, a prime location for grabbing traffic.

The table set up

The crowd this year was primarily interested in superheroes and all-ages books. We got a lot of support for Reading with Pictures – including for the kickstarter campaign live until May 17 this week – and even some press interviews.

The crowd was very energetic, appreciative and impressed with the turn out. And we were too. I was admittedly nervous about attending a one-day show, not knowing how well I would do sales wise. But honestly we did incredibly well, and even made some new friends along the way.

Also, Albert sold like a fiend. Which always makes me happy.

By the end of the day the floor started to clear out, and everyone I knew had had an awesome day. For a one-day show, it exceeded my wildest expectations in terms of sales and performance. Plus, there’s always that fun factor – of which we had tons of fun.

After the show floor closed, we packed up and headed back to the room. Russ went to meet up with an old college friend of his, and Steve and I walked to a local Irish pub for a post-con dinner.

Prom was apparently going on downtown, so people were running around in tuxes and fancy dresses while we walked to the pub, triumphant and exhausted.

After dinner Steve drove back home, not living too far away from the show, and I went back to the hotel room intending to go out for the post-show party. However, I ended up falling asleep instead, having been hit hard by the early morning work out schedule I’ve been adopting for the past 2-3 weeks.

SUNDAY
Russ and I got up and walked around downtown, looking for someplace open for breakfast. We didn’t mind not finding a place, since the weather was so nice out. Plus, we got to see some “walk of shames” from prom the night before.

We eventually settled on going to the hotel restaurant again, and this time ordered some delicious waffles with hot syrup. Just what we needed before the long drive back to Chicago. We took a slightly different route this time, and got to enjoy some beautiful countryside.

Summit City was a great show for a one-day outing, with some energetic and fun crowd who were appreciative and eager to check out new comics. There was a larger all-ages crowd, which worked out well for me, and also a strong superhero following at the show – but that didn’t stop people from buying indie books.

A great time, and I think I’ll be returning again next year!

So, of course, they do it anyway. Combining the research from the protein being with human DNA, they create a half penis-head, half girl with dinosaur legs named “Dren.” Which is “nerd” backwards. However, if they were real nerds, then they would know that “dren” is the Farscape word for “shit,” which is exactly what this movie was.

Suffice it to say, they break the rules of science and the morals of mankind, and in the end they get screwed for it. One of them, literally. But I’ll go into that in the spoilers section below.

[SPOILERS]

This movie wanted to be smarter than it was, but unfortunately breezed past all the science stuff (using techno-babble instead of actually explaining the science of splicing to the audience). Then it tried telling a human story about a man and a woman who worked together and were in love. But eventually that fell by the wayside as well once the creature comes into the flick. Once that happens, it becomes a semi-horror flick with the humans riding a teeter-totter of “should we kill it, or should we see where this goes?” Then they decide to hide the thing in a farm house which once belonged to Polley’s character, and she suddenly becomes this frightening monster of a person. Then Brody has sex with it…because, let’s face it – even science guys need to get their nut off, and why not screw your science experiment?

Then some freak thing happens where the science experiment dies, comes back to life as a man, kills all the other dudes, and rapes Polley.

Then she decides to carry the baby to term. Studio execs pray for sequel. Roll credits.

Yeah, it’s awful.

Nevermind the fact that rape itself is a very uncomfortable topic for me, but the fact that a series of random things happen at the end leading up to it that make no sense, and there’s no explanation for it. On top of the fact that the movie lacks any kind of direction. It wants to be a science movie, it wants to be a horror movie, it wants to be a weird Species flick where the monster has sex with everything that moves….

But at least Species was consistent with its direction. It’s an alien monster that wants to breed. Man vs Nature / Monster. Okay, makes sense.

Splice has Brody trying to drown the thing, then he’s okay with the fact that it lived. Then they take it to a farm and Polley’s this freaky “tortured soul” character because her mother was abusive, and she tortures Dren/Shit both physical and psychologically. Then Brody bangs the science experiment. Then the whole “death and resurrection – and oh, I’m a man now” happens.

Seriously, I’m not following this movie at all. And didn’t enjoy watching it.

Basically, I can sum up this movie in one word, and it’s the name of one of the characters: “Dren.”

My recommendation: avoid Splice at all costs. Instead, watch Farscape. It’s tons better.

###

I’m attending Summit City Con this weekend as a guest. I’ll be in artist alley booth #c19. Stop on by for the latest deals on some sweet comic swag!

Marketing Director Trevor Mueller (Albert the Alien) will be joined by fellow contributors Russell Lissau (The Batman Strikes!, Strawberry Shortcake) and Steve Horton (Amala’s Blade).

Look for the RWP banner at booth C19 for the latest information on RWP initiatives, to buy copies of the anthology, or to learn about how you can help get comics into classrooms!

###

So it’s been a while since I was just able to give a general update on what’s happening in my life. And let me tell you, it’s been a lot. Where to begin….

CONVENTIONS / SIGNINGS:

This past month has been a blur of conventions and signing events, with April having two of my biggest shows: C2E2 and ACEN.

Both of these shows have been reviewed on the site (one of which had to be reviewed in not 1, not 2, but 4 parts), and they are completely awesome. I highly recommend attending both next year.

Additionally, fellow comic writer Russell Lissau and I attending a signing event at Comix Revolution for Free Comic Book Day. We were giving away free sketches to kids under 11, and selling copies of our all-ages titles.

Coming up this weekend, I’ll be attending Summit City Con in Fort Wayne, IN. It’s a one-day show, but it should be a fun time.

Then I get a break from shows for a while…but I’ll still be keeping plenty busy with comics and social events.

INTERVIEWS!

I’ve been going to conventions almost non-stop this year, and I’ve been getting some great press at the same time. Below are some interview videos I did at C2E2 and ACEN in April:

Pocket Entertainment interviews Trevor Mueller at C2E2, Marketing Director for Reading with Pictures

Trevor Mueller is interviewed at ACEN, the 3rd largest animation convention in the USA

PODCASTS:

I’ve been making the rounds on the podcast circuit as well, recently appearing on Uncle Yo’s very awesome and hilarious podcast We Are the Geek.

Uncle Yo and I met at Anime Milwaukee two years ago, and have become fast friends. He’s a hilarious nerd comedian and incredibly witty, knowledgeable, and funny. My audio’s a little funny (I blame the internet connection on my end), but the content is solid – plus I tell a funny story or two.

The plot starts off with Loki (Hiddleston) in space talking to some nasty aliens. They want to go to Earth and steal back the cosmic cube from the Captain America movie, which they will use to conquer the planet. When they attack a SHIELD base, Director Nick Fury puts into motion a desperate plan to unite the worlds most powerful heroes into a single team called The Avengers.

However, things don’t always go as planned, and the members of the team don’t always get along. Additionally, Nick Fury has some secrets of his own that may jeopardize the safety of the group.

When all hell breaks loose, can this team of rag-tag heroes band together and save the Earth?

Epic in every sense of the word, The Avengers is not only a successful superhero movie – but a successful superhero cross-over movie. Filled with exciting action and plenty of awesomeness – and, surprisingly, a bit of comedy. It’s the most fun I’ve had in theaters since Hellboy 2, and damn – much more epic.

My only concern would be for people unfamiliar with the previous movies of the individual characters (Iron Man 1-2, Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger) since there’s no real attempt to establish the characters in this flick – it just assumes you know who they are and runs with it. It works well for someone like me, who is intimately familiar with the movies and the comic characters. And it seemed to work well for everyone else in the theaters as well. But I could see someone who had skipped one or more of those movies being confused by parts.

The plot is simple: bad guy wants to acquire object of immense power to conquer the world. We’ve seen this before, but it works well here. There’s so much this movie has to balance already, throwing in additional plot twists would just throw the audience for a loop that was unnecessary.

Instead, the movie lets the characters and the action pieces drive the movie, and they do it well. The characters all get (mostly) equal moments to shine, and are all utilized in a very well balanced way. You can tell the writers love these characters as much as the audience (or more), and are very careful to make sure no one gets cheated out of any screen time.

The exception here is Hawkeye, who only appeared briefly in Thor. I think his role for the first 2/3 of this movie was a little unnecessary, but I’m sure it was done because of the already character-heavy cast they had to balance. He gets some great moments to shine, but gets the least amount of screen time and mostly acts as a tool to develop Black Widow further, herself only having appeared in Iron Man 2 for a bit.

However, the show is easily stolen by Ruffalo’s Hulk. Having the most difficult shoes to fill, since he’s stepping into a role that has had not one but two movies that were not box office successes (personally, I enjoyed the Ed Norton flick), and also having to be the third actor in as many movies. On the heels of the announcement that there will be no more Hulk movies (although, after Ruffalo’s performance they may change that – and he is signed to do 6 movies total), his was the role that could have easily been tossed aside or fallen flat on it’s face.

Fortunately, Ruffalo pulls off the most interesting Hulk to date. Balancing the techno-babble well and also the smashing. It helps that he has a stellar cast to use as a sounding board, since a solo-Hulk movie without him busting stuff up isn’t very interesting. In this movie, there’s plenty to keep you interested until Hulk comes out to “play,” and the smashing begins!

And when he comes out, oh…it’s awesome!

As with previous Marvel movies, there’s not one but two post-credit scenes – one of which may set up the next movie.

Overall, The Avengers is a cinematic achievement the likes of which movie goers haven’t seen yet. It’s an event movie. It’s big in every sense of the word. Entertaining throughout. And totally worth seeing in theaters.

I highly recommend you go see this movie!

The movie is filled with fun action pieces and some pretty good special effects. The acting is so-so, but the cast works well enough together. Conan is a tough nut to crack from an acting perspective, and with TV actors being the stars of the flick it’s rare that any performances really shine through. This isn’t a complaint, mind you – just an observation.

With this reboot, it feels like there was a larger world they really wanted to expose the audience to for Hyboria. In interviews with creators attached to the original series, this was the goal back in the 80s as well. They wanted a new adventure to come out every year or two. Unfortunately with the lack of box office success of this flick, that may not happen again right now, but I digress. There is a lot of world reference in the flick, locations and people, who you can tell they were trying to set up for future installments.

The movie traipses around Hyboria quite a bit, but unfortunately since there’s no point of reference (ie: Lord of the Rings) we’re never quite sure where we are in relation to other locations. This is an issue with any fantasy / sci-fi story, since you really need to provide purpose to the locations and a sense of distance – otherwise, the location is just a place that looks different than the previous scene. LOTR did this very well, with montages showing how long the characters were traveling between locations, and then having events occur once they arrived.

In the tradition of beefy dudes kicking the crap out of each other, there’s a lot of blood, a lot of yelling, and a lot of awesome action in the flick. It’s unfortunate the performances couldn’t have been stronger from the main cast – but again, Conan as a character is a tough role to depict. Momoa gets the physical side of it down, but his delivery is often rushed and hard to understand. It doesn’t come off like he’s on a revenge kick – he just comes off as anxious to kill the next dude.

In fact, the stand-out performance is from Ron Pearlman, who plays Conan’s father. He does a great job in the short time he’s on screen of showing a hardened warrior with a heart of gold. Or, at least a love of his family. And the reason he stands out so much is because the rest of the performances just feel so flat.

Performances aside, Conan is still a fun flick filled with awesome action and well worth watching. It lacks the awesome percussion soundtrack of the original flick, and the performances fall a little flat, but it’s chop-full of blood and guts and action.

Definitely worth a rental if you like adult fantasy movies.

Previously at ACEN….

Trevor sold some stuff, did some panels, and hung out with a rock band. Now he had to find a way to cap off the perfect weekend. Will he succeed? Read below to find out….

SUNDAY:
Sunday morning is always the most difficult day to get out of bed. While you’re always excited for the last day of the show, you’re also super exhausted by being so active throughout the days preceding the last day…and also you probably stayed up later than you should have the night before.

In my case, it was definitely a little of both – having stayed up until 3am with some of the other guests the night before.

Another plate of unlimited bacon later (and some other breakfast foods), however, and I was set to go for the final day of my favorite show!

One of our neighbors, Yelp.com, took off so upon going to the floor the group relocated to their spot and started selling. Lots of kids and cosplayers were about, showing off their costumes and having a fun time on the final day.

Lots of great commerce and friends / fans came to the table today to say hi, thanks for the great panels, or to make purchases while they could. Several of the staffers stopped by the booth as well, to say hello or buy copies of my latest projects. I even had a few guests stop by the table, including Cassandra Lee (voice actress on Madoka Magica and K-On!).

As the show was wrapping up, my artist buddy Gabriel Baustia completed a commission piece I paid for: a water color cover image of Albert the Alien in an alien space port. This will be tweaked digitally to include destinations and various status of the flights, but here’s a scan of the raw image:

Albert the Alien at the space airport – commission by Gabriel Bautista

After the show ended, we broke down our tables and said our goodbyes to friends and fans. Then put our stuff in the car and headed back into the hotel for one final celebratory drink to end the show right. The VIP lounge opened for dinner, so we had a final meal as a group and then went our separate ways.

ACEN has been and continues to be my favorite show of the year. They treat their guests very well, and I have such a fun time attending this show as a guest. The fans are great, and I’ve made friends with most of the staffers and volunteers, and even many of the attendees over the years.

The other guests were great to meet and hang out with as well. It was a lot of fun chatting up the voice actors late at night, getting to hang out with the Eyeshine band, and with many of the staff and volunteers for the show. I can easily say many of these people have become my friends.

And of course, it’s always a pleasure to exhibit and spend time with my comic friends. These are my brothers who challenge and inspire me. Who I look up to and enjoy spending time with – during and outside of conventions.

Thank you to the fans, staff, volunteers, panel attendees, and everyone who made this an absolutely awesome weekend. It was a real pleasure to be invited back as a guest this year, and I hope to be invited back again next year.