Brian Lynch

MONKEY MAN 8

2011-07-20T10:16:00.001-07:00

"The Alpha Comic Strip"

Quite literally it's ALL THE COMIC you will ever need!

Written by me, art by DJ Coffman.

I swear, when this came out, it was TIMELY!

MONKEY MAN 7

2011-07-19T09:53:00.001-07:00

Muppets Generation 2.3

By me and DJ. The last of our Muppet strips. For now.

MONKEY MAN 6

2011-07-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

MUPPETS Generation 2.2

Written by Me
Art by DJ Coffman

I enjoy the Muppets. A bit too much.

MONKEY MAN 5

2011-07-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

Continuing Monkey Man flashbacks!

MONKEY MAN # 5

"Muppets Generation 2"

Written by Brian Lynch
Art By DJ Coffman

Yeah, big fan of The Muppets, so I could have done 10 more of these strips.
Sure, the references are a little date, but the strip is 9 years old, cut us some slack.

MONKEY MAN 4

2011-07-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

MONKEY MAN # 4

"Peanuts" by Michael Bay

Written by Brian Lynch
Art by DJ Coffman

This was Pre-Transformers. If it was done post-TF, I probably would have made some 3D jokes, or headache inducing jokes, or had Lucy in a Megan Fox pose.

MONKEY MAN 3

2011-07-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

MONKEY MAN # 3

"Peanuts" by Brian Michael Bendis

Written by me
Art by DJ Coffman

Bendis dug this, in fact, he put it in the back of one of his issues of POWERS.

MONKEY MAN 2

2011-07-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

Continuing our MONKEY MAN replay!

MONKEY MAN # 2

"Peanuts" by Todd McFarlane

Written by me, art by the awesome DJ Coffman.

The first and last panels are how McFarlane would begin every episode of his SPAWN show on HBO. Timely reference? HEY, IT WAS IN 2002! Kinda.

MONKEY MAN 1

2011-07-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Every weekday, I'm going to be rolling out classic MONKEY MAN strips, in the order they went up. I'll also try to include a little backstory to said strip.

They originally appeared on Kevin Smith's now-defunct website moviepoopshoot.com.

MONKEY MAN #1 : "Peanuts" by David Lynch

Click to embiggen!

Obviously, this was done right after Charles Shulz' passing. I'm a huge PEANUTS fan, and a huge David Lynch fan, so this one was easy.

Art was by the incredible DJ Coffman, who would go on to do, I think, 50 more MONKEY MAN strips, and a bunch of MONKEY MAN comics, both web-exclusive and print.

Enjoy! And give some feedback, let me know what you think.

Any Witch Way

2010-12-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

Sooooo the SPIKE series is getting a guest star for a few issues. Not going to say WHO, but here's a very subtle hint in the form of a page from the issue, entitled "Bed Knobs and Boomsticks". Art by the insanely talented Stephen Mooney!

My stance on the Joss-less BUFFY remake.

2010-11-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

Hey, follow me on Twitter HERE.

THE MOST strip 10!!!

2010-08-02T16:32:00.001-07:00

Our tenth strip, exposing some universal truths. CLICK the PICTURE to make it super big!

THE MOST strip 9

2010-07-19T15:17:00.001-07:00

We're back! A new THE MOST for you! CLICK to embiggen!

Link if you love!

THE MOST strip 8

2010-04-26T21:34:00.001-07:00

Wetsuit Andy discovers a shocking fact about his life. IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU! Click to make super big!

And if you want a more manageable sized strip to post in forums and wwwboards (please do), click on the image below and spread the word of THE MOST!

THE MOST strip 7

2010-04-12T15:54:00.001-07:00

Enter the third wheel! Behold: OBLATE!

As always, CLICK ON THE IMAGE to make it all sorts of HUGE!
And if you like what you see, spread the cartoon to your favorite forums or twitter feeds or next family get-together.

THE MOST strip 6

2010-04-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Wetsuit Andy and Block Party discover that some things are better left undiscovered. CLICK HERE to make it all sorts of gigantic.

And here it is, slightly smaller, if you want to put it up on forums and such. Which you should. Spread the word of THE MOST!

THE MOST strip 5

2010-03-29T17:52:00.001-07:00

Enter ROCK HARDY!

Click HERE to see it all sorts of HUGE (makes a great wallpaper).

What do you think of Block Party's arch enemy? Comment below and let us know!

THE MOST strip 4

2010-03-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

This week, Block Party finally gets to go to a party. Aaaaaand it doesn't go so well. To see it bigger, click HERE. And if you dig it, pass on the link to your friends!

And now, THE MOST strip 4!

THE MOST strip 3

2010-03-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

THE MOST, week three! Block Party makes his move! Wetsuit Andy lends a hand! Hilarity ensues! If you like, spread the word and introduce people to THE MOST! Click the pic to see it GIGANTIC-like, or CLICK HERE!

THE MOST strip 2

2010-02-19T09:22:00.001-08:00

Written by Me, Illustrated by the far-too-talented Matt Cummings. CLICK TO MAKE BIGGER and enjoy! And if you like what you see, spread it around, let people know about THE MOST. Thanks guys and ladies!

THE MOST strip 1

2010-02-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

Written by me, art by the far more talented Matt Cummings. Hope you enjoy a behind the scenes look at the making of your new favorite webcomic. Click on the image to embiggen.

THE MOST is coming

2010-01-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

Here's a sneak preview...

Teaser.

2010-01-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Trendsetters: The Most Influential People of 2010

2010-01-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

2009 was shot in the face and put to bed. We're all up in 2010. It'll be a year full of new beginnings, old middles, and used-but-like-new endings.

Who will lead the charge in the dawn of the new decade? Who will set the tone, call the shots, influence everyone in 2010? I've thought about this long and hard. And so, without further adieu (to all those bringing MORE adieu, you're too late, we're up to here with it, so take it home and have leftover adieu tomorrow), I bring you the people that I THINK will have the biggest impact on 2010, from most to least powerful.

TRENDSETTERS: THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF 2010.

1. My wife Carrie

Let's face it, she's a ball-buster and she's super bossy. She's always like "pick that up" and "put pants on" and I do it. 2010 will continue this trend, as she's got, like, a list of household fixer upper jobs for me and that look in her eye.

2. Barack Obama

He's the President of the United States of America, and in a crazy Disneyesque mix'em up, this guy is black AND cool. He makes all sorts of laws and taxes, and if he wanted to, he could suddenly make me wanted for murder. For that reason alone, he deserves a high ranking on my list.

3. My boss

My boss tells me what to do and when to do it. But only at work, which is why my wife ranks above him. Although sometimes he gives me work to take home and it bleeds over into my home life. Any way, he could fire me which would suck but he CANNOT frame me for murder.

4. Lady Gaga

She's the voice of a new generation, and sometimes she wears muppets all over her body like some kind of teenage Cruella DeVille in a straight to video 101 DALMATIANS prequel. She is the future of entertainment and a trendsetter and I find her teachings creeping into my every day routine. Plus she finally gave an anthem to all those poor souls who were born with pokers for faces.

5. My Parents

They raised me. The values they instilled in me guide my actions like a ghost Christopher Lloyd in a straight to video ANGELS IN BRIAN'S LIFE prequel. And yes, while their personal beliefs have often clashed with Lady Gaga's teachings, I am able to find a happy medium and become the alpha dude.

6. Batman

He's fucking scary. The mere thought of him keeps me on the straight and narrow. Ain't no way I'm (a) committing a crime or (b) stepping foot in Gotham City. That place is NUTS.

7. Diora Baird

She's really hot, but at the same time, as evidenced on HER TWITTER, also really funny. Which motivates me to not just rest on my perfect bone structure and killer body. She's like a sexy angel on my shoulder that whispers "you can do it, you can be all you can be DON'T TOUCH ME THERE be the best you that you know how I'M SERIOUS I WILL PRESS CHARGES."

8. Steven Spielberg

While we haven't met yet, I'd assume this is probably the year he calls and asks me to pen E.T. VS. JURASSIC PARK. Spoilers: E.T. wins. Levitation and level 4 healing and shit.

9. Joss Whedon

I write a bunch of books featuring his characters, and his work has been an ENORMOUS influence on me, but more importantly, I know deep down that 2010 is the year I'm going to call Joss Whedon and rub it in that I'm working with STEVEN FUCKING SPIELBERG. Take that, Joss.

I will only do this, of course, if Spielberg calls me and asks me to pen E.T. VS. JURASSIC PARK. If not, take Spielberg off this list and replace him with "Jesus" (though I admit that this is simply an attempt to get a mention on Jesus' Twitter) and take Joss off this list and replace him with "the lady at Quizno's who tells me to lose weight every time I go in."

10. Me

Let's face it, I am the captain of my own destiny here. When all is said and done, my wife can tell me what to do, and my boss can tell me what to work on, and Batman can tell me to keep my nose clean, but what I do is 100% up to me. And let that be a lesson to all of you, and this is pretty universal, at the end of the day, no matter what anyone says, you can't tell me what to do, so fuck off. Unless you're on this list, in which case, you CAN, but I might not listen. Though if you are high up on the list chances are I will.

11. Thora Birch

I have to admit, I forgot what this list is about at this point. I should probably wrap up. But check out my Twitter HERE if you want to read more of my mind-goo, and remember...always always ALWAYS something or other, lost my train of thought, so tired.

The Best (and Worst) Movies of 2009

2009-12-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

Every other site is compiling their best of/worst of lists, and everyone's asking me "Brian, what movies left their mark on YOUR brain?" well, I have to admit, I don't have the best memory, but I'll do my best to remember. Please, sit back, pull up a chair, and let's have us a one-sided conversation about the BEST and WORST of 2009.

THE BEST MOVIES OF 2009

10. ZOMBIELAND (2009)

Woody Harrelson and Jessie Eisenberg head an all-dead cast in a joustabout round of fun that was a treat for my funny bone AND horror bone. Definitely see this movie BEFORE someone ruins the fact that Bill Murray has a really funny surprise cameo.

09. THE UGLY TRUTH (2009)

Katherine Heigl plays an uptight shrew who’s unlucky at love. Gerard Butler plays a caveman pretending to be Howard Stern. Ain’t no way these guys are gonna find love! Truth is, I have no idea if they do. I just watched part of this on On Demand last week because my wife was sick and wanted a romantic comedy, so here you go.

08. WHIP IT (2009)

I didn't see this movie but I just got back from an amazing hotel that had a really funny commercial for it on the Pay-Per-View. Actually it wasn't that funny but the dinner I had before it was amazing so I was in a really good mood. Anyway, everyone involved with WHIP IT should be proud, maybe.

07. FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009)

I saw this one straight through so already it's better than THE UGLY TRUTH. George Clooney plays a puppet or something, I got bored and checked Twitter. GREAT performance by Ashton Kutscher, wait, that was Twitter, but MR. FOX was good.

06. THIS IS IT (2009)

A heartbreaking portrait of okay I didn't see this either. I have a lot going on, okay? But it was probably great because Michael Jackson is a wonderful performer, and CAPTAIN EO was alright so this is probably, at the very least, fair to middling. At least better than the George Clooney/Ashton Kutscher puppet buddy comedy.

05. A SERIOUS MAN (2009)

I saw this one, credits to credits, but I still don't think I saw the whole movie. It doesn't matter, really. The Coen Brothers prove that if you make an amazing movie, you don't NEED to end it. Besides, walking out of a movie feeling like you saw the entire story is SO pre-LORD OF THE RINGS.

04. FAME (2009)

FAME only beats A SERIOUS MAN because it had an ending. Oh, and dancing. It wasn't great, but again, I saw it kinda recently so it's fresh in my mind. Also, it had a trailer for WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE which I thought was beautiful. Damn, I wish I had seen WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, I bet that would have been on my list.

03. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (trailer)

The trailer really made me ask "well, where are they?" which is what a trailer should do. It had a great soundtrack, too. The trailer, not sure about the movie. The movie could have had nothing but cats farting and I wouldn't know. Actually, not true, if they had done that, I definitely would have heard about it.

02. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (2009)

I made it through the entire movie. It made me hungry, though, because the food was coming at me in 3-D and if food flies at me in 3-D, I want it to land in my mouth. After I saw the movie, we went to Cheesecake Factory and I told the waitress (jokingly) to throw the food at me. Long story short, she didn't see the movie and it was soup and I am disfigured. The waitress apologized and I told her to make it up to me she could take me and my wife on a tour of the ACTUAL Cheesecake Factory with all the smokestacks and conveyor belts and (hopefully) cheesecake elves. She looked at me like I was an idiot. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, best movies of 2009. Without further adieu, the best movie of 2009.

01. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON (2009)

I just saw this and I gotta say, this is EASILY the most recent movie of 2009. It had everything I could want in a movie: drama, romance, werewolves and recentness. In all seriousness, it's a modern day classic.

But not everything was as good as THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON. Not even close. Which leads me to my top 5 (bad movies don't deserve 10) worst movies of 2009.

THE WORST MOVIES OF 2009

05. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON (2009)

It was great and all, but the writing was stupid at times, and it was boring, and the actors were boring and the direction was boring. A shrug meh feh eh whatevs of a film but other than that, LIS ("like I said"), perfect.

04. AVATAR (2009)

I have only seen the trailers but it comes off like someone hired Brian Michael Bendis to reboot THE SMURFS. On second thought, that sounds awesome, is it too late to move AVATAR to the "best of" list? It is? Aw, Smurf. I mean, aw, Avatar.

03. THE INFORMANT! (2009)

This movie title lied to me because I thought it was going to be exciting but it wasn't. Remember the show VOYAGERS! that had had an exclamation point because you knew these sons of bitches were going to fucking VOYAGE! And they did, and there was falling and kicking and Phineas Bogg was like "good job, kid". They should make a VOYAGERS! movie. And then the sequel could be VOYAGERS? because one of the voyagers is beginning to doubt his lot in life. That said, INFORMANT! was pretty good. Great, even One of the best of the year.

02. POOPSHOOT MULLIGAN AND HIS ADVENTURES IN EURASIA

This might have been a movie I made up. For not even being made, it deserves a spot on my "worst of" list. How lazy can you get, people? That said, POOPSHOOT MULLIGAN is not the worst movie of the year. Not by a longshot. That "honor" goes to:

01. TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (2009)

All jestering aside, TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN felt like 5 straight days of a retarded rich kid showing me his toys while punching me in the eardrums. Occasionally his hot sister walks by and you say, "hey retarded rich kid, move your toys so I can see Audrina or whoever" but the retarded rich kid REALLY wants to make sure you notice his newest toy has robot genitals so he shoves them in your face blocking your view of Audrina, and then he plays the newest speed metal ballad until you say uncle. I feel really dumb for having seen this three times.

Thus ends my list (s). What were YOUR favorite movies of 2009? What were YOUR least favorite movies of 2009? Let me know, and give reasons why, so I can regurgitate what you said at cocktail parties and seem smart.

If you want to read more of my nonsense, check out my Twitter HERE.

Order the greatest comic of all time HERE.

My review of TWILIGHT:NEW MOON (posters)

2009-09-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

Who wants to read a spoiler-laden review of TWILIGHT: NEW MOON? I know, that would be a sweet scoop. I haven't seen TWILIGHT: NEW MOON. But I have seen the posters for it. And so help me, I will spoil the crap out of these posters.

POSTER 1: No Moon, you CAN'T have my girlfriend.

What happens when you're in love with a girl but her ex-boyfriend is LITERALLY the moon? First of all, lots of dates during the day. Secondly, you can never face each other because your face can't compare to the moon. Get all the hairgel and tats you want, you STILL won't control the tides. So backwards hugging is a must. She can pretend you're the moon.

Kristen Stewart is wonderfully half-dead as the girl who must choose between MAN and MOON. Robert...Patterson? Efron? I want to say Pattinson, is that right? Anyway, he's very compelling as the moon. And Taylor Lautner is just happy to be there. The three dudes that play the Gollum Brothers are hilarious (pictured in the background).

SUGGESTED AD-LINE: A star is boring

POSTER 2: Menudo is back and you owe them money.

Yes, I know they're not Puerto Rican. But they're actors, they can stretch. And stretch they DON'T. Taylor Lautner plays front-man let's go with Enrique. He leads his band onstage every night, lip-syncing before fives of tens of screaming female fans, but can he lead his band to safety when their tour bus crashes in the VERY SAME WOODS that are home to crazed psycho inbreds? You bet your sweet ass he can't! Watch them get killed off uno by uno! Also, something something werewolves.

SUGGESTED AD-LINE: Mique Test. One two three GORE.

POSTER 3: The new SAVED BY THE BELL only on the CW.

From the network that brought you the hip edgy 90210 and MELROSE PLACE remakes and the dark and edgy VAMPIRE DIARIES CHRONICLES, comes the hour long SAVED BY THE BELL drama. Robert Pattinson plays Zack Morris (center of the poster). Zack has the power to HALT TIME when the need arises. However PREPARE THYSELF FOR TH RUB using this ability takes it's toll on him physically, making him pale and tired and mopey and oddly, British.

Zack meets Kelly Kapowski (also center), the hot good girl who also is a bit of a stoner and maybe half-dead. Can Zack sway Kelly away from equally pale bad boy AC Slater (left)? Will AC find true love with also very pale Jessie Spano (left, next to Slater)? Will the very black, very pale Lisa Turtle (right) avoid pale stalker creep Screech (right), who may hold the key to Bayside's overwhelming fog problem? Also starring Peter Facinelli as Mr. Belding.

SUGGESTED AD-LINE: You might not ever get up in the morning. Alarms offer no warning. You won't make it. It's not alright.

POSTER 3: National Lampoon's Theater Fraternity.

Dakota Fanning is wonderful as Fannie, shy freshman at Bill Clinton University, the biggest party school on the west coast. As a legacy of the hot slut sorority Pi Pussy Vagina Sorority, Fannie, by LAW, has to pledge...unless she pledges ANOTHER Greek organization.

Enter DOE RAY ME co-ed theater fraternity. But Fannie freezes up whenever she has to speak in public! Don't worry, because creepy co-pledge Slique Longwill, he of the greasy black hair, will help her...just in time for the GREEK OLYMPICS. Winners get control of the Greek Court! Losers get murdered! WHO MADE THAT RULE?

Will Fannie rise up and help Do Ray Me beat Pi Pussy Vagina? Will she learn a life lesson? Will she kiss Slique Longwill? Answers: Yes, yes, and no he's gay.

SUGGESTED AD-LINE: A movie for anyone who's ever pledged a co-ed theater fraternity. So yes, tell that fat guy that works at the Hallmark Gold Crown store who shows you all those pictures of his many cats to check it out.

POSTER 5: Whoa nelly.

Well, obviously TWILIGHT:NEW MOON is a love triangle between a high school girl, a vampire and a werewolf. This poster spells that out and I feel silly for assuming otherwise.

SUGGESTED AD-LINE: It's not them, it's you.

END SPOILERS.

I hope these possibly SPOILER LADEN REVIEWS have helped. And I truly hope this blog has helped get the word out about TWILIGHT. I would check the movie out in November to see if I'm correct, but I'm pretty sure if I go into that theater alone, Chris Hanson will be waiting to talk to me. And then I'll run out, and a cop dressed as a bush will tackle me, and it will be a whole thing.

You've been TWI-LIT!

If you enjoyed this blog, follow my TWITTER. It's all the fun of my blog, with none of the fat. And if you want to ready my words accompanied by beautiful pictures, check out EVERYBODY'S DEAD.

I love you. Not like that.

LAST ANGEL IN HELL

2009-09-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Available for pre-order is LAST ANGEL IN HELL aka ANGEL annual # 1. Please go to your local comic shoppe and pre-order a copy. It's a comic adaptation of a movie that was never made, it's 40+ pages of awesomeness. You will laugh, you will cry, you will believe Nicholas Cage can play Angel. It also has fake ads for movie tie-in cereal, action figures, etc.

Here's the official solicitation:

ANGEL ANNUAL #1

Written by Brian Lynch, art by Stephen Mooney, covers by Mooney.

When L.A. went to Hell in After the Fall, so did thousands of screenwriters, one of whom wrote a movie based on Angel's experiences there. The first-ever Angel Annual presents an adaptation of Angel's travails, Hollywood-style, in Angel: Last Angel in Hell: The Official Movie Adaptation. Mooney presents two movie poster covers, one featuring the real Angel and company, the other with their Hollywood counterparts.

Advanced ANGEL/SPIKE covers for you.

2009-07-27T14:04:00.001-07:00

Have a few covers from some of the comics I've written. Some of these were snuck-peaked at Comic-Con, but I thought anyone who didn't want to step foot in San Diego should get a look at them too.

First up, for ANGEL # 26. First one is by Stephen Mooney (who also does interiors), second is by Nick Runge.

Here is Stephen Mooney's cover for issue 27.

Finally, Franco Urru's teaser image for the SPIKE series.

Thoughts? Any questions, feel free to post'em in the comment section.
Some of these were snuck-peaked at Comic-Con, but I thought anyone who didn't want to step foot in San Diego should get a look at them too.

How to Survive TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

2009-06-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

I didn't like the first TRANSFORMERS movie. And at the risk of sounding stupid, I can't quite make out what is going on in the trailers for TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (I have narrowed it down to "stuff is happening to things"). Yet I will pay my ticket and watch TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN opening weekend.

Why? Because (a) the internet tells me it's the event movie of the summer, (b) director Michael Bay also gave us THE ROCK and the BAD BOYS trilogy (though I must admit to not being a fan of the first one, Sean Penn played things way too seriously. Will Smith taking over the character was the best thing that ever happened to the franchise) and (c) I am a movie geek and it's my duty, nay my privilege, wait, strike that, I was right the first time, my duty to see it.

Don't fool yourself. You're just like me. You're gonna see TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE FALLEN too. But it's okay. Even if TRANSFORMERS: LOOK OUT FOR FALLEN is bad, we're gonna survive it. The following is a list of things you can do to make TRANSFORMERS: BEWARE FALLING OBJECTS go by faster.

1. See if you can remember a good movie word-for-word.

Pick a movie other than TRANSFORMERS and see how much of it you can recall. If it's one you truly love, it might drown out the explosions and tires screeching and robots saying absurdly racist comments. On a related note, how sad is it that Autobot Jazz died before the bitches got back to him about what was or was not cracking?

2. Use the movie to reunite with long lost friends.

Call or email someone that you haven't talked to in a while. Someone you really miss but haven't contacted for fear a reunion after all this time might be awkward. Tell them to meet you a minute or so before TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED FALLEN starts to avoid awkward conversation. Watch the movie. People who persevere through traumatic situations together are often bonded for life, plus you'll have something to talk about afterward. You'll be so busy saying stuff like "but I thought Bumblebee's voicebox was repaired in part 1" to discuss why the two of you haven't spoken.

NOTE: If your friend is the kind of person who says stuff like "I don't know, not every movie has to be Shakespeare" and/or "I just wanted to turn off my brain for a few hours and enjoy a good popcorn movie" this might not be the best friend to try this on, because it may lead to squabbling. If your friend is the kind of person who might say "what do you expect, it's a movie based on toys" then maybe he or she is exactly the slap of reality you (or I) need.

3. Pretend the youngest member of your family made the movie.

If Michael Bay gave you a really crude finger painting, you'd waste no time telling him how terrible it is. If your three year old nephew gave you the same really crude finger painting, you'd cherish it. TRANSFORMERS: FALL FOR THIS is a big 200 million dollar finger painting. It may be awful, sure. But admit it, if a toddler wrote and directed it, you'd be impressed. Through power of imagination you can turn a horrible movie into a source of overwhelming pride.

4. Guess which extras Michael Bay had backseat relations with.

Michael Bay crams as many beautiful, buxom ladies as he can into movies. The first TRANSFORMERS was no exception. All the female extras looked like space hookers. I think this was to make Megan Fox look like a classy small-town girl by comparison. And it worked, I honestly thought she was Melissa Gilbert upon first viewing.

Michael Bay is no dummy (insert PEARL HARBOR joke here) and he's the most powerful man on the set, so he's gotta land his share of future hooker lady friends. Try and guess which of the girls answered the ad in BACKSTAGE for EXTRA PLUS RELIEF.

To kill some more time, try and imagine what kind of pick-up lines Bay used on the extras. I'm going with "have you ever done it in an exploding car?" or "wanna make a sex video? Don't worry, I will edit it so frantically no one will be able to tell what's going on anyway."

5. Imagine the movie without robots.

I'm not talking about what would happen to the characters if the robots never came to Earth, I'm talking about watching the exact same movie only without any of the special effects added. Suddenly the movie is about a highly reactive army freaking out over nothing and a kid who likes to shout "Bumblebee!" at the air. It's GARFIELD MINUS GARFIELD with explosions and Tyrese!

On that note, imagine how awesome it would be if 2oth Century Fox re-released the two GARFIELD movies without the CGI Garfield. It would be funnier than the finished movie. Plus, Breckin Meyer could win an Academy Award as the deranged loner who gets exasperated by literally nothing.

Admittedly, this has nothing to do with TRANSFORMERS: I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP but just thinking of GARFIELD MINUS GARFIELD has distracted you from two minutes of the movie. Congratulations, you very well may have just missed a robot farting.

7. See if you can guess which scene made Shia LaBeouf hate cars so much he tried to kill a real one.

One night, after filming, TRANSFORMERS star Shia LaBeouf flipped a car in Hollywood. I've seen his season of PROJECT:GREENLIGHT, the kid is too smart to drink and drive. I'm guessing something snapped inside and he felt he had to destroy the robot cars one by one. Try and spot the exact moment he took matters into his own hands.

8. Try and think of something nice to say about the movie on your future date with Megan Fox.

Comb the movie for a nice compliment if Megan Fox ever does answer your twitter request for malteds. Correct answers range from "I really believed you were running away from stuff" to "I really believed that you believed that thing you were driving in could turn into another thing." Or, think of questions you could ask, like "did you have to run in slow-mo or was that done later" or "were you allowed to ad-lib any screams?"

If all else fails, you can always fall back on "what's Josh Duhamel like?" and then, to kill more time, disagree with whatever answer she gives. "Oh he's nice? Not what I hear." "You didn't really work with him that much? Then explain why I am positive that you did."

9. Play a drinking game.

This one's easy. For you twenty-one and overs, sneak alcohol into the theater. Take a swig whenever Shia screams a robot's name or says "no" three or more times in a row. Take two swigs for slow-mo running. Finish your drink for Bay's signature shot: camera positioned low, looking up as a character stands up dramatically.

Fun fact: Michael Bay played this drinking game on set, every day. He is hardcore.

10. Create the plot for the movie that John Turturro thinks he's in.

Turturro is a great actor. If he's shouting and prancing like a loon, he clearly has been told that this is the right thing to do. I myself picture Turturro thinks he's starring in the Adam Sandler produced "MUGGS McGRUFF: COUNTER INTELLIGENCE". Turturro's character is an easily angered FBI agent who has to go undercover, teaching at a special education school. The black kid from ROLE MODELS has a cameo as someone who makes a pithy comment about boobs, and just when things are looking grim, Rob Schneider tells Muggs he can do eet.

Finally, and most importantly...

11. Yell out hilarious things at random intervals:

Everyone likes a good quip during a movie. That's why people go to theaters instead of watching films at home: on the off-chance someone hilarious is going to MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER the shit out of the movie they're watching. I remember when I saw DEPARTED on opening night at Mann's Chinese Theater, every time a character died I yelled out "well, he's departed". Everyone told me to shut up, knowing of course that such heckling just fuels the best insult comedians.

Anyhoo, when things are looking boring in TRANSFORM THIS, TOO: FALL OUT try your own jokes. Here's a few to get you started:

"This movie is transforming my happiness into shiny new boredom."
"Megan Fox is an appropriate name indeed. She looks like a Megan."
"AUTOBOT? Isn't that what killed Carradine?"
"Nerd boner! No, I'm serious, I have a fetish wherein I am turned on by nerds. This is a cry for help."
"This popcorn is going to transform into poop in no time."
"That's the robot that groped me at Skybar."

I hope this has helped. And who knows, the movie may be good. In which case, print this blog out and save for it G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA. Just swap out Megan Fox's name for Sienna Miller and you're golden. Until then, bitches, this has been Brian Lynch with the latest in what's cracking.

If you're not following me at Twitter, you really should. My tweets are like travel sized blogs that kiss your brain.

Script Review: Christopher Nolan's PEANUTS

2009-06-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I broke the 30 ROCK IS A RIP-OFF OF THE MUPPET SHOW scandal. Truth be told, I have no idea how I was going to follow that up. But then, someone sent me a screenplay that absolutely NO ONE had read yet. I have a scoop on my hands. And you're about to have a scoop in your eyes.

With BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT, director Christopher Nolan took a comic book property and spun an introspective, dark and gritty crime drama. Out came the freeze rays and vats of acid, in came grounded, real world scenarios and Batman having some form of throat cancer. Fans are waiting with bated breath for news of Christopher Nolan's next BATMAN movie.

Keep waiting, people. BATMAN is not his next project. Nolan is taking another famous comic franchise and turning it on it's ear. Instead of beating around the cyber bush any longer, allow me to simply tell you what it says on the title page:

PRE-NUTS: CHARLIE BROWN BEGINS

Story by David S. Goyer & Christopher Nolan

Written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan

Based on the Daily Graphic Novella "Peanuts"
by Charles Schulz

Fourth Draft 03-25-09

Yes, I know. A PEANUTS movie re-imagined by Christopher Nolan and we haven't heard of it until now. But I trust my source (he's from a very reliable movie news site...I'd give you the link but I don't want an influx of hits to overwhelm his geocities address). And I hope you trust me. But if not, I offer THIS photographic evidence:

That's me looking at the script. You can see it in the corner a little. See how amazed I am? Do you think I get that amazed at just anything? Now I have proven without a shadow of a doubt that I have this script, let us move on.

My source said Warner Brothers is keeping PRE-NUTS under wraps because they fear fan backlash. I can see what he means, the script is quite a departure from what we expect from PEANUTS, and might be too much for die-hard PEANUT fans (dubbed BROWNIES by the foreign media). It is a reboot in the truest sense of the word, and as you can tell from the title it is most definitely taking place before the PEANUTS we know and love. Think of it as PEANUTS ORIGINS: CHARLIE BROWN.

I know what you're thinking: "But what is the script about?". To which I say "why are you thinking questions to me?". I will still tell you what the script is about because seriously, why should Latinoreview.com get all the good script reviews?

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Nolan lets you know right up front that this is not your father's PEANUTS. Take this opening line:

A SINGLE YELLOW bird flutters about a night sky. Circling, looping, fighting to stay in flight but the winds are too great. Like a wounded angel he crashes to the ground. Raising a wing-fist to the heavens, he chirps but for a moment. Even though we're listening to birdspeak it's clear he's cursing God.

The action then cuts to the lead. As you can guess, the film revolves around CHARLES "CHARLIE" BROWN. He is aged up a bit, the script describes as "16 years old, suffering from male pattern baldness brought on by stress".

What is Charlie Brown so stressed about? Well, his happy existence of making over dead Christmas trees comes to a screeching halt when an airborne virus strikes every adult, so they can only express themselves in trumpet sounds. And as you can tell from this script excerpt, some children aren't taking it well:

A single realistic tear runs down Sally's eye. Charlie Brown puts his hand on her shoulder.

SALLY
They really did it us this time, didn't they? Goddamn, goddamn blockheads.

CHARLIE BROWN
The President is addressing matters. Maybe it's just our town...

On the TV is THE PRESIDENTIAL SEAL. And then, standing at the presidential podium is THE PRESIDENT (noble, black, realistic). He looks at the monitor, clears his throat, and calmly states...

THE PRESIDENT
Waugh waugh waugh waugh. Waugh waugh.

SLOW-ZOOM in on Charlie Brown's face.

CHARLIE BROWN
Good Grief. This shit just got real.

Adults continue with their lives but are ignored by the children, who form a society that is very LORD OF THE FLIES meets FAMILY CIRCUS. While the youngsters go through the now-hollow motions of attending school, they live unsupervised and completely free to do whatever they want. They converse only with their peers. New traditions and laws are quickly established: rocks are now acceptable gifts. Dinner every night consists of toast, pretzels, popcorn and jelly beans and is eaten on a ping pong table. The school play is run completely by children. One child, specifically. His name? LINUS VAN PELT.

The script refers to Linus as "A bundle of neurosis possessing a knowledge far beyond his age or childish habits." Linus carries a blue blanket with him everywhere, and constantly changes the origin of his dependency each time he discusses it. One minute that blanket is the last thing his Dad ever gave to him, the next minute the blanket is cut from the tunic of the great and powerful Pumpkin Deity that appears once a calender year. Truly dark stuff, but Nolan squared and Goyer aren't afraid to go there.

Certain children flourish in the society's new deal. Chief among them is Linus' sister LUCY VAN PELT.

The script calls for a "16 going on 30, with an inner rage rarely seen in a child, think a young Bea Arthur."

After the trumpet virus spreads, more and more children break down and need help coping. Lucy, ever the snake oil salesman, begins counseling the children for 5 cents a session. Charlie Brown becomes her chief source of income, as the lack of parental guidance has warped his mind to the point of (possible) hallucinations. So lonely and desperate is he, he believes his dog (who is clearly patterned after SNOOPY but never referred to as such, my source indicates the name was deemed too childish) has the soul of a World War I flying ace.

The script takes the time to explain that the dog's attitude and callous nature represents Charlie Brown's Id. I don't know what that means, but I trust Christopher Nolan. After all, he was smart enough to spend 3 minutes of BATMAN BEGINS explaining where Batman's ears come from.

Charlie Brown's hallucinations grow stronger, to the point of the dog developing it's own psychological problems: a split personality. He-who-is-not-Snoopy alternates between the flying ace and a Fonzie-like too-cool-for-school persona, Charlie increases his visits to Lucy. Their sessions recall early Tony Soprano/Dr. Melfi. Charlie and Lucy grow closer throughout, even as part of the therapy involves a weird "trust exercise" which consists of Lucy taking a football away right when Charlie Brown is about to kick it.

Around page 25 I began to wonder who exactly the villain of the movie was going to be. Was it the virus itself? Was it society? Was it...me? But then, a new character jumped off the page and kissed my eyeballs:

INT. ALLEY WAY - NIGHT

A YOUNG BOY scurries out of the darkened corner of the alley. The original color of his skin, hair or clothes has long since been lost to dirt and grime. Lice run about his head (production note: CGI Lice? talk to marketing), sores and bruises cover his body. Hell has vomited him out and won't take him back. He is scared. He is wild. He is feral. This is PIG-PEN.

Pig-Pen isn't the chief antagonist, he's merely a dupe henchman to a cabal of evil. A barrage of horrific villains are introduced. They include a Cannibal Tree that demands Charlie Brown's belongings be ritually sacrificed, a mysterious redhead who has siren like powers over men despite the fact that no one can get a good look at her, and a lesbian couple who appear to have history with Charlie Brown (my source says their back story will be the subject of the PRE-NUTS straight-to-video anime movie that will come out with the release of theatrical PRE-NUTS proper).

Charlie Brown surmises that all these events are tied into each other, and as he and Lucy get closer to the truth, they also get closer to each other. Here is where the movie most deviates from the Daily Graphic Novella. Charlie Brown and Lucy make love. It starts out violently as they hurl a baseball at each other to remove their clothes, and builds to an awkward moment when Lucy suggests they do it "doggy style" so Charlie has sex with her while tossing Easter eggs at kids and typing "It was a Dark and Stormy Night."

Like BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT before it, PRE-NUTS is jam-packed with set pieces to offset the drama. There is a dogfight involving bi-planes and a flying doghouse that is shockingly gritty and bloody that, if done right, will be as good as anything in PEARL HARBOR. Some of the characters drop acid in the desert and meet a skinnier, hat-wearing, facial hair sporting version of Charlie Brown's dog. There is a rafting race, a fire at a boarding school, a bump-and-grind dance sequence at a rave that, according to the script, will feature the classic PEANUTS theme remixed by The Chemical Brothers with vocals by "someone really urban yet realistic".

Charlie Brown eventually figures out who is behind the mayhem. I don't want to spoil it, but when characters openly admit to worshiping pumpkin deities and lie about their blankets, it's kind of a red flag that they've got some screws loose. Well, not so much red flags as blue blankets. They have blue blankets. Linus is behind it, is my point.

Will Charlie Brown save the day? I can't ruin everything for you, I already subtly hinted who was behind the whole thing, but I can say that yes he does.

The script is not without it's problems. For one thing, it is 210 pages. At one minute per page, that's like...roughly 210 minutes. The black character, FRANKLIN, is given absolutely nothing to do. And I know we live in tough times and everybody's just trying to make a buck, but product placement IN the screenplay? Tacky. An excerpt:

INT. CHARLIE BROWN'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Charlie Brown takes a bite of his delicious Dolly Madison snack cake and answers the phone.

CHARLIE BROWN
(into phone)
Hello? You have information? This better not be a trap, I don't want to die. Even though I am covered by Met Life. Like all good people.
(a beat)
Okay, Okay, I'm on my way. Yes, I'll be there. Is that anywhere near Knott's Berry Farm? Good Grief on a stick is that place the best.

That said, and I'm not just trying to be quoted on a poster, PRE-NUTS: CHARLIE BROWN BEGINS is fun for all ages between 18-25, especially the ones that wear a lot of black. It certainly a roller coaster ride of a movie. Not a particularly exciting roller coaster, maybe one of those old kiddie roller coasters you remember from your youth and say "oh man I love that roller coaster" but it gets redone and then it's all serious and even boring. That kind of roller coaster.

Not how I should grade? Some reviewers do thumbs up and down, but I think that's copyrighted. Letter grade? Number? Stars? I better cover all the bases:

FINAL GRADE: B.5 stars up.

And hey, if you dug this, check out my twitter over at www.twitter.com/brianlynch. I'm just as clever over there, only in travel size portions.

Twitter Trending Topics That Indicate Aliens Might Be Invading Earth

2009-06-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

If you're like me and you get your news through the Twitter Trending Topics, I would like to do you a cyber solid and suggest that if you see any or all of these Trending Topics on your Twitter, turn off your computer, grab a gun and hide under your bed, because there's a good chance Earth is getting invaded.

#alien
#invasion
#alien invasion
#never able to watch ET again
#uhoh
#obama probably in cahoots
#analprobesWTF
#host gestating egg sac
#indepedence day FTW
#wheres ripley JK
#followfriday dark overlord

30 ROCK is a rip-off of THE MUPPET SHOW!

2009-06-08T00:57:00.001-07:00

How are your minds today? Are they good? Not blown, you say? Do you like them that way? Then my sincerest apologies for THIS...

Tina Fey's 30 ROCK is currently the most acclaimed comedy series on television. It's won numerous Emmys and Golden Globes and I think Pulitzers. Critics and audiences alike love the show and its lovable zany characters, and consider it one of the most original comedies in years.

And I guess it is original...if you've never seen THE MUPPET SHOW. Because, my "friends" (in quotes because I don't know or trust you, please don't be offended), Tina Fey's 30 ROCK is quite obviously ripping off Jim Henson's beloved TV show.

"You're crazy", you say? "Wow, now with the insults. This is why I don't trust you", I respond. And the I hit you up with so many facts you HAVE to concede I'm absolutely right.

EXHIBIT A: THE PREMISE

Each week, our smart yet neurotic lead character has to manage a group of wacky misfits and put on a weekly sketch comedy show. Which show am I talking about? 30 ROCK plays like NBC went to JJ Abrams and told him to reboot THE MUPPET SHOW. "Do what you did with STAR TREK. Make it hipper, more adult. Maybe lose the puppets to allow more time for product placement."

EXHIBIT B: LIZ LEMON VS. KERMIT THE FROG

Both are the most normal characters on their respective shows. Both are unlucky at love. Both are neurotic worrywarts and type-a personalities who slow burn into a crazy breakdown once per episode. AND both have some kind of flirtation with the guest stars that ultimately goes nowhere. There is absolutely no difference between Liz Lemon and Kermit the Frog save for genitalia (Liz is a lady, Kermit has none).

Clearly Tina Fey has studied Kermit for hours preparing for her role. Remember the wacky voice Liz Lemon used to get out of Jury Duty? Oh man, that was funny. UNLESS you saw the part in THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN when Kermit got amnesia.

EXHIBIT C: JENNA MARONEY VS MISS PIGGY

Blonde and beautiful...but possessing, to put it politely, questionable talent. Both characters' vanity and desire to be the star of the show leads them to conive and backstab...which usually winds up making them the butt of the joke. NBC got really lazy on this one, as Jane Krakowski looks like the human version of the beloved Muppet. I'm somewhat surprised that Krakowski hasn't busted out karate moves or awkward French phrases.

EXHIBIT D: TRACY JORDAN VS. THE GREAT GONZO

The insane cast member overflowing with eccentricities? Check. Is in a committed relationship but has a wandering eye? Check. Has to be watched closely or he will hurt himself? Check. Watch this clip from THE MUPPET SHOW and picture Tracy Jordan doing it instead of Gonzo. Oh sure, there might be cursing and Tracy would probably be topless by the end of it, but other than that, Tracy and Gonzo act the exact same. And don't tell me you'd be surprised if Tracy started dating a chicken during sweeps. In fact, I am going to write that as a spec script.

In 30 ROCK's defense, the actual Tracy Morgan was ripping off Gonzo's completely ludicrous antics long before 30 ROCK was on the air.

EXHIBIT E: KENNETH THE PAGE VS. SCOOTER

I'm talking out my ass here, I guess. Kenneth is a naive, earnest page who runs around the set trying to put out fires and make everyone happy. Scooter, on the other hand, is a naive, earnest GO-FER who runs around the set trying to put out fires and make everyone happy. Totally different.

EXHIBIT F: THE JACK DONAGHY FACTOR

This is where 30 ROCK almost had me. Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy is without ANY direct Muppet parallels. Aw man, arguably the most beloved 30 ROCK character and he's not clearly based on any one Muppet. At first I thought he might fill the role of "Very Special Guest Star" every week (after all, before 30 ROCK Baldwin was known primarily for being a film actor and crazy).

But then I watched an episode of 30 ROCK and it hit me: Jack isn't just ONE Muppet. Jack is like Voltron: many Muppets combine to form a BIGGER, COOLER super muppet!

Jack's Republican leanings and stiff outward demeanor? Come on now.

Jack began as the cold, all business boss that only cared about the bottom line and profits.

But he slowly came around, hanging out with Liz Lemon and becoming all sorts of warm and fuzzy. Beneath that big, hirsute exterior was someone who just wanted to be loved.

And Jack/Fozzie's relationship with his old, decrepit mother? Why does she insist on constantly insulting him, doesn't she realize how insecure she's making him? I mean, who does she think she is?

I mean, think about it. Even Jack's VOICE is ripped off from the Muppets.

"Now you're grasping at straws" you say? Well CHECK OUT THESE STRAWS AND PREPARE TO GRASP SOME YOURSELF, I SAY! As I hit you with:

EXHIBIT G: THE REST OF THE CAST

And

Don't forget

Hey what about

Oooor

"Hey, Lynch, he's not from THE MUPPET SHOW, he's from SESAME STREET"
"Quiet, you, I'm almost done, let me end big..."

EXHIBIT H: VERY SPECIAL GUEST STARS

30 ROCK is famous for bringing in guest stars. Oprah. Al Gore. Jennifer Aniston. Steve Martin. Paul Reubens. That impossibly handsome man from MAD MEN. Week in, week out, people that would never do network television pop by for surprise guest appearances. DOES THIS SOUND AT ALL FAMILIAR? It happens with such regularity, I half-expect Tina Fey to pop out of the "0" in the 30 ROCK opening credits, announce who's stopping by, and then wave her arms manically in the air celebrating.

And finally:

EXHIBIT I: THEY'VE PRETTY MUCH ADMITTED IT

Kenneth the Page sees the world as puppets.

Jane Krakowski has STARRED in a Muppet TV movie as penance (or so she could spy on the Muppets and take notes).

WERWOLF BARMITZVAH plays like a MUPPET SHOW sketch.

Hell, maybe some of the stars of 30 ROCK are Muppets! Here is some sloppy puppeteering on the part of the Alec Baldwin puppet.

And then, there is THIS. They're getting sloppy, people. An actual still from an episode of 30 ROCK:

THE PROSECUTION RESTS. I'm glad I opened a few eyes. Tina Fey, you should be ASHAMED. But can we do? We can't just sit back and let NBC and Tina Fey get away with this. We have to bring this to light.

Maybe, MAYBE we should even steal 30 ROCK and give it BACK to the Muppets.

Don't fret, people.

The Muppets' cohorts at SESAME STREET have already done just that.

That's all for now. Stay tuned next week, when I blow the lid off of the entire "NBC's THE OFFICE is a rip-off of a British TV show of the same name" scandal. I'm almost too good, is the problem.

By the way, if you're not following me on TWITTER, you can do so here. Critics call my Twitter "pretty great" and "okay I guess". Catch the fever!

(More) Movie (Poster) Reviews!

2009-06-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

Listen, I want to review movies for you but I'm on a time crunch. I have a lot of important things to do. So I can only have time to review movie posters. Let's get this party started...right?

G-FORCE

G-FORCE is about a hooker gerbil. It combines Richard Gere's biggest movie with Richard Gere's biggest urban legend.

PULL QUOTE: "If you take your easy to please kid to only ONE MOVIE this year, make it G-FORCE!"

IMAGINE THAT

Fox has got to stop with the origin movies. Wolverine, Aliens, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and now this. IMAGINE THAT is a prequel to THE CRYING GAME (when the screenplay was making the rounds, it was called THE CRYING PRE-GAME and then changed to CRYING GAME ORIGINS: DIL), that sheds some light on Dil's backstory. As you may remember he lived his life as a lady, even though he had a wiener.

So convincing is Dil that he fooled his Dad for the first 8 or so years. The poster represents the moment in the film when he gives Dil a piggyback ride and feels his/her erection. His reaction? "Imagine that!" Also his Dad wears quirky socks and loses his mouth but gets laser beam eyes.

PULL QUOTE: "Think it looks bad, smart guy? Well it's written by the guys that created BILL + TED, so who's laughing now? See, you are! You're laughing! Oh, you're laughing at it? I thought you were laughing with it. Nope, like right at it. I understand."

MY SISTER'S KEEPER

This one's easy. On a cold winter's day, a young girl finds she has a special gift: blowing huge bubbles of detailed pictures. Will she use her gift for good or evil? SPOILERS: it doesn't matter, it's just pictures in a bubble...even if it was used for evil, I mean, it's bubbles...what harm could she do? Grow up.

PULL QUOTE: "This movie blows! Bubbles!"

I SELL THE DEAD

The 2009 Overacting Competition is held in Austin, Texas. Charlie from LOST is a young upstart from a very poor family. He has perfected his overacting mug-face for years, in the reflection of a dirty spoon (reminder: family is very, very poor). He hitchhikes to the compeitition and finds he's in over his crazy, bug-eyed head. Crazy competition to be sure. Some Old Guy, for instance, wows people with his "Scrooge Smells a Fart" face and a Guy with a Tophat blows people away with a look that could only be called the "I know something you don't know". Just when things are looking grim, Charlie from LOST meets Ron Perlman...former champion, who had to bow out after a stroke.

Ron Perlman teaches Charlie from LOST, and after a crazy triumphant montage (set to Madonna's VOGUE), Charlie is ready. Final competition, he gets over his stage fright by picturing everyone in the audience as dirty spoons, and whips out his winning new face: "Is it cold in here or is just AAAAAAAH ZOMBIES!"

PULL QUOTE: ":)"

CROSSING OVER

INDIANA JONES AND KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL made so much money bringing back one of Harrison Ford's most beloved characters. The Weinstein Company LOVES money, so they decide to bring back Jack Ryan. Problem is, they don't have the rights to the character and they don't have much money (which they love) so they make the straight-to-video CROSSING OVER, starring Rack Jyan, who has just survived a melee on the Red Rocktober submarine and now faces a new threat: Ray Liotta. In a weird fuck-up of casting, Liotta, who is IN the movie, does not play himself. Ashley Judd does a pretty good Liotta though. The actual Liotta plays Rack Jyan's wife. Also named Ray Liotta. It's not the best written movie in the world.

If this does well, we can expect NEAR AND PRESENT ANGER and NOT-PATRIOT GAMES. Also if this does well, we can also expect hell to freeze over because look at this terrible poster.

PULL QUOTE: "Please, hell, freeze over!"

And that concludes my movie (poster) reviews for now. I hope this has you choose the movie that is right for you.

Hey, it's the 8th anniversary of my site, ANGRY NAKED PAT. Go on over and check out some stuff there, it's pretty awesome.

If you want me to review a specific movie poster, please, feel free to provide a link in the comments section.

I love you.

Movie (Poster) Reviews!

2009-05-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

I have lots of opinions on movies. I know what's good, and what's bad. But I don't have a lot of time, I'm very busy twittering so I can't see every movie willy-nilly. But I know you guys depend on me for my movie reviews (right? right?) and I won't let you down.

I know what you're think-typing. "You just said you don't have time to see the movies, Brian. What are you going to do, review movie trailers?" No, smart ass, that is also too time consuming. Trailers take far too long to load. I'm going to review the posters.

Let's get it started. In here.

See, at first glance, looking at this thing from top to bottom, I would say that Will Ferrell plays a giant T-Rex who hates white walls. But then I look further down and it appears that Will Ferrell plays a guy who loves white walls and there is a T-Rex who is constantly ruining them. Will is mad, too, look at how he's stomping as the T-Rex bursts through that new white wall that Will Ferrell put up. I'm guessing it's a thriller in the vein of LAKEVIEW TERRACE.

PULL QUOTE: "An edge of your seat white-knuckle thrill ride. Will Ferrell is Will, Feral!"

THE ANSWER MAN starring Jeff I think it's Daniels. Hmm. In keeping with Hollywood's current thrend of making movies about walls, this is a post apocalyptic event movie a la WATERWORLD that begs the question, what if we woke up one day and all our walls were missing? Jeff Daniels or Bridges has the Answer, Man: we would make our walls out of whatever the fuck we had lying around the house! In his case, books. Lauren Graham plays a widow who lost her husband when all the walls disappeared (known throughout the world as W-Day) and he was squished by the roof.

I bet there's a moment where someone makes walls out of pancakes. If not, there should be.

NOTE: If I hear THE ANSWER MAN goes back for reshoots next week and does that pancake thing, they're gonna be able to make a wall out of all the money I make from my lawsuit.

PULL QUOTE: "Summertime blues? Jeff Goldblume or whoever has the Answer, Man!"

STRIPPED DOWN is about a down-on-his-luck hitman who, after having a mid-life crisis and botching a hit, gets blackballed by the hitman industry. But the movie doesn't end there, no sir, this guy has to take a job as a seamstress to help pay the bills. He hates it, on account of he's a macho hitman and clothes designing is for the ladies, but to his horror finds out that he's REALLY good at it! It's kinda like GROSSE POINT HAPPY GILMORE.

Eventually he embraces his new job and has no need for his massive gun collection. So then, he decides to incorporate them into his designs. Right when he's at his happiest, he finds his old enemies are using his gun-shoe-designs to SNEAK GUNS ON A PLANE and the hitman dude has got to stop him...but the plane thing is scheduled at the exact same time as his RUNWAY SHOW! Can he do both? We'll have to see. I mean, you will, I'm busy.

PULL QUOTE: "Premiering Soon at a Netflix Watch Instantly Near You!"

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 starring Washington Travolta as a doughy man with weird hair who believes everything is made of chocolate, including walkie-talkies.

PULL QUOTE: "123 Pelhams can't be wrong!"

CITY ISLAND is about a very sad family who tries to get a fresh start by moving into JUNO'S opening credits. Things take a turn for the weird when the wife/mom gets trapped in a picture frame like General Zodd. Andy Garcia asks his son Jeremy Sisto to help him, and the son gets offended because he's not Jeremy Sisto. But then Andy shows him a picture of Jeremy Sisto and they laugh because, hey, honest mistake.

PULL QUOTE: "Is it generic in CITY ISLAND or is it just me?"

I feel better now. Five movie (posters) reviewed. Hopefully this will make your movie going experience easier.

Pictures for You

2009-05-28T18:27:00.001-07:00

First up is my desktop. Going over the PDFs for ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL volume 4 hardcover. Sent in my notes, which means my work on ANGEL:ATF is officially done. Check it---

If you look carefully, you can kinda see the top of the betta tank on the other side of the room. George is no longer with us, he died years ago, but a white/clear betta named Jerry is currently swimming about. I think he's pissed that he doesn't have a character based on him. I'm sorry, Jerry.

Quick note: if you're trying to read the back cover, it will be different. I rewrote it this morning. Mostly it's just an apology to Jerry for not putting him in the book.

Second and last picture, the nightstand next to my side of the bed:

I've been reading COMIC BOOKS 101 every night before I sleep. It's written by Chris Ryall and Scott Tipton, who, of course, are a big part of IDW's ANGEL world but also comic experts, and they've laid out the ins and outs of the comic business and history in one fantastic volume. You can, and should, order it HERE.

It's a fun read, and it's got tons of cool interviews with all sorts of comics writers and artists, from Stan Lee to the very fellow writing this blog. I hope I didn't drag the book down too much.

That was fun. More pictures later? Okay!

A Whedonverse Movie Without Whedon

2009-05-26T15:49:00.001-07:00

Look, we all know how great it would be to have a Whedonverse movie helmed by Joss Whedon. I mean, just seeing the poster would be a dream come true, no? I can almost picture it...

But let's just say someone else did it. With an all-new cast, to boot? How bad could it be?

Intrigued? Stay tuned.

Email is overflowing with awesome art.

2009-05-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Got new stuff from Franco and Stephen this weekend. Franco's was for ANGEL # 24, aka DRUSILLA part 1. HOLY COW. Just perfect. Franco's best stuff, easily. It is stunning. Beautiful and dark and stressful and bouncy and evil. This is gonna be stellar. AND we got the first seven pages colored. It is shockingly pretty. I am so excited for you guys to check it out.

Also got some more Stephen Mooney greatness for the aforementioned secret Whedonverse kinda sorta issues of something or other. Brilliant work. It's so jam-packed with greatness I don't know where to begin. I mean, there is a ton of different stuff to draw, and Stephen is knocking it out of the park.

I will ask Chris if I can slap up a page or so. So proud to be working with these guys.

Stephen Mooney is a genius.

2009-05-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

I can't post any preview art because it's still under wraps, but there I got some art from Stephen Mooney today for a Whedonverse related project that will make your eyes pop out of their heads. To say it's a jam-packed full of amazing easter eggs and cameos and shout-outs and eye candy is completely an understatement. My advice to you guys, keep your eyes peeled and start saving money to buy some sick, sick original art.

Mooney's best work, by far. And that's saying a lot. This is going to be wonderful.

I haven't blogged in a good long while.

2009-05-15T22:27:00.001-07:00

My apologies. I am busy writing a bunch of stuff, so that more than makes up for it, yes? Please? Whew!

Just handed in my corrections for ANGEL # 23, so that's off to the printer. It's a nice little epilogue to AFTER THE FALL that I do believe you will enjoy. Gunn and Illyria have some unresolved issues, and they begin to work them out in the most entertaining way possible.

Definitely tell your comic store to set aside a copy for you. Franco's art is stunning, whooooa boy did he have to draw some epic stuff. And also some nice little character moments. And he executed everything flawlessly.

Also, the newest issue of GEEK magazine is out, with a wonderful interview with Juliet Landau about our two Drusilla issues (ANGEL # 24-25). She said some nice stuff about me. What a great lady. Get that issue now, Andy Richter is on the cover.

Finally, the ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL volume 4 hardcover has also been sent to the printer, and it is a big'un. The big finale, all the way up to issue 17. Plus a ton of extras, including the original series pitch that was thrown out in favor of the storyline you saw. Pretty neat.

Hope you enjoy the upcoming ANGEL stories, and keep an eye out for the return of MONKEY MAN and ANGRY NAKED PAT. Oh yes. More later...

Free Comic Book Day Appearance!

2009-04-25T09:37:00.001-07:00

Next Saturday, FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Anyone on the West Coast should make the trek out to the NEW EARTH 2 and meet myself, Chris Ryall and Scott Tipton! We're super-friendly and adorable. DETAILS HERE!

One Bad Mother

2009-04-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Any questions?

ANGEL issue 23 sneak!

2009-04-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately. Busy writing, which is always good. Hopefully it means a lot of stuff for you guys to enjoy down the line.

To make up for the lack of updates, I asked Mr. Ryall if we could show you a page from ANGEL # 23. It features unconscious Gunn, flashbacks, and fish cameos. I promise, the issue is action-packed. This is the calm before the storm.

Enjoy the genius that is Franco Urru!

New York Times Best Seller Again!

2009-04-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

Guys, thanks again. Because of you, ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL volumes 1 and 3 have joined SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL as New York Times Best Sellers. AND they ranked number 2 and 3 on the list! Damn that Steven King!

We're very excited over here, thanks so much for buying the collected editions. I hope you enjoyed them. Now let's get ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL volume 2 on there! Let's go buy eight copies each! Hooooooray! No? Okay, that's cool.

Seriously, thanks again. It's very cool.

Happy April Fool's Day!

2009-04-01T19:44:00.001-07:00

To celebrate, I drew this. It took twenty minutes. I had an injury to my left hand a while back that makes it kinda painful to draw. I think you can tell by the Picasso-esque last panel that it was getting harder and harder as it went on. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Just dipping my feet back into the world of ANGRY NAKED PAT!

Thank you, Andy

2009-03-30T22:31:00.001-07:00

Andy Hallett (Lorne from ANGEL) died today at 33. You can read about it HERE.

I don't have much to say, other than Lorne was one of my favorite characters on any show. He was a part of every Whedonverse series I wrote thus far. I just got new art from ANGEL issue 23 yesterday, and sure enough, there he was. A bust of Lorne sits right above my work space.

Andy brought such humanity to a character that could have easily been a one dimensional part. He was one of the most human characters on the show, even buried in green makeup and prosthetic horns.

Here's an interview with Andy sans makeup.

And here's Lorne in action, doing what he does best.

He'll be missed. Good night, Andy.

SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL makes the New York Times Best Seller List!

2009-03-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

CHECK OUT THE NEWS HERE. That is pretty damn amazing. Thank you guys, up and down and left and right. You have no idea how much that means to us. Once again, a million thanks.

Put Stephen Mooney on your wall

2009-03-23T23:42:00.000-07:00

I have a page of original Stephen Mooney art and I have to say, it is just beautiful. And if you guys want to experience it for yourself GET YOURSELF OVER TO MOONEY'S BLOG and pick your favorite character. If you don't have the dough, save up and get the dough. Sell blood. Sell your multiple copies of ANGEL:ATF books. Sell your hair (do people buy hair?). Hair grows back, and an original Stephen Mooney is fooooorever.

A long, long time ago...

2009-03-23T12:41:00.001-07:00

...I wrote a weekly comic at www.moviepoopshoot.com. It's now Quick Stop Entertainment, and myself, DJ Coffman and Jon Sukarangsan did 100 "episodes" in total. You might remember the title character, MONKEY MAN, from SPIKE:SHADOW PUPPETS (he fought Spike in issue 3).

I'm looking to plunge back into the weekly online comic gig. I would love for it to be MONKEY MAN again, as I truly miss writing these characters, but maybe I should try an action one? All new world? Not sure, I'm open. Just throwing my desire to do this into the internet ether.

You can see all the MONKEY MAN strips here if you want. Start at the bottom, scroll up.

He raises a good question.

2009-03-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

Si.

2009-03-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

IDW sent over copies of foreign-language SPIKE:SHADOW PUPPETS and ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL volume 1. They went up on my shelf along with the Spanish language SPIKE:ASYLUM. They did a great job with them, and even translated my notes for SPIKE:SHADOW PUPPETS. Though, for all I know they tossed in insults and SPIKE fans in Mexico think I called them dirty names.

Heads up

2009-03-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm blaming the economy, but the signed ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL wedding issue ain't go no bids, so if you want one, you can probably get it cheaper than anyone's ever paid.

CLICK HERE and make it yours.

Erin Go Buy.

2009-03-17T23:23:00.000-07:00

I am saving money to do some online content, and selling a copy of the ultra-rare ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL issue 1 wedding variant. I don't have many of these left so I don' t know how many chances you'll get to get this ever again, but if you have the cash and you want the most rare ANGEL book ever, signed by me, you can BID HERE.

And I'm throwing in a few other little surprises on this one, to make it different. I think you guys'll dig.

And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Get ANGEL:ATF volume 3 CHEAP!

2009-03-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Got an email from Amazon alerting me that ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL Volume 3 hardcover is now 34% off cover price! GET IT HERE and save some dough! And hey, write a review while you're at it!

ANGEL:ATF VOLUME 3 IS OUT!

2009-03-10T21:00:00.001-07:00

Featuring art by the amazing Nick Runge and the superhuman Stephen Mooney. Tons of extras, including a behind-the-scenes commentary from one of the characters (is that a trade paperback first? hope so) and a Q and A wherein you all provided the Qs and Ryall and I made with some As.

I do hope you enjoy it, it's at fine comic shoppes everywhere, or you can order it HERE!

Writing has it's privledges.

2009-03-10T13:39:00.001-07:00

Stephen Mooney sent me this. I love Stephen Mooney.

And not just because he sends me beautiful original art, I'm not that shallow.

Become What You Are

2009-03-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

That's the title of ANGEL 23. While I like titles like SPIKE:ASYLUM and ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL, I really enjoy comics wherein each issue has a different title. We did this a bit with SHADOW PUPPETS, each chapter was a play on BUFFY and ANGEL episode titles ("Once More, With Felt"), and now I get to name a single issue as it's a self-contained story.

So, ANGEL 23 is called "Become What You Are". It's also the name of an album by Juliana Hatfield, but don't go looking at the song lyrics for hints or clues about the storyline, as there aren't any (though you should check out the album, as it's wonderful). The title will make sense once you read the issue, I think.

Back to work for me!

Brian

Been a while since I had a spoiler!

2009-03-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

So in ANGEL 17 Gunn was in a coma, badly beaten, possibly dying.
But in ANGEL 18, he's up and about and driving and has Illyria riding shotgun.

How did this happen? Well, here are Franco's pencils and inks for the cover of issue 23, which will shed a little light:

Faithful readers can probably tell just who is standing over Gunn. And yes, that person (?) does in fact have a hand in his speedy recovery. But I can tell you that physical healing is only the tip of the iceberg in this issue. This one is packed with big shake-ups. We see a couple of reunions, some fun cameos, characters charting new journeys, and Franco and I tell a little tale that serves as a wonderful capper to the AFTER THE FALL storyline. In fact, if ATF is ever collected in one volume, I hope this is the last chapter in the book.

Hope you enjoy the sneak peek!

ANGEL:ATF wedding variant aaaalmost sold

2009-03-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

It's not going for a ton of dough, which isn't the best news for my wallet but IS great news if you really want one. Go HERE and bid. It's fun and easy!

And I promise, I will use the money for creative endeavors. Not porn. Because I don't even read porn, and porn is free on the internet anyway.

SPIKE:SHADOW PUPPETS second printing!

2009-03-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to you guys, the first trade paperback of SPIKE:SHADOW PUPPETS has SOLD OUT! That means a new printing is on the way THIS WEEK.

I am excited because I gave all of mine away, and YOU should be excited on account of you can read the first appearance of Tok all over again. Plus, Spike and Lorne team up, Spike and Lorne turn into puppets, puppet ninjas by the thousands, Franco Urru draws the greatest puppets of all time, the return of Beck and Betta George, the introduction of the Angelus Puppet, and "I really hate...official cannon."

Hooray for SPIKE:SHADOW PUPPETS!

Last ATF Answers Part VI

2009-02-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is it! The last round of questions, re: ANGEL:ATF. Let's go!

Veiriti said...

Hello, Mr. Lynch,
I'm so excited about new Spike comic book series and I made a trailer. Actually it is a Spike spin-off tv series trailer, but I included some comic book characters. And as a huge fan of Spike I would be really happy to see your comic book stories for Spike on tv series. I hope you'll like my fan trailer!;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pak7Wv9BnI

LOVE IT! Thanks, that was really cool.

When is coming out the first issue of the new Spike comic book series?

Not sure. I am writing up an outline for the first bunch of issues now. I’d hate to give a definite month just yet.

SaveALemming said...

Ooh! Thought of an Angel/Spike related question-

With Spike saying he knows George in the last few issues of After the Fall; I like to believe that Asylum and Shadow Puppets are now canon.

All it really means is that Spike and George have history. Sure, I picture them hanging out at Mosaic, but the readers of ATF that haven’t read ASYLUM don’t have to know specifics about their relationship for the scenes to work. In fact, if you haven’t read ASYLUM, I think Spike just happening to be pals with the fish is a funny, surprising moment.

And yeh, I'm sure you're sick of the whole canon vs non-canon crap online,

Words can’t describe.

but I was wondering when you'd place Asylum and Shadow Puppets in Angel continuity.... if you had to. I keep thinking Asylum may have been around Smile Time time (who's to say Lorne doesn't like heading off to Vegas for the odd show? We don't see him constantly at the office in Season 5) And Shadow Puppets is sometime after Fred's death but before Girl In Question. Does this sound about right? I know it's not important, but I'm oddly anal retentive about timelines and love for things to fit together. Especially if it means George is canon. (And Beck and Tok, they rock too... but mostly George)

Not sure. Terrible answer, I know. I’m sorry, it’s been a while since I wrote those. Your calendar sounds good, though, let’s go with that.

Jen said...

I loved the series, Brian! You added a lot of colorful characters to it. Who was you favorite villian/big bad to write?

Definitely Gunn. I know I didn’t create him, but I did get to give him a new state of mind and “voice”. Plus his story in, I think issue 23, is among my favorite scripts. It came out fantastic.

Beyond him, I would say Non is a-number-1. She is a lot of fun to write, I think she fits in with the classic characters very well. I could see her on the TV show, if that makes sense. Kr’ph is a blast, and Smile Time’s Japanese faction in SHADOW PUPPETS was a joy to write. And Dr. Ray from ASYLUM was a handsome devil, wasn’t he?

Also if our still looking for ringtones for Angel, how about Soul Meets Body by Deathcab for Cutie.

I think we’re keeping “The Girl From Iponema” for the trade, but I think Spike will need new ringtones for the solo series, so thank you!

Anonymous Flashdisk said...

Here is my question:

Will you be writing a continuation of Angel after aftermath?

I am writing a Gunn follow-up in issue 23 and a Drusilla AFTER THE FALL tale with Juliet Landau (still can’t get over that) in issues 24-25.

marvel-knight said...

It's really great of you to answer all the questions, I will ask mine again :)

There is something I really can’t understand. Here it is – Wolfram and Hart really wanted Angel to fulfill his destiny, the Shanshu, right? But then why did they want him to sign it off?

Wolfram & Hart asking Angel to sign away his Shanshu was a test of Angel’s commitment. They wanted to see if he was truly on board, and him signing away the thing that means the most to him was the way to do it.

Why? In issue 12 Wes says that they never filed it, because the whole LA was sent to Hell.

They got new info, they worked quickly to carry it out. “Oh Angel will help us win? Well, we just had him sign it away.” Not exact words (but truly emmy-worthy dialog, no?), but Wolfram & Hart seems to think he’ll be the fall of all that is good, and took drastic steps to put him on the right track for that.

But will they file it now?

Doubtful, right?

Do they really want it to be filed and if not – why did they ask Angel to sing it anyway?

Now they asked Angel to sing stuff? Wolfram & Hart IS cruel!

And if they wanted it to be filed - why didn't they do it when they brought LA back from Hell?

They don’t anymore, I would assume, huh?

Thanks for the great story. We will really miss you :)

Thank you, very very much.

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for the series Brian! Angel was actually slipping from my mind before you brought it back in comic form, and I'd just like to thank you for re-introducing such a colorful mythology to me. One thing that's been bothering me for awhile now is how Fred/SeniorPartners said in First Night: Wesley that Wesley would be the reason that SeniorPartners win (somewhat paraphrasing since I don't have the issue in front of me). Issue 16 confused me though since he really won it for Angel there. What was Wesley SUPPOSED to have done for the SeniorPartners or did the Senior Partners anticipate that he would be the key to undoing everything? If so, then why would they bother bringing him back? Thanks again Brian!

Well, a big part of it was having Wesley deliver the news to Angel that HE was the fall of man (much easier to believe if Wesley tells him). But the big reason was in issues 16/17. Angel won the day, he and Wesley figured out a way to make it all go away, which Wolfram & Hart figured/feared he would…BUT if did so, he’d return to a time when Wesley was dead. It was a quick turn of the knife, so even when Angel triumphed, it felt like a defeat.

Remember when Connor died and Wolfram & Hart said it happened sooner than they thought, but it was going to happen eventually…that’s because (a substantial) part of W&H’s plan was to take away what mattered to Angel…so with Wesley gone, they succeeded. Angel feels alone (as evidenced in issue 17), and that’s not good, Angel needs the human connection.

That’s it for now! Thanks guys!

Want a SIGNED ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL wedding variant?

2009-02-24T23:00:00.001-08:00

We're gonna do it again. A signed copy of the ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL wedding comic. I signed it, so don't get TOO excited, it's not Whedon's signature. But I will personalize it if you want.

Please pass this on to anyone who may be interested. Thanks guys!

CLICK HERE AND GET BIDDING!

Last ATF Answers Part V

2009-02-23T11:51:00.000-08:00


I'm gonna answer more questions! Forgive the wacky layout of these Q and A, for some reason, they're always so wonky. Okay, let's go!

ILOVEROMY said...: Brian, your love and ownership for Spike's character is, I think, unique for the comic Buffyverse. I don't think any other writer, save for Joss, has taken a liking to a character from the show quite like you. Now that you have time to stretch out Spike over an extended run, what are some of the things you are looking forward to?
Thank you for your kind words! I look forward into plunging into Spike and really getting into all facets of his personality. Romantic, bad boy, poet, smart-ass, older brother, little brother, randy uncle, hero, antihero, I want this book to be a primer on the character. And he's spearheading an ongoing series for the first time, so we'll have a long narrative that is all about Spike. When Angel guest stars, it'll still be Spike's narration we hear, not Angel's. I'm gonna get around his head and root around all areas.

Also if I may, how will this series differ from your work on ATF?

Basically the lead character is very different, and that means a different tone. Also, it'll be more like a TV show, with a bunch of smaller stories trading off with a bigger, overall arc.

Thanks for the questions!

Artemis said...

Okay, I have a couple of things to say, and I apologize in advance for rambling. On the plus-side, it's just a read, not something to be answered.

1) I've told you several times that my favorite character is Wesley. My favorite issue of AtF was Wes's first night. Absolutely beautiful, man!; 2) Despite Wes being my favorite, one of the most striking moments for me from your series did not feature Wes at all. It was when Spike discovers that Angel is human. He looked heartbroken, then started babbling out weight-related insults at Angel while searching for cigarettes. In the meantime, Angel's thought bubbles noted Spike's reaction and sympathized with him rather than being annoyed with what Spike was saying. I just loved that, b/c you managed to get such great characterizations for BOTH vamps. Writers focus on the Angel/Spike rivalry, which is great, but insightful writers in this verse also realize that there are other levels to that relationship, that there is a kinship there.

3) While we're on the topic of characterization, I have to congratulate you for getting Angel soooo right, especially in light of your Spike-centric background. Angel doesn't speak a lot, and in other comics, this usually translates into someone who doesn't think a lot, either. Angel thinks, and he has a sense of humor (albeit somewhat muted), so it's great to see a writer that gets that!

4) Finally, I wouldn't change anything you've done with the series so far, nor would I want you to move over to Dark Horse, but god how I wish you could have the opportunity to write Giles! You did such a job with my favorite character; I just wish you could write my second favorite. Giles/Ripper is awesome! Are there any other Buffyverse characters you wish you could write?
Thank you for all those compliments. Very sweet of you. I would love to write Giles. Would want to tackle Xander (not like that) and Faith (kinda like that) and Buffy herself.: February 13, 2009 9:34 AM
Anonymous said...: Will the Spike series have a rolling series of guest characters or a cast of regulars, or some of both? Do you plan to have a mix of show characters and OCs?

Thanks for answering.
We'll have different characters come in and out, but it will also have a main cast. A very small one. Both show characters and original characters will be featured.


Shep said...: Who is your favourite character from the entire series (both show and comics) and why?
If there isn't a particular favourite then who was the most difficult character to write, explore, and develop, and why?
I know a lot of people think I'm going to say Spike, but I honestly don't have a favorite. It's strange, I would say Angel or Spike or Illyria, but it's definitely whoever I'm writing at the moment. For instance, just wrote a Gunn-centric issue and he, for the days I was writing it, became the greatest character ever. And then Illyria makes an appearance and she becomes the greatest character ever. I really adore these guys. All of them.

Though, I will say, Lorne and Groo are just pure joy to write dialog for. Just plain fun.

As for most difficult, I think a lot of writers in the past, both tv and comic, would say Angel. I clicked with him (at least, I hope I did) pretty quickly, Illyria took a few scenes before I felt comfortable.

I had a problem with some of the original characters. For instance, Kr'ph was a lot of fun in issue 1, but his return in issue 17 was kinda difficult. He has a very specific way of talking and it was weird to capture that again.

That's it for now! Thanks guys!

Thank you

2009-02-21T15:19:00.001-08:00

I just checked Amazon and saw that SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL is in the 25 graphic novels at Amazon.com. Thank you thank you! You guys rock.

And hey, if you're digging more horror/adventure/comedy written by me, you can download EVERYBODY'S DEAD # 1-5 for really cheap BY CLICKING HERE!

Wanna Read EVERYBODY'S DEAD without leaving your home?

2009-02-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

A lot of people told me they wanted to read EVERYBODY'S DEAD but couldn't find it in their comic store. Well, now you can grab copies of the comic online in beautiful PDF form. Each issue is actually cheaper than cover price, which is nice. Just go---

HERE.

Fans of my work with ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL, SPIKE, or, um, my twitter feed, now you can read a NEW horror/comedy/adventure and see if it's your cup of tea. There's romance, monsters, comedy, more monsters, the fighting of monsters, awesome characters, and beautiful art by the super talented Dave Crosland.

Please spread the word! And tell me what you think!

Last ATF Answers Part IV

2009-02-15T23:23:00.001-08:00

I gotta keep this one short because work is calling, but I didn't want to slack on answering questions, so I'll try a couple:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for writing a great series that was worthy of Joss Whedon himself.


Anonymous, you are quite wonderful for saying so. I don't agree, but thank you.

So is the shanshu question resolved as to who it is for and is it up for grabs still or was the talk between our two vampires more about just trying to cheer the other up about the future?

That remains to be seen. Wolfram & Hart, however, really seemed to bank on the fact that it was Angel who was going to shanshu after causing the downfall of all that is good. I mean, they REALLY believed it, so much so that they poured all their resources into kickstarting that destiny. But, still, who knows what the future could bring?

Anonymous said...

First of all: I totally loved 'Angel: ATF'! You did really great work!! (I admit I was very sceptic - not 'bout your work, but 'bout a continuation after 'Not Fade Away')

Thank you! I was also extremely skeptic, to be honest.

Now, with Wolfram&Hart gone - only for now, I s'pose/hope - just one question: any chance that we'll see our favourite little bastard Lindsey again? (because we know that dead doesn't have to mean dead in whedonverse)

I will say that I have no plans for it as of yet. Love the character, though.

Okay, back to work!

Last ATF Answers Part III

2009-02-13T17:51:00.000-08:00

Let's keep the answer train comin'!

Chapel_Perilous said...: This is probably one whose answer is "I don't know" but:

Are the After the Fall and Season 8 time lines concurrent in any way (will we see a crossover, are the events of one affecting the other, are they going to share characters)?

It seems like AtF ended with a coinciding plot to Season 8, but it doesn't seem like they're going to meld, anyway.

Don't know the future plans of the BUFFY book. Sorry man and/or lady.

enisy said...

I think you'd told me to get back to this question after the series was over, so... In hindsight, is there anything you'd change about "Angel: After the Fall" and "Spike: After the Fall", if you had the chance to do them all over again? (Because the fans didn't quite "get" it, or because you think you could have done better, or or or...

No regrets! That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Well, someone just asked who that glowing guy was in SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL, so maybe I would have made that more clear. I really wish FIRST NIGHT came out as one big book, so the main story didn't have to take such a long breather.

Angelman said...

HI Brian,
Are there definately plans for an ongoing Angel title after the Aftermath and Drusilla issues are done. After hearing all the news about the Spike series (and that Angel will be in it), and nothing more about the Angel....just wanna make sure:)

February 13, 2009 3:04 AM

Oh yes, there are plans.

SaveALemming said...: I can't think of any questions related to Spike or Angel at the moment (and I've gushed aplenty about them at the AngryNakedPat Board) so I'm gonna ask something esle that's been bugging me a bit:

What happened to The Sims movie? Your bloggy thingy used to make reference to writing a movie based on a popular video game and that's gone, the IMDb page is gone.... Is the movie gone? No big loss, if it is I suppose, and definitely not if it had another writer; I just thought it could be a fun concept with you at the writery helm.

As always keep up the good work!
I will try, thanks! After coming up with the story and pitching the story and then writing the outline and first draft, I think Fox has it out to different writers. I guess the plan is to rewrite me, or start from scratch, but I honestly have no idea. I just hope if my name's on it, it doesn't stink. That's all I hope. Oh, and I'd like a DeLoreon. And a talking fish.

Anonymous said...: After hearing that you are working with JL, are you having a fan reaction similar to, WOW!
Yes, I'm excited...and more than a little impressed with her work ethic. She has eighty projects going on (including a play wherein she plays, I believe, 7 different characters) and she's still taking the time to work really hard on the story for these two issues. I feel terrible because my east coast/cold/flu sickness has set me back on writing as much as I'd like (hence the blogging) because Juliet is juggling a billion different projects AND still doing amazing work on this one. You guys are gonna be impressed, I think.

Oh, and she's really nice. Really really nice.

Bitsy said...: What are you reading right now that you think fans of Buffy and Angel would get into? Shill for IDW if the opportunity presents itself, sir.
Off the top of my head: SCOTT PILGRIM (any volume), WORMWOOD:GENTLEMAN CORPSE (any story), anything Geoff Johns writes, LOCKE & KEY, THE WALKING DEAD, BOOSTER GOLD, Millar and McNiven's run on WOLVERINE and I just read a sneaky pete of the first issue of Ryall and Templesmith's GROOM LAKE and it is awesome: gory, scary, hilarious.

That was a good batch! Thanks guys!

Last ATF Answers Part II

2009-02-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

Second part...

Scarlet Ibis said...: I'm daring to dream here, but on a scale of one to ten, what is the probability of there ever being a Spike/Angel (concrete and not just a hint at) pairing? And how do you feel about the two of them?
Like, dating? I'd say maybe a three? And Xander can videotape.

I love Angel, and I love Spike. And if those two crazy kids want to be together, then I will support their decision.

Emmie said...: Not a question here, but I just wanted to say thank you for the interview you did with Buffyfest at NYCC (I'm midway through the second part right now). I really appreciate all the time give you give to interacting with the fans and it was great to actually see you talking about the characters. Your enthusiasm and love for them and their story shone through.
It was my pleasure. Buffyfest peeps were awesome, by the way. Four of the nicest people I met at Comic Con. Good times.


Anonymous said...: Hi. Im new here-
Just wanted to know something...

who was that "electric man" (or demon) that Spike saw in "Spike: ATF"?
(You know, the man who was on fire on that house that the Dragon told Spike to go)

It was Angel.

Allycat said...: It was announced that you're going to write an on-going Spike-series which will run along close to the Angel-series. You also said you were too busy to write the Angel-series yourself as well. Will you be taking an executive producer role over the Angel-series, given the fact that you have a larger overall view of the Angel-part of the Buffyverse?

Nope, again, time constraints. I have to earn a living, lest my house get taken away and I am forced to write SPIKE scripts on napkins. So my day job (screenwriting) only kinda allows for writing one comic on the side. But if any writers have any questions, I try to help best I can.

Will the on-going Spike series have a subtitle and if so, what will it be?; I kinda wanted to call it THE ADVENTURES OF SPIKE, just to make it sound different from books that came before it. Also toyed with SPIKE UNLIMITED. But it'll probably just be "SPIKE". The different arcs will have subtitles, though.; Beck and Tok are rumoured to show up in the new series. So, will readers need to be familiar with Asylum and Shadow Puppets to understand the new series?
Nope. We'll take time in the SPIKE series to explain who everyone is. BUT if people have read ASYLUM or SHADOW PUPPETS, it'll make the experience all the more fun.

And besides, people should read them. They're good. I wanna hardcover ASYLUM/SHADOW PUPPETS. Please! No? Okay, fine...

...that's it for now, more later!

Last ATF Answers Part I

2009-02-12T23:31:00.000-08:00

I asked for questions, and you guys delivered! Gonna do them whenever I have some free time, so let's get this started!

NUMBER ONE!

Emmie asked the following:: What is the meaning of life?

...for Spike?

...for Angel?

...for Gunn?

...for Illyria?

...for Connor?

Basically, how do you see them approaching the world?; _____________________
Hmmmm. I'll try and figure out what each character wants at the end of AFTER THE FALL, if that's okay. Kind of a WIZARD OF OZ deal.

SPIKE: Wants to know his place in the world, but I'd have to say his world revolves around being in love and being loved.

ANGEL: I think Kelley tackles this one right off, so I'll leave that to her. But I will sayAngel thinks his purpose is determining how to help, how to make things right, how to be the best man he can be.

GUNN: If he ever wakes up? He's got a lot going on. He's gonna want peace of mind above all else.

ILLYRIA: She's of two minds, if you catch my drift. I think she'd love some clarity.

CONNOR: Connor's nothing but untapped potential: a blank slate in terms of love, destiny, his future is wide open on all accounts, and that's gotta be a weird place to be in. He can do whatever he wants, and he has to decide which direction he wants to go in. Normal life/life of a hero? Forgive Gwen or move on? Assist his Dad, break out on his own?

Did that answer your question? I hope so.

_______________________

QUESTION NUMBER TWO!

Wyndam asks:

Brian,

Any early ideas/plans for the extras in the 4th HC? 3rd volume isn't out until next month (can't wait!), so we probably won't see it for a few more months, but any info would be awesome!

Thanks.

Kinda early, but maybe go over all the storylines we didn't pursue? Maybe the original unused pitch? I think more Franco art would be wonderful.

_______________

PatShand has asked:

1. What were your favorite scenes to write in Angel: After the Fall?

I answer this in ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL vol.3 hardcover, but I will say I loved writing the Connor/Kate story in FIRST NIGHT, Angel/Cordy scenes, Gunn/George in issues 2 and 10, all of issues 15 and 16, and the Wesley/Illyria scene in 9.

2. What, do you think, was the strongest issue?

I think 16 is the best. Keep in mind I planned for 17 to actually be a double issue with 16, so I'm kinda counting that as part of 16. I think the last chunk of issues is the best all around. But I also love the Connor/Kate story in FIRST NIGHT and all of SPIKE:ATF, particularly the first two issues.

3. You said when the series was finished, you'd tell us some of the ideas of yours that Joss said were a no go. Can we hear 'em?

I'll save that for the hardcover to vol. 4. But we considered, however briefly, Spike and Nina being together. CUE THE INTERNET BITCHING!

4. What was your biggest, unexpected, happy surprise in writing the book? Like, what did you not expect to write but it just came out?

I also tackle this in ANGEL volume 3, but here's a new answer: I never thought I'd get to write SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL. In fact, I didn't really want to when IDW asked if I had an idea for a spin-off (just because of time considerations) but man, am I glad I did. My life was literally nothing but writing for the months I did that (no, that's not true, I also moved into a new house those months) but the end result was a pretty awesome story, one I really love reading. And Non is now out there in the universe, so that's nice.

5. What would you liked to have explored more?

Living in hell, mostly. How awful that must have been. Plus Nina, Connor and Gwen's relationship, and more of Lorne governing Los Angeles.

6. Think the movie theatre chick ever got to see what crazy homeless soup eater did 'for her'?

Almost included them in issue 17, but didn't have the space. But I think she probably died in hell (pretty quickly actually) but is back and probably a little messed up. And because the crazy homeless guy rose up and flourished in hell, he's better off. So now their roles are switched. What? You asked!

7. And, since this number is lucky, and I'm pushing my luck with this many questions, this is my last one: Any favorite moments from the overall experience of adding to the mythos of your favorite show?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. I kinda dig what we did with Connor, we changed that character and made him kinda cool, which is nice. But the whole thing, really, was an honor and a trip.

Thanks in advance. You're the man, as always, for doing this.

Thank you, sincerely, for caring as much as you do. It was a pleasure to read your reviews every week.

Okay, first three questioneers answered! Thanks guys!

QUESTIONS?

2009-02-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

Anything you want to ask me about ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL or SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL? Or about anything, really...post'em in the comment section of this blog and I will answer my heart out.

Inappropriate questions will be met with a "good day sir or madam", but appropriate questions will TOTALLY get answered with vim and vigor in a future blog.

Questions to avoid:

"What involvement will Joss have with __________?" (Answer: I don't know)

"Will Kelley Armstrong's arc have ____________?" (Answer: I don't know)

"You better not have ____________ in upcoming comics." (Answer: that wasn't a question)

"Was it your idea or Joss' idea to have __________ do__________ in ATF?" (Answer: I don't remember)

"Will you go on a dream date with me?" (Answer: I'm married, sorry)

And let's go! ONE QUESTION EACH, thanks!

Found the SPIKE:ATF hardcover!

2009-02-12T18:46:00.000-08:00

It is AWESOME. Jam-packed with tons of extra Franco art, some notes from me, plus the complete SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL story. And whereas Angel's ATF books are a nice dark red, this one is golden. Same design, same fonts, but different color, so it stands out a bit. Sweet, sweet embossed shiny gold logo too.

Love how it came out. You can pick one up here:

http://www.amazon.com/Spike-After-Fall-Brian-Lynch/dp/1600103685/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234493377&sr=1-1

They have the wrong cover there, as you can see. But that's the book.

Wizard reviews ANGEL:ATF 17

2009-02-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

They dig it!

______________

ANGEL #17
IDW Publishing
Brian Lynch (W)/ Franco Urru (A)
JIM: "Acting as an afterword to 'After the Fall,' this issue of Angel catches up on the crew following the new 'everybody loves Angel because he saved us from Hell' status quo. Spike and Angel have moved a bit toward a 'Lethal Weapon' style duo, Gunn's in a coma, Illyria is watching over him and each and every baddy Angel killed in hell is back among the loving after the reset button was pushed–Yep, that's the nasty catch you knew had to be part of the heroes' win outcome of 'AtF.' Essentially reaffirming that classic Angel maxim 'I'm Angel: I'm not perfect but I'm trying hard to help,' this isn't an essential issue, but reinforces all the fun possibilities of life in an Angel-friendly Los Angeles. The epic 'After the Fall' maybe over, but looks like Lynch still has plenty of stories to tell here."

Wow, SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL hardcover tomorrow too!

2009-02-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to see it. I'll be on a plane tomorrow so I won't get a chance to go buy one until Thursday, but man, it will fun to sit down with this and read it straight through. Hope you guys like!

ANGEL 17 tomorrow!

2009-02-10T09:36:00.001-08:00

My last trip to the Whedonverse for a little while. I do hope you enjoy it!

East

2009-02-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

I'm here! Comic Con Bound! Tomorrow I'll be at the IDW panel over at 3:15. Come say hi! I will say hi back! I'm excited!

Heading East

2009-02-03T22:32:00.001-08:00

Getting on a plane tomorrow morning, heading to New Jersey (and New York Comic Con). I will miss California, and my dog, and I am scared of flying, but I'm looking forward to the trip. Hope to see a bunch of you at the NYCC!

New York Comic Con!

2009-01-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

I'm definitely going, tickets bought and everything! Not sure what I'm doing yet, but you can definitely see me at the IDW tenth anniversary panel on Friday at 3:15. Room 1A07.

I wasn't scheduled to go, a trip to the east coast just kinda happened at the right time, so I'm not sure if I'll be ON the panel, but I'll definitely be going TO the panel. Maybe just to heckle. But I do believe some ANGEL related announcements are going to be made, so maybe I'll be up there. Either way, come by and say hi!

ALSO, ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL signed wedding variant is STILL AVAILABLE HERE!

Disturbingly True Tales of the Comic Book Industry Part 2

2009-01-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

San Diego Comic Con. I was invited out by an editor to talk about possibly doing work for them. Told me to meet him around 3 PM. 3 PM in July, even in somewhat windy San Diego, is very hot.

This guy shows up kinda drunk. At 3 PM. Also, I guess because he works in an artistic field, he's wearing a black turtleneck and either a black kango hat or beret. I can't be sure which, as he was so sweaty, in 90 degree heat, wearing a black turtleneck and black hat, drunk, that it was hard to look at him.

That said, I talked to him for a while. At one point, he said "well if I had known you looked like that I wouldn't have asked you out" which is weird because (a) now he's implying it's a date, and (b) if he's going to not work with people in the comic industry if they don't look like super models, the only person that's getting work is Franco Urru and (c) this guy looked like he was melting and, most of all (d) it was really, really rude but he was drunk and insecure, so okay.

A writer that had just started working for Melty's company walks up. Melty the arty drunk editor goes "THIS guy is the future of ___________ comics." As if to say "YOU are not." But that was apparent. New writer smiles and nods and gets away quickly.

At the end of the meeting, I say my good-byes and run, run away. Quickly.

I hope New York City Comic Con goes better...through an odd series of circumstances, I will be there. Definitely at the IDW panel next Friday, maybe more. AND I'm gonna meet Franco! Hooray!

Note: Some editors are not sweaty, insulting or drunkards. Chris Ryall is one. I have never been insulted by him, have never seen him sweat, and while I have seen him drink, I would not call him a drunkard. Not to his face anyway, he's a violent drunk.

Signed ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL wedding variant still available HERE.

Disturbingly True Tales of the Comic Book Industry Part 1

2009-01-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun story about the comic book business that someone reminded me of this morning.

One of the "big two" comic companies put feelers out about working with me. They said that they had read some of my stuff and thought I would be perfect for a project. So I talk to them, kinda excited at the idea of playing around in a universe I've read since I was a little kid.

I talk to the editor, and he says after reading my work (they had not just comic stuff, but the Muppet screenplay that I had sold to Henson) they had the PERFECT project for me.

It was lesbian detective series. The word "lesploitation" was used. A lot. "You know, they work hard, they play hard, making out with girls, solving crimes revolving around girls, etc."

I thought they were kidding. They weren't.

I don't know what's more odd: the fact that they were going to try and do a lesploitation series set in regular continuity ("Move it, Spidey...make room, Superman, I can't get a good look at the ladies!") or the fact that after reading a Muppet script I wrote they thought I'd be "perfect" for it.

The series never happened. I think it's for the best.

You can still bid on the signed ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL wedding variant, here, by the way. If you want. Warning: there is no lesploitation. Here's the cover:

Want a signed ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL wedding variant?

2009-01-25T17:12:00.000-08:00

In December of 2007, I got married to a wonderful lady. Chris Ryall was nice enough to give us a bunch of ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 1 with an amazing NEW cover by Franco Urru to give to guests at the wedding. It's a classy variant, logo embossed in silver, back cover by EVERYBODY'S DEAD artist Dave Crosland, and the only way you could get one is to actually go the wedding.

Well, we've moved recently, and we found a few extra copies. I signed one and put it on ebay, if you're interested. It's easily the most rare version of any issue of ANGEL:ATF that exists.

I've never put anything up on ebay, but I decided to give it a shot. I kinda want to self-publish some smaller comics again, and anything I make on this will go into the "special project" fund.

Sound like something you'd dig?

BEGIN YOUR BIDDING!

Trivia!

2009-01-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

http://buffycomics.hellmouthcentral.com/html/trivia.htm has a wonderful list of fun trivia and pop culture references in the BUFFY and ANGEL comics. This was a fun read. I can turn them onto more of them in my books, if they want.

Either way, check this out, it's swell.

The (IMO) Greatest Team-Up Ever!

2009-01-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

SPOILERS FOR ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL if'n you haven't seen issue 16 yet.

I'm warning you.

TURN BACK NOW!

For serious, don't scroll if you haven't read!

Listen to me, spoilers will be spoiled!

Heed my blog!

...

waiting.....

....waiting some more...

Okay, good.

Here's the non-colored, non-lettered last panel of ANGEL:ATF # 16, aka "when worlds collide" aka "the greatest crossover that most readers didn't know was even happening EVER!"

This made my heart feel good. God would I love to do a limited official crossover kinda deal. So much fun.

Issue 16

2009-01-22T12:16:00.001-08:00

SPOILERS FOR ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 16 if you haven't read it yet, because I'm gonna babble about it.

I'm serious!

Big spoilers!

I warned you...

...if you've read ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 16, you know that Angel and Wesley figured out that if Angel dies in hell, Wolfram & Hart needs to go back into his timeline to get him back. And since it was said that their time in hell was actually between moments, they had to go back to the very last moment in the actual timeline that Angel was around...

...which was the moment Angel first went to hell. So they yanked everyone out of hell, and life resumed for (most of) our characters.

When I told Chris Ryall the ending we cooked up, his eyes grew wide and he looked somewhat scared. I remember the moment perfectly. It was at my bachelor party, we were both a little tipsy in a very crowded bar, so of course we discussed ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL. I told him how the story was going to wind up and he was concerned that it would be a retcon, "none of this happened, it was all a horrible, horrible dream"...which is, of course, not the best way to end a series.

And then I realized that drunkenly yelling a two-sentence description of a comic book finale over a crowded bar is NOT the best way to pitch an idea. So I explained it further and he dug it. I don't think he was entirely convinced, however, until he read the issue. I'm noticing that's happening on quite a few places around the internet: people don't love the idea when they hear it, but when they see how it plays out, they dig it.

It was my job to make it so that the events you see in issue 16 clearly could be the only viable ending for this specific story. Of course, if everyone was coming back, we could have fun with body count (that seemed to please Mr. Whedon), but we had to keep it so a reboot wasn't a foregone conclusion. This meant, basically, not killing off Angel or Spike. Once that happened, people were gonna start thinking things would HAVE to be undone.

Connor's death was the key. Angel would do anything to change it. We hoped that the audience would root for it to be taken back. After all they've been through, and all that's happened to Connor in AFTER THE FALL, I wanted people to be so distraught and frustrated that Connor died at the end of issue 15 the only ending they'd accept was taking it back. I think, for some, we accomplished that. For others, it was a swell death and they were fine with it. To them I say, please, pretend the series ended with issue 15 and everyone's happy.

Remember in issue 2, Gunn is talking about the man Angel is, and how maybe THAT man isn't all that noble to begin with. After all, look what he did, look at the trouble he caused, look at the fate of those that trusted him. Well, Angel, just a man, killed himself without hesitation, on the chance that it save everybody and everything.

And hey, Cordelia actually tried to help Angel "move on". Whether or not she knew that was the solution, if Angel had gone with his oldest friend in the series, everything would have been okay.

Gunn to the humans he saved from Kr'ph in issue 1: "Think of the last couple of months as a bad, bad dream. That's all they were." Welllll, Gunn was on the right track. Hell, his plan to use Illyria to timeshift back to normal was kind of what Angel did...only, of course, Angel found a way to do it without hurting anybody but himself.

So, yeah.

That said, it wasn't a dream. It all happened. Betrayals, first loves, murders, deaths, it all happened. And now, every single person (and other assorted creature in Los Angeles) remembers EVERYTHING that happened.

From Illyria having all of Wesley and Spike's memories of Fred in her head, to the Powerful Demon Lords remembering Angel is the one that blowed them up real good, to the citizens of LA knowing who Angel and company are, to Connor realizing his first love was a traitor. The repercussions of this are enormous, from a story and a character standpoint. Angel is famous AND wanted by the demon underbelly. Illyria knows what it's like to be human more than she ever thought possible. Wolfram & Hart...well, we go into that a bit more next issue. You'll see.

The snowglobe has been shaken. All the characters are at different places to be sure.

Wow, this was long. My apologies. I just hope, above all else, that I did justice to the characters and entertained you. And, hey, an ANGEL issue/episode with a happy (ish) ending. Not something you see every day.

ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 16 this week!

2009-01-19T21:12:00.001-08:00

I am thrilled with this issue! It's all come down to THIS, big climax/resolution/world-changing issue, and man, did it come out great. It features my favorite scene in the entire series (I'll tell you after you read it). Franco did some brilliant, brilliant work. Can't say enough how excited I am for you guys to read it.

One more to go after this!

Whatever happened to...?

2009-01-19T19:36:00.001-08:00

I think maybe we're gonna find out later in 2009. But you didn't hear it from me.

A:ATF Volume 3 Cover

2009-01-16T19:12:00.000-08:00

It's gonna be...

Need proof? Alls I can show is a pic of the PDF I was sent (the cover is before the title and whatnot was added, obviously):

The extras are sweet. The Qs you asked over at the IDW Board are all A'ed. Plus, there's a very unique behind-the-scenes feature, excerpts from one of the character's on-set diaries. We try to keep it entertaining over here, folks!

PLUS all the covers (including the wonderful John Romita cover!)!

Not to mention, you know, issues 9-12. They're kinda fun.

It's gonna be wonderful!

Two Blog Family

2009-01-13T13:26:00.001-08:00

Times are tough, and you need to save every single penny you can for ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL variant covers. Well, there's a new blog that will help you save money and it's quite wonderful.

It's also written by my wife, so I'm biased, but damned if the girl doesn't know her way around saving you dough and writing about it an entertaining way.

Check out THE UNEMPLOYED WORKAHOLIC now. Follow it every day. Thank me later.

Second Printing of the Second Volume

2009-01-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

Just saw on Chris Ryall's blog that ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL volume 2 ("First Night") has gone into it's second printing. I had no idea, that is wonderful. Thanks everyone!

Also, the ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL cover gallery is coming out along with it. I haven't seen it, but I'm for anything that gives Franco and Runge and Mooney and Garner more attention.

I got the last couple of pages for ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 17 today. Just some lettering to do, and then I walk into the sunset. Hooray!

Wanna vote for ANGEL?

2009-01-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Wizard is holding the annual Wizzie Awards (no, they're not called that, but man, they should be).

ANGEL is up for "Favorite Licensed Comic" (that category is number 26 on the list). BUFFY is also up for the award, but she's up for other awards too (Favorite female or something or other) so hey, let's give her that and give ANGEL number 26! Fine, we all know BUFFY is gonna win "Favorite Licensed Comic" as well, but it doesn't mean we can't try!

So if you get a chance , go on over and vote. It only takes seconds!

CLICK HERE and do it for Angel! And Spike! But most of all, do it for America!

Working

2009-01-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Hey, I know I said I was going to do a "Plans for 2009" post, but truth is, I've been busy working so I have stuff to show you in 2009. Gonna be a good year. Viva la stuff!

Personal Highlights of 2008

2008-12-31T12:28:00.001-08:00

2008 was jam-packed with stuff. Let's take a look at some of it, in a little picture essay entitled "How I spent 2008".

ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL and SPIKE:AFTER THE FALL continued continuing. I think ANGEL came into it's own this year, the second half of the series is, in my opinion, way better than the first half, and I couldn't be more proud of the work we've done. Also, working with Chris Ryall, Franco, Mr. Mooney, Mr. Runge? I highly recommend it to anyone who has the means. A great supportive, super talented creative team. And the covers by Alex Garner? Yes. He should draw covers for every comic, book, phone book, Bible, record album, cd cover, and movie poster.
EVERYBODY'S DEAD was 15 years in the making (wrote it as a movie 15 years ago, almost made it with Artisan, now Lionsgate, 10 years ago). Five issue limited series, so far my creative highlight as a comic writer. The brilliant Dave Crosland on pencils/inks and Len O'Grady on colors made the decade-plus-half-decade wait to tell the story worth it. And Meltdown Comics was nice enough to throw us a party to celebrate the release of the book:

That's me and Dave. We had beer in our cups and we drank a whole lot. Dave and Jim Mahfood did live art (you can kinda see it on the wall behind us) . The party was also for the comic HAZED, which you should all check out.

It was the best party I've ever been to (and I've been to at least three other parties), we met the guys that run comicsoncomics.com, which led to me doing their show. You can find it by typing "comics on comics" into itunes or by clicking the link above. I'm in the first episode, but man, I would have killed to be on the Geoff Johns episode, as he's my favorite comic writer.

Also, the Meltdown Party? Chris Ryall slept on my couch that night. The next morning it smelled like potpourri and blueberries. Why? That is the mystery of Chris Ryall.

I also went to the San Diego Comic Convention and signed a bunch of books and hung out with a lot of great people. Need proof?

See? I clearly have a pen for signing and I'm hanging out with two great people. One of which is Chris Ryall, the other of which is Josh Jabcuga, the writer of the wonderful MUMMY prequel (drawn by Stephen Mooney!).

My wife and I bought a house which I won't show you on account of who wants to look at a house, but the house DID allow us to get THIS dog from the pound:

Her name is Peanut and that's what she looked like when we got her. Underfed and nervous and sickly, but a few months later she looked like this:

Wait, no. Sorry, that's my friend Rich. Peanut looked like this:

Also in 2008, we put up a short that we shot called PROFILES IN COURAGE. It's a fake documentary about a movie we made many years ago, and I think it's quite wonderful. We slapped it up on Funny or Die, and YOU CAN SEE IT HERE! A plug from Defamer gave us a flush of hits on it, and people seemed to dig it. That was pretty sweet, thanks Defamer!

We also returned to recording PARTY TRUCK USA, a podcast available HERE and on Itunes (who found us new and notable!). It's fun.

I also worked on movies for Fox and Dreamworks but since they're not in production yet I don't have any pictures to put up. Oh and a TV show for Fox 21. Again, no pictures. Sorry.

So yes, it was a good year creatively, plus we got that dog. If we could combine the two, have a comic about a puppy that fights vampires, that would be perfect.

I'll be back in a few days with a look ahead to 2009. I hereby predict it will involve vampires and, fingers crossed, goats.

Thanks everyone! Happy New Year!

Guess what I finished writing?

2008-12-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 17 has been written in bits, kinda like chapters and such. I write a few pages, and when the "scene" comes to an end, I send it off to Franco.

Well, the last few pages were sent in last night. Now I can just sit back and rest easy and enjoy the pages as Franco draws'em and sends'em in. Of course there will be proofreading and writing stuff for the trade, but the bulk of the work, the heavy lifting, it's all done on my side.

I'm sure a longer, more thought out emotional post about this experience will come eventually as we get closer to our last two issues coming out, but for now, let me just say thank you to everyone who read it, got excited about it, talked to me about it, and supported the book. It was a long, fun, stressful, insanely rewarding road.

The funny thing is, as soon as I send in the pages, Franco and I start talking about what we're doing next. He misses Beck and Tok. So do I.

(NORTH) POLL!

2008-12-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

Got a poll up over to the side. Just wondering, which comic-centric character do you most miss? Do you want more Beck in your life? Missing Tok? Want to see more Invisible Biv? Let me know!

HO HO HO

2008-12-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone's having a great holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, I'm sorry I'm killing your favorite characters, and to all a good night!

What's everyone want this year?

ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 15 this week!

2008-12-15T14:13:00.001-08:00

This one's a corker! Read it before the internet spoils it for you!

Urru is back!

Fun with action figures

2008-12-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

So ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL action figures, that would rock, yes?

There won't be ANGEL:ATF figures, sadly. But let's pretend.

Answer these in the comments section:

1. What five would you want to see in the first wave?

2. Must have ATF-specific accessories for each figure?

3. Build-a-figure?

(in case you don't know, lately they're doing this great idea where each figure in a wave comes with a piece of a bigger figure that you can assemble. For instance, a wave of MARVEL LEGENDS came with piece of Galactus, so if you bought each figure, you could assemble a giant Galactus).

4. Who would be the chase variant figure?

(in case you don't know, again, a variant figure is a version of one of the figures painted differently or given different accessories. They're usually packed one or two per box so they're rare. For instance, a green Hulk's variant figure could be a gray Hulk).

_________

Have fun! I'll post my answers later today!

ANGEL 16 cover!

2008-12-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

Alex Garner is a genius. Just amazing.

This is the issue I proofed this weekend. It is pretty awesome, I think you're gonna dig my last couple of issues. Really proud of how it's coming along.

Penultimate

2008-12-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

Just finished my proof-reading for my second-to-last issue of ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL. Franco did an outstanding job on this one. And the colors, ooooooooooh the colors. Stunning. This issue is big. Game-changing big (I can't stand that phrase after the 2008 election but it fits here, I promise).

It came out wonderfully, I think you guys are gonna love. But now I'm all sad. Oh sure, the world of ANGEL will continue and thrive (but with an all-new game, as it is CHANGED!) but AFTER THE FALL is winding down.

Ah well, onwards and upwards or something. Off to go celebrate my one year anniversary.

Of being married, not writing ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL. Though that would be accurate as well.

To Do.

2008-12-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

I have a huge list of things that have to be done in ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 17. This much to say, so many characters to juggle before I exit stage right, I had to make sure not to leave anything out. I would love to show you the list, but it's all kinda spoilers, so I thought I'd put it up, with key words missing. See if anyone else can decode it!

1. Angel is _____________.

2. Angel gives ____________ to ____________.

3. Wesley and _____________ get a __________ in their ________.

3. Angel misses ______________ ____________, ___________ blowing.

4. Angel and ________ talk (with ______ and __________ helping in the background).

5. __________ says ___________ _________ _______ Wolfram & Hart's ___________.

6. Angel points out that THAT is a great thing, "_________ ain't__________ see you ________."

7. ___________ says he's ready to _________ at a moment's __________.

8. ___________ is guarding ____________ in Silverlake.

Also, Chris Ryall was nice enough to send a scan of the page from Wizard Magazine that featured our little book. We had a moment of the year!

Got a case of the post vampire monkeys.

2008-11-30T20:04:00.001-08:00

Oh yes.

Happy Thanksgiving (And Anniversary!)

2008-11-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy some family-time, and some turkey (or tofurkey, if that is your bag).

And hey, ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 1 came out a year ago yesterday! So yay for that! It feels odd to be writing my last issue, but I'm also kinda proud. And hey, the new Wizard Magazine (in stores now!) has declared Angel's outing as a human in issue 3 one of the "Best Moments of 2008"! Pretty sweet!

Musings and Sneakys

2008-11-24T18:41:00.000-08:00

Today I started writing something that had THIS at the top of the page:

ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 17
That’s A Wrap, Kids!
Script by Brian Lynch

The first issue of ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL came out a year ago this Wednesday, right? Pretty nuts. I hope you guys dug it so far, and I can promise you, ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL goes out strong. Epic, heartbreaking, I predict tears will be shed while reading each issue. I hope, anyway.

And while we all miss the TV show, you gotta admit, the unlimited budget we have while making the comic allows for awesome panels like this:

SPOILERS PEOPLE!

SERIOUSLY!

KINDA!

That's a quieter moment from ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL # 15. That would be kinda hard to do on a television show's budget, no? I really dig the motion of the tentacles, and the flames on Groo's sword.

Back to work for me!