Pixel Scroll 1/22/17 How Do We Tell If A Scroll is Made of Pixels?

By JJ:

(1) MOVING FORWARD. ScreenRant broke the news that Wonder Woman 2 will be the first film to adopt the Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines announced on Friday by the Producers Guild of America, prior to their annual awards gala.

As reported by Variety, the PGA’s board of directors voted unanimously to ratify the new guidelines, which were then issued to the organization’s 8,200 members. PGA presidents Gary Lucchesi and Lori McCreary said of the guidelines:

Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of the Producers Guild membership. We provide key leadership in creating and sustaining work environments built on mutual respect, so it is our obligation to change our culture and eradicate this abuse. While the PGA is a voluntary membership organization, the PGA’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines are sanctioned as best practices for our members.

The Wonder Woman sequel being the first film to officially adopt these guidelines certainly makes sense considering the character’s position as a role model for girls and women everywhere (though that might not necessarily be why it will be the first to adopt the guidelines). Additionally, Jenkins’ Wonder Woman broke records for movies directed by women, solidifying it as a major step forward for gender representation in terms of Hollywood directors. Further, it was reported last year while Jenkins and Gadot were negotiating their deals for the sequel that the actress refused to sign on for Wonder Woman 2 unless Warner Bros. cut ties with Brett Ratner’s production company RatPac for the film. (Ratner was accused of sexual misconduct by a number of women, including X-Men: The Last Stand’s Ellen Page.)

(2) THE WRITING BOAT IS OPEN FOR BOARDING: Dan Wells from the Writing Excuses podcast announced that applications are open for their 2018 Writing Excuses Retreat Scholarship:

The sixth annual Writing Excuses Workshop and Retreat makes a triumphant return to the Caribbean Sea! We begin in Houston, TX, on September 22; we’ll visit Roatan, Belize City, and Cozumel; and then we’ll end up back in Houston again on September 30. You can find all the other info, including our incredible guest list, here.

We are also delighted to report that we are offering more scholarships in 2018 than ever before: five! One of these is sponsored by the hosts of Writing Excuses, one by our amazing patrons on Patreon, and three (3) by our incredibly awesome alumni. They’ve been on the retreat (sometimes more than once), they love it, and they want to share it with as many people as possible.

As always, our scholarships come in two categories: three Out of Excuses Scholarships, awarded to those in financial need, and two Carl Brandon Society Scholarships, awarded to writers of color. Both categories have introduced us to some incredible writers in the past, and we can’t wait to see who we get to meet this year. Share this post with everyone you know, read the rules carefully, and apply!

Workshop presenters announced thus far include Amal El-Mohtar, Piper Drake, Maurice Broaddus, Kathy Chung, K Tempest Bradford, Valynne E Maetani, Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler.

(3) I SEE YOU SHIVER WITH ANTICI

(4) FURY STILL TO BE UNLEASHED. On an update to the Kickstarter for the Hath No Fury anthology of fantasy, science fiction, and urban fantasy tales featuring lead characters inspired by women from literature, history, and film, editor Melanie R. Meadors announced that Outland Entertainment has committed to complete the anthology after the original publisher, Ragnarok Publications, shut down:

The good news is that Outland Entertainment has absorbed all the rights to Ragnarok’s anthologies. The books will continue to be in print, and Hath No Fury will be published as well. The files for the books are currently being processed so that they have the copyright and logo info updated, and Hath No Fury is being sent to the printer. There has been a super long delay with that, and Outland wants you to know they are really sorry about that. The money Ragnarok received for this Kickstarter had been used for other business expenses by Ragnarok, and so Outland had to figure things out in order to get backer rewards paid for out of their own pocket. The money to pay for all printing expenses and shipping, etc for the Kickstarter backers is now earmarked and ready to go, however, and the only delay right now is with printing – in order for printing to be done as efficiently as possible, Outland is doing a batch printing order with another project, and they just had to wait for that to finish up in order to submit the job.

I know you folks have been itching to get your hands on the books, and communications have been sparse. I apologize for that. Outland wanted to be sure to try to get accurate information out there instead of giving a lot of false starts and dates based on hopes. I don’t have an exact date yet (the head of the other project’s mother just passed away, so as soon as he’s back to work, I can get more details on that), but it WILL be this spring, and the money for the printing and processing IS earmarked and will not be going anywhere. I’m really grateful to Outland for helping to make all this happen, especially for absorbing such a huge cost to them for fulfilling the Kickstarter. More details are forthcoming as far as what is shipping when, and when folks can expect to get surveys. Again, I apologize for the delays and the gaps in communication, but going forward we should see some real progress.

The Kickstarter had more than doubled its $14,500 goal, receiving $32,047 in pledges.

(5) KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY MAUSOLEUM. Tina Romero, daughter of the grand master of zombie horror George A. Romero, will be directing zombie movie Queens Of The Dead, according to ScienceFiction.com:

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as it now looks like Tina Romero is going to be directing a new feature film titled Queens of the Dead. With George A. Romero creating the modern zombie and his son Cameron busy at work with Rise of the Living Dead, it seems like the undead are becoming a family affair. Tina had previously announced that she was working on a new horror web-series with Tom Savini but now that partnership will also have a new movie as well.

There is no news if this movie will be part of the Night of the Living Dead universe or set in her own world and will just be paying tribute to her father’s work with the title.

As to what the movie will be about and what inspired her to do it?

“Queens of the Dead is a fusion of two huge parts of my world: zombies and Gay nightlife. It’s a tribute to my father as well as my entrée into the genre he grandfathered. I can’t say too much yet, but what I can tell you is that this film will have all the hallmarks of a George A. Romero classic: farce, politics, heroes, assholes, and most importantly, herds of silly and slow-moving walkers that you can’t help but love. But I’m doing it Tina-style, and bringing the glitter, choreography, queers & queens.”

Basically, it boils down to showing us “the zombie apocalypse, seen through the eyes of the patrons at a drag nightclub.” Now, that is an idea which hasn’t been done before and could prove to be full of humor and heart.

(6) DARKNESS FALLS. All 1,225 Episodes of vintage TV series Dark Shadows have been released on Amazon Prime Streaming, says Bloody Disgusting:

Depicting the lives, loves, trials and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a number of supernatural occurrences take place, the American gothic television series “Dark Shadows” aired from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971 on ABC. The show ran for five years, delivering a staggering 1,225 episodes.

As of this week, you can stream EVERY episode through Amazon Prime US & UK!

The Wikipedia entry for the cult series offers this description:

The series became hugely popular when vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) appeared ten months into its run. Dark Shadows also featured ghosts, werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles; as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor.

Dark Shadows was distinguished by its vividly melodramatic performances, atmospheric interiors, memorable storylines, numerous dramatic plot twists, adventurous music score, broad cosmos of characters and heroic adventures.

(7) SETTING PRIORITIES. The NASA History Office came up with this gem right before they turned out the lights:

(8) GOODNIGHT EARTH. In a lengthy piece, “What Happens to Astronauts During a Government Shutdown?“, The Atlantic verifies that the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) won’t be completely abandoned:

As the wheels of the U.S. government ground to a halt Friday at midnight, thousands of federal employees prepared to face days or weeks without work or pay until their offices reopened.

Some employees will continue working through the government shutdown, however, including the three with the longest commute: NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei, Joseph Acaba, and Scott Tingle. Despite the political tussle that closed most of the government on Saturday, the American part of the International Space Station remains open for business. Mission-control staff, considered “essential” personnel, will keep working, too, to support the astronauts.

Phew. And, well, obviously! After all, NASA can’t exactly press pause on the work of keeping humans alive in microgravity 200 miles above Earth, even if Congress missed the deadline for the government running out of money.

“To protect the life of the crew as well as the assets themselves, we would continue to support planned operations of the ISS during any funding hiatus,” states a NASA plan, published in November, that outlines protocols for a potential government shutdown.

(9) HOUSTON, CAN YOU READ ME? Former ISS Commander Chris Hadfield reminisces about the last time the lights went out:

(10) QUICK, WHILE THEY’RE NOT LOOKING.

(11) SAY, ARE YOU RELATED TO…? Author and Filer Laura Resnick posted a diary of an unnamed convention where she was a guest, exposing the sordid truth concealed behind the glamorous myths about a midlist writer’s life. Here’s a spine-tingling excerpt:

At dinner, am required to sit at assigned table and be available to interested attendees.

Overhear attendees say, “All the good seats are taken, I guess we’ll have to sit here,” a moment before they sit down at my table.

Table gradually fills up with disappointed attendees who had hoped to sit with someone better than me at this meal.

No one at table sits next to me. The chairs are empty on either side of me. I suggest someone might like to sit closer to me. No response.

Nearest person on left asks me, “Are you any relation to Mike Resnick, the science fiction writer?”

I respond, “Yes, he’s my dad.”

Ten minutes later, nearest person on right asks me, “Are you any relation to Mike Resnick?”

(Old man will enjoy this. Must make sure he never finds out.)

Otherwise, not much said to me throughout meal.

(12) A FUTURE INFORMED BY BLACKNESS. Mic, a digital news media site, discusses revolutionary Afrofuturistic elements in “Black Panther isn’t just another Marvel movie – it’s a vision of a future led by blackness.”

Wakanda is more than just a fun spectacle; it represents something much more magnificent and powerful – a version of Africa unaffected by the external world, one that was allowed to pursue its own march toward spectacular progress.

When the most recent trailer for the movie was released in October, people weren’t just excited, they were jubilant. Now, it’s an event pretty much every time there’s a new Marvel movie but – no disrespect to Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, etc. – those blockbusters don’t normally have an entire culture of people impatiently awaiting their release. So what makes Black Panther especially noteworthy?

The secret sauce of Marvel’s Black Panther is Afrofuturism – an arts form that combines science fiction with black culture to create a future informed by blackness. On its face, Black Panther masquerades as Marvel’s latest superhero flick. Dig deeper and you’ll find the movie’s true identity: an Africa-set, Afrofuturist film – made for black people, by black people – powered by a Disney budget.

(13) CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. New York native Frederick Joseph’s GoFundMe campaign to set up screening of Black Panther for children has gone viral, says ABC News.

Joseph knew he wanted to give back to his community in some way and with the highly-anticipated Black Panther hitting theaters next month, he decided to try and raise funds to send a few hundred kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem for free.

But what has happened over the last few days since his GoFundMe page launched is something straight out of the pages of Marvel Comics.

Joseph’s original goal of $10,000 has been well surpassed and now stands at around $25,000 and climbing. More than 500 people have donated. The campaign also boasts support from Chelsea Clinton, J.J. Abrams and ESPN’s Jamele Hill.

After seeing his goals exceeded so quickly and enthusiastically, Josephs issued the #BlackPantherChallenge:

… start a @gofundme to buy tickets for kids in your city to see Black Panther. If you’re a teacher, buy tickets for your entire classroom. If you’re a coach, take your team. If you’re a community leader, do some organizing and get the kids and parents in your community to the theater. 10 campaigns that answer the #BlackPantherChallenge will receive a $100 donation from GoFundMe.

Comicbook.com reports that rapper Snoop Dogg has announced that he will fund one of the NYC screenings and a screening for kids in Los Angeles, as well as donating funds to Joseph’s GoFundMe campaign.

Joseph’s GoFundMe now stands at $42,642 of $10,000 goal.

(14) TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS:

(15) FINALLY NAMING NAMES. Compulsive list-maker and Filer James Davis Nicoll has made the first in a new series of posts over at Tor.com, Fighting Erasure: Women SF Writers of the 1970s, A Through F.

You may have been annoyed by recurrent comments from a certain surprisingly flammable Waterloo-region reviewer. He complains about the erasure from SF memory of women writing SF back in the 1970s – but has that reviewer ever bother to name names? Suggest books? I think not. It is time to confront the erasure directly. Forward! Excelsior!

In an attempt to keep this list to a manageable length, I will focus on women authors who first published in the 1970s. That means skipping some significant authors who were already active at the time. I also reserve the right to cheat a bit by including a few works published after the 1970s. I am also going to break this list into several installments, beginning with A through F. Which should tell you just how many women have been erased. Whole binders full of women.

(16) SO THAT’S WHAT’S UNDER THERE. In a comment on File770, RedWombat (aka Ursula Vernon) says:

I went through what I called an “objectified Scotsman” phase about two months ago. A very specific, very silly genre, mostly tied to kilts, existence thereof, and what may or may not be worn underneath them.

You have to be absolutely in it for the romance, there is no comedy of manners, and they run INTENSELY formulaic (and I say this as one who respects romance enormously as a genre, couldn’t write it, and believe it deserves an immense amount of respect) but they are hella fun for comfort reads.

Structure goes as follows:

Act One: Arranged Marriage
HIM: I hate the English.
HER: Goddamn.

Act Two: Love
HIM: I still hate the English, but this one’s mine.
HER: Hot damn!

Act Three: The Clans Go To War
HIM: Let’s kill those other English!
HER: Oh, damn.

(17) THE TOR BOYCOTT HAS SUCCEEDED.

(18) NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT. Angered by what he apparently perceived to be too many “girl cooties” ruining his childhood in The Last Jedi, a Mens’ Rights Activist released last week a version of the 152-minute movie called “The Last Jedi De-Feminized Fanedit”, with the female characters almost completely excised. The resulting movie is (wait for it…) 46 minutes long. Dorkly’s Tristan Cooper takes one for the team and reports on the result.

I know. Part of you kind of wants to see this tragic, insecure shitshow. Don’t worry, you don’t have to scrub through the sketchier side of the internet just to satisfy your morbid curiosity – I’ve already done that for you. I watched the De-Feminized Fanedit of The Last Jedi, and I can tell you with authority that it’s even worse than you think…

In response, Twitter user Logan James released his own gender-edited films:

(19) MOTOR CITY COMIC MADNESS. SFF Author Saladin Ahmed has a new comic book, Abbott, debuting on January 24, set in 1972 Detroit. The Detroit Free Press gives us the lowdown:

Whether she’s arriving at a crime scene, standing up to her boss or just listening at home to John Coltrane albums, Elena Abbott is cool.

So cool that the fictional newspaper reporter is the title character of a new comic book series set in 1972’s “two Detroits: one white, one black” – a place where “the former would rather leave the city than truly share it with the latter.”

(20) BUT WAIT UNTIL AFTER THEIR BEDTIME. I’m Going to Outer Space by Timothy Young is a picture book for your little SF lover – and for the adults who will delight in spotting the Enterprise, a Space:1999 Eagle, and the Jupiter-Two among the spacecraft in the illustrations, and Bender, Robby, “the Robot”, Daleks, Maria, and many other old friends among the robots in the illustrations. An Amazon reviewer describes it as “the Where’s Waldo? for science fiction fans”.

(21) THAT’LL TAKE THE WIND OUT OF YOUR CAPE.

(22) FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER’S STARSTEPS. Director Duncan Jones, whose film Moon won a Hugo Award in 2010, has produced another science-fiction movie Mute, which will debut on Netflix on February 23. Jones is better known in some quarters as the son of The Man Who Fell to Earth, David Bowie.

 [Thanks to Andrew, Bonnie McDaniel, Chris M., Cora Buhlert, Hampus Eckerman, James Davis Nicoll, lauowolf, Laura Resnick, Lee Billings, Mark-kitteh, Paul Weimer, RedWombat, Robin A. Reid, and ULTRAGOTHA for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 Contributing Editor of the Day JJ.]

72 thoughts on “Pixel Scroll 1/22/17 How Do We Tell If A Scroll is Made of Pixels?

  1. First?!?

    It’s nice to know that somebody understands that keeping people alive in an orbiting tin can is an essential function. I read Endurance recently and was impressed/appalled at how patched-together the ISS is — did even Allan Steele speak of this in fiction?

  2. 9) Heh, I personally think “Houston, Houston, Do you Read” would have been a better title, but maybe that’s too geeky 🙂

  3. Re: (18):
    Now I’m wondering if someone will do “Alien” with all the men (and android) edited out. Or maybe even all the humans (and android) edited out. Cat — alien — alien — alien — cat — alien — cat
    [OK, so I don’t remember the exact sequence that the cat and alien appear]

    I am sure that this could not possibly make anyone mad at all!

  4. The person who went out of their way to make a woman-free Last Jedi must be the ultimate snowflake.

  5. 8) I am cracking myself up wondering about any possible relationship between Scott Tingle and Our Buckaroo Buddy, and also what possible effects that might have on either cargo aboard the space station itself or future Tingler stories.

    Yes, I’m easily amused.

  6. Thanks for putting this together, JJ. And thanks again to OGH for his amazing work every day.

  7. @Owlmirror

    Or maybe even all the humans (and android) edited out. Cat — alien — alien — alien — cat — alien — cat

    Yes, please!

  8. For some reason today’s title makes me wonder, “What can you say about chocolate covered pixel scrolls?”

  9. (6) If you want to binge watch Dark Shadows, watching 12 hours a day, it will only take about 34 days to watch them all.

  10. Pretty nice scroll you’ve got here, JJ.
    Be a shame if something happened to it….

    11) I wouldn’t ever have the nerve to actually sit next to a Real Writer, so probably I’d wind up at the far end of the table, desperately trying to hear what those lucky people only a seat away from you were saying.
    Sorry it isn’t something better.

    18) That edited “Saving Private Ryan” is quietly lovely.

    Also 18)
    Owlmirror on January 23, 2018 at 8:41 am said:
    Re: (18):
    Now I’m wondering if someone will do “Alien” with all the men (and android) edited out. Or maybe even all the humans (and android) edited out. Cat — alien — alien — alien — cat — alien — cat
    [OK, so I don’t remember the exact sequence that the cat and alien appear]
    I am sure that this could not possibly make anyone mad at all!

    I have the world’s most easily spooked cat.
    I’m pretty sure this edited “Alien” would essentially look like his impression of walking around in my house.
    (He used to be unable to enter a room where a radio or tv was on, because EEK.)

  11. Reading a lot of the comments on that Dorkly Star Wars fan edit article is pretty damned depressing.

    ie “I have no problem with excising the chicks out of the film. Tired of tripping over space tampons anyway. Let’s face it, chicks want their own planet anyway and dudes are ok with that. Its not fun anymore.

    This is why we can’t have nice things.

  12. Matthew:

    The Effect of Gamma Files on Man-in-the-Moon Pixel Scrolls

    Ahh, takes me back to my first F770 title credit, in them pre-Pixel-Scrolled days of yore, “The Effect of Puppy Rays on Fan-in-Spokane Rocketships.”

    [adjusts teeth, grasps cane more firmly, spits]

    Lis:

    I prefer to preserve intact my memories of Dark Shadows, rather than experience a reality visited, most likely, by the Suck Fairy.

    A friend of mine is a huge DARK SHADOWS fan (same guy who’s a HERE COME THE BRIDES fan), and I like the concept a lot, so I started watching the series from the beginning.

    Turns out I really enjoyed the early episodes about Vicky Winters, governess in a Gothic-themed soap, back when the show was utterly failing to find an audience. Then they brought in Cousin Barnabas, viewership started to climb and I lost interest.

    I still like the idea of it, but the reality of it didn’t do anything for me. The really early stuff, though, great mood…

  13. Well, I’m a little surprised to discover that I’ve read all of JDN’s recommendations but one this time. Of the ones he mentions but hasn’t read, I think I may have read some Sheila Finch, but I’ll have to double-check…

    …According to isfdb, she’s one of the many contributors to the schlock-parody Atlanta Nights, which I know about by reputation but have never read. However, I’ve definitely read Tiger in the Sky, and I think there may be one or two others.

  14. I’m getting really sick and tired of adjusting my TBR pile based on who’s just left us. Sigh.

  15. Kurt Busiek: Ahh, takes me back to my first F770 title credit, in them pre-Pixel-Scrolled days of yore, “The Effect of Puppy Rays on Fan-in-Spokane Rocketships.”
    [adjusts teeth, grasps cane more firmly, spits]

    No one can ever say you’re all hawk and no spit!

  16. News of LeGuin’s death – argh. John Barton, the RSC God of Speaking Shakespeare, died last week at 89. Two giants gone, but kindly leaving us substantial legacies.
    Now those were two lives VERY well lived, a long run of doing what they liked best very well indeed, and thereby making things better for other people.

  17. So, about the Kinder Egg thing. Um…. I saw them at my local grocery store just yesterday. They’re just called (IIRC) “Kinder Joy”. they’re still shaped like eggs. They still have a toy inside. The name has just been tweaked slightly.

  18. rochrist quotes some misogynist saying:

    “I have no problem with excising the chicks out of the film. Tired of tripping over space tampons anyway. Let’s face it, chicks want their own planet anyway and dudes are ok with that. Its not fun anymore.”

    It’s working! (Those guys are planned to be on the B Ark, but don’t tell them, it has to be their own idea.)

  19. @Alexander Case, @Christian Brunschen
    Kinder Joy is definitely a different product from Kinder Surprise. In Europe, Kinder Joy is a summer replacement for Kinder Surprise, because Kinder Joy is less prone to deformation due to melting chocolate.

  20. Doctor Science: Could be, though they are probably getting the first “is it true?” rush. A follow-up tribute here may be widely read but I don’t think it will bury the site. (Crosses fingers.)

  21. Niall McAuley:
    It’s working! (Those guys are planned to be on the B Ark, but don’t tell them, it has to be their own idea.)

    I see what you’re doing there. Mum’s the word!

  22. re: old Star Trek novels – Loved them!

    Does anyone know where to find a (legal) electronic copy of The Wounded Sky? It doesn’t appear to be on Amazon. I miss K’t’lk, I haven’t visited her for years.

  23. Maximillian: Does anyone know where to find a (legal) electronic copy of The Wounded Sky? It doesn’t appear to be on Amazon.

    It’s available for Kindle on Amazon US. Pocket and Paramount realized that they were sitting on a goldmine around the millennium and released all the Star Trek tie-in novels in e-book form.

  24. microtherion: Speaking of misogynist SF rants, here’s a recent Campbell Award nominee

    Ah yes, that’s the guy who got cheated onto the ballot by the Puppies despite having only one published short story, who openly admitted that he didn’t feel qualified for the award, yet didn’t have the sense of honor to remove himself from the ballot.

    Ugh. What a vile specimen of humanity. 🙁

  25. JJ on January 23, 2018 at 6:04 pm said:
    And the other usual locations – it looks like they OCRd a dead-tree edition on this and some of the others; there are some egregious typos they should have caught.

  26. (11) Laura Resnick’s Dining Experience

    Oh, man, that brings back memories of a convention banquet that may help demonstrate where some of my personal flinches come from. (Note that I wasn’t a convention guest or anything, just an attendee.) The seating for the banquet was set up with the sort of round tables that seat maybe 8 or so, scattered evenly around the room. I had approached a couple tables where people I knew were sitting, but was told all the seats were already promised. So I figured I’d seat myself at one of the empty tables and take potluck on who joined me. The tables were filling up more and more, but no one else had sat at my table yet. Then a group of about three folks came over and gestured toward the empty chairs. Happily, I made a return gesture of welcome.

    So they picked up the chairs and took them off to the table where their friends were sitting.

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