Hello friends, Mark here. Last night, an amazing artist, Kung-Fu master, L.A. resident and genuinely swell guy lost a long battle with cancer. I got to meet Michael a few times post-cancer diagnosis and he was always really excitable and pleasant to be around, even when he was pushing his way through a dense crowd while on crutches.

Excerpt from an article on Comic Book Resources:

Turner is an artist best known for his work on books like “Witchblade,” where he got his start in comics, moving on to titles such as “Black Panther,” “Superman/Batman” and his very own creator owned series “Fathom” and “Soulfire” through his publishing company Aspen Comics. A prolific artist, he’s done work for both DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and has provided covers to some of the best-known comics published in the last ten years, including Brad Meltzer’s “Identity Crisis.”

In 2000, Turner was diagnosed with cancer — chondrosarcoma in the right pelvis, which resulted in his loosing his hip, 40% of his pelvis and three pounds of bone. What followed was 9 months of radiation. The cancer has gone into remission and returned multiple times since he was first diagnosed.

We’ve lost quite few, young and seemingly able-bodied comic book artists lately. This high mortality rate causing my wife no small amount of concern. I reassured her that my general sloth and steady diet of puddings nearly guarantees me a long life as a grumpy nerd.

seen on Zach Huddleston’s Facebook.  More info here and here.

Two new suits filed in the last month against City of Monrovia by Police Officers.
    

June 2007 I first reported the settlement of a lawsuit against the city of Monrovia by officer Solarez for harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation.  Barely 6 months later officer Cobb brought a suit that settled for the same causes of action but this time based on race instead of sexual orientation.  Pictured here are the two latest suits brought against the city by police officers for those same causes of action with a few more causes added for good measure. 

For more details to satisfy your prurient urges you need to make the jump. Read the rest of this entry →

Hello friends! Yesterday, Mark and Steve made the trek out to Disneyland to enjoy the midnight show Wall-E with some friends at Downtown Disney. After trying out the amazing new ride in California Adventure, we decided to check out the new Indiana Jones live action show where we discovered a crowd had gathered around another brand new attraction; a fallen tree branch!

The rather large branch fell right in the middle New Orleans area and Cast Members were busily diverting traffic, pointing into the air, blathering into walkie-talkies and eventually some guys with chainsaws came and began chopping the tree up.

Click here for some more pictures and speculation as to what caused the incident!

Metro had their big board meeting last night about the future of public transportation in Los Angeles. From the looks of it, no one walked away happy about the outcome. In short, they want to get a half cent tax increase on the ballot to fund projects. They just don’t know what those projects are.

Actually, they do. They just don’t want to piss anyone off. If they say yes to the Gold Line, they make the the West side mad. Yes to a Subway to the Sea, they anger the San Gabriel Valley. And no matter what they say, people living in Cheviot Hills will never be happy.

It doesn’t have to be this way. There is one solution that would make everyone happy. Except maybe those old folks in Cheviot Hills. This solution is simple, yet bold. It is unlike anything any politician in L.A. would ever to dare to whisper on Spring Street. It is a solution that has only 2 parts:

1) Make the tax increase one full penny. My high school drama teacher used to say “Shit, or get off the pot!” We’re not stupid. Gas prices are ridiculous. Congestion is getting worse. The time to make L.A. the greenest, most walkable, transit-friendly city in America is now. That’s going to take more than 1 or 2 new rail lines. So suck it up, and do it already.

2) Give us a map we deserve. Yes, we’ve beaten this horse to an stinky, unrecognizable pulp. But, we’re going to keep swinging until Metro cleans up the mess. Make public a fully realized map of a rail network that connects the entire region. Make a completion timetable so that every single city knows when their train is arriving. It’s called a to-do list. It’s called full disclosure.

Read the rest of this entry →

Hello friends! Dan Harmon, one of the founders of the awesome Channel101, screenwriter on the brilliant Monster House, co-creator of the Sarah Silverman Program and just all-around awesome dude, recently revealed what it’s like to write for Dreamworks Animation.

Excerpt from the original post on the Channel101 forums:

My hats off to anyone that can write a Dreamworks Animation film. They have a unique process.

First they storyboard the entire film. That is the first step. Not kidding. No writers, no script, just a story, and an entire film drawn on pieces of paper.

Then Katzenberg watches an animatic of the boards and says, surprisingly, “this needs a lot of work. You have a month.”

Then they hire their first writer. And spend that month changing as much of the storyboards as they can, which is about 20 to 30 percent.

If the 30 percent change isn’t the right kind of change, people get fired. Maybe the director, maybe the writer, maybe both.

Sometimes, only the writer gets fired and an additional director is hired to help out. It all depends on who is better – at pointing a finger with one hand while covering their own ass with the other.

You meet the nicest people blogging.  You meet the nicest people who comment on what you post.  Putting the two together turns out to be a lot of fun.

A group of bloggers out here in Far East LA are having a Pot Luck and Happy Hour and anyone who cares to meet us is welcome to join.  Bring a nibble to share.  Bring some pocket money as this isn’t a hosted bar. I’m bringing my soon to be infamous Margarita Tart.

Blog writers from all over the area will be there.  Some you may follow already from following their blogs.  Some you know from comments made here on Metblog posts.  Those in attendance: Miss Havisham, West Coast Grrlie Blather, 99 Cent Chef, Ed Padgett, 91204, Monrovia City Watch and Pasadena Photo.  Of course co-host to the silliness, unstoppable former Pasadena mayoral candidate Aaron Proctor will be in as well.  

All the good details after the jump. Read the rest of this entry →

Quick follow up to yesterday’s post about A car driving through the front of the IO West theater, yeah, um, they are gonna be closed for a while. This from their e-mail list:

THEATRE & BAR CLOSED DUE TO ACCIDENT

At approximately 4pm on Thursday, June 26th, an SUV crashed through the front of the iO West bar.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt. Due to the extensive damage to the exterior and interior of the bar, the theatre will be closed until repairs are completed.

ALL SHOWS ARE CANCELED UNTIL JULY 7th.

CLASSES WILL CONTINUE AS SCHEDULED.

Phone service has been temporarily interrupted and should be restored by the weekend.

Updates and info will be available on the iO West website as they become available.

If “Name: Ronald or Rhonda Donellson, Game Host; Prop: 3 (or more) Potatoes; and Line of Dialogue:’Leave it to me, I’m a professional’” mean anything to you, then you’re familiar with The 48 Hour Film Project.  If not, it’s a contest held in cities around the world each year, in which teams of filmmakers must write, shoot, edit, and present a film within 48 hours.  This year’s contest recently took place in Los Angeles.  The judges have spoken, and the films judged the best of Los Angeles will be shown at a special screening and awards ceremony next Wednesday, July 2, at the Fairfax Theater at 8 p.m.  And you’re invited!

Click here to find out more about the screening

Watch the video!
Area businessman Justin Kell, owner of LA’s very own Glory Sales and Service (Hollywood Blvd near Vermont, just up from Cobras and Matadors) kicked ass and took names at the 2008 Moto Melee last weekend, and brought home the trophy!

All glory to Los Angeles!

We’ve talked about sketchy valet situations here before but this one is definitely reaching the top of that list. These photos showed up on my friend Skampy‘s flickr feed yesterday and are from a situation downtown at The Edison on Wednesday night. Apparently upon leaving the bar the valet people said there was a “problem” with her car (the BMW pictured above) and they would need to take them too it, and when they got there they found this. It seems one of the valet drivers had lost control of the Toyota (also pictured above) and slammed it into her parked car. Yeah, nice “problem.” I guess once the manager of the Edison got involved he and several other witnesses heard the valet folks say they will take full responsibility for this, but if those giant disclaimers they have all over the place are any heads up, my guess is it’s not going to be a smooth and easy solution. Yikes!

Ralph wanted to grow up to be a doctor. But, for this day, he was a shoe shine boy. And he was one of the best. Today’s operation: Could he finish his fries faster than Joey could drink his Coca-Cola?

The year was 1966.

Photo from UCLA Library Digital Collections

CAPTION THIS (please leave in comments) photo by K763, used under Creative Commons

• Mike at Franklin Ave. gives us a peek at his recent 99cent store haul, including 99cent bottles of wine.
• Zach at LAist discovers parking as low as $5 at the west end of the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, as he surveys a neighborhood notorious for lots that charge as much as $20.
• Luke Ford accuses George Carlin of being an anti-semite – Rodger Jacobs smacks Luke Ford upside the head.
• The End of Motherhood’s son returns home from college, complains about choice between cereals: Wheaties or Grape Nuts. Seriously (cerealously?), if the cereal box doesn’t have a toy inside, its not worth eating the contents.
• Stan’s Obligatory Blog takes a bike ride to Elliot’s home from “E.T.”
• Wanna see how real hardcore filmmakers get sh*t done? Movie making, Hobo Style.
• Wanna read how a real hardcore filmmaker pays their bills? Peggy Archer. ‘Nuff said.

Mind you I’m only telling you this because I’m already up to my eyeballs in yarn (just went to the Unwindsale YESTERDAY), but I’m still going to be pissed if I get there and all the cashmere is gone -

For the first (and probably only time) here’s Julie’s details BEFORE I get in there:

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, come to one of the most
awkwardly-named sales of the summer: the Gas Relief sale at The Little
Knittery.

We won’t offer Beano or Immodium AD, but we will offer 30% off ALL
yarns and books (that’s 30% off Jade sapphire Cashmere, 30% off Misti
Alpaca Chunky, 30% off Malabrigo, 30% off Punta Del Este Hand-painted
cotton– to name a few tasty ones.) and 15% off all needles and
accessories. Come offset the climbing price at the pump with some
great deals on beautiful yarns.

Also, if you bring in your empty cereal or frozen pizza boxes to
donate to my band (we repurpose trash for promotional stuff and CD
packaging, etc… read more here http://www.myspace.com/thepityparty)
I’ll give you an additional 5% off your entire purchase!!!

the little knittery
3042 glendale blvd
la, ca. 90039
323.663.3838
www.thelittleknittery.com

HOURS
mon-tue CLOSED
wed-sat 12 – 7
sun 12 – 5

There are two rats.  One is about fifteen feet tall, and the other is considerably larger.  They’re grey and inflatable.  I drove by them today, and snapped this picture as best as I could.

 The rats were part of a protest.  I’ll have to follow up and find out what the protest was about.  Since the list of rats is pretty big nowadays, I couldn’t even guess.