[Right: The cover image to Technopolis #2, which goes on sale at the end of the month. You can access
the Technopolis web site by clicking on the cover.]
We need your help. Technopolis, the comic book I'm co-writing for Caliber Comics, is in danger of being
cancelled. Sales are down all over the industry, and we're one of the unlucky ones that have been hit the hardest.
Because it's a new book and reletively unheard of, the gang that puts together the book has hoped for word-of-mouth
to help get news about the book out there. Unfortunately, time isn't on our side, and if we don't act soon,
there may no no new issues coming out.
Right now the situation is this: issue number two (the cover of which is above this line of text right now) is scheduled to
be released at the end of this month, and orders for the next issue (number three) are due before the end of
this month. If we're going to be able to continue putting out all four issues of Technopolis (it's a mini-series, whoa!)
we need your support. This is what we need you to do:
Go down to your favorite comic book store and buy a copy of #1 or #2 (if it's not there, ask the shop owner. They're
nice guys and won't bite. If you are a shop owner, order a couple of copies. We need the support!)
Place an order for #3 before Dec. 28 -- you can read a detailed synopsis of issue #3
right here at Caliber's website.. You can order all three
issues if you want at that time from the shop too -- they'll be there when #3 comes out.
If you don't want to wait you can order right now direct from Caliber Comics. They'll
mail out copies of the issues you want direct to you within 48 hours with only a small shipping charge -- they
really do want to get the book into your hot hands. They can be reached from 9am to 5pm eastern standard time,
Monday to Friday at:
In North America -- 1-888-22-COMIC
Outside of North America -- 1-313-451-9830
[That's the cover to Technopolis #3 to the left. Yes, he's an alien, and a phantom cab driver to boot. You'll also be happy to
know I posed for that shot as well, except I'm not really that green in the face -- but I do look that unhappy most
of the time.]
Why should you bother spending $2.95 on the book when you haven't even seen what it looks like? Good question --
that's why there's a Technopolis web site we've
created for you to take a preview of the book. It'll give you background info, character sketches, a story bible and
tons of scanned in artwork so you can see why we've got those positive reviews. Check it for yourself and see
that the book won't Hoover. But then come back and place an order...we need your support!
And one final thing and then I'll go off and give you some ace scoops: if you've been reading this site for the past
two-and-a-half years, you'll know I'm not a guy to blow his own horn. I don't like doing it much 'cuz I prefer to let the
site and the work speak for itself. But I also believe in this book, and I know how hard the other guys and gals
have busted their asses putting quality into it. You've ever complained that the movie you saw didn't care enough to
make the characters believable? That the story seemed tacked on? Or that there could've been way better art or camera
direction?? The people who put together this comic are like you guys, and they made it because of those reasons.
To the guys at ILM, Sony, Digital Domain who's workstations are covered with cool pieces of memoriabilia; to the comic book
fans who check to see the status of the film adaptation of their favorite book; the people working in legal, creative,
advertising, publicity, wherever inside your studios or production companies; novelists; actors; directors; agents;
artists; and you who go see their work inside a theater and come here because you enjoy reading about the
latest news on your favorite projects...I'm asking you for a favor, a way to say that maybe you've
dug what I've tried to do on CA these past two years and counting, to check it out at least and ask for it
if it looks cool to you. That's all I and the rest of the Technopolis crew are asking for, and, as much as it
sounds like a telethon speech -- you can make it happen. We need your support, and we need you to go out and
buy the book right now! Thanks!
In Cyberspace Everyone Can Hear You Scream...
As reported last month, the Swiss artist H.R. Giger has questioned why there is no mention of
his original Alien design listed in the end credits of Alien Resurrection, even though the
original Alien screenwriters are given credit for 'Based on Characters Created By...'
Now, Giger's launching a major Internet publicity campaign on his website, shining a spotlight on a
matter some may not want brought out into the light.
Alien Insurrection details the trouble Giger's been
having at getting recognition from Twentieth Century Fox -- not just with A4, but with 1993's
ALIEN3. There's also a petition you
can sign, and I've been told that Giger is reading his site and the comments from his fans are making a difference in how
Fox is perceiving this matter. He asks for the support of his fans at this time -- so if you've got two cents to
add to this matter, get on over there!
And while you're at it, check out our comparion of the three 'human toothpaste' scenes three different Alien
Resurrection stages. We guarantee you won't look at your tube of toothpaste the same again.
Who does Celia Imrie play in Star Wars, Episode One?
While British actress Celia Imrie is an established British stage and
screen vet, recent photos of any sort on the net are kind of hard to come
by. Thanks to our resident Star Wars wunderbar Brent Lynch, he
managed to track down an image of the actress in her role of Homily Clock from her
forthcoming film The Borrowers (and which will soon get its own CA page).
The buzz surrounding Imrie's Episode One work is that she plays a fighter pilot
called 'Bravo 5' who flies one of those nifty yellow ships spotted on the
Official Star Wars Episode One
page.
Recently, George Lucas made comments that he doesn't feel that women
belong fighting wars on battlefield front lines (this was in response to
a young girl who asked why there weren't any female fighter pilots in the
Star Wars films at the Smithsonian Exhibit unveiling he attended).
Scoop correspondent Brent Lynch offers this bit of supposition about Imrie's character in the prequel:
"This attitude usually winds up with female combatants biting the dust in a warzone to illustrate the point, but he could
just as easily have her surviving, just being an extraordinarily bad fighter pilot or somesuch I suppose." Whatever the
case is, I'd have to give George a big thumbs up for casting a female fighter pilot. Just get some Jedi Knights in
there too.
Cartman: Society's outlet for angst or human Twinkie? You decide!
Alright, first the good news: Dallas radio station listener 'Bamm-Bamm' was tuned into 93.3 (affectionately known as 'The Zone')
Friday morning, where he heard that South Park series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have signed a deal to do a feature film based on the
immensely successful Comedy Central animated series of the same name.
The bad news: radio stations are notorious for picking up bad rumors and speading 'em around (you wouldn't believe the number we get. If they'd
only cut an exclusive deal with us, they'd have listeners kept up-to-date! But...I digress.) As much as I want to see rumors of a South Park movie
bear fruit, I urge caution. Dallas readers, take note: call up these guys and ask 'em Coming Attractions wants to know where they got their
info from!
Still, to see Kenny killed in glorious 70mm...
Michael Moore isn't through with you yet...
Moore, the director of Roger and Me (kinda like a film autopsy about the economic death of
Flint, Michigan in the early 80's) and creator of the always-missed TV Nation series, has
a new docu-comedy film coming out March 13, 1998. Here's a quick review of it from our little fishy,
'Guppy':
"When Michael Moore visited Austin, TX to promote the paperback release
of his book DOWNSIZE THIS, he also held a screening of his new movie
THE BIG ONE which is scheduled to be released by Miramax early 1998.
THE BIG ONE is a documentary that follows Mike during the promotional
tour for the hardcover edition of his book DOWNSIZE THIS.
"The title refers to the 'new' name that Mike proposes we give to the
United States - the United States being more of a description and not
as impressive as other countries names.
"My personal opinion - I am a big fan of Michael Moore (well, except
for Canadian Bacon) so I naturally liked the film. There were moments
in the film where I genuinely laughed and other moments where I felt
a real emotional connect with the film. Other times it came off hokey
and Mike came off preachy - and at times slightly hypocritical.
"To sum up: An uneven low budget documentary with some genuinely good moments.
"P.S. During his introduction, Michael Moore mentioned that some of the
profits for this movie will be donated to schools in Flint, Michigan."
Finally, you've been regularly looking in at this page for the past two weeks, you've seen me do some
quick, 'mini-updates' about noteworthy scoops and/or information about movies. What I'm
testing out is a place where I can get some ultra hot scoops or late-breaking information
out to the readers (that'd be you.) That doesn't mean the information you read on here won't
find it's way into the film's main CA pages because it will...but it also allows me
the opportunity to break news on some projects or noteworthy items that don't really have a
page to call their own yet. And as I said, it also may whet your appetite to checking that scoop's
main film page to get more information about the project.
Let me know your thoughts on it. Do you want to see something like this on CA??
Patrick Sauriol
Creator, Chief Content Writer & Director
Coming Attractions
...wondering why he's seen more BMW ads for the new James Bond pic Tomorrow Never Dies than ads promoting
the actual picture itself. Memo to the other studio marketing fellas: I suggest you take out to lunch
whatever MGM marketing exec you know. Whatever deal they cut to promote their picture has opened a can of
'Whoop-Ass' and is using it on you right now...
Enter the world of Technopolis!
Aliens, gangsters and flying roadsters from the 50's
Published bi-monthly by Caliber Comics
Issue #1 out now, #2 out in late December!
