Greetings from Hawaii.
My wife and I got married on November 6, 2004. Our wedding was just four days removed from the reelection of George W. Bush. It’s an epic failure of imagination on my part that I thought W’s reelection was as low as America could go.
An even more substantial breakdown of imagination was our inability to project out two decades to consider that our platinum anniversary would take place just one day after what everyone says is the most consequential election of our lifetimes.
Once again indulging in prediction, my wife and I determined that we would likely be either too depressed or, at least, too anxious to mark our anniversary on the sixth. Accordingly, we stole away to Hawaii for a few days to have a proper celebration.
(If you’re wondering why I’m writing this newsletter during my anniversary getaway, my wife is busy listening to the Bulls/Dolphins game. The Dolphins are up 10-3 as I write this.)
The last three newsletters, you may have noticed, were quite heavy on political content related to the imminent election. Because I suspect I’ll have… thoughts regardless of the outcome, I thought I’d push an edition pre-election to close some loops.
WORK UPDATE
You might have noticed that this section of the newsletter has been pretty anemic in terms of updates lately. The truth is, I feel a certain measure of survivor’s guilt writing about being busy when so many of my brethren scribes are really struggling. I apologize in advance if this seems in bad taste.
On Friday, I delivered the script for Issue Six of Star Wars: Jedi Knights. This being what is likely to be the first issue of a second trade paperback collection for the series, I called an audible (sorry, Tara’s still listening to the game) and decided to give the series its first two-parter, several issues ahead of my initial plan.
I’ve also now delivered first drafts of the pilots for PROJECT ATLANTIC (an adaptation of my graphic novel, Last Flight Out, for Netflix) and PROJECT CYCLONE (a reimagining of a beloved property in collaboration with a comic book A-lister). I’ve also gotten notes on the next “leg” of PROJECT MARBLE (a feature for Netflix) which I’ll be diving into next week.
Consequently, my TV/film work is all in the revision stage while next week will be focused on more comic book work, including scripts for two yet-to-be-announced creator-owned projects: PROJECT MONARCH and PROJECT RECURSION (with Sedat Oezgen).
So what the hell, here’s another little tease of Sedat’s amazing work (with colorist Carlos Cabrera) on PROJECT RECURSION:
Oh, and I’m writing an immersive short for Apple. #dreamgig Call it PROJECT PIPELINE.
FEEDBACK
As I mentioned, the last three editions of LegalDispatch have been heavy on political content which, to be frank, has cost me a measurable number of subscribers (sorry not sorry) and engendered a lot of online engagement (which I love). So let’s dive in…
My friend Nandini Bapat wrote in to comment on the faux interview I posted between myself and Oliver Queen about allegations that Green Arrow is just a cheap Batman knockoff:
Holy [EXPLETIVE DELETED], Marc!! That 'interview' was incredible! What made you decide to write it? Is it part of your process or just a frustration/inspiration free write thing? Thank you for that gem!!
Thank you! A few years back, DC published a series of hardcover collections for the 80th anniversaries of various characters. I wrote this piece for the Introduction to the Green Arrow volume. And it got published!
Monsterma.aol wrote in to comment on Assassination Nation, the graphic novel script about an all-too-real potential American future:
WOW!
Powerful stuff and well-written. Your descriptions allowed me to picture all the characters and locations. Beautiful.
Is this not the logical end to the what this country has been going through for the last 8 years? This will happen. No doubt about it.
I am old and have voted many times. I have campaigned and walked for several candidates. I have changed my political views and been happy with the results. I hate to see this country go down in flames but it was just am experiment after all.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I hope the future proves both of us wrong.
Hal also commented on Assassination Nation:
This is what I expect to happen if the former and convicted president wins the election. You hit it dead on. This should be spread everywhere. Thank you Marc for putting into words what all of us are thinking.
Thank YOU, Hal, for reading!
LegalDispatch 111 was titled “Defending Democracy,” a title that I felt apt given that I was announcing Star Wars: Jedi Knights and the Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice — and democracy — in the galaxy.
That being said, yes, the newsletter also included this:
Jeremy Elice had some thoughts in response:
Just read what you wrote last week. It’s gross, it’s nonsensical and it’s bigoted as hell. Worse of all it is indicative of exactly the kind of spiteful condescending hate-filled rhetoric that is dividing this country. Congratulations. You’ve sunk to the bottom of the barrel. Creatively and (in)humanely. Unsubscribe.
Thanks for engaging, Jeremy. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Clonegeek writes:
Will Coleman Kcaj show up in your Jedi Knights series? For whatever reason, he has somehow never been fleshed out even remotely in any comics or books in any canon. We don't even know his lightsaber color.
So I guess this is my plea for to show up in it.
Wow, that’s a deep cut! I love it! And Coleman is exactly the kind of Jedi the new series is designed to highlight. Consider him added to my bucket list for the series!
Frequent reader Harvey Hamer says:
I'm very late to this but what a fantastic newsletter this one was (sorry about your laptop though...)!
Thank you!
After hearing about the Kenner throwback I'm even more excited about Jedi Knights.
Thank you! (For those curious as to what the “Kenner throwback” is, I talk about it here.) This will all unfold in Issue Two of Jedi Knights. Madibek Musabekov delivered his inks for that issue last week and here I am, a week later, still blown away by it. I personally think that it’s Madibek’s best Star Wars work to date — and that is really saying something.
And wow that piece with Oliver and you is brilliant, what an incredible meta multiversal narrative!
Thank you! I had a lot of fun with it!
Harvey has a great newsletter with a lot of Star Wars content. You can check it out here.
STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS
Speaking of Jedi Knights, I was remiss in not including the brilliant variant covers that Taurin Clarke (who did the covers for the Beware the Planet of the Apes series) will be doing. What’s really cool — beyond Taurin’s usual brilliant work — is that the lightsabers on each cover will be done with a foil element. Check ‘em out below:
IN ANY LIFETIME
I just noticed that Amazon is running a sale on my novel, In Any Lifetime, with the paperback edition now available for only $9.99 — a pittance to pay for my ego and ability to put my daughters through college.
If you haven’t checked out the novel, please consider doing so by clicking here. I’m proud to say that, as of today, we have nearly 5,500 (!!!) reviews with an average of 4-out-of-5 stars.
The game’s now in the third quarter and the Bills are up by two points. Go Buffalo!
Be good to each other — and don’t forget to vote!
Best,
Marc
Kaliua Kona, Hawaii
11.3.24
Again, very late to this - and I know I have more to read through... post election... But thanks so much for the shoutout! Those foil covers are going to look brilliant!
Oooh, I remember seeing those hardcovers!! (I think I bought the Batman and Superman ones?) Gonna have to look for Green Arrow's now too!