Late nights with Zombiefriedkin.

Sunday -- usually the least productive I can be.

Today was okay. Sam posted pictures of her new friends and shenanigans on Facebook. Interesting to see. Makes me wish there were more people here I was close to, but this is what it is. She has a friend, a girl in the pictures named "Cameron Van Sant." Creepy, yes, but it gave me an idea. "Dr. Beyondo" comic had hit a wall, needed another super for it [Re: Bride of Beyondo]. Girl has a good look, so adding a new character based on, the team's muscle, named "Sun Sharda." Won't play in heavily, but everyone likes a little cheesecake.

Played around with that . Possible powers, a few funny beats with her, the costume. Think it fits idea. Came out with a second character to, a "Psi-girl," Portia, I think. Not as glamorous as the beauty queen, but when she gets angry, she makes things float. Imagine being able to read minds, but being so transparent that there's no edge to it. Just evens the playing field. Must thank Sam for the burst of inspiration. Always catch her as she's off to bed.

Mild Beyondo crisis. Teleporter in first story [Re: Bride of Beyond] was originally going to be part albino, with white hair. Have other idea for teleporter who's blind, comically called "Nowhere Man." Since Kid Beyondo [Re: Kid Beyondo] also has white hair, not sure if I want to make white hair indicative of something in the Beyondo-verse, or if I just want to replace the albino to keep the Kid unique. Likely to go with first instinct, and keep as is, particularly with "Nowhere Man" being little more than hold out from when I thought I might write X-Men one day. Keeping these original and off-the-cuff seem wiser.

Talked to Savannah extensively tonight. She likes the pilot idea quite a bit [Re: Sweet Home]. Wished she'd have stuck around longer, felt like she was about to give some really good advice on this ensemble thing. Instead, got into a conversation about the nature of the beast, and compromise.

In general, I am against compromise. Sounds arrogant, but I believe enough in my grasp of story-structure and characters that I don't believe my mistakes in those areas are many. Largely, any changes that would be asked to be made would be, by that reasoning, ridiculous. This is not seen as good by people in Savannah's business. And she is far more weathered in that world.

On flip side, can't imagine what I'd be asked to change, and don't honestly see point in fighting over inconsequential things. Expect most people in power positions would ask for changes in areas that were unimportant. Often, same stories work even when story is different. I would fight more over a look, a turn of phrase, or character than a story arc or a plot point. Find it more likely the latter would be asked of me.

Feel like Savannah was frustrated with me. It looks, in this situations, like I was being curmudgeonly, immobile. Fair call. But I think I have some convictions, and would be less likely to see things as compromise that most people do. Perception strikes again.

Even pilot [Re: Sweet Home] is the result of compromise. Name was originally "White Trash Nation" and "The Living Dead." Found new name just as a haunting and sad. When Mandalay looked at "Un-filmable," Robin Budd liked the character interactions, the small town dynamic, the environment. Exists in most work; but this was just a chance to draw it into focus. Seems fun.

In my head, not a compromise. To some people, even Savannah, "compromise." So I don't know. Maybe I'm not so bad.

It's a difficult situation. In my current, unemployed state, answer to no one. Justin asked to do a comic [Re: Calamity Cash and the Town with No Name], was gracious for what I did...probably, thankfully would have accepted less. But I had complete room to move. Really, even mainstream comics are like that. Marvel prints "Kick Ass." Garth Ennis gets work. There's no code, and even if I had a more mainstream comic, likely wouldn't be told what to put in it, and what not to put in it. Told Savannah that at times, would laugh at how much you can get away with in the medium, and how much worse I could be than I actually was.

Sometimes, it's why I think I like movies. I could feasibly just write it, and sell it. They could make the changes. Not everything, some things I'm too close too [Re: The Familiar]...wouldn't stand for someone else doing a draft of them, or even making the tiniest change. Other things? I would have no problem seeing changed from script to screen. My job is done in the finished project. Might even re-write idea, any way they wanted, if they'd pay. Maybe a sellout. Maybe that's the beast. Don't know.

Having not been asked lately, not sure where I'd draw the line. Would re-write "Fight Club," but not "Lolita." WWAMD? [Re: What Would Alan Moore Do?] Hope Savannah understands. Don't want to make her think I'm sabotaging myself. Haven't done enough to be difficult...too difficult. And I really appreciate her taking time with me. Hope there's more.

She's doing well, but like many of us, unhappy. Justified, I'd say. We all are. Saying otherwise is a loss in this war we don't need. On upside, she might have the opportunity to turn one of her shorts from school [which I was a villain... and she was nice not to tell me how bad I was], called the "Goth Squad." Comedy. Goth kids who solve mysteries. Would work well as a webisode. Hope I get better internet before it gets off the ground.

Got a bit of hypochondria today. Went to WedMD [dangerous place], entered symptoms, saw a list with all my worst fears on it. Also saw "caffeine abuse" and "insomnia." Often times, simplest answer is the true one. I'm fine, just paranoid. Need to grow up.

Ran into kid I went to high school today. Punker type. Seem to remember him being in the military, used to see him a lot at mall while working there. Have forgotten his name, when I got his phone number, put it into my phone as "Johnny" [Re: The Familiar]. He called me "good people." Guess not that good. Still got his number... who knows if I'll call. Both in different worlds. Or maybe not. Maybe mine's just more hipster around the edges, and his more hardcore.

The same things can look very different. Or maybe insulting to his situation to be parallel to mine.

Shalom.