#But Rathbone gets the balance right I feel

[scratching92]

I started watching some of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films and the thing I like so far about his portrayal is that he balances out a lot of character traits of Holmes that I think can be a bit grating in certain portrayals.

He’s an intelligent, brilliant man, and he’s very confident in that, but he’s also got this gentlemanly quality to him that keeps him from ever being a little too smug, even though half these scenes you know he’s being coy about what he knows or suspects about the case. Just the right balance of “Yes, I’m brilliant” without being entirely obnoxious about it.

[twistedtummies2]

Ele-May-ntary - Number 3

Welcome to Ele-May-ntary! All throughout the month of May, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Portrayals of Sherlock Holmes, from movies, television, radio, and video games! We’ve reached the Top 3! The end draws ever nearer! And for those of you who have been wondering about this particularly well-known portrayal, the wait is over. Number 3 is…Basil Rathbone.

There have been many actors who people would call the definitive Sherlock Holmes. This interpretation may or may not be worthy of that specific title, but I think it’s very fair to say that Basil Rathbone is the most ICONIC Sherlock Holmes. So much of what we identify as Holmes today comes more from Rathbone than any other actor before or since. Even to this day, to tons and tons of people, Rathbone just IS Sherlock Holmes, much in the same way Bela Lugosi is Dracula or Boris Karloff is Frankenstein’s Monster. However accurate or inaccurate to the source material these portrayals may be, they’ve just become so synonymous with both the actor and the literary character that it’s hard to separate them. Part of Rathbone’s power as Holmes comes from his longevity in the role. He first played Holmes for two films produce by 20th Century FOX. These pictures – “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” – were lavish period pieces. FOX lost the rights to Holmes (at the time, the character was not yet in the public domain, but still controlled by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate), and Universal picked up where they left off, creating twelve new films: fourteen movies in all, by the end of their twin runs. The Universal films – like so many screen treatments before – were set in contemporary times, simply due to budgetary issues. These movies were not the end of Rathbone’s tenure – nor that of his Watson, the incomparable Nigel Bruce: both of them played the roles for years on radio both in-between and after the films. These radio programs – a series called “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” – were once again period dramas, since the theater of the mind allowed Holmes to return to his roots without much issue. The radio show lasted eleven years, starting in 1939 (incidentally, the year the “Adventures” film came out) and all the way into 1950…although it should be stated that Rathbone only stayed on till 1946, which was also the year his final Holmes picture, “Dressed to Kill,” came out. Even THIS would not be the end, however, for in later years, Rathbone would go on to play the character a handful of times onstage. “The only mystery I could not solve,” Rathbone once said, “Was the same one Conan Doyle had: how to get rid of the damned man!” While Rathbone may have eventually grown tired of his reputation as Holmes, it was one well-deserved. I often feel that, nowadays, people don’t have enough appreciation for his take on the character. Every time I see a documentary on the subject of Holmes throughout the ages, the people involved are quick to comment on how inaccurate to the source material things are, with the modern day settings and Bruce’s Watson, and often compare Holmes to James Bond…which…is apparently meant to be a NEGATIVE comparison? (I…don’t understand that…then again, after Roger Moore, maybe it makes more sense…) Personally, I’ve never understood this negative backlash, as Rathbone’s Holmes really does capture the character wonderfully. Beyond Sherlock, most of Rathbone’s characters were actually villains, and I think in a way that helps his Holmes out. While Holmes is a heroic figure, there’s something…reptilian about Rathbone’s performance. A sense of something uncanny just under the human skin, if that makes sense. He can be sympathetic and patient, but he can also be condescending and snarly. He has his moments of deep depression, just as he has his moments of energy and intensity. He’s got a sense of humor, and it’s not always clear if he’s mad or just crazy like a fox, with the many eccentric things he gets up to: from experimenting with houseflies to shooting bullet holes in his wall. He’s got his dramatic side – prone to grandiose speeches – and while he’s always right, he’s not always able to pick the best time to BE right. He actually does make mistakes here and there, often due to his own arrogance. Plus, he DOES have a dark side, and it’s tapped upon in a couple of films and radio episodes. He’s even implied to be partial to cocaine! That’s something that was hard to slip past censors of the time! On top of that, alongside Arthur Wontner, Rathbone arguably LOOKS the most like the character drawn by Sidney Paget…perhaps even more so, now that I think about it, simply due to him being closer to the age Doyle describes. Bottom line: sure, there were liberties taken with the material, but I would argue Holmes is actually pretty spot on in Rathbone’s hands. It was, perhaps, the first truly definitive portrayal of the character, and I even have to give credit to Nigel Bruce’s Watson, who is often maligned for his comedic performance. It was something other Watsons later tried to imitate, but not with the same level of success: they almost always felt like they were just “Diet Bruce,” while Bruce made the comedy work with a decent balance. He could certainly be a fool, but he DID help Holmes out, and the chemistry between Rathbone and his ally was absolutely perfect. You never once doubted it when Holmes claimed he needed Watson, no matter how many times Watson made himself look like a clown. Sometimes, it would be Watson who would provide a final solution to a puzzle, or at least an important piece, and sometimes we’d just get these wonderful moments where the strength of the relationship between the characters could shine. Bottom line: inaccurate or not, both these actors deserve a lot more credit than they get, and they remain legendary for a very good reason. They are most assuredly deserving of my Top 3. Tomorrow is the penultimate entry on the list. Who will it be? Check in and find out!

[fuckyeahalexedler]

Ben Kuzma: Chasing fitness fanatic Sedins could help Edler extend NHL career

"As you get older, everyone expects you to get slower. I feel good. I’m not really looking further than my contract, but I obviously want to keep playing as long as I can." — Alex Edler, Vancouver Canucks veteran defenceman

Endurance and recovery are key components in any training regimen.

For Alex Edler, ramping up a running routine to complement skating drills in advance of the Vancouver Canucks training camp — set to begin on July 13 — has taken on a new meaning.

He knows the best-of-five qualifying series with the Minnesota Wild is going to test his strength, stamina and stride with games every other night. He also knew making the most of the Lower Mainland outdoors during the novel coronavirus physical-distancing restrictions could be a bonus.

Especially when you accept a running invitation from fitness fanatics Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

Edler has a year left on his contract and the 34-year-old Swede would like to emulate his countrymen by extending the competitive career curve. Chasing the Sedins on a vertical mountain trail is a good barometer.

After all, the day before Sedins Week in February to celebrate their jersey retirements, the twins ran a half marathon. No big deal, they have run a marathon. Running six times a week and logging 100 kilometres is part of their retirement routine.

“Every summer, I try to focus a lot on cardio and they asked me if I wanted to join them for a trail run,” Edler said Friday, following a Phase 2 voluntary skate at Rogers Arena. “I said I didn’t know because I probably had no chance of keeping up with them. They said: ‘It’s OK because we just ran a marathon last week and this is more of a recovery week for us.’

“So, I did run but it was really long and hard. It was 20 kilometres up and down and not running all the time, but we were going up Grouse Mountain because they know all the trails up there. I was just trying to stay with them and even trying to catch up to them, but that made it even harder by trying to run and talk.

“I’ve been fortunate to work out with them a lot because of their work ethic and it just rubs off on you. And it was so good for the young guys to see how hard they pushed.”

That experience and career perspective afforded by the Sedins — first ballot Hockey Hall of Fame locks for sure — is inspiring.

Edler vowed to carry on their legacy in the community and be a culture-defining presence in the room. And because he doesn’t want to be one of those 30-plus defencemen who just fades away and proves more of a hindrance than a help, he gamely attempts to match strides with the Sedins, and also works on every facet of his skating with local skating coach Barb Aidelbaum.

“He’s a quiet guy,” said Aidelbaum. “We’ve been skating together since 2014 and I just kind of sat back and looked at what he was bringing to the rink when we first resumed skating two weeks ago. He was mentally free and physically fresh.

“You see that and think: ‘Gee, I hope the other players have used their time as productively as he has.’ He’s a thinker and in a really good place. It took him about 30 minutes our first day and you would look at him and think he hadn’t had the (season pause) break. He felt it in the lungs, but he has done so much work on the technical aspect of his skating, that the fundamentals are there.

“It’s the edges and balance and his drive and positioning. It has been repeated for so many years and you don’t lose that. It’s not quite as easy as riding a bike, but if you show up the first day and you’re set — you’re just ready to go. He’s in a really good place.”

It didn’t happen overnight. It came through observation and application.

Edler was 20 in the 2006-07 season and the Canucks roster sported seasoned blueliners in Sami Salo (31), Mattias Ohlund (29), Willie Mitchell (29) and Brent Sopel (29). The Sedins were 25 and already 80-point producers, so the on-the-job training was not lost on Edler.

And if Aidelbaum could help fine tune the skating, then Edler was going to have a leg up on longevity.

“She’s not trying to change the way you skate, just make small tweaks to be more efficient,” said Edler. “It has been really good for me because as you get older, everyone expects you to get slower. I don’t know how you’re supposed to feel when you’re 34.

“I feel good. I’m not really looking further than my contract, but I obviously want to keep playing as long as I can. We’ve been getting better and it’s exciting and you want to be a part of it.”

The Sedins retired at age 37. Salo and Mitchell called it quits at 38 and Edler’s future depends on health and club direction.

Younger players like Olli Juolevi must be worked into the fold and there’s the ongoing pursuit of Nikita Tryamkin, the curiosity if Brogan Rafferty’s offensive game can translate from the AHL and how far NCAA phenom Jack Rathbone is from playing in the NHL.

Edler suffered a shoulder injury in a collision with Zack Kassian on Nov. 30 and was sidelined for 10 games. His average minutes slipped from 24:39 last season to 22:37 with the arrival of Calder Trophy candidate Quinn Hughes. The rookie’s ascension included quick promotion to the first power-play unit that was ranked fourth when the NHL season was paused March 12.

Edler ranked third overall in blocked shots this season and of his 33 points (5-28) in 59 games, 26 came at even strength. He also took a team high 26 minor penalties.

Edler’s best value this season may be in what awaits the Canucks.

Jay Beagle leads the club in post-season experience with 85 games and won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals. Tyler Toffoli (47 games) and Tanner Pearson (34) won a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings, while Edler (65) and J.T. Miler (61) have considerable game experience.

However in the top-six mix, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser have yet to play a post-season game. Same for third-liners Adam Gaudette and Jake Virtanen.

“Who knows what it’s going to be like with empty stands, so it might be even more important to try and lead the way and use my experience,” said Edler.

“The Wild have some veterans who have been around and have playoff experience. It’s definitely going to be a hard series and a tight series, but we have a good chance.”

Edler has two young daughters and is vigilant with COVID-19 safety protocols in the city and province. He’s also wary of how they’ll be applied at the Western Conference post-season hub in Edmonton. There is some trepidation among players and opting out of post-season play is an NHL option.

“They’re working hard to create a safe space for us and there’s no doubt that everything that can be done is being done,” said Edler. “There’s uncertainty for the whole world, but it’s obvious we have to create a safe environment for everyone. And if we can’t, we can’t play because that’s priority number 1.

“Everyone is in a different situation. Some may have health things going on, something in the family or just what kind person you are. The virus has been hard to predict and it’s the right thing to think about health and family first.”

(July 3, 2020)

[emptymanuscript]

Pearling (A totally BS term for a totally real writing technique)

How is a pearl made?

There are actually two answers. Prior to 1902, so far as anyone knows anyway, there was one way to get pearls. You went out and you found a bivalve mollusk, you pried it open (almost always killing it by the way), and if you were lucky there was a pearl in there. If there wasn’t, you went and found another bivalve mollusk. You repeated until you found one. You finished it up, and tada, you had one of the most valuable pieces of jewlry available. And if you were poor, you sold it to someone rich so you wouldn’t be poor. Back in traditional times, you would get one pearl out of several hundred bivalve mollusks, thus the value. “Farming” pearls was long labor intensive work for very little reward. 

The Mollusks themselves were also a bit reliant on luck. They sat around living their lives without pearls just fine. Then a dangerous irritant gets in to its delicate inner workings: the mantle, where it stores the parts that let it breathe, grow, and move. So it’s no joke. The bivalve mollusk generates an immune response to the irritant because it can’t risk harm to that area. Pearl making bivalve mollusks (of which there are very few) secrete nacre (also called mother of pearl - it’s a combination of calcium carbonate, argonite, possibly calcite, and conchlin which is kind of like horn or snail shell as a binding agent) the same compound that makes up their shells, to make a protective barrier between it and the irritant to hopefully smooth it out so it can’t tear up anything in there. If that doesn’t work satisfactorily, the mollusk secretes another layer, building it up to try and make it all better. The longer it takes for the mollusk to be satisfied, the bigger - and probably more valuable - the pearl.

And you can think of story ideas being much the same. A thought comes into your head and it stays with you. It keeps itching at you to do something with it. And as it sits and stews then other things, other ideas and tropes and desires attach to it, glom onto it, surround it, grow into a bigger better idea that carries more narrative weight and value. 

Then, like the pearl farmer, it’s just waiting on all the pearls growing in there to be valuable enough to harvest and use, and picking up the biggest shiniest one. And that’s natural pearling. You wait for the inevitable to happen and you harvest when the moment is right.

But, from 1902 forward, the Pearl industry learned to cheat, and so can you. Now we have cultured pearls. Forget chance and waiting. Some methods even allow for multiple pearls to be seeded per oyster and because of the growth process of the now majority suriving oysters, for susequent harvests to be of larger pearls. While there are different technologies for how it is all done, in large part what happens is that a very small piece of oyster shell from a donor oyster is surgically embedded into the mantle of the Pearl growing oyster as a seed for the Pearl growth.

We can do this, too. 

I would argue that the single most helpful essay ever written about creative writing for creative writers is Holly Lisle’s How To (Legally and Ethically) Steal Ideas. Because it’s the guide to doing this. What she’s really talking about is those sorts of donor seeds, an infinitessimally small donor piece to form the great big pearl of a story around. 

The benefit is that you “Know” already that the donor piece provokes story and demands attention because it has already caught your attention. It’s good for pearling. It’s also most likely pretty jagged. Because if you really want to use that donor piece, you aren’t quite satisfied with how it was done. You have a call to make it better, to attach it to differnt layers that will make it sing better than it could in the original. 

And you don’t have to wait. You don’t have to be in a position of obsessing over some story element that you can’t let go of. You can just try to think of story elements you want to play with as seeds. You can keep a list of seeds that you wish had lead somewhere else to be used on command. 

Then it’s just pearling on the ideas. If my seed is: why are X and Y close when there isn’t any real good reason presented. Then X and Y are close. Why? Well maybe X and Y actually think of each other as family? But Y doesn’t treat X well... does that mean X feels betrayed? Is X spending the whole story in denial about Y mistreating them? How would X show that? What would X do to try and balance the situation? Maybe X would... but then Y would... ...what happens when Z finds out that X and Y have been more together than apart? Does Z blame X for Y’s actions? Etc. 

It can be fanfic but it isn’t limited to that. Not at all. X1 can translate to X2. Or X1 and A1 can translate to X2. A LOT of how I make my MC James Rathbone work for myself is squishing together how I see both Professor Snape and Hermione Granger. Because I was really much more interested in them as main characters than Harry Potter (Seed to grow around). So James is an amalgam of them plus Sherlock Holmes. The insufferable know it all with a shady past who sees all but can actually maybe do something about it when no one else can and yet STILL annoys everyone because he has to be right and has to prove that he’s smart. His redeeming value being that at some level he does want to help fix the world. So the seeds can translate quite well as they pearl up, even if they are pretty directly stolen at first. 

[coolhappybouquetsaladblr-blog]

Egypt Open Blames ‘Tom And Jerry' Cartoons For Violence Found in The Midsection East

These influences are simply the tip of the iceberg concerning secrets and techniques and behind-the-scenes know-how associated with the Avatar cartoon So, grab your favourite cup of tea as we dive into the 15 Things You Completely Missed In Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Bryan Konietzko also said Avatar: The Last Airbender director Giancarlo Volpe ordered the employees to watch every episode of FLCL. The two Avatar: The Last Airbender creators spoke about these influences in a magazine interview stating: The best anime balances nice motion sequences with humor and emotion, one thing we attempt to do on Avatar. Avatar: The Last Airbender is chalked filled with hidden messages that are usually ignored.

15 Issues You Completely Missed In Avatar: The Last Airbender. As we see in both Aang's fight, and in Zuko getting the higher hand on Azula, combining the two strategies is finally the best transfer. But, of course, Azula does not play fair, so we don't get to see Zuko truly defeat Azula. In Book Two's opening, Azula toys with Zuko, easily fending him off, and almost killing him with some extent-blank lightning blast before Iroh's interference. By the time Zuko and Azula face-off in the four-part finale, the two are hardly strangers by way of fight. Again, in the Agni Kai with Zhao, we see that Zuko only will get the higher hand after relying on his own unique skill-set (I doubt anyone taught him that breakdance leg sweep since no one else does it in the sequence), and listening to Iroh's phrases about Zhao's lousy footwork. In Avatar, we see many instances of expert characters in groups like the Yu Yan archers, the Kyoshi Warriors, Jet and his gang, Mai and Ty Lee, and many extra. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, we see many examples of bending. The Hearth Nation actors appear mostly Indian, but I feel the complaints come from a misunderstanding of what firebending is about in the collection and movie. Set (middle left to right), author/producer/director M. Evening Shyamalan confers with Jackson Rathbone (who performs Sokka), Nicola Peltz (Katara) and Noah Ringer (Aang). We share our ideas on the remaining two episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender and conclude the first part of The Avatar State journey. We have returned to watch and discuss the comply with up to Avatar: The Last Airbender! Again to Avatar, a web based letter-writing marketing campaign has been launched encouraging folks to put in writing in about the movie's casting. Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise. Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise Pt. 2. 2012, illus., Darkish Horse, paper, $10.ninety nine, 978-1595828750. Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise Pt. 1. 2012, illus., Darkish Horse, paper, $10.99, 978-1595828118. The collection is distinguished by multi-dimensional characters, unusually complicated personal relationships for a cartoon serial, and a healthy respect for the penalties of warfare. Where to Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender Online. Write for Us : The Last Airbender (14 Items) Therefore, I counsel that this sport needs to be performed as a designable character, who's the avatar, instead of enjoying out the story of Aang as Aang. Bethesda could create an virtually good online game type of the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" world. Thought For "Avatar: The Last Airbender" Open World Sport. Avatar: The Last Airbender represents a third class: it's neither of Japanese origin nor manufacturing, however is so closely influenced by anime tropes that it can be difficult to inform the distinction without researching the present's credit. ThunderCats is an example in each its incarnations: few people outside of Japan would call it anime, but the animation work was achieved there (the 1980s TELEVISION sequence was completed by Pacific Animation, while the recent series was executed by Studio 4C). Let's settle this as soon as and for all, is Avatar: the Last Airbender an anime or not? The Nazi's have been defeated by the three massive superpowers, United States, England, and the Soviet Union - a tidy parallel to the Water, Air, and Earth kingdoms. In the present, the Fire Nation began a war much for the identical purpose and even wiped out an entire race of people. Whenever you take a look at World War Two and the The Last Airbender, it isn't laborious to see the parallels between the two.

[jennybolte]

WRITING TIPS FROM RELIABLE SOURCES: Beats

Source: Renni Browne and Dave King’s Self Editing for Fiction Writers

I admit that I had no idea what I was doing. I wanted to write a novel, so I began writing a novel. I did plot it out and had a general idea where I wanted to go. As far as technique, I relied on my instinct. The one thing that annoys me is the use of said—especially said with some descriptive words like said with aggravation in his voice. My technique was simply to describe what the speaker was doing.

Now that I’m in full-on editing mode, I’m finding resources to help me with my manuscript. The Browne & King text has, by far, been the most useful to me. One area I know I need help is my use of description in dialogue, which Browne & King call Beats. Huh, I didn’t know it even had a name. The good thing about Beats, according to Browne & King, is that they allow the writer to vary pace and give the reader some breathing room. But if you get carried away, they actually bring the pace to a halt. Browne & King state that Beats can be “pointless, distracting, cliched, or repetitive.” Yikes! I’m sure that’s me. In my mind, I thought I needed to describe what the characters were doing so the reader would know, but Browne & King say that if you do that, it’s condescending and limiting to the reader’s imagination, which can alienate him in the process. Give the reader hints and allow him to fill in the blanks for himself. A dialogue scene will flow more naturally; however, too much uninterrupted dialogue isn’t good either because it’s not anchored. The writer’s job is balance. Okay, I get that. But how do you know if you have balance? Rule of thumb: define the action without over-defining it so the rhythm has an ebb and flow. Let’s look at a few sections of my manuscript as it is today. I’ll focus on editing the Beats with the goal of them jump-starting the reader’s imagination without over-doing it.

In chapter two of my manuscript, the first scene is where Ginevra confronts her father after he’s left her a voicemail stating that Scot’s going to stay at the farmhouse. She’s a spitfire, as Junia tells us, and is quite angry with her father. Thomas is used to his drama-queen daughter and shows little emotion but justifies his decision. Ginevra won’t have any of that.

ORIGINAL:

“But has he paid his debt to the Rathbones?” Miss Ginevra widened her eyes. “I’m ready to call the doctor to see if you’ve had a stroke.”

Mr. Thomas faced her again. “Ginevra, I’m of sound mind and body. And I’m an adult who doesn’t feel it necessary to get his daughter’s permission for decisions he makes.” 

In Ginevra’s response, I wanted to show that she was getting madder, but I just don’t think I need to do that. Cut. When her father responds, I wanted to have him actually turn back to her. In the exchanges before, he was ignoring her with his body language. I think in this case, I can eliminate and let the reader fill in the blanks.

REVISION:

“But has he paid his debt to the Rathbones? I’m ready to call the doctor to see if you’ve had a stroke.”

“Ginevra, I’m an adult of sound mind and body who doesn’t feel it necessary to get his daughter’s permission for decisions he makes.” I think the flow is better with the cuts. I also think the reader probably has enough experience either witnessing or being involved in a tense exchange that it’s not necessary for me to describe the familiar, natural actions between the two.

Okay, let’s look at another example—the ending of this scene.

ORIGINAL:

“Do you have any idea of the negative backlash? Let’s just put up a billboard and announce to all of Wirt County that the man who broke into their homes and killed Campbell Rathbone is now employed at Iris’s!” She plopped back down into the wingback, and in a bluster, crossed her legs.

Mr. Thomas sat back down at his desk. “Honey, it’s going to be okay. You’ll see. He’ll help me around the farm and work at the restaurant. He can stay in Junia’s old quarters, and I can keep the door dead-bolted between us. Anyway, Simon said he was a model prisoner.”

“Huh, Simon.” She glared at her daddy. “I’m too tired for this drama right now.” She pulled her wrist upwards and jumped up. “I’ve got to go! I’m reviewing the price increases with the manager of the Farmers Market. Their fruits and vegetables may be good, but at this rate, I may have to cave and get ‘em shipped from Mexico like everyone else these days.”

Mr. Thomas smiled, and she kissed his forehead. “Love you, Dad. But don’t think we’re through with this discussion. I’m still not happy about it.”

“I didn’t think you would be.” Mr. Thomas picked up his novel again as she rushed outta the study door. REVISION:

“Can you imagine the backlash? Let’s put up a sign saying the man who killed Campbell Rathbone is working at Iris’s!” She dropped into the wingback and threw one leg over the other.

“Honey, it’ll be okay. Simon said he was a model prisoner. He’ll help us both.”

Her restless leg rocked so hard on the rug that she about bore a hole in it.

“I’ve dead-bolted the door.”

“I’m too tired for this drama right now. I’ve gotta go!” She kissed his forehead. “Love you, Dad. But don’t think we’re through with this. I’m still not happy about it.”

“I didn’t think you would be.”   With the revision, I didn’t want to lose Junia’s voice but wanted to cut the unnecessary Beats. I also focused on using words in the dialogue more natural to the speakers. As you can see, there are still a couple of Beats that I left in because I thought I needed them—at least for now. I’m happy with this cut. It trimmed my manuscript by 109 words. YAA! 

This tedious work is necessary. As I move through my manuscript, I’ll review each Beat and cut the ones that disrupt the pace and aren’t anchoring the reader in the dialogue or setting. I’ll think about the Beat’s point and whether or not it is distracting, cliched, or repetitive. I’ll consider whether my Beats illuminate my characters or if the description is simply a general action anyone might do in that situation. If so, then they will be cut. I’ll then read aloud to listen for the cadence. I’ll be honest, this work ahead of me is going to be challenging, and I’m not looking forward to it. But, overall, my goal is a solid piece of writing, and I know I need to do this task to accomplish that goal. Wish me luck, please.

[simplemlmsponsoring]

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Our Team’s Content Marketing Predictions For 2019

We get it. It’s hard to concentrate. In T-minus-X days you’ll be on holiday, yet for now you’re stuck in the office trying hard not to stare out the window, or think about the beach. But stay with us. This “content marketing predictions” article is just what you need because…

Reading it is nominally doing work. It’s one of those snackable articles, comprised of short quotes from our staff next to pictures of what they look like (which is always interesting, right?). We stay accountable by publishing a ‘did we get it right’ follow-up piece each year. That way you can look forward to finding out in 12 months time how wrong or right we were.

So come on team, what are your predictions for the world of content marketing in 2019?

Trent Paul

Head of Strategy

Live streaming will become one of the most hotly contested advertising platforms.

Live streaming had an extremely successful 2018. Twitch (the most popular platform) saw its top earner make more than US$500k per month – and the gap is quickly closing on YouTube’s top earner who makes more than US$1m per month.

Marketers will want to consider using live stream advertising platforms, as their viewers are highly specific. For example, if a streamer plays a video game that’s typically targeted at 15-18 year olds, it becomes a highly useful platform for a company targeting that demographic.

Kate Davidson

Director

Content marketing will become a core marketing function that’s no longer siloed. It has continued to deliver ROI while more traditional marketing has lost ground. That means marketing managers will be looking to content opportunities as a priority, not a secondary function.

Alistair Rathbone

Head of Account Management

I see more companies ‘breaking the 4th wall’ of content in 2019, spending more time, energy and money on interactive and experiential content campaigns to bring them closer to their customers.

Content for so long has been about what’s on the page. How content can improve your SEO, how it can add value to your website, how it can promote your brands’ position in the market. I believe that with the significant improvements in data mining, behavioural analysis and customer intelligence/analytics for sales and marketing, brands will search for more opportunities to create personalised experiences for their customers through their online content. It’s no longer about targeting the masses, it’s about how brands can meet the needs of their minimum viable audience in ways that create a special and unique relationship between brand and customer.

Marketers who are creative and can think outside the box will rise to the top – it’s no longer about ‘ticking boxes’ to satisfy the algorithm, it’s about creating WOW experiences through your marketing campaigns and content.

Laura Gomes

Content Marketing Manager

My prediction for 2019 is that there will be an increased focus on personalised and highly relevant content.

A study from HubSpot showed that personalised CTAs converted 202% better than standard versions. With such obvious benefits and readily available intelligence to make this possible, I think this is something that will become increasingly popular.

Christiana Ding

Marketing Communications Executive

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories that you tell.” Seth Godin.

I think that marketing in 2019 will be all about appealing to consumer emotions, developing trust and building relationships. Known as experiential marketing, it’s about businesses finding a way to stand out from the crowd and create long-lasting impressions. We’re exposed to marketing every day, but it’s the content that talks to our emotions that we remember the most, and that ultimately influences our decision to buy. We no longer want to buy just the product, we want to buy into the whole experience that comes with it.

Kayleigh Kent

Account Director

I predict a decline in the effectiveness of influencer marketing (controversial opinion). While I think that the industry in general will continue to rise, it’s losing its authenticity. We’re seeing so much of it and when not done subtly, influencer marketing can easily lose the trust factors that makes this form of distribution effective.

Sabrina Dorronsoro

Editorial Manager

Good writing will continue to be the backbone of any effective content marketing strategy.

You can have the fanciest digital strategies, the best strategic direction and the biggest budget to push it but without engaging, value-adding editorial, these tactics are largely futile.

For content marketing to do what it’s meant to do, you’ll need to ensure all of your written content is bullet-proof. This means unique takeaways, engaging insights and strong writing. There’s no point in centering your strategy around gated content if it’s just going to say the same thing everyone else is saying.

Natalie Gruner

Head of Marketing

Providing genuine value and personalisation will become more important, to balance the effects of process automation and streamlining.

Marketing automation has become a big part of making business processes more efficient and timely. However, it’s critical that personalisation and providing genuine value to prospects and customers don’t get overlooked.

Prospects and customers should never feel like they are handled as a mass audience. Instead they need to be treated as individuals with particular needs and wants. That’s going to mean marketing managers tailoring their automation efforts to different buyer personas and audiences. For example, they shouldn’t just send out one blanket email about their services but break it down and make it relevant to all their different audiences.

James Beavis

Business Improvement Manager

Video will go bust.

The Facebook-driven ‘pivot to video’ got dealt a hammer blow with the revelation that Facebook had artificially inflated its video engagement statistics. While this largely hit newsrooms that had laid off editorial staff in favour of video specialists, this will also hit content marketing companies that have made significant investments in the format. They will still be tethered to video if they’ve set up entire departments for it, but expect fewer 60-second slideshow videos with subtitles and a bigger focus on inventive aesthetics and formats in written work.

Erika Tabares

Content Promotion Manager

Influencer and micro-influencer marketing will continue to grow across social platforms.

With the changes in social platform algorithms, brand content is less visible than before. Using these influencers will help brands get their products/services in front of highly engaged social media audiences. Customers view these influencers as trustworthy and they help brands drive better results on social media. For marketers it means looking deeply into who the top thought leaders are in their industries.

Read more: castleford.com.au

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INTERVIEW: Percy Sends on James Bond on a Cyberthriller Adventure

With his work on titles like “Teen Titans” and “Green Arrow”, writer Benjamin Percy has established himself as one of the hottest talents in comics today, effortlessly blending the legacy of his characters within a contemporary, realistic-feeling world. He’s able to take a character and boil them right down to their essence whilst losing none of their potency – and this week his sights are settling on a spy known round the world as Bond… James Bond.

In Dynamite Entertainment’s new series “James Bond: Black Box”, Percy is teaming up with artist Rapha Lobosco for a story poised to send Bond racing round the world, seeking out an assassin who kills other assassins – and finds himself involved in a labyrinthine plot that brings him fully into the world of today. It’s James Bond-as-cyberthriller, and CBR spoke with Percy about just what we can expect from the series.

CBR: I know you’ve been a long-term Bond fan – how does it feel to actually now have the chance to get your hands on the character, and his world?

Benjamin Percy: A gift. A privilege. I feel joy, but I also feel pressure. James Bond might be the most recognized literary creation – right up there with Sherlock Holmes and Batman and Dracula. So I’m facing the weighty expectations of fans and the silently admonishing example of Fleming and all the other creators who came before me.

But really, this is a childhood dream come true. I wish I could go back in time and whisper in my own ear—the ear of that twelve-year-old kid who cuddled up on the couch and gorged on popcorn and religiously watched every minute of the 007 marathons on TBS. ‘Pay attention, dipshit’, I would say. ‘Because one day, you’re going to be the custodian of this character’.

The new comics run at Dynamite has so far harkened back to Fleming’s original broken brute of a character, rather than the film version. What’s your take on who James Bond actually is?

We all know – or think we know – who Batman is, right? But if you look at Bob Kane or you look at Alan Moore or Jeph Loeb or Grant Morrison or Scott Snyder or Tom King, there’s an… elasticity to their interpretations. That’s what people want. A unique take that still honors the character’s legacy.

I’m a big nerdy fan of the Bond novels and the films. They’ve blended together in my head. The same thing has happened to Sherlock Holmes. I’ve read all the short stories and novellas many times over—and my love for them is entwined with my love of the Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch adaptations.

So you’ll see as much of Fleming as you will Connery and Moore in my take on the character. Warren Ellis is a legend. I’m a punk. You’re not allowed to compare us. But my version will extend the excellent work he did, while adding a little more humor and romance. I can promise you I’ve pulled out all the stops on action: every single issue outdoes the last on spectacle.

How does the character fit within the espionage model? Why does he work in this role as a spy?

Bond is suited for his work because he is not mired in the past or especially worried about the future. He is a creature of the moment; he has to be or he’d go mad, given the ugliness of what he’s done and given the horrors that might befall the world if he doesn’t succeed. He occasionally diverts and numbs himself with pleasure but is otherwise an instrument in Britain’s arsenal. The work owns him.

He’s fascinating in that he appears at first so aspirational – wearing the best clothes, driving the best cars, winning every bet and seducing the most beautiful women – but beneath that luxurious veneer is a severely messed-up human being who can only survive by drowning himself in bourbon, losing himself in the sheets, or devoting himself to the case at hand.

The title, “Black Box,” seems like the key to the story. What is it that interests you in having Bond tackle cyber-terrorism? As a novelist and as a comics writer, you’ve always tended to have a directly political approach. Can we expect that to continue in to your run on James Bond?

Bond stories always align with the anxieties of the era. Look at “Dr. No” and the Cuban Missile Crisis as a prime example. What scares us right now? The list is long, but we’re all so vulnerable online. We live on our devices as much as we do in the real world, and it’s so easy for us to be stalked, corrupted, hacked, pirated, possessed, erased.

In one particularly nasty week, my sister’s email was hacked, my friend’s Facebook feed filled with phishing scams, our credit card info was stolen, my father downloaded a virus that locked down his computer, and my neighbor filed his taxes and discovered that someone had already done so and collected the refund. All because we carelessly clicked or swiped.

I’ve got a novel coming out this summer, a cyber-thriller called “The Dark Net.” I researched the hell out of it, visiting the Google and Apple campuses, talking to Verizon reps, interviewing hackers and coders. And you know what everybody said to me? The Russians and the Chinese were already inside the digital walls of this country. The only question was, what were they planning to do with that access? Just wait, everyone said. Something big is coming. And then, six months later, here are these allegations of Russian hacking influencing the election.

So yeah, in all my work, I’m channeling the zeitgeist, trying to make my wild storytelling as relatable and relevant as possible. You’ll certainly see that in Bond.

Bond may be the star, but he’s always part of a different strange ensemble. Who’ll he be meeting in “Black Box?” Who, in particular, is No Name, the antagonist of the story? What’s his ambition, his goal?

I’ve always been fond of the henchmen, Odd Job and Jaws especially, so I put a lot of thought into creating a colorful villain, and in doing so spliced my love of horror with my love of 007. No Name is the result. He is an assassin with a trophy room. In it he displays the death masks of his victims. And because of his own deformities (and perversions) he wears these masks when hunting. He is as unrelenting as he is grotesque. And there is one scene in particular — that takes place in the “suicide forest” of Japan — that will likely scare the hell out of readers.

But he is one of many colorful characters. Bond’s old frenemy Felix also plays a critical role in the story. So does an assassin who only kills other assassins. The big bad of Black Box is a tech mogul who is essentially a Mark Zuckerberg with criminal intentions.

Is if difficult to balance the old-school style of the series within the contemporary world? Working within the past but keeping something in the present, a little like your approach on Green Arrow?

I’m writing both “Green Arrow” and “Teen Titans,” and if you’re a comics reader, you probably know all about DC’s Rebirth. It’s about legacy. You channel the greatest elements of a series—while asking yourself, what is the greatest Green Arrow or Teen Titans story I could possibly tell right now? How can I, with my own unique skill set, make the series new while honoring those creators who came before me?

That is exactly how I’m approaching James Bond. It wasn’t a struggle at all. It’s how I’ve been trained as a comics writer.

How have you found working with artist Rapha Lobosco on the story? What kind of style is he bringing to the comic?

Pure cinema. He has such a smart sense of storytelling, pacing, how to stage a scene and make the reader feel like they’re living it. Go big with moments of high-wire action, go quiet with moments of emotional impact. His work reminds me a lot of Eduardo Risso on “100 Bullets”.

He draws with such energy and big-heartedness. This is a big platform for us, and so we’re both putting all our energy into it. There are many artists who would (rightfully) murder me for setting an assassination scene at a sumo tournament or staging a car chase in downtown Tokyo at rush hour…but he tackles these wild action sequences with gusto and ridiculous talent. Rapha is a star on the rise.

Do you have long-term plans for Bond, or is your interest in working story-to-story, creating a body of work that way?

Well, Bond isn’t mine. In my wild, what-if fantasies, his father comes back from the dead (and turn out to be a villain) and he discovers he has a child (given all the nookie Bond has, that not an unreasonable suggestion) and he eventually becomes M. himself (and absolutely despises the work).

But don’t worry, 007 purists. That’s not happening. I’m treating each of these six-issue arcs as a kind of film. Rapha and I are making Bond movies—without having to worry about the special effects budget or an actor’s salary or whether we can get a permit to shoot in this or that location.

I don’t know how long Dynamite will keep me on the series, but I can promise you that every issue of “Black Box” is wilder and cooler than the last—and I can promise you the same will be true of our story arcs. I’ll continue to raise the stakes in an effort to make an indelible mark on the franchise.

“James Bond: Black Box” #1 is in stores now.

The post INTERVIEW: Percy Sends on James Bond on a Cyberthriller Adventure appeared first on CBR.com.

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Ele-May-ntary - Number 30

Welcome to Ele-May-ntary! All throughout this month, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Portrayals of Sherlock Holmes, from movies, television, and even a couple of video games! Last time, we talked about the Fourth Doctor’s adventures as the Master Detective. Today, we see an equally familiar face to the world of geekdom. Number 30 is…Alan Napier.

Proof that Alfred taught Batman everything he knows.

Yes, for those who are unaware, Alan Napier is an actor most famous for playing Alfred Pennyworth in the 1960s “Batman” series, starring Adam West & Burt Ward as the Caped Crusader and Robin the Boy Wonder, respectively. In my opinion, Napier is the definitive live-action Alfred. Yes, other actors of more recent times have been quite good – Michael Gough, Michael Caine, Jeremy Irons, and more – but in many ways, I feel the 60s Alfred was something of a bridge over the gap between the Alfred of the time before then, and the Alfred we know today. In the early days of comics, you see, Alfred was a comic relief character: not even remotely the parental and often militant figure we know today. It was the 60s show that made Alfred just as much of a hero as Bruce Wayne could be, actively taking part in crimefighting and actually having experience as a soldier. He was the perfect blend of the man of action and the sophisticated servant. Having said that, long before he started serving tea and crumpets at Wayne Manor, Napier was a distinguished actor onscreen, and had been involved in theatre for several decades. In 1949 – more than 15 years before he became Alfred – Napier was cast in the role of the Great Detective in a TV production of Conan Doyle’s own personal favorite Holmes story, “The Adventure of the Speckled Band.” It aired as an episode of the series “Your Show Time,” and co-starred Melville Cooper as Dr. Watson. The episode adapts the classic story rather faithfully, in terms of characters and plot; the only great change is the addition of a second suspect: in the original story, the culprit is fairly obvious, and the real question is how he plans to deal with his victim. In the 1949 version, a red herring is added to the mix, so – for those who don’t know how the original story goes – the mystery becomes more cloudy. Melville Cooper is by no means my favorite Watson; the episode was made right on the heels of the popular Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce films and radio series, and Cooper’s bumbling, comical Watson is clearly an attempt to capture the spirit of Bruce’s take on the character, but without the charm and balance that Bruce had. Napier, however, is a highly respectable portrayal of Holmes. Rather than attempt to mimic Rathbone, he brings his own take to the role: a sly, sharp gentleman with a wit as keen as his eyes and/or brain. Honestly, it would have been lovely to see more stories adapted with Napier’s Holmes, or even get a proper film treatment with him in the role (the “Your Show Time” episode is only about a half hour’s length, and has a VERY small budget to deal with), but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. What more can I say? If we ever needed further proof that Alfred is arguably more awesome than Batman, this is where you can find it. Tomorrow the countdown continues! Who will be next? Check in and find out!