Here’s me pulling a Bourne after the showing last week. I’m going to be gone for a little bit. But don’t miss me. And don’t bother trying to find me, either.

Huge thanks to everyone who wrote me with ideas and responses, both here and privately. I am amazed that so many people thought so much about it. And that people liked it.  Lots to think about, too.  Still, for something like this, the boots stay on.

Here’s some other lingering things I didn’t get time to post with all the craziness of the last couple weeks:

Here’s an interview with Joe Shuster’s sister Jean we did for ALTER EGO magazine. Jean is awesome. This is the first published interview she’s ever done. We’re very very proud of how it turned out, mostly due to editor Roy Thomas. When he sent me an email I almost barfed — he is a legend and used to write one of my all-time favorite comics, The Invaders. Anyway, Jean’s is a voice that has never been heard in this story so I’m honored that she agreed to tell it to me. You can order it here as the magazine or as a pdf.

Also: Here’s an iMix I made for some of the songs that got incorporated into the film thematically and otherwise as I sat at this &*^%& computer. Me and my sister used to make fun of iMixes when they came out — I think Jennifer Garner had one called “Work-Out!” with Biggie on it. So feel free to make fun of mine, just me with the trying.

Also also: an article and embarassing picture here.

One last thing: LOTS of requests for DVDs — LS will hopefully someday maybe be available like that but definitely not now, so I can’t send you one, even for money. Lots of reasons why. I so much appreciate the enthusiasm though. Just hold tight — this is just the start. Until then watch Stargate:Atlantis (I did every night while finishing production - sad).

My biggest fear before last week was that it was just too weird. I said here before that I had no interest in doing another calm, collected talking heads documentary — I love those, don’t get me wrong — it just wasn’t the story I wanted to tell. For one, I wanted to tell the truth — and it is not a clean and pretty story. So many people like to paint Jerry and Joe just like Superman, as these clean-cut romanticized heroes of the imagination. They are those, but they were also just men. At times, very strange ones. They created something radically different instead of toeing the line. So I think this is the only way to understand them. So while I was scared the movie was just too bizarre or dark, I’m glad that no one seemed to mind (or notice). Which tells me either it wasn’t that strange to begin with, or it’s something we can all empathize with..

-Brad

YOU! With the farmer-tan sunburn and funnel-cake sugar on your midriff: STAND AND BE COUNTED! If you got to see the *special* work-in-progress screening of LAST SON this weekend now is your time to SHOUT back! PRAISE! WAIL! MOAN!

Seriously, you are Clevelanders and this is partly YOUR movie so I want to hear some feedback! Let’s make this the bestest Cleveland movie possible before the rest of so-called “America” sees it. Let’s show them what we can do. Respond in the comments below or feel free to email me direct: brad.ricca@case.edu.

Random responders will receive t-shirts, stickers, and WHO KNOWS?

Thanks for coming! Sorry there wasn’t any popcorn….

Well, it’s over — the first screening of the work-in-progress. It may seem like not that much when you see it for an hour but there is a lot of time, pain and money in this thing. Anyway, it was a success. No one stood up and yelled at me and no one served me papers. Some great feedback, ideas, and encouragement. And a lot of friends and family came out for it which was really… just unbelievable.

And the three things I wanted more than anything else to happen with the movie…did. More on that later.

We also taped a hilarious bit in the Q&A that I’ll also save for later. Check back here for it soon.

Endnote: A friend of mine used to tell me that she wanted to just walk out on a stage and just have people clap for her — just once, just to see what it felt like. She said she would wave and bow and smile ear-to-ear. She is not a me-driven I-person at all (not even close) but she just thought it would feel good just once. I never really got it, but I have to say, after years of seeing movies and wondering if they were clappable, when they started clapping today, well, it was pretty cool. Not many people probably get to experience that so I’m pretty lucky. Everybody should get that.  So start clapping.  And granted, mine was probably started by my friends, but why dwell on technicalities…

thanks in no order to Steph, Chris, Sean, Mark, Maria, Holton (above and beyond), Jamie, Kalel, & Co., Ma and Pa Kent, Steve (Coventry street fair next weekend — bring pies), Dick and family, James Levin, Gary and Marilyn (super cycle powers activate!), Laura, and all the other people who showed up today. Thank you for coming — you made all those Saturdays holed up in the library worth it. Lots more to do, but the hard part is over.

Read it here. Is it too late to grow a beard and bus to Canada?

I always like seeing photos of other peoples’ work areas. One of my favorites is Mike Allred’s. I also saw Julie Delpy’s in an old issue of RES and was like “yeah I like you Julie Delpy but why is your cat on your AVID?” There’s also some great DVD extra on Fellowship of the Ring that shows Peter Jackson laying down on this giant green couch editing on some huge flatscreen in front of him. I remember thinking: “Man, that’s a pretty good life if you can do your work from the green couch.” He was wearing those shorts though so it was also kind of disturbing.

I am like none of those people so don’t expect much. Even Julie Delpy (who I really do like). So here’s my “workstation” at the time I finished this version of the film today. Not too messy (shockingly), just don’t look past the edges. Notice too how the most expensive piece of equipment is on the floor. Oh well. Maybe I can go over to Julie Delpy’s house? Do her friends just call her Julie? Or still Julie Delpy?

Conclusion: it’s a little rough. I like that. I had to cut out a lot. There are some parts I really like. And some parts that look like a kid with a Lego camera (only not that good). Hopefully it will be ok to watch. I did add something really cool though at the last possible minute. Father Box told me to. I’ve been awake for some time.

I’ve been waiting for the right time to plug Marc Tyler Nobleman’s new book, i.e., when people actually came here (slight glare). But no worries, and now is the time as it has just come out: it is an illustrated, non-fiction book about Joe and Jerry that a) is not only the only book of its kind on the creators, but is also b) the best and most accurate depiction of their lives in print. Yes, I used a period there. Marc is a tireless researcher who has opened up MANY a dead-end others (me included) had abandoned. And the illustrations are really amazing. So go buy his book at the store or order it here. It is definitely for all ages — if you like Superman, want to learn more about his creators, or just want to pass the story on to the next generation OH JUST BUY IT. It’s the same as three gallons of gas and makes a great gift.

It is fruitless to talk about Superman this weekend. Maybe. Violence and mental illness aside, when we all went to see it on Friday and after I regained consciousness after seeing Silk Spectre in the Watchmen trailer, my brother said it best afterwards: “that scene with his head sticking out of the car, with no sound, at dawn in Chicago.” If you’ve ever been awake in Chicago at that time, you know exactly what he means and exactly what it feels like, and how it makes the movie great. Notice how the lights are on.

….let’s just leave it at that.

Ok, warning: I sound really nuts when I start talking about The Joker and subconscious mass hysteria, but otherwise this is worth listening to if only for perennial ally Mike Sangiacomo (who always amazes me with his radio A-game) and the funny Charles Cassady, Jr. The real joy of doing these though is always Dee Perry, who can go from talking about Neoclassicism to Iron Man on a dime. The best there is.

Oh, and you’ll get to hear some guy from Lakewood yell at me about Beowulf (though I did sorta ask for it).

Happy Birthday Joe Shuster. I confess that when I started this whole thing I had one worry: Joe. What I mean was, I had all this great stuff about Jerry Siegel (who doesn’t), but how was I going to get anything about Joe? After all, he was the quiet, nerdy one who just drew the pictures. Right? And had no say in what was being put on the page? True?

Nope.

So Happy Bday Joe, hope you’re enjoying perfect vision, raw eggs, and Dinah Shore records wherever you are.

also: thanks to Jamie Reigle who reminded me of this fact.  He is one of the world’s greatest collectors (and dealers) of superstuff — check out his store here.