Thursday, December 3, 2009

It Started When an Alien Device Did What It Did...

As many of you faithful readers may already know, one of the many things occupying my time these days is writing episodes of the cool Cartoon Network series Ben 10: Alien Force. I've written four of them so far and the first one, "Trade-Off!", premieres tonight at 8:30PM on the Cartoon Network, and will be repeated tomorrow morning at 8:30AM on same. I'm particularly proud of my work on this show, and am glad to finally be able to share it with you all.

Tune in tonight or tomorrow and catch the episode, won't you? Then drop me a line to let me know what you thought. You know I do all this for you.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Have a Happy Me Day!

Well, I'm utterly slackjawed with wonderment to discover that this Saturday, December 5, 2009 is Official Len Wein Day in Los Angeles County. That day, I'll be doing a signing of the 100 Wolverine Covers Special Edition Collection for the Hero Initiative along with many of the artists who actually drew the covers at Collectors Paradise at 7131 Winnetka Ave. in Canoga Park from 7 to 10PM, where, I'm told, I'll be receiving an official proclamation. It's gonna take a while for me to fully wrap my head around this one, people. If you need more information, you can find whatever you need by clicking here.

Hell, it's an honor just to be nominated.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Still More Me

Well, if you enjoyed the previous two interviews with your Humble blogger regarding the X-Men Origins: Wolverine DVD, here's yet another one. I'm actually amazed at how well I appear to speak Spanish.

Who knew?

Friday, October 23, 2009

I'll Take my Wife for a Million, Alex!

As I may have mentioned a time or two before on this here blog, my lovely wife Christine and I are Jeopardy! addicts. We watch the program religiously. When we're home, we revel in it. When we're out, we Tivo it so we can revel in it when we get home. We take enormous pride in the fact that we can count an astonishing number of former Jeopardy! champions among our dearest friends. In short, we are, as the always-charming Bob Harris titled his wonderful book on the subject, hopeless Prisoners of Trebeckistan.

So it is with considerable pride that I suggest to you that you Tivo, tape, or just stay home and watch Jeopardy! this coming Monday October 26th to see how the lovely and brilliant Christine handles herself as a first-time contestant on the world's greatest game show. Christine has spent a lot of time and effort studying for the program and, so long as the categories don't include subjects like The History of Lint or Things Only Len and Other Geeks Would Know, my money is on her.

So turn on, tune in, and let me know what you thought of her performance this coming Monday. Check your local listings for time and channel.

A word to the wise and all that.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

More Me

Well, the first of my X-Men Origins: Wolverine Blu-ray interviews went pretty well. Here's another...



Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Hey, I Actually Don't Look Half Bad in This One

As I may or may not have mentioned here, several weeks ago, I spent a lovely morning in the company of X-Men franchise Producer Lauren Shuler Donner and X-Men Origins: Wolverine Director Gavin Hood promoting the Blue-ray DVD release of the latter film. I did something like 35 brief interviews in the space of four hours, some on camera and some for print in international media. Here, for your edification, is one of those interviews.

I should look this good all the time.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Hot l Baltimore

Well, it's been a heck of a week. I've been on the road since last Friday, feeling kind'a lousy for most of the time. Last weekend I was at Mid-Ohio-Con where a fine time was had by all, myself by no means least among them. For the past week, I've been in New York City, working on my mega-project for DC Comics for next year and seeing as many plays and musicals as I could manage.

On Monday, my lovely sister-in-law T (we're planning to buy her more letters for her name for Christmas) and I went to see the Tony Award-winning musical Next to Normal, a story of a woman played by Tony winner Alice Ripley who is suffering extreme mental distress, and loved it. On Tuesday, we saw a preview of Memphis the Musical, a story of the birth of rock-and-roll, and loved it just as much. Wednesday night, we saw the drama Still Life, starring Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip's own Sarah Paulson, and co-starring my brilliantly-talented niece-in-law Kelly McAndrew, and really enjoyed it. Thursday night, T and I were Hugh Jackman's guests to see his new Broadway drama, A Steady Rain, also starring James Bond himself, Daniel Craig. It is a very good show made brilliant by two extraordinary performances. After the show, we were invited backstage, where the always-gentlemanly Hugh introduced us to the legendary Bernadette Peters (one of my idols) and superstar photographer Annie Liebovitz. It was a memorable evening, to say the least.

This weekend, to cap things off, I am a guest for the very first time at the Baltimore Comicon, where I'll be doing panels and signing autographs for what will probably seem like the rest of my life. If you're going to be there, please drop by, say hi, and remind me you read this blog. The more who do, the more often I'm likely to post things here.

A word to the wise and all that. Now I'm going to go fall down until morning.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

One Con in Ohio

Well, I'm off to the latest Mid-Ohio-Con this weekend, October 3-4, in beautiful Columbus, Ohio. I'll be doing a panel on Saturday on the origin of Wolverine with co-creator Herb Trimpe and another panel on Sunday on the origins of Swamp Thing with co-creator Bernie Wrightson. So if there's still anything you don't know about how these two strips got started, be sure to drop and listen in. I'll have a table at the Con where I'll be doing signings for most of the rest of the weekend. Now is definitely the chance for all seven of you left in the world who don't have their copies of Incredible Hulk #181 and Swamp Thing #1 signed by me and my co-conspirators to get that little mistake fixed. I'm bound and determined that every single copy of both titles will be signed before I go to my ultimate reward, so don't let me down.

Heck, even if you've got nothing to be signed, stop on by and say howdy. You know how lonely these cons can get.

If I'm not at my table, check out the local Mongolian BBQ to find me. My good buddy Mark Evanier is determined to drag me there before the con is over.

See you in Columbus.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Blame Canada

Well, at least that's what you can do if I'm eaten by a bear or a moose or something carnivorous any time over the next few days while I'm a guest up in beautiful Toronto at Fan Expo Canada 2009. You can get all the info you need to attend by clicking right here. Fan Expo appears to be an amazing collection of several different cons all wrapped up in one and the guest list for each of the five cons-in-one is extraordinary.

I'll be doing signings and panels Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Stop by and say howdy, eh? I promise to be glad to see you.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Where I'll be at Comic-Con

I haven't posted much here over the past few months. Most of you know why. The fire, my kidney stone, not really knowing how to truly thank all of you for your absolutely humbling generosity in response to our (comparatively tiny) plight. Please do know that your heartwarming response to all of this has brought me to tears more than once over the past few months. I thank each and every one of you more than I can capably express, and those many of you who answered Mark Evanier's call to replace my fire-damaged books can expect a more personal thank you later this summer.

Anyway, on to why I'm posting here. My lovely wife has suggested quite vociferously that I let any of you who might by actually interested to know where I'll be at various times during comic-Con so you can come by, say hi, get books autographed, the usual. So, okay, here it goes as I know it to be true at this moment. I almost guarantee some things will change before the end of the week.

THURSDAY:

Now and then at the Bloodfire Studios booth (booth #1621), I will be on hand to sign copies of their new Kindergoth Special which I co-wrote with Bloodfire guru Lee Kohse. It's a fun and funny book, well worth your time. Stop by and check their list to find out when I'll be there, though I do promise to be there at some point all four days of the con.

Here's a peek at the cool cover...

FRIDAY:

So far nothing firm scheduled, but try me at the Bloodfire or DC booths. I'm certain to be at both during the day.

SATURDAY:

Okay, so here's the real killer day...

11:15AM (rm. 6BCF) I'll be kibbitzing during Mark Evanier's always-entertaining Quick Draw Panel, this year starring Sergio Aragones, Scott Shaw! and, for the first time, Disney legend and old friend Floyd Norman. You'll hate yourself if you miss it.

11:45AM (rm. 6DE) I'll be watching the Ben 10 panel like every other self-respecting animation fan. I'm not sure if I'll be on the panel or in the audience but, since I've written three upcoming episodes of the series, I'll definitely be there.

3PM (rm. 3) I'll be interviewing my old cohort Doug Moench, who's one of this year's special guests, on his lengthy and storied career. Tales will be told, secrets will be spilled, so be there.

4:45PM (rm. 6BCF) I'll be on the panel for the premiere preview screening of the new FOX series, the Human Target, based on my comic book series. I'll be sharing the stars with Executive Producers Jon Steinberg, Brad Kern, and Peter Johnson, as well as several of the cast members, including stars Mark Valley, Chi McBride and Jackie Earle Haley. We'll be taking your questions after the screening, so please have some ready. I've already seen the pilot and, trust me, it kicks the proverbial tush.

6PM (Autograph Area) I'll be at the FOX table with the aforementioned folks, signing autographs and spreading the good word.

SUNDAY:

Again, nothing firm so far, but check out the DC and Bloodfire booths as I suggested before.

Anyway, that's the schedule for the moment. If you're going to be at the Con, please track me down and say hi, and let me know you read this here blog.

And, once again, thanks for everything.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Best There Is At What He Does...

For all the blatantly obvious reasons, I present to you the following...



Cool, huh?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Return of the Revenge of Shameless Self-Promotion

Well, having totally neglected to mention that I wrote the Origins & Omens back-up story in last week's Justice League of America #30 (still on sale in better comic book shops everywhere if you're quick enough and lucky enough), it behooves me to mention that this coming Wednesday, February 25th, DC in releasing a new Tales of the Green Lantern Corps trade paperback that will include the terrific 3-part miniseries I co-wrote all those many years ago with my old office mate Mike W. Barr. The art is by the always-amazing Joe Staton and it features a couple of villains who you really ought to know about going into this summer's big Blackest Night event. The book is filled out with a number of GLC tales by the likes of Todd Klein, Paul Kupperberg, and Watchmen's own Dave Gibbons, and is well worth your time and effort.

A word to the wise and all that.

Say What?

There's currently an article making the rounds over on the Yahoo! movies site called "10 Essential Facts About 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'". You can check out the entire article by clicking here. The so-called "fact" that, frankly, makes me quite crazy, however, is "Fact" #2, which states:
Co-creator Len Wein's original idea was that the character was actually a wolverine cub that was mutated into human form. He also intended for Wolverine's signature claws to extend from his gloves, not from his body. But these ideas were dropped when new writer Chris Claremont took over the series.
Let me respond to this as emphatically as I possibly can.

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! And...oh, yeah...WRONG!

Well, at least, in part.

While I readily admit that my original idea was for Wolvie's claws to extend from the backs of his gloves (I figured that since Adamantium is indestructible, telescoping claws no more than a molecule thick could fit into those casings in the backs of Adamantium gloves, which had then been covered in cloth. Dave and Chris definitely improved on that idea), I absolutely DID NOT ever intend to make Logan a mutated wolverine. I write stories about human beings, not evolved animals (with apologies for any story I may have written that involved the High Evolutionary). The mutated wolverine thing came about long after I was no longer involved with the book. I'm not certain if the idea was first suggested by Chris Claremont, the late much-missed Dave Cockrum, or John Byrne when he came aboard as artist, but it most certainly DID NOT start with me.

Just setting the record straight here. As far as I'm concerned, that idea is spinach, and I say to Hell with it.

Monday, February 2, 2009

New York State of Mind

Well, the lovely wife reminds me that I ought to let all and sundry know that I'm going to be one of the guests this coming weekend at the New York Comic-Con, to be held at the Jacob Javits Center in lively but frigid NYC. Rumor has it I'll be signing the new Flash Gordon 75th Anniversary Special from Ardden Publishing at their booth on Friday and Saturday, and signing my three latest books from DC (Final Crisis Secret Files, Superman/Batman Annual #3, JLA #29) among others, at the DC Booth at various times during the weekend. Beyond that, I'll be on a few panels (check schedule for details) and I'll be available at my own table most of the rest of the time to sign pretty much anything else you've got (within reason).

So come on by, say howdy, and let me know you heard about it all at this here blog. I'll be looking for you.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Ghost of Shameless Self-Promotion!

Been a while since we've posted here. Been lots of reasons. The cold of death that knocked us out for the first week-and-a-half of the year. Then the incredible trip to San Francisco that we just got back from and will blog about as soon as we finish the Flash Gordon and JLA scripts currently sitting boulder-like on our desk. But we did want to take a second to suggest you trot on down to your local comics shop today to pick up a pair of our newest efforts.

First, there is the Superman/Batman Annual #3, with the incredibly cool Bernie Wrightson cover depicted below.

The interiors are a knock-out job by the art team of Chris Batista on pencils and Mick Gray and Jack Jadson on inks. As you can tell from the above, the story is a whole new (and really twisted, if I do say so myself) take on the old Composite Superman character. Let me know what you think of it.

Also out today (or so I'm told) is Justice League of America #29, where I'm filling in for a month for the lovely and talented Dwayne McDuffie. I don't have a copy of that cover handy, but the issue is basically a reimagining and reintroduction to the old character Starbreaker. The art here is by ChrisCross and Rob Stull and it looks terrific.

As ever, if you pick 'em up, please do let me know what you thought of 'em.

And now, back to our regular deadline crunch!