Tim Simmons

Influence : Novel 

ON A PALE HORSE - Piers Anthony

On a Pale Horse is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony, first published in 1983. It is the first of eight books in the Incarnations of Immortality series. The book focuses on Zane, a photographer about to commit suicide, but who instead kills Death and must assume his office.

Looking back on it, this book (and a few of the subsequent in the series) solidified my interests in both Sci-Fi and, for lack of a better term, mystical fiction. 

I wouldn’t call it the greatest book written— and in fact, since I haven’t read it since sixth grade, I barely remember much beyond the basic plot— I still consider OaPH to be a cornerstone of what would eventually lead me to stuff like Gaiman’s Sandman (which will have it’s own entry eventually). 

I fell off the Incarnations series somewhere around the 4th book, which starred War. The second, “Bearing and Hourglass” (Time) was my favorite, and probably has a lot to do with my love for Doctor Who. 

Influence : Television 

FRINGE

Watching Fringe was always a somewhat frustrating experience. It was a show that could hit some dazzling moments, both in plot and character— but minutes later, trip itself up, dismissing or ignoring a thread that you desperately wanted them to continue. 

I started watching Fringe to alleviate an odd itch to revisit The X-files (as anyone who watched TXF knows: That road only leads to sorrow), and found it to be fun little horror-ish/sci-fi’er with a couple of engaging one-offs. And, like most viewers, John Nobel’s “Walter” character, hooked me right away. 

It wasn’t until the first season finale that Fringe really got me to sit up, with its shoe drop of an Alternate Reality reveal and Leonard friggin Nimoy showing up. 

From that point on, the show began walking a tightrope of awesome and inane. In a post-LOST landscape, the producers of Fringe seemed to be determined to answer questions, even if it wrote them into a corner that necessitated big, sweeping, plot twists between seasons in order to course correct…

I never got the feeling that the show’s runners had a game plan. In fact, I’m pretty sure they were making things up as they went along— but that’s where the fun of the series really was: If the creators didn’t know what was going to happen next, the viewers sure didn’t either. 

I also can’t think of another series that played quite so risky to reward its audience with fun little easter eggs— Casting half of The Wire as guest stars. Alternate DC universe comic books. Walter’s nod to Twin Peak’s Dr. Jacoby. A half animated episode. Or Walter’s Monty Python trip— It was a show that loved winking to its fans, but never in a pandering or cheeky way. 

Influence: Film

DARK CITY

This is what happens when Metropolis, Kafka, The Maltese Falcon, a Twilight Zone episode, PKD, and Gilliam’s Brazil get together for a gang bang— It also becomes one of my favorite movies ever. 
If you’ve never listened to Roger Ebert’s commentary on this disc, do so now. It’s one of the earlier DVD commentaries and chock full of insightful stuff. Shit, now I’m wondering why I don’t own Dark City on Blu-ray…

Influence: Film

IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS- 
No one would argue MOM as Carpenter’s best, but with its Stephen King meets Lovecraft overtones, the third film of the Apocalypse Trilogy holds a special place the “Spooky/Horror” section of my influence chart. 

Steranko

Drive. 

I’m neither here, nor there, when it comes to T.I. But I will say: This is a pretty badass album cover. 

Kubrick’s handwritten notes and typed outline for Napoleon. 
Whenever I start writing a project, I try to channel a little of Kubrick’s swag— hell, if you could bottle 10% of his focus and attention to detail, you’re 90% ahead of curve.

Whenever I start writing a project, I think: “Be like Kubrick.”

Broke ground on a Houdini thing this morning. Haven’t seen this particular take done before, so it’s going into the “Let’s write this bitch” folder.  

what-thecomicbookpanels:

Fatale #10

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Fairest #7