James

Bloodshot is the sixth Podcast Play (if you count Mason Dixon as one big project), and from one play to the next there has been one constant. Actors may change, writers may come and go, but there’s only one Alexthed.

Alex has done the opening and closing credits for each of the Podcast Plays (except the later episodes of Mason Dixon, where text credits were used to make way for Les’ theme song). Each time he’s brought the same style and enthusiasm for being our Master of Ceremonies. His warm, welcoming voice is perfect to ease everyone in to our productions.

Alex has perfected that voice in his stand-up comedy, acting, and as host of the beloved show Movie Questions Answered. He’s appeared in every 100 member special, gave a fantastic interview in Creative Chaos (out December 15, if you haven’t heard), and will play a crucial part in A Site in Scarlett. He’s one of our earliest members, and has proven himself time and again to be one of the most valuable.

Alex, along with our very own Mr. Aspiring Actor, has shot a pilot for a series called Pinheads. He was gracious enough to send me a clip to use in Creative Chaos and I have to say, this show is going to be awesome. I’m not just saying that because he’s wearing a Manic Expression shirt in the show…though that doesn’t hurt.

Whats great is that the T-shirt was planned out, by him. He told me in advance, “Hey, I’m going to wear a Manic shirt in this show.” Why? To help promote us. Because even when working on something that was his own, separate from Manic Expression, he had us in mind.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what Manic Expression means to me these last few weeks. I know I say this all the time, but we really are the greatest community on the Web. There isn’t one among us who would ever tear down or intentionally hurt another member. Criticism is always constructive, caring, and respectful. In an Internet landscape filled with jerks doing their best to rain on another persons dreams, we do our best to lift each other up. Sometimes all it takes is something as simple as deciding what T-shirt you want to wear on an very important day.

To Alexthed! A valued member of Manic Expression, and a hell of a nice guy.

The first time SomeJerkfromBoston (hence forth to be referred to as SJFB) and I did a podcast together, as he once told me, he was not excited. He told me he thought to himself, “Oh man! You mean the Stop the Hate guy?” He thought I’d be some sort of sugary sweet, annoyingly upbeat prude. It wasn’t until I said the word “fuck” that he let loose a sigh of relief and said, “Oh thank god, he swears!”
My first impression of SJFB wasn’t all that great either. When you found a website based on the idea of community and no trolling, to see someone who refers to themselves as as jerk makes you worry. I was reminded of trolls I’d dealt with in the past who went by names like Edwin Q. Hatemonger, worthless pricks who made it their mission in life to spoil the fun of anyone who dared post a blog or make a video.

How relieved I was when I got to know SJFB. He might be from Boston, that much is true, but he’s the furthest thing from a jerk. Is his wit caustic? Yes, delightfully so. Will he be brutally honest? Absolutely, but only to cut through the bullshit that hinders many from giving really good advice. Ask him for advice on a project and he’ll give it to you straight, but he also won’t let you give up on yourself either.

Our beloved Patricia took the first crack at the screenplay for Manic Expression: The Movie. I chose her because she’s a sweetheart, well versed in the kind of cartoony adventure with a heart I wanted the movie to be underneath. But we always knew someone else would come in and develop the project further, adding the comedy and an edge that would keep the film from slipping over the edge of sentiment. Luckily, SJFB stepped up.

We’ve had many discussions about the movie. I’ve read a fantastic outline that I wouldn’t dream of spoiling for any of you (and one scene of the new draft, which literally made me choke with laughter). In those conversations, SJFB has made it clear that he doesn’t want this movie to slip into schmaltz. Yet he also speaks of the movies themes – friendship, following your dreams, believing in yourself. Maybe he’s a little more sentimental than he lets on.

Manic Expression is made up of hundreds of people. Many of you come here, post your blogs or your videos, and move along. That’s fine. Some, however, want more out of their time here. Some want to make friends, encourage others, further their own dreams and ambitions. SJFB is one of those people.

Sadly I didn’t get to be a part of his recent commentary for Night of the Living Dead with Kyle, TheOtherDude, and Moderately Annoyed Canadian. I was there for an earlier attempt which, due to technical difficulties, didn’t happen. The project was Kyle’s, but it was SJFB who knew how to put the whole thing together. He patiently walked us through the problems going on, did his best to overcome them, and when he couldn’t he reassured Kyle that we would try again until everything turned out okay.

…Doesn’t sound like a jerk to me. Sounds like a hell of a nice guy.

Here at Manic Expression, people present us with all sorts of wonderful and entertaining slices of themselves. Some review movies and games. Some tell us about their childhood. Others write for or perform in Podcast Plays.

There is one person here who has dedicated herself to bringing beauty into our lives on a near daily basis, and our community is better for it. I’m talking, of course, about T-kun Unusual Wordsmith III.

T-kun joined Manic Expression just this passed August. Very early on she emailed me and asked me if it would be okay to post her poetry here. Maybe she thought we only allowed reviews or geek related material. “Of course,” I told her. “I’ll even give you your own blog space.” And my god she’s put that blog space to good use. As of the time I’m writing this there are 112 entries in T.O.’s Corner, with much more promised to come.

T-kun doesn’t play it safe with her poetry. We’re not talking unicorns and mermaids here. Take her poem “B.I.T.C.H.,” a terrifying examination of a woman scorned. She knows, as all good poets do, that the format can be used not only to glorify romance but to examine the disappointment we all feel when romance is exposed as the fraud it is. There is honesty in her writing, truth in her words. She sees the world not as we want her to see it, but as it is: a place where love can be fickle and pain is a constant companion.

That doesn’t mean her poetry is all bleak. On Thanksgiving Day, T-kun published the poem “Being Thankful 28 Ways.” She asked many of us to contribute, to tell her what we were thankful for, and out of those random thoughts she wove a moving piece about taking comfort in what we can. Life is made up of little joys, she reminds us.

Our community is strong because of our diversity. Young and old, male and female, gay and straight (and yes Creepy, bi too). Every race. Every religion. Autistic and neurotypical. We aspire to be writers, filmmakers, critics and creators. Our diversity makes us strong.

T-kun has dedicated a large portion of her life to bringing us beauty. Not a faux beauty, made up of sentimentality, but a beauty forged in truth. We’re better off for having her as a part of our lives, and we owe her our thanks.

Thank you, T-kun.

Sometimes I applaud members here for bringing beauty to this site. Sometimes the praise comes when they go out of their way for the community. Today, for the first time, I’m here to give a standing ovation to someone who simply made us all look badass.

TheOtherDude92…Round One – FIGHT!

Since May, our good friend who also abides has been constructing, member by member, a giant roster of characters for the Manic Expression Fighting Game series. One by one we’ve made our way to the arena: Detective Ratin8tor, Moderately Pissed-Off Canadian, Alex the Big D, Mister Smooth of the Clan MacSmooth. The list goes on and on. Dozens of members have been rendered in awesome sketch form for this series, and every new installment has been a hell of a good time.

I can’t imagine how long this undertaking took. Plotting out the story, coming up with character designs and then drawing each one. OtherDude has shown incredible restraint in how he’s released these sketches. Many were ready far in advance, yet he teased us with them. Who were the secret bosses? When would we see the admins, who of course were the evil bosses of the game? The suspense was maddening!

Sometimes, to show your love for your community, it’s not about moving people or going on and on about what they mean to you. Sometimes it’s about fun. Good, old fashion, spine being ripped from your body fun. How many of us have bonded with people over a video game? Gotten to know someone throwing sonic booms? Oh sure, having a friend who’ll be by your side after a death in the family or a break up, handing you tissues and listening to your inner thoughts, is always helpful. Equally helpful can be a friend who comes over and says, “I’m going to kick your ass in Mortal Kombat, mother fucker!”

I get the feeling OtherDude might be that kind of friend, and thank god for that! Having those friends around often times makes all the difference in the world. So here’s to El Duderino! For the better part of a year he’s made those that have appeared in his series feel special, entertained the community as a whole, and reminded us that Manic Expression is not only the greatest community on the web, but that we’ll take on all challengers and crush them!

Oh, and thanks for making me look badass. That’s the first time thats ever happened in my life. It’s a nice change of pace.

Sometimes I applaud members here for bringing beauty to this site. Sometimes the praise comes when they go out of their way for the community. Today, for the first time, I’m here to give a standing ovation to someone who simply made us all look badass.

TheOtherDude92…Round One – FIGHT!

Since May, our good friend who also abides has been constructing, member by member, a giant roster of characters for the Manic Expression Fighting Game series. One by one we’ve made our way to the arena: Detective Ratin8tor, Moderately Pissed-Off Canadian, Alex the Big D, Mister Smooth of the Clan MacSmooth. The list goes on and on. Dozens of members have been rendered in awesome sketch form for this series, and every new installment has been a hell of a good time.

I can’t imagine how long this undertaking took. Plotting out the story, coming up with character designs and then drawing each one. OtherDude has shown incredible restraint in how he’s released these sketches. Many were ready far in advance, yet he teased us with them. Who were the secret bosses? When would we see the admins, who of course were the evil bosses of the game? The suspense was maddening!

Sometimes, to show your love for your community, it’s not about moving people or going on and on about what they mean to you. Sometimes it’s about fun. Good, old fashion, spine being ripped from your body fun. How many of us have bonded with people over a video game? Gotten to know someone throwing sonic booms? Oh sure, having a friend who’ll be by your side after a death in the family or a break up, handing you tissues and listening to your inner thoughts, is always helpful. Equally helpful can be a friend who comes over and says, “I’m going to kick your ass in Mortal Kombat, mother fucker!”

I get the feeling OtherDude might be that kind of friend, and thank god for that! Having those friends around often times makes all the difference in the world. So here’s to El Duderino! For the better part of a year he’s made those that have appeared in his series feel special, entertained the community as a whole, and reminded us that Manic Expression is not only the greatest community on the web, but that we’ll take on all challengers and crush them!

Oh, and thanks for making me look badass. That’s the first time thats ever happened in my life. It’s a nice change of pace.

By now I’m sure you’ve all seen Manic Expression: Creative Chaos. While the scene that takes place early on, with Time Paradox appearing to explain the process of what goes into the making of a video, seems obvious now, it wasn’t always planned. In fact, it was kind of a last minute addition. 

I had a “duh!” moment where I realized that, for all the talk about making a video, no one ever shows us what thats like. Because Time Paradox had not filmed an interview I asked him to demonstrate for us, and he went above and beyond. What he delivered was no only informative but also entertaining, showing off his wit and his fantastic skills as an editor.

I wanted Time Paradox in Creative Chaos because…well…I like him. He’s a nice guy, and he’s told me how much Manic Expression means to him. Going into MetaCon to promote the film, Decker and I were both pretty nervous. The room we were presenting in was huge, and neither of us had ever done anything like that before. The morning of the con I checked my email and found a message from Time Paradox, wishing me good luck. I carried those well wishes with me during the presentation, and they made all the difference.

With so much talent on display at Manic Expression, it’s easy to forget that what makes us awesome is kindness. Of course Decker is a brilliant video producer, but he’s also a hell of a nice guy. Of course Creepy is a talented man, but he’s also a good listener. Of course Timdiana is a great performer, but he’s also always willing to help out when you need him. Being a community doesn’t just mean stepping up in the big projects, it means giving words of encouragement when they’re needed. 

Time Paradox has a bright future ahead of him. He’s got the skills and the talent to take him as far as he wants to go, but in life skills and talent will only help you achieve professional success. It’s his good heart that makes him an outstanding success as a human being.

Back in the day, I blogged on ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com. This was a pre-Kickassia TGWTG, before they were the giants they are today. It was during this time that I first encountered many of our first Expressionists, but there were three who I was closest to: Les, Jim Bevan, ThatCanadianGuy (who never joined up here, though I hope some day he does), and, of course, Fluffyman. Together, we called ourselves the Anti-Hate Brigade.

Like Manic Expression now, TGWTG at the time was a place where bloggers were big names too. Stop the Hate was a big series over there, and it influenced quite a few people to start their own blogs about chilling the hell out. I started seeing similar titles popping up like Calling Out Haters, The War on Hate, and Stop Hating On…, and I was thrilled. Finally! Finally, people I could sue!

Seriously though, I was so honored to have had an effect on my fellow writers. One series in particular became a favorite of mine – Calling Out Haters. Fluffyman, in many ways, created a series far superior to Stop the Hate. While I often strayed into topics that clearly nobody hated, Fluffy kept his series pure. He defended hated movies, actors who were taking shit, and most impressively he took on hot button issues. It was Fluffy who kept the anti-hate torch burning brightest.

Over the last couple of years, Manic Expression has become known as the underdog site, not just because we give shelter to those looking for a safe haven from the trolls, but because we defend that which others won’t. Hundreds of articles, videos, and podcasts here have been devoted to standing apart from the herd and beside something targeted with vitriol. Of all these, Calling Out Haters has been the most consistent.

When Fluffyman sees injustice, he just has to speak up. Whether he’s defending Wendy Davis or 3D, he’s always passionate. He offers his opinion, backs it up, and puts it out there in the world without apology. I was concerned when these anti-hate blogs started that people might accuse the authors of ripping me off. However, Calling Out Haters has become an entity all it’s own.

I get distracted easily. “Oh, I want to review Iron Man, a universally beloved movie!” I simply lack the focus to stay on my original path, defending that which others won’t. That’s why I’m so grateful for Fluffyman, our warrior for justice. He’s a man of honor, and I’m proud to call him my friend, and a hero of mine as well.

James: Normally this is my gig. I choose the member to celebrate, I write up the article, I post it and the community joins with me in cheering on the man or woman of the hour. Not this time though. This one’s too big. I can’t handle it alone. And so, to honor my friend and co-founder of Manic Expression, I have invited Moviefan12 here to help me out.
Moviefan12, tell us all about…Les. Read the rest of this entry →