About 20 years ago, I met Todd McFarlane at a comic book store. He seemed like a smart cat. Today, while Alison was in her class, I wandered around the shops at the Renaissance Glendale Spa/Resort. i was a little buzzed from my meal at Gordon Biersche. I had a Marzen and a burger. I forgot how much I missed those garlic fries.

I had two beers and it was enough to knock me on my ass. I wandered dizzily into the AMC to see if I wanted to see a movie. "I am Legend' was the only appealing movie and if I saw it, it would be too late to take Alison back to our hotel.

Anyway, right next to the theater is a McFarlane Toys. This guy has turned a career in comic books into a full on retail location. I shouldn't be suprised that he has his own retail location, but still, it caught me off guard.  I think he was smart in that he saw how crazy people went for his comics and how much they paid. Like smart entrepenuers he saw an opportunity.

He noticed that PEOPLE LIKE TO COLLECT STUFF. From that, the rest I guess is history. I think he was able to recognize and seize an opportunity because he put himself in the middle of the storm. He's ushered forth a bunch of people who copy his drawing style, so while that's easy enough, being smart about getting something like a collectible toy line is harder to get off the ground. I remember Thomas Blackshear was doing something like this, but Hallmark didn't get the idea. Oh well, this worked out better for Blackshear.

Still, it leaves me wondering, will I ever create something like this?  Will people someday clammor for my work?  Since I'm in Arizona, I won't be at AI for the Faculty Show.  Still, I would have liked to have been there.

If you're one of my students, you know of my admiration for Harald Belker. A little while back, me, Kevin, and Randolf went with Sheila to the World Marketplace where I saw one of Harald Belker's chair designs. Now, it's purely coincidence that I was wearing my Art Center shirt that day, but I can't help but admit how fanboy gay this picture makes me look.

I read on Gizmodo that the Batmobile from Batman Forever sold for less than half of it's price on eBay. It was expected to go for between $600-$800K but only went for $297,000.

Now I don't think that Belker designed this particular Batmobile, as he did the one for Batman and Robin, it still reflects on an abandoned aesthetic. Now while transguys are designing the cars and fulfilling the requirements of the director and the film, the sudden shift in public aesthetic tastes can quickly render something that was once cool into something that is ridiculed.

I think this speaks to the fact that when a writer and director abdicate to corporate demands, they end up alienating the fan base. I remember being incredibly pissed when Val Kilmer as Batman told Alfred that he was getting drive-thru(Taco Bell).

In all honesty, this isn't fair to the concept guys.

I wonder if Joel Schumaker will ever escape his legacy on Batman. I wonder if Martin Brest will ever escape Gigli. The general public will remember those guys for those cinematic travesties, but will also conveniently forget that they directed Falling Down and Beverly Hills Cop, respectively.

I also am reminded of that Irish proverb, "When you are right no one remembers, but when you wrong no one forgets."

I remember when Anton Furst designed the first Batmobile for the first film. I remember being struck by how utterly cool that first batmobile was.  I recall wanting to be a transportation designer even before I really knew what trans was. I also remember being suprised when I heard that Furst had killed himself.

I shouldn't have mentioned that last bit. Lately I've had this morbid propensity to talk about death. I gotta stop doing that. Even in my blog, death creeps in. D'oh!