- Pop Culture website “Forces Of Good” presents an extended installment called “Kingdom Askew”. The article takes a fan’s point of view at Kevin’s contributions and loyal legions, namely, the online fans (hey, that’s YOU!). Here’s a small snippet from the piece:
There’s an affable”aw-shucks” element in everything Kevin Smith says. Coughlin, a View Askewniverse regular, is a Pennsylvania native with over 1,500 posts under his belt. He observes,”His self-deprecating style is a breath of fresh air in a world of Hollywood phonies.”
Smith’s alter ego, Silent Bob, is frequently the butt of many fat-jokes at the hands of his foul-mouthed partner Jay. Nicknames like “Tons-of-fun” and”Lunchbox” are used interchangeably with the character’s name, no doubt a reflection of his own personal insecurities. The fact that a big-time Hollywood director could suffer from low self-esteem is both refreshing and reassuring to us regular blokes. There’s just something endearing about a man who seemingly has it all but still struggles with self-doubt.
Large though he may be, Smith just doesn’t act like he’s too big even for his own britches. For most Hollywood writers, the thought of writing a comic book is beneath them. On the contrary, Smith parlayed his Clerks characters successfully transferring them from film to print and back again. Chasing Dogma was originally inked to fill in the gaps between the time Jay and Silent Bob left Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) sitting in a diner in Chasing Amy to the time they rescued Bethany Sloane (Linda Fiorentino) from a trio of Mighty Duck wannabes in front of an abortion clinic in Dogma. Smith eventually swiped elements from the story for the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. He has also scripted stories for Daredevil, Green Arrow, and Spider-man. In each case Smith’s books lead to an increase in sales.
“He isn’t the unreachable Hollywood director; he’s a cool comic- and movie-loving guy who happens to be the writer/director of some amazing films,” Gabe, another View Askewniverse regular, was quick to mention. In a very real sense Smith is still that same old kid from Jersey who spends too much time watching movies, reading comic books, and hanging out online.
Read the entire thing, which uses several users and quotes from “TheBoard”, at Forces Of Good.
- More bits on the Star Wars TV show: Babylon 5creator J. Michael Straczynski has expressed interest in the showrunning gig. JoBlo also posted a small blurb regarding Kevin’s potential rumored involvement in the project.
- Boondoggle’s tune “Stalking Jason Lee” is airing on radio stations KRCC and KTCL in Colorado. Check out the lyrics at their official site. The track appears on their new album “Barfly”.
- UK fans: HMV is selling the Evening With Kevin Smith DVD at half price atA39.99 in its current sale. If you don’t have a region 1 player and didn’t pick up the signed disc from us, here’s a chance at a cheap Region 2 option.
- An astute fan checking out Jon Peters’ section at the wonderful IMDB site took notice that Kevin’s famous Superman story has become part of his biography . How about that?
- The Kevin storyline continues over at webcomic Hayt-N-Auggie with Kevin appearing (slightly offscreen) in the latest episodes (check previous and future comics as there’s always new episodes going up, the most current being on the front page).
- Score yet another positive review for Clerks X on DVD. This one comes to us from Texas A&M’s “The Battalion”:
As a special edition DVD, “Clerks X” is an incredible collection of bonus material and insight into the film’s creation and cultural impact since the original’s debut. The legion of loyal fans who have turned what started as an “almost wasn’t” into a massive underground hit will find themselves amazed at this DVD. A work of labor, the ironic part about the DVD is that more money probably went into its creation than did the film itself. This is a must-have for any film collector’s library and a great view for anybody who doesn’t yet know the significance of the number 37.
If you didn’t order yet, DO IT NOW! This is an absolute must-have for any View Askew fan.
- The always amusing “Rewinders” cartoon in Video Store Magazine chalks up a Clerks reference from a very Randal-esque clerk in the latest edition. Check it out above.
- And while we’re throwing images in your face, how about a look at the design of the new skateboard design graphic by Billy Marks? Look familiar? Catch ya next update. Thanks for stopping on by.
