Zero Charisma Page #4

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About the dangers of meddling with nature?

- Oh, for sure.

- Nice!

You know i could put a link to this

on my website if you want.

Maybe drive up some traffic.

What's your website?

It's a pop culture news source.

We do articles on comics

and games, movies, that sort of thing.

It's GeekChic.com.

You work for GeekChic?

I'm a founding editor.

No way! I go there all the time.

Me too! Just yesterday i was

reading the article about the

top 100 comic book villains.

It was awesome!

Thanks.

And you would put Blood Brigade

on Geekchic?

Oh, for sure

Oh my god, that's awesome.

I've got a blog too.

Mostly game related, but i write

about movies and other stuff.

Cool!

Yeah, but that's different Scott.

Not really. We both write articles

for the internet . Is what i'm saying.

Well yeah but Geekshic is a real

website with adds and everything.

Oh, just cause i'm not trying

to make a buck it's not real?

Well, no. I mean, your webs...

Some would say it's more noble.

Well yeah, but Miles has

thousands of readers.

Millions.

Millions of readers.

Nobody reads your blog.

What the f*** are you talking about?

Fourteen visitors a week is nobody?

Scott, you guys are being

way too loud.

Yeah, fine.

No. Not fine. I need you

to call it a night, like now.

We haven't even started yet.

Scott, be a grownup about this.

Your grandmother had a stroke last week.

Yeah, last week.

I'm serious, Scott.

Say goodnight to your friends.

We could play at my house,

if you want.

No.

This isn't Barbara's house.

And Barbara can stay at a

motel if she doesn't like it.

What are you doing?

Well, as long as you're going to keep me up,

i may as well join the game.

You can't do that!

Let's see, i'll call my character

Princess Razzmatazz.

I said you can't do that.

Race, caucasian.

Sex, yes please.

And she'll look just

like Wonderwoman.

You like Wonderwoman don't you Scott?

No.

That's not what i heard.

Did Scott ever tell you why he

was suspended in 8th grade?

What are you talking about?

I was never suspended.

It has to do with the boy's bathroom

and a Wonderwoman comic book.

That is bullshit!

I was cleaning a stain of my pants

And Billy Mizer told everyone

a lie because he hated me.

That's not what the school psychologist said.

Guys, she's full of sh*t.

She was in Colorado when it happend.

I mean, didn't happen!

Your grandmother told me all about it.

She said you had to change schools

because all the other kids kept

calling you the Super Stroker.

Oh, and then there was the whole

shampoo bottle incident.

Oh my god!

F*** it! I don't wanna play anymore

i'm tired anyways.

Thank you.

Yeah well, at least i didn't abandon my son

to grow marijuana in Mexico!

Hello?

Oh, f***!

F***ing bullsh...

Well met, adventurer!

You're here for the game, right?

Yeah.

Oh my god, good. I'm Kendra,

Miles's girlfriend.

You're Scott, right?

How did you know that?

Cause everyone else is here,

come on in.

These are amazing.

You are super talented.

Hey Scott, have a seat.

Scott, can i get you anything

to drink? A beer or wine?

Do you have any diet Root Beer?

No, sorry.

Just water then.

Water.

I was just showing the

guys a couple of the pages

from the comic book that

i'm working on.

Check it out.

So, did you go to art

school or something?

No. I'm pretty much just

self taught.

Nice.

Thank you.

It's uh... pretty nerdy obsession.

I don't know how Kendra puts up with it.

Oh, please, you know i think

nerds are sexy.

His brush work reminds me

of early Tom Palmer.

Love Tom Palmer. Check this out.

This crosshatch right here?

I basically just copied his new...

So, you're the game master huh?

Yeah.

I guess that means you're

pretty creative, right?

I guess.

Can i see your hands?

Why?

I'm taking this course in hand analysis,

you know like um

when you can tell about someones personality

based on the shape of their hands.

Let me see.

I'm not gonna bite.

I'm just kidding, relax.

Let me see.

Okay...

Okay.

So...

See? Your index finger is the same

length as your ring finger,

which means that you

are very sensitive.

And... Oh!

Yeah, the thumb angle on your right hand

is greater than that of your left

which means you're a romantic at heart.

Is that true?

Yeah.

Scott, Do you hear this?

What?

Miles might get his

comic book published.

Not exactly. I'm in talks

with a publisher.

I can't tell you which one,

but you would know the name.

Oh, that's really exciting.

Congratulations.

Well, i hope you're protecting yourself.

What do you mean?

Trust me. I've had first

hand experience

with how these big companies

treat their writers.

Oh yeah?

I don't wanna dig up the past,

but short version...

You know the Matrix?

Scott, shouldn't we get

the game started?

You mean the film

with Keanu Reeves?

You know who wrote that?

The Wachowski's?

Tell him Wayne.

Scott.

Tell him.

Scott wrote a story like The Matrix.

I didn't write a story like The Matrix.

I wrote The Matrix.

It was 1998. I was fourteen.

I saw an add for a short story contest

in Digital Horizons magazine.

I had a short science fiction story i

had been working on since junion high.

Naturally i submitted it. When i didn't

hear anything back, i thought,

"Whatever".

"Their loss".

But it must have caught someone's attention.

Because guess what comes out one year later?

What?

The Matrix.

Can you imagine sitting in the theater,

watching as your story

unfolds on the big screen?

And audiences are loving it.

But no one know it's your idea.

So it was your story exactly,

same characters and everything?

No.

No, they made some superficial changes,

Character names, some plot points, the title.

But the core concept...

What was your title?

Knights of circuitry.

Well, that's a little strange.

Not as strange as you would think,

unfortunately.

No, i mean, for starters

One year is a pretty quick turn around

time for a film of that scale.

Could have been two.

I think the Wachowski's were actually

shopping that script around

for a while before it got picked up.

Miles.

That's not to say that...

And let's be honest.

There are plenty of known

influences on their work,

from William Gibson to Jean

Baudrillard to Mamoru Oshii.

I think even Doctor Who had a similar

storyline in the 70's, so...

You believe everything

you read on Wikipedia?

Actually, they told me themselves,

on their set one time.

Really?

Yeah. They were really cool.

That's so cool!

I know.

Well, of course they are

not gonna admit it.

- You obviously have no idea how Hollywood works.

- Scott.

That's the problem with film

journalism right there.

These so called film critics

who just want to be buddy buddy

with the big shots,

and they forget about the real artists,

who are getting stepped on.

But, good luck with your comic.

Don't say i didn't warn you.

Thanks.

Scott!

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Right.

The four of you have just reached

the temple of Azakari,

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