TSA does the “Unthinkable” by detaining comic book writer.
Mark Sable, writer of Boom! Studios “Unthinkable” comic about a writer who goes to work for a think tank to predict terrorist scenarios post 9/11 became a “person of interest” recently while traveling to New York for a signing. Sable wrote of his experiences:
“Flying from Los Angeles to New York for a signing at Jim Hanley’s Universe Wednesday (May 13th), I was flagged at the gate for ‘extra screening’. I was subjected to not one, but two invasive searches of my person and belongings. TSA agents then ‘discovered’ the script for Unthinkable #3. They sat and read the script while I stood there, without any personal items, identification or ticket, which had all been confiscated.
The script mentions, 9/11, terrorist plots, and is about a writer who goes to work for a think tank that dreams up “unthinkable” terrorist scenarios for the government to protect against in a post-9/11 world. When his colleagues are being killed off in similar manner to the scenarios they dreamed up, the writer becomes a suspect. Fiction having no sense of irony, Sable, the writer of the comic, becomes a suspect too.
I don’t think you can get better PR for a comic like this, but this incredible, and (excuse the pun) completely unthinkable situation has to raise the question: how did the TSA know to stop Mark? Did security scan his bag while he was going through the metal detector and read the script? I don’t know, but this is a wild story about an incredibly interesting comic.
Source: Comic creator stopped by TSA for carrying script about writer under suspicion by TSA [via Boing Boing].
Jeez, don’t you think Alan Cumming looks just like the Green Goblin?
Good thing, because he will be playing Spider-Man’s penultimate nemesis, Norman Osborn in Julie Taymor’s Broadway show, “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark.” Also announced with Cumming, via press release, Evan Rachel Wood (currently starring in Woody Allen’s “Whatever Works”) will be playing the Wallcrawler’s love, Mary Jane Watson.
The Broadway show, written and directed by Julie Taymor has worked with the two stars before. She recently directed Cumming in the yet to be released “Titus” and Wood was her star in “Across the Universe,” with music and lyrics by Bono and the Edge the show is sure to be a blast. Said Taymor:
Across The Universe was my first opportunity to work with Evan Rachel Wood– and it was a sublime experience. Evan is unique: she is a young actress with incredible depth for both serious and comic drama in films and theater, and on top of that, she has an extraordinary lyrical voice. We are thrilled to have her as our Mary Jane.
Julie Taymor is thrilled to be working with Alan Cumming again. “I obviously love him as this is my third collaboration with Alan – and finally we get to do it on stage. He has such range and such charisma as a performer that I feel confident his Green Goblin will bring many surprises that will move and entertain us.”
Frankly, these casting choices are outstanding, now if only we can get Wood to replace Kirsten Dunst in the movies we’d be getting somewhere. And Cumming has worked in comic book related live action by playing Nightcrawler in “X2: X-Men United”. This is sure to be a blockbuster production and tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster, but at a hefty price tag of $135 on the low end.
Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, as its called, premieres at the Hilton Theatre, Feb. 10, 2010.
Source: Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming to star in Spidey Musical [via CBR].
