General

26 Comments Posted on Fiction, General

Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences short story: "Night's Plutonian Shore"

I’m proud to announce that Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine have released part 1 of my two-part story, “Night’s Plutonian Shore” for their “Tales from the Archives” podcast fiction anthology, set in the Victorian Steampunk world of their Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel(s). As described by Tee and Pip:
This epic tale opens in 1849 when a poet is murdered in the streets of Baltimore. The man behind the seemingly random murder manages to elude the law until — in 1889 — Agents Bruce Campbell and Brandon Hill track him down. The assassin, Mikael Scharnusser, gives the slip to the agents on revealing his “talent” and the madman’s intentions to bring down the House of Usher.

The early reception has been wonderful. You can hear the story here: http://www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com/2011/06/22/tales-from-the-archives-eight-part-one/

It was an honor to be invited.

13 Comments Posted on General

NHL Playoffs 2011 – UPDATED

No, the standings listed below are not accurate. What matters are the teams, who’s claimed them, and which song has been associated with each.
If you want to play, then pick an unclaimed team!
If you’re playing, then pick a song for your team!
If you’re confused, then ask!

Sorry for the hideous chart format. I need to install that plugin. Songs in parenthesis are not the final selections… That’s just what they’ll be if the owners don’t pick anything.

Team Owner Song

Washington Lo Pan Rammstein – Wohllt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen
New York none New York, New York *optional

Philadelphia none Rocky Theme – Gonna Fly Now *optional
Buffalo ditto G. Gordon Liddies – Chicken

Boston Amy Bowen Boston – Don’t Look Back
Montreal Bunny Montreal Canadiens – Make It (Canadiens Theme Song)

Pittsburgh LostRalph Lyle Lovett – Penguins
Tampa Bay UsedHair Aerosmith – Lightning Strikes

Vancouver Vanamonde Mel C and Bryan Adams – When You’re Gone
Chicago Cj Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4

San Jose EssBee Grateful Dead – Estimated Prophet
LA Ed from Texas Classic Country tune – Deep in the Heart of Texas

Detroit Rhettro Kiss – Detroit Rock City
Phoenix Jack M Pink Floyd – Money

Anaheim JR Murdock Toni Basil – Hey Micki
Nashville Nomad Scry Shania Twain – Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under

32 Comments Posted on General

Everything Old is New Again

Deadpan has received a facelift!

How’s it working for ya? The more feedback on how it behaves in different browsers and mobile devices, the better… the fine tuning progresses.

A few more bells and whistles may appear over the next week, but how do you guys feel about things like photo galleries and Facebook integration?

9 Comments Posted on General, music

Deadpan Earbuds Exchange

Not as disgusting as it sounds. We’ve put together some random pairings to trade and compare songs. The EBE matchups are listed below:

Vanamonde – Cj
Amy Bowen – Jack Mangan
New Dan from OR – JustaJ0e
Essbee – Jeremy from Seattle
ditto – Lo Pan
Dan Shaurette – The Energizer Bunny
UsedHair – Rhettro
Ed from Texas – J.R. Murdock

There’s still room if you want to play! Contact me for further details.

7 Comments Posted on Fiction, General

Memories of An Undead Sun

Contained in this post is the entire text of my short story, “Memories of an Undead Sun”, Copyright 2011 by Jack Mangan. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to events or persons, living, dead, or undead, is purely coincidental.

It’s about family. . . and evil undead samurai aliens. Just don’t call them Martians.

My humble thanks to New York Times Bestseller Michael A. Stackpole for inviting me to play participate in the Chain Story Project. He’s assembled a multitude of talented writers (plus me) to contribute short fiction, with each of the tales delivered by raconteurs at a Wanderers’ Club gathering. All of the stories are available for free online at the authors’ websites, with links to and from from the central Chain Story hub at http://chainstory.stormwolf.com/. I highly encourage you to visit the site and browse through the wonderful assortment of speculative fiction, horror, and high adventure.

–
Jack
2011

MoauS5

Download the PDF version here.

      “Thank you, Master Juneberry, for sharing your story and your wig powder with us, here in the mid-20th century. I hope you’ll regale us again soon with further macabre accounts of your native era.” Stewart Bailey sat nearby on the buttoned Chesterfield couch, peering from beneath the rim of his derby hat. The cigarillo between his fingers was mostly ash, its thin tapestry of smoke drifting in the parlour air. Just shy of his mid-20s, Stewart wore a young man’s beard with a young man’s arrogance, his tan collared shirt parted just enough to hint at the muscle beneath. He sat up and found an ashtray for his cigarette, allowing the room’s attention to shift in his direction.
      “I find the drab girl from Jedediah’s story to be quite brave, in her own way. This has been a common theme this evening, and is most certainly characteristic to all gentlemen and dames present; although I assume that even in this esteemed company, few are as courageous as I. . .” Bailey drained the caramel-colored drink from his glass, then paused to bare his teeth, as if biting the liquor back. “. . . Like to think I am. For – – begging the pardon of Ms. Patel and our other lady Wanderers – – what is a man if he is not brave?” The ice rattled in his empty glass as he shook it at the nearest attendant. “And the greatest measure of valor for each of us lies in the mirrors of our pasts. What is a man, after all, but a shattered reflection of his Father’s best and worst? And what are brothers and sons but splintered shards from that same glass?”

Continue reading →

13 Comments Posted on General

NEW VOICEMAIL NUMBER!

After all of these years, Deadpan has a new voicemail number!

480-788-JMDP

That’s

480-788-5637

Call now! Share a Dumbass Memory, a stolen lyric, the Contents of your Fridge, random notes about your day, or even something truly profound. Yes, you do so have something to say!

Disregard the old 206-350-TOMI/206-350-8664 number. It served us well for years, but is now finished.
I’ll update the sidebar asap.

1 Comment Posted on General

Winter Palooza 2010-2011 voting

Winter Palooza 2010 voting!

Cast your vote here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G2X897Q

High Fidelity (Nick Hornby book and film)
The Third Man
Near Dark
UHF
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (could cover the book, movie[s], etc.)
The Dark Knight Returns (Graphic Novel)
Popeye (1980)
Prince of Darkness (John Carpenter)
Buckaroo Banzai
Dune (book, film[s], games, sequels, etc.)
Cannibal! The Musical
Bladerunner (various film versions, including Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”)
Conan (The Barbarian and Destroyer)
Xanadu
Legend
Hudson Hawk
Pecker
Coen Bros. (You pick the Coen Bros. movie [or movies] you want to talk about)

(One write-in vote so far)
Where Eagles Dare

4 Comments Posted on General

Summer Palooza 2010 voting

The Summer Palooza 2010 Survey is up! There are already a bunch of responses, but feel free to click the link and add your own vote. Help to select the material for us to obsess over for a few episodes.

Click here to take poll

High Fidelity (Nick Hornby book and film)
The Third Man
Near Dark
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (could cover the book, movie[s], etc.)
The Dark Knight Returns (Graphic Novel)
Popeye (1980)
Dark Star
Prince of Darkness (John Carpenter)
Buckaroo Banzai
Dune (book, film[s], games, sequels, etc.)
Other (please specify)
———————————-

What is a Palooza? It sounds like an episode of Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas – – or what every other fking podcast in creation tries to be – – but it’s not.
We choose a film (or book or whatever) and rally around it for one dedicated episode (plus followups) full of opinions, reactions, discussion, original fanfic or artwork, or whatever comes up. Deadpan-style – – so no, it’s nothing like the 800,000,000 other podcasts that talk about geek culture stuff.
———————————-

Past Palooza Topics:
Flash Gordon
Watchmen
Grosse Pointe Blank
Southland Tales
Repo Man
Zardoz

552 Comments Posted on General

Text Unshow

And so here we have the first ever (and last ever) all-text Unshow. Welcome to Unshow #52. If there’s time in next week’s Deadpan episode, I will explain the recent Deadpan strangeness ’round here.

GO NORTH. EXAMINE ROOM.

Anyway, I have received most – but not all – of the 60 Lines Readings. If you’ve volunteered, I still need your 60 Lines readings – – or a notice that you can’t make it, please!

I also need your hockey tunes (That also includes my song requirement due to the Phoenix Coyotes’ loss at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. cough). I think we’re just about ready to shut down this meme.

I promise to say this joke aloud on the next audio episode (remind me), but I figured it was somewhat timely and couldn’t wait a full week:

Why is there an arrow on top of the Airbender kid’s head, pointing down at him? Wouldn’t it be funny if the arrow said, “I’m with stupid”?

It will be funnier when spoken aloud.

Why sure, climb into my spoon:
# reaper Says:
June 24th, 2010 at 4:57 am

Drive by
hay pan busy week.
congrats Jack
/drive by

# DJ Bunny Says:
June 24th, 2010 at 8:46 am

In regards to the whining, I meant, but it applies to Cindi Lauper too.

# Johnny Null Says:
June 25th, 2010 at 11:13 am

I think I saw minutes of Buffy, shook my head, and turned off the boob-tube.

# EssBee Says:
June 25th, 2010 at 11:16 am

Cj, I want a cheese sandwich!

# Amy Bowen Says:
June 29th, 2010 at 5:41 pm

The Smarty Hotties® said:
Thanks for answering my questions Amy 🙂 I appreciate you taking the time. Can’t wait to hear your Chicago tune!!

You’re very welcome! :happy:

# justa J0e Says:
June 30th, 2010 at 12:19 pm

Going to see a matinée’ of Toy Story 3 today.
I need suggestions for how to keep from crying in public.

# Nomad Scry Says:
June 30th, 2010 at 8:56 pm

We have a high concentration of lefties in the :pan:

…

YAY!

AND….. the first of the week:

# Vanamonde Says:
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:19 pm

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

You are listening to Jack Mangan’s Deadpan. We are Deadpan. Deadpan is the Way.

Send voicemails, plz. 206-350-TOMI (8664).
or.
Send recordings: sphericaljackmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm at gmail dot com. With only 1 “m” in “sphericaljackm”.

Thank you for being Deadpan. This is a wonderful group of people, and I appreciate your continued indulgence through the strange times and the fun. Individually, we are mighty; together, we are. . . meaty? No, that’s not it. Together, we are not mush. We are Deadpan; Deadpan is the motherfucking way. Goodnight, Deadpan.

I’m not coming back after the – – oh, right.

Happy Canada Day, Canadiens and Canadians.
Happy upcoming July 4th weekend, Americans.

557 Comments Posted on General

Silent UnWednesday

With apologies, we’re just not going to be ready for a show release tonight, in the wake of dead computer recovery and disruptions from the Chaotic Evil. I did record some audio tonight with the help of Justa J0e, and it may even see the light of pod.

Tomorrow.

Goodnight Mush.