Woah! What’s this? Another installment of Artificial Ink Drops, and not even a full month after the previous one? What in the world is going on here?!
Hail Santa!
Sure. We can chalk it up as an early Christmas present. Why not?
As I mentioned previously, the Watchtower Database is currently underway in our “Zeta Month” event throughouty the last two months, and finally covering THE ZETA PROJECT animated series from 2001 which spun out of BATMAN BEYOND, after years of comments asking us to talk about the show. While I appeared in several of the bookend skits throughout the month, I was solely responsible for the research, writing, and hosting on three videos of my own.
This better be about THE ZETA PROJECT.
I’ve always considered “Zeta Month” to be a celebration of the Watchtower Database, providing fans and followers of the channel with an effective payoff for their years of attention. We brought back all the old “shows” from the channel’s past, such as Mattie’s “Vanishing Point” and my “Graphic Content” comic book reviews, with a new review of “The Pantheon Saga” from 1983’s WORLD’S FINEST #296 to #300. Connor John Locke edited this one, and for such convoluted coverage, they managed to cut it together quite nicely.
Per the “Zeta Month” plot, I did not actually host the above video, but a Synthoid called IU-Jake disguised itself as Ted to cover the show. Jake’s ineptitude contended that he couldn’t even cover the correct Zeta character. The version in “The Pantheon Saga” shared almost nothing with THE ZETA PROJECT aside for the name, and a few themes in regards to finding one’s humanity, but learning about DC Comics’ first Zeta character is just the kind of thing the viewers are here to see, so that’s the content they received.
My next video was a return to the “Casting Call” series, which highlights the careers of notable voice actors from the DC Animated Universe, with a focus on Diedrich Bader. Whether you know him from television such as THE DREW CAREY SHOW or BETTER THINGS, films like OFFICE SPACE and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, or cartoons as the voice of Batman in BATMAN: THE BRAVE & THE BOLD and the titular character from THE ZETA PROJECT, you’ve likely seen Bader’s face and heard his voice at some point. Bader was even kind enough to share the video on his Twitter feed.
Just to clarify, the above video was hosted by the real me, not Jake. While James and Mattie were held at gunpoint by the Synthoids, I was allowed to jump on a Skype call— yes, Skype. Not Zoom. It’s part of the plot—so I could crank out a new “Casting Call” episode all about Zeta’s primary voice actor.
Lastly, I returned for a short “Trivia Tuesdays with Ted” which was my first show on the channel, basically quick facts that released on (you guessed it) every other Tuesday. I highlighted the single panel in the only issue in which the correct Zeta character ever appeared in DC Comics’ publications, an issue of JUSTICE LEAGUE BEYOND where Zeta was mentioned in tandem with the New Terrific Trio, a pastiche of Marvel’s FANTASTIC FOUR.
You must catch the “Zeta Month” finale on this Sunday, December 18th! James Strecker has truly outdone himself this year with various cinematic videos, from the “DCAU Multiverse Revisited” through “Poison Ivy: Plant or Clone?” to the hour-long “Batman & Harley Quinn: Will It Canon?” and finally into “Zeta Month.” The Watchtower Database released less frequently in 2022, but James was dedicated in making sure the ones we made had the best production value possible with high quality special effects, and together, they connect our channel lore (which began in 2017) into a compelling movie.
Have you considered making an original feature film?
We would love nothing more. Are you a financier? Let’s chat! But seriously, James himself is nearly finished with post-production on the sci-fi comedy VIREALITY (co-written by me), and I’m currently undertaking a work-for-hire sci-fi feature script. I’ve shared more about that project in previous drops.
Moving on, James Strecker and I were also guests on Brian Day’s YouTube channel BDKnight where we participated in his “DC-Cember” event.
DC-Cember. I see what you did there.
I give credit solely to Brian for that piece of clever branding. “DCember” might have been more concise, but creates the potential to be read as “DC Ember” which is clearly not ideal, so “DC-Cember” became what it must be.
Over several recording sessions, we ranked our top 10 villains from BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES in a run of countdown videos, each about 10 minutes in length, starting with choices 10 and 9, then 8 and 7, and so forth to the final picks. We averaged our choices into a communal top 10 between us, and spoke towards why those characters had a lasting impact in their animated series, as well as the broader DC Animated Universe.
Last week saw the top 10 villains from 1996’s SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES in another series of videos, and next week, we move on to 1999’s BATMAN BEYOND, and finally 2001’s JUSTICE LEAGUE to round off the winter month. Brian curated the DC-Cember playlist which has every video so far, and will continue to update the playlist through the end of the year.
How was your move?
I’m almost settled into the new place with the girlfriend, and just in time for the busy holidays, but my desk is functional again, and I’m feeling pretty comfy in my office. Nothing like a fresh environment to reignite your passion and productivity. Once the holidays are over, I look forward to reassessing my slate, and prioritizing creative and personal goals for the oncoming year.
Sadly, with the business of the move, I had to delay my video essay on Paul Dini’s JINGLE BELLE character and her similarities to Harley Quinn, another character co-created by Dini for BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. Now the second holiday season that I’ve had to delay the video, I am determined to hit the 2023 season for sure. Apologies to the several people out there who were looking forward to this one. It will surely happen next time! Or else, I guess!
This drop is a little shorter than usual since I wanted to promote “Zeta Month” and “DC-Cember” before their conclusions. Expect plenty of more updates in early 2023 with the next installment of Artificial Ink Drops. Please leave a comment if you’d like for me to write or speak to anything specific, and share the newsletter on social media or with a friend if you like what you see here.
Be well. Be good. Not for Santa Claus and his itemized list that details the moral failings of 8 billion people, but for yourselves. Look to whatever you prefer as your guiding North Pole or North Star. Believe wholeheartedly in your own Polaris, and you will surely stay the course to your destination.