Stan Kirkpatrick--perhaps better known as the Amazing Marvel--sat down for an exclusive interview to talk about his new career as a Hollywood stuntman, the pleasure of working with a talented lead actor, and the possibility of a sequel.
Matt: Thanks for your time today, Stan. I know you're in high demand now as a stuntman. Tell me a little bit about your role in Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.
Stan Kirkpatrick: It's not really a role, Matt. I play a stuntman in the movie version of my life as a superhero. So even though I'm the Amazing Marvel in real life, in the movie--Confessions of an Amazing Marvel--I take care of the action scenes.
Matt: So even though the movie is based on a book you wrote, you're not actually in the movie?
Stan Kirkpatrick: (coughs) When you say it that way, it sounds kind of pitiful. I'm on the screen, you just can't see my face. See, I did all the stunts. All the flying, all the getting beat up, all the being buried underneath buildings. That was all me. The movie again is Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.
Matt: It's funny you say that. Sounds like you got to do everything except actually APPEAR in the movie, which is based on the book you wrote based on your own life. Seems ironic. We've heard the film has quite the ending. What can you tell me about that?
Stan Kirkpatrick: The ending of the movie is absolutely amazing! They bring my arch-nemesis Bloodsport out and we have this epic fight. It's spectacular. The movie's called Confessions of an--
Matt: I think everyone knows the title by now, Stan. The early reviews are coming in and they're good. Everyone seems to be raving about Shia's performance. It's his first real lead action role. How do you feel about that?
Stan Kirkpatrick: (visibly agitated flinch, almost like a mental tic at the mention of Shia's name) He was the most...professional (grits teeth) actor (grits teeth) I've ever worked with. He really got into the role of the Amazing Marvel (grits teeth) and respected the source material (grits teeth). I really enjoyed working with him and learning from him (vein becomes visible on forehead).
Matt: It sounds like the movie is going to be one of those big-time, summer tentpole films. They're already talking about a sequel. What would you like to see happen?
Stan Kirkpatrick: There are plenty of stories within the book to adapt, as the...ahem...movie adaptation left a few things out. I've got more material to mine for a new screenplay. In addition, I'm also a full-time superhero, so I imagine my next encounter with a supervillain will be game for a sequel to Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.
Matt: Stan Kirkpatrick, everyone.
Stan Kirkpatrick: Thanks for letting me have that last title plug.
Matt: No problem.
Read all about Stan's second career in The Stuntman, available now on the Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.
Other than submitting to different publications, I don't know what to do with them.
Several have already been published, with the rights reverting back to me. Others can't seem to find a home.
What's a writer to do?
Try Smashwords!
Yes, I realize this is 2011 and this post is SOOOOOOO 2010 (maybe even 2009).
But I wanted to give it a shot. I wanted to see what this was all about:
They sell these at Target now.
I got a Kindle because that's where things are going right now. Sure, the days of the dedicated e-reader may already be numbered, but I don't like reading from my phone (too small) and I don't like reading from my computer screen (you can't lie down and read from a desktop computer). So I went with a Kindle because I have no use for an iPad, even though I'm sure they're very cool.
In addition to being a nifty gadget, the Kindle serves a practical purpose for my writing endeavors. It will allow me to see how my self-published works look on a device they're designed to run on.
I dusted off a couple of short stories I still have the rights to and put them up on Smashwords.
The experience was a robust cocktail of easy, mind-numbing, and diabolically frustrating.
I've been contemplating playing around with Smashwords for a while. A few weekends ago, I spent some time developing covers for several of my short stories.
But before I delved into Smashwords, I consulted a few other writers, including Ian Thomas Healy. Mr. Healy and I both had stories in the latest edition of A Thousand Faces. He has several stories up on Smashwords, so I shot him an email on the best way to approach it.
His response:
My best advice for Smashwords is to follow the Nuclear Method they describe in their How-To manual. To wit: Copy the text from your original document into Notepad ...copy the text from that document into a brand new Word/OpenOffice/LibreOffice document. This eliminates ALL formatting. I use the following formatting for my ebooks:
Titles: 14-pt. Bold Times New Roman, centered
Body: 12-pt Times New Roman, 1.5x line spacing, justified, 3/8" indent (use your ruler for this, not tab).
Margins: 1" all around, no headers, no footers.
It seemed simple enough.
I opened my short story "In Memoriam," pasted it into Notepad and then copied that text into a new document in Microsoft Word. I followed the formatting directions from both Ian and the Smashwords style guide.
BOOM!
I uploaded my cover.
BOOM!
I uploaded my Word document.
But we had a problem:
For whatever reason, there were several sections in the text that bounced back and forth between Times New Roman and Courier New.
This. Does. Not. Look. Professional.
My heart sank when I downloaded the Kindle version and saw the difference in text.
I did the Nuclear Method again to strip away all the formatting,
Same problem; the majority of the text was in Times New Roman, some portions appeared in Courier New.
I kept trying.
I kept having the same exact problem.
So I did what any smart person does when confronted with a frustrating technical problem: I consulted Google.
After typing in an exacting search phrase ("Smashwords sucks story in different fonts someone please help me before I smash my face in!"), I found a few forums and then went back to the Smashwords Style Guide.
It seemed, for whatever reason, not all of my text was in the same "Normal" format. When I scrolled through the document, I found a few places where the "Normal" box wasn't highlighted. I selected all the text, set it to normal, and reloaded the file.
The solution seemed so simple, three hours later.
I downloaded the Kindle file with anticipation, hoping that this fifth upload would finally work.
Success!
Confident I'd figured it out, I then went to work on editing and reformatting my short story "The Stuntman." That was, indeed, completely painless.
Now, I'm happy to say I have a couple of stories up on Smashwords:
There are the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the People's Choice Awards, the CMAs, and every other prestigious award you can think of. And then, there's the most prestigious award of all: the Studicus Selects 2010, a random collection showing the ups and downs of the year through pictures, videos, and other stuff. I mean, we're talking high-class.
I usually do this on the cusp of the New Year, but as I was sick last week, I didn't get around to it. So now I proudly present: Studicus Selects 2010.
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
(You can check out the Studicus Selects archives below. Scroll down for this year's "winners.")
Worst Upgrade, Cell Phone Category: I upgraded my iPhone 3G to the new iOS and let me tell you, my phone did not like that; not at all. Programs stuttered, the Netflix streaming video app didn't stream more than five seconds at a time, and my phone laughed at me when I tried to multi-task. I downgraded my phone to the previous iOS (hey, internet tutorials are fun!)...and then realized I hadn't saved my phone contacts anywhere. If you haven't heard from me in a while, now you know why: I lost your phone number because I am stupid.
Best Video Game Sequel, Games I've Played Category: Mass Effect 2. I loved the first Mass Effect game. I beat it four different times with four different Commander Shepards. I beat it on its hardest difficulty...something a reflex-challenged video game chump like me only does when he loves a game. Mass Effect 2 wasn't quite as thrilling as the first game...there's something about the first part of a series that's so satisfying, to dip into a new world you knew nothing about before and immerse yourself in it. Mass Effect 2 didn't have that effect on me because there weren't as many "new" things to discover. I still played the crap out of it and even liked the stupid mini-game where you scan for elements. The hardest difficulty setting kicked my butt, however.
Best Video Game, Nostalgia CategoryBOOMSHAKALAKA! NBA Jam returned this year, thanks to EA Sports and greed. There's a long story about this...NBA Jam was originally going to be a Nintendo Wii exclusive and a downloadable game for the Xbox 360 and PS3. However, the new NBA game that EA planned to pawn off on fans--NBA Elite--turned out to be a flaming dog-bag of crap, and EA decided to cancel the game. NBA Jam became a full-fledged title for the two HD systems. I haven't played all the way through it yet, but I can kind of dominate with the Pacers as Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy. HE'S ON FIIIIIIIIRE!
Biggest Letdown, Cinematic Experience: Iron Man 2. I loved the first Iron Man. Loved, loved, loved. So, my expectations where unrealistically high for the sequel, which packed too many new characters into a movie that also tried desperately to be the setup for the mega-team-up "Avengers" movie. I watched it again the other day--it's a good movie--but it's missing some of the "fun factor" that the first Iron Man had. It just feels like they tried to pack in too much stuff, Tony Stark wasn't quite as likable of a rogue, and the middle of the movie dragged tremendously. I didn't hate it...but I wasn't enamored with it either.
Best Purchase, Entertainment Category: I'm an amateur Photoshopper and even more amateur video editor. So amateur, in fact, that I do not use Photoshop, but actually Corel Paintshop Photo Pro X3 (actually, I used to use Ulead Photoimpact, but when I got a new computer, the license wouldn't transfer, so I had to buy a new program). I also played around with the demo for Corel Videostudio Pro...and discovered a bundle deal that included both programs for a good price. So, I started churning out videos (all of them are embedded below). I haven't put together a video in a while because I've been writing a lot more...but there's also the fact that the Colts haven't lost a game since I stopped producing them. So there's that.
Most Surprising Non-Award, Non-Existent Writing Career: If 2010 was anything, it was the Year I Wrote. The coolest thing was seeing four of my short stories get published in separate anthology series. The "non-award" referenced in the title concerns the story "In Memoriam," which took the coveted Editor's Choice award in the Autumn Issue of "A Thousand Faces." Other stories--"The Bank Loan," "Rise of the Super-Hero," and "The Stuntman"--were also published (see here and here).
Here's a brief summary of each story that's found its way into print this year:
In Memoriam: The loss of a firefighter stings a community; more so, after the man's double-life as the mysterious "Wraith" is revealed. Those who know the man mourn his passing during a memorial service and all witness a chilling sight that defies explanation.
The Stuntman: Thrilled that Hollywood plans to make a movie about his life as the Amazing Marvel, Stan Kirkpatrick presses his agent to land him the starring role. The producers have a different idea, hiring a rising, hot-shot star, and relegating Stan to the role of indestructible stuntman.
The Bank Loan: Frustrated at his inability to get a bank loan, Baron Gallant confronts the loan officer who refused to sign off on his request. The loan officer soon learns why the superhero needs the money after Gallant's rival begins ransacking the city.
Dawn of the Super-hero: Over the course of an extraordinary week in the 1930s, a Midwesterner learns about the rise of super-powered beings around the country through newspaper accounts and radio reports. But when the world's first "super-villain" threatens to destroy New York, the man's thirst for knowledge is overtaken by his will to act.
And, perhaps more exciting, I'm not finished yet! Two more stories have been accepted for publication in 2011. One of them comes along with an actual check!
The Villain: The Blue Avenger and his arch-nemesis Heckler engage in their final showdown, and it looks like the villain has the upper hand. Memories of their past encounters assault the Avenger, who retraces the bitter steps leading up to their final fight, culminating in a desperate act that will forever redefine the hero's crusade against crime.
Absolution: Paralyzed after saving a woman under attack by two thugs, a man gets a second chance from on high. Armed with a divine mandate, he takes the name "Absolution" and embarks on a single-minded quest to rid the world of the wicked and corrupt.
Best Investment, Non-Existent Writing Career: I attended the 2010 Midwest Writers Workshop, and it was money well spent. I learned a lot about the writing business, got some good advice, had my work critiqued by a couple of agents, and even had a request for one of my book manuscripts. The request didn't pan out, but it means that I'm on the right track when it comes to pitching my work, writing summaries, and formulating my book synopsis. I'm especially tickled by the following picture showing yours truly sitting with author Dan Johnson during a round-robin table discussion!
Biggest Letdown, Sporting Event: Let's face it, 2010 didn't get off to the best start. First, the Colts lost to the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl, spawning that commercial showing Tracy Porter's interception that plays 8,000 times during an NFL broadcast. It's like a knife jabbed in my back...and then twisted, twisted, and twisted. BUT WAIT! There's a tie for this category: Butler's heartbreaking loss in the NCAA Championship Game. Oh man...the Bulldogs will probably never, ever get there again. Coach Norman Dale even provided the team with some reminders, but Butler couldn't pull it off. Although, thanks to Sports Science for interrupting the Butler-Duke rematch to show us how close Gordon Hayward's shot almost came to going in. That didn't sting at all. I'm still proud of both teams...it's just, when you get there, you need to make the most of it. You never know when you'll get there again.
Best Purchase, Reliable Auto Category: After my Pontiac Grand Am betrayed me, I had to do something drastic. I'm talking something Fredo-style. So I took Grand Am fishing...and...well, you know the rest. In his place came our 2008 Hyundai Sonata. It's quiet, fuel-efficient, and awesome. I'm a boring guy, and it's a boring car. We're a perfect match.
Longest Ear-Chewing Moment, Wife Category My wife went on an epic journey to Sandusky, Ohio, to see a man I've barely even heard of. His name is Peter Facinelli and the ladies tell me he's oh-so-good-looking (and from Twilight). Six hours, two bathroom breaks, and two trip-interrupting train stops later, she and a friend stood in line to see Mr. Heartthrob himself. Hugs were given, autographs were signed, and I haven't heard the end of it. STILL.
Powers contains 17 superheroic tales from writers of all different backgrounds. Some will break your heart, some will thrill you, and one will likely make you wonder why the author isn't considering a different direction for his career (that would be the author of "The Stuntman" on page 123).
Here's a quick summary of my contribution:
Thrilled that Hollywood plans to make a movie about his life as the Amazing Marvel, Stan Kirkpatrick presses his agent to land him the starring role. But the producers have a different idea, hiring a rising, hot-shot star, and relegating Stan to the role of indestructible stuntman.
