Seven Extraordinary Things

In Praise of Franklin Booth

Written on February 13, 2012 at 8:16 pm, by admin

Artists are thieves. We see something we like and we take without remorse. If we’re clever we mix techniques stolen from different sources to make our burglary less obvious. But some masters’ techniques are so specific they cannot be disguised. In the case of Franklin Booth it is best to admit your crime and plead for leniency.

Not only did I take from Booth while inking Seven Extraordinary Things, I delighted in doing so. Booth’s distinctive style was partially a result of trying to reproduce the appearance of wood engravings with pen and ink. I will refrain from posting examples of his work here for two reasons: 1) If I don’t own the rights to something, I don’t like to post it, and 2) my own art would suffer by the direct comparison.

Elsewhere on the internet…

…WWW.DOUGLEFLER.COM has been completely reworked to function as a portfolio and blog.  My Scrollon® projects will soon be receiving a new home on their own site.

Greg Druker McTeer Lives!

Written on June 26, 2011 at 10:23 pm, by admin

Greg Drucker McTeer

One of the frustrations of writing screenplays is that once they make the rounds to the studios (assuming they don’t sell, which accounts for most, but not all, of the ones I write) they go on the shelf and collect dust.  Usually they are forgotten, even by their creators, and for all intents and purposes, they cease to exist.

But if you go to the trouble of drawing your story, and putting it online, it lives. I have been delighted by the number of people who are still reading 7XT, and appreciate all the comments I get, positive and negative.  Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to email me.

My web team is currently doing maintenance and revisions on www.douglefler.com. Details of the changes are posted there, along with daily updates on my new stories.

The Curious Saga of No-One

DougLefler.Com

Written on December 7, 2010 at 2:47 pm, by admin

For those who are curious, here is the Home Page of my new site.

The NEW SITE has launched!

Written on December 6, 2010 at 1:07 pm, by admin

With this project I wanted to create an online library of original content.  I considered adding more stories to www.sevenextraordinarythings.com, but it turns out “extraordinary” is a difficult word for many people to type.  Instead I chose www.douglefler.com for two reasons.  First, I already owned that domain name, and second… well, I was too lazy to come up with anything more original. But if people can remember my name, the site should be easy to find.

Everything that has been available for free on SEVENEXTRAORDINARYTHINGS.COM will be free on DOUGLEFLER.COM, plus more.  Although there is a subscription fee for the premium version of the site, I explain on the home page how you can easily get around paying it.  And I promise that any money I do make will be spent only on the creation of new content…

… and the occasional bowl of gelato.

All Things Must…

Written on November 29, 2010 at 5:49 am, by admin

…come to an end.

It felt strange to post the last panel.  For me, finishing a story is like losing your best friends. The only thing that can get me over it is to write another story.  I hope you’ve enjoyed Seven Extraordinary Things.  Visitors to this site have been remarkably supportive, and I am grateful for the many kind emails and comments that have come to me over the last year.

My next story will be The Curious Saga of No-One.  I had planned to launch it Monday, November 29^th (2010), but I’ve decided to delay it for seven days.  There are a few technical things that still have to be worked out with the new site, and frankly, I could use a week off.

The Curious Saga of No-One

Please check back in the coming days for further announcements.  In the meantime, if anyone has any questions for me regarding 7XT, the new story, or the new site you can post them here, or email me, and I will do my best to answer them.

Navigation

Written on November 22, 2010 at 7:37 pm, by admin

At this time I would like to ask readers of Seven Extraordinary Things to tell me how the navigational controls are working.  With 7XT you can move around the story using the Pages menu above the viewing window, you can advance to the next panel by clicking the image, you can use the directional controls below the window, the thumbnails below that, or the Chapters sidebar menu.

Please let me know which of these are useful to you, what is your preferred way to navigate the story, and any changes or improvements you would like to see.  Your feedback will help me fine tune the new site, which with any luck will be launching the Monday after Thanksgiving (November 29^th).

Dino DeLaurentiis…

Written on November 12, 2010 at 5:42 am, by admin

… died Wednesday night, November 10^th, 2010 at the age of 91.

I made a movie with him a few years back.  He was 87 at that time, producing three pictures at once and none of us could keep up with him.  He was alternately tough and charming. He forced me to stay on budget, on schedule and learn the correct way to eat pasta. Once, after meeting with two well known actors, I was telling Dino which one I thought was better suited to play the lead in our film. Dino frowned.  “If you put a gun to my head, and told me I had to choose between them,” he said. “I’d take the bullet.”

I am honored that I had the chance to work with him, and be a small part of his enormous career.

It’s Not Over Yet…

Written on November 2, 2010 at 9:41 pm, by admin

…but it is getting close. This refers to both 7XT and the sign up for the new site.

Since I started my story with Greg on this park bench, there would be a sense of symmetry if I ended it here. But I don’t want to.  There are a few characters that I’m not quite finished with, including the protagonist.

The Curious Saga of No-One

In regards to the sign up for free subscriptions to the first six months of the new site, we’re down to the last one hundred names we can take. Just letting you know. You can use the button below to register.

Free Subscriptions

Written on October 19, 2010 at 10:19 pm, by admin

Thanks to everyone who has emailed me regarding the end of 7XT and the launching of the new site. The response to my previous Journal post took me by surprise, and I haven’t been able to personally respond to most of the messages I received. Feedback from readers motivates me to get up every morning and draw another panel, and I encourage you to keep sending me their thoughts, impressions and suggestions. Everyone who has contacted me so far will get a free subscription to the new site. To facilitate the handing out of future memberships we have created a sign up form. Send me your email address and you’ll be added to the list.

The free subscriptions will be limited to the first five hundred people who request them and will be valid for the first six months the new site is live. After that we’ll see how it goes.

Heads Up

Written on October 4, 2010 at 6:06 pm, by admin

I’m beginning the FINAL CHAPTER of Seven Extraordinary Things. The number of people who are reading have far exceeded my expectations.  I have also been delighted by the thoughtful comments of those who have emailed me, or posted in the forum.

I want to take this opportunity to tell you what is coming next. Immediately after 7XT concludes I plan to launch a new site, which the clever individuals at Inextricable Design are now feverishly laboring to complete. On it, I will continue to present content for free, as I have done here. The first story, which will be part of a new library of original material, is called The Curious Saga of No-One.

There will also be a MEMBERSHIP version of the site, and a PREMIUM version. I’ve spent much of this last year developing a new method of reading graphic novels online, which I believe is different from anything that currently exist. It’s based on an idea I had thirty years ago when I was in Art School.  I would love to describe it in detail, but my patent attorney doesn’t think that’s advisable. Not yet. Soon.

Although I will openly admit that my ultimate nefarious objective is complete and utter world domination, I’m not anticipating on making a profit any time soon.  I work in the film business so that I can afford to do pet projects like these. Therefore, at the outset I will be happy to give free subscriptions to the premium version of the new site to my regular readers. You just have to let me know who you are.  The best way to do that is to  email me.

Did I mention the premium version of the site will be in color?

Seven Extraordinary Things will conclude in late November.  Between now and then, please let me know who you are, and I’ll make sure you get access to all the cool stuff coming.