UPDATED -- Best Redemptive Films

Don't be surprised not to find these recommended by churches or anything, necessarily, but at their core, films all have messages that "preach" better than most sermons.

And yes, if you're a moral majority type, be warned that a lot of these are rated R and include things like "bad words" and some nudity.

In no particular order...

1. The Spitfire Grill
2. The Apostle
3. Saved
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. Chocolat
6. The Sky Is Watching
7. Black Snake Moan
8. Shadowlands
9. Cool Hand Luke
10. The Green Mile
11. Meet John Doe
12. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
13. The Poseidon Adventure
14. Luther
15. Spirited Away
16. The Return of the Jedi
17. Blade Runner
18. The Matrix Revolutions
19. Unbreakable
20. Pulp Fiction
21. Kal Ho Naa Ho
22. 16 Blocks
23. The Dark Knight
24. Superman
25. The Reaping
26. The Exorcist
27. Star Wars: A New Hope
28. Ghost in the Shell
29. Stephen King's Desperation
30. Stephen King's The Stand
31. Ikiru

My favorite t-shirt design I created:



Even folks at my church really dug this one. If I could find a distributor interested in my designed, that'd be great.

Current Events and Past Events (the circle of history)

While I've been working today, I've been watching/listening off and on to a special on the History Channel about the history of the KKK. According to the show, the KKK had all but died at one point, but fears about immigration and the loss of national identity laid the groundwork among many Americans for the explosive rebirth of a renewed (and more violent) KKK. I couldn't help but think about current fears of border control and illegal immigration. I know many people -- many otherwise sane, wise, caring people -- who fall into the trap of generalizing about "them" when it comes to anyone of Hispanic descent. It makes no difference whether the person is legal, illegal, or U.S. citizen, he or she is seen as lazy, dirty, or trying to beat the system and get one over on the U.S. government and take jobs away from good, hard-working U.S. citizens. I also notice a growing agitation and outspokenness among young adults and teenagers (in my area at least) against "Mexicans" -- even though many of the targets of this speech are from various Latin and South American countries and not Mexico after all. I wonder what the fallout of this will be. Are we breeding a new rash of KKK-like thought among the next generation by the us-vs.-them talk we adults use in this issue? Are we laying seeds for future hate crimes as our population becomes more Latin in the years to come? I hope not. I don't know what the answer is or the proper response should be, but something about my understanding of faith and humanity says that it should be one based in humility and love and grace and service rather than one of irritation, distrust, superiority and (not so) righteous indignation. It's one of those "What Would Jesus, Ghandi, Buddha, etc. Do" kind of moments, I think, regardless of your faith or choice not to believe any faith. The central truth remains -- at least in my mind -- that people have an innate value we should preserve and we should treat every person with respect in however the issue is handled.

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that the band I'm a member of, Nothing Regal, now has a Facebook page up and ready to go. Feel free to "become a fan" at the following link: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Nothing-Regal/32931750876

Thanks.

See ya there,
Sean

If a man is known by the company he keeps, then my name just picked up a lot more notice. I have been approved for a Red Room Author Page.

Just in case you didn't know, Red Room is a networking and authors' site that can boast of many of the top writers and thinkers today, including Amy Tan, Maya Angelou, Salman Rushdie, Ivory Madison, Janny Wurts, Clive Barker, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Alice Hoffman, Peter Trachtenberg, Marc Tyler Nobleman, and even presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

So what am I doing there, right? I'm just going to do my best to fit in with the other graphic novel and comic book writers like Danny Donovan and Ivory Madison (she's writing the new Huntress book), be "writerly" and "thinkerly" and occasionally have something useful and/or helpful to say. Please check it out.

Josh Medors Benefit Auction @ ECCC
Wed, April 23rd, 2008 at 2:30PM PST

Updated: Wed, April 23rd, 2008 at 4:30PM PST

Official Press Release

23 April 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - Unknown to the general public, FRANK FRAZETTA'S SWAMP DEMON, RUNES OF RAGNAN, WILLOW CREEK, GI JOE and 30 DAYS OF NIGHT artist Josh Medors has been fighting cancer for the past several months. In his time of need, Image Comics and Frazetta Comics have stepped in organize an auction with all proceeds going straight to Josh.

"Josh is a good friend, father and artist. With the support from the comic industry that he loves so dearly, we can all help with costly medical bills and ease his pain just a little would be most appreciated," said Frazetta Comics Editor/Artist Jay Fotos. �š��žúWe are under a crunch, for the show is just a few weeks away, so anyone that would like to donate please contact me as soon as you can so we can get your donations there for the auction in time, we are also taking PayPal donations as well that go directly to Josh.�š��žù

Many of the industry's finest are donating items to auction, including Frank Frazetta himself. Any other creators interested in donating are encouraged to contact Jay Fotos at jayfotos@cox.net.

The Josh Medors Benefit Auction will take place Saturday, May 10th at the Emerald City Comic Con. If you would like to make a PayPal donation, please do so to jmedors1@insight.rr.com.

Contributors thus far:

Frank Frazetta
Jerry Beck
Brian Haberlin
Tom Beland
Mark Kidwell
Todd McFarlane
Nat Jones
Tony Moore
Peter Bergting
Richard Starkings
Steve Niles
Kody Chamberlin
Jay Fotos
Rick Remender
Christian Beranek
Ahmet Zappa
Image Comics
IDW Publishing
Zenescope Entertainment