NYC

[heatray5d]

Marvel's 5th Avenue offices are, surprisingly, kind of dingy. The hallways and conference rooms are crowded and narrow, the cubicles elderly, the people stingy with smiles and words (except those relating to confidentiality). The bathroom, which I had to be escorted to (my female escort waited outside the restroom to guide me back to the lobby), smells like pee. There are signs hanging everywhere reminding people of their duty to obey Marvel's secrecy in all things. Even the pictures of super heroes hanging everywhere fail to render the atmosphere even the slightest bit cheery.

I was down in New York to read the Iron Man script. I was left alone in a conference room with an immense fish tank and a unique copy of the screenplay that is, by now shredded, pulped, and lining the bottom of Joe Quesada's cage. The confidentiality agreement I had to sign (in addition to the ones I already have with Hasbro and with Marvel as a licensee) was specific to such a degree that I don't feel comfortable even telling you whether I think it'll be a good movie or not.

I have very mixed feelings about New York. I dislike the people there, as a group, with an intensity I generally reserve for cops and the rich, but as individuals New Yorkers are among the nicest people I've ever had to deal with. I'm always surprised at how crowded the streets are, even at a time when everyone should be sitting at their desks working on whatever it is that makes the world go. I'm also consistently shocked at how incredibly slow everyone walks, given the reputation of the city. New Yorkers are hardly the slowest pedestrians in the world, but compared to Bostonians, they positively mosey.

I should have made lunch plans with some of the people I know down there, but I wasn't sure how long the read-through would take.

I like the Acela very much. It is extremely comfortable, and probably takes about the same amount of time as the plane. The only drawback versus flying is that everybody spends the entire time on the phone.

Comments

[industrialsteve.livejournal.com]

i have always found new york to be more polite and friendlier than boston.
it doesnt take much really. here you get a pissed off look when you are kind enough to hold a door open for someone.

[cris.livejournal.com]

dude -- if you ever travel down to conduct any further corporate espionage for IDW, take my advice: go for the Quiet Car.

aside from the fact that the conductors have to frequently walk back and forth through the car informing everyone that "THIS IS THE QUIET CAR! IF YOUR CELLPHONE SO MUCH AS TWITTERS YOU WILL BE KEELHAULED ON THIS TRAIN!" at every single bloody stop along the way, it's actually quite peaceful. Or at least more peaceful than having to share an aisle with someone who spends the entire train on their cell, discussing in intimate detail, the one-night stand that they had with a co-worker.

[liza.livejournal.com]

The Quiet Car is the greatest invention of mankind.

When I have not managed to get on a Quiet Car, I have had to endure:

- a college student shopping for pot (meaning she was calling various dealers and comparing prices)
- a 20-something girl calling everyone on her contacts list, in succession, and telling whoever answered, "I AM SO BORED"
- several fights with wives (women, it seems, are too private to fight with their husbands in public)

[heatray.livejournal.com]

I will likely be going down again this Wednesday, or early next week, so I'll take you up on the idea. The only reason I skipped it last time was because I expected Tegin to call me.

[cris.livejournal.com]

no problem... also, for future reference, if I've ever had to take a call, I'd usually walk over to the cafe car and just chit chat there. You'd usually have to walk through another car to get to it, but I've had no problem with doing that.

[lachesis.livejournal.com]

If you're in NYC any time soon, email me and let me know, and maybe we can meet up?
Hope you're doing well. :)

[heatray.livejournal.com]

I'll drop you a line the next time I go down to the City!

[lachesis.livejournal.com]

sweet! send it to la.technologie at gmail, since i dont check the one associated with this as much anymore. :)

[sirendipity.livejournal.com]

Where did you end up for lunch?

I've always found New Yorkers much more friendly than Bostonians...except for when you piss them off. Then they come at you with a mouth full of sledgehammers, while Bostonians just give you the finger.

[ayun.livejournal.com]

Oh, dude, Quiet Car, all the way.

Also, your job is cool.

[clayrobeson.livejournal.com]

I know you can't talk about the script, but WHY were you reading it (I assume it has to do with toys, but does that often necessitate script reading)? Cause, that's pretty fucking cool even if it WASN'T good.

[heatray.livejournal.com]

One of the brands I work on is Marvel, and that includes all of the movie toys. I get to read screenplays way in advance because otherwise I can't really write decent bios of the characters in the movie. It's one of the many perks.

[damiel.livejournal.com]

You probably violated the NDA when you told us the bathroom smelled of pee.

I like New Yorkers. I like Bostonians too.