It doesn’t seem like it has been four years since my first
blog in which I posted a call for papers for the 33rd annual
Southwest Texas Popular/American Culture association’s conference, held in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was my first turn as the Area Chair of James Bond,
Espionage and Eurospy studies and I was nervous taking the reins of an area of
study that has been both glorified and vilified.
Over the four years, I became submersed in the
spy/espionage genre, and about two years I gained the courage to step up to an acquisitions
manager and pitch a book proposal. I was fortunate; it was picked up and within
a month, I had contract in hand. And, last November, the James Bond and Popular
Culture: Essays on the Influence of the Fictional Superspy (McFarland & Company) was released. It is
still a surreal moment in my life and one I had been working towards for many
years.
Over the years, I have met fascinating individuals
associated with James Bond, either academics, authors, or in show business.
Through my associations, my anthology essayists, and most recently my series
Bond 365, I have gained a deeper appreciation for Bond and the genre as a
whole.
To commemorate fours of Spyfi & Superspies, I thought I
would pick four of my favourite posts. I hope you enjoy my picks and if you have a moment, it would be wonderful to hear your favorite moments from the James Bond universe!
Monday, March 3, 2014
I’m a huge fan of the television show, Person of Interest,
and while watching “Bury My Lede” (Season 2, Episode 5), I was struck with
profound inspiration to spoof John Reese’s bogus profile on Match-Heart.com
that Harold Finch creates so that Reese can meet the target for that week’s
episode. I need to pick up and continue watching this show!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Released by Illuminati Films and Eros Entertainment in 2012,
Agent Vinod remains one of my favourite
spy-oriented films from India. Directed by Sriram Raghavan and starring Saif
Ali Khan, this is a slick film with toe-tapping/head bobbing music. While there
are still the customary songs, they are integrated into the action of the film
rather than obviously set apart. I believe this is a decidedly Western film and
as such, box office receipts were a disappointment and sadly, no Agent
Vinod II is on the sun-baked horizon....I'm a sad spy girl.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
It was a dream come true to see my name on the cover of a
book that I had worked on for over a year, bringing together several voices from
around the world into a cohesive anthology to talk about the influence of James
Bond in popular culture. In this post, I pealed back the veneer and explained
the process of putting together this collection with all of its peaks and
valleys. And, I have just started down that road again, this time with the
tentatively titled Essays on Space Horror in Films, 1950s – 2000s, due out late 2016.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
The concept for the Bond 365 series was born out of a
challenge to myself to be seriously committed to Spyfi & Superspies and
what better way than showing up everyday with a new post. Except for a
three-week hiatus because of back-to-back conventions (one being the San Diego
International Comic Con) and the sad passing of one of my beloved felines, I
have shown up and honestly, I have learned so much the people involved with
James Bond whether in film, television, radio, comics, books, video games, etc.
There were so many posts to choose from, but I decided on this recent on about
Peter Fleming, Ian’s older brother. Their life choices were similar in many
ways and others, completely different, but they remain utterly fascinating.
I hope my posts have been interesting, enlightening, and
entertaining over these past four years. As always, I value you for stopping by
and I hope you’ll bookmark Spyfi & Superspies and make it a regular stop. I
have some plans brewing for 2016 that will be solidified in the coming months. I’ll
be revealing more by the end of the year. So, come on back and put some James
Bond into your life!
© Copyright. Michele
Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are
protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied,
reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means
without written permission.
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