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Scott Pilgrim sought and found

Apr 7, 2008

Jonathan Hive: Blogger, Ace, Journalist

HARD CALL- Covering the Wild Card
Outbreak in Colorado

Bugles Planet Daily is very pleased to welcome Jonathan Tipton-Clarke (aka Jonathan Hive or "Bugsy"), whose liveblogged “Hard Call” series for Dabel Worldwide Press has earned major journalistic attention. Jonathan is currently a participant in the AMERICAN HERO TV series.

Jonathan, welcome to BPD!

So how did you happen to cover this story? An outbreak of wild card virus seems like an uncommon event these days—what drew you to this story?

First off, there are wildcard outbreaks here and there all the time. They just don't usually get much press because we're kind of used to them. It's the same for any other disease. I mean, how many people died from the bubonic plague last year? I don't know, but I know that some of them did. Or polio. People still get polio. Christian scientists, for instance. Or those folks who think their kid would be better off dead than autistic. But that's a whole different rant.

But this particular story was just too juicy to pass up. Yes, it's got an outbreak, and that's a nice hook. But it's got this weird serial killer. It's got Croyd Crenson. I mean jeez. Croyd Crenson. That's like getting to do a story about John Dillinger.

Can you tell us about the people involved and what happened with them? We know this story continues to unfold but maybe you could give us some basics on who was caught up in this crisis, where it happened…?

That's another good angle. The original outbreak was at a high school in Colorado. The victims were taken to the Jokertown Clinic in Manhattan, because, dude, *of course* they were. The fact that their arrival coincided with the serial killer going into action and Croyd Crenson's re-emergence was happy coincidence. I get to say it's happy because I'm a journalist. We've got the only profession where you can have a good murder.

Is liveblogging the "next phase of journalism"? Do you foresee a time when Pulitzers will be awarded to bloggers?

More I see a time when Pulizers are old fashioned and irrelevant.

Being an ace yourself, were you concerned about the (very small) possibility of a secondary re-infection? It’s common knowledge that the wretched Snotman became the ace Reflector and the joker anarchist Gimli apparently died during the “Typhoid Croyd” event, so it can happen…

Ah. Huh. Yeah, I kind of forgot about that Typhoid Croyd thing. Hmm.

Well, it didn't bother me then. I'm kind of freaking out about it now though.

Did you find it hard to be among people who drew a Black Queen (died because of an unsurvivable wild card manifestation) or became jokers? You’re one of the lucky “one in a hundred” after all.

It's not like it's the first time I've been around jokers. It was harder for me dealing with the kids who'd just changed. I mean you go through life and day by day, you don't really think about the cost the wildcard has on people. And then I was right there with people who were just going through it. All the wounds were still raw. I mean, that's high school, right? But it reminded me of what it was like when I was that age. I had that kind of vicarious flashback to my own teen angst.

On the other hand, if I'd been blogging about a homecoming dance, it would probably have been worse.

Why do wild cards continue to fascinate the public, 60 years after Wild Card Day?

Because everyone wants to be an ace, and everyone's afraid they already are a joker. It's the literal incarnation of a normal human being's dearest hopes and deepest fears. You don't have to be a joker to hate your body. Being an ace or winning the lottery aren't the only ways to have power and be special, but they're visible and they don't require a lot of effort. And the Black Queen. Well, we're all born with a Black Queen, it just takes 80 or so years to express, right?

The world of journalistic blogging must be a fast-paced one. What other stories are you going to follow in future posts?

Depends on what happens, I guess. I was hoping to do a series of interviews with porn stars for Women's History Month, but Slate.com beat me to it. Seriously.

And… I hate to ask, Jonathan, but what’s Curveball really like?

You know when you were growing up, there was that girl who lived next door or just down the block or wherever? The one who was just like one of the guys, except everyone had a secret crush on her? Curveball's just like that. She isn't going to hook up with you either.

Thanks for taking our questions, guys. We want to wish you all the best on the “Hard Call” series! And an extra special thanks to Daniel Abraham, for putting us in touch with Bugsy--you're the best!

UPDATE! Images above provided
courtesy of Dabel Worldwide!

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