October Project

“Consistency is victory.”

Who said that?

Consistency is demonstrable integrity. If you can point to an achievement in your past, compare it with your present works, and show growth, you have demonstrable integrity. If at present you are not living up to potential you have previously demonstrated, one could argue that you are in decline.

I could almost bet money that you’ve never heard of the band October Project. If you’re 25 or younger, you won’t relate to the fact that a quarter-century ago, this watered-down Dead Can Dance was driving me starking barkers.

This group had two singles that were unavoidable in 1994. Check out the pre-Clown World accuracy of this Wikipedia excerpt:

In 1993, the band was signed by Michael Caplan of Epic Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG. In October of that year they released their first album, the eponymous October Project, recorded in Nashville, produced by Glenn Rosenstein and engineered by Jay Healy. The band toured throughout the US for much of 1994, opening for several acts, including the Crash Test Dummies and Sarah McLachlan, and appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. They produced two music videos that year, one for each of their released singles, “Bury My Lovely” and “Return To Me.” The latter single was included in the soundtrack to the motion picture Blown Away, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Jeff Bridges.

[Wikipedia]

I know, you’re surprised that the song “Return To Me” wasn’t used in the David Duchovny snoozer of the same name from 2000, but as far as I know, it wasn’t. (I haven’t seen it, which is why I didn’t know it was Carroll O’Connor’s final film, either. Do I have to tell you who he was? If so, I’d rather not know about it. That’s the kind of thing that really pushes me to lose faith in the public.)

My dad was either a big October Project fan or played it a lot to appease my sister’s stepmother. I think he might have been trying to steer her away from stuff like Anita Baker. I feel the same way about Jill Scott, even though I do like jazz and hip hop. I would rather mutilate my balls than listen to some broad lazily croon about her breakfast routine. At least October Project had passion, or what passed for it two decades ago.

So, these are laudable vocals, are they not? I don’t even like this song and yet I feel the compulsion to couch everything in post-irony, out of defense. Internet use destroys your ability to properly appreciate anything.

Seriously, if your daily Internet use exceeds three or four hours, you are a dead. You body die because your deepest desires will be used against you. You drink blood, you not, wake up, from nightmare. You betrayed Shiva.

My point is, October Project (the band) was accepted as a team into the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, to study in 1981. Their run of fame in the 1990s was relatively brief, and it inevitably makes anything that came afterward pale in comparison. Even if they go on to top themselves musically, it won’t matter unless they make more money.

See how messed up that is? Where does the fault lie? Not with the artist, particularly if they demonstrably progress as an artist.

Does the Internet Age afford us the the opportunity to judge others on an ineluctably superficial level? If so, should we? By whose or what standard? For what purpose or goal?

For example, is this article better or worse than one I wrote five years ago? What would be gained, or lost, by admitting that my primary goal in operating this website is to promote and sell my various publications? After all, these books are compilations of stuff I published online, because that’s the best way to get new work done in a consistent manner? With any level of passion?

Below is the new thing. Technically, I’ve been at work on this for a year and a half. This is the next imprint under the Mike The Pod umbrella. There will be more issues in the future, plus benefits for subscribers and previous donors. Kindly be my guest and get on board.

Even though my personal coffers are low, and I’ve returned to ask for your help, do not interpret this as a failure of the brand. I defray my costs selling toys on eBay, but on extremely rare occasions things go wrong, and I have to cover it to make it right. Please understand that sometimes I have to resort to passing the hat again. Quality comic books cost money, but so does living. This is reality.

You are patronizing and supporting an independent creator of original content, both print and web. I offer you 20 years of experience as a cartoonist and critical observer of digital culture. Your support literally means the world to me, and I thank you sincerely. Your support allows me to bring you material of consistent quality, because consistency is victory.

Know who said that? Ultra Magnus.

He was the city commander to whom Optimus Prime bequeathed the Matrix of Leadership, before his death. That was in a movie from 33 years ago, and Hasbro is still putting out new versions of him, and they always sell. I just sold one, on eBay.

Maybe he was never a Prime, but he could teach you a lot about consistency.