MAX BROOKS: More Pompus than QT?

[Yojimbo]

Let me start by staying that I enjoyed his zombie survial manual, and I appreciate the work his father did, and am somewhat amused by some of what I have heard from his new zombie book, but the more I see and hear this guy, the less I like him as a person.

A clip of him introducing GAR at a convention was on another thread, and to me he looked like a pompous ass. I have heard interviews with him where he sounds more conceited and self-important than Quentin Tarantino (another talented but intolerably arrogant artist)

Certainly, I do not know Max Brooks personally, and he never hit on my wife or kicked my dog so I have no personal experiences by which to justify my increasing dislike of him. Certainly, I am not being fair but here is a guy that I started out wanting to like, but don't really groove with at all now.

Is this just me, or does anyone else feel this way?

(Apologies, perhaps this would have been better suited in a different forum!)

[MissJacksonCA]

I concur fully... some people are pompus (god I love that word) and its hard to like them even if you personally dont know them

[clanglee]

I don't know about all that, havn't seen or heard the guy. But his books are wonderful!! I loved World War Z. The survival book is awesome as well. Screw it, lots of talented people come off like that. But as long as they keep doing what I like, then they are ok in my book.

[Ivarr]

The only footage i have seen of him was when he was playing to the crowd... and everyone always seems over the top doing that... especially at Cons.

If he was really a waste of space ... lets be honest... we would never have heard of him ... as his Father is worth major $$$ and I am sure if he really wanted to ... he could just live the spoiled rich kid lifestyle.

But instead he has made his own mark.

Including being a writer for Saturday Night Live (2001 - 2003) and a smattering of bit parts as an actor... But mostly doing voice work for things like Batman Beyond and Justice League...

Could he be a jerk? maybe... Maybe not ... But just like QT, he has the talent to back it up.

But no one says you have to like everyone ... the world would be pretty boring without anybody to rag on :)

Enjoy

[Yojimbo]

The only footage i have seen of him was when he was playing to the crowd... and everyone always seems over the top doing that... especially at Cons.

If he was really a waste of space ... lets be honest... we would never have heard of him ... as his Father is worth major $$$ and I am sure if he really wanted to ... he could just live the spoiled rich kid lifestyle.

But instead he has made his own mark.

Including being a writer for Saturday Night Live (2001 - 2003) and a smattering of bit parts as an actor... But mostly doing voice work for things like Batman Beyond and Justice League...

Could he be a jerk? maybe... Maybe not ... But just like QT, he has the talent to back it up.

But no one says you have to like everyone ... the world would be pretty boring without anybody to rag on :)

Enjoy

I say again that I don't know him personally, so I have nothing but his public image to go by, but in that regard you are very correct to point out that folks playing to crowds can be over the top. Your point, and that of the previous poster is well taken.

Certainly, I admire his work, as I do QTs (though I did not care for his Kill Bill saga), and if Brooks is to be judged based soley on that then he is fine and extremely talented. I did like his Survival Manual, and like what I have seen of his new work, but I was just turned off by his public persona.

Guess I can like his work and detest his public image at the same time!

EDIT: In a way, after thinking about it, I am kind of sorry I put this thread up without thinking that I might be crossing some sort of karmic line.

I can think of times when I acted like a fool that I would sure hate for people to judge me by, so I guess its kind of unfair for me to make a judgement about this guy based on his public persona.

[clanglee]

No big deal. I've met lots of people that I have taken an immediate dis-liking to. Anyone coming across as smarmy or unctious is right out in my book. So there. . . I'm a prick.

Karma be damned!! It's human nature. . and It's quite alright. I am just pretty forgiving if You have a body of work that I enjoy.

[Ivarr]

Yojimbo ... you sound like a reasonable person and you were just making a personal observation based on the information you had.

No body no foul :)

We all make judgments based on limited or no information every day.

Some times we find after a time we were right in our first impression and some times that we were very wrong...

Honestly ... its not like you said he was a child molester or anything like that :)

I think that your personal observation about your own actions could be true of any of us.

It gives us all something to think about ... thank you for your post.

[AcesandEights]

Magic Eight Ball says: Ask again later.

You're free to not like people for whatever reason and maybe you have collected a mountain of data to support this assertion, or maybe not...

Either way, as has been mentioned, sometimes people just find a specific person or the qualities they possess not to their liking.

[Yojimbo]

Thanks to all of you for your collective understanding and support which, admittedly, has humbled me. I'm no saint, and I am certainly not a perfect dude, so sometimes I rant without consideration of whether or not the content is fair. That being said, I have made the decision to give Brooks a break and to retract my statements about his being a conceited pompus ass until I have a greater pool of data from which to draw such a conclusion.

Which isn't to say that I have any problem with his fine work in the zombie world, which I do not. In fact, I do admire his work.

So again, thanks for giving me a break for my rush to judgement!

Just for clarification: I do still think QT is an arrogant pompus ass, albeit a talented one, and have no problem proclaiming such, since, I think QT revels in the fact that he is an arrogant pompus ass. :D

[Danny]

dont know about you but if i found a thread on the internet saying people thought i was an assehole id be a little flattered.:lol:

[Yojimbo]

dont know about you but if i found a thread on the internet saying people thought i was an assehole id be a little flattered.:lol:

True that!

Now you got me wishing I had one!

[MissJacksonCA]

dont know about you but if i found a thread on the internet saying people thought i was an assehole id be a little flattered.:lol:

Me too... I mean to have someone or a group dislike you THAT MUCH to devote a thread on a site to it... wow...

[Yojimbo]

Me too... I mean to have someone or a group dislike you THAT MUCH to devote a thread on a site to it... wow...

MissJackson, sounds like we need to start pissing a whole lot of people off more frequently!:elol::sneaky:

[MissJacksonCA]

I'm doing my best man maybe i'll be hated so much someday that i'll be the zombie who gets offed in a Dawn of the Dead 04 style shooting game ... remember Jay Leno getting knocked off by ol Andy? And Burt Reynolds? And Rosie?

[Kaos]

Been accused of it more than once, but it never bothered me. I have always been an equal opportunity elitist. I tend to think that being pompous is just one of those traits that makes each of us different; for every pompous asshole there are thousands of narrow-minded and petty retards bounding about.



Are you truly deeply cynical ’cause boy you know I loved you so
When no one knew your name and you were pompous. still are
Cracker

[Yojimbo]

I tend to think that being pompous is just one of those traits that makes each of us different; for every pompous asshole there are thousands of narrow-minded and petty retards bounding about.



Cracker

Kaos speaks the truth there, and Yojimbo agrees.

I might add that I would rather deal with a pompous bastard than someone who is narrow-minded or a petty retard. At least you can have a decent conversation with one who is pompous whereas with the others...

[clanglee]

I was called a "pompous monkey" once at work. The best insult I ever received from a customer. Made my day!!:D

[Dr. Pus]

I can't wait to meet, and hopefully interview Mr. Brooks at the upcoming Zombiefest 2007 at the Monroevilled Expo Mart.:cool:

[Danny]

I was called a "pompous monkey" once at work. The best insult I ever received from a customer. Made my day!!:D

best i got was some wannabe paris hilton chick in my class in high school interrupt one of my usuall class-clown outbursts to go "HAHHAHA!, YOU THINK YOUR REALLY FUNNY LAUGHING AT YOUR OWN JOKES DOTN YOU?"

to which i started with "yes,yes i do, if i didnt find a joke funny why would i tell it to someone else ,hey guys have you heard this one, it sucks..." and i seriously kept going at her for about 15 minutes and just made a complete ass out of her and her retort was jsut to attempt a finger snap and walk away.

'tard.:lol:

[clanglee]

A finger snap was all she had? Yeah, you pretty much faced her.