Hey there, fellow Bookies.

Every once and a while, life throws an event at us that forces us to look beyond our personal needs and perceive the larger scope of the world around us.  We all know there is more to life than comic books and superheroes. Many people believe the world has become a hardened and cynical place, where we don’t look after each other and focus on our own personal needs. Call me a Fool, but refuse to believe that. In times of crisis and in the face of great pain, so many people choose to push aside their own needs or wants in return for connecting and aiding the community around them. Isn’t that what a hero really is- someone who looks to deal with the needs of the many rather than just their own?

What better way to show emulate our heroes than by acting as one?

Everyone knows how bad the situation is in Haiti. People from around the world are pouring in to offer a helping hand in the wake of the destruction. I know that every celebrity out there will mention the charity they support the most; telethons and fundraisers a big way the well-paid circles can give back. Hundreds of websites are out there pointing us to groups donating supplies, blood, food, medical gear and more. But I did want to focus on one actor’s site in particular.

If you’re a fan of the show “Heroes”, you might remember a certain memory-wiping man known for three seasons simply as ‘The Haitian’. Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis actually hails from the devastated country. He has lost family and friends and is now doing whatever is possible to aid in the recovery process. A website devoted specifically to gathering funds and supplies has been put up to rally the troops . Among the needs his site lists are:

• Shelter kits with tents, tarps, water purification tables and more
• Emergency relief supplies
• Food
• Medical supplies
• Family tool kits, including shovels
• Telecommunications equipment

The website is http://haitianhero.com

You can call toll-free to donate by phone: 1-877-572-4484

They also have a PayPal account set up for donations via the internet.

I know things aren’t easy right now. The Economy sucks and we all have bills to pay. But just consider this- for a donation of $20, you can facilitate the purchase of: gallons of water, hundreds of bandages, packets of rubber gloves, dozens of packets of lightbulbs for the temporary shelters, and pounds of needed foodstuffs. All this would require is a small sacrifice- the same price as that DVD or a trip to your favorite restaurant or even part of your weekly pulls.

I firmly believe that each of us has the ability to rise to the occasion when it involves easing the suffering of our neighbors. When a major disaster strikes on this magnitude, how can we NOT act?

Clothing drives. Blood drives. Food drives. There are so many options. Don’t sit back when you know you can stand and do good. Be a hero.

Scott Nap
Writer/Director- “ISSUES: The Series”

My New Years Resolution for 2010 is to have Issues kick ass from the very start…oh hey! We’re back with a vengeance in the New Year! And with news regarding Season 2 to boot? (checks off resolution)

2009 was a year of growth for all of us here at Issues HQ. Several of our cast members became involved with shows in New York. CJ Maldonado (Edgar) released his film “A Passing Afternoon” at the Rochester Film Festival and Big Apple Film Festivals. My buddy and co-writer Joey Harris got to see some action during the filming of The Guild: Season 3. And despite a year that featured some major personal and financial hardships, I’m proud to have ended the final year of the 00′s as part of the first class of digital media creators to join the Writers Guild of America. But where does that leave us with Issues?

Well, for one thing, we clearly have a new website to ring in the new decade. Seriously, check out some of the new features and keep coming back for video updates, new downloads and the latest production news.

As for new episodes, in the words of a certain west coast governor, we’ll be back! Initially we were going to launch a series of ‘minisodes’ to bridge the gap between season 1 and 2, but after an exciting discussion about story potential, it was decided the show will be back in a new form. Issues will now return in a longer season/shorter episode format with each episode running between 5 and 7 minutes. Will our heroes be back? Is Zeke perpetually confused? You better believe it! In addition to seeing our familiar faces, we’ll be introducing a host of new characters as well. Let’s face it- if you’ve ever worked in retail, it’s a revolving door of weird and wonderful faces. I’m hoping we can reflect that in Season 2. We’ve got exciting people on board writing new scripts, we’ve got shiny new equipment to film with and we plan on making 2010 a year our bookies will never forget.

But before we move forward, let’s remember where we’ve been! Season 1 of Issues is eligible for The Streamy Award for this year! Think Oscars, but for web television. We’re hoping you the fans will support us for “BEST NEW WEB SERIES” and “BEST ENSEMBLE”. Plenty of web shows can focus on one or two people. We had nine recurring cast members!

Visit http://www.streamys.org/submit/public-submissions/

…or click on the buttons below!

BEST NEW SERIES

BEST ENSEMBLE

If you also click on Submit An Individual, you can also vote for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Writing and so on. It’s free and takes a grand total of 10 seconds to fill out. I timed it. No passwords, no sign-ups. Just type in Issues: The Series and our website right here.

And as always, keep checking in with us over the next few weeks as we march toward production. Want to appear in the show? Have an idea for a funny story? Drop us a line at issuestheseries@gmail.com. We love checking in. Up, up and away for us all in 2010. Excelsior!

El Queso Grande,
Scott Nap
Writer/Director: Issues: The Series