TBF, Mags, you have been doing a lot of the heavylifting for the quest, so this will be in good hands.
To be clear to everyone, this is just me burning out on imagination of the quest, since my muse has been hitting me over the head a lot with so many different ideas that I just can't find myself too interested in this.
I'll still hang out here, though, since this still does have a sepcial place in my heart.
I'd like to thank you all for making this a wonderful experience while it lasted.
I'd also like to thank @Magoose, @Fluffy_serpent, and @Martin Noctis for doing so much to help prepare and write this quest. I couldn't have done it without you all.
But damn, I was really hoping for this to eb a success for Henson, if only for future collaboration. I really hope he does not take it as us not doing as much as we could.
At least we saved him a lot of money he would have spent in OTL from having to buy the rights back for his own movie when production stalled, and perhaps it can get some good VHS sales that will justify a sequel that won't take nearly 40 years to be made.
We might need to get Bruce to start training again, he seemed more tiredd than expected during his shot, so perhaps he needs to go back to a ore active lifestyle in order to get more energy.
But damn, I was really hoping for this to eb a success for Henson, if only for future collaboration. I really hope he does not take it as us not doing as much as we could.
I don't think one movie being beaten by competition is going to ruin our relationship with him. We've done good with his other movies and we're giving him a free hand on Fraggle rock. And heck if he is mad we'll finance his next movie or something to try and make it up to him.
Say, speaking of Eddie Murphy, @Magoose, since Don Simpson was the one who came up with the idea of Beverly Hills Cop, and had it ready by 1981 in OTL, has he come up with the idea yet? And does he plan to pitch it at some point?
I am just waiting for the moment when Wally gets his hands on the camera to start his own wild ride. Wally Lucas, Father of the immersive VR system ForceSense, software designed by Mary O'Brian, supported by MaryOS.
In all seriousness though, what is up with George being unable to stop winning with cameras?
I am just waiting for the moment when Wally gets his hands on the camera to start his own wild ride. Wally Lucas, Father of the immersive VR system ForceSense, software designed by Mary O'Brian, supported by MaryOS.
In all seriousness though, what is up with George being unable to stop winning with cameras?
I thought we had a +50 base to all screen presences thanks to us hitting our max talent. Still though, glad we had another good appearence and it looks like we had a strong performance business wise all around with Miami Vice getting approved, Mike set for the long term and Dark Crystal hopefully getting some decent performance. Anything at least better than OTL is good.
-[X]Best Friends: So Mary has lots of friends, and she wants them to come over. You need to prepare for that. Carrie, get the cookies. Rolled:D100 => 28
The Christmas party for Mary's friends was… filled with movies.
And cookies and lots of sweets. There was a holiday special that was there the Peanuts one, and everyone loved that one, thinking it was special. Even though it was an annual thing…
Really you were just surprised that Mary didn't want to play games with her friends, but it seems that even the boundless energies of youth could not stop to TV… and other fun things.
Nice to see Mary just being normal and she can just have a regular Christmas party instead of anything crazy. Helps keep her grounded and there's nothing wrong with hanging out and watching some TV.
-[X]The Family Time: You need a night out with the family dammit! No more drama, no more work, just you and Carrie and the Kids!
--[X] Sarah has developed a strong fascination with painting. Perhaps you can spend some time doing watercolor portraits with her. Rolled:D100 => 9
You were terrible at it. Terrible you say, you were better with a camera capturing art. But this… was something else.
Sarah was just happy you were with her, though she kept on correcting you. And it was quite funny to see Carrie taking pictures of it.
IT was going to be on a collage soon, you could feel it.
Part of me is tempted to repeat this and see if Bruce has some artistic ability with a brush or pencil or is straight up bad at this side of art, lol. At least Sarah is happy. Bob Ross is coming next year, so if nothing else at least Bruce can learn with that.
Damn. If the dude who fought Mohammad Ali thinks that little Joseph's throw hurt, then he's definitely going to be going places. I don't even know what sport he'll do, seems like Joseph can be the protagonist of any sports anime he wants.
-[X] Research stuff, see if anything piques your interest: You may have graduated High School as a kid, but you never stopped trying to learn. DC: 15 (Write-in what you want to learn about below)
--[X] Learn German Rolled:D100 => 43
So did we learn or do we still need to take another action?
By the way I hope you don't mind Magoose, but I completely missed that question session because I was asleep or at work so I just wanted to ask a few questions if you don't mind.
Recently was the 1982 midterms. It was kind of interesting OTL because the Democrats only won one seat off an independent in the Senate while Republicans had no losses and the Democrats had some modest gains in the House. For California, Pete Wilson was elected to defeat Jerry Brown, who here has a dead career thanks to Hillsgate, and Republican George Deukmejian won the governorship against Tom Bradley, but here Curb is Governor. Did Curb win re-election? I imagine he could be comfortable due to cleaning house from corruption and California probably having the best economy in the US thanks to Hollywood's success.
Onto other questions, have Gavin and his wife had any kids by now, and thus the Goslings have more cousins? What about Sarah and her husband?
What is Bruce Powell's personality like?
You mentioned that the 1982 NFL Strike was worse here, how much worse?
I thought we had a +50 base to all screen presences thanks to us hitting our max talent. Still though, glad we had another good appearence and it looks like we had a strong performance business wise all around with Miami Vice getting approved, Mike set for the long term and Dark Crystal hopefully getting some decent performance. Anything at least better than OTL is good.
Damn. If the dude who fought Mohammad Ali thinks that little Joseph's throw hurt, then he's definitely going to be going places. I don't even know what sport he'll do, seems like Joseph can be the protagonist of any sports anime he wants.
Recently was the 1982 midterms. It was kind of interesting OTL because the Democrats only won one seat off an independent in the Senate while Republicans had no losses and the Democrats had some modest gains in the House. For California, Pete Wilson was elected to defeat Jerry Brown, who here has a dead career thanks to Hillsgate, and Republican George Deukmejian won the governorship against Tom Bradley, but here Curb is Governor. Did Curb win re-election? I imagine he could be comfortable due to cleaning house from corruption and California probably having the best economy in the US thanks to Hollywood's success.
Well, the NFLPA's exhibition games to raise funds for the striking players were massive successes that allowed the PA to negotiate and strike for much longer and much better than OTL.
However, the NFL sued the PA for illegal violations of their contracts, and several players were barred from NFL Football for the next five years.
But when they reached an agreement, they could only play 4 weeks of football before the playoffs. meaning... it was a shit show and a half.
Replacement players that were used on the teams actually played several games, and it was a terrible product all around.
But as of right now. the PA got some of what they wanted, but not everything, but the Shield is cracking down and trying to prevent any future strike in the future.
So basically, both sides had to give something up, and both sides are very mad about it.
A shortened season and playoffs happened... and well... lets just say the fans are very unhappy at the whole situation.
Now with the USFL rising up and winning the Draft war for several high profile talents... lets just say that there is a change in the winds and the NFL is needing to get its shit together before all hell breaks loose.
- Extracted from New Age, New Hero:Birth of Static from YouTube Channel MarkusX, 2018
What up friends! Welcome back to my channel, and I hope you're ready for a ride as today we analyze the humble beginnings and explosive impact of our boy, Static! Now, I know many videos have been made about this topic before, I'm quite late to the party here, and if you wish a more in-depth analysis you can always go to this video here, link also in the description. But for now, let's start the show!
[Scenes from different Marvel heroes from all Comic Lines]
Out of all heroes that Marvel has created, there are some who have truly stuck in our consciousness and have become synonymous with the brand itself; The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The X-Men, Static...whenever one thinks of Marvel they think of them. Yet if one where to put them altogether they would soon find, as the song goes, how one of these things is not like the others, can you guess what it is? If you said how Static was not created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, then congratulations! You get a cookie...
Created by Jonathan Priest, at the time just another assistant Editor at Marvel that proves, just as Littlefinger said, how "Chaos is a Ladder". During Marvel's "Big Restructuring" after their purchase by Lucasfilm's, and even before, their experimentation with different genres and the disregard they showed to the Comic Codes Authority necessitated the expansion of the worker's pool to deal with the new deluge of ideas and comics that were being presented. The Noir line alone needed double the staff which was mostly possible by the support that Bruce O'Brian gave for the artists and writers, while Eclipse Line had benefitted much from both Jim Shooter's patronage and the foreign talent that explored a genre not seen before save for independent comics like Elfquest.
In contrast however, the regular superhero line of comics, while having their own changes and freedom, had managed to remain on a more stable situation, mostly thanks to the new guidance of Shooter who, under new Marvel directives, created a better environment for most of the creatives to flourish, while at the same time granting generous rights for ownership of works by the artists themselves; Marc Silvestri, John Byrne, Todd McFarlane, Frank Miller and Alan Moore are just some of the names that chose to work for Marvel thanks to these new conditions, and their work together elevated the characters to heights unseen till then, with some arguing that the artists and writers for today are mere footnotes to their body of work.
Static however, was unique and wholly new in a way not seen since the heyday of the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby era, or perhaps it would be better to call it a new iteration of the old and tried methods which had been long abandoned, while also making sure to take in the new directions of the medium and imprinting the very characteristics which made Virgil Jones its own person, without the need to both copy or take from the different Marvel titles.
We have to remember, it had just been a few years since Captain Marvel, a staple of the company had to be canceled for declining sales, and while Spider-Man and the X-Men were having their own renaissance with the both John Romita Jr. and Roger Stern for the former, and Chris Claremont for the latter, the focus tended to be more towards the already established characters rather than any newcomer to the Universe. The latest additions as heroes to the Marvel Universe that had managed to gain huge acclaim had been the Wolverine in the late 70s, with Kitty Pryde and Rogue in the early 80s.
So far, the established wisdom was that if you wanted a new character introduced, then it better be from an already established franchise.
So how exactly did Static managed to break the years of stagnation and bring in an entire new character, with its own mythos, his own set of supporting characters and enemies, with a new fresh take on Marvel, expanding the franchise, and changing the direction the Marvel Universe would take from then onwards? Well, for that we'll need to take a small deviation and look into a brief history of black heroes, as well as their portrayal in both Marvel and DC, and their evolution with the removal from power of the Comic Codes Authority, allowing for a grander and more nuanced take.
Black Heroes in Marvel and DC
I think we can all understand that the portrayal of African-Americans in both comics and media has not always been the best, one only needs to look at the many different roles which the black community soon found itself pigeon-holed into roles that ranged from "servant" to "assistant" if they were not made to play the bad guy or the savage in the many different adventure films where the hero had to save the girl from the murderous cannibals.
It was just a matter of fact at the time, one that was being broken down, and which in comics had both its adherents and those who would be against it. Some of the interpretations for heroes ranged from the outright ridiculous like B'wana Beast, where they seemed to introduce an African Native whose role was at best to serve as the man who introduced the real hero who was just visiting the country. Really, at that point DC was beyond teasing us, it was outright making funny faces from beyond the page.
However, the change in perception, and the Civil Rights movement allowed for new heroes to finally break into the scene. And while DC may have been among the first to bring in some of the first black characters, it was Stan Lee who brought forth what many consider the true first black superhero with Black Panther, the ruler of the fictitious African nation of Wakanda, one of the most advanced nations in the world, a man who could go toe to toe with the Avengers and became a member as well, a true equal among the team.
At the time, DC could at best respond with Flipper Dipper or August Durant, heroes that were at best one-note, or served in what was mainly considered the side-kick team. It would not be until the 70s when they finally introduced the character of John Stewart, a new member of the Green Lantern Corps, and the farthest in character from Hal Jordan at the time. John Stewart took no bullshit from anyone, he was argumentative, rebellious, and would make sure to let you know if he disagreed with you. For many, he was no Hal Jordan, yet as time passed, he became a staple, and a beloved member of the series, as a supporting cast member, or as a main character when the other Green Lanterns were not available.
Yet Marvel was still ahead with characters like Falcon and Prowler, who'd go on to become staples of their respective franchises. Moving on to the 70s, they released their very own Superhero title with Luke Cage, a hero clearly based on the then popular "Blaxploitation" genre who managed to remain popular enough to keep his title rather than having it be cancelled after a few issues. His chemistry and partnership with the Iron Fist into what would become "Heroes for Hire" also resonated with the cynism and distrust of the government of the period, making it if not one of the most successful issues, then at least one of the most in touch with the current climate in America.
Marvel would go on to show an amazing new slew of different black heroes, among them those who would become iconic; Blade, who began as just another minor7side character, yet whose popularity had him becoming one of draws of the House of Dracula issues, and would soon go on to detail his adventures more than any other. Misty Knight, Luke Cage's love interest, became a staple of his series and one of the more interesting cases when the love interest manages to become as relevant as the main character.
Now many have used said example to show the lack of effort or care that were put into black heroes, yet they cannot argue that many of them have become beloved characters through their entire run and beyond, and while you can clearly see that the sales for said characters was never that big, we must however reconcile it with the fact that like them, many other types of heroes from different races and backgrounds had also been introduced and failed, nearly with as much alacrity as the previously mentioned. Bronze Tiger, Tyroc and Nubia are just some of the examples of heroes that could just not make the cut and, in many times, are sometimes just embarrassing to look at, whereas Strom and War Machine prevailed and justified their existence by showing an amazing amount of care and detail into their personalities long before their race could even be considered.
Christopher Priest grew with these comics, he had a first-row view however to how the process worked, and his tenure at Marvel, which began from just an assistant to an Editor would change when for a lack of writers and artists, he was assigned to work for the new Power man comic books, the very ones whose character would undergo a major re-shift, and the lessons taken would influence him for life when it came to his own pitch for the future.
Luke Cage
The character of Luke Cage, as explained before, had been created in order to take advantage, and appeal, to the black community when it was in the midst of the appreciation of the "Blaxploitation" genre. As such Luke Cage, more commonly known as "Power Man" back then, had all the characteristics such genre entailed; a distrust of police and the government, the sure certainty that it was the white man who was keeping them down, a glorification on the matter of drugs lords and pimps who became the basis for the villains Luke Cage would face against. Yet despite the subject matter, Power Man also remained as somewhat goofy, with the "Jive" talking dialect that many saw in the films and served as a contrast to the usually serious topics which were shown in a more fantastical manner.
That is not to say however that it remained as such. With the Marvel purchase by Lucasfilms came re-arrangements in nearly all levels, with many titles suffering at first. At some point the comic, which was already declining in sales, was to be reworked by having Power Man pair up with Iron Fist and having them go on a more goofy tone, as writer Jo Duffy at the time had expressed her desire to take it in that direction. It was to their credit however that Marvel's restructuring made it impossible to shift writers without a great deal of confusion, which led to the most unlikely pair to meet and work together for the new adventure to come.
For that was how Christopher Priest met Chris Claremont.
Claremont already was being seen as a rising star in Marvel; his work on the X-Men, taking a franchise that by many were considered to be the "ugly duckling" when compared to the Fantastic Four and even the Avengers, and turning it into the main draw for the entire company is a legendary achievement to this day, and back then there were signs of just exactly where he was planning to take on the franchise, with the tales becoming grittier, more real, involving themes of racism, prejudice, where characters had to make the decisions that would lead to their survival more than the right choices.
And he had been given the task to work and rebuild Luke Cage.
It is sometimes interesting to take a look back and see how it could have well gone. The goofy tone of Power Man, while not completely popular, was still considered to be "safe" by many at Marvel, and though the numbers themselves would not be spectacular, the combination of Power Man and Iron Fist may very well have made it worthwhile to many in the room. But this was not the direction Chris Claremont was willing to entertain. Already with little time due to his work at the X-Men, and with his request to leave Power Man being reject, instead being given more assistants to help him, Claremont was not in the mood to play ball, and as such fell back to his own style, his own ideas, and damn whatever the rest may think.
And it just so happened, that was exactly what Marvel needed after the debut of the Live Action TV Show of Luke Cage.
In many ways the TV show was just exactly what Claremont would have envisioned with Luke Cage, and the changes in both the tone and the personality of the character fit his style for growth that he'd been planning on working on for the story as well. With Luke Cage abandoning and burning his old suit in the very first issue of his run, shaving his entire head, and while still somewhat cynic, Claremont injected a newly introspective soul with a degree of hope, one who no longer looked in black and white at the situations, but also explored the nuances of his actions, as well as those of his enemies along with his newfound allies in the police.
Many have compared it to how Frank Miller reworked the character of Matt Murdock/Daredevil, but Claremont's take allows for a more flexible and at times optimistic tone as well. Luke Cage's tone in many ways seeks to deconstruct the entire genre he was based on, recognizing the many flaws in said thinking, but at the same time accepting said actions in the past rather than just trying to erase them, moving forward while also providing an interesting perspective into the black community of the time and the changes in it.
Yet it also made sure to never made it overly preachy nor judgmental, but instead something they have to deal with, and something they can overcome. Just like the TV Series, Luke Cage in the end, is a story of a man moving forward with his mistakes and learning from it all.
It was with this environment when Chritopher Judge had the time, and the experience, to learn from a master at his craft; on more than one occasion he'd had to redraft a story, or at time learn to ink or draw, learning the many different techniques used to display both action and through through the medium. He also learned how many times, unless explicitly said, it was the artists who'd made sure to interpret what the writer wanted to express, which had him understand how to better phrase a story. The many times he'd had to work with previous drawing and repeat them made him one of the youngest members of the team who could be called a jack-of-all-trades, yet not one that would be trusted with the series on his own.
Which is why he knew that if he wanted to make a space for himself now, then it would have to be by his own hands.
Static
Christopher Priest has been on record more than once explaining how the idea of Static came to him not, like many have accused him, from ripping off from DC's Black Thunder. Though he admits having read it, he denies it having anything to do with his interpretation of Static. To quote " Though the superficial similarities might be there, I always felt that for all that DC tried, in the end, the character was never any fun, or interesting. I mean, sure, he is a grown adult when getting his powers, with an established job that he must balance. But that cuts so much of the drama and interest that at times, I just bought it when it was being sold as a bundle".
From his own words, Static as an idea came to him during his work with Claremont in Luke Cage. As mentioned before, that period of time set the foundations for his future endeavors, both in drawing and in writing. As Priest tells it, the idea came to him when during a break, while reading an old Spider-Man comic, he started thinking how he would have made the character if he had to create it now. It was a small thought that started the rolling stone down its inevitable destination.
"Little changes that soon grew into bigger ones, from the way its powers would work, the family composition, his race, the dynamics between his family, to the point that when I was done, the entire thing looked as different from Spider-Man as Dr. Strange would from Dr. Doom. And yet, I could see that it was more similar than what I had expected as well. I had not planned to bring it to the notice of [Jim] Shooter, at first, but after some thought I just went 'Screw it' and just started working more seriously on it".
During his free time he worked with artist George Perez, a well-established penciller and then artist for Marvel who was in the midst of jumping ship to DC, when the chance to work on a new untitled project was offered. Now, Priest at the time, despite his work with Claremont, was still an untested rookie who was asking one of the veteran members for help in bringing his ideas to light. And in the age honored tradition of comic book writers, it was answered with the favor system, where in exchange for Perez drawings for his pilot, Priest would spend time as his assistant for the work he was currently doing at DC, basically working both sides and with little to show until the big reveal.
Yet when the moment came, it was beyond what he had dreamed for.
Priest had taken all that he'd learned from Chris Claremont, and applied his own touch to it as well when it came to both art and written structure. The tale of Virgil Jones, a young African-American teen living in Chicago with his family, who'd received his powers by accident (Quantum Juice in the comic) yet he was not the only one to do so, as many other teens had also been there when the "Quantum Juice" was released, thereby giving him not only an origin story, but also the first villains he'd have to face.
Right from the start, Static did something beyond what Marvel was used to, by bringing in the new character in a different setting than the usual New York Streets, choosing the city of brotherly love to take advantage of both its history, the lack of heroes, and the many different ways that fights could be expressed without having to "trip on every superhero on every corner". The "Bang Babies" as the comic called them, would become some of the most iconic in Static's Rogue Gallery (the ones that remained popular that is) as they would grow alongside the character in both powers and disposition.
Jim Shooter liked the idea enough to give it a run, yet assigned artist Bob Hall, one of his known collaborators to help in the drawings as Perez was considered too much of a risk due to his already expressed sentiments on leaving Marvel. The partnership did not seem to cause much strife, and Priest was even allowed to draw some of the panels as his technique improved, soon taking over both the story and the drawing as time passed.
Static was released at the beginning of the 80s, and from there went from strength to strength. In many ways, it served as a perfect jumping off point for all who entered the Marvel Universe for the first time; since Static had no heroes in Chicago, many could enter with no problem in the comic, as it left many of the now known references out, but the occasional crossovers permitted readers to find other heroes that would be to their liking in different issues.
The growing interest in the character convinced Shooter to allow for the continuation, from a limited series to a monthly one, giving Priest leeway to expand the universe as he saw fit, which he did as he made sure to better add new and interesting enemies, allies, while at the same time using what he learned from Claremont and from his time in working at Luke Cage to add both interesting commentary and exploration of the human condition, all packaged into a fun and exciting story.
In many ways, Static became the new Spider-Man for many of Marvel's new fans, as the main character had many of the attributes that Peter Parker also possessed; a desire to do good, the many relationship problems as they keep their secret identity, an interesting family dynamic, dealing with both school drama and job related issues, but it also had different elements, such an entire new city, different lightning abilities that were fully explored and exploited (the issue where Static learns how to use his powers to fly was among everyone's favorites), and of course his race.
Though as Christopher Priest has explained many times in different interviews, his goal was never to make a "Black Spider-Man", but just a regular hero which could be fun to read, to many, they have put this as an example of how to make a true black superhero that appeals to everyone; don't make race his main focus or identity, but make sure that it's a character that has his own personality, his own nuances, and his own likes and dislikes.
In short, make it human, before you make it something else.
Aftermath
Static's boom of popularity changed the dynamics of the Marvel Universe in the most interesting ways. Before Static, it had been normal that when introducing a hero, it would be done in the City of New York, leading to some valid criticism that you could not go a single street in New York without tripping over a hero. There were attempts to set other heroes in different cities or part of the country, yet those attempts regularly failed, or were soon brought back to the status quo.
Static, making his debut as a solid A-Lister, and being set in Chicago, managed to break the barriers that had been unknowingly set, while also providing a new opportunity for those who wished to work in new titles with previously sidelined characters, that could now have some breathing space if set in the same continuity and location as Static.
As such, in 1984, The Great Lakes Avengers were born, a comic that had Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Beast, War Machine and Hank Pym as the new team who would fight against the many different villains in both Chicago and the Great Lakes Area. Priest's own rogue gallery for Static would be borrowed while new and old enemies were slowly introduced to better flesh out the new setting they would be in, setting a foundation that attracted new villains and heroes in story.
At the same time, with the introduction of the "Bang Babies", Priest finally tackled one of the biggest conundrums that Marvel had introduced in the 60s; just what is the difference between a mutant and a hero? The Bang Babies were the author's way of showing how little to no difference there was, both in story arcs and relationships, providing a counter-point to Claremont's own darker and more prejudiced take in the Marvel world, by having Chicago and the area be more welcoming to mutants, and showing that humanity is not a monolith, but that there is hope and change. The introduction of X-Force, Xavier's original team, into the "Great Lakes Continuity" as it came to be called would enforce it, with the reminder that for all that it was not perfect, they had and were still making a difference.
This allowed for the series of Alpha Flight to gain popularity as well, as the new Canadian team gained greater relevance, as new political plot points around jurisdiction between the new Avengers team and their own were further explored, and new Canadian heroes further created to form new rosters as time passed.
Cloak and Dagger would also move to the "Great Lakes Continuity" and become part of Static's own allies for a time, while White Tiger's introduction would give him his own limited series, before moving into a more regular one, as the hero battled the corruption and the gangs, making a name for himself with a more serious tone.
When it came to mystics, the Great Lakes Continuity would add to its roster both Moondragon and Brother Voodoo as the most knowledgeable to call when Dr. Strange was not available, while villains like Stilt-Man and Taskmaster gained a new breath of life. And of course, no one could forget the stories of both Moon Knight and Black Knight, as they made their changes in Chicago, both in personality and alignment.
Overall, Static opened the doors for an entire paradigm change in marvel, it introduced a powerful new A-Lister who's still going strong till this day, it showed that Marvel was truly the House of Ideas and could still innovate like the best, and like Spider-Man before him, it caught lightning in a bottle once more.
Thank you all for watching, I'll see you next week!
A.N.: I've been wanting to do something like this for a while, showing the impact Static could have in the Marvel Universe, and how the fact that its set in Chicago could allow for another "Continuity" that does not have to be focused in New York all the time. This would have made the "Great Lakes Continuity" allow for Alpha Flight to be more relevant, The Great Lakes Avengers go before the West Coast, and better flesh out the area instead of just putting in some titles occasionally and then leaving them to decay.
So, I was doing some internet diving, and I found out that Oliver Stone was a Vietnam veteran who actually got a few medals for his service. So now it's no wonder seeing him part of our roster for me.
When it came to mystics, the Great Lakes Continuity would add to its roster both Moondragon and Brother Voodoo as the most knowledgeable to call when Dr. Strange was not available
The Dark Crystal Directed by: Jim Henson and Frank Oz
Written by: David Odell
Produced by: Gary Kurtz
Production Studio: The Jim Henson Company and Lucasfilms Unlimited
Distribution Studio: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Stephen Garlick (Jen), Lisa Maxwell (Kira), Billie Whitelaw (Aughra), Barry Dennen (The Chamberlain), Michael Kilgarriff (The General), Jerry Nelson (The High Priest), Sean Barrett (urZah), Steve Whitmire (The Scientist), Simon Williamson (The Chanter) and Toby Philpott (The Alchemist).
Budget: $25,000,000 Domestic: $71,206,267 International: $27,890,952
Total Gross: $99,097,219
VHS: $104,001,230
The Dark Crystal...is just amazing! There are no other words that could better describe the film, though you could try; grandiose, as the world alone is a masterpiece from the mind of Brian Froud, its designs are aa thing of both beauty and darkness combined that make you both compelled to watch, while at the same time feeling uncanny enough to make you uncomfortable. Perhaps it could also be described as though provoking, as the conflict between the Skeksis and the urRu does make you wonder about the different sides in one person and the need for balance in it (Though George would certainly have something to say about it). The again, you could also call it beautiful, as the design made sure to include vistas and nature sets that emphasize the peace and violence of nature, and how it can all have their own majesty regardless of its actions or non-actions.
Truly, you did not expect any of this when Henson proposed to you and George for a new idea he'd been working on. At most, you expected a fun romp, a comedy, or perhaps a high fantasy tale that would put his imagination to the test, another story that Mary could love and perhaps add to her collection for Muppets and all types of Henson works that she'd managed to convince you to buy.
And Henson managed to blow all of your expectations out of the water.
To begin with, The Dark Crystal takes place in a fantasy land that has fallen out of balance and turned to evil because, well, "the dark crystal" has lost a shard. Then comes Jen, a "gelfling", a small creature with a sweet face and long hair. Jen has been raised by the "mystics"; large, peaceful creatures that tell him he is the last of his kind, mainly because the "Skeksis", evil bird/reptile like creatures that are the complete opposite of the Mystics, have killed all the gelflings due to a prophesy that a gelfling will overthrow their reign. Then, simultaneously, the leader of the Skeksis and leader of the Mystics both die at the same time, and Jen has to go on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal. On his journey Jen finds Kira, a female gelfling raised by "podlings", who also believed she was the last of her kind, and together, both Kira and Jen must find a way to restore the shard to the dark crystal, therefore creating balance in their world once more.
And frankly...that's it. That's the basis of the whole story. Oh, not to say that there is nothing else as said explanation removes how both the Chancellor and the General of the Skeksis begin scheming against each other to become the new rulers after the death of their Emperor, or how some of the Mystics are captured, or how the Scientist acts in some of the most insane manners you'd ever seen. Perhaps you could even mention how at some points Jen is mostly guided to his destiny, but still manages to save the day with the help of Kira, or how Kira had to die but was brought to life at the end once the Dark Crystal was whole once more thanks to the newly formed "urSkeks".
And yet, you can't help but feel somewhat at odds with it. The story, for all that it's fun and interesting, for all that it has so many interesting and thought-provoking scenes, for all that it actually makes you wonder about the world where everyone lives on...it's pretty simple at that. The story is a basic, by the number, good vs evil tale, where at the same time it can go fast from one scene to another. At the same time, what you see of the characters is what you get; there are never any scenes where you can see character development, nothing that would hint at anything beyond their scope, and nothing that would at any point make you believe that there could be any other interpretation or way it could have gone.
And dear God you loved it!!
From beginning to end, from the philosophical underpinnings to the amazing puppetry, from the designs that could evoke awe and fear simultaneously...it was a delight for the senses! The entire world created for the movie was quite unlike anything you'd ever seen, an entire original affair from the ground up; Brian Froud made the entire design of the Skeksis and the urRu wholly from imagination and made sure that it would have no basis with any animal on Earth, and it shows. During the entire film, there was an entire feeling of..."wrongness" whenever you saw them, knowing in some primitive part of your mind that whatever there was on screen, it was just not right in some way.
Through the opening narration you're told that this happens on a different planet, in a different time, and that it used to be peaceful and beautiful land, yet something happened when the crystal fractured and two brand new species emerged. It makes sure to emphasize the dark attributes of the Skeksis, calling them dark and greedy, vain and selfish. Being who hoard all they can and constantly fight amongst themselves, and even though they're a dying race (quite literally decaying as time goes on, with only being ten of them) they still spend their time holed up in a macabre castle in a wasteland, scheming against the races out of it, and among themselves.
Heck, there are only ten of them, and they are still planning on backstabbing each other, and conspire against each other just for the chance to be the emperor!
On the flipside there are the urRu, a group of placid, lumbering, four-armed creatures who live amongst the life magic around them. It is interesting to note that when Froud was planning their design he was planning on them being more naturalistic, which works well with their slow, lumbering forms. When you spoke to Henson about it during one of your visits he mentioned how the idea behind them were to be the complete opposite of the Skeksis, purged of their materialistic instincts to the point that they have even abandoned the idea of interacting with the world itself.
How could they even survive was a mystery to you, but perhaps that's why they were also a race in decline despite supposedly being the good guys of the film.
Then there's Jen, a Gelfling, the last of his kind after the Skeksis wiped the rest of them from the face of the planet. There is not much information about them, but there are hints left from the few interactions there are with Kira when they meet about what they may have been at one point. There's also the Podlings which are a small and timid people hunted by the Skeksis and exploited as slaves. The Garthim, a race of giant arachnid beetles who the Skeksis use as their muscle. And finally, Aughra, an ogre-like oracle who studies the planets and brews potions for trade.
Frankly you were struck by how dark this movie really is; The Skeksis are a truly villainous race, with a frightening appearance, and a disturbing penchant for sucking the life out of their victims before using the zombified husks as slaves, not to mention the off-screen genocide they committed against the Gelflings. And with the special effects of your team combined with the nascent CGI technology, not to mention Henson's own puppetry specialization...it was all you could do at some points to not bolt out of the theater before you regained your wits once more.
And this is a movie for kids! Jesus, you know Henson likes to believe that children need and like to be scared, heck you argued for that kind of artistic freedom in Congress, but even so, this movie managed to impact you in such a way that there were moments when you were thinking on reconsidering said stance.
The technical aspects are another point in the movie's favor. This is the first live-action movie not to feature humans after all. The closest it gets is with people dressed up as Jen and Kira in longshots to make running and climbing more feasible. And to make up for it, Henson's puppeteers went all out here. Mary may not forgive you for saying this, but the puppetry in this film is miles above and beyond whatever they tried to do with the Muppets. There's so much detail put into every aspect; each of the ten Skeksis are resplendently designed in such a way to be distinctly different from one another. They have different facial features, wear different clothes, and even act in a different manner (as portrayed in a fantastic dinner scene displaying how varied their eating habits are).
The urRu also have an incredible amount of detail just on their faces alone, but also the way they slowly lumber about and their four arms interact with one another. The sheer amount of practice this must have taken from their dual performers alone is impressive. The settings and world around the characters are also brimming with life. There's a staggering amount of creatures and animals here, each with their own role in the local ecosystem. You may only see one briefly in the background, but even they enjoy the same attention to detail. There's just so much here. It's a full and brimming world that's so easy to be immersed into, and they even wrote fictional languages for each of the main races! Henson wanted to do an entire movie using only said languages with nothing but the entire visual aspect telling the story, though luckily Oz and Mike managed to talk him out of it.
The film's soundtrack was composed by Trevor Jones, he of Excalibur fame, and another composer you hope to work with at some point. You remembered how Jim had nabbed him just as said movie had been on the big screen, and had him work on the composition before The Dark Crystal had even started shooting. And a good thing too as Jones managed to compose a masterpiece of a score which reflected the settings' oddness by using acoustical instruments, electronics and building structures. It gave a truly odd and otherworldly feel that fit perfectly to the alien aesthetic of the movie, reminding by sound alone that this is not Earth and it's not a safe place.
Yet despite all the amazing aspects of the film, you have to admit that there are weak points to the movie that just don't seem to fit just right. The voice actors for one don't seem to manage to bring that much personality to the characters. The story is incredibly simplistic and is far from original, the Gelflings for some reason don't seem to enjoy the same attention to detail as everyone else, despite being the heroes of the whole story, and the dialogue and narration is a little lacking in places.
Though considering what Henson's original plan for the movie was, then perhaps it was designed in such a way so that you could take all the small details and nuances from the characters to extrapolate from them. You also have to admit that for all the amazing setting and art put into detail much of the world is pretty bare. There are vast swathes of lands where there is hardly anyone or anything to see or interact with, save for the final destination, or the locations where the main cast can meet with other relevant members.
The biggest drawback in your opinion though, was how the main character of Jen was, pretty much, a very passive character who always seemed to be dragged by the events happening, instead of taking a stance or making a decision on his own. It was like he was moving from place to place at times just because that was what the movie required of him.
Well, it was more than enough for the audience, who came in to see another of Jim Henson's puppet masterpieces...and left horrified at what they saw, at least at first. Many people still had the impression of Jim being "The Muppet Guy" and he had not helped said impression by putting in so much effort to produce the Muppet Movies, but it meant that when he went on tour to talk about his new movie, and he mentioned that it was not going to be like the Muppets at all, not many people believed him. At worst, they expected something like the Halloween specials from the Muppet Show, and kept on expecting the Dark Crystal to be just another family movie.
That after the first show there were parents decrying on the news how they had taken their four-year-old children to said movie and had to leave when they started crying...well, faults on them. Jim made sure to emphasize that while it was a children's movie, it was still going to be scary. At least most of the audience cottoned up to the fact afterwards, and though not the audience he expected, most of the teenage and young adult demographic made sure to attend, for the novelty if nothing else, and left with glowing praises and recommendation for their friends.
And of course, those soon to be teens who managed to sneak in on a dare to have bragging rights to their friends.
Unfortunately however, there was very little interest for the movie in the international market, floundering in Hong Kong, Europe and most of Asia. Oddly enough, the places where they managed to score big were both Romania and Japan. The former since, aside for their love for all things Lucasfilms, apparently they've heard of scarier folktales that would fit right at home with the movie. The dark tone, the discordant music, and the near impossible anatomy of the puppets themselves just added to their enjoyment of the film. In the end they just love the dark fantasy angle, hoping to see more of it in the future.
There's even a Jim Henson Fanclub which wrote to him, calling him a genius and a visionary, all without ever learning of the Muppets. You don't think Jim could have smiled wider that day.
Then there's the result from Japan, which constituted half of the international earnings. Japan went crazy for the Dark Crystal, with showing of the movie going as late as midnight with how much they wanted to see it again and again. The incredible display of puppetry reminding them on their own (which apparently is a thing) as master recognizes master alike. There's already call for toys, license agreements, even small-scale puppets to be made and sold for smaller functions. The Dark Crystal has managed to make itself a small niche in Japan, one that they better take advantage of, which you're sure they will. Jim is certainly not stupid.
Critics, unfortunately, displayed once more their lack of vision by panning the film, calling it a simplistic tale, one that was "all spectacle and substance", that could be seen in the most primitive of stories and would not lose anything if they simply avoided it and saved themselves the time. Seriously, did they watch the same movie you did?! Did they not see the amazing environmental storytelling, the promise of further adventures in the setting, the talent and sheer effort put in the themes and the movements of each puppet?! Are they blind to anything but their own prejudice?!
Well, that may be, but it's good to know not everyone shares their opinion. The Dark Crystal was nominated in many different award ceremonies, managing to win in all categories they participated; The BAFTA awards granted them the award for Best Special Visual Effects, they won the grand price at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, as well as sweeping away the competition at both the Hugo and Saturn Awards, only missing the nomination for the 83' Academy Awards by a few days. It's a shame, but you're sure they will at the very least give a good showing for the next one.
VHS sales were another factor that once more showed how out of touch the critics were being with this film, as not only the current audience bought the film, but families who'd heard from their friends about it decided to give it a try, this time in their own home and accompanying their children this time around. While it was not a groundbreaking success, it was still a fun experience, with many mentioning that while scary, it was still a touching tale that still gave a good ending for all, showing the lessons of compassion, and of standing against evil when the time came.
A funny thing though, was how the success of the movie managed to give a huge boost for the computer game designed by Sierra On-Line. You still remember the meeting with Ken and Roberta Williams, back when Jim introduced you to the owners for one of the last remaining, and struggling, game companies. When you heard their plans to make a game out of the movie, and when you researched into them, you found no reason as to why to deny a small investment, one that paid dividends when their game exploded into the market, with the audience wanting more of the movie, and willing to consume everything that might give them even a fraction of the experience they'd managed to just watch.
You bought the game as well in order to see just how good it was...and when you were done you were amazed at the level of immersive storytelling, as well as how well they managed to understand the story to be able to adapt it into such an amazing game. One thing was certain, you were going to further invest in Sierra On-Line if you wanted more games like these.
As for Jim Henson, the man is satisfied. he's managed to shed the "Muppet Guy" look, he's managed a solid, if not spectacular, debut of a more mature story using the medium of puppetry, and he's already looking to the future for future projects he can do. Whether he decided to work with Lucasfilms or not, you're sure he's going to be just fine.
Mary was a bit sad that you did not let her see the movie, though you're sure she's going to try and watch the VHS tape.
That she spent the next four weeks sleeping with you and Carrie proved it.
You know, I get the feeling there will be a YouTube channel in the future that takes old critic reviews of products and makes a game of having people guessing what it was for.
Imagine the funny reactions of people reacting when they see the crazy out of touch reviews some critics have put up.
Another funny idea. Some group notices this out of touch trend and starts making satirical critical reviews of movies that are good but are bombed by critics.
Or perhaps a magazine with critics critiquing the reviews of other critics, picking apart their opinions and statements. They would attempt to be unbiased and focus mainly on validity of statements and potential other motivations the critics may have behind their reviews.
Could even evolve into a new way to score critic reviews based on the critics own critical rating.
So, it's been a while since I came up with something to pitch, and this is something I think we should do in about 10 in-quest years or so, but I'm gonna do it anyway... because fuck it, I love this film!
Movie Pitch: Four Rooms Genre: Dark Comedy Format: Film Estimated Runtime: 190 minutes
General Plot Summary: The movie follows a bellboy by the name of Ted, who works at the night shift at a hotel during New Year's Eve as he goes to 4 different rooms, in each one he gets caught in a situation that get worse and worse through each room.
The answer is... can he survive his shift as he walks into insanity at every corner?
The first two rooms are completely different from the original movie, as I found them to be the weak half of the film. Though the second room actually has a good concept, but the execution was a bit lacking.
The first room, instead of a covenant of witches, is about a woman and her friends on a bachelorette party but their car couldn't arrive. When Ted arrives, they try to use him as a means for entertainment, much to his growing discomfort. Eventually a call arrives to the room, telling the women that a new car has arrived to pick them up to their party. Overjoyed, the group of girls leave the room without even tipping Ted, who has been throughly humiliated.
The conversation with Margarette would be changed to have the Bachelorettes instead of the witches.
This pitch doesn't have much because the film doesn't need all that many changes. Maybe I'll do some editing later, but I don't have the time today.
It was really nice to read that. I've always heard of The Dark Crystal, but never saw it, so it was cool to learn about it and I always enjoy reading more from this quest. I really needed that since I've not been having a very good day so far. Last night was terrible and I woke up this morning to find that Duck Duck Go, the app I use primarily for browsing on my phone, just randomly closed all of my tabs and I can't get them back since DDG doesn't save browsing history. I'm still so fucking mad. I lost so fucking much, thousands of tabs for both personal stuff and research for the quest, and I don't even know how it happened. I still have some stuff done, but it's gonna massively damage my output going forward and it's got me feeling like shit. It's nice to get my mind of things, even for just a little bit.
[]I think this will be awesome (Marvel sees something incredible in how much money can be made.)
[]The City of Brotherly Love sees something incredible (In Chicago, it is going to see something that will change the city for the better)
[]Lightning in a Bottle (There is Lightning in the Bottle. And That would be better then anything.)
I'm going to have to go for this one. The first one would benefit Marvel, and the third one is intriguing, but I am curious to see how Chicago can be helped this time around.
I would like to point out that it's Philadelphia that is the City of Brotherly Love. Chicago most likely comes from an Algonquin word that means either "Striped Skunk" or "Onion".
I would like to point out that it's Philadelphia that is the City of Brotherly Love. Chicago most likely comes from an Algonquin word that means either "Striped Skunk" or "Onion".
