So we've been going strong these last few weeks and gaining more and more people's involvement on the current roleplay and several longstanding dangling plotlines have now been tied up. We've just about entered the final act, with Phineas B. Fuddle revealed as the major threat to us all.

But now we need a name! So, any ideas for a great name for the roleplay. Preferably without the word 'Saga' in it.

Best one wins! If you don't really know whats going on, I guess keep it general. The theme has been a bit of 'the long road home', 'gradual shift to a LMB united after many months of disunity', while equal parts mystery and space/time sci-fi.

Some of my own nominations:

"This is the Day the Universe Dies"

"The Betrayer from Beyond"

"Live Together, Die Alone"

How about:

a. Cobalt Kid's Megalomania Dooms Legion World!

or

b. The EGO That Would Not Die!


Truth and Justice shall Prevail!
(I didn't promise to be nice to you...)

well, this is the 2nd story of Phineas B. Fuddle?

so how about "Second Fuddle"

"Fuddler on the Roof"

"A Tale of Two Lardies"

...and next time out, the story could involve isolated-island Scandinavian literature and blue cheese... the Saga Saga Saga!

My best so far is "Sins of the Past" or "Sins Past".

"Days of Fuddle Past"

"Eryk Davis Ester is still a meaniehead"

"Frozen Donkey Wheel"

"Chapter the Last: In Which a Startling Number of Legion Worlders Perish, Their World is Unwritten at a Quantum Level, and Phineas B. Fuddle Reigns Triumphant"

We could do some plays on Justin Thyme:

"Just in Thyme"

"Thyme's Arrow"

"Thyme After Thyme"

"A Matter of Thyme"

I also like "The Puppet Master".

Thyme/Traveller.

Thyme for a Reckoning

Justin Thymeberlake!

Er... whatever that means!

Time After Thyme!

FYI, it was Kent who named "The Good, the Dark and the Dead"!

The Phantom Fuddle

Fuddle House

The Fabulous Facetiousness of the Felonious Fuddle

This is similar to my "Thyme After Thyme" idea and is so far the title idea I'm liking the best. If we do decide to submit this as a possibility, I think the best version might be "Thyme After Time" as it makes the most sense in how this is shaping up.

Other favorites for me so far are "Days of Fuddle Past" and my own "The Puppet Master".

Anyone else have a favorite so far? Any other groovy title ideas?

Presenting, the comic that originated Phineas...that no one's read!



And the solicitation text:

"The time-travel adventures of a brilliant ? but utterly mad ? scientist in Victorian London threaten to unhinge reality in an incredible, whimsical miniseries."

Issue 2:



"The time-travel misadventures of a brilliant ? but utterly mad ? scientist from Victorian London threaten to unhinge reality as the miniseries continues. Angus and McKee's furious search for Professor Fuddle brings them to an indescribably altered ancient Egypt where, during a slave revolt, they are saved from the clutches death by an intelligent Mandrill named Suliman. Meanwhile, the evil high priest Amenhamat still wants them dead. The valiant adventurers must now do battle to stop him from stealing the secret of the Professor's time machine. How will they ever survive?"

Issue 3:



"Angus and McKee, the time-traveling duo, find themselves in a radically altered India of the past, where the city-dwelling warrior King Ashoka and his enormous Dreadnaughts battle the Todas, who devote their lives to maintain the green of the forest. Our heroes must navigate through this war-torn arena in order to pursue Prof. Fuddle in the Hidden City of the Sixth Dalai Lama, so they can stop the timeline from changing before it's too late!"

And, finally, issue 4:



"The race against time gallops to an astonishing finish in the incredible conclusion of this time- traveling adventure. Phineas B. Fuddle leads Angus and McKee to an alternate-reality medieval England ? where demons, angels and saints are all too real and Hell literally exists on Earth. As the countdown to Armageddon ticks away, McKee and Angus must fight their way to the Tower of London, where a corrupt church holds Fuddle captive. Will they save the mad professor ? and the universe ? in time?"

Of course, the REAL origin of the LMB's interest in Phineas was when, on the old DC Boards, some rogue LMBers discovered this low-traffic forum and posted like crazy--some of which was based on our wild speculation on what the comic might have been like (but mostly just wild-ass posting after the DC Board's moderator had cracked down on our "off-topic" activities on the Legionnaires Board.

Ahhh...memories!

Wow, I remember that. Things would have been fine if Kampenhaus had left the Legionnaires board alone but nOOoooo he had to administrate and do his job and stuff and screwed it all up. Yeah, hundreds of posts overnight, every night, thread tag, first post(!), milestone races, etc.
-heh-


ok,

Plan B - Fuddle 'em, Find 'em and Forget 'em

A Plethora of Lard Lads

The Rise of the Anti-Fuddle

The Great Fuddle Saga

Fletch and the Widow Fuddle

Ultimate Fuddle

Hunt for a Clive Killer
(oh yeah)
The Death of Virgin Lad

The Phineas Predicament

Dark Phineas Saga

Phineas Strikes Back

The Puppet Master is good.

Phineas History Facts regarding the LMBP
(1) In the LMB's third year, we battled Phineas B. Fuddle back on the DC Boards. Longtime posters may remember this.

(2) Phineas B. Fuddle was responsible for the Dark Stu Saga on Legion World in LW's first year. Other posters may remember him from this.

This would be the third great Phineas Saga. Words we actively do not want in the title: "Crisis", "Zero Hour", "Saga".

Infinite Fuddle?

Any other entries? Or should we start narrowing down from what we have?

I was just kidding.

Although "Definite Crisis" has a certain ring to it.


The Fuddle of Oz

Phineas Forever

Gone With the Fuddle

Legionworld: Prime Time

Lard Lad's Legion

World's Funnest

The Return of Lash Lad

King of the Road (reference to exnihil's use of a Roger Miller song)


Though, shouldn't this be split up into component parts? We're on the third part of a three part story, right?..or will it be a six issue mini?
Who Shot Cobalt Kid?
The Phantom of the Tesseract
and
?

There will be definite chapter names! Whenever I get around to feeling some enthusiasm for the history again I'll call upon all of you for guidance and suggestions on such things.

Hm...still no real roleplay title yet. Does anyone have a really strong preference?

"NOW What the F*ck Have We Gotten Into?"

"Be-Fuddled!"

The Remarkable Perils of Thyme

Legion World Lost

To quote Bart Simpson, "That works on so many levels."

I like Crujeckie's. It's simple yet it says so much.

I was actually serious (?) about World's Funnest as a play on the DC book and tv show.

Maybe
Legion World's Finest? Although on reflection that might be better as the title to the chapter chronicling the reunion of Lard Lad and Cobalt Kid.

Time Trapped

Changes 1

I know..
The Time Syndicate!

How about "House of Fuddle", a kind of riff on "House of M"?

Ooh, I like that best so far. The DC connection to House of Mystery and House of Secrets is even better too.

Fiddle Fuddle.

Fuddle Faddle.

Maybe "House of Thyme"

"House of History"? (rhymes with "mystery")

Cool. I like that one.

Me too

How about "Out of Thyme"...or "Out of Time"? Or "Thyme's/Time's Up"?

Time to gather them all up in poll form and put them to a vote?

Dunno, the idea are still a'flowin'!

Borrowed Thyme

Back in Thyme

Thyme Lost

Lost in Thyme

Thyme's Past

Thyme for a Reckoning

Thyme Amok or Amok Thyme

It's About Thyme

(somebody stop me before I go crazy!)

Time (or Thyme) Crime(s)?

Simple, yet elegant?

Actually, the more I think about it, "Time Crime" (or some of its permutations) really says it all, doesn't it? I know Cobalt and others kinda like "House of History", but that just screams 'anthology' to me. Just imagine: Time Crime Book One: _________, Book Two and Book Three. Book Three could even be subtitled "House of History", if you like.

Mull it over guys. If I'm being to pushy, just gimme a donut or somethin'....

Dude, I'm officially lobbying for "Thyme Crime" or "Thyme's Crimes"! Are they NOT perfect?!?!

Thyme Crime Book One: The Untamed Streets of Legion World

Thyme Crime Book Two: Into The Banned'em Zone!

Thyme Crime Book Three: And there shall arise a PHINEAS!

Those are awesome!

<burrow>

Is it too late? I suggest "Fred". "Winifred" if it's a girl.

So might as well use this to pass not in character messages! I'll be on sporadically all night, but there may be gaps in when I show up...

I take it the battle begins tonight and then goes on for a bit? (More than just tonight?) Or should I try to get back as soon as possible as much as possible?

I'm playing it by ear, but I think it might possibly end tonight. I know I'll be scarse tomorrow, anyway. Thoughts?

I'm flexible... let me know majority opinion and I'll pace accordingly

Tonight's good for me ... during the day tomorrow is not possible, and tomorrow night is iffy ...

You guys just got me warmed up. You better not quit on me now!

I'll pop in as we go!

Ya got somethin' BETTER to do, pal?

Tonight seems to be the trick. Weird that Mondays seem to be the biggest action night but there you have it.
Let's Jam!
I just gotta keep those accounts straight

Sorry Guys, I gotta go... 4 am comes way too early...

Do you want to call it for tonight and wrap it tomorrow?

It seems there might be enough to do yet for just one night.

We might have to. No Abin (and all his characters), no Rocky and very little Cobie. As I said, I'm gonna be scarce tomorrow but pretty available Wednesday.

I guess you're running out of (heh) time?

Weaklings.

<he says, not looking forward to fighting the DARK LARD>

Bite me, Phineas ...

I should be able to swing tomorrow night ... see ya'll tomorrow!

Wow. All these various sub plots and side adventures really are peaking at once. Awesome.

Really cool! Sorry so little of me tonight. Tomorrow is better and Wed works fine for me too (except 9-10)

I'm on the road all week so after about 6 I'm in the hotel...

I'll be on more in about an hour...(9-ish EST)

ditto... maybe a little longer.

OK, roleplayers... as the honorable(?) LMB Leader is not about tonight... we may have to wait one more night for the exciting conclusion to the Fuddle Saga...

c'est ca.

He Of Bountiful Lardness warned us he'd be scarce tonight. I perosnally have much more time tomorrow.

it's been fun... even if I only got to join in late.

hasta manana, amigos!

Conclusion? A strange thing, indeed, to call the end of your very world...

Jeez ... what a blowhard ...

Glad to have you with us Kent! Our post-its on the post-it thread ensure you were part of this saga from the get-go, even if only in the background until the last sequences

I'll be around all night tomorrow except during Lost. We'll pick it up then with Lardy and everyone and reach its conclusion. And then the epilogues will ensue after (likely for a few days).

And I for one feel like LMB-ness has been reinvirograted by this roleplay! So I'm looking forward to whats next for us all after the saga ends and Lardy's term truly kicks off!

I'll be here from about 5 p.m. EST tomorrow night on. Like Des, I'll wanna Lost break between 9-10.

The time draws nigh, then...

Really? I've been looking back... don't see it. How far back are we talkin'?

ROAD TRIP!! :

A "weekend at Bernie's" dragging around Phinneas' corpse?

Um...hm...last month? It was like two or three posts about "The Traveler".

And once this saga is over, we'll have to keep the momentum going on the MMB. And perhaps even plan our next invasion--er, Road Trip!

okay. I think I found it. Forgot about that... and I never followed up my side mission!

...or did I? Maybe the 'hockey' bit was just a ruse to get on board the Orrery...

Ohmygod! I'll be back in about a half hour!

Kent, likely it was so you could be there for the final battle! Well done!

In the meantime, I've got to eat dinner but will be back in about 30 minutes!

See you cats after Lost...

Even with some of us popping in and out, we all seem to be around to keep ourselves involved in the end! I think its playing out really well!

And Ex--you freaking rawk! Brillant!

Oh d'oh!
The semi-official [i/Lost[/i] break.

Around 8:40 I need to get a shower in before Lost. I'm stinking up my computer room after my workout

so that's where everyone ran off to!

well, it's been a lot of fun!

well done, all!

That was fun. I got a real kick out of switching out the giant for the midget. I came to like 3M, he may have to come back for another adventure.

Sorry for DARK LARD's nigh omnipotence! (he IS pretty damn powerful--in one future he singlehandedly decimates the LMB!) I Had to make sure the battle lasted long enough for Lardy and Rocky's moment.

Hey, it's cool, the antagonists are supposed to be tough.

I expected you'd try to shake off my possession, not ignore it for so long.

But well played, nonetheless. It can be hard to balance just how omnipotent a tough villain should be.

DL wasn't ignoring anything; you guys were just hitting him so fast that he couldn't react to everything! It's tough being the nigh-omnipotent antagonist!

That was the idea. Bob's mean when you finally piss him off.
That's why even the Fatal Five shop at the Emporium.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

On a personal note, being a role-playing newbie, I just wanted to thank all you guys for letting me play along, and for all the creative collaboration. This was an absolute blast!

So... two questions:

Is this how you haze all LMB applicants?

and... more importantly... when do I get my flight ring?

I'm sorry my attendance has been little spotty in the last few weeks. It was hard to keep up once I spend a few days away, but I'm glad Rocky could at least have a little role in the proceedings.

Ex, you're "LMB Walking Ring" is in the mail. I co-founded the LMB and I'm still waiting for mine to arrive

You totally rocked this roleplay. Honestly it was all a bit jumbled and I knew I was working hard to make it all fit together and tie in so many loose ends that have been lingering for what feels like over a year. But when you stepped up it really felt like things took off! And it helped that it wasn't me or any of the usual people who played Phineas B. Fuddle.

I think everyone did a pretty groovy job! So now its time for some loose ends and stuff, and well, lets see where Lardy's term goes from here

It was... you did great! I often can't be as full a participant as many, and I often get left behind after missing a day or three... so I found this one to be exceptionally accessible, even to a part-time participant! Not all role-plays have been that way (not pointing fingers at anyone; it's more my own schedule at fault).

I have some ideas for an offbeat sort of follow-up. I may start the ball rolling and see who jumps n board (all ideas welcome).

I'm always on board!

I agree this one was really accessible which made it tons of fun. I really don't like when we editorialize too much, and while there was some of that, most of the entire roleplay was pretty smooth and easy to jump into.

-heh-
You guys all write faster than I do. You have no idea how many times I edited everything out of a post and rewrote it on the fly because somebody had posted before I got mine in.
That always makes it interesting.

Gawd, that happened to me constantly, YK!!! Mostly editing to acknowledge posts that happened in the interim! Even then, I dropped the ball a few times!

The level of participation in this one (can we officially call this s.o.b. "Thyme Crime", btw?!?! ) felt stronger than the previous two I'd been party to: "INVASION!" and "Five Faces of Death". Both of those were great, btw, but this one felt less editorialized and more spontaneous, IMO.

It was cool and unexpected how my decision to have Clive just kinda go nuts with power when Exnihil (I believe) had the audacity (in Clive's view) to suggest that another election was way overdue! In the mini-roleplays that have sprouted between FFoD and Thyme Crime, I've set up that this "Virgin Lad" might not be playing with a full deck. And the idea had been percolating in my head that maybe Clive was the in-continuity reason the elections had been held off for so long. (In reality I think there was just an MMB doldrums that nurtured a kind of *meh* attitude about another election.)

So the Clive thing was unplanned, though not unthought of, and it really just sparked an interest in many posters starting to react in-character! And somehow, it ballooned into a full-fledged roleplay!

It was funny, though, because no one had any idea where the thing would go when it started. Basically, everyone who'd had subplots percolating for awhile just decided to jump in and work those storylines into what was happening somehow.

But the big spark in giving this thing some sort of identity was Exnihil coming out and injecting the malaise over what had happened at the end of the Threeboot into a few plot platforms that eventually helped things shape up. I actually have no idea if Cobalt knew who shot his character when he wrote that scene! Did you, Des?

But from that point "Justin Thyme" became our antagonist and figuring out who that could be and how that tied into everything that was happening was a lot of fun!

Cheers to everyone for a job well done! This was the best, most coherent collaborative effort involving the largest group of posters since I've been here in my view!

That's so true. The PMs were flying backstage. I thought the LLPrime story was going to dominate and then the Time Travel theme hit and it was ON.

I laughed when Justin Thyme became the antagonist. I wonder sometimes if Didio knows that we portray him as a villain? Even Rob got more respect.

Oh, and just so you n00bs will know, DARK LARD was NOT a new concept I created for this roleplay! I wrote two-thirds of a planned trilogy of ONEVISIONS set in the LMB's version of the Legions "5 Years Later" storyline. The third part of the trilogy was to be called "Reign of the Dark Lard" and explore the LMB facing its biggest threat ever: an insanely powerful and evil Lard Lad.

I've often looked at DARK LARD as being Lardy's very real future and have written him in roleplays and ONEVISIONS with that foreshadowing in mind.

However, "Reign" may never get written and may never come to pass, so I decided to bring him into this roleplay to explore the character and use him to interact with the others. Will Lardy ever become DARK LARD? That remains to be seen, but where Lardy is at the conclusion of Thyme Crime seems to be sending him in a brighter direction than he has been in several years. So things are more hopeful than ever!

From my perspective, I really wanted to get some of the long-standing plot threads that had been going on for like a year all settled and done. Honestly, I wanted the Lardy/Cobie friendship restored, I wanted Cobie back in the LMB and running the Security Office now that Space Ranger was back, and I wanted to take the Jailbait Lass/Cobalt Kid potential romance to a new place (that one still pending ). So when I saw Clive going a little crazy, I knew maybe we could take this to the next level with some heightened drama. So I had Cobalt Kid get shot and that was that--I had no idea who'd done it. But I knew with Legion World, someone would take credit pretty quick.

It also let me use other Alt IDs rather than Cobalt, which I always try to do for a little while during roleplays. I actually didn't use that many this time, less than usual.

I had the basic premise of "The Traveler" being the villain. Really just the name. Then Ex entered the scene with "The Second Shooter" and "Justin Thyme" using the recent end of the threeboot and it really began to take shape. So I started to PM Ex about some ideas for it.

At the same time I wanted to add in a vibe from "Lost" and the awesomeness going on there. I came up with the idea to tie in Cobalt's assassination to Lardy's accusations that Cobalt tried to kill him, and also to the fact that I had replaced the Liberty Monkey alt ID with Tomahawk (more on that in a second). So we came up with the idea of "Justin Thyme"/Traveler using space/time to switch places with people's conscious and move through time and space. It also allowed for a great explanation of why sometimes people change their alt IDs (via the natural powers of the island). What is so cool is that this tied directly into all of the storylines Abin was using for the House of Quank, and suddenly he had a great avenue to conclude the stories for Pagan & Stoopid Cat's return, Gary Concord's final hurrah, and My Wee Fem.

And then Ex just started really nailing it. We decided he'd be "The Traveler" (aka Phineas using his body) and his attack on Jailbait Lass, Tomahawk and Shark Lad was awesome. We started coming up with ideas of who the villain would be and I thought Phineas B. Fuddle would be a perfect choice. This also helped Abin's story through the 'STU' connection (Pagan Lass and Stoopid Cat are heavily tied in with Stu, and Phineas has a long connection to Stu since he was once "Dark Stu"). Ex did such a damn good job as the Traveler that I wanted him to take on the Alt ID of Phineas rather than me or a poster who'd done it before. 'Cuz it gets old battling the same guys He did so well that I didn't even make one post with Phineas.

For the Alt ID, I decided it was time to retire the Liberty Monkey / Tomahawk account. Basically I liked Liberty Monkey but had gotten tired of the character. I liked the Tomahawk avatar and had been looking at old Tomahawk covers lately and switched about a year ago. But after a year of that, I was board with Tomahawk too. And by then I think too many people knew or suspected it was me and whenever that happens I always try to trade alts. (RE: in case you didn't know, many of us have traded alts before to throw people off; we're sneaky like that). I'd given away two alt IDs last year anyway, so I decided I'd retire Liberty Monkey/Tomahawk and we could use him for Phineas. And the cover with the monkey with Tomahawk inspired me to have their epilogue.

Once Ex started using 'the Traveler' as himself and then providing the basis for Phineas' plot, it all just pulled together. We worked in Abin's stories, and then Sharky and YK just ran with it and added their own layers. Lardy and I tied up a ton of loose ends and others jumped in--Kent joining in at the end actually worked really well in the story context. Plus there's the fun of posters being a part of the story for even a brief section, like Matlock, FC, Quis and of course, the most beloved poster of all time, Lash.

Pretty groovy, if I do say. I really loved Invasion, but Five Faces of Death actually kind of wore me down. Probably my favorite one we ever did was "The Good, the Dark and the Dead", though Dark Stu was a close second. Infinite Crisis was another one that really wore me down though I liked some parts. This one ranks pretty high up there, probably alongside Dark Stu.

Ps - Name? "Remember Tomorrow"?

Arrrggghhh!!! "Thyme Crime", DAMMIT!!!

Another funny thing about all this is that when I brought Lardy back from the dead and decided to have him accuse Cobalt of killing him to create some tension, I HAD NO IDEA where that was going!!! The intent was just to create something that might lead to more stories. I think it worked out well and made the Cobie/Lardy reunion (after they'd been at odds off and on--but mostly on) for years all the sweeter!

I hope people read my post on the epilogue for the full explanation on Lardy's resurrection and the whole Clive thing. It's pretty damn complicated but ties everything together nicely, I think!

Names!


Truth and Justice shall Prevail!
(Which one of you is gonna argue with Pagan?)

Seeing how the Quank family's storylines played out from pre-FFoD thru Thyme Crime makes me wonder how far Chuck's plans went from what he had planned for Collateral Damage (an unfinished multi-vision he worked on with some of us) and beyond? Care to share, Chuck?

Wow.
This is the first time I can remember doing a "Behind the scenes DVD Extra" for a tag team thread. It's kind of cool to see what motivated the writers to move the characters through their motions.

I got to re-invent something I'd un-invented years ago - aka the Clubhouse and I also got to play with a Atom-like character instead of a Colossal Boy type and while doiong that I even got to invent a new justification/concept for a Daxamite power level: Zero-Point Super Strength. Maybe if Micro-Man shrinks even smaller he'll gain other powers?..a concept that might need exploration some day.

The survivalists that live and ply their trade in the swamp are here to stay, I liked them too much to get rid of them although they have to have a new reason to exist. Maybe the Green Extreme team will be eco-radicals or something. Whatever though, they're available as plot devices or foils or just plain old cannon fodder in yet one more niche of LW.

All in all it was a pretty creative tale. I really loved it being separated into complete stories that were all integral to the big story. Very DC-like in this day and age.

'Bout damn THYME we had some DVD extras, I'd say! If I were doing the commentary, I'd marvel at how surprised I was that Des didn't pick up on the clues as to who Lard Lad Prime really was! This was only the second time I'd stumped him (with Wyandotte in Omnia), and this time it involved a character and storyline we'd devoted CONSIDERABLE PM space to developing a few years ago! At one point, Des and I were going to co-write "Reign of the Dark Lard" together, but we got too interested in developing stories set in the LMB's present. "Reign" may or may not ever happen, but no one was as positioned to know who LLP was than Des--but he TOTALLY whiffed it! Advantage: Lardy!

Actually I've still got several story lines for the Quank Clan and the Security Office percolating in the back of my head... Along with the Slim's Revenge Story that kind of got lost in the shuffle during FFoD.

But basically this time I wanted to restore Pagan Lass and Stoopid Cat to their rightful places in the Quank Family and I wanted to intro the Banned'em Zone. An Idea I freely admit I stole from STU's old sig lines. "Once in a STU Moon STU returns from the Banned'em zone to wreak havok" or something like that. I'd see his sig and wonder what he was doing when he was there. The first thing that came to mind for the Banned'em zone was that it would be populated by reprints of The Picture that shall not be named. the second we won't discuss, it was that bad, and the third was the evil doppelganger idea, at which point I began wondering who's doppelganger would be the most powerful... Obviously it was Nighty... and we go from there.

I also wanted to play around with a couple of Characters who've been around for a while, Numb-Nuts the Semi-Incomprehensible (From the Ongoing Tag Team Thread) and Gladys the Sentient Disco Ball, who for some odd reason speaks in my head with a British accent.

But in the end restoring Pagan and Stoopid was all I started out to do... Turning My Whee Fem into a Cack just sort of happened...

I still wonder what twists and turns the Gary Concord story might have taken from your original ideas, Chuck. I remember the LVMBP thing and see how things ended up and wonder if things changed a lot in your mind for Gary between then and how it ended up.

YK, I'm interested in learning where your side-story in Bits was going before you decided to paint it over and discard it because you somehow found it redundant? Your PCG characters are certainly quirky and full of potential I'd like to see explored further!

Who says Gary Concord's story is over? It just took a turn down a slightly different path than what was originally mapped out.

Gary is quite the complex character, he's the Cobalt Kid of an alternate reality and his version of Legion World was destroyed with him being the sole survivor. We now know that the forces that destroyed his Legion World were the Daywalker's Legions. Which is a large part of his decision to become the Guardian of the Banned'em Zone Gate. But there are still more questions to be answered about him. Like how did he survive when every other member of his LMBP died fighting the Daywalker's Legions? How did he get to our Legion World in the first place? And who were the "they" he constantly referred to when he first arrived on Legion World and why did he abruptly stop referring to them?

The bigger question is was it a huge mistake to leave him with STU's book of magic to guard our backs?

It occurred to me as I wrote the last post that none of us (Except maybe Des) really knows the full scope of the Role-Playing/Story-telling universe we've created here with our combined One Visions, Tag Teams, and MMB Role Plays.

I know I need to write entries for Crujecki's definitive directory thread, but at times I get overwhelmed just by the size of my contributions to this universe, let alone the totality of it with it's going on what 12? 15? years of history.

And more and more fantastic stuff keeps getting added... MetroMicro Man is a great example, there is a character that deserves a full time LMBP role but he wouldn't exist except for the retrograde conditions imposed by this role play.

I also have to admit that a lot of my stuff comes from me "Going Sideways" with something someone else posted. I don't think any of my characters, with the possible exception of the Space Ranger are 100% my own creation... Every one of them has developed or grown from something someone else came up with. (Cobalt, Harbinger, and EDE are the most frequent victims of my idea thefts but I've gotten ideas from virtually everyone on this board at some time or another...)

I like this post-game forensic... it's neat to see who came up with what! A few previous role plays I'd tried to participate in seemed so pre-scripted that there was no room... even though I was mostly out of the PM loop (except for a few with Exxy and Abin), this time out it really felt like the door was wide open.

Yeah, whats really nice is there wasn't too much of a PM loop though this time. Really it was setting up the Phineas account for Ex that was the majority of our PMs.

I really like the DVD commentary type stuff we've got going on.

Some other random tidbits:

- Abin let me in on Gary's true origin at least a good year and a half ago and I've always tried to play that up. Cobalt and Gary have always kind of known they were different versions of each other which is why they really hate each other.

Also, Abin I was thinking of places to go from here and I know you have Slim's grudge against Cobalt still going. When things cool down I have some ideas of where we can take that. But I have 2 or 3 things I want to do first...

- I do know LMB history really well still. I didn't see the Dark Lard coming because for whatever reason I didn't connect to the future version coming backwards in time. That's good though--I like being surprised . But a lot of time I try to do what Eryk always does best in the LMB and the real Legion, make connections so the history is one coherent narrative.

There are several things that *need* to be accomplished for a successful roleplay. (A) No one poster can dominate the story. (B) Too much editorlializing makes it difficult for other posters to enter a storyline. (C) Don't have solutions planned out in advance: rather, set up a problem with a potential idea for a solution if need be, but ulitmately let other posters solve the problems you created because it gives them a sense of inclusion. (D) New threads must constantly be created to go along with the re-use of old threads to create the sense that there is something fresh going on to encourage more people to join. (E) Lardy, Abin, myself and two or three other posters should not be the villains in an LMB roleplay for several years now (at least the major villains--supporting characters that are antagonists are certainly okay and work well within our framework, Gary Concord being the best example). There are some other good guidelines too.

I think this roleplay for the most part accomplished all that. I 've also noticed the best roleplays begin, end or encompass the LMB elections. Funny how that works out.

Also, I always try to tie in the initial threads used later during the course of the story. The GD&D Saga kind of did this by accident--returning to the Cobalt marriage storyline and EDE's Greg Evignan Island, without ever really being obvious about it (because it wasn't on purpose), which made it seem very literary correct. So thats why I had Cobalt return to his travel agency, which I basically set up as 'now what the hell is Cobie doing?' sequence when he was becoming more distant to Jailbait Lass and Lardy. Ex caught on to that too and returned to the "Over the Hills and Far Away" thread to ensure it existed for an important reason and wasn't some throw away thread. We both took a cue from Lost and helped use the secret history of Legion World as the reasonining behind these two threads in the first place.

Usually whenever I start a thread in the MMB, I have some vague ideas of potential roleplays in mind. I'm always trying to set up sneaky ways for Cobalt to get out of any situation or have some type of existing protocol or established ruling that helps explain his position (since he's always doing things that should get him in trouble). So I try to be Machavalian whenever we're not roleplaying too.

One thing I'd like to add is that SHAKES, The Security Office, Cafe Cramer, the Tesseracts, and the 85th Floor Corner office are all Primarily Role Playing Threads and should be used as such... even if it's just horsing around like a drunken party... who knows what great ideas will come out of them when we're just goofing around?

agreed. one of my best, most detailed story ideas for a comic book series (I have a 'bible' of 80+ pages detailing 100+ characters and situations) grew out of a (real-world) diner conversation: "what if the TV show Dallas had been about super-heroes?"

you never know where a good idea will grow out of.

Yeah, for one example, that's what created Gladys the Sentient Disco Ball--one night of goofy roleplay in the Security Office between myself, Cali and Dedman (maybe some others?)!

It's a little daunting and scary that Lardy's loose plot threads are now so tied up! I think my Lardyverse focus for a while will be to develop the long-simmering Dark Oval/Earth-4 thing subplot. I guess it's more likely to morph into a Onevision more than anything else, though.

When Lardy and Cobalt's meeting about the scroll takes place, that will lay out a few things...

This is an Idea Kent and I kicked around a few years ago while driving around Southern California…

Creating an actual LMBP Comic Book…

There would have to be a number of name changes and concept modifications for it to work but… Think about it…

With the talent we have on this board it’s at the least doable.

A while back some of our more talented artists, (Joe-boy and Crujectra did the most I believe) started doing original drawings of LMBP characters. (And before you break out that n00b junk again Lardy I know it was done by other artist’s before that, I just happen to think that JB has done the most extensive job of illustrating original LMBP characters and Crujectra has done the best illustrations of the Quank Family.)


I think that we could with the writers and artists on this board working together design a stable of characters and create a viable comic book universe…

The question then becomes could we create the actual book or books?

I have a feeling we could, given all the resources we have among all these posters. It would be a huge undertaking though and could get quite complicated if we were to actually attempt publication.

Seems to me we have more than one lawyer in our "stable."

The issues I see right off of the top of my head are Copyrights and egos.

Lard Lad is a unique character (Unless you count Herbie the Fat Fury ) so there's no problem with him. Space Ranger OTOH is a derivative character who would need an extensive re-write (Already done BTW) before he could be used in any commercial venture.

The above is presented just as an example of possible hurdles...

Ego's however could present the larger and more difficult challenge... Everyone involved wants their creation or character to take center stage in an undertaking of this type. But there is generally only one spotlight per story and that spotlight can only illuminate a limited number of characters. Who stars, who supports, who guests, and who doesn't make the cut? No easy questions there...

Hey!
Shshshshsh...there might be n00bs around.

Not that it was redundant but I was setting up a time travel bit to fight Phineas at the moment he entered Legion World and figured it would be fun to split the characters into myriad versions of themselves. And I thought if I got to use it I'd push it as far as I could go since they were all going to be removed to their separate realities in the end anyway.
Imagine Cowboy Cobalt and Kid Lard-O or IronBear and Queen Crueljectra.

I still agree it's a great concept... but as everyone envisions not only their own but everyone else's characters differently, it is a far harder collaboration than a role play.

Even just sketching out a few demo pages, we had dozens of character designs/names to modify... it was a lot on both of our shoulders.

Everyone who wants their character(s) to be a part of it should redefine the characters themselves, including designs (even the roughest sketches can give a more detailed artist something to work with)... and character summaries in their own words: personality, background, powers, etc.

Abin and I toyed around with some of this previously... but rather than 1 or 2 deciding these things, everyone who wants in should. Characters not offered by their users should not be used (we can create others as needed).

For any given issue/installment there should be a single plotter/editor, who can weed through suggestions but would be the main director for that issue; we rotate though editors (although individual characters should be scripted by their regular users). I see this running like an RPG, with the editor serving as game master.

Rather than re-tell MMB stories, we should treat it as a separate 'universe,' because the MMB will generate content faster than a comic can catch up. This will further help isolate us from copyrights, egos and unwilling participants.

The hardest part will be getting the art done. We can discuss specializations/preferences, as some of us (like moi) tend to be slower than others.

Kent, I'm thinking web-comic with at most two published pages a week?

Assuming an art team can be assembled?

that sounds reasonable.

Two pages a week will be impossible for me before May, and ideally this should not rely on any single artist anyway.

Rather than pages, we should take advantage of the web and do panels one at a time, with each artist working on a particular plot/sub-plot (if some get ambtious, they can take on multiple ones, and whoever is 'ahead' at any given times could handle panels where plotlines converge).

We can assemble the panels into an order ('pages' or not) later, and add dialogue afterward too.

We shouldn't be plotting/scripting too far ahead as artists will be working at different speeds. We need to remain flexible, so the whole thing is not delayed by one person's procrastination.

I suggest a vague premise that lets the story unfold slowly, rather than a three-week lag between idea and art.

If (for example) I am drawing a sub-plot in which Kent, EDG and Exxy are trapped in the Mesozoic era, as I envision it Exxy and EDG/Abin would toss ideas back and forth to me. I'd draw it, and we'd all come up with our own characters' dialogue. Only once that panel was done would we plan the next panel.

We would all share 1-3 weeks of 'unpublished' panels, to keep track of what each other are all doing, and gradually assemble them into order for the public. That way a delay/inconsistency can be dealt with in an organized fashion.

As I think about it, this would have to get going in small groups, in order to be manageable - one artist per 2-6 active characters/2-3 real people.

That way, rather than trying to coordinate a huge team, we could just do a trial run. Hopefully others would get interested and join in.

So far, it's just you and I talking in a vacuum, Abin.

I'd suggest we get started on the design phase, with the firat 2-3 people to step up to the plate with character names/bios/designs (even the roughest, kindergarten-est of sketches; it doesn't have to be seen by anyone but me). Let's start with 2-3 characters, and slowly add in more as we need to.

I don't mind fine-tuning a rough design, but I don't have inclination to design a cast of thousands solo, especially when multiple redesigns would be the likely necessity (like Cobalt Kid, last time around... this time, it would be up to Cobie himself as to whether or not he had the trenchcoat Joe-Boy drew or any other look, rather than you and I disagreeeing on it).

This has to stay manageable, so as not to get discouraging for any artist... last time, besides time, the scope and detail was overwhelming; we had a cast-of-thousands shot on page 4 or 5 and most of them hadn't even been designed yet (or else we hadn't sorted out/agreed on enough details, as I recall).

I think we're saying the same things, just with a different finish line.

The story should be "in the can" a month before publication. The backlog being created well before the publication date.

That means we're probably talking two to three months of set-up time before a page(1) or strip(2) is posted to the site. That would also allow for different plotlines to run concurrently and help ensure that the posting schedule can be maintained.

agreed!

further thinking out loud:

rather than getting cluttered up with too much starting exposition (let's face it, we did start off kinda bogged down with EDG), we start with three characters who wake up imprisoned in some extradimentional citadel/satellite... and we make it all up as we go along from there.

That way, we only need to add backstory when it becomes relevant, and we can add characters one-by-one as we need to.

Okay, my replies are now out of order...

The last time I wasn't smart enough to listen to your web comic idea and insisted on writing a comic book submission...

So yes this time I'm agreeing 100%

But which 2-3 characters do we start out with?

OBTW I'm not looking for an answer from you, Kent, I want to see if anyone else is interested in jumping on board this train.

I'm fine with not wearing out new readers by engaging in endless backstory. Think about it, we didn't get a Legion origin for a decade, I honestly don't remember when the first version of the founders saving RJ Brande was printed. I'd have to go to the archives to look for it.

I've thought for quite a while that the web offers a unique opportunity to combine and mix media for story purposes. I'm a fan of Newgrounds (as an example of creative use of animation) and the chance to mix it up with flash, java, text and original art really interests me.

This hasn't even included ideas that might involve a character blog, a podcast or a website that treats the central characters as if they were real people and could even include LMB based games like you find on KidsWB.

The sky really is the limit.

Neat idea, YK! Any of these elements could be hyperlinked together.

Superboy #147 first told the LSH origin story, 1968ish.

I'm not familiar with Newgrounds, but I'm open to new ideas.

Welcome aboard the train, Yk.

So which of your characters would you want to see in web comic form first?

Probably Triple G as he's not a derivative character at all..unless you count The Jolly Green Giant as his inspiration, Ho Ho Ho.
(actually it was - as I recall I came up with him during a tag team thread with the TV on in the background airing a commercial about vegetables)

Actually, Bob seems to be the tie that binds the PCG together so he's central to that whole concept. There should be nothing wrong with an openly gay character, as I see it, and I also think that would be an excellent "hook" to catch some web attention.

I'd practically have to reinvent the Yellow Kid from the ground up to keep the Hearst family off my back (which I'm not opposed to at all I'm just being lazy about it).

Bob and the whole mythos I've built around him is entirely my own work, meant to blend in with the LMB and add some depth to Legion World society. For some reason he seems to be a well liked and respected character and I also think he could be amusing graphically since I've always meant for him to be very erotically attractive, very feminine in his mannerisms and attitudes and yet still a powerhouse to be reckoned with.

If you'll look in the Watchmen thread there's a link to a home made commercial for a Saturday morning Watchmen cartoon.

But here's the link to the site itself. Be careful, it's easy to get lost for hours watching animation and playing the games.
http://www.newgrounds.com/
-Contributor made games and flash movies, it's one of the most creative sites on the net-

I like Bob.

I could even see one of the starting characters being mildly ill at ease, even, if that works for you.

I guess the easiest way to change Kent is just to change the first name, as keeping both Kent and the glasses could be inviting trouble. How does "Nick Shakespeare" sound?

Maybe one of Abin's women could round things out?

Oh that definitely works.
One of the fun things about comics is challenging preconceptions. Bob fulfills most people's expectations about "what a manly man should be" except for his sexuality. He's tough, he's self possessed, confident, successful, strong and loving, supportive, he's a winner..it's just that he loves men and that makes some people uncomfortable.

I love turning an idea upside down and rattling cages with it. Not being gay myself is my only obstacle with the character, I don't know for sure that he comes across correctly but I DO try and hopefully LW editors could be there to correct any mistakes I may make along that line.

I think based on your prior track record you'll have little problem... if he ever has a romantic interest, we can get advice from one of the LW gang.

"One of Abin's Women?"

Actually I wanted to start with Ranger, Just Ranger, No Space, Star, Lone-Star or whatever because he's the easiest to write...

But none of my female characters would need re-writing...

So let's use Pagan Lass if this is going to be a Bureau of External Affairs based story or My Whee Fem if it's a Security Office romp.

But on the subject of Bob's sexual orientation, my take is that it shouldn't matter unless there is a natural tie into something else in the plot.

Bob should be Bob (AKA Triple G) [does he have a last name?] a valued member of the PCG and LMBP, Not "Big Gay Al" from South Park... his sexuality shouldn't be more important than his hair or skin color [which I'm assuming will be yellow and green].

Agreed. That was more or less what I was thinking, even if I didn't spell it out.

If we're doing it alt-universe style, and if this is the first meeting, it might be a while before it even comes up at all.

I think Pagan Lass would be a cool addition.

So we have a spellcaster and two tough guys? If Bob takes on the macho-fighter niche, Nick could be more of a tech guy.

Magick, brute force and science is as good a starting dynamic as any.

Maybe Ranger (Lone Star Ranger works for me) could be in the story, too, as a complication (even if 'off-camera').

Maybe Bob and Nick have no idea how or why they got trapped, but PL did - she was trying to find/save Ranger; her own people thought he was dead but she knew better. She was the only one of us to get caught in direct combat, so while Bob and Nick want to find out where they are, who did this to them and how to get home, PL wants to find Ranger (who might not even be in the citadel at all), so even once we've met we have conflicting goals.

Maybe Bob and Nick could have different goals, too: one set on escape, the other on revenge against our captors.

Bob as the "macho-fighter" guy! That's amusing on SO many levels but then again that's the way he's been written for so long so it works.

Yeah, he's naturally green skinned, a human mutant. Hair color and cut varies according to the fashion of the moment. I'll have to brainstorm a little to come up with a different and dynamic super-type name for him and I think I did give him a last name but I'll have to dig through an old thread to find it since I never ever use it. (I've forgotten it)..heck the Macro-Man might work.

Each of the characters we're talking about has extensive back story and support networks already in place. Very easy setups for writers to draw from and that's without (so far) adding Cobalt and Lardy and their own extensive histories.

Built in conflict between a spiritualist and a technophile looks so right.

-btw, should we change the name of this thread or start another one to discuss plots and characters?

If you want Pagan, then I'm assuming we're starting this from a B.E.A. standpoint... So...

Nick Shakespeare is the B.E.A. Diplomat sent to the [Dark Oval, Planet Mongo, Jungles of Amazonia] to negotiate the release of Alicia Quank (AKA Pagan Lass) who was captured while "Trespassing" on the [Royal Hunting Preserve, Castle Mongo Dungeons, Prison Planetoids] and is facing the death penalty for her "crimes."

Bob [Steel, Hardin, Thrash?] (aka Triple G) is Shakespeare's Aide, chosen for both his administrative efficiency and raw power in a pinch.

Shakespeare and Pagan Lass's powers are well known to the [Dark Oval, Mongols, Amazonians] but Triple G is the wild card...

Unfortunately the sneaky, underhanded, [Dark Oval, Mongols, Amazonians] double cross our intrepid heroes right off the bat and all three find themselves confined in a high tech dungeon...

To YK:

It'd be hard to think of Bob as anything but GGG, but I do like the name Macro-Man. Maybe GGG could be more of a nick-name peers have given him?

I suppose Nick's Bureau of External Affairs (tm) should get a more exciting name, too. How about Astral, Stellar and Temporal Reconaissance Agency (A.S.T.R.A.)?

Re: thread name:
You're a mod here... I suggest you change it.

At some point we'll want to shift to either pm's or e-mails as we get into the nitty-gritty of character design, panel design, and dialogue but for right now we should stay here and give others the chance to chime in...

We're going to need artists (Sketch Lad?, Dean?, Joe Boy?) to assist Kent, and a colorist... (Loser, you lurking or do I have to PM you?)

And an Editor...

ha ha
well, YK's name is a derivative of William Randolph Hearst (Billy Randolphs) and Bob's was meant to be similar. I think it was Oral Roberts that I was making fun of. I refuse to call my character Oral Bob though..but as I recall that was the inference back in the day.
Gad, now I have to dig through the "Introduce yourself" thread and see what I originally wrote. You're making me work and think and that's not fair.

I was picturing a "first meeting" with each other, with PL coming from [Legion World], Bob from the PCG, and Nick from BEA/ASTRA. We may have heard of each other, but not much, as I envisioned. I was picturing separate nabbings, with perhaps a mystery as well - who did it? PL might have a better clue than Nick or Bob, but not a complete one.

But your idea has merit. Nick on an overt, stated mission doesn't really fit my perception of BEA as a super-secret org, but the way you put it is an idea worth considering.

But... if Bob is my aide, and we're there to rescue PL, that kinda discards the three-competing-goals suggestion, as all three of us would more instantly be on the same 'side.'

That can work, but I hoped to have us fumbling around getting used to each other, and having internal conflict (what would Bob and I do if we found the exit but PL inssited on going back for Ranger? for instance).

Obviously, the villains will need to know/contain PL's powers, or else it'd be a short battle.

I like Bob being an unknown quantity.

Thinking more, I like that Nick could have been sent there (whether on an overt mission or even as a planned captive, feigning even to PL and Bob that he was taken unaware).

Your idea suggests a very action-oriented story all the way through, which is good if that's what we all want. I was thinking of a slow build up with character and mystery before we reach an action-y point. I'm flexible, though, as long as it isn't all action.

Actually whatever name you gave him in the past doesn't matter. Just choose one that fits the portrayal you want now.

Certain things are going to need modification in all three of the characters. Pagan Lass's costume is supposed to be three strategically placed small sprigs of mistletoe... Nice idea when you're just describing it on a message board but doesn't work as a constant visual. Too distracting and places the focus in the wrong areas. I'm not against cheesecake or beefcake when the story calls for it but... again like the sexuality thing it should be a natural part of the story rather than a forced focus.

I definitely want to keep as much as possible out in the open as long as possible to encourage participation, possibly even into the character design phase (but not dialogue or panels. We want to surprise and entertain, after all).

Even non-artists can help on visuals, as we'll need to 'decorate' locations, starting with the prison/citadel/satellite/whatever-it-is.

Anyone with any interest in world-building or the dynamics of alien worlds (Fat Cramer, I'm talking to you!) can be more than helpful as well. Remember 80s Legion, how Giffen really made each alien world stand apart? This is a golden opportunity for all types of creativity: worlds, cuisine, tech/communications.

I do like the idea of all these characters already knowing each other and being used to working together even though the readers don't know that yet.

Of course Bob has his own agenda, he's a businessman and there's an opportunity to open up to new customers if things go right. However he loves being a super-hero man of action and if things don't go the way he wanted that's ok, there may be a great fight to tell stories about later.

Still though, they could know of each other and be in the same large group but never have worked closely with one another. I'm sure we've all been in that position in the work place, it's not all that unusual. It works either way.

Agreed. I've nothing against sexy women wearing very litle, but let's face it - that is very overdone, especially in comics. Clothing is sexy, and sexy clothing is fun to draw. And to make PL stand out as a sorceress, I'll need to make her look witchy, and appropriate garb is a big help there.

My take on Bob, in a nutshell: villain, as part of the PCG. Reformed. I'd like to place him at this point as still technically a villain, but more for the sake of adventure than malice, and ready to latch onto a worthy alternative.

Okay. I can go with that.

Ah. That presents a different option entirely. Perhaps Bob was trying to deal with the villains (whether or not he knew they were villains) and the deal went south... that's why he was captured?

I like that. To me, if we're already a tight team, it robs the sense of team-building, which seems to me a good storytelling avenue to intro characters and grab new readers.

I'm reminded of Tinya and Vi in Levitz #50. Vi comments that she and Tinya were never really close; each had their own cliches despite serving together for so long.

I'm thinking that ASTRA could be the covert arm of the BEA and Nick as head of the BEA is also one of the lead ASTRA Operatives.

There is plenty for internal conflict between the three. Nick wants to save Pagan's life/keep her from leveling the place and avoid a messy interstellar incident. Pagan just want's to rescue her brother-in-law and doesn't much give a flying fart about the political end of things, and Bob at the end of the day is a business man, and he agreed to this whole charade because he loves the super-hero daring-do and he loves it even more when he sees the chance to parlay a business opportunity out of it when all is said and done.

Brilliant! I love it.

Originally posted by Abin Quank:

Quote

There is plenty for internal conflict between the three. Nick wants to save Pagan's life/keep her from leveling the place and avoid a messy interstellar incident. Pagan just want's to rescue her brother-in-law and doesn't much give a flying fart about the political end of things, and Bob at the end of the day is a business man, and he agreed to this whole charade because he loves the super-hero daring-do and he loves it even more when he sees the chance to parlay a business opportunity out of it when all is said and done.

I like that.

I come out of this sounding so..mercenary..heh..

Being the transition story from villain to hero sounds extremely cool. It would be very easy to have the others not trust him much in the beginning since they'd fought each other in the recent past. The built in conflicts are beginning to take some kind of meaningful shape here.

edit: I want to add, that if you're joining in this a little late, there are a couple of previous pages where we chew up some groundwork and beat ideas around. We're deliberately NOT using your characters (yet) because they are your characters! We want everybody that wants to participate to throw in your own ideas and use your own characters to their best effect and of course you're the only one who knows what that may be.
Join in!
..please?..

I think I need to know just what you mean by "witchy"... My take on Pagan's appearance is closer to Ms Tree than Cyclone...

The villains: PL wants to kick butt. Bob wants their monery. Nick wants to keep them neutral within the context of a larger conflict.

Ranger: PL wants to free him. Nick respects him, but is torn that Ranger was nabbed while spying on the villains' world (or chasing a foe there outside of his jurisdiction, without permission)? Bob may not dislike Ranger, but might not be inclined to stick his neck out - maybe Ranger once busted him in the olden days.

I'd rather Ranger was the original prisoner, the one announced to be executed, than PL.

That's good to know. I'd have never guessed that (I was thinking more early-80s Stevie Nicks, actually).

Then this mission could be not entirely voluntary for him...

Perhaps he made a deal with the current LMBP Leadership in exchange for [early release? trade rights? Franchise Licenses?]

I was thinking exactly that a little while ago. This could be something like "community service" for 3G.

Good thoughts. We know Nick is there for the BEA. We know PL is there for family business... is she there with the consent of LW leaders, or in spite of them? Bob could be there superfically to do business, but could be secretly employed by a LW elder acting on his/her own to try to give PL some covert aid... and he could be intending to do the bare minimum required of him.

Sweet. The opening is taking shape. Not panel by panel but the cause and effect aspects are shaping up nicely.

Scenario 1, Ranger went in where he shouldn't have and was captured, the bad guys aren't admitting they have him, Pagan tracked him via arcane means and decided that she wasn't playing political games and went in covertly, but the bad guys were ready for any member of the Quank Family and captured her (but not before she leveled a good portion of {????}). There was no hiding what happened so they decided to give her a show trial and hang her.

The LMBP needs to tread lightly because the {????} are currently Neutral in the conflict with [?????] and we need them to stay that way.

Nick was sent in to (1)diplomatically get Pagan released and (2)find out if Ranger is really being held by [????]. Bob is along both as added muscle if Nick needs him and to explore trade possibilities in a few sensitive areas.

Scenario 2, the same except that it's Ranger who is being given the show trial and Nick/Bob are there to gain his release. Pagan shows up on her own and complicates things...

I have some ideas on the villains, but it seemed unwise to put that 'out front,' if we want to maintain any suspense at all.

I like either scenario, especially the first.

But Bob could be a separate agent, sent from [LW]. Nick may be an occassional [LW] resident, but the BEA/ASTRA operates on a [UP] basis of which [LW] is but a single member. I like Bob and Nick to be from competing jurisdictions, as it helps to support differing motives, as they were given different orders (in addition to having different interpretations of those orders).

As EDG would say "It's like Legion World, Strange stuff happens..."

The BEA/ASTRA orders could have come from the duly elected LMBP Leader Lardy/cleome while Bob's orders came from the Security Office...

No surprise if those instructions were wildly different...

I like it. Bob can be there for business (on the surface) and the two don't even have to acknowledge that they know each other for the first part of the tale.

Okay... I can buy both of those. Bureaucratic snafu... we might not even accept each others' roles right away: Bob might assume Nick is just a geeky envoy trying to play spy (instead of a spy posing as a geeky envoy), and Nick could assume Bob is a semi-treasonous slimy snake-oil salesman.

It's a good thing I went back and reread the thread. I missed this the first time.

80's Stevie Nicks means nothing to me. If anything it brings the current DC Black Alice to mind and I doubt that you had anything like that in mind...

google image search for Stevie Nicks

And Pagan is convinced that at any moment Abin is going to fly in leading a horde of pissed off LMBPers intent on rescuing her and the Ranger.

That's beautiful. Almost the opposite of the LSH origin story. It's that warped reflection of the DCverse that's so much fun with the LMB.

don't know what a DC Black Alice is.

don't know 80s Stevie Nicks? Okay...

http://www.bmi.com/images/musicworld/n/nicks_s_1_500.jpg
http://www.odinartcollectables.com/images/record%20Stevie%20nicks%20bella%20donna.jpg

couldn't find the images I was particularly thinking of, but those give a hint.

This one... With flaming red hair of course

"Assassins! they're going to kill Lone Star Ranger!"
"too bad."
"let 'em."

(later)

"you kids could have been heroes and saved him. Instead, you put politics and apathy first. I think you should band together, and inspire a legion, a legion of the self-absorbed."

(dead silence)

"...why bother?"

exactly! I was thinking with a little more black lace, too.

This is the current DC Black Alice ...

YK's taking a break, and I've got to go, too (might be back, but probably not).

We should set up an email loop to discuss some details, like my villain ideas.

g'nite!

That works...

Guys I think we scared everybody away...

Wusses.

Did you email Kent?.. or roundabout backwards?

I'm thinking, at the moment (frightening proposition isn't it?), that the Banned'em Zone might provide a handy source of opponents, skulldugery and a long standing implied threat to "all we hold dear".
Not that we need to go up against Daywalker for a long time but he could be the motivating force behind several stories.

Good Idea...

I e-mailed both of you... I got a reply from Kent.

I'm dealing with crappy hotel internet today (thru Thursday) I can receive e-mails but I can't send e-mails (I tried e-mailing Kent thru LW but he hasn't replied, yet.)

We've exchanged some ideas on the bad guys... If you tell me that you received the test e-mail I sent last night, I'll send you a copy thru LW... or copy it to a PM.

I'll go check -

<Jeapordy music>

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I hit ya back. Even sent a small attachment to be sure it's working right.

I haven't received anything. I sent you a copy of what Sean and I were discussing using a slightly different method...

let me know if you get the e-mail.

ok, got it too. You sent that one from my profile email link here at LW?

_____________________________

How many characters do we want to pull in and how quickly? And who?
I know I don't want to step on anybody's toes but Cobie's history thread throws a lot of names down that we maybe ought to consider.


Things like:
Ya think Engine Joe would appreciate being part of a story?

As a minimum, other than our characters we'll need Lard Lad and cleome (Leader and Deputy) Cobalt Kid, (Chief of Security) and a couple of GenCars...

They won't appear "On Camera" immediately but they will be necessary for the first arc.

Yeah, that's what I mean. At first they're there as background but like you guys said, everybody's going to want some "screen time" so I figure we ought to be prepared for the cast to fluctuate numerically.

Just remember the key words were "At A Minimum"

The question now is when will any of them join us and "volunteer" their character in this worthwhile cause...

I PMed Cobie earlier so he may show up yet.

I'd really like to do a big sci-fi super hero fight scene with some of the characters toward the backside of the first 22 page comic.

There's something else to settle, how many pages do we shoot for in the first piece?

That's the huge difference between a web comic and a regular comic. How many pages does it take to tell the story? 22? 32? We take however many pages we need to do it right. If it is necessary later to fill space then we mix in pages of the next arc.

But that's all kind of getting ahead of ourselves considering we don't have a panel of art or a line of dialogue on paper yet...

Oh sure but that sets up pace and timing. I've written comics (never got anything published though) and I've always tried hard to make them fit a standard comic book format.

Open with a splash page - end with a cliff hanger (if appropriate) and fill in the middle pages with drama. It always works.

..and just who said I'd volunteer for this mission anyway?

Awfully nice of you to set ME up for a rough day. I have one major requirement for my character if I have to go adventuring, at the end of the day I want a nice big tub with lots and lots of really really hot water...and bubbles.
A girl has to take care of herself.

We Agree Bob, hopefully it's a big tub...

re: pace/ 'issue'

I would rather just go with the flow. I see no reason to adhere to a periodical format.

Interesting to see how things have evolved since I went out of town!

One thing I wanted to clarify: Is this going to be an alternate-LMB or not? You're talking about changing names for the sake of copyright and what-not, so that implies this might be an alternate version of our LMB. Yet Chuck recently mentioned the necessity of including Lardy and cleome because they're the current LMB Leadership administration! So color me a little confused!

As for Lardy, it's quite possible that name would have to be changed as well because of the Simpsons character/restaurant chain. There's also the possibility that I might change his real name somewhat to further distance him from real me.

So don't count me as uninterested because I happened to be out of town the past couple of days!

It pretty much has to be an alternate LMB because any derivative characters either cannot be used or need to be rewritten.

But that doesn't mean we don't want to stay as close as possible to the "real thing."

And the rest of your concerns illustrate why we want the creators of individual characters to be actively involved in the process. You know things about your character that we can only guess about.

So I guess you guys want to focus on the more dramatic side of the LMB? That's fine of course, but its roots were its tendency to parody the LSH and superhero conventions, which we still do to a certain extent. Certainly, this could work very well, though.

Reading over your pages of correspondence to each other as you developed the story, it almost seemed better to me that this might be the first meeting between the principal characters, with only maybe Pagan having already been inducted to the LMB. Bob might be there strictly as a villain in his captivity while Nick was sort of a diplomatic prisoner.I was thinking there might be some other random LMB universe characters in captivity as well, like Hummer Lass for example.

Just some thoughts, though. You may already have gotten past this stage in your emails and PMs. If Lard Lad weren't involved in this particular story, I could help you with the villains. The Dark Oval, for example, has been mentioned as a possible antagonist. No one's a better authority on the D.O. than yours truly!

I think you've pretty well interpreted where we've gone so far.
It may even be that Bob's there because you gave the order and in exchange he's to be pardoned for his past indiscretions. I like that bit and it gives the others reason to be highly suspicious of his motives.

I figure rescuing Pagan Lass from certain death and possible cannibalism (they're aliens so that's not exactly true) would be a high personal priority for you.

edit:
Yeah we seem to be concentrating on the dramatic elements but I think a lot of that is because that's the kind of writers we are. I know I haven't got a lot of talent for writing funny stuff so I go with my strengths.

I'd love to see more of the hilarity some of the group are known for come along as well. Lash and Stu crack me up.
Hey, maybe Dean would be down for some preliminary sketches.

Well, figured I’d weigh in, especially because Cobalt Kid is essential to a lot of stories that would appear to be told. I’m definitely up for being involved, and I remember talking with Kent and Abin about this all a few years back.

I do have to say though that when someone else is going to use Cobalt Kid that I really want to be sure they’re getting it right. I really don’t want Cobalt Kid to be the butt of any jokes or have some of the goofiness I add into my daily posting taken to the extreme. Since we’re all friends, I don’t mind telling you guys that this is the only real apprehension I have about using the Security Office and Cobie. I see Cobalt as a very serious character with some great flaws. But I also really do see him as a very heroic character. And the ladies man bit is absolutely necessary to him as well—its something that annoys almost all of his friends and allies but it does constantly happen. And its existed these last few years as a not so subtle reminder that because of the torture he experienced early in his career its his way of not committing any real emotion into any one relationship. So I like Cobie to be complicated, full of pathos, extremely manipulative, but also very caring, extremely heroic, loyal to the Security Office and Legion World almost to a fault, and the greatest ladies man in Legion World history. In other words, I like to joke with everybody on the MMB all the time, but I really want to be sure Cobalt Kid is treated the way “I” see him.

That doesn’t mean of course that other characters love him automatically. The idea is that the general public and UP love Cobalt, but his fellow LMBers are wary of him. They know he’s secretive, manipulative and has purposely carved out this extremely powerful position on Legion World that is unelected and no one can remove him from it (this was especially apparent when he was a Triumvir and Chief of Security). His contacts in the UP Government and military allow him to cause international anxieties and essentially not face the consequences. And he’s actively at all times battling the LMB and Legion World’s perceived enemies even when he’s been told not to. So in that sense, there is a very manipulative side to him. My onevisions have tried to get that across. But the dichotomy is that he’s generally a caring friend, a gentle lover, and a heroic LMBer. He just has this side that won’t ever let himself rest for a second and enjoy life—all part of the early trauma he underwent early in his career.

So I’d hope you guys wouldn’t mind if I’d be nitpicky about some of the sequences he’s in. On the one hand, he’s never purposely sleep with any of his friend’s wives—that is 100% the way it is. On the other hand, he’d think nothing of sleeping with any of his friends daughters or sisters (given they were grown up of course, he’s not criminal). He’d be firm partners with Space Ranger, knowing full well that where he sees grey areas, Ranger sees things in black & white—and he’s be completely aware that this is why he needs the Ranger around. So he knows he’s flawed but he can’t help himself; he surrounds himself by people he perceives to be better than he is (morally) to help him (like Crujectra). He also pals around with like-minded friends who like to party, drink, womanize, etc., because this is the only way he knows how to relax. He’s great at helping someone else overcome some deep personal problem, like Lard Lad or Jailbait Lass, but never once will mention his own.

I know, we all have caveats for our characters, but I sometimes feel Cobalt is misused. So I just wanted to get that out there because it makes me feel better.

Now that I’ve got my disclaimer out of the way, I’d definitely be interested in being a co-editor and co-writer. I know the history of the LMB very well and can help change several nuances while adhering to the general spirit of what we’ve always tried to do. Cobalt Kid, Jailbait Lass and the Office of Security are all my characters that I’d be glad to use. I’ve got several others (dozens if not hundreds). Many of the LMB villains are mine, or at least my co-creations, but it sounds like you guys have several other options you’re kicking around. Of course, I also have a few secret alt IDs that I use or share, that I can only reveal in secret emails rather than say out loud who they are.

Again, this isn’t directed at any one in particular, but I just wanted to get it out there for anyone interested in using Cobalt to see. Y'know?

Hmmm... This all sounds like it would be fun, but I don't know if I can commit to attending. Too much other stuff I have to work on. So if, for the sake of coherency, you have to make the current DL disappear under mysterious circumstances and have somebody else take the post over, it's cool with me.

cleome, we accept no such resignation!

You're the deputy leader and thats that! We like you as deputy!

But if somehow the story has to be adjusted for story's sake, so be it. It doesn't need to effect the real LMB on the Mission Monitor Board. This is just for the storyline of a possible webcomic that would be different anyway.

Cobie-

how's this for an idea?

Cobalt Kid never appears on-panel.

Since I (perosnally) want to avoid cast-of-thousands scenes, especially for characters that would need to be designed in extensive consultation with their users, the portion of the story I will draw will largely remain off-LW (Joe or Cru or someone can draw LW, if they are so inclined), and thus off-world security ops can remain in BEA hands rather than LW Security Office.

Cobalt Kid might be a voice over the comm system (scripted by you) when/if needed, and perhaps CK can file 'reports' (linked blogs. Think of the back-up info pages during TMK) based on his interpretation of ongoing events (again, written by you), and including relevant news/events that the characters I am drawing wouldn't be privy to.

Thus CK would remain an unknown; readers would have a few brush-strokes about him, based largely on how others perceive him, and by what little CK himself says in an official capacity.

It might be easier not even to ref the current leadership, as this is to be an alt-reality, and it it might be inconvenient to change leaders in-story to concide with next elections (if/when they are next held).

But even if Lardy is referred to, we can leave you out, Cleome, without you needing to resign/disappear.

Kent, that sounds like a great way to start. It'll at least let me build a comfort level. And I like having Cobalt off panel for the initial stages, and it fits as an authority figure of the Security Office (who would naturally be closely working with the BEA since they are like opposite sides of the same coin).

I trust you and Abin, obviously (after what, 6+ years now of knowing each other's styles--yeesh, time flies), but just want to get comfortable. So I'm not suddenly vetoing things you guys are working hard on.

I would like to help out too in some plotting / story ideas, so eventually I could help bring him in. In the meantime, I really like what you guys are planning so far. I think you (Kent) have it exactly right: start small, with not a large cast, and gradually introduce people as you go.

Oh, okay, thanks guys. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't inconveniencing anyone.

Whew.

We can work inside or outside several frames and there are lots of characters available for support roles or "surprise guest star" moments so I'm not too worried about any specific group members in the opening of this first arc.
Cobes being behind the scenes at first sounds like a fun little mystery for the audience too.

Yk, Kent, check your e-mail...

Hey! don't know about YK, but I needed some time to read, re-read and digest it. Hold your horses already!

YK-

I'm posting this here because I'm not sure of the extent of your email difficulties. I got both copies of your last item... did you get my stuff?

We really need to address the very methodology.

Seriously.

Deal-breaker seriously (hate to sound like a wet blanket, but I can't be shoveling coal in the furnace room while you guys are relaxing in the lounge).

"added crunch?"

that sounds like a job for SharkLad ...

or Cap'n Crunch ...

"all kidding aside" (something I rarely endorse), it seems like you guys are up to some great stuff ... good luck!

okay i think i have a rough idea with whats going on ( only read pages 9)

i would like to help

i can have try to have pages done a week

my boss is bugging me to work on a project that he has nothing to do with him. and doing some on web stuff could be fun, i just have to let every one know i can not do anything NOT WORK SAFE.

so you still need an artist??

Hang on a minute. One of us ought to get back to you on it sometime tomorrow. I hope.

okay

if you want to email me. i had my old email im my profile, i just changed it to have the right one

if you guys want me to do it let me know

Hi KF2F, thanks for responding, I e-mailed you some details and I hope you'll be even more interested one you get a better idea where we intend to go with this...

got it and sent you one back

I can't access my personal e-mail on the work 'puter, so it'll be this afternoon before I can read it and answer.

do you want me to send my reply to u in a private message

another artist! cool!

I'm knee-deep in school stuff. It may get somewhat better by the end of the month, but I'm glad to see KF2F jumping in.

I do want to contribute to Pagan Lass designs, at a minimum... but please keep me in the loop how much you want to do.

well i was thinking we could both do designs and if we like one we can keep it, or we can mix and macth

sounds good!

can i make characters too

Why Yes, Yes You Can!

If you want to, but there's no gaurantee that I'll get it faster that way. Some days I can check in here frequently, others I can't.

Kent and Yk can u describe Nick Shakespeare and Bob...

I see Nick as a sort of cross between Kent of the 5YL era and Rond Vidar of the Reboot era: 20-something professional, but seems older because of responsibilities. Glasses, trim dark hair, generally clean-shaven (when he has stubble it's 5 a.m. shadow, working all night [or multiple days in a row], not 5 p.m. shadow).

Jaw/face shape closer to Reboot Rond than Giffen's Kent. Black hair.

Tends to dress snappy when in diplomat/bureaucrat mode, but more comfortable in the field (more like 5YL look).

okay this is the my first attempt at pagan lass i only colored her hair cause that was the only color i was given

can i get what bob is supposed to look like?

Sure.

Triple-G is actually rather tall and quite slim, 6 and 1/2 feet tall in his normal form (pro football player height) not what you'd expect out of a "powerhouse". He can grow to about a hundred feet tall and has learned to grow and shrink back to normal size very quickly as a combat technique - rather like Violet (or the Atom) has been shown to do sometimes but as a giant. I feel that can be very effective.

His face and build are like a young Johnny Depp (21 Jump Street not the Pirate movie look) and always effeminate. He'd rather spend time being "one of the girls" and loves shopping so feel free to experiment with fashion and shoes/boots/slippers. If you have a flair for "good girl art" then definitely apply it to Bob.
In a way he's part comic relief (people's reactions to him should be amazement or disbelief), part shock value (such a nice boy but not at all afraid to "dead lift" a starship or punch through a building) and part Colossal Boy (for dynamic visuals).
Green skin and hair with hazel eyes (green with flecks of gold) but his hair style is also adaptable according to whatever is the current style, usually short though. I currently see him this way in my mind's eye.

I did a new costume for him recently here since his old outfit flashed a lot of skin and seemed to make people very nervous. The uniform is relatively blaster proof (sheds energy weapon blasts) and is armored as protection from projectiles. It's very good but alas not perfect.

I hope that helps. Please feel free to ask for more if you need to.

my first pass at bob

Very cute. I like the cape detail and the added arrow on the boots and gloves are a nice touch.
"Officially" he's adopted the name The Macro-Man and the edging on the cape does seem to suggest a large M so it works out pretty well.

Don't be afraid to drop that cut out almost to the belly button, he's kind of a show off and he's always been a little jealous that he didn't think of Tyroc's costume first. And I'd prefer a sort of X-Men cuff to the boots.

I like his face, the look of self confident amusement fits him perfectly. He looks great!

i was thinking that he would be the kind of guy that had a few costumes...you know to change into depending on what kind of mission he's on

He's so much fun to write.

I gave some thought to another experiment too.
http://theuniqueadventuresofthelmb.blogspot.com/

Text Adventures for our comic book heroes! Yeah - I know we already do that a lot but I thought it might be fun to post LMB things. Stuff not worth making a whole thread for, scenes, short collaborations, character bits and bios, whatever

..or if it doesn't get anybody else posting in it I'll just ramble along and see where it goes

Where is everybody?

How about some common plot points and elements that all three of us (or more) can use to write solo stories that dovetail into the meet-up for the climax of a story?

I'm still working on that multi-media approach but I have to learn how to use some of these java thingies.

I think we discussed PL being in captivity at the outset.

As I see it, an interrogation sequence by the bad guys could establish a few plot elements, and avoid reliance on exposition. We can show, rather than just tell.

Maybe she escapes thereafter, but finds her powers are gone/reduced, and she has to wonder if the *let* her escape.

From there, some sort of news coverage about PL or Ranger could let us segue into Bob and Nick. Maybe even follow a parallel sequence as they react/go about their own affairs, and get further mixed into the story as well.

Yeah, it's that parallel sequence thing I'm trying to work with.
You wanna draw that page you just outlined? My next blog post should put 3G in transit to the rescue mission. Another blog post in a few days sets up the rescue.
I'm not going to hurry it though. I could always add extras to flesh things out.