Showing posts with label flash gordon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flash gordon. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2009
HAPGOOD of MONGO
Hapgood of Mongo is taking shape in script form, and will be through development and preproduction pretty fast. :)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
HAPGOOD of MONGO
As the sort of anti-Flash Gordon and comedy relief character in Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars, "Happy" Hapgood became one of those "new arrival" characters that are half reviled and ignored and half loved by otherwise alienated fans. Such characters allow people who don't "get" or like an original work to "get" it via the prism of a new character, usually quite alien to the original intent of the original creators- much like the ever-irritating (to me) characters of Berenice Summerfield and Iris Wildthyme in the Doctor Who mythos. To me such characters seem utterly unnecessary and a total copout- rather than deal with the original material respectfully and appropriately, people shoehorn new characters in.
Well then I started trying to redo the public domain Flash Gordon works as animated films, didn't I?
Being too arrogant or too creative to ever normally stoop to use the characters of others except in explicit pastiche, I was struck by the potential for hypocrisy (or at least accusations thereof) in my use of Flash Gordon. That being so, I did some exhaustive scholarship on the man and his (fictional) times. And so arose my strange bump of intuition in relation to Hapgood, the unloved reporter.
In point of fact as a character he's fine. As acted by Donald Kerr he's also a well rounded and finely drawn character, and probably Kerr's finest moment -certainly the actor's only moment "in the sun" as it were.
As such he seemed a perfect subject to use to extend the Flash Gordon mythos.
This is because, despite 75 (count 'em) 75 years of existence, and other than the Filmation 1979 cartoon series (first season anyway) Flash Gordon languishes in the same cyclical storytelling purgatory as the legion of comicbook characters who are his imitators in almost every way. In the original comic strip there is no closure and very little advancement, certainly no character arc to speak of. There is validation of the characters we encounter, but not actual growth, unless we count Zarkov's miraculous transformation from raving potentially homicidal and suicidal lunatic to good-aligned version of Lex Luthor.
My purpose in trying to empower this mythos is to give it its life and its growth. At some point in the unfolding text of the films and other media I intend to create and have others create the story has to be passed from the original protagonists to their successors. The heroes all want to settle down and marry and reproduce. Even my version of Zarkov, with his robot girlfriend, will probably create some unholy engram-imprinted robot child or children at some point- with no doubt disastrous results.
Enter Hapgood. He is the anti-Flash Gordon, a nosy self-centered and "typical" human, not a spit-curled demigod or alien aristocrat. He's also no genius. He is the flip side of heroes like Flash Gordon or John Carter of Mars- antiheroic not by alignment- he's a "good guy"- but in attributes. He is not capable of the fighting prowess of the classic interplanetary hero. He is not capable of the feats of "blue magic" or science of the scientists of Mongo (or Earth). He is in fact almost the eidolon of journalist- a life support system for a point of view.
At least when we first encounter him in my version.
So to the few Hapgood fans out there- please embrace my vision, and when in coming weeks you see the new creation emerge, please PLEASE tell me what you think of my salvaging (and salvation?) of "Happy" Hapgood.
Well then I started trying to redo the public domain Flash Gordon works as animated films, didn't I?
Being too arrogant or too creative to ever normally stoop to use the characters of others except in explicit pastiche, I was struck by the potential for hypocrisy (or at least accusations thereof) in my use of Flash Gordon. That being so, I did some exhaustive scholarship on the man and his (fictional) times. And so arose my strange bump of intuition in relation to Hapgood, the unloved reporter.
In point of fact as a character he's fine. As acted by Donald Kerr he's also a well rounded and finely drawn character, and probably Kerr's finest moment -certainly the actor's only moment "in the sun" as it were.
As such he seemed a perfect subject to use to extend the Flash Gordon mythos.
This is because, despite 75 (count 'em) 75 years of existence, and other than the Filmation 1979 cartoon series (first season anyway) Flash Gordon languishes in the same cyclical storytelling purgatory as the legion of comicbook characters who are his imitators in almost every way. In the original comic strip there is no closure and very little advancement, certainly no character arc to speak of. There is validation of the characters we encounter, but not actual growth, unless we count Zarkov's miraculous transformation from raving potentially homicidal and suicidal lunatic to good-aligned version of Lex Luthor.
My purpose in trying to empower this mythos is to give it its life and its growth. At some point in the unfolding text of the films and other media I intend to create and have others create the story has to be passed from the original protagonists to their successors. The heroes all want to settle down and marry and reproduce. Even my version of Zarkov, with his robot girlfriend, will probably create some unholy engram-imprinted robot child or children at some point- with no doubt disastrous results.
Enter Hapgood. He is the anti-Flash Gordon, a nosy self-centered and "typical" human, not a spit-curled demigod or alien aristocrat. He's also no genius. He is the flip side of heroes like Flash Gordon or John Carter of Mars- antiheroic not by alignment- he's a "good guy"- but in attributes. He is not capable of the fighting prowess of the classic interplanetary hero. He is not capable of the feats of "blue magic" or science of the scientists of Mongo (or Earth). He is in fact almost the eidolon of journalist- a life support system for a point of view.
At least when we first encounter him in my version.
So to the few Hapgood fans out there- please embrace my vision, and when in coming weeks you see the new creation emerge, please PLEASE tell me what you think of my salvaging (and salvation?) of "Happy" Hapgood.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
IT IS DONE...
Just finished the footage for EMPIRE OF PLANET X!It finishes on a surprisingly grownup note, with Dale and Flash together but their wedding still frustrated, and Dale plaintively having the last word... Then a final preview of evil and the credits roll...
The film has been a lot of fun even though I have managed some days to do no more than ten minutes work on it. As I said in a previous post given the controversy surrounding my documentary projects and related book publishing EMPIRE OF PLANET X is a welcome diversion and a nice reminder of where I used to be focused...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
EMPIRE of PLANET X: the way ahead
Empire of Planet X is the first film in the planned series. Then come two concurrent films with slightly overlapping narratives- Hapgood of Mongo and Spawn of Sogyambi. Spawn is the story of a duo of heroes fighting the Ming War, the heroes being the two most hairstyle challenged of the heroic Mongovian royalty, Barin and Thun. Hapgood of Mongo tells the story of a victim of Azura on Earth who is mysteriously transported to Mongo in time to basically be the "comedy" antihero of the setup before joining the general cast as a desperately unneeded third wheel. It will be better than it sounds. It pretty much would have to be or why the hell do it, eh?
Then after those two films the fourth planned animated film as yet untitled is the next full chapter with the public domain versions of Flash, Dale and Zarkov and the rest fighting the Ming War. Should they be victorious in that, it falls to me to decide whether the victory over Ming needs two films- I don't think so- or whether the third and final of the first "main story" trilogy should be similar to the public domain "Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars". It has its fans but as it exists there are a lot more people hostile to it. Anyway, that is the basic plan of films. They're fun to do and will find their audience, and make a wonderful release and break from all the silliness surrounding the Khalezov Affair.
Then after those two films the fourth planned animated film as yet untitled is the next full chapter with the public domain versions of Flash, Dale and Zarkov and the rest fighting the Ming War. Should they be victorious in that, it falls to me to decide whether the victory over Ming needs two films- I don't think so- or whether the third and final of the first "main story" trilogy should be similar to the public domain "Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars". It has its fans but as it exists there are a lot more people hostile to it. Anyway, that is the basic plan of films. They're fun to do and will find their audience, and make a wonderful release and break from all the silliness surrounding the Khalezov Affair.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Secret Sun: Alien Dreaming and the Widening Gyre, pt. VI: Transmission
Flash Gordon as solar phallus, with the goddesses (aristocratic fantasy women) of Mongo (the dark "gypsy" planet, Planet X) craving his light-seed?
Flash Gordon as Mithras, Ming as..? Typhon? Storm Bull?
The Secret Sun: Alien Dreaming and the Widening Gyre, pt. VI: Transmission
Flash Gordon as Mithras, Ming as..? Typhon? Storm Bull?
The Secret Sun: Alien Dreaming and the Widening Gyre, pt. VI: Transmission
Monday, June 8, 2009
As God Is My Witness,
-I am now going to finish my fucking Flash Gordon animated film NOW.
Good night to all and to all a good night.
Good night to all and to all a good night.
Househunting
And now househunting interrupted Flash Gordon. It seems there are some things even he can't defeat- besides the Great Beast of Mongo and plagiarism.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Third Truth vs Flash Gordon
STILL didn't get to go back to Flash Gordon. Too much THIRD TRUTH stuff to do. Guess I was naive to think otherwise... But soon I promise myself soon I will be back on Mongo! :)
Flash Gordon: Ultimate Stud Ape of the Planet Mongo...
What made Flash Gordon completely irresistible to Mongovian females??? All the females Flash encountered immediately lusted after him. And it WAS lust- love doesn't even enter into the Mongo humanoid's mind according to their own testimony...
In the original somewhat cheerfully racist comicbook the yellow Mongo people had apparently never seen a "white youth" like Flash... But in more recent versions (other than the SciFi abomination, we'll forget that one forever henceforth) he is still El Studdo. It's a bit like the many romances of Clark Kent on SMALLVILLE.
It definitely plugs into some monomythic trope somewhere but I haven't really delved into the exactitudes of it yet. More on this when I have. :)
In the original somewhat cheerfully racist comicbook the yellow Mongo people had apparently never seen a "white youth" like Flash... But in more recent versions (other than the SciFi abomination, we'll forget that one forever henceforth) he is still El Studdo. It's a bit like the many romances of Clark Kent on SMALLVILLE.
It definitely plugs into some monomythic trope somewhere but I haven't really delved into the exactitudes of it yet. More on this when I have. :)
Empire of Planet X
Loving doing this film and looking forward to doing the whole series. If you haven't already, and based on its hit counter, you haven't... :) please check out the related Wiki! It's growing steadily and is much more than just eight pages pimping a film- I am entering information on all related fields including Nibiru, the Annunaki, pop culture Flash Gordon influenced or was plagiarised by *cough* Star Wars *cough* and so on.
Click here to get to the Wiki.
Click here to get to the Wiki.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
And finally... Back to Flash Gordon
Finally, after all the eerie espionage stuff of recent days and weeks I have the opportunity to finish another animated film and have some fun for a day or two. God be thanked.
Wold Newton
I remember as a boy reading a fair few pastiches, and amongst them the Phillip Jose Farmer works. His excellent books have spawned an entire online cottage industry of pseudohistorical research, creating family trees and connections between different (originally public domain or select) works, to show that a single extended family of heroes are responsible for Sherlock Holmes, Doc Savage, The Shadow, and on and on and on.
I used to adore this kind of thing, but the implicit proprietary behaviour of the Wold Newton workers, akin to that of Alan Moore, has put me off a bit. However, it was always my intention to do family trees and speciation charts for the Mongovians, and I think I'll also fit Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Zarkov into their familial contexts too.
I used to adore this kind of thing, but the implicit proprietary behaviour of the Wold Newton workers, akin to that of Alan Moore, has put me off a bit. However, it was always my intention to do family trees and speciation charts for the Mongovians, and I think I'll also fit Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Zarkov into their familial contexts too.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Timelines and Origins in Flash Gordon
The story of Alex Raymond's original version of Flash Gordon is absolutely devoid of backstory or mythos other than what was convenient for the tale. This is excellent, because it leaves a blank we can fill in now...
SPAWN of SOGYAMBI
I have always loved pastiche and I pretty much made a living off of writing it professionally at one point during my teen years, if you can believe that.
This being the case, and the oh so subtle insertion of certain Outer, Elder, Monster and otherwise squamous Gods into EMPIRE OF PLANET X, it should surprise almost no one that in addition to the film series which will more or less stumble through, deviate from and revere the 1935-1940 vintage public domain works, I will also be doing the Further Adventures of Barin and Thun, the first of which is SPAWN of SOGYAMBI.
From forest to desert, the afro prince of cool and the twitchy tree nerd with the mohawk, the Princes of Hairstyles, will be battling Sogyambi's fell spawn in one of the most out of the way spots on public domain Mongo... And in the process they will be trying to not only gain the advantage in the War Against Ming but also spare the gypsy planet the horror of subsumation by the...
SPAWN of SOGYAMBI!
Not to be missed, true believers! heh.
This being the case, and the oh so subtle insertion of certain Outer, Elder, Monster and otherwise squamous Gods into EMPIRE OF PLANET X, it should surprise almost no one that in addition to the film series which will more or less stumble through, deviate from and revere the 1935-1940 vintage public domain works, I will also be doing the Further Adventures of Barin and Thun, the first of which is SPAWN of SOGYAMBI.
From forest to desert, the afro prince of cool and the twitchy tree nerd with the mohawk, the Princes of Hairstyles, will be battling Sogyambi's fell spawn in one of the most out of the way spots on public domain Mongo... And in the process they will be trying to not only gain the advantage in the War Against Ming but also spare the gypsy planet the horror of subsumation by the...
SPAWN of SOGYAMBI!
Not to be missed, true believers! heh.
Flash Gordon
So with a heavy heart I come to the last main segments of the EMPIRE OF PLANET X feature film... It seems very likely it will get a deal straight up, and hopefully at some point will then run on SciFi Channel, to function as the mouthwash to get rid of the awful halitosis of the SciFi Channel's own unforgiveable live action attempt. :)
The first film is finishing strong, with a climactic (in every sense) sequence culminating in a battle between mad scientists, sorcerors, hawkmen, robots, zombies and blue magic men.
Fellini's got nothing on me once I get Blendering! :)
The first film is finishing strong, with a climactic (in every sense) sequence culminating in a battle between mad scientists, sorcerors, hawkmen, robots, zombies and blue magic men.
Fellini's got nothing on me once I get Blendering! :)
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