Its Not for you! - a look at rebooting your childhood.

There are a lot of 80s cartoons being rebooted of late.  Voltron started a while back.  We have new TMNT ( again) new Thundercats, and new She-Ra cartoons all premiering later this year or next year.  They all appear to be drastic departures from the versions so many of us grew up with, so its understandable that some of my fellow 80s kids have a hard time with this change.  I did too for a long time, but in this post I want to to talk about how I became OK with the reboots and my new philosophy on Life, the Universe, and Cartoons.

Much of my life has been inundated with thinking about the things I loved as a child.  The cartoons, movies, and toys of the 80s are all such a huge part of what I loved about growing up.  They were important to me.  I have fond memories of lounging around and watching the mid afternoon cartoons on my families woodgrain TV with very persnickety tuners.  These cartoons were how the kids of the day formed a lot of their social interactions.  It was the water cooler talk of Kindergarten and first graders.  

Of course, watching the cartoons led to buying the toys and playing with those.  The characters and the franchises were on the screens as well as down the toy aisle.  I saw some of these characters more than I did some of my family members.  You form connections unwittingly to these characters and franchises. 

And this is where fandom gets tricky - you see, we love these things.  We have supported these things for years - often when no one else did, we support them so much that we often feel like they belong to us, That we own them, and that the franchise owes us something for our support.  We compare everything to that original version that we saw as kids.  If it does't touch that nostalgia space in us -  it sucks and had destroyed our childhood ( one of the worst phrases in this whole debate of reboots - also something a reboot can't actually do). It’s broken and it doesn’t deserve to exist.  It is worth less than the value we have put on it in our minds.

But here is the thing-  we don’t own it -  and honestly what we think doesn’t matter.  Let’s be real for a minute .  The original Thundercats is excruciating to watch.  The remake in 2012 - was good - but kids (still the target audience) - didn’t like it.  So honestly what do we know anyway.  Its important to accept these shows aren’t made for us -  but - it’s still there and they represent a new way for us to interact with the franchise.  These new shows are for our kids.  It provides a new way for our kids to interact with the franchises we loved when we were kids.  It is a way for us to connect.  Our kids will love these -  this will be their Thundercats or Ninja Turtles, or She-Ra.

The same ultimately goes for movies -  for all of you who are disheartened about the direction of the new Star Wars trilogy. Luke Skywalker was your hero - he was mine -  but it doesn’t mean he should be redirected in a saintlike stature - because our kids don’t have the co. Action to him.  Like it or not these new movies aren’t for us.  Once again they are for our kids - and those who did not grow up with warn out VHS copies of the movies.

It took me a long time for me to get to this place in my life.  I was there, specifically with Doctor Who.  Weathering the wilderness years between the classic and new series was hard.  When I came out of the other side of it- it did feel like I was owed something.  and in a way that I was superior.  that I knew what was better for the series.  As it turns out I didn't, and the BBC still owns it.  Do I think they have made some odd choices - yes I do.  do I think the show will go on. . . Yes I do.  Do I still watch every single episode. . . Yes I do.  You see that show - isn't made for me any more.  it is made for a different audience, but it is still mine to support if I choose to.  So, Bring on Jodi Whittaker and here is to her being the best Doctor yet!

Now don't get me wrong, we are all entitled to our opinion.  you are perfectly fine to not like something.  You should be proud of the things you don't like and you should be able to vocalize why you don't like it.  That is what fandom is about.  In the end though - say your peace and let those who like it like it.  If you are able support it, because of what it was.remember most of those who are making these things now are like us.  They grew up with it and are putting that lense on it as they are creating it.

Ultimately it is time for us 80s kids to appreciate that we have grown up and that we are no longer the audience for these cartoons - That these new versions are being made for someone else.  You should watch these shows in support of what they once were and what they will be for the next generation.  We owe them that support.  Buy the toys for the kids in your life - and remember what it was like when your parents or loved ones bought them for you.  Remember that feeling and be happy that you can share it with your kids.  This will create the next generation of creators, animators, comic makers, and generally good people!

You can view images, trailers, or intros for some of the upcoming reboots below:

The new She-Ra upcoming from Netflix coming later this year!

(P.S. I'm secretly looking forward to all of these reboots - and the action figures that will come with them!)

Tom Baker and the Mortality of Heroes

When I was young the Doctor was my hero.  Not just any Doctor but Tom Baker as the Doctor. There was something soothing about his melodic tones.  Something that reminded me that everything would be all right.  He was in the universe defeating the monsters and the injustice so that I didn't have to.  He inspired me to be strange and goofy if I wanted to, but also reminded me that I could be serious too.  He convinced me that I should keep full pockets of trinkets because you never know when you might need one of them.  He taught me how to make an entrance at the most inopportune time.  He taught me there was a time to fight for what you believe in, but also to make the best decisions I could while doing it.  He taught me all of that in season 12.

The Fourth Doctor - Image Copyright BBC

Tom Baker defined the role of the Doctor in my mind when I was very young.  He defined it in season 12. That is a near perfect season of the show.  For me it is what I judge all other seasons against, and to be honest, all other actors who are in the role.

Last night I had the opportunity to watch the Directors Cut of "Genesis of the Daleks" at my local theater.  The cut was put together in 1975 and it is rough, the edits seem hastily put together, incidental music is cut off, and the story is mostly able to be followed.  That said it did take a story that is nearly 3 hours long and condense it down to 90 minutes, which is no simple feat.  Its not perfect, but it was super fun to see it on a big screen.  Its great that we live in a time that you can go to a theater and see a 43 year old Doctor Who serial presented in a way that hadn't been seen in some time.

The thing that has been bothering me though, is an interview with Tom Baker at the end of the production.  We get the opportunity to see Tom be candid about the show, people involved in it, and more importantly, his mortality.

Tom drives home many of the answers to the interviewers questions with fun anecdotes from when he got the job and how the people around him reacted.  He looks back at how much life he had - how exciting it was to be him at that very moment.  He also mentioned mistakes he made toward the end of his tenure as the Doctor.  It is clear he has thought a lot about his time on the show quite a lot over the last 43 years.

And that brings me to his thoughts on his own mortality.  This is hard to watch.  Tom is well into his 80s at this point, so he is not young.  He knows this.  It seems to be a part of his whole being when he speaks.  It feels like he is jumping back in to the Doctor Who world long enough to get his feet wet and to enjoy some of that youthful exuberance that he once had.  He has been pounding out the Audio Adventures with Big Finish over the last several years, and of course he made that beloved appearance in the day of the Doctor -

Tom Baker as The Fourth Doctor in the recent
release of Shada- Image Copyright BBC

Taking a step back and thinking about a much younger version of myself watching and re watching VHS tapes that were recorded off of our local PBS station.  I watched Tom Baker story after story, week after week,  fight tyranny and stand of what what was right.  I realized then (and now) that these are stories, but it doesn't change the fact that it is difficult watching this fictionalized hero that walks in eternity age. and watch him be tragically aware of this own mortality.

Tom Baker defines so much of my character.  The time I spent watching his adventures as a child and into adulthood is immeasurable.  I was inspired by him.  I continue to be a fan of Doctor Who, in no small part, because of his contribution to the show.  So much of what I latched on to comes from him.

Don't get me wrong, I think we have a lot more Tom Baker to come. But it is difficult to watch your childhood hero be so aware of his mortality, but I know there is a small part of me that is so heavily inspired by the man.  I will always appreciate him for that!     


     

Is the Doctor a good man? Taking a look at morality in the Doctor Who Universe

In the latest episode of Doctor Who, the Doctor asked Clara a simple question.  He asked “Am I a good man?” He asked the question in a way that was almost challenging the audience to answer the question as well as Clara.  He asked us to reach back over the last 50 years and judge the character of the Doctor.  Well. . .maybe I am reading a little too much into that, but I did begin to think about it.  The morality of the Doctor is something that has always intrigued me.

On the Surface the Doctor is a hero, and of course we relate heroes to good people.  People who fight for truth, justice . . .and the way of the people they are fighting for.  A hero is judged in the context of their own society.  Thus I may think of a hero or a good man differently than say someone from England.  We all have a different cultural definition of morality, and thus so should the Doctor and the universe he lives in.

The question of morality and the Doctor is not a new one.  Back in the 70s when the Doctor as traveling with Sarah Jane Smith, he reminded her that he was different.  He didn’t percive things the same way she did. . .He walks in eternity  and is NOT human.   So should we judge if he is a good man on the scale of human morality.  In the same episode (Pyramids of Mars, 1975) the doctor is faced with Sutekh the Destroyer, who for all intents and purposes is an evil entity that is above humanity and even above Timelords (or so he believes).  Sutekh tells the Doctor that “Your [the doctor] evil is my [sutekh’s] good.” This sets a landscape of the lack of a single moral code within the universe, and also tells us a little more about the doctor, because as he feels he is above humanity he is still willing to fight for it.

And Check out this out at about 4:48

The Doctor wants to be good.  He wants to do the right thing, but he is torn.  He finds himself with knowledge that does not always allow his let him follow the moral code that many of his companions have, but he does try to give the appearance of holding to that code.  Many times that is by surrounding himself with companions who have no problem being morally gray.  The best

Ace isn't afraid to use a weapon! 

example of this is Ace.  At first the Doctor and Ace seem to have a typical companion/ doctor relationship, but while the doctor objects to her more violent ways he rarely does anything about it.  Even to the point where he begins to anticipate that she is carrying explosives.  She become useful to him, a means to an end to do the things he can’t.  this continues on into the virgin new adventure novels.  At this point he is becoming something more than a hero.  He no longer believes a human moral code is any code to live a life.  This is where it becomes apparent that the doctor is really only interested in the greater good.  He has to be the champion of time he finds himself on a different level battling beings that have different scales by which they weigh morality.  These are Beings like Cthulu, or the Celestial toy maker, and the eternals. He begins to place himself on their scale of morality.

The cause of the greater good is something that  has resonated throughout the series.  Often

times the doctor is fighting against monsters who for all intents and purposes know no better or who are doing what they feel is right.  The cybermen are a great example.  They felt (well not feel so much) they thought that they were doing a service to humanity by coming to convert them.  They would make them better, stronger.  Of course the Doctor saw it as a violation of humanities rights.  The doctor chose a side that most resembled his moral code.  He had spent time with humans at this point and decided that they were worth fighting for.

These concepts lead me to think about the other side. in season 5 of the new series we see the fight against the doctor at the pandorica, where all of the monsters ganged up on the doctor because he was their monster.  He was charged with crimes against the daleks the cybermen and any number of other races.  This, of course, is because he broke their moral code.  So if you asked a dalek if the Doctor was a good man it may first say “WHAT IS GOOD” but in the end it would communicate the doctor is the opposite of what it stands for, because they have a code that they relate to . . . and that code is Evil.  Or at least it is to us.

There may be a chance to ask an interesting question here though.  Why does the doctor try so hard to meet the human moral code.  Why does he want clara to answer this question?  For this, we can take a several lines of thinking.  First, he is with humans quite a bit, so perhaps it has just been easy to adapt to that for him.  Next we could look at time lord society and I think it would be safe to imagine that the their society isn’t COMPLETELY dissimilar to ours.  Perhaps there is a prevailing moral code that goes around the universe that mirrors ours.  Or maybe it can be answered by the TV movie. . . perhaps the Doctor really is half human - and so he battles between this high flying universal code of morality and the deep humanity that he has running through his blood.

Regardless of what we think I have a feeling that question is going to strive to be answered over the coming season, and I think it will be fun to see how it plays out.  In the end the thing to remember is that the Doctor is an alien!  While he looks like us, and sometimes acts like us, he is not human (unless of course you think he is) and therefore it is hard to judge him against our idea of what a “good man” is or what a hero is.  Does he usually make the choice that we would make, yeah usually, but not always.  Sometimes he comes from the side and chooses the greater good, because he is on a higher level.  He believes at his core that sacrifice a few for the many is probably OK.  He has made himself an equal of osirens, and old gods, and guardians, and eternals.  He can’t be expected to share our morality!

What do you think?  Is the doctor a good man, am I over thinking morality in a fictional universe.  Let me know in the comments!

2013 in Review

2013 wasn't quite the year I had wanted it to be.  Instead of the year of doing I had anticipated this time last year, it was a year of learning.  I'm ok with this as it made it equally as important to me.

2013 had a good lead in from 2012 being a year full of projects.  Toward the end of 2012 I had began planning my comic and doing some preparation for doing it.  Practicing, learning how to set up pages, learning how to scan pages, learning how to decently ink.  All of these things made up a huge part of 2013.  These processes taught me more than the skill of comic making though.  Through the practice I learned to sit back and make a good product instead of just putting it out.  I learned how to do things in processes.  I have, in the past, been one who just wants something finished with.  I learned to control myself (with the help of some great friends) and let some ideas simmer and develop.  While I am still not one for waiting too long and just sitting on an idea until it is dead, sometimes something you are making just isn't cooked through yet.  Of course you can see the beginning of the comic here

After Twistoid I only need one more
figure to complete my collection.

While the comic has taken up a large part of my year its not the only thing I have done.  I have continued doing toy shows, although I have done quite a few less this year.  We did three shows this year to some success.  Through this though, I have focused my collecting a bit.  I am literally one figure away from finishing my Masters of the Universe figure collection, and I think I might actually have one of those coming.  I have found other great things to add to my collection as well, but I have also cut it back to make it more focused.  I am cutting out the clutter.

A few of the Thor issues I have gotten this year while building the collection!

 As for collections I have also had the opportunity to flesh out my Thor collection.  I have
been slowly completing a collection that my dad started years ago.  I am down to needing 56 issues to complete the original run of Thor comics!  It has been a really exciting adventure to go on.  I've learned a lot about an scene I have really been away from for some time!  I am really excited about getting even closer to finishing this collection in 2014.

Me on my sweet ride while
my leg was broken!

In the middle of the year I had a few bad experiences.  Now the great things about bad experiences is that you learn how to become stronger through them.  One of the big things is that I broke a leg.  Now, this seems kind of menial as people break legs all the time.  Mine wasn't really that bad, but it helped me learn to let go and realize some things will go on even if I'm not around.  I was out of work for 2 weeks and off my leg for 6.  I learned to depend on people.  We stayed at my in laws or my parrents house for most of that time and they all helped me get through it.  I have to admit they were saints because I was a bear during most of the time!  It was a dark period.

During that time Timegate occurred.  Without me.  For those of you who don't know Timegate is an annual Doctor Who and Stargate convention that happens over memorial day weekend.  I am the co-director of the the Doctor Who Track.  It was really tough for me to miss.  I got the play by play and of course I took part in the planning.  But I was super excited about this year and I had to miss it due to my leg.  But I powered through and now I have this year to look forward to.

After this I did get to go to heroes again this year.  and I traversed it with a broken leg.  Its not something I would want to do again, but I am glad my wife encouraged me to go!  It was another great year!

2013 was kind of a dead year for the New Monster Project, which is a pop culture, geekery, video group that I am involved with.  We brought on a new member and have been planning a fairly major relaunch that involves my comic, videos, and even some podcasts.  I'm pretty excited about where we will be going over the next year.




 In 2013 I continued working on "The Oncoming Storm" podcast, which is a Doctor Who Spinoff media podcast.  Because of this I have read lots of books, comics, and ebooks, and listened to lots of audios.  Actually I would say I have read more this year that I have in any other year.  I'm proud of that, I'm really happy that I have been able to be a part of that podcast!



Speaking of Doctor Who I would be remiss if I did not mention the fact that this was the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, and while I am not directly involved with Doctor Who, anyone who reads this blog will know it is a huge part of my life.  So the 50th anniversary was  a big deal.  It was a great time to reflect on the show that I love and get a lot of new insight on it.  and through the process I may have even become a little more tolerant of new fans, which an't be a bad thing, can it?

Looking back on all of these thing I see that it probably has been a busier year than I really thought it was.  All in all its been another Whirlwind of a year.  How was your 2013.

Doctor Who - Celebrating the Underdog

So this is it.  The day that my fandom has been building up to for . . . well 50 years.  Today marks a momentous occasion, not only for Doctor Who and it's fans, but also in a way fandoms everywhere.  Today is one of those days that you will be able to answer the question "Where were you when the 50th anniversary special aired.  Not only is it a land mark for a sci-fi show in terms of longevity, of course it also marks the occasion of an amazing around the world Simulcast.  People all over the world will have the opportunity to see the special at the same time.  Now, I want you to think, when was the last time you can remember this happening for a sci-fi show. . .(Other than the announcement of Peter Capaldi).  I mean movies are even released at different times around the world, so it must say something about the shows raging popularity.  

The best part about Doctor Who, though, is that it is an underdog story.  Not the fiction but the story of how it even happened in the first place.  Everything was against it.  The producers and directors were often (from the very beginning) set up for failure, but they pulled through.  Its amazing that the show made it the first 26 years, but now it comes back and it is literally at the top.  This is important, because it has effected so many people in so many different ways.

The show means so many things for different people.  For many of my friends it has encouraged them to be courageous in the face of adversity.  Thats a big deal.  Others see it as a inspiration as to how to treat others.  Still there are others who it has taught to hold their temper and how to use your mind in tough situations.  For me, though, the show is an old friend who has been there for me, never changing, through good times and bad times.  Growing up there was a story for every situation.  This show has been like a comfort food for me.  It has been there for me when the day hasn't gone right. it has celebrated with me when things have gone swimmingly.  Its also been there to help wind away a boring day.

Through this show I have also gained such good friends (real friends) :).  When I was in knoxville I decided it was time that I did something to meet other Doctor Who fans locally.  This connection is something I had never had the privilege of having before.  This was during the last days of the wilderness years so doctor who fandom was not as prevalent as it is today.  I decided to start a fan group, and to advertise I made flyers (this is something you used to do) and a website.  There were a few responses here and there, but one of them, Martin, became a lifelong friend and now we co direct programming a t a doctor who convention together.

This idea of a fan group never really died, and I kept doing with it, doing local conventions with the idea that I could meet other fans. . and it paid off.  in 2008 (or 9 I can't quite remember), I did a panel at connooga, and struck gold.  There were a few other fans, Jan, Kim, and Rachel.  Together we formed a group called the TWA (Tennessee Who Authority) and as of this writing the facebook group has 593 members.  IT has been a wild ride.  

Sometime after that meeting, though, I met Alan, the director of the timegate convention and We became fast friends as well.  I got involved with the convention and the rest is history.  I've been really blessed with all of these fantastic friends and so many more that I can't even name.  Its really because of this show and the incredible community that is built around it.

I think this 50th anniversary special is a landmark for so many things.  For me it is the celebration of old friends and new friends!  It is the celebration of becoming better people.  It is a celebration of underdogs.  It is the celebration of an old man who was brave enough to leave his home to have adventures and help people.

Happy birthday Doctor Who!






- Check out the Doctor Who Anniversary special today (November 23) at 2:50pm and again at 7:00 pm on BBCA

 

Let The Celebrations Begin! Familiar Faces, Docudramas, and mystical sisters!

In about 8 days the world will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor who.  I suppose that since this blog was originally created to talk about my travels through Doctor Who Fandom, it is a little odd that I have been mum on the subject of late.  I also suppose it is time that I break that celebration, at least enough so that I can celebrate this momentous occasion.

In terms of Doctor Who this has been quite a year,  There has been the regular season of Doctor Who, 50th Anniversary ebooks, rereleases of older books, 50th anniversary Audios, Comics, and a wonderful 50th anniversary special from big Finish.   We even had some old stories unearthed! But of course the one thing that every one is still talking about is the Official special that we are all waiting on.  Its been teased for a long time now.  Today part of that came to fruition.  There have been murmuring for over a year that Paul McGann may be making some kind of appearance, probably on a minisode.  Today those rumors were put to bed and they turned out to be true!  Today McGann once again graced and official BBC production of Doctor Who, and it was perfect.


 For those of us who braved the wilderness years and survived it was not a disappointment because in one line, 15 years of or so of audio cannon was legitimized.  While many of us already knew it was cannon - and could prove it - Today the BBC gave the nod.  That is important.  Not 2 weeks ago I posed a question on the facebook page for a podcast I am part of asking if "Spinoff Media should be celebrated as part of the history of Doctor Who."  Today it was, I feel like we have a new life.

McGann had a great energy and in a way reminded me what I love about Doctor Who.  for the first time since 2005 we see a Doctor who has not been through the ravages of the time war.  While this doctor is portrayed as trying to avoid the war, he has not been involved in it.  He still feels carefree.  He seems untainted by the idea o the time war.  He is portrayed as an explorer and an adventurer, which is the way the McGann doctor, from the earliest drafts, was supposed to be.  They hit it, right down to the new updated costume.  Moffat nailed my image of the 8th doctor.  I only wish we were going to get more of him, he was truly amazing in the less than 7 minutes that he was on screen.

McGann's new costume in "The Night of the Doctor"

Of course while I think McGann was the best part there is more awesomeness.  The Sisterhood of Karn, who first appeared in the brain of Morbius, makes an appearance as well as the harbingers of the the John Hurt "War Doctor".  As much as Moffat says he hates to do it, he is playing a lot of fan service right now.  Bringing back fan favorites and little bits of cannon.  Seeing the sisterhood was a lot of fun to experience, especially opposite McGann's Doctor!

I think we still have a few surprises in store for the actual special, but even if we don't,  I think we just witnessed the most importance 6 minutes of Doctor Who since 2005.  Perhaps it will bring some new who fans to the fold of spinoff media and then we will be fending them off of that as well.

So, Thank you Stephen Moffat!  You made a lot of fan's day, while making a lot of new who fans scratch their heads in confusion.  For that, I thank you!

And of course in the tradition of when it rains it pours, we were also granted a first look at a trailer for the docudrama Adventures in Time and Space!  It looks very swinging and I'm probably just as excited about that as I am the special that is coming up!





And just for good measure in cas you haven't seen it the trailer that was released last weekend:





What are you most excited about for the 50th anniversary!  I'd love to hear your comments.

Capaldi and the art of purging fans!

I feel like I have to write this post.  I know after yesterday everyone even remotely associated with Doctor Who has posted, or tweeted, or somethinged about the announcement of Peter Capaldi (I've got to get used to spelling that), but I wanted to put my two cents into the ring.

I'm not going to say much about the choice of Capaldi other that I think it was a great choice.  I am 100 % behind this decision (at the moment) I think this is a dream job for Capaldi as he has been a documented long time show of the franchise, he has a history with it, and I think he will treat it well.  I am excited to see what he does with the character.



The big thing that I feel forces me to post on the topic is this.  Peter Capaldi is the same age that William Hartnell was when he played the doctor, which puts him as being one of the oldest actors to portray our favorite timelord.  This has been a point of contention.  I think It always has.  When Doctor Who was created they didn't really know what it was.  The titular character of the doctor wasn't really the hero, that was left to the lead male companion (Ian).  But the role changed over the years and the character of the doctor became more than just the catalyst for the companions to go from crazy adventure to crazier adventure.  So finding and actor that could be a bit more versatile began to be an important part of casting decisions The doctor began to be a bit younger, but still in their forties and they were semi established actors.

When Peter Davison took over he was young, there was a lot of concern about having a doctor that was so young.  Then the doctor got to be a bit older again as the next two incarnations came and went!

Then the new series hit.  Christopher Eccleston was solidly in his forties and then David Tennant got a bit younger in his thirties, and then Matt Smith in his twenties.  All of that is OK!  The actors did their job perfectly, but with the younger actors came the change in the fanbase.  The old fans still, for the most part, supported the show and enjoyed the fiction that was being created.  Much of the new fanbase was also enjoying the show as well! There was, however another contingent.  The contingent who could care less about the stories being told.  The people who watched the shoe primarily for the personalities, the actors who were playing the parts.  Perhaps for the "Eye Candy!"

This is the group of fans who are saying "IF they go with an older doctor I'll stop watching"  A statement which I find shallow and insulting.  A statement that proves my point, that people were not interested in the fiction being created.  They were not interested in the stories being told, but were concerned only about who they were watching.  You can't honestly tell me that you love a show and are willing to drop it as soon as someone you don't approve of gets the job.

Here is an example of one such disgruntled fan:



The point of this post is really an observation that there are a lot of fans of the new series who are in the fandom, going to conventions, dressing up, and they don't even care about the franchise.  They don't care about the stories, they are petty and shallow.  What do they add?  Do they care about the harritage of the show?  Do they know/care about the wilderness years?

I want to point out that I am generalizing a bit.  I honestly believe this is a small part of new Who fandom.  And I recognize that the new show can not survive on classic series fans alone.  I love new series fans, but what I don't appreciate are  the people that are so shallow that they won't stick around long enough to give an older actor a chance.

Yeah there is a chip on my shoulder!

What are your thoughts about this kind of fandom, about Peter Capaldi being cast as the next doctor, or anything else related, let us know in the comments below!

Loving the Enemy or my fascination with the Ice warriors

This is an exciting year for Doctor Who fans, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention it.  So I'll be remiss, because I want to talk about something else happening to Doctor Who this weekend, something that is very exciting for me.  The Ice Warriors are back.

Those of you that know me or have read any of my Doctor Who Posts on this blog know that I have an unhealthy liking for the Ice Warriors.  But I don't believe I have ever taken the time to explain why.  In this post I am going to do that, In celebration of the return of the Ice Warriors I am going to let every one know why I love these second tier icy bad guys of the Whoniverse.

I got my introduction to the Ice warriors when I was very young with the Pertwee story the Curse of Peladon.  This story has all of the elements I love in my sci-fi.  A vast Space operatic federation, with intrigue, alien races, schemes, murder and a big fury monster.  Within all of that though is a morality tale about racial discrimination.  This story includes the Ice Warriors (or more accurately Martians)  as part of the grand Galactic Federation.  They are pitted to be the bad guy throughout most of the story, and the Doctor doesn't trust them, because he has encountered them before.  But these Ice Warriors are not the bad guys, and in a way they even turn out to be the heroes by saving the Doctor.

The story was great and had a great atmosphere but what I took away from it over 25 years ago is that the Ice Warriors (and Ice Lords) are awesome.  I had never experienced a story, at least in Doctor Who, where the monster turns out to be the good guy, where the Doctor misjudged someone based on his past history with their race.  Now that is not to say that it hadn't happened but I hadn't thought about it like that at my age.  The story really spoke to me and so did the Ice Warriors.

Unfortunately this is the only time (on TV) that the Ice Warriors have been treated like this.  They were the villains in their previous 2 stories, and again in the sequel to Peladon, and unfortunately we never saw them again on the show.  They have however shown up in novels and Big Finish audios and they have shown up as both the villains and the allies of the Doctor, and this is always exciting.

This Idea that an alien race can have the same sensibilities as the human race really captured me as a kid and still does now.  The idea that there are good Ice Warriors and Bad Ice Warriors is stunning to me.  

Now all of that leads me to mention "Cold War" which is going to air this weekend and bring back the Ice Warriors after nearly a 40 year absence from our TV screens.  The images of the Ice Warrior that we have seen so far are pretty amazing.  They are really going back to the roots of making them viking like with some of the small designs in the costume, while at the same time staying very true to the design.  The story, however is what I am most curious about

This story is a historical and appears to be taking place on a submarine.  I have a feeling it is going to harken back more to the Second doctor's encounters with the Ice warriors, in which there is an ancient Ice warrior who came to earth from Mars during our Ice age and has been rediscovered and hence re awakened.  The Ice Warrior will be the villain in this story.  While it is not the way I would bring the Ice Warriors back (I would bring back the Galactic federation and all of it's space opera glory!) I feel it will not let us down as being a good trapped inside with a monster story.

I look forward to this story and hopefully it will be successful enough to bring the Ice Warriors back the way they should be brought back, with their honor in tact!

Just as a note for those of you who don't know my name of the internet has been Izlear for about 15 years now.  This of course hearkens back to Izlyr, the Ice lord from the Curse of Peladon.    


Why do you love the monsters you love in Doctor Who or any other show you love.  Leave your thoughts in the comments below!      

Doctor Who The Snowmen . . . Thoughts

Christmas means many things for so many different people.  For Doctor Who fans for the past 8 or so years it has meant a new Christmas special, a slightly longer episode that holds us over un til the next season (or season half) begins.  This year is no different and the good doctor returns to us in a christmas special that, in my opinion, stands apart from the rest.

I have made no secret that I have not been a huge fan of the first two seasons of the Moffat produced, but I have also said the last half season has been my favorite of the Moffat produced offerings.  He is taking the character of the Doctor and the show in direction that I fully approve of, and in a direction that is fitting for the upcoming fiftieth anniversary.  I have to say this special continues that trend for my viewing pleasure.  

Lets start with the intro.  I could make this whole post about the intro.  I have actually kind of kept radio silence with this episode and had heard no rumors or anything of the sort, but as the transmission began and the intro began rolling I felt an energy in the air that I hadn't felt in a long time.  The colors swirled and if I'm not mistaken I saw throwbacks to just about every past intro in the shows history.  And then there it was!  Matt Smith's face subtly in the stars.  I had been waiting for this since the show came back.  It is one of those things that in the early days of nu-who us old timers thought that once we got that we would have arrived.  Well, we have arrived.  Watch the new intro below.

As the new intro finished the story began to unfold and we are introduced to snowmen and villains, and more interestingly the new companion. . . or should we say that we were introduced to her again. Yes Jenna Louise Coleman first played Oswin Oswald way back in Asylum of the Daleks and she met a strange demise.  There has been tons of speculation as to what her role may be, but now we begin to get some clarification.

I have to say I love the character of Clara, She is intriguing, and fun, and cheeky, and I am inclined to say Not the Ponds.  Now, I'm honestly not meaning that as a criticism of Amy and Rory, as I feel I made amends with my feelings toward them in the last half season, but the character that was presented tonight is the character I have been wanting to see in doctor who for a long time.  While she actually does share some traits with Amy, she is a go getter, and very adventurous.  I find her more believable  I can't say why, I just do.  I really feel like it is a case of Moffat having the ideal companion in his head for most of his life, and finally getting the chance to put it on paper.  for me that character came out as juvenile, now we are getting a more well developed character that has been developed by a 40 something professional writer and not the 12 year old mind of the same writer.  It will be interesting how he develops Clara.  I will try and keep this spoiler fee so I will not comment on any more than that!. . . for now.

I will say this.  We are once again introduced to the TARDIS again through the eyes of a companion.  and Oh what a sight it is.  While Clara goes in and back out and does the traditional run around the box and lets us all know that it is indeed "Smaller on the outside" (see what Moffat did there?)  We are introduced to a shiny new TARDIS console that is very reminiscent of the gleaming space age console so many of us grew up with.  Gone is the steam punk cobbled together TARDIS and once again are we introduced to the SPACE AGE.  I love it.  I love the controls behind the console.  I love the white and blues.  I love the rotating pieces above the rotor.  This is the TARDIS, for me, more than any other new who design.  As I am introduced to this room all I can think is "Welcome to Doctor Who"

The story brings in Madam vastra and company and they play, in my opinion, a fantastic role in this story.  Her story is expanded a bit and her role for the doctor himself is very interesting.  I have a feeling that we will see her quite a bit more.  These characters do tend to be more comic relief than they could have been, but, in my opinion there is not a word misused when they are on the screen.  I also like the fact that I feel like they are creating a new home base time for the doctor, He is carving out a home for himself in victorian Londen instead of a more modern London.  Madam vastra and crew have become a small family unit for the Doctor.  I'm intrigued by where they could go with this.

The story itself acts as a prequel to a story from 1967, the Web of fear indicating that the events of this story leads to the events of that story.  i love it when they do that and do it reasonably well.  I feel they did that.

Now I realize I am glowing about this story.  There were problems with it, but I don't feel the need to pick it apart, in the end I liked it and I choose to overlook the faults.  IT is the first time I have wanted to do that in a while so I will just honestly say that and let that be the end of it.

The Doctor is becoming more shrouded in mystery every time he steps on screen, all for a build up to the 50th anniversary, but this time we are given a companion that may be even more mysterious than him. 

I am excited to see the second half season for season 7.  The direction they are going is somewhere I feel is very good  I am excited to see where it leads us to november 23 of 2013.  I have feeling we have a great year to look forward to in terms of Doctor Who!  Check out the Snowmen, because I feel like it is the episode we will look back on and say that is when Doctor Who went into a new era.  I have a feeling it is a good era to be in!    

Of course I was disappointed to not see anything I recognized as an Ice Warrior in the trailer.

Midpoint: Some Thoughts on Doctor Who season 7 part 1

Typically I write a review for the new doctor who episodes as they come out.  That is one of the reasons I started this blog.  I did set out to write a couple of reviews for this season and they all sit as drafts in my dashboard.  I've tried to write, I honestly have but the muse has not taken me, and now the mid season has come and gone.  Now . . . I am ready to write. . . Go figure.

This season has been interesting for me.  Over the last two years I have been very vocal about my feelings about the new direction of the show.  I was one of the loudest supported of Moffat taking over, and since he has taken over I have been pretty loud in my disapproval.  This season has gotten me excited again.

There is something about these stand alone episodes that really energized the series for me.  With only a loose thread of the ponds and their journey ending tying them together we were able to go throughout time and space and have ridiculous adventures the way Doctor Who was truly meant to be.  We got to see glimpses of the future (with Jenna Louise Coleman (the new companion) appearing in the first episode) and we saw memories of the past as the ponds say goodbye.  I think it truly was a passing of the baton season.  Reminding up what we had, but letting us know that there is more to come.

Of course the thing that I loved about this season was the Space Ships.  My favorite sci-fi is Space Opera, and Doctor Who is at it's best when it gets the space opera treatment.  Even when not in space, we got evidence of space ships and/or great space battles wars in 4 of the 5 episodes.  I hope that is a bit of foreshadowing of things to come.

One of the things I have had issue with over the last few years is the Ponds. . . more specifically Amy.  To me Amy has been a Marry Sue character and they haven't even bothered to write good explanations for most of those qualities or traits that she possesses.  She has been a cardboard cut out of what Moffat's ideal companion is or should be.  This season seemed to break that.  I actually found myself stomaching her a bit more.  The writing seemed to present equal amount qualities and foibles.  This is something that I feel her character has lacked the last few years.  Since she has had distance from the Doctor, she has matured.  She is a much older Amy than we first met, just as the doctor is a much older Doctor, and I think that goes a long way for me.
 
This season has really taken a dark turn, and has dealt with some deep issues.  A character who has to come to terms with essentially being dead, A mad man who has basically killed a an entire race, forcing the doctor's hand to kill him, Human experimentation, genocide.  some deep dark topics for a show with a pretty young main audience.  Although, there is humor thrown in, there are some heavy themes going on here.  and to be honest it has made it a fun ride to go on.    


Now, all that said there were week points in the season plenty of them, but they were easier to disregard this time.  I feel like the Final episode was the weakest.  I think it was weak mainly because it felt like an event that we were all gearing up to.  Every one knew it was the end of the companions and they just wanted to know how it came.  I felt like the story was lost on that.  That is not to say it was bad, far from it.  I just wasn't as intrigued by the timey whimey tricks of the Moff as I once would have been.  Actually that whole thing is beginning to get old, so perhaps that plot hook will leave with the ponds, and will instead bring us a passel of space adventure plots!

This is of course the Pond's swansong season, and I feel one of the things that Moffat has done was make that too apparent.  Every week we got that knowing glance from the Doctor, Moffat really played up that emotion card.  He takes viewers for a ride, by goading them on and taunting them.  I feel that if there was a weak thread in the season it was that.  It was the reliance on the emotional impact of the last episode.  For me that was played up so much it made the final episode more of a downer than anything else.  It didn't live up to the hype Moffat had made for himself.  

One of the interesting things about this first part of season 7 is that the stuff we haven't seen is as important (or perhaps more important for the long run) than what we have seen.  We are in a post Doctor's death world/ universe, and the Doctor has been taking advantage of the universe thinking he is dead.  He is slowly making himself a ghost.  A whisper.  Records are being erased.  Moffat, with just a few lines made the Daleks forget their oldest enemy.  They are truly gearing up for the 50th anniversary.  I can feel this subtle reboot taking root and finally paying off on November 23 2013.  Though I wish they would ask the question differently than the obvious way:  "Doctor Who?" The direction has changed and I am once again along for the ride.  Moffat is slowly making me a believer in my favorite show again, and I'll be glad to come along for the ride again.

The Oncoming Storm and the Father of Doctor Who Non-Fiction

One of the many projects I am involved with is a podcast called The Oncoming Storm.  It is a podcast about Doctor Who Spinoff media, such as novels and audios, we don't talk about the TV show as a main topic, but we do some comparison from time to time!  It is a fun podcast.  My co-host, Josh Wilson  and I get the chance to talk about things we really like, and something really cool happened this past Saturday.  We got a chance to speak to Jean Marc Lofficier.

Jean Marc Lofficier has been a name I have known for many years.  He has written many of the most important bits of Doctor Who non-fiction, such as the Program guide and the Nth Doctor.  Of course his work doesn't stop there, he has written about Star Wars, Star Trek, the Twilight Zone.  He has even written for DC and Marvel Comics.

For me, talking with Jean Marc was magical.  This is a man who, in a way has been a hero to me since early in my fandom experience.  His books are some of the things that took me from liking a show, to being involved in the fandom around it!  So getting the chance to speak with him and ask him questions was great, especially since he lives in France.  It was really cool that he gave his time to us for such an interview!

I don't want to give too much about the interview away because I want you to listen to it, but he gives some great insight into the early days of Doctor Who nonfiction and the feelings about it at the time, as well as pop-culture and Sci-fi non-fiction as a whole. 

This episode of the podcast  will come out in two weeks, in the mean time you can catch up on some of our other episodes if you are interested in Doctor Who fiction or non-fiction.     

Star Trek/Doctor Who Crossover Event: Assimilation 2 issue 1 Review

Yesterday I popped down to my local comic shop to pick up the first issue of the new Doctor Who Star Trek: the Next Generation crossover comic: Assimilation 2.  Ever since I heard that this comic was coming out, I have been excited.  Though, I am not a huge fan of Star Trek I have always liked the idea of crossover media, and even more so with Doctor Who. 
 
The comic was released with several different covers.  They had two of them at the shop I go to, and I picked the one that I liked the best.  I try not to be a cover completest, so I go for what looks good to me.  My choices were cover a or cover b.  I chose cover b mainly because out of the two it was much more comic book like!  I like the hand drawn aspect of comic books, and have never been a fan of comics with actual photos on them. This becomes important soon.



As I opened the comic up I was shocked to find the art was not what I was hoping for.  While J.K. Woodward's art is fantastic, I just don't like this realistic style of art in comic books.  It takes me out of the action for some reason.  The images look as if Woodward found the appropriate photographs for the composition he wanted to make, traced them, and painted their tracings.  This isn't a criticism of the style, more of a personal taste.  However, I do feel it promotes an epic feel, which I feel it what they are going for with this story.

The series is written by Scott and David Tipton with Tony Lee.  And for the most part this issue focuses on the TARDIS crew.  This first issue is very much a set up for what is to come.  The reader gets a very basic idea of what is going on in the first few pages, then they are swept off on a seemingly unconnected adventure with the Doctor, Amy, and Rory.  The Characterization is pretty spot on for the characters and their voices are captured very well I think!  The Doctor is very much in character, wearing a hat that I am sure he picked up on the adventure, which he tends to do.  Rory gets to dig down and explore a little bit about his Roman days.  It really is a strength of the writing.  As the story progressed the Doctor Who bits are very spot on, but to be honest we see very little of the Star Trek universe.  I was actually glad to see a real focus on the whoniverse in this issue, but I think a little more of the Trek universe would have made it a little more accessible to trek fans!

I would say that the biggest weakness of this book is that it is, indeed, a set up for what is to come.  We get no real indication of what is going on, and it seems like the issue is more concerned with a seemingly unrelated adventure for the Doctor than the actual crossover.  We get only a few pages of some federation content near the beginning of the book, and only see the Star Trek cast on the last page, which I find to be unfortunate.  I feel that the action could have started earlier.  Now, I have to wait to get ant of the good "Explaining why your there" kind of stuff!

Over all it was a good book, but I think this is going to be better enjoyed as a complete series than as individual issues.  I feel that the art could stand to be a bit more "comic book" in nature, but I admit that is a personal opinion and that others will probably find it epic in nature.  I am looking forward to get a little more background info in the next issue and perhaps find out why the Borg and Cybermen are working together! 

I recomend this comic!  I think if you look at it for what the whole is going to be it will be a fantastic story, even id this issue was the pre-credit sequence to the series!

A look Back at Timegate 2012! My thoughts

Buster, my puppet making an appearance!

Being a director at a con is much different than being a con attendee.  As one would expect the experience changes.  Your fun factor shifts, and for me it shifts for the better.

I have been the co-director of Timegate for the past three years.  It has honestly been a life changing experience.  three years ago I jumped into water that was WAY over my head and Since then I have came up to the surface a bit.  As a person it has changed me to be a bit more personable, a bit more outspoken, and a bit more critical of what I say.  I have seen different ways to run presentations, and I have found myself to be more versatile.  As a director you have to be many things, a Carnival caller, a mediator if problems arise, a moderator to try to let every one have their chance to talk.

This year at Timegate has been no different, it was a great time being on "that side" of the panel room.  The guests were all GREAT! the attendees all came with GREAT questions! It seemed that everyone went away happy.  As always I walked away from the weekend with new friends.

Of course you don't want to hear my fluffy ramblings about life changes, YOU want to hear about the convention. . . So, fearless reader, I give you my thoughts on the weekend, but you have to realize I was in my panel room most of the time.

Timegate is a convention full of costumes, and friends and love for the two franchises it represents.  The weekend started on Friday.  My favorite part is always coming down to the lobby for the first time.  you see the people registering, and picking up their badges, and you see friends.  this year was no different immediately I was greeted with the faces of my dear timegate friends that I see once a year.  The people who run the con, and the people who help with my tracks.  all of them are fantastic people and seeing them is an event of it's own.

Getting started with the first panel of the weekend

The panels began without a hitch.  This year we were in a much larger room and our first panel took advantage of it.  It was a great packed panel that focused on "companions"  the panel was great, and our panelists really started the weekend of with a bang!  and Friday night continued like that.  Friday is always the busiest.  I didn't even have time to take more than a cursory look through the vendor room on Friday!  The night eneded with an open mic fan cometary of the new edition of the classic story "Day of the Daleks"!  We had some great commentators in there who seemed to really have fun.

$ Mars

Saturday is always the big day and the panels kept bringing in the crowds and the panelists were ALL so great! The real events started on Saturday as well with the $ Mars where we married A game show and Sutek Destroyer of Worlds!  We had Josh Wilson and Lars Pearson of Mad Norwegian press as our "Celebrity guests" and it was a lot of fun!  We really enjoyed it and the audience did to!  We had some great contestants a lot of great laughter!  The questions we found were very hard!

Countdown to 50 panel

The panels continued to be great, But, as it does every year,  the anticipation built us toward the script read through at the end of the night on saturday.  during the script read through we go through my library of unmade scripts and we have a dramatic reading of one.  I have to give huge props to my co-director, Martin Hennessee, and Bill Ritch of the Atlanta Radio Theater, for helping a top notch performance take place!




 Sunday continued to be great and panels went on, but on Sunday we got the best quote ever from a young attendee, when asked what his favorite thing about Doctor who was he said "The TARDIS - it travels through time and space. . . Isn't that enough"  it was GREAT! the enthusiasm of the younger demographic was fantastic!

Every thing about the con out did itself this year.  The dealer room was great, I will be doing another post about some of the things I picked up this year.

The whole con was great I do want to give a few shout outs to some people who made it great! and this is not an extensive list, and I apologize if I miss some people.

Alan Siler is such a good friend and is the guy that makes Timegate happen, so big props to him!
Marten Hennessee is my partner in crime and my co-director.  I couldn't do it without him!
Check out Mad Norwegian Press where Lars Pearson is the publisher        
Josh Wilson also works as an editor for Mad Norwegian and is also my co-host on The Oncoming Storm podcast
 Scott and Sacha both participate in The articles of the Shadow Proclamation Podcast and have a very cool new project coming very soon!
George Cockrell is the best unpaid scientific adviser a con could ask for!
Bill Ritch and the Atlanta Radio Theater Company helped us TONs.  If you get the chance to see one of their productions please DO!
Ken Spivey of the Ken Spivey Band has some great music!
Kathy Sullivan shares a last name with dear Harry, and  really knows her stuff!  Check out her books!
Denise Bagley who is usually our only staffer who could not be there this year, but she showed up anyway!  Thanks Denise!
I would be remiss if I did not thank my wife as well for letting me participating in this even every year over our anniversary weekend.  THANK YOU!

Also ALL of the people who attended the con and the panels.  There were lots of new who fans who have an interest for the new series AND have a huge respect for the classic series!  I am so glad to see that, so if you guys have any questions ASK!

The League: Ultimate Crossover Event!

 This week the League asks us to talk about a team up or "Franchise" crossover you would love to see.  This one took me a while to get my head around, but in the end I realized I had an answer, and I am actually going to get to see that team up later this summer!




—-
What pop culture heroes or stories would make for the ultimate crossover–think along the lines of Han Solo meeting up with Firefly’s Mal on a smuggling run.
—-


There has been a strange fascination with wanting to see a Doctor Who / Star trek crossover for years.  Back in the 70s fan fiction was beginning to thrive and there was a well known publication called the "Doctor and the Enterprise" (you can actually check it out here.) Since the 70s and with the continual resurrection of Star Trek every few years there has been an interest to see the Two Franchises meet.

I can't say I disagree with the notion.  I am not a Trek fan, but I would like to the the Doctor do his thing on the enterprise.  I would love to see him out trek trek.  There has been a war a brewing between the fandoms for some time.  Though the war isn't always as visible as the oft mentioned Star Trek / Star Wars war it is there.  So I would love to see the reaction to this meet up(we all know the doctor would be clever and make people mad.) 

Of course the interesting thing about the two franchises is that you have multiple eras in each franchise.  There is a plethora of combinations you could have.  Original series enterprise and any number of doctors, Next Generation Enterprise with any number of doctors.  You could even have new movie trek in there. (hmm Moffat and Abrams co-writing / producing something could be interesting)   There are so many options.

 

All that said this Actually is happening in an officially licensed product.  IDW has the rights to both franchises and they will be releasing a new comic crossover event this summer with both franchises.  I am very excited to see where this can go.  According to the covers it looks as though there will be some legacy material in here as well so we will get a few different combinations. 

















The most interesting part is the villains they have chosen.  The Borg from the Trek universe and the Cybermen from the Whoniverse.  the interesting part about this is that for years in the Who community there has been a lot of "You ripped the Cybermen off with the Borg" in our arguments in the eternal war with trek.  I am curious how it plays out.

This is a crossover I think lots of people would love to see, because there is a lot of potential for conflict.  If you think about it, the story could begin like many classic Doctor Who stories.  The TARDIS lands on a space ship and something bad happens, the TARDIS crew is blamed, adventures ensue!  Ready made classic!


Another option.

The Great thing about Doctor Who is that you can put the characters anywhere, so it is ready made for crossovers.  another Crossover I have always imagined with the Doctor would be with Stargate SG1.  The TARDIS is sucked through the Stargate and ends up on the platform.  I envision the Second Doctor and Jamie, I'm not sure why I just always thought it sounded fun, and they always are fun to watch when guns are pointed at them.  Once again it would be a ready made adventure for either franchise.  Lots of stuff matching stuff in both franchises as well.

Would love to see how the doctor (any of them) deals with O'Neil.  

Honorable Mention

Ford Prefect Zaphod Beeble Brox and Arthur Dent from Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy in any other franchise!


 

What crossover franchise crossover would you love to see?  How would they interact?  What would happen.


Check out what other league members said this week as well. 

AEIOU and sometimes Why also had a vision for the Doctor!

Portland Comics envisions a cartoon reality show!

Lair of the Dork Hoard wants to see the Mystery Machine crash into Ecto-1

Sideshow Cinema thinks about how two hunters would act together!

Conventions: Timegate

5 years ago I went to the first full weekend Timegate convention in Atlanta Ga.  Since then I have been back every year, and three years ago I was asked to be the co- director of the Doctor Who Programming.

Timegate is a Doctor Who and Stargate Convention that happens every year on memorial day weekend.  It is a weekend of panels, shows, guests, dealers, autographs, and anything else that you might find interesting about Doctor who and Stargate.  The past 3 years have been a whirl wind for me as I find myself spending time with Martin Hennessee, the other co - director) working up panels and script synopsis and events.  It is a lot of fun and all of the work is rewarded come convention time.

Timegate is a small convention where you go back every year to meet your friends from this fantastic subculture that lives under your nose.  I have been involved in doctor who all of my life but have only been involved in any sort of organized fandom for just about 10 years, and Timegate has made up a huge part of that for me.  I have met some of the best people at this convention and I think, for me, that is what it is all about, the people.

Going out into the hotel once the hustle and bustle begins is magical.  I am a showman at heart, but I don't get a chance to do that as much as I used to, this is when I am able to put on the charm, and become a carnival caller in a way.  we get to tell people what the weekend is going to be like, and hopefully that is FUN!  that is what I want people to get out of the weekend.

The staff in all of the sections of timegate is so great.  Susan and Alan are our fearless leaders and they make it all happen, so they deserve a huge thank you.  Every other member of staff that puts this together, thank you for making this happen every year.

Timegate is May 25th - 27th.  If you are available and interested you should check it out.  you can find the convention online at http://www.timegatecon.org/ .  The convention is very family friendly and is a good environment.  If you have never been to a con before this is a great "Starter Con." Check it out, you may be very surprised at what you find.        

The League: Sweetest Pop Culture Ride

This weeks league post takes me a bit out of my comfort zone.  This week we we talk about the "sweetest" pop culture ride!  Lucky for me the word ride was used . . . and not car.  So strap in we are about to look at some of my favorite modes of transport from pop culture.  Yeah, I'm cheating a bit!




—-
Besides the Batmobile, what is the sweetest ride cruising the streets of pop culture?
—-


These are not in any particular order.  To be honest these are just a few of the things that jumped into my head when I read the question for this week.  I have always been a fan of many different vehicles from cartoons and movies, but I'm not the traditional "Car" kind of guy.

I'm honestly not sure I can choose a single "sweet ride" but I suppose if I had to pick a way to get to work in the morning the ride I would choose would be:

BESSIE

A lot of new fans of Doctor Who may not know that the Doctor has been known to drive a car.  In his third incarnation the doctor was stuck on earth and helped a para-military group called U.N.I.T.  While he was here he traveled in style.  His car was called Bessie.  The TARDIS wasn't working so he had to get from place to place some how.  So this classic Roadster was how he did it.  It is a fine piece of car.

 The Doctor had another car  during his time on earth.  This time one that he built.  It was called the Whomobile.  It was more than just a car though.  It was a plane , and could even act as a hover craft.  The interesting thing about this car is that Jon Pertwee, the actor who played The Doctor actually built this car.  It was his!      


Some others that stand out to me!

 

Of course I can not talk about pop culture rides without talking about battle cat.  I have said it before, there is just something about barbarians riding on giant cat's or dogs or what ever.  I have always loved fiction with odd beasts to ride, and this is one of the things that attracted me to the franchise as a kid.  I loved the idea of battle cat.  Now I could take or leave the talking, but I loved the idea of riding on a giant cat!

The Ghost Buggy:  This is no ecto-1.  This is the sentient car/plane/boat/anything that Filmation's Ghostbusters drove around in to fight the likes of Prime Evil and his minions.  This vehicle doesn't get thought of very often, but for me it is a very important part of my childhood.  I loved the filmation ghost busters, and I loved Ghost Buggy!   






Bumble bee was every kid's favorite Transformer.  Spike was the lucky kid that got to run around with him.  He was a Volks Wagon bug, that turned into a robot.  He had snide remarks to make, and could even change his own flat tire.  Not much to look at, but would be a great ride to have!







So these are really breaking the rules but I had to include them.

For me the x-wing was always the coolest star fighter.  It was perfect for traveling, as well as dog fighting.  This was the space ship I always wanted!  I have always preferred the the star wars concept of spaceships as opposed to some of the more star trek

I have always been intrigued by the rocket ships in the Flash Gordon universe.  There is just something cool about an actual rocket ship.  In many different types of media.  Flash Gordon is just usually what I think of.  the designs were simple and elegant.  They did what they were supposed to do get from point a to point b. .. even if that was on a string!




What is your favorite rides from pop Culture.

Check out other posts from league member!

Branded in the 80s goes to the streets!


Haxbee gets black and green!

Christopher Tupa, takes to the streets and the water

Lefty Limbo talks about the master of land