CONTEST: High Concept # 4, Kitbashing
Tom Russell
idea springboard and one powers-based. I'm going to go with the powers-
based one this time around and save the plot for if I win a second
time; I'd be curious to know, however, which type of idea gets your
creative juices flowing better-- I know Saxon's "super-parent worried
about super-kid" did wonders for my Western story.
The superhero genre, and comics themselves, are often both derided and
praised as a bastard genre (and art form, respectively), composed of
disparate parts mashed together, sometimes elegantly, sometimes less-
so. So I thought it'd be interesting to put that notion at the center
of things, with a hero or heroine with the power to evolve by
absorbing/taking on various aspects of other and at times very
different things.
Is this an organic, blob-like process? Is it psychic? Is it
technological? Do they also take on personality aspects? Is the end
result homogenous, or Leifeld-esque? Or do they look like a human
katamari ball? What becomes of the thing he or she is borrowing from?
All questions for you to answer or ignore as you tackle the challenge
of the self-improving, self-kitbashing hero!
Deadline will be three weeks from now-- that's November 18, 2009.
==Tom, wondering if this concept will appeal to anyone in particular.
Martin Phipps
> I have a couple of ideas for this next contest, one more of a plot-
> idea springboard and one powers-based. I'm going to go with the powers-
> based one this time around and save the plot for if I win a second
> time; I'd be curious to know, however, which type of idea gets your
> creative juices flowing better-- I know Saxon's "super-parent worried
> about super-kid" did wonders for my Western story.
>
> The superhero genre, and comics themselves, are often both derided and
> praised as a bastard genre (and art form, respectively), composed of
> disparate parts mashed together, sometimes elegantly, sometimes less-
> so. �So I thought it'd be interesting to put that notion at the center
> of things, with a hero or heroine with the power to evolve by
> absorbing/taking on various aspects of other and at times very
> different things.
That sounds like the first season of Heroes: Peter absorbed other
people's powers and eventually blew up.
Martin
Tom Russell
> That sounds like the first season of Heroes: Peter absorbed other
> people's powers and eventually blew up.
I should probably get around to watching Heroes eventually, if only b/
c I hear Robert Forster is in it.
> Martin
==Tom
Martin Phipps
I see.
Besides the heroic Peter who simply absorbed powers, the villainous
Sylar also collected powers, usually by killing the person he took the
powers from. Peter's father was also villainous and he took powers
from people and left them powerless. This was a recurring theme on
Heroes until they realised it made characters too powerful.
Another recurring theme on Heroes was people getting visions of "the
future" and then spending the whole season trying to prevent it. They
used that gimmick three seasons in a row.
So far Heroes has borrowed a lot from X-Men: besides the getting-a-
vision-of-the-future plot which rips off Days of Future Past we've had
characters looking for a "cure" to their powers, a villain planning to
artificially give powers to ordinary people so that powered people
could be accepted, a government directive passed to register and
relocate them (that was soon forgot about at the end of season three)
and even a disease that kills powered people but not ordinary people
(that was soon forgotten about after season two). Oh and of course
the powers (telekinesis, mind control, telepathy) are a bit familiar
too. They did get Stan Lee to make a guest appearance but I think
Marvel would get upset if they ever started refering to themselves as
"mutants". (There was a British series called The Tomorrow People that
was just like Heroes and they didn't use the word "mutant" either so
maybe that's where Marvel draws the line.)
Martin
Tom Russell
involve absorbing various objects, a character (robot?) manually
adding parts-- really, any writer can and should interpret the basic
"gestalt hero/kitbashing" theme as broadly as they'd like.
> Another recurring theme on Heroes was people getting visions of "the
> future" and then spending the whole season trying to prevent it. They
> used that gimmick three seasons in a row.
That's probably why I've avoided it so far. :-)
I don't have much love anymore for X-Men and its endless subplot-
itis. I do, however, have fond memories of watching THE TOMORROW
PEOPLE, though I can't remember anything about the show itself other
than the brief outline you recounted.
==Tom
Dave Van Domelen
to wait until I finish ASH #101, which is almost done.
Dave Van Domelen, "In 1927 when on an expedition for his older brother,
James Ripley found something extraordinary that changed his life forever.
Believe it...or not!"
Scott Eiler
> Okay, I've got my concept (and Andy seems to have his), but it'll have
> to wait until I finish ASH #101, which is almost done.
Okay, I've got one too. Feel free to hold your collective breath as
usual. 8{D>
Andrew Perron
> I have a couple of ideas for this next contest, one more of a plot-
> idea springboard and one powers-based. I'm going to go with the powers-
> based one this time around and save the plot for if I win a second
> time; I'd be curious to know, however, which type of idea gets your
> creative juices flowing better-- I know Saxon's "super-parent worried
> about super-kid" did wonders for my Western story.
I'd like to see more plot-based ones (he said, having not yet actually
entered in any of these contests).
> The superhero genre, and comics themselves, are often both derided and
> praised as a bastard genre (and art form, respectively), composed of
> disparate parts mashed together, sometimes elegantly, sometimes less-
> so. So I thought it'd be interesting to put that notion at the center
> of things, with a hero or heroine with the power to evolve by
> absorbing/taking on various aspects of other and at times very
> different things.
Hmmmmmm. Doing it Mega Man/Rogue style is the obvious, but...
> Is this an organic, blob-like process? Is it psychic? Is it
> technological? Do they also take on personality aspects? Is the end
> result homogenous, or Leifeld-esque? Or do they look like a human
> katamari ball? What becomes of the thing he or she is borrowing from?
> All questions for you to answer or ignore as you tackle the challenge
> of the self-improving, self-kitbashing hero!
Woo!
Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, Galidor'd!
Saxon Brenton
Okay, I've got my concept. Not exactly going to be a /hero/ absorbing
stuff, but bending/folding/spindling/mutilating the basic concept is
part of the fun.
> I have a couple of ideas for this next contest, one more of a plot-
> idea springboard and one powers-based. I'm going to go with the powers-
> based one this time around and save the plot for if I win a second
> time; I'd be curious to know, however, which type of idea gets your
> creative juices flowing better-- I know Saxon's "super-parent worried
> about super-kid" did wonders for my Western story.
weirdest ways sometimes. Could be plot based, could be powers based.
---
Saxon Brenton
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Tom Russell
there have been posting problems as of late, I'm using my powers as
Current Contest-Running Guy to extend said deadline by one week.
Voting will commence on November 25th.
Happy writing!
==Tom
Andrew Perron
My evil plans proceed apace!
Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, *cackle*
Tom Russell
> Voting will commence on November 25th.
Er, make that November 28th. :-) Sorry about that. Thanksgiving and
such.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TPWDHGF
Voting ends in one week-- December 5th.
==Tom
Andrew Perron
Woo! Everybody vote for me! Or someone else!
Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, or Carl!
Tom Russell
==Tom