A Blue Streak (Universal Phoenix Corps)

 'A Blue Streak', the first full-length story for my Universal Phoenix Corps universe is now posted!

Summary: A streak speeds through, a furious and bold blue. Its tail blazes bright, its impact blooms in might. Star Command history will be made, on a far planet coated in jade.

Now available for reading on the following sites:
A03
Fanfiction.Net

There will be at least one or two updates per month for this story until its end. Until then, enjoy!

-Wanderer out!

Taking Five: May-June

 Henry Stickmin: Two poems have been published.

Universal Phoenix Corps: Finished my rough draft for the current story!  I'm going to hold off looking at it for a period of time until I can look at it with fresh eyes. Hopefully it'll be published this summer!

Sonic Dahlias: More idea-formulating has been set forward in motion. 

Other Fanfics: Posted two poems dedicated to R. Lee Ermey and Daveigh Chase. Or rather, the characters they voiced - Sarge from the Toy Story films and Lilo Pelekai from Lilo and Stitch. RIP to them both. 

That's it for now. Wanderer out!  P.S. Happy 4th of July to all who celebrate! :)

100 Words Per Movie, Review Round 1

 I made it a goal this year to watch older films that I've never seen before but have heard of them through word of mouth or by sheer curiosity. I want to expand on said goal by writing mini-reviews - about a hundred words or less - of said films and posting them here, partially to break up the monotony that can sometimes come with writing about my fanfics. And who knows? If I feel invested enough any films I bring up, you might see some fanfics set during those films. 

I should warn that these posts will contain spoilers: if you don't want them, please look away. 

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Watership Down (1978):  I confess I cheated somewhat by watching an old film review, but I still went in unaware of what to expect. The opening animation gets special props for hitting the right balance of world-building without making it overwhelming or pointless. The watercolor backgrounds? Masterfully woven in. The characters? Either likable like Kehaar or scary like Woundwort. I do have one criticism though - while every voice actor did a good job, sometimes they sounded too similar to one another that it was hard to discern whom was talking. Other than that, I recommend this film. Also, rabbits can be vicious!

The Dark Crystal: (1982) :  I usually dig the creative designs made possible by Jim Henson's workshop, and the Dark Crystal is no exception. The set pieces, lore and character designs feel so rich, deep and imaginative that you can feel like you're right there in this other world far from ours. I grew to count Aughra as a favorite character both in design and her no-nonsense but firmly good personality. Not really sure I like Jen or Kira - both stuck out as sore thumbs. If a little more polish went into them, I think they would have fared better. Overall, a unique film.

Enjoy.

Wanderer out!

Through Smoke and Bitter Distance, Chapter Five - Part Two, Special Features

  Chapter Five, Part Two

References:

*The Bukowski Brothers running a joke shop? A possibility. But they better catch up - Fred and George Weasley from the Harry Potter series beat them to the punch. 

General:

* The mistakes Rupert made are truly his own - making mistakes and calling them yours seem to be a small but important theme in the Henry Stickmin universe. I think Henry can acknowledge his mistakes and make up for them if the player chooses. Rupert, on the other hand, does it on his own. He then works hard to make sure he avoids such drastic acts again. I'm all for improving and taking care to avoid mistakes, but it is concerning to see how hard he's willing to work in overcoming those mistakes... when making mistakes is an inevitable part of the human experience. 

That's why I included in that flashback to 'Stealing the Diamond'. Adding that and his own perspective on what happened during 'Escaping the Prison' created a path of redemption he embarked on for himself, as well as see his own wakeup call to his own complacency. I can imagine working there for eight years can dull one's senses if they're not constantly sharpened and renewed. 

*Dave trying to calm down Rupert is a segment I picked up from another story. In it, the main character tells his father that hatred can destroy a person if not kept in check when the father was ranting about a character both father and son are not fond of. The son mentioned he couldn't take seeing his father give into that hatred, and the father promised to not hate the enemy both of them shared. 

This carried over into this fic, where Dave took on the son's role. Seeing Rupert engulfed by hatred would scare him more than what any of the Toppats did to him. He cares for his friend's well-being and wants him to avoid that path before he goes too far on it. Also, I made Dave the one to get through to Rupert using he truly values - using time wisely and not letting the image of Henry win out against him. 

*Dave's own breakdown involved more than just sorrow and guilt. He also dealt with anger. This was to give Dave more than one dimension in his emotional state. In other words, I've seen the guy depicted as usually just sad or guilty about everything, but anger? That's not always prevalent. In situations like this, while it is entirely possible to only experience sadness and shame, frustration with one's self is also a common reaction. When we try our best at whatever it is we set out to do, and we don't succeed, we can either/or get mad at ourselves or others. In Dave's case, he's mad at himself - he tried to do a good job as a prison guard and/or museum guard, but things went wrong. Adding his disappointment at himself made for a more three-dimensional breakdown. It also gave Dave the courage to bring up what those Toppats did to him - they not only wailed on him physically, they also wailed on him mentally and emotionally. 

*Rupert acted as the iron grip to break through Dave's cage, and help him come into the light. This is the pivotal point for both characters - we see Dave admit what the Toppats did and Rupert, besides stepping up to calm him down and tell him he's better than he thinks he is, gradually starts taking over what is left of the story. 

I feel people can forget that even though Dave made mistakes at the prison, he still had to go through police training to get there. From what I have read and heard, it's no walk in the park. The training involves a lot of physical fitness, academic coursework and practical skills, which can take anywhere from about three months to maybe a year depending on the location and agency. That would imply that Dave did have what it took to make it through police training, and I don't think the police superiors - at least in this series - would have room for any slackers. I think it's because of his enthusiasm to do his job at the prison, combined with bad luck, Dave was dealt a terrible hand. Working at the museum didn't leave him room to give up on his skills even if it's a quieter locale by comparison. 

Rupert knows firsthand what it's like to go through police training so of course he would remind him that he's tougher than he gives himself credit for. Unfortunately, it'll take awhile for Dave to remember and believe that. Rupert will need to do a lot to help him rebuild his confidence, but he doesn't necessarily mind. It'll give him a new goal now that Henry and the Toppats are pretty much out of the picture. As soon as he and the rest of the military leave, of course. They still need to clear out the airship and Rupert has to find Dave's items. 

*It's highly likely that Dave would have said items on hand, and the Toppats would take them so he can't use them for anything. I mostly added them in to act as the MacGuffins Rupert needs to find, and although they're not inherently important to the audience, they're important to Rupert and Dave. Because of Dave's trauma, I think the audience can care about the MacGuffins because of this. 

Random Facts:

*Does Dave have a family? It's up to the beholder. I got that from other fanfics to heighten the drama and express how he needs to take his time to be back out in the world again. At least through slower means before he goes back to keeping the peace... or keeping the calm in a museum. Whichever comes first.  

Wanderer out!

Character Spotlight: The Shadow, Part Two

 

His secret message will most assuredly not be 'be sure to drink your Ovaltine'. 

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4. INSPIRATION 

My inspiration for how I'll write the Shadow is all over the place, so I'll just state that I write the man based on an infinite amount of muses. From Walter B. Gibson to the radio plays to the film, I'll take what I think works for him.  

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5. FUTURE PLANS

He'll be in UPC. He'll just be arriving way later, and will interact with other heroes and do his usual thing. There's a lot more I'll be doing with him, but I'll be keeping it mum on this site until the time comes to reveal the truth.

A Shadow/Sherlock Holmes crossover. Batman's met the famous detective. And so has Scooby-Doo. Why not the Shadow too? 

On that note, I wonder a Superman/Shadow crossover might work? That might be something... 

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6. HEADCANONS

*He's partial to Tibetan cuisine, most notably guthuk (a type of noodle soup) and ara (an alcoholic beverage). He also enjoys tea. 

*During the Great War, he faked an air crash behind enemy lines in Germany and became a secret agent. Working undercover, he helped set up an espionage network. He worked in a number of ways, such as making maps of enemy air bases and helping POWs escape from prison camps. The Germany bit is my headcanon added in to say where he crashed.

*I originally went with the notion he was Kent first before becoming Lamont, but I'm changing my tune. To keep up his mysterious aura, I will state that whomever he was originally (and we won't know), during the first World War, he was disfigured in the face. It hurt a lot, yes, but it did prevent enemies from trying to find him. 

*He likes watching thunderstorms. 

*Whenever he speaks, depending on which role he's playing, he can disguise his voice. In honor of the original radio shows, he'll have Orson Welles as Kent/Lamont, Bret Morrison for when he's in one of his many personas/disguises and Bill Johnstone or Frank Readick as the Shadow. It's hard to choose one or the other for the man. 

*He has a talent for spotting phony supernatural mediums and claims, and knows a thing or two about how magicians' tricks works. This comes from Mr. Gibson himself, who was also a magician and served as a ghost-writer for other magicians like Harry Houdini. He would know a thing or two about the subjects. 

*That said, I think he genuinely does acknowledge the presence of a higher power. He does believe in said power, but he's not going to come out and say it. He'll bring it up if needed though. 

*Due to his aviation experience and keen eyesight, he was called the 'Dark Eagle'  in World War 1. Because of this, if he had a daemon, it would be an eagle. Probably a Golden Eagle, due to how widespread they are, just like how the Shadow is known in many spots world-wide.  

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7. PERSONAL

*I'm not really sure what else is there to say about him that hasn't already been said. But I will admit I underestimated just how much the Shadow has become so integral within the halls of the twentieth century and beyond. Folks are still inspired by him to this day, some even writing their own stories with his character type in mind, while others have put together a fanzine to celebrate over ninety-five years of Shadow history. I've seen fans prefer the pulps over the radio shows and vice versa. Folks can debate all they want, but there can't be any denying that whether one prefers the pulps, the radio shows, the serials, the film, or the comics, all have their places and have cemented key aspects of his legend and the Shadow's place in fiction and in history. However, as we move further into the twenty-first century, one question remains: what will come next for him? Who's to say? Only he - and the assigned custodians of the title - will know. 

*Songs? He has two notable ones, which both focus on him proper. The first up? "The Shadow Knows" by Grand Magus - all about what the Shadow stands for. They also use one of his catchphrases as part of the lyrics.  
The second up is a phenomenal film score. Here's "The Shadow Soundtrack Music Suite" by Jerry Goldsmith One of Mr. Goldsmith's best scores, in my opinion - it captures the mysterious and ethereal touch found in the written word and radio shows perfectly. 

Now I'll step out of the shadows and into another Character Spotlight post in the near future. But for now, the Shadow movie awaits for a rewatch! 

Wanderer out!

Character Spotlight: The Shadow, Part One

 

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

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1.HISTORY

The Shadow might have been around for a long time, but I was only introduced to the Shadow through the 1994 film.

At first, I didn't really think much of him, but thanks to scouring the wide canvas of YouTube (come to think of it, that site is responsible for a lot of how I came across many characters, lol) and seeing people explain in depth the history behind the Shadow and his presence in countless forms of media - radio to film to comic books to the written word to even video games - I began to take interest. I rewatched the film and read 'The Living Shadow' written by Walter B. Gibson (and a select few of his other Shadow works), and that's how I became a fan.  

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2. THE SHADOW OF THE HOUR

Like shadows themselves, the Shadow proper is a mysterious figure to decipher, so a lot of this will be me just expressing how cool he is and why he shan't be forgotten.
We do know about Lament Cranston/Kent Allard, but even he, or they (depending on which origin story you'll be choosing) are distant enigmas. The Shadow, at least in the early stages of his appearances, appears more phantom-like. In 'The Living Shadow'  and the radio plays, he's either given a vague appearance or he's rendered invisible, making it hard to create a picture for our minds.

And yet that works as a strength to his character. All the more ammunition to use against those who let evil fester into their hearts and bring them to their knees. It also influences readers/viewers overall to believe this guy is more than just a man - he's a nearly invincible force of nature who will stop at nothing to bring down every aspect of evil down. 

By bringing them down, I really mean axing the baddies to oblivion until they're nothing but worm food. It's a little much to take in, yes, but - incoming unpopular opinion here - he does do it because a lot of these baddies are going around killing or attempting to harm people. He has been seen trying to reason with some of them, and while some have listened and even joined his cause, a lot of them don't want redemption and therefore, are resigning their lives over to him. The gloves will be coming off and he's not going to back down from doing what he must. However, it's important to note that he doesn't always just fire rounds against the big bads like a trigger-happy Sonny Corleone. He would usually try to bring the theme of whatever offense the villain committed back full circle. For example, if a guy was selling poison to people, he would end up ingesting poison. Basically what goes around comes around onto evil, and all doing it with stealth and smarts. 

He does and can get hurt, even though he's a stealthy character. There are a number of media sources, like the 1994 film, where he almost drowned before he was saved by Margo Lane. He could even get shot if the villains get the upper hand through mystical means or just plain luck on their side. 

Regardless, it does establish that he knows what he's doing and he's not likely going to listen if you try and lecture him about it. He doesn't spend time moping about his actions - he's highly aware of what he does, but once his mind is made up, it's made up. This is a confident quality in which while you do see this in some literary heroes today, it's rare to see one with an ironclad sureness like the Shadow. He has his own high standards he will aim to keep until his dying breath. 

I think some introspection is good here and there, and I'm done for moments between he and his love interest Margo, or anyone if it means we can take breathers from so much action. However, for an action-oriented and masterminded-character, too much of it spoils it all. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want to see that with him. I want to see and follow his adventures as he saves people, takes down really bad seeds, travels to wherever he's needed, interact with his agents, and live on to fight another day, all the while remaining mysterious and seeming to be a bigger force than life and pronouncing sentences on the guilty. 

But although he's a vigilante, he doesn't try to take over the job of keeping law and order. Even if he's wanted by the police in some timelines, he willingly works with them to let them arrest the crooks and they can be tried. This is especially relevant in the radio series (where they couldn't be too violent) and in the film where he gleans info from them, even having a contact in the force in the literary timelines. Heck, he's even worked with other heroes, like the Green Hornet and Kato or Zorro, to get the job done. He's definitely a team player even if his personality is rougher around the edges than most. 

One of the oldest pulp heroes of our time, his influence over the superhero world is not understated. Choosing to fight in the darkness against darkness is a novel idea. I don't believe he was the first character to pull that off, but the way he goes about it is noticeable and makes him one-of-a-kind to pull off.  The black and red outfit, enlisting others to join his cause, and the act of fighting chaos with chaos add up to his characterization. Not to mention he has two or more memorable catchphrases he regularly uses to scare criminals out of their wits and remind people they're dealing with a powerful vengeance seeker.

It's said that the Shadow is an early example of the archetypal superhero, which includes having a rogue's gallery, donning disguises, sidekicks (agents in the Shadow's case), and a secret identity long before the likes Superman and Batman did. The Shadow is not the first literary superhero to be made, but with the help of mediums like pulps, radio and films in the 1930s, the he laid the groundwork for modern superhero paths to follow.

As an aside, the Shadow's rogues did come back for a number of times, but the writers found creative ways of bringing them back before they decide to finally write them out of the source material. Shiwan Khan came back about four times, likely due to popular demand, but the Shadow eventually took him out for good. By doing this, the writers and so on indicated they knew what they were doing, or so I read it. It's refreshing to see a rogue come back a number of times until the writer says, 'no we're done writing this character, let's write him out', vs. keeping a popular rogue around just because the audience wants to see said rogue around until the villain loses all flavor and relevance. 

Because there's so much of an emphasis on his adventures, we don't always see in full detail, outside of the film and other sources, how Lamont/Kent goes about his day. It's almost the opposite from Batman - we know about Bruce Wayne and his dealings with people and businesses. I think part of it is to hold up the mystique of the Shadow but also because it's not just him doing the heavy load of vigilantism, it's also his network of agents. Going back to 'The Living Shadow' for instance, we read more about Harry Vincent and the events of the plot, with the Shadow only showing up in key moments. 
And in the 'Coils of Leviathan' , although the Shadow does show up, the whole story is told from the eyes of the city and its citizens. That's unique and helps empower the common folk in some ways. 

We do see Lamont/Kent in some stories, of course, even an unnamed cameo in 'The Rocketeer' comic by Dave Stevens, so he's not a total enigma and is very much active in whatever's going on. But it is telling when writers focus more on his alter ego than the man behind the hat. Shoot, I think there have been debates on who the Shadow really is - Kent or Lamont, or is he someone - or something - else entirely?

And yet somehow, every appearance he makes as the Shadow or Kent/Lamont makes him so fascinating to watch and it does not grow old. It can get creepy with how he can successfully take down evil whether it's outright taking them out or hypnotizing them to their own dooms, or overwhelming if you take the time to listen to all the radio episodes, but he has a timeless flair to him that makes him able to transcend time and have him still remain relevant to this day even if he's sticking to the shadows for awhile. 

I find that although people know who he is, he's severely under-appreciated because of how much he has contributed to the superhero genre at large. He hasn't been largely forgotten, but Batman is able to eclipse him in some respects (although Bill Finger has gone on record confirming the original comic book version of Bats is an infamous example of plagiarism of the Shadow). Batman does have his place, don't get me wrong (as I'm a fan especially of the '60s Bats myself haha), but if it weren't for the Shadow, Batman wouldn't even be a thing in this day and age. Several attempts have been made to launch him back into the spotlight, but they've either fizzled out or they haven't found the right script yet. Or they had really goofy Shadow ideas put into comic book form that shouldn't have been thought into being in the first place, and people really despise these things. 

I don't know what people are doing with him nowadays, but perhaps it's best not to dwell on it too much. I prefer my own take on him, which will partially be inspired by those who brought him into being in the past and by a few headcanons I'll have popping up. And don't worry, they won't be horrible headcanons. 

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3. DEPICTIONS/QUESTIONS

"*The pulp magazines were full of ethnic stereotypes and outdated thinking!": First, injecting modern sensibilities into 1930s literature, or any literature from the past, is not wise. Just like today's time, some things have thankfully improved and other things have unfortunately declined.  If you disagree with how things were back then, by all means, do so. There are things about back then they did that I'm not a fan of. But to presume one knows better than generations past for how they lived and behaved, and to inject modern thinking into new adaptations of older media is an utterly foolish and disingenuous move. Come many future generations later, when we are older than we are now, they will say the same thing about us and mock us for what we believed. They too will believe they are better than us, perhaps even try to lecture us on how we should have lived according to their viewpoints. Doesn't sound fun. But acknowledging this and coming to understand generations with how things worked back then, while taking the best of those times and learning from the worst of those times, are signs of growth and wisdom. 

Second, the writers/editors did actually make efforts to create characters that broke stereotypes, in an attempt to expand their readership base. One of those examples is Dr. Roy Tam, a Chinese professor of science and/or a physician. And to boot, in the film, he works at NYU (New York University). Added in 1931 to the pulps, he's well-spoken, dedicated to his work, and a trusted agent to the Shadow. He's not only a contact in the Chinatown neighborhood in Manhattan, he's also - in some media sources - one of the few to know the Shadow's true identity. That's a really big and important deal, and one that deserves kudos. 

Third, here's a fun fact: the head editor of the Shadow magazine confirmed at a 1980s convention that one-third of Shadow readers in the 1930s were female. Not bad for that time!

*"Batman is better than the Shadow!": If that's your take, keep in mind that Batman owes his existence to the Shadow. And so does Darkwing Duck. And so does V from V for Vendetta. And so does the Silver Shroud from Fallout 4 (never played the game, but yes, I have confirmation this is the case). Gratitude goes a long way. 

*"The Shadow doesn't work in modern times": Depends on who's doing the writing. I haven't read this comic book in its entirety yet so I can't claim if it's good or not, but "The Shadow: Blood and Judgment" was set in the 1980s and written in 1987. It seems to have done its job if people loved it back then and now. His staying power is immense even if it's not the 1930s/1940s/1950s. I'm good with keeping him in between those times, but I'm also content bringing him to a modern adaptation as long as his moral character remains intact. If a writer knows what they're doing, it can be pulled off wonderfully. 

*"Kent Allard vs. Lamont Cranston": Whichever works for you to paint a picture of the Shadow's backstory, I say. I think either/or/both can work if crafted well. 

*"The Shadow vs. Shadow the Hedgehog": This is more of a personal nitpick than anything, but whenever I'm researching the Shadow, I tend to see Shadow the Hedgehog pop up in the search results. I understand why, and I have nothing against him, but no, I am not looking for Shadow the Hedgehog. I'm looking for the Dark Avenger, please. 

But I do mean it when I say I'll have the usual for next time. 

Wanderer out! 

Through Smoke and Bitter Distance, Chapter Five - Part One, Special Features

 Chapter Five, Part One

References:

*The legend of Atlantis was written to be a utopia made from hubris. The Toppats' airship repeated that lesson. 

General:

*I was originally going to have Turtle be the medic, but as I already gave Turtle and Frog something to do in earlier chapters, giving Eel the role seemed like the natural alternative. It's not as major as Turtle discovering Henry's trail or Frog leading the team, but it gave the guy his time in the spotlight and helped expand his skill set beyond technology and fighting. 

*Victoria was added in to act as an authoritative figure who could take the plot and carry it - and Dave - offscreen to build up anticipation over over his survival. I like Victoria and thought with her prestige as a high-ranking officer, she would play a small but integral part to the story. I also needed to explore more of the military world as we now left the Toppats behind, so this was another reason why I added her. 

*Charles coming in to talk about Rupert was intentional. Charles is the kind of person who can somehow be a friend to many, including the gruff folk. I like the idea of them having their own friendship, so it was included. I also wanted to make Rupert's turmoil over what happened to Dave, with Charles coming in to help him release all he's harboring - guilt, anger, dread, regret, and anxiety. Charles seems like a patient sort who knows how to deal with his friend when he gets frazzled, so the pilot has the situation under control. He has more than just good eyesight, he has keen insight, which helps him deal with things around him. 

It was also a good chance to bring in more of the details in the backstory of how Rupert and Dave knew each other, and fill in the gaps of what wasn't shown in the games with details of my own. I see Rupert as someone wanting to leave his past as a police officer behind - save for a few components, like his friendship with Dave and the joys he did get out of it - and trying to fully embrace his new life in the military, only telling bits of his past job when needed. That's why Charles didn't know a lot about what happened at the prison until the man revealed it all here. That day when everything went to pot at the prison is not a happy memory to hold in his mind. He feels like he has to deal with it alone, but with the military acting as one, and a few individuals who can be in on what happened, he doesn't have to.

*Dave's PTSD kicks into play here. Although it's never explicitly stated that he has it, many in the Henry Stickmin fanbase go with this headcanon based on his 'Completing the Mission' bio: 'He's spent a long time in a Toppat cell. His life will probably never be the same again'. We don't know how long he's been in there, but we do know that based on his hat which has seen better days, it's not a stretch to consider he's been through a lot. The Toppats might have had moments when they used him as a punching bag for whatever excuses they could find which left scars on him. That, and he is a guard who discovered what they were up to with the Tunisian Diamond. The Toppats aren't too fond of official snoopers and will do whatever it takes to keep them from talking. 
 

*The red-eyed monster is a reference to the Right Hand Man. I left out his name to make him seem more monstrous in Dave's mind, and to emulate how he's a vicious threat as a cyborg.  

*I split this thing up into two sections for two reasons: 1) it would have made the chapter far too long and too much if I kept it all as one and 2) for the sake of the plot, we're gradually moving away from the two stories told about Rupert and Dave in their respective places - the Toppat base and the military base to just one spot with the two friends coming together and changing the plot to focus on them and everything they've been through. Charles and Galeforce are there for a brief time to get to know Dave and get his testimony on the airship, but eventually they'll need to leave so that Dave and Rupert can go into the history that they're not a part of. Rupert has a promise to keep, after all. 

*There's another callback - however it's very very minor - to Bambi II, in the beginning of the film when Friend Owl goes to see the Great Prince and Bambi after hearing about what happened to Bambi's mom. He says that, and I quote, "Excuse me sir. I hope I'm not intruding, but well, I...I just had to come." Charles says the last part to Rupert. Charles is the Friend Owl - although he's way less of a curmudgeon - to Rupert, as he just had to come and see if he could be of any help. The Bambi theme is keeping strong here. 

*I gave Rupert the idea of naming the Toppats the 'Toprats'

both due to the fact that I'm not really someone who writes swearing a lot unless it's absolutely needed, and 'Toprats' sounds like something he would say. To him, they act like rats - they take so much from others to carry out selfish plans and leave behind trails of ruin for others to suffer through. This is not a knock against real life rats by the way - the animal analogy is all part of the bigger theme tapestry I'm weaving into this piece, which will be explained in further detail once these notes are done.  

Random Facts:

*None. 

Wanderer out!