Hello loyal readers!
I'm sorry it's been a month and a day (literally) since I last wrote on the blog here. My class workload got a bit crazy, I also was running out of ideas for what to talk about.
The end of the semester is almost upon us. Starting in December, the countdown to finals and Christmas break begins. To quote Dr. Strange "We're in the Endgame now."
So, now that I've had some time to relax, since it's Thanksgiving break, I've finally been able to get into watching some stuff on Disney+, which my sister is paying for (thanks sis). At last, I've been able to watch some shows I haven't been able to see in a while, or before.
Gargoyles
So first thing first, I've been watching Disney's response to Batman the Animated Series, Gargoyles. (I might do a Pat Pitches on this series later). I got the motivation to watch based on a movement on Twitter, #KeepBingingGargoyles, started by the creator, Greg Weisman, to try and get a revival series from Disney. While there's not as many tweets, #KeepBingingGargoyles is still being used, proving that the show still has it's fans.
I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but let me just say its Gargoyles trying to live in a new city, dealing with human-gargoyle tensions. The series only ran for 3 seasons, unfortunately, because it's really good. The episodes run for about 22 minutes on average, so it's very easy to binge. The characters are all very likable, and the stories are very well written.
My only criticism is the show doesn't have as strong of a theme song as it's inspiration, but that is a very small nit picky critique. The show has a narration intro instead, which is just as powerful. It's hard to criticize this series. I love it.
Overall, my favorite character is Goliath, the leader of the Gargoyles. He's very serious, but does have his more sensitive side. He's also a bookworm, it doesn't get much better than that!
All right, onto the next show.
Star Wars Rebels
Another Greg Weisman series?! According to his Twitter, yes. I used to watch Rebels, but didn't have access to it for a long time. Now that I have Disney+, I can finally catch up where I left off in Season 3.
I'm currently in the show's last season, Season 4, which means I will sadly will be almost done with the show in a few episodes. Like Gargoyles, Rebels is a great show. The overall villain of the series is Grand Admiral Thrawn, a fan favorite from the Star Wars Legends canon, who was brought back into the new canon.
After the villains being Inquisitors for two seasons, its nice to see a change of antagonist, though I do miss the lightsaber-lightsaber fights.
I love this show so much. There's a lot of fun references thrown in. In one episode they referenced "Annie Get your Gun," and more obviously Star Wars: Clone Wars, its predecessor. Now, onto the final show I've been watching.
The Mandalorian (Minor Spoilers)
Currently, The Mandalorian is the only Disney+ exclusive I have been watching so far (the others don't look too good, not gonna lie).
However, The Mandalorian stands above the rest. It's easily the best Disney+ exclusive at the moment. It has the asthetic and tone of a Western, and I love it. I grew up with Western tv shows, such as Wanted: Dead or Alive, and it's fun to see a modern take on the series.
Now, we all know what one of the best parts of The Mandalorian is. I'm sure you've seen the memes and the screenshots. Baby Yoda, what a great character. I love the shenanigans that come with him and Mando, the only name we currently have for him.
Mando himself is a pretty cool character. He's mostly quiet and does his job. Through flashbacks we see Mando's traumatic past, which is why he acts the way he does in the show, in particular towards Baby Yoda. A bit like his predecessor, Boba Fett, Mando is sometimes a bumbling warrior, but unlike Boba Fett he actually does stuff. Yeah I said, come at me bro!
I'm not entirely sure where the show is going. I really hope that Baby Yoda doesn't die. I would love it if he appeared in The Rise of Skywalker as a young Jedi Padawan. I don't think Disney would kill him off, given how popular he is with fans. But, only time will tell.
End of the Semester
All right, that's all for Disney+. Before I finish, I'd like to talk about my plans for the future. Over break I hope to begin work again on The Iluckstrious Adventures of Lady Luck Volume 1, "The Monorail Conspiracy." I've realized that I need to shorten the story, if I want to keep the price down for my Senior final project.
I've realized a few things regarding what I hope to be my Senior Project.
1) As stated earlier, to keep the price down, I need to shorten the story. Which will also tighten up the story and make it better.
2) If I want this project to be successful, I need to do more research.
My story is set during the 1940's, and deals with several sensitive topics, which I addressed to try and offer commentary on current events as well. In particular, I address the Japanese internment during WWII. While I do have general knowledge of the topic, and have done some research, I believe I need to do more research to make sure I address the topic in a sensitive and respectful way.
Obviously, history is not stuck in the past. There are still people who lived through the internment, and unfortunately, those who are currently living through an equally horrific modern internment system. That is why I added it to my story. I did not want to ignore the darker part of American History at that time, which I think we sometimes, as a society, would prefer to forget happened.
However, my research will have to wait until AFTER my finals. School is, of course, my top priority. I will try to keep writing on here, but forgive me if I'm not able to do so.
All right, that's all for me in this post. Hopefully I'll write in the upcoming chaos of December. If not, Happy Holidays and I'll see you next year.
Until next time, see you on the Tramway!
Moved to Conductor Pat's Perspective: Conductor Pat's official blog, discussing the writing industry, pop culture, book reviews, and his writing. Welcome.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Pat Piches: The Sculptor, The Dead Poachers Society & The Prince And The Dressmaker
Would you be willing to die for your art?
First, a quick explanation. In Pat Pitches, I (Patrick) pitch something I've been watching, or reading, or listening to, etc. Today I will be pitching The Sculptor by Scott McCould, The Dead Poachers Society and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang. Let's get into it!
Would you be willing to watch 4 British/Welsh men attempt to win a battle royale?
How would you react if a Prince asked you to make dresses for them?
Welcome back to the Tramway! I'm your host Patrick Webb, and this is Tug & Tram Blogging. Before I get into my topic today, I wish to apologize for the delay in posts. I recently attended Happily Ever NACA (aka the National Association of Council Activities) in Kentucky, and didn't have a lot of time to write (I will discuss my trip in another post)
Right now, I want to pitch a book I just finished reading today, a YouTube/Switch Channel I've been meaning to discuss for a long time, and a book I recently read for class. So let's get into it!
First, a quick explanation. In Pat Pitches, I (Patrick) pitch something I've been watching, or reading, or listening to, etc. Today I will be pitching The Sculptor by Scott McCould, The Dead Poachers Society and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang. Let's get into it!
Also please note that there will be some minor spoilers for some series.
The Sculptor
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| The Sculptor's Cover, By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47881594 |
If you want to make comics, the name Scott McCloud might be familiar to you. Scott McCloud is most well known for his comics on making comics (I know, the irony) Understanding Comics (which, fun fact, is currently being used in my Comics & Graphic Novel class), Reinventing Comics, and Making Comics.
McCloud has worked on several works of fiction, including some Superman books, according to Google. (This' Pat Pitches, not the History of, do you expect me to do research?) In all seriousness, McCloud is a well experienced comic book artist and writer, and The Sculptor, his newest book released in 2015, shows McCloud's brilliance.
To quote Neil Gaiman, a friend of McCloud's who was quoted on the front of the book, "The best graphic novel I've read in years."
It's hard to top that simple but such powerful statement, but I will try.
So, what is The Sculptor about? Our protagonist, David Smith (not THE David Smith, a running joke in The Sculptor) gets an offer for an incredible gift to make his artwork. But, there's a catch: he gives up his future, and has only 200 days to live. He also can't tell anyone about his gift, or else he faces a certain consequence.
During his attempt to get his artwork into the world, David finds his true love, which complicates things even further for him. Also along the way, David struggles with depression, creative burnout, homelessness and problems with his friends.
The Sculptor has a simple color pallet of blue, white and gray. The color pallet adds to the story's theme of failure and the struggle for artists to get their work into the world. I relate to that, which makes me sympathetic for David.
Would I make a deal to die sooner but be able to make my art in a way no one else can.....? Probably not, I'd rather take my risks and live longer to get my work out there. But then again, I'm not a sculptor, and I'm not in a Scott McCloud book.
The Sculptor is a nearly 500 page book, but don't let that daunt you from reading The Sculptor.
The Sculptor might easily be one of my favorite comics I've ever read. If you haven’t read this comic yet, you really need to. And keep following your dreams, but don’t give up your life for it.
The Dead Poachers Society
All right, onto a very different form of entertainment. There’s a lot of gaming channels out there. So why should you watch The Dead Poachers?
They’re not the best at what they do. They don’t win every game they play. But I can’t stop watching them. They’re really fun and hilarious. Rhys usually begins each round with “What could possibly go wrong?”
I found out about the Dead Poachers via Angry Welshman Productions, Rhys, who is a part of both groups. It’s essentially him and a group of friends hanging out and play games while recording them. The members, Rob, Rhys, James, Medmo (I don’t know his real name, sorry Medmo), and sometimes Andy from Steaming Westward Productions.
The Dead Poachers’ main game of play is PUBG, essentially if Zack Snyder did an edgy version of Fortnite, or rather more realistic Fortnite in terms or guns, setting and graphics. Sometimes the Dead Poachers play with only 2 or 3 members, but most have the full 4 members.
The Dead Poachers have a great dynamic. They mock each other, but always work to help each other out, such as helping each other with loot, and always mock Rhys’ driving, especially when he crashes. It’s a running joke from the Angry Welshman Productions, and sometimes hold true. Then again, all the Dead Poachers have their bad driving moments.
There’s also the quips and general shenanigans. Rhys not being allowed to drive, the Dead Poachers running for their lives when they’re outgunned, insults such as “Your Mum’s a Mountain goat,” and “see if you can find a boat.”
I should warn you, the Dead Poachers aren’t exactly politically correct. In the newest video, for example, they make jokes about Wales having border checks because of Brexit. While running on the edge of being offensive, the Dead Poachers, in their official Twitch feed rules, don’t tolerate hatred or harassment.
The Dead Poachers are only joking, but might not be for everyone. If you don’t like edgy content, the Dead Poachers probably aren’t for you. But if you enjoy guys trying the Chicken Dinner in PUBG, then this might be for you.
The Dead Poachers also play Grand Theft Auto, Sniper Elite 4, and other shooter games. I’m personally lobbying for them to do a April Fool’s video where they play Fortnite. I think that’d be hilarious.
You can find the Dead Poachers on Twitch and Youtube, and for social media they’re on Twitter and Facebook. They have a pretty chill community and are a lot of fun to interact with, especially in streams. I have a personal running joke of #TeamRob from a Grand Theft Auto stream where they raced each other. #TeamRob
Let’s move onto the next topic. What could possibly go wrong?
The Prince & The Dressmaker
Our last Pitch is for another comic. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang, is a story about self discovery, and trying to achieve your dreams. Jen Wang, like Scott McCloud, is a master comics artist, based in LA, according to the About page of Prince and the Dressmaker.
Again, MINOR SPOILERS. Please skip the next paragraph id you don’t want any spoilers.
Frances is a dressmaker who has a strong talent. After making a controversial dress, she’s hired by a secret royal client, who turns out to be Prince Sebastian, who feels more comfortable in a dress than his regular clothes. With Frances’ help, Sebastian lives a double life as Lady Crystallia. Meanwhile, Sebastian’s parents are trying to find him a Queen. But little do they know they have a Drag Queen 😎 I’ll see myself out.....
The characters of The Prince and the Dressmaker are very like able. I really like the dynamic of Frances and Sebastian, they are genuine and don’t go through any drama related to Sebastian’s lifestyle. It’s refreshing to read. Even the “antagonist” character The King is like able.
The artwork is also spectacular. Jen Wang is one of the most talented comic artists out there. Mark my words, she’s going to one day be held in the same regard as Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Neil Gaiman and Jack Kirby.
The Prince and the Dressmaker is also an important story for right now. It’s not trying to be political, it’s just about people existing and wanting to be accepted. I won’t spoil the ending, but let me say it’s the comic equivalent of a wholesome post. The ending in particular is equal parts shocking and wholesome.
All right, that’s all for me today. Have you read or watched anything I pitched today? Let me know on Twitter, @ConductorPat, or my Facebook Page: Patrick Webbs Tug & Tram Blogging (no apostrophe in Webbs) or here on blogger. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you on the Tramway!
The Dead Poachers Society
All right, onto a very different form of entertainment. There’s a lot of gaming channels out there. So why should you watch The Dead Poachers?
They’re not the best at what they do. They don’t win every game they play. But I can’t stop watching them. They’re really fun and hilarious. Rhys usually begins each round with “What could possibly go wrong?”
I found out about the Dead Poachers via Angry Welshman Productions, Rhys, who is a part of both groups. It’s essentially him and a group of friends hanging out and play games while recording them. The members, Rob, Rhys, James, Medmo (I don’t know his real name, sorry Medmo), and sometimes Andy from Steaming Westward Productions.
The Dead Poachers’ main game of play is PUBG, essentially if Zack Snyder did an edgy version of Fortnite, or rather more realistic Fortnite in terms or guns, setting and graphics. Sometimes the Dead Poachers play with only 2 or 3 members, but most have the full 4 members.
The Dead Poachers have a great dynamic. They mock each other, but always work to help each other out, such as helping each other with loot, and always mock Rhys’ driving, especially when he crashes. It’s a running joke from the Angry Welshman Productions, and sometimes hold true. Then again, all the Dead Poachers have their bad driving moments.
There’s also the quips and general shenanigans. Rhys not being allowed to drive, the Dead Poachers running for their lives when they’re outgunned, insults such as “Your Mum’s a Mountain goat,” and “see if you can find a boat.”
I should warn you, the Dead Poachers aren’t exactly politically correct. In the newest video, for example, they make jokes about Wales having border checks because of Brexit. While running on the edge of being offensive, the Dead Poachers, in their official Twitch feed rules, don’t tolerate hatred or harassment.
The Dead Poachers are only joking, but might not be for everyone. If you don’t like edgy content, the Dead Poachers probably aren’t for you. But if you enjoy guys trying the Chicken Dinner in PUBG, then this might be for you.
The Dead Poachers also play Grand Theft Auto, Sniper Elite 4, and other shooter games. I’m personally lobbying for them to do a April Fool’s video where they play Fortnite. I think that’d be hilarious.
You can find the Dead Poachers on Twitch and Youtube, and for social media they’re on Twitter and Facebook. They have a pretty chill community and are a lot of fun to interact with, especially in streams. I have a personal running joke of #TeamRob from a Grand Theft Auto stream where they raced each other. #TeamRob
Let’s move onto the next topic. What could possibly go wrong?
The Prince & The Dressmaker
Our last Pitch is for another comic. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang, is a story about self discovery, and trying to achieve your dreams. Jen Wang, like Scott McCloud, is a master comics artist, based in LA, according to the About page of Prince and the Dressmaker.
Again, MINOR SPOILERS. Please skip the next paragraph id you don’t want any spoilers.
Frances is a dressmaker who has a strong talent. After making a controversial dress, she’s hired by a secret royal client, who turns out to be Prince Sebastian, who feels more comfortable in a dress than his regular clothes. With Frances’ help, Sebastian lives a double life as Lady Crystallia. Meanwhile, Sebastian’s parents are trying to find him a Queen. But little do they know they have a Drag Queen 😎 I’ll see myself out.....
The characters of The Prince and the Dressmaker are very like able. I really like the dynamic of Frances and Sebastian, they are genuine and don’t go through any drama related to Sebastian’s lifestyle. It’s refreshing to read. Even the “antagonist” character The King is like able.
The artwork is also spectacular. Jen Wang is one of the most talented comic artists out there. Mark my words, she’s going to one day be held in the same regard as Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Neil Gaiman and Jack Kirby.
The Prince and the Dressmaker is also an important story for right now. It’s not trying to be political, it’s just about people existing and wanting to be accepted. I won’t spoil the ending, but let me say it’s the comic equivalent of a wholesome post. The ending in particular is equal parts shocking and wholesome.
All right, that’s all for me today. Have you read or watched anything I pitched today? Let me know on Twitter, @ConductorPat, or my Facebook Page: Patrick Webbs Tug & Tram Blogging (no apostrophe in Webbs) or here on blogger. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you on the Tramway!
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Why I Love Superhero Movies (& Don't Want To See Them Go Away)
Hello everybody!!!
That's right, the one, the only, Patrick Webb of Tug & Tram Blogging is still alive! I'm not dead, I haven't been kidnapped by aliens, and I'm not crazy! (yet)
Jokes aside, I hope you're all doing well. I wish I could've given you all a newer post sooner, but life has been crazy recently, mostly in regards to college. I just survived Midterm Week, and OH BOY, was that shit bananas!
Post-Mid Terms, I felt a little exhausted, so I didn't immediately jump in yet to writing. But, I've had a few days to rest, and I'm ready to jump into the blogging game again.
All right, as you can read from the title of this blog, I'm going to be discussing superhero movies. I got this idea mostly from the recent "controversy" (if you can call it that) of celebrities voicing their disdain for superhero movies, in particular Marvel.
First it was Martin Scorsese, who compared Marvel movies to theme parks, and said they're not cinema. Then, Jennifer Aniston voiced her disdain for Marvel movies, and believes they're pushing out other creators. Martin Scorsese and Jennifer Aniston both kept their criticism polite, unlike a certain IndieWire writer who really bashed Marvel. If you want to read the articles, I'll leave the links below this paragraph.
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/martin-scorsese-marvel-theme-parks-1203360075/
www.ladbible.com/entertainment/film-and-tv-jennifer-aniston-thinks-there-should-be-fewer-marvel-movies-20191010
www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/marvel-martin-scorsese-theme-parks-avengers-endgame-robert-downey-jr-a9150396.html
DISCLAIMER: There would be some minor spoilers for Marvel and DC movies, so read at your own risk. I'll even put the asterixes to warn you.
* * * * * * *
So, why do I love superhero movies? And why are they important to me?
The earliest superhero films I remember seeing are Batman (1989), Superman The Motion Picture, Batman and Robin, and Supergirl. These movies (while not all good) influenced my love of superheroes, combined with cartoons such as Batman: TAS, Spider-Man TAS, and Spectacular Spider-Man.
When Marvel started making movies, I was curious. By 2008 I was curious about Iron Man. I'd only read a few Iron Man comics, and didn't know a lot about him. When I finally saw the movie, combined with Captain America: The First Avenger, I became HOOKED on the characters. I started reading more about Marvel, and learned about the characters from the movies.
Superhero films had a big impact on me. They're the reason why I decided to start writing superhero stories and create new characters. Without Marvel and DC's movies, I wouldn't be who I am today.
But are Superhero movies all the same? Are they, as the Independent Writer Caspar Salmon wrote, "action figures going bang in the sky," produced like a factory? No, of course not!!
Now Caspar Salmon is allowed to have their opinion (I certainly disagree), but I think Salmon's criticisms are too harsh.
Superhero films SHOULD be considered part of the canon, or just simply cinema. And why shouldn't they? That's like saying science fiction movies shouldn't be considered cinema because Star Wars has a similar aesthetic and the good guy always wins!!
Granted, Marvel has produced a lot of movies in a short amount of time, but shouldn't that be congratulated? They've figured out how to produce films that resonate with people, employ very talented people, and keep their continuity while doing so. Marvel Studios certainly isn't perfect (the unfair firing of James Gunn comes to mind) but no studio is flawless.
Now let's discuss the characters. To call the superheroes action figures or figurines is just unfair. Continuing my Star Wars metaphor, are we going to call characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Lea, and Rey just "action figures?" Of course not.
Sure, they sell toys, but that doesn't mean the characters are flat. We see superheroes struggle: Captain America struggles to keep following a government that's no longer aligned with his views, Thor loses his whole world, Hawkeye his family, I could go on, but for the sake of flow, I won't.
Next, let's discuss genre. Superhero films have in a way become a genre. But I don't think that's a fair description, it's slightly limiting. Superhero films can be apart of any genre.
Thor: Ragnorok, Hellboy and Aquaman can combine fantasy (and in Ragnorok's case sci-fi as well) with superheroes.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, and again Thor: Ragnorok, Captain Marvel, combine science fiction to create new worlds.
Captain America: The First Avenger, Wonder Woman, the to be released Wonder Woman 1984, and even the new Joker movie (which I'm going to see today) can be time pieces that give us not just a look at the characters but a different time and provide more material for storytelling.
Superheroes are growing past what they used to be. They're more than just overpowered heterosexual white men, they can literally be anyone. Miles Morales, a kid with parents of different ethnicities (African American and Hispanic) can be Spider-Man. Khamala Khan, the daughter of Pakistani Immigrants, can be Ms. Marvel.
They can be in any medium: they can be live action, or animated movies like Spider-Verse or the Lego Batman movie, or any of DC's great Direct to DVD movies. I love the variety of superheroes, the variety of their powers and backgrounds.
I certainly want to see more superhero movies and from different studios. I don't just want Marvel to succeed, I want all superhero films to be good and succeed (except maybe Sony, but that's because they're Sony). And I definitely don't want to only have superhero movies, that would get boring. While I understand Martin Scorsese and Jennifer Aniston's concerns, I don't think we're going to see the death of cinema because of superheroes.
That's my two cents on the "controversy," (though maybe Discussion is a better word) on superhero films. What do you think of superhero films? Who's your favorite superhero? Let me know here on Blogger (if you can figure out how to do that, Blogger doesn't seem to be great for commenting). I also have a Facebook page, Patrick Webbs Tug & Tram Blogging, which you can find here: www.facebook.com/Patrick-Webbs-Tug-Tram-Blogging-115978946451247/?ref=bookmarks
I'm also on Twitter, @ConductorPat, if you would prefer to follow me there.
Thanks for reading today's post. Remember to keep writing, and.... I'll see you on the Tramway!
That's right, the one, the only, Patrick Webb of Tug & Tram Blogging is still alive! I'm not dead, I haven't been kidnapped by aliens, and I'm not crazy! (yet)
Jokes aside, I hope you're all doing well. I wish I could've given you all a newer post sooner, but life has been crazy recently, mostly in regards to college. I just survived Midterm Week, and OH BOY, was that shit bananas!
Post-Mid Terms, I felt a little exhausted, so I didn't immediately jump in yet to writing. But, I've had a few days to rest, and I'm ready to jump into the blogging game again.
All right, as you can read from the title of this blog, I'm going to be discussing superhero movies. I got this idea mostly from the recent "controversy" (if you can call it that) of celebrities voicing their disdain for superhero movies, in particular Marvel.
First it was Martin Scorsese, who compared Marvel movies to theme parks, and said they're not cinema. Then, Jennifer Aniston voiced her disdain for Marvel movies, and believes they're pushing out other creators. Martin Scorsese and Jennifer Aniston both kept their criticism polite, unlike a certain IndieWire writer who really bashed Marvel. If you want to read the articles, I'll leave the links below this paragraph.
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/martin-scorsese-marvel-theme-parks-1203360075/
www.ladbible.com/entertainment/film-and-tv-jennifer-aniston-thinks-there-should-be-fewer-marvel-movies-20191010
www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/marvel-martin-scorsese-theme-parks-avengers-endgame-robert-downey-jr-a9150396.html
DISCLAIMER: There would be some minor spoilers for Marvel and DC movies, so read at your own risk. I'll even put the asterixes to warn you.
* * * * * * *
So, why do I love superhero movies? And why are they important to me?
The earliest superhero films I remember seeing are Batman (1989), Superman The Motion Picture, Batman and Robin, and Supergirl. These movies (while not all good) influenced my love of superheroes, combined with cartoons such as Batman: TAS, Spider-Man TAS, and Spectacular Spider-Man.
When Marvel started making movies, I was curious. By 2008 I was curious about Iron Man. I'd only read a few Iron Man comics, and didn't know a lot about him. When I finally saw the movie, combined with Captain America: The First Avenger, I became HOOKED on the characters. I started reading more about Marvel, and learned about the characters from the movies.
Superhero films had a big impact on me. They're the reason why I decided to start writing superhero stories and create new characters. Without Marvel and DC's movies, I wouldn't be who I am today.
But are Superhero movies all the same? Are they, as the Independent Writer Caspar Salmon wrote, "action figures going bang in the sky," produced like a factory? No, of course not!!
Now Caspar Salmon is allowed to have their opinion (I certainly disagree), but I think Salmon's criticisms are too harsh.
Superhero films SHOULD be considered part of the canon, or just simply cinema. And why shouldn't they? That's like saying science fiction movies shouldn't be considered cinema because Star Wars has a similar aesthetic and the good guy always wins!!
Granted, Marvel has produced a lot of movies in a short amount of time, but shouldn't that be congratulated? They've figured out how to produce films that resonate with people, employ very talented people, and keep their continuity while doing so. Marvel Studios certainly isn't perfect (the unfair firing of James Gunn comes to mind) but no studio is flawless.
Now let's discuss the characters. To call the superheroes action figures or figurines is just unfair. Continuing my Star Wars metaphor, are we going to call characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Lea, and Rey just "action figures?" Of course not.
Sure, they sell toys, but that doesn't mean the characters are flat. We see superheroes struggle: Captain America struggles to keep following a government that's no longer aligned with his views, Thor loses his whole world, Hawkeye his family, I could go on, but for the sake of flow, I won't.
Next, let's discuss genre. Superhero films have in a way become a genre. But I don't think that's a fair description, it's slightly limiting. Superhero films can be apart of any genre.
Thor: Ragnorok, Hellboy and Aquaman can combine fantasy (and in Ragnorok's case sci-fi as well) with superheroes.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, and again Thor: Ragnorok, Captain Marvel, combine science fiction to create new worlds.
Captain America: The First Avenger, Wonder Woman, the to be released Wonder Woman 1984, and even the new Joker movie (which I'm going to see today) can be time pieces that give us not just a look at the characters but a different time and provide more material for storytelling.
Superheroes are growing past what they used to be. They're more than just overpowered heterosexual white men, they can literally be anyone. Miles Morales, a kid with parents of different ethnicities (African American and Hispanic) can be Spider-Man. Khamala Khan, the daughter of Pakistani Immigrants, can be Ms. Marvel.
They can be in any medium: they can be live action, or animated movies like Spider-Verse or the Lego Batman movie, or any of DC's great Direct to DVD movies. I love the variety of superheroes, the variety of their powers and backgrounds.
I certainly want to see more superhero movies and from different studios. I don't just want Marvel to succeed, I want all superhero films to be good and succeed (except maybe Sony, but that's because they're Sony). And I definitely don't want to only have superhero movies, that would get boring. While I understand Martin Scorsese and Jennifer Aniston's concerns, I don't think we're going to see the death of cinema because of superheroes.
That's my two cents on the "controversy," (though maybe Discussion is a better word) on superhero films. What do you think of superhero films? Who's your favorite superhero? Let me know here on Blogger (if you can figure out how to do that, Blogger doesn't seem to be great for commenting). I also have a Facebook page, Patrick Webbs Tug & Tram Blogging, which you can find here: www.facebook.com/Patrick-Webbs-Tug-Tram-Blogging-115978946451247/?ref=bookmarks
I'm also on Twitter, @ConductorPat, if you would prefer to follow me there.
Thanks for reading today's post. Remember to keep writing, and.... I'll see you on the Tramway!
Friday, September 20, 2019
Trying to Manage 2 Blogs & Starting to Watch Supernatural & Friends (in 2019)
Hello folks,
I hope you're doing well.
Things have been crazy on the tramway called life. Last weekend I might have stretched myself a little too far trying to manage my work, homework and other projects.
This past weekend I helped run a tailgate at a soccer game with my school's Campus Activity Council. We served hot dogs, chips, Hawaiian Punch, let people make posters (I made one for this blog, which was sort of a fail at advertising) and had supplies to "spray" their hair purple and white, our colors. It was a lot of fun, and our Men's Soccer team did well, winning 6-0.
Facebook Pages
So a few announcements: I've recently made two Facebook pages for my Blogs. You can find the pages below, if you'd like to meet up with other people in the Tug & Tram or The Occasional Express Community.
Tug & Tram Blogging
www.facebook.com/Patrick-Webbs-Tug-Tram-Blogging-115978946451247/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARCdaac6wleA2hvI_ZN9VL4CvnfhwUHxHmmbBcaJ7tR2EO9zWa0-X45sOK--fH3yIEUs7oDO4HDyUzs8
The Occasional Express
@TheOccasionalExpress (if this' easier to search with)
www.facebook.com/TheOccasionalExpress/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARCbg0a4Kie37rOfjSSqJ-DkTvO-Z3N3ubrgd0pOuxPfnpdnRJTGu9XOBJSoCspRskVVfxY13u-D1Cz7
I realized that a lot of writers on Twitter in the #WritingCommunity have Facebook Pages; I decided it was about time I got one of my own. Please note that The Occasional Express will be just about trains, while Tug & Tram Blogging's Facebook page will be about my writing in general, along with posts I make about Pop Culture, Pat Pitches, History of Characters, etc., so feel free to just follow the one you're interested in.
So far, I only have a small amount of likes on either page. This week I focused more on getting people to like The Occasional Express (who weren't friends) because I know most of my friends on Facebook aren't interested in trains.
I am glad that I have a new platform to interact with my readers, but I'm also worried it might be too much of a distraction from my writing. I guess that's something I'll have to work on figuring out as I go forward. If you're a writer with a FB page, and have some advice, I'd love to hear it.
Trying to Manage 2 Blogs
As I mentioned before, I think I'm starting to feel the time strain of trying to manage 2 blogs, along with their Facebook pages. Both blogs don't have schedules yet (unofficially most T&T posts come out on Friday, usually around 5 PM Eastern, and The Occasional Express is whenever I can get an article).
I have been enjoying working on both, don't get me wrong. Tug & Tram blogging has helped me reach out to you guys, gals, and nonbinary pals, which I'm very glad for. I also really enjoy the blog format, it's given me a way to share my thoughts and my love for pop culture, such as my history posts of forgotten characters or Pat Pitches.
However, with that in mind, I haven't written as much recently, since I have to manage my blogs, fun writing (ex: films, novels, etc.) and most important of all my school work. I think what I need to do is sit down and plan out a schedule for when I post on each blog, and set aside some time for my other writing.
Writing Updates
Before I go onto my next topic, I feel I should mention where I'm at with my writing. I haven't worked on The Bethany Galactic Railway Chronicles in a while, because I got swamped with work last week, and was dealing with some personal stuff. The heat didn't help any.
As for my other projects (Lady Luck, Royal Scot) I haven't done a lot with them in a while. Lady Luck is ready for some peer review/editing from a second person, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. My go to editor (Cristina) is pretty busy right now helping another friend (CC) with their Senior Projects. I don't need to really start the project until next year (since I'm currently a Junior) but I feel I should get some editing done sooner rather than later, given how big Lady Luck Vol. 1 is.
As for Royal Scot, I think I'm going to sit on that one for a while, and go back to it after I take some film classes. I'm sure I made a LOT of mistakes in the formatting of a script, so I should fix that first before showing it to anyone for serious editing. (Maybe I'm also a little anxious about that, who's to say? 😅 )
All right, onto the next topic.
Starting Supernatural & Friends (in 2019)
So as stated in the name of the blog, I've decided to start watching Supernatural and Friends.... in 2019.
Now you might be wondering: Why?
A few reasons. Let's start with Supernatural. My friend Cristina (mentioned earlier) is a big fan of the show, and we were talking at supper a few days a go about how the show is finally coming to an end after the 15th Season. I know a little bit about the show (my older sister is also a big fan of the show). I'd seen her watching some episodes a few years ago, but it never interested me.
At the time I was biased towards horror, which I'm working to overcome. I asked Cristina if it was worth starting the show, and she said yes. I decided "Why not?" So far I'm three episodes into the series, and I'm really enjoying it. It's a nice mix of mystery, horror and action, which keeps me entertained.
It's also fun to see the older technology in the show's first season, such as the flip phones and giant computer screens. Sam and Dean have really been around for a while, haven't they? I think my favorite part of the show is Sam and Dean's interactions. They really feel like siblings, such as how they get on each other's nerves, but also have each other's backs.
The only criticism I have is that the show has a dark color pallet which was popular around 2005 when the show started. Ah yes, gotta love that 2000's look: everything is somewhat drained of color.
While I'm not a personal fan of that aesthetic (especially in superhero shows, but that's a post for another day) it does fit the tone of Supernatural, so I'm willing to give it a pass.
I doubt I'm going to catch up in time to see the final season (it's 14 seasons after all) and I'm not really into binge watching super long shows. I will definitely make my way through it. So no spoilers!!
Next, Friends. Unlike Supernatural, I have seen a fair share of Friends episodes on reruns on the CW during their comedy block back at home. While I added it to my list of shows to watch on Netflix, I never felt motivated to start watching it from the first episode.
However, that changed for a few reasons. 1) Friends is leaving Netflix for HBO Max, Warner Bros./HBO's new streaming service. (YAY!!! Another streaming service 😒) and 2) I was talking with a friend at lunch about the show, while it was playing in our cafeteria. I decided "Well, why not? I could use another comedy show to watch."
I was watching Cheers a while ago, but I binged through the first season, and need a bit of a break. So I started Friends, and have watched two episodes. I understand why everyone loves the show a little better now. It's really funny, and the chemistry between the cast shines through.
I was concerned the show hadn't aged well, since it was made in the 90's. However, it certainly holds up pretty well. The show also handles Ross' ex-wife being a lesbian pretty well. They use the situation to make some jokes without mocking the characters being lesbians. However, since I'm a heterosexual male, maybe there's something I'm missing. Hopefully any members of the LGBTQ+ community who watch Friends are able to enjoy it still.
All right, that's about it from me today. I should get back to more "productive" work, like practicing Spanish on Duolingo. Or watching Friends and Supernatural on Netflix. 😜 I will try to keep posting weekly, however midterms are around the corner, along with the grand jewel event on campus: Kickoff, which I'm working at, so I might not have a lot of time to write.
If you'd like to connect with me, I'm on Twitter @ConductorPat, and as mentioned before have a Facebook page titled "Patrick Webbs Tug & Tram Blogging." Thanks for reading everyone. Keep writing, and I'll see you on the Tramway!
I hope you're doing well.
Things have been crazy on the tramway called life. Last weekend I might have stretched myself a little too far trying to manage my work, homework and other projects.
This past weekend I helped run a tailgate at a soccer game with my school's Campus Activity Council. We served hot dogs, chips, Hawaiian Punch, let people make posters (I made one for this blog, which was sort of a fail at advertising) and had supplies to "spray" their hair purple and white, our colors. It was a lot of fun, and our Men's Soccer team did well, winning 6-0.
Facebook Pages
So a few announcements: I've recently made two Facebook pages for my Blogs. You can find the pages below, if you'd like to meet up with other people in the Tug & Tram or The Occasional Express Community.
Tug & Tram Blogging
www.facebook.com/Patrick-Webbs-Tug-Tram-Blogging-115978946451247/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARCdaac6wleA2hvI_ZN9VL4CvnfhwUHxHmmbBcaJ7tR2EO9zWa0-X45sOK--fH3yIEUs7oDO4HDyUzs8
The Occasional Express
@TheOccasionalExpress (if this' easier to search with)
www.facebook.com/TheOccasionalExpress/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARCbg0a4Kie37rOfjSSqJ-DkTvO-Z3N3ubrgd0pOuxPfnpdnRJTGu9XOBJSoCspRskVVfxY13u-D1Cz7
I realized that a lot of writers on Twitter in the #WritingCommunity have Facebook Pages; I decided it was about time I got one of my own. Please note that The Occasional Express will be just about trains, while Tug & Tram Blogging's Facebook page will be about my writing in general, along with posts I make about Pop Culture, Pat Pitches, History of Characters, etc., so feel free to just follow the one you're interested in.
So far, I only have a small amount of likes on either page. This week I focused more on getting people to like The Occasional Express (who weren't friends) because I know most of my friends on Facebook aren't interested in trains.
I am glad that I have a new platform to interact with my readers, but I'm also worried it might be too much of a distraction from my writing. I guess that's something I'll have to work on figuring out as I go forward. If you're a writer with a FB page, and have some advice, I'd love to hear it.
Trying to Manage 2 Blogs
As I mentioned before, I think I'm starting to feel the time strain of trying to manage 2 blogs, along with their Facebook pages. Both blogs don't have schedules yet (unofficially most T&T posts come out on Friday, usually around 5 PM Eastern, and The Occasional Express is whenever I can get an article).
I have been enjoying working on both, don't get me wrong. Tug & Tram blogging has helped me reach out to you guys, gals, and nonbinary pals, which I'm very glad for. I also really enjoy the blog format, it's given me a way to share my thoughts and my love for pop culture, such as my history posts of forgotten characters or Pat Pitches.
However, with that in mind, I haven't written as much recently, since I have to manage my blogs, fun writing (ex: films, novels, etc.) and most important of all my school work. I think what I need to do is sit down and plan out a schedule for when I post on each blog, and set aside some time for my other writing.
Writing Updates
Before I go onto my next topic, I feel I should mention where I'm at with my writing. I haven't worked on The Bethany Galactic Railway Chronicles in a while, because I got swamped with work last week, and was dealing with some personal stuff. The heat didn't help any.
As for my other projects (Lady Luck, Royal Scot) I haven't done a lot with them in a while. Lady Luck is ready for some peer review/editing from a second person, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. My go to editor (Cristina) is pretty busy right now helping another friend (CC) with their Senior Projects. I don't need to really start the project until next year (since I'm currently a Junior) but I feel I should get some editing done sooner rather than later, given how big Lady Luck Vol. 1 is.
As for Royal Scot, I think I'm going to sit on that one for a while, and go back to it after I take some film classes. I'm sure I made a LOT of mistakes in the formatting of a script, so I should fix that first before showing it to anyone for serious editing. (Maybe I'm also a little anxious about that, who's to say? 😅 )
All right, onto the next topic.
Starting Supernatural & Friends (in 2019)
So as stated in the name of the blog, I've decided to start watching Supernatural and Friends.... in 2019.
Now you might be wondering: Why?
A few reasons. Let's start with Supernatural. My friend Cristina (mentioned earlier) is a big fan of the show, and we were talking at supper a few days a go about how the show is finally coming to an end after the 15th Season. I know a little bit about the show (my older sister is also a big fan of the show). I'd seen her watching some episodes a few years ago, but it never interested me.
At the time I was biased towards horror, which I'm working to overcome. I asked Cristina if it was worth starting the show, and she said yes. I decided "Why not?" So far I'm three episodes into the series, and I'm really enjoying it. It's a nice mix of mystery, horror and action, which keeps me entertained.
It's also fun to see the older technology in the show's first season, such as the flip phones and giant computer screens. Sam and Dean have really been around for a while, haven't they? I think my favorite part of the show is Sam and Dean's interactions. They really feel like siblings, such as how they get on each other's nerves, but also have each other's backs.
The only criticism I have is that the show has a dark color pallet which was popular around 2005 when the show started. Ah yes, gotta love that 2000's look: everything is somewhat drained of color.
While I'm not a personal fan of that aesthetic (especially in superhero shows, but that's a post for another day) it does fit the tone of Supernatural, so I'm willing to give it a pass.
I doubt I'm going to catch up in time to see the final season (it's 14 seasons after all) and I'm not really into binge watching super long shows. I will definitely make my way through it. So no spoilers!!
Next, Friends. Unlike Supernatural, I have seen a fair share of Friends episodes on reruns on the CW during their comedy block back at home. While I added it to my list of shows to watch on Netflix, I never felt motivated to start watching it from the first episode.
However, that changed for a few reasons. 1) Friends is leaving Netflix for HBO Max, Warner Bros./HBO's new streaming service. (YAY!!! Another streaming service 😒) and 2) I was talking with a friend at lunch about the show, while it was playing in our cafeteria. I decided "Well, why not? I could use another comedy show to watch."
I was watching Cheers a while ago, but I binged through the first season, and need a bit of a break. So I started Friends, and have watched two episodes. I understand why everyone loves the show a little better now. It's really funny, and the chemistry between the cast shines through.
I was concerned the show hadn't aged well, since it was made in the 90's. However, it certainly holds up pretty well. The show also handles Ross' ex-wife being a lesbian pretty well. They use the situation to make some jokes without mocking the characters being lesbians. However, since I'm a heterosexual male, maybe there's something I'm missing. Hopefully any members of the LGBTQ+ community who watch Friends are able to enjoy it still.
All right, that's about it from me today. I should get back to more "productive" work, like practicing Spanish on Duolingo. Or watching Friends and Supernatural on Netflix. 😜 I will try to keep posting weekly, however midterms are around the corner, along with the grand jewel event on campus: Kickoff, which I'm working at, so I might not have a lot of time to write.
If you'd like to connect with me, I'm on Twitter @ConductorPat, and as mentioned before have a Facebook page titled "Patrick Webbs Tug & Tram Blogging." Thanks for reading everyone. Keep writing, and I'll see you on the Tramway!
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
New Blog Announcement & Pat Pitches Future Fiction & The Dark Stars Trilogy
Hello Star Tugs,
I hope you are all doing well.
Today I would like to announce my new blog: The Occasional Express. Since my train article posts were super popular, I decided to try out another blog. My reasoning behind this is:
A) Trains aren't a big interest of all my readers, so to best serve my audience, I've split up my posts so that people don't have to wait too long for posts they are interested in.
B) I'm in an Entrepreneur class this semester, which inspired me to take a risk. Who knows how successful it will be? I won't unless I try.
Now I should note the reason why it's called the Occasional Express. Tuggin' & Trammin' Blogging will still be my main blog and will have more updates than Occasional Express. Another point I should make is that if I'm talking abut a writing project which includes trains, it will stay here.
That's all for the Occasional Express, if you're interested you can find the blog here: https://theoccasionalexpress.blogspot.com
I also have a Social Media page set up on Facebook for The Occasional Express, which you can find here: www.facebook.com/groups/445304499527314/?ref=group_header
Pat Pitches
All right, let's get to the main topic of the post. Today, I want to delve into a topic I've been meaning to discuss for a while, but haven't had the time to. This will probably be a lot shorter than my History of Yankee Girl post, as this' me sharing my opinion on what I've been reading, what I'm gonna read. (Shout out to my Weekly Wackadoos/Weekly Planet Podcast fans who get that reference).
Unrelated note, this' my first blog post written on my "new" computer. (I switched from one Windows 10 to another one that was less used, so put that on your trivia quiz!)
Today on Pat Pitches, where I pitch a thing I've read, seen, etc., I will be discussing two science fiction books. These are Future Fiction and the Dark Stars Trilogy.
DISCLAIMER: There will be some minor spoilers for both, read at your own risk. Or go read the books, then come back here.
All right, let's get to it!
Future Fiction
Future Fiction: New Dimensions in International Science Fiction is an anthology collaboration between Bill Campbell's Rosarium Publishing, famous for their anthology Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism & Beyond, and Italian publisher Francesco Verso.
The stories in Future Fiction are mostly written by International Writers, and provides readers a look into fiction from other countries. They deal with Global superpowers (America is mentioned a lot in the stories, and not always in a good light, which gives American readers such as myself a look at how our country is perceived in other countries).
Future Fiction includes stories which deal with artificial intelligence, weather control, media consumption, people with mutant powers to pull life from people and to give it, and.... VR Panda Sex. (That last one is more complicated, basically: scientists use a VR controlled panda robot to teach Pandas in captivity how to have sex).
I need to mention that it's been a while since I read Future Fiction, which was the original sole subject of this post. But that Panda VR Sex...... it's stuck with me folks, I can't get it out of my mind!!
Jokes aside, I really enjoyed all of the stories in Future Fiction. Each felt different from the last, and they all kept my attention. Not only that, each short story in Future Fiction develops its world quickly and very entertainingly. They all feel like they could be the first chapter or expanded into a full on novel, which I would love to see.
Future Fiction also gives international writers a boost. Bill Campbell helped to translate several of the stories into English, to expand their readership. If you want to read stories by more international writers, than give Future Fiction a read. I'll leave the link for it on Amazon here:
www.amazon.com/Future-Fiction-Dimensions-International-Science/dp/0998705918
All right, let's go to the next book!
The Dark Stars (Book 1): Crystalline Space
The Dark Stars trilogy is written by A. K. Duboff, and follows a group of civilians living in a galactic government, where worlds can be reset using an ancient crystal system. However, when a darkness begins to corrupt the crystals, the civilians are saved from limbo and reprinted with more advanced bodies that allow them to use magic and the magical artifacts needed to save the galaxy.
The Dark Stars trilogy is written in the 1st person perspective of Elle, a young woman who wanted to become a Space Ranger, but accidentally got an injury that stopped her. Elle is a very relatable character who is a lot of fun to follow. She's bold and willing to do whatever it takes to save her home world and family from being trapped in an eternal limbo.
The Dark Stars trilogy has 4 main characters, known as the Dark Sentinels: Elle, Kaiden, a cool boy magician who reminds me of Alucard from Castlevania, Toran, the giant brawler with a gentle soul, and.... Maris, another magician.
Maris is added later into the book, and is personally my least favorite character. She complains a lot and comes off as annoying, and only reluctantly helps the others. However, she does grow a bit, and towards the end is less annoying.
I really like the world building that Ms. Duboff does in book 1. There's a good mix of fantasy, video game and sci fi elements. The Dark Sentinels all feel like character types you would see in a Dungeons & Dragons game, you have the magicians (Kaiden and Maris), the brawler (Toran) and skilled fighter (Elle).
The series feels like it has influence from The Matrix, because the characters quickly develop fighting skills once they're given their new bodies.
I also find the idea of (again, minor spoiler) the Dark Sentinels' new bodies being printed. I'm not sure why, the visual idea of that, perhaps inspired by The 5th Element, sounds really cool to me, that's the stuff I want to see in Science Fiction.
I'm currently reading Book 2, A Light in the Dark, after a small break in between Book 1. I definitely recommend you give the entire trilogy a read. I'll leave the Amazon link below.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HHCHQYZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i7
You can also find A. K. Duboff on twitter here: https://twitter.com/AmyDuBoff so go give her a follow on there.
Okay, so since writing this blog post out initially, I've been reading more of A Light in the Dark.....and I'm almost finished. Wow!!
A. K. Duboff's writing is so smooth and inviting that it's hard to stop reading, which is definitely a testament to Ms. Duboff's skill. I wouldn't be surprised if I finish the book before this' published. (I did).
Book 2 also takes a lot more risks and halfway through completely changes the game and the plot. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm not even going to hint at what the book does. You need to read this for yourself.
All right, that's all for me today. Have you read either of these books? What're your thoughts? Let me know here on Blogger or on Twitter, my username is @ConductorPat. Thank you for checking out my blog and my blog series Pat Pitches. I hope you enjoyed both.
Thanks for reading. Remember to Keep Writing and I'll see you on the Tramway!
I hope you are all doing well.
Today I would like to announce my new blog: The Occasional Express. Since my train article posts were super popular, I decided to try out another blog. My reasoning behind this is:
A) Trains aren't a big interest of all my readers, so to best serve my audience, I've split up my posts so that people don't have to wait too long for posts they are interested in.
B) I'm in an Entrepreneur class this semester, which inspired me to take a risk. Who knows how successful it will be? I won't unless I try.
Now I should note the reason why it's called the Occasional Express. Tuggin' & Trammin' Blogging will still be my main blog and will have more updates than Occasional Express. Another point I should make is that if I'm talking abut a writing project which includes trains, it will stay here.
That's all for the Occasional Express, if you're interested you can find the blog here: https://theoccasionalexpress.blogspot.com
I also have a Social Media page set up on Facebook for The Occasional Express, which you can find here: www.facebook.com/groups/445304499527314/?ref=group_header
Pat Pitches
All right, let's get to the main topic of the post. Today, I want to delve into a topic I've been meaning to discuss for a while, but haven't had the time to. This will probably be a lot shorter than my History of Yankee Girl post, as this' me sharing my opinion on what I've been reading, what I'm gonna read. (Shout out to my Weekly Wackadoos/Weekly Planet Podcast fans who get that reference).
Unrelated note, this' my first blog post written on my "new" computer. (I switched from one Windows 10 to another one that was less used, so put that on your trivia quiz!)
Today on Pat Pitches, where I pitch a thing I've read, seen, etc., I will be discussing two science fiction books. These are Future Fiction and the Dark Stars Trilogy.
DISCLAIMER: There will be some minor spoilers for both, read at your own risk. Or go read the books, then come back here.
All right, let's get to it!
Future Fiction
Future Fiction: New Dimensions in International Science Fiction is an anthology collaboration between Bill Campbell's Rosarium Publishing, famous for their anthology Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism & Beyond, and Italian publisher Francesco Verso.
The stories in Future Fiction are mostly written by International Writers, and provides readers a look into fiction from other countries. They deal with Global superpowers (America is mentioned a lot in the stories, and not always in a good light, which gives American readers such as myself a look at how our country is perceived in other countries).
Future Fiction includes stories which deal with artificial intelligence, weather control, media consumption, people with mutant powers to pull life from people and to give it, and.... VR Panda Sex. (That last one is more complicated, basically: scientists use a VR controlled panda robot to teach Pandas in captivity how to have sex).
I need to mention that it's been a while since I read Future Fiction, which was the original sole subject of this post. But that Panda VR Sex...... it's stuck with me folks, I can't get it out of my mind!!
Jokes aside, I really enjoyed all of the stories in Future Fiction. Each felt different from the last, and they all kept my attention. Not only that, each short story in Future Fiction develops its world quickly and very entertainingly. They all feel like they could be the first chapter or expanded into a full on novel, which I would love to see.
Future Fiction also gives international writers a boost. Bill Campbell helped to translate several of the stories into English, to expand their readership. If you want to read stories by more international writers, than give Future Fiction a read. I'll leave the link for it on Amazon here:
www.amazon.com/Future-Fiction-Dimensions-International-Science/dp/0998705918
All right, let's go to the next book!
The Dark Stars (Book 1): Crystalline Space
The Dark Stars trilogy is written by A. K. Duboff, and follows a group of civilians living in a galactic government, where worlds can be reset using an ancient crystal system. However, when a darkness begins to corrupt the crystals, the civilians are saved from limbo and reprinted with more advanced bodies that allow them to use magic and the magical artifacts needed to save the galaxy.
The Dark Stars trilogy is written in the 1st person perspective of Elle, a young woman who wanted to become a Space Ranger, but accidentally got an injury that stopped her. Elle is a very relatable character who is a lot of fun to follow. She's bold and willing to do whatever it takes to save her home world and family from being trapped in an eternal limbo.
The Dark Stars trilogy has 4 main characters, known as the Dark Sentinels: Elle, Kaiden, a cool boy magician who reminds me of Alucard from Castlevania, Toran, the giant brawler with a gentle soul, and.... Maris, another magician.
Maris is added later into the book, and is personally my least favorite character. She complains a lot and comes off as annoying, and only reluctantly helps the others. However, she does grow a bit, and towards the end is less annoying.
I really like the world building that Ms. Duboff does in book 1. There's a good mix of fantasy, video game and sci fi elements. The Dark Sentinels all feel like character types you would see in a Dungeons & Dragons game, you have the magicians (Kaiden and Maris), the brawler (Toran) and skilled fighter (Elle).
The series feels like it has influence from The Matrix, because the characters quickly develop fighting skills once they're given their new bodies.
I also find the idea of (again, minor spoiler) the Dark Sentinels' new bodies being printed. I'm not sure why, the visual idea of that, perhaps inspired by The 5th Element, sounds really cool to me, that's the stuff I want to see in Science Fiction.
I'm currently reading Book 2, A Light in the Dark, after a small break in between Book 1. I definitely recommend you give the entire trilogy a read. I'll leave the Amazon link below.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HHCHQYZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i7
You can also find A. K. Duboff on twitter here: https://twitter.com/AmyDuBoff so go give her a follow on there.
Okay, so since writing this blog post out initially, I've been reading more of A Light in the Dark.....and I'm almost finished. Wow!!
A. K. Duboff's writing is so smooth and inviting that it's hard to stop reading, which is definitely a testament to Ms. Duboff's skill. I wouldn't be surprised if I finish the book before this' published. (I did).
Book 2 also takes a lot more risks and halfway through completely changes the game and the plot. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm not even going to hint at what the book does. You need to read this for yourself.
All right, that's all for me today. Have you read either of these books? What're your thoughts? Let me know here on Blogger or on Twitter, my username is @ConductorPat. Thank you for checking out my blog and my blog series Pat Pitches. I hope you enjoyed both.
Thanks for reading. Remember to Keep Writing and I'll see you on the Tramway!
Friday, September 6, 2019
Yankee Doodle Dandy! The History of Yankee Girl: The (Forgotten & Somewhat) Forgotten Golden Age Superhero
Hello Star Tugs,
Welcome back to the Tuggin' & Trammin' Blogging blog. If this' your first blog post you've read from me, welcome! Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog.
Today, I will be doing another "The History of" blog post, where I discuss, as the name implies, the History of my topic. Today's topic is Yankee Girl: The (Forgotten & Somewhat) Forgotten Golden Age Superhero.
If you've read my blog for a long time you'll know that I'm a bit of a lover of Golden Age and public domain characters. (You can check out my blog posts The History of Lady Luck and the Do's and Don'ts of Public Domain Characters for reference).
A lot of the characters I have learned about from the Golden Age (including Lady Luck and today's subject) are due to the Public Domain Superhero Wikipedia. Without this great source, these characters would be forgotten. I'll leave a link if you'd also like to explore the public domain superheroes, and maybe even get your own inspiration to use a character. Go wild! https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Public_Domain_Super_Heroes
(But make sure to check out my Do's and Don'ts reference page as well, to help you along and avoid a lawsuit)
So today's character (or should I say characters?) we will be digging into the history of is Yankee Girl. Now I say characters because there's actually TWO Yankee Girls.
The Public Domain Superhero Wikipedia lists them as Yankee Girl #1 and #2 (left to right respectfully). Confused yet? Don't worry, sit back, put on a podcast, or Yankee Doodle Dandy if you want to make me laugh (if you take a video of you playing Yankee Doodle Dandy and show this blog post I will give you a shout out on Twitter).
Now to keep this chronological, I'll start with Yankee Girl #1, who came first.
Yankee Girl #1 (Kitty Kelly)
Yankee Girl #1, or Kitty Kelly, first appeared in Punch Comics #1, published in December 1941. Unfortunately, Yankee Girl's creator is unknown. The creator, according to comicbookplus.com, might possibly be Ann Brewster, but this' unconfirmed. Kitty Kelly/Yankee Girl doesn't first in the magazine-like comic. Her story can be found on Page 28. You can read the entire comic on comicbookplus.com, which I will link here to Kitty's first story. https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=69658
Kitty Kelly's main job is an air hostess, who sometimes work on trips for the US Army during WWII. Her story in Punch Comics #1 is not clear. In her first story, Kitty deals with Japanese saboteurs, and as you can see on page 29 (or 31 for you at home reading on comicbookplus.com) Kitty does not fall into the stereotype of the damsel in the distress. Though she does call for Ned's help on Page 28. And he wants her to wear and apron and be his wife. So there is that.
The artwork of Punch Comics #1 isn't exactly ground breaking, and some elements, mostly the portrayal of the Japanese, is very stereotypical. One thing that is worth praise in this story is that Kitty is very active in the story.
Kitty Kelly doesn't seem like a superhero in this first issue, she's more of a secret agent or traditional hero. One thing's for sure, as you can see in panel 4 on the above page, if she wanted to do the can can, well oh boy she can! 😎
All right, I promise that's the last pun I'll make.
Kitty Kelly doesn't appear to have been as popular as Punch Comics' publishers, Chesler Feature Syndicate (according to Punch Comics #2 Page 42), were hoping for. Kitty Kelly's story is pushed farther back in the book in Punch Comics #2 to page 42. Once again Kitty Kelly shows herself to be a badass.
Kitty Kelly did not come to play.
Kitty Kelly is somewhat inspirational. She gives the young Lieutenant the courage to step up to their enemies (unfortunately here portrayed as a Muslim stereotype). The story has definitely not aged well. While I have no idea what the numbers were for Punch Comics' sales, I do know that Kitty Kelly was removed from the comic after #2.
Kitty Kelly was relocated to Captain Flight Comics, and where she first appeared in Issue #6. However, if you're looking for a new story, then you're going to be disappointed. The story is a reprint from Punch Comics #2, but has a different cover.
Punch Comics #2 (on the left) and Captain Flight Comics #6. See the resemblance?
Kitty Kelly didn't appear in Captain Flight Comics #7. Why? I'm not entirely sure. I do have a suspicion that the writers decided to give Kitty a "reboot" if you will, but needed time to recreate the character. As you can see on the image of Captain Flight Comics #8, we now see how Kitty became called Yankee Girl.
Captain Flight Comics #8 Page 29
Here Kitty, finally Yankee Girl, gets a costume, which is pretty uninspired. A few things I've noticed right off the bat:
1) Kitty's work is now a receptionist. Why the change? No idea. Maybe she was tired of getting shot down.
2) Kitty inexplicably has powers, such as hypnotism, and I assume strength, since the chair didn't seem to harm her.
I guess that Captain Flight Comics attempted to erase Kitty's first two stories, but kept the name to keep her original readers reading her story. So, how does this story perform versus the first 2?
Well, as you can see, it's not a whole lot better. Instead of fighting stereotypes of Japanese or North Africans, now she fighting stereotypes of the mentally ill! Oh the 1940's were a... special time for comics weren't they?
Also, some idiot forgot to color in Yankee Girl's bottom part of her costume, which is kind of hilarious. These comics weren't exactly being made for the art, as you can see here. As the story progresses, Yankee Girl appears to possess the power of flight and invulnerability to bullets.
Moving on, in Captain Flight Comics #9, Kitty is pushed to the back of the book, and now the title is "Kitty Kelly: Yankee Girl." And she's back to being an air hostess.
Kitty was once again bumped to another book, and appeared in one issue of Red Seal Comics, #17. In this issue Kitty gains a different superhero costume, which was seen above. Which includes children dying...😐😐 YAY.
This issue also finally explains how Kitty Kelly's powers work, allowing her to become Yankee Girl. When she's under distress, Kitty's powers kick in.
We also finally get some proper superhero action from Kitty, and some changing fan service. I'm starting to notice a trend in these 1940's comics, which definitely hasn't stopped entirely.
Despite her versatility and ability to jump around to different books, Kitty's luck came to an end. Kitty's last original appearance was in Wonder Boy Comics #18, published in July 1955.
So how does Kitty's last story go.
😳
WAIT A MINUTE!!!!
That's right folks, they reprinted Punch Comics #2's story for a SECOND time. This' a really sad ending for Kitty's career.
And that is the sad ending of Kitty Kelly/Yankee Girl. The real question is, does she count as a Public Domain superhero? Technically.... yes, however she only appears as a superhero in a few stories, and even then the continuity of those stories is very confusing.
When I began researching this blog post I didn't expect a lot from Kitty Kelly, my main interest is in our next subject. However, I was pleasantly surprised with an interesting change of costumes and that hilarious reprint.
All right, now onto the main reason why I decided to write this blog post.
Yankee Girl (Lauren Mason)
Yankee Girl, alias Lauren Mason was created by Ralph Mayo and published by Harry A Chesler.... wait a minute. Chesler, as in Chesler Feature Syndicates. Huh. I guess the Yankee Girls are more connected than I once thought.
Anyways, Yankee Girl (#2) first appeared in Dynamic Comics #23 in November 1947. Lauren's powers, unlike Kitty's, are much more clearly defined. In Dynamic Comics #23, Lauren gains her powers by saying the phrase "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Yankee Girl's powers seem to include flight and strength, but she can still be easily knocked out by a common thug.
Yankee Girl's next (and last) Public Domain appearance was in Danger #16. And for the first time, Yankee Girl is on the front cover!
Yankee Girl's costume changes yet again, she looses the yellow leggings, replacing them for red boots, and her cape has less stars on it. The stripes on her costume have also decreased. This would be the last story where Yankee Girl would appear under the legacy of Harry A Chesler.
HOWEVER, this was not the end of the character's career!
AC Comics
Image (C) AC Comics. Used under fair use. https://accomics.fandom.com/wiki/Yankee_Girl
AC Comics, a lesser known comic book company, decided to bring back Yankee Girl. Because the company which published Yankee Girl went out of business, Yankee Girl fell into the Public Domain. Which means that anyone, including AC Comics, were able to use her.
Yankee Girl had a solo run under AC Comics, and was also apart of AC Comics' team FemForce, created in 1985. According to AC Comics' website, Yankee Girl still has new stories as of 2012 with the publication of Yankee Girl: Stars & Stripes Forever #1.
AC Comics also gave Yankee Girl's costume a redesign, which you can see above. Personally, it's nice but very objectifying. It's not the most objective costume mind you, but doesn't sit with me that well in all honesty.
Yankee Girl has also appeared in a short animated film by Nightveil Media, who have some connections with AC Comics. Which states that it's not for kids... and has her fighting a mostly naked Communist looking woman.... 😕
The animation doesn't appear to be of a big budget, and in all honestly... doesn't look good. I can't pass judgement, since I haven't seen it, and have left a link if you're curious and want to buy it, but don't personally recommend it. And now for some Fun Facts!!
Fun Fact:
Despite being called Yankee Girl by the Public Domain Superhero Wikipedia, Kitty Kelly's first title card doesn't read Yankee Girl! On Page 28 it actually reads Kitty Kelly.
Kitty Kelly doesn't appear in a true superhero costume until her 6th appearance in comics.
Kitty Kelly/Yankee Girl's last appearance also has Phantom Lady, a character most people may recognize from DC, where she has new comics made.
Within Danger #16 Yankee Girl's boots change from red on the cover to blue in the book. (I know that's not so great, bare with me, I'm struggling to find Fun Facts)
AC Comics publish a series with Golden Age, Public Domain superheroes like Yankee Girl, called Golden Age Greats. If you're curious and want to buy the series, you can check my sources below.
Conclusion
Yankee Girl is probably the best example of how a public domain character can be given a second lease on life thanks to the public domain. From her humble origins as a Air Hostess, to a Superhero in an all female team, Yankee Girl's history is very ranged. Not all of her stories (past or present) are good, but there is a certain charm to this character.
If you asked me which version I prefer, I would say Lauren Mason. She has a much more interesting costume, and does a lot more superhero-ing.
And now for a new section I like to call
How I'd Use the Character
Personally, I would try and use both Yankee Girls, and maybe have them have a friendly rivalry. I'd probably keep Lauren Mason as Yankee Girl, and change Kitty Kelly to something else. I likely wouldn't change the costumes a whole lot, but would make some changes to make them more unique. I'd keep Lauren's yellow leggings but make the boots a different character.
Will I ever use Yankee Girl? Whose to say. But I will say, Luck be a Lady...
And that is all I will say. Thank you for reading this very long blog post. I hope you enjoyed it. If you'd like to read more blog posts in the future, follow me here on on Twitter, @ConductorPat, where you can also interact with me. If you'd like to, let me know how YOU would use Yankee Girl. And which version do you prefer?
Thanks for reading everyone. Remember to keep writing, and I'll see you on the Tramway!
Sources:
Captain Flight Comics #6 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=23757
Captain Flight Comics #8 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=40267
Captain Flight Comics #9 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=28443
Chesler/Dynamic Comics. https://comicbookplus.com/?cid=823
Danger #16 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=15231
Dynamic Comics #23 https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/preview/index.php?did=12669
FemForce https://comicvine.gamespot.com/femforce/4060-27873/
Golden Age Greats. https://accomics.com/product-category/golden-age/gollden-age-greats-spotlight/
Punch Comics #1 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=69658
Punch Comics #2 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=27297
Red Seal Comics #17 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=40862
Yankee Girl (Kitty Kelly) https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Yankee_Girl_(1)
Yankee Girl (Lauren Mason) https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Yankee_Girl_(2)
Yankee Girl: Stars & Stripes #1 https://accomics.com/product/yankee-girl-stars-and-stripes-forever-1/
Yankee Girl Vs. The Colossal Crossack
www.nightveilmedia.com/downloads/yankee-girl-vs-the-colossal-cossack-download
Welcome back to the Tuggin' & Trammin' Blogging blog. If this' your first blog post you've read from me, welcome! Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog.
Today, I will be doing another "The History of" blog post, where I discuss, as the name implies, the History of my topic. Today's topic is Yankee Girl: The (Forgotten & Somewhat) Forgotten Golden Age Superhero.
If you've read my blog for a long time you'll know that I'm a bit of a lover of Golden Age and public domain characters. (You can check out my blog posts The History of Lady Luck and the Do's and Don'ts of Public Domain Characters for reference).
A lot of the characters I have learned about from the Golden Age (including Lady Luck and today's subject) are due to the Public Domain Superhero Wikipedia. Without this great source, these characters would be forgotten. I'll leave a link if you'd also like to explore the public domain superheroes, and maybe even get your own inspiration to use a character. Go wild! https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Public_Domain_Super_Heroes
(But make sure to check out my Do's and Don'ts reference page as well, to help you along and avoid a lawsuit)
So today's character (or should I say characters?) we will be digging into the history of is Yankee Girl. Now I say characters because there's actually TWO Yankee Girls.
The Public Domain Superhero Wikipedia lists them as Yankee Girl #1 and #2 (left to right respectfully). Confused yet? Don't worry, sit back, put on a podcast, or Yankee Doodle Dandy if you want to make me laugh (if you take a video of you playing Yankee Doodle Dandy and show this blog post I will give you a shout out on Twitter).
Now to keep this chronological, I'll start with Yankee Girl #1, who came first.
Yankee Girl #1 (Kitty Kelly)
Yankee Girl #1, or Kitty Kelly, first appeared in Punch Comics #1, published in December 1941. Unfortunately, Yankee Girl's creator is unknown. The creator, according to comicbookplus.com, might possibly be Ann Brewster, but this' unconfirmed. Kitty Kelly/Yankee Girl doesn't first in the magazine-like comic. Her story can be found on Page 28. You can read the entire comic on comicbookplus.com, which I will link here to Kitty's first story. https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=69658
Kitty Kelly's main job is an air hostess, who sometimes work on trips for the US Army during WWII. Her story in Punch Comics #1 is not clear. In her first story, Kitty deals with Japanese saboteurs, and as you can see on page 29 (or 31 for you at home reading on comicbookplus.com) Kitty does not fall into the stereotype of the damsel in the distress. Though she does call for Ned's help on Page 28. And he wants her to wear and apron and be his wife. So there is that.
The artwork of Punch Comics #1 isn't exactly ground breaking, and some elements, mostly the portrayal of the Japanese, is very stereotypical. One thing that is worth praise in this story is that Kitty is very active in the story.
Kitty Kelly doesn't seem like a superhero in this first issue, she's more of a secret agent or traditional hero. One thing's for sure, as you can see in panel 4 on the above page, if she wanted to do the can can, well oh boy she can! 😎
All right, I promise that's the last pun I'll make.
Kitty Kelly doesn't appear to have been as popular as Punch Comics' publishers, Chesler Feature Syndicate (according to Punch Comics #2 Page 42), were hoping for. Kitty Kelly's story is pushed farther back in the book in Punch Comics #2 to page 42. Once again Kitty Kelly shows herself to be a badass.
Kitty Kelly did not come to play.
Kitty Kelly is somewhat inspirational. She gives the young Lieutenant the courage to step up to their enemies (unfortunately here portrayed as a Muslim stereotype). The story has definitely not aged well. While I have no idea what the numbers were for Punch Comics' sales, I do know that Kitty Kelly was removed from the comic after #2.
Kitty Kelly was relocated to Captain Flight Comics, and where she first appeared in Issue #6. However, if you're looking for a new story, then you're going to be disappointed. The story is a reprint from Punch Comics #2, but has a different cover.
Punch Comics #2 (on the left) and Captain Flight Comics #6. See the resemblance?
Kitty Kelly didn't appear in Captain Flight Comics #7. Why? I'm not entirely sure. I do have a suspicion that the writers decided to give Kitty a "reboot" if you will, but needed time to recreate the character. As you can see on the image of Captain Flight Comics #8, we now see how Kitty became called Yankee Girl.
Captain Flight Comics #8 Page 29Here Kitty, finally Yankee Girl, gets a costume, which is pretty uninspired. A few things I've noticed right off the bat:
1) Kitty's work is now a receptionist. Why the change? No idea. Maybe she was tired of getting shot down.
2) Kitty inexplicably has powers, such as hypnotism, and I assume strength, since the chair didn't seem to harm her.
I guess that Captain Flight Comics attempted to erase Kitty's first two stories, but kept the name to keep her original readers reading her story. So, how does this story perform versus the first 2?
Well, as you can see, it's not a whole lot better. Instead of fighting stereotypes of Japanese or North Africans, now she fighting stereotypes of the mentally ill! Oh the 1940's were a... special time for comics weren't they?
Also, some idiot forgot to color in Yankee Girl's bottom part of her costume, which is kind of hilarious. These comics weren't exactly being made for the art, as you can see here. As the story progresses, Yankee Girl appears to possess the power of flight and invulnerability to bullets.
Moving on, in Captain Flight Comics #9, Kitty is pushed to the back of the book, and now the title is "Kitty Kelly: Yankee Girl." And she's back to being an air hostess.
Kitty was once again bumped to another book, and appeared in one issue of Red Seal Comics, #17. In this issue Kitty gains a different superhero costume, which was seen above. Which includes children dying...😐😐 YAY.
This issue also finally explains how Kitty Kelly's powers work, allowing her to become Yankee Girl. When she's under distress, Kitty's powers kick in.
We also finally get some proper superhero action from Kitty, and some changing fan service. I'm starting to notice a trend in these 1940's comics, which definitely hasn't stopped entirely.
Despite her versatility and ability to jump around to different books, Kitty's luck came to an end. Kitty's last original appearance was in Wonder Boy Comics #18, published in July 1955.
So how does Kitty's last story go.
😳WAIT A MINUTE!!!!
That's right folks, they reprinted Punch Comics #2's story for a SECOND time. This' a really sad ending for Kitty's career.
And that is the sad ending of Kitty Kelly/Yankee Girl. The real question is, does she count as a Public Domain superhero? Technically.... yes, however she only appears as a superhero in a few stories, and even then the continuity of those stories is very confusing.
When I began researching this blog post I didn't expect a lot from Kitty Kelly, my main interest is in our next subject. However, I was pleasantly surprised with an interesting change of costumes and that hilarious reprint.
All right, now onto the main reason why I decided to write this blog post.
Yankee Girl (Lauren Mason)
Yankee Girl, alias Lauren Mason was created by Ralph Mayo and published by Harry A Chesler.... wait a minute. Chesler, as in Chesler Feature Syndicates. Huh. I guess the Yankee Girls are more connected than I once thought.
Anyways, Yankee Girl (#2) first appeared in Dynamic Comics #23 in November 1947. Lauren's powers, unlike Kitty's, are much more clearly defined. In Dynamic Comics #23, Lauren gains her powers by saying the phrase "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Yankee Girl's powers seem to include flight and strength, but she can still be easily knocked out by a common thug.
Yankee Girl's next (and last) Public Domain appearance was in Danger #16. And for the first time, Yankee Girl is on the front cover!
Yankee Girl's costume changes yet again, she looses the yellow leggings, replacing them for red boots, and her cape has less stars on it. The stripes on her costume have also decreased. This would be the last story where Yankee Girl would appear under the legacy of Harry A Chesler.
HOWEVER, this was not the end of the character's career!
AC Comics
Image (C) AC Comics. Used under fair use. https://accomics.fandom.com/wiki/Yankee_GirlAC Comics, a lesser known comic book company, decided to bring back Yankee Girl. Because the company which published Yankee Girl went out of business, Yankee Girl fell into the Public Domain. Which means that anyone, including AC Comics, were able to use her.
Yankee Girl had a solo run under AC Comics, and was also apart of AC Comics' team FemForce, created in 1985. According to AC Comics' website, Yankee Girl still has new stories as of 2012 with the publication of Yankee Girl: Stars & Stripes Forever #1.
AC Comics also gave Yankee Girl's costume a redesign, which you can see above. Personally, it's nice but very objectifying. It's not the most objective costume mind you, but doesn't sit with me that well in all honesty.
Yankee Girl has also appeared in a short animated film by Nightveil Media, who have some connections with AC Comics. Which states that it's not for kids... and has her fighting a mostly naked Communist looking woman.... 😕
The animation doesn't appear to be of a big budget, and in all honestly... doesn't look good. I can't pass judgement, since I haven't seen it, and have left a link if you're curious and want to buy it, but don't personally recommend it. And now for some Fun Facts!!
Fun Fact:
Despite being called Yankee Girl by the Public Domain Superhero Wikipedia, Kitty Kelly's first title card doesn't read Yankee Girl! On Page 28 it actually reads Kitty Kelly.
Kitty Kelly doesn't appear in a true superhero costume until her 6th appearance in comics.
Kitty Kelly/Yankee Girl's last appearance also has Phantom Lady, a character most people may recognize from DC, where she has new comics made.
Within Danger #16 Yankee Girl's boots change from red on the cover to blue in the book. (I know that's not so great, bare with me, I'm struggling to find Fun Facts)
AC Comics publish a series with Golden Age, Public Domain superheroes like Yankee Girl, called Golden Age Greats. If you're curious and want to buy the series, you can check my sources below.
Conclusion
Yankee Girl is probably the best example of how a public domain character can be given a second lease on life thanks to the public domain. From her humble origins as a Air Hostess, to a Superhero in an all female team, Yankee Girl's history is very ranged. Not all of her stories (past or present) are good, but there is a certain charm to this character.
If you asked me which version I prefer, I would say Lauren Mason. She has a much more interesting costume, and does a lot more superhero-ing.
And now for a new section I like to call
How I'd Use the Character
Personally, I would try and use both Yankee Girls, and maybe have them have a friendly rivalry. I'd probably keep Lauren Mason as Yankee Girl, and change Kitty Kelly to something else. I likely wouldn't change the costumes a whole lot, but would make some changes to make them more unique. I'd keep Lauren's yellow leggings but make the boots a different character.
Will I ever use Yankee Girl? Whose to say. But I will say, Luck be a Lady...
And that is all I will say. Thank you for reading this very long blog post. I hope you enjoyed it. If you'd like to read more blog posts in the future, follow me here on on Twitter, @ConductorPat, where you can also interact with me. If you'd like to, let me know how YOU would use Yankee Girl. And which version do you prefer?
Thanks for reading everyone. Remember to keep writing, and I'll see you on the Tramway!
Sources:
Captain Flight Comics #6 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=23757
Captain Flight Comics #8 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=40267
Captain Flight Comics #9 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=28443
Chesler/Dynamic Comics. https://comicbookplus.com/?cid=823
Danger #16 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=15231
Dynamic Comics #23 https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/preview/index.php?did=12669
FemForce https://comicvine.gamespot.com/femforce/4060-27873/
Golden Age Greats. https://accomics.com/product-category/golden-age/gollden-age-greats-spotlight/
Punch Comics #1 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=69658
Punch Comics #2 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=27297
Red Seal Comics #17 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=40862
Yankee Girl (Kitty Kelly) https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Yankee_Girl_(1)
Yankee Girl (Lauren Mason) https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Yankee_Girl_(2)
Yankee Girl: Stars & Stripes #1 https://accomics.com/product/yankee-girl-stars-and-stripes-forever-1/
Yankee Girl Vs. The Colossal Crossack
www.nightveilmedia.com/downloads/yankee-girl-vs-the-colossal-cossack-download
Monday, September 2, 2019
Exploring Script Writing (& The History of my Oldest Project)
Hello Star Tugs!
Happy Labor Day to my US readers, and to everyone else, Happy Monday. I hope you're all doing well. I'm currently taking a break between homework and class to get write a new blog post.
I know I haven't been able to write a lot recently because of class starting back up again, but I did want to give you all an update on what I'm doing with my writing.
Recently I started to explore writing scripts, which took me from my normal form of novels. This was most likely inspired by many of my friends who are Film Majors. Another inspiration was my idea for a sequel to one of my favorite 80's movies The Wraith. (I'll leave you to google it if you're interested, or maybe I'll do a Pat Pitches or history blog, but that's a subject for another day).
I decided to start with an original project versus attempting to write a sequel for a little known 80's movie. I wanted to make my film script different from my other projects and not based on anything I'd written before, to keep it standalone. However, a certain element from almost all my projects sneaked in. You know what I'm talking about. (Unless you're a new reader, if so, hello! All will be explained soon).
While planning my film, an idea struck me: "What if I did a chase film, set on a train?" I also wanted to use the project to give attention to a steam locomotive I'm quite fond of, which isn't well known outside of the UK and the Train Enthusiast community. And thus the film script Royal Scot was born.
Royal Scot is a chase film where the Royal Family and Royal Protective Service (RPS) must escape to France from a giant conquering army using Royal Scot, a preserved steam locomotive, because all electronics in the UK are wiped out.
I began writing after doing a few googles of how to write a film script, and began to write my script. Unfortunately I lost motivation to work on the project and left it idle while pursuing new projects.
So backtrack a few weeks, and I decided I needed to finish projects I had started. So I returned to Royal Scot and decided to power through until I finished the film script. Which I did!
Don't get too excited Chase fans. My first draft is definitely a rough one, and I have no idea when I could pitch this to studios to be made into a movie. I will have to consult my Film Major friends on how to do this. (Ps. If you're an Executive send me a message on Twitter @ConductorPat and I'll send you my email.)
My other project is much older, though not in it's current form. Which takes me back to when I began to write. Back in around 2008 I stumbled across this video, which literally changed my life www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqwXBNSAPH4. The name of the character at the end of this video, Johnny, stuck with me. Probably because I watched Short Circuit and liked the main character, the loveable robot Johnny Five.
I thought to myself "I can create a character to!" And thus Johnny the V3, later the Bethany Railway Chronicles, was born. Essentially, imagine Thomas but a bit more adult, at least in its later form. Originally I planned the Bethany Railway Chronicles to be a novel series. However, I ran into the problem that I struggle to describe what the locomotive characters look like.
I also had trouble with the world building of the location. Originally I started with an island, then changed it to an island chain so that no one could say I was ripping off Thomas. Despite this, I was still struggling to develop this fictional island chain.
My friend CC, who I've tagged on here before, suggested that I set the series in space. While they mostly meant it as a joke, the idea stuck with me. So the series became the Bethany Galactic Railway Chronicles.
Treading back to Royal Scot, after I finished the first draft of Royal Scot, I got to thinking about making the Bethany Galactic Railway Chronicles into a TV show. I always imagined the series as a TV show, mostly because of Thomas & Friends, but I also thought of funny comedic breaks in between the stories.
Taking my Snowflake Outline that I created for my newest book draft, I tweaked it and wrote the pilot episode, and finished the first draft in 2 days. I personally find script writing a lot easier than novel writing because my main strength is dialogue, and not so much description. So who knows? Maybe my novel projects will turn into film or tv scripts.
I do have a lot to learn, and if anyone has any advice on how to write scripts better, please let me know, I'd love to learn more. Well, that's all for me today, I should get back to some homework. Thank you all for reading, and I hope I'll be able to write again soon. If you'd like to keep in touch, you can follow me on Twitter @ConductorPat.
Thanks for reading. Remember to Keep Writing, and...... Keeeeeeep Tuggin!
Happy Labor Day to my US readers, and to everyone else, Happy Monday. I hope you're all doing well. I'm currently taking a break between homework and class to get write a new blog post.
I know I haven't been able to write a lot recently because of class starting back up again, but I did want to give you all an update on what I'm doing with my writing.
Recently I started to explore writing scripts, which took me from my normal form of novels. This was most likely inspired by many of my friends who are Film Majors. Another inspiration was my idea for a sequel to one of my favorite 80's movies The Wraith. (I'll leave you to google it if you're interested, or maybe I'll do a Pat Pitches or history blog, but that's a subject for another day).
I decided to start with an original project versus attempting to write a sequel for a little known 80's movie. I wanted to make my film script different from my other projects and not based on anything I'd written before, to keep it standalone. However, a certain element from almost all my projects sneaked in. You know what I'm talking about. (Unless you're a new reader, if so, hello! All will be explained soon).
While planning my film, an idea struck me: "What if I did a chase film, set on a train?" I also wanted to use the project to give attention to a steam locomotive I'm quite fond of, which isn't well known outside of the UK and the Train Enthusiast community. And thus the film script Royal Scot was born.
Royal Scot is a chase film where the Royal Family and Royal Protective Service (RPS) must escape to France from a giant conquering army using Royal Scot, a preserved steam locomotive, because all electronics in the UK are wiped out.
I began writing after doing a few googles of how to write a film script, and began to write my script. Unfortunately I lost motivation to work on the project and left it idle while pursuing new projects.
So backtrack a few weeks, and I decided I needed to finish projects I had started. So I returned to Royal Scot and decided to power through until I finished the film script. Which I did!
Don't get too excited Chase fans. My first draft is definitely a rough one, and I have no idea when I could pitch this to studios to be made into a movie. I will have to consult my Film Major friends on how to do this. (Ps. If you're an Executive send me a message on Twitter @ConductorPat and I'll send you my email.)
My other project is much older, though not in it's current form. Which takes me back to when I began to write. Back in around 2008 I stumbled across this video, which literally changed my life www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqwXBNSAPH4. The name of the character at the end of this video, Johnny, stuck with me. Probably because I watched Short Circuit and liked the main character, the loveable robot Johnny Five.
I thought to myself "I can create a character to!" And thus Johnny the V3, later the Bethany Railway Chronicles, was born. Essentially, imagine Thomas but a bit more adult, at least in its later form. Originally I planned the Bethany Railway Chronicles to be a novel series. However, I ran into the problem that I struggle to describe what the locomotive characters look like.
I also had trouble with the world building of the location. Originally I started with an island, then changed it to an island chain so that no one could say I was ripping off Thomas. Despite this, I was still struggling to develop this fictional island chain.
My friend CC, who I've tagged on here before, suggested that I set the series in space. While they mostly meant it as a joke, the idea stuck with me. So the series became the Bethany Galactic Railway Chronicles.
Treading back to Royal Scot, after I finished the first draft of Royal Scot, I got to thinking about making the Bethany Galactic Railway Chronicles into a TV show. I always imagined the series as a TV show, mostly because of Thomas & Friends, but I also thought of funny comedic breaks in between the stories.
Taking my Snowflake Outline that I created for my newest book draft, I tweaked it and wrote the pilot episode, and finished the first draft in 2 days. I personally find script writing a lot easier than novel writing because my main strength is dialogue, and not so much description. So who knows? Maybe my novel projects will turn into film or tv scripts.
I do have a lot to learn, and if anyone has any advice on how to write scripts better, please let me know, I'd love to learn more. Well, that's all for me today, I should get back to some homework. Thank you all for reading, and I hope I'll be able to write again soon. If you'd like to keep in touch, you can follow me on Twitter @ConductorPat.
Thanks for reading. Remember to Keep Writing, and...... Keeeeeeep Tuggin!
Friday, August 23, 2019
Where Have I been? (& Project Updates)
Hello Star Tugs,
it's certainly been a while, hasn't it? I apologize for the long delay since my last post. Life got a little hectic awhile back, I had to move from my summer housing to my school housing this past week, and I finished my summer job.
So life has certainly kept me busy, and I will be honest, I lost some motivation to work on the blog, and my writing in general. Writer's Block is certainly a bit of a nightmare. I'm sure that you all understand.
So that's about where I've been. Now, let's move into what's going on in the future. Classes are going to be starting up next week, which will take up most of my time in the near future. So the blog posts might start to decrease again. I'm sorry about that, however, this blog is just for fun and I have to prioritize my education over my fun writing.
Speaking of writing, let's move into some project updates.
Lady Luck
I recently finished editing the first draft of "The Iluckstrious Adventures of Lady Luck: The Monorail Conspiracy." This was mostly looking for typos. The next step will be to go into more intensive editing with other people. I have had a friend start reading over the piece (shout out to @CCtheMartian on Twitter) but they're busy with other projects and won't be going into intensive research.
Something else I need to do is more research on the era I have fictionalized in Lady Luck. Because I touch on historically sensitive topics, such as Japanese Internment, I want to make sure that I cover these topics in a respectful and accurate way.
I have been sitting on the project for a little while now, I think part of it may be fear, along with being super busy. In the past I haven't always been the best at receiving feedback on my works. I struggle to detach myself from my writing so that I don't get offended.
I think all creative people struggle with this to some extent. It's not easy receiving feedback on something you've poured a lot of time (and your soul) into. However, to help our art grow, we need feedback.
Next, onto Locomotive News
Locomotive News: Is This Still Happening?
Another problem I faced which made me less motivated to work on my blog here was my idea for a spin off blog for train related articles. As you might have seen if you're following me on Twitter (@ConductorPat if you're not already) my article on the Indiana Transportation Museum ("The Future of the ITM") has become my most read blog post.
While I did enjoy writing "The Future of the ITM" and my second train article, "Keeping up with the New Builds," I may have overstretched myself by imagining a blog which would act essentially as a news source. I accidentally began to overthink my idea, which overwhelmed me.
For now, I'm going to put Locomotion News on hold. If I decide this' something I want to do, maybe I'll come back to it. If there is an interest in more train related posts/articles, please let me know.
The Blog
I would like to do a few more history of public domain characters in the near future on the blog, though I'm not sure when they will come out.
So that's where I'm currently at. I hope this blog post will hold you off until my next one. Thank you all for your patience, and for reading this post.
If you'd like to interact with me, you can find me on Twitter, @ConductorPat. Thanks for reading. Remember to keep writing, and I'll see you on the Tramway!
it's certainly been a while, hasn't it? I apologize for the long delay since my last post. Life got a little hectic awhile back, I had to move from my summer housing to my school housing this past week, and I finished my summer job.
So life has certainly kept me busy, and I will be honest, I lost some motivation to work on the blog, and my writing in general. Writer's Block is certainly a bit of a nightmare. I'm sure that you all understand.
So that's about where I've been. Now, let's move into what's going on in the future. Classes are going to be starting up next week, which will take up most of my time in the near future. So the blog posts might start to decrease again. I'm sorry about that, however, this blog is just for fun and I have to prioritize my education over my fun writing.
Speaking of writing, let's move into some project updates.
Lady Luck
I recently finished editing the first draft of "The Iluckstrious Adventures of Lady Luck: The Monorail Conspiracy." This was mostly looking for typos. The next step will be to go into more intensive editing with other people. I have had a friend start reading over the piece (shout out to @CCtheMartian on Twitter) but they're busy with other projects and won't be going into intensive research.
Something else I need to do is more research on the era I have fictionalized in Lady Luck. Because I touch on historically sensitive topics, such as Japanese Internment, I want to make sure that I cover these topics in a respectful and accurate way.
I have been sitting on the project for a little while now, I think part of it may be fear, along with being super busy. In the past I haven't always been the best at receiving feedback on my works. I struggle to detach myself from my writing so that I don't get offended.
I think all creative people struggle with this to some extent. It's not easy receiving feedback on something you've poured a lot of time (and your soul) into. However, to help our art grow, we need feedback.
Next, onto Locomotive News
Locomotive News: Is This Still Happening?
Another problem I faced which made me less motivated to work on my blog here was my idea for a spin off blog for train related articles. As you might have seen if you're following me on Twitter (@ConductorPat if you're not already) my article on the Indiana Transportation Museum ("The Future of the ITM") has become my most read blog post.
While I did enjoy writing "The Future of the ITM" and my second train article, "Keeping up with the New Builds," I may have overstretched myself by imagining a blog which would act essentially as a news source. I accidentally began to overthink my idea, which overwhelmed me.
For now, I'm going to put Locomotion News on hold. If I decide this' something I want to do, maybe I'll come back to it. If there is an interest in more train related posts/articles, please let me know.
The Blog
I would like to do a few more history of public domain characters in the near future on the blog, though I'm not sure when they will come out.
So that's where I'm currently at. I hope this blog post will hold you off until my next one. Thank you all for your patience, and for reading this post.
If you'd like to interact with me, you can find me on Twitter, @ConductorPat. Thanks for reading. Remember to keep writing, and I'll see you on the Tramway!
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Tugs: The History & Legacy
"The Tugboat, for it's size, is the most powerful craft afloat. And the Star Tugs, are the power behinds the docks and waterways that make up the Bigg City Port. This, is Tugs."
Welcome back Star Tugs, (and hello to first time visitors), to Tug & Tram Blogging.
The above quote is from the intro of one of my favorite children's shows, which I learned about in my teen years. Today we will dig into Tugs: the history of the show, and it's legacy. Well, let's get into it.
(Please note a lot of my info will come from the Tugs Wiki, and I will try hard to not just rehash what they have. Sources below).
Background Info
Before going into the show, let's discuss some of the creative people behind the show.
David Mitton, according to TugsWiki, was born in Edinburgh in 1938, and in 1965 began work on children's shows. He began under Gerry Anderson, the creator behind many famous Supermarionation (I.E. puppetering shows) such as the original Thunderbirds.
At some point, David Mitton met Robert D. Cardona. Robert D. Cardona is an American show producer born in 1930, who worked on British shows such as The Flaxton Boys, The Four Feathers, Fraud Squad, Crimes of Passion and Emmerdale.
Robert. D. Cardona and David Mitton hit it off, and became friends. Together they would form Clearwater Features, and would help shape an important part of many people's childhood.
Production
Clearwater Features was based out of Shepperton Studios in England. It was here at Shepperton Studios that Clearwater Features would work on their most famous production. Not, it's not Tugs, we need to discuss a different show first, one which you're most likely more familiar with.
Clearwater Features produced the first two seasons of what would become Tugs' sister show, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. Working alongside Britt Allcroft, the main creator behind Thomas' tv show, Mitton and Cardona directed episodes of Thomas and Friends for the first two seasons, working on Thomas from 1984 to 1986.
After Season 2 of Thomas & Friends, Mitton and Cardona decided they wanted to create a new show. Their discussions and planning would lead to Tugs. The main inspirations for Tugs were the Disney short Little Toot and the tugboat fleets of San Fransico and New York, which we will get into later when we discuss the characters. Clearwater Features began making the show in the late 1980's, using large scale models, like Thomas the Tank Engine. In fact, Clearwater Features would use many of the same production techniques for Thomas on Tugs.
For example, the remotes used to move the eyes of the characters were the same used to make Thomas and his friends move on set.
The Tugs models, ironically, did not actually float. They were moved around on wheels, and the tugs were weighed down to appear to be floating. Motors were too heavy, so the Tugs were pulled through the water with string.
The set of Tugs was built around a giant water tank, 45 by 25 feet, the water was 14 inches deep. The crew had to wear galoshes to change the character's faces, and bend down, which according to the Tugs Wiki left them with cramps after the show finished production.
So here's an early fun fact for you, Tugs, unlike Thomas originally, had a voice cast for the characters, with Captain Star acting as narrator, reflecting back on the events of the show.
The music of the show was composed by Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell, who also worked on Thomas.
All right, let's get more into Tugs' Story.
Story
Tugs takes place in the 1920's, with two fleets of tugboat companies, the Star Fleet (also called the Star Tugs) and Zed Stacks, competing for work in the fictional town of Bigg City Port. During the series the tugs would go to other locations for work. For example, in some episodes the tugs would travel up River for work. The Tugs never left the local region of Bigg City Port, except for one of the Star Fleet, Hercules, which we never saw in the show.
Tugs had several locations in Bigg City Port which we saw. The Star Dock is the home of the Star Fleet, and their counterparts' dock is the Zero Dock. The Star Tugs report to Captain Star, who we never actually see in person. Instead, Captain Star gives his orders via a megaphone. The same came be said for Captain Zero, owner and manager of the Zed Stacks.
Lucky's Yard is the equivalent of Thomas and Friends' Steamworks, where characters are repaired, and Sally the Seaplane lives.
Dem Der Rocks is a dangerous location for ships, which has claimed many ships in accidents. To protect the Tugs and visiting ships, Lillie Lightship (who is not owned by Captain Star or Captain Zero) protects ships by sitting in place and flashing her light to warn away ships. Speaking of Lillie, let's dig into the characters.
Star Tugs
There are 8 members of the Star Fleet/Tugs.
No. 1 Ten Cents
Image taken from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Tugs is described by the Tugs Wiki as the main protagonist of the show. Ten Cents is a switcher, which means he is built for working in ports and not go onto the ocean. Tugs, like the other Star Tugs, is based on tugs that worked in San Francisco, which is why he's name Ten Cents. Despite having an American basis, he is a British tug.
No. 2 Big Mac
Image taken from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Big Mac is one of the heavier haulers of the Star Tugs, and is often one of the more level headed members of the fleet. He does have a temper, and can be easily distracted when someone insults his friends. He can often be gruff and be easily annoyed by other members of the fleet, such as No. 5.
No. 3 O. J.
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
O. J. is the oldest member of the Star Tugs, and the last paddle tug used in Bigg City Port. O. J. is the wisest member of the Star Tugs and when he can't always help with his strength, he can provide his wisdom. O. J. stands for Old Jones, according to the Tugs Wiki. O. J. is often trusted by Captain Star to oversee tasks.
No. 4 Top Hat
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Top Hat is the smug member of the Star Tugs, and normally complains about some of his jobs, in particular garbage runs. He is a hard worker, but does come off as a Posh snob, and even the Star Tugs will get annoyed with him.
No. 5 Warrior
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Zed Stacks
The Zed Stacks consist of 5 tugs, making them smaller than the Star Tugs.
No. 1 Zorran
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Zorran is the main antagonist of Tugs, and is the de facto leader of the Zed Stacks. Zorran often attempts to plan up schemes to help the Zed Stacks get ahead of their competition, but this usually backfires on him.
No. 2 Zebedee
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Zebedee is arguably the most "good" of the Zed Stacks. At the least he's as the Tugs Wiki describes him, a "conflicted" character. Zebedee is much less antagonist than the other Zed Stacks, but always sides with his fleet, and is described as Zorran's right hand tug. Zebedee often works with Zak, and the two could be described as best friends.
No. 3 Zak
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Are you starting to notice a trend with the names of the Zed Stacks? That's right, they all start with Z.
Let's get back to Zak. Zak, unlike his friend Zebedee, is a callous thug, who is willing to go along with Zorran's schemes.
No. 4 Zug
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Zip is arguably the dumbest of the Zed Stacks, and works with Zug most of the time, in competition with Ten Cents and Sunshine. According to the Tugs Wiki, "Zip is often described as Zug, but worse." Zip is a corwardly tug who backs down easily when confronted. A gag is that he doesn't know what some words, such as Devious, mean.
Non-Tug Fleet Characters
All right, to keep this from being too long of a blog post, I will just name a few non tug characters, and leave out their pictures (if you are curious, I will leave a link to the Tugs Wiki).
Other recurring characters are Billy Shoepack, the alligator tug (who moves close to the water) who is a demolition "expert" if you can call him that. He does attempt to help, using explosives, which often leads to shenanigans.
Another character is Puffa, a steam locomotive who is friends with the Star Tugs. Puffa, unlike characters in Thomas & Friends, does not have a face. Like Captain Star, Puffa speaks using a megaphone.
Show Run
Clearwater Features took a year to make the first season of Tugs, which consisted of 13 episodes, from 1987 to 1988. The show began running on Children's ITV in the UK, Australia, Finland, Singapore, Brunei, France, France and Japan. For some reason the show, unlike Thomas, was not sent overseas to North America.
A second season was planned for Tugs, but unfortunately this never happened. Clearwater Features closed on New Year's Eve, 1990. Television South, which owned the rights to Tugs, would also go bankrupt, according to the Star Tugs Trust website.
Now, the rights to who owns Tugs today is super complicated. After TVS closed, Robert Cardona retained 50% of the rights, the the other 50% belonged to Castle Communications, who distributed VHS tapes of Tugs. Britt Allcroft almost saved the show, but this sadly did not happen. Which is truly sad when you learn what the Tugs were used for next. First, let's discuss the use of the models.
Later use of the Models
After Tugs shut down, David Mitton would return to Thomas and Friends, and Britt Alcroft would purchase the Tugs models, using them from 2001 to 2008, when the show would switch to CGI. The models were heavily modified for their appearances in Thomas and Friends. O. J., for example had his face removed and was renamed "Lakesider III," and appears in the Thomas episode "Peter Sam & the Refreshment Lady." O. J. wears this guise to this day.
In 1995, Cardona (who was now working in Canada) and Castle Communications sold the 50% stake of the rights to Tugs to Sunbow Productions. They would use the Tugs footage to create....
Salty's Lighthouse (Or, the WORST thing to happen to Tugs)
Sunbow Productions created the educational show called Sunbow Productions, which ran from 1997 to 1998. The main character of the show, a young boy named Salty (not the same character from Thomas) who lives with his friends in his lighthouse. Salty's Lighthouse is universally hated by Tugs fans (such as myself). The original voice actors were dubbed over, Salty's Lighthouse renamed Big Mac Big stack, OJ became Otis (probably due to O. J. Simpson), Zebedee was called Zeebee, Sunshine was voiced over and turned into a girl, who is Ten Cents' sister....what? The show was "babied" and dumbed down. Bigg City Port was also renamed to "Snuggleboat Harbour." Ugh.
Down the Rights Rabbit Hole
Apparently Cardona regretted selling the rights, and tried to get Castle Communications to buy the rights back to get Tugs VHS tapes recirculating. Unfortunately Castle Communications decided to focus more on music. Eventually Castle Communications would become the Sanctuary Group, and signed Indie band Keane, and were later bought out by Universal.
As for Sunbow Productions, they were bought by Sony Wonder, a division of Sony Music in 1998, and the TV Productions were sold to German company TV Toonland in 2000 for $20 million (US). They certainly didn't buy Sunbow Productions for Tugs. According to the Transformers Wiki, Sunbow Productions had the rights to several Hasbro cartoons, including Transformers (G1) and G. I. Joe.
In 2008, TV Toonland began to go under, so they sold the rights to the Hasbro series back to Hasbro for $7 million, and in 2009 they went bankrupt. The non-Hasbro rights were sold to m4e in 2011.
Here's the crazy thing though....I recently checked m4e's website, in particular their library of IP's. While Salty's Lighthouse is included, Tugs is nowhere to be seen. I tried searching Tugs on their website as well, with no results So who owns it? I would assume m4e, but they may not know it? Which might mean, pulling on my Public Domain Cap, that it would possibly make Tugs an "Orphan Work," where the owner does not know they own it. (Sh.... don't tell m4e).
Online Fandom & Legacy
Tugs would have been a forgotten series, if not for the internet. Thanks to YouTube, all of the 13 episodes of Tugs have been uploaded by fans from VHS tapes, and the fandom began to grow. In a way the Tugs Fandom, like the show, is a sister Fandom to Thomas and Friends. The fandom started in 2002, and was boosted by the Thomas Fandom.
There has also been fan projects of Tugs. The biggest was TUGS Audio Productios, which gained praise from composer Mike O'Donnell.
There were plans for a CGI fan made series, but this has not progressed.
One of the newest Tugs projects is the Stories of Sodor (which includes Ten Cents). Victor Tanzig, the creator of the show, took the show's premise and changed it to include characters from Thomas and Friends. Currently Mr. Tanzig is on hiatus while he works on his real life job and takes care of his mental health. If you are interested in seeing his first 3 seasons, you can check out his YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/user/Ectcanaseremptus
The Star Tugs Trust
The fate for the models of the Tugs is a happy one. After model production of Thomas & Friends ended, the models went to the company with the largest stake in them (m4e I believe?) The Chairman of the Company didn't want to see the models thrown away, and asked the board to store them. They weren't interested in this, so the Chairman took the models home with him, and kept them until 2010.
The Chairman got in contact with with a man named Richard who could restore the Tugs models, and he began the work until 2012. The models, still in the UK, were taken to Norwich for restoration by Richard, a boat enthusiast, who saw it as a retirement project. Circumstances would change. At some point, the Chairman sold the models to Richard. In November 2012, Richard approached a group of fans to help him send the Tugs to good homes, such as people behind the show.
However, there was the risk the collection being dispersed and models lost to the public. So the Star Tugs Trust was founded. On January 26, 2013, the Star Tugs Trust met at the Brook Hotel in Norwich to take over ownership of the models.
The Star Tugs Trust owns a coach and displays the models at the Midland Railway in Butterfly, Derbyshire. The Tugs have been displayed at other locations as well. At the date of writing, the Star Tugs Trust has displayed the Tugs models in 10 different locations, and the list shall keep growing.
Many of the cast members, David Mitton, Robert D. Cardona have passed. Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell are still alive. I am not sure how active they are in interacting with fans, and do not believe they interact with either the Thomas or Tugs Fandom.
All right, that's all the information I have on Tugs, before you go, here's some fun facts!!
Fun Facts:
Shepperton Studios is still used today, according to the Pinewood Group. According to Film London.org, Harry Potter was filmed here.
Tugs fans thought that Dem Der Rocks was Dender Rocks, until corrected in an interview with a staff member with The Star Tugs Company.
The Tugs' whistles have mouths, for some reason. It took me a very long time to notice this, and I didn't realize it until it was pointed out in a video.
Despite what you might think, Big Mac was not named after the Big Mac sandwich of McDonald's. According to Big Mac's bio on Tugs Wiki, his name refers to his Scottish heritage. Big Mac was renamed Big Stac for the American show Salty's Lighthouse to avoid a lawsuit with McDonald's. And looking back...I don't blame them.
Big Mac's smiling face was separated from his model and was not reunited with the model until 2014.
Grampus was based on the Plunger class of Submarine, named after USS Grampus (USS-4). The USS Grampus was sunk as a target in 1922, which was the basis for the episode Regatta.
A Grampus is a type of Dolphin, known as a Risso's Dolphin or Blunt Nose Dolphin.
Grampus rode on the same trolley as the tugs, but unlike them because of his size he could move up and down.
While the Star Tugs Company owns Grampus' face models, the location of his model, along with Top Hat's, is unknown.
The basis for the Zed Stacks was the Moran Tug Fleet of the 1920's.
In the episode Regatta, Big Mac pulls a barge with the Clearwater Features logo on it, which you can see below.
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
BONUS FUN FACT!! Sorry I forgot to include this the first time. According to the Tugs Wiki, Robert Cardona would move to Canada and work on a similar show, Theodore the Tugboat, which was very similar to Tugs, but for a younger audience. I was introduced to Theodore first, and have fond memories of Theodore from my childhood. Maybe I'll do a similar post for Theodore in the future.
If you'd like to see a video of Tugs under production, check out this short video on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw7S3dpH68E
If you would like to watch the show, but don't know which episode to start with, please refer to this list on the Tugs Fandom Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_List
Thank you all for reading this blog post, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm a big Tugs Fan myself, and I accidentally stumbled across it via YouTube, and I'm glad I did.
Personally, I'd love to do a reboot of Tugs, but not go the route David Mitton wanted to go, which was to move the series up river (because it was easier to film there than Bigg City Port). I would go with the idea of introducing new tugs, perhaps some female tugs, and keep the series focused in Bigg City Port, perhaps move the story from the 1920's into the 1930's and deal with the Great Depression.
All right, that's all for me in this post. It's been a long time coming (I had this planned back when I started the blog) and I'm glad to have it finished. Thanks for reading. Remember to keep writing and I'll see you on the Tramway!
Sources
"David Mitton." Tugs Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/David_Mitton
"Dem Der Rocks." Tugs Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Dem_Der_Rocks
"Program Library." m4e. www.m4e.de/en/program-library
"Robert D. Cardona." Tugs Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_D._Cardona
"Salty's Lighthouse." Tugs Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Salty%27s_Lighthouse
"Shepperton Studios." FilmLondon.org http://filmlondon.org.uk/shepperton-studios
"Shepperton Studios: Stages & Facilities" Pinewood Group.
www.pinewoodgroup.com/studios/shepperton-studios/stages-facilities
"TV Toonland." Transformers Wiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/TV-Loonland
Welcome back Star Tugs, (and hello to first time visitors), to Tug & Tram Blogging.
The above quote is from the intro of one of my favorite children's shows, which I learned about in my teen years. Today we will dig into Tugs: the history of the show, and it's legacy. Well, let's get into it.
(Please note a lot of my info will come from the Tugs Wiki, and I will try hard to not just rehash what they have. Sources below).
Background Info
Before going into the show, let's discuss some of the creative people behind the show.
David Mitton, according to TugsWiki, was born in Edinburgh in 1938, and in 1965 began work on children's shows. He began under Gerry Anderson, the creator behind many famous Supermarionation (I.E. puppetering shows) such as the original Thunderbirds.
At some point, David Mitton met Robert D. Cardona. Robert D. Cardona is an American show producer born in 1930, who worked on British shows such as The Flaxton Boys, The Four Feathers, Fraud Squad, Crimes of Passion and Emmerdale.
Robert. D. Cardona and David Mitton hit it off, and became friends. Together they would form Clearwater Features, and would help shape an important part of many people's childhood.
Production
Clearwater Features was based out of Shepperton Studios in England. It was here at Shepperton Studios that Clearwater Features would work on their most famous production. Not, it's not Tugs, we need to discuss a different show first, one which you're most likely more familiar with.
Clearwater Features produced the first two seasons of what would become Tugs' sister show, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. Working alongside Britt Allcroft, the main creator behind Thomas' tv show, Mitton and Cardona directed episodes of Thomas and Friends for the first two seasons, working on Thomas from 1984 to 1986.
After Season 2 of Thomas & Friends, Mitton and Cardona decided they wanted to create a new show. Their discussions and planning would lead to Tugs. The main inspirations for Tugs were the Disney short Little Toot and the tugboat fleets of San Fransico and New York, which we will get into later when we discuss the characters. Clearwater Features began making the show in the late 1980's, using large scale models, like Thomas the Tank Engine. In fact, Clearwater Features would use many of the same production techniques for Thomas on Tugs.
For example, the remotes used to move the eyes of the characters were the same used to make Thomas and his friends move on set.
The Tugs models, ironically, did not actually float. They were moved around on wheels, and the tugs were weighed down to appear to be floating. Motors were too heavy, so the Tugs were pulled through the water with string.
The set of Tugs was built around a giant water tank, 45 by 25 feet, the water was 14 inches deep. The crew had to wear galoshes to change the character's faces, and bend down, which according to the Tugs Wiki left them with cramps after the show finished production.
So here's an early fun fact for you, Tugs, unlike Thomas originally, had a voice cast for the characters, with Captain Star acting as narrator, reflecting back on the events of the show.
The music of the show was composed by Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell, who also worked on Thomas.
All right, let's get more into Tugs' Story.
Story
Tugs takes place in the 1920's, with two fleets of tugboat companies, the Star Fleet (also called the Star Tugs) and Zed Stacks, competing for work in the fictional town of Bigg City Port. During the series the tugs would go to other locations for work. For example, in some episodes the tugs would travel up River for work. The Tugs never left the local region of Bigg City Port, except for one of the Star Fleet, Hercules, which we never saw in the show.
Tugs had several locations in Bigg City Port which we saw. The Star Dock is the home of the Star Fleet, and their counterparts' dock is the Zero Dock. The Star Tugs report to Captain Star, who we never actually see in person. Instead, Captain Star gives his orders via a megaphone. The same came be said for Captain Zero, owner and manager of the Zed Stacks.
Lucky's Yard is the equivalent of Thomas and Friends' Steamworks, where characters are repaired, and Sally the Seaplane lives.
Dem Der Rocks is a dangerous location for ships, which has claimed many ships in accidents. To protect the Tugs and visiting ships, Lillie Lightship (who is not owned by Captain Star or Captain Zero) protects ships by sitting in place and flashing her light to warn away ships. Speaking of Lillie, let's dig into the characters.
Star Tugs
There are 8 members of the Star Fleet/Tugs.
No. 1 Ten Cents
Image taken from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Tugs is described by the Tugs Wiki as the main protagonist of the show. Ten Cents is a switcher, which means he is built for working in ports and not go onto the ocean. Tugs, like the other Star Tugs, is based on tugs that worked in San Francisco, which is why he's name Ten Cents. Despite having an American basis, he is a British tug.
No. 2 Big Mac
Image taken from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Big Mac is one of the heavier haulers of the Star Tugs, and is often one of the more level headed members of the fleet. He does have a temper, and can be easily distracted when someone insults his friends. He can often be gruff and be easily annoyed by other members of the fleet, such as No. 5.
No. 3 O. J.
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
O. J. is the oldest member of the Star Tugs, and the last paddle tug used in Bigg City Port. O. J. is the wisest member of the Star Tugs and when he can't always help with his strength, he can provide his wisdom. O. J. stands for Old Jones, according to the Tugs Wiki. O. J. is often trusted by Captain Star to oversee tasks.
No. 4 Top Hat
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Top Hat is the smug member of the Star Tugs, and normally complains about some of his jobs, in particular garbage runs. He is a hard worker, but does come off as a Posh snob, and even the Star Tugs will get annoyed with him.
No. 5 Warrior
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Warrior could be described as the dumbest member of the Star Tugs. I like to see him more as a special needs representation. Warrior is stronger than he is smart, but he does prove himself to be smarter than other tugs give him credit. This' shown in particular in the last episode of the show, Big Freeze, when he sets Garbage on fire to give an important ship, the Vienna, a light to come in safely.
No. 6 Hercules
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Hercules is the largest and strongest member of the Star Tugs. He isn't seen in the show a lot, and only appears for small appearances towards the beginning or ends of episodes. Hercules is an ocean going tug, and his main work includes answering rescue calls and bringing in ships to port. Hercules often helps lead the tugs in operations in and out of the port.
No. 7 Sunshine
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Sunshine is the newest tug member of the Star Fleet. He is also the smallest and most inexperienced. Sunshine appears in the first episode of Tugs (spoilers for Tugs Episode 1: Sunshine)
In his first appearance Sunshine is a new tug who is being put on trial to help out the Star Fleet. He used to work up River, and knows a lot about the operations up river, which comes in handy in Episode 13 Big Freeze.
Sunshine often works with Ten Cents, and the two appear to be best friends. Together the small switchers can complete a lot of jobs.
There is another member, but again, Spoilers for Tugs.
Grampus
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Grampus is a Navy Submarine who is based in Bigg City Port. He is friends with the Star Tugs and helps out anyone in need, which we see in the episodes Pirate and Regatta. Grampus is saved by the Star Tugs when he is withdrawn from the Navy in Regatta. Grampus is known for accidentally spitting water into other Tug's faces when he resurfaces.
The Zed Stacks consist of 5 tugs, making them smaller than the Star Tugs.
No. 1 Zorran
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Zorran is the main antagonist of Tugs, and is the de facto leader of the Zed Stacks. Zorran often attempts to plan up schemes to help the Zed Stacks get ahead of their competition, but this usually backfires on him.
No. 2 Zebedee
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Zebedee is arguably the most "good" of the Zed Stacks. At the least he's as the Tugs Wiki describes him, a "conflicted" character. Zebedee is much less antagonist than the other Zed Stacks, but always sides with his fleet, and is described as Zorran's right hand tug. Zebedee often works with Zak, and the two could be described as best friends.
No. 3 Zak
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Are you starting to notice a trend with the names of the Zed Stacks? That's right, they all start with Z.
Let's get back to Zak. Zak, unlike his friend Zebedee, is a callous thug, who is willing to go along with Zorran's schemes.
No. 4 Zug
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Zug attempts to create schemes like Zorran, but his usually fail more quickly than Zorran's. He's not as confident as Zorran or the other Zed Stacks. Zug can easily be panicked when pushed too hard, in particular by Zorran.
No. 5 Zip
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
Non-Tug Fleet Characters
All right, to keep this from being too long of a blog post, I will just name a few non tug characters, and leave out their pictures (if you are curious, I will leave a link to the Tugs Wiki).
Other recurring characters are Billy Shoepack, the alligator tug (who moves close to the water) who is a demolition "expert" if you can call him that. He does attempt to help, using explosives, which often leads to shenanigans.
Another character is Puffa, a steam locomotive who is friends with the Star Tugs. Puffa, unlike characters in Thomas & Friends, does not have a face. Like Captain Star, Puffa speaks using a megaphone.
Show Run
Clearwater Features took a year to make the first season of Tugs, which consisted of 13 episodes, from 1987 to 1988. The show began running on Children's ITV in the UK, Australia, Finland, Singapore, Brunei, France, France and Japan. For some reason the show, unlike Thomas, was not sent overseas to North America.
A second season was planned for Tugs, but unfortunately this never happened. Clearwater Features closed on New Year's Eve, 1990. Television South, which owned the rights to Tugs, would also go bankrupt, according to the Star Tugs Trust website.
Now, the rights to who owns Tugs today is super complicated. After TVS closed, Robert Cardona retained 50% of the rights, the the other 50% belonged to Castle Communications, who distributed VHS tapes of Tugs. Britt Allcroft almost saved the show, but this sadly did not happen. Which is truly sad when you learn what the Tugs were used for next. First, let's discuss the use of the models.
Later use of the Models
After Tugs shut down, David Mitton would return to Thomas and Friends, and Britt Alcroft would purchase the Tugs models, using them from 2001 to 2008, when the show would switch to CGI. The models were heavily modified for their appearances in Thomas and Friends. O. J., for example had his face removed and was renamed "Lakesider III," and appears in the Thomas episode "Peter Sam & the Refreshment Lady." O. J. wears this guise to this day.
In 1995, Cardona (who was now working in Canada) and Castle Communications sold the 50% stake of the rights to Tugs to Sunbow Productions. They would use the Tugs footage to create....
Salty's Lighthouse (Or, the WORST thing to happen to Tugs)
Sunbow Productions created the educational show called Sunbow Productions, which ran from 1997 to 1998. The main character of the show, a young boy named Salty (not the same character from Thomas) who lives with his friends in his lighthouse. Salty's Lighthouse is universally hated by Tugs fans (such as myself). The original voice actors were dubbed over, Salty's Lighthouse renamed Big Mac Big stack, OJ became Otis (probably due to O. J. Simpson), Zebedee was called Zeebee, Sunshine was voiced over and turned into a girl, who is Ten Cents' sister....what? The show was "babied" and dumbed down. Bigg City Port was also renamed to "Snuggleboat Harbour." Ugh.
Down the Rights Rabbit Hole
Apparently Cardona regretted selling the rights, and tried to get Castle Communications to buy the rights back to get Tugs VHS tapes recirculating. Unfortunately Castle Communications decided to focus more on music. Eventually Castle Communications would become the Sanctuary Group, and signed Indie band Keane, and were later bought out by Universal.
As for Sunbow Productions, they were bought by Sony Wonder, a division of Sony Music in 1998, and the TV Productions were sold to German company TV Toonland in 2000 for $20 million (US). They certainly didn't buy Sunbow Productions for Tugs. According to the Transformers Wiki, Sunbow Productions had the rights to several Hasbro cartoons, including Transformers (G1) and G. I. Joe.
In 2008, TV Toonland began to go under, so they sold the rights to the Hasbro series back to Hasbro for $7 million, and in 2009 they went bankrupt. The non-Hasbro rights were sold to m4e in 2011.
Here's the crazy thing though....I recently checked m4e's website, in particular their library of IP's. While Salty's Lighthouse is included, Tugs is nowhere to be seen. I tried searching Tugs on their website as well, with no results So who owns it? I would assume m4e, but they may not know it? Which might mean, pulling on my Public Domain Cap, that it would possibly make Tugs an "Orphan Work," where the owner does not know they own it. (Sh.... don't tell m4e).
Online Fandom & Legacy
Tugs would have been a forgotten series, if not for the internet. Thanks to YouTube, all of the 13 episodes of Tugs have been uploaded by fans from VHS tapes, and the fandom began to grow. In a way the Tugs Fandom, like the show, is a sister Fandom to Thomas and Friends. The fandom started in 2002, and was boosted by the Thomas Fandom.
There has also been fan projects of Tugs. The biggest was TUGS Audio Productios, which gained praise from composer Mike O'Donnell.
There were plans for a CGI fan made series, but this has not progressed.
One of the newest Tugs projects is the Stories of Sodor (which includes Ten Cents). Victor Tanzig, the creator of the show, took the show's premise and changed it to include characters from Thomas and Friends. Currently Mr. Tanzig is on hiatus while he works on his real life job and takes care of his mental health. If you are interested in seeing his first 3 seasons, you can check out his YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/user/Ectcanaseremptus
The Star Tugs Trust
The fate for the models of the Tugs is a happy one. After model production of Thomas & Friends ended, the models went to the company with the largest stake in them (m4e I believe?) The Chairman of the Company didn't want to see the models thrown away, and asked the board to store them. They weren't interested in this, so the Chairman took the models home with him, and kept them until 2010.
The Chairman got in contact with with a man named Richard who could restore the Tugs models, and he began the work until 2012. The models, still in the UK, were taken to Norwich for restoration by Richard, a boat enthusiast, who saw it as a retirement project. Circumstances would change. At some point, the Chairman sold the models to Richard. In November 2012, Richard approached a group of fans to help him send the Tugs to good homes, such as people behind the show.
However, there was the risk the collection being dispersed and models lost to the public. So the Star Tugs Trust was founded. On January 26, 2013, the Star Tugs Trust met at the Brook Hotel in Norwich to take over ownership of the models.
The Star Tugs Trust owns a coach and displays the models at the Midland Railway in Butterfly, Derbyshire. The Tugs have been displayed at other locations as well. At the date of writing, the Star Tugs Trust has displayed the Tugs models in 10 different locations, and the list shall keep growing.
Many of the cast members, David Mitton, Robert D. Cardona have passed. Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell are still alive. I am not sure how active they are in interacting with fans, and do not believe they interact with either the Thomas or Tugs Fandom.
All right, that's all the information I have on Tugs, before you go, here's some fun facts!!
Fun Facts:
Shepperton Studios is still used today, according to the Pinewood Group. According to Film London.org, Harry Potter was filmed here.
Tugs fans thought that Dem Der Rocks was Dender Rocks, until corrected in an interview with a staff member with The Star Tugs Company.
The Tugs' whistles have mouths, for some reason. It took me a very long time to notice this, and I didn't realize it until it was pointed out in a video.
Despite what you might think, Big Mac was not named after the Big Mac sandwich of McDonald's. According to Big Mac's bio on Tugs Wiki, his name refers to his Scottish heritage. Big Mac was renamed Big Stac for the American show Salty's Lighthouse to avoid a lawsuit with McDonald's. And looking back...I don't blame them.
Big Mac's smiling face was separated from his model and was not reunited with the model until 2014.
Grampus was based on the Plunger class of Submarine, named after USS Grampus (USS-4). The USS Grampus was sunk as a target in 1922, which was the basis for the episode Regatta.
A Grampus is a type of Dolphin, known as a Risso's Dolphin or Blunt Nose Dolphin.
Grampus rode on the same trolley as the tugs, but unlike them because of his size he could move up and down.
While the Star Tugs Company owns Grampus' face models, the location of his model, along with Top Hat's, is unknown.
The basis for the Zed Stacks was the Moran Tug Fleet of the 1920's.
In the episode Regatta, Big Mac pulls a barge with the Clearwater Features logo on it, which you can see below.
Image from the Tugs Wiki. Used under Fair Use.
BONUS FUN FACT!! Sorry I forgot to include this the first time. According to the Tugs Wiki, Robert Cardona would move to Canada and work on a similar show, Theodore the Tugboat, which was very similar to Tugs, but for a younger audience. I was introduced to Theodore first, and have fond memories of Theodore from my childhood. Maybe I'll do a similar post for Theodore in the future.
If you'd like to see a video of Tugs under production, check out this short video on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw7S3dpH68E
If you would like to watch the show, but don't know which episode to start with, please refer to this list on the Tugs Fandom Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_List
Thank you all for reading this blog post, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm a big Tugs Fan myself, and I accidentally stumbled across it via YouTube, and I'm glad I did.
Personally, I'd love to do a reboot of Tugs, but not go the route David Mitton wanted to go, which was to move the series up river (because it was easier to film there than Bigg City Port). I would go with the idea of introducing new tugs, perhaps some female tugs, and keep the series focused in Bigg City Port, perhaps move the story from the 1920's into the 1930's and deal with the Great Depression.
All right, that's all for me in this post. It's been a long time coming (I had this planned back when I started the blog) and I'm glad to have it finished. Thanks for reading. Remember to keep writing and I'll see you on the Tramway!
Sources
"David Mitton." Tugs Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/David_Mitton
"Dem Der Rocks." Tugs Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Dem_Der_Rocks
"Program Library." m4e. www.m4e.de/en/program-library
"Robert D. Cardona." Tugs Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_D._Cardona
"Salty's Lighthouse." Tugs Wiki. https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Salty%27s_Lighthouse
"Shepperton Studios." FilmLondon.org http://filmlondon.org.uk/shepperton-studios
"Shepperton Studios: Stages & Facilities" Pinewood Group.
www.pinewoodgroup.com/studios/shepperton-studios/stages-facilities
"TV Toonland." Transformers Wiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/TV-Loonland
Monday, July 15, 2019
Keeping up with the Newbuilds
Thanks to Mary Elizabeth Reid (@ilooktothesea on Twitter) for editing.
Keeping up with the Newbuilds
by Patrick Webb
@ConductorPat
Keeping up with the Newbuilds
by Patrick Webb
@ConductorPat
Move over Kardashians, THIS is a TV show I’d watch! In all seriousness, it may be—understandably—hard to keep up with every new build project going on. According to New Build Steam, who follow new build organizations and publish online articles on them, 20 new standard gauge steam locomotives are under construction, while three more are planned, along with five new diesels. This is just in the UK. In the US, there’s the PRR T1, currently the only standard gauge new build steam locomotive project in the US.
Some groups may get more attention than others, such as the P2 Steam Locomotive Company, who are building a LNER P2 2-8-2 mikado. This is because they’re a spin off organization from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, who built and maintain Tornado, the first 21st Century steam locomotive completed. For this article, I will highlight four organizations, show their goals, and depict their most current progress.
PRR T1 Trust
Special thanks to Secretary Hoseason and Dr. Noble for their interviews. Special thanks also to the LMS-Patriot Project, The Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust, The T1 Trust and The Ivatt-Diesel Recreation Society for permission to use their photographs.
Some groups may get more attention than others, such as the P2 Steam Locomotive Company, who are building a LNER P2 2-8-2 mikado. This is because they’re a spin off organization from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, who built and maintain Tornado, the first 21st Century steam locomotive completed. For this article, I will highlight four organizations, show their goals, and depict their most current progress.
The LMS-Patriot Project
The Unknown Warrior under construction, painted in British Railways Brunswick Green. Members of the LMS-Patriot Project will vote on what colors The Unknown Warrior wears in service. © LMS-Patriot Project, used with permission.
Launched in April 2008, the same year Tornado was finished, the LMS-Patriot Project’s goal is to build a new member of the LMS Patriots, nicknamed Baby Scots because they were similar to the earlier Royal Scot class. The 4-6-0 ten-wheelers, according to the LMS-Patriot Patriot Project’s website, were withdrawn between 1960—1962, all were scrapped. No. 5551 will be named The Unknown Warrior, selected by a competition in the Steam Railway Magazine, in honour of all who have died in military service since World War 1.
According to the LMS-Patriot Project’s website, as of December 20th, 2018, The Unknown Warrior’s boiler has been trial-fitted to the frame. The LMS-Patriot Project is currently working on The Unknown Warrior’s lubrication pipework, led by Nigel Day, along with the chassis, boiler and tender frame, and are “considering the options to get ‘The Unknown Warrior’ into steam,” according to a recent Facebook post.
On March 1st, 2019, the LMS-Patriot Project announced they were launching a coach appeal. Many steam locomotives that run on the mainline in the UK, such as Tornado, have support coaches that are used, according to the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s website, to house crews and tools, as the infrastructure for steam in the UK has decreased over the years. Recently, a BR Mk1 BSK coach became available for purchase for £100,000, approximately $132,000 in US currency.
“Even if we decide this vehicle is not for us, we still need to launch this vital appeal for funding to acquire a suitable vehicle,” The LMS-Patriot Project said on their announcement post. 
A photo of the Support Coach in LMS-Patriot Project colors. © LMS-Patriot Project, used with permission.
A work order has been sent out for The Unknown Warrior’s tender. Riley and Son, who maintain the famous LNER A3 Flying Scotsman for the National Railway Museum, are in talks with the LMS-Patriot Project. The Patriot Project is waiting for a response from The Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust and Railway Forgings and Castings; Tyseley Locomotive Works announced they will not lobby for the tender order.
5551 The Unknown Warrior with the boiler fitted, borrowing the tender from LMS Crab No. 13065, another Fowler design. In service both locos used the same Fowler tender. © LMS-Patriot Project, used with permission.
On July 5, 2019, the LMS Patriot-Project announced they had chosen the Princess Royal Locomotive Class Trust (PRCLT) to not just complete The Unknown Warrior’s Tender, but finish the entire locomotive. The PRCLT, according to their website’s Mission Statement page, “exists to promote interest in the Stanier Pacific steam locomotives of the London Midland and Scottish Railway and the Standard Class 4 Tank locomotives of British Railways.” PRCLT own and maintain 4 standard gauge steam locomotives, including LMS Princess Royal Class Princess Margaret Rose.
The PRCLT was chosen over Riley & Sons and Railways Forgings & Castings, according to the Patriot-Project’s announcement, which also thanked the non-selected bidders, saying “The decision is one which is not a criticism of their ability to do a first class job, rather a recognition that the PRCLT bid better met our unique requirements.”
Together, the LMS-Patriot Project and Princess Royal Locomotive Trust to “the highest possible standard and for mainline running.” If you wish to support The LMS-Patriot Project you can donate online here: www.lms-patriot.org.uk/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=12
Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust
The LNER P2’s, according the LNER Encyclopedia, were designed by Sir Nigel Gresley to haul express trains on the steep Edinburgh to Aberdeen mainline. They were also the largest passenger locomotives on the LNER, and one of few 2-8-2 Mikado classes in the UK. The P2’s were rebuilt by Sir Nigel Gresley’s successor, Edward Thompson, into 4-6-2 Pacifics which were considered a failure by most enthusiasts. However, according to a recent episode of the Podcast Railway Mania, which included LNER historian Simon AC Martin, the rebuilt P2's were more reliable in their new form than original (You can listen to the episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsY6AW5Ts08). The rebuilt P2's, reclassified as A2/2's, were withdrawn and scrapped from 1959—1961 by British Railways, none were preserved.
Cock O’ the North, renumbered British Railways No. 60501, in the scrap line at Doncaster Works, where she was built, May 1960. © RCTS Yeadon Collection, used with permission of the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust.
The UK has not one, but two new LNER P2’s being built. One, as mentioned earlier, will be built by the P2 Steam Locomotive Company, the other by the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust.
The Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust estimate the cost will be over £5m. The Trust is working with Heritage Doncaster to show the construction at the Doncaster Culture and Learning Centre, which will open in 2020. Despite building locomotives of the same class, the two projects are very different.
Cock O’ the North in its original form, which is how No. 2007 Prince of Wales will appear when completed. © RCTS Yeadon Collection, used with permission of the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust.
One difference is in the naming and numbering system. The P2 Steam Locomotive Company are numbering their P2 as the newest member of the class, No. 2007, Princes of Wales. In contrast, the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust’s P2 will be named and numbered after the prototype, No. 2001, Cock O’ the North.
Another difference is in the locomotives’ appearances. Prince of Wales will appear as the first two locomotives were built, with curved smoke deflectors. Cock O’ the North will be built with A4 style streamlining, looking like an enlarged Mallard, the world’s fastest steam locomotive; the original Cock O’ the North was rebuilt in this form in September, 1937.
A colorized photo showing Cock O’ the North in applegreen, showcasing how the replica Cock O’ the North will look when completed. © RCTS Yeadon Collection, used with permission of the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust.
A major difference is in the valve gear. Prince of Wales will use rotary cam valve gear, which the first P2s originally had. Cock of the North will use walschaerts valve gear, which the original Cock of the North was converted to in September, 1937, because the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust decided the original valve gear was unreliable.
Currently, only the frames for Cock of the North have been constructed. Those who want to help support the project can sponsor a part or buy merchandise such as a print showing the three forms of Cock O’ the North. There are also clubs to join including The Cock O’ The North Club or Denison Club.
On May 27, 2019, the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust announced on Facebook that thanks to the Denison and COTN club, can now begin machining the frames, in particular drilling the necessary holes, and are closer to putting the frames on display. Work recently began on the Doncaster Library and Museum where Cock O’ The North’s frames will be displayed.
The Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust are focusing most of their efforts currently on a museum construction, the progress can be followed via their Facebook page.
The Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust are focusing most of their efforts currently on a museum construction, the progress can be followed via their Facebook page.
Members of the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust Stand with the completed frames at the unveiling ceremony at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum on September 9th, 2017, along with a model of Cock of the North, showing how No. 2001 will look when completed. © Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust, used with permission.
PRR T1 Trust
Cover art of the T1 Trust’s website, showing No. 5550 when complete. © T1 Trust, used with permission.
The PRR T1 class, according to Classic Streamliners, were a class of 52 4-4-4-4 Duplex steam locomotives, with the first of the class being built in 1942, and production members built from 1945—46. The T1’s streamlining was designed by world renown Richard Lowey. The T1s were the last steam locomotives that the Pennsylvania Railroad built, and were built to replace double heading PRR K4 Pacifics, which were beginning to show their age.
The PRR T1s were plagued with wheel slip at high speed and dieselization, which began on the PRR in 1948. The wheelsipping has been the most controversial part of the T1’s legacy. However, this has often been blamed on the PRR not properly training crews used to the smaller K4s.
In service the PRR T1s were built to reach 100 mph, thanks to their poppet valve gear. However, high speeds caused serious wear and tear on the locomotives. One technician claimed he clocked a T1, on a train running late, at 140 mph; however, this claim is often debated.
Despite being very new, the PRR T1s were withdrawn in 1952, and were replaced by diesels. From 1951—1955, the PRR sent the T1s for scrap. In 1956, according to the PRR T1 Trust, the last surviving T1 No. 5543 was scrapped, leaving the class extinct.
T1 No. 5543 on the scrap line, 1956. Image Credit: Art Duley, © PRR T1 Trust, used with permission.
The PRR T1 Trust’s goal is to complete a new PRR T1, No. 5550, which is no easy order to fill. The PRR T1 Trust is currently the only standard gauge new build group in the US, inspired by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s completion of Tornado, which is referenced multiple times on the T1 Trust’s FAQ page. The T1 is also a complicated locomotive: standing at 16’ 6”, it is a rigid-framed duplex locomotive known for wheel slipping with inexperienced crews.
So why build such a complicated locomotive? The T1 Trust explain on their FAQ page that they are Pennsylvania Railroad and T1 fans, and the T1s had the most range capability of the PRR duplex locomotives; No. 5550 will be able to travel around curves that 2-8-4 berkshire Nickel Plate 765 can traverse. Also, the T1s had many unique parts, such as Franklin poppet valves, Duplex drive, and Loewy styling, which helps the locomotive stand out when asking for donations.
If the T1 Trust is successful, No. 5550 will be the only steam locomotive in the US with poppet valve gear, and the only rigid frame duplex locomotive in the world. No. 5550 will have a similar running range to berkshire Nickel Plate 765.
A question that often comes up is why not build a proven design, such as a NYC streamlined J class Hudson or a Berkshire. The T1 Trust explained that there are already other 4-6-4 and 2-8-4 projects going on, and they do not want to pull resources from them. There is also the potential for learning, “putting to rest,” the FAQ page explains, questions such as how difficult it was to maintain a T1, if they “could actually attain the speeds they were attributed to,” and know what the design was capable of.
No. 5550 will have subtle differences from the original T1s. No. 5550 will likely have a wheel slip alarm to ensure that wheel slipping is not a concern, along with improvements to the spring rigging, which was part of the T1’s wheelslip problem. No. 5550 is also expected to have Franklin Type B valve gear, similar to sibling No. 5500, which is easier to maintain than the original Franklin Type A valve gear.
No. 5550 will be equipped with controls necessary for the railroads they will operate on, and the T1 Trust is investigating the possibility of incorporating Positive Train Control, or PTC. No. 5550 may run at Steamtown in Pennsylvania, the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, Michigan, and The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in Ohio.
No. 5550 is expected to be capable of running at an average speed of 79 mph on Class 1 Railroads. If allowed on Amtrak’s system, the T1 Trust hope to run No. 5550 at 85—110 mph.
One question that often comes up regarding No. 5550 is whether or not the T1 Trust will be attempting to break the LNER A4 Mallard’s speed record of 126 mph, which has stood since 1938. Dr. Noble, the T1 Trust Chairman, stated the T1 Trust wants to see what No. 5550 is capable of.
“There is at least one credible account of a T1 in service reaching a speed of 141 mph,” Dr. Noble explained. “We are not gunning for Mallard per se, however we do feel fairly certain that when built, PRR T1 #5550 could set a new world speed record for steam.”
Chart showing the completed sections of 5550. © T1 Trust, used with permission.
Currently, 29.2% of construction has been completed, along with the purchase of a PRR tender from the New York Railroad Historical Society, and $700,000 raised. According to the T1 Trust’s website, No. 5550 is expected to cost approximately $10 million. This estimate is based off of No. 5550’s weight, the original cost plus inflation, lost skills and Tornado’s construction.
Tender acquired for 5550 from the New York Railroad Historical Society. © T1 Trust, used with permission.
On New Year’s Eve 2018, the T1 Trust announced that the firebox doors had been completed in Maryland. Sections of the firebox are available for sponsoring at $100 each. Dr. Noble stated the T1 Trust obtained their largest part in 2018, “the entire cylindrical portion of the boiler for 5550 has been completed,” weighing 25,000 pounds, making the boiler now 18’ 2” long.
The Recently finished firebox doors. © T1 Trust, used with permission.
On March 24, 1029, The T1 Trust announced that they had placed an order for the front tube boiler sheet, “an essential component of the boiler” as the announcement states, calling it “the beating heart of the new T1.” Continental Fabricators in St. Louis, Missouri are contracted to build the front tube boiler sheet. When completed the front tube boiler sheet will be able to withstand boiler pressure of over 300 PSI.
The T1 Trust has two original parts from scrapped T1s: a whistle, and most recently a marker light found by the late Art Audely, who collected it from No. 5543 while it awaited scrapping. The marker light was purchased by a Trust member and donated to the T1 Trust.
People who wish to support the project should check out the T1 Trust’s fundraising center. There are many pieces of merchandise to buy, such as a No. 5550 number plate, and instructions for a Lego set for a T1. There are also options to sponsor drawings, parts such as the boiler or wheels, and to join the Founder’s Club.
Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society
The London, Midland, and Scottish Railways, or LMS, built the first mainline diesels in England in 1947, setting the ground for future English diesels. No. 10000 and 10001 were designed by H. G. Ivatt, who also designed steam locomotives: according to Andrew Hoseason,
Secretary & Publicitist of the Society, these were the “direct ancestors of classes such as the class 40s [and] 50s,” and forerunners of English Electric produced classes such as the 31s and 37s.
The Twins in service, wearing their original black and silver livery. They would later wear Brunswick Green until withdrawn. Courtesy IDRS. See more at: www.lms10000.co.uk
The Twins, Mr. Hoseason explained, were in service with modifications made, until they were withdrawn in 1967 and were the first diesels considered for preservation. Unfortunately, The Consultative Panel For The Preservation Of British Transport Relics felt the cost to restore them to their original condition was too expensive, so both units were scrapped in 1968. General consensus in the UK at galas is that No. 10000 should have been preserved.
Founded in 2011, The Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society aims to build a replica of No. 10000 as close to the original as possible, costing £630,000 or $816,575 US dollars. The Society’s President, Stanley Fletcher, actually worked on the original locomotives, clocking in 150,000 hours as a Commissioning Engineer from English Electric.
No. 10000 will be built using parts from existing locomotives, such as from Class 58 58022, a descendant of No. 10000. Other parts will be taken from Class 20s and Class 37s, which will only be available for a short time as these first generation diesels are withdrawn.
58022 at Peak Rail, a preserved railway in the UK. 58022’s biggest contribution to No. 10000 will be its frame, though other parts will be used. Courtesy IDRS. See more at: www.lms10000.co.uk
Mainline additions would require alterations from the original design that would not justify the additional cost, so No. 10000 will only run on heritage railways. “The intention is that [10000] will be capable of being hauled around the rail network or transferred via specialised low loader,” Mr. Hoseason explained; “there are a couple of companies out there who have the kit to transfer large locomotives.”
On February 7th, 2019, the National Railway Museum in York donated several parts to the Society. These include vacuum hoses and master controllers from a Class 40, which The Society described as ideal for No. 10000.
Recently, the Society announced they had acquired a set of bogies from the EM2 Locomotive Society. The Society ran a flash fundraising campaign to cover the cost of the bogies (estimated to cost £8,500), which raised £17,000.
On July 3, 2019, the Society announced they had purchased a set of MV 146 traction motors, which will fit in the EM2 bogies. The traction motors, which are located in Holland, are in good condition because they have been stored inside, according to an email update. While the motors will need to be shipped to the UK, the Society predicts they will save the project around 10 thousand pounds.
The Society also announced a new fundraiser: the President’s Appeal, which aims to raise £100,000 (approximately $129,155.50 US currency), by President Pletcher’s March 2020 birthday. Raffle tickets for the President’s Appeal are now available on The Ivatt-Diesel Recreation Society’s website.
President Stanley Fletcher, who worked with the twins in service. Courtesy IDRS. See more at: www.lms10000.co.uk
The public can help by donating monthly to the Ivatt-Diesel Recreation Society to give them a regular income. The Society also hopes to find an owner of a spare industrial unit to act as the Society’s long-term base of operations. The public can also join the Co-Co club (a reference to the name given to No. 10000’s wheel base, with two separate pairs of 6 driving wheels), for £5 a month, every three months there will be a drawing where the winner can receive 50% of the prize fund, with the rest going towards No. 10000’s construction.
Another appeal the public can help with is the “Buy a Metre Appeal,” to help the Society save motor IH1863 which can be used for No. 10000, before the building it is currently housed in is demolished and the. The cost to move the motor is £3,000 or around $3,756.60 (US). Anyone who donates to the “Buy a Metre Appeal” will have their name on a plague on the side of No. 10000.
Conclusion
New build locomotives will soon be hauling excursion trains on the mainline and heritage railways, giving older locomotives a rest. Whether or not all of these projects will succeed remains to be seen. The J50 group, who had plans to build a new LNER J50 0-6-0 tank engine, announced on Facebook they were shutting down and donating all funds to the construction of the Prince of Wales and the model display to the Midland & Great Northern Society.
What is certain is that new builds are becoming more popular and important for preservation, filling the gap of lost classes for all generations.
Special thanks to Secretary Hoseason and Dr. Noble for their interviews. Special thanks also to the LMS-Patriot Project, The Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust, The T1 Trust and The Ivatt-Diesel Recreation Society for permission to use their photographs.
If you’d like to learn more about the organizations in this article, or perhaps go and donate to them, check out their websites, listed below in alphabetical order. Make sure to check them out on their social media as well.
The T1 Trust https://prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org/index.php Facebook: Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust
Be sure to check out the podcast Railway Mania, Episode 5 "Edward Thompson, Hero or Villain?" goes into more detail about the P2 rebuilds and Edward Thompson's career. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsY6AW5Ts08
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