Toonbots message board: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!)

Michael Sun Dec 24 12:18:00 2000 Re: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!) > This is certainly the best Toonbots yet!!! Thanks, Emsworth! I needed that. The Red head's dead thing was just too inane. I need to put a little more thought into actually writing a strip instead of kind of letting it write itself. Because frankly, as a writer, the strip sucks. Eventually I'm going to dissociate to the point of complete schizophrenia.

Joe Nadeau Thu Dec 28 02:05:02 2000 Re: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!) Using the old, "Look at this strip. It's so dumb." thing, eh? I've used that myself sometimes. As for writing itself. I let my strip do that. In one, (not yet seen) it says three things. "Chinese Checkers!" "Toonies for the sould!" and "Stupid is as stupid does." In that order. I don't know why, but I like that strip.

Michael Thu Dec 28 17:56:21 2000 Re: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!) > Using the old, "Look at this strip. It's so dumb." thing, eh? > I've used that myself sometimes. As for writing itself. I let my strip do > that. In one, (not yet seen) it says three things. "Chinese > Checkers!" "Toonies for the sould!" and "Stupid is as > stupid does." In that order. I don't know why, but I like that strip. Now, Lee has suggested literally letting the strip write itself (i.e. automating even the scripting process) and I have to admit that that sounds pretty attractive -- but it would be damned difficult to make it work, in a way that would be funny. Gah. I don't know. I do know that while total weird-ass nonsense can be funny, it can be cloying as well. It's not something I want to do forever. Even Dr. Seuss wrote plots. Sometimes.

Pooga Thu Dec 28 12:16:53 2000 Re: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!) > Thanks, Emsworth! I needed that. The Red head's dead thing was just too > inane. Hey! I LIKED "Red head's dead!" > I need to put a little more thought into actually writing a strip > instead of kind of letting it write itself. Because frankly, as a writer, > the strip sucks. Naw, it's just different. Truth be told, I liked "Red head's dead" more than this one. The character having a conversation with the creator about the lameness of the strip has been done often in another strip I read, so it seemed a bit derivative here. Of course, Mao "Hey Fred" Tse-Tung turned it around, but in the first part I couldn't help but think, "Is that dot, or Triangle seen from a great distance?"

Michael Thu Dec 28 17:52:45 2000 Re: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!) > Hey! I LIKED "Red head's dead!" Yeah? Go figure. I thought it was absolutely hilarious when I cobbled it together, far too late at night. In the cold grey light of dawn ... it sucked. Maybe I just need to get my caffeine consumption out of the way earlier in the day, I don't know. > Naw, it's just different. Truth be told, I liked "Red head's > dead" more than this one. The character having a conversation with > the creator about the lameness of the strip has been done often in another > strip I read, so it seemed a bit derivative here. From below, you're talking about _Triangle and Robert_, which I haven't read much. It may be derivative, but I think it's more likely that it's just that the characters do tend to feel like different people. It's rather natural to have a conversation between Dot and the narrator. No different from a conversation between Bullwinkle and his narrator (did you know they were voiced by the same guy? I just found this out. That's amazing.) That one week where I did dot bot dot bot etc., I thought that was excellent. Red head's dead was an attempt to regain the feel of the glory days of early November, and somehow it felt too self-conscious. Personally, I kinda like Dot and Mao in an actual interaction. > Of course, Mao "Hey > Fred" Tse-Tung turned it around, but in the first part I couldn't > help but think, "Is that dot, or Triangle seen from a great > distance?" Heh, heh, heh. Thanks, Pooga.

Brother Emsworth Thu Dec 28 20:28:04 2000 Re: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!) > It may be derivative, but I think it's more likely that it's > just that the characters do tend to feel like different people. It's > rather natural to have a conversation between Dot and the narrator. That is the main reason I liked the latest Toonbot so much. In spite of the limitations, the characters are slowly developing concrete personalities. Really, I think if you have a well-developed cast, you might actually be able to devise plots while still working within the current limitations of the Toon-O-Matic (Have you tried placing Dot and Bot against one of those panoramic gradients? You could send them on an epic journey through the great plains, or something like that, while the sensible narrator tries to guide them when necessary. I really like narration.) > No different from a conversation between Bullwinkle and his narrator (did > you know they were voiced by the same guy? I just found this out. That's > amazing.) Are you referring to the old cartoons or the recent film adaptation? In the recent film, it is true that Bullwinkle and the Narrator were voiced by the same person (Australian actor Keith Scott, who also played the Narrator in the recent live-action "George of the Jungle" and has been heard in various Australian series like "Blinky Bill,"; Also played Bullwinkle and Boris in the Taco Bell ads from a few years back, and in the Cartoon Network promos, and Universal Theme Park attractions, where he also plays Popeye. He's also a fairly well-known animation historian, an expert on voice actors, and the author of the recent "The Moose That Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel, and a Talking Moose.") However, in the original "Bullwinkle Show," Bill Scott (no relation to Keith) provided the voice of Bullwinkle. He also played Dudley Do-Right, Mr. Peabody, Fearless Leader, Gidney the Moon Man, Snideley Whiplash's henchman Homer, various fairy godmothers in the "Fractured Fairy Tales" (the ones with the real high pitched voices) and more. He was also co-producer of the series (with Jay Ward) and one of the principal writers. He worked on all subsequent Ward projects as writer, producer, and voice actor. On "George of the Jungle," he was George, the Witch Doctor, Super Chicken, Tom Slick (the obnoxious race car driver) and Gertie Growler (an obnoxious old lady.) He was also heard in the Cap'n Crunch commercials as pirate Jean LaFoote, Seadog, Smedley the Elephant, Harry Hippo, and the Crunchberry Beast, amongst others. Played various other, now forgotten commercial spokes roles as well. The narrator was William Conrad, the great radio actor, best remembered as Matt Dillon on radio's "Gunsmoke," and also heard in various dramatic leads on "Escape," narration for many installments of "CBS Radio Workshop," supports on "Suspense" and "The Whistler," and various tough cops or thugs on detective shows. He was also the announcer for the earliest Cap'n Crunch commercials, for the openings of "The Fugitive" and other series. Sorry for rambling, but as you may have guessed, voice actors are one of my hobbies. Frankly, I can imagine William Conrad reading the narration for Toonbots, but probably in a more serious, deeper tone than he used on Bullwinkle, to contrast all the more with the absurdity of much of the humor. Not sure how I'd picture Dot sounding. Definitely petulant, probably high-pitched. Bot would probably have a sillier, goofier voice, maybe a little higher than Bullwinkle, perhaps. And I imagine Mao sounding like Sidney Toler in the old Charlie Chan movies. Either that or Robert Ito. > That one week where I did dot bot dot bot etc., I thought that was > excellent. Red head's dead was an attempt to regain the feel of the glory > days of early November, and somehow it felt too self-conscious. "Glory days of November?" Nonsense. I'll admit that was excellent, but Toonbots is still young yet, barely past its infancy, and will certainly reach equal or greater heights of glory before long. >Personally, I kinda like Dot and Mao in an actual interaction. So do I. While his appearance is still just a trifle unnerving, I'm slowly beginning to warm to Chairman Mao, and it might be interesting to have him pop up occasionally. With his "Hey, Fred" catchphrase, he seems like he'd be perfect as the dot's wacky neighbor. I did think "Red Head's Dead" was rather amusing, but also incredibly surreal and strange. Reminded me of some of the weirder, more surrealistic Fleischer cartoons, like the one where the floating head of Louis Armstrong chases Bimbo and Koko while singing "I'll be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You." That was one weird short (which also had Koko sprouting a gas meter in his behind, and having his clothes run away from him, amongst other things.)

Michael Thu Dec 28 21:14:07 2000 Re: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!) > In spite of > the limitations, the characters are slowly developing concrete > personalities. Exactly. > Really, I think if you have a well-developed cast, you > might actually be able to devise plots while still working within the > current limitations of the Toon-O-Matic The hard part is the design. I think I have it pretty well worked out how I want to proceed, so (time permitting) the Toon-o-Matic is going to have another growth spurt soon. I haven't worked in five days, what with the holidays and then my wife having to get a paper out in 2000 (leaving me with childcare duties -- I highly recommend _The Emperor's New Groove_, by the way, and thus you can see that my childcare duties have been a great burden.) Now I have a lot of angry customers with pitchforks and torches storming the gates, so it'll be another day or two before I can get far enough ahead to work on the Toon-o-Matic. > (Have you tried placing Dot and > Bot against one of those panoramic gradients? The problem is that they're just bounding boxes, i.e. no fill -- they're transparent. They'd look very strange on a gradient. Soon, Emsworth, soon. > You could send them on an > epic journey through the great plains, or something like that, while the > sensible narrator tries to guide them when necessary. I really like > narration.) And there's another limitation -- I can't break text. Thus narration has to be _really_ short. Again, I know how I'm going to proceed as soon as I have the time. > Are you referring to the old cartoons or the recent film adaptation? The film. I just ran across a positive review, strangely enough (although I did enjoy the film, it seems nobody else did.) Mentioned the voicing. My memory's not normally good enough to keep track of voice talent; I have a hard enough time noticing people when I see their faces. It takes me several movies to notice an actor (although I've been getting better since I have the IMDb to confirm or disprove my intuitions.) > Sorry for rambling, but as you may have guessed, voice actors are one of > my hobbies. No need to apologize to me. Nor to the other five people who read this forum. Ha. > "Glory days of November?" Nonsense. That, at least, was a joke. > I'll admit that was > excellent, but Toonbots is still young yet, barely past its infancy, and > will certainly reach equal or greater heights of glory before long. Oh, I'm sure you're right. I have plenty of ideas yet. But more and more I'm coming to the conclusion that difficult as it is, the doggerel must stay an integral part of Toonbots.

Pooga Fri Dec 29 16:16:17 2000 Re: Dec. 23 (Brilliant!!!) > The narrator was William Conrad, the great radio actor, best remembered as > Matt Dillon on radio's "Gunsmoke," and also heard in various > dramatic leads on "Escape," narration for many installments of > "CBS Radio Workshop," supports on "Suspense" and > "The Whistler," and various tough cops or thugs on detective > shows. He was also the announcer for the earliest Cap'n Crunch > commercials, for the openings of "The Fugitive" and other > series. Don't forget "Jake and the Fatman!" Well, I guess it was a bit forgettable, but it's one of the few show he did in the later years where he wasn't "narrator." > Sorry for rambling, but as you may have guessed, voice actors are one of > my hobbies. A minor one of mine as well. To throw this completely off on a tangent, I just learned something (I find) humorous today. A few days ago I got my hands on a tape with a few episodes of "The Electric Company." Whilst revelling in nostalgia and introducing my younger brother to the wonder that was "The Electric Company," I pointed out Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno among the cast. My brother then said Skip Hinnart (aka J.J.) looked familiar as well. I couldn't recall anything else he'd been in, so this morning I did an IMDb search. Well, he really hasn't done much else, but he did voice two different characters in the 70s. One was "Sunny the Easter Bunny" in "The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town," one of those Rankin/Bass stop-animated holiday specials. The other was FRITZ THE CAT! Just the idea of the X-rated cartoon cat and the Easter Bunny being the same person made me laugh. Okay, I know it's less of a range than dozens of other voice actors have done (Mary Kay Bergman leaps to mind). I guess it was one of those things where you had to be there. Since "there" was entirely in my mind, maybe it's best that you weren't. :)