You know..fan-man. The guy who is in Vegas for the Trek conventions but plays it off by gambling in the lobby. The guy who says "with great power comes great responsibility" in staff meetings. The guy who wears his workout clothes under his suit so he can rip open his shirt and take off his glasses as he heads into the locker room at the gym. The guy who has his sick days at work scheduled to coincide with the opening of sci-fi movies. ( no lie. I had an appointment with a "Dr. Crusher" on my schedule the day First Contact came out and nobody on my staff blinked.) Fanboy is rude. And often wrong. Fanman is proud. Fanboy wants it for free. Fanman is willing to pay. A little.
Does Fanman walk alone here tonight?! On Feb 8, 2007, at 6:45 PM, Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor) wrote: > OK, inquiring minds want to know, what is a fan man? > > Tracey > > The Yokozuna Of Soul wrote: > > > > I was a fanboy for many, many years. It's an important phase to go > > through. It allows you to sit through bad Prince albums, Thandie > > Newton's "performance" in MI:2, etc. But then I became...fanMAN. Now > > I only use my otaku skills for GOOD. > > > > On Feb 8, 2007, at 6:10 PM, Martin wrote: > > > > > I believe that it's a moderate derogatory toward genre fans. At > > > least that's how *I* look at it. Never been called it. If so, I'd > > > be busy making licence plates instead of regaling you... > > > > > > "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <mailto:tdlists%40multiculturaladvantage.com>> wrote: I have > heard the > > term > > > "fanboys" but I don't know what it means. Can > > > somebody clarify? > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > tracey > > > > > > Martin wrote: > > > > > > > > Whenever I do, it seems as though they're trying to be the > online > > > > version of Starlog. Apologies for any shocks to the system I may > > > have > > > > caused. THey seem to bemore fanboys than fans, and I abhor > > > fanboys. To > > > > them, it's not SF, it's reality they just can't experience > first- > > > hand. > > > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:KeithBJohnson%40comcast.net> > > <mailto:KeithBJohnson%40comcast.net> > > > wrote: > > > > Why do you say that? I've never read their site much. > > > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > > > From: Martin > > > > Remember at all times, keith- this is someone from SyFy talking. > > > Their > > > > acquaintance with the genre is passing at best, IMO. > > > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:KeithBJohnson%40comcast.net> > > <mailto:KeithBJohnson%40comcast.net> > > > wrote: > > > > Some comments on her comments: > > > > > > > > One, I'd take Whedon's work anyday over many others, but I was > > > > concerned he was going to do another "Buffy" treatment on Wonder > > > > Woman. I think I'd read that he planned to make Diana younger > > > than is > > > > typically portrayed in comics--probably more like 19 or 20, as > > > opposed > > > > to Diana's apparent age of mid- to late-twenties. Whedon > loves very > > > > young women, but I really wasn't looking forward to another > young > > > > waiflike girl dealing with pain and heartache. Thats one > reason I > > > > didnt' like Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane: she looked and acted too > > > young > > > > for my tastes. I'd rather deal with the more mature warrior > than the > > > > little girl lost in Patriarch's World. Someone like Charisma > > > Carpenter! :) > > > > > > > > Having Wonder Woman in WWII is not necessarily a bad thing, > if done > > > > well. If we could get the guys behind "Hellboy" or "V: For > Vendetta" > > > > to do it, WWII could be a fantastic backdrop for a superhero > battle. > > > > Often some of the coolest scifi is set in the time period of > rougly > > > > from the 1890s to the 1940s. Something about the old tech-- > vacuum > > > > tubes, Iron Giant looking robots, etc.--is often really cool in > > > scifi > > > > themes. The only issue they seem to have overlooked is that > Wonder > > > > Woman in WWII has been retconned by DC to be Queen Hippolyta, > > > Diana's > > > > mother. Diana was thus the second woman to wear the mantle of > Wonder > > > > Woman, and did it in modern times. > > > > > > > > I disagree with her that "Sin City" was a snoozefest (it was > great), > > > > that "Hellboy" was only passable (it was awesome), and so was > > > > "Fantastic Four" (it sucked). > > > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > > > From: "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" > > > > Action Or Angst? What Do We Want In Our Superheroes? > > > > COMMENTARY: Can 'Wonder Woman' succeed purely as action hero? > > > > > > > > By ROBIN BROWNFIELD > > > > Source: SyFy Portal > > > > Feb-04-2007 > > > > > > > > When Joss Whedon announced almost two years after signing on to > > > write > > > > and direct a "Wonder Woman" movie that he was no longer attached > > > to the > > > > project, the air of shock around the Internet was almost > palpable. > > > > > > > > Around the same time, David S. Goyer, who wrote the story and > co- > > > wrote > > > > the screenplay for "Batman Begins," was told his vision for the > > > movie > > > > "The Flash" was not what Warner Bros. producers wanted, and the > > > movie > > > > has been shelved for now. > > > > > > > > The story behind the "Wonder Woman" movie, it seems, is that > Warner > > > > Bros. has purchased a speculative script from newcomers Matthew > > > Jennison > > > > and Brent Strickland, and is ready to bring them on board to > replace > > > > Whedon. > > > > > > > > All this leads to the question, "What do people want out of a > > > superhero > > > > movie? An escapist action romp or fully fleshed-out characters > > > facing > > > > the most painful decisions of their lives?" > > > > > > > > While it is uncertain what Whedon has done with "Wonder Woman," > > > it seems > > > > Joel Silver and company want an action-oriented story set > against > > > the > > > > backdrop of World War II -- the time period when Wonder Woman > comics > > > > debuted. Whedon's vision places Princess Diana in the present > > > day. Based > > > > on his previous works ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," > > > "Firefly," > > > > "Serenity"), one can safely assume that his Wonder Woman > would be a > > > > fully fleshed out character, complete with goddess-like > strength, > > > and > > > > human foibles. She would most likely be surrounded by fully > > > developed > > > > supporting characters, and the story that unwinds would largely > > > grow out > > > > from and be advanced by the characters themselves. > > > > > > > > We could also count on sharp, engaging dialogue where every > word is > > > > measured and infused with meaning. > > > > > > > > A synopsis of the Jennison/Strickland script has been posted > on the > > > > Internet. It is filled with highly charged action, it appears to > > > move > > > > quickly, and is balanced with sharp contrasts between scenes. It > > > looks > > > > like it could be exciting, but because there is no dialogue, > and the > > > > focus is strictly on the action in the movie, it makes me > fear that > > > > there will be little in the way of actual character development. > > > There > > > > also is no indicator as to whether the two can write dialogue > > > well. It's > > > > possible that they can, but in the end, what I read is the basis > > > for a > > > > largely formulaic movie with lots of loud sounds, flashy > visuals and > > > > action. I don’t see the > groundwork laid for > > > creating characters people > > > > in the audience can identify with. > > > > > > > > People need to be able to identify with the characters in a > > > movie. They > > > > have to be able to feel with the characters and understand > why it is > > > > they do what they do. The X-Men and Spider-Man movies have been > > > the best > > > > of any in the genre. X-Men movies have been analogous to the > > > struggles > > > > with racism and homophobia. In both X-Men and Spider-Man, > people can > > > > identify with the characters' perpetually feeling like > outsiders. > > > Each > > > > has unique qualities that allow them to do amazing things, > and yet, > > > > people in general and/or in their immediate surroundings, > rarely, if > > > > ever, recognize and appreciate this. > > > > > > > > Most real people can identify with this scenario. How many of us > > > have > > > > proven time and time again that we are unique, intelligent and > > > superbly > > > > talented people whose accomplishments go largely unnoticed by > > > many or > > > > most of the people around us? It is the same kind of scenario > > > that makes > > > > "Buffy" so popular. We now see the same happening with > characters > > > in the > > > > TV show "Heroes." > > > > > > > > It was Peter Parker's angst that drew me to Spider-Man comics as > > > a kid. > > > > I often skipped over the action parts of the stories just to > > > catch what > > > > was happening in Peter's world. I still remember Duo Damsel > > > heartbroken > > > > because she was in love with Superboy, but knew he was destined > > > to end > > > > up with someone else. Things like that got to me as a child, and > > > they > > > > still get to me as an adult. > > > > > > > > Wonder Woman often struggled with being a powerful woman who was > > > rarely > > > > appreciated for it in a man's world. Angst is what makes these > > > heroes > > > > accessible to an audience. Going through the human experience > > > even if > > > > one is not quite human, or is super-human, endears these > > > characters to us. > > > > > > > > While it's possible to have a hero who doesn't feel like an > > > outsider or > > > > a freak, how that translates into their personality can be > > > problematic. > > > > If they are always self-sacrificing, righteous and true, they > can > > > end up > > > > being downright boring. Then again, someone who doesn't suffer > > > rarely > > > > understands the plight of others who are suffering, and usually > > > isn't > > > > heroic. Someone like that is likely to come off as arrogant > and/or > > > > self-obsessed, and uses their power for personal gain. I'm not > > > sure I > > > > want to know people who are drawn to this kind of "hero." I > might > > > end up > > > > being the next person they get all self-righteous and true on. > > > > > > > > People simply can't identify with an action figure. An action > > > figure may > > > > present an amusing visual and aural experience, but so does a > > > musical > > > > mobile hanging over a crib. Both are forgettable once they're > out of > > > > sight. A fully realized human being makes for much longer- > lasting > > > > "relationship" between the character and the audience than > Action > > > > Jackson ever can. How many people talk as passionately -- and > for > > > years > > > > on end -- about Lara Croft as they do about Buffy or River Tam? > > > > > > > > Then there is the issue of the setting for the movies. Wonder > > > Woman has > > > > gone through many eras. She hasn't always been stuck in WWII, as > > > > Superman hasn't always been stuck in the 1930s. In the early > 1970s, > > > > Wonder Woman had been revamped to fit the times. Steve Trevor > was > > > > killed, she lost her powers, traded in her bathing suit for a > > > > mini-dress, and learned martial arts from some old guy named I- > > > ching. > > > > While that probably wasn’ > t the best version of > > > Wonder Woman, it kept > > > > her > > > > in the present. > > > > > > > > Since then, WW has been reinvented several more times, keeping > > > her in > > > > the present. All the Superman and Batman movies are in the > > > present (or > > > > future). Why must Wonder Woman be stuck back in WWII? > > > > > > > > My favorite DC-based movie last year was "V for Vendetta," which > > > while > > > > it wasn't a superhero movie, was the kind of movie I prefer to > > > shell out > > > > money to see. I don’t > make a whole lot, and I > > > have a lot of kids to > > > > feed, so I can't often waste money on something that is a purely > > > > escapist formula movie. Most of the superhero/graphic novel > movies - > > > > regardless of their origins - are lackluster at best. > "Daredevil," > > > > "Electra," "Catwoman," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," > > > and "Sin > > > > City" were all substitutes for Sominex. > > > > > > > > Unfortunately, superhero movie producers have grandiose > > > expectations, > > > > but usually resort to mediocre stories and big special > effects or > > > > “artfulâââ > €šÂ¬Ã‚ facades to pass their > > > production off as marketable. > > > > “Superman > > > > Returns,†while somewhat better > than previously > > > mentioned movies, still > > > > suffered the fate of presenting a formulaic plot with some bad > > > casting > > > > choices (that was NOT Lois Lane), and uneven acting. Hell, > > > Brandon Routh > > > > barely got to do anything beyond his Christopher Reeve-as- > Clark Kent > > > > impression. While Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris > > > tried > > > > to infuse some humanity and allusions to Supes being Christ-like > > > into > > > > the story, the actual plot was simply a rehash of old plots > with Lex > > > > Luthor abusing different pieces of real estate. > > > > > > > > There are passably good comic book hero movies out there > > > ("Hellboy," and > > > > even "Fantastic Four" to some extent) that take the action > > > formula and > > > > make it interesting and entertaining. For far too many, > though, the > > > > formula starts to become rancid after too long. I had been > looking > > > > forward to something fresh and different in Joss Whedon's > "Wonder > > > > Woman." I had hoped it would be the one movie about a female > > > superhero > > > > that wasn't abysmal. I can still hope for this. Jennison and > > > Strickland > > > > may turn out to be great writers. Still, Iâââ > €šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢m not > > > going to put much > > > > faith > > > > in the judgment of movie studio moguls. They have been wrong > many > > > times > > > > before. > > > > > > > > Robin Brownfield is a staff writer for SyFy Portal, writing out > > > of New > > > > Jersey. She can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <mailto:rbrownfield%40syfyportal.com> > > > > <mailto:rbrownfield%40syfyportal.com>. > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > "There is no reason Good can't triumph over Evil, if only angels > > > will > > > > get organized along the lines of the Mafia." -Kurt Vonnegut, > "A Man > > > > Without A Country" > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > > Have a burning question? Go to Yahoo! Answers and get answers > from > > > > real people who know. > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > "There is no reason Good can't triumph over Evil, if only angels > > > will > > > > get organized along the lines of the Mafia." -Kurt Vonnegut, > "A Man > > > > Without A Country" > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > > TV dinner still cooling? > > > > Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV. > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "There is no reason Good can't triumph over Evil, if only angels > > > will get organized along the lines of the Mafia." -Kurt Vonnegut, > > > "A Man Without A Country" > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > No need to miss a message. Get email on-the-go > > > with Yahoo! Mail for Mobile. 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