Diary of a Madman

Happy birthday, Sherlock Holmes

2012-01-06T13:49:00.001-08:00

Hope you're having a great 158th with Watson, Mycroft, Mrs. Hudson, and all your other loved ones.

Happy Wold Newton Day!

2011-12-13T11:42:00.001-08:00

Echo Homo (Superior)

2011-11-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

"...[W]e know, you must remember, that homo sapiens has little more to contribute to the music of this planet, nothing in fact but vain repetition. It is time for finer instruments to take up the theme."
-John Wainwright, Odd John: A Story Between Jest and Earnest by Olaf Stapledon (1935)

"The Earth is a bitch; we've finished our news. Homo sapiens have outgrown their use. All the strangers came today; and it looks as though they're here to stay."
-David Bowie, "Oh! You Pretty Things", Hunky Dory (1971)

"We are the future, Charles, not them. They no longer matter."
-Erik Lehnsherr, a.k.a. Magneto, X-Men, directed by Bryan Singer (2000)

Pics o'the Day (Kirby-style)

2011-08-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the 94th birthday of the late, great Jack Kirby, here's some artwork featuring the first appearances of some of his most famous creations:

Tooting My Own Horn

2011-07-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

My first book review for the awesome website She Never Slept is up, the subject being David Michael's groovy post-apocalyptic horror novel The Summoning Fire. Thanks to SNS' head, the incomparable Sarah L. Covert, for being kind enough to host (and provide C&C!) on my writing! Enjoy, folks!

Twin Peeks: Another Short Piece of Creative Mythography

2011-06-14T21:08:00.001-07:00

In recent years, the activities of the Lightman Institute headed by Dr. Cal Lightman have come to light. Dr. Lightman and his team are assigned by third parties to aid in investigations using applied psychology, most often discovering the truth through body language and other factors. While Lightman and his team are not the subject of this piece, one of the federal agents they worked with is.

Bill Steele was an FBI ASAC (Assistant Special Agent in Charge) who worked with the team when an allegedly bomb-bearing tractor driven by a down-on-his-luck farmer named Harold Clark was parked outside the Institute. In reality, this was a ruse designed to distract law enforcement from another bomb planted by domestic terrorist Ron Jackson. During the mission, Steele and Lightman butted heads over procedure.

We are given no biographical information about Steele in the televised account based on these events. However, my research has uncovered evidence that Steele was a native of a small town in California. His mother was a local woman whose friend was murdered by a man who was wanted in several countries (unfortunately, my records are vague as to who this may have been. Patient research continues). An FBI agent came to town, and during the investigation, an attraction sprang up between Ms. Steele and this agent, despite the latter having been married for a year and having a baby son back in Philadelphia. They had a brief torrid affair, and Bill was born 9 months later. Never knowing his father personally, he at least came to know his name and occupation, and followed in his footsteps by joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Once the case closed, the agent returned to Philly and his wife and son. His wife never knew of the agent's affair, but the son learned of it after, like his half-brother, honoring his father by joining the Bureau, showing special expertise in forensics. Anger at his father's infidelity engendered in Albert Rosenfield a deep dislike of small towns and the people inhabiting them.

This aversion boiled over when Albert was sent to Twin Peaks, WA to assist his good friend and fellow Special Agent Dale Cooper by conducting tests on the body of 17-year-old Laura Palmer. Albert repeatedly treated the authorities and inhabitants of Twin Peaks with contempt, ultimately leading to Sheriff Harry S. Truman punching him in the face. Despite this, Albert revealed on a subsequent visit that despite his gruff, hostile tone he was at heart a pacifist, and during further trips to Twin Peaks he made his peace with Truman, if not the other natives. It is unknown whether Albert Rosenfield and Bill Steele ever met, but if so, I seriously doubt the meeting was cordial on Albert's part.

Sources:
Lie to Me - television series, particularly the episode "Tractor Man"
Twin Peaks - television series
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - film

The Two Gordon Coles: A Short Piece of Woldnewtonry

2011-03-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

In 1949, Gordon Cole was working in the props department at Paramount Studios when he saw Max von Mayerling drive his employer (and ex-wife) Norma Desmond's antique Isotta-Franchini car. Interested, Cole called her Sunset Boulevard mansion in the hopes of using it for the Bing Crosby film they were shooting. Max, knowing that Norma was vainly hoping to return to film after her career ended with the advent of talkies, told her instead that she herself was wanted for a Cecil B. DeMille film. Neither Max, DeMille, nor Norma's ghost-writer/boytoy Joe Gillis had the heart to tell her the truth, and DeMille insisted that Cole use a different car. (Joe later changed his mind, but his attempts to show her the truth and leave Norma once and for all cost him his life).

That's pretty much all we know about Gordon Cole from Sunset Boulevard, the film Billy Wilder based on these events. However, his life did not begin nor end with his dramatization by Bert Moorhouse. Cole was in his early '50s by this point (much like Moorhouse), but had only a few years before taken a much younger wife, and had a son by her, also named Gordon. Unfortunately, Gordon Cole Jr. would have severe hearing trouble, requiring hearing aids and causing him to shout every sentence without realizing the fact and often inadvertently repeat what people had just said or asked him. Nevertheless, he eventually joined the F.B.I., and rose rapidly through the ranks, so that by 1988 he was a regional chief.

At that time, a young woman named Teresa Banks was murdered by Leland Palmer, a lawyer from Twin Peaks, Washington, who had been possessed since childhood by a demonic being named Bob. Recognizing this as what he called a "blue rose" case, Gordon sent agents Chester Desmond and Sam Stanley to investigate. Unfortunately, Desmond (who may have been a relative of Norma's) disappeared. When Leland's daughter Laura was murdered a year later, and the evidence pointed to the same killer, Gordon sent another agent, Dale Cooper (whom my fellow creative mythographer Henry Zeo Covert has identified as a descendant of the Great Detective, Sherlock Holmes) to Twin Peaks. An increasingly bizarre series of events followed, which were dramatized by David Lynch (who would himself portray Gordon Cole Jr. all too accurately) and Mark Frost in their prime time television drama named for the Palmers' hometown.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

2011-02-10T15:03:00.000-08:00

Director: Jim Sharman
Screenwriters: Jim Sharman and Richard O'Brien (based on the musical play The Rocky Horror Show by Richard O'Brien)
Main Cast: Tim Curry (Dr. Frank-N-Furter - A Scientist); Susan Sarandon (Janet Weiss - A Heroine); Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors - A Hero); Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff - A Handyman); Patricia Quinn (Magenta - A Domestic); Little Nell (Columbia - A Groupie); Jonathan Adams (Dr. Everett V. Scott - A Rival Scientist); Peter Hinwood (Rocky Horror - A Creation); Meat Loaf (Eddie - An Ex-Delivery Boy); Charles Gray (The Criminologist - An Expert)

Synopsis: Brad Majors and his fiancee, Janet Weiss, two young ordinary, healthy kids from the small town of Denton, receive a flat tire while going to visit their former teacher, Dr. Everett Scott. Going to a castle they passed, they're greeted by hunchbacked butler Riff-Raff and his sister Magenta, who inform them that their master is hosting an affair. Soon, he arrives: Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a self-professed "Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania". Quickly, they're ushered to another floor, where Frank bring to life a perfectly-formed (albeit mute) man named Rocky Horror for his own pleasure. Frank's gloating is interrupted by the motorcycle-riding Eddie bursting out of a freezer, who catches Rocky's eye. Jealous, Frank kills Eddie with a pick-axe, to the horror of Columbia. Frank escorts Rocky to their "bridal suite", while Riff Raff and Magenta escort Brad and Janet to separate rooms. Frank disguises himself as Janet and seduces Janet, who is shocked when she discovers the truth but ultimately acquiescent. Riff Raff, wanting a little alone time with his sister/lover Magenta, terrorizes Rocky into trying to escape. Frank repeats his deception on Brad, with much the same result, until Riff Raff alerts him to Rocky's escape. I will not reveal subsequent events, but they reveal further why this would be, as the criminologist narrator says, a night out that Brad and Janet would remember for a very long time.

My two cents: Like many other things, I discovered this film via a lifelong love for comic books. Around 2001, when I was but a lad of 14 or so, I was attending the Wizard World Convention here in the Windy City (back when I could afford to go yearly). As per custom, I made sure to visit the booth for my comic shop of place, the tersely named Chicago Comics. There were several polybagged sets of complete series and miniseries, and I came across a three-issue comic adaptation published by Caliber Press in 1990. I had heard of the movie before, but knew little about it. I did find it to be highly entertaining, especially the guide to audience participation dialogue in the back, and sought out the movie as a result. I was not then the cineaste I am now, but this was one of the first films with which I developed a lasting obsession. Whether seen on VHS (initially), DVD (in the past four years), or the Music Box Theater in Halloween 2008, it remains a beloved film for me. Quite frankly, this film is an ode to two of my (and Richard O'Brien's) favorite things: rock and roll and science fiction movies. It is unpretentious, unabashedly pansexual (which even a straight guy like me can find cool, I like to think), has a great cast of stars both current and future, references a wide array of genre films (both King Kong and Tarantula are name-dropped in "Science Fiction/Double Feature") and benefits tremendously from O'Brien's songwriting abilities. From the immortal "Time Warp" to Susan Sarandon's show-stopping "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me", the music here is all wonderful and memorable, and seldom a month goes by when I don't sing the lyrics to one of the pieces under my breath. And the performances are uniformly excellent: Barry Bostwick as Brad perfectly plays the all-American boy who can't handle a dire situation that calls his own self-image into question. Sarandon convincingly portrays Janet as a virginal girl whose true personality is brought to the forefront by entrance into the world of carnal desire. Little Nell carries off Columbia's bitterness and dancing ability expertly. O'Brien and Patricia Quinn as Riff Raff and Magenta are delightfully sinister, even during the surprising character development they make at the end. Peter Hinwood has only sung dialogue as Rocky, but his expressions and reactions make his performance somewhat more meaningful than one would think. Rock star Meat Loaf's dialogue as Eddie is also sung, but his number "Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul" is a topnotch blend of mean sax playing and typical '50s rock lyrics. Jonathan Adams is entertaining as the stereotypical scientist Dr. Scott...or should I say Dr. VON Scott?...and despite being wheelchair bound, the good doctor even gets to take part in a cancan at the end, which remains one of the movie's funniest images. Charles Gray delivers a suitably staid and bland performance as the Criminologist recounting "the Denton affair", even when he himself does the Time Warp again. And then of course, there's Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a truly unforgettable character. Dressing in sexy women's undies throughout the film, Frank is a not-particularly-discriminate lover who relishes his work and hates insubordination. He loves every minute of his hedonistic behavior and doesn't care if others suffer as a result. Frank is, quite simply, a villain you can't help but love. He also gets some of the film's best numbers, including the funky tune "Sweet Transvestite", the Charles Atlas-inspired "I Can Make You a Man", "Fanfare/Don't Dream It Be It" (my favorite song in the whole movie, it encapsulates RHPS' philosophy perfectly), and the swan song "I'm Going Home". I would definitely recommend this film to anyone with a love for musicals, sci-fi and horror, or exploring sexuality that's outside the box should give this a look. And while it's perfectly entertaining when watched solo on the Fox DVD, joining a midnight audience in commenting on the film in a theater and using props is truly an experience not to be missed, and one I hope I'll one day get a chance to repeat. See this movie and give yourself over to absolute pleasure.

New review on Amazon

2010-12-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

I've posted a review of yet another of Moonstone Book's excellent anthologies, this time The Green Hornet Chronicles, edited by Joe Gentile and my buddy Win Eckert. I would appreciate feedback, and highly recommend the book itself.

Another Amazon review of a friend's (or rather friends') work

2010-08-30T13:47:00.001-07:00

Check out the following link for my review of The Phantom Chronicles Vol. 2, an excellent anthology of stories about Lee Falk's classic hero, including tales by my friends and fellow Wold Newtonites Win Eckert and Matthew Baugh.

Thursday in the Big Apple

2010-08-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

Still in New York, and still having a good time. First order of the day was going to the Museum of Modern Art, where exhibits on Pablo Picasso and Maya Deren were particular highlights (I was especially glad to finally see some of the latter's work). Then on to Midtown Comics where I picked up The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #3, Samurai Executioner Vol. 2 and Path of the Assassin Vol. 1 (both by the brilliant team of Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, creators of the legendary Lone Wolf and Cub), and, last but most emphatically not least, The Phantom Chronicles Vol. 2, featuring tales by, among others, my good friends and fellow creative mythographers Win Scott Eckert and Matthew Baugh. So far, so good.

Plans for this evening include ordering pizza, watching Bunuel's That Obscure Object of Desire and the rest of Pulp Fiction, and a shiteload of reading.

Just thought y'all ought to be updated.

Captain Midnight Chronicles

2010-08-09T13:07:00.001-07:00

My review of the latest anthology from Moonstone Books can be found here. If this review makes you want to read the book, I suggest you

a) Vote it helpful :)

b) Buy yourself a copy, either now or when you can scrape together the cash. ;)

Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World, Vol. 2

2010-08-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Since I already posted a link to my review of Vol. 1, here's a link to the one for the second volume. Enjoy!

Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World, Vol. 1 - My review

2010-06-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

As a friend of Win Scott Eckert's, who tries to support and promote his creative endeavors as much as possible, here's a link to the review I posted a while back on Amazon.com of his book Crossovers. Anyone with an interest in the titular fiction motif, the pulps, or Philip Jose Farmer's writings about the Wold Newton Family should definitely get this book.

Ass-hattery Ahoy

2010-05-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

I love Mystery Science Theater 3000. I think it's one of the funniest shows ever made, even when I actually like the movies they show (such as Danger: Diabolik and some of the Roger Corman films). A lot of episodes aren't available on DVD, some due to copyright reasons (including pretty much all of the Gamera films they did). At the end of each episode, the credits would include the phrase, "Keep circulating the tapes". The folks at Best Brains were encouraging fans of the show to share their copies of each episode with other fans. In the years since the show started, a little thing called the Internet has become somewhat popular. One website, Youtube, has brought the circulation of episodes into the 21st Century via several MSTies posting episodes broken up into 10-12 chapter on it. However, Viacom and NBC Universal have been intermittently cracking down on these people. Some who have posted episodes have gotten their accounts suspended. More irritatingly, rather than the more logical idea of removing the episode entirely, some episodes have had only one or two chapters removed. This does a disservice to old and new fans of the show, some of the latter of whom may not have a chance to see some of these episodes otherwise. I understand the desire to protect one's intellectual property, but I have to wonder why these companies are going about it in a half-assed, rather dickish way.

Pic o' the Day

2010-03-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Today we have a gorgeous illustration by the great Joe Kubert featuring one of the heroes most associated with him, Hawkman. Kubert not only drew the Golden Age incarnation of the hero in Flash Comics from #62 (Feb. 1945) to the final issue, #104 (Feb. 1949), he was also the initial artist on the Silver Age re-imagining of the Winged Wonder, illustrating this version's initial appearances in The Brave and the Bold #34 (February-March 1961)-36 (June-July 1961) and 42 (June-July 1962)-44 (October-November 1962), as well as some of his appearances in the later The Atom & Hawkman.

Pic of the Day

2010-03-12T08:39:00.001-08:00

Today's image is an Italian poster from the criminally underrated Sergio Corbucci's classic 1970 Spaghetti Western Vamos a matar, compañeros, or simply Compañeros as it's known here in the U.S. Set during a Mexican revolution, this film stars Franco Nero (Django, Keoma), Tomas Milian (The Big Gundown, Don't Torture a Duckling), Fernando Rey (star of many of Luis Buñuel's films, including the same year's Tristana alongside Nero), and Jack Palance (Contempt, Shane) in perhaps his most memorable role, this film features many brilliant performances and one of Ennio Morricone's best scores. An absolute must-see for genre fans and film buffs.

Pic of the Day

2010-02-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

Today, we have the original Japanese poster for Kozure Ôkami: Ko Wo Kashi Ude Kashi Tsukamatsuru, better known in the West as Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, the first in a series of six films based on the groundbreaking manga by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. Directed by Kenji Misumi, starring Tomisaburo Wakayama as kaishakunin turned ronin Ogami Ittō and Akihiro Tomikawa as his infant son Daigoro, produced by Wakayama's brother Shintaro Katsu (of Zatoichi fame), and written by Koike and Kojima based on stories from the original manga, this film served as the genesis for one of the greatest Japanese film series of all time.

Pic of the Day

2010-02-19T06:16:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my good friend Win Scott Eckert, I shall be posting on a quasi-regular basis cool images that have a special significance to me. This time it's a Turkish poster for Enzo G. Castellari's (Inglorious Bastards, The Big Racket) brilliant 1976 Spaghetti Western Keoma, one of the genre's last great films. Featuring Franco Nero (Django, Hitch-Hike) in the title role of the half-Indian gunslinger, this film also features such luminaries as Olga Karlatos (Zombi 2), Woody Strode (Once Upon a Time in the West), William Berger (Sabata), and Donald O'Brien (Run, Man, Run). Featuring a very unusual score that improves with repeated viewings and Peckinpah-style slow-motion carnage, this film is a must-see for genre fans. Quoth our hero: "He can't die! And you know why? Because he's free, and a man who is free never dies!"

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: The Grand Finale

2010-01-28T17:31:00.001-08:00

Edward <Edward Kelley> (1555 - 1597), ancestor of the Talbots.
Elvira , niece to Vincent Talbot and Morgana Dracula.
George, grandson of Glenn Talbot.
Richard, husband of Rachel Merton, and ancestor to Sir John Talbot.
Vincent, uncle to Elvira Talbot and husband to Morgana Dracula."

None of these individuals are mentioned in any of the articles dealing with the Talbots. Also, Glenn Talbot of the Hulk stories was an army colonel in the late '60s-early '70s, seemingly in the prime of his life, making it unlikely that he would have a grandson in 1987.

"Tommy "Tailspin" Tompkins, father of Suzie Tompkins by Linda Lane."
According to Win Eckert, Tailspin Tommy is actually Suzie's uncle.

"Dick Tracy, cousin to James Bond, father to Joseph Flintheart Tracy and Bonnie Braids Tracy by Tess Trueheart, father to another son by Breathless Mahoney and adoptive father to Dick Tracy Jr."
No one has ever connected Dick Tracy to James Bond. I'm not sure what the basis for this connection is.

"Hang Tuah, descendant of Fu Manchu, William Clayton, Ra's Al Ghul and Captain Nemo by an unknown Islamic royal."
Fu Manchu (born 1840, according to Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life), Sir William Clayton (born 1799, according to Tarzan Alive) and Captain Nemo (according to Jules Verne, the nephew of Tipu Sultan, who lived from 1750-1799) are ancestors of a legendary 15th century warrior. Perhaps someone will one day write a story of the time travel either of these three men or Hang Tuah.

"

Alexandra Wang , half-sister to Richard "Data" Wang.
Henry Chan Wang (Dr.), son to Charlie Chan.
Richard "Data" Wang, son of Henry Chan Wang."

Alex Munday's father appears in the 2nd Charlie's Angels movie, and he's played by John Cleese.

"Honey West <Miss Moneypenny>"
Another seemingly random conflation.

"Wade Wilson <Deadpool, Agent X, Nijo, Alex Hayden, T-Ray>, brother to Slade Wilson."
Deadpool and T-Ray are two separate people, the former assuming the latter's name. Agent X is also a separate person.

"Tequila Yuen, great-grandson of Fu Manchu"
Apparently the author(s) believe every character in fiction of Chinese descent is descended from Fu Manchu. Also, Henry Covert has devised a different ancestry for Tequila.

"Countess Marya Zaleska, daughter of Vlad III Dracula and wife of Samuel Dracula."
Chuck Loridans has a different Marya Zaleska-Grandpa connection.

"The Justice League"
Win Eckert has intensively dealt with the subject of including superheroes and teams in the Wold Newton Universe.

"The Creature from the Black Lagoon, an alien Gorn who crash-landed in the Amazon rainforest during a scientific retrieval mission."
No article has ever identified the Gill-Man as a Gorn.

At last, we have reached the end. I hope that my efforts have done or will do something to redress many of the misconceptions caused by this list. For actual research on the Wold Newton Universe, see any of the article's I've hyperlinked in this series, all of which can be found on the following sites:
The Wold Newton Universe
The Secret History of the Wold Newton Universe
French Wold Newton Universe
The Wold Newton Chronicles
Jess Nevins' Wold Newton page
M*O*N*S*T*A*A*H

For anyone who wants to explore the Wold Newton Universe, these sites are essential, as are the original writings of Philip Jose Farmer, listed at the topmost site above, and Myths for the Modern Age: Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe, a collection of essays by Farmer and others, edited by Win Scott Eckert.

Wikipedia can be edited by anyone. Wold Newton scholarship requires extensive research and analysis, something sorely lacking in the list saved by Mr. Sandifer from a merciful oblivion.

Thus ends my longest rant ever. :)

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 10

2010-01-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

"Pandora, ancestor of all Wold Newton survivors."
Yet again, a theory not stated in any article. Is the author trying to make a statement about the Wold Newton meteor strike metaphorically opening Pandora's box?

"__?__ Payne, the unknown father to Max Payne and Nelson Payne by an unknown French woman. Both children were put up for adoption and taken in by different families, however they retained their last names."
It's been a while since I saw it, but I don't remember any character named Payne in Band of Outsiders.

"Neptune Perkins , son of Arthur Gordon Pym, by an unnamed woman."
Dennis Power's article on Namor follows the comics in naming his mother Fen.

"Septimus Pretorius (Dr.) (c. 1400 - present), father of Johann Georg Faust by a German Countess and Count Orlok through the vampire Countess Elizabeth Bathory, creator of the The Borrowers race as well as the miniature Dracula soul-clone Vlad the Drac, also the mentor to Grigory Rasputin and Henry Frankenstein. Pretorius is one of the few characters that have managed to acquire the Lazarus Effect also known as the Fountain of Youth, other members include: Juan Ponce de León, Grigory Rasputin, Count St. Germain, Lazarus Long, Ra's al Ghul, Fu Manchu, Indiana Jones and Roland."
Virtually all of this is made-up.

"S. Quentin Quale (Dr.) <Doctor Satan>, of unknown relation to the Firefly family."
House of 1,000 Corpses never states or even implies that Doctor Satan is a blood relation to the Fireflys.

"Allan "Hunter" Quatermain Allan Quatermain Jr.>, father to Branwen Marais by his first wife Marie Marais; and father to Harry Quatermain by his second wife Stella Carson; also second husband to Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray, and father to an unknown child by Ayesha, She-who-must-be-obeyed. Assumed the identity of Allan Quatermain Jr. after he took a potion that restored his youth and greatly extended his lifespan."
Alan Moore has never portrayed Allan and Mina as having been married. It has never been suggested that he and Ayesha had children.

"Alonso Quijano <Don Quixote de la Mancha, Andre Lafitte>, father of Jean Lafitte by Margaret Silver ."
This contradicts Dennis Power's theories as to Lafitte's ancestry.

"Rasalom , demonic entity that arrived to Earth with the arrival of a primordial meteorite in Romania prior to the Wold Newton meteorite. Often mistaken as Satan or The Devil, enabled the powerful bloodlines amongst the dark families of the Wold Newtonverse. Has assumed several guises in empowering its presence by manipulation throughout time: Avatar of Satan (The Devil), Avatar of Dracula, Mephistopheles, Baphomet, Dr. Philip K. Decker, Rothman."
None of Rasalom's alleged guises are referenced in any article as such.

"John Patrick Ryan (Dr.), father of Jack Ryan Jr."
Once again, the difference in Presidents would suggest that Jack Ryan is not in the WNU.

"Jeremiah "Judd", father to Robert Sawyer, Drayton Sawyer, William Sawyer and Edward Sawyer by Luda Mae Hewitt, father to Vilmer Sawyer by Eve Wilson ; descendant of the Reed/Reid family from the Donner Party on his mother's side."
Henry Covert's upcoming article "Twisted in Texas" proposes a different genealogy for the cannibalistic Sawyer clan of Texas.

"George , (unknown relation to the Sears) 3rd clone of Naked Snake and clone father of Snake Plissken."
Yet again, an unsupported statement.

"David Snake Solid Snake, Cobra Commander, Old Snake>, 1st inferior clone of Naked Snake."
Based on what little I know of Metal Gear Solid or G.I. Joe, I have a hard time believing that Solid Snake and Cobra Commander are the same person.

"Samantha Spellman, mother of Tabitha Stephens and Adam Stephens by Darrin Stephens, cousin of Hilda and Zelda Spellman."
No one has connected Sabrina and Samantha.

"Stephanie St. Clair , child of Jemal David and Topsy St. Claire."
Dennis Power does not mention Stephanie among their descendants.''

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 9

2010-01-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

"Reginald "Reggie" Mantle III, son to Reginald "Ricky" Mantle Jr.; father to Dale Cooper by Betty Cooper."
Henry Covert has done some work on Agent Cooper's family tree, none of which involves the denizens of Riverdale.

"Linda Mason, wife to Vincent Benedict and grand-daughter of Perry Mason.
Marnie Mason, wife to Julius Benedict and grand-daughter of Perry Mason.
Marmaduke "Moose" Mason, nephew of Perry Mason."
None of these are mentioned in Dennis Power's research on Perry's genealogy.

"William Grier Professor Henry Jarrod, "The Inventor">, creator/father of Edward Scissorhands."
No author has identified "Pauncho" Van Veelar with either Prof. Jarrod or the Inventor, and while I haven't read the Grandrith/Caliban books yet, a description of Pauncho on the Speculations in Bronze blog (see the list of links on the right hand side) indicates he doesn't really resemble Vincent Price.

"Mark McCain <The Virginian>, son of Lucas McCain."
No article identifies Mark with the Virginian.

"Léon Montana <Victor the Cleaner>, illegitimate and estranged son to Antonio "Tony" Montana by his wife Elvira Hancock; adopted later by Michel Poiccard ."
An opening caption at the beginning of De Palma's Scarface places it explicitly in the 1980s. Perhaps the author wishes us to believe it was an updated version of an event that occurred much earlier, or that The Professional takes place in the future. Or perhaps I'm giving them too much credit.

"Dean, great grandson of James Moriarty."
"Who's Going to Take Over the World When I'm Gone?" by Win Eckert identifies Dean as the Professor's great-nephew.

"Benjamin Newton"
No one has identified Ben as a member of Josh Newton's family tree.

"Julius No (Dr.) <The Mandarin>, son of Fu Manchu; and father to Dr. Zin by the mother of Dr. Thomas Benton Quest."
The Mandarin, unlike Dr. No, has hands. I've already discussed the Fu Manchu connection. The Dr. Zin connection doesn't appear in any article.

"Count Orlok, great grand nephew of Vlad III Dracula, son of Doctor Septimus Pretorius by Countess Elizabeth Bathory."
This is at odds with Dennis Power's theory about the nature of Graf Orlok.

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 8

2010-01-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

Continuing through the Ks and Ls:

"The Immortal Kane <Tubal-Cain, Vandar Ang, Vandal Savage>, ancestor of Doctor Septimus Pretorius."
Once again, a theory not supported by any article.

"Countess Mircalla Karnstein <Carmilla>, mother to Emmeline Lestrange by Richard Lestrange."
A decidedly random connection, in my opinion.

"Charles, husband to Helen Kent (last name unknown), brother of Alan Kent, ancestor of the American Kents."
See Kane's entry above.

"Sherman Klump "
This has long been one of the most puzzling conflations on the list for me. Sherman Klump is African-American and morbidly obese, whereas Julius Kelp is Caucasian and lanky. Besides, Dennis Power once again has a different theory as to the connection between the two.

"Seymour Krelboyne, husband of Audry Fulquard."
See the above article for an alternate theory about Little Shop of Horrors.

"Walter E. Kurtz (Col.), great grandson to Georges-Antoine Kurtz."
While I do think there is likely a family connection between the two, this has not been established in any article.

"Father Loomis, twin brother to Samuel J. Loomis."
While this is certainly probable (and Donald Pleasence played a government agent named Loomis in the film Innocent Bystanders who could be a third sibling), once again, this theory has not appeared in an article as yet.

"Lena, daughter of David Luthor and an unnamed mother; wife of Tim Spencer, mother of Lucas Lorenzo "Luke" Spencer and Barbara Jean Spencer."
A different theory has been espoused about Lena Spencer.

To be continued.

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 7

2010-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been inactive the past couple days. Moving on to the letters I and J:

"Igor II <Koukol>, servant to Count Von Krolock."
Kougol being Igor is not supported by any article.

"Benjamin January, great-grandfather of Joe January."
Benjamin January is African-American, while Joe January is played by John Wayne, who is decidedly Caucasian. Unless there were interracial marriages in one or more of the intervening generations, this is exceedingly unlikely.

"Howard "Henry", son of Edwina Hyde and Howard Spenser."
While Dennis Power has included Howard Jekyll in his article on the descendants of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde, he does not identify him with the Dr. Jekyll portrayed by Paul Massie.

"Marie Henrietta (ca. 1886 - ?), daughter of Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde and Mary Reilly."
To the best of my knowledge, Valerie Martin's novel Mary Reilly has not been Wolded.

"Richard (Dr.) , grandson of Edward Jekyll."
Again, Dennis Power does not incorporate the film Dr. Jekyll and Miss Hyde into his article on the descendants of Jekyll and Hyde.

"Silver John (1927 - ?), descendant to Long John Silver."
Jess Nevins has a different theory as to Silver John's ancestry.

"Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead", son of Timothy Jones and grandnephew of Fetlock Jones."
Brad Mengel's article "Watching the Detectives" in Myths for the Modern Age does not included Jughead in the Jones family.

"Gullivar, great uncle to Indiana Jones."
Again, not stated in any article, and contrary to Dennis Power and Peter Coogan's theory as to Gullivar Jones' true identity.

"Jupiter, is later abandoned and becomes an inbred cannibal and forms his own community in the desert."
The Jupiter Jones in Mengel's article is from The Three Investigators series of juvenile novels, not Jupiter from The Hills Have Eyes. Once again, Henry Covert has a different theory as to Jupiter's genealogy.

Part 8 will be up tomorrow.

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 6

2010-01-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm offering a twofer: both the entries starting with G and H will be covered.

"Lord Gandrith, son of Jack the Ripper and half-brother to Doc Caliban."
This character's name is actually spelled Grandrith.

"Gilles de Rais <Bluebeard> (1404 – 1440), husband to Red Riding Hood"
I have no idea what inspired that speculation, and it seems random even by the standards of this list.

"Joe Gilmore <Marshal Law>"
Marshal Law explicitly takes place in an alternate future overrun with superbeings created as soldiers in a war with South America in the 21st Century, which seems difficult to reconcile with what we know of the WNU's future as outlined in the various Star Trek series, among others.

"Jake 'J.J' Gittes, related to Dick Tracy and Sam Spade."
Another theory not supported by any article.

"Artemus, father of Walter Gordon and Clifford Gordon by __?__ Blythe, great great grandfather of Commissioner James Worthington Gordon."
Those who have read Mark K. Brown's article "The Magnificent Gordons" (which the family grouping for the Gordons draws on) know that Mark identified the Commissioner as Arte's grandson, not his great-great-grandson.

"Charles George General Gordon of Khartoum> (1833 – 1885), father of James Gordon and Hugh Gordon by his wife Antonia Drummond; descendant of Orion Gordon and Robert Glenmore, Earl of Dalbright."
Mark says that his Charles Gordon is born in 1786. Apparently, there was a misreading of the sentence where Mark says that General Gordon was related to the Gordons under discussion.

"Raymond "Flash" (1911 - ?), son of Stanley Gordon and Caroline Jones; future descendant of Artemus Gordon, father of Richard "Rick" Gordon by his wife Dale Arden."
One wonders if the author of this entry bothered to double-check it, since he follows the continuity of the animated series Defenders of the Earth by placing Flash's exploits in the future and utilizing Rick Gordon, yet also follows Mark in placing Flash's birth in 1911.

"Richard "Rick" Gordon, son of Raymond "Flash" Gordon and Dale Arden."
A trilogy of articles by Art Bollmann, Greg Gick, and David Kennedy have been written regarding the Defenders of the Earth in the WNU.

"Gordon Gray (ca. 1935 - ?), biological father of Laura Webber Spencer; son of Penelope Alice Clayton , by an unnamed father."
As previously mentioned, this is not in any article, and Henry Z. Covert is planning a different genealogy for Gordon and Laura. Also, Philip Jose Farmer and Win Scott Eckert's novel The Evil in Pemberley House establishes that Nellie married her fellow Justice Inc. member Algernon Heathcote "Smitty" Smith.

"John Hawley (Dr.) <The Invisible Man>, husband of Rebecca Gray and the father of John Stuart Griffin, Robert Frederick Griffin, Francis Drake Griffin, and estranged father of William Carpenter by ravage of Polly Whittier."
According to Dennis E. Power's articles on the Griffin family, William Carpenter's mother was actually Rebecca Randall.

"Katrina "Kerry" <Kitty Carroll, Mary Storm>, mother of Susan Storm by Richard Russell and Jonathan Storm by Franklin Storm."
The above articles identify Kerry Griffin and Kitty Carroll as two different people.

"Nick Halloway, descendant of John Hawley Griffin."
Nor does the Griffin family series identify this character as a member, or mention him at all.

"Maximillian Henry (unknown connection to the Henry's) soul-clone of Dracula."
Dennis Power, the man who constructed the Henry genealogy in the first place, has a different theory as to Maximillian's identity.

"Luda Mae Hewitt, mother to Robert Sawyer, Edward Sawyer, William Sawyer and Drayton Sawyer by __?__ Sawyer."
Again, my colleague Henry Covert has a genealogy for the Sawyers quite different from this.

"Jenny Hill, wife of Sigerson Holmes, grandmother of Geoffrey Weston, descendant of Fanny Hill."
Apparently, the author did not bother to read Myths for the Modern Age (although perhaps we've already established that), as Brad Mengel's article "Watching the Detectives" was revised to accommodate statements in the Baker Street Mysteries series that in fact Mycroft Holmes was Weston's grandfather, and instead identified Val McDiarmid's hero Dr. Tony Hill as Sigi and Jenny's grandson.

"Dorothy, mother of Martin Hewitt, Honoria Holmes, and Elizabeth Holmes."
Mr. Mengel never says that Honoria and Elizabeth had a different surname than their brother.

"Raffles, father of John Mannering by his first wife with the last name of Mannering and husband of Laura Fauntley; father of Creighton Holmes; son of Sherlock Holmes and Marjorie Raffles, grandson of A.J. Raffles."
As the link shows, Raffles Holmes being A.J.'s grandson was untenable, and Win Eckert instead proposed that he was A.J.'s nephew.

"Penelope "Nell" Huxleigh"
Win Eckert has ruled that Carole Nelson Douglas' series of novels about Irene Adler are not part of WNU continuity.

To be continued tomorrow.

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 5

2010-01-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Other than the usual characters who haven't been referenced in any articles, the "E"s are fairly unremarkable, so I'll move on to F...

"The Fausts are all other relatives of a Wold Newton meteor strike survivor."
These appear to be more characters from the (probably) nonexistent German Wold Newton site.

"Maxwell "Max""
Max's inclusion in the Faust/Faustus gobbledygook tree is one of the most puzzling, in my opinion.

"Earl Firefly , great grandson of Rufus T. Firefly, father of Tiny Firefly and Rufus Firefly by Eve Wilson ."
The Devil's Rejects seems to imply that the members of the Firefly clan and their associates are actually using aliases taken from the Marx Brothers' films, rather than those being their real names. Once again, Henry Zeo Covert is working on the Fireflys' family tree in a way that is much more faithful to the source material.

"Axel Foley, nephew of John Shaft."
Although Dennis Power has included Shaft in a genealogy, which Mr. Covert has modified and expanded upon, neither gentleman's research connects to Axel Foley.

"Sydney Fox, daughter of Fah Lo Suee by an unnamed archaeologist (potentially Indiana Jones' unnamed daughter)."
Once again, this ignores existing research on Sydney's ancestry, as well as her father appearing in the TV series. Also this sentence is unclear. Is the "unnamed archaeologist" (ignoring the fact that Sydney's father, Randall, is an engineer) Indiana Jones? Because otherwise, I would love to know how Fah Lo Suee and Indy's daughter were able to conceive a child.

"Sarah, wife of Walter Hazlett and mother of John Hazlett, Brian Johnson, Gary Wallace, and Ted (last name unknown) by John Smith II."
While one of the people who contributed to this page, Dawn M. "Lady Aleena" Burge, actually wrote an article dealing with this, I suspect that Ms. Burge has not actually read The Dead Zone before speculating about its characters. In it, Sarah's last name is Bracknell, and she is, like Johnny Smith, a Maine native.

"Fu Manchu (1875 - 1982), father of Fah Lo Suee, Shang-Chi, Charlie Chan, and Julius No as well as other children."
No article has speculated that Dr. No was Fu Manchu's son. Win Eckert's piece "Who's Going to Take Over the World When I'm Gone?: A Look at the Genealogies of Wold Newton Family Super-Villains and Their Nemeses" found in Myths for the Modern Age (also edited by Eckert) argues that No's mother was Madame de Medici, an agent of Fu Manchu.

I will post part 6 either today or tomorrow.

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 4

2010-01-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

Now we reach the letter D:

"Christine Daaé, daughter of Erique Caludin by Christine DuBois, and mother of Dr. Anton Phibes by an unknown gentleman."
Once again the research of Dennis Power is disregarded.

"Abednego Danner (Professor), father of Hugo Danner by his unnamed wife."
Presumably the author of this entry has not read Gladiator, as Abednego's wife's name is given as Mathilda.

"Daniel McGregor Dare (Col.), cousin to Biggles."
This information is not reflected in any article. Also, Dan Dare's adventures clearly take place in a late 20th Century very different from our own.

"Ruth DeWitt Bukater, mother of Rose DeWitt Bukater, and great grandmother of Lizzy Calvert."
I am fairly certain (or least hoping) that Titanic has not been Wolded yet.

"Madeleine Delacroix, wife of William Frankenstein I and mother of Alphonse Victor Frankenstein. (It is uncertain whether Madeleine is related to Monique.)"
I had always assumed, based on the fact that Mark Brown's article dealing with the Frankenstein family implies that Madeleine is also Swiss, that that was exactly what he was suggesting. Also, her husband is William Frankenstein II.

"André Delambre <David Hedison>"
I am uncertain why they seem to be conflating the protagonist of "The Fly" with the actor who played him in the film version.

"Antonio Carlos "Carlito" de la Vega <El Mariachi II>, father to Vincent de la Vega and Victor de la Vega by Carolina Gómez, half-brother to Manuel "Bucho" de la Cruz."
J. Walker Bryson has already researched the Vega brother's genealogy. Also, Matthew Baugh has refined much of his Vega family research in "The Legacy of the Fox: A Chronology of Zorro", to be found in the anthology Myths for the Modern Age: Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe (Win Scott Eckert [ed.])

"Aradia di Toscano, an ancestorial influence to the Spellmans and Lenoxs."
What, exactly, is "an ancestorial [sic] influence"?

"Eliza Doolittle, wife to Henry Higgins and niece of John Dolittle, mother of Vernon Higgins, grandmother of Elvira Higgins."
Mark Brown's piece "From Pygmalion to Casablanca: The Genealogy of Henry Higgins", found in the aforementioned Myths for the Modern Age", argues that Eliza is Dr. Dolittle's cousin, not niece.

"Count Vladimir Dracula <Vlad III Dracula, Vlad the Impaler, D. D. Denham, Dracula Prime> (1431 – 1476?)"
Chuck Loridans has identified the Dracula portrayed by Christoper Lee (who used the alias D.D. Denham in The Satanic Rites of Dracula) as a soul-clone of the original.

"Phillip, great grandson of Hugh Drummond."
This is unlikely considering that Hugh was born in the 1890s and the Wikipedia page places Phillip's birth in 1931.

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 3

2010-01-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

Continuing through the letter C:

"Matthew <Bill, Snake Charmer>, father of Kwai Chang Caine II, and father of B.B. Kiddo by Beatrix Kiddo."
Ignoring the fact that such a conflation is not mentioned in any article, it also fails to take into account the presence of Bill's younger brother Budd in the Kill Bill movies.

"Doc Caliban, son of Jack the Ripper and half-brother to Lord Gandrith.
James Anthony Caliban "
These are both the same character. Also, why does the latter link lead us to the page for Caliban from The Tempest?

"The Caligaris are all other relatives of a Wold Newton meteor strike survivor. "
This and related entries are among the most puzzling. Before the article was originally deleted, one of the authors, a fellow called "Piecraft", claimed that the info in question came from a German Wold Newton site. However, he did not bother to post a link to the article in question. I suspect that this was a blatant lie.

"Johann Schmidt <Red Skull, John Smith, Dell Rusk>, son of Magnus Caligari by Freida Frankenstein."
Once again, Dennis E. Power has offered a completely different ancestry for the Red Skull.

"Josef Mengele (Dr.) (1911 – 1979?), son of Magnus Caligari by Freida Frankenstein, and father to Rolf Wernher "Strangelove" Schoenbein by Irene Schoenbein, and later two estranged daughters by an Argentine/Dutch woman by the name of Krueger."
Josef Mengele's actual family history is outlined in the wiki page linked to, and frankly I find this speculation to be in rather bad taste.

"Lulu Caligari <Pandora>, daughter of Olivia Lulu Caligari by Schigolch, wife to first husband Dr. Goll, second husband a "painter" (Basil Hallward), and third husband Dr. Schön. She is one of the hapless victims of Jack the Ripper, and possibly the mother of Doc Caliban."
How Lulu could have been the mother of Doc Caliban by Jack the Ripper is beyond me, considering their only encounter ended in him murdering her.

"Magnus , illegitimate son of Doctor Caligari by a woman of unknown origin or name, father of "Die schrecklichen Kinder" (Les Enfants Terribles): Josef Caligari, Johann Caligari and Karl Caligari by Freida Frankenstein, and father of Victor Caligari by Nasthalia Luthor as well as the estranged father of Heinrich Faust-Caligari by Ingrid Faust."
I have no idea where this "Les Enfants Terribles" thing comes from. Also, Dennis Power places Nasthalia Luthor's birth in 1940, making it unlikely, unless time travel was involved, that she is the mother of Dr. Victor Von Doom, who first appeared in the comics in 1962. Furthermore, Power once again has a completely different genealogy for Dr. Doom. The lack of familiarity with the many Wold Newton articles across the web shown by the composers of this list is nothing short of astonishing.

"Robert Faust <Hans Beckert, Doctor Gogol>, escapes Germany to Paris and has an affair with Yvonne Orlac and fathers a son who is later abandoned."
This does not take into account the fact that Mad Love was based on Maurice Renard's Les Mains d'Orlac, in which the doctor who performs the operation is named Cerral. Nor do he and Yvonne have an affair. It is also unlikely that he and Hans Beckert are the same person.

"Abbey Chase <Danger Girl>, sister to Cameron Chase."
Cameron has only one sister in the comics, Terry. David Kennedy has his own theory about Cameron Chase.

"Jonathan Chase (Dr.), father to Walter Chase by Brooke Mackenzie."
Assuming that Jonathan is the same age as the actor who portrayed him, he would have been born in the early '50s. Walter "Acro-Bat" Chase and his teammates in the Justice Experience were stated in the comics to be active in the '70s or '80s.

"Penelope Alice <Nellie Gray> (1919 - ?), mother of Gordon Gray by an unnamed father, grandmother of Laura Webber Spencer."
My friend Henry Zeo Covert is working on a quite different genealogy for Laura Spencer.

"William, father of Angela Clayton by his wife Angela Bridget O'Shaughnessy, father of Ultima Clayton by his wife Jane Brandon, father of Phileas Fogg and Roxana Fogg by his wife Lorina Dacre, father of Fu Manchu by Ling Ju Hai, father of James Moriarty by Josephine Balsamo, father of Paul Finglemore by Josephine Balsamo II, father of John Henry by Bafia (of the Waziri tribe); father of Anne Shirley by Bertha Shirley."
James Moriarty's mother's name is Morcar Moriarty. No article states that Sir William Clayton is Anne Shirley's father.

"Frank Achilles "Buzz" Cooper Sr., son to Archie Andrews by Betty Cooper, adopted by Betty's husband, Dante Kouperakis; half-brother to Dale Cooper, nephew of unknown degree to Karen Cooper."
The name Kouperakis is similar enough to Cooper that I'd be inclined to regard this instead as the name-change it's depicted as in the show.

"Phil Corrigan <Secret Agent X-9, A.J. Martin>"
A.J. Martin is the alias of the pulp character Secret Agent X, not the comic strip character Secret Agent X-9.

"Fabian Cortez, father to Gregorio Cortez."
Considering his apparent age when he debuted, a mere decade the first Spy Kids movie was released, one could assume that he has one of the many age-retardants seen in the WNU. Or that the person who made this connection didn't bother to properly read the article above.

"Martin Crane, grandfather to Frasier Winslow Crane and Niles Crane; descendant of Hugh Crane."
How E.E. Smith's Martin Crane could be Frasier and Niles' grandfather and Hugh Crain from The Haunting's descendant is beyond me. Perhaps he used the same time machine as Nasthalia Luthor.

"Richard <Rick Dangerous>, father of Lara Croft."
Brad Mengel's article dealing with Lara Croft ("Watching the Detectives, or, The Family Tree of Sherlock Holmes") does not identify Richard with Rick Dangerous.

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 2

2010-01-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Moving through the letter B:

"C.D. Bales, descendant of Cyrano de Bergerac."
While Cyrano de Bergerac does appear in the WNU via crossover, the movie Roxanne has not been incorporated, as far as I know.

"Robert Bruce Banner (Dr.) <David Bruce Banner>, husband to Elizabeth Ross Talbot."
The only article dealing with the David Bruce Banner portrayed by Bill Bixby on TV has him as Robert Bruce Banner's cousin, rather than the same person.

"Patrick (c. 1962 - ?), brother of Sean Bateman and father of Patrick Bateman Jr. by Jean (last name unknown). The Batemans are related to the Bates family."
No Wold Newton articles to my knowledge deal with either the Bateman or Bates families.

"Johnny , cousin of Thomas Bates."
This is the same Johnny Bates who destroyed most of London at the end of Alan Moore's run on Marvelman, correct? That seems to be at odds with a number of works from the '80s onwards set in that city.

"Jack Bauer"
Again, 24 has a number of details (such as different Presidents) that make it problematic at best.

"Rick Blaine, father to an estranged child with Ilsa Lund, cousin to Sam Malone; descendant to the Carters."
.....
Rick Blaine is cousin to Sam Malone from Cheers? Because they're both bar owners, I guess? That seems a weak basis for a connection.

"Anita, unknown relation."
Anita Blake seems to operate in a world where the existence of vampires is publicly known, which again does not square with most stories dealing with the undead in the WNU.

"Daphne, niece of Captain Francis Percy Blake."
There is already an article by Dennis Power that gives an alternative genealogy for Daphne Blake and her teammates.

"Bela Blasko , son of Maleva Blasko by the Beast of Gévaudan, and theriomorph who passed on his condition to Lawrence Milo Talbot and Lawrence Stewart Talbot. Father to Leon Corledo by an unknown Spanish servant girl."
Power also has a different candidate for Leon's father.

"James Bond (1920 - ?), father of Clive Reston Beauregard by Violet "Shrinking" Holmes, father of Alex Rider by Honeychile Rider, and James Suzuki by Kissy Suzuki, father to a daughter by Teresa Draco."
Chronologically, 007 being Alex Rider's grandfather is more feasible. There has never been any indication, whether by Ian Fleming, his successors, or Wold Newton scholars, that Bond and Teresa had any children.

"Father (first name unknown), uncle to Tom Brown and descendant of Young Goodman Brown."
Again, the chronological placement is unlikely. Tom Brown being Father Brown's uncle is somewhat more plausible. Also, two pastiches on Win Scott Eckert's Crossover Chronology give Father Brown's first name as John and Paul respectively: Eckert suggests that his full name was John Paul Brown as a means of reconciling the conflicting information.

TBC...

Of Wikis and Wold Newton: Part 1

2010-01-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

For the past 7 years, the Wold Newton Family tree formulated by Philip Jose Farmer, and expanded by such talented gentlemen as Win Scott Eckert and Dennis E. Power into a whole universe, encompassing a seemingly endless number of interconnected fictional heroes and villains, has been a source of unceasing fascination for me. Unfortunately, while I consider myself to be fairly well-read on the literature written on the subject both in print and online, there are a number of places across the Web that give inaccurate information about who or what has been incorporated, that does not differentiate between which are Phil Farmer's theories and which are post-Farmerian scholars', and generally giving inaccurate information that sadly seems to play a part in many dismissing the whole concept. And, perhaps not surprisingly, Wikipedia has had several entries with inaccurate information about the Wold Newton Universe (hereafter referred to as the WNU). Perhaps the most egregious example is this list, which not even deletion could kill, as a gentleman using the name Phil Sandifer (which I assume is a pseudonym, as that's the proper name of the title character of the movie Daddy-O) has preserved this list on his own profile, where it runs the risk of continuing to mislead people as to what is or isn't in the WNU. In a series of posts, I shall go through the list alphabetically and point out where the people who have compiled this list have fouled-up.

First of all, I want to give props to my good friend Henry Zeo Covert for amending the following onto the list's disclaimer. "The vast majority of characters listed here have never been referred to by Philip Jose Farmer. Dozens, if not hundreds, of the characters listed here do not appear on any of 'the various websites dedicated to the research and geneaology from [sic] the cross-over of characters related to the Wold Newton family featured in the Wold Newton Universe' [as is stated in the disclaimer]. Many characters listed here are only connected to the Wold Newton Universe in this very article - 'User: Phil Sandifer/Wold Newton'. This largely invalidates this article as an encyclopedic reference for readers wishing to know which characters are included in the Wold Newton Universe by the various writers of articles set in the WNU that can be found online or in print. It's impossible to determine if Phil Sandifer himself is claiming credit for compiling this list, and, if so, if he is to be faulted for appending such vast amounts of erroneous information to an entry that could have proven useful to readers faced with the often daunting amount of information pertaining to Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton concepts." Henry is quite correct in pointing out that a disproportionately large number of characters listed on this list have not been Wolded, and for that matter, there are quite a few who cannot be smoothly included, in my opinion.

"Devon Adair, mother of Ulysses Adair by an unnamed man.
Ulysses "Uly" Adair (2184 - ?), son of Devon Adair."

These characters are from the TV series Earth 2, which to my knowledge has not been incorporated into the WNU, whether via discovery of a crossover linking it to a work already in the WNU, or a piece of research bringing it in. There are, as Henry says "Dozens, if not hundreds" of examples of such on this list, and to save space I will only deal with the most egregious ones.

"The Addamses are all other relatives of a Wold Newton meteor strike survivor. "
News to me.

"Charles, grandfather/clonefather to Gomez Addams and Fester Addams by Abigail Adams and Eudora Addams."
What the hell is a clonefather? And is this meant to be the Charles Addams? The list does not specify.

"Wednesday Friday, daughter of Morticia Frump and Gomez Addams, wife of Edward "Eddie" Wolfgang Munster."
I will address in future chapters the fact that the person who composed the information on the Munsters evidently didn't read the article already Wolding them, but I should point out a chronological discrepancy in this statement: The original Addams Family strips first appeared in the New Yorker in 1938. The first episode of The Munsters aired on September 24, 1964.
Unless this was a May-December marriage, I find this premise unlikely.

"Pugsley, son of Morticia Frump and Gomez Addams, husband of Lydia Deetz."
The argument above applies even moreso here, since the film Beetlejuice came out in 1988.

"Prince Alexander of Daventry <Gwydion>, son of King Graham of Daventry and Queen Valanice."
This is the beginning of an odd trend on the list of including various characters from fairy-tales and related fiction, while conflating some of these characters at random. Again, only the ones that stick out like a sore thumb will be listed herein.

"Phyllis Allenby, cousin of Wilfred Glendon and grandmother of Arlene Logan."
While Dennis E. Power has done some work involving Wilfred Glendon's genealogy, as one can see from reading the linked article, Phyllis Allenby is not mentioned within, nor is she in any of the many articles appearing on the various Wold Newton websites.

"Mr. ? Altamont"
It's actually somewhat astonishing that Holmes' alias from "His Last Bow" has his own entry when Holmes himself already has one.

"Alucard <Adrian Farenheit Tepes>, son of Vlad III Dracula."
While Son of Dracula and Castlevania have both been Wolded, neither piece of research conflates these individuals. Once again, this article's claim that "All the characters listed have been referred to by Philip José Farmer or the various websites dedicated to the research and geneaology from the cross-over of characters related to the Wold Newton family featured in the Wold Newton Universe" is invalidated.

"Doc Ardan"
Again, another example of both a character and his alias having a separate listing. Those who have carefully read Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier's adaptation/translation of Guy d'Armen's novel Doc Ardan: City of Gold and Lepers and subsequent stories about the character by Eckert and others will have picked up on the many implications that Ardan is actually Lester Dent's bronze-skinned hero Doc Savage.

To be continued...Comments and criticism are welcome, of course.

Amazon screws anthology contributors

2009-12-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

My good buddy Win Eckert encouraged those who read his blog (which can be found in the links section on this very page) to repost this, and I'm happy to oblige.

"Amazon fails again--and contributors to anthologies get punished

In the past year, Amazon has eliminated listings for contributors to anthologies. Their first stated rationale was that anthology participants are not "authors" and thus they were all deleted. Amazon instructed that participants should be listed as "contributors."

Now, apparently, Amazon is refusing to list such participants as "contributors." Such a position devalues those of us who write for anthologies, but then devaluing the writer is nothing new with Amazon.

A few days ago I noticed that Amazon had eliminated the listings for all the contributors to my anthology Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe--despite the fact that when Amazon eliminated all the "author" listings a few months back, I dutifully went back into Amazon and re-entered them as "contributors."

Noticing the listings were once again gone, I re-entered the contributors... and received this pleasant missive this morning:

==== This is an automated response message - please do not reply ====

Thank you for using the Catalog Update Form to send suggestions for

Myths for the Modern Age: Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe (ASIN 1932265147)

At this time we cannot accept the correction you have submitted for one of the following reasons:
- Could not verify
- Incorrectly formatted
- Provided URL did not confirm
- Some data on high-profile items is not editable

To help us make sure your submissions are correct, use proper case and correct punctuation and spelling, don't add comments or questions and include a valid URL from an authoritative source for verification.

Attribute: Author function
Current value: Win Scott Eckert | Editor
Your suggestion:
Win Scott Eckert
Editor
Philip Jose Farmer
Contributor
Matthew Baugh
Contributor
Christopher Paul Carey
Contributor
Peter M. Coogan
Contributor
Rick Lai
Contributor
Chuck Loridans
Contributor
Jess Nevins
Contributor
Dennis E. Power
Contributor
John A. Small
Contributor

Data accuracy is highly important to us. We appreciate the time you have taken to submit your updates to us.

Best regards,

Catalog Department
www.amazon.com

Amazon, enough is enough. I know who contributed to the anthology I edited. I submitted correct information, following your guidelines. I provided a URL listing the table of contents, and the contributors.

I've been playing ball with you, Amazon, entering, and re-entering, and re-entering correct information on both the anthology I edited, and other anthologies in which I've participated, only to have you constantly move the target.

Amazon's refusal to list Philip José Farmer as a contributor to a book in which he has nine essays--Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe--is counter-intuitive at best and mean-spirited at worst. And it runs counter to Amazon's own self-interest by preventing readers from searching by authors, in order to locate anthologies to which their favorite authors have contributed.

I've tried Amazon's "customer service"... only to get the runaround and contradictory answers. Surprise.

Is it any wonder I do my damnedest to avoid purchasing from Amazon?

Please repost, re-tweet, re-fill-in-the-blank. Enough is enough."

My birthday loot

2009-10-05T12:37:00.001-07:00

3 books:
The Evil in Pemberley House by Philip José Farmer and Win Scott Eckert
And the Hippos were Boiled in Their Tanks by William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac
The Adventures of Conan Doyle: A Biography by Russell Miller

$45 in cash, spent at Chicago Comics on the following:
The All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Hardcover Vol. 10
The Marvel Mystery Handbook 70th Anniversary Special
The Shadow Annual #1 (back issue; discovered it was a lead in to a six-parter only after I bought it, sadly)
Men of Mystery #76
Astro City: Astra Special #1

and finally 2 Amazon.com gift cards totaling $70, which was spent on:
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, directed by the brilliant Russ Meyer
Strange Relations, also by Phil Farmer
10,000 Ways to Die: A Director's Take on the Spaghetti Western by THE Alex Cox
To Battle Beyond by C.J. Henderson

Everything else concerning my b-day went pretty well, too.

Tales of the Shadowmen: The Vampires of Paris

2009-08-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Since I'm trying to help my good buddy Win Eckert raise awareness of Tales of the Shadowmen, the anthology series to which he is a regular contributor, here's a review I wrote of the most recent entry in the series. Win asked me to write one, and was kind enough to call the final product "awesome". :)

Tales of the Shadowmen: The Vampires of Paris

My favorite films

2009-06-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Some of you guys know my taste in films pretty well, but others I'm not sure about. So, from the alternately really cool and really frustrating site Flixster, here's a list of my fave-raves.

Philip José Farmer (1918-2009)

2009-02-25T09:29:00.001-08:00

From The Official Philip José Farmer website:

"February 25th:

Philip José Farmer passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning.

He will be missed greatly by his wife Bette, his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends and countless fans around the world.

January 26, 1918 - February 25, 2009. R.I.P.

We love you Phil. "

I am stunned by this news. Phil was one of my favorite authors, and his Wold Newton Family concept (tying together a number of literary heroes into a common family tree) has been an obsession of mine for six years now. I like to think he's in his Riverworld now.

Rest in peace.

Going to New York tomorrow

2009-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

I'm going there to visit my aunt and uncle and staying 'till Saturday. Looking forward to the journey tremendously.

My latest read

2008-10-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

I finished reading The Eldritch New Adventures of Becky Sharp by Micah Harris today. It's certainly a unique concept: the villainess of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847 novel Vanity Fair serving as an agent of the Great Race of Yith from the works of the great H.P. Lovecraft. Obviously, this concept is a little oddball, but Micah makes it work to great effect, and Becky is a delightfully amoral protagonist. Plus, there are plenty of other crossovers appearances and references: Jules Verne's Professor Lidenbrock and Captain Nemo, Herman Melville's Queequeg and Ishmael, King Kong, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar (plus Lord Eugenides, a Tarzan analog), Russell Thorndike's Captain Clegg, etc. Definitely recommended for fans of Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Family writings or Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels.

Welcome to my blog

2007-08-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, sentients. In my posts here, I will be reviewing movies and books, discussing news that interests me, drawing attention to sites I find worthwhile, and occasionally posting Wold Newton theories. If you wish to offer feedback on my posts, then by all means. I welcome it, whether I agree with it or not. See you in the funny pages, as they say.