Innovation, inspiration, imitation
LJ's stories continue to delight me, particularly given her grasp of character development.
In her most recent adventure, a skirmish between the Silver Surfer and Electro unexpectedly granted the villain energy-draining powers, which he used to tear through the city. The New Avengers responded to the crisis but struggled to comprehend Electro's upgrade - let alone bring him to heel. The Hulk surprised everyone by solving the riddle (exposure to the Power Cosmic had "infected" Electro with Galactus-style hunger). Black Widow horrified everyone by suggesting an "elegant" solution ("Electro is, unlike Galactus, mortal - one bullet and it's all over").
Thor, weighed down by the responsibility of team leadership, was lost for an answer... but only at first. At first it seemed the thunder god had gone mad, as he picked fights and arguments with his own allies. The hooting, hollering and shouting distracted Electro - which gave Thor the opportunity he'd been waiting for. Instead of attacking Electro with energy, Thor socked him - good and proper - with Mjolnir, using the mighty weapon as a hammer and a hammer alone. As Black Widow had surmised, phenomenal cosmic power hadn't rendered the villain indestructible and he crumpled as would any normal man.
The day had been won, the city saved and Thor had demonstrated the sort of out-of-the-box thinking demanded of leaders. Best of all, the victory had been achieved in full view of Mayor Kirby Granger, new Hero Times editor Lois Lane and the citizens of Super Hero City. It was the first time since the Ultra Revolution that the people had seen heroes work together successfully, and it did wonders for their acceptance. An unfamiliar sound filled the ears of the New Avengers - the sound of people cheering for them.
-----
It's one thing when a proud daddy loves his kid's creativity. It's quite another when said imagination inspires someone else. librarian_bot is a fantastic friend and one of the greatest creative-types I know (seriously: be it written word, art or design, his work is astoundingly good and compellingly readable/visually stunning). He's also a voracious reader of LJ's world, and his commentary upon her stories is often the highlight of her week. Just before Christmas he mentioned The Ultra Revolution had made a real impact upon him and, as has happened once before, there might be something in the wings. A special project... a gift, as it were... from him to LJ.
What he produced was awe-inspiring.
I quote (completely without permission) from the accompanying email: "So. A trifle belated and so forth, but here is the full collection of pictures of my little tribute to the wonderful world you guys have created. A small vignette featuring..."
"The Vision!
The Dark Knight!
Sunburst!
Torunn!
Ironclad and the Stark-bots!
Shield Maiden!
Quickdraw!
The Anti-Hero Formerly Known as Lord Death Man!
And -- Kid Deadpool!
All together to fight..."
"... the metal menace of Ultron Reborn!"
Having gloried at all the photos, all I could say was librarian_bot's craftsmanship truly blew me away. I utterly loved the "all grown up" versions of which he conceived, for each of LJ's original heroes. The build itself? It defies description. The poses he chose evoke the first Justice League cover and the first issue of Fantastic Four. They feel so immediately iconic that I could instantly see it on the front of a comic, as-is. And the fact my daughter's stories are so loved that a friend - a fan - would spend time, money and effort creating a tribute pushes my appreciartion beyond my ability to express.
LJ's reaction? She wept. Tears of joy, of course, but weeping nonetheless. librarian_bot took her breath away. "You have to thank him," she kept saying, "you have to thank him for me, Daddy. I don't have the words to say what this means to me." She was a gorgeous mess of happy, grateful tears by the time we reached the last photo. "I can't believe someone so talented and amazing would do this for me," she said. "I can't believe anyone outside of you and me likes my stories enough to do something as incredible as this. It's the ultimate compliment. My stories did this, Daddy - he really, really likes them and that's so amazing and wonderful and incredible and I just... wow. I just can't say it right. I can't say it big enough."
I'll never be able to thank librarian_bot enough for the confidence boost he's given LJ. Her faith in herself and her stories has become unshakeable - just as it always should have been. Now she finally understands how special her creations really are. Fortunately I'll be able to thank librarian_bot in a way he'll truly appreciate: the photos have sparked so many ideas in the kidlet's brain. She's determined these designs are the future of these characters and is starting to work toward them. Lord Death Man is coming back, y'all...
-----
And finally: this made me smile today. Mainly because (a) it reminded me so much of LJ's stories; (b) she has all of the toys necessary to pull this off; and (c) I'm really, really hoping I can convince her to imitate this (at least in part) for a future epic. I mean, heck, let's face it: who wouldn't want to see the Empire attack/attempt to invade/prepare to destroy Earth, with the Avengers and Justice League standing united as the sole hope against its evil might?
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
In her most recent adventure, a skirmish between the Silver Surfer and Electro unexpectedly granted the villain energy-draining powers, which he used to tear through the city. The New Avengers responded to the crisis but struggled to comprehend Electro's upgrade - let alone bring him to heel. The Hulk surprised everyone by solving the riddle (exposure to the Power Cosmic had "infected" Electro with Galactus-style hunger). Black Widow horrified everyone by suggesting an "elegant" solution ("Electro is, unlike Galactus, mortal - one bullet and it's all over").
Thor, weighed down by the responsibility of team leadership, was lost for an answer... but only at first. At first it seemed the thunder god had gone mad, as he picked fights and arguments with his own allies. The hooting, hollering and shouting distracted Electro - which gave Thor the opportunity he'd been waiting for. Instead of attacking Electro with energy, Thor socked him - good and proper - with Mjolnir, using the mighty weapon as a hammer and a hammer alone. As Black Widow had surmised, phenomenal cosmic power hadn't rendered the villain indestructible and he crumpled as would any normal man.
The day had been won, the city saved and Thor had demonstrated the sort of out-of-the-box thinking demanded of leaders. Best of all, the victory had been achieved in full view of Mayor Kirby Granger, new Hero Times editor Lois Lane and the citizens of Super Hero City. It was the first time since the Ultra Revolution that the people had seen heroes work together successfully, and it did wonders for their acceptance. An unfamiliar sound filled the ears of the New Avengers - the sound of people cheering for them.
-----
It's one thing when a proud daddy loves his kid's creativity. It's quite another when said imagination inspires someone else. librarian_bot is a fantastic friend and one of the greatest creative-types I know (seriously: be it written word, art or design, his work is astoundingly good and compellingly readable/visually stunning). He's also a voracious reader of LJ's world, and his commentary upon her stories is often the highlight of her week. Just before Christmas he mentioned The Ultra Revolution had made a real impact upon him and, as has happened once before, there might be something in the wings. A special project... a gift, as it were... from him to LJ.
What he produced was awe-inspiring.
I quote (completely without permission) from the accompanying email: "So. A trifle belated and so forth, but here is the full collection of pictures of my little tribute to the wonderful world you guys have created. A small vignette featuring..."
"The Vision!
The Dark Knight!
Sunburst!
Torunn!
Ironclad and the Stark-bots!
Shield Maiden!
Quickdraw!
The Anti-Hero Formerly Known as Lord Death Man!
And -- Kid Deadpool!
All together to fight..."
"... the metal menace of Ultron Reborn!"
Having gloried at all the photos, all I could say was librarian_bot's craftsmanship truly blew me away. I utterly loved the "all grown up" versions of which he conceived, for each of LJ's original heroes. The build itself? It defies description. The poses he chose evoke the first Justice League cover and the first issue of Fantastic Four. They feel so immediately iconic that I could instantly see it on the front of a comic, as-is. And the fact my daughter's stories are so loved that a friend - a fan - would spend time, money and effort creating a tribute pushes my appreciartion beyond my ability to express.
LJ's reaction? She wept. Tears of joy, of course, but weeping nonetheless. librarian_bot took her breath away. "You have to thank him," she kept saying, "you have to thank him for me, Daddy. I don't have the words to say what this means to me." She was a gorgeous mess of happy, grateful tears by the time we reached the last photo. "I can't believe someone so talented and amazing would do this for me," she said. "I can't believe anyone outside of you and me likes my stories enough to do something as incredible as this. It's the ultimate compliment. My stories did this, Daddy - he really, really likes them and that's so amazing and wonderful and incredible and I just... wow. I just can't say it right. I can't say it big enough."
I'll never be able to thank librarian_bot enough for the confidence boost he's given LJ. Her faith in herself and her stories has become unshakeable - just as it always should have been. Now she finally understands how special her creations really are. Fortunately I'll be able to thank librarian_bot in a way he'll truly appreciate: the photos have sparked so many ideas in the kidlet's brain. She's determined these designs are the future of these characters and is starting to work toward them. Lord Death Man is coming back, y'all...
-----
And finally: this made me smile today. Mainly because (a) it reminded me so much of LJ's stories; (b) she has all of the toys necessary to pull this off; and (c) I'm really, really hoping I can convince her to imitate this (at least in part) for a future epic. I mean, heck, let's face it: who wouldn't want to see the Empire attack/attempt to invade/prepare to destroy Earth, with the Avengers and Justice League standing united as the sole hope against its evil might?
Click to view
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF