Re: A few things: (Actually, a lot!)

From: Dan Drazen <drazen_at_andrews.edu>
Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 09:07:14 -0400 (EDT)

>
> Not wishing to get off-topic, but DESPITE the shoddy animation, which really
> was the BEST on TV at that point in time, it's the STORIES which determine
> whether legitimacy should be conferred or not. Many of those stories on the
> TREK animated series do warrant inclusion into the continuity, especially
> YESTERYEAR, MORE TROUBLES MORE TRIBBLES and THE COUNTER-CLOCK INCIDENT. It
> would be like trying to dismiss a legitimate SONIC story on the basis that
> there was one aspect you didn't like.
>

Actually, there have been several Sonic shows that were dismissed in
just that fashion: "Ro-Becca," "Ghost Busted," "Fed Up With Antoine."
Fan reaction when they aired was negative and immediate. The "one
aspect" that tipped it in was probably Antoine -- personally, I always
thought the character too over the top to be believable, even as comic
relief. And, of course, the daily syndicated series has long had low
credibility with Sonic fans -- at least, the ones who have spoken up on
this board. Its vision of Mobius was so far out of character that it
was simply repudiated. One or two guest characters may have registered,
but overall it feels like it's taking place on another planet.

I guess we should count our blessings. I'd forgotten that once upon a
time Filmation stuff was considered "best" because nobody else was
cranking anything out. Nowadays Disney and Warner Bros. have
high-quality product all over the dial, and there's a host of innovative
series out there, from "Reboot" to MTV's excellent adaptation of "The
Maxx." BTW, that's a nice phrase, "the continuity."

> As for stuff "ending up on the cutting room floor", as it were, you'd be
> amazed at how many bits haven't been used in every story or changed because
> of one reason or another. In fact, it's only recently that we're able to
> develop the stories we can BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ANY ANIMATED SERIES to lead
> the cart. I fully believe after working on the KNUCKLES mini-series recently
> that if this were the situation when we did the PRINCESS SALLY mini-series,
> at the very least the villain and the mission would have been allowed as
> originally intended. I can't say more in case we can do that story in the
> future.
>

You confirmed my suspicion that the changes in the Princess Sally
miniseries -- changes that were only hinted at in the notice in the
Sonic-grams of Sonic #21 -- were quite substantial. "The villian and
the mission"! No wonder the cover art changed so drastically. Hope you
get a chance to do your original story. Not that there was a serious
problem with the story line that finally emerged, but I guess I have a
general curiosity about "what might have been."

Looking forward to FINALLY getting a chance to read #36 this weekend:

================================================================
|| ___------__ || Daniel J. Drazen
|| |\__-- /\ _- || drazen_at_andrews.edu
|| | / __ _ ||Sonic: "Whoa, you're not going to
|| //\ / \ /__ || use the L-word, are you?"
|| | o| 0|__ --_ ||Tails: "Well...."
|| \\____-- __ \ ___ - ||Sonic: "Then I will...I love you,
|| (_at_@ __/ / /_ || little bro."
|| -_____--- --_ ||AoStH: "Tails' New Home"
================================================================

Received on Thu May 02 1996 - 09:23:43 PDT