LNHY: Never Asked Questions about LNHY (updated)

Arspitzer arspitzer at aol.com
Fri Jan 7 16:38:14 PST 2005


Updated somewhat...


                   NEVER ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LNH-Y

                              Version 1.02

(A very, very, very Rough Draft)

========================================================================
Administered by: Arthur Spitzer (arspitzer at aol.com or 
                                 arspitzer at hotmail.com)
(If you're confused by something e-mail this guy)
(For problems with RACC e-mail eagle at eyrie.org)

Last updated January 7, 2005
========================================================================

1.0   Introduction
 .1     The LNH?  What's the LNH?
 .2     Do I need to read any LNH stories to understand LNH Y?
 .3     What's the difference between the LNH and LNH Y?
 .4     What's Usuable Without Permission mean?
 .5     When I make a character usuable without permission, what does
         that mean?
 .6     I have a character that is a member of LNH Y, but I want to
         shift him back to need permission first before using.  Can I do
         this?
 .7     Is it okay to use a character who has quit the LNH and shifted
         to need permission to use in a flashback when they were usuable
         without permission without getting permission?
 .8     But what if I want several of my characters to be LNH'rs and
         make people ask permission before using them?
 .9     Can I reserve characters and places?

2.0   Looniverse Y
 .1     What's Looniverse Y?
 .2     What are LNHQ Pills?
 .3     What is the New LNH Member Detector?
 .4     Who are the System Corrupters?
 .5     Can I have my characters visit alternate universes?


3.0   Writing
 .1     So how do I become a writer for the LNHY Imprint?
 .2     I want to make one of my characters a member of the LNH Y.  How
         do I do that?
 .3     Is there an archive that has LNHY Stories?
 .4     Who is in charge of this place?
 .5     Will there be elections for the leader of the LNH?
 .6     Can I write a crossover with LNHY and some other RACC Imprint?
 .7     Can I transfer a character from another imprint into the LNHY
         Imprint?
 .8     I hate this writer's story.  Can I retcon it away?
 .9     Can I write stories filled with sex, violence, and profanity?

4.0   The Rest of the Stuff
 .1     What series are in the LNHY Imprint?
 .2     Who are the writers of LNHY?
 .3     Who runs the roster?
 .4     I posted a story to RACC, but it hasn't appeared.  What did I do
         wrong?
 .5     I found this imprint in the archives, but no one who writes for
         it seems to be around anymore.  What should I do?
 .6     Do I get something if I write an issue of Looniverse Y?
 .7     Which story is the first one I should read?

Q1.1   The LNH?  What's the LNH?

A1.1   Well, okay.  I guess this probably counts as a Frequently Asked 
Question.  (Especially since I stole it from the LNH FAQ).

The LNH is short for the Legion of Net.Heroes.  It's an idea that 
developed from a thread on Rec.Arts.Comics.  A guy by the name of Dan'l 
Danehy-Oakes, Net.Roach back in April 29, 1992 started a post proposing 
that the regulars of RAC create their own superhero group called the 
Legion of Net.Heroes.  This post grew into a really big thread with 
everyone revealing their superhero name.  Eventually, a few people 
started writing stories with these characters.

Here's the post that started it all:

http://tinyurl.com/2pv8t

Eventually it got its own newsgroup by the name of alt.comics.lnh.  The 
stories became more elaborate and sophisticated poking fun at the 
superhero genre, the comic industry, and whatever other sacred cows 
there were.  Occasionally it even dealt with serious matters.  And now 
it's 12 years and a thousand stories later.

For a much better explanation of what the LNH is read the LNH FAQ:

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/FAQs/LNH.FAQ.gz

Or go to the LNH Website:

http://www.eyrie.org/lnh/

Pretty much every LNH story is in this archive:

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/

Q1.2   Do I need to read any LNH stories to understand LNH Y?

A1.2   No you don't.  I created this imprint to stand alone from the 
huge backstory of the LNH.  The only stories you'll have to read to 
understand LNH Y are the stories that are posted under the [LNHY] 
imprint.

If the subject line starts with [LNH] or LNH: then they are stories set 
in the classic LNH imprint.

[LNH2] or LNH2: is Martin Phipp's imprint involving an alternate future 
of the classic LNH.

[LNHY] or LNHY: are stories set in the Looniverse Y universe.

That being said, you shouldn't avoid reading stories set in the classic 
LNH Looniverse.  It's just not necessary to read them to enjoy LNH Y. 
stories.

Here are some great Classic LNH stories for you to check out.

Easily Discovered Man

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/Series/Easily-Discovered/

Swordmaster

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/Series/Swordmaster/

Misfits

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/Series/Misfits/

Constellation

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/Series/Constellation/
(You should probably start with #13 on Constellation
 for reasons that issue one is a really bad jumping on
 point.)

Legion of Occult Heroes

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/Series/Legion.Occult/

LNH Comic Presents

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/Series/LNHCP/

LNH Triple Play

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/Series/LNH.Triple.Play/


If nothing more you should atleast check out Easily Discovered Man.

Q1.3   What's the difference between the LNH and LNH Y?

A1.3   There are some major differences.

First off, they're both set in different universes (or Looniverses you 
could say).  And secondly, there are a different set of writing rules 
for each Looniverse.

In the classic Looniverse you can make as many characters members of the 
LNH as you want.

In the LNH Y Imprint you can make as many characters as you want, but 
only one of them can be a member of the LNH.

The reason for this is that for as long as I can remember there have 
always been complaints about how the LNH was too big.  Even back in '93, 
when I discovered the LNH, people were complaining about the size of the 
LNH.  Now I personally don't think that the LNH is too big, and I'd say 
that a thousand member cast is part of the LNH's charm, but I do get why 
people might find the LNH's size overwhelming.

A one LNH character for every writer limit will certainly keep the 
Looniverse Y LNH at a reasonable size.  When you can only choose one out 
of all of your characters to be an LNH'r that perhaps makes being an 
LNH'r a bit more special than if you're making hundreds of your 
characters LNH'rs.  There is of course the danger that all of the LNH'rs 
will be male because most writers are male.  Hopefully, some writers 
will choose a female character to be their LNH'r.

The one character you choose to be your LNH'r can either be created by 
you or it can be a public domain character of your choosing.  You can 
also use someone elses character assuming you get their permission 
first.

Another big difference between LNH Y and the classic LNH is that all 
LNH'rs in Looniverse Y are usuable without permission.

Q1.4   What's Usuable Without Permission mean?

A1.4   Okay.  There are four different levels of Character Availability.

Level 1:  Public Domain Characters:

These are characters that are shared by the LNH Y Imprint Writers and 
can be used freely by any LNH Y Writer.

Level 2:  Usuable Without Permission Characters:

These are characters that are owned by a particular writer, but the 
writer doesn't care if people use the character without permission.  The 
owner can at anytime shift the character to another level.  All members 
of the LNH in Looniverse Y as well as System Corrupter characters are 
either usuable without permission or public domain.

Level 3:  Need to Ask Permission First Before Using Characters:

These are characters that you need to ask the owner permission first if 
you're planning on using them.  If the owner of the character is 
unreachable don't use this character.  These characters aren't allowed 
to be members of the LNH or System Corrupters.

Level 4:  Don't Touch this Character, And Don't Bother Asking for 
Permission:

These are characters that it probably would be a pointless exercise to 
ask for permission to use.  But don't let that stop you.  These 
characters aren't allowed to be members of the LNH or System Corrupters.

The Reason I made the rule that all members of the LNH in Looniverse Y 
have to be usuable without permission is to solve the whole 'what 
happens to a character once their writer leaves' dilemma.

In the classic LNH, what characters are okay to use, has always been one 
of biggest flamewar starters.  Certain Public Domain characters, like 
Cheesecake Eater Lad and Dr. Stomper, aren't really Public Domain 
characters.  They're characters whose creators kind of abandoned them 
and it eventually just became acceptable to use them without permission.  
A lot of the old-timers in the classic LNH know which characters they 
can use without permission without worrying about a writer coming back 
to bite their head.  A lot of the ethics around this is rather murky.

In the LNH Y Imprint, you don't have to worry about this because all 
memebers of the LNH are usuable without permission.

Q1.5   When I make a character usuable without permission, what does 
that mean?

A1.5   It means you're throwing the character to the wolves.  But 
seriously it means that someone can do pretty much anything to that 
character without having to ask for your permission.  There are a few 
limits though.

Don't kill the character without permission.  And don't have the 
character kicked out of the LNH or System Corrupters without permission.

And if you're going to do something really extreme with the character 
like reveal the character is a traitor or a child molester or something 
like that you should probably get permission first.  But other than that 
anything goes.

Q1.6   I have a character that is a member of LNH Y, but I want to shift 
him back to need permission first before using.  Can I do this?

A1.6   Yes you can.  Just have your character quit the LNH and you can 
have your character be whatever level of character availability that you 
want him to be.

Q1.7   Is it okay to use a character who has quit the LNH and shifted to 
'need permission to use' in a flashback when they were usuable without 
permission without getting permission?

A1.7   Hmm.  Hopefully, a person who has their character quit the LNH 
will make it clear whether it would be okay to use their character in a 
flashback without permission.  Just to be safe though, you probably 
should ask permission first.

Q1.8   But what if I want several of my characters to be LNH'rs and make 
people ask permission before using them?

A1.8   You can do that in the classic LNH Imprint (which is still great 
to write in).  Or you can create your own LNH Imprint and make up 
whatever rules you want.  But if you're going to write in the LNH Y 
Imprint you're going to have to limit yourself to one character in the 
LNH and make that character usuable without permission.

Q1.9   Can I reserve characters and places?

A1.9   Oh sure.  Why not.  There are some rules though.

In the classic LNH there were never rules about reserving, which caused 
its share of flamewars.  Some writers seemed to believe reserving a 
character was the same as owning a character and they tended to reserve 
characters indefinitely.  Things work differently in the LNH Y Imprint.

In LNH Y you can only reserve a public domain character or place for 
three months.  After three months lay off the character or place for a 
couple of weeks and if no one seems interested in using them after the 
two weeks are up you can reserve them for another three months.

Try to limit yourself to reserving as few characters as possibly.  And 
don't reserve anything unless you're actually planning on using it.

As far as characters that are owned by someone, its up to them how long 
you can reserve something.  If they're usuable withour permission and 
the owner has vanished reserve them like a public domain character.

Q2.1  What's Looniverse Y?

A2.1  It's a vast place filled with billions and billions of galaxies 
and stars.  One of these stars is called Sun Y.  Sun Y has nine or so 
planets (there are rumors of invisible planets).  The third planet from 
Sun Y is called T-Bone (Academics and scientist for some reason call it 
Earth Y).  Planet T-Bone has pretty much the same countries and cities 
we do although it has its share of completely made up countries and 
cities.

In the classic LNH, writers used to change the names of real cities with 
net pun versions.  Like Chicago became Sig.ago, and Atlanta became 
Alt.anta.  If you want to do this, I won't stop you.  You can call 
Chicago whatever you want.  (Although for reasons of good taste you 
probably shouldn't call it Sh*t.c*ck.g*).  All real places and cities 
are obviously public domain.

There are also fictional cities.  The biggest and most important one 
being Net.ropolis Y.  Net.ropolis Y is a magnet for superheroes, 
villains, alien invaders, cataclysmic events, kitchen sinks and whatever 
else.  Net.ropolis Y has the ability to move, so it's never in the same 
place or state.  Net.ropolis is usually the city that contains the LNHQ 
(Legion of Net.Heroes Headquarters), although I guess there is nothing 
stopping it from being put in, say, Jamaica.

Other fictional cities are as follow:

No Joke City is a very serious place.  They frown on wacky loony 
characters.  The police tend to rough up any silly characters that show 
up.  It's a good place to write serious stories.  It's located somewhere 
in Kansas.

Espayola is some where along the New Mexico and Mexico border.  It's a 
corrupt place that tends to attract the scum of T-Bone.  Both countries 
deny that Espayola is within their border.  Mimes, carsalesmen, lawyers, 
televangelists and so on tend to flock here.

There's also an island somewhere on Planet T-Bone called If-I-Told-You-
Where-It-Was-I'd-Have-To-Kill-You Island.  Located somewhere beneath the 
island is a bar called the No-Such-Place Bar.  Trenchcoaters and other 
unsavory types hang out in there.

Q2.2   What are LNHQ Pills?

A2.2   The LNH Briefcase that Kid Kicked-Out was given contained a bunch 
of objects.  One of them was a bottle of LNHQ Pills.

An LNHQ Pill is a pill that if you expose them to water becomes an LNHQ 
(Legion of Net.Heroes Headquarters).  The pill bottle itself is 
completely indestructable and there are an infinite number of pills 
inside the bottle.  Needless to say, it would be a very bad idea to 
throw an open bottle into the ocean.  Looniverse Y can only have one 
LNHQ.  If multiple LNHQs are created, the extras tend to disintegrate 
after awhile.

The LNHQ is a very chaotic headquarters.  Sometimes it looks like a 
skyscraper.  Sometimes like a mansion.  It's up to the writer what it 
looks like.  Inside the LNHQ is a vast labyrinth of rooms and hallways.  
Sometimes rooms and hallways vanish without warning.  The LNHQ has as 
many rooms as a particular writer thinks it should.

The LNHQ also contains whatever a writer thinks it should contain.  It 
could have a gym, a swimmingpool, a library, a cafeteria, a strip club, 
or whatever.  The LNHQ has all kinds of strange technology inside it.

In the classic LNH there is a room called the Peril Room (a homage to 
the X-Men's Danger Room).  It's possible that the Looniverse Y LNH also 
has a Peril Room, but it's possible that it's called something 
different.  Like maybe the Ouch Room or the Kick-Ass-and-Take-Names Room 
(I like the Kick-Ass-and-Take-Names Room, myself.  That would be just so 
damn cool).

The classic LNH had vehicles called Flight.thingees, but it's possible 
that in Looniverse Y they're called Getaround Machines or Air.mcjiggies.  
Or maybe not.

The LNHQ has a basement and an incredibly high number of sub-sub 
basements below it.  How many sub basements there are is undetermined.

Q2.3   What is the New LNH Member Detector?

A2.3   The New LNH Member Detector is a device that looks like a very 
complex remote control.  It has the ability to detect new members of the 
LNH.  It knows that writers are only allowed one character in the LNH 
and it makes sure that no writer ever has more than one.

The New LNH Member Detector is able to talk and has a very annoying 
personality.  It seems to believe it knows quite a bit about everything, 
but whether it knows anything or is just making up stuff is hard to say.

The New LNH Member Detector can't be destroyed, no matter how much you 
might like doing that.

<:It talks like this.:>

Q2.4   Who are the System Corrupters?

A2.4   In the classic LNH, there was an anthology for stories about LNH 
Villains called the System Corruptors (I'm not sure who created the 
idea.  Possibly Dave Van Domelen?).

I thought the name sounded pretty cool and decided that that would be 
the name of the opposing group of villains rather than the Brotherhood 
of Net.Villains (which is the opposing group of villains in the classic 
LNH).

The System Corrupters are a group of supervillains banded together to 
destroy the LNH and all that's good and decent.

Like the LNH, each writer is only allowed to have one character as a 
System Corrupter and all of the System Corrupters are usuable without 
permission.

At the current moment there are no System Corrupters and the leadership 
position for the System Corrupters is still open.

Q2.5   Can I have my characters visit alternate universes?

Q2.5   As long as the alternate universes in question are confined to 
the LNHY Imprint.  Alternate universes from other imprints are off 
limits for the first year atleast.


Q3.1   So how do I become a writer for the LNHY Imprint?

A3.1   You should read the NAQ (Never Asked Question) and then read as 
many LNHY stories as you can.  Once you've done that you can start your 
own LNHY series or you can write an issue for the public domain title 
'Looniverse Y'.

Q3.2   I want to make one of my characters a member of the LNH Y.  How 
do I do that?

A3.2   Write a story involving how your character became a member of LNH 
Y.  And write a roster entry for that character and send it to the 
roster keeper (arspitzer at aol.com).  Do not send rosters entries unless 
you've written these characters into a story.

Here's an example of a roster entry:

NAME:  Kid Kicked-Out
  CREATED BY:  Arthur Spitzer (arspitzer at aol.com)
  TYPE:  Usable Without Permission
  SECRET IDENTITY: Greeve Gaines (Not to be confused with Greef Graves)
  POWERS:  Kid Kicked-Out has the ability to be kicked-out of superhero 
groups which he's done quite a lot in his career.  Some of the superhero 
groups he's been kicked-out of are Teen Fascists, Before God Guys, 
Desperately Desperate Desperadoes, and the World's Worst Heroes.  He 
also has the ability to be kicked-out of class, out of dimensions, bars, 
the army, churches, prison, you name it.  If its a place, thing, or 
concept that you can be kicked-out of or kicked-off of he can be and 
will be.  He's also invunerable to any physical injury (although he 
feels the pain and is more sensitive to it than the average person).
  ADD NOTES:  He's currently the leader of the LNH.
  APPEARANCE:  He has a black and blue colored costume with a 'shoe 
print' for an icon on his chest and his back.
  ENEMIES:  Boot-Head, Baron Buttkicker, Miss Take-In
  FIRST ISSUE:  Looniverse Y #1

You don't have to write a roster entry for a character.  But it would 
help.

Q3.3   Is there an archive that has LNHY Stories?

A3.3   Not at the moment.  I suppose the eyrie archives will eventually 
have a section for LNHY.

http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnhy (maybe)

But until that happens, you'll have to use the google groups archive to 
find LNHY stories.

http://tinyurl.com/58v53

Q3.4   Who is in charge of this place?

Q3.4   No one.  All writers of the LNHY Imprint have an equal say about 
what happens or should happen in the LNHY Imprint.

If you're confused about something though, you should probably e-mail 
Arthur Spitzer (arspitzer at aol.com).  After a few months or so, he'll get 
back to you.

Q3.5   Will there be elections for the leader of the LNH?

A3.5   Oh sure.  Why not.  In the Classic LNH, there was only one (as 
far as I'm aware) election which the Ultimate Ninja won.  And they 
haven't had another election since.

I figure every year there should be a election (assuming there's 
interest for one).  The first election will take place a year from now 
(assuming LNHY is still around at that time).

The only people who will be allowed to vote will be people who have a 
character that is a member of the LNH in Looniverse Y.  All characters 
who are members of LNH Y will be eligible for being leader.

The character who gets the majority vote will win.

Q3.6   Can I write a crossover with LNHY and some other RACC Imprint?

A3.6   For the moment I'd say no.  For atleast one year I'd like to ban 
any crossover with another RACC Imprint.  Part of the reason I created 
LNHY was so a new reader could read any LNHY story without having to 
understand the huge LNH (or NTB, Superguy, RaccChallenge, Crossroads) 
backstory.

If the LNHY Imprint manages to last for more than one year, then feel 
free to crossover with any imprint your heart desires.

Q3.7   Can I transfer a character from another imprint into the LNHY 
Imprint?

A3.7   No.  You can if you want create a character in the LNHY Imprint 
that has the same name as a character in another imprint (assuming you 
own the rights to that name, or you recieved permission to use that name 
from the owner).

For example if wReam wanted to transfer the Ultimate Ninja from the 
Classic LNH to LNHY he couldn't do that, but if he wanted to create a 
character called the Ultimate Ninja who had always existed in the LNHY 
Imprint he could do that.

Q3.8   I hate this writer's story.  Can I retcon it away?

A3.8   Only if you get permission from the writer to retcon it.  
Overall, it's probably best that people retcon as little as possible 
(even their own stories).  Retcons tend to create to much chaos and 
confusion and can ultimately make an imprint unreadable (See:  
RaccChallenge).

There will always be some continuity errors and there's no point in 
dwelling on them.  Timetravel, clones, shapeshifting aliens can easily 
explain away most continuity errors.  Try to be as consistent as 
possible, but don't worry about getting everything perfect.  Mistakes 
happen.

Q3.9   Can I write stories filled with sex, violence, and profanity?

A3.9   I don't care.  But if you do, you should probably give some kind 
of a warning at the beginning of your story so people who want to avoid 
that stuff can.

In the classic LNH people would put 'Acraphobe' in the subject line to 
that their stories had adult content.  They also spelled acrophobia 
wrong for some reason.

For example LNHY/Acraphobe:  Sex, Violence, and Profane Adventures #1

or [LNHY/ACRA]   The Youth Corrupters #666

You can do that if you want.


Q4.1   What series are in the LNHY Imprint?

A4.1   Currently there are three.

The Daily Super Short-Short Story (Originally called the Daily Super 
Paragraph):  It's an Acraphobe title.  So far it's up to issue 64.
http://tinyurl.com/6zqcm (for the Super Paragraph)
http://tinyurl.com/5dgjv (for the Super Short-Short Story)

Google.mesh: An Acraphobe title.  By Martin Phipps.  Currently at issue 
7.
http://tinyurl.com/6f6sq

Looniverse Y:  Is a public domain title that anyone is allowed to write 
in.  It's currently at issue 1.
http://tinyurl.com/6gw6o

Teen Fascists:  By Martin Phipps.  Currently at issue 7.
http://tinyurl.com/4lq8v

Q4.2   Who are the writers of LNHY?

A4.2   Currently there are three.

Saxon Brenton
Martin Phipps
Arthur Spitzer (arspitzer at aol.com)


Q4.3   Who runs the roster?

A4.3   Arthur Spitzer (arspitzer at aol.com)

To see the roster click on this link:  http://tinyurl.com/3umfc

Q4.4   I posted a story to RACC, but it hasn't appeared.  What did I do 
wrong?

A4.4   Rec.Arts.Comics.Creative is a moderated group.  Sometimes posts 
take quite awhile to be approved.  Check google groups to see if they 
recieved your post.

http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search

If you don't see it there, check with Russ Allbery.

e-mail eagle at eyrie.org

Stolen from the LNH FAQ:

<<If you want to post, Eyrie's own Russ Allbery has made a
mail-to-news gateway available for both rec.arts.comics.creative and
alt.comics.lnh. Simply send your message to
rec.arts.comics.creative at eyrie.org (also racc at eyrie.org) or
alt.comics.lnh at eyrie.org, and it will be posted to the appropriate
group on Usenet. 

       Russ has also provided a news-to-mail gateway for
rec.arts.comics.creative. Send a message to majordomo at eyrie.org with
'subscribe racc' in the body. Note: This will sign you up for every
message that is sent to rec.arts.comics.creative, but what better way to
make sure you don't miss out on any LNH stories? :)>>


Q4.5   I found this imprint in the archives, but no one who writes for 
it seems to be around anymore.  What should I do?

A4.5   You have two choices.  You can ignore it, or you can take it 
over.  I created this imprint so it could exist without needing anyone 
to run it.  If you should find this imprint ten years from now 
abandoned, then make it your own.  Respect the wishes of those character 
owners who don't want you messing with their characters without their 
permission though.  Feel free to take over the NAQ or the Roster.

Q4.6     Do I get something if I write an issue of Looniverse Y?

A4.6     Funny you should ask that.  Yes, in fact every person who 
writes an issue of Looniverse Y and makes a character of theirs a member 
of the LNH or Systems Corrupters gets a copy of the never before seen 
Omaha Project: The Unusable Chapter.  But you have to do both.  If you 
just write an issue of Looniverse Y or just create a member of the LNH 
or System Corrupters you get nothing.  Once you get your copy, you are 
forbidden to post it or show it to anyone else.

Q4.7     Which story is the first one I should read?

A4.7     You should probably read Looniverse Y #1 first since that was the 
first issue to be posted, but here's a timeline of LNHY stories.

  The Daily Super Short-Short Story #0                   Martin Phipps
  The Daily Super Paragraph #1-3                         Arthur Spitzer
  The Daily Super Short-Short Story #4-18                Arthur Spitzer
  Looniverse Y #1                                        Arthur Spitzer
  The Daily Super Short-Short Story #19-63               Saxon Brenton
  Teen Fascists #1-6                                     Martin Phipps
  The Daily Super Short-Short Story #64                  Martin Phipps
  Google.mesh #1-5                                       Martin Phipps
  Teen Fascists/Google.mesh Crossover
    Google.mesh #6                                       Martin Phipps
    Teen Fascists #7                                     Martin Phipps
    Google.mesh #7                                       Martin Phipps

Have fun!

Arthur "Not sure if I want this thing to fail or succeed" Spitzer





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