META/REVIEW: Immediate Pleasure (a review of Superfreaks # 19-21)

[Tom Russell]

Martin Phipps wrote:

> Actually, the stories are almost completely written in my head before I
> start typing and I do think of different possibilities.

Then I stand corrected. :-)

>  I go with the
> one that makes me laugh.

I know you've stated before that Superfreaks can be considered a parody
universe.  But I guess I just keep missing the punchlines. :-)

> I know but unless you have knives lying around in your kitchen or a
> radio suspended over your bathtub, the whole death-by-weird-accident
> theme is hard to pull off. :)

Which is why when done properly it gives so much pleasure.  Not because
it's easy to write or think up, but precisely because it is hard and
requires a great deal of brain power.

> > For example, I don't think Martin enjoys coming up with names.  Which
> > is why we get characters like Britney Hilton and Justin Federline and
> > Christian Lohan.  This is also why Extreme's [father's] real name is My-Kel and
> > the Dr. Strange analogue is named Professor Stomper.
>
> Ha.  Ha.  Ha ha ha.  No?

::crickets::

> Did you notice there was a character named Martin Mylar in Superfreaks
> #16?  And Langeto's lawyer in Lagneto 2017 was... Leroy Laurel.
> Really.

I vaguely remember the Mylar-- but since I didn't create that
character, I didn't think too much of it, really. :-)

The thing is, when a name already has a famous personage or character
associated with it-- like Dr. Stomper, as far as the LNH and its
wonderful circle of readers goes-- it's hard to take that character
seriously without bringing those associations into play.  And the thing
is, since there aren't any real jokes about the characters, it strikes
one as odd-- using the tools of parody for drama.

> Britney Hilton!  Ha!  Ha!  Ha ha ha!  No?

::crickets::

> Edward, Mary, John, Alan and Michael seem more real than LNH characters
> because I have actors in mind when I write them.  That's it.

If you say so.  I think it's because you did an excellent job writing
them-- most particularly Edward & Mary. :-)

> 
> Martin

==Tom