META: LNH or LNH20?

[Andrew Perron]

On Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 9:55:38 AM UTC-4, Michael D Friedman wrote:
> So, I've been trying to research things, but there's just a ton of stuff out
> there and I've been gone for over a decade, so... Can somebody explain the
> division of LNH and LNH20 for me?

Aha! An excellent and useful question.

> Is LNH20 just a universe for rebooting the LNH, or are there specific
> fundamental differences between the two? I was noticing in some previous
> discussions when the LNH20 idea was being discussed, something about
> ownership rights, etc. Is there a specific historical "reboot" model that the
> LNH20 stories all relate to? (Like, all characters rebooted due to X event).

It's less of a reboot and more like trying to do the Ultimate Universe or the New Universe right - creating a new setting, informed by all of the things we appreciated most about everything that's come before, that's easier to get into and easier to write new stories in. See http://www.lnhq.info/wiki/LNH20

In terms of ownership rights, the most important part is that they're all explicit. There aren't any characters who are hanging out semi-abandoned - everyone's in one category or another. See http://www.lnhq.info/wiki/Character%20Usability

As well, there are a lot of characters who have been put into "General Use" status, tossing them out to the general toybox for anyone's stories. See http://www.lnhq.info/wiki/Category%20General%20Use

> For example, let's say that theoretically a certain author were to write a
> theoretical one-shot story, theoretically rebooting his main LNH creation,
> would that author automatically set this series in LNH20, since it's a
> reboot? Or theoretically, would this still exist in LNH, since it wasn't
> developed as a LNH20 story (with whatever theoretical history that may
> theoretically have)? This is all theoretical, mind you.

The older LNH (usually called the Classic LNH) all still exists - see http://www.lnhq.info/wiki/Classic%20LNH and http://www.lnhq.info/wiki/Looniverse . The LNH20 versions are all new characters, sometimes very similar, sometimes very different - for instance, the LNH20 version of Acton Lord has a completely different backstory, and is involved in a generational conflict to try to wrest power from the Writers; the LNH20 version of Sig.Lad disappeared back during the '90s, and now his daughter, Nerf Girl, is a member of the Legion.

So, short answer - if you wanted to actually reboot it, make it an LNH20 story. If you wanted to pick up where you left off, make it a Classic LNH story.

Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, and then there's LNHY...