So, as I'm sure will not have eluded everyone's notice, I have a fairly powerful imp of the perverse, or maybe just a strong contrarian streak, such that one of the best ways to get me to do something is to tell me not to do it. Sometimes this is deleterious, sometimes it's actually an on-ramp to good times, and often its results can be mistaken, by those against whom they are directed, as sheer spite.

That would, for instance, most likely be the case if I went through with the project my imp proposed in response to this comment from Merc on Honeymoon by the Sea:

>You might want to dial back the "Corwin is awesome and makes all the
>ladies love him without him even trying" stuff. Just a bit. It's
>become somewhat self-congratulatory.

I flatter myself that I handled this, if not smoothly, at least without actually starting a fight about it. I didn't address the bit I just quoted directly, but acknowledged to one of the follow-ups to it that he might've had a point, though I didn't think the matter was quite as serious as all that.

Here's what my imp wanted to do instead: construct an entire series of minis entitled ______ Loves Corwin, in each of which Corwin has a wacky adventure with one of the ladies who suspect he might be all that. For instance, Toph Loves Corwin would be the raid on King Ulfgerth of Jotunheim's treasury, while Kaname Loves Corwin would detail the reason why they are barred by court order from ever going back to Fumo Fumo Land.

But I'm not gonna do that! Because I'm a grown-up and it would be, or at least seem, petty. :)

--G.
"I know you don't care, but it is very dark here. We may be eaten by a grue."
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Probably for the best. Sooner or later, you'd have come up with "Joanie Loves Corwin"....

LAST EDITED ON Sep-03-13 AT 09:17 AM (EDT)
 
>Probably for the best. Sooner or later, you'd have come up with
>"Joanie Loves Corwin"....

Nah, Erin Moran is too busy doing her Happy Days spin-off/crossover with Antiques Roadshow. You know, Joanie Loves Tchotchkes.

-- Bob
-------------------
My race is pacifist and does not believe in war. We kill only out of personal spite.

>>Probably for the best. Sooner or later, you'd have come up with
>>"Joanie Loves Corwin"....
>
>Nah, Erin Moran is too busy doing her Happy Days
>spin-off/crossover with Antiques Roadshow. You know, Joanie
>Loves Tchotchkes.

I prefer the Klingon remake:

Joanie Loves cha'DIch

>So, as I'm sure will not have eluded everyone's notice, I have a
>fairly powerful imp of the
>perverse, or maybe just a strong contrarian streak, such that one of
>the best ways to get me to do something is to tell me not to do it.
>Sometimes this is deleterious, sometimes it's actually an on-ramp to
>good times, and often its results can be mistaken, by those against
>whom they are directed, as sheer spite.

See, now you've got me wondering just how much of the Collected Works of Ben Hutchins have been fueled by this.

(Also, from the half-remembered stories I pried out of some members of the production team here at parties at cons a dogs age ago, one never has to wonder if they've attracted your spite. If it merely seems like one has done this, one has not. If Ben Hutchins is being spiteful in your direction, you'll fuckin' -know-.)

>>You might want to dial back the "Corwin is awesome and makes all the
>>ladies love him without him even trying" stuff. Just a bit. It's
>>become somewhat self-congratulatory.

I now note for the historical record that, oh, a good fourteen or fifteen years ago now, I was one of the guys at EFRS who was, shall we say, not SHY about expressing opinions about how his creator was handling DJ Croft. Take that for whatever it's worth to you. :)

>I flatter myself that I handled this, if not smoothly, at least
>without actually starting a fight about it. I didn't address
>the bit I just quoted directly, but acknowledged to one of the
>follow-ups to it that he might've had a point, though I didn't think
>the matter was quite as serious as all that.

And I flatter myself that I got my point across without seeming like, well, a dick about things. I never quite know how to tell people "You may be doing something inadvisable in your writing here" without it seeming like there's an unstated "and it's fucking bad and you're bad and you should feel bad, you talentless hack" coming along for the ride. Which is a bad thing if you don't, y'know, actually think that about someones oeuvre.

(It doesn't help that I love to argue. Love it. I don't even have to win, to the extent that it's possible to 'win' a difference of opinion. I just love the arguing process.)

>Here's what my imp wanted to do instead: construct an entire series
>of minis entitled ______ Loves Corwin, in each of which
>Corwin has a wacky adventure with one of the ladies who suspect he
>might be all that. For instance, Toph Loves Corwin would be
>the raid on King Ulfgerth of Jotunheim's treasury, while Kaname
>Loves Corwin would detail the reason why they are barred by court
>order from ever going back to Fumo Fumo Land.

I would read the fuck out of these. All of these. I would also suggest that the full title of Toph's piece would be 'Toph Loves Corwin (Subtitle) Life-Changing Field Trip.'

More seriously, having re-read my original comment, I think that I phrased it badly despite my attempt to be clear, which I do sometimes. Corwin actually BEING awesome and making all the ladies love him without even trying is pretty cool, although I confess I like the slightly neurotic side of Corwin better.

It was the bits where people stand around talking about how awesome Corwin is that I feel are becoming slightly self-congratulatory, especially if they pertain to things we haven't actually seen on-screen. Corwin is pretty awesome, and sometimes people are gonna stand around and make note of that, but there maybe doesn't have to be a speech about it quite so frequently as there is.

>But I'm not gonna do that! Because I'm a grown-up

You've got one up on me, then. I still wake up every day and worry that my parents and co-workers will realize what a colossal sham I am.

-Merc
Keep Rat

"Carlos and his team of scientists warn that one of the houses in the new development of Desert Creek, out back of the old elementary school, doesn’t actually exist. It seems like it exists, explained Carlos and his perfect hair, like it’s just right there when you look at it. And it’s between two identical houses, so it would make more sense for it to be there then not. But, he says, they have done experiments, and the house is definitely not there. At news time, the scientists are standing in a group in front of the nonexistent house, daring each other to go knock on the door."

Speaking of getting old, it is going to take you a long time to get through everything Cecil has ever said about Carlos. Damn, yo.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>It seems like it exists, explained
>Carlos and his perfect hair, like it’s just right there when you look
>at it.

As somebody completely unfamiliar with the source material, I have to wonder which part of this explanation was supplied by Carlos, and which part by his hair. :)

LAST EDITED ON Aug-31-13 AT 11:04 PM (EDT)
 
>As somebody completely unfamiliar with the source material, I have to
>wonder which part of this explanation was supplied by Carlos, and
>which part by his hair. :)

In Night Vale, it is best to not ask these questions. Unless you want to find a single lily on your doorstep, left by the Sheriff's secret police. A week later, you will awaken blind in one eye.

You know what you did.

-Merc
Keep Rat

"Lights, seen in the sky above the Arby’s. Not the glowing sign of Arby’s; something higher and beyond that. We know the difference. We’ve caught onto their game. We understand the lights-above-Arby’s game. Invaders from another world. Ladies and gentlemen, the future is here, and it’s about a hundred feet above the Arby’s."

>I now note for the historical record that, oh, a good fourteen or
>fifteen years ago now, I was one of the guys at EFRS who was, shall we
>say, not SHY about expressing opinions about how his creator was
>handling DJ Croft. Take that for whatever it's worth to you. :)

I can't be arsed to go look up who, but someone came in AFTER NXE:TMP was published, read the first 2-3 acts of Season One, and went off in galactic style on DJ.

The response of pretty much everyone on the board was, 'um, go read the rest of the story; the vast majority of your complaints get dealt with'. Said complainer never did, or at least didn't acknowledge having done so to my shaky memory.

That was my first run-in with the 'I Hate DJ' crowd, and I still don't get their point of view. :)

Brian

>>EFRS

Or, as we knew them around the studio in those days, "Those fuckin' guys."

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>>EFRS
>
>Or, as we knew them around the studio in those days, "Those
>fuckin' guys."

Smile when you say that. :)

(It all seemed so important back then, didn't it?)

-Merc
Keep Rat

Look to the north. Keep looking. There’s nothing coming from the south.

Kaiju Otachi Loves Corwin is why a large part of the Aztechnology pyramid will be under construction for the next decade.

------
Jon Helscher

Oh God, it was me. I was the grognard all along.

>Kaiju Otachi Loves Corwin is why a large part of the
>Aztechnology pyramid will be under construction for the next decade.

Valhalla Enquirer headline: "I Am Not Ōtachi Jr.'s Father," Says Flustered Æs

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Isn't that the reason there's other EPU authors? :)

Craig